If there was ever any doubt about the true rankings, the rankings the tour players keep in the purses, Wimbledon fans heard it loud and clear.  Actually, they must have known what would happen. In a rare occurrence, less than half the seats surrounding Centre Court were occupied for the 6-1, 6-0, fifty-one minute drubbing.

Give the Brits credit.  They know a mismatch when they do not see one.  In this economy, why bother?  To the telly!

The finals will now be just as the bookmakers suggested, a family affair.  It will be difficult to pick a favorite.  Let’s just say, Serena thinks she should have won last year, and she has been carrying it around ever since.

For this most disappointing semifinal, Dinara was never there, never in the match.  She was resigned to disappointment.  In big matches, it seems her plight.

At 23, she is young.  She cannot be blamed for the seeding.  Dinara’s day will come.  Not right away.  Not until she develops a second serve that exceeds 75 mph, not until her foot speed gets her across the court with more ease and not until she spends some time with a sports psychologist, but those things will happen.  Dinara’s day will come.  Right now, she is like a long-legged colt, really.

Venus is like a thorobred.  She adds to the Wimbledon mystique.  She is beautiful, soft spoken and gracious.  In every interview, she takes her time, thinks through her answers and elevates the stature of the tournament and women’s tennis.  She has won me over.  I hope Dinara was rightfully impressed, because one day will be her day. But, not today.  Congratulations to Venus Williams for a job well done.

One big difference between Venus Williams and every other player left in the Ladies Draw at Wimbledon is that Venus is truly enjoying herself. Where other players are filled with tension, Venus is relaxed, comfortable and at home. Venus Williams, five-time Wimbledon Champion, is a beautiful tennis player and an exquisite ambassador of the game she plays.

As impressive as Venus has been on the court, she has been even more extraordinary off the court. Responding to tireless, senseless questions, Venus has been patient, gracious and even complimentary of lower echelon opponents.

Through her 5 matches, Venus has lost a total of 19 games. Yet, she has complimented the play of her opponents, been gracious and congratulatory in match-end handshakes. Venus Williams has acted like a champion and a player that expects to win the title.

Her 6-1, 6-2, drubbing of Aggie Radwanska not only showed the disparity in the ladies seedings but served as little more than a tuneup for the 3 seed. One had the feeling that this one could have been even more lopsided had Venus chosen that route.

As it was, the 67-minute skirmish ended as quickly as it began. There was no question who the better player was. With Venus powering 120 mph serves. Aggie was powerless to respond.

To be honest, Aggie did well to get this far. On this surface, at this point in the career of Venus Williams, Aggie suffered what any other player would have endured; a decisive, leave-nothing-to-the-imagination defeat at the hand of a great champion. Venus Williams will play in the finals at Wimbledon 2009. That match may well be her first test of the event.

Dinara Barely!

Dinara Safina let it all hang out in her quarterfinal battle with unheralded German Sabine Lisicki. Sporting a little more exposure than Wimbledon’s Centre Court is accustomed to, Dinara caught up with Sabine and then passed her by in the 2.5-hour match.

Empowered by 12 aces and by Dinara’s ineffective serving, Lisicki mounted more of a challenge than expected. Safina, the number one seed, recorded an inexplicable 15 double faults and seemed out of sorts throughout much of the match. The winner also committed 38 unforced errors in a performance that can hardly breed confidence heading to a semifinal meeting with Venus Williams.

Once again, Dinara often appears more concerned with approval from her coaches than her on-court bearing. While a competitive match, it hardly seemed compelling tennis.

Midway through the third set, Sabine needed assistance from the trainer, but the handwriting was on the wall. Safina recovered from the 5-7 first set to capture the second at 6-4 and storm through the third at 6-1.

For Dinara, it was her second three set win on Centre Court. The young Russian needs to pull herself in for her semifinal match against Venus. Another performance like today and she will once again be distraught at a Grand Slam. No player can hand Venus Williams 15 double faults and expect to be standing in two hours.

Elena – What’s Up?

In the wake of the Williams sisters, Elena Dementieva’s quiet, determined run through the Wimbledon field has gone relatively unnoticed. Yet, she has picked herself up from some subpar Grand Slam performances and resurrected her ranking to gain a berth in the semis.

Her total dominance of Francesca Schiavone culminated a Wimbledon charge in which she has not lost a set. The four seed appears poised to challenge.

Elena is the proud possessor of 438 career victories and looks every bit of her ranking. The pretty Russian was a semifinalist here last year and knows what to expect on Centre Court where she will be a decided underdog.

But, today she was the favorite, a role that has given her some trouble of late. The 5 foot 11 inch, 141 pound beauty reached the finals at the U.S Open and at Roland Garros in 2004 but then retreated. A bridesmaid-never-the-bride syndrome has followed Elena for almost four years, but something feels a little different this time around.

As with Dinara Safina, perhaps Elena’s sights were set a little lower. Perhaps, she has been successful because expectations have been reduced or because the media has been busy elsewhere. Regardless, Elena looks ready.

However, she did offer up 9 double faults and those kinds of stats do not get past the semis when a Williams is lurking in the weeds. She countered with 13 outright winners, but she is going to need considerably more firepower against team USA.

For the 43rd ranked Schiavone, a terrific run came to an abrupt end in a little more than an hour on Court One. The Wimbledon quarterfinals have clearly affirmed the seeding as the semis will consist of the top four seeds, a rare occurrence on the Ladies’ tour.

Serena Williams – Wow!

I have to say, I picked Victoria Azarenka. I like her. I still do. But, Serena, you are tough. You are powerful. You are a determined force who does not look like someone who will drop the ball until you have crossed the goal line.

Serena Williams is an exquisite tennis player with the mindset of a middle linebacker. She just keeps coming at you. In her quarterfinal match, she defeated probably the third best grass court player in the draw in Victoria Azarenka.

It was more than a win. It was more than a decisive win. It was surgical. So surgical in fact that it even quieted my frisky pony, Victoria. Serena Williams was so dominant that she beat the third best player in the draw 6-2, 6-3 in such a way that there was never any doubt about the outcome.

And, Azarenka played well! Better than anyone else has against either Williams sister. Victoria looked like she belonged on the court with Serena. When she broke and held to go up 3-2 in the second set, there was a glimmer of hope for more tennis today.

Of course, you knew what would happen. Serena took one look at her family and answered with two breaks and two holds to end the day.

Serena Williams had 9 aces, no double faults and 28 winners. I mean who can compete with that! Oh yes, there is that other American, the taller one, the one with 5 Wimbledon titles. That is the match of the tourney. That is the story of Ladies tennis this year.

Yes, Elena will go all out. Yes, Dinara finally has nothing to lose. But, the William’s girls have a date to play in the finals. You can book that one.

Dinara will make use of her top seed to romp through the opening rounds. The tennis world keeps waiting for Safina to bring that early-round mentality to the finals. At some point, she begins to play not to lose rather than to win.

Her resume is dotted with success. She has earned her top billing. However, her Grand Slam final matches have not helped the public’s perception of Safina as a bit of a choke artist. Her time is now!

2. Serena Williams – 5/2 –

Watch out for the Williams women. Serena is looking for her 3rd Wimbledon title and her 11th Grand Slam Championship. She is tough on grass and has a score to settle with Safina. Serena is looking to get the number one ranking back. In a big match, it is hard to bet against a proven star.

3. Venus Williams – 11/4 –

A five-time winner at Wimbledon and a two-time runner-up, Venus is right at home on the grass. Uncomfortable on the clay of Paris, she will be a force to beat in this one.

Venus has had a disappointing season with early exits in Melbourne and in Paris. The elder sister looks fit and fans expect the juices to flow for the next two weeks. A tough out for anyone.

4. Elena Dementieva – 25/1 –

Elena has reached the semis in three of the last four Grand Slams. Her 2008 semifinal appearance was her best performance in ten outings. However, the fleet Russian’s lackluster effort at clay ground raises questions about her heart.

Dementieva needs to assert herself to hold her number four ranking. Lesser players now regard Elena as a good and doable win.

5. Svetlana Kuznetsova – 16/1 –

Svetlana has added the 2009 French Open to her 2004 U.S. Open Championship and she did it with all the qualities of a true champion. Her strategy and execution were precise and her conditioning excellent.

Svetlana has climbed up in the rankings and the bookmakers like her chances at Wimbledon, where she has reached the fourth round and the quarters in the past two years. If we had to pick an upset winner, Svetlana would be our choice!

6. Jelena Jankovic – 16/1 –

Jankovic was favorably positioned in Paris and was cruising through the draw. When Dementieva was taken down, Jankovic seemed on track to move through the draw until her game inexplicably disappeared in the fourth round.

Much like Safina, the former number one has a history of Grand Slam failure. Her fitness is in question and once again Jelena looks like a long shot.

7. Vera Zvonareva – 33/1 –

Vera’s 20-4 record this year would normally make her a better risk. The determined Russian missed Roland Garros, but is in shape for Wimbledon. If she is fully rested and recuperated, Vera can pull an upset. With $1 million banked so far this season, we look for Vera to reach the quarters and quite possibly the semis.

8. Victoria Azarenka – 12/1 –

Now here is an athlete. Entering her fourth Wimbledon, Victoria strutted her big game power in Paris and should benefit from the grass. Her 32-6 record explains her jump in the rankings and in her popularity with the bookmakers.

Azarenka has the stuff to intimidate sift servers. A native of Belarus, Victoria could very well be a semifinalist this time around.

9. Caroline Wozniacki – 25/1 –

Denmark’s consistent tour player just does not seem to have Grand Slam consistency. The hard-working blonde may not have the ability to endure the grueling two-week demands. Caroline could be out early at Wimbledon. Her serve must improve to reach the quarters.

10. Nadia Petrova – 66/1 –

A quarterfinalist last year, Nadia’s sub-par performance in Paris raises more questions than it answers. One of Russia’s dominating team, Nadia may not fare too well. We look for an early upset of the ten seed.

11. Ana Ivanovic – 14/1 –

Where have you gone Ms. Ivanovic? The pretty fan favorite lost her serve here last year and has only whimpered since. The pretty Serb and Verdasco heartthrob has dropped five notches since the season began. Without a coach and a serve, Wimbledon may not be Ana’s best event.

12. Maria Sharapova – 6/1 –

She’s back! Praise be! Have you ever seen a 24 seed at 6/1? Probably not. If Maria’s conditioning lets her compete, she will be in the mix and the player all the big guns look to avoid. She had moments of brilliance in Paris but lacked stamina. We look for a solid performance on the grass.

While many of the records are startling, Martina Navratilova’s record for 332 total matches played will most likely never be equaled. The most pressing question in 2009 may center around the defending champion, Rafael Nadal, whose quest for a Grand Slam sweep is already underway. On the women’s side, could Venus Williams hold off her younger sister and capture her third consecutive Wimbledon title?

Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Singles Champions

Wimbledon Women’s Singles Champions