WTA June 26-July 9 The Championships Wimbledon GBR Grand Slam outdoor: grass - 128 players - stats Prize$: £4,302,300 (women's) tourney sched - web map - venue map IBM Real-Time Scoreboard Matches: order - current - completed Draws: ladies singles, .pdf - XD     Ladies': qualifying - singles - doubles     Men's: qualifying - singles - doubles photos - news - interviews - match notes Yahoo! news photos: US - UK TV Sched: USA ESPN 2 - UK Radio Wimbledon: - Centre Court - C 1 BBC Radio Wimbledon coverage int. videos - Wimbledon wallpaper UK radar - London: forecast - area map # 1 Amelie Mauresmo, # 2 Kim Clijsters # 3 Nadia Petrova, # 4 Maria Sharapova

tourney archive: previous tourney page     next tourney page Wimbledon: #1 Amelie Mauresmo 5' 9", 152 lbs, RH, 1H-BH     #3 Justine Henin-Hardenne 5' 5¾", 126 lbs, RH, 1H-BH

Early round play at  Wimbledon begins at  noon local time. All England Club - click for sat pic-street map another photo-map from MultiMap venue map, .pdf     The Championships at Wimbledon have 32 seeds, with no 1st-round byes. There are 12 qualifiers and 8 wild cards in the main draw. Qualifying finals are on Thursday.     London (daylight savings) time is GMT (UCT, ZULU) + 1 hour (US Pacific Daylight Time +8, EDT +5). Early round play begins at noon local time, QFs & SFs at 1pm, and the Final at 2pm on Saturday.

On Saturday at the All England Club, in the final of The Championships at Wimbledon, 27-year-old top-seeded # 1 Amelie Mauresmo of France (residence: Geneva, Switzerland), defeated 24-year-old 3rd-seeded # 3 Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belguim (residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.     Justine lost despite hitting 31 winners with a relatively low 20 unforced errors, many of which were backhands that found the net on important points. Amelie hit 28 winners with 22 errors, and served 8 aces with only 1 double fault (Justine: 1 ace, 2 DFs).     The two players went to the net 89 times in the 180 points played, which might be a record for 2 sets of women's tennis in this decade. Amelie scored on 22 of 45 net approaches; Justine on 27 of 44. match stats - BBC game-by-game     Amelie said: "You're 6-2 down against Justine in the final of a Grand Slam. You not in such great position at the time [smiling]. You feel like, Okay, what do I need to do? What am I going to do? How am I going to change things around? How am I going to just make it go my way? Again, I really felt I pumped myself up. I let it out a little bit. I yelled a little bit. I was much more aggressive right from the beginning of that second set...     "Two aces on key moments, that's always very nice and very comfortable to feel and to think that you can rely on this big weapon, which a couple days ago did not work so well in the middle of the match. But then today I was able really to come up with probably my best service games in the last set. So that made life a little bit easier on the last game...     "I was a little bit nervous on the matchpoint I would say, which is probably understandable. But I was really focusing on the game, on what I had to do, on my serve, on my volley, if I was serving and volley. That was about it." interview - Reuters story     Justine said: "I played a solid first set, and then lost a little bit my concentration on a few points, and then there was this break. I tried to stay in the set. It was only one break at the time. I came back at 4-3 and [Amelie] was playing better at that time. But I wasn't aggressive enough, and the match turned completely.     "In the third set I really tried to stay in the match, and I kept fighting to the end, but she kept serving well. There is nothing to say. She took more opportunities than me. She's been more consistent on her serve. I didn't serve very well today. So it's a bit hard, but it's okay...     "Today I wasn't playing my best tennis far from that. That's the kind of day that happens, and you need to accept it and to move forward. I tried to stay positive. I wasn't maybe fresh enough to win this match, I don't know. She has been more solid than me, and that's it... She was serving great. A lot of first serves. That's been probably the biggest difference between us today.     "I am pretty tired after winning the French Open and Eastbourne but it's been a good few weeks and even here, I had a very good time. It's been very positive and I'll be back and get my chance another time." interview - Reuters story - BBC story - AP story     Justine and Amelie are now tied at 5-5 in career matches. They had met in the final of this year's Australian Open, when Justine retired from the match due to severe stomach pains which were caused by anti-inflammatory medication she was taking for a shoulder problem. In their most recent match, a semifinal at the German Open in Berlin, Justine defeated Amelie 6-1, 6-2.

    Amelie has now won 23 WTA Tour singles titles, and is 2-1 in Grand Slam tourney finals (she lost the 1999 Aussie Open final to Martina Hingis). Justine has won 27 WTA Tour singles titles, and is 5-3 in Grand Slam singles finals. One of her earlier losses was her retirement from this year's Aussie Open, the other was in the first Grand Slam final of Justine's career, the 2001 Wimbledon final, when then 19-year-old Justine was defeated by Venus Williams, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0. Winning Wimbledon would have completed a "career slam" for Justine, who won the French title in 2003, 2005, and 2006, the US Open in 2003, and the Australian Open in 2004. Now she will have to wait for another year.
Mauresmo career record - Henin-Hardenne career record - Henin-Hardenne wallpaper

Men's Final: s1 Roger Federer SUI d s2 Rafael Nadal ESP 6-0, 7-6(5), 6(2)-7, 6-3

WTA SCOREBOARD: The Championships at Wimbledon s=seed, #=rank, *=upset, LL=lucky loser ranks are for the previous week How do players get into the "draw"? prizes in US $ are at June 7 conversion rate Attendees of the Branson (Virgin everything)-sponsored WTA player party at Kensington Roof Gardens on Thursday, June 22, included top row: tennis fan Claudia Schiffer, and supermodels Maria Sharapova, Nicole Vaidisova, Elena Vesnina, and Tatiana Golovin; bottom row: supermodels Vilmarie Castellvi & Sunitha Rao, Venus Williams, and Mashona Washington, and tennis fan Kate Middleton On Sunday, June 25, at Wimbledon, 2005 champ Venus Williams met the press, while top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo and 2004 champ Maria Sharapova were up to some backhanded business-- and 2006 French Open champ Justine Henin-Hardenne waited for Hal to open the pod bay door so she could practice, too

Wimbledon, 1st Round Mon-Wed Jun 26-28 noon loser's prize: £7,860 = US $14,589; points: 2 Monday: washout No matches were completed at the AELTC on Monday, but some fans stayed dry, on the outside, anyway...   Tuesday: Steffi Graf Fraulein Forehand, retired seven-time Wimbledon champion, watched some old ATP guy play #1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #190 q Ivana Abramovic CRO 6-0, 6-0 Wed Amelie and Ivana driving forehands     Amelie said: "It's one of the greatest matches that I've played here... It's maybe tough to judge a little bit after just one match... And also not to spend too much time on the court is another satisfaction for me." interview #2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #47 Vera Zvonareva RUS 7-5, 6-3 Mon-rain-Tue Monday: Kim and Vera watching their forehands fly; Tuesday: Kim flying after a forehand     Kim said: "[Vera is] a good player. I think because of injuries, I think she's dropped back to where she is. I knew that I had to play a good match, and I had to be ready for it to play and to to play well and to win today. That was very important.     "I think playing her last week in Eastbourne, those three games we played there [before Vera retired due to injury], it was very hard to tell how good she was playing because she wasn't really moving well. I think today and yesterday she was she surprised me a lot I think with the way she was moving. She defended really well. I think in a short time she'll be back to where she used to be." interview #3 s3 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL d #99 Meng Yuan CHN 6-0, 6-1 ppd-Tue Justine reaching for a forehand, and Meng about to swat one #4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #40 Anna Smashnova ISR 6-2, 6-0 Wed Maria twisting a serve, Anna's forehand, Maria following her backhand as she charges netward, and after match point     Maria said: "From the beginning of the match, I kind of broke [Anna]. That was kind of the whole set of that match. You know, I took advantage of the first balls. I knew that she's not the best grass court player. I just had to go for my shots, hit them, try to come in, put some pressure on her, because she'll run out there all day." interview #7 s5 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #82 q Romina Oprandi ITA 6-3, 6-2 ppd-Tue Svetlana about to slice a backhand #8 s7 Elena Dementieva RUS d #38 Sania Mirza IND 7-6(5), 7-5 Wed Elena and Sania delivering forehands #10 s8 Patty Schnyder SUI d #98 Antonella Serra Zanetti ITA 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 ppd-Tue Patty's lefty backhand, and Antonella's (who defeated Patty in the 1st round in 2005) right-handed variety #11 s9 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #223 Cara Black ZIM 6-0, 6-4 Wed Anastasia's forehand, Cara handling a high backhand, and Anastasia reaching for a low one #12 s6 Venus Williams USA d #102 Bethanie Mattek USA 6-1, 6-0 Wed Venus about to drive a backhand, and Bethanie chasing down a forehand     Venus said: "I felt good out there. [Bethanie] was a worthy opponent. It seemed like I had all the right answers when she came up with some very good shots, too. That helped." interview     Bethanie said: "It was kind of hard to do anything. [Venus] was playing really well. Every time I'd get up a couple points in the game, she'd come up with some great shots. So it was just hard to get a rhythm. I wasn't able to quite show my game today...     "She likes to go for it. You know, she came up with some good serves when she needed to. She hit the lines, hit a couple aces. Every time she got a little off pace ball, she'd go for a winner. So pretty aggressive game...     "It was definitely a good experience. I hadn't played out there before. I really enjoy playing out there. I wish I could have stayed out there a little longer, but... Next year." interview #13 s10 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #46 Klara Koukalova CZE 7-5, 7-5 ppd-Tue Nicole about to slice a backhand *#302 wc Melanie South GBR d #14 s11 Francesca Schiavone ITA 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 Wed Melanie's forehand, Francesca's backhand, and Melanie after match point     Melanie said: "Of course you are [nervous]. It's like my first singles round. I'm playing someone who is like 14 in the world. I'm going to be nervous. But also at the same time I had nothing to lose. Like no one's ever expecting me to win. I just went out there and enjoyed it." interview #15 s12 Martina Hingis SUI d #103 Olga Savchuk UKR 6-2, 6-2 Mon-rain-Tue Martina slicing a serve on Tuesday, and after match point     Martina hit some excellent drop shots on Tuesday. Martina said: "I had to do something, especially on grass. You have to try to have a lot of variety in your shots because somehow you always look for the ball. If you don't give the opponent the same shot twice, it definitely helps because the bounces and everything is just already so hard to get ready for, to control the ball. That's just to mix it up and so the opponent doesn't know what you're doing."     The match was played on Court # 2, known as "The Graveyard of Champions," because many upsets have occured their (e.g., Jill Craybas d Serena Williams in 2005). Martina said: "I love that court... I have no bad experiences on that. I don't like Court 1, but I do like No. 2. They can have me play there all the time. I don't care... It's small, intimate. Great atmosphere. Like yesterday, when I walked on the court, you really feel the fans. They're very close to you. I like that court. I never lost on that court." interview *#83 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL d #16 s13 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 ppd-Tue #17 s14 Dinara Safina RUS d #45 Jill Craybas USA 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 Wed Dinara driving a forehand, and Jill about to #18 s15 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #58 Maria-Elena Camerin ITA 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 Mon-rain-Tue Monday: Daniela figuring, Maria-Elena backhanding; Tuesday: Daniela swatting a forehand on the move #19 s16 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #120 Sandra Kloesel GER 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 Wed Flavia's backhand *#110 Shinobu Asagoe JPN d #20 s17 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-2, 7-6(1) ppd-Tue Maria following her backhand, Shinobu launching one on the run, and after match point #21 s18 Ai Sugiyama JPN d #505 wc Naomi Cavaday GBR 6-4, 7-5 Mon-rain-Tue Ai's backhand drive #22 s19 Ana Ivanovic SCG d #119 Emmanuelle Gagliardi SUI 7-5, 7-6(4) Wed Ana firing a forehand, and Emmanuelle about to swat one #23 s20 Shahar Peer ISR d #78 Yuliana Fedak UKR 6-2, 6-1 Wed Yuliana about to connect with a backhand, Shahar just after contact #24 s21 Katarina Srebotnik SLO d #60 Martina Sucha SVK 6-4, 6-1 ppd-Tue *#42 Sybille Bammer AUT d #25 s22 Nathalie Dechy FRA 7-5, 7-5 Wed #26 s23 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #126 Su-Wei Hsieh TPE 6-3, 6-2 Wed #27 s24 Marion Bartoli FRA d #97 Camille Pin FRA 6-0, 6-2 ppd-Tue #28 s25 Elena Likhovtseva RUS d #84 Stephanie Foretz FRA 6-0, 6-2 Wed #29 s26 Jelena Jankovic SCG d #43 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP 6-3, 6-4 Wed #30 s27 Na Li CHN d #89 Virginie Razzano FRA 6-2, 6-0 ppd-Tue Na's backhand *#123 Eva Birnerova CZE d #31 s28 Sofia Arvidsson SWE 6-2, 6-4 Mon-rain-Tue #32 s29 Tatiana Golovin FRA d #94 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG 3-6, 6-2, 9-7 Wed Switch hitter Tatiana (brunette this fortnight, frequently blonde--but always RH, 2H-BH), about to wallop a forehand, and Mariana belting a backhand     This was only Tatiana's second WTA match since she tore ankle ligaments during her semifinal against Maria Sharapova at the NASDAQ-100 at Key Biscayne in March.     In addition to switching between blonde and brunette, Tatiana has been rotating her racquets recently. She started out on the Tour swinging a Volkl bat, and did so through January of this year. But in Paris in February, Tatiana began chopping with a Wilson nVision. During her injury layoff she switched again, and now wields the same Wilson wacket Venus Williams formerly used, the nCode n4 (Venus is now swinging a new Wilson bat not yet for sale, reported called the W5 Divine Iris). #33 s30 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #80 Zi Yan CHN 6-3, 6-2 ppd-Tue #34 s31 Gisela Dulko ARG d #62 Emma Laine FIN 7-6(11), 6-1 Mon-rain-Tue *#79 Amy Frazier USA d #35 s32 Mara Santangelo ITA 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 Wed *#163 q Tamarine Tanasugarn THA d #36 Catalina Castano COL 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-2 ppd-Tue Tammy's backhand #37 Jie Zheng CHN d #48 Iveta Benesova CZE 7-5, 6-2 Mon-rain-Tue #41 Shuai Peng CHN d #67 Eleni Daniilidou GRE 6-4, 6-4 Wed Eleni scooping her 1-handed backhand drive, and Shuai cringing her 2-hander #44 Kveta Peschke CZE d #117 Kristina Brandi PUR 6-3, 6-0 ppd-Tue *#106 Anastassia Rodionova RUS d #49 Emilie Loit FRA 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 Wed #50 Samantha Stosur AUS d #55 Michaella Krajicek NED 7-5, 6-3 Wed Samantha ready to slice a backhand, and Michaella driving one *#129 q Severine Bremond FRA d #51 Anastasiya Yakimova BLR 7-5, 6-3 ppd-Tue *#76 Ashley Harkleroad USA d #52 Jelena Kostanic CRO 6-3, 6-3 Wed #53 Laura Granville USA d #71 Maret Ani EST 6-1, 7-6(3) Wed #54 Jamea Jackson USA d #130 q Kirsten Flipkens BEL 4-6, 4-6, 6-1 Mon-rain-Tue Jamea after winning a point     Jamea said: "[In the 2nd set] I got a lot more aggressive. [Kirsten] plays a game that's great on grass. She's got a great slice. It was staying really low. She was really changing up the paces with her forehand, she was looping some, really hitting some pretty hard.     "I just had to get back into the match and play my own game. I think in the first I kind of let her control the match and what she was doing.     "We had some really tough games in there, especially with her serve, she's got a great serve that I was able to pull out. I think that's what made the difference. I think it was a lot closer than the score made it look." interview *#81 Ekaterina Bychkova RUS d #56 Aiko Nakamura JPN 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 ppd-Tue *#73 Meghann Shaughnessy USA d #57 Alona Bondarenko UKR 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 Wed *#121 Mashona Washington USA d #59 Julia Schruff GER 6-3, 6-4 Wed Mashona ready to drive a backhand #61 Elena Vesnina RUS d #75 Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo ESP 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 ppd-Tue #63 Tathiana Garbin ITA d #235 wc Katie O'Brien GBR 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 ppd-Tue Tathiana slicing a backhand, and Katie ready to drive one #64 Karolina Sprem CRO d #143 wc Anne Keothavong GBR 6-0, 6-2 ppd-Tue *#74 Martina Muller GER d #65 Kaia Kanepi EST 6-4, 6-4 Wed *#249 wc Sarah Borwell GBR d #66 Marta Domachowska POL 6-3, 6(3)-7, 6-4 Wed     Sarah said: "[Late in the 2nd set] I think I realized I was playing a Grand Slam, probably the greatest Grand Slam of the year. Unfortunately, I hit three double faults and probably not the most graceful double faults at that. I'm just glad I realized in the tiebreak she was getting a bit nervous as well..." interview *#69 Akiko Morigami JPN d #68 Vera Dushevina RUS 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 Mon-rain-Tue Monday: Vera's forehand, and Akiko's backhand; Tuesday: after match point     Akiko said: "I didn't feel too well in the first set, and then it was definitely good rain [delay] for me... I was nervous a little bit because of Wimbledon... it's always tough to play in the first round. But I found a way to win today, so I'm very happy that I won." interview #72 Shenay Perry USA d #155 q Kristina Barrois GER 7-5, 5-7, 8-6 Wed #77 Melinda Czink HUN d #93 Laura Pous Tio ESP 6-3, 6-1 Wed #85 Lisa Raymond USA d #153 q Yaroslava Shvedova RUS 3-5 retired Wed *#136 q Nicole Pratt AUS d #86 Jarmila Gajdosova SVK 6-2 6-3 Wed *#92 Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP d #87 Hana Sromova CZE 6-4, 6-3 ppd-Tue #88 Vania King USA d #90 LL Julia Vakulenko UKR 5-4 retired Wed *#195 q Clarisa Fernandez ARG d #91 Conchita Martinez Granados ESP 6-2, 4-6, 4-3 retired Wed *#111 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR d #95 Ivana Lisjak CRO 6-4, 7-5 ppd-Tue #96 Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR d #109 Lilia Osterloh USA 6-4, 3-3 retired Mon-rain-Tue #100 Tiantian Sun CHN d #112 Nathalie Vierin ITA 6-3, 6-4 Wed *#214 wc Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #101 Victoria Azarenka BLR 7-5, 6-4 ppd-Tue Agnieszka's backhand #105 q Meilen Tu USA d #116 q Vassilissa Bardina RUS 6-, 6-0 ppd-Tue *#259 wc Alicia Molik AUS d #178 q Yung-Jan Chan TPE 7-5, 6-1 ppd-Tue Alicia's 1-handed backhand drive, and Yung-Jan's two-hander

Wimbledon, 2nd Round Weds-Thu Jun 28-29 noon loser's prize: £12,840 = US $23,832; points: 32 #1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #50 Samantha Stosur AUS 6-4, 6-2 Thu Amelie's flying forehand     Amelie said: "I think a pretty good match. A typical grass court match, against Stosur. She likes to come in as well. That made it a little bit different from all the other matches I have to play usually. So was quite interesting. I felt I served and returned pretty well today. I took the opportunity I had right at the beginning of the match, and then took another couple of chances in the second set. So I'm very satisfied about this match." interview #2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #96 Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR walkover-- illness Wed #3 s3 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL d #81 Ekaterina Bychkova RUS 6-1, 6-2 Wed Justine's forehand (which she prefers over her backhand, which some folks, e.g. John McEnroe, think is the best in the game), and Ekaterina knowing there isn't much she can do #4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #76 Ashley Harkleroad USA 6-2, 6-2 Thu Maria and Ashley launching forehands, and Maria after match point     Maria said: "I thought I was playing pretty solidly. [Ashley is] a pretty good hitter. I played her in Australia. I had a pretty tough second set. She's definitely playing a lot better than when we were in Juniors. We've played a few times already, so I knew her game quite well. I thought I did a lot of things well, and came in at the right time." interview #7 s5 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #44 Kveta Peschke CZE 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 Wed Svetlana reaching for a backhand, and Kveta driving one more uprightly #8 s7 Elena Dementieva RUS d #73 Meghann Shaughnessy USA 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 Thu Elena following her backhand *#129 q Severine Bremond FRA d #10 s8 P Schnyder SUI 6-4, 1-6, 4-5 Wed-dark-Thu Backhands: Patty's 2H-LH, Severine's 1H-RH #11 s9 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #74 Martina Muller 6-2, 6-1 Thu Anastasia stalking the elusive forehand     Anastasia has been feeling more relaxed, in part because her mother, who was very ill in 2005, is healthy again, and traveling with her on the Tour.     In a BBC interview, Anastasia said: "Clay is definitely not my best surface. Yes, I won the French Open, but I still prefer to play fast courts like hard courts or grass. I feel more confident. I like the fast games and short rallies.     "I'm trying to be more aggressive and I think it's working. It's everything - controlling the point, coming to the net, returning well and so on.     "I'm thinking more positive and my mum is with me - everybody healthy. She understands me really well and we have fun together. She's also cooking for me which is definitely much better than room service at the hotel." BBC story     Bolstered by her mom's home cooking, 'Nastia won 77% of her 1st serve points, won 57% of her receiving points, and scored on 11 of 14 trips to the net (Martina: 45%, 33%, and 4 of 12). match stats #12 s6 Venus Williams USA d #85 Lisa Raymond USA 6(4)-7, 7-5, 6-2 Thu Lisa lifting a forehand, and Venus chasing one down     Lisa served for the match when leading 5-3 in the 2nd set, but Venus broke her. Lisa said: "The tennis gods caught up with me a bit today... I put myself in a perfect position to win that match and just don't get it done. I didn't get one first serve in in that game... I had been serving so well... You're about to serve for the match against the defending champion and you start rushing. I did, and it cost me. I didn't serve well that game, and you can't give Venus second serves." interview     Venus said: "I was only down one break, and I was serving very well. I just happened to play some bad shots to get broken. I was just thinking 'All I have to do is break once and it's going to be very tough for [Lisa] to break me again.' Once I got that break, I felt very confident serving at 4-5." interview #13 s10 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #111 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR 6-1, 6-1 Wed Nicole firing a forehand, and Kateryna launching a backhand #15 s12 Martina Hingis SUI d #63 Tathiana Garbin ITA 6-1, 6-2 Wed Tathina swatting a forehand, Martina's forehand, and after match point #17 s14 Dinara Safina RUS d #121 Mashona Washington USA 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 Thu #18 s15 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #54 Jamea Jackson USA 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 ppd-Thu Daniela's backhand, and after match point #19 s16 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #53 Laura Granville USA 6-2, 6-1 Thu Flavia twisting a serve, and Laura chasing a forehand #21 s18 Ai Sugiyama JPN d #69 Akiko Morigami JPN 6-2, 7-5 Wed Akiko and Ai belting backhands     Ai said: "I didn't have a feeling of my forehand in the first round, and I was struggling a bit. And also I didn't know Cavaday at all. It was kind of tough to find out the way I should play. But I fixed my forehand after the first round, and I was pretty confident... I was really comfortable on the court today." interview     Akiko said: "Sugiyama played pretty well, I think, because she was really aggressive. I wanted to play my game, but she didn't let me. She just beat me today. I mean, I have to give a lot of credit... I felt so much pressure because she was hitting the ball inside the baseline, then I had to back it up a lot, which I didn't want to do. I wanted to take the ball early. I wanted to be inside the baseline. But she didn't let me do that. So I have to give a lot of credit. She played pretty well." interview #22 s19 Ana Ivanovic SCG d #249 wc Sarah Borwell GBR 6-1, 6-2 Thu     Sarah said: "I never played anyone of that standard before. Never seen the ball come at me that hard before, so was a bit difficult.     "I basically learnt that to get to the next level I'm going to have to practice with people who are either ranked similar to me, or at that [higher] level. I think she probably obviously sees that standard day in, day out, and I don't. I think that was the difference. I could play points and do odd points where I played well, but I'm not capable of playing point in, point out at that standard just yet, because I'm just not used to it." interview *#41 Shuai Peng CHN d #23 s20 Shahar Peer ISR 6-4, 7-6(5) Thu #24 s21 Katarina Srebotnik SLO d #259 wc Alicia Molik AUS 6-2, 6-1 ppd-Thu Alicia's forehand, and Katarina's backhand #26 s23 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #195 q Clarisa Fernandez ARG 6(7)-7, 7-5, 11-9 Thu Anabel about to swat a backhand, and lefty Clarisa sending one on its way *#64 Karolina Sprem CRO d #27 s24 Marion Bartoli FRA 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 Wed #28 s25 Elena Likhovtseva RUS d #100 Tiantian Sun CHN 6-3, 6-3 Thu #29 s26 Jelena Jankovic SCG d #88 Vania King USA 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 Thu #30 s27 Na Li CHN d #105 q Meilen Tu USA 6-2, 6-4 Wed Na's forehand *#136 q Nicole Pratt AUS d #32 s29 Tatiana Golovin FRA 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 Thu #33 s30 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #61 Elena Vesnina RUS 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 Wed #34 s31 Gisela Dulko ARG d #92 Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP 7-5, 6-4 Wed #37 Jie Zheng CHN d #123 Eva Birnerova CZE 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-3 Wed #42 Sybille Bammer AUT d #106 Anastassia Rodionova RUS 6-4, 6-4 Thu #72 Shenay Perry USA d #302 wc Melanie South GBR 7-6(5), 6-2 Thu     Melanie said: "I went out there again looking to enjoy it. Ended up with a set point, which I just missed. I replayed that over in my mind about 500 times now. So I'm pretty disappointed about that.     "Then [Ana] just kind of took it on... I was trying to go for too much. That really led it to an easier second set for her." interview *#79 Amy Frazier USA d #77 Melinda Czink HUN 6-2, 6-3 Thu *#214 wc Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #83 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 7-5, 7-6(5) Wed-dark-Thu *#163 q T Tanasugarn THA d #110 S Asagoe JPN 6-3 7-5 Wed-dark-Thu

Wimbledon, 3rd Round Fri-Sat Jun 30-Jul 1 noon loser's prize: £21,210 = US $39,368; points: 56 #1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #136 q Nicole Pratt AUS 6-1, 6-2 Sat Amelie's forehand & backhand, the only pic of Nicole posted before "press time," modeling Wimbledon towelware, and Amelie after match point     Amelie said: "The last match was against a big serve player. Then today was a little bit different. [Nicole] was using the slice a little bit more so that makes it sometimes tough to find the right balance. I think the next one is going to be a big test...     I played [Ana Ivanovic] a few times already. She's one of the newcomers on the tour. She hits the ball pretty hard on both sides, serves very well also. I haven't seen how she plays here on grass. I'm sure she uses a lot of power also. So, yeah, expecting a tough one." interview #2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #37 Jie Zheng CHN 6-3, 6-2 Fri Kim and Jie serving, Kim's backhand, and after match point     Kim said: "I felt I played a good match. You know, [Jie is] a tough player. I played against her once in Hong Kong before Sydney, in an exhibition. There, it was a close match. She's a good kind of like a counter puncher. She likes to play fast rallies, and likes to stand on top of the baseline and just dictate the points. And it was important for me to keep moving her side to side and not letting her play her game. I think I did that really well today. I served well and I think I played a good match." interview #3 s3 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL d #33 s30 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 6-2, 6-3 Fri Justine driving a forehand, Anna hanging tough, and Justine after the match     Justine said: "I just go match after match... I just try to do my job the best I can. I enjoy my game a lot right now, so it's great. I'm happy to be on the court healthy.     "I'm in the fourth round here, so that's a good step. But next match is going to be my next goal, and that's it. I don't want to look too far. It's a bit disappointed for you guys [reporters] when I say that, but that's the way I feel right now. That's the way I have to think in the next few days." interview #4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #79 Amy Frazier USA 6-3, 6-2 Sat Maria serving, Amy's forehand drive, Maria firing one, and Maria after match point     33-year-old Amy Frazier has now played in 70 Grand Slam tourneys, dating back to the 1987 US Open, during which she reached the 3rd round twenty-two times, the 4th round eight times, and the quarterfinals twice. Her career prize money is $3,386,319.     Maria said: "[Amy is] a pretty solid grass court player with her game, her serve is pretty flat, she takes the first ball, likes to hit her shots. I feel like I got a pretty good workout out there. I had to work for the match. I definitely feel confident going into the fourth round." interview     Maria sprained an ankle while practicing in April, and sat out the entire clay court season until the French Open, during which it was still hurting. Maria said: "My ankle's doing a lot better. It's not restricting me when I move out there. So I feel a lot better on my movement. I feel like I'm starting new. When points get a little bit long, I feel like I'm more in control, whereas on clay I felt a little bit out of it, wasn't quite moving well certainly because of the tape on my ankle. Without the tape, I feel a lot looser and freer." *#30 s27 Na Li CHN d #7 s5 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 Fri Na's forehand, Svetlana's backhand, Na about to swat one, and after match point #8 s7 Elena Dementieva RUS d #28 s25 Elena Likhovtseva RUS 7-5, 6-3 Sat Elena D's forehand, and following her backhand; no photos could be found of Elena L-- who is still alive in doubles, partnered with Anastasia Myskina, and mixed, with Daniel Nestor #11 s9 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #26 s23 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP 6-3, 6-4 Sat Anastasia serving, and driving a forehand, Anabel's backhand, and Anastasia waiting to wallop one *#29 s26 Jelena Jankovic SCG d #12 s6 Venus Williams USA 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-4 Sat Jelena serving, Venus following a backhand, Jelena's backhand, and after match point "Ohmygosh"     The match was played on Court 2, the "Graveyard of Champions," where Venus' sister Serena Williams was defeated by then # 83 Jill Craybas last year, 6-3, 7-6(5), and where Pete Sampras lost to 145th-ranked George Bastl in the 2nd round in 2002.     A top-20 player last year, Jelena was 1-10 this year before the Italian Open. Then she started winning again. Jelena said: "It all started in Rome. That was my second match that I won of the year. I was studying a lot... I wasn't concentrating so much on tennis. And I lost a little bit of confidence... [Now] I'm really enjoying the tennis, more concentrating. But I also, besides from tennis, want to have an education and continue with my school with the university [in Belgrade]...     "[Venus and I] played in Rome. That was kind of a turning point. I played quarterfinals out of nowhere, and I didn't win a match before that. I was up against Venus set and 4-3, 40-15, in Rome. I kind of served two first serves and played I risked too much. It cost me the match.     "I'm so excited that I won this match... At the end, I was just so nervous. I think I felt like the racquet was 30 pounds [laughter]. It was just such a strange feeling. But I just thought, I was telling myself just to hang in there and hopefully I will pull it out...     "The match point, she served like 115 miles serve and 112 or something, was so hard for me. And my racquet, I was shaking there." interview     Venus said: "[Jelena] just played well.... I wasn't able to play my best... I was having problems with my left wrist. It made it very, very, tough." interview #13 s10 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #64 Karolina Sprem CRO 7-5, 7-5 Fri Nicole's forehand, Karolina's backhand, Nicole reaching for a backhand, and after match point *#21 s18 Ai Sugiyama JPN d #15 s12 Martina Hingis SUI 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 Fri Martina inquiring as to whether the chair umpire would consider it possible that she might be mistaken, Martina's backhand, Ai's backhand, and Ai levitating after match point     Ai won with her chief weapon: her powerful backhand. The statistics show little fault in Martina's game. She hit 33 winners with 22 unforced errors, (Ai: 28 and 22). Martina also scored on 20 of 24 trips to the net, and converted 4 of 7 break point opportunities, while totaling 90 points in the match to Ai's 87. But Ai converted every break point she had against Martina: 5 of 5. match stats     Martina was up a break at 3-0 in the 3rd set, but Ai won the next three games.     Ai said: "I didn't serve well at the beginning of the third set, so I lost my rhythm at the beginning, and [Martina] was always attacking my second serve, of course. But it seems like she was also tired. Then it was pretty humid, yeah, hot and humid...     "We had long rallies, and she was shaking her legs. And so maybe I got a chance if I can still hang in there. Tried to get back the ball back into the court as much as I can, and then it turned around. So it was good...     "My backhand was going really well, especially up the line." interview     Martina said: "[In the 3rd set] I think it was a really long game to go up 2-love. Then 3-love, it was still very draining, those games. At 3-love, I kind of made this weird step, so I started feeling my thigh. But there's no excuse.     "[Ai] didn't miss. She played a great match. She's probably harder to play on this surface than anything else because she's very fast. She likes those flat balls. [I] tried to be even faster, but not today...     "She doesn't really have a weakness. She has a very solid game from the baseline, then her backhand down the line was deadly today..." interview *#22 s19 Ana Ivanovic SCG d #17 s14 Dinara Safina RUS 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 Sat Dinara and Ana launching backhands, and Ana after match point     Ana said: "Very difficult match. From the beginning I know [that Dinara is] a great player. I knew it's would be a very hard match. And also conditions today were a little bit tough.     "I'm really pleased. I used opportunities I had in the second set. I think she played really well from the beginning and served well. In the first set I still had some opportunities... towards the end of the second, just got better. I felt better in the court, more confidence. And really pleased I took the opportunities." interview #18 s15 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #24 s21 Katarina Srebotnik SLO 6-4, 7-6(2) Fri Daniela slicing a serve with extra hair, Katarina's backhand, Daniela's finely-formed forehand, and after match point     About her 4th round opponent, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Daniela said: "She's a great champion. I have a lot of respect for the way she plays. So it's going to be an exciting match for me, and I can't wait to be out there again...     "With a player like that, it doesn't really matter what surface you play her on, because she's one of the toughest players at the moment to beat. But I definitely feel like grass suits my game as well, and I feel like probably if I could pick a surface, it would be grass to play her on." interview #19 s16 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #41 Shuai Peng CHN 6-2, 6-3 Sat Flavia dispatching a backhand drop shot, Shuai after falling and hurting her knee, Shuai's backhand drive, and Flavia listening to the applause after match point *#129 q Severine Bremond FRA d #34 s31 Gisela Dulko ARG 7-6(6) 5-7 7-5 Fri Gisela's backhand, Severine about to slice one, and after match point *#72 Shenay Perry USA d #42 Sybille Bammer AUT 7-5 6-3 Sat Sybille's backhand, and Shenay's forehand *#214 wc Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #163 q Tamarine Tanasugarn THA 6-3, 6-2 Fri Agnieszka's backhand, Tammy having her injured thigh strapped, Tammy after losing a point, and Agnieszka after match point Former Wimbledon champs Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Steffi Graf, Margaret Smith Court, and Maria Bueno were presented with glass bowls on Saturday-- all five of these ladies, plus Chris Evert, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, and Virginia Wade, can be seen in action at Wimbledon in tennis.quickfound.net's free Wimbledon Wallpaper

Wimbledon, 4th Round, Mon Jul 3 noon loser's prize: £38,970 = US $72,332; points: 90 #1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #22 s19 Ana Ivanovic SCG 6-3, 6-4 Ana's running forehand, Amelie's backhand, Ana's backhand, and Amelie after match point     Amelie said: "[Ana is] hitting the ball very well, incredibly hard. I really wanted to make sure that I was good on my service games, of course, but also giving her some trouble on her service games, which I was able to do, especially a little bit more in that second set." interview     About her quarterfinal opponent, Anastasia Myskina, whom Amelie defeated in the 2005 QFs, Amelie said: "[Anastasia] seemed to be playing pretty well on grass, being in the final the week before last in Eastbourne, and playing some pretty good tennis here. Maybe it's going to be a little bit of a different match than I played against her last year.     "Last year I think she was a bit down in her career after winning the French Open the year before. She had some trouble staying at the highest level. She seems to be coming back pretty strong.     "I really have to be focusing hard, like I did today. Even though it's going to be very different, I mean, Ivanovic likes to play one, two, three shots maximum. It seems like we're going to have longer rallies with Anastasia. I'm ready for it. I know her very well. She knows me, obviously, very well also. So I'm expecting a tough one." #2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #214 wc Agnieszka Radwanska POL 6-2, 6-2 Kim charging a drop shot, Agnieszka not hitting the ball with the frame, although it looks that way, Kim driving a backhand, and after winning a point     Kim said: "[Agnieszka is] a different type of player I think than you usually get to play. She's not the type of player who is going to really dictate the points. She hits very low shots. She moves well. She moves really well. I think the better of a shot you hit, the tougher the ball comes back. I think she's one of those types of players. She missed some easy shots where I just brought the ball back. If I hit some good shots, she came up with some good shots as well. Just a little bit different out there. Just tougher to get a rhythm, I think. Yeah, overall, I'm happy with the way I did." interview #3 s3 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL v #18 s15 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 6-3, 6-1 Daniela's forehand, Justine chasing one, Justine's flying backhand, and after winning a point     Justine has won the US and Australian Opens, and at Roland Garros three times, but has not yet won the title at Wimbledon. Justine said: "I just have to go match after match. That's what I'm doing in the last few days. I'm not going to change my mind about that. Tomorrow, it's another match, a quarterfinal. I'm very happy with this result now here in Wimbledon 'cause I didn't play well last year and couldn't be here two years ago. Being in the quarters, it's very good. I don't want to stop here, for sure. But let's go step by step and we will see." interview #4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #19 s16 Flavia Pennetta ITA 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3 Maria after slicing a serve, Flavia's backhand, Maria reaching for one, and after winning a point     Maria said: "[Flavia] played extremely well... I can never underestimate my opponent. Going into the fourth round, I haven't played her in a while, but I did have a tough match against here a few years ago. I knew that it wasn't going to be easy. She's beaten some top players. She's had experience. It was just up to me to do my job.     "I had my opportunities in the second set. I had a point for 3-all in the second. I let that go. Then I had other opportunities that I didn't take. I was missing a lot of approach shots. She was giving me a lot of those short, low balls. I was missing a lot of those. I think in the third set I finally hit a few... she played a very solid game." interview #8 s7 Elena Dementieva RUS d #72 Shenay Perry USA 6-2, 6-0 Elena following her backhand, Shenay picking up a low one, Elena after one-handing a runner, and after match point     Shenay said: "I've never been in that situation before and I was pretty nervous... I would have liked to have served a lot better. [Elena] played really well very, very well. She's very experienced and obviously a top player. I would have liked to have served a lot better and probably hit my forehand a lot better than I did." interview #11 s9 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #29 s26 Jelena Jankovic SCG 6-4, 7-6(5) Anastasia's forehand, Jelena's backhand, Anastasia checking to see if that Sharapova girl has been using her towel again, and after match point     Anastasia had the match in hand when she broke Jelena to go ahead 5-4 in the 2nd set, but Jelena broke back. Anastasia broke Jelena's serve again--and Jelena broke Anastasia's again, to force the tiebreaker. Anastasia said: "[Jelena] can play. She can play really well. But she's like up and down all the time... I had to [keep focused the] whole match... I put a little bit of pressure on myself that I have to finish the match [in two sets]. She was more relaxed." interview     About her quarterfinal opponent, Amelie Mauresmo, whom she lost to in last year's Wimbledon QFs, Anastasia said: "[Amelie] will come to the net, for sure. But I just have to play my best... Consistent and aggressive and serve well and return well. So basically everything.     "I'm sure Amélie will take me more seriously, because last year was a drama Wimbledon for me. I was [almost] losing every match. Well, surprisingly, I was in the quarterfinal. But here it's a little bit different... Maybe she also not going to be that relaxed. She maybe going to be tight in some points. We will see." *#30 s27 Na Li CHN d #13 s10 Nicole Vaidisova CZE 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 Na reaching for a backhand, Nicole's backhand drive, and Na after match point     Na is the first Chinese player ever to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal. Through an interpreter, Na said: "I'm proud of myself and I'm very proud for my country, as well." interview     Nicole said: "I think I struggled with my rhythm from the start. I felt I didn't move very well today, felt a little tired, a little tight. But I have to give credit to [Na]. On the important points, she played some great points, hit some great shots. Just what everybody saw." interview *#129 q Severine Bremond FRA d #21 s18 Ai Sugiyama JPN 7-6(11), 6-3 Severine's forehand, Ai's backhand, Severine, who usually hits a one-handed backhand, using two, and after match point     Ai said: "[Severine] was serving really fast, and a good percentage of first serves. And also she was slicing well. So at the baseline I really didn't get a good rhythm... On the big points, she was serving aces. And what can I do?" interview

Wimbledon, QFs, Tue Jul 4 1pm loser's prize: £76,650 = US $142,270; points: 162 #1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #11 s9 Anastasia Myskina RUS 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 Amelie's forehand, Anastasia's backhand, Anastasia's forehand, Amelie's backhand, and after match point     Amelie said: "I was feeling very comfortable in the first set, and then struggled a little bit to find back my rhythm in that second and beginning of third set. As I said yesterday, tournament is getting tougher and tougher as you go through rounds. That's what happened today." interview     Anastasia said: "I was okay. Wasn't really great... [more] unforced errors from my side than from Amélie's side. But I guess in the third set she just was stronger on the serve game. That's why she won.     "It was a great tournament. I played great matches. I beat the people who I supposed to beat. I just lost to Amelie, who's No. 1 in the world right now. You know, I really look forward for next tournaments. I'm hoping. I think if I'm going to work hard, then everything is going to happen. I just have to work hard." interview #2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #30 s27 Na Li CHN 6-4, 7-5 Na's forehand, Kim reaching for one, Kim's backhand, and after match point     Kim said: "[Na's] think her backhand is very powerful. She keeps the unforced errors down on her backhand. A really good shot. She's a really, really good player... Her forehand is I think her stroke that breaks down faster. But still, she can really, really dominate a lot of points like that. You feel like you always have to do a little bit more with your shot, because if you don't, she just goes for winners and she does it really well." interview     Na said: "I was very nervous. I think for this kind of level of match, everyone will be very nervous. But no matter how nervous you are, you just have to focus on what you are doing." interview #3 s3 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL d #129 q Severine Bremond FRA 6-4, 6-4 Justine firing a forehand, Severine likewise, Justine's backhand, and after match point     Justine said: "I knew it was going to be a dangerous match and [Severine] proved it. She played a very good match, very good level. I just tried to stay very calm. It's tough conditions. It was very heavy out there, so not easy. But happy to win in two sets, for sure.     "In the first set, I wasn't in the good rhythm. She was coming a lot to the net. She wasn't scared of playing on Court No. 1 in this kind of situation. She tried to take her chances and she played a very solid game. So I had to fight a lot on every point. I was ready for this. So it's important you ready to fight even if on the paper it looks easy. You know it could be difficult. And I knew it." interview     Severine said: "It's very impressive. Was my first time against Justine, first time on Court 1. So it was too much for me maybe for the first time. I was not so ready to play like that on this court. And Justine is a great player. She's wonderful on grass. I knew it was tough, but I did my best. I mean, but she was better anyway." interview #4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #8 s7 Elena Dementieva RUS 6-1, 6-4 Maria arriving on court with a bag of ice for the heat, Maria serving, Elena's flying forehand, Maria following a backhand, and Maria after match point     Maria said: "I definitely played a lot better than I did yesterday, and I knew I had to if I wanted to win... [Since Elena] has a very good return, that first serve percentage is very important. I don't feel like it has to be a big serve, but more placement than power...     "I didn't serve well against Pennetta. Didn't feel like I did. I felt that was one thing that was going to be really important today."     About her potential semifinal opponents, Maria said: "Anastasia has been playing really solid tennis this year... Amélie is No. 1 in the world. She's playing great tennis. I love that challenge of going out there and competing against the best in the world." interview     Elena said: "[Maria] was playing great today, especially in the first set, she put a lot of pressure on me. I don't think I was playing badly. I think it was a good match, but she was playing very solid, very deep, she was very focused today from the first point. It was really hard to fight today against her... Today she was serving very well, comparing to match yesterday against Flavia. She put a lot of first serves in. And she took advantage of this... I like to return, but it was very hard to put it back... It looks like she's still working on her serve. I really think she has a great one. She improved a lot. She has some slice serve. She can mix a lot. That what makes it, for me, very difficult to return." interview

Kim and Justine demonstrating their fierce animostity as younguns, and again after defeating Russia in the Fed Cup 1st round last April     Some members of the media have at times had a hankering to indicate that some sort of friction exists between the two Great Walls of Belgium, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne. But this does not appear to be the case.     On Tuesday, Kim said: "We get along... You beat each other, you win, you lose, and people automatically think that it creates tension or something. But I've never had that...     "To me, results don't matter at all... I like to make friends on the tour, knowing that if I stop, that I can still call girls and still hang out with girls and meet up and catch up. That to me is more important, and that's something that I prefer to take away.     "Trophies don't talk to you when you retire. When you are at home and sitting on a couch, you can look at your trophy room, but that's not going to talk to you... Myskina, Kuznetsova, we call when we're not playing tournaments... Pennetta. To me, that is so much more important than winning. Of course we all want to win."

Wimbledon, SFs, Thu Jul 6 1pm loser's prize: £151,500 = US $281,199; points: 292 #1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 Amelie firing a cannonball serve, Maria's backhand, Maria after winning a point, Amelie fetching a forehand, and after match point     The match stats were closer than the score. 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria played very aggressively, hitting 39 winners with 40 unforced errors (Amelie: 24 winners, 16 errors). 2006 Aussie Open champion Amelie put 60% of her 1st serves in the box, and won 37 of her 52 1st serve points (71%). Maria, who served 18 more times than Amelie, put 70% of her 1st serves in, winning 41 of those points (56%). Maria's longer service games gave Amelie 18 break point opportunities, and although she converted only 6 of them (33%), this was two more breaks than Maria got on Amelie's serve (4 of 8, 50%). match stats - BBC game-by-game     Amelie said: "I felt tactically I played very well today, and also throughout the tournament, because my game is really different from what the other girls are playing on grass. So it makes it maybe a little bit different for the opponent too. She has to adjust every time, she has to play almost a winner or passing shot every time. So t makes it a little bit different. That's what I'm doing best here. So why change today?." interview     Maria said: "[In the 3rd set, Amelie] forced me to come in, forced me to hit a good approach shot, try to make me hit a good volley. Especially in the beginning of the third set, I would try to come in. Sometimes I didn't have a lot on the ball, and she came up with some good passing shots. Sometimes I just made sloppier errors from the approach shot...     "I need to be patient against top players. When you have your opportunities, you got to take them. In the third set, after having the momentum, there was no reason for it to just go the other way all of a sudden." interview *#3 s3 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL d #2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL 6-4, 7-6(4) Justine watching her slice serve fly, Kim's backhand, Kim twisting a serve, Justine running down a forehand, and after match point     Justine, despite getting only 34 of her 1st serves in (49%), won 25 of those points (71%). Kim, whose 1st service percentage was 65% (47 of 72), won 27 of her 1st serve points (57%). Justine hit 21 winners with 17 unforced errors; Kim, 14 winners with 13 errors. And Justine scored on 17 of 21 trips to the net, while Kim, who prefers to stay back, was 7 for 10 on net approaches. match stats - BBC game-by-game     Justine said: "Today I played my best tennis on important points and when I had to, so that's great. I'm very happy the way the match ended and very happy to be for the second time here in the final...     "I'm for sure better player today than I was few years ago. Had a lot of trouble on grass in the last two years, didn't play a lot. So very happy to be back at my top level this year on grass...     "It's not easy to keep this intensity during the whole match against this kind of player, because [Kim] put on me a lot of pressure and I know it. So I know I have to be at my best level all the time, and that's not easy, especially on grass. You know, we have to come back a little bit. It's been hard for me in the past to be an aggressive player, come to the net. I'm doing it more often now. But still, it asks me an effort, it's not very natural. I have to keep working on it, but it's much better than it was a few months ago, so I am in a good way." interview     Kim said: "I was really going for the lines. I think that's what I did really well. I personally feel that for the last few matches that I played, this has been the best one I played against [Justine]. I'm happy with that. Obviously, I'm disappointed that I lost, but I'm still happy with that...     "She hit a few double faults today, but when it came down to it, like having a breakpoint, she hits some good first serves in... She played well when she had to...     "I gave her a lot of my better game. That's what I'm more happy about. Losing to her in some of the other Grand Slams, I was more disappointed in the fact that I didn't really give her my best. And I felt like today, she had to work for it. That's more of a like that's something more positive that I can take away from this match.     "She's always played good tennis against me. It's not flashy, but she's very steady. She always makes you go for that extra shot and always makes you go for that line. That's what she's good at." interview

Wimbledon, Final, Sat Jul 8 2pm loser's prize: £312,500 = US $580,031; points: 456 winner's prize: £625,000 = US $1,160,063; points: 650 #1 s1 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #3 s3 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 Amelie serving, Justine's backhand, Justine following a forehand and firing another, Amelie's backhand, and after match point

Wimbledon, Doubles Final, Sun Jul 9 noon losers' prize: £102,650 = US $190,529 winners' prize: £205,280 = US $381,020 cdr13 s4 Jie Zheng & Zi Yan d cdr81 Virginia Ruano Pascual & Paola Suarez 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 Zi and Jie, who also won this year's Aussie Open title, chasing the same ball during the match, and with the hardware Wimbledon, Mixed Doubles Final, Sat Jul 8 losers' prize: £45,000 = US $83,525 winners' prize: £90,000 = US $167,049 s9 Vera Zvonareva & Andy Ram d Venus Williams & Bob Bryan 6-3, 6-2 Vera, who served an ace on championship point, about to slice a backhand while Andy Ram stands guard Wimbledon, Girls Singles Final, Sat Jul 8 s4 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d Magdalena Rybarikova SVK 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 Caroline & Magdalena Wimbledon, Girls Doubles Final, Sun Jul 9 s2 Alisa Kleybanova RUS & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS     d s1 Kristina Antoniychuk UKR & Alexandra Dulgheru ROM 6-1, 6-2 Anastasia & Alisa Wimbledon, Ladies 35+ Doubles Final, Sat Jul 8 losers' prize: £8,690 = US $16,130 winners' prize: £11,590 = US $21,512 Jana Novotna & Rosalyn Nideffer d Tracy Austin & Nathalie Tauziat 6-4, 6-3 Rosalyn & Jana Wimbledon, Qualifying Finals Thu Jun 22 Q1st loser's prize: £1,560 = US $2,896 Q2nd loser's prize: £3,120 = US $5,791 Qfinal loser's prize: £4,990 = US $9,262 #82 Romina Oprandi ITA d #147 Vilmarie Castellvi PUR 6-2, 6-1 *#136 Nicole Pratt AUS d #90 Julia Vakulenko UKR 6-4, 6-2 #105 Meilen Tu USA d #122 Galina Voskoboeva RUS 6-2, 6-0 *#178 Yung-Jan Chan TPE d #108 Zuzana Ondraskova CZE 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 #116 Vassilissa Bardina RUS d #194 Barbora Strycova CZE 6-3, 6-2 *#130 Kirsten Flipkens BEL d #125 Olga Poutchkova BLR 7-5, 7-5 *#153 Yaroslava Shvedova RUS d #127 Tatiana Poutchek BLR 6-4, 6-1 #129 Severine Bremond FRA d #204 Claudine Schaul LUX 6-4, 6-2 *#163 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA d #151 Frederica Piedade POR 6-3, 6-0 *#195 Clarisa Fernandez ARG d #152 Maria Martinez Sanchez ESP 7-5, 7-6(3) #155 Kristina Barrois GER d #173 Sabine Klaschka GER 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 *#190 Ivana Abramovic CRO d #160 Stephanie Cohen Aloro FRA 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 Wimbledon, Withdrawals/Non-entries #5 s5 Nadia Petrova RUS right hip #6 Lindsay Davenport USA bulging disc #9 Mary Pierce FRA right foot tendinitis #39 Lucie Safarova CZE #70 Roberta Vinci ITA #104 Serena Williams left knee & ankle #128 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP r wrist

note: Victoria Azarenka had been awarded a wild card, but did not need it, as withdrawals resulted in her recieving a direct entry by rank. Victoria's wild card was then awarded to Cara Black.

The 64 doubles teams, arranged in drawsheet order; teams in red have been eliminated:

TOP HALF s1 Lisa Raymond USA & Samantha Stosur AUS rd3 Amy Frazier USA & Abigail Spears USA rd1 Marta Domachowska POL & Martina Sucha SVK rd1 Maureen Drake CAN & Nicole Vaidisova CZE rd2 Virginie Razzano FRA & Anna Smashnova ISR rd1 Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP & Paola Suarez ARG Final Sofia Arvidsson SWE & Martina Muller GER rd1 s17 Marion Bartoli FRA v Shahar Peer ISR rd2 s10 Eleni Daniilidou GRE & A Medina Garrigues ESP QF Chin-Wei Chan TPE & Su-Wei Hsieh TPE rd1 Anastassia Rodionova RUS & Andreea Vanc ROM rd2 Anna Chakvetadze RUS & Elena Vesnina RUS rd1 Sarah Borwell GBR & Jane O'Donoghue GBR rd1 Mervana Jugic-Salkic BIH & Emma Laine FIN rd3 Emmanuelle Gagliardi SUI & Mara Santangelo ITA rd2 s6 Shinobu Asagoe JPN & Katarina Srebotnik SLO rd1 s3 Daniela Hantuchova SVK & Ai Sugiyama JPN rd1 Jarmila Gajdosova SVK & Ashley Harkleroad USA rd3 Iveta Benesova CZE & Barbora Strycova CZE rd2 Gabriela Navratilova CZE & Michaela Pastikova CZE rd1 Katie O'Brien GBR & Melanie South GBR rd1 Juliana Fedak UKR & Tatiana Perebiynis UKR SF Maret Ani EST & Meilen Tu USA rd2 s16 Nathalie Dechy FRA & Gisela Dulko ARG rd1 s12 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS & A Mauresmo FRA WD rd2 Ma. Emilia Salerni ARG v Maria Vento-Kabchi VEN rd1 Claire Curran GBR & Jamea Jackson USA rd1 Lucie Hradecka CZE & Hana Sromova CZE rd3 Tatiana Poutchek BLR & Anastasia Yakimova BLR rd1 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG & Natalie Grandin RSA rd2 Liga Dekmeijere LAT & Kaia Kanepi EST rd1 s5 A-L Groenefeld GER & Meghann Shaughnessy USA QF

BOTTOM HALF s7 Liezel Huber RSA & Martina Navratilova USA QF Alyona Bondarenko UKR & Katerina Bondarenko UKR rd1 Jelena Jankovic SCG & Tina Krizan SLO rd2 Ana Ivanovic SCG & Maria Kirilenko RUS rd1 Amanda Keen GBR & Anne Keothavong GBR rd1 Carly Gullickson USA & Bryanne Stewart AUS rd2 Selima Sfar TUN & Jasmin Woehr GER rd1 s11 Elena Likhovtseva RUS & Anastasia Myskina RUS rd3 s14 Emilie Loit FRA & Nicole Pratt AUS rd1 Maria Elena Camerin ITA & Tathiana Garbin ITA rd3 L Dominguez-Lino ESP & Maria Sanchez Lorenzo ESP rd2 Laura Granville USA & Shenay Perry USA rd1 Jill Craybas USA & Jelena Kostanic CRO rd1 Janette Husarova SVK & Vera Zvonareva RUS rd2 Melinda Czink HUN & Vania King USA rd1 s4 Zi Yan CHN & Jie Zheng CHN s8 Elena Dementieva RUS & Flavia Pennetta ITA rd3 Sybille Bammer AUT & Julia Schruff GER rd1 Michaela Krajicek NED & Sania Mirza IND rd2 Stephanie Foretz FRA & Antonella Serra Zanetti ITA rd1 Vera Dushevina RUS & Galina Voskoboeva RUS rd2 Akiko Morigami JPN & Aiko Nakamura JPN rd1 Yulia Beygelzimer UKR & Eva Birnerova CZE rd1 s9 Kveta Peschke CZE & Francesca Schiavone ITA QF s13 Ting Li CHN & Tian-Tian Sun CHN rd1 Bethanie Mattek USA & Mashona Washington USA rd2 Stephanie Cohen Aloro FRA & M Martinez Sanchez ESP rd3 Lilia Osterloh USA & Asha Rolle USA rd1 Klara Koukalova CZE & Vladmira Uhlirova CZE rd1 Na Li CHN & Shuai Peng CHN rd2 Rebecca Llewellyn GBR & Karen Paterson GBR rd1 s2 Cara Black ZIM & Rennae Stubbs AUS SF

    (Jun 25, 2006) # 5 Nadia Petrova from Moscow, Russia, has withdrawn from Wimbledon. Nadia had a right hip injury which led to her early defeat at the French Open; she has also been plagued by chronic adductor muscle strains. Nadia had won 3 straight tourneys before Roland Garros. # 6 Lindsay Davenport and # 9 Mary Pierce had withdrawn earlier due to injuries; hopefully they will all be well again soon.

    (Jun 20, 2006) 23-year-old Belgrade-born former WTA # 4 Jelena Dokic of Australia, now ranked # 685, who was awarded a wild card into the qualifying draw at Wimbledon, was defeated in the 1st round at Roehampton on Tuesday by former WTA # 18 Alexandra Stevenson (who after many injury problems is now ranked # 602), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.
    Jelena lost to Virginie Razzano 6-3, 6-7(6), 1-6 in the 1st round of the Australian Open last January. Since then she had entered only two ITF tourneys, winning 4 matches (3 of them qualifying) and losing 2. Alexandra was 0-5 for 2006, and had not played in a tourney since March. Dokic record - Stevenson record

    (June 20, 2006) Former WTA # 3 Mary Pierce has withdrawn from Wimbledon. Mary has played in only 2 tourneys this year (Aussie Open & Paris Indoor) due to a persistent right foot tendinitis and inflammation. When she withdrew from the French Open in May, Mary said: "I made my decision yesterday evening with my doctor and my coach. I'm not competitive yet. I will come back when I have the means to win. I'm still recovering from the foot inflammation and have set neither a date nor a tournament for my return."

    (June 19, 2006) WTA # 6 Lindsay Davenport, 1999 Wimbledon champion and finalist in 2000 and 2005, has withdrawn from this years Championships at Wimbledon due to a back injury. A "bulging disc" has kept Lindsay offcourt since her loss to Martina Hingis in the 4th round at Indian Wells in March. In May Lindsay said: "I am working hard to come back as quickly as possible to the circuit."

    (May 26, 2006) Former WTA # 1 Serena Williams has withdrawn from The Championships at Wimbledon. Serena, who has been struggling with left knee and ankle injuries, had already withdrawn from French Open. It seems likely that Serena will miss most, if not all, of the summer hardcourt season. In a statement to the press in early May, Serena said: "...based on what I am being told by my doctors... I should be in a position to be playing again by the end of this summer."

    Former WTA # 1 Jennifer Capriati is not on the entry list. Jennifer has not yet recovered from a right shoulder injury she incurred in November, 2004 (and subsequent surgery). Jennifer, now 29, would like to return to WTA play, but is not sure when or if she will be able to.

    Former WTA # 9 (and longtime doubles # 1) Paola Suarez did not play singles (but did play doubles) at the French Open this year due to right hip inflammation. Paola is playing in 's-Hertogenbosch the week prior to Wimbledon, and defeated # 20 Maria Kirilenko in the 1st round--but she is not on the Wimbledon singles entry list.

    Former WTA # 6 Chanda Rubin is not on the entry list. Chanda has been waylaid by injury for many months now.

    Former WTA # 14 Elena Bovina is not on the Wimbledon entry list. A prolonged right shoulder injury has prevented Elena from playing for about a year now, and because ranking points expire after 52 weeks she will need to request wild card entries into tourneys when she begins playing again. Hopefully Elena will soon be fit to play.

    (Apr 25, 2006) The All England Club has announced the prize money for the 2006 Championships at Wimbledon. There is a 4% increase in the singles prize money, a smaller increase for doubles, and no increase for mixed doubles. Also, there is no increase in the per diem, which if increased would have helped the players who need the money most. And the ladies, as expected, will still be paid less than the men.
    The ladies singles champion will receive £625,000; 1st round losers will receive £7,860. As of April 25th, 1 British Pound = $1.7845 in US dollars. So at the current exchange rate, the ladies champion would receive $1,115,374.32 US, and 1st round losers would receive $14,026.95. Because the British pound has dropped in relation to the dollar, at the current rate players would actually earn less in dollars than last year; 2005 1st round losers received $14,444 US, and the champion $1,146,362 US.
    For comparison purposes: 1st round losers at this year's Australian Open received $12,713 (the financially-strapped Aussie Open doesn't publish the figures any more, but that number is the YTD prize money for 2005 Wimbledon champ Venus Williams, whose only match this year has been her 1st round loss in Melbourne).

The first Ladies Championships at Wimbledon were held in 1884; the drawsheet is at left (photo from Virginia Wade's indispensable book Ladies of the Court).     The "silver flower basket" valued at 20 guineas awarded to champion Maud Watson is now used as the championship trophy at Birmingham, and is known as the Maude Watson Trophy. The 20 guinea valuation seems too high; the cup is not very large, and 20 guineas then would be well over $2000 US today.     The entry fee of 10 shillings and a sixpence equaled about $2.52 US at the time-- which, adjusted for inflation, would be around $56.60 today.     The other "Miss Watson" whom Maude defeated in the final, 6-8, 6-3, 6-3, was her older sister Lillian. Maude would win the title again in 1885, defeating 1884 semifinalist Blanche Bingley.     Blanche, later Mrs. George Hillyard, would win the title six times, a feat matched only by Dorothea K. Douglass Lambert Chambers (7 titles), Suzanne Lenglen (6), Helen Wills (8), Billie Jean King (6), Martina Navratilova (9), and Steffi Graf (7).

from Hard Courts by John Feinstein (page 306):     Nothing in tennis can match the tension of day one at Wimbledon.     Everyone is tight, nervous, and ready to explode with pent-up energy. The other Grand Slams are very important; Wimbledon is history... Only at Wimbledon does Centre Court stay empty from the day of the final until the Saturday before the tournament begins the next year.     Only at Wimbledon do you walk underneath the huge sign over the door leading to Centre Court, which quotes Rudyard Kipling: "If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat these two imposters the same."...     ...The weather in England is almost always rotten. Rain cuts practice time, as does a lack of practice courts. At Wimbledon, practice time on the sixteen outside courts is limited to thirty minutes at a time--unless two seeded players are practicing together. Then, they can get an hour. The adjacent practice courts at Aorangi Park (so named because the land was once owned by the government of New Zealand) are not as tight, but still tough to come by. By the time the tournament begins, people are a little tired, a little homesick, frequently frustrated, and very, very nervous.

from Ladies of the Court by Michael Mewshaw, (pages 122-123):     Years ago the Competitor's Lounge at Wimbledon had, in theory, been the sacrosanct preserve of players and their guests. But, in practice, it had always been a throbbing hive of hustlers, racquet dealers, clothing reps, agents, tournament directors, assorted groupies, gofers, and camp followers. Now journalists had access to this sanctuary. Flashing a special forty-five minute permit, I passed the guard at the door and, during yet another rain delay, climbed the stairs to the third floor and stopped at the Prize Money Office, where a woman cheerfully explained her job.     Once a player lost, he or she popped in here to pick up a check. A player's agent or manager could collect prize money, but only with written permission. "Even though we know, for example, that Ion Tiriac is Boris Becker's manager, we have to have it in writing before we'll hand over Becker's money," the woman said.     "What if the players want cash?" I asked.     "Then they carry the check to the bank here on the grounds."     "Do you deduct U.K. taxes?"     Indeed she did. Foreigners paid a flat 25% on their winnings, but they received a £150 per diem exclusion before British taxes bit into their purse. The Prize Money Office also deducted WTA dues and fines for code violations. Although it sounded complicated, she assured me that "because of computers, we can get a player in and out in thirty or forty seconds. That's a lot different from the old days." She smiled sweetly. "Now I'm afraid I can't say anything else."     "Do you ever get any strange requests?"     The smile never faltered. "Lots, but I'm not allowed to tell you."

from Hard Courts by John Feinstein (page 306):     Wimbledon's qualifying tournament is not played at Wimbledon, it is played at the Bank of England tennis club, at Roehampton, about eight miles from the All England Club.     Everyone who has played there--and almost everyone has at some point--will tell you that the toughest tennis tournament in the world is the one at Roehampton. "There is nothing in the world farther from Wimbledon than Roehampton," John McEnroe once said. "You survive there, you're a hell of a tennis player."     ...There are sixteen courts at Roehampton. Unlike the pampered, protected courts at Wimbledon, they are in constant use--and it shows. There are brown patches everywhere--or, to be accurate, green patches on the brown--and after it rains, players would be well advised to show up wearing cleats rather than sneakers.     ...When the players arrive at Roehampton, they report to the referee's tent to sign in; then they await court assignments. Waiting for their matches to be called, most kill the time sitting on a large, grassy knoll serves as both the players' and the umpires' lounge. The P.A. system is the focal point of all life at Roehampton. Announcements calling players and umpires to their courts, paging people to the telephone, seeking drivers to take players back to hotels, or updating schedules can be heard around the grounds all day long.     The P.A. is just one of a number of distractions players must deal with while they are playing. Admission to Roehampton is free; there are no ushers and no security...     ...the atmosphere is not the kind tennis players are accustomed to--people talking and laughing while strolling past the courts... if one wants to qualify for Wimbledon, one has to earn it.     Roehampton is both a launching pad and a graveyard...