Wimbledon 2012 Middle Sunday Musings

Andy Roddick will always be my guy because that's just how these things work. But I wrote his championship-winning epitaph twice now and there's no need for a third. 

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Serena Williams will always be my girl because that's just how these things work, but I wrote her championship-winning epitaph once now and here's hoping there's a need for a second. The rest of this tournament will have a lot to say about that.

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As for the small batch of young American players making a bit of noise over the last few seasons: they lack fortitude. Some lack weapons, too, but they all lack fortitude. Without that, they won't win a thing worth a thing. It's too bad, really.

And how can it be that old holey pants is the first American man to win a title in 2012?

We may go a whole tennis generation without producing a single new champion.

That's messed up, but it looks like that's where we're going...

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I've been hearing a lot (some of it even sounds celebratory) about one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history. Surely, there's a reason for that description. But it still doesn't feel apt. Especially since I saw the match. Saw how the organizers decided to insert themselves in the match at a most crucial juncture seemingly to facilitate exactly the result they got. As though it was the only way to get the result they got.

As I wrote elsewhere, momentum isn't just a word.

Everybody at least knows that.

Including the organizers...

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Roger Federer is lucky to still be in the draw. Yeah. I know. I said his draw was laughable. It still is. That he would be two points from defeat by Julien Benneteau after being down two-sets-to-love underscores my point. (That the gimpy Frenchman couldn't close him out is also laughable, but we all saw it coming, no?) But I'll give Raja credit where credit is due: he admitted he was lucky.

I suspect he's a lock for the title now, no matter how vulnerable he remains.

And he's certainly vulnerable.

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I hope Tamira Paszek wins the title. She won't. But such a welcome result would do a great deal to restore my enthusiasm for tennis in general, women's tennis in particular.

You have no idea...

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Guess it's ironic that I seem to be losing my enthusiasm for the sport smack dab in the middle of what some are calling a "golden age" in men's tennis. Smack dab in the middle of my favorite sporting event period.

Something needs to change.

Something's got to....