Wimbledon 2022 Day 11

Bartoli excelled herself again in her Invitational Doubles match partnering Zimonjic against Pierce and Ivanisevic. I've always enjoyed watching Bartoli and learning from her matches because her style of game is very much like Monica Seles. I modelled my game on Seles complete with being two handed on both sides. It worked well for me until I played competitive matches. Then I felt I needed to be able to hit a can-opener when taken out-wide (although it helps if there isn't a hanging net to divide the courts on your forehand side stopping you from running the extra distance needed!) and that requires a one-handed forehand. Luckily, it was easy for me to incorporate a one-handed forehand into my main game because I had spent several years during childhood playing only one-handed forehands and continued practising them after reverting back to my original double-handed game. But Bartoli, like Seles, makes the double-handed shots on both sides look so effortless and natural. Bartoli is also, like Seles before her, an excellent striker of the ball. Her lobs are incredible! She does the classically difficult lob to the opponent's backhand. I practised those because they are the ones you oftentimes hit badly or completely miss. Today she hit a spectacular cross court, short, out-wide shot which was unreturnable in the first set, 4:3 up in the match. The match was of a high quality but never lost the fun element. At one point, the men played on the same side as each other with both women on the other side. After her amazing tennis this year at Wimbledon, Bartoli is all set for the main tour. She hasn't lost any of her skills, pace and accuracy! 🎾👏👏

The other combination in the women's invitational that are playing really well are A. Radwanska and Jankovic. They also look as good as they did on the main tour.

Not to forget that Bahrami was his usual scintillating self, on Centre Court today, partnering Conchita Martinez, who didn't overshadow him. Bahrami is not just some showman with a bag of tricks. He has some serious skills going on that we would all love to have and most people are desperately jealous that they don't possess! Who cares that he's 66 years old - the man is a genius! Why? He's unique in that he's invented new techniques and shots and can execute them on a regular basis. In a match he hits an incredulous amount of shots and he runs fast around the court more times than those sharing the court with him. Martinez understands what the Invitational tennis is about: fun and entertaintment while showing us the tennis skills you have. Being relaxed, smiling, cracking jokes, and having fun is impossible when playing competitive tennis. I can't do it. I never cracked a smile even though I have a GSOH. You can't necessarily judge a personality by the way that person is on court. Or even by their playing style. I have a very different personality off court. Always have had. My on-court persona wasn't learned, it came naturally. The Invitational also sends out the message that tennis is fun and that it doesn't have to be so competitive and seemingly aggressive. It's not about win or lose. Bahrami gives us the opportunity to appreciate watching him execute shots that are extraordinarily difficult which reminds us to appreciate our good shots too. Bahrami has to be extremely fit and train very hard to be as brilliant as he is -he's not just pulling a rabbit out of a hat! I admire him enormously!

I also think it's important to show how past players have kept up their skills and can execute their shots just as well as when they played competitive tennis. It should encourage everyone to pick up their racquet and go play tennis!

One tradition that the main tour should keep, I think, is that all players leave the court together, post-match. It comes under good sportspersonship! Difficult if the post match interview takes place on court but maybe the loser should wait for them anyway! It's a nice thing to do! 🙂

The main draw Women's Singles Semi-final matches today decided who the 2022 Wimbledon finalists will be: Rybakina (who defeated Halep) will play Jabeur (who beat T. Maria) on Saturday! 

It was less surprising that Jabeur defeated Maria because she's currently number 2 in the world rankings and is an amazing grass court player so really tough to win against at Wimbledon. Nevertheless, as an Arabic Tunisian, (Muslim) she's made history to achieve this, by becoming both the first Arab and the first African woman to reach a Grand Slam final (and the first to reach a GS quarter and semi-final on the way). I remember the fantastic Tunisian player, Selima Sfar, whose achievements should not be forgotten or overshadowed, simply because she didn't get into the second week of Grand Slams or rank higher than 75 in singles and 47 in doubles. However, she did reach the quarter finals of Wimbledon in doubles in 2008. She broke barriers and paved the way for future stars from Tunisia and elsewhere in the Arab world and beyond, and was especially a role model for African and Arabic women. I thought she had a brilliant game on the tour and I enjoyed watching her amazing athleticism that she maintained through to playing in the Invitational Doubles at Wimbledon. She had a big serve, backed up with excellent volleys. Sfar may not have reached the same heights but she was a trailblazer - she was the first Arab woman ever to make it as an international, professional tennis player. And her love of tennis is inspirational, She kept working out and maintaining her high level of fitness and tennis training whilst also being a commentator. So maybe she'll be back playing Invitational tennis again next year. 

Moreover, her opponent is also making history herself, by being the first player representing Kazakhstan as a Grand Slam finalist. She caused an upset by defeating Halep, a former Wimbledon champion (2019). Nevertheless, their seeding was evenly matched (Halep 16 and Rybakina 17), although most would have backed the former world number one and two time GS champion Halep to win. Lesser-known Rybakina was born and raised in Russia and trained at an elite tennis centre, the Spartak Club. There she had a female fitness coach who was a past Gold Medalist (Pentathlon) and she honed her tennis skills with a former top 10 ATP player. How many women on the tour can put their hand up and say they trained with a former top 10 ATP player when very young? 🤔 

Good luck to both players on Saturday! Whoever wins, they will be a first for their country! History will be made on Saturday!