Haddad Maia the latest victim of the Wimbledon injury plague

Beatriz & Elena embrace after a brief match on centre court. pic.twitter.com/FQWI9ZHzz9

— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) July 10, 2023

Beatriz Haddad Maia, seeded 13th at Wimbledon, had a 1-1 record (though neither match was played on grass) against defending champion Elena Rybakina when she entered the court today to play her round of 16 match. Between that and the Brazilian's considerable fitness and fighting spirit, there was obvious potential for an excellent match to be played. But it wasn't to be: At 1-4 in the first set, Haddad Maia's back suddenly went out, and the injury was bad enough that she had to retire from the match. 

Two-time champion Petra Kvitova had a different kind of problem. It was almost as though she wasn't there and some pod version of her was on the court. But that persona certainly wasn't P3tra, because Ons Jabeur finished off the Czech star in straight sets, and threw in a first set bagel. Kvitova, whose serve was way off today, hit only four winners, while hitting 26 unforced errors. The whole thing was done in just over an hour. 

Throughout the first week of Wimbledon, Kvitova has looked more like 2011/2014 Petra than we have seen her look in a long time. But today, she could barely do anything. Of course, she did have an especially clever opponent, but that doesn't fully explain the 6-0, 6-4 scoreline.

Madison Keys, who continues to look her best in the second week, had to deal with teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva, and the going was tough until Keys pulled away in the third set. Keys' 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 victory. All the same, Andreeva's advancement to the round of 16 was very impressive.

Ekaterina Alexandrova probably didn't fear her round of 16 match against Aryna Sabalenka the way some players might have feared it. She had a 3-2 record against the 2nd seed, and one of those victories ahd been played on a grass court. But Sabalenka was ready, and was able to diffuse Alexandrova's skills with a combination of her usual big hitting and a good dose of finesse. Sabalenka defeated Alexandrova 6-4, 6-0.

Here is the singles quarterfinal draw:

Iga Swiatek (1) vs. Elina Svitolilna (WC)
Jessica Pegula (4) vs. Marketa Vondrousova
Ons Jabeur (6) vs. Elena Rybakina (3)
Madison Keys (25) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2)

Of special interest in the quarterfinal match to be played by Jabeur and Rybakina. They met in the final last year, and Rybakina was victorious (3-6, 6-2, 6-2). Jabeur would go on to reach the final in the U.S. Open, also, but she was defeated 6-2, 7-6 in that match by Iga Swiatek.

Anyone who reads this blog knows that Wimbledon is my least favorite major. This year's event, hampered by so many injuries and so much rain, has been especially problematic. The press has been busy telling us--great news!--that officials are finally permitting female players to wear dark undershorts (oh, where is Tatiana Golovin when you need her?). Institutions like Wimbledon, when they are dragged--kicking and screaming--into this (or even the last) century, somehow always get credit for the movement, when the appropriate response should be outrage that it took them this long to do something decent.

Less than a decade ago, officials were lifting women's skirts to check their undergarments. What troubles me even more than the fact that Wimbledon sponsored this degrading, abusive behavior is that the players let them do it. And the WTA--of course--let them do it.

And that brings me to the whole Russia/Belarus/Ukraine business, which I don't usually talk about. The crowd booed Vika Azarenka (the Australians would be proud) because she didn't come to the net to shake hands with Elina Svitolina after their match. Of course, anyone familiar with the current tennis climate knows that Svitolina is not shaking the hands of Russians or Belausians. That, of course, would not include Wimbledon spectators.

But fans had other issues regarding this non-handshake. Those who didn't get to see all of the camera angles were convinced that--following Azarenka's gesture of acknowledgement of Svitolina, Svitolina ignored her. She did not; indeed, she returned the acknowledgement. There are also some fans who think that the Ukrainian star is being "rude" or "mean." One doesn't have to agree with Svitolina's decision to refrain from shaking certain hands, but it is worth pointing out that she has repeatedly provided the reason--that she refrains out of respect for the Ukrainian people on the front lines of the war. Again, one doesn't have to agree with that decision, but it certainly doesn't sound "rude" or "mean ."

Azarenka and Svitolina have long regarded one another with respect. But--the current cultural climate being what it is--that doesn't stop thousands of people from going out of their way to make one or the other of them "the enemy." Some people like to say that we should keep politics out of sport. Sorry, but politics, like art, is part of everything. What would be nice would be to keep ignorance and bigotry out of sport.