Wimbledon 2013: A glance at the crazy fortnight that unfurled at SW19

The only time the duo have met on grass was won by Britain’s Andy Murray.

Here we are. The second Sunday of Wimbledon 2013, a Wimbledon that will surely rank up there as one of the craziest and most shocking of all time.

Upset after upset was witnessed in the tournament, so much so that a day without one was a rarity, especially in the first week. Legends and greats tumbled like nine pins at the lush green lawns of SW19. The turmoil and the shocks reminded one of a statement Billie Jean King once made on the hallowed grounds: “Victory is fleeting, losing is forever.”

Rafael Nadal started the sequence, knocked out on the first day by Belgian journeyman Steve Darcis. Federer followed suit in the second round on Black Wednesday that saw seven former world number ones across the men’s and women’s draws being knocked out or withdrawing due to injury.

Federer, Maria Sharapova, Lleyton Hewitt (to Brown, number 189), Jelena Jankovic (lost to Dolonc, number 97), Victoria Azarenka, Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki, all formerly ranked one, bowed out on the first Wednesday, depriving the tournament of much of its sheen.

Some of them had to give up because of injuries, others just had a terrible day in office, but overall, the organizers came in for a lot of flak for their preparation of the courts.

Serena Williams was another favourite who fell early to Sabine Lisicki.

In a one-sided ladies’ final on Saturday, Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli brought a beautiful end to two picture perfect weeks by winning in straight sets against German Sabine Lisicki, another player who had a dream run until she seemingly got overwhelmed by the occasion in the final. It was Bartoli’s second Wimbledon final after bowing out at this stage six years back.

At the age of 28, she might not get many more chances, but she grabbed this one with both hands – quite literally. Playing double-handed off both wings (reminding on-lookers of Monica Seles), she made sure to make this occasion her own. She finished in the perfect way by serving out the match with an ace.

Her post-match statement summed up the enormity of the occasion, an occasion that enabled her to fulfil her childhood dream: “But just to finish on an ace to win Wimbledon and you saw the chalk come out of the line. Just, I mean, I could have seen it in slow motion. I could see the ball landing, the chalk come out, it’s an ace, and I just win Wimbledon. You can’t describe that kind of feeling. You cannot put any words what I feel in this moment. I can’t believe I won Wimbledon this year. We’ll have to see the pictures, to see the match again on DVD to kind of starting to realize it.”

Bartoli became the fifth oldest Slam winner of all time at 28 years, nine months old, and just the sixth player in the Open Era at Wimbledon to win the title without dropping a set. Who would have even given her a chance when the tournament began?

If the tournament produced dramatic upsets and logic-defying results, it also had its share of magical and superhuman moments. We saw the Argentine Juan Martin del Petro injure his already-bandaged left knee after skidding on the fifth point of the match and crashing down in a heap during his quarterfinal against David Ferrer, taking treatment and heavy medication, and coming out in blistering form to beat the French Open finalist and soon to be No. 3 Ferrer.

Del Petro continued the superb run into the semis where, battling pain, knee trouble and having constant sessions with his trainer, he played probably the best grasscourt tennis of his career to produce an epic five-setter against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the longest semi-final of all time, one which he unfortunately lost to the relentless Serbian.

The Serb’s opponent in the final, Andy Murray, also had a dramatic entry to the final. His semi-final against Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz, much delayed due to the long Djokovic-del Petro game, finishing under a closed roof, and was watched on by 13.2 million viewers – the most watched TV moment of the year in the UK. The 1966 football World Cup final in Wembley, where England beat West Germany to win their only World Cup title, was watched by 32.3 million viewers, and is the most watched programme in British television history.

Murray’s semifinal victory came after his gruelling five-set win against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the quarters.

The Scot stands on the cusp of scripting another such historic moment for British sport; he is one match away from becoming the first British man in 77 years since Fred Perry to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title.

Sunday’s final is expected to be watched by 24.35 million viewers, which would make it one of the top 10 most-watched programs in the UK, bettering Only Fools and Horses, Batman and Robin episode.

But we are quite sure Murray won’t be worrying about bettering Batman.

His focus, attention and energy would instead be consumed by the thought of bettering the Batman on the other side of the net, a 6’2” Serbian gentleman who resides in Monte Carlo, Monaco, and who goes by the name of Novak ‘Nole’ Djokovic.

Let the game begin, and may the best man win!