My apologies...

I have been seriously remiss with this whole blog thing. I got so excited about the Wimbledon final and then was stupidly busy afterwards that I never got a chance to write about it. That's no good is it? I dream all day every day of being a sports writer - more specifically, a tennis writer - and don't get a chance to write about the Wimbledon final. The most important final in the tennis calender. That sucks. I suck.

So here goes...

Berdy vs. GoNads. The final we all predicted? Not by a long shot. But a juicy one? Yes indeed. Not only because they are both rather tasty in the looks department, but because they're both on top form at the moment. GoNads is fresh from a kick-ass clay court season and Berdy is the new and improved giant-killer of the ATP tour.

Now, after the match I heard many mixed views of the final. Some people thought it was a disappointment because it was a straight sets victory for GoNads and the game 'never really got going'. That Rafa 'completely dominated' the match. Personally, I didn't see that. I saw a battle; I saw powerful shots, crazy top spin, big serving; I saw two guys fighting as hard as they could. I loved it. Yes, it was a straight sets win, but it was a hard fought straight sets win. Berdy pulled off some amazing shots and it was by no means a walk over for GoNads.

He did so well what he'd achieved against Ray-ray - he won the points that mattered. We'd be sailing along comfortably at 3-3 with hardly a glimpse at the Berdy serve (which, I have to say, was not working too well. Not as well as it can anyway. Not the devastating unreturnable serve we'd come to know so well over the course of this last year) when suddenly Rafa decides to take it to that next level and he's a break up within the blink of an eye. Two games later and he has the first set and just like that Berdy's a set down to the world number 1.

Overall in the match Berdy had more break points but GoNads broke when it mattered and that was really the difference. Berdy was nervous and had a poor record against Rafa but when it came down to it GoNads was great throughout, but brilliant on the points that mattered most. His level hardly ever dropped and when it did it wasn't by much, and he was always able to pick it up again. That's what makes GoNads the amazing player he is.

So the two world number 1's win the two Wimbledon trophies - Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal. Fitting huh?

Next on the agenda? Tessa Talks Cricket and Golf and anything else that you can think of.

Oh yeah, and Spain won the world cup by the way...

I'll keep you blogged...

Men's semi-finals

Berdy is in the Wimbledon final. How very exciting. He comprehensibly beat an out-of-sorts Djoko this afternoon. To be honest I was a little disappointed with Djoko's performance. He played some fantastic points - that second set tie-break was IMMENSE - but all in all his quality was missing. The pure beauty of the match he played before was a distant memory, especially in the third set as his resolve seemed to completely crumble. He needed to win that second set tie break after saving the four set points. But he did not and from then on he just wasn't there. He checked out early.

But who will Berdy play? Ray-ray is currently a set down (4-6) to GoNads and 2-1 up on serve in the second. It's looking to be a good match. Ray-ray had one dip when he lost his serve at 4 all in the first set but apart from that he looks good - he's hitting the ball well, his timing is good and his movement is impressive. I'm settling in for the long haul. Am going out tonight for one of my friend's birthdays but I'm thinking I may be a little late...

I'll keep you blogged...

The agony and the ecstasy

FEDERER GOES OUT IN THE QUARTER FINALS OF WIMBLEDON.

This is the first time that Fed will not feature in a Wimbledon final in 8 years. He won't even feature in the semi-final. He was beaten, and rather convincingly, by giant-killer Berdy who is turning out to be quite awesome. Four sets, a fair few chances for Fed that he was unable to capitalise on, a fair few for Berdy too who took advantage of them every time. His serving was amazing, his forehand was immense and he played out an impressive and effective game plan. He deserved to win. Fed didn't play badly by any means, he was just powered off the court by a better man. And Berdy is pretty. I'm sad about Fed, and I really hope he can bounce back from this - the US Open will be very inetersting - but I'm happy that something is changing. It feels like a changing of the guards; great players coming through who are able to beat the top guys. A new grand slam winner... someone other than Fed or GoNads (I know Djoko and Del Potty have won them in recent years but not often enough for my liking and therefore not convincingly enough). I like Berdy, I like Ray-ray; I like that they're there and very much involved in this Open. I'm all for a Berdy/Ray-ray final. I wouldn't mind a GoNads/Djoko final. I love Djoko and he is looking hot right now. He was awesome against Lu. Crushing. It's about time he found his form again and won another slam. He's certainly good enough. And then there's Ray-ray, lovely moody brilliant sporadically childish Ray-ray. He could really do it this year. Yes, on paper he has the harder semi, but he beat GoNads the last time they played in a slam semi and lost to Berdy at the French. It's going to be tough but he could do it.

The more I see and hear of GoNads the more I like him, he's sweet and kind and incredibly sporting, but I would still love to see one of the other three take it.

Went to Wimbledon today and saw three doubles matches on Court 1. Loved it. Very enjoyable. Especially the Malisse/Clijsters vs. Melo/Stubbs match. Lots of laughs indeed.

Ladies final = defending champ Serena Williams vs. Vera Zvonareva. Very inetersting indeed.

I'll keep you blogged...

Remember you're a Womble!

Don't you just love it when Fed shouts "Come on!"? There's nothing sexier. He does it so rarely and he has a great voice. Yummy. Watching the Fed/Berdy game now and Berdy has just broken in the first game of the third set, at one set all. Tense times. A good match though - both players are moving and hitting very well. Fed is starting to look worried. Berdy is really very good isn't he? Why has it taken him so long to realise that?

On court 1 Djoko is looking really good. He's, as Greg just said, 'in the zone'. (I don't usually agree with ol' Greggers - his commentating is not the best - but I found an exception.) He's absolutely storming through. He's two sets and a break to the good.

Meanwhile the Williams sisters are out of the ladies doubles, which is another shocker. Venus Williams will play no further part in Wimbledon 2010. Weird.

Berdy just broke Fed again... It's 5-1 in the third. Uh oh. Could Fed go out in the quarters of Wimbledon? Surely not.

Ladies semi-finals = S. Williams v. Kvitova

Zvonareva v. Pironkova

Who would have predicted that?

I'll keep you blogged...

An eventful Monday

Main emotions today - joy; sorrow

Main feeling today - tiredness; pain

Let me explain.

Joy = today I went to Wimbledon. for me tis much like walking through the castle in Disney World, Florida; the magic is undeniable. I sat on Henman/Murray hill/mount for about ten hours and watched Fed whoop (whup? woop?) Melzer; Serena overcome Sharapova's screams in straight sets; and Ray-ray demolish a mis-firing Querrey - although take nothing off Ray-ray, he was awesome today. Truly.

Sorrow = a sad day indeed. Yes, I went to Wimbledon, yes, the weather was divine, but there was one strong presiding happening: Roddick lost in five intense sets to qualifier Yen-Hsun Lu 4-6 7-6 7-6 6-7 9-7. It doesn't get much closer than that. Roddick paid tribute to his opponent but also highlighted his poor serving (by his standards) and bad returning. I really thought he'd go a long way this year, if not all the way. I was looking forward to some redemption against Fed. Alas, not to be.

Tiredness = only had three hours sleep on account of late night phone call and 5am alarm. Bleurgh.

Pain = so sunburnt it's not even funny. My nose is glowing and I have a sunglasses mark which is definitely not cool. I managed to burn my armpit as well which just blows my mind.

Other results: Clijsters came back from a set down to beat Henin (yes! Love Clijsters!!); GoNads cruises past Mathieu; Sod comes through a tough tough five setter against Ferrer; Djoko defeats a curiously subdued Hewitt in four; Wozniaki crashes out and Janko pulls out with a back injury (sad again); Tsonga, Berdych and Venus are also through.

I'll keep you blogged...

Sunday World Cup Woes

Oh dear England.

I'll keep you blogged...

End of week 1

GoNads is really riding his luck. A five-setter on Thursday that he just about scraped through, and today another one. He beat Philipp Petzschner 6-4 4-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3. A tough tough match. He needed treatment for both his elbow and his knee and received an official warning from the umpire for receiving coaching from his uncle Toni. Contentious indeed. GoNads strongly denies this and claims Toni was just giving him encouragement. Whatever it was, it bothered GoNads big time. He will have to cool down and hope his knee holds out (those pesky knees...) for Paul-Henri Mathieu on Monday.

More positively Ray-ray was playing today and dispatched of France's Giles Simon (pretty pretty man) who was potentially quite a threat in three scintillating sets. He was on top form today. His shot selection was brilliant; the variety beautifully confusing for Simon who wasn't allowed to settle into any kind of rhythm. Very impressed with Ray-ray today - no dips of form at all, no few games where he fell asleep, no periods where he looked sulky and defeated. He was alive and with it and thrilling the crowds from start to finish. Long may it continue. He'll need it if he's going to meet GoNads in the semis.

Meanwhile shreaky Sharapova comes through a tough match to seal a fourth round match against none other than Serena Williams. Will her form have to improve to win? Yes indeedy. But won't it be one hell of a loud match? Can't wait for that one. Soderling breezes into the second week with a straight sets win over Thomaz Bellucci. Wozniacki and Radwanska are both through to the second week also.

Can't think who else won today but that's quite a lot right? Must go now as my eyes are blurry as hell. Sleep is on the cards.

I'll keep you blogged...