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SPORTSSaturday 27 June 2015
WIMBLEDON 2015: Serena Williams halfway to true Grand Slam
HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
Serena Williams heads to
Wimbledon halfway to a
Grand Slam.
If it were up to her, no one
would notice.
Williams prefers to down-
play her chances of be-
coming the first tennis play-
er in more than a quarter-
century to win all four major
tournaments — Australian
Open, French Open, Wim-
bledon, U.S. Open — in the
same season.
“I haven’t done well at
Wimbledon recently, so
that’s the only one that’s
kind of eluding me,” Wil-
liams said, managing to
keep a straight face and
perhaps hoping to con-
vince herself as much as
anyone who might be lis-
tening. “So I’m trying to get
to that one, at least make
it deep in the second week
of that tournament.”
When play begins at the
grass-court Grand Slam
tournament Monday, Wil-
liams will be ranked No.
1, and seeded No. 1, and
there is zero doubt that she
is far and away the best
tennis player on the planet
at the moment. Indeed,
she might very well be the
best in history, a debate
that can never be settled
on a court, of course.
Already the Year of the Tri-
ple Crown in horse racing,
2015 could wind up be-
ing the Year of the Grand
Slam in tennis and golf, with
Djokovic avoids Federer, Murray, Nadal in Wimbledon draw
MATTIAS KAREN
AP Sports Writer
LONDON (AP) — Defending
champion Novak Djokov-
ic avoided his three big-
gest traditional rivals in the June 26, 2015.
Wimbledon draw on Friday
as the other members of
tennis’ “Big Four” were all
placed on the opposite
side.
Serena Williams had no
such luck in the women’s
draw, where she may have
to get past a trio of former
No. 1s — sister Venus, Vic-
toria Azarenka and Maria
Sharapova — just to get to
the final.
The draw at the All England
Club set up a number of in-
triguing possibilities for the
At left, in a June 6, 2015, photo, Serena Williams holds the trophy after winning the women’s singles pion who will be analyzing
final of the French Open tennis tournament against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic in Paris, Wimbledon matches for
France. At center, in this Jan. 31, 2015, file photo, Serena Williams holds the trophy after defeating ESPN. A year ago at the All
Maria Sharapova of Russia in the women’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis champion- England Club, Williams de-
ship in Melbourne, Australia. At right, in this Sept. 7, 2014, file photo, Serena Williams hugs the parted under odd circum-
championship trophy after defeating Caroline Wozniacki, of Denmark, in the women’s singles final stances. She lost in the third
of the 2014 U.S. Associated Press round of singles to 25th-
seeded Alize Cornet, then
Jordan Spieth halfway to a to her. When she is at her “The monkey’s on my back. pulled out three games
4-for-4 calendar year at his best, she is better than any- ... I just consistently do terri- into a doubles match af-
sport’s major champion- body else.” ble there,” Williams insisted, ter appearing disoriented.
ships. With a versatile and dan- in just a bit of hyperbole. Williams later blamed an
In tennis, only two men and gerous serve, and power- “Now that it’s a slower sur- illness.
three women have ever ful groundstrokes, Williams’ face,” Williams said, “it’ll She has not lost at a Grand
done it. game translates quite well help me out a little bit.” Slam tournament since.
The last man was Rod La- to the slick surface at the All Seems safe to say, actually, That’s a 21-match winning
ver in 1969. The last woman England Club, where she the speed doesn’t matter. streak, from New York last
was Steffi Graf in 1988. has won the championship Nor does the opponent. September, to Melbourne
“Why not?” said Williams’ five times: 2002, 2003, 2009, What’s really important in January, to Paris this
coach, Patrick Mourato- 2010 and 2012. She also when it comes to the month. Williams is the first
glou. “That’s probably the was the runner-up twice. 33-year-old Williams is how woman to win three con-
most difficult thing to do in And yet, here is what Wil- she’s playing and if she is secutive majors since — big
tennis. But it’s possible.” liams had to say shortly after motivated to win. surprise here — she took
There are others who could winning the French Open As she showed during her four in a row for a self-styled
win Wimbledon, of course, for her 20th Grand Slam tro- comeback-filled run at Ro- “Serena Slam” in 2002-03.
challengers such as 2004 phy and third in a row: “To land Garros, she can sum- As for the possibility of com-
champion Maria Sharapo- be perfectly honest, I’ve mon the skill and the will to pleting a true Grand Slam
va, two-time winner Petra never really liked grass, and turn any match in her favor, or eventually surpassing
Kvitova or 2013 runner-up I just don’t know how I’ve even on her worst days. Graf’s total of 22 majors,
Sabine Lisicki. done so well on it.”On her “Serena has seemed late in Williams is not all that keen
But as 18-time major cham- past two trips to Wimble- her career ... to be mental- about contemplating such
pion and ESPN analyst Chris don, Williams bowed out ly tougher than she’s ever milestones.
Evert put it when discussing in the fourth round in 2013, been,” said John McEnroe, “I’m still playing, and when
Williams: “I mean, it’s all up and the third round in 2014. a seven-time major cham- you’re still playing, you’re
not thinking, ‘Well, I’m here
in the history books, and
soon I’ll be there.’ Because
then you’ve become really
satisfied,” she said. “And
seeing that I’m the kind of
person that I want to con-
tinue to play well, and I
want to continue to win
matches, I don’t want to
be satisfied. I want to keep
going.”q
Novak Djokovic in action dur- pions Roger Federer, Andy he’ll open play on Centre season that saw him lose
ing his match with Alexander Murray and Rafael Nadal Court on Monday against at the French Open for only
Zverev during day four of The all grouped together in the German veteran Philipp the second time in his ca-
Boodles at Stoke Park, near bottom half of the men’s Kohlschreiber and could reer. He could face fellow
Stoke Poges, England, Friday draw. Murray and Nadal face Australian former No. Spaniard David Ferrer in
could face each other in 1 Lleyton Hewitt in the sec- the fourth round.
Associated Press the quarterfinals, with Fe- ond round. Hewitt, the 2002 Murray was given one of
derer possible awaiting the champion, is playing Wim- the toughest possible draws
upcoming two weeks, es- winner in the semis. bledon for the final time as he tries to win the tour-
pecially with former cham- and has always enjoyed nament for a second time,
The bottom half also in- huge crowd support at the with the home favorite po-
cludes former finalist Tomas All England Club. tentially facing Tsonga in
Berdych and former semi- Another Australian, Bernard the fourth round, Nadal in
finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomic, could then await the quarters, Federer in the
leaving Djokovic facing a Djokovic in the third round, semis and Djokovic in the
possible semifinal against while Kei Nishikori of Japan final.
Stan Wawrinka, the man is a potential quarterfinal Federer will start his quest
who beat him in the French opponent. for a record eighth title
Open final. against Damir Dzumhur of
Djokovic does face a po- Two-time champion Nadal Bosnia-Herzegovina and
tentially tricky start of the is seeded only No. 10 this could face Berdych in the
tournament, though, as year after a disappointing quarterfinals. q