WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIP - DAY 10 - MARIA SHARAPOVA’s OUSTER.
Losing in the semi-finals of any contest has to be the one of the biggest sporting disappointments. So near and yet so far, that sort of thing. If you lose in the final at least you have been part of the grand occasion, but all a defeated semi-finalist has is the prize money. The consolation is that there is never long to wait before the next tournament comes along.
So who will go marching on to Saturday’s climax of the women’s singles event, and who will be laundering the grass stains off clothing and shoes until this time next year?
The seedings have stood up remarkably well, with the top three, Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova and Amelie Mauresmo, filling their allotted places. They are joined by arguably the most distinguished 14th seed ever to get to Wimbledon’s last four, Venus Williams. Here is a two-time Wimbledon winner and two-time runner-up (all achieved in four consecutive years) fallen, however temporarily, on the sort of hard times that have driven her down the rankings.
It would not be unfair to say that the 29-year-old Davenport has surprised herself by the all-conquering manner in which she has sailed through a tournament she did not plan to take part in again after last year. Not having won a Grand Slam since the Australian Open of 2000, Lindsay’s thoughts were turning to the other things in life besides tennis, such as starting a family. Such thoughts were put on hold as she began to play like the Davenport of old and reclaimed the world No.1 spot. She is in her 75th non-consecutive week as top lady, a position she has held on six different occasions since 1998.
So Davenport is giving it the old gung-ho charge in pursuit of one, and maybe two or three, more Grand Slams to sit on the trophy shelf with the three she has already won, including Wimbledon in 1999. She came close in Australia six months ago, losing in the final to Serena Williams. Now the route to Saturday’s final is blocked by one hurdle, a barricade built by the No. 3 seed, Amelie Mauresmo.
Lindsay would be entitled to regard the barrier as more of a traffic hump, since she has won their last seven meetings without having conceded a set to the Frenchwoman. But this will be their first clash on grass and only their second in a Grand Slam, with Mauresmo having won at the Australian Open six years ago. That event in Melbourne was the closest Amelie has come to one of the major titles. She finished runner-up to Martina Hingis.
Even tennis fans who do not live in France consider it is about time Mauresmo claimed a Grand Slam. This is the third consecutive time she has marched into Wimbledon’s semi-finals. In this year’s tournament she has not yet dropped a set, conceding only 22 games. Davenport yielded a set to Kim Clijsters in the fourth round, otherwise her sets-against sheet is clean too.
Davenport and Mauresmo were the losing semi-finalists at The Championships a year ago. This time one of them will take the step that matters into Saturday’s final. If it is Davenport who comes through, the final could become what it so often has been in the past, an all-American beanfeast.
For that to happen, Venus Williams must do what she has not yet managed in two attempts, beat Maria Sharapova. The defending champion will not be awed by the prospect of tackling the older Williams, having swatted youngster sister Serena so brilliantly in last year’s final. When that happened, the Girl with the Golden Shoes was only 17. Now she has matured by one year and many ranking positions, while Venus, beset by injury and loss of form, has slipped out of the top five where she dwelled for so long.
Maria Sharapova conceded just seven games in each of her victories over Venus, gained indoors at Zurich last year and on the hard outdoor courts of Miami this spring. Neither has dropped a set in winning five rounds here, though neither would deny that at times their game has looked a mite rusty. But both possess that ability of a true champion, to lift themselves and their level of tennis when it matters.
This ability is what has pushed the Florida-based Russian teenager up the rankings ladder, where she is poised to take over from Davenport as No. 1. It will not happen this weekend, though, even if Maria Sharapova retains her title and Lindsay goes out in the semi-finals. Maria Sharapova’s inevitable, eventual ascent would make her the first Russian to top the women’s tennis world, but she would not be the youngest player to do so. Martina Hingis was 16, Monica Seles and Tracy Austin 17 and Steffi Graf a slightly younger 18-year-old. But none of them played in golden shoes.