Wimbledon 2023 — The Championship
View(s):The ‘Championship’, is the reference to the All England Lawn Tennis event for the English lawn tennis title. An event of well over 100 years and is the event that made tennis to be a global sport. The venue of All England Crochet and Lawn Tennis Club is Wimbledon, hence Wimbledon Championship. English spoken and tennis played around the world. Wimbledon is responsible for tennis popularity.
In the midst of another European warring situation, this year’s Wimbledon was open to all countries. Players from Belarus and Russia played without their country mentioned. A compromise to keep sports away from politics and armed conflicts and it is working.
Change of dates
Traditionally for over a century, Wimbledon began in the last week of June and finished on the first weekend of July. A mere three weeks for players to come to terms with grass after the French Open season on red clay. It was too little time for players to get the feel of grass. For a long time only England had grass court events prior to Wimbledon. Queens and East Bourne are known grass court events.
Professional bodies and spectator interest influenced change of Wimbledon dates. Of recent continental Europe has gone into the original natural tennis surfaces, burnt clay and grass. There are more grass court events in Europe now. Asphalt concrete surface is on the decline in Europe. Concrete surface is health hazard.
Mirra Andreeva
From the outset with the qualifying rounds, the tactical ferocity of the event was very visible. Often qualifying is more difficult than two rounds of the main event. Men and women closer to six feet is common in tennis today. Mirra Andreeva, a 16-year-old Russian novice, surfaced strong and it took experienced Madison Keys of USA to stop her. Andreeva on her way to the round of 16 beat WTA 65th ranked Wang, Potpova, ranked 23, and Krichikova, ranked 11. Of recent, only two from the young from women brigade have shown power to stay. Coco Gauff of USA is one.
Other women players who made a mark in Wimbledon 2023 are WTA No.1 Swiatek, Rybakina, Pegula, Svitolina, Vondrousova, Jabeur, Kvitova, Bencic and Maia retired injured, a Brazilian.
Bencic of Switzerland against Swiatek held the upper hand. The first set decided the match. Bencic’s playing arm had bandage giving away the story of shoulder injury. It is common among women players.
As it stands on Tuesday of the second week, Rybakina is at her best. However, the dark horses are among them, Ukraine’s Svitolina is one of them. She has strong sense of tactical play and goes ahead regardless of the game situation. An attitude that has given much of the win. A recent mother, returned to the circuit just three months ago, had to come through the qualifying rounds, now in the quarterfinal of Wimbledon 2023.
Men’s mighty show – Chris Eubanks of USA
By any standard of judgment, Wimbledon Men’s round of 16 showed the best of modern tennis. It kept many of us from a good night’s sleep. The time difference and television coverage kept us awake well past midnight.
The round of 16 the of Men’s raised all matches good to be centre court performance. Stroke making, composing a game and tactics to win were at best.
Christopher Eubanks from Atlanta, USA, at first looked and reminded me of Arthur Ash. Lanky, tall and unruffled Afro American, Eubanks produced a game very similar to that of Ash in stroke making and match play attitude. In one of his interviews he said, “Funny thing about tennis is you don’t play your best always”. Like Arthur Ash, even in tight situation, he carried a smile, in fact more of a grin. Must have annoyed the opponent to limits.
Eubanks is second man in Open era to reach the quarterfinal as debutant. A tall figure standing at over two metres, turned professional in 2017. His win two weeks ago in Mallorca gave him the ranking of 43 in the ATP. This has happened after being a professional for six long years. As I write this, he is due to play Russian Medvedev, another player with excellent tennis head and ability.
The quarterfinalist of Men are Medvedev, Eubanks, Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner, Safiullin, Rublev and Djokovic, the cream of ATP tennis.
Victorian tradition
For a good part of the first week of 2023, Wimbledon English weather did not show its brighter side. Players had to wait, not an easy factor to control anxiety. Wimbledon does have two covered courts. The old centre court is the oldest tennis arena, provided umpteen number of unforgettable encounters. It is a promotional icon to play tennis. Even now, good few of Wimbledon working tradition is Victorian.
–George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; Coach German Tennis Federation; National coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup coach, coached ATP, WTA and ITF ranked players in Europe and Asia; WhatsApp +94775448880–