On the grandstand
NANDITA SRIDHAR
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Wimbledon proclaimed them the champions. While the men’s final brought about a change of guard, the women’s final reinforced Venus Williams’s stature as one of the grass-court greats of the game.
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Photo: AP
Nadal and Venus : All smiles at having won the game’s biggest prize. **
The image of Rafael Nadal holding aloft the Wimbledon trophy appeared the symbol of a new dominant force in men’s tennis. Erstwhile regarded as one of the finest on clay with potential success on other surfaces, Nadal pulled off the spectacular French-Wimbledon double to be spoken of as one of the modern-day greats of the game.
The Spaniard’s game has rapidly evolved from its singular reliance on defence to one that’s built on offence, aggression and accuracy. Added to that are his work-ethic and humility. On the eve of the epic Wimbledon final, Nadal was asked to rate his chances against Roger Federer, after the stunningly one-sided French Open final. The 22-year-old spoke of the need to play his very best against one of the game’s greatest, which helped him end Federer’s reign on grass.
The 2007 Wimbledon final — a closely fought five-setter in its own right — taught Nadal crucial lessons on beating Federer on grass. Having fritted away four breakpoints in the final set to lose the 2007 final, Nadal was said to have been inconsolable. That loss enabled the unremitting focus one saw from him in the final set. Unable to convert two championship points in the fourth due to a bout of nerves and Federer’s audacious brilliance, Nadal was supremely focused in the fifth. The unperturbed show of strength in the decider saw him clinch a crucial break, which signalled the end of the match. Wimbledon had a new champion.While the men’s final brought about a change of guard, the women’s final reinforced Venus Williams’s stature as one of the grass-court greats of the game.
Grass-court great
The depleted women’s field — with the exits of Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova — needed the Williams sisters for sustained public interest. Venus on grass is an imposing figure. The serve, always a threatening prospect, had acquired greater sting this time around. From the time she claimed her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2000, Venus’s redeeming qualities have found favour at Wimbledon. Repeated questions on fitness, form and attitude have been emphatically answered in the grass-court fortnight. The self-belief, powerful groundstrokes and the ability to get into positions have combined in building the aura on grass. Despite a lack of success in the first half of the year, Venus could never be written off at Wimbledon.
Champions have the ability to seize the occasion. Both Nadal and Venus, in contrasting styles, grabbed their chance at glory in claiming the sport’s biggest prize.
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