Wimbledon Day Seven: Are the Williams sisters headed for a dream final?

By James Borg

Monday, June 30, 2008 | 4:47 p.m.

LONDON – Traditionally, the beginning of Week Two at Wimbledon is regarded as the best day of the All England Championships. Those who survived the wreckage of the previous week were in action today, as the last 16 in both men's and women's singles contested their matches for a place in the quarterfinals.

With all the talk about “stars and gripes” – the bemoaning the loss of U.S. players last week – the Williams sisters kept the flag flying for American fans.

When Andy Roddick crashed out on Thursday night, a joke made the rounds of the American media: "Who is the best American man left at Wimbledon?" "John McEnroe." McEnroe, as usual, provides commentary here for BBC television coverage. Interesting that the U.S. Tennis Association has hired his brother Patrick McEnroe as head of player development, in an attempt to change the country's fortunes. In recent past, U.S. players had dominated the Slams.

Eight of the top 16 ladies seeds were unable to advance to their expected fourth round slots – the most since 2000. In the last 16, nine countries are represented – Russia, 6; the United States, 3; and China, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Poland, Serbia and Thailand. How tennis has changed!

As the big names fell around them, Venus and Serena Williams have been talking up the possibility of a "dream" final between them this Saturday. Certainly statistics are on their side. These two have been crowned in the finals in six of the past eight years -- Venus four times and Serena twice. Serena won her titles in 2002 and 2003 by defeating her sister in the finals.

Serena Williams easily marched on, quickly defeating fellow-American Bethany Mate, a 22-year-old better known for her tennis outfits than her tennis. After a 6-3 victory, Serena still hasn’t conceded a set in this tournament.

It wasn’t quite as easy for defending champion Venus Williams, who was playing Alisa Kleybanova, one of the horde of young Russians, threatening to dominate the women's tour. Only 18, she is already ranked in the top 50. But in this match she was hampered in the first set by a woeful first serve and seven double faults. Still, Williams then required five match points to book her passage into the quarterfinals.

"Every player's challenging,” Venus said. “I didn't know what she was going to do. I'm very happy to have gotten through."

Both sisters played on Court 2 – nicknamed “Graveyard of the Champions” because its “jinx” has tripped up many unlucky titleholders.

Serena was asked if there was a sort of implied disrespect being on Court 2. " I do think it's weird, especially having a female champ who has won this tournament four times,” she said. “I've only won twice. But, hey, that's not so bad."

Venus Williams was more philosophical: " It wasn't what I wanted, but I couldn't dwell on it. I had to focus on winning and it gave me extra motivation." Could she imagine Roger Federer, defending champion on Court 2? "Well I haven't seen him on Court 2 in, like six years. So, no, I couldn't imagine."

With the elimination of the No. 1 and 3 seeds in the ladies singles, the superstitious – who believe things happen in threes – were vindicated as second seed Jelena Jankovic was put out by Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-3 6-2.

Roger Federer was up against the feisty Lleyton Hewitt. The Australian won Wimbledon in 2002, the last title before Federer's stranglehold. They'd played 21 matches going back to 1999, with 13 wins for Federer, including the last 11. Plus Hewitt has a hip injury. But when you're playing Hewitt anything is possible. Both are used to winning – Federer has 55 career titles; Hewitt, 26.

But Federer won his last title two weeks ago at Halle. Hewitt's most recent success was at Las Vegas in February 2007.

The first set was an exciting all-action performance from Hewitt. He was acutely aware that he needed a good start if he was to disrupt Federer's five-year dominance. There was a good chance as the first set went to a tiebreak after 35 minutes. Hewitt gained his first mini-break to level at 2-2. But at 6-4 Federer held two set points that he frittered away. Hawk-Eye denied Hewitt of what he thought was a set point of his own. With ace nine, two points later, Federer took the set. In the beginning of the second set Hewitt was broken after a double fault and quickly fell 3-0 behind. Federer sent aces crashing down and closed out the set in 28 minutes. In the third set the gritty Hewitt character showed itself as he continually pried break points from

Federer but it was dispiriting for him to see every opportunity denied by either an ace or backhand volley.

After 1 hour and 50 minutes and a 7-6 6-2 6-4 scoreline, Hewitt was left to contemplate what to do about his hip.

"He hit every line out there with his serve today,” Hewitt said. “That's why he's the best player going around, especially on this surface. But, yeah, it was just the last five years or so he's played the big points extremely well. That's where the difference is."

Rafael Nadal was up against the Russian player Mikhail Youzhny. Second seed Nadal suffered a knee injury that required treatment for eight minutes early in the first set. As he was wincing in pain a lot of the time and not moving fluently, there was a feeling of unease from spectators, commentators and his uncle/coach Toni Nadal.

Not another shock for the beginning of week two, surely?

Nadal recovered to beat the Russian 6-3 6-3 6-1.

Meanwhile Mario Ancic survived a marathon five-setter against the Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco and came back from two sets down and trailing in the third set to win the match 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 13-11.

Andy Murray, carrying the hopes of Britain, had romped into the fourth round and matched his previous best at Wimbledon. Today he was up against Richard Gasquet, semifinalist at Wimbledon last year. Murray looked down and out when the Frenchman took the first two sets, 7-5 6-3. Gasquet was poised to finish the match off in the tiebreak in the third set when he served for the match. Then Murray sprang to life and took the breaker 7-3. Buoyed by this and the increasingly vociferous crowd support on the Centre Court, he sailed through the fourth set 6-2. He then broke in the opening game of the decider and in the fading light and an ecstatic, almost uncontrollable Centre Court crowd, took the final set 6-4.

" I think he just got a bit tired and his head went down," Murray said.

Murray now faces Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. Two Centre Court darlings should divide the loyalties for spectators.

James Borg, a freelance journalist, has covered the All-England Lawn Tennis Championships for 31 years. He spent a few months in Las Vegas and did work for Caesars Palace. He lives in London