Well, in this post I will take a look at the last match (sorry second last match) of the Wimbledon championships, which was of course the men's final, which was between Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson. So, let's see who came out on top.
MEN'S FINAL
Right, so as I said the final was between the three time former champ, Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson, who was into his first Wimbledon final but it was his second major final (having reached the US Open final last year). Both men had played five set epic matches to get to this stage as Kevin Anderson battled against the giant server, John Isner and Novak faced off against his old rival in Rafa. So, it was a rather intriguing final given that both men would not be feeling incredibly fresh from their repesctive battles in the semis.
However, the match itself proved not to be the competitive match up we had hoped for because Anderson was clearly still showing signs of heavy fatigue from his semi final against Isner and he lost the opening set on a double break to Novak. In the 2nd set, it was more of the same as Kevin failed to hold onto his serve and he found himself going down another double break and Novak obliged by confidently serving out the set to take the two sets to love lead.
The 3rd set however was thankfully far more competitive, as Kevin started to relax more into the match and found his rythym on serve. Anderson also even managed to carve up a few break point opportunities as he put Novak's serve under pressure at 5-4 and 6-5, however Nole managed to hold on and push play into a tiebreak. However in the tiebreak, Novak was by the far stronger of the two as the errors from few Anderson's racquet and with 3 match points, Novak served out to win his fourth Wimbledon title with a comfortable and convincing 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 victory.
THOUGHTS
Well, even though it wasn't the final we'd hope for, it was still not a bad match and it was a great effort from Kevin Anderson to try and get back into the match after he struggled badly in the first two sets. The 3rd set was definitely the highlight of the match and it was great to see Kevin try and make a match of it even though in the end, Novak was able to hold onto his neve and serve to close out the match. But I'm glad the match didn't start with a tiebreak and end 6-2 in defeat, so it was definitely better to see the match be closed out on a tiebreak. Also, I believe if Kevin hadn't been so fatigured there would have been a strong chance this match could easily have gone to four or maybe five sets.
As for Kevin Anderson it was a pity to see him defeated in his second major final but at the same time, he was up against a resurgent Novak, who had already beaten the current World No.1 in the previous round. Regardless of the loss though and given that Anderson was able to to reach another major final, it makes me think that he will have another chance and it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up winning a major before his career is over and I personally would definitely put him in the running for this year's US Open again.
As for Novak, well what can you say??? I think its safe to say that he is well and truly back now after beating Rafa in the semi finals, it was inevitable that he would go on to win the title and most likely it would have been the same for Rafa had he made it also. And now Novak sits with 13 majors (he's a teenager again!) there is no doubt that he can go on to win more and rebuild his success once again. Not only that, this run of form would suggest that Novak most likely will in the future be able to dominate the game again and take on Roger and Rafa for the top spot, which just goes to show that you can never write him off.
And from this I think its safe to say that Novak could very well go on and win the US Open aswell, which kicks off next month and his rivals will need to move over, as he continues to work his way back to the top.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and another Wimbledon has come to a close, so all that remains for me to say is congrats to Angelique Kerber and Novak Djokovic for their singles victories and commiserations to Serena Williams and Kevin Anderson for their losses. And no doubt, Wimbledon 2019 will have plenty of surprises in stall for us this time next year.
Right, so until the next post its bye for now!
Tuesday 17 July 2018
Sunday 15 July 2018
2018 Wimbledon Men's Semis and Final Preview
Right, now we get onto the men's event at the 2018 Wimbledon championships at SW19 in London, England, Great Britain (OK I'll shut it and move on!).
Anyway, sorry about that!
Yes, so here I will look at the men's semi final matches and look to the final and give my thoughts on that too.
MEN'S SEMI FINALS
Kevin Anderson vs John Isner
The first match up was a battle of the giants, as two of the tallest players on the men's tour faced off each other, the South African, 6ft 8" Kevin Anderson and the American, 6ft 10" John Isner and both these guys are pretty big servers, so this match if nothing else promised alot of BIG serving! And there were some that even said beforehand that this match sounded pretty dull on paper.
However...the actual match itself was anything but as both men brought their A games and played some spectacular tennis for the crowd on Centre Court in an epic match that lasted over six and a half hours! This was the longest Wimbledon semi final in history!
And the match started off on serve in the first set as you would expect as both men played a tiebreaker, which ended up going Anderson's way to take the opener. In the 2nd set however, Isner was not to be outdone as he fought back and pushed play to a tiebreak once again and this time, he took the initiative and grab the 2nd set to level the match. In the 3rd set it went to a tiebreak again, which was very tense and high on quality but it ended up going Isner's way again 11-9 as he was just one set away from his first Wimbledon final. However, Anderson refused to go away as he broke Isner's serve (which was unbroken going into this match!) again and he took the fourth set to force a decider.
And in the final set, the crowd were treated to a thrilling and lengthy battle as both men hammered it out and laid it all on the line as neither player gave an inch on their serve and we saw plenty of big serves come down but also some really entertaining rallies. And after so many break points chance came and gone, it finally came down to Anderson who after six and half hours, got the crucial break at 24-24. And with this, Anderson went on to hold his nerve and serve out an absolutely unforgettable epic match that saw the big South African reach his second grand slam final with a mammoth victory and scoreline of 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4, 26-24 in 6 hours and 35 minutes!
Well, this was undoubtedly the match of the tournament so far, as both men provided a stunning display for the crowd on centre court that had so many twists and turns over its epic run time and it was a great pity that one of them had to lose. And I'm sure it will be a heartbreaking loss for John Isner, who gave his absolute all in this contest and never let up as he is no stranger of course to playing five set epic matches and it really shows that, despite the loss, he is way more than just a big server and he is one of the best competitors in the game right now and a deserved American No.1. So hopefully on this basis, John can go on to enjoy a deep run at the US Open where he has already reached the quarter finals.
As for Kevin Anderson, this was a superb performance of tremendous grit and resilience as he had already put in a stunning effort to upset Roger Federer in the quarter finals, as he played another epic five setter, which Anderson won 13-11 in the decider and that the fact that he managed to do the same here was incredible. This is also a testament to the quality of Kevin Anderson as a player, as he had already reached one slam final at the US Open last year, but to reach two, shows that it was no accident that Anderson made it to another this year.
However it does call into question just how fit will Kevin be for the final on Sunday having played 11 hours of tennis in his previous two matches combined? Well, I guess we'll find out.
Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal
So, in the second men's semi final, there was a bit of a hold up given the big run time of the first match, so the second set of players had to wait quite some time to get on court and those two just happened to be Novak and Rafa. And boy was it worth the wait!
Yep, this match promised much and it delivered so much more as Rafa and Novak decided they didn't want to be outdone by Anderson and Isner, so they put on their own spectacular display of tennis for a thrilled centre court, who truly gotten their value for money on that day.
As for how the actual match went, it started off pretty even with very high quality from both men but it was Novak that got the decisive break and he sealed the opener. In the 2nd set however, there was a momentum shift and Rafa broke Novak to level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set, Rafa took a break against Novak and he looked to try and serve it out but couldn't take his chances, so Novak broke back and play went into a thrilling tiebreak that Novak edged 11-9 to claim a two sets to one lead. However, at this point, the 11pm curfew was set in place and play was suspended for the evening, which meant the match would need to continue the following day.
So, on the Saturday as play resumed, the level of quality from both men rose once again as they brought out the best in each other and this time Rafa managed to take the initiative and break Novak in the 4th set to level the match again at two sets all and force a decider. And in the 5th set, both men played an amazing decider that had the audience on the edges of their seats that saw shifts in momentum and both players having break point opportunities but they couldn't take them. However that was until play went deep into the 5th set, with no tiebreak in the decider, play went to 9-8 as Rafa served to make it 9-9. However it was this point, Rafa finally relented as he made a few costly errors that saw his old rival, Novak finally claim a very important win over him and it saw Novak reach his 5th Wimbledon final with an incredible 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 10-8 victory.
There is little doubt that this was one of the best matches of the year and very possibly the match of the tournament as both Novak and Rafa played some magnificent tennis for the centre court crowd in an epic semi final that lasted five hours and 16 minutes over the space of two days. And again like the match before it, both players barely gave the other an inch in a match that couldn't have been closer.
And if this match has taught us anything, its that Novak Djokovic is well and truly back after a two year hiatus and struggling with his form, he really has bounced back in spectacular form at Wimbledon this year. And I think it would be safe to say that Novak is an overwhelming favourite for the title match on Sunday and he will become a teenager again (i.e. this will be his 13th major title if he wins!).
As for Rafa, well this will be a big loss for him but I'm sure its one he will take on the chin and he has had a great grass court run at Wimbledon this year and it was the first time in seven years that he was able to do so! And it makes you wonder what was behind Rafa's previous poor run of form on grass? However, this year it certainly has clicked more into place for him and I'm sure that Rafa will be more than happy with the progress he has made this year at SW19.
THE MEN'S FINAL PREVIEW
So, this sets up a very intriguing match between Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson, who have faced each other six times so far on tour with Novak, not surprisingly leading their record 5-1. So, on this basis and on paper, it looks very much like it will be in Novak's favour to win the final on Sunday.
However, will the final result be so clear cut??? Well, maybe not, let's take a look at the facts so far...
Kevin Anderson has just come off two gruelling epic five set matches that in total were almost 11 hours and even though he has had a day off, he will no doubt be feeling the effects of these matches. Novak on the other hand has had a somewhat easier draw going into the semi final, as he had only dropped two sets in the tournament before his equally gruelling five set match against Rafa that last over five hours.
Now even though Novak is the heavy favourite for the final, Kevin Anderson can at least take solace from having had a day off in between the final, whereas Novak has had to play both Friday and Saturday and no doubt will be feeling some effects of fatigue going into the final. However, Anderson will be battling his own fatigue from his efforts over the last few days and its just how well both players manager their own physical and mental issues on the day.
PREDICTION
As for who will win???? Well, I really have to go with Novak on this one but it might be more competitive than we might think given that Novak has played a gruelling five hour match over the last two days, Kevin having had a day off in between, this might level the plane field a little. But if it comes down to who has more left in the tank, at this stage, it definitely has to be Novak as he has spent way less time on court that Kevin has so far and he has been known to have a reservoir of energy reserves to delve into just when he needs them whereas Kevin may not be so lucky in this respect.
So, if I had to pick a result, I would have to go with Novak winning this won in three or maybe at a pinch, four sets, because physical and mental fatigue will be an overriding factor here for one or both guys here and its more likely to be for Kevin than Novak at this stage. They did once play each other at Wimbledon three years ago, which was another epic five set match in which Novak had to battle back from two sets down to win against Kev but the circumstances are definitely different this time round, so I can't quite see the same result.
So, yeah I'll go with Novak winning in 3 or 4 sets. I don't want to write off Anderson's chances completely but its hard to bet against the 12 time major champion, but you never know.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back with another post covering the men's final.
Till then its bye for now!
Anyway, sorry about that!
Yes, so here I will look at the men's semi final matches and look to the final and give my thoughts on that too.
MEN'S SEMI FINALS
Kevin Anderson vs John Isner
The first match up was a battle of the giants, as two of the tallest players on the men's tour faced off each other, the South African, 6ft 8" Kevin Anderson and the American, 6ft 10" John Isner and both these guys are pretty big servers, so this match if nothing else promised alot of BIG serving! And there were some that even said beforehand that this match sounded pretty dull on paper.
However...the actual match itself was anything but as both men brought their A games and played some spectacular tennis for the crowd on Centre Court in an epic match that lasted over six and a half hours! This was the longest Wimbledon semi final in history!
And the match started off on serve in the first set as you would expect as both men played a tiebreaker, which ended up going Anderson's way to take the opener. In the 2nd set however, Isner was not to be outdone as he fought back and pushed play to a tiebreak once again and this time, he took the initiative and grab the 2nd set to level the match. In the 3rd set it went to a tiebreak again, which was very tense and high on quality but it ended up going Isner's way again 11-9 as he was just one set away from his first Wimbledon final. However, Anderson refused to go away as he broke Isner's serve (which was unbroken going into this match!) again and he took the fourth set to force a decider.
And in the final set, the crowd were treated to a thrilling and lengthy battle as both men hammered it out and laid it all on the line as neither player gave an inch on their serve and we saw plenty of big serves come down but also some really entertaining rallies. And after so many break points chance came and gone, it finally came down to Anderson who after six and half hours, got the crucial break at 24-24. And with this, Anderson went on to hold his nerve and serve out an absolutely unforgettable epic match that saw the big South African reach his second grand slam final with a mammoth victory and scoreline of 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4, 26-24 in 6 hours and 35 minutes!
Well, this was undoubtedly the match of the tournament so far, as both men provided a stunning display for the crowd on centre court that had so many twists and turns over its epic run time and it was a great pity that one of them had to lose. And I'm sure it will be a heartbreaking loss for John Isner, who gave his absolute all in this contest and never let up as he is no stranger of course to playing five set epic matches and it really shows that, despite the loss, he is way more than just a big server and he is one of the best competitors in the game right now and a deserved American No.1. So hopefully on this basis, John can go on to enjoy a deep run at the US Open where he has already reached the quarter finals.
As for Kevin Anderson, this was a superb performance of tremendous grit and resilience as he had already put in a stunning effort to upset Roger Federer in the quarter finals, as he played another epic five setter, which Anderson won 13-11 in the decider and that the fact that he managed to do the same here was incredible. This is also a testament to the quality of Kevin Anderson as a player, as he had already reached one slam final at the US Open last year, but to reach two, shows that it was no accident that Anderson made it to another this year.
However it does call into question just how fit will Kevin be for the final on Sunday having played 11 hours of tennis in his previous two matches combined? Well, I guess we'll find out.
Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal
So, in the second men's semi final, there was a bit of a hold up given the big run time of the first match, so the second set of players had to wait quite some time to get on court and those two just happened to be Novak and Rafa. And boy was it worth the wait!
Yep, this match promised much and it delivered so much more as Rafa and Novak decided they didn't want to be outdone by Anderson and Isner, so they put on their own spectacular display of tennis for a thrilled centre court, who truly gotten their value for money on that day.
As for how the actual match went, it started off pretty even with very high quality from both men but it was Novak that got the decisive break and he sealed the opener. In the 2nd set however, there was a momentum shift and Rafa broke Novak to level the match at a set all. In the 3rd set, Rafa took a break against Novak and he looked to try and serve it out but couldn't take his chances, so Novak broke back and play went into a thrilling tiebreak that Novak edged 11-9 to claim a two sets to one lead. However, at this point, the 11pm curfew was set in place and play was suspended for the evening, which meant the match would need to continue the following day.
So, on the Saturday as play resumed, the level of quality from both men rose once again as they brought out the best in each other and this time Rafa managed to take the initiative and break Novak in the 4th set to level the match again at two sets all and force a decider. And in the 5th set, both men played an amazing decider that had the audience on the edges of their seats that saw shifts in momentum and both players having break point opportunities but they couldn't take them. However that was until play went deep into the 5th set, with no tiebreak in the decider, play went to 9-8 as Rafa served to make it 9-9. However it was this point, Rafa finally relented as he made a few costly errors that saw his old rival, Novak finally claim a very important win over him and it saw Novak reach his 5th Wimbledon final with an incredible 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 10-8 victory.
There is little doubt that this was one of the best matches of the year and very possibly the match of the tournament as both Novak and Rafa played some magnificent tennis for the centre court crowd in an epic semi final that lasted five hours and 16 minutes over the space of two days. And again like the match before it, both players barely gave the other an inch in a match that couldn't have been closer.
And if this match has taught us anything, its that Novak Djokovic is well and truly back after a two year hiatus and struggling with his form, he really has bounced back in spectacular form at Wimbledon this year. And I think it would be safe to say that Novak is an overwhelming favourite for the title match on Sunday and he will become a teenager again (i.e. this will be his 13th major title if he wins!).
As for Rafa, well this will be a big loss for him but I'm sure its one he will take on the chin and he has had a great grass court run at Wimbledon this year and it was the first time in seven years that he was able to do so! And it makes you wonder what was behind Rafa's previous poor run of form on grass? However, this year it certainly has clicked more into place for him and I'm sure that Rafa will be more than happy with the progress he has made this year at SW19.
THE MEN'S FINAL PREVIEW
So, this sets up a very intriguing match between Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson, who have faced each other six times so far on tour with Novak, not surprisingly leading their record 5-1. So, on this basis and on paper, it looks very much like it will be in Novak's favour to win the final on Sunday.
However, will the final result be so clear cut??? Well, maybe not, let's take a look at the facts so far...
Kevin Anderson has just come off two gruelling epic five set matches that in total were almost 11 hours and even though he has had a day off, he will no doubt be feeling the effects of these matches. Novak on the other hand has had a somewhat easier draw going into the semi final, as he had only dropped two sets in the tournament before his equally gruelling five set match against Rafa that last over five hours.
Now even though Novak is the heavy favourite for the final, Kevin Anderson can at least take solace from having had a day off in between the final, whereas Novak has had to play both Friday and Saturday and no doubt will be feeling some effects of fatigue going into the final. However, Anderson will be battling his own fatigue from his efforts over the last few days and its just how well both players manager their own physical and mental issues on the day.
PREDICTION
As for who will win???? Well, I really have to go with Novak on this one but it might be more competitive than we might think given that Novak has played a gruelling five hour match over the last two days, Kevin having had a day off in between, this might level the plane field a little. But if it comes down to who has more left in the tank, at this stage, it definitely has to be Novak as he has spent way less time on court that Kevin has so far and he has been known to have a reservoir of energy reserves to delve into just when he needs them whereas Kevin may not be so lucky in this respect.
So, if I had to pick a result, I would have to go with Novak winning this won in three or maybe at a pinch, four sets, because physical and mental fatigue will be an overriding factor here for one or both guys here and its more likely to be for Kevin than Novak at this stage. They did once play each other at Wimbledon three years ago, which was another epic five set match in which Novak had to battle back from two sets down to win against Kev but the circumstances are definitely different this time round, so I can't quite see the same result.
So, yeah I'll go with Novak winning in 3 or 4 sets. I don't want to write off Anderson's chances completely but its hard to bet against the 12 time major champion, but you never know.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back with another post covering the men's final.
Till then its bye for now!
2018 Wimbledon Ladies Semi Finals and Final
Well, I have been very late with this look at the 2018 Wimbledon championships this year so far as the tournament ends tomorrow and what an event it has been! So, in this post I will cover the ladies semi finals and the final and see how it all went.
First up however here is a look at the big number of shocks that happened in the ladies event this year at SW19 as all top 10 seeds went out before the quarter finals!
SEEDS OUT
Well the biggest upsets of the tournament definitely came on the ladies side as there were a high number of casualties this year. Starting with the defending champion, Garbine Muguruza, who went out in the second round, Simona Halep, the current World No.1 and reigning French Open champion was defeated in the 3rd round. As for the other top 10 seeds, Caroline Wozniacki was stunned in the second round by the giant killer, Ekaterina Makarova and Sloane Stephens, Elina Svitolina, Caroline Garcia and Petra Kvitova ALL went out in the first round! Whereas Venus Williams and Madison Keys both went out in the 3rd round. And the last top 10 seed standing, Karolina Pliskova fell in the fourth round to Kiki Bertens that saw all the top 10 seeds eliminated before the quarter finals.
LADIES SEMI FINALS
As for the semi finals, well they were fairly intriguing on paper as Angelique Kerber took on the former French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko and Serena Williams faced off against first time major semi finalist, Julia Goerges. So, let's take a quick look at these matches.
Angelique Kerber vs Jelena Ostapenko
This match promised to be the more competitive one given that both these women are major champions and both are pretty aggressive players, so much was promised here. However the match itself was a bit of a letdown as Ostapenko despite making a promising start, went on to make too many rash unforced errors and imploded on serve as she lost the first set. In the second set, things got worse for Ostapenko as Kerber took a decisive 5-1 lead, however Ostapenko did manage to recover one of the breaks back and made Kerber serve for it once more. However, Kerber had no issues on the second time of asking and she sealed the victory with a very straight forward 6-3, 6-3 victory in just over an hour.
Serena Williams vs Julia Goerges
The second ladies semi, saw Serena Williams, the seven time champion, take on the German player, Julia Goerges, in her first grand slam semi final, so the odds were already stacked heavily in Serena's favour.
As for the match itself, it was pretty much a routine one for Serena in the first for sure as Goerge's inexperience at this level really showed as she surrendered her serve twice to hand Serena the first set with a double break. In the second set it was more of the same from Goerges, however she did manage to break back toward the end of the match to get back on serve but in the end it was short lived, as Goerges capitulated on serve once more and she handed Serena her place in another Wimbledon final with a 6-2, 6-4 victory, again in just over an hour.
Its a shame that both matches were pretty non-competitive and very one-sided, particularly the one with Kerber and Ostapenko and both matches combined length where just over two hours and 10 minutes total! So, it really wasn't much of a day's tennis for the fans but hey ho, that's the way it can go at Wimbledon.
THE FINAL
Now we get onto the ladies final, which saw Serena Williams take on Angelique Kerber for the title with the German player, Kerber in her second Wimbledon final having lost to Serena two years ago at this stage, so she had her work cut out once again with the American, heavy favourite.
However, in the match, Kerber had ideas of her own as she managed to get the immediate break from Serena but it wasn't long before she broke back. However, Kerber was not to be outdone as she managed to go and break Serena once again and she closed out the set to take the lead and one step closer to her maiden Wimbledon title. And in the 2nd set, it was more of the same, as Serena's unforced errors continued and she ended her quest for an 8th title in defeat as she netted a backhand return of Kerber's serve that saw the German fall to the ground in delight, having won her first Wimbledon title with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Well, this match certainly didn't go the way alot of pundits would have expected as many people, myself included, saw Serena as the heavy favourite here to win. However, Kerber herself had won her first grand slam at the Australian open when she played Serena in the final and beat her in three sets, so in a way it wouldn't be surprising that she could do it again. Kerber also has won the US Open, so this now sees her with three out of the four slams with only the French Open alluding her to make it the career slam.
And you never know, Kerber might just do it as she has proven that she really is a great player, who emerged on the scene back in 2011 and has endured many successes and failures along the way but this is definitely a sign that she will go on to win more majors before she hangs up her racquet.
As for Serena, it was a pity that she wasn't able to get herself more into the match as Kerber's gameplan proved to effective and Serena made too many errors. However, it was still a mark of Serena's greatness that she was able to come back from childbirth and being a new mother, to getting herself into another major final on only her fourth tournament of the year. So, we all know that Serena has unfinished business in the slams and no doubt she will have her chances to add to her collection.
SIGN OFF
So, while it has to be said that the ladies tournament has been a bit of a letdown this year, given the lack of great competitive matches, particularly in the ladies semis and the final, it was still great to see a new champion emerge in Angelique Kerber and the return of Serena Williams no doubt would have been a great thrill for many tennis fans.
Right, well that's it for the ladies event at Wimbledon, let's move onto the mens...
See you soon!
First up however here is a look at the big number of shocks that happened in the ladies event this year at SW19 as all top 10 seeds went out before the quarter finals!
SEEDS OUT
Well the biggest upsets of the tournament definitely came on the ladies side as there were a high number of casualties this year. Starting with the defending champion, Garbine Muguruza, who went out in the second round, Simona Halep, the current World No.1 and reigning French Open champion was defeated in the 3rd round. As for the other top 10 seeds, Caroline Wozniacki was stunned in the second round by the giant killer, Ekaterina Makarova and Sloane Stephens, Elina Svitolina, Caroline Garcia and Petra Kvitova ALL went out in the first round! Whereas Venus Williams and Madison Keys both went out in the 3rd round. And the last top 10 seed standing, Karolina Pliskova fell in the fourth round to Kiki Bertens that saw all the top 10 seeds eliminated before the quarter finals.
LADIES SEMI FINALS
As for the semi finals, well they were fairly intriguing on paper as Angelique Kerber took on the former French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko and Serena Williams faced off against first time major semi finalist, Julia Goerges. So, let's take a quick look at these matches.
Angelique Kerber vs Jelena Ostapenko
This match promised to be the more competitive one given that both these women are major champions and both are pretty aggressive players, so much was promised here. However the match itself was a bit of a letdown as Ostapenko despite making a promising start, went on to make too many rash unforced errors and imploded on serve as she lost the first set. In the second set, things got worse for Ostapenko as Kerber took a decisive 5-1 lead, however Ostapenko did manage to recover one of the breaks back and made Kerber serve for it once more. However, Kerber had no issues on the second time of asking and she sealed the victory with a very straight forward 6-3, 6-3 victory in just over an hour.
Serena Williams vs Julia Goerges
The second ladies semi, saw Serena Williams, the seven time champion, take on the German player, Julia Goerges, in her first grand slam semi final, so the odds were already stacked heavily in Serena's favour.
As for the match itself, it was pretty much a routine one for Serena in the first for sure as Goerge's inexperience at this level really showed as she surrendered her serve twice to hand Serena the first set with a double break. In the second set it was more of the same from Goerges, however she did manage to break back toward the end of the match to get back on serve but in the end it was short lived, as Goerges capitulated on serve once more and she handed Serena her place in another Wimbledon final with a 6-2, 6-4 victory, again in just over an hour.
Its a shame that both matches were pretty non-competitive and very one-sided, particularly the one with Kerber and Ostapenko and both matches combined length where just over two hours and 10 minutes total! So, it really wasn't much of a day's tennis for the fans but hey ho, that's the way it can go at Wimbledon.
THE FINAL
Now we get onto the ladies final, which saw Serena Williams take on Angelique Kerber for the title with the German player, Kerber in her second Wimbledon final having lost to Serena two years ago at this stage, so she had her work cut out once again with the American, heavy favourite.
However, in the match, Kerber had ideas of her own as she managed to get the immediate break from Serena but it wasn't long before she broke back. However, Kerber was not to be outdone as she managed to go and break Serena once again and she closed out the set to take the lead and one step closer to her maiden Wimbledon title. And in the 2nd set, it was more of the same, as Serena's unforced errors continued and she ended her quest for an 8th title in defeat as she netted a backhand return of Kerber's serve that saw the German fall to the ground in delight, having won her first Wimbledon title with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Well, this match certainly didn't go the way alot of pundits would have expected as many people, myself included, saw Serena as the heavy favourite here to win. However, Kerber herself had won her first grand slam at the Australian open when she played Serena in the final and beat her in three sets, so in a way it wouldn't be surprising that she could do it again. Kerber also has won the US Open, so this now sees her with three out of the four slams with only the French Open alluding her to make it the career slam.
And you never know, Kerber might just do it as she has proven that she really is a great player, who emerged on the scene back in 2011 and has endured many successes and failures along the way but this is definitely a sign that she will go on to win more majors before she hangs up her racquet.
As for Serena, it was a pity that she wasn't able to get herself more into the match as Kerber's gameplan proved to effective and Serena made too many errors. However, it was still a mark of Serena's greatness that she was able to come back from childbirth and being a new mother, to getting herself into another major final on only her fourth tournament of the year. So, we all know that Serena has unfinished business in the slams and no doubt she will have her chances to add to her collection.
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So, while it has to be said that the ladies tournament has been a bit of a letdown this year, given the lack of great competitive matches, particularly in the ladies semis and the final, it was still great to see a new champion emerge in Angelique Kerber and the return of Serena Williams no doubt would have been a great thrill for many tennis fans.
Right, well that's it for the ladies event at Wimbledon, let's move onto the mens...
See you soon!
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