Official Wimbledon thread (starts at quarters_

[Mavs<Spurs]

Let's make this the Official Wimbledon thread.

It is starting late, but I do not know how many big tennis fans there are.


Take your picks.

Fed vs Ancic (Fed in 4)
2 nobodies (1 of them in 4 or 5)
Hewitt vs Baghdatis (Marcos in 5)
Nadal vs nobody (Nadal in 3) - Niemenin?


Then
Fed vs nobody (Fed in 3)
Nadal vs Baghdatis (or Hewitt)- Baghdatis (or Hewitt) in 5

Then
Fed vs Baghdatis (or Hewitt)- Fed in 4 (or 3 against Hewitt)


Women

Sharapova vs Mauresmo (Sharapova in 3)

Hennin Hardin vs Clijisters (Hennin in 2)

Both of those are because of mental for ude.

Sharapova vs Hennin (Sharapova in 3)

Sharapova wins her second Wimbledon


Mauresmo must get mentally tougher (too many experiences like Blake). She just falls apart. She has great game, especially for grass. The talent is there. Injuries and discouragement have been the problem.

Clijisters- very good player, but always gets intimidated by Hennin and gets psyched out by some dirty trick Hennin pulls. Besides Hennin is a very talented player.

Sharapova (most mentally tough tennis player for either gender). She never gives up. She is so focused.
On faster courts, like Wimbledon you need a big game. Big Babe Tennis is here and they don't get much bigger in terms of game and stature than Maria.
Maria is the only American left.

Hennin can never make up the difference physically between them since Maria is too mentally tough to get psyched out by stupid punk tricks.
Maria's serve is so much better and Maria puts so much more pace on the ball.

Hennin cannot win against Maria. It is more if Maria loses (by too many unforced errors).

If Maria keeps her unforced error count down and serves well (sound mechanics), then Hennin has virtually no chance.

Hennin has prettiest women's backhand in tennis. Mauresmo's is second.

Hopefully, Justine retires soon before winning Wimbledon and getting a career Grand Slam. She has no class. But she is a great player.

[kingsfan]

When did Maria defect?

Mens

Rog v. Ancic Rog but it won't be easy, 4 close sets
Stepanek v. Bjorkman Step, also in 4
Hewitt v. Baghdatis Lleyton in 3
Nadal v. Nieminen Rafa in 3
Semis
Rog beats Step in 3
Nadal beats Hewitt in 4
Final
Rog over Rafa in 4

Ladies

Maria and Justine in finals, both win in straight sets
Justine wins in 3
I'd rather it was Kim but Henin playing very well right now.

Kim's the one who said she would retire after next year to have children, Henin said she plans on being around for a while. She's a good player but she has no personality, very boring to watch.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Maria never "defected". She says that she is Russian through and through (in English).

However, the simple truth is that she speaks English better than Russian and has resided in Florida for many years. With this and her commercial ventures, many adopt her as an American (like Mary Pierce was adopted by the French).

In addition, how many tennis stars have become American citizens after residing here for a while (Lendl, Steffi, Monica...).

So, I consider her an American.

Kind of like how one of our Spurs posters considers Finley (whom he spells Finely) the starting center for the Spurs.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Called it.

You heard it here beforehand, folks.

Baghdatis in 4.

It didn't require a psychic. When he beat 3 top five players in a row at the Australian Open and pushed Federer in the Final, we all knew he was the real deal.

Like PMac said, Marcos is a baller.

Nadal may beat Nieminen, but you gotta favor the Cypriot (Marcos) over Nadal.

Federer will roll Bjorkman (as happy as I was for him).

Federer vs Baghdatis. Fed in 4 because Baghdatis is just that good.

Baghdatis is too smart and too good for Nadal.

Baghdatis > Nadal.

[GrandeDavid]

I wish Roger Federer could be defeated but he won't be. He's gonna tie Pete Sampras' record four straight Wimbledon les. I'm confident he'll surpass that in 2007 and extend it into 2008 if he remains interested. Dude is sick as sick gets on grass and hardcourts.

[mavsfan4life]

lets have a Federer vs. Nadal vbookie!

[WalterBenitez]

FED or Nadal, who will win?

[kingsfan]

Borg won 5 in a row so to tie the record Rog has to win 2 more.
I really want Rafa to win but I don't know if he can. If he plays his best and Rog doesn't then he can but Rog seems to raise the level of his game at times like this. Rafa has impressed me though. His serve has been awesome and he can do it. Will he? I hope so.

[Quadzilla99]

Federer's win in the Semifinals was the most lopsided Wimbledon Semifinal match since 1922. Federer in 3 sets over Nadal in the Final.

[zech]

Federer beat the unseeded swede,nadal beat baghdatis ranked 22nd in the ATP rankings,so thinking that Federer just has to show up to win the whole thing is not fair,just remember Federer has lost 4 times this year all in finals against guuess who?Nadal,The boy is unlike others,he doesn't fear federer (actually federer is afraid of nadal-thats what i think anyway)just watch the games he's lost to him,he was almost winning them but he became nervous and lost,never underestimate the young spaniard he is that good.I think he is good enough to win wimbledon (beating federer in te final) and he's just getting started.No way roger will beat nadal in three sets in the final it might take him five sets to beat that guy.

[GrandeDavid]

I cannot wait to see tomorrow's final. I'm pulling for Nadal but think Federer will win. Federer is virtually unbeatable on grass and is out for revenge. Plus he looked freaking awesome in his semifinals match.

[kingsfan]

I'm happy the Bryan brothers won, they got the Grand Slam Good match!

[katyon6th]

They're interviewing the Bryan brothers right now on NBC. They're really hot.

Federer wins his 4th, good for him.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I was surprised by the way Rafael completely obliterated Marcos. But Marcos is very up and down. He has the potential, but not yet the discipline or the physical condition of Rafael.

Rafael showed me a lot. He reminded me that Baghdatis is still and up and comer and that he is in the top five on fast courts, especially when combined with how well he played against Roger.

Rafael is no longer just a clay court specialist. He played unbelievably well. He is much, much better and progressed (in transition his game to grass ) much faster than I would have ever believed possible. He has a lot of talent.

However, this was the very first non clay court Grand Slam in which he got past the quarterfinals. To be second in the world on fast courts, to me, requires him to get to the finals or semi finals of most non clay court Grand Slam finals.

Can he keep this up? If so, he will be best on clay and second best everywhere else.

I do give props to Rafa for his play, his heart and his determination and successful transition from clay to grass. Major props are due and major props are given.