Wimbledon 2013: Mandy Minella – a wonderful discovery

Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella returns against Serena Williams during their women’s first round match on day two of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club in Wimbledon,London, on June 25, 2013. (Getty Images)

Often, in Wimbledon mostly, a player comes into the limelight when when he or she manages to reach Centre Court. Champions too, are made on Centre Court – that’s where all the Federers, Novaks, Nadals have been showcased.

So also it was no different for Mandy Minella – the young, 27-year-old Luxembourg player who made her way to Centre Court at this year’s Wimbledon, after having played only one singles tournament in the grand city of Greater London.

Although she did not win, she did carve a space for herself in the hearts of all tennis lovers. Pitted, in the very first round, against the mighty – in will, temperament and physique – five-time Wimbledon champion, Serena Williams, Minella did take some time to loosen her legs.

While Williams delivered from the baseline of the court, accelerating all power from within through those strong arms and sturdy upper body, Minella never really lost her sense of calm and composure, even though she was losing the points.

She did, however, manage to find that flair of hers at occasional moments in the match, when she would let her game flourish, without bothering about who was on the other side of the court. The crowd, though, had given their verdict from the very beginning – Minella.

Since the very first time she took to the court, the roar was greater for this shiny West European player than her opponent. And the applause followed whenever she showed signs of the tennis player – with isolated passing winners and surprising returns – she had within herself.

As for Serena, she played like Serena. Only, she seemed to be going a bit easy – the way she would have played, perhaps, after getting out of bed for the day’s warm-up – except that this was her warm-up for Wimbledon 2013.

While most of the heart-raising players of this session were those who ended up on the winning side of the court against the contemporary tennis greats, Minella was an exception as she lost 6-1, 6-3.

Yet, at the end, the smile with which Minella made her way off court left the greens with her vibrance, shining with such vigour that it lit up all those present there – made evident by the huge uproar they gave her as she left with waving hands.

And the court reverberated with the single thought: ‘Minella – what a wonderful discovery!’