For the last British hope, Johanna Konta and for the first Slovakian in the Wimbledon women's singles semifinals, Magdalena Rybarikova, the honeymoon is over. Their dream run to the last four, ended not with a bang but in a whimper. The packed crowd at the Centre Court did not get their money’s worth.
Konta lost 4-6, 2-6 to Venus in just 75 minutes. Magdalena was overwhelmed by the rapidly improving Garbine Muguruza(ranked 14th) of Spain 1-6, 1-6 in 65 minutes. Venus in her 101st Wimbledon match and her tenth semifinal outgunned Konta. She is the oldest woman in the Wimbledon women's singles final since Martina Navratilova in 1994 who lost that year to Spain’s Conchita Martinez. Interestingly, Conchita is, for this tournament, Muguruza’s coach. Will history repeat itself in yet another Spain vs USA clash in the women singles final on Saturday, July 15?
Venus does not reply on any subtlety or subterfuge in her game and approach play. She hits flat and hard, has a solid serve, strong legs and good court coverage. Her potent hitting and fast and accurate serves upset Konta’s rhythm.
Konta’s coach, the Belgian Wim Fissette (who also coached Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka) had, as in the past, texted the game plan a day before. Konta had recited the instructions to Fissette, five minutes before stepping onto the court and seemed confident and eager. But she could not cope with the speed, power and accuracy of Venus’s attacking game. Ultimately, experience triumphed over youth.
For most of her career, Venus has been overshadowed by her more illustrious younger sister Serena. It is redemption time now for Venus and if she can become the oldest woman to win the coveted Wimbledon crown, her legacy in women’s tennis history will be permanently enshrined.
Rybarikova’s dream run also came crashing down. In March 2017, she was ranked 453. She was playing in a small tournament in spa town in West Yorkshire. So, reaching the Wimbledon semifinal is a major boost in her career. But, in the biggest match of her career, she could not cope with the power and depth of Muguruza’s returns. The Spanish girl, playing her best tennis on grass, made the semifinal a slug fight. The barrage of her powerful shots flummoxed Rybarikova, who was pounded into submission.
In the men singles semifinal being played on Friday, July 14, the participant’s average age is the highest since Open era started in 1968. Seven-time champion Roger Federer is 35, Thomas Berdych is 31, Marin Cilic is 28 and first time Grand slam semifinalist Sam Querrey is 29 years old. Thus, the average age is 31 years and 213 days.
Increased remuneration, better diet and scientific inputs have helped increase the life span of tennis players. The top tennis players do not only have a personal coach, but also a physiotherapist, masseur, nutritionist and several others. Hiring and travelling with so many professionals is possible because the prize money in Grand Slam tournaments has increased substantially.
The winner of Wimbledon will get 2.2 million pounds. Even a first round loser gets 35,000 pounds. Players are wisely using their increased earnings to get more support staff and scientific inputs that can elongate their lucrative careers.