As Wimbledon entered its second week, the overriding feeling was of a tournament stubbornly refusing to catch fire. Obviously the poor weather and the fractured nature of almost every day’s play has contributed to a general feeling of dissatisfaction, although that has not been the sole reason for the damp blanket of ennui.
Perhaps British sport has simply become too parochial and can no longer cope with international events when the home players have left the stage. Goodness knows they should be used to it, given the relative lack of success of so many of their sportsmen and women, but, if this feeling were to be translated to the 2012 Olympics, then it might be better to start planning your holidays now to coincide with the world’s greatest sporting non-event.
Ask the majority of overseas tennis players which tournament they would most like to win and they plump for Wimbledon, almost irrespective of their attitude towards grass. The disconnect between the players and the public is obvious because the majority who walk through the All England Club gates harbour some misconception that British players will suddenly discover the wherewithal to beat those whom they never even compete against for the rest of the year.
Occasionally the British produce players of genuine international talent, but only one of those — Tim Henman — was at Wimbledon this year and he is at the tail-end of his career and was obviously not going to turn around his wretchedly poor form of the past eight months.
The fact that his two matches, which dribbled on over four days, were perceived as the highlight of the opening week says everything. The first match, against Carlos Moya, was one of high quality. The same could not be said of Henman’s all too predictable second-round defeat by Feliciano López.
Matters were not helped by the fact that Andy Murray, Britain’s one genuine hope of a place in the second week, had to pull out with an injured right wrist on the Sunday before the 121st Championships began. Ironically, Murray has never placed Wimbledon at the top of his list of priorities. Brad Gilbert, his coach, believes the Scot’s best chance of winning his first Slam title is on grass, but Murray dreams of capturing the US Open.
Wimbledon’s problem, for British fans and players alike, is that it is too often viewed in splendid isolation — or not so splendid in current times.
This week’s announcement that the men’s end-of-season Tennis Masters Cup, rebranded as the ATP Tour World Final, will be staged at the O2 Arena from 2009 to 2012 will perhaps persuade fans that there is life outside Wimbledon.
Not that this news could ameliorate the gloom that settled over the south-west of London this week as the showers persisted and the covers were rolled on and off with a monotony guaranteed to induce further frustration. By 2009 a sliding roof will allow at least four matches to be played every day, but the completely roofless Centre Court seems emblematic of a thoroughly unsatisfactory tournament to date.
The Centre Court, the most famous tennis arena in the world, has been emasculated. It is bereft of atmosphere, while Henman Hill is so wet that nobody wants to risk pneumonia trying to watch somebody on a large screen whom they have never heard of.
What has compounded the gloom has been the faux optimism of Mike Morrissey’s announcements from the referee’s office, repeatedly telling punters that it might brighten up even as the rain thumps down on them. Eat, drink and be miserable. The height of absurdity came when Morrissey warned: ”Please be advised that there is rain in the Wimbledon area.” No shit, Sherlock.
It is not Morrissey’s fault. The Wimbledon forecasts, issued by the Met Office, are a farrago of obfuscation. Try this one: ”As the showers are moving slower there may be longer dry periods.”
The tempo of the tournament — tempo being a comparative description — was further ruined when Roger Federer’s fourth-round opponent, Tommy Haas, withdrew on Sunday with a torn stomach muscle, at which point Rafael Nadal, the world number two and last year’s runner-up, found himself two rounds behind the world number one. And so the alternate-day drumbeat of Federer-Nadal-Federer was ruptured.
The umpires have already been put on standby for Monday. Make that Tuesday and Wednesday too. This is not only the worst Wimbledon but potentially the longest, too. – Â