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Wimbledon Drips With Opportunity, Some of It Wasted A Grand Slam Dripping With Opportunity, Some of It Quickly Wasted
(about 5 hours later)
WIMBLEDON, England — Fans who came to the All England Club on Friday probably could be forgiven for thinking they were getting the leftovers. WIMBLEDON, England — Fans who came to the All England Club on Friday probably could be forgiven if they thought they were getting the leftovers.
After Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova joined Rafael Nadal on the sideline Wednesday, the players remaining in the bottom half of the men’s and women’s draws might have sent even the most knowledgeable tennis fans to Google. After Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova joined Rafael Nadal on the sideline Wednesday, many of the players remaining in the bottom half of the men’s and women’s draws might have sent even knowledgeable tennis fans to Google.
All one needed to do was look at the order of play on Centre Court to see the waning star power of the tournament. Sandwiched between matches featuring Britain’s two remaining hopes, Laura Robson and Andy Murray, was Nicolás Almagro vs. Jerzy Janowicz. Fans needed only to look at the order of play on Centre Court to see the waning star power of the tournament. Sandwiched between matches featuring Britain’s two remaining hopes, Laura Robson and Andy Murray, was Nicolás Almagro versus Jerzy Janowicz.
While that might seem like an unusual choice, consider that Almagro, at No. 15, was the highest seeded man after Murray left in the bottom half of the draw. Consider that his match against Janowicz, seeded 24th, was the only other men’s match Friday besides Murray’s to feature two seeded players. That might seem like an unusual choice, but consider that Almagro, at No. 15, was the highest seeded man after Murray left in the bottom half of the draw. Consider that his match against Janowicz, seeded 24th, was one of the only three matches Friday to feature two seeded players.
But what the draw lacks in star power it more than makes up for in opportunity. Only 10 of the top 10 men’s and women’s seeds — six men and four women — advanced to the third round here, which ties for the worst performance by top 10 seeds at any Grand Slam event in the Open era, with 1996 Wimbledon and 1998 French Open. The four top 10 women are the fewest to reach a Grand Slam third round in the Open era. But what the draw lacks in star power it makes up for in opportunity. Only 10 of the top 10 men’s and women’s seeds — six men and four women — advanced to the third round here, which ties for the worst performance by top 10 seeds at any Grand Slam event in the Open era, with the 1996 Wimbledon and the 1998 French Open. The four top 10 women are the fewest to reach a Grand Slam third round in the Open era.
Rain delayed the start of play outside of Centre Court for about two hours, and again late in the afternoon, but the second-round matches postponed or suspended by rain Thursday were completed. The latest of those top 10 seeds to go down was No. 7 Angelique Kerber, who lost, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, a former quarterfinalist here. Theirs was one of eight second-round matches that had been suspended or postponed by rain Thursday and were completed Friday.
The rain simply added to the slippery court problem that has plagued the tournament. Grigor Dimitrov, who nearly slid into a split Thursday, slipped and fell during a crucial point in his resumed match against Grega Zemlja when Dimitrov was serving at 8-9 in the fifth set, and it gave Zemlja a match point. Dimitrov, who had landed hard on his hip, got up and immediately walked to his seat. He said he told the chair umpire Ali Nili, “I’m not serving.” The rain continued Friday, with a two-hour delay to the start of play outside of Centre Court and another two-hour delay late in the afternoon. Because of the delays, seven third-round matches were postponed or suspended by darkness. With on-and-off rain, the slipping problem that has plagued the tournament continued, but at least on Friday, the reason for the falls was apparent.
After at least a 10-minute delay, the drizzle stopped, the court was determined good, and play continued. Dimitrov saved that match point, and a few more, before losing, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4, 11-9. Zemlja became the first man from Slovenia to reach the third round of Wimbledon. Less apparent was who will benefit most from the upsets and withdrawals of top players. Janowicz, who defeated Almagro on Centre Court, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-4, might be one contender. With an electric serve, power ground strokes and nimble movement for his 6-foot-8 frame, Janowicz, 22, has a game suited to grass, although this is only his third tour-level tournament on the surface.
The countries still represented in the tournament demonstrate the opportunity available. There are no American men left at Wimbledon, but there are one from Latvia and two from Poland, including Janowicz, a 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-4 winner over Almagro. Janowicz had 30 aces Friday, averaged 130 miles per hour on his first serve and won 87 percent of his first-serve points. He has been broken once in 37 service games in the tournament, in his first service game against Almagro.
Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, a former quarterfinalist here, knocked another top-seeded woman out of the tournament, beating the No. 7 seed Angelique Kerber, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, in a second-round match. Kanepi came back from being down by 1-5 in the second-set tiebreaker. After falling behind by 4-1 in the first set, Janowicz came back to win it in a tiebreaker, and his game grew stronger as the match went on. Almagro could not maintain his torrid first-set serving, when he had 13 of his 18 aces and got his first serve in 83 percent of the time.
In the third round, Kanepi will play Alison Riske of the United States, who also made the most of her opportunities Friday. After a third-set retirement from her first-round opponent, No. 31 Romina Oprandi, moved Riske into the second round of a Grand Slam event for the first time, she capitalized with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over 44th-ranked Urszula Radwanska. Serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set, Janowicz put on a thrilling serving display. He ripped a second-serve ace down the T to make it 30-30. Almagro barely got a racket on the next serve, knocking it meekly into the seats. On his first match point, Janowicz unleashed a 134-m.p.h. ace and a huge scream as the ball flew by Almagro.
Riske has now won 13 matches on the tour level, all of which have come on grass courts. Her previous 11 wins before this week were all earned at the Wimbledon tuneup event in Birmingham. After a few more guttural yells in celebration, Janowicz turned and bowed to each side of the Centre Court crowd, which may not have known him when the match started but seemed to love him by the end.
Robson continued to thrill the home fans, defeating the qualifier Mariana Duque-Marino, 6-4, 6-1, in a second-round match on Centre Court. After beating No. 10 Maria Kirilenko in the first round, Robson does not have to face a seeded player in the next round either. Robson, ranked No. 38, will play 71st-ranked Marina Erakovic of New Zealand in the third round. “I hope they like me, and I hope I have a chance to play one more match on Centre Court,” said Janowicz, who is from Poland.
Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, the No. 20 seed, might have had to face Azarenka in the fourth round if Azarenka had not withdrawn with a knee injury. Instead, she will play Flavia Pennetta on Monday for a spot in the quarterfinals. A year ago at Wimbledon, Janowicz was ranked 136th, but he broke through at last year’s Paris Masters tournament, when he reached the final, beating Murray along the way. He has had inconsistent results since, and his victory over Almagro was his first over a seeded player at a Grand Slam.
“I am not even looking at the draw,” said Flipkens, who beat Vesna Dolonc, 6-4, 6-2, Friday. “I don’t like to see what could happen. If you see already the draw and the possible quarterfinals, it doesn’t make sense anymore, especially with all retirements and withdrawals. I’m just going match to match.” He is in the fourth round for the first time at a Grand Slam and is now the highest seeded man in his quarter of the draw. But Janowicz says he is not thinking about how much further he can go.
Opportunity can be a fleeting thing, of course. No one knows that better than Sergiy Stakhovsky, who shocked the tournament by beating Roger Federer on Wednesday. He seized his chance that day, but he could not replicate the performance against Jurgen Melzer on Friday, losing, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3. “I don’t like to think like this,” he said. “Right now, I made the best results in my career in Grand Slam. I’m in the fourth round.”
“I was not ready for such a turnover,” Stakhovsky said. “I mean, next time if I’m able to produce such a result, beating a top player on a Grand Slam or any other event, I’ll be more prepared and I will know how to behave myself. Today was just a new experience for me, which I was not prepared for.” He added: “Jürgen Melzer is waiting for me in the next match. So right now I’m thinking only about this match.”

Ben Rothenberg contributed reporting.

But he could have been facing Federer in the next round. Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, the No. 20 seed, might have had to face No. 2 Azarenka in the fourth round if Azarenka had not withdrawn with a knee injury. Instead, she will play No. 166 Flavia Pennetta for a spot in the quarterfinals.
“I am not even looking at the draw,” said Flipkens, who beat Vesna Dolonc, 6-4, 6-2, on Friday. “I don’t like to see what could happen. If you see already the draw and the possible quarterfinals, I think it doesn’t make sense anymore, especially not on grass, especially not with all retirements and withdrawals. I’m just going match to match.”
Robson continued to thrill the home fans, defeating the qualifier Mariana Duque-Marino, 6-4, 6-1, in a second-round match on Centre Court. After beating No. 10 Maria Kirilenko in the first round, Robson does not have to face a seeded player in the next round either. Robson, ranked No. 38, will play 71st-ranked Marina Erakovic of New Zealand on Saturday.
The American wild card Alison Riske seized an opportunity after her first-round opponent, No. 31 Romina Oprandi, retired. In the second round of a Grand Slam event for the first time, the 126th-ranked Riske capitalized with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over 44th-ranked Urszula Radwanska.
Opportunity can be a fleeting thing. Just ask Sergiy Stakhovsky, Michelle Larcher de Brito and Dustin Brown, Wednesday heroes who all lost Friday.
Opportunity can be a suffocating thing. Just ask Murray. As each round goes by, the opportunity to win Wimbledon and end the 77-year drought for British men becomes more obvious.
Murray played what he called his best match of the tournament in a 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 third-round victory over No. 32 seed Tommy Robredo.
“I think there’s a lot more pressure on me now with them being out,” Murray said of Nadal and Federer. “I mean, I don’t read the papers and stuff. But there are papers in the locker room, so you see some of the headlines and stuff. It’s not that helpful.”