Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Wimbledon, Day 3: Serena Williams--2 rounds, 2 problems

In the first round, it was Lourdes Dominguez Lino who gave Williams problems; today, it was former world number 8, Alicia Molik. Molik had to leave the tour for a long time because of a debilitating inner ear infection. She has been back for a year, but is still not playing at her pre-illness level, lucky for Williams. Williams pulled out a victory, but she has been vulnerable in her first two rounds, which makes me wonder whether she is really the most likely player to win Wimbledon. Final score: 7-6, 6-3

Player of the day: Kateryna Bondarenko, who came dangerously close to taking out number 13 seed Dinara Safina. Ever since her sister, Alona, made a breakthrough last year in Luxembourg, Bondarenko's game has improved considerably. She was the 2004 junior Wimbledon champion, so grass is a comfortable environment for her. Look for both Bondarenkos to rise in the rankings.

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