Heroes and Zeros of Wimbledon 2012

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Heroes and Zeros of Wimbledon 2012

By Chris Oddo

Photo Credit: Getty

Federer with Champagne after Wimbledon 2012

(July 9, 2012)—Now that Wimbledon has ended, it's time to look back at all the captivating snapshots that were taken in our mind's eye during the fortnight.

How is it possible to sum up all the magic? What words can possibly suffice? Having ridden that emotional roller coaster from start to finish, and woken up this morning with a massive Wimbledon hangover, there's nothing left to do but get right down to business.

So, without any further ado, I bring you this week's heroes and zeros.

Hero: Grass

Think back to day 1: That gorgeous, magic carpet of turf, like an unopened Christmas gift, just waiting to take it's place as the canvas for some of the finest tennis that the world has ever witnessed. How perfect is that? And how perfect is it to watch the surface evolve over the course of the fortnight, forcing the world's best players to adapt to its whims? Some might view those brown patches at the baselines as ugly, but in truth they are character marks from having been trampled upon by the world's best tennis players for days.

Hero: English Tennis Fans

I can't tell you how many times I found myself close to tears when Wimbledon fans broke into a hearty applause as a loser left the court after a difficult defeat. It's an appropriate and moving gesture of appreciation (and it's completely spontaneous and warm), and it's one that you rarely see anywhere else in sport. No wonder pretty much every player on either tour says the Wimbledon is the most special place to play. The fans just get it. That's not to say that they don't get it in New York, Paris, or Melbourne, but they get it better at Wimbledon.

Zero: The person who messed with Rufus the Hawk

May you have bad karma and hawk droppings in your hair for the rest of your life for messing with Rufus!

Hero: Roger Federer

There are a million paths you could follow when you start to write something about Federer, but today I'll follow only one: How courageous of the Swiss Maestro to stick to his gameplan of slicing returns back to Murray in yesterday's final. Meanwhile, everybody and their mother is saying "run round that second serve and hammer it," while Roger is just methodically going about his business. Federer had his long-term plan in mind the whole time. He knew what he needed to do to beat Murray and he stuck to his plan. And by sticking to his plan he gave himself that mental edge. Even when they were even in the third, Roger remained patiently committed, and it had to be unnerving for Murray.

In a way, the final was a microcosm of Federer's brilliant career. He knew the surface, he knew himself, he knew his opponent. And he left the rest up to his magic hands. Oh, those genius hands. Oh, that genius Federer. What will tennis be like without this man? I shudder to think.

Zero: Caroline Wozniacki

Well, she lost in the first round. And I have to give zeros out in this column, or else the title is a lie. Sorry, Caroline, but you're an easy target.

Hero: The Williams Sisters

Venus got over her first-round lost to Elena Vesnina in a big way out on the doubles court, as she teamed with her kid sister Serena to claim a fifth Wimbledon doubles title. In case you’re scoring at home, that’s five singles titles for each sister and five doubles titles too. "I was definitely inspired by Serena's singles performance," Venus said afterwards. Well, guess what, Venus? We were inspired by your doubles performance.

Zero: Bernard Tomic

Not only did he lose to David Goffin in round one, Tomic also had a huge racquet-smashing tantrum in the process (tearing into hero No. 1, the Wimbledon grass), ensuring that his Wimbledon Karma would be bad for years to come. "That's like Michael Phelps peeing in a swimming pool," ranted sports journalist Michael Gibson. Indeed.

Hero: Yaroslava Shvedova

Shvedova's Golden Set against Sara Errani was pretty remarkable, but even more impressive was the fact that she followed it up by nearly taking Serena Williams down in the fourth round. Shvedova is looking very strong at the moment, and I don't think we've heard the last of her this year.

Zero: People who complain about the way the roof was used

Seriously people? Wimbledon builds one of the classiest, most exquisite roofs known to sports, and you have the gall to complain about the way it is used? Save your breath for later this summer, when the US Open semis get rained out like they always do.

Hero: Lukas Rosol

It seems like years have passed since Lukas Rosol's massive game carved a crater-sized hole into the Wimbledon draw. Almost as soon as he was finished with Nadal, pundits labeled him a "stopper," i.e. a player with the ability to knock out a top player but lacking the consistency to play more than one inspired match.

They were right. Rosol went out like a lamb to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the next round, but his heroics--and his impact on the tournament--will likely never be forgotten.

Zero: Sam Stosur

It's obvious that grass isn't Stosur's thing. What's not obvious is why.

Hero: Serena Williams

Serena pulled out the ultimate grass court weapon this Wimbledon. A mind-bending, awe-inspiring first serve. It's also the ultimate antidote for decreased foot speed. Serve 102 aces, run less, win more. Serena definitely had it figured out at The Championships this year. 14-time Slam winners tend to excel at figuring out that kind of stuff, don't they?

Hero: Andy Murray

Pass the kleenex, it is tennis after all. Murray lost out to Fred Perry yet again this Wimbledon, but he won the hearts of a lot of tennis fans with his genuine speech after the final on Sunday. Plus, let us not forget, he did become the first British man to reach the Wimbledon final since 1938. And he did it by playing superb grass court tennis, serving as good as he ever has, and battling the pressure and a really difficult draw with tons of spirit and moxie.

"I'm getting closer," said Murray after falling to Roger Federer in the final. Indeed he is.

Hero: Camila Giorgi

Don't know who I'm talking about? You will soon. Goirgi reached the fourth-round as a qualifier, in the second Grand Slam appearance of her career.

Hero: Agnieszka Radwanska

Serena Williams proved to be too much for her in Saturday's final, but A-Rad became the first Polish player to reach a Grand Slam final since 1939 at Wimbledon, and she also proved that even a player as red-hot as Serena Williams is not that far out of her reach. At just 23, Radwanska appears to have her best days in front of her, particularly on the grass, where her deceptive power and creative guile make her oh-so-difficult to beat.

Zero: Ivan Lendl

You’re supposed to teach your charge how to win Wimbledon, not how to headhunt during net exchanges (as he did against both Tsonga and Federer). And how about showing a little emotion every once in a while?

Hero: The Rain

Usually I give rain Zero status, but the English summer showers were so persistent this year, how can I not reward that kind of consistency? And it made this year's Wimbledon whacky and wonderful, with all the delays and all the roof openings and closings, and the high drama that ensued.

Zero: John Isner

How about some confidence, John? It could only help.

Hero: Ernests Gulbis

Gulbis upset Tomas Berdych on Centre Court in the first round with a command serving performance, proving that me may yet become the superstart that we'd like him to be.

Zero: Ernests Gulbis

Then he lost in the second round, proving that we were, once again, mistaken.

Hero: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Tsonga came to net 76 times in his semifinal against Andy Murray, and he kept coming even after Murray pegged him in his you-know-whats. Do that, and you become an instant hero.

Hero: Italian Women

Three in the last 16 at Wimbledon. Another good show for Italian women. Benissimo!

Hero: Germany

The Germans one-upped Italy by having two women and two men in the quarterfinals for the first time ever. (Kerber, Lisicki, Kohlschreiber, Mayer). Trotzen!

Hero: Brian Baker and Mardy Fish

Each valiant in his own way, Baker and Fish made Wimbledon memorable for American tennis fans by reaching the fourth-round after overcoming massive personal obstacles. Fish, 30, had heart surgery this spring, and Baker, 27, endured a six-year hiatus due to a complete body breakdown that featured five surgeries. Bravo!

Hero: ESPN

Finally, the semifinals are live on television. Yesssssss!

Hero: Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielson

What do Fred Perry and Jonathan Marray have in common? Well, they're both British and they both won Wimbledon!