SPORTS
July 3, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
TODAY'S FEATURED MATCHES Men's semifinals. World rankings in parentheses. Andy Roddick (6) vs. Andy Murray (3), Britain (Murray leads head to head, 6-2, and 1-0 in Grand Slams.) Europeans long have noted that American tourists are loud and annoying. Well, here's one case in which an American tourist will note that Europeans are loud and annoying. Roger Federer (2), Switzerland, vs. Tommy Haas (34), Germany (Federer leads head to head, 9-2, and 3-0 in Grand Slams.
SPORTS
July 3, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
Nine bustling years ago, after an awkward Wimbledon semifinal, two under-21 sisters met at the Centre Court net and the winner, Venus Williams, put her arm around the loser and said, "Let's go, Serena. Let's get out of here."
SPORTS
July 2, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
Had you attended the top American male tennis player's melancholy post-loss news conferences at the last three Wimbledons, you might have wound up needing a pep talk, an ice cream cone or maybe even a hug. Had you listened to him on Wednesday night at Wimbledon, you might have wound up chortling, giggling or maybe even laughing.
SPORTS
July 2, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
TODAY'S FEATURED MATCHES Women's semifinals; world rankings in parentheses: Venus Williams (3) vs. Dinara Safina (1), Russia Williams has played a brand of grass-court tennis so superb there have been moments when the stadium speakers ought to have played Mozart. Safina has conducted trademark raging battles with herself such that there've been moments when the stadium speakers ought to have played AC/DC. (Williams leads head to head, 2-1, with no previous Grand Slam meetings.
SPORTS
July 1, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
In a women's game supposedly savaged by anarchy, ailing as a hard-to-market hodgepodge with the No. 1 ranking passed around like a relay baton since Justine Henin retired in May 2008, well, look here. Somehow, after the ruthless process of a Grand Slam with all the masses who can blast tennis balls and grunt like wounded hyenas and beat the stuffing out of most everybody, Wimbledon has churned out semifinalists with seedings Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Why, it's a pillar of form.
SPORTS
July 1, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
TODAY'S FEATURED MATCHES Men's quarterfinals; world rankings in parentheses: Andy Roddick (6) vs. Lleyton Hewitt (56), Australia Awww, remember long ago when they were up-and-comers and they played that raucous nighttime 2001 U.S. Open quarterfinal and Hewitt won and Roddick lost his mind after that overrule of a line call in the fifth set?
SPORTS
June 30, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
A fresh star blasted in Monday at Wimbledon, all gaudy and outsized and extravagant like most stars but with the quirk that this one happens to be inanimate. The new Centre Court roof unfolded itself for its first real performance on Monday evening and within six bold and brassy hours already basically had harrumphed that it plans to spend the 21st century as a major player throwing its considerable weight around the Championships.
SPORTS
June 29, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
World rankings in parentheses: Venus Williams (3) vs. Ana Ivanovic (12), Serbia In advance of this starry matchup between former No. 1s, Williams has won an astounding 29 consecutive sets at Wimbledon dating to 2007. This has presented a major problem to opponents as time has proved it's very hard to beat the other player if you cannot win any sets. -- Serena Williams (2) vs. Daniela Hantuchova (32), Slovakia As she passed career Grand Slam match No.
SPORTS
June 29, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
If you cupped your ear toward Atlanta in the wee hours this morning, you almost might've heard some exuberance and maybe even some hollering. That rare entity known as the 7 a.m. party would have commenced. The kitchen staff of a tennis club in Norcross, Ga., would have arrived. And if it resembled Saturday, a throng might have yelled toward a big screen even if they couldn't see anything up there but a mostly static web page.
SPORTS
June 26, 2009 | By Chuck Culpepper
Talk of the dilapidation of American tennis has droned on for so long that it's stale; talk of the dilapidation of Australian tennis has revved up long enough that it's audible; and talk of the dilapidation of British tennis has blared roughly since dinosaurs roamed the earth. Meanwhile, just look at the wake of the defending champion Rafael Nadal, even after he withdrew from this Wimbledon and took his muscles to Mallorca: six male Spaniards (plus two females) in the final 32.