ATP
Welcome to the Last Eight Club
MAYBE it should be called the Quarters Club, because the Last Eight Club in SW19 is a little known corner of Wimbledon where those who have made it to the quarter-finals at a Wimbledon championship can gather once the dust has settled.
To get membership of this club, situated in a building that was once the All England boardroom, a player needs to have reached the singles quarter-finals or the doubles semi-finals or the mixed doubles final.
And at 6pm every day during Wimbledon fortnight members gather for Happy Hour to reminisce.
American Christopher Eubanks became the latest member last week.
There are currently 603 eligible members – although it is not known how many actually do turn up.
The club has a daily ticket allocation to the main courts, although a ballot runs for the big matches.
Feaver reached the fourth round at Wimbledon as a singles player win 1973, and reached 10 doubles finals around the world in a career that saw him hold the record for serving the most aces in a single Wimbledon match – 42 – against Australian John Newcombe.
And he played Wimbledon for 13 consecutive years.
Another Aussie, 90 year-old Australian Neale Fraser, was the oldest visitor in 2023.
When he won Wimbledon in 1960 he received a £15 voucher to be spent at a London sports store for his efforts.
How times have changed.
WIMBLEDON broadcaster the BBC was widely criticised after the ladies final yesterday for what fans claimed was a bias towards Ons Jabeur.
“How biased to Jabeur is this BBC commentary,” one fan tweeted, and another said: “Once again the BBC are fawning over Jabeur, with virtually no mention of her opponent.”
“The BBC going out of their way to point out all of the bad times Ons has been through this year! Classic BBC Sport, always having a clear favourite,” another wrote.
“Jabeur… the BBC [are] making out she is the only player at the tournament and she deserves to win. They are being disrespectful to the other finalist Marketa Vondrousova, so I will be supporting her to win,” another fan tweeted.
STICKING with the match summary theme … AI commentary at Wimbledon has been roundly condemned by fans and former players.
British player and tennis pundit Annabelle Croft called it ‘an insult’ last week.
Other words she used include ‘stiff and emotionless’.
As we revealed a few weeks back, Wimbledon has trialling AI commentary on its website and app.
Croft didn’t end there. “It’s a race against the robot for your job,’ she said on BBC radio.
“Listening to that, it was very stiff, it was emotionless, no feelings at all. Whoever is taking the decision to put a robot on to commentary and, of course, into the wider context of all jobs in life: this is going to kill humanity.
“I feel like we all need to throw our phones in the river and stop our brains being overtaken by AI.”
She added: “I really hope somebody can stop it.’
So do we.
IT was tough day at the office for Ons Jabeur, suffering another final defeat, this time at the hands of a clinical Vondrousova.
“It will try to speak because this is very tough,” she said on court and in tears after the match.
“I am going to look ugly in the photos so that’s not going to help.
“I think this is the most painful loss of my career.
It’s going to be a tough day for me today but I am not going to give up. I am going to come back stronger and win a Grand Slam one day.”
AS for Vondrousova, well she becomes Wimbledon’s first non-seeded champion.
The 24-year-old is the lowest-ranked woman to win after her 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ons Jabeur.
A big difference from a year ago when she was just a visitor – her left wrist in a cast after injury.
“When we came, I was just like, ‘Try to win a couple of matches.’ Now this happened. It’s crazy,” she said after her win.
Maybe Centre Court’s retractable roof, closed for the final, because of wind and possible rain, helped her?
“I always play good indoors,” Vondrousova said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, maybe that’s going to help me.’”
HE may not be at Wimbledon but Rafa Nadal has been kept busy filming a TV commercial for fast food giants Subway with basketball star Stephen Curry.
“This slice is as good as your tennis slice?” Curry asks in the commercial, as Nadal walks up to the basketball star.
“I can’t say that but yes,” Nadal responds.
Nadal posted a clip of the commercial on his Instagram account, with a humorous comment.
“I can’t believe I admitted that… Swipe for the slices in question,” he wrote.
SHE may be the world No.1, but Iga Swiatek isn’t the best on grass, going out in the quarters to Elina Svitolina.
No disgrace there, as Svitolina has been 9in sparking form this year, but Swiatek admitted this week she had at last found some joy playing on grass.
“I put in a lot of work, learnt a lot and what’s better: I found some joy in playing on grass,” she said.
“We know what to improve, what to work on and focus on and that’s the most important part of this experience for me this year.”
The Pole then told the world through her IG account she was taking time out from tennis for a ‘little trip’.
Swiatek is expected to return to action next month, when the North American hard court swing kicks in.
WHAT a catch… a fan on Court No.1 was enjoying his temps with a Pimms when a wayward return from Jiri Lehecka landed in his glass!
Amusing? Yep. But not perhaps so when a replacement drink was going to cost him £9.70.
THERE was a giant pink dodo outside gate four at Wimbledon last week, another ‘eco-warrior’ protest – this time over Barclays Bank sponsoring the event.
Members of Money Rebellion, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, held signs bearing the slogan ‘Shame Set and Match’, claiming the bank has invested billions into fossil fuels.
The irony of this protest is the dodo was manufactured from oil derivatives. As was the plastic protest sign.
IT’S not over for Venus Williams – yet.
The former World No.1 has been given a wildcard to play at the 2023 Canadian Open in Montreal in August.
Coming off a first wound Wimbledon loss to Elina Svitolina, Williams will be returning to Montreal for the first time since 2018.
“@Venuseswilliams earns a bye for the #OBN23 , marking her highly anticipated return to Montreal since 2018. The seven-time Grand Slam champion is ready to wow the crowd once again,” tweeted the official account of the Canadian Open.
“I am walking around doing my thing but most of the time have been off my feet but I’m working on getting back on tour,” Williams said on Friday.
NAOMI Osaka became the latest to join the Mum’s Club last week after giving birth to a baby girl.
The news was disclosed by boyfriend and rapper Cordae during one of his live shows, telling the audience his daughter has been named Shai.
But the hypocrisy continues as Osaka, always claiming privacy and her mental health, sold the story for a lot of money to People magazine, complete with sponsorship from an interior design company.
Osaka will most likely make a comeback in 2024 in Australia – but as we all know with Naomi – that could change.
WILL Novak Djokovic’s white tennis shoes with the green “23” printed on the heel have to be replaced soon?
The seven-time Wimbledon champion has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and he could add to that total today as faces young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.
HE may not be playing, but the polarising effect of Aussie brat Nick Kyrgios emerged again last week.
This time using his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi to defend his desire to take the money on offer from Saudi Arabia.
After buying up several other sports in what has even described as the worst kind of sports washing, tennis is next on the menu.
While ATP Tour chair Andrea Gaudenzi has held talks with the Saudi’s about the possibility of the ATP Finals being moved there, the move has drawn criticism from fans all over the world – as Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights records on the planet.
Russian Daria Kasatkina who is gay, has criticised the move.
‘Many issues concerning this country. It’s easier for men bc they feel pretty good there. We don’t feel the same way. As Nick Kyrgios said, he’d be so happy to go there for a big check. For me, money is not #1 priority…’ she posted on social media.
To which Kyrgios then replied: “My girlfriend felt fine there.”
The childish comment, disregarding the fact that Kasatkina is gay, was condemned by many.
‘C’mon, Nick. Don’t be stubborn. You know what’s going on there,’ one replied.
‘So that means all women will [be safe]? Bit of a reach here,’ posted another, with others stating the safety of women in Saudi as a major cause for concern.
AND finally… another whacky Wimbledon story to end our weekly look at the world of tennis.
From the London Sun newspaper a report that despite spending millions on weather radar equipment — SW19s most valuable bit of kit is a £5 water tray guarded by a duck called, wait for it … John QuackEnroe.
A tub filled with water on top of an on-site building, completed with its own rubber duck, is used to see if rain is falling.
Alexander Zverev cooled the jets of a teenaged tearaway on Tuesday, schooling Spaniard Rafael Jodar 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to power to his fifth career semi-final at the French Open.
The world No. 3 German finished runner-up in Paris two years ago and is still seeking his first trophy at one of the majors.
Zverev has been a consistent presence at the business end of the event here, figuring iin five of the past six semis.
But the achievement doesn’t amount to much for the seed, who has his eye on the big prize.
“I want to keep going. I don’t really care so much about a semi-final,” he said. “I want to win all the matches in front of me.
“Today was a tough test against a good player – that’s it for now.”
The 29-year-old who becomes the ninth man to play five Paris semi-finals, got away slowly as the 19-year-old Jodar showed his intentions with an early break..
But the seed began turning the tables on his young opponent while trailing 5-2 in the opening set after dropping serve in the eight-minute opening game.
Jodar’s unravelling began as he served for the first set leading 5-4 but was unable to close it out.
From then on, Zverev was in control.
The German won the opener in a tiebreaker and dominated the second to claim that chapter also.
In the third, he broke the fading youngster in the first and last games of the set
before closing out the win with a running forehand down the line on match point.
“He had perfect rhythm in the first set and I didn’t,” the winner said. “I was playing too short and too defensive.
“The ball was also not bouncing as high as it did in (last week’s) heat, I had to flatten out my shots.
“He outplayed me at the beginning of the first, but I managed to come back.
he seemed a bit nervous when he served for (the set).
“I took my chances, it was a good match for me.”
Main photo:- Alexander Zverev in control at Roland Garros – by ATPTour.com
Matteo Berrettini took Italian revenge on Monday against the Argentine who knocked out Jannik Sinner with a 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6) fourth-round demolition of Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open.
Former top 10 player Berrettini, now mended after several seasons of intermittent injury absences sent the South American packing in a solid clay display.
The Italian saved three Cerundolo set points in the third-set tiebreaker, with Berrettini claiming a match point on an inside-out forehand, and following up with a serve winner..
“I feel great,” Berrettini said. “I’m happy with the support in a full stadium.
“This is why we train and fight, I’m enjoying the atmosphere with my team and family.”
Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime booked the last eight as he put out another South American in Canadian-born Chilean AlejandroTabilo 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.
FAA becomes the first Canadian man to complete the set of quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
The 30-year-old Berretini from Rome is competing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021 when he also reached the last eight here.
The current No. 105 is the lowest-ranked men’s quarter-finalist in Paris since in 2007.
Cobolli lost his first set of the tournament as he ran up against an American with negligible experience on clay, defeating Zach Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5).
The 10th-seeded Italian’s victory put him into his second Grand Slam and his first in Paris.
“I was a little bit nervous to close the match today,” the winner said. “It means a lot, this tournament, for me.
“Sometimes it’s not easy when you have to close, especially when you are up in the score like I was today.
“But also Zachary played a really good match today after the second set… tennis is like this. At the end, I was happy, and that’s the important thing.”
Svajda came to the major with only one career match win on clay. He began correcting that in the third round by beating Francisco.Cerundolo.
Cobolli cruised through the first two sets but his perfect set record took a dent in the third as Svajda forced a tiebreaker and saved a match point after closing the Italian’s 5-1 lead and forcing a tiebreaker.
It took a tiebreak fourth set to settle the outcome after more than three and a quarter hours.
Alexander Zverev stayed on track for a possible fourth Grand Slam final as the highest seed remaining in the men’s draw at the French Open moved efficiently into the quarter-finals on Sunday.
The German who has finished runner-up at the Australian and US Open plus Roland Garros, defeated qualifying lucky loser Jesper de Jong 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-1.
With this week’s second-round losses by world No. 1 and top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic, Zverev could have one of his best chances at lifting a major trophy.
The 29-year-old reached his eighth Roland Garros quarter-final as he beat his Dutch opponent on de Jong’s 26th birthday.
He needed a tiebreak to secure the opening set but picked up momentum before crushing it in the third set to get off court in a relatively quick two and a quarter hours.
“I had some early difficulties but he started well,” the winner said. “But once I found my rhythm I felt comfortable on the court.
“That is important for my game. It’s (his game) is there, I just have to show it on the match court.”
With the recent 10-day heatwave now gone, temperatures dropped into the mid-20s Celsius, which should make for more comfortable conditions.
But Zverev is not so sure: “To be honest, I like the heat, I prefer it. My ball flies a lot faster through the air and opponents struggle a bit more.
“I also spend a lot of time in Florida so I’m used to the heat. But we have to make the best of it, things can change within one day.”
Zverev will bid for the semi-finals in a matchup against Rafael Jodar, the prodigy who won an all-Spanish fourth-rounder 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 over Pablo Carreno Busta.
The fightback took nearly three and three-quarter hours and put the 19-year-old into his first last-eight spot in only his second Grand Slam appearance.
He has reached the last eight here for a sixth straight year.
Jodar, ranked No. 707 a year ago, is the fifth man this century to reach the quarters in his main draw debut at the event.
The youngster made a 4-1 start in the opening set but soon found himself in a five-set dogfight against a 34-year-old dealing with a shoulder injury.
The winner of a clay title in March has now taken victory in 19 of his last 22 matches.
“He’s young and incredibly talented,” Zverev said of his next opponent. “He came onto the clay scene in two months.
“He will be a difficult challenge but I’ll be ready for it.”
Main photo:- Favourite Alexander Zverev wins third round match – by ATPTour.com
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