Write On Sports LLC - "Wimbledon" by Tyler Clifton

Wimbledon

2007-07-09 17:50:39 | By: Tyler Clifton

There were two intriguing matches recently at Wimbledon involving the U.S. and France.

Venus Williams had the table set for her after Marion Bartoli upset top-seeded Justin Henin, who earlier knocked out Williams' younger sister Serena.

On the men's side, Andy Roddick was supposed to be the American who could overshadow the disappointing performances of many other country men who suffered first-round exits. All he did was fail on two occasions when he was two points away from victory in a loss to 12th-seeded Richard Gasquet.

Tennis rankings are among the most ludicrous in professional sports, as Williams was ranked No. 31 and seeded 23rd. There are not 30 players better than Williams, probably not even 10, and anyone who thought she was a has been needs to think again.

Williams, who followed a path similar to younger sister Serena's in the Australian Open, when she was ranked 81st in the Land Down Under (back to the ridiculus rankings).

Venus struggled in her first two matches but showed she still has plenty of spring in her step after beating four ranked players in a row. It is not a coincidence, as she is only 27 years old and has many more wins left in her if she so chooses.

She breezed past second-ranked Russian princess Maria Sharapova, overpowered No. 5 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals and cruised past sixth-seeded Ana Ivanovic in the semis. She not only beat four ranked foes but beat them all in straight sets ‹ not bad for someone who entered the year with only one victory and hadn't reached the semifinals in a Grand Slam event in the last two.

Six Wimbledon finals have produced four wins (including a 2005 trophy she keeps next to her bed after beating fellow American Lindsay Davenport in 2005). This Centre Court victory has to be the sweetest ‹ sweeter than the traditional strawberries and cream, because Williams proved her doubters wrong once again.

Bartoli was ranked No. 19, a spot she proved worthy, but she was no match for Williams, who nearly knocked her opponent down with the winning ace. There is plenty of hope for Bartoli, who did upset top-ranked Henin.

She showed the utmost grace, class and elegance on the court and even had a good-luck charm in the stands earlier in the tournament in Pierce Brosnan (a.k.a. James Bond).

Roger Federer got revenge against Rafael Nadal for his loss in the French Open. The clay isn't his forte, but Federer proved once again who the best player is on grass, winning his fifth straight Wimbledon (tying Bjorn Borg).

Federer goes for his sixth straight in '08. The question is will Roddick be the one who gets the chance to unseat him? Only time will tell.