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Excitement in England
Despite upsets, plenty of big names remain at Wimbledon
Posted: Wednesday July 05, 2000 11:11 AM
By Lee Geeker, CNNSI.com
After a week of play at Wimbledon, many of the top seeds were already home, eliminated in a rash of upsets, just as it was at the French Open. While in years past, it seemed like only the same four or five players were always squaring off in the final rounds, now there is always at least one new face contending for a major title. Tennis may be lacking the dominant stars it used to feature, but the overall depth of quality players today is outstanding. Even without any of the finalists from the French Open left at Wimbledon, there is still plenty of star power, especially among Americans, who were noticeably absent from the second week at Roland Garros. At Wimbledon, though, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are on a collision course for another stirring final, while the Williams sisters continue to wow the crowds on the women's side, along with defending champ Lindsay Davenport. Along with these big names are fresh faces like Jan-Michael Gambill, Alexander Popp, and Jelena Dokic. So, rather than wonder about whether the game of tennis is sliding, take some time to enjoy another thrilling week of action from the All England Club.
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| American revival, week two |
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As the tournament goes on, American players continue to impress at the All England Club, especially on the women's side. Five of the eight quarterfinalists and three of the four semifinalists were from the United States. On the men's side, Jan-Michael Gambill joined American stars Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in the quarterfinals. |
| Parental problems |
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One of the more negative storylines of Wimbledon's first week was the controversies caused by some parents, specifically Samantha Stevenson and Damir Dokic. Stevenson caused quite a stir with her continued allegations of racism, which may or may not be true, but the public nature of them was still uncalled for. Dokic, meanwhile seems unable to avoid trouble, which is a shame, because it takes away from the accomplishments of his daughter on the court. |
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| ACE Jan-Michael Gambill He has become the new young star of American tennis. Hopefully this performance is just the beginning. |
| ACE Jelena Dokic If it weren't for dad's actions, she would be the talk of the tournament for her stellar play. |
| DOUBLE FAULT Mary Pierce Maybe she should have spent less time bashing Wimbledon and more time preparing. A second-round exit isn't nearly the performance expected after winning in Paris. | ACE Mark Philippoussis His match against Sjeng Schalken showed that he is a different player now, and definitely more dangerous. |
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| "I wasn't paying attention to it. I was just trying to think about the match." |
| Anna Kournikova, after a streaker interrupted her doubles match Monday. |
| "I don't know what it is. Maybe it's McDonald's." |
| Serena Williams, on the success of American players at Wimbledon. |
| "I feel I've just been punched to death for five hours," |
| Mark Philippoussis, after his marathon match with Sjeng Schalken. |
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| She's one of the biggest stars in tennis, and makes millions in endorsements, yet 18-year-old Anna Kournikova has never won a WTA Tour singles title, earning her plenty of criticism. Week at a Glance will follow Anna's performance until she finally breaks through with her first tournament win. |
| 2000 stats: 25-15 record, four semifinal appearances in 15 tournaments |
| After her opening round upset of No. 10 Sandrine Testud, Kournikova promptly lost to Anne-Gaelle Sidot in the second round at Wimbledon, though she did stay to play doubles with Natasha Zvereva. |
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| This week |
| Wimbledon continues, with men's quarterfinals Wednesday, followed by the women's semifinals Thurday, men's semis Friday, and women's and men's finals Saturday and Sunday, respectively. |
| Next week - ATP Tour |
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There are three men's tournaments, the UBS Open Gstaad in Switzerland and the Swedish Open, both on clay, and the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Rhode Island, played on grass. Also, Australia hosts Brazil in a Davis Cup semifinal tie. While many players will be resting after Wimbledon, Gstaad will have a strong field of clay-court players.
| Next week - WTA Tour |
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There are three women's tournaments scheduled, in Palermo, Italy, Prague, Czech Republic, and Portschach, Austria, all of which will be played on clay. Expect most of the top players to rest after Wimbledon, though. | | Come back every Tuesday afternoon for a new Tennis Week at a Glance.
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