There is something ancient in the "novelties" that come from Wimbledon. First of all, the return of Roger Federer, who could win the most important tennis tournament in the world for the seventh time. He was missing from a slam final from the 2010 Australian open. Then there's the Scottish Andy Murray's arrival in the final. The last time a British tennis player played in a final was in 1938. It was Benny Austin's turn, two years after the success of the legendary Fred Perry (winner of a grand slam).
Of course, everything was favored by the unexpected departure of Nadàl, defeated in the first rounds by world number 100 Rosòl. The Spaniard will now rest for two weeks to try and win the Olympics. A welcome return also in the women's final: Serena Williams, the more massive and muscular of the American sisters, number 6 in the world, will play against the Polish Agnieska Radwanska, currently number 3.
Let's start with the men's final. Federer is the clear favorite. First of all because he beat the Serbian Djokovic in the semifinal, considered by many to be the real final of the tournament. Victory, all in all clear, in four sets. And then the Swiss tennis player, as Gianni Clerici assures us, is the one who plays best on grass. The six titles won on the fields of the London club prove it. Although a question seems legitimate to me. Are there still grass tennis players? I have some doubts. Today the visitors to the circuit prefer, even on the lawns, muscularity to the use of talent, which many of them could exercise more. Let's take the serve: one prefers to serve at 200 per hour, rather than playing those clever and delicious "slices" in the corners which had the aim of throwing the opponent out of the court and then going to take the point at net. Today hardly anyone plays "service-to-network" anymore and the approach to come forward is almost always a forehand blow and not a chop to take the time and win the game on the fly. The Mac Enroes are missing, and above all, in the women's field Martina Navratilova.
Apologies for this nostalgic outburst, I would like to add that if Federer is the favorite I will root for Murray. First of all because there's more taste in choosing the weakest. Then, because the arrival of a British in the final is not something every day, I have to take the opportunity. This even if Andy is not a particularly nice tennis player. He belongs to the category of complainers, better known (allow me the dialect) as the "chiagni e fotti". Those who in times of difficulty ask for the intervention of the physiotherapist (chiagni), and when the gods are propitious they do everything to speed up the time for the resumption of the game (fotti).
As for women, I think Serena is the favorite even if her opponent precedes her in the standings. Prevailing in the forecast are the only two precedents of 2.008 that tell us how the American tennis player has left only four games to the Polish player on both occasions. Of course, when Williams is on the field, empty passes are always possible. Here she did not cheer for nussana of the two, limiting myself to repaying the times of the finals between Navratilova and Novotna.
Finally, the Italian tournament did well, despite Sara Errani's exit in the third round. Three tennis players (Schiavone, Giorgi and Vinci) in the round of XNUMX are a good olympic omen. Where our medal chances will be above all in the women's doubles: Errani and Vinci, who came out in the quarterfinals, but who won quite a few tournaments starting from Paris, but also Pennetta and Schiavone who reached the semifinal on English lawns. As for our little boys, it's better to talk about them on another occasion.
Guido Compagna
