Wimbledon 2021 The Championships

[Alan Stallion]

Wimbledon returns 28 June after being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic (first cancellation since World War 2).

What will this year's tournament bring? Another first-time ladies' champion? Another trophy for one of the Big Three in gentlemen's competition?

Stay tuned for the latest news all you tennis geeks!

https://www.wimbledon.com/index.html

 

[Alan Stallion]

First news of note:

Former #1 Rafael Nadal, still stinging from his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at Roland-Garros, has withdrawn from Wimbledon (as well as the Olympics).

Rafael Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon and Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games

Spanish world number three Rafael Nadal pulls out of this month's Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympic Games later this summer.

www.bbc.com

Former #1 Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from Roland-Garros after refusing to talk to the press and being fined for it, has also pulled out of Wimbledon. She is reported to concentrating on playing at the Olympics in Japan (her home country).

Naomi Osaka: Four-time Grand Slam winner to miss Wimbledon but plans Olympics return

Naomi Osaka will not play at Wimbledon this year but is planning to return in time for the Tokyo Olympics.

www.bbc.com

 

[Alan Stallion]

Receiving wildcard entries, other than the usual British wannabes, feature former Wimbledon champions Andy Murray and Venus Williams

Wimbledon 2021: Andy Murray and Venus Williams given wildcards

Former Wimbledon champions Andy Murray and Venus Williams are given wildcards to play at this year's Championships.

www.bbc.com

 

[Alan Stallion]

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer is coming into the tournament with not as much expectation as in the past, losing Wednesday in the Round-of-16 in Halle to Canadian upstart Felix Auger-Aliassime, and having withdrawn at Roland Garos before his fourth round match.

Roger Federer loses Wimbledon warm-up to Felix Auger-Aliassime in Halle

Roger Federer's competitive preparation before Wimbledon ends with a three-set defeat by Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Halle Open.

www.bbc.com

 

[DGS49]

On the men's side, the eventual result is foregone. There will be many interesting matches, but I for one don't like reading stories where I already know how it ends.

On the Ladies' side, it will be a battle among a dozen or so masculine-looking chicks whose names end with "...ova." Serena will win a few matches then get bored, faking some sort of minor injury to explain it away.

Not really worth watching.

 

[Quasar44]

Expect Djokovic to cruise through and take his 6th W

Fed will reach the QTF..then retire !!!

Nadal won’t get through 3 rounds

 

[Quasar44]

Federer has never been the same player since his 2009 USO loss
The guy still hits magnificent shots but his error ratio is so high

 

[Michael1985]

Wimbledon returns 28 June after being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic (first cancellation since World War 2).

What will this year's tournament bring? Another first-time ladies' champion? Another trophy for one of the Big Three in gentlemen's competition?

Stay tuned for the latest news all you tennis geeks!

View attachment 503420

https://www.wimbledon.com/index.html

I'm really looking forward to it. I've become a much bigger tennis fan in recent years. Out of everything that got cancelled last year, Wimbledon was the biggest disappointment for me.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Expect Djokovic to cruise through and take his 6th W

On the men's side, the eventual result is foregone. There will be many interesting matches, but I for one don't like reading stories where I already know how it ends.

Seems to be a forgone conclusion Djokovic will take the title.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Nadal won’t get through 3 rounds

Nadal has already withdrawn from the competition, as well as the Olympics.

 

[Quasar44]

Expect Djokovic to cruise through and take his 6th W

On the men's side, the eventual result is foregone. There will be many interesting matches, but I for one don't like reading stories where I already know how it ends.

Seems to be a forgone conclusion Djokovic will take the title.

Still Djokovic may not win the uso as the crowd noise affects him

 

[Alan Stallion]

Simona Halep, the most recent Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Champion, was withdrawn from the tournament with a calf injury. The #3 ranked player in the world would have been the #2 seed (with Osaka's withdrawal) and would have likely opened Day 2 on Centre Court (as is tradition with the defending champ)

https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2021-06-25/2021-06-25_halep_withdraws_from_championships_2021.html

 

[Alan Stallion]

Qualifying rounds have concluded and the draws are out.

Ladies' singles draw:

https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/draws/index.html?event=LS

Gentlemen's singles draw:

https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/draws/index.html?event=MS

#1 Djokovic, a 10/11 odds to win the title, opens against a wildcard Brit.

#1 Ashley Barty (who like Halep retired at Roland Garros) gets a more intriguing matchup against Carla Suarez Navarro, a tricky player in her own right, has battled Hodgkin Lymphoma (which is reported to be in complete remission) and is doing a farewell tour.

 

[Alan Stallion]

"World Champion" by Keith Mansfield, the closing theme as played on American network NBC back in the day...


The weather forecast is not very favorable for the start of the tournament thus far.

 

[Alan Stallion]

British female hope Johanna Konta, seeded 27 in the tournament, forced to withdraw after "close contact" tests positive for Covid-19. She was to play a tricky player in Katerina Siniakova (who was just in the Final at Bad Homburg Open June 26, losing to Angelique Kerber)

Johanna Konta out of Wimbledon after one of her team tests positive for Covid

Johanna Konta has withdrawn from Wimbledon after being classified as a close contact of a positive test for Covid-19

www.theguardian.com

 

[Alan Stallion]

SPOILER ALERT

Spoiler: Big First Round Upset

American Frances Tiafoe upsets Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.

 

[Mindful]

The men’s opening matches:

I could hardly bear to watch the tension of Andy Murray squandering his match points. So I switched off and went to bed.

Oh ye of little faith.

I should have stayed with it, because he came through in the end. Despite his hip surgeries, and age letting his body down.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Halfway point as we reach the Middle Sunday.

Note: this will be the last time Wimbledon will take off the middle Sunday, ending a long-standing tradition, put into place to allow the grass to have a day off. Starting in 2022, matches will be scheduled on the Middle Sunday. More revenue and all that.

 

[Alan Stallion]

LADIES SEEDS THAT LOST

3 SVITOLINA, Elina (UKR) – lost in second round to Magda Linette

4 KENIN, Sofia (USA) – lost in second round to fellow American Madison Brengle. A bit of a surprise considering how much of a grind Brengle’s match was against Christina McHale previously.

5 ANDREESCU, Bianca (CAN) – lost meekly in first round to Alize Cornet.

6 WILLIAMS, Serena (USA) - lost in first round, injury, retired during seventh game of match

9 BENCIC, Belinda (SUI) – lost in first round to Kaja Juvan

10 KVITOVA, Petra (CZE) – lost in first round to Sloane Stephens

11 MUGURUZA, Garbine (ESP) – lost in third round to 21st seed Ons Jabeur

12 AZARENKA, Victoria (BLR) – lost in second round to Sorana Cirstea

13 MERTENS, Elise (BEL) – lost in 3rd round to 23rd seed Madison Keys

15 SAKKARI, Maria (GRE) – lost in second round to Shelby Rogers.

16 PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia (RUS) – Roland Garros runner-up lost in 3rd round to 19th Seed Karolina Muchova

17 BERTENS, Kiki (NED) – Her final Wimbledon. Lost in first round.

22 PEGULA, Jessica (USA) – lost in second round to wildcard Liudmila Samsonova

24 KONTAVEIT, Anett (EST) – lost in first round to Marketa Vondrousova

26 MARTIC, Petra (CRO) – lost in second round to Irina-Camelia Begu

27 KONTA, Johanna (GBR) – forced to withdraw from tournament because somebody in her camp tested positive for Covid.

28 RISKE, Alison (USA) – lost in first round to Tereza Martincova

29 KUDERMETOVA, Veronika (RUS) – lost in first round to Viktorija Golubic, 11-9 in final set.

31 KASATKINA, Daria (RUS) – lost in second round to Jelena Ostapenko

32 ALEXANDROVA, Ekaterina (RUS) – lost in second round to qualifier Maria Camila Osorio Serrano

 

[Alan Stallion]

Here's my analysis for Monday's Round-Of-16 matches, on the ladies' side...

LADIES' SINGLES – Round of 16

1 BARTY, Ashleigh (AUS) v 14 KREJCIKOVA, Barbora (CZE)

RADUCANU, Emma (GBR) v TOMLJANOVIC, Ajla (AUS)

30 BADOSA, Paula (ESP) v 19 MUCHOVA, Karolina (CZE)

20 GAUFF, Coco (USA) v 25 KERBER, Angelique (GER)

8 PLISKOVA, Karolina (CZE) v SAMSONOVA, Liudmila (RUS)

23 KEYS, Madison (USA) v GOLUBIC, Viktorija (SUI)

7 SWIATEK, Iga (POL) v 21 JABEUR, Ons (TUN)

18 RYBAKINA, Elena (KAZ) v 2 SABALENKA, Aryna (BLR)

The surprise winner at Roland Garros, Krejcikova, continues to impress on grass, now riding a 15-match win streak. Barty came into the tourney with some injury concerns and has survived thus far. I think the Barty party ends here.

Emma Raducanu is the clear Cinderella story of the tournament. The British teen is a wildcard in her second pro tournament ever and has impressed and her smile could light up all of London. She’ll face a more experienced Aussie in Tomljanovic. My head says Tomljanovic, my heart says Raducanu. I’ll go with my heart. Emma a surprise quarterfinalist and then her run will end there.

Badosa and Muchova are very under-the-radar players with good form. This is such a pick-em matchup.

Coco Gauff looks more impressive with each tournament. Before the grass court season, Kerber seemed like a player on a downward spiral. Kerber since has won a grass court tournament before Wimbledon and has shown some of her championship form as of late which should make this match more competitive. I’ll still give the edge to Gauff.

Pliskova seems like a player on the slide with the former #1, not making it past the Round of 16 since the Aussie Open in 2019 and has never made It past the round-of-16 at Wimbledon, but she’s had a good tournament thus far. Samsonova is another surprise wildcard entry in her first Wimbledon and has defeated three quality players. I’ll give the edge to Pliskova to finally make her first Wimbledon QF.

Keys has been an underachiever thus far but has not lost a set yet at this Wimbledon. Golubic is in her first ever Round-of-16 match, won her first match in an epic 11-9 final set and has breezed over her opponents since. I’ll pick Keys here.

Swiatek, the surprise winner of the 2020 Roland Garros tournament (and runner up in 2021) has never played at the Australian Open and is her first Wimbledon. She has yet to lose a set. Ons Jabeur has taken the mantle of one of the trickiest players (a la Carla Suarez Navarro and Agnieszka Radwanska) to play. This could be the ladies’ match of the day to watch. Jabeur’s experience may win out.

Rybakina is in her first Wimbledon (first grand slam appearance was at US Open in 2019). Showing good form thus far. Sabalenka is a powerhouse who may finally reach her first QF. Edge to Sabalenka