Yesterday saw some spectacular semi-final matches, allowing the two players for the men's final to be decided - Roger Federer against Andy Murray. That's going to be an interesting one. (Or it's going to be over very quickly, one or the other.) However, today is all about the women again, with the Ladies final between Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska. Ordinarily you would put money on Williams in this battle, and if you add in the fact that Radwanska is suffering a respiratory illness, it may not be the match that we're hoping for.
Day 12 at Wimbledon
Published by Christine Blachford on
hellooooooooooo
echo echo echo
pretty purple flowers for the ladies
Serena won the toss and will serve
Ello ello ello. We can hang out here in the meantime.
I thought I'd be all alone! I am multitasking :)
Play.
Yep, you're alone. Heading back to F1.
Oi! There's 2 of us. 3 including you. ;)
Sounds like we're alone... :)
I'll join - to prove, it's 40:15 :-)
I think Serena should play the whole game is a suit
Serena will want to make quick work of this if possible.
Errors creeping in... 30:30
First break point after all of... 5 minutes?
I like her blazer
Saved. By I guess Agnieszka needs that 80% of 1st serves in she had against Kerber mid-game.
F1 is so kind to allow a bit of tennis time.
Serena's hair is massive.
this game is going forever
The rain, you mean. :) No dome you can close on Silverstone.
Looks quite windy.
Serena has to play again after the next match on this court
What a point!
That was the worst dropshot Agnieszka has ever played :-)
I always think people that do singles and doubles must be a real headache for the schedulers.
hahahaha relevant: https://twitter.com/BenRothenberg/status/221380298947035137
Just realized Serena doesn't pocket 2nd-serve balls like other players do.
As I say that, she double-faults.
Well, she'll need all her smartness today, it seems - or a rain interruption, maybe...
it messes with the design of her outfit too much
Is this a deuce? This wasn't in the script.
Serenas hair has been getting fluffier by the day
that's not fair - Serena's using Agnieszka's weapons!!
3-0 is the score I was expecting, but each game seems less of a walkover than I'd imagined.
I wonder how many people will play singles, doubles and mixed at the Olympics. It'll be super hard to schedule that all in.
We're forgetting that Radwanska is still ranked #3 in the world - ahead of Serena (who does play less often, admittedly).
everyone keeps underestimating Agnieszka :-) but she's proven she can beat anyone bar Azarenka
I think perhaps I am not so much underestimating her, as overestimating Serena. I've not really heard of Radwanska before this tournament.
Probably because she has never gone past quarters at any Grand Slam tournament...
Double break for Serena, then.
I know that I can't spell her first name for the life of me.
That would definitely be why :)
Looks like first set will be done in 10-15 minutes or so. They stand half a chance of finishing before quali resumes.
Perhaps Serena can play left handed for the next set?
After a 6:0 set the first serve of the winning player should be taken away
That would guarantee Agnieszka's win - look at the semifinal :-)
Radwanska finally gets on the board.
The crowd cheer the underdog in great relief.
Roger has arrived, has to show his pass to get in. Bless.
Make Serena wear shorts then. That might out her off
after that disturbing catsuit she wore a few years ago, i think she can play in anything
I'm getting this feeling Serena isn't playing at 100%. Then again, Radwanska, may just be playing at 95% too.
I guess if you don't need to, why push it.
yeah Serena isn't playing at her best by a long shot
Ah, true.
She has moments where she looks very... pedestrian.
Still, she just misses out on a bagel, and gets a breadstick.
Radwańska is playing no more than at 70% of her best (poor first serve, short balls), but I guess Serena still has at least 50% in her
boo, rain in two places now
Darn it.
while there's nothing going on, how do you see the players' chances tomorrow? I'd say from Andy's perspective it's at least 50:50 :-)
100% Roger. #biased
Part of me wants Murray to win it, just so that we can stop talking about it each and every year!
But I do think Fed has the edge.
I think I am ok with Murray winning, but only if it was anyone else in the final with him.
they're coming back out! at the same time as F1! terrible timing.
Bah! It could have been so perfect!
Serena breaks again.
i quite fancy watching the doubles finals, i wonder if tv will have them on. has the fact a brit is in the mens dubs final even made the news or is it all murray murray murray?
They were very excited about it on the Wimbledon programme, not sure about the newspapers and that.
Nadal has blogged for the Times and it starts out congratulating Andy but by the end is rambling about how good his own year has been. Odd.
http://www.nadalnews.com/2012/07/06/rafa-nadal-i-knew-andys-chance-would-come-again/
Radwanska putting up a bit more of a fight in this one.
maybe the 'oh my god its a final' nerves have gone away
alright, a break to level at 4-4!
I don't mind who wins as long as Serena loses
:(
Her cabinet must be pretty full by now. You're just dazzled by the lilac :)
heheh i always love her outfits, even when they're not purple!
Have Wimbledon relaxed their all-white policy?
no, maybe they only tested the outfits when they weren't in movement so didn't realise how much you'd see the under garments.
Surprisedshe gets away with the wrist and headband
6:5 and Serena is getting melodramatic - this is slowly turning into a game of nerves!
YES!
nooooo
Set point the other woman?
Wowsers!
I am suitably impressed that she came back a break and then took the set.
Rather Serena handed it to her, but well done anyway!
Hehe, yes, but I would have gone home sulking after the first, so props for not doing that! :)
First serve really driving Agnieszka forward now, it won't be easy for Serena anymore
what are you doooooooooing
whats going on, i got back from the football tonight expecting both the tennis and f1 to be well and truly over, and they were both still going!!! i was assuming serena would dominate and at 6-1 in the first she probably should have, just finished watching the f1 qualifying and now i can watch the end of the womens final, thought it was over along time ago.
i've never watched a lot of agas matches, i had no idea she was such a pusher
Unfortunately Aga seems to be running out of power now, stamina never her great strength
Time to dig deep
push push push
trouble now
Looks like Serena just gave what the fans wanted - then decided the time for fun and games was over.
Not sure she's the type not to go for the kill when possible
now, serve it out like a bosssss
Forgot to say I was joking. :) But it does seem that way a bit.
this is the first 3 set womens final at wimbledon since 2006
Wow
dadcoach is watching from court 7 http://lockerz.com/s/223043060
Good effort
woohoo
who's that kid next to Venus?
i really hope i get to see her in a couple of weeks <3
Over half a mill for the runner up ain't too bad, blimey!
That took longer than expected, but good job, Serena.
Lexus sponsorship looks to be quite last minute with the stick on badges
The better player won, but let's give credit to Aga - with her physique to get that far is simply a stunning achievement; maybe a once-in-a-lifetime chance
What could've been if she was at 100%...
now if she'd just try hit some winners every now and then.
She's 23, she could well be back, many times
True :-) But again, it's the physique... There are clearly some limits :)
It's very teary today, is it always like this?
finals normally are
How was there a rain delay when they have a roof?
the wimbledon people are obsessed with remaining an "outdoor" tournament so they try really hard to just use the rain covers and not close the roof
yeah i agree with you, she doesnt really have the power and has to work alot harder in the points, but she is still a pretty good player so she might get back into a final, but it may be a one off.
Stoopid. Don't they know that just increases the chances of Cliff singing
thats the last thing anyone needs
even if they do close it they then wait about half an hour for the "climate" inside to be right so theres always a chance Cliff will get another go
Worst. Roof. Ever
soooo stupid. all our roofs close in a couple of minutes and then they play straight away.
Name on the board already, that's quick!
I'm impressed with how quickly they engrave the name on the trophy. The guy who does it must have the worlds most solid nerves
I wonder if he does keys and shoes during the tournament until he's needed on the trophy
:D
is the Queen dropping in tomorrow?
doubt it
Would be shocked if she didn't.
Seriously?? First serious chance for a British win in her reign and she doesn't go?
shes been twice in the last 35 years
plus virginia wade won while she was queen
Found this on Twitter c/o @CamillaTominey: "The Queen will not attend the Wimbledon men's final but Kate will be there, along with the Duke of Kent and Duchess of Gloucester"
True, but this is a men's win. It's one of the great sporting droughts. And probably the greatest British one too.
the Queen was there for virginias, and that was the first time she'd been in 25. Don't think she likes tennis much :)
"The last British player to win Wimbledon was Virginia Wade. In a late-career surge, she took the women’s title in 1977, which coincided with the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, who had been on the British throne for 25 years. It has not been lost on the British public or Murray that 2012 is the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee." [from the New York Times]
I didn't think Scottish people cared much for her ;)
Not enough horses
one of my friends is obsessed with freddie nielsen so i guess i'm going for him and marray.
You do have friends without obsessions, I'm guessing :)
my commentators are talking about how theres an englishman in the finals and how no englishman has been in the doubles final since 1960.
Guess they know Jamie Murray is Scottish, but not his brother.
maybe theres one somewhere
Brit/Dane broken
annnnd they lost the first set while i was distracted somewhere
missing all the action because my tv is showing serenas press conference in full. but thats quite cool. journos ask some really stupid questions.
3-2 still on serves in the second
phew, was starting to think i was talking to myself
yeah, still keeping an eye on the tennis, paes and vesnina are about to go through to the final in the mixed doubles too, beatingbryan and huber, im abit of a vesnina fan...
i don't like leander at all so i wish she'd partner someone else!
dont get a chance to see much doubles but every slam the same names seem to make it thrugh, bryan x2 paes etc.
did you hear about the epic mess around the indian olympics team because no one wanted to play with leander?
no, didnt hear anything about it
it was an incredible mess. Heres a run down I've stolen.
India’s tennis federation wanted its best player, Leander Paes, to play doubles in the Olympics with Mahesh Bhupathi. Paes is a highly successful doubles player, who has played for India in five Olympics.
He also has a way of irritating people.
He and Bhupathi were a doubles team on tour, but had an ugly breakup last year. Basically, Paes broke up, and Bhupathi read about in the paper.
So Bhupathi refused to play in the Olympics with Paes, and said he wanted to play in the Olympics with his new partner, Rohan Bopanna. The India federation then floated the idea of having Paes play with Bopanna. Bopanna refused.
The All India Tennis Association finally came up with a “solution.’’
Bhupathi and Bopanna could play together. Paes would play with Vishnu Vardhan. Problem: Paes didn’t think Vardhan was good enough to be his partner.
So it was a standoff for the India federation, which came up with another “solution.’’ If Paes would agree to play with Vardhan, then he would also be placed into Olympics mixed doubles with Sania Mirza.
Another problem: No one had mentioned it to Mirza that she had been offered up. No one had asked her.
So she wrote a really classy open letter to the Indian Tennis Federation saying she would do her best to win a medal for her country but she was disgusted that she was pretty much used as a bargaining chip to get Leander to show up.
just saw tha rankings to come out on monday, serena back up to 4 in the world.
Azarenka No.1, followed by No.2 Radwanska, No.3 Sharapova, No.4 Serena, No.5 Stosur
Masha didn't get to stay #1 for very long
cheers for that, yeah it seems this paes doesnt have many friends out there, but really they should put any personal issues aside when it comes down to playing for your country, especialy at the olympics.
yeah, but she will probably get it back at the us open.
i do love match tiebreakers
oh its not the match. stupid 5 sets.
boo delays, tv have said they probably will have to lose us soon. i want to watch the ladies :(
I think I have to give up now, this could go forever and its 5am.
This has been a very good match
serving for the championship...
ahhh! championship point!
YAAAY!
i thought tennis was over for the day... it is now :)
aww ill be sad when wimbledon is over. the us open can't come quick enough.
when does it start?
end of august, i think it's the 27th.
so that's one british champion completed... now for another tomorrow :)
not too long at all.
how are ya balancing f1 vs tennis?
well our internet got fixed today (and tripled in speed for free which was nice) so im gonna watch the F1 on TV and stream the tennis.
blimey, how fast now?
30mb now, we were originally 10mb but for the past 3 weeks or so we've been at 1mb and below. virgin came today to look at it, found out we had a super old modem, gave us a new one and randomly then told us we'd been upgraded with no price change!
amazini - you can stream live video with that much :)
embarassingly when we tested it i said out loud 'fantastic, no more b word either!' and the engineer just looked at me wierd. I had to explain it and everything.
hahaha.
i gotta go watch a film now, but we'll do a live show friday to test it out proper :)
yaaay, i look forward to it :) enjoy your film!