tennishead presents: The Wimbys

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Azarenka and Clijsters felled in Indian Wells

Fourteenth seed Kim Clijsters and world No.6 Victoria Azarenka became the latest upsets at the BNP Paribas Open after both lost in round three

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Best moment

The reactions to two five-set victories will live long in the memory following the 2009 Championships – Roger Federer leaping for joy after claiming his fifteenth Grand Slam following a mammoth 30-game final set victory over Andy Roddick, and Andy Murray collapsing to the turf after finally subduing Stanislas Wawrinka in the still unique atmosphere of the first indoor grass-court match at Wimbledon, the latest finish to a match in the event’s history.

Having weighed up both matches in terms of excitement, importance, historical significance, crowd involvement, standard of tennis and emotional ride, we’re declaring it a dead heat.

Worst moment

We considered the realisation that the 2010 Championships are 348 days away (that’s, like, nearly a year), and the numb sensation around SW19 when Murray crashed out to Roddick. But for us the worst moment was having to watch Anne Keothavong in tears during her post-first round match press conference. The Beeb, in their wisdom, interrupted a Centre Court match to show her break down. Gratuitous and unnecessary broadcasting. Poor show.

Best dressed

You’ve got to hand it to Serena – arriving at her press conference as the Wimbledon champion wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Are you looking at my titles?” was pretty funny.

Worst dressed

Yes, Federer’s Siberian foot soldier get-up was a bit gaudy (not to mention having a pre-emptive ‘15’ jacket in his bag – tempting fate, weren’t you Rodge?), and Murray’s shorts were, well, just too short. But we have a double winner. Serena’s mac was back, and as daft-looking as ever – especially considering it turned out to be one of the driest, hottest Wimbledons in years.

Scariest grunt

The sound emitted by the lady seated behind the press seats who nodded off through final set of women’s final will haunt us until our dying day, but on court Maria Sharapova’s desperate squeals towards the end of her second round defeat to Gisela Dulko crossed the line. One howl as she played a short backhand was bordering on the ridiculous. Thankfully, the right woman won.

Victoria Azarenka’s grunt isn’t scary, just annoying, and we can zone out Venus and Serena’s growls. But there’s really only one winner: Michelle Larcher de Brito. Do you really need to ask why?

Hero of the tournament

The man who began the tournament as the other Andy. Roddick provided hours of entertainment across the whole two weeks – both on-court and off – and pushed Roger Federer to the very, very end in the final. A truly heroic performance.

Villain of the tournament

Richard Williams came close for not teaching his girls how to slice a tennis ball, but considering they seem to get by without it he’s off the hook. Instead, we’ve got our second double winner – A-Rod. Broke British hearts on Friday afternoon by sending Murray packing, but we forgive him.

Most overrated player

Whisper it, but Laura Robson takes the gong. It’s hardly her fault, but the media attention afforded to a half-decent first round display against Daniela Hantuchova before a third round exit from the girls’ singles as defending champion was pretty ludicrous. Robbo looked mentally very fragile under pressure, and the less said about the standard of her first round ladies doubles match with Georgie Stoop against Anna Smith and Jade Curtis the better – like watching under-12s. Granted she’s young, but there’s work to be done…

Most underrated player

Despite a shocking loss to Sabine Lisicki, Svetlana Kuznetsova gets our award – basically because she proved to be a right laugh in our interview!

Services for tennis award

Honourable mentions go to Judy Murray, for spawning not one but two British Wimbledon semi-finalists (and a former champion, don’t forget), and Gisela Dulko for putting a smile on everyone’s faces. But the award goes to the All England Club’s chairman Tim Phillips, for overseeing the discrete modernisation of the only Slam that’s really steeped in history. Top marks for the roof, which passed its short test with flying colours, and our new favourite court…

Services against tennis award

The screechers were up there, and could end up annoying the crowds into leaving women’s tennis if something isn’t done. But first prize goes to Ivo Karlovic. Apart from looking like a Bond villain and sharing a rather embarrassing victory dance with his entourage after each win, it’s hard to ignore the fact that his game is one big serve and not much else. Unwatchable at times.

Best court

Best by a country mile was Wimbledon’s new boutique Court 2. Not only the most attractive and fit-for-purpose minor show court with great views from all seats, but already garnering a reputation for producing minor classics after a fortnight’s worth of top-flight action.

Worst court

The old Court 2, and this year’s Court 3. The graveyard of champions needs exhuming, and we won’t be shedding any tears over it.

Biggest payday

It’s still possible to feel sorry Petra Cetkovska – the tournament’s first loser, who bagged £10,750 by 1.15pm on the first day after losing 6-2 6-2 to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She might have made a quick buck, but that’s nothing compared to the Williams sisters, who walked away from the Championships with a cool £1,505,000 between them. Not bad going for two weeks’ work.

Honourable mention must go to Melanie Oudin, after the 17-year-old took £53,250 back to Georgia after reaching the fourth round.

But congratulations to Dinara Safina, whose semi-finals cheque for £212,500 after crumbling 6-1 6-0 to Venus in the last four means that game alone was worth £106,250. Che-ching.

Most missed and most welcome back

Maria Sharapova still looks a shadow of her former self, and the women’s game could really use her back at the sharp end to mix things up a bit. But without doubt the biggest hole of the fortnight was left by one musclebound Spaniard. Rafael Nadal probably did the right thing – for himself and the tournament – by opting to recuperate rather than run himself into the ground, but the niggling what-ifs were difficult to ignore.

Most welcome back was the sight of Pete Sampras at the All England Club. It was a touching gesture to see the great champion turn out for Roger Federer – if a little milked by the powers that be…

Biggest surprise

Not Sampras’ late arrival to the Royal Box on Centre Court – talk about making an entrance, but far too staged for our liking. Instead Elena Dementieva gets the nod for pushing Serena Williams to the brink of defeat in the semi-final and proving that the sisters are not in a league of their own.

Biggest disappointment

Dinara Safina. The world No.1, destroyed in her semi with Venus, could be forgiven for stifling back the tears after such humiliation. Instead, she lollopped through her press conference with about as much passion as the naughty kid explaining why she got her fifth detention of the year. Give a damn!

Best supporters

It doesn’t bode well for the Ashes. The Aussies were in fantastic voice, behind every player hailing from Down Under, but none more so than Lleyton Hewitt, who rode their energy through to a five-set mini-marathon defeat to Roddick in the quarters. Just how did they secure two rows of ten seats directly behind one another for every single match he played?

The Johnny Mac award for best commentary

Step forward Jason Goodall. Perhaps not a front-line commentator, but his mid-match analysis with the help of HawkEye always adds something to the match. Probably saved the best til last by proving just how unreadable Federer’s serve is in the final, overlaying two virtually identical screen shots on one another to show how he can hit either corner with the same action. Hats off, sir.

The Boris Becker award for worst commentary

It’s true, Becker’s German twang does give him the sound of an actor in a certain kind of movie, but he has finally developed the knack of saying just enough to avoid embarrassment – which is more than can be said for Greg Rusedski. The former British No.1 pondered what last year’s final would have been like if, like Murray’s fourth-round match against Stan Wawrinka, it had been played under the roof? Probably a lot shorter for starters, Greg.

But even that pearl cannot top Sue Barker’s attempt to link Roger Federer’s return to Centre Court with the sudden death of Michael Jackson. Federer, “who has become known in recent years as the King of Wimbledon,” was – in Sue’s mind – fittingly opening proceedings at this year’s Championships “on the day after the death of the King of Pop.”

Wow.

Best – and worst – press conference questions

Kudos to the hack who first raised the subject of Andy Roddick’s self-professed admiration for Rick ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ Astley – immediately bringing the best out of the sharp-witted American and launching a new realm of surveillance journalism upon the world. Yes, days later a false rumour reporting Astley’s death did the rounds and Roddick soon looked ready to punch the next journo to bring up the northern crooner’s name by the second week, but a funny moment nonetheless.

But pity Andy Murray. He had to deflect a few bouncers over the fortnight to avoid another media storm during the Championships. A stern glare followed his rebuttal to the notion that his mother had left during his match with Juan Carlos Ferrero as she had been receiving abuse from the crowd – not, as Murray pointed out, because his brother Jamie was playing at the same time elsewhere. Even more insulting was the question tenuously linking his cricket-related forfeits to whether (or not) he’d be supporting England during the Ashes.

After collapsing onto the desk in disbelief, he simply said “Yeah, let’s go to the next one.”

Best and worst press conference answer

One answer lands both awards – and its Serena Williams again. Asked whether or not, with three of the four Grand Slams to her name, she views herself as the ‘real’ women’s world No.1, the American replied, with just a hint of sarcasm: “I see myself as No.2. That’s where I am. I think Dinara did a great job to get to No.1. She won Rome and Madrid,” before bursting out laughing.

It was a bitingly honest response, so rare in sport these days, but it was also disrespectful and hugely arrogant. So her second double win of the Wimbys.