Nadal, Djokovic, Murray og Federer rører også på seg i den spanske hovedstaden. Bør bli kjekt.

Apropos Stockholm: Hedersmannen Jonas Björkman spilte sin siste kamp på hjemmebane.

Att vara i Båstad under juli månad innebär inte bara underbart väder(bortsett från regnet som kan glimta till) med mycket strand aktiviteter för skåningarna och turisterna utan för affärsmännen, näringslivet och topparna från Stureplan et c, så finns finansveckan och tennisälskarna har Catella Swedish Open som brukar vara ungefär samtidigt vilket gör Båstad till en utmärkt samlingspunkt under juli för alla. Tror även att det skulle arrangeras en Brasiliansk Jiu Jutsu tävling i Båstad någon gång under månaden också men är osäker.

  - Centercourten i Båstad

Tyvärr så kommer jag inte att infinna mig i Båstad i år då jag ska till Göteborg om knappt en vecka men jag är oerhört sugen på att åka ner och tillbringa en vecka i Båstad med synnerlighet Swedish Open och eventuellt annat skoj vid sidan om turneringen nästa sommar men inget är fullbordat än utan det är mest önsketänkande.

Årets tävling lär vara uppskattat ännu en gång av publik samt spelarna själva. Det är inte konstigt att Swedish Open har blivit framröstad som spelarna favorit tävling på ATP touren ett flertalt gånger. Med namn som David Ferrer, Robin Söderling, Tommy Robredo, Jarkko Nieminen, Carlos Moya, Marat Safin, Tomas Johansson, Jonas Björkman på cardet tillsammans med andra duktiga spelare så lär publiken inte vara missnöjda på turneringen.

 - Går Söderling hela vägen i år?

Vem vinner? Förra årets vinnare David Ferrer är givetvis favorit. Även Tommy Robredo har stora chanser att ta hem detta men vi får inte räkna bort finnen Jarkko Nieminen. Sist en svensk vann singeln var när Magnus Norman slog Andreas Vinciguerra i finalen år 2000. Kan våra svenska spelare återta detta?

Med vänliga hälsningar – Krister Melin

Women's Singles:

Many favourites failed early in the women's draw: The four top seeds were eliminated before the quarterfinals - the first time in the Open Era... But two made their way through to the final: Venus and Serena Williams...

Final:

[7] Venus Williams (USA) def. [6] Serena Williams (USA) 7-5 6-4
The third time in Wimbledon history the Williams sisters were playing the final. The both previous finals Serena won but this time Venus was the better player and became the deserving champion. It's her fifth title at Wimbledon - her 7th Grand Slam title. Serena had her chances but made in the end too much errors.

Notable results:

4th round: [18] Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) def. [8] Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 4-6 7-6(0) 6-3
Czech talent Nicole Vaidisova with rising form. After bad results the last months she reached the quarters by defeting top 10 player Anna Chakvetadze.

4th round: Jie Zheng (CHN) def. [15] Agnes Szavay (HUN) 6-3 6-4
Chinese Jie Zheng is one of the most surprising player in Wimbledon. After sending world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic packing Zheng overwhelmed the next seeded player: Agnes Szavay from Hungary...

4th round: Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) def. [2] Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 6-3 6-2
The next big win for an underdog: Tamarine Tanasugarn won vs. handcapped (because of a knee injury) world No. 2 Jelena Jankovic from Serbia in straight sets who had no chance vs. the 31 years old from Thailand.

4th round: [14] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) def. [4] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 6-4 1-6 7-5
The lost of 4th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova completed the desaster of the top seeds. The first time in the last 40 years it happened that no one of the four top-seeds reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. Kuznetsova lost despite a comfortable lead in the third vs. Polish talent Agnieszka Radwanska.

Quarterfinal: [6] Serena Williams (USA) def. [14] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 6-4 6-0
One of the few favourites in business Serena Williams overran Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska. After a tied frist set Serena swept Radwanska 6-0 away...

Quarterfinal: Jie Zheng (CHN) def. [18] Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) 6-2 5-7 6-1
China's Jie Zheng defeated Czech Nicole Vaidisova in three sets and is, after Tamarine Tanasugarn lost to Venus Williams, the only unseeded player who reached the semifinals. 4 of her five matches she played vs. seeded players (e.g. top-seed Ana Ivanovic) and won all...

Semifinal: [7] Venus Williams (USA) def. [5] Elena Dementieva (RUS) 6-1 7-6(3)
Defending champion Venus Williams is the first player who qualified for the final. After an easy first set where Elena Dementieva was a bit unfocused the match became closer but Venus decided the match in the 2nd set tiebreak. Now all were waiting for the all-Williams-final...

Semifinal: [6] Serena Williams (USA) def. Jie Zheng (CHN) 6-2 7-6(5)
... and they got it. Serena Williams won vs. the first Chinese in a Grand Slam semifinal Jie Zheng nearly the same way Venus did it before. Easy first set, close 2nd set.

Women's Doubles:

The Williams sisters were dominating the singles draw and they reached the final in doubles too...

Final:

[11] Serena Williams (USA) / Venus Williams (USA) def. [16] Lisa Raymond (USA) / Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-2 6-2
The Williams sisters took also the doubles title at Wimbledon, their third time. Doubles specialists Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur had no chance in a onesided final so Serena and Venus won in straight sets.

Men's Singles:

The spectators wanted to see the final between world No. 1 Roger Federer from Switzerland and World No. 2 Rafael Nadal from Spain... and they got it. It became a historic final which no tennis fan will forget soon...

Final:

[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. [1] Roger Federer (SUI) 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(8) 9-7
Sensational, exciting, unbelievable, epical... only a few words which describe this extraordinary match. After 4 hours and 48 minutes (longest Wimbledon final in history) full of the best which tennis can offer world No. 2 Rafael Nadal disempowered Roger Federer who won the past five years. Nadal led with 2-0 sets but then came the rain. After this break Roger Federer became better. But in the fourth set tiebreak Nadal had his first two matchpoints but Federer managed it to win the 4th set. After another rain delay both players hold their serves until the score of 7-7. Then Nadal could break Federer's serve and obtained his first Wimbledon title which is at the same time his first Grand Slam title off clay (4 times in Roland Garros). Roger Federer's winning streak of 65 consecutive wins on grass ended and so he missed to overtrump Bjorn Borg who also won 5 times in a row in Wimbledon.

Notable results:

4th round: [12] Andy Murray (GBR) def. [8] Richard Gasquet (FRA) 5-7 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2 6-4
Scottish player Andy Murray is the last British player in the tournament. After a 0-2 sets-handicap he won in five sets over French No. 1 Richard Gasquet and ecstasized his home crowd.

4th round: Marat Safin (RUS) def. [13] Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-1
In three of his four matches so far Russian Marat Safin has met seeded players (e.g. Novak Djokovic)... he won every match! This time Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka became his victim.

4th round: Rainer Schuettler (GER) def. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-4 3-6 6-4 7-6(4)
The 32 years old German Rainer Schuettler is maybe the most surprising player so far. He won over Serbian Janko Tipsarevic and reached the quarters.

4th round: Mario Ancic (CRO) def. [22] Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 13-11
After the 2nd set the spectators thought that Spaniard Fernando Verdasco will win his match vs. Mario Ancic from Croatia easily. But then Ancic turned the paper and won the match with 13-11 in the final set.

4th round: Arnaud Clement (FRA) def. Marin Cilic (CRO) 6-3 7-5 6-2
Nobody really noticed that French doubles specialist Arnaud Clement reached the quarterfinal of Wimbledon with a victory over Croatian Marin Cilic in straight sets.

Quarterfinal: Marat Safin (RUS) def. [31] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 3-6 7-5 7-6(1) 6-3
After a set down Russian old hand Marat Safin won his quarterfinal vs. Spaniard Feliciano Lopez to make the semis vs. 5 time defending champion Roger Federer.

Quarterfinal: Rainer Schuettler (GER) def. Arnaud Clement (FRA) 6-3 5-7 7-6(6) 6-7(7) 8-6
Because of heavy rain this thriller was played on two days. German unseeded Rainer Schuettler won after over five hours (matchtime - the 2nd longest in Wimbledon history) over French unseeded Arnaud Clement. Both players had many ups and downs but at the end Schuettler was the more lucky one. After Melbourne 2003 (runner-up) it's his 2nd Grand Slam semifinal in his long career. Schuettler will play French Open champ and 2 time Wimbledon runner-up Rafael Nadal.

Semifinal: [1] Roger Federer (SUI) def. Marat Safin (RUS) 6-3 7-6(3) 6-4
Same procedure as every yeah. Roger Federer is the first finalist - the sixth time in a row. All the previous finals (since 2003) Federer won. Until now he hasn't dropped a set. Also Marat Safin from Russia couldn't stop the FedExpress. Only in the second set Safin had some chances but Federer was too strong.

Semifinal: [2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. Rainer Schuettler (GER) 6-1 7-6(3) 6-4
Rafael Nadal reached his third consecutive Wimbledon final. After a straight win over German oldie Rainer Schuettler the - for tennis fans - perfect final is complete. No. 1 Roger Federer vs. No. 2 Rafael Nadal. But all the respect to Schuettler. I watched him in Halle a few weeks ago where he played not very good and now he reached the semifinal of Wimbledon (3rd male German in Open Era after Boris Becker and Michael Stich). Congratulations Rainer :D

Men's Doubles:

The top seeds Bryan brothers lost in the semifinals...

Final:

[2] Daniel Nestor (CAN) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) def. [8] Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) / Kevin Ullyett (ZIM) 7-6(12) 6-7(3) 6-3 6-3
... so there were Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic who won their first Wimbledon doubles title vs. Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett. The first two sets were balanced but then Nestor and Zimonjic turned up and won in four sets.

Mixed Doubles:

Final:

Bob Bryan (USA) / Samantha Stosur (AUS) def. [1] Mike Bryan (USA) / Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) 7-5 6-4
Normally the Bryan brothers are successful in one team but in the mixed doubles final they were rivals. Bob Bryan won together with Samantha Stosur the mixed title vs. the top seeds Mike Bryan and Katarina Srebotnik.

Jonas Björkman har haft en svacka under lång tid och bytte dubbel partner så sent som i vintras och har även bestämt sig för att lägga av efter OS i Peking. Han blev utslagen redan i första omgången i herrarnas singel av Arnaud Clement och mina förväntningar växte inte precis, dock fanns min tro för han där.

I dagens semifinal så var det dags för Jonas Björkman & Kevin Ullyett att möta världens bästa dubbelpar, Bröderna Bob och Mike Bryan från USA. Som de tidigare upplagorna av Wimbledon så brukar regnets makt bryta matcherna och den traditionen gästade denna match vid ett antal tillfällen som i tiebreaket i fjärde set då Björkman & Ullyett hade matchboll vid ställning 9 – 8 vid Bryans boll.

 - Jonas Björkman

Uppehållet blev långvarigt och när jag zappade på dataskärmen så var det igång igen och helt plötsligt händer det. Björkman & Ullyett som har haft svårt att bryta Bryans serve under matchen gör det helt oväntat och kammar överraskande hem den åtråvärda finalplatsen i årets Wimbledon med 11 – 9 i tiebrak.

 - Brysselsteget

Gud och jag säger det igen. Gud vad exalterad jag är över denna fantastiska prestation.  

Mycket talar för att Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjic gör våran svenske legendar sällskap i dubbelfinalen fast det känns som att det inte spelar någon större roll. Vi har en svensk i finalen och jag ryser än.

Med vänliga hälsningar - Krister Melin

The gardener also doesn't plant out the pots and planters in the garden so once a year, I deck myself in old clothes and gardening gloves and spend a day planting marguerites, geraniums and lavender and getting very grubby. Have I mentioned I hate having dirty finger nails...

When I had finally finished, I had a shower and noticed that my knee was a bit itchy. This morning, I awoke and my knee was VERY itchy. Look away at this point if you are of a nervous disposition....

I have a huge blistery bite thingy on my knee which has been driving me insane with itchiness all day. I knew I wasn't cut out for gardening.... A friend said it was probably a spider which had laid eggs under the skin and as we speak, hundreds of little spiderettes are hatching and growing....I think he knows I am a hypochondriac and was just teasing - wasn't he?

I watched the Stella Artois tennis championships on TV this afternoon. ( to try and take my mind off the itching). Rafael Nadal was playing and he beat Jonas Bjorkman 6-2, 6-2 . He seems to have recovered after beating Roger Federer in the final of the French Open, and to have adapted to playing on grass (after the clay at Roland Garros), with no difficulty at all.

During a break in play they showed this little clip of Rafael Nadal exercising on court before the match. Watch it and weep...

This guy has muscles in places I don't even have places!

You will have noticed that yet again, I have done no bookbinding. Well, the sun was shining, the tennis was on, I had a poorly knee....oh dear, and it can only get worse as the summer progresses...

[wpvideo Vu87D8i4]

This word is turning into a bit of a buzz word over here, isn't it? Still, two posts in two days can't be bad....

Después de salir victorioso de su partido de cuartos de final en Acapulco ante Massu, 'Nico' Almagro comentaba que antes se le echaba en cara su falta de madurez, aspecto en el que, según el, ha mejorado. Y sí que lo ha hecho, al menos en parte. Después de ganar sus dos encuentros de Copa Davis, competición en la que se estrenaba, y de conseguir los títulos de Costa do Sauipe y Acapulco (este último ante Nalbandián), ha conseguido un balance positivo de triunfos en la tierra batida latinoamericana de 13-1. Y todo ello en febrero, lo que le ha convertido en el mejor jugador de este segundo mes del año. Pero al margen del premio mejicano, tenemos que destacar las actuaciones de dos tenistas: el primero de ellos es belga, se llama Steve Darcis y se hizo con el torneo de Memphis tras derrotar a Soderling. En cambio, la gran sorpresa de esta semana la dio Sergiy Stakhovsky, nº 209, que dejó a Ljubicic con la miel en los labios en casa, en Zagreb.

Hace dos semanas remarcaba la importancia que tenía el hecho de que Nicolás Almagro consiguiera su primer título fuera de España. Después de vencer en Valencia en los últimos dos años, había que dar un paso más. Y lo ha dado en la gira latinoamericana, donde ha ganado dos torneos. Además de demostrar que es uno de los mejores sobre tierra batida, sigue escalando posiciones en la clasificación ATP y ya ocupa el puesto nº 25. En Acapulco no era el favorito, pero las eliminaciones de Moyá, Mónaco, Cañas y Chela antes de cuartos le allanaron el camino. En la final se midió con un jugador que venía de triunfar en Buenos Aires. El resultado de 6-1 y 7-6 deja claro que no vimos a David Nalbandián hasta el segundo set, aunque perdiera el tie-break. Otra buena noticia para la armada española llegó en el dobles femenino, ya que Nuria Llagostera y María José Martínez se impusieron a las checas Benesova y Cetkovska por 6-2 y 6-4.

En Memphis, los tres primeros cabezas de serie jugaron poco. Blake, nada, ya que se dio de baja a última hora. El alemán Haas, cayó en segunda ronda y confirma que está muy lejos de su mejor nivel tras la lesión. Y Roddick, nº 1 del torneo, se despidió en cuartos ante Robin Soderling, que acabaría llegando a una final que perdió. Y no es la primera, ya que hace quince días se quedó también a las puertas del éxito en Rotterdam. La culpa esta vez la tuvo el hasta entonces nº 81 del mundo, Steve Darcis, que se deshizo en semifinales del veterano Bjorkman. El belga, que consiguió su segundo título profesional tras el de Amersfoort en 2007, se impuso tras un partido muy disputado, como refleja su marcador: 6-3 y 7-6. El juego se decidió por pequeños detalles. De hecho, sólo hubo un break en todo el encuentro y es el que le valió a Darcis para lograr el primer set.

Venía de caer en cuartos en el challenger polaco de Wroclaw. Y en Zagreb estaba haciendo las maletas después de perder en la fase previa ante el esloveno Kavcic. Pero fue repescado ('lucky loser') y no dejó escapar la oportunidad de proclamarse campeón en el torneo croata. Está de más decir que suponía su primer título profesional. Hablamos de Sergiy Stakhovsky, un jugador ucraniano de 22 años que figura desde este lunes como nuevo nº 123 de la ATP. Después de una hora y cuarenta y siete minutos de final, doblegaba al tenista local Ivan Ljubicic por un marcador global de 7-5 y 6-4. El ucraniano se adjudicó la primera manga tras aprovechar una de las tres bolas de break de las que dispuso. Y ya en el segundo set, hizo la ruptura en el noveno juego para cerrar el partido con su saque.

Clasificaciones de la ATP

Esta semana...

► Dubai, Emiratos Árabes Unidos: Superficie dura y 1.426.000$ en premios. Links: Website y cuadro individual.

► Las Vegas, NV, EE.UU.: Superficie dura y 436.000$ en premios. Links: Website y cuadro individual.

Thomas Johansson er den siste som vant en Grand Slam-turnering, Australian Open 2002. En svensk sportskommentator sammenlignet den tittelen med Torgny Mogrens VM-gull på 50 km i 1993: Stort, men samtidig en tittel som bidro til å kamuflere en underliggende krise for svenskene i den sportsgrenen.

Det er snart seks år siden Johanssons tittel. Det kan fort gå seks år til neste svenske Grand Slam-jubel. Bildet er fra French Open 2000, og jeg har tatt det selv. Johansson spilte mot Christian Ruud (og vant), såvidt jeg husker.

Söderling sin seier i fire sett over den tidligere semifinalisten Grosjean er gledelig for svenskene. De har også Jonas Björkman med i neste runde. Gamlefar Björkman møter enda eldre Wayne Arthurs i neste runde - de to er til sammen 71 år gamle!

Tilbake til Nadal: Dersom han slår Söderling, venter vinneren av Youzhny og Nieminen. I utgangspunktet tror jeg Youzhny har en fair sjanse mot spanjolen. Det spørs hvor lenge han må spille mot Nieminen, som er en tålmodig og smart fyr. Youzhny var på banen i nesten fire timer mot Gilles Simon fra Frankrike, og det er ikke noe supert tegn for russeren.

Jeg tipper Nadal klarer de to neste kampene sine, og møter Tomas Berdych i kvartfinalen. Det bør bli en kanonkamp. Studer trekningen selv, hva tror du?

Men dette skulle handle om tennis, og i så måte er Stockholm et stykke unna begivenhetenes sentrum akkurat nå. Det viktige skjer i Paris, hvor French Open spilles. Det meste har gått etter skjema så langt: Regn, enkle kamper for Nadal og Federer, tidlig tap for Safin.

Den største taperen så langt er USA, som mistet alle sine åtte (?) spillere i første runde. Det er helt latterlig at tidenes beste tennisnasjon ikke klarer å lage spillere som er brukbare på grus. Amerikanerne unnskylder det med at de er oppvokst på hardcourt, og dermed ikke har grustennis i blodet. Tja, hvorfor ikke lage noen flere grusbaner, da? Det amerikanske tennisforbundet får inn millioner på US Open hvert år, og landet har best rekruttering av alle. Chang, Courier og Agassi har alle vunnet i Paris, så kanskje handler det bare om at dagens generasjon er for dårlig. Andy Roddick var seedet som nummer tre i turneringen, og det forteller alt om et seedingsystem som trenger oppussing.

En annen stor taper for tiden er - advarsel: rød tråd! - Sverige. Deres beste spiller akkurat nå er Robin Søderling, ranket 28 i verden. Han forsvant i første runde. Gamlingene Björkman (39 og Johansson (79) er de to eneste andre svenskene i topp 100. De største svenske klatrerne på ATP-rankingen er Carl Bergman, Daniel Kumlin og Tim Göransson. De ligger langt nede på listen, og er alle rundt 20 år. Tennis er en sport for de unge. Det hører med til unntakene at spillere blir verdensnavn uten å ha satt sitt preg på sporten i slutten av tenårene. Patrick Rafter er i farten den eneste jeg kommer på.

Turtips, ja. Gøteborg er en nesten like fin by som Stockholm. Hvis du vil ha en tennistur i høst, så reis dit. 23-24 september møtes USA og Sverige til semifinalen av Davis Cup, og billettsalget har allerede startet. Selv om både verken Sverige eller USA er noe særlig på grus lenger, bør det innendørs oppgjøret bli severdig.