Enthralling first week on and off court

TENNIS:IT HAS BEEN an enthralling first week at Wimbledon. The roof caved in on Rafael Nadal's pursuit of successive Grand Slams. Frenchman Gilles Simon took a liberty in speaking about equality accorded the fraternity of women tennis players.

Roger Federer and Serena Williams defined the term “champion” by dint of performances showcasing mental and physical resilience and remarkable recuperative powers in adversity.

Andy Murray continues to carry a nation on his slender frame while at the same time contravening local authority regulations in the leafy Wimbledon suburb. Presumably none of the neighbours called the police requesting that the volume be turned down.

Despite the grimacing, cajoling, screaming, fist-pumping, eye-bulging histrionics, the Scot’s late-night victory against Marcos Baghdatis petered out rather tamely. His Cypriot opponent’s acquiescence in the fourth set, and in particular the last four games, suggested that at best he lacked conditioning and at worst, spirit.

Baghdatis is known as an aggressive player who doesn’t temper his instincts but there was a carelessness to the way he littered Centre Court with mistakes.

It did not diminish Murray’s triumph in the eyes of the partisan crowd, who created a vibrant backdrop, atmosphere wise. It’s just a shame the match ceased to contest before chucking-out time.

Kazakhstan’s Yaraslava Shvedova guaranteed a place in pub quiz lore for ever more when introducing a new term into the tennis lexicon, “a golden set”. She won 24 points in succession to claim the first set 6-0 against French Open runner-up and No 10 seed Sara Errani.

It is the first time in WTA tour and Wimbledon history that it’s been done and coincidentally the previous record belonged to Shvedova.

In 2006 she won 23 consecutive points against American Amy Frazier in a second-round match in Memphis but rather bizarrely after winning that set 6-1, she promptly lost the next two 6-0, 6-0.

American Bill Scanlon was the only man to pre-date Shvedova’s golden moment. It happened in 1983 against Brazil’s Marcos Hocevar; that’s two upcoming quiz questions. The Kazakhstan women’s reward is a tilt at four-time Wimbledon champion, Williams and Court Two today.

The American mischievously suggested: “Hopefully I’ll be able to win a point in the set. That will be my first goal, and then I’ll go from there.”

The tournament resumes today, following a 24-hour sabbatical, in both men’s and ladies’ singles, a programme that offers arguably the best value for money admission over the fortnight at the All England Club.

Roger Federer leads the way on Centre Court against the dangerous Belgian Xavier Malisse, a previous semi-finalist at Wimbledon and someone who has already upset the form book in despatching Gilles Simon (13) and Fernando Verdasco (17).

The Swiss No 3 seed has a healthy regard for Malisse, based on experience.

“He’s a great player with great talent and reads the game extremely well; the geometry of the courts. He’s got a good first serve and he moves smoothly, especially on the grass, which you’re supposed to be doing,” said Federer.

“I think he does all those things very well, which makes him a tough player to play against. Xavier is one of the first guys I ever saw in an international junior tournament, so we go way back, as well.

“It’s nice to see him doing well on tour.”

Australian Open champion and No 1 seed Novak Djokovic has made measured progress through the competition and that’s a passage that’s unlikely to be altered when he faces fellow Serb Victor Troicki.

The clash of Andy Roddick’s conqueror and No 7 seed David Ferrer against the 2009 US Open champion, Argentine Juan Martin de Potro promises to be a fascinating tussle, so, too, that of the laconic Frenchman Jo Wilfried Tsonga and American Mardy Fish.

Murray faces Marin Cilic, who was roundly booed the last time he stepped on a grass court in London. It had nothing to do with the Croatian but rather his opponent David Nalbandian, who was defaulted from the final at Queen’s club for kicking a hoarding that ricocheted and cut the leg of linesperson Andrew McDougall.

Cilic is on an eight-match winning streak on grass and this big server will certainly put it up to Murray, assuming that he’s recovered from his 7-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 17-15 victory over American Sam Querry, the second longest match in the history of Wimbledon at five hours and 31 minutes.

The 27-year-old qualifier Brian Baker faces Philipp Kohlschreiber, who humbled “Nadal-slayer” Lukas Rosol in straight sets.

Maria Sharapova is opposed by Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, the 15th seed, but given the remaining 16 in the women’s single, the French Open champion and tournament favourite is definitely in the easier half of the draw and will take her chances in that respect.

The clash of Italian Francesca Schiavone and the defending Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova promises much while No 2 seed Victoria Azarenka should face a proper test against the former world No 1 Ana Ivanovic.

The weather is set fair today and, on the evidence of the draw, so too the business end of the tournament: the challenge will be to ensure that events at the All England Club are as entertaining, on and off court, over the next sevens days.