Sad to see Aussie Kim succumb to an ankle injury and unable to compete at the Championships next week. Interesting that the powers that be have given Serena Williams the number 7 seeding although her ranking is in the twenties. Her sister also has been bumped up into a seeded position, not so prominent, but at least protected for a few rounds from the "name" players.
In Eastbourne Thursday morning, I was ready to receive the promised precipitation from above as I took my morning walk. It failed to arrive for about an hour but when it did, I was thankful that I had never unpacked an umbrella purchased for a 2008 trip still in the suitcase wherever I had travelled since, and still unopened.
The rain never actually delivered with any conviction - more it was of nuisance value to windscreen wipers and tennis tournament organisers. The delay to starting time extended to around 45 minutes before Venus Williams and Daniela Hantuchova took to Centre Court in variable conditions. The one constant - it was blustery. As with the rain Venus delivered with little conviction in the first set while Hantuchova continued her vein of top form by not trying to defeat the wind but to respect it and play her style of game within the environmental parameters given both players.
Whereas Venus would try to hit too powerfully, Hantuchova could often use the speed off the Williams racquet to her advantage. Before early damage could be repaired Williams found herself down too far to be able to capture the first set, instead attempt to steady, better react to the conditions and control her big weapons. 6-2 to a very impressive Hantuchova, who was just a week ago finalist at Birmingham.
Despite the match improving, while the weather remained windy, Venus could not make initial headway in the second set, and the ground strokes and thinking about each point from Daniela made it hard to see where a breakthrough could come for the American. Almost down another double break the fight came and Venus shone to storm through the remainder of the set and level the match 2-6 7-5.
However, this was a chance for Hantuchova to beat Williams for the first time in a million attempts and after a careful start to the final set, she exploded, dominating the final four games and winning a spectacle marred by the wind but still featuring fine tennis 6-2 5-7 6-2
The other quarter final on Centre Court featured top seed Vera Zvonareva against 7th seed Samantha Stosur. The wind was still a factor, and Vera was running late, running out for the toss and warm up in something somewhere between a pair of pajamas and a ski suit. Fortunately this attire did not rate number one choice for the match proper.
Sam served first and formidably, and then wasted a few minor chances to perhaps threaten the Russian's serve. The only service break for the set was in the next game when a combination of poor racquet work at the net by Stosur and more consistent ground strokes and better placement by Zvonareva resulted in a 2-1 lead to the latter.
Despite tricky tosses with the wind, each girl managed to hold serve for the remainder of the set, and 6-4 was the score in favour of Vera.
Sam served first in the second and needing to make a statement straight away, played a shocker. Now behind a set and a break, she had to summon something if anything was to be taken away from the match.
Apart from that game, once again the tennis was of quality standard given the wind, and games were on serve until Zvonareva served at 4-3. Stosur's obvious tactic of attacking the net more to take a volley may have worked a treat against a young improver such as Jovanovski, but not against Vera who can pass on both sides if the approach shot is the slightest bit inadequate.
Game 8 Stosur did finally break the Russian serve - the first time in 9 attempts. Serves were held for 5-5, with Zvonareva saving one set point, and then the longest game of the match on Stosur's serve. 11 deuces I counted during this epic game, during which the tide at Eastbourne had time to go out and then come back in again.
Eventually Stosur held serve, as did Zvonareva in reply, and a tiebreaker was required. Down 4-2, it seemed that the match was Vera's for the keeping, but the resolve of the Queenslander showed tough and Samantha won the key points and subsequently the tiebreak 7-6.
Vera fell apart in the decider, losing her opening two service games. At 5-2 Stosur could serve it out. Wait, no she could not!
Now Vera had to serve to stay in the match. That task complete, back to Sam at our end to try once more to serve for the semis. No worries this time with a couple of aces thrown in for good measure.
Stosur to play Bartoli
Hantuchova to play Kvitova
According to the locals that's a moot point because it will be rained out on Friday!
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