Clijsters Loses on Grass, Serena Wins; Notes Round-up Heading to Wimbledon
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A smattering of tennis notes heading into Wimbledon:
Top-seeded Kim Clijsters lost to Italian qualifier Romina Oprandi on Tuesday at the Unicef Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. What a downward spiral for Clijsters since she admittedly choked that match at the French Open after leading a set and 5-3. What has happened to the Belgian who should not give rat about getting tight and losing matches since she is on the verge of retirement (so she says). Just hit out and stop caring.
ADHEREL
The ageless Kimiko Date-Krumm also won Tuesday after beating a seed in the first round, and everyone’s rooting favorite Jelena Dokic won her opener, crushing Russian Alla Kudryavtseva 6-0, 6-4.
Andy Murray won his homecountry rain-delayed title at the Queen’s Club on Tuesday, coming from a set down to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.
After his 2009 win, he is now the first Brit to win multiple titles at The Queen’s Club since Francis Gordon Lowe won in 1913-14 and 1925. But can he win Wimbledon?
“I’m going to Wimbledon with the feeling that I’m going to win the tournament,” Murray said. “I don’t think you can go in with any other attitude. I feel like I’m playing good tennis. I’ll need to improve the next week or so and work on some things going into Wimbledon. But I need to play my best tennis throughout the tournament to be able to do that.”
Which I don’t think he can do. Champions win by still crossing the finish line when they’re not playing their best tennis. Once you see Murray having a tough time, his head will dip and the bad body language will show. Would love to see him/a Brit win it, but he is in need of a top coach and not ready.
Congrats to Sabine Lisicki for beating Daniela Hantuchova in the rain-delayed Birmingham final, not that you’ll see either of them go deep at Wimbledon, but who knows on the current WTA tour.
Will Serena and Venus Williams plow through the Wimbledon field after only one week of match play at Eastbourne? Serena debuted today, looking real shaky in needing three sets to beat Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
“Tsvetana is an excellent player — she beat Venus at Wimbledon last year, so I thought if I got through this match it would be very cool,” said Serena, who was playing her first match since winning Wimbledon last year. “I’m a little rusty but I really enjoy being here and being back on the grass. I’m still just taking it one day at a time.”
Between the rusty Williams sisters, a no-confidence Clijsters and the rest of the cast of wanna-be top players on the WTA, the Wimbledon women’s draw will be watchable — only to see who (re: Na Li at the French) can sneak in to possibly steal a first-time Slam title.
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