Wimbledon was engulfed by scandal Thursday with Ivo Karlovic accusing officials of cheating him out of victory against home hope Andy Murray and Gilles Simon refusing to back down in the equal prize money row.
Croat giant Karlovic was called for 11 foot faults in his 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) loss and accused All England Club line judges of deliberately attempting to ease the British player's path through the tournament.
"I feel cheated. On a Grand Slam, Centre Court," said 33-year-old Karlovic.
"It was outrageous. It's Wimbledon and they do this. This is bull(expletive).
"In my whole life, ever since I was eight years old, I didn't do this many foot faults. It was like 11.
"The whole credibility of this tournament went down for me. I'm angry about it, a little bit pissed, because I don't expect it here. Even though it is against an English guy who they always want to win."
Murray, the fourth seed, admitted he was surprised to see so many foot faults called against the big-serving Croat.
"If he wasn't foot faulting then he has a right to be upset, because there was a lot of them. But if he was, then you can't do it. It's not allowed," said the Scot, who has been a semi-finalist in the last three years.
Murray will tackle Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus for a place in the last 16.
Meanwhile, Simon defended his controversial views on equal prize money which he opposes, claiming the men's game is more attractive than the women's and is more popular with the fans.
And he believes that the men's locker room supports him but players are afraid to speak out.
"The 128 male players here think like me," said Simon, who was knocked out of the tournament by Xavier Malisse in the second round.
"Maybe they can't say it; maybe they won't; maybe they will lose $2 million on the contracts. In the conversation in the locker room, for sure they agree with me. Trust me."
Simon, who has never got beyond the quarter-finals of any Grand Slam, was lambasted by Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, two of the women's game's superstars, after they had secured their places in the last 32.
Top seed Sharapova, the 2004 champion, had to dig deep to clinch a gritty 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 6-0 victory over Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova, a semi-finalist in 2010 and quarter-finalist last year.
She will next face Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei as last year's runner-up tries to reach the Wimbledon final for the third time.
Four-time champion Williams reached the third round with a 6-1, 6-4 demolition of Hungarian qualifier Melinda Czink and next faces Chinese 25th seed Zheng Jie, who she beat in the 2008 semi-finals, for a place in the last 16.
But instead of discussing their tournament prospects, the two All England Club A-listers aimed their fire at Simon.
"No matter what anyone says, or the criticisms that we get, despite everything else, I'm sure there are a few more people that watch my matches than his, so....," said Sharapova in an ice-cold put down.
Williams backed up her title rival.
"She's way hotter than he is, so more people will watch Maria," said the American.
Andy Roddick, a three-time runner-up, went through to the last 32 with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 win over Germany's Bjorn Phau and will face Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer who put out France's Kenny De Schepper 7-6 (7/1), 6-2, 6-4.
Women's ninth seed Marion Bartoli of France, the runner-up to Venus Williams in 2007, was knocked out by Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic, 6-4, 6-3.
Lucic was a semi-finalist in 1999 before her career and personal life went into a tailspin. But, at 30, she is enjoying a new lease of life on the tour.
Second seed Victoria Azarenka reached the third round with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Switzerland's Romina Oprandi.
Kei Nishikori, the 19th seed, became the first Japanese man to reach the third round for 17 years by beating France's Florent Serra 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.
Later Thursday, world number two Rafaal Nadal, the champion in 2008 and 2010, takes on Lukas Rosol for a place in the last 16 while women's defending champion Petra Kvitova, the fourth seed, meets Britain's Elena Blatacha.
AFP
Source: www.thejakartaglobe.com
Wimbledon: Andy Murray into third round after Karlovic win - BBC News
Andy Murray's safely through to the third round of Wimbledon, beating Ivo Karlovic in four sets 7-5 6-7 6-2 7-6.
It's a good win: Croatia's Karlovic is a tough opponent, standing nearly SEVEN FEET tall and with a massive serve.
It wasn't as easy a win as Murray's first match against Davydenko; Murray won the first set but Karlovic took the second on a tie-break.
Afterwards, Andy said Karlovic is "so tough to play against, you can't really prepare for it."
He went on: "It's so challenging getting into a rhythm against a guy like that.
"Tie-breaks can be a lottery against him - you need to get your racquet on the returns and hope he makes a mistake."
Andy's fellow Brit Anne Keothavong didn't have such a good day though - she lost heavily 6-1 6-1 to to French Open finalist Sara Errani.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Band hope for Wet Wet Wet date after playing Asda aisle - scotsman.com
MOST bands have a back story littered with early gigs in downmarket venues and performing for tiny crowds, but the juice aisle of a supermarket must take some beating.
Aisle 23 in Asda at The Jewel is the unlikely setting for a video by Edinburgh musicians Jamie and Shoony who hope their impromptu efforts for song Anyway will be enough to win them an opening slot for Wet Wet Wet at Glasgow Green in front of 15,000 people next month.
They have reached the final in a song contest set up with Wet Wet Wet to celebrate the Clydebank band’s own big break – opening as an unsigned act for Lionel Richie at Glasgow Green 25 years ago.
Singer Jamie Keir, 22, guitarist Sean “Shoony” Kowalski, 20, and drummer Jeanne Laidlaw, 24, entered their song and video for the competition after hearing about it on the radio.
The group had only popped into Asda to pick up a memory card for their video camera when they decided to shoot the promo video there and then.Former Portobello High pupil Jamie said: “We were about to go and shoot the video in a nearby park when Shoony turned and said ‘let’s do it here’.
“It worked really well and I could see loads of folk popping their head around the corner to check out what the fuss was about. Asda have since been in touch to say they love it and it has received 3500 views on YouTube.”
Jamie and Shoony were chosen as the first finalists for Real Radio’s Open for Wet Wet Wet competition on Monday.
The remaining four finalists will be revealed each day this week before going before a public vote on the station’s website which runs from 10am on Friday until Sunday evening.
Speaking of their chance to win the competition, Jamie said: “It would mean the world to us. We’ve been buzzing ever since being announced on Monday and we’re urging all our fans, family and friends to get online and vote for us.
“The biggest gig we’ve done so far was for around 200 people so to open for Wet Wet Wet in front of 15,000 would be amazing.”
Jamie and Shoony have been close friends since their days at Portobello High and were joined by Jeanne last year. Most of their songs are built up from freestyle jam sessions.
To date the group’s biggest highlight was having their single Anyway played at Tynecastle during last season’s clash between Hearts and Rangers.
Jamie, who works in a building suppliers, said: “That really was amazing. I’d class us as high-energy indie pop. I’ve been writing songs since I was eight years old and so take care of the songwriting and vocals while Shoony supplies the catchy riffs.”
Analysis
By Gary Flockhart
Evening News music writer’s verdict on Jamie and Shoony
HATS off to the boys for pouring every ounce of energy into their performance – and in Asda, of all places. Okay, it’s not going to set the charts on fire, but it’s charmingly ramshackle and unpretentious.
I always like it when bands use their local accents, and maybe that’s why they reminded me a little of The View – before producer Owen Morris made them a lot more slick.
I’ve watched more of Jamie and Shoony’s videos on YouTube and they really seem to have fun performing, and that’s contagious for an audience.
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Print this pageSource: www.scotsman.com
WIMBLEDON 2012 LIVE: Follow all the latest news from day four at the Championships - Daily Mail
By Joe Ridge
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Join Sportsmail for the very best live coverage throughout the 2012 Wimbledon Championships.
We'll bring you all the latest news, scores and pictures as they arrive from the All England Club, plus we'll have game-by-game coverage of the key matches.
Our unrivalled team of reporters at Wimbledon will bring you the latest news and views from behind the scenes - and don't forget you can send your comments throughout the day to joe.ridge@dailymail.co.uk
22.12: Well, what a way to wrap up today's coverage. I need to go and catch my breath! We nearly had an historic upset when Brit James Ward took No 10 seed Mardy Fish to five sets earlier on, but this one far eclipses what that would have been. Rosol was absolutely on fire out there and would have beaten anyone in the world playing like that. The fact Nadal will not feel at all disgraced at losing that is the best compliment I can offer to the Czech. Join us tomorrow for live coverage of day five from 11.00am.
Lukas Rosol has beaten Rafael Nadal 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
22.06: Let me remind you, Nadal is not injured, and he has made less unforced errors than his opponent who is ranked 100, yes 100, in the world. Rosol is not a youngster coming up through the ranks either, he is nearly 27 years old! What an unbelievable match.
22.04: He's done it!!! Absolutely incredible. I've never seen anything like that on a tennis court. Nadal was absolutely blown away!
Czech mate: Rosol was in sensational form
2.03: Three match points!!! Two aces and a brutal forehand set it up...
22.02: 15-0 - Ace down the middle.
22.01: Nadal just clings on again having been 15-30 down. He survives thanks to a favourable net cord at 15-30 and short second serve that's slammed into the net by Rosol at 30-30. But... the Czech will now serve for the match...
21.57: This is unbelievable... You would think Rosol was the one with all the Grand Slams. He breezes past Nadal to love with some more formidable hitting.
21.54: Rosol gets Nadal to 0-30 courtesy of two blistering returns that the Spaniard has absolutely no answer for. But the world No 2 shows his fighting qualities again to win the next four points and put the pressure back on the Czech.
21.50: Wow! Stunning from Rosol who holds to love, finishing off with two aces. Where has he been hiding?
21.48: Nadal is simmering out there, he seems furious with the umpire and his opponent, but it's not clear why... He holds to love again and is firing on all cylinders here. The key to this match is whether Rosol can keep up this masterful display of serving.
21.45: Nadal pegs back Rosol back to 40-30, but - as has happened so often in this match - just as you think Rosol is creaking he comes back, this time with a monstrous overhead to hold again.
Brutal: Rosol thunders down another serve
21.41: This time its Nadal who holds to love, and he'll have a crack at breaking back after the changeover. Rosol, somehow, still looks as cool as a cucumber.
21.39: Rosol holds to love. Nadal, remember, is in Murray's half of the draw. The Scot has lost to him in the semi-finals in the last two years. Dare we dream?
21.37: He's done it! Who saw that one coming?! Rosol's forehands sound like fireworks exploding with the roof closed. Massive task on here to hold on though given the comparative experience of the two players.
21.35: I've put the score above to make it easier for you... I hope! Nadal loses the first two points of the deciding set on his serve. He fights back to 30-30 but Rosol earns a break point with a forehand right into the corner...
Ready to go: The roof is closed on Centre Court
21.30: What an atmosphere it is under the roof... Nadal will serve first.
21.24: Querrey and Raonic went off at 3-3 and will continue their match tomorrow, meaning that this is the only singles match left ongoing. And it WILL finish tonight. What he have is effectively a one-set shootout, hold your breaths...
21.22: The players come back out to a rapturous ovation from the patient and expectant Centre Court crowd. They'll have to start all over again here and it's all about who starts quickest.
21.10: Cepelova and Garrigues will play their final set tomorrow, while Querrey and Raonic are still going on Court No 1 and they're still going with serve at 3-3, one set all. Rafa is back in 10 minutes...
Against all odds: Rosol has taken to Nadal to five sets
20.59: Cepelova and Garrigues are playing on on Court No 12, as are Querrey and Raonic on Court No 1. I'm not sure how long those matches will last, but I'll keep you posted.
20.56: Jana Cepelova has taken the second-set tie-break against Anabel Medina Garrigues to take that one into a decider.
20.50: They're closing the roof on Centre Court to allow time for the fifth and final set to be played out between Rafael Nadal and Lukas Rosol. It will take up to half an hour for them to be ready to restart, so that's 9.20pm.
20.49: Sam Querrey has levelled up his match with Milos Raonic by winning a second-set tie-break.
20.46: Rafael Nadal has won the fourth set against Lukas Rosol to level the match at 7-6, 4-6, 4-6, 6-2: Exceptional defence from Nadal whose in that sort of mood where he looks like he could chase down a missile. He secures the set with a double-break.
Close encounter: Milos Raonic (above) is taking on Sam Querrey
20.44: The other two matches still out are now both in tie-breaks. I'd assume they'll be rolled over into tomorrow after the conclusion of the respective sets.
20.43: Nadal consolidates the break and Rosol will now serve to stay in the set. I wonder if they will close the roof and turn the lights on if it goes into a fifth? The only other option would be to play on tomorrow as it's starting to get dark now.
20.38: He's got it, and we look like we're heading into a fifth. It was a case of Nadal stepping it up with some brutal, deep groundstrokes, rather than Rosol choking.
20.37: Nadal has two break points at 3-2...
20.33: Medina Garrigues has been broken serving for the match against Cepelova and we could have a second tie-break in that match too.
20.32: Still no breaks of serve between Raonic and Querrey and we're heading for a second tie-break there. That on will go into tomorrow for sure.
Centre of attention: It's been a glorious day on Day 4 at Wimbledon
20.29: Anabel Medina Garrigues is serving for the match against Jana Cepelova on Court No 12. Meanwhile, we're still on serve in the fourth on Centre.
20.24: Whenever Nadal thinks he's got his foot in the door, Rosol slams it shut. He had Rosol at 0-30 there but the Czech powered back to hold serve. Now Nadal knows how others feel when they play against him.
20.22: Just the three singles matches left out there then, but there's only one everyone is talking about. Nadal holds the opening game of the fourth to 30.
20.15: Lukas Rosol has taken the third set to lead Rafael Nadal 6-7, 6-4, 6-4: What a story this is turning out to be. Rosol has been leathering every single ball and is making Nadal look frankly average. If he keeps it up in the next set Nadal won't be able to stop him. The Spaniard made just one unforced error in that last set - that's how good Rosol is playing.
Fightback: Baltacha restored some pride in defeat to Kvitova
20.12: Petra Kvitova has beaten Elena Baltacha 6-0, 6-4: Poor Elena was never really in this one, getting off to a dreadful start and going on to lose the opening 10 games. She showed some fight though in the second set and restored a bit of pride.
20.10: Nadal holds to love... Rosol will now serve for the set. You feel whoever wins this game may well win the match.
20.08: Medina Garrigues has an early break and is looking well set to advance to third round. Rosol holds comfortably again and Nadal is now serving to stay in the third set at 3-5.
20.05 Nadal is clinging on in the third by the skin of his teeth. Rosol is holding to love with ease as Nadal scrapes two consecutive service games to 30. It's 4-3, Rosol serving.
Czech him out: Lukas Rosol was brilliant on Centre Court
20.00: Three games in a row now for Baltacha who trails 3-4. She can't, can she?
19.57: Baltacha has won another game! She's broken Kvitova and is now 2-4 down in the second.
19.56: Women's No 26 seed Medina Garrigues has taken the first set against Cepelova in a tie-break, while men's No 21 seed Milos Raonic has also won his first set on a tie-break against Sam Querrey.
19.52: Rosol has the break and Nadal is fuming at the umpire for some reason or another... Regardless, he's now in a bit of bother and will need all of his fighting skills to get out of this one.
19.51: Lukas Rosol has three break points! What on earth is going on?...
19.49: Baltacha has won a game! Fair play to her, she's not given up in the face of some brilliant and brutal tennis from Kvitova.
In trouble: Nadal lost his second set against Rosol
19.45: Oh dear, Baltacha is now 6-0, 4-0 down and Court No 1 is emptying quickly.
19.40: Lukas Rosol has won the second set against Rafael Nadal 6-4: He's done it! Not a sign of nerves from the Czech there as he serves out to 15 and clinches it with an ace down the middle. Nadal has been pretty abject and will need to up his game as Rosol is clearly capable of capitalising on any opportunities he is presented with.
19.38: Nadal holds out and Rosol has a changeover to compose himself before serving for the set. He's simply got to take this chance.
19.36: Querrey and Raonic and Medina Garrigues and Cepelova are still going with serve in their opening sets. Meanwhile, Nadal is serving to stay in the second set at 3-5.
Match of the day: Brit James Ward (right) pushed No 10 seed Mardy Fish all the way
19.34: Baltacha has been broken in the opining game of the second set - she'll do well to win a game here the way this one is going.
19.30: Rosol has consolidated his break and is now 4-2 up in the second set. Plenty to do to take the set still though against a competitor like Nadal.
19.27: I've come back from a well-earned chicken salad to find Baltacha being absolutely annihilated by Kvitova on Court No 1. It looks very much like we'll have just two Brits left at Wimbledon very soon.
19.23: On Court 2 Kvitova has taken the first set against Baltacha 6-0. And with that, I will hand you back to Joe.
19.22: Things are not all going Nadal's way on Centre Court, having been pushed all the way in the first set tie break he is now a break down Rosol. It could be a long night on Centre Court.
Taking the plaudits: Ward gets standing ovation after losing narrowly to Fish
19.20: Things are going from bad to worse for Baltacha as she has yet to win a game and finds her self 5-0 down in the first set to Kvitova.
19.15: Another game is now underway in the men's side of the draw, on Court One USA's Sam Querrey is playing 21st seed Milos Raonic from Canada, it is 1-1 and going with serve after two games.
19.10: The other game out on court is Spain's Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues against Jana Cepelova. The match is going with serve over on Court 12 and is 3-4 in the opening set.
19.07: Bad news for Elena Baltacha as she is broken in her first service game and trails 2-0 to Kvitova early on in the opening set.
19.05: Nadal has won the tie break 11-9 and takes the first set after an hour on court.
Cruise control: Azarenka dropped just two games on the way to beating Oprandi
19.01: Despite it being after 7pm, there is still plenty of tennis being played. Well, when I say 'plenty', there are three games on court. On Centre Rafa Nadal is in a first set tie break with Lukas Rosol. While out on Court No 2 Elena Baltacha is up against defending women's champion Petra Kvitova, that match is about to get underway.
18.55: Right, Joe is off for a break after that epic James Ward vs Mardy Fish match, so while he is off I - James Andrew - will be in the hotseat for the next half an hour or so.
18.52: Fish then will play Belgium's David Goffin in the fourth round. And Murray will face Marcos Baghdatis, who advances past Grigor Dimtrov after the Bulgarian retired from their match with the score at 7-5, 4-1.
18.50: Mardy Fish has beaten James Ward 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3: What a fantastic effort that was from both players. Ward pushed Fish all the way and has an adoring Court No 1 crowd on their feet as he departs. Fish, meanwhile, has to be given credit for a gutsy performance in just his second match after having an operation on his heart.
18.48: No 5 seed Jo-Wilfred Tsonga is into the fourth round with a 6-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Meanwhile, Nadal has been taken to a first-set tie-break by Lukas Rosol.
Viva Espana: Nadal whips a trademark forehand
18.45: Ward is broken and Fish will serve for the match. The crowd are urging the Brit on with everything they've got.
18.42: We're still with serve on Court No 1 but Ward finds himself 0-30 down at 3-4.
18.40: Victoria Azarenka is looking good for a tilt at the title after breezing past Romina Oprandi 6-2, 6-0. The No 2 seed plays the winner of Anabel Medina Garrigues and Jana Cepelova - who have just got under way on Court No 12 - in the fourth round.
18.36: No 31 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is out, going down 7-6, 6-4 to Varvara Lepchenko. Lepchenko faces the winner of Brit Elena Baltacha v defending champion Petra Kvitova.
18.33: No 9 seed and former US Open winner Del Potro has broken the plucky Japanese Soeda to win in four sets 6-2, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. He'll face No 19 seed Kei Nishikori in the fourth round.
18.28: Rosol has broken back against Nadal on Centre Court - no mean feat, that.
Made to work: Fish squandered a match point against Ward in the fourth set
18.25: We're still going with serve, somehow, between Ward and Fish in a typically bizarre fifth set of momentum swings between two tired players.
18.21: Nadal has broken Rosol in the fifth game of their match, while fellow No 2 seed Azarenka has a break in her second set against Oprandi and now looks nailed on for victory.
18.15: Tsonga has waltzed through the third set against Garcia-Lopez 6-1 and he's now just one set away from securing a fourth-round spot.
18.13: Azarenka takes the first set against Oprandi 6-2.
Decider: Ward has taken Fish to a fifth set
18.11: Fish has just saved two break points in the opening game of the deciding set and we're now at deuce... but Fish hols out with four points in a row.
18.10: Baghdatis is edging closer to that date with Murray and is now a set and a break up against Dimitrov.
18.07: Rafael Nadal and his Czech opponent Lukas Rosol are now out on Centre Court.
18.04: James Ward has taken the fourth set 7-6! Brilliant battling from Ward who has the crowd on Court No 1 spellbound. Fish looks shell-shocked after squandering that match point and he'll have to regroup before the deciding set.
18.02: Ward has three set points! He's dominated the tie-break and now has a chance to take this into a decider...
18.01: Two women's singles matches are currently going on. Lepchenko has taken the first set against No 31 seed Pavlyuchenkova on a tie-break, while second seed Victoria Azarenka has raced into a 4-1 lead over Romina Oprandi on Court No 2.
17.58: Tsonga now looks to be up and running against Garcia-Lopez and now has a break in the third set. Del Potro, by the way, lost that third set against Soeda 6-1, but he's 2-1 up in the fourth.
17.56: Fish recovers from 15-30 down to take it into a tie-break. It's do or die here for Ward now.
Marching on: Murray faces the winner of Baghdatis v Dimitrov in the fourth round
17.53: Marcos Baghdatis has taken the first set against Grigor Dimitrov on Court 12. Murray awaits the winner of that one in the fourth round.
17.51: Tsonga has taken the second set 6-4 to level things up against Garcia-Lopez over on Court No 3. The winner of that will face Slovakian Lukas Lacko - who beat the veteran Jurgen Melzer in five sets earlier - in the fourth round.
17.48: Philipp Kohlschreiber has wrapped up a straight-sets win over Malek Jaziri 6-1, 7-6, 6-1.
17.47: James Ward has broken back! He survives a match point against Fish and they're now 5-5 in the third.
17.43: Incredible scenes over on Court 18 where Juan Martin Del Potro, who was seemingly cruising to victory at 6-2, 6-3 up against Go Soeda, is 5-0 down in their third set.
Job done: Murray hails his win over Karlovic
17.40: Andy Murray is through to the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-7, 6-2, 7-6 win over Ivo Karlovic: It's there! That wasn't easy by any stretch but it's job done for Murray, who crucially avoids a gruelling fifth set. He'll be still be tired after that one though - it was a real slog at times.
17.38: Two match points! Murray somehow wins a couple of sloppy points thanks to a couple of Karlovic errors and is now on the cusp of victory.
17.36: Karlovic gets the mini-break back thanks to a couple of brave volleys. Crucial few points coming up.
17.34: Mardy Fish has broken James Ward and is now serving for the match at 5-3. Meanwhile, Murray has the mini-break in the tie-break.
17.31: We have ourselves another tie-break...
17.28: Murray is serving to take the fourth set into a tie-break. He's not had a sniff on the Karlovic serve this set.
Frustration: Murray lost momentum in the fourth set
17.24: Andy Roddick has beaten Bjorn Phau 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 to set up a probable fourth-round clash against David Ferrer. Kohlschreiber already has a break in the third against Jaziri and Del Potro is now two sets up against Soeda. The men's fourth draw is taking shape nicely.
17.19: Roddick has overturned Phau's break in their third set and he's now just one game away from victory. Meanwhile, Kohlschreiber has taken the second against Jaziri and we're still on serve on Centre - Karlovic leads 5-4.
17.16: Marin Cilic has dispatched of Lukasz Kubot 7-6, 6-2, 6-1. He has faces the winner of Sam Querrey v Milos Raonic next.
17.14: We're still in serve in the fourth set on Centre, where Karlovic has done well to bounce back from the pasting he took in the third. He' five games away from another tie-break - where he will fancy his chances.
Toiling: Ward lost the third set against Fish on Court No 1
17.10: There's a potential upset on the cards on Court No 3, where the popular Frenchman and No 5 seed Jo-Wilfred Tsonga has lost a first-set tie-break to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
17.05: Something I think may have been missed in the turnover between Mr Metcalfe and myself was the news that women's No 9 seed and former Wimbledon finalist Mario Bartoli is out. She has lost in straight sets to Croatian Mirjana Lucic - who had to qualify for the tournament.
17.02: Nadia Petrova has won a gruelling third set against Timea Babos to advance into the third round of the women's draw. We're still with serve on Centre in the fourth.
16.58: Mardy Fish takes the third set against James Ward to lead 6-3, 5-7, 6-4: Ward had managed to stave off several break points in the third against the No 10 seed, but he's finally broken and it will take a monumental from here for the Brit to win.
Down and out: Bartoli (above) was beaten by Croatian qualifier Lucic
16.55: The dangerous former US Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro has made a flying start against Go Saeda and is already a set and a break up. Also in Murray's side of the draw, Cilic has a break in the third against Kubot and should have that one wrapped up imminently.
16.51: Andy Roddick has come through a second-set tie-break against German Bjorn Phau to lead two sets to love. If the No 30 seed wins that he could face a mouth-watering fourth-round clash against David Ferrer - the No 7 seed and Andy Murray's conqueror at the French Open.
16.48: Andy Murray takes the third set against Ivo Karlovic to lead 7-5, 6-7, 6-2: No mistakes from Murray serving that one out and it's surely just a matter of time now against the tiring veteran.
16.46: There are just two women's singles matches going on at the moment. No 20 seed Nadia Petrova is 7-6 up in the deciding set against Timea Babos, and No 31 seed Antastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Varvara Lepchenko have just under way on Court 17.
Off to a flyer: Murray stormed through the third set
16.42: Murray breaks! Fantastic speed from Murray as as he forces Karlovic to volley into the net at break point and the Scot will now serve for the third set at 5-2.
16.38: Cilic has taken the second set against Lukasz Kubot 6-2, and that one appears as good as over. Ward and Fish are going with serve in their third set with the score a one set apiece.
16.33: No 22 seed Alexander Dolgopolov is in serious danger of going out. He is now 7-6, 6-4 down to Frenchman Benoit Paire. Meanwhile, Murray is serving on Centre, 3-2 up in the third.
16.29: Marin Cilic - who is in Murray's half of the draw - is now a set and a break up against Kubot on Court 4.
16.25: Murray is still not firing on all cylinders out there but he clings on to take a 2-0 lead in the third after being taken to deuce on his serve. Elsewhere, No 27 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber has taken his first set against Malek Jaziri 6-1.
Fighting back: James Ward took the second set against Mardy Fish
16.20: Murray breaks! The Scot hits back immediately by breaking Karlovic to 30 in the opening game of the third set. The game is secured with a delightful lob after Murray had drawn the Croat into the net.
16.17: James Ward wins the second set against Mardy Fish 7-5: Just as one Brit's chances suffer a setback, another's are boosted as Ward gets right back into his match against Fish with a late break in their second set.
16.14: Ivo Karlovic wins the second set against Andy Murray 7-6: Game on! Karlovic's best chance in this match was always to take it to tie-breaks, and he's done exactly that. Murray missed a bread and butter pass at 5-5 in the breaker and the Croat capitalised on a Murray's second serve at set point to level things up.
16.10: Points are traded in the tie-break until Murray nets to fall 3-1 behind. But the Brit claws his way back into it to ensure the two are level at the changeover.
Scorcher: Fans bask in the Wimbledon sunshine
16.05: Murray holds to force the giant Croat to serve to stay in the set again. The Scot gets to 30-40 but goes long with a forehand and we have a tie-break. Ward meanwhile has levelled at 5-5 in the second set, decent comeback there.
16.00: That's all from me, but the extremely likable Joe Ridge is on hand to guide you through the afternoon and evening from here. Tally-ho.
15.58: Karlovic levels the second set at 5-5.
15.55: Murray has been keeping his nose in front in the second set. This match is a little short on genuine entertainment to be fair, with the Scot now 5-4 ahead.
15.47: Jamie Ward has been broken in the second set, and he's 3-1 behind against Fish.
Up against it: James Ward in action against Mardy Fish
15.45: A wee bit of good fortune for Karlovic on Centre Court, as he benefits from a net chord with a volley and levels the second set at 3-3.
15.40: Gilles Simon has had more to say about that old chestnut of equal pay.
'Men's tennis is more interesting than women's tennis, and it's not just my point of you, it's the point of view of everyone in the locker room, the media.'
15.32: We're going with serve in the second set on Centre Court, but Karlovic seems to be getting rattled by one or two calls. It's damn hot work out there now by the way, the humidity is pretty unbearable this afternoon. I know, I know, the British just love to moan about the weather.
15.28: Doubles partners Heather Watson and Laura Robson have been practicing at Wimbledon this afternoon.
Brit of all right: Heather Watson and Laura Robson
15.25: Another result for you: Belgium's David Goffin has beaten the American Jesse Levine 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.
15.17: James Ward loses the opening set 6-3 against Mardy Fish. He wasn't expected to greatly trouble Fish today, to be fair.
15.15: Andy Murray wins the first set 7-5
The Scot will be delighted to avoid a tie-break as he takes full advantage of a set point this time, and takes a crucial advantage in this second round clash.
15.10: Murray again goes ahead 6-5 and is once again just one game away from winning the first set.
15.06: Karlovic slips 15-40 behind, but shows impressive nerve under pressure to save two set points and level at 5-5.
15.00: Murray edges 5-4 ahead, putting pressure on the Karlovic serve. He's started to settle into his service games out there now.
14.57: Remember Gilles Simon, he of the equal pay comments? He's been knocked out at the second round stage, beaten 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 by Xavier Malisse.
14.55: It's still going with serve on Centre Court, and they're level at 4-4 in the opening set.
Full stretch: Murray in action against Ivo Karlovic on Centre Court
14.50: One of my favourite colleagues Martin Domin has just whispered 'James Ward is off to a flyer' to me, but I'm afraid it's pure sarcasm from the Scotsman. Mardy Fish has won the opening three games of their second round clash.
14.47: Ahh, they've settled down on Centre Court now, and both hold serve for the first time in the match.
14.43: There's a funny old bunch on Centre Court today...
The Good Life: Felicity Kendall in the Royal Box on Centre Court
Safe pair of hands: Steve Ryder enjoying a spot of tennis
14.41: Don't worry folks, he's broken straight back has Andy. It's 1-1 now.
14.35: Murray serves first, and has a spot of bother, losing a 40-15 advantage and four points in a row to go an early game behind.
14.30: Both Andy Murray and James Ward make their way out, on Centre Court and No 1 Court respectively.
14.25: Here are some words from Anne Keothavong:
'She (Sara Errani) ran away with it. It's Wimbledon, you're always a bit nervous. Had I made a better impression at the start, who knows how i would have got on? We are (the British players) all capable of playing better tennis, but you've got to put it into perspective, today I played a grand slam finalist. I'm just so excited about the Olympics now, I've worked so hard to make the team.'
14.14: Match point for Maria... and she doesn't need asking twice. It wasn't easy but that third set was evidence enough that the former champion will be a force to be reckoned with.
14.13: Game, set, match Miss Williams. Serena races through and you know what that means... it's time for Andy Murray.
14.10: Both Williams and Sharapova are one game away from winning their matches. A terrific response from the Russian but Pironkova will be kicking herself.
14.03: Over on Centre, we're with serve at 4-4 as Williams looks to close her second-round match out.
14.00: And another break for the Russian puts this match in little doubt. Can someone please send for Pironkova? She seems to have gone missing.
Serving up a treat: Serena Williams in action on Centre Court
13.58: Sharapova wastes no time in getting back on track as she breaks serve in the first game of the second set, and backs it up by holding her own.
13.48: Meanwhile, on Court 2, David Ferrer, conqueror of Andy Murray at the French Open, has taken the first set against Kenny De Schepper.
13.46: She might have squandered five set points in the first set, but this time Pironkova gets the job done. Sharapova pulls two back after finally remembering how to serve but can do nothing to prevent this one going into a deciding set.
Back in it: Tsvetana Pironkova has won the second set against world No 1 Maria Sharapova
13.45: Utter shambles from Sharapova on her serve here. She falls 4-1 behind on the tie-break after three double faults. Pironkova piles on the misery by taking the next two points.
13.42: Serena Williams has raced through the first set 6-1 on Centre. David Beckham may not be going to the Olympics but one man who is is Andy Murray and he'll be on court in around forty five minutes I reckon.
13.40: We'll have a tie-break on Court 1 as Pironkova holds serve to keep the pressure on Sharapova.
13.32: Sharapova and Pironkova locked at 5-5 now in the second set.
13.27: Serena has broken on Centre Court, and has a 4-1 lead in the opening set.
Perfect summer scene: A general view of Court 10 and a doubles match between Flavio Cipolla and Fabio Fognini, and Bobby Reynolds and Izak Van Der Merwe
13.20: Maria Sharapova has resumed her match against Tsvetlana Pironkova, where she is one set up. She has been broken in this second set however, and they're level at 4-4.
13.10: Serena Williams is on Centre Court for the first time this tournament. She's up against Hungarian qualifier Melinda Czink, and should win easily enough.
13.05: A women's singles result for you: Italian Roberta Vinci has beaten New Zealand's Marina Erakovic 6-4, 6-1.
Royal appointment: Pippa Middleton and her brother James arrive on Centre Court
13.02: What a nice man Stefan Edberg is. The Swede is being interviewed on television. Some fine memories flood back of his glorious singles finals against Boris Becker. I was always a Boris man, but that was a golden time.
12.52: Oh no, say I as an interview with Sir Bruce Forsyth comes on television, chatting with 1952 Wimbledon champion Frank Sedgman. But of course he makes me laugh, as he leans over a barrier and shouts 'I'll be with you later' to a group of punters. It all goes a lot better than his torturous appearance with Andrew Neill during the BBC's 2012 General Election coverage.
12.46: Anne Keothavong has been knocked out of Wimbledon
Sara Errani wins 6-1, 6-1. A splendid showing from her, and a bit of a tennis lesson for Keothavong. One Brit down, but a fair few still to come.
Two sides to every story: Sara Errani (left) easily beat Anne Keothavong (right) on Court Two
12.35: Errani has broken serve in the second set, and now leads 3-1. This one will be done and dusted soon.
12.25: Look who's shown up at Wimbledon. It's only Pippa Middleton. Here she is arriving, with her brother James...
Pippa Middleton with her brother James
12.20: Andy Murray is also out there practicing ahead of his big match. The courts are all starting to fill up across the All England Club.
12.15: It's all one-way traffic on Court Two. Errani wins the first set 6-1 and Keothavong will have to up her performance significantly to have a chance here.
12.05: Laura Robson is out there on the practice courts. She is in doubles action with Heather Watson later.
11.57: Errani has taken the first two games on Court Two. There are still thousands of empty seats by the way.
11.50: Keothavong is under way in her match. She's right up against it though.
Laura Robson
11.45: I'm watching pictures of Virginia Wade and John Lloyd speaking with Sue Barker, with people in the background setting up picnics and trying to gain a good vantage point in front of the big screen. Pure Middle England.
11.35: Rafael Nadal is also in action later, against Czech player Lukas Rosol. Whisper it quietly, but this might just be the most interesting day of the tournament so far.
11.25: There's plenty of British interest on this fourth day. James Ward takes on Mardy Fish first up on Court One. Anne Keothavong plays Sara Errani first on Court Two, and that match begins shortly.
11.15: It's an absolutely lovely day here in London by the way. It feels genuinely hot out there.
Fan-tastic: There were long queues again outside Wimbledon on the fourth day of the tournament
11.10: Come on, Andy. That's something that might well be heard at Wimbledon today. Murray is in second round action against Ivo Karlovic. To mark your card timings wise, the match is second on Centre Court after Serena Williams plays Melinda Czink. With that first match beginning at 1pm, we expect Murray to begin some time between 2pm and 3pm.
11.00: If I'm not mistaken, the time has ticked round to eleven o'clock. It's time for day four of Wimbledon. Yes. you're invited too.
Raring to go: Andy Murray (left) takes on Ivo Karlovic for a place in the third round of Wimbledon
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Wimbledon 2012: Rafael Nadal in stunning five set loss to Lukas Rosol - Daily Telegraph
Rosol hit three aces in his final game, prompting deafening roars from the crowd as hundreds who had stayed to watch the late-night finish looked on in disbelief.
After the match, a stunned Nadal, an 11-time Grand Slam winner, admitted he had not played his best tennis and refused to make excuses for his performance.
"I am very, very disappointed," he said. "I just was in the second round. That's painful, because always is tough to lose. But, well, that's sport. You win, you lose."
He admitted that the decision to halt the game while the roof was closed over the court did not do him any favours as Rosol came back and played an "unbelievable" fifth set.
"I think I played a great fourth set," he said. "Sure the stop this time didn't help me. That's the sport. That's it.
"Only thing that I can do is come back home, rest I need and I deserve. So that's what I can do, nothing else."
Later, Nadal admitted that he was frustrated by the 45-minute wait to close the Centre Court roof, a move he had expected to take just five minutes.
"My feeling was is completely new stadium with new roof, so the normal thing is cover the roof in 5, 10 minutes," he said.
"That was my thought. So was big surprise for me when they told me they need 30 to 45 minutes. That's the only thing."
Rosol struggled to sum up his emotions after the match. "Still I cannot find the words," he said. "I still can't believe it. It's like dream for me."
The relative unknown said he had kept his fear hidden away from his opponent. Asked how he rated his chances of winning the tournament, he said that if he could beat Nadal, he could beat anyone, comparing the win to "some B team in the Czech Republic beating Real Madrid".
"It's always open. It's sport." he said. "Nobody's unbeaten. Everybody can lose and everybody can win."
Rosol disclosed that he was so in awe of the famous turf that he had gone out onto the court just before the match to see what it looked like and how many people were there.
He had only dared hope not to be savagely beaten 6 0, 6 1, 6 1, he said. However, asked what his coach had told him, he refused to divulg
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Wimbledon 2012: Brian Baker makes up for lost time against Nieminen - The Guardian
Brian Baker, a 27-year-old American qualifier, is causing quite a stir at his first Wimbledon. After years spent battling various injuries, Baker is on the comeback trail and demolished Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, an experienced grass-court player, in straight sets. The American dropped only six games on his way to a 6-0, 6-2, 6-4 victory to reach the third round, something he would not have dared believe was possible at the start of the week.
It his best result at a grand slam event and no wonder – before being given a wildcard at this year's French Open, the last time he had appeared in a major was at the US Open in 2005. He was only 20 then and the future looked so bright when he beat the then world No9 Gastón Gaudio in the first round. However then came the injuries, a host of operations on his hip, and his career hit a roadblock. From November 2008 to July last year, he did not even hold a world ranking. Now he is back, he is making up for lost time.
"I don't know why I've been able to just come back and have so much success," said Baker. "It's tough out here. Not a lot of people do this. If they could, it wouldn't be as prestigious."
He is not used to the grass, having grown up on hard courts. "It did take me some time," he admitted.
"And now I'm really excited to be where I'm at." Next up is a meeting with the world No55, Benoît Paire, after the 23-year-old Frenchman surprised the No22 seed, Alexandr Dolgopolov, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.
One of the more intriguing matches in the third round will be Andy Roddick's meeting with David Ferrer. Roddick saw off Germany's Björn Phau in straight sets, while Ferrer was comfortable against Kenny De Shepper.
Roddick, a three-time finalist at Wimbledon but never a winner, has the superior grass-court pedigree. But Ferrer, beaten in the semi-final at the French Open by Nadal, is the man no one wants to meet this year.
"I think he's won an insane amount of matches this year," said Roddick. "I think it's 44 or something, so I was reading last week. It will be a high level. You have to play well to beat David. He just doesn't give you anything.
"I have a ton of respect for him, the way he goes about his business, and what he gets out of himself is pretty impressive. You have to take a more aggressive line against him, for sure. You have to execute. You have to be really rock solid."
Roddick has struggled to replicate the form of old lately, but is quietly satisfied with his performances this week. He rattled down 13 aces and kept the unforced error count low, hitting only 11 over the course of a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 stroll.
"I feel like I'm probably playing better than the last two years," he said. "I've put myself in a position to have a huge battle and a huge test in the third round. That's great, but it's going to have to be a high level to get through."
The No5 seed, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, survived losing a first-set tie-break to Guillermo GarcÃa-López, fighting back to win 6-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. The Frenchman is showing no signs of being hampered by the finger injury he suffered at Queen's; similarly Juan MartÃn del Potro's troublesome knees appeared to be in fine working order during his 6-2, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 win over Japan's Go Soeda.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Anger grows over Morrisons' Weybridge plans - This is london Calling
Anger grows over Morrisons' Weybridge plans
11:10am Thursday 28th June 2012 in News By Louise Robertson
A new superstore in Weybridge would have catastrophic effects on businesses and the environment according to opposition groups.
Several, including Weybridge Town Business Group and the Weybridge Society, have spoken out against proposal to build a Morrisons on the former Focus DIY site.
The business group was concerned high street traders would suffer because Morrisons aimed to be a one-stop shop, complete with dry cleaners and coffee shop.
They also believe the store is too far from Weybridge town centre to benefit the town by boosting footfall.
A spokesman said: “The area has so many supermarkets already, with Waitrose in the town together with a Tesco Metro and a Sainsbury’s Local.
“There is a large Marks and Spencer, a Tesco superstore in Brooklands and a Sainsbury’s in Walton. With six supermarkets in the area why do you need any more?”
Additional traffic was also a huge concern for the group, and campaign group Save Our Village, which said a “truly enormous” Morrisons would turn an already congested Weybridge in to a polluted traffic jam.
Their campaign website weybridgemorrisons.com stated: “Our home town is a rare pocket of historical beauty in the area, with the Monument Green and the range of old buildings.
“If the Morrisons store was to be built then it would completely change the image of the place. Do you want Weybridge to turn into a shopping centre?
“You have seen the transformation in Walton, just ask yourself, is this what you want here, in your town?”
They said the store would dominate the high street, make Weybridge lose its homely feel and drive house prices down as the town would lose its village charm.
Richard Haynes, development executive for Morrisons, said: “A new Morrisons on the derelict Focus DIY site in Weybridge has many advantages. It will create 300 new jobs, increase local investment in the town and bring an underperforming site back into use.
“Our plans received strong support during our public consultation on the proposals in May and many people encouraged us to get on and deliver them.
“Unlike other supermarkets Morrisons focuses on the weekly shop and 80 per cent of our Weybridge store will be dedicated to selling fresh, affordable food, increasing local shopping choice in the town. The store will act as a fresh anchor for Weybridge high street, increasing spending in the town and boosting the local economy.
“We have deliberately designed the store to orientate towards Weybridge high street, encouraging visits on foot, and the 1.5 hours of free parking we propose will also give car drivers sufficient time to visit existing town centre traders if they wish.
“We appreciate that traffic is an important issue locally and we have undertaken rigorous transport assessments as part of our planning application. Many visitors to the store already pass by the Focus site and we are confident that there is sufficient capacity on the road network for the additional traffic the foodstore will bring.
“In short, we are keen to invest in the future prosperity of Weybridge, create jobs and improve the food shopping choice for local people.”
A spokesman for the Weybridge Society warned: “Don’t let’s sleepwalk into something we might all live to regret.”
Petitions have already attracted more than 1,000 signatures and residents have until Thursday, June 28, to respond to the plans.
Visit elmbridge.gov.uk and search planning reference 012/1933 to give your views.
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Source: www.thisislocallondon.co.uk
Residents back new Ascot Road supermarket plan - Watford Observer
Residents back new Ascot Road supermarket plan
9:19am Thursday 28th June 2012 in News By Mike Wright, Chief Reporter
There is strong support among residents for a new Morrisons supermarket in West Watford, according to a survey carried out by the company.
The supermarket tested local opinion about its plans to regenerate the Royal Mail depot site on Ascot Road earlier this month with a consultation event giving residents a chance to check and comment on the proposals. These include new houses, a hotel and a new school.
Morrisons said the results from the forms showed 96 per cent of those who completed the feedback form supported there being a new supermarket at this site with 84 per cent in favour of a new school.
Richard Haynes, development executive at Morrisons, said: "We are obviously delighted at the overwhelming support that has been given to our proposals and at the level of feedback we have received.
"Residents want to see a new Morrisons foodstore on this site to improve shopping choice in the town and have recognised that this is an important opportunity to transform the unsightly and derelict Royal Mail site into a store which will benefit the whole community."
More than 220 residents visited the exhibition to see the details first-hand on June 15 and 16.
Morrisons secured a long lease from Watford Borough Council earlier this year and announced its plans for the new development last month.
The supermarket says that, if approved, the new store will create around 300 new jobs in the area.
The company is now working with Watford Borough Council on a planning application which is expected to be submitted in the summer.
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Source: www.watfordobserver.co.uk
Wimbledon 2012: Rafa Nadal crashes to shock defeat against world No 100 Lukas Rosol - Daily Telegraph
All the signs pointed then to a man who has never won a Tour title ending up as a mere sparring partner for Nadal but, instead, for much of the contest, his exceptional performance had the former champ rocking on his heels.
In truth, Rosol had looked like a tower of trouble for the two-time champion from the moment he launched an unstoppable 127mph ace on the second point of the match. The sheer power of his hitting was evident for the first quarter of an hour but once he started struggling behind his second service and hooked a forehand wide in the fifth game to gift Nadal the break, it seemed odds-on the former champ would settle.
Wrong. Rosol roared back immediately as Nadal appeared so fazed by the Czech’s huge looping forehand drives, unleashed after an extravagant wind-up, and whipped, flat double-fisted backhands that his own focus seemed to fluctuate.
At 6-5, Rosol even earned a set point only for Nadal to deliver an ace. He needed to save two more in a thrilling tiebreak as Rosol maintained his attack but, after saving two set points of his own, the man from Brno buried the simplest forehand putaway into the net to gift it 11-9.
To a Centre Court crowd including Pippa Middleton and Felicity Kendall, it felt like the natural order would now be resumed and the heart might disappear from a man who has never won a tour title.
Once again, Rosol confounded everyone, immediately breaking Nadal to love with a mix of huge hitting and a stroke of luck with a net cord. From there, Nadal simply could not cope with the ferocity of the serving and he was growing frustrated with himself as he took three tumbles, landing thrice fairly heavily on his left knee while in full chasing mode.
After Rosol had levelled the match, winning the second set 6-4, there was no let-up as the pattern of the game continued with Nadal having to pick tracer-like service returns off his feet at the baseline. Here was the aggressor in the unaccustomed position of being bullied. And Nadal did not like it. It is rare to see him so agitated as he was after being broken early in the third set.
He returned to his chair and complained to the umpire about Rosol’s dancing on the baseline as he was waiting to receive serve. Yet the Czech did not appear to be doing anything wrong at all.
There was no love lost between them as they bumped into each other at one changeover but there appeared no chance of Rosol being intimidated. He just kept swinging freely like a champion prizefighter as Nadal could barely land a jab and it was almost as if the No 2 seed was waiting for Rosol to wake up and realise exactly where he was.Having lost the third set 6-4 and now two sets to one down, though, Nadal simply could not afford to be cowed any longer and played a supreme, attacking champion’s game to break for 4-2 and then, with Rosol seeming a little frustrated for the first time as he complained about one of the tennis balls being too soft, Nadal levelled matters 6-2 to take the game into a compelling denouement.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Maria Sharapova imposes her will to reach Wimbledon third round - The Guardian
It was not fanciful for Tsvetana Pironkova to believe she might slay another giant at Wimbledon, for such deeds have built her reputation – a victory against Venus Williams in 2010 took her into the semi-finals, and there was another downing of the older Williams sister last year, when she also dispatched Vera Zvonareva before losing to Petra Kvitova, the eventual champion, in the quarter-finals.
But that was then. This year in the second round there were no heroics from the Bulgarian No1, now ranked 38th in the world. For Maria Sharapova proved to be a different proposition.
The favourite prevailed but this was not Sharapova at her best. Within 11 minutes of the first set on Wednesday evening she was 3-0 down, having lost her initial service game. A strange rot continued until she was 4-1 in deficit. Pironkova, a mere 5ft 11in to Sharapova's 6ft 2in, seemed able to use her lower centre of gravity to send raking, low ground strokes just over the net. Sharapova found herself hurried by their pace and stooping awkwardly to dig them out.
She bends when she has to, but Pironkova found that she does not easily break. For the remainder of the set Sharapova cajoled, mentored, bullied and eventually kick-started herself – not to her awesome best – but to a sufficiency that allowed her to stutter her way to a tiebreak.
With her own serve broken in the ninth game and the initial promise of the first set wrestled away, Pironkova lost heart , lost her range and began hitting those low-trajectory forehands into the net or long. The tiebreak rushed by as Sharapova saw her chance.
A clutch of booming serves and the most telling shot, a down-the-line forehand rifled at the end of a sprint – a riposte to Pironkova's earlier probing of her mobility. It took the Russian to 4-1 in the tiebreak. Soon it was 7-3 and the crisis was over. Pironkova, a grass-court specialist, had not done much wrong. The difference was Sharapova's ability to rouse herself. Before the light halted play on Wednesday, Sharapova had raced to a 3-1 lead in the second set.
When they resumed on Thursday, Sharapova was again less than herself. She began with a double fault and lost her serve and quickly Pironkova, hitting sweetly and always aggressive, drew level at 3-3. Sharapova had trouble with her ball toss, with her serve at best erratic.
Seeking to impose her will, she hit mundane forehands long, and easy drive volleys out. Pironkova, refusing to be intimidated, profited from her own adventure and Sharapova's errors to secure a tiebreak. More malfunctioning by Sharapova. Three double faults and she lost it 7-3.
But come the third, something clicked. Still not the true vintage, but after the third point of the third set, when a hitherto confident Pironkova buried an easy smash into the net, Sharapova imposed her will. Reunited with her service action, and some measure of ground stroke fluidity, she simply brushed her opponent aside to take the decider 6-0. The cussedness of a champion. A triumph of will.
"I couldn't really get my rhythm," she said by way of explanation. "But I am glad I stepped it up in the third set. I wanted to start strong today but it didn't happen."
Her return from the abyss had a familiar soundtrack. Much is written about the Sharapova shriek, as if it is a single tone. In fact there are nuances and inflections that revealed themselves at different points of the journey. The short, high-pitched shriek is the default, audible when she is cruising. We heard it at the outset before she declared an emergency and the crisis procedure kicked in. The tone for that is different; deeper, longer. Guttural. On some serves and forehands, it extends for the duration of the shot itself. When she served to level at 5-5 and then 6-6 in the first set, it was an elongated growl. A tactic designed to distract her opponent, say the critics. It seemed more like a rallying cry to herself.
Sharapova is clearly enjoying her renewed momentum because her return to the tour could have been so different. There were times in the past two years when it seemed she might not be able to make it back at all. Her shoulder injury was severe and prolonged enough to leave everything hanging in the balance. But she had the best doctors and, typically, she grafted.
"It wasn't a Cinderella story, that's for sure," she observed the other day. The rebirth of her career would gain much validation if she justifies her top seeding here. The righting of the wrong she experienced last year, when she lost in the final to Kvitova. A reclaiming of the title she won in 2004, the wunderkid aged just 17.
With the volatility of the women's tour, where no one seems able to maintain consistency, there is another prize on view; the prospect that if she can steer clear of further injury, she might enjoy a real period of dominance.
And if she can put clear water – perhaps the brand she promotes – between herself and the others, perhaps she can attract true warmth from Wimbledon crowds which to date, have shown her respect. She left the court here to generous but not overwhelming applause.
"She is always cool, calm and professional," said Gail Allcock from Norfolk, leaving Court One. "Although I wouldn't say it is always exciting."
Katie Telford, a visitor from Melbourne, also declared herself an admirer. "I really respect her. I think she gets a bum rap." But it is not love. And then there is the shriek. "Hearing it live, it doesn't seem so bad, but it can be really annoying hearing on the telly."
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
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They just go by the name Jamie & Shoony
Do they have a band name?
Saw these guys play at the Banshee last night...brilliant!
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