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    New Blood at Wimbledon

    By Donal on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 12:38pm | Sports

    Looks like Peter Bodo was right:

    Partly because of the Williamses' absence, the tour has developed a whole new set of players who are comfortable swinging freely and taking big cuts. ... there's a string of comparable opponents out there for what has to be the most dangerous brace of "floaters" (unseeded players) the WTA has produced in a long time.


    Bartoli - Look at those strings deflect.

    Yesterday the commenters were predicting at least one Williams in the final, and maybe even two. I thought one was possible, but in the fourth round, former finalist Marion Bartoli beat Serena Williams 6-3, 7-6 (8-6). 26 yo Bartoli excels in making her opponents run, then hitting behind them. Bartoli now has to play Sabine Lisicki, who took out Ni La in the second round and has been cruising since.

    Kvitova - Not watching the ball.

    McEnroe's dark horse pick, 21 yo Petra Kvitova thumped Yanine Wickmayer 6-0, 6-2.  Kvitova must play Pironkova next.

    Cibulkova - watching the ball.

    22 yo Dominika, nika, nika Cibulkova hit hard and beat Caroline Wozniacki 1-6, 7-6, 7-5. I figured someone was going to do that. She must play McEnroe's white horse, Maria Sharapova, who is now the biggest name left in the draw. Everything else is working, so if she can just get her serve in reliably, Sharapova has a good chance.

    Pironkova - looks too thin to hit hard.

    23 yo Tsvetana Pironkova beat Venus Williams 6-2, 6-3, just as she did last year. Williams was missing a lot of routine shots. Pironkova must outhit Kvitova next.

    Paszek - She's looking where the ball just was.

    20 yo Tamira Paszek is in the quarters, beating 20 yo Ksenia Pervek, another player I'd never heard of, to earn a match against Victoria Azarenka.

    It remains to be seen if the Williams do better on their favorite hardcourts come the US Open, but though they played well, they weren't able to just show up and win on the grass.

    On the men's side, 18 yo German-born Aussie Bernard Tomic follows up his win against Robin Soderling, beating longtime journeyman Xavier Malisse in straight sets. Gluten-free Novak Djokovic dismissed Michael Llodra while Mardy Fish, an American diet success story, is up against Thomas Berdych.

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    Comments

    Yes, but here's why Federer will win it.

    Tennis - the way we play it in Switzerland. (Best played with a helmet though...)


    by Cho on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 12:56pm

    Could be, but Youzhny took the first set from Fed ...


    by Donal on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 1:48pm

    Yes but can he knock a can off a guy's head, EEEEH?!

    and, also, 4-0 in the third. So take that!

    ;0)


    by Cho on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 2:26pm

    And Lisicki looks like a good bet on the women's side. A 120 mph serve pretty much says it all.


    by Cho on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 1:05pm

    She's playing well, but it's a wide open field right now.


    by Donal on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 1:50pm

    At least you were right that so far Wozniacki still can't show up and win a major. Getting older too.


    by Desider on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 2:51pm

    It is really cool to see new great players. Although the Williams sisters continue to be a force in the game. It is exciting to see who will be the next force, in the game.


    by tmccarthy0 on Mon, 06/27/2011 - 4:13pm

    It seemed always clear that the Williams sister would have problems with their games as the years when on. Each has technical issues on the forehand side, the kind of problem that is deadly as they age and don't have the reactions they once had. Additionally there are all the off-court involvements. I always root for them, but am ready to let go. And to beaten by a Bartoli -- a player with such huge technical issues that translate to being beatable by a top player every time -- that's the signal to pack it up and go home.


    by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 06/28/2011 - 9:48am

    Well, the three giant killers, Bartoli, Cibulkova, and Pironkova, were all bounced out today. Cibulkova was destroyed 6-1, 6-1 by Sharapova. Bartoli, losing to Lisicki, and Pironkova, losing to Kvitova, at least took the middle sets in tiebreaks, but each faded in the final sets.


    by Donal on Tue, 06/28/2011 - 2:13pm