The first week completed and Andy Murray continues to evolve into mint condition and still Wimbledon has not had to close their expensive new sliding roof over centre court. This is becoming the nations waiting game.
I thought they had got it wrong. Around tea time on Saturday murky clouds were hovering and there were occasional flashes of lightning in the distance. I said to myself that they will close the roof now to make sure that Murray's match against the Serb Viktor Troicki is not interrupted by rain and delayed while the roof is closed.
Hewitt: On fine form at Wimbledon
I was wrong and they got it right - the match was successfully completed. A good call that one.
As we begin the second week the only Murray thought that causes me unease is the form of Leyton Hewitt. The two of them could wee meet in the semi-finals - that would be Ashes stuff wouldn't it.
One day at a time
However let us, like Murray, take it one day at a time. Today that means the business like Stanislas Wawrinka who is the 19th seed in the last 16. Wawrinka is always talked about as Roger Federer's Swiss team mate when it comes to playing Davis Cup tennis matches, but he did beat Federer this spring on clay in Monte Carlos. So Murray is into class opposition from here on in.
As we begin the second week the only Murray thought that causes me unease is the form of Leyton Hewitt. The two of them could wee meet in the semi-finals - that would be Ashes stuff wouldn't it.
Gerry Williams
Quotes of the week
Federer himself opens proceedings on centre court this afternoon in a repeat of the recent French Open final against Swede Robin Soderling.
There is also a juicy one up on number one court today as well. The holder Venus Williams, left knee heavily taped, is up against Ana Ivanovic. Ivanovic catapulted to number one in the world and then almost as quickly nearly disappeared.
On Saturday Venus won 6-1 6-4 against a busy little scrapper from the Canary Islands by the name of Carla Suarez Navarro who had famously beaten Williams in the second round in the Australian Open in January. Suarez Navarro seemed at first over awed by the whole centre court experience especially with all those famous Olympic athletes sitting in the Royal box. Then Venus lost her intensity and became sloppy. When the Spanish girls realised that one tennis court is the same size as another one she worked her way back into the game but the leeway was too much.
As for Ivanovic who beat Samantha Stosur, she is benefiting from the temporary help of a sort of flying doctor. My old chum Darren Cahill is one of a couple of former players who have got together to offer this temporary service to players and the idea is catching on.
I know I have gone on about this a bit, by that I mean the LTA doing more for the game at the grass roots and club level. The great Christine Truman told me yesterday about what is happening at the club where she is president. A lady by the name of Alison Bell has left them £87,000 for the development of local youngsters taking up tennis. Christine told me how they have drawn up a five year plan funded by this extraordinary legacy. I love that one.
My final note for this morning is that crowd attendances have increased every day so far among them three all time records for those particular days. There were 12,000 people in the queue before breakfast time an official told me. I did chance a view on Day One that tennis was in a golden era. I may just be right, that would be a first
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Comments (7)
Peter Tolfts says...
Hewitt has been one of my favourite players for a while now, I think if he can tame the roddick serve then he will go through, he is definately one of the mentally toughest players on the circuit and I am glad he has brought back the 'come on!' that has been sorely missed. Still backing Murray to the final though!
Posted 13:23 30th June 2009
Owen Edwards says...
what are you talking about, mental strength is hewitt`s best quality......
Posted 23:57 29th June 2009
Adam Burch says...
hi gerry, I think hewitt v murray would be a great match with the form they are on but murray still has a few games yet and hewitt is agaist andy roddick big games but hewitt has huge mental strength and he proved it today
Posted 20:48 29th June 2009
Scipio Africanus says...
Lleyton Hewitt has made a career out of his speed, fitness, consistency, mental toughness, fight, and never-say-die attitude. If he loses, he loses because his opponent has played the better tennis, but he is never whipped mentally, he always has the confidence and the belief. In fact Murray has shown some mental fragility in the past, but I don't think it will be a factor for either player in their matches. But anyways, both Murray and Hewitt have to advance to the semis, and I think Wawrinka and Roddick have other plans in mind.
Posted 20:02 29th June 2009
Josh H says...
what a strange comment , hewitt not mentally tough? He has won 2 grand slams and come back from two sets to love down 6 times in his career , hewitts very mentally tough more so than murray - how many majors has murray won? Hewitt all the way
Posted 19:47 29th June 2009
Edward M says...
Sarah P, when you say Hewitt is not one of the toughest mentally you could'nt be more wrong, as you would probably say that in a semi-final at Wimbledon Murray will have a massive amount of pressure on him, Hewitt on the other hand will "have a go" and he will not expect to win although he will know that he is not expected to win by the tennis public...... i say this as Hewitt in the past has been mentally at his weakest when the crowd is for him and he is expected to beat players although when he is up aganist a wall e.g. playing murray he is at his best. I am also certain that Murray will put him away in straight sets not because hewitt is mentally weak but because Hewitt does not have the game to beat murray. Only way Hewitt will win is if Murray loses his head
Posted 19:22 29th June 2009
Sarah P says...
Hi Gerry, i think you are right to be worried about hewitt but i am not sure he has the mental strength to take Murray. he will be at a disadvanatge becaue of the crowd and think he will crumble. not the strongest of players mentally is he?
Posted 12:57 29th June 2009