WIMBLEDON over the last two Decades

 

Hi again, welcome once again to my world :-)…. The last 12 days have been very hectic because of plethora of Pending works, Almost Daily traveling & of course, the much awaited Lunar Eclipse ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

After the wonderful response that I got to the post on the French Open, of course, the next post can and has to be on Wimbledon ๐Ÿ™‚

 

What makes Wimbledon so very special?

 

Every one knows the Great history, Tradition and the Old world charm, the dress codeย  and the touch of royalty still prevalent at this greatest Grand Slam ..

Most importantly, the theme music of Wimbledon is indeed one of the best-est and the most pleasing music that I have ever heard and the great Fervour with which ‘Duke’ meets the Ball Boys & Girls makes it so so special for every one involved with this great game of Tennis :-)…

 

Aah, for a foodie like me, the word Strawberries & Cream firstly reminds me of SW 19 & Wimbledon ๐Ÿ™‚ ….

 

Wimbledon has always been so special & will always be so special because Leander Paes as a Junior won his 1st Grand Slam here & Also, my all time favorite (Non-Indian) Tennis Player won his 1st Grand Slam in 1992 :-)…

 

Wimbledon Over the years as seen by me ๐Ÿ™‚

 

1989 & 1990 :::::::::

 

Thou, as you all know, I’ve been following this great game since 1989, soย ย ย ย ย  have faded memories of the Boris Becker’s winning moments in 1989ย  & Stefen Edberg’s come-back in 1990………Also, have seen the highlights of Becker’s winning moments in 1985 & 1986 many-2 times in these last two decades !!!

 

*********************************************************************************

 

1991 ::::ย  Year of Michael Stich

 

I remember 1991 championships so very well because I got to see all the four matches that John McEnroe played that year & of course, my 1st real sight of the massive service of Peter Sampras………

 

Unfortunately, Agassi lost in the Quarters, thou, must say, that he impressed every one that year !!!

 

Eventually, Michael Stich won the final by defeating Boris Becker 6-4 7-6(4) 6-4 on 7th July, 1991….

 

I still remember the flawless tennis that Stich displayed that evening, the awesome fast & accurate service & the quality of returns was mind-blowing !!

 

Michael Stich after winning this great trophy on 7-7-91

 

**************************************************************************************

 

1992 Year of happy beginning of Andre Agassi ๐Ÿ™‚

 

IF you are carefully reading my post, you would have noticed the smiley after the year.. Of course, for the obvious reason :P…. Read on !!!!!!

 

Till my last breath, can never ever forget the 1992 Wimbledon :-)..

 

Of course, the biggest high light as you all know was the fact that Agassi won..

 

But, few other matches that I remember from that year:

 

Goran Ivanisevic defeating Pete Sampras (only time he managed to defeat Sampras)…

 

McEnroe playing his last semi & fighting till the last point as if it was the 1st point …

 

But, frankly the real Master-piece was the Grand Finale…

I still rate it as the best ever final with the happiest possible ending :)))

 

This great final was played on 5th July, 1992 & it was an awesome contest of Ivanisevic ‘s serve & Agassi’s Returns !!

 

I still remember, The first set tie-breaker was an example of flawless serving by Goran.. His 4 aces (2 of them coming on 2nd serve) showed his true character…………..

 

Thou, the first set was a #CliffHanger, some how, Agassi managed to break Goran once in the 2nd set & also in the 3rd set…….Thou, 4th set was a disaster for Andre, he managed to again break Goran in the 8th Game of the 5th set to win the final set 6-4 ๐Ÿ™‚

 

6-7(8) 6-4 6-4 1-6 6-4

 

 

Agassi in a victorious mood after defeating Ivanisevic in an epic 5 setter played on 5th July, 1992….

 

 

 

Andre Agassi & Steffi Graf, at Wimbledon 1992 Champions’ Ball on 6th July 1992 .. Possibly, it was their first meeting (thou, I can’t confirm that)..
Here are some more rare pics of Graf & Agassi taken in 1992..
Agassi Graf
Champions ball in 1992 ๐Ÿ™‚
Agassi Graf
Andre Agassi Steffi Graf
Andre Steffi

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
1993 ::ย ย  Start of Sampras’s great Era

 

 

I will always remember the 1993 Wimbledon for three reasons:

 

1… Start of Sampras’s winning Era @ Wimbledon

2….ย  Epic 5 set clash between Samprasย  & Agassi in the #QuarterFinal on 29-June-1993.. It was the start of a great rivalry that entertained the whole universe for almost a decade !!!

 

 

Jana Novotna crying on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after losing the 1993 Wimbledon singles final.. She led 4-1ย  40-15 in the 3rd set against Steffi Graf in the final on 3rd July, 1993,ย  still she lost the set 6-4 and thus the match & the championship to Steffi…

 

Some rare pix of the same :::::::::::

 

 

 

 

 

In the final Played on 4th July, Pete Sampras defeated Jim Courier 7-6(3), 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-3 to win his 1st Wimbledon & 2nd grand slam

 

******************************************************************

 

1994 : Sampras all the way !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Unfortunately, Agassi lost in the 4th Round to Todd Martin on 27th june…

 

Thou, must tell that Goran Ivanisevic was looking the man in form & he reached the Final…

 

Frankly, every point of that final match is still in my mind and I can still visualise every point of that Final Played on 3rd July ๐Ÿ™‚

 

Thou, Ivanisevic served like a true champ in set 1 7 set 2, but Sampras was too good for him in the tie-breakers of both these sets …. 3rd set was an absolute formality as Goran had literally given up after losing the 2nd set & the set ended in about 22 minutes much to the dis-appointment of every one…

 

The Final score line was 7-6(2), 7-6(5), 6-0

 

 

**********************************************************************

 

1995 : Sampras ‘s hat-trick

 

Agassi had a fab year and was seeded no.1 for 1995’s wimbledon & was considered as the biggest challenger for Sampras….

 

The high light of this year championship was the superb semi-finals played on 7th July-1995…….. What was most special that the number 1, 2, 3, 4 seeded players reached the Semis (a very rare site indeed)……………….

 

In the 1st Semi, Boris becker defeated Agassi in tough 4 sets… Who can ever forget the camera pointing again and again on Barbara & Brooke after every point ๐Ÿ˜‰

 

While Sampras defeated Ivanisevic in one of the finest semi-final played at center court in a very tough 5 setter…. That match was a match of big serving & Aces after Aces ………….

 

The Final played on 9th July, 1995 saw Becker playing a marvelous 1st set .. But after winning the 1st set, Becker ran out of gas and Sampras won 6-7 (5), 6โ€“2, 6โ€“4, 6โ€“2

It was Sampras’ 6th career Grand Slam title and his 3rd consecutive Wimbledon title………..

 

 

 

********************************************************************

1996 ::ย  Finally Sampras loses & the year of Richard Krajicek winning the championship & MaliVai Washington winning all the hearts & ofcourse, the Henman-ia striking everywhere ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

1996 championship reminds me of the continuous rains & the fact that Agassi lost in the 1st round to a Qualifier :(… That indeed was the worst phase of Andre as we all know, with all those allegations & Brooke Shields leaving him, he really was going through a real bad phase at that time ๐Ÿ™

 

 

The second big surprise or rather the biggest surprise happened on 3rd July when the Tall & Big Serving Richard Krajicek from Netherlands defeated the reigning three time champ Pete Sampras in 3 straight sets 7-5, 7-6, 6-4…

 

 

It was an amazing match of real big serving & certainly a match that can never be forgotten for the sheer number of aces & real big serves…

 

This would prove to be Sampras’s only loss at Wimbledon between 1993 and 2000.

 

 

Another aspect worth mentioning here is the rise of Tim Henman.. The then hope of the entire Great Britain :).. His fan following increased by leaps & bounds not only in England but through out the Globe.. The mad rush of fans who cheered for him in the Quarter Final match against Todd Martin was so touching , thou, Henman lost, but, still he won many hearts…

 

 

That was very heartening to see because last year, he became the first player ever to be disqualified from the Wimbledon tournament in 1995. The young Henman thrashed a ball in a fit of pique during a doubles match, striking ball girl Caroline Hall on the head.. He made a public apology after the incident…

 

Ivanisevic unfortunately lost out in the Quarter Finals again…

 

Another big surprise was the rise of Washington :).. I mean, Malivai Washington.. Not only, his sheer Athleticism but the ability to continuously smile impressed every one..

 

 

Thou, Richard Krajicek defeated Washington 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 on 7th July, but Washington impressed all !!!

 

 

 

Richard krajicek posing with the Trillion Dollar trophy ๐Ÿ™‚

 

*******************************************************************

 

1997 :: Return of the Emperor Sampras & Martina Hingis winning her only Wimbledon titleย  !!!!

 

 

My interest in 1997 was the lowest in all these years mainly because of the fact that Agassi wasn’t playing…

 

 

Also, my 2nd favorite, Goran Ivanisevic lost out in the 2nd round in an epic 5 setter to Magnus Norman in a 7 hour match that took 3 days to end because of Rains.. The 5th set score-card was 14-12 & it was probably the best match of that year !!

 

 

Also, Henman once again reached the Quarter Finals by displaying awesome fighting spirit & amazing serve & volley game.. It was during this year that

Henman Hill & Henmania became world famous ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

Sampras ‘s toughest match was the 4th Round match vs. Petr Korda which he won in tough 5 sets…

 

 

Finally, after defeating Becker in the Quarter final, he had an easier semi-final against the double specialist Todd Woodbridge..

 

Finally, Sampras defeated Cedric Pioline 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 on 6th July, 1997 to prove that he is the true and deserving champion….

 

For the first time, questions were asked about his game & he answered his critics in the best possible way !! Kudos !!! The expression says it all !!

 

Also, in the women’s championship, Miss Swiss Martina Hingis (the Teenager sensation) won her 1st and the only Wimbledon singles title…

 

 

It really turned out to be Sweet 16 for Hingis ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

 

***************************************************************

 

1998 :::ย  Sampras again & Ivanisevic heart-break once again & Finally happiest moment of Jana Novotna’s Life !!!

 

Once again, Agassi fans were disappointed as he lost in the 2nd round to Tommy Haas ๐Ÿ™

 

In Another impressive match , Mahesh Bhupathi gave a very very tough 5 set fight to the 5th seeded Carlos Moya in the first round…

 

Henmania once again continued, with Tim Henman reaching the semi-final & eventually, losing out to Sampras..

 

Ivanisevic had a great tournament with flaw-less gutsy serving.. The match of the tournament was his semi-final vs. Richard Krajicek .. The match lasted almost 5 hours & Goran won 15-13 in the final set.. I indeed was privileged enough to have seen the whole match live !!!

 

Probably, that semi-final exhausted Ivanisevic , still he gave a tough fight to Sampras in the final on 5th July-1998…

 

Ultimately, Sampras won 6โ€“7 (2โ€“7), 7โ€“6 (11โ€“9), 6โ€“4, 3โ€“6, 6โ€“2 … Goran & all his fans were left in tears as Ivanisevic was completely drained after these back to back exhausting matches !!!

 

 

Champion Sampras posing with the trophy !!

 

 

 

As they say real happiness comes after Tears… Who can ever forget Jana Novotna crying on the shoulders of the Duchess in 1993, finally,ย  after defeating Venus Williams in a close quarterfinal, Novotnรก avenged the previous year’s loss by ousting Hingis in a semifinal and veteran Nathalie Tauziat in the final. She became the oldest first-time Grand Slam singles winner in the Open Era at age 29 years and nine months…

 

 

The expression says it all :-)…. Do I need to say any more??

 

 

******************************************************************

 

1999 :: Return ofย  Sampras – Agassi rivalry !!!!!!!!

 

1999 saw the return of Sampras & Agassi’s epic rivalry…. 1998-99 was the turn around year for Agassi, he was really playing the best tennis of his life..

 

After having completed the career slam in the French Open just two weeks back, Agassi was considered as the hot favorite..

 

Henmania continued this year too and Henman once again reached the semis where he lost to Eventual winner Sampras……..

 

Unfortunately, Todd Martin proved too good for Goran Ivanisevic in the 4th Round and possibly, time was running out for Goran and every one had started saying, Goran might out turn out to be the best Grass court player, never to have won Wimbledon..

 

The sheer quality of the tennis played by Sampras on 4-July-1999 was just out of the world… Agassi tried every trick in the book to do something to break Sampras’s momentum but nothing succeeded……

 

After two hours & 22 mins of sheer brilliance, Sampras finally won 6โ€“3, 6โ€“4, 7โ€“5….

 

With this victory, Sampras equalled Roy Emerson‘s record of twelve Grand Slam titles….. Sampras’ victory of Agassi in the final is often cited as one of his greatest performances……….

 

 

Salute to the Great champ..He really was too good for Agassi that day… If two Agassi’s were playing that day, then only could Sampras have been challenged a wee bit !!!!

 

And in the Doubles champ, the Indian express duo of Leander Paes & Mahesh Bhupathi won their 1st Wimbledon Doubles :)….

 

 

 

******************************************************************

 

2000 :::ย  Sampras the Undisputed Emperor @ Wimbledon

 

2000 WIMBLEDON again reminds me of the never ending rains & the heart-breaking loss of Tim Henman to Mark Philippoussis in the 4th Round..

 

Goran Ivanisevic had withdrawn from the championship because of Injury & his best days were clearly behind him as all the pundits were saying that year..

 

That year, again, every one was predictingย  a Sampras vs. Agassi final, but, that was not to be as Partick Rafter played a flaw less match to beat Agassi in a tough 5 setter in the semis on 8th July :(((

 

Another big surprise of the year came from Qualifier Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus who reached the semis and lost out to Sampras in straight sets…

 

Final was played between Rafter & Sampras.. Rafter was looking in fine form & his confidence was sky high after having defeated Agassi in the semis..

He continued his fine form by winning the 1st set tie-breaker 12-10… That was an amazing nail biting Tie-Break & I remember almost every point even after 11 years ๐Ÿ™‚

 

2nd Set again went in to Tie-Break, but this time, Sampras didn’t miss a single 1st serve & won the Tie-break 7-5..

 

Next two sets were easy for Sampras and thus, he won 6-7(10) 7-6(5) 6-4 6-2 on 9th July, 2000 to

 

Legendary Peter Sampras posing with the trophy after defeating Rafter on 8th July-2000 & thus securing record breaking 13th Grand Slam title at Wimby.. He battled through tendonitis in his right shin and a painful back injury in the process. This victory was his eighth consecutive win in a Grand Slam final (starting at 1995 Wimbledon), which still remains a record. After this victory, Sampras did not win another title for more than two years….

 

*******************************************************************

 

2001 : Year ofย  Perseverance, Justice and ROGER FEDERER vs Pete Sampras & yet another Heart-Break for Henman …..

 

Year 2001 will always be remembered

 

  1. It was the first time that in the Championship that 32 players were seeded after immense protests from clay court specialists..

2.ย ย  2 July, 2001 ,ย  Federer ended Sampras reign.. It was the only time when these two Great champs clashed in any ATP event..

 

Federer who was 19 at the time won 6โ€“7(7), 7โ€“5, 4โ€“6, 7โ€“6(2), 5โ€“7 in the fourth round, ending Sampras’s 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon…

 

 

 

 

The Teenager Roger being congratulated by Sampras on 2nd July-2001… Setting of Sampras Era & Rise of Roger’s dominance !!!ย  ROGER FEDERER vs PETE SAMPRAS …It was the 1st time, when the whole world saw the amazing talent named Roger federer and his Tears of Joy !!!!!

 

 

However, Roger lost to Tim Henman in the Quarter Finals in a tough 4 setter where in he lost two sets in tie-breakers..

 

3..ย  2nd year running, Andre Agassi reached the semis & again had to face the awesome Patrick Rafter in the semis… Again, it was a cracker of a match with Rafter again winning 8-6 in the final set ๐Ÿ™

 

 

4..ย  It was considered Henman’s best chance to win wimbledon as Sampras had lost and he had reached Semis without any difficulty………

 

But, bigger than anything that happened in 2001 is the story of Goran Ivanisevic.. The big serving , temperamental & emotional Croatian…

 

Because of consistent injuries, his ranking had fallen to his career lowest. But ALL ENGLAND LAWN TENNIS CLUB had the courtesy to give him a wild card & that gave him yet another shot @ SW19 ๐Ÿ™‚

 

Probably, this was the time, when he was the real under dog and expectations were lowest…

 

He played brilliantly to beat Carlos Moya in the 2nd Round, Andy Roddick in the 3rd Round, Greg Rusedski in the 4th Round,ย  Marat Safin in the QF….

 

Goran’s real big test came against Tim Henman on 7th July-2001 and luckily, I was privileged enough to have seen that whole match live…

 

Henman won the 2ndย  and 3rd set and was leading 5-3 in the 4th set tie-breaker before Goran won 4 points in a row or as some people will say, henman choked once again :(…..

 

Finally, Ivanisevic facing the anguish of the entire crowd , won the final set 6-3 much to the disappointment of the whole center court……

 

As they say, an Ending can be called an Ending only if it has an Happy Ending and certainly it was proven true in case of Goran Ivanisevic

 

Mark 9th July-2001 as the date when a true deserving fighter got what he really deserved the Most ….

 

In a match filled with immense emotions and mind-blowing tennis, Goran Ivanisevic defeated patrick rafter 6-3 3-6 6-3 2-6 9-7 after 4:30 hours of mind blowing tennis…………..

 

9th July-2001

These tears touched every one’s heart ~~After all those lost Finals & Semi, this victory meant so much for him !!!

The Emotion, Expression says it all.. Really, he deserved winning the championship at least once and glad that he won.. If by chance, U haven’t heard, do see the video in which he gave the most emotional speech ever after winning this prestigious trophy…. That really made every one cry with him !!!

 

Thus, Goran in the 124 year old history became the 1st player in the Wimbledon history to get a wild Card and go on to win the Wimbledon championship !!!

 

**************************************************************

 

2002 ::: Good Bye Champion Sampras, yet another choking by Henman & year of Hewitt !!

 

Year 2002ย  reminds me of

 

  1. Sampras’s last wimbledon.. Unfortunately, he lost in the 2nd round to a Lucky Loser Qualifier named G Bastl.. The date was 27-June-2002.. Good bye Champ ๐Ÿ™‚

 

Champion Sampras leaving the Center Court for the last time in his Career on 27-June-2002…

 

2.ย  The other big surprise of this year was the emergence of the young player from Thailand

Paradorn Srichaphan …

 

He played absolutely mind-blowing tennis to beat Andre Agassi in the Second Round.. Thou, he lost in the 3rd Round to Krajicek, but, still he had impressed every one with his amazing athleticism..

 

3.. And also, since Goran Ivanisevic had partially retired from Professional Tennis, so for a change, the reigning champ didn’t play the 1st match, so, the first match was played by the No. 1 seeded Lyeton Hewitt…

 

4..ย  Federer for the 1st Time in his 11 year Wimbledon history (Updated till 2011) lost in the 1st Round to Mario Ancic in straight sets..

 

5.. Henmania continued this year & as usual, Henman reached Semi Finals once again and unfortunately, once again choked against the Super Fit & Top Seeded Lyeton Hewitt :(((

 

Final was between hewitt & Nalbadian and I must admit it was the most one sided final match of the last two decades…

 

Hewitt won 6-1 6-3 6-2 on 7th July-2002 in an amazing display of flaw less tennis ……..

 

 

Lyeton Hewitt posing with the trophy after defeating David Nalbandian on 7th July 2002 to Win the Men Singles’ Wimbledon in 2002….

 

*******************************************************************

 

2003 :: The Emergence of Roger Federer Fedex ๐Ÿ™‚

 

Year 2003 reminds me of the youngย and dashing Long Haired Federer….

 

In other results , Agassi lost out in the 4th Round to Mark Philippoussis..

 

Ivanisevic was still in partial retirement mode..

 

Henman for a change lost out in the Quarter finals to Sebastien Grosjean..

 

While Defending champ, hewitt lost out in the 1st Round to a Qualifier..

 

The Highlight of the tournament was the emergence of Federer.. He dropped just one set through out the tournament and displayed his all round game..

 

His final match was against Mark Philippoussis on 6th July 2003 and he won 7-6(5), 6-2, 7-6(3) and became a house hold name world over…

 

This was Federer’s first Grand Slam Title and it really meant so much for him & these tears tell the whole story !!!

 

 

 

6-July-2003 fedex posing with his 1st Wimbledon title ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

*********************************************************************

 

2004 ::ย  Federer once again !!!!

 

In the results that come to mind

 

Agassi missed this year’s wimbledon due to knee Injury..

 

Goran Ivanisevic made a come-back for the last time and lost in the third round to Lyeton Hewitt…

 

Tim Henman once again lost in the Quarter Finals much to the dis-appointment of every one ๐Ÿ™

 

Before the final, The biggest scare for Fedex came against Lyeton Hewitt in the Quarter Final & Roger won that match quite comfortably 6-1, 6-7, 6-0, 6-4 …….

 

The Final was between Federer and Roddick on 4th July-2004..

 

Roddick won the first set 6-4 …

 

But Federer bounced back to win the next 3 sets,ย  7-5 7-6(3) 6-4….

 

This time for a change Federer Lost 2 sets in his journey to win his 3rd Grand Slam and 2nd consecutive Wimbledon !!!!

 

Federer crying in joy after winning his 2nd wimby on July 4th, 2004…

 

The champion ๐Ÿ™‚

 

Another Result worth mentioning : Maria Sharapova won her first wimby

 

while Martina Navratilova & Leander Paes won the mixed doubles title

 

 

*******************************************************************

 

2005 ::: & itsย  Federer Again !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

My memories of 2005 include:

 

Rafael Nadal playing his 1st wimbledon and losing in the 2nd Round..

 

Agassi again missing the Wimbedon..

 

Henman losing out in the 2nd round ๐Ÿ™

 

Andy Murray playing his 1st Wimby !!!

 

probably, this year saw Federer playing the best-est tennis of his life. He was absolutely flawless & faultless through out the championship..

 

Thou, he lost one set to Kiefer in the 3rd Round and that too in a tie breaker, apart from that he never looked losing a set…

 

He once again demolished Hewitt in the semi final in straight sets..

 

The final once again was between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick on 3rd July-2005 ..

 

This time Federer was in the form of his life and looked like as if he was playing on a different level..

 

Federer won 6-2 7-6(2) 6-4 to win his 3rd consecutive Wimbledon

 

 

Federer in tears after completing his hat trick of Wimbledon !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Federer in his changed and better looking hair style posing with the trophy on 3rd July-2005ย  ๐Ÿ™‚

 

*********************************************************************

 

2006 ::: Start of Federer Nadal rivalry @

Wimbledon & Good Bye Agassi !!!!

 

My memories of 2006::

 

The young & energetic power house Nadal beating Agassi in straight sets on 1st July-2006 in the 3rd round.. It was Agassi’s last ever Wimbledon & probably, this victory gave Nadal the confidence that he could play & win even on Grass !!!

 

Agassi reacting after losing a point

 

 

Agassi’s last Hurray @ Wimbledon.. His last wave to the crowd.. We all really miss him and will always ๐Ÿ˜›

 

Tim Henman lost out in the 2nd Round as he was unseeded that year and ran against the Top Seeded Federer !!!!

 

Federer had a dream run to the Finals & for the first time reached the Final without dropping a set…

 

on the other hand, Nadal was finding his feet on the Grass court.. He had a very tough 2nd Round match & Probably, beating Agassi in the 3rd Round gave him the confidence that he could play & succeed even @ Grass…

 

His next three matches cemented his grass court play..

 

The Final was scheduled on 9th July-2006 between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal…

 

Of course, no one gave Nadal any chance before the final…

 

Inspite of the fact that Nadal lost the 1st Set 6-0, still, he gave tough fight to Roger in the 2nd set and took the set to tie-break …He won the 3rd set tie-break…

 

Finally, Roger won 6-0 7-6(5) 6-7(2) 6-3 in the final to win his fourth successive Wimbledon title

 

 

Roger in his customary blazer after winning his 4th Consecutive Wimbledon… This was the 1st time that Fedex posed with this Blazer ๐Ÿ™‚

 

 

9th july-2006 marked the Start of Federer Nadal Rivalry @ Wimbledon

 

 

*******************************************************************

 

2007 :: Continuance of Federer Nadal rivalry , year of rains & Good bye Henman !!!

 

 

If you are noticing this post closely, you would have noticed that I have always been a fan of Henman and will always reckon him a the best ever player never to have a grand slam…

 

After beating Carlos Moya in an epic 5 setter in the first round with the final set score card reading 13-11, unfortunately, Tim Henman lost out in another 5 setter to F lopez ๐Ÿ™

 

Henman’s last Good bye to this great championship !!! in my view, he still remains the finest ever player never to won any slam ๐Ÿ™

 

TIM Henman is out. โ€œ14 YEARS OF HURT,โ€ says the Mail. โ€œHOW WIMBLEDON ALWAYS ENDS IN TEARS FOR TIGER TIM.โ€

 

Also, 2007 was only the 3rd time when the first Sunday or people’s Sunday had to be used for covering the lost matches because ofย  never ending rains..

 

Also, it was the first year when men and women players were offered equal prize money…..

 

King Roger didn’t lose a set in the first 4 rounds and made easy weather of ferrero after losing a set in the Quarter Final & easy semi final match against Gasquet..

 

On the other hand, Nadal had a tougher fight leading to Quarters..

 

Djokovic unfortunately got injured in the 3rd set & had to withdraw from the semi-final after having won the 1st set & losing the 2nd………….

 

So, the final was scheduled between Federer & Nadal on 8th July-2007…

 

Every one was again expecting a tough win for Roger….

 

roger some how won the first set tie-breaker 9-7… 2nd set was won by Nadal 6-4,,,,,,, Roger won the 3rd set again in the tie-breaker…………

 

While Nadal bounced back to win the 4th set 6-2 and fedex bounced back to win the decider 6-2…………..

 

Thus, Roger Federer won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon to equal the record of Bjรถrn Borg, defeating Rafael Nadal in five sets in the final…..

 

Roger posing after winning his 5th Consecutive wimbledon on 8-July-2007

 

****************************************************************

 

2008 ::: The Rivalry continues but this time Nadal Defeats the King Federer

 

2008 biggest memory is the best-est Wimbledon final in over 2 decades ……………..

 

Roger had an easier route to the Final.. He didn’t lose a set en route to the Finals….

 

While Rafa also lost only 1 set and defeated crowd favorite Andy Murray in straight sets in the QF……

 

The all time best-est Final between these two arch rivals was played on 6th July-2008…..

 

It was the longest championship match in Wimbledon history with play lasting four hours and 48 minutes, and with two rain delays. The event stretched over seven hours ending just before nightfall….

 

Nadal began well, winning the first set 6โ€“4 in just under an hour, and taking the second by the same scoreline, despite having been down 4โ€“1 at one point..

 

The third set was interrupted by rain delays but the players returned to finish the set with a tie break, which Federer won by seven points to five. The fourth mirrored the third by also going to a tie break, in which Nadal took a 5โ€“2 lead. Nadal was on serve but served a double fault and then was forced by Federer in to a hitting a backhand into the net. Later in the tie break, Nadal had two championship points, including one on his serve, which he squandered, with Federer triumphing 10-8, and forcing a final set….

 

The fifth set went only four games before another rain delay; the score was 2โ€“2 (40โ€“40) when they returned….

 

During this break, the most notable comment was by Vijay Amritraj who mentioned if Nadal loses this match, he willย  be emotionally drained and it will take him almost 6 months to 1 year to get out of this Trauma……..

 

Nadal eventually prevailed, winning the final set 9โ€“7, at 21:16 local time. Nadal celebrated his win by climbing to his family in the crowd, including coach Toni Nadal, and then traversed a roofed area to shake hands with members of Spanish royalty

 

Every Pundit including McEnroe & Amritraj Hailed it as the best-est Tennis ever match they have ever viewed in their long life……..

 

Final score card read Nadal beating Federer 6โ€“4, 6โ€“4, 6โ€“7(5), 6โ€“7(8), 9โ€“7…………….

 

 

Nadal after winning his 1st Wimby on 6-July-2008

 

 

Great Rivals & great ambassadors of this great game

 

Federer in tears after losing his 1st Wimbledon final….

 

******************************************************************

 

2009 :::ย ย  The Return of the King Roger & the new Leader in Grand Slams !!!!

 

2009 Wimbledon will be remembered for the following reasons::

 

— First time, Andy Murray reached the Semis of Wimby where he lost to Andy Roddick !!!

 

— Nadal withdrew due to Knee Injury…

 

Federer enroute to Finals just lost one set..

 

While, Andy Roddick had a much tougher journey… His QF match against Hewitt was very close…

 

The Final between Federer & Roddick was played on 5th July-2009 and this match was almost equivalent to Last Year’s final, if not better ….

 

Thou, Federer lost the first set, but he was lucky enough to win the next two Tie-Breakers by the thinnest of Margins…..

 

The 4th set was won by Roddick 6-3….

 

The 5th Set was a nail biting and never ending set…..The duration of the set was close to 2 hours and Finally fedex won that set 16-14……..

 

Final score read as 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 16-14 …. Phew !!!!!!!!

 

Federer’s victory gave him his 15th career Grand Slam title, to make him the most successful male player in Grand Slam history…..

 

Federer reacting after winning this epic 5 setter !!!

 

5th July-2009 … Will Roddick be ever able to win a Grand Slam again??

 

How Just.. Sampras was present at the time when Federer beat his record of 14 Grand Slams !!!!!!!!

 

*****************************************************************’

 

2010 :::ย  The Year ofย  Nadal & the Marathon Match

 

2010 will always be remembered for the super marathon match between John Isner & Nicholas Mahut….

 

It became a record-setting match, spanning three days, 23rd seed John Isner, attempting to win his first ever match at Wimbledon, faced off against qualifier Nicolas Mahut in the first round, on 22โ€“24 June. They were both locked in the 6โ€“4, 3โ€“6, 6โ€“7(7), 7โ€“6(3), 59โ€“59 stand-off, when the match was suspended due to darkness for the second straight day after a total of 9 hours and 58 minutes. Isner had already served a world record 98 aces by that time, with Mahut scoring 94 aces, both breaking Ivo Karlovi?’s previous record of 78…………….

 

The second day’s play alone was at 7 hours 8 mins, longer than the longest previous complete match, and is therefore also the longest session of tennis played in a single day. Isner eventually defeated Mahut 6โ€“4, 3โ€“6, 6โ€“7(7), 7โ€“6(3), 70โ€“68….

 

The match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, and the fifth set alone lasted 8 hours and 11 minutes…….. The match has been noted as officially the longest match ever in a Tennis Open in terms of both times and games………….

 

 

When ever I remember that match, I still pinch myself to confirm if I’m dreaming, but here’s a proof for you if you are still Doubting…ย  Isner vs Mahut…

 

For the first time Since 2002, Federer lost prior to Final @ Wimby…

 

Tomas Berdych of Czech republic defeated federer 6โ€“4, 3โ€“6, 6โ€“1, 6โ€“4 in the QF much to every one’s surprise…

 

Berdych proved he wasn’t an one match wonder as he defeated Djokovic 6โ€“3, 7โ€“6(9), 6โ€“3 in the SF………..

 

While, Nadal had a couple of 5 setters in the 2nd & 3rd Round..

 

but, in the Semi Final, he completely Destroyed Andy Murray 6โ€“4, 7โ€“6(6), 6โ€“4

 

The Final was played on 4th July 2010 between Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych ……..

 

Rafa defeated Berdych 6โ€“3, 7โ€“5, 6โ€“4 to win his 2nd Wimby & his 8th Grand Slam………………

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rafael Nadal posing after winning the 2010 Championship

 

***************************************************************

 

2011 :: Will it be Rafa winning his 3rd Title or will Murray or will Djokovic win his first title ??

 

Do have your say ->>>>>>

 

a. Who will win this year’s championship?

 

b. Which was your favorite finals amongst these 20 Wimbledon championship?

 

 

Also, do Enjoy this #SUNRISEย  over The Queue at @Wimbledon in #Wimbledon Park on the 2nd Day of Wimbledon (21-June-2011 at 4:53 am BST)

 

Pic taken by

Eilis Brennan contact Url ::

http://twitter.com/#!/eilisbrennan

 

 

Pic URL ::ย  http://twitpic.com/5f7f1

 

 

**********************************************************************

Biggest HighLight of 2011 Wimbledon for me :)))

 

My two of the most favorite Sports Men Sachin Tendulkar & Roger Federer meeting @ WImbledon on 25-June-2011

 

 

Sachin being introduced as the guest of the day @ Royal Box… Was great to see the applause that he got that day :))

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As sachin tweeted, amazingly Fedex has good knowledge about cricket, that was good to hear :).. Will savor these pix till eternity !!!

 

Besides, all these fantastic moments, I will always remember 2011 as the year where federer for the 2nd consecutive time lost in the Quarter Finals ๐Ÿ™

 

Unfortunately, this time, Fedex lost to the younger, quicker and better-serving Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the quarterfinals on 30th June-2011 :(((

 

Even after winning the first two sets 6-3 & 7-6…

 

He lost the next three, 6-4 , 6-4 & 6-4 :((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

 

Is this the End of Roger’s Era ??

 

I certainly hope it isn’t because he is surely looking quite fit & hungry…….

 

While, Djokovic on the other hand was quite lucky and had an easier route to the Finals & defeated Tsonga in the semi-finals in 4 sets on 1st July, 2011..

 

While Rafael Nadal showed his true class by defeating Andy Murray in the 2nd Semi-final even after losing the first set.. It was an absolute Majestic performance by Nadal & he showed why he is rated so highly…………..

 

And in the Ladies final, Maria Sharapova couldn’t repeat her 2004 heroics & lost to the 21 year old Petra Kvitova from Czech Republic…

 

In an absolute Mahnificient display of some majestic serving, the Tall left hander won 6-3, 6-4 on 2nd July-2011……….

 

The perfect Petra on the left with the Runner-up maria Sharapova !!

 

Will Novak Djokovic assert his World No. 1 credentials or will Rafael Nadal get his ‘Revencha’ ??
My Prediction : It will be Rafa in 4 or 5 sets.. Do have your sayย  !!!

 

As far as I remember both left handed singles winner in Wimbledon were in 1983 and 1984, when McEnroe and Navratilova won. Incidentally, Navaratilova is Czech born..we got another Czech woman winner this year…lets see whether history repeats itself or not..