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Piercing screams, wasting time: it's Wimbledon 2011

1st July, 2011
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1st July, 2011
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Russia's Maria Sharapova returns the ball to Belgium's Justine Henin - AP Photo/Rick Stevens

On Monday, Novak Djokovic becomes the 25th player, and the first Serb, among the 13 countries that have produced the world’s number one.

Djokovic deserves the recognition with a 47-1 season record to capture seven titles that includes four Masters crowns, beating the former number one Rafael Nadal in all four.

The Serb ends a record run between Roger Federer and Nadal, who have dominated the top spot since February 2004 when Andy Roddick reigned.

Djokovic reached his first Wimbledon final with a 7-6 6-2 6-7 6-3 three-hour seven win over the free-spirited Frenchman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who thrilled the packed centre court with his diving athleticism at the net.

Three points stood out, which had the crowd gasping, then bursting into prolonged applause.

But there was far too much free spirit for the Frenchman to take Djokovic down. The unforced errors told the story, with 29-13, offsetting the 41 winners Tsonga struck to Djokovic’s 34.

Despite the good win, there’s a kink in the Djokovic armour for his showdown with Nadal in the final.

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Djokovic converted only six of 12 break points against Tsonga. That won’t be enough to cut the mustard with Nadal, who sent Andy Murray packing in the other semi 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-4 in a tick under three hours.

The same old?

Sadly so. No Brit has reached the Wimbledon final since Fred Perry won three titles on the trot in 1934, 1935, and 1936 – 75 years of drought.

Murray is magnifying the problem by treading in the same footsteps as his predecessor, Tim Henman, who lost four semis:

* In 1998 to Pete Sampras in four sets.
* In 1999 to Sampras again in four.
* In 2001 to Goran Ivanisevic in five.
* And in 2002 to Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets.

Murray has lost the last three semis:

* In 2009 to Roddick in four
* In 2010 to Nadal in straight.
* And again to Nadal last night, making an unforgivable 39 unforced errors to just seven by the Spaniard.

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So what have we got left at SW19?

Tonight it’s the Queen of Scream, Maria Sharapova, up against the acceptable grunting of Czech Petra Kvitova in the ladies final, the first leftie since Martina Navratilova in 1994.

Tomorrow night, the Baron of the Bouncing Ball, Novak Djokovic, against the King of the illegal Time-Wasters, Rafael Nadal, in the men’s.

Heaven help us.

Sharapova’s piercing scream with every shot, Djokovic bouncing the ball up to 16 times with his first serve, and up to 11 with his second, and Nadal consistently taking at least 10 seconds over the allowable 20 between points.

The inmates have taken over the asylum.

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