Sunday, July 6, 2008

Wimbledon 2008--the Summary

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Rafael Nadal won a stunning five-set final over Dai-Yokozuna Roger Federer and finally took the hurdle to Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) promotion himself, becoming the 15th tennis player of the open era to attain the highest rank. Former Ozeki (= Champion) Marat Safin and ex-Sekiwake (= Junior Champion I) Rainer Schuettler gave a strong showing and return to the Sanyaku ranks as Komosubi (= Junior Champion II). By contrast, Novak Djokovic--who was on a Yokozuna run entering this tournament--exited early and will go as kadoban Ozeki to the U.S Open, implying that he needs to reach the quarterfinal there to defend the rank. The Sekiwake David Ferrer and Andy Roddick also failed to reach the quarterfinals and will be demoted to Komosubi, while Komosubi Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils drop out of the Sanyaku ranks. Both withdrew from the tournament with injuries.

In the ladies' tournament, the Williams sisters--both long-established Yokozuna--defied the seeding list (there were seeded 6 and 7 only) and played an all-familiy final, with Venus having the better end for herself this time. Former Ozeki Elena Dementieva reached the semifinals, which gets her back to Sekiwake rank following her quarterfinal participation at the French Open. Semifinalist Jie Zheng and quarterfinalist Angieszka Radwanska earned a Komosubi promotion, which marks the first time for either player in the Sankyaku ranks. Ozeki Ana Ivanovic exited in the fourth round and therefore goes kadoban, while kadobon Ozeki Maria Sharapova will be demoted to Sekiwake. All three players at Sekiwake rank at the beginning of the tournamnet -- Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova (former O) and Dinara Safina -- failed to reach the quarterfinals, triggering a mass demotion to Komosubi.

The Men's Tournament
Result Name Old Rank New Rank Highest Rank Career points
Winner Rafael Nadal O Y(a) Y 30
Finalist Roger Federer Y(a) Y(a) Y 68
Semifinalist Marat Safin - K O 22
Semifinalist Rainer Schuettler - K S 5
Quarterfinalist   Mario Ancic - - K 5
Quarterfinalist Feliciano Lopez - - - 2
Quarterfinalist Arnaud Clement - - S 5
Quarterfinalist Andy Murray - - - 1
- Novak Djokovic O O(k) O 14
- Andy Roddick S K O 27
- David Ferrer S K S 5
- Jo Wilfried Tsonga K - S 3
- Gael Monfils K - K 2


The Women's Tournament
Result Name Old Rank New Rank Highest Rank Career points
Winner Venus Williams Y(a) Y(a) Y 65
Finalist Serena Williams Y(a) Y(a) Y 55
Semifinalist Elena Dementieva - S O 15
Semifinalist Jie Zheng - K K 2
Quarterfinalist   Agnieszka Radwanska - K K 2
Quarterfinalist Nadia Petrova - - S 9
Quarterfinalist Nicole Vaidisova - - S 7
Quarterfinalist Tamarine Tanasugarn - - - 1
- Ana Ivanovic O O(k) O 13
- Maria Sharapova O(k) S O 29
- Svetlana Kuznetsova S K O 17
- Jelena Jankovic S K S 9
- Dinara Safina S K S 5
- Lindsay Davenport Y(ia) Y(ia) Y 59

Y(a)=Active Yokozuna
Y(ia)=Inactive Yokozuna
O=Ozeki
O(k)=Kadoban Ozeki
S=Sekiwake
K=Komosubi

Final and Semifinal Results
Men's Final
Federer (Y, seeded 1)    vs. Nadal (O, 2)    4-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-9
 
Women's Final
S. Williams (Y, 6) vs. V. Williams (Y, 7) 5-7, 4-6
 
Men's Semifinals
Federer (Y, 1)    vs. Safin (former O) 6-3, 7-6, 6-4
Schuettler (former S) vs. Nadal (O, 2)    1-6, 6-7, 4-6
 
Women's Semifinals
Zheng vs. S. Williams (Y, 6) 2-6, 6-7
Dementieva (former O, 5) vs. V. Williams (Y, 7) 1-6, 6-7
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Rafael Nadal, Yokozuna

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Rafael Nadal beat five-time Wimbledon champion and Dai-Yokozuna Roger Federer in five thrilling and classy sets for the championship and, therefore becomes tennis' 15th male Yokozuna since the beginning of the open era.

Nadal joins an elite club that prior to this tournament consisted of Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Jimmy Connors, John Newcombe, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and the very Roger Federer he defeated.

This is the first Yokozuna promotion in men's tennis since 2003 (Federer) and only the second since 1995 (Agassi). It is also the first time since Andre Agassi's retirement that there are two active male Yokozuna--Federer and Nadal.

Nadal jumped both Yokozuna promotion hurdles at the same time: Wimbledon 2008 marked the 5th grand slam victory of his career, and he also produced back-to-back grand slam titles following his win at the French Open in June.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Wimbledon 2008--Semifinal Summary

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Rainer Schuettler completed the semifinal field after an epic five-setter with fellow former Sekiwake Arnaud Clement. For Schuettler this implies the return to the Sankyaku ranks after 5 years of absence. He will meet Rafael Nadal next who has played a superb tournament thus far, keeping his Yokozuna run on track--a win at Wimbledon and Nadal will be the 15th male tennis player in the open era to make it to Yokozuna tennis' higest rank.

Also back is in the Sanyaku ranks is former Ozeki and world No. 1 Marat Safin, who will play the grand Roger Federer in the semis.

Williams vs. Williams

In the ladies' tournament the semis are already completed. For the third time after 2002 and 2003, Venus and Serena Williams will play the Wimbledon final. To some degree this confirms the Yokozuna tennis ranking system--the Williams sisters were ranked as the only active Yokozuna before the tournament, even though they occupied only the #6 and #7 spots on the seeding list. Venus beat former Ozeki Elena Dementieva in two sets, who will therefore make a return to Sekiwake. Serena won her seminfal by an almost identical result over the surprise of the tournament, Jie Zheng of China, who earned a promotion to Komosubi for the first time in her career.

Thus far Serena is 5-1 in Grand Slams finals over Venus...

Men's Semifinals
Federer (Y, seeded 1)    vs. Safin (former O)       
Schuettler (former S) vs. Nadal (O, 2)          

Women's Semifinals
Zheng vs. S. Williams (Y, 6) 2-6, 6-7
Dementieva (former O, 5) vs. V. Williams (Y, 7) 1-6, 6-7

Promotions (already secured)
Dementieva from non-ranked to Sekiwake
Safin, Schuettler, Zheng, Radwanska from non-ranked to Komosubi

Demotions
[Djokovic, Ivanovic from Ozeki to kadoban Ozeki]
Sharapova from kadoban Ozeki to Sekiwake
Ferrer, Roddick, Jankovic, Kuznetsova, Safina from Sekiwake to Komosubi
Monfils, Tsonga from Komosubi to non-ranked
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