by When Simona Halep and Elina Svitolina were duking – or deucing – it out in the first two games of their semi-final, I thought the match might not finish before my next lesson at 6pm. In the event, by the time my bell went, both semi-finals were over. Only 31 games were played altogether; those who forked out for tickets might have felt short-changed, even if they did see Serena and Simona.
Simona won the first set 6-1, which was no real reflection of what happened. The first, second, and last games of the opening set comprised 50 points in total. But in the end, Simona was just a bit better in almost every facet of the game. She’s put together four excellent performances in a row – a rarity in the women’s game right now – and has made it to her first Wimbledon final where she faces Serena, someone whom I’ve heard Romanians describe variously as a man, an animal, and a tank. She was in ominous form yesterday; she moved much better than she has of late. Tomorrow, on what will be a huge day for Romanian sport, so much will depend on how Serena serves. If her radar is ever so slightly off, Simona will have a chance. It would be great if she could pull it off.
I’ve just been watching a repeat of the 2008 Wimbledon final. It was even better than I remember, partly because I didn’t see all of it at the time. I was living and working New Zealand, and the part between the two rain delays, where Federer won two tie-breaks saving those match points, was where I got some shut-eye. It wasn’t just the shotmaking under extreme pressure which was out of this world, but the tension, the almost unbearable suspense. Those rain delays only added to the drama. And they play again later this afternoon; it’s their 40th meeting. I’m hoping for a similar outcome to 2008. The speed of the court (it’s been slower this year), and therefore the weather conditions, will have an influence. It might even depend on how long it takes Djokovic and Bautista-Agut to play their match beforehand. I’ve got a Skype lesson this evening. The second semi-final might still be in progress then; I’ll have the TV on with the sound down in the background and will try to keep no more than one eye on it.
From a pure “tennis event” perspective, Wimbledon really is the pinnacle. (If you’re instead talking about the best grand slam for the fans, you might have to give the Australian Open the nod.) But everything matters at Wimbledon. The doubles, the mixed, some first-rounder on Court 15 between two players whose names (or no-names) you can’t even pronounce, it all matters, and the crowd get into it. This has always been the case, and I remember as a kid what a disappointment it was when the fortnight was over. This time I’ll feel different; it’ll be nice to read a few books instead of stare at a screen.
