Believe it or not, there is tennis that doesn’t involve Isner or Mahut. Track the many shorter matches that make up Day 4 at Wimbledon, as SB Nation’s Ben Rothenberg follows the day’s action and gives us five key matches to watch.
Wimbledon: No. 19 Svetlana Kuznetsova Upset By Anastasia Rodionova, Refuses Hand Shake
In a result I predicted at the beginning of the day, unseeded Anastasia Rodionova upset No. 19 Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
After match point, Kuznetsova refused to shake Rodionova’s hand, which in this case is far more of a reflection on Rodionova than it is on Kuznetsova.
Read Article >Wimbledon: No. 2 Rafael Nadal Survives Robin Haase In Five Sets
Rafael Nadal got a break midway through the fifth set and held onto it, defeating Robin Haase 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.
Nadal never seemed discouraged, and actually seemed to be relishing the second round challenge.
Read Article >Wimbledon: No. 2 Rafael Nadal Bagels Robin Haase In Fourth Set--Going Five
No. 2 Rafael Nadal responded to being one set from elimination against Robin Haase in the best way possible—he won the fourth set without dropping a game.
The beginning of the fifth set will be absolutely huge. In the two sets Nadal has won, Nadal has gotten a break in Haase’s first service game, and then gone on to win the set with some ease. When he hasn’t gotten an early break, Haase has won the set. It’s been that simple.
Read Article >Wimbledon: Robin Haase Takes Third Set; One Set Away From Upset Over No. 2 Rafael Nadal
No. 2 Rafael Nadal is one set away from his first loss at Wimbledon since 2007.
The 2008 Wimbledon champion lost the second set to young Dutchman Robin Haase 6-3, by one break.
Read Article >No. 6 Robin Soderling Easily Defeats Granollers In Straight Sets
No. 6 Robin Soderling came away with an easy straight sets win over Spain’s Marcel Granollers, winning the second round match 7-5, 6-1, 6-4.
Of all the players considered to have a shot at this title, it’s pretty safe to say that none has been more impressive than Soderling. As others have faltered, many experts have pegged Soderling as the sharpest player in the Gentlemen’s Singles draw.
Read Article >Wimbledon: No. 2 Rafael Nadal Takes Second Set 6-2
Rafael Nadal has started playing even more aggressively than he was before, and successfully beat the very powerful Robin Haase in a punch-for-punch second set.
Nadal broke in the first and seventh games of the set.
Read Article >Wimbledon: No. 4 Andy Murray Puts On Regal Showing In Front Of Queen
With Queen Elizabeth II looking on from the front row of the Royal Box, No. 4 Andy Murray convincingly beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
After Murray’s match, The Queen had a private audience with the two on a balcony overlooking the grounds. After stopping to look at the trophies that will be awarded to each singles champion, The Queen got into her Jaguar and was driven away, waving to her adoring public from the motorcade.
Read Article >Wimbledon: No. 16 Maria Sharapova Wins Convincingly Over Olaru
Maria Sharapova, champion of Wimbledon 2004, registered a dominant 6-1, 6-4 win over Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru to make the third round of the Ladies’ Singles draw for the first time since 2007.
Sharapova suffered embarrassing second round defeats in each of the last two Wimbledons, losing to Alla Kudryavtseva in 2008 and Gisela Dulko in 2009.
Read Article >Wimbledon: No. 23 Zheng Jie Upset By Petra Kvitova
No. 23 Zheng Jie, a 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist, has lost to unseeded Petra Kvitova 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.
Kvitova’s win was a victory for power over finesse, with Kvitova finally finding the range on her powerful ground strokes late in third set, winning the final four games of the match.
Read Article >Wimbledon: Queen Elizabeth II Arrives, Dines
Queen Elizabeth II is at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club for the first time in 33 years.
After going through a receiving line of tennis greats that included Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, the Queen ate lunch with another group of tennis’ elites that included British greats Tim Henman and Virginia Wade. The group ate salmon, chicken, and some traditionally Wimbledonish strawberries.
The Queen is now seated in the front row of The Royal Box at Centre Court watching Andy Murray vs. Jarkko Nieminen, quite visible in a bright robin’s egg blue ensemble.
It has been announced that she will stay until 4 PM, when she will depart for tea time.
Read Article >Wimbledon, Day 4: Five Matches To Watch
Other than the obviously huge Isner-Mahut resumption (which we will be following here), here are the big five matches to watch for Day 4 at Wimbledon 2010
1. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) vs No. 4 Andy Murray (GBR) (8 AM EST on ESPN2) -- Playing in front of Queen Elizabeth during her first visit to Wimbledon in 33 years, Andy Murray will take on tricky Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen in a dangerous second round match. Murray is already the last British player remaining in either singles draw, and that combined with playing in front of royalty could make him justifiably jittery. It will be interesting to see how he manages his nerves (and his brattiness).
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