Tennis Talking Points

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jun 22, 2009

Tennis Talking Points

Rafael Nadal

<i>Our weekly Friday look at newsmakers in the tennis world.</i><br><br>The top-seeded Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon because of tendinitis in his knees. ''I'm just not 100 percent,'' the reigning champion said. ''I'm better than I was a couple of weeks ago, but I just don't feel ready.''

Wimbledon draw

Serena and Venus Williams (the defending champion) landed on different sides of the Wimbledon draw, meaning the sisters could meet in the final like they did last year. In the men's tournament, Rafael Nadal's absence opens the door for Andy Murray and Andy Roddick, who were on the same side of the draw as the reigning champion.

Andy Murray

The Murray hype machine was already humming before last week's Aegon Championships at Queen's Club in London. It went into overdrive when the 22-year-old Scot became the first British player to win the traditional Wimbledon tune-up in 71 years. Can Murray now become the first Briton to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936?

Gael Monfils

The French Open quarterfinalist withdrew from Wimbledon with a wrist injury. Monfils also missed the grass-court major last year, with a shoulder injury. He had been seeded 14th this year.

Maria Sharapova

During a break from Wimbledon preparations, Sharapova made headlines posing in the window of a London department store in support of a young fashion student who designed a dress that blinks when the wearer's cell phone rings.

Virginie Razzano

It's been some week for the 26-year-old Frenchwoman at the Aegon International in Eastbourne, England. She knocked off top-seeded Elena Dementieva, defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska and Marion Bartoli, and was to face Caroline Wozniacki in the final.

Robin Soderling

Soderling jumped from No. 25 to No. 12 in the ATP rankings after his improbable run to the French Open final. Can the 24-year-old Swede use his Paris success as a springboard to more consistently strong results, or is he destined to be a mere footnote in tennis history? His performance at Wimbledon, where he's the No. 13 seed, will provide the first clue.

Wimbledon's retractable roof

For the first time in Wimbledon's 123-year history, Centre Court is rainproof, thanks to a translucent retractable roof that takes 10 minutes to close. Alas, the rest of the courts will not have the same luxury.

Grunting

Everybody from Martina Navratilova to writers who cover the sport has weighed in on grunting in tennis, a long-dormant issue brought back to the forefront thanks to Portuguese teenager Michelle Larcher de Brito, whose abrasive shrieks at the French Open drew criticism from spectators and opponents alike. Is it cheating? And will officials crack down on offenders at Wimbledon?

Boris Becker

The six-time Grand Slam champ married Sharlely ''Lilly'' Kerssenberg in Switzerland last week. Among the 200 guests were German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer and two-time Formula One champion Mike Hakkinen.