I suppose it is not embarrassing. After all, it is the greatest venue for the greatest tennis tournament on the planet. And, is was only fitting that one of their own win the first match ever played under the roof at the world’s oldest tournament.

So, the Brits got their wish. Their man and clear crowd favorite moved on. But, to be completely honest it was 19th seed, Stanislaus Wawrinka, whose stock rose by leaps and bounds.

The 24- year old took on the world’s third ranked player on his home court and came ever so close to sending fifteen thousand courtside spectators as well as thousands watching on Henman Hill’s giant screen home to sulk.

The Brits are pretty anxious to win this one. For those Wimbledon neophytes, it has been 72 years since Fred Perry kept the trophy at home. This year, the Brits have reason for optimism. Murray is a good player. He has defeated the best player to ever pick up a racket four straight times.

The problem for Murray is not his ability. It is what is between his ears. He is unconvinced that he can win Grand Slam Championships and all the fuss and media focus seems to weigh upon the youngster. Andy Murray could use a lesson or two from the Williams sisters. Now there are two high profile competitors that set their eyes on a goal and go for it. Mastering the media is just one of those things great players learn to do. Murray needs some work on that, but he does get points for astute companion selection.

Wawrinka reached the 4th round at Wimbledon last year. He followed that up with a 4th round appearance in the U.S. Open. The guy has some game, but the resume lacks real quality Grand Slam wins.

Give the man his due. He showed. He was composed. He played aggressively. He stood in the Lion’s Den and performed well, very well. He shocked the pro-Murray crowd with a 34 minute thrashing (6-2) of the Scotsman in the first set. He did everything right. His aggressiveness stunned the crowd, stunned Murray and showed just how fragile Murray can be.

To his credit, Murray clawed his way back. He captured a big break in set two and served out the set for a 6-3, 45 minute turnabout. The crowd roared back into the match and the Centre Court knew their man was ready to claim the match for Queen and Country, or something like that.

Murray had the momentum and went for the juggler. He held off several key break points late in the set and made a break at 3-3 hold for the 6-3 win. When Wawrinka replays the match, he will bemoan the fact that at this point he had only converted 2 of 11 break point opportunities.

Stanislaus Wawrinka was apparently the only person who did not know the match was over. He played on and got better and better, feistier and feistier. It seems like Stanislaus was not buying into the Murray is infallible thing. Wawrinka battled through set four. He matched shot for shot with the three seed. When the pressure was on, Wawrinka out-served and out-strategized the Scotsman. Murray appeared shell-shocked looking to his mother and to his lady friend for help. At times, it seemed Murray was trying to bring the crowd into the match. At 5-5, Wawrinka got the break he needed and then held serve to force the fifth set.

If Andy Murray is to win Wimbledon, he had better keep his eye on the ball and his mind on the moment and off the women in his life.

At 10:39 at night, Murray quieted the fans on Henman’s Hill, gave his mother something to cheer about, earned an admiring smile from his lady friend and allowed the 15,000 Brits under the roof to celebrate his 6-3 final set win.

Stanislaus Wawrinka congratulated the winner. Tonight he will remember that on this day, in the first complete match played under the roof, he could very easily have pulled off the event’s biggest upset.

As it is, Murray moves on to put his legions through another raucous, nerve-wracking match against unseeded Juan Carlos Gerrero. I mean, really!

At the top of the bracket, two former Grand Slam Champions will slug it out when Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick go at it again. Roddick recently beat Hewitt 7-6, 7-6.

The other Swissman, Roger Federer will take on heavyweight serve specialist, Ivo Karlovic while Novak Djokovic tries to hold off Tommy Haas. Haas is playing well and will give Djokovic plenty of chase.

All the gentlemen’s quarterfinal matches will be played on Wednesday. Monday was a long, great day of tennis. It is fitting that Murray won. But, it does raise questions about his ability to put matches away. He did not appear a Grand Slam Champion on day one of week two.

When beautiful 19-year old Victoria Azarenka wins the 2009 Wimbledon Championship, she will have prevailed over the most difficult draw in women’s tennis history. There, I have said it. I have said that Victoria will prevail and win the championship. I have said the draw was stacked against her.

You might remember that I also said Melanie Oudin would be Wimbledon’s Cinderella. She was. But, Victoria Azarenka is not too far behind. When she hoists the silverware, she will have earned the right, believe me.

Many of the Brits do not like Victoria. She grunts, groans and moans her way through points and matches. Apparently, these Brits are unfamiliar with LaMaze. Women’s tennis today sounds like a maternity ward. But, that’s the way it is. It is far easier to count the touring non-grunters than to count the grunters.

As Victoria recently said, “I have been doing it since I was 10 years old. I wasn’t really strong and that was what helped me to accelerate more, to put more power to the ball.” You know what, Victoria, if it works for you, it works for me. But, please don’t do it when you hoist the Championship Trophy.

On a day where my other Cinderella, Melanie Oudin, succumbed to the effects of too much media, too much hype and forgot that this was another match against another girl that she could beat, Victoria Azarenka overcame a very stubborn Nadia Petrova in three tense sets.

On a day where Venus beat Ana into submission and where Serena lost just four games and where the surprising Elena Dementieva looks ready to snap out of her slump and move past Elena Vesnina, Victoria Azarenka was out there a long time, working hard, hitting one gorgeous drive after another and moving gracefully across the court. We were blessed to see her play.

And, Nadia Petrova had it working. The Russian 10 seed, served powerfully, hit beautiful shots of her own and used a devastating drop shot to counter every move Victoria made. Victoria was soon grunting and surging, groaning and reaching and winning.

You may remember that Victoria had Venus on the ropes at Melbourne before all sorts of unusual things happened. You may remember that Victoria reached the quarters at Roland Garros. You may forget that she is a very nice, very elegant 19-year old. She is, trust me. You would like to have her over for dinner.

She is also trying to fend off a well-traveled group of American and Russian hierarchy. The Brits have made sure it was a full time job. In the 3rd round, she drew the testy Sorana Cirstea, of Paris fame, today Petrova, tomorrow Serena, Thursday Elena and most likely Venus in the finals. Wow! Could it be any more difficult?

Take for example Dinara Safina. She overcame hard playing Amelie Mauresemo and now plays Sabine Lisicki. Dinara may choke again, but could it be an easier?

Venus draws Odin conquerer, Aggie Radwanska, who I am sure is very pleasant despite not being welcome at my house anymore. Elena, who has yet to lose a set and is quietly and quickly moving through the draw plays unseeded Francesca Schiavone. Elena has some choking issues of her own, but really how does that happen? How are all these talents at the bottom of the draw sheet?

Hey, if you looked at Victoria’s draw, you would grunt and groan too. So, instead of being a typical tennis frontrunner, come on over to the world of Victoria Azarenka and see how it is in the real world of a non-prima donna tennis champion. You see that is what Azarenka is all about. That is why she has so many fans. She is a hard-working, grind-it-out player that leaves nothing on the court. When Victoria walks off the court, she is spent, emotionally and physically.

After Azarenka took the first set from Petrova in a tiebreaker, Nadia needed a timeout to get some ice on her legs and have her blood pressure checked. These things happen when it is going well for Azarenka.

Petrova recovered. You knew she would. She stormed through the second set at 6-2. The Russian’s serve was dominant and it looked like the cooled off Azarenka would not avenge last year’s loss.

In the third set, there were five breaks but Victoria captured the key one at 4-3. In the final three games, Victoria lost just three points. Yes, she groaned, yes she grunted and yes she played like a champions for 2 hours and 35 minutes in the grueling heat.

Victoria Azarenka, your time has come. Remmeber what you did to Serena in Key Biscayne this year. Take no prisoners. Play like a champion and grunt as loud as you like. You are the best!

If you are like me, the Ladies event has been gorgeous. Wonderfully athletic young ladies playing a beautiful game. I marvel at their athleticism, their competitiveness and their fitness. This Wimbledon has had the best of everything. This Wimbledon has elevated women’s tennis, bringing remembrances of eras past.

Great work, ladies.

Now, get back in those whites, pull your hair together, stretch those aching legs, get ready to run, dive, turn through the ball and chase every shot down. If you are going to move on, contest every point, hold nothing back. There is today and nothing else. Be in the moment when you begin and do not see, hear, think anything else.

That is what the Williams sisters are doing. They are getting ready for week two. The Williams women know that the easy part is past. It starts on Sunday. Every player in the final 16, deserve to be there. If you slip against one of these dolls, you can book that flight.

Get in the game, get in the moment and make it to the quarters. Nothing else matters.

Safina – Mauresmo – France’s Amelie Mauresmo registered a big win over Flavia Pennetta to get this far. Amelie will have her hands full with Dinara, who is still flying under the radar and has not lost a set. Safina said this was not her favorite surface. The bookmakers agree. Safina gets past her nerves and prevails.

Wozniacki – Lisicki – What a win for Sabine Lisicki. The German took it right to French Open Champ Svetlana Kuznetsova with a 6-2, 7-5 drubbing. Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki looks good. Since losing the first set of the week, she has only lost 12 games. Wozniacki wins.

Venus – Ivanovic – A throwback match. When Ana arrived last year, she was number one. The bookmakers like Venus as a solid second choice to win the crown. Ivanovic chalked up a solid win over tough Samantha Stosur and should be more confident than at the year’s earlier Grand Slams. Ana will show up at this one, but Venus has too much of everything and a120 mph serve helps.

Radwanska – Oudin – 11th seed Radwanska is the clear favorite. If Melanie Oudin gets any sleep, it will be restless. The Georgia peach has energy. If she does not let the moment overwhelm her, this is a winnable match for Oudin. We like her chances but make no play here.

Razzano – Schiavone – Razzano wins in walkover. Zvonareva is gone. Schiavone has good win over Bartoli. Schiavone struggled early in the tourney. We like Razzano in a close one.

Vesnina – Dementieva – Elena finally does it. Vesnina outlasted little Cibulkova, but Elena is a bird of a different feather. Elena can see the semis. She comes out gunning and cruises in this one.

Azarenka – Petrova – The match of the day. Two hard hitting top players. Petrova beats tough Gisela Dulko, Sharapova’s conqueror, in three sets. Azarenka is playing as well as anyone. We like her to go all the way. She may stumble here but it will be momentary.

Hantuchova – Serena – Daniela had trouble with Laura Robson. Are you kidding? Batten the hatches. You can take this to the bank. Serena in a duck shoot and off the court in less than 90 minutes.

All top four seeds are still playing. Kuznetsova (5), Jankovic (6), Zvonareva (7) are out. Unseeded Oudin, Hantuchova, Vesnina, Schiavone and Lisicki are still kicking. Big changes in the rankings will give the U.S. Open a different look.

What a day ahead. Enjoy!

Rafa withdrew. Juan Martin came out soft. Davydenko is gone. Fernando Gonzalez was outlasted. Blake never showed. Robredo succumbed. Marat Safin went down in the first round.

Israel’s unseeded Dudi Sela is still playing. Ivo Karlovioc had too much for Jo-Willy. Soderling is for real. Tommy Haas came through. Lleyton Hewiit put a continent on his shoulders and is carrying it forward. Stanislaus Wawrinka came back against young Jesses Levine. Unseeded Juian Carlos Ferrero is in the final 16.

Even if they say they don’t, Andy Roddick (6), Gilles Simon (9), Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have one eye on that Swiss gentleman, the winner of 14 Grand Slam championships.

This just may be the greatest Wimbledon ever. Everywhere you look, the unexpected is happening. And, there is just enough superstar charisma left to keep it very interesting.

Of the final 16 gentlemen combatants, there is a 23 seed (Stepanek), a 20 seed (Berdych), a 19 seed (Wawrinka), a 29 seed (Andreev), a 24 seed (Haas), a 22 seed (Karlovic) and 3 unseeded (Hewiitt, Sela, Ferrero), players left. 9 never-should- have lost to that guy winners!

Purists might say, the draw was poorly seeded. Experts shake their head, looking for answers that are not there on paper. Wimbledon is not about those past performances. What you did in Paris or Melbourne does not matter. At the All England Club, all that matters is how you perform on grass for two weeks. Your next return matters. Your next serve matters. The next slip on the grass, the next bad bounce, the next missed volley can make or break your year. It is that time of this tournament.

Week two begins now. Sunday at Wimbledon will be one of the great days of tennis. The hot players will be in form. Luck of the draw is gone. This is money time.

This is the way we see the gentlemen’s draw unfolding.

Hewitt – Stepanek - Hewitt has momentum and is splaying with purpose. A former Wimbledon Champ, this 29-year old still has some bounce in his game. 31-year old Radek Stepanek knocked off Ferrer in five but it had to take a toll. We like Hewitt convincingly.

Berdych – Roddick – Roddick sounds confident and it is not all about his serve anymore. Berdych was impressive against Davydenko winning in three decisive sets. Roddick in a close one, but don’t bet the milk money.

Murray – Wawrinka – Wawrinka had trouble with Levine. He has not seen anything like Murray will throw at him. For Queen and Country. Bet the farm on Murray.

Ferrero – Simon – A surprising five set win over Gonzalez gives Ferrero all the credibility he needs. Simon is yet to be tested. This one is a toss up but the upset could happen. No bet.

Andreev – Haas – Andreev must have dreamt this draw, but he struggled with Seppi. Haas is playing with confidence and we like his girlfriend… a lot! Like to see more of her. Haas in five.

Sela – Djokovic – How did this happen? Talk about David and Goliath. Not going to happen this time around, sling shot or not. Novak has not lost a set. Djokovic is the play of the day. Softest match out there.

Verdasco – Karlovic – Karlovic played with confidence against an outmanned Tsonga. The blazing serve was working. Fernando better be home sleeping and not playing footsy with Ana. We like Verdasco, but this is a tough one. No play.

Soderling – Federer – Soderling is no fluke and has a score to settle. Federer dropped surprising set to Kohlschreiber before finishing at 6-1. Impossible to bet against the man. Federer wins.

Well, write them down. Let us know how you see it. As crazy as this draw is, when you break it down, Federer has the toughest roads to the finals. Roddick and Hewitt should meet. Murray walks to semis. Djokovic in semis unless he beats himself… again! Tomorrow has it all. How will we watch all that tennis?

Ms. Jankovic, I warned you. If you come to play Ms. Melanie Oudin, pack your bags. Miss Oudin does not go away. She makes you run, across the court, then forward, then backward, then forward again. One set with Melanie felt like a lifetime for Ms. Jankovic, once the top player in the world and ranked 127 places higher than our little American sugarplum. Not any longer.

The twosome teed it up at the same time Ana started with Samantha. That match ended. Then, Venus began. That match ended. Little Melanie and Jelena were still going at it over there on Court 3 where there were lots of ooohs and aaahs. The air was heavy, the temperature scorching, but a hot day at Wimbledon is a cool day in Marietta Georgia.

I think she perspired in the 4th game of the third set. It was hard to tell. The former number one needed a 13-minute strategic layover between set one and set two.

That bothered our little lioness a bit, just as Jankovic knew it would. Jelena took the maximum amount of time between points, fumbling with ball exchanges, slowing things down. She stretched the umpire’s patience, the commentator’s patience and the nerves of the little lioness.

Welcome to the Big Leagues, little lioness. Welcome to the world of professional gamesmanship. We hope you never have to resort to that. Shoot from the hip and play from the heart. That is what got you here. That is what won for you today, in the biggest match of you life.

On Day Six at Wimbledon, a 17-year old American High School student, Melanie Oudin, knocked off the former number one player in the world in three sets, 6-7 (10), 7-5, 6-2. Jelena Jankovic forgot to pack her bags. The six seed is gone!

Stretched to the quick, Jankovic not only took a 13-minute timeout, she stalled by complaining about everything from line calls to ballboys and ballgirls. For Melanie Oudin, it was another match, another girl.

Melanie Oudin has the highest ranking of any surviving woman. She is the only player in the event who has won six matches. That’s right six. Of course when you are ranked 133, you have to qualify. Melanie is now one of the last 16 players to survive the pressures, heat, crowds and media coverage at this Wimbledon event. And, she has jumped way up in the rankings and on the visibility scene.

I warned you. This pocket rocket has plenty of game. Granted, her serve is suspect. Wait until next year. What she has is an array of accomplished shots. Melanie unloaded baseline drop shots that left Jankovic standing still wondering what she had just seen. Melanie retrieved balls that Jankovic thought were winners. The Serb’s shoulders her kept shrugging. Perhaps, that is why her neck was bothering her.

Court 3 was unfamiliar territory for the play-in. It was like home for Jelena. It soon became Melanie’s home and her favorite court in all the world. Today, Court 3 was where Rocky Balboa overcame Apollo Creed. What a slugfest! Three grueling, intense hours of heavyweight competition. Our little 5 foot 5 inch fireball just kept firing away.

In a match where the players played aggressively when behind, they played tentatively when ahead. The emotional swings were powerful and nerve-wracking. In set one, Melanie had the set in control, but Jankovic’s experience showed through.

Jelena began to land her serves and pressured the young American. Pundits will say that Melanie had nothing to lose, that she was free of pressure. Those pundits do not really understand Melanie Oudin. This girl plays to win every point in every match. Her view is not of the match, it is of the next point.

And make no mistake about it. Melanie has a head for tennis, knows her strengths and weaknesses and plays her game. With Melanie, it is not about pressure, it is about flawless execution. Melanie builds points. She runs opponents across the court, makes them move and simply gets to every ball.

Melanie is about disguising her baseline backhand and suddenly dropping her left hand and deftly executing the most devastating drop shot in the game. It is the joy of doing it right. It is the joy of seeing the admiration in your paralyzed opponent, who shrugs and complains of dizziness, or accosts the ballgirl. Hey, let’s play tennis!

In set two, trailing 4-5, 15-30, Melanie Oudin should have been nervous. She was on the ropes. Then, “the another match, another girl” mentality kicked in. She hit a baseline heart-stopping drop shot that just cleared the net and left Jankovic shaking her baseline head. You could see, she wanted no more of this silly play from this little girl. After all, this is Wimbledon, not Marietta, Georgia. Melanie blasted two winners and it was 5 –5, but it was more than that.

At 5-5, 15-30, Melanie Oudin (oo-dan) chased down a Jankovic drop shot and tidily deposited it beyond reach. She then hit a spectacularly deft half volley. Jankovic stalled but pulled to 40-40.

The match and momentum were on the line. With Oudin, it is not about the pressure, it is about flawless execution. Bing! A stunning crowd-cheering drop shot. Jankovic stared. Then, a cross court, angled backhand and it was 6-5!

Jankovic jumped on nervous serves. A double fault. It was 15-30. Melanie was on the attack. A booming forehand winner squared the game. Oudin finished the set (7-5) with two stellar forehands.

They sat on their chairs. One player wanted to get back out there. The other saw replays of recent performances. She was on the ropes, and the lioness knew it.

First game third set. Melanie fought off 7 game points. That’s right 7 game points. You could feel it. Melanie Oudin refused to lose. She captured an add with another courageous drop shot. She converted to go up 1-0.

In your heart, you knew this match was over! Melanie held for 2-0. Jankovic held, 2-1. Melanie held, broke to go 4-1. Jelena held, 4-2, Melanie held, 5-2. Points were now getting shorter. Jelena had had enough.

The lioness prevailed at game 8 for a 6-2 win. It was the biggest match, the biggest win of a very new career. As Patrick McEnroe said, “it was a huge win for American women’s tennis.” Melanie Oudin learned how to win big matches today. And, she is in the Big Leagues to stay.

Now, little lady, Will you marry my son? Will you be content? You are one of the 16 best grass court players at Wimbledon 2009. Prove it! Beat either Agnes Radwanska or Na Li. Do not be happy to be where you are. This was big, but not the goal. On Monday, another girl, another match.

Chase down every ball, hit another 38 outright winners and do not be tentative when ahead. You know what Melanie? We came to see you play. So, play on, baby, play on!