WIMBLEDON, England — The best ticket in tennis has a different look.
Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam tournament to schedule the entire men's and women's fourth round on a single day — so-called Super Monday — will feature plenty of unknowns for the first time in years.
WIMBLEDON: What we learned in Week 1
With Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova sent packing in a wacky, upset-filled first week, fans will get a closer look at some exotic names.
Dotting the lawns are participants such as Kenny de Schepper, Adrian Mannarino, Ivan Dodig, Karin Knapp and Monica Puig.
WHO ARE THEY? Get to know these lesser names
But a familiar cast of characters such as Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Serena Williams remain in contention, meaning there is no dearth of star quality. None of that threesome has dropped a set, suggesting longer stays in London.
A scalper's paradise? Perhaps not. But fresh faces have their perks.
"It is a surprise, there's no question about it," said top-seeded Djokovic, who faces 35-year-old Tommy Haas of Germany. "It's a bit strange feeling not to have Federer or Nadal at the second week of a major. In the last 10 years, it was always one of them. But it's the way it is. There's some players who have been playing great tennis. I think it's interesting also to see new faces for the crowd, for tennis world in general."
The upset-laden first week equaled the fewest men's and women's top-10 seeds to reach the third round. Only 10 (six men and four women) survived, tying the 1996 Wimbledon and 1998 French Open.
In the bottom half of the men's draw — dubbed the Group of Death before the carnage of the first week — you will find these eight names: Lukasz Kubot, Adrian Mannarino, Jerzy Janowicz, Jurgen Melzer, Fernando Verdasco, Kenny De Schepper, Mikhail Youzhny, Andy Murray. Some of those names have a ring of familiarity, but if you told us beforehand that these would be the eight into the Round of 16 from this half, we would have suggested therapy. One of these four — Kubot, Mannarino, Janowicz, Melzer — will be in the semifinals
Five of the remaining 16 men are making their fourth-round Wimbledon debuts; only one in that group has ever been that far elsewhere. Six never have reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal: de Schepper, Dodig, Janowicz, Lukasz Kubot, Mannarino and Andreas Seppi. Perhaps not coincidentally, each of those relatively unknown half-dozen players benefited from at least one of the record-tying 13 walkovers or mid-match retirements from injury or illness so far.
Four of the 16 women left are hoping to reach a major quarterfinal for the first time: Laura Robson, Knapp, Puig, and 20th-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium.
Singles isn't the only game in town, either.
Bob and Mike Bryan, the top-seeded Americans going for their fourth consecutive Grand Slam title, pointed out that the entire third round of doubles is on Monday's slate.
"There is a smorgasbord of action," said lefty Bob.
The top-seeded Bryans face the No. 16 seeds, Treat Huey of the Philippines and Dominic Inglot of Britain.
Plus, noted Mike, some of the names casual fans don't know are an opportunity.
"These names might be big five years from now," Mike, a righty, said. "They can look back and say, 'Oh, I saw Jerzy Janowicz when he wasn't that big a deal.'"
The unknowns, with career showings on the line, also promise potentially more theater.
"It's do or die," said Bob. You'll see the choky moments, the tears and the drama that sometimes you don't see with the big guys."
Williams, too, sees the positives in having some new names to watch.
"I feel like this is an opportunity to come learn the new players," she said. "I'm not going to be here forever."
GALLERY: WIMBLEDON DAY 6
No comments:
Post a Comment