OK tennis fans get ready for Ted Robinson's and Mary Carillo's informed and intelligent intro tomorrow Saturday for "Breakfast at Wimbledon" on NBC. So its early to bed tonight for you tennis junkies since balls are in the air at the All England Club in London for the Ladies Final at 6AM West Coast time. And don't forget to put out the strawberries and cream for that certain je ne sais quoi Wimbledon-style effect.
In the Ladies Final, Russian Maria Sharapova, 24, #5 in the world faces #8 in the world, Petra Kvitova, 21, from the Czech Republic. Both are blond bombers, both over 6 feet tall and both regard Hall of Famer, Martina Navratilova of Czechoslovakia, winner of nine Wimbledons, as an inspirational women's tennis heroine.
My rather dubious pick for the Ladies winner before Wimbledon began almost two weeks ago was Sharapova. Even though her serving (her achilles heel) has been beyond atrocious at times during this fortnight, everything else about her game, particularly, her terrific return of serve, has been strong and intense. She has not lost a set in five matches. She is ferocious. In fact, she plays every point like it's match point (sounds a bit like our friend on the Gentlemen's side, Rafael Nadal, more on him later). Navratilova said of Sharapova, "...it's not over until she's shaking hands at the net." And if her tennis talent and Centre Court experience (she won it all in 2004 as a 17 year old) doesn't overwhelm her opponent on Saturday morning, surely her grunting will. Talk about getting under your skin. Sharapova grunts on every shot to the tune of 101 decibels. That's almost as high as a lion's roar. Try concentrating with that going on from the other side of the net. Can the skilled and steely Czech overcome all of this? We'll soon find out.
On the Gentlemen's side of the draw, the current #1 in the world, Novak Djokovic, 24, from Serbia confronts the muscular dragon slayer of men's tennis, #2 in the world, Rafael Nadal, 25, from Mallorca, Spain. What better script for tennis than the two best in the sport to face one another on the grandest stage of tennis, Centre Court Wimbledon, on Sunday morning. NBC will add John McEnroe to the announcer's booth to provide his usual brilliantly insightful color commentary on the tennis action. Oh my!
Rafa was my pick early on. He has a 2-0 record against Novak on grass. Currently, he own's Centre Court much to the chagrin of one Roger Federer, 30, whose time has come and gone. However, his strong and "gluten-free diet" opponent, Novak, has beaten Rafa head to head 4 times this year. Novak has lost only once this year. Also, Rafa has had nagging health issues throughout the tournament. His aching left heel is so full of painkillers Rafa has stated that "he can't feel his foot." Yet to see him move around the court with grace and power is AMAZING! His court coverage amidst his health concerns remains the best in professional tennis. I want whatever he's on. If Rafa's health holds up and wins Wimbledon, he's in the discussion for the best of all time and he still is in the prime of his tennis life.
So, sit back enjoy the show and if the grunts get to be too annoying, just turn off the audio and delight with the visuals especially those titillating tv snap shots of the glamorous VIPS in the Royal Box. Wonder if Pippa will be in the house?
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