Articles

Stroll for Chakvetadze [Teletext 497]
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Eighth seed Anna Chakvetadze breezed into the fourth round with a 6-4 6-3 hammering of fellow Russian Evgeniya Rodina on Court 11.

The 18th-seeded Czech eased past Australian Casey Dell'Acqua 6-2 6-4 in 55 minutes on Court 18.
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Chakvetadze wins baseline-battle
Written by Drew Lilley (www.wimbledon.org)
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I have seen the future of ladies' tennis. Two Russians, average age 20, playing from the baseline with powerful forehands and two-handed backhands, one groaning on every shot, the other one exhorting herself in English.

Chakvetadze is training at Justine Henin's 6th Sense academy, and working with the Belgian's former coach and mentor Carlos Rodríguez. An injection of the six-time Major champion's deft touch and overall tennis-savvy are surely what is required if the Russian is to make the transition from top-ten player to champion.
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Vaidišová Continues Revival
By Tennis Week
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The last time Nicole Vaidišová faced Casey Dell'Acqua, it signalled the start of a slide that saw Vaidišová suffer five straight opening-round exits in tournament-play. Vaidišová turned today's rematch into a stepping stone to her third consecutive trip to the Wimbledon round of 16.

The 19-year-old Vaidišová could face Ana Ivanovic in a quarter-final rematch if she can continue her career-mastery of Chakvetadze. Vaidišová has won both of her prior meetings with the 2007 US Open semi-finalist, though the pair have not met in two years.
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Fourth Round: Nicole Vaidišová (Monday 30th June)

My preview

I'm now down to just two members of my Eternal Fanship - Anna Chakvetadze and Nicole Vaidišová - but they're both slumping, and either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can reach the quarter-finals while the other survives.

Anna and Nicole have set up a mouthwatering fourth-round match against each other, which I didn't even dare to predict before the tournament began, given the slumps they've both been in recently - particularly Nicole.

Nicole lost 6 matches in a row prior to Birmingham, where she got two wins, but then suffered a dreadful 6-3 6-0 loss to Bethanie Mattek, followed by another poor, error-strewn performance to lose 6-2 6-4 to Olga Govortsova at Eastbourne. Nicole has tended to tank sets and matches that are going badly, and her confidence seemed to be at an all-time low.

However, Nicole has displayed very impressive form at Wimbledon so far:

NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ [18,EF]:
1r + Zuzana Ondrášková [Q], 6-2 6-2
2r + Samantha Stosur [WC], 6-2 0-6 6-4
3r + Casey Dell'Acqua, 6-2 6-4

At times, she has looked virtually unplayable, serving amazingly. However, her second-set tank against Stosur was alarming to watch, as she didn't look like she wanted to be on court at all.

Anna has also been a slump since winning Paris in February, although her results have been merely mediocre, rather than as spectacularly bad as Nicole's.

Anna survived a massive scare in the first round, being 3-5* down in the third set and saving three match-points. Her next two rounds were much more straightforward, although her form in them was very up and down - she's been pretty erratic at times, especially on the third stroke of the rally when she's serving. She's hit plenty of flairsome winners, though.

ANNA CHAKVETADZE [8,EF]:
1r + Stéphanie Dubois, 2-6 6-1 8-6
2r + Edina Gallovits, 6-4 6-2
3r + Evgeniya Rodina, 6-4 6-3

Nicole leads their head-to-head 2:0, but both matches came at a time when Nicole was in the top 16 and Anna was outside the top 30:
+ 2006 Australian Open 2r: Nicole 6-2 6-1
+ 2006 San Diego qf: Nicole 3-6 6-4 6-3 (after 3-6 *0-2 (30/40))

Anna will be keen to prove that she's come a long way since the Australian Open 2006, but it all depends on which Nicole shows up, because her form so far this Wimbledon has been either extremely brilliant or extremely bad, and her confidence seemed so fragile against Stosur.

If they will both be playing as well as they did in their third-round matches, then I would predict Nicole to win. If Nicole's serving well, then it will be very tough for Anna to stay with her; she'll need her one-two punches to be working much better than they have so far this Wimbledon.

Signs to look out for:

• Anna's one-two punch: if Anna is off-form, she'll miss a lot of shots on the third stroke of the rally when she's serving;
• How Nicole handles short balls: if Nicole is off-form, she'll miss a lot off shots off short balls that she should be punishing.

Here is an excerpt from Nicole's BBC interview after her third-round match:
Interviewer: "You're up against Anna Chakvetadze next. And you've met her twice: you've beaten her twice - that was on hard courts, though. Any concerns about playing her on grass?"
Nicole: "Well, she's a great grasscourt-player, so I'm sure it's not gonna be easy, but erm, I'm just excited to be in the second week of Wimbledon, and we'll see what happens."

Wimbledon Round-of-Sixteen Preview
By Aaress Lawless
http://www.onthebaseline.com/2008/06/29/wimbledon-round-of-sixteen-preview/
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This will be a loud match - and I'm not referring to the crowd. Anna Chakvetadze and Nicole Vaidišová are two of the most emotional players inside the top 50, so fans will hear outbursts in Russian, German, Czech, and probably a little English. Expect the winner to be the woman who beats herself up the least.

Anna Chakvetadze in 3 sets.
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Who do I want to win? That's a tough one, with them both being members of my Eternal Fanship. Reaching the quarter-finals of Wimbledon would be huge for either of them after their slumps, but since Nicole reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 2007, I feel that this year should be Anna's turn.

I also feel that Anna deserves it more in terms of her attitude: she wants it so much, while Nicole has done a lot of tanking recently, and lacked focus in her matches.

I'm hoping for a hard-fought, high-quality match, with Anna winning in three sets, but not so tiring that she won't be up for her quarter-final on Tuesday.

I am delighted that the mouthwatering Anna v Nicole match will be on Court One, although I admit I'm surprised that they got show-court billing ahead of the Williams-sisters, Jankovic and Dementieva - all of whom are seeded higher and more famous, but have been consigned to outside courts.

Perhaps the OoP-committee recognises that Anna v Nicole is one of only two fourth-round matches between two seeds (the other being Kuznetsova v Radwanska, which is on Centre Court), or that neither of them have played on a show-court so far this Wimbledon. Or maybe Anna and Nicole are more popular in England than I realise.

It's also an upside to Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic's early exits, of course (I would have sacrificed Ana without hesitation if that would have made the difference between seeing Anna v Nicole on TV or not, but I would have sold my soul to prevent Maria's loss).

So far this Wimbledon, I can't remember any singles-match on Centre Court or Court One not being available on Freeview BBCi, so if I don't see Anna v Nicole on Monday, I shall cry.

My TV-report

- ANNA CHAKVETADZE [8,EF] lt. NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ [18,EF], 6-4 6-7 (0/7) 3-6

A mouthwatering match between the two most talented and attractive players left in the tournament, but unfortunately the BBC didn't give it the same priority as did the order-of-play committee: it was only available on Freeview from 6-4 3-2* onwards, so I was left desperately wanting more of Anna at the end.

The match was serve-dominated, as befits the best server in women's tennis (Nicole) and the girl with the best one-two punch (Anna). There were only two breaks in the entire match, the first occurring when Anna broke Nicole to take the first set 6-4.

When BBCi started showing the match, both girls were very calm (at least, Anna was very calm for Anna!). Anna had made just 11 unforced errors to Nicole's 16.

Nicole had two nonconsecutive break-points at 4-4* in the second set, and another at 5-5* (40/30*). Her failure to convert them meant that she had to serve to stay in the match at *4-5 and *5-6, but she did so to 15 and love, respectively.

But Anna suffered a sudden emotional breakdown in the tiebreak, which Nicole won 7/0. Anna yelled "aargh" after netting a forehand on the first point, and looked close to tears after an unsuccessful Hawk-Eye challenge put her *0/3 down. Anna doubled over in frustration after hitting a forehand wide for *0/4, and Nicole completed her perfect tiebreak with a crosscourt forehand return-winner and two aces out wide.

Although I blame Anna's emotions for losing this match, I must admit that I love watching her (even more) when she gets emotional. Her reactions to losing points are unique and ultracute. In this match, she was doubling over in frustration, waggling her finger, stumbling backwards in an exaggerated fashion when a deep ball forced her into error, sinking to her knees, and sort of rolling along the baseline like her feet were wheels when stretched wide by a serve down the middle. Perhaps she should consider a second career as an actress!

Anna had a break-point in the first game of the third set, and with breaks coming at a premium in this match, it might well have made the difference. But Nicole saved it with an ace, and broke in the next game as a still-emotional Anna double-faulted (and stumbled backwards in yet another cute reaction).

They both played well at the same time after that break, and although it would prove decisive, it didn't seem inevitable at the time, given Nicole's history of choking and her recent fragile confidence.

The heart of the third set seemed to be a game of seven deuces on Anna's serve at 0-3, in which she saved four break-points, but held with three excellent points at the end: sealed with a pinpoint crosscourt backhand winner.

That game was not on the critical path as it turned out, though; it merely served to prolong the match and raise the quality to new heights: Nicole's service-game at 3-1 also went to deuce, and was full of winners from both girls.

Games continued to go with serve, and Anna's service-game at 2-5 contained a crosscourt backhand winner for her, and brilliant crosscourt forehand winner just inside the baseline from Nicole.

Nicole had her first match-point at *5-3 (40/30), but sprayed a wild forehand about ten feet long.

Nicole had all the luck with netcords in this match - particularly in the third set. Whenever a ball from Nicole hit the netcord, it dropped dead for a winner, or at least gave her the initiative. When a ball from Anna hit the netcord at 3-5* (40/40), it fell back on her side to give Nicole her second match-point.

And it was all over when Anna netted a backhand return, and walked off court in tears. I felt so sorry to see her go, and sorry that the match was over - I just wanted it to go on and on, like the Ancic v Verdasco 13-11 fifth set later in the day (I'm glad it didn't, though, with the winner having to play her quarter-final the very next day).

Don't get me wrong: I love Nicole, and I'm delighted that she has reversed her slump so impressively this Wimbledon. I'm just sad that this match had to result in a fourth-round loser, because I wanted both of them to reach the quarter-finals so much... and for the BBC finally to recognise Anna as the star that she is. I mean, they actually billed this match as "Nicole Vaidišová first on Court One" - even though Anna was the 8th seed - and while the commentators called Nicole a mixture of "Vaidišová" and "Nicole", Anna is still always "Chakvetadze" to them - on the rare occasions when the BBC televises Anna at all, that is.

Dan Walker's summary of the match in the BBC's Today at Wimbledon made me laugh: "Nicole Vaidišová had to deal with the mixed emotions of Anna Chakvetadze on Court One today. The eighth seed's tennis isn't bad, but her paddies are even more impressive, and once the Russian had finally finished her audition for Strop-Idol, her opponent went on to win in three. The Force is strong with Darth Vaidišová [incorrectly pronounced to sound like 'Vader' with two extra syllables inserted]."

First set

VAIDIŠOVÁ  * * * *   4
CHAKVETAD * * * * *@ 6

The match was first on Court One, and started at 13:08 BST. At this time, the BBC was showing Federer v Hewitt on BBC 2, Venus Williams v Kleybanova (6-3 *4-1) on Freeview 301, and Tanasugarn v Jankovic (6-3 *2-1) on Freeview 302, so I had to make do with live scores at www.wimbledon.org.

Anna serving 0-0: 15/0... held.
Nicole serving 0-1: 15/0. 15/15... 30/30. 40/30. 40/40. Ad Anna (BP). Deuce #2. Ad Nicole. Deuce #3. Ad Anna (BP #2). Deuce #4. Ad Nicole. Held.

Anna holds easily, but has the baggage of two wasted break-points, so Nicole could easily take the momentum...

Anna serving 1-1: 40/0. Held.
Nicole serving 1-2: 40/0. Held.

BBC 2 just showed a glimpse of this match in a round up. The way they're talking about Nicole, anyone would think she was the one seeded 10 places higher!

Anna serving 2-2: 30/15. 30/30. 40/30. Held.

Venus Williams and Tanasugarn are each two points from victory, simultaneously, against their respective opponents! I guess whichever Freeview-stream frees up first will pick up this match...

Nicole serving 2-3: 15/15. 15/30. 40/30. Held.

Tanasugarn just beat Jankovic; Freeview 302 just showed a glimpse of this match, but didn't join it - they're going to show Baghdatis v López. :-||

Anna serving 3-3: I saw the first point in a BBCi court-circular: Anna hit a short (presumably second) serve; Nicole hit a mildly penetrating backhand return, and Anna dumped a backhand halfway up the net. 0/15... 30/30... held.

Nicole serving 3-4: 15/0. 15/30. 40/30. Held.

Venus Williams just beat Kleybanova, but Freeview 301 are going to show Serena Williams v Mattek. :-|| At least BBC 1's coverage starts in just over 5 minutes...

Anna serving 4-4: 30/0... held.

www.wimbledon.org: "Vaidišova v Chakvetadze is one heck of a match (and also very difficult to type). Big serving out there from both ladies – who will blink first?"

Second set

VAIDIŠOVÁ  * * * * * *T 7(7)
CHAKVETAD * * * * * *   6(0)

Anna serving 0-0: 0/30 to 30/30... held.
Nicole serving 0-1: 15/0. 15/30. 30/30. The BBC showed this point with the cameras fixed on Anna: she hit a backhand return, a little sliced backhand lob; Nicole hit a hard shot (smash?) back behind Anna, who tried to retrieve it with a left-handed forehand that went straight up. 40/30. Held.
Anna serving 1-1: 40/0. Held.
Nicole serving 1-2: 0/30. 40/30. Held.

BBC 1 started 13 minutes ago, and in that time it has showed Sue Barker interviewing Tim Henman in the studio, and both BBC 1 and BBC 2 showing a protracted tiebreak between Federer and Hewitt! :-||

Anna serving 2-2: 0/15. 40/15. Ace out wide.

And finally, at 14:00, Freeview 301 are showing this match after Serena Williams v Mattek was upgraded to BBC 2.

Virginia Wade: "I think it's also because they are so young, and they have got so many expectations on them. There are probably also an awful lot of people telling them, giving them information. I mean, we know how often they're changing coaches and things. So, probably in many ways, instead of trying to blinker themselves and sort out most of it themselves, they rely on all this outside stuff - I mean, I'm not saying you're going to blame the outside stuff - but I think there is a lot of attention on things other than just allowing the players to get on and play."

Both girls have three challenges remaining.

Nicole serving 2-3: Nicole took the initiative on the fifth stroke with a short backhand down the line, just inside the sideline... she followed that up with a crosscourt forehand back behind Anna to force a weak, defensive lob, which she dispatched with a crosscourt forehand drive-volley winner back behind Anna. Virginia Wade: "When someone moves around the court as well as Chakvetadze does, I think it's a good idea to hit behind her anyway." 15/0. Second serve: Anna hit a crosscourt backhand return into the tramlines, and rolled her head. 30/0. Short-angled ace out wide: just inside the sideline. 40/0. A big first serve out wide forced Anna to hit a backhand return long.

Excellent service-game by Nicole.

Simon Reed: "Although the rest of her game has not been up to par, the serve has given her some time to find her form off the ground."

Anna serving 3-3: (new balls): Anna's second serve clipped the netcord and landed just inside the service-line, giving her a let. Short, "clever" second-serve ace out wide. 15/0. Second serve: Nicole netted a cheap forehand return. 30/0. Anna's first serve drew a short, weak backhand return, which she dispatched with a lovely deceptive forehand winner down the line. 40/0. Ace #6: out wide, in the corner.

Two good signs for Anna in that game:

1. Nicole missing a cheap return. That's happened all too often in recent weeks.
2. Anna hitting a winner on the one-two punch. That's what was missing so often in the first week.

Anna looks very calm (for her) at the changeover.
Simon Reed: "Still remarkably calm. Everything going her way at the moment. An opponent who's flustered. Talking of flustered, I remember watching her at junior Wimbledon 2003: first point in a game, she'd win, scream with glee, then there'd be tears the next point when she missed it, then there'd be more tears, then there'd be glee. It was just incredible; I thought that this was a heart-attack time! And she went on and got to the final!"
Virginia Wade: "More dramatic than Vera Zvonarëva?"
Simon Reed: "Yeah! I have never seen anything like it! So far, she's been relatively stress-free, Chakvetadze. But it may still only be early stages."

Nicole serving 3-4: Second serve out wide + down-the-line forehand close to the sideline forced Anna to bunt a one-handed backhand wide. 15/0. A short but kicking second serve out wide drew a short backhand return down the middle; Nicole's backhand down the line induced Anna to hit a defensive forehand just long; she reacted with a little jump. 30/0. A deep first serve out wide forced Anna to hit a wild forehand return very long and very wide. 40/0. Second serve out wide; Anna hit a deep backhand return; Nicole dug out a deep crosscourt forehand, forcing Anna to bunt a defensive forehand lob long - but only just.

Virginia Wade: "Terrific game from Vaidišová, and just looking at her face there: she looked determined, and she looked relatively calm. So maybe a tiny little momentum in her favour."

Anna serving 4-4: Anna's 108mph first serve landed in Nicole's hitting-zone: a deep backhand return forced a short, weak backhand from Anna; Nicole hit a deep down-the-line forehand that caught the back edge of the baseline, forcing Anna to hit a defensive backhand lob wide. 15/0. A terrific first serve out wide - fast, right in the corner - forced Nicole to bunt a backhand lob-return just long. 30/0. Nicole on the fourth stroke hit a crosscourt backhand that caught the outside edge of the sideline, forcing Anna to hit a crosscourt backhand wide. 30/15. Second serve: Nicole's deep crosscourt forehand return forced a short forehand from Anna; Nicole hit a short-angled crosscourt forehand winner back behind Anna. 30/30. First serve out wide, right in the corner: Nicole hit a deep crosscourt forehand return to Anna's feet, forcing her to bunt a forehand just wide. 30/40 (BP #1). Nicole seemed to have the upper hand as she hit a backhand down the line on the fourth stroke, but Anna on the back foot hit a short forehand down the line, and Nicole hit a crosscourt backhand just wide. She muttered. 40/40. Anna seemed to have the upper hand as her first serve forced a deep, floating backhand return, but after an exchange of rather short crosscourt backhands, Anna dumped one halfway up the net on the fifth stroke. She reacted with another little jump. Ad Nicole (BP #2). A fast first serve out wide forced Nicole to bunt a backhand lob-return just long. Deuce #2. Second-serve let. Anna got away with a short second serve as Nicole hit a cheap backhand return long. Anna reacted by saying something that sounded like "viva" but probably wasn't. Ad Anna. A deep first serve down the middle forced Nicole to hit an off-forehand return wide. Anna reacted with a shout of "viva" and a fist-pump.

Nicole's first break-points of the match against Anna, but not converted, so now she'll have to serve to stay in the match.

Virginia Wade said Nicole was not fired up enough - like she was trying to stay calm, but too much. The commentators are talking about Nicole almost like they think she's lost the match already.

Virginia Wade: "You have to hand it to Chakvetadze, though. She has been good in the crunch-points."
Simon Reed: "And she stops the momentum going the other way. There was just a chance for Vaidišová there. Might have started a little bit of a rollercoaster, but not yet. But it still might happen."
Virginia Wade: "Yeah. It's definitely the time of the match, because Vaidišová suddenly with a little more energy, and some really big, effective shots. I mean, just a pity for her that she hasn't been able to sustain it - not only through her own fault, but because Chakvetadze has been really, really good when she's been in any sort of difficulty. I'm pretty impressed with her performance mentally today, and her game has been tremendous. I never expected her to be in the lead by 100% with aces."

Nicole serving 4-5: A body-jamming first serve forced Anna to hit a backhand return wide. 15/0. Double fault #3 (second serve just long). 15/15. A big first serve down the middle - right in the corner - forced Anna to lunge and bunt a one-handed backhand lob-return long. 30/15. A deep second serve onto the service-line induced Anna to hit a backhand return very long - accompanied by a groan. 40/15. Second serve: Anna netted a backhand dropshot-return, rolled her head and muttered.

Simon Reed: "And just as in the first set, you had the feeling that Chakvetadze was getting the dominance towards the end of the set, you just feel it now with Vaidišová."
Virginia Wade: "She's certainly got Chakvetadze to bend, but she hasn't got her to break yet."

Anna serving 5-5: On the fifth stroke, Anna hit a deep backhand onto the baseline that shot through, forcing Nicole to earth a backhand. 15/0. Anna on the seventh stroke slugged a crosscourt backhand just wide. 30/0. First serve out wide, right in the corner, forced Nicole to stretch and chop a forehand return into the net. Anna celebrated with a lingering fist-pump. 30/15. Double fault #3 (second serve just long). 30/30. Nicole played a nice spreading rally with a short-angled off-backhand return just inside the sideline + short forehand down the other sideline, forcing Anna to hit a defensive sliced backhand lob; Nicole ran around her backhand to hit an off-forehand, leaving the court wide open to her right; Anna decided to hit back behind Nicole, but, with a loud grunt, she hit a very makeable crosscourt backhand just wide. More jumping from Anna. 30/40 (BP). Nicole on the fourth stroke mishit a crosscourt backhand long, and doubled over in frustration, while Anna pumped her fist and said "c'mon". Virginia Wade: "The one thing you knew in that rally was that a basic rally, Chakvetadze was not gonna make an error, so Vaidišová had to fight so hard not to give it away that point. Too bad for her." 40/40. A big 108mph first serve (Anna's fastest of the match so far) down the middle, just inside the service-line, forced Nicole to hit a one-handed backhand lob-return long. Anna pumped her fist and shouted "c'mon". Ad Anna. With loud, cute grunts from Anna, Nicole took the initiative on the fourth stroke with a crosscourt forehand onto the sideline, forcing Anna to hit a short down-the-line forehand that sat up nicely for Nicole to... blast a wild down-the-line backhand very long and wide. Anna pumped her fist.

Virginia Wade: "She's getting quite excited, Chakvetadze. She's almost got to make sure she doesn't boil over. She's getting quite hyper. She's got to keep it under control, because the chances are that Nicole will hold serve here, and then they have to go through the nerve-wracking business of a tiebreak."

Nicole's making a few too many errors. Anna's making very few. A very tight two-setter (so far), though.

Nicole serving 5-6: First serve out wide forced a short forehand return; Nicole hit an 82mph off-forehand winner right in the corner. 15/0. Nicole dominated the point with a first serve out wide + penetrating backhand down the line to force a short forehand from Anna, which Nicole dispatched with another off-forehand winner into the corner: on the baseline. 30/0. Second serve: Anna netted a backhand dropshot-return, just as she had done two games ago. 40/0. Anna netted another backhand dropshot-return off a second serve! Virginia Wade: "Well, it is an interesting idea to hit a dropshot off a second serve, and I have seen just a couple during Wimbledon this year, but was that a good idea or a bit of desperation?"

Simon Reed: "This is terrific now from Vaidišová. Finding rhythm and power - easy power there."

That game gives Nicole great momentum going into the tiebreak: two easy winners, and wasn't Anna crazy to hit two attempted dropshot-returns in a row?

6-6 tiebreak (all scores Anna/Nicole):
{*0/0} Body-jamming second serve: Nicole's forehand return was going wide, but clipped the netcord and landed in; Anna hit a short sliced backhand; Nicole hit a penetrating forehand down Anna's forehand-sideline; they exchanged crosscourt forehands; Anna netted a down-the-line forehand, and yelled "aargh!" Virginia Wade: "Chakvetadze's going over the top a little bit."
{0/1*} Nicole took the initiative with a first serve out wide + forehand down Anna's forehand-sideline; Anna recovered with a crosscourt forehand, but Nicole's crosscourt forehand clipped the netcord and landed short, forcing Anna to net a late forehand. Anna twirled around and ducked sharply.
{0/2*} Deep first serve down the middle: Anna's backhand return looked like it landed on the baseline but was called long - a late call - and Anna made an incorrect Hawk-Eye challenge. Anna looks close to tears now.
{*0/3} Anna hit a ball in anger after missing her first serve; her second was very short, as were her following two groundstrokes; Nicole agitated her with a crosscourt forehand on the fourth stroke, and another deep crosscourt forehand induced Anna hit an off-forehand wide of the tramlines. Anna doubled over in frustration.
{*0/4} First serve out wide: Nicole hit a short, sweet crosscourt forehand return-winner.
{0/5*} Nicole served an ace out wide: in the corner.
{0/6*: SP #1} Nicole served another ace out wide: this time a real boomer onto the sideline! Nicole won the second set 7-6 (7/0) at 14:27 (second set 43m, match so far 1h19m).

A very difficult match to call now. Nicole's so calm, while Anna is hysterical, and has lost the last eleven points. Anna sat at the set-break muttering, and rehearsing her backhand with bare hands and then her racket.

Third set

VAIDIŠOVÁ *@* * * * 6
CHAKVETAD    * * *  3

Simon Reed: "Who's your money on, Virginia?"
Virginia Wade: "I'll tell you in about ten minutes. I'm not sure. I think we have to see how the beginning of this third set develops, because Nicole is so calm now, I think she's gonna play well for a bit, but her problem seems to start when she's ahead."
Simon Reed: "I'm with you. I think she's gonna go out to a lead here - maybe a considerable lead - but that may not be the end of the match."

Nicole serving 0-0: First serve: Anna hit a sharp, short-angled crosscourt forehand return, forcing Nicole to stretch wide and earth a forehand. 0/15. Short-angled ace out wide: just inside the sideline. 15/15. A deep first serve down the middle forced a short backhand lob-return that sat up nicely for Nicole to hit a crosscourt forehand; Anna's crosscourt forehand pushed Nicole onto the back foot a bit, but she hit a beautiful, deceptive, short-angled crosscourt forehand winner back behind Anna. 30/15. Anna punished a short second serve with a searing crosscourt backhand return just inside the sideline, forcing Nicole to hit a defensive one-handed backhand lob; Anna hit a short-angled crosscourt forehand drive-volley from no-man's-land, forcing Nicole to run outside the tramlines and earth a forehand - brilliant improvisation by Anna. Virginia Wade: "One of the areas where Nicole could do some easy work is this running to cover the ball - it's a very tough ball, but she runs straight across the baseline instead of cutting it off." 30/30. Nicole on the third stroke sprayed a forehand long, and Anna shouted something that sounded like "Nicola" but probably wasn't. 30/40 (BP). Ace down the middle caught the outside edge of the centre-line (confirmed by Hawk-Eye when Anna challenged it). 40/40. Anna hit a deep backhand return just inside the baseline to force a floater from Nicole, but Anna failed to capitalise as she stood way behind the baseline, hit a short crosscourt backhand, and hit a crosscourt forehand just long on the sixth stroke. Ad Nicole. A body-jamming first serve forced Anna to earth a forehand lob-return, and Nicole's legs looked very nice jogging to cover it just in case!

Virginia Wade: "Well, in answer to your question, Simon: just at this moment, there's only really one player out there - but that's not to say that she might disappear and the other one come back, so it's impossible, really, to tell. The beginning of the third set is always a little scratchy. If Chakvetadze can calm herself down a bit, what I'm anticipating is for her to mix a few things in: change a little bit of the pace, the angles."

Anna serving 0-1: Nicole hit a deep backhand return just inside the baseline, but hit a backhand just long on the fourth stroke. 15/0. Anna went for a backhand winner down the line, but it was just long. Anna shook her finger, knowing it was the wrong choice. Virginia Wade: "She really puts her body through all these contortions." 15/15. A big first serve down the middle forced a short backhand lob-return; Anna hit a short-angled off-forehand; Nicole replied with a short-angled sliced backhand crosscourt; Anna hit a crosscourt backhand, leaving a gap to her right; Nicole hit a deep backhand down the line; Anna replied with a deep crosscourt forehand just inside the baseline; Nicole hit a "fantastic" down-the-line forehand just inside the sideline, forcing Anna to earth a defensive backhand lob. 15/30. Anna recovered from a penetrating crosscourt forehand return... a long baseline-rally included Anna's mishit crosscourt forehand on the 11th stroke catching the outside edge of the sideline, but ended with Anna netting a backhand on the 19th stroke. Anna emitted a high-pitched yelp. Simon Reed: "One of the longest rallies of the match, and Vaidišová looked so controlled." Virginia Wade: "And my impression was that she suddenly was hitting a lot more balls to Vaidišová's backhand, because she knows that the forehand is really dangerous right now." 15/40 (BP #1). Second-serve let. Anna dominated a rally for once, spreading Nicole with an off-backhand on the fifth stroke, a deep topspin forehand down the line, and a deep off-backhand that forced Nicole to chop a forehand into the bottom of the net. Anna appeared to make a signal to her coach Glen Schaap: she raised her index-finger, then made a throwing-gesture. Simon Reed: "She looks like she's disregarding some aspect of coaching that he's given her." 30/40 (BP #2). Anna caught her toss and said "sorry". Double fault (second serve into the net). Anna jumped and stumbled backwards after hitting it.

Virginia Wade: "It just stresses to me this importance of staying collected on the court. It's so difficult to do. It needs so much work. It needs more work than going out and hitting backhands and forehands for five hours a day, the work on keeping yourself in the right frame of mind."

The commentators are still predicting twists and turns in this third set. But it's a huge advantage for Nicole to be a break up, as she's only been broken once in this match (last game of the first set).

Nicole serving 2-0: First serve down the middle forced a backhand skyscraper lob-return, which Nicole calmly dispatched with an off-forehand drive-volley winner down the line. 15/0. Nicole on the fifth stroke hit a crosscourt forehand very long - a little late. 15/15. A big first serve out wide - on the sideline - forced Anna to net a forehand return. 30/15. Another big first serve out wide, but Anna hit a deep backhand return onto the baseline, forcing Nicole - who did not move her feet - to hit a forehand half-volley wide. 30/30. Anna hit a deep forehand return onto the baseline, but this time Nicole did move her feet: she hit a short-angled crosscourt forehand just inside the sideline, inducing Anna to hit a forehand long. 40/30. First serve down the middle, just inside the service-line; Anna blocked back a deep forehand return, but Nicole ripped a powerball forehand winner down the line, her racket finishing over her right shoulder ŕ la Maria Sharapova. Nicole pumped her fist and said "pojdme". Anna took an angry swipe at the air with her racket as she walked to the changeover, which Simon Reed believed was directed at her coach.

Nicole is directing 58% of her serves out wide, 27% down the middle (a bit more in the deuce-court than in the ad-court), and 14% into the body (a bit more in the ad-court than in the deuce-court). So her first priority is to stretch Anna out wide.

Anna serving 0-3: Double fault (second serve into the net). 0/15. First serve down the middle - just inside the centre-line - induced Nicole to chop a crosscourt forehand return just wide. Nicole was not at all happy with that call; her coach David Felgate signalled her not to challenge it, but Hawk-Eye showed that it clipped the line! So it should have been a replay, but the point was awarded to Anna. 15/15. A big first serve down the middle - on the centre-line - forced Nicole to stretch wide and earth a one-handed backhand return. 30/15. First serve down the middle forced a short forehand return; Anna hit an off-backhand; Nicole crosscourt forehand; Anna hit a pinpoint forehand winner down the line, just inside the sideline. 40/15. Double fault #2 (second serve just long). Virginia Wade: "She's rushing a bit." 40/30. A deep first serve out wide - on the service-line - forced a short crosscourt backhand return, but Anna netted a horrible attempt at a backhand down the line. 40/40. Nicole opened up the court with a crosscourt backhand on the fourth stroke, but Anna's body-jamming crosscourt backhand induced Nicole to hit a forehand long. She muttered angrily. Ad Anna. First serve: Nicole's backhand return clipped the netcord, rose high in the air, clipped the netcord again on its way down, and dropped dead for a winner! Nicole apologised with her left palm. Deuce #2. Ace #7 (the BBC missed it as it was showing a slow-motion replay). Ad Anna. Second serve: Nicole hit a deep, solid crosscourt backhand return just inside the baseline, forcing Anna to net a backhand. Simon Reed: "Not much in the way of footwork or preparation for that shot." Deuce #3. Anna spread Nicole with a wide serve + penetrating crosscourt backhand, but Nicole's deep crosscourt backhand induced Anna to spray a backhand wide - not much in the way of footwork or preparation for that one either. Ad Nicole (BP). Nailbiting rally: Anna took the initiative with a deep forehand on the third stroke; Nicole dug out a down-the-line forehand, forcing Anna to bunt back a one-handed backhand; Nicole hit a deep off-forehand just inside the sideline; Anna hit a crosscourt backhand; Nicole had the court wide open for a backhand down the line, but instead hit a crosscourt backhand dropshot into the net, and dropped her racket in despair. Deuce #4. Nicole hit an off-backhand return deep into the corner; Anna hit a crosscourt forehand from the tramlines; Nicole hit a short, acute-angled crosscourt forehand Anna, pushing Anna way outside the tramlines; Anna went for a forehand winner around the net-post into the corner, but put it wide. Ad Nicole (BP #2). Anna hit a short-angled crosscourt forehand + pinpoint forehand down the line, forcing Nicole to net a one-handed backhand. Deuce #5. Second serve: Nicole's off-backhand return forced Anna to hit a down-the-line forehand itno the tramlines. Ad Nicole (BP #3). First serve down the middle: Nicole netted a forehand return, and muttered. Deuce #6. Nicole hit another good off-backhand return; Anna hit a short-angled crosscourt forehand; Nicole hit a deep crosscourt forehand onto the baseline, forcing Anna to hit a down-the-line forehand into the tramlines. Anna, pushed backwards by the power of Nicole, sank to her knees. Ad Nicole (BP #4). First serve out wide induced Nicole to mishit a backhand return wide of the tramlines. Deuce #7. Second-serve let. A short second serve gave Nicole the early initiative as she hit a deep backhand return just inside the baseline + crosscourt backhand on the baseline to force a short, weak ball down the middle from Anna; Nicole kept up the pressure with a deep crosscourt forehand just inside the baseline, but Anna absorbed it with a crosscourt forehand that left Nicole stranded in the right half of the court as she hit a deep crosscourt forehand; Anna hit a down-the-line forehand onto the sideline forcing Nicole to hit a sliced backhand wide - a nice spreading rally by Anna. Ad Anna. She got away with a short second serve as Nicole hit an off-forehand return, but stopped moving for some reason as Anna hit a short crosscourt backhand winner back behind her. Perhaps Nicole thought it wasn't going to clear the net (after the match, she claimed that she had been distracted by a sound from the umpire's microphone that sounded like a call of 'out', but I can find no evidence of that on my video).

The best part of the match in terms of them both playing well at the same time. A really key game, with missed break-points for Nicole.

Virginia Wade: "It's really Vaidišová who's dictating the points now. It took till about 4-4 in the second set for that to happen."

Nicole serving 3-1: First serve out wide: Anna forehand return just long. 15/0. On the seventh stroke, Nicole opened up the court beautifully with a low-bouncing down-the-line forehand just inside the sideline, forcing Anna to hoist a one-handed backhand skyscraper-lob that landed just over the service-line; Nicole ran Anna from doubles-sideline to doubles-sideline with a crosscourt forehand; Anna hit a short crosscourt forehand that made Nicole bend her knees as she was standing well inside the baseline, but that didn't stop Nicole hitting an off-forehand winner that clipped the netcord. 30/0. Amazing rally: a big first serve down the middle - on the service-line - forced a very short lob-return from Anna; Nicole ran it down nicely with a series of short steps, but instead of smashing a forehand winner, she opted to play a dropshot; Anna ran it down and hit a perfectly-measured backhand lob over Nicole's head and just inside the baseline; Nicole ran it down and hit a defensive backhand skyscraper-lob, giving Anna an easy forehand smash-winner. Simon Reed: "It's the second time in a couple of minutes her brain seems to have frozen, Vaidišová!" Nicole threw her racket. Virginia Wade: "With the anticipation that Chakvetadze has, that was not a very clever shot, the little dropshot. The first time she got really annoyed with herself in this match." 30/15. Deep first serve out wide: Anna hit a brilliant short-angled crosscourt backhand return just inside the sideline for a virtual winner. 30/30. A big first serve down the middle forced Anna to stretch wide and earth a backhand return. Simon Reed (re. Nicole's serve): "It's gonna be key to keep Chakvetadze off her at the moment." 40/30. Nicole hit a big first serve down the middle - on the service-line - but Anna mishit a crosscourt forehand return onto the sideline for a winner, and Nicole looked amazed that it was in! 40/40. Anna got herself in trouble with a short, weak backhand on the fourth stroke: Nicole hit a penetrating forehand down the line, inducing Anna to hit a crosscourt backhand wide. Ad Nicole. A body-jamming first serve on the service-line forced a short, weak forehand return, which Nicole dispatched with an off-forehand winner just inside the sideline. Anna walked slowly to the changeover.

Anna is almost as emotional now as she used to be before 2007, but if she looks over the net, she'll see that Nicole looks quite upset herself.
Simon Reed: "I've seen her like this several times, but not in the last year or so. This is pre-2007 what we're seeing here. She won four titles in 2007 - Hobart, 's-Hertogenbosch, Cincinnati, Stanford - got herself into the top five in the world. This is regressing now into what she was before that."
Virginia Wade: "Her game is a game that would suggest that she's cool, calculating and composed out there, but when it goes wrong, she doesn't need a coach - she needs some serious help with that."
Simon Reed: "Seen her in tears before; I think we're nearly there now!"

Anna did seem to be wiping tears away as she came out from the changeover!

www.wimbledon.org: "Chakvetadze seemed to be on course for a close two-set win over an erratic Vaidišová, but when the young Czech took the second set to a tiebreak, the Russian became flustered. Vaidišová raced through the tiebreak without losing a point, broke early in the third, and seems to be on course to reach the quarters for a second year in a row. It's now 4-1 in the third to Vaidišová."

Anna serving 1-4: First serve: Nicole's deep crosscourt forehand return forced Anna to hit an off-forehand wide. Virginia Wade: "Now she looks like she feels she's lost this match - not the same sort of determination." 15/0. Nicole took the initiative with a penetrating crosscourt forehand on the fourth stroke, but dumped another forehand halfway up the net. 15/15. Anna took advantage of a short, weak backhand return from Nicole by hitting a deep backhand just inside the baseline, forcing Nicole to hit a backhand onto the umpire's chair (below the height of the net). 30/15. A deep second serve out wide - on the service-line - induced Nicole to hit a backhand return just long. 40/15. Anna hit a first serve out wide that looked more like a second serve; Nicole hit a brilliant short-angled crosscourt forehand return just inside the sideline, which Anna did well to retrieve with a chopped forehand; Nicole hit a crosscourt backhand into the open court, but it wasn't a great angle, and with Anna running fast to cover it, Nicole was rather lucky that it clipped the netcord and dropped dead for a winner. Anna put her hand to her head and smiled. 40/30. In a gorgeous rally, Anna took the early initiative as she spread Nicole with a crosscourt forehand + down-the-line forehand, but Nicole recovered with a deep backhand down the middle, forcing Anna to hit a weak backhand that sat up nicely for Nicole to hit a searing crosscourt forehand just inside the sideline; Anna moved laterally to cover the open court, but she was about ten feet behind the baseline when Nicole hit a crosscourt backhand dropshot-winner - that's how clever you have to be to defeat Anna's anticipation. 40/40. Anna dominated the rally with a first serve out wide + crosscourt forehand back behind Nicole, who hit a short sliced forehand crosscourt; Anna went to the net behind a perfectly-measured down-the-line forehand onto the sideline, forcing Nicole to hoist a defensive backhand lob; Anna did give Nicole a chance by hitting a tentative forehand smash right to her, but Nicole had already overrun the ball, causing her to dump a backhand into the bottom of the net. Virginia Wade: "Chakvetadze certainly moves the ball around into the corners well, does she not?" Ad Anna. A deep but not particularly hard first serve induced Nicole to dump a forehand return halfway up the net.

Simon Reed: "And if she [Anna] bothered to look the other side of the net, she'd see someone who is 4-1 up - she looks like she's going to win - but we've seen three really strange occurrences from Vaidišová. It's still possible that she might freeze here. I don't think she can look out of herself."

Virginia Wade is now talking about Anna like she's already lost the match: "Such a shame that she pressed the self-destruct button for such a long time, because this match could have been just classic."

Nicole serving 4-2: First serve out wide: forehand return long. 15/0. Nicole on the third stroke mishit a forehand just long. 15/15. First serve down the middle: Anna's backhand return sat up nicely for Nicole to hit a very short crosscourt backhand dropshot from the baseline onto the sideline - perfect placement, and it only enhances the point that Anna ran it down to net a backhand rather than let it be a clean winner. Virginia Wade: "It's almost like a short slice, that, rather than an exact dropshot." 30/15. Second serve: Anna hit a pinpoint off-forehand return onto the junction of baseline and sideline, inducing Nicole to hit a backhand just long. 30/30. Anna seemed to have the initiative in the middle of a ten-stroke rally, but Nicole's deep forehand on the ninth stroke pushed Anna back on her heels, about ten feet behind the baseline, inducing her to net a forehand. 40/30. Anna failed to punish a short second serve as Nicole hit a deep forehand on the third stroke, inducing Anna to hit a backhand long.

Simon Reed: "She's a game away from the quarter-final here. Can she keep her nerves in check? She's played so well for about the last hour, has Vaidišová."
Virginia Wade: "It took her so long to just really play freely, and she was a little split second late on the ball, and being moved all over from corner to corner by some absolutely fabulous play from Chakvetadze. At least Chakvetadze is back playing. She just left the court for a while mentally. I mean: she just got herself absolutely crazed out there with dismay, and made Vaidišová look like the cool, calm and collected, maturer player."

Anna serving 2-5: Second serve: Nicole backhand return just long. 15/0. Nicole took the initiative on the fourth stroke with a deep forehand down the line to force a short, slow backhand from Anna; Nicole hit a pinpoint backhand down the line - just inside the sideline - forcing Anna to hoist a defensive forehand lob; Nicole hit a forehand smash back behind Anna, but Anna turned around and turned the point around with a deep crosscourt forehand, forcing Nicole to run back and bunt a forehand into the tramlines. 30/0. Anna hit a first serve down the middle - on the service-line - followed by a crosscourt backhand winner. 40/0. Anna on the third stroke hit a short forehand down the middle, and Nicole fired an "unbelievable" crosscourt forehand winner just inside the baseline. 40/15. A deep backhand return down the middle forced a short, weak backhand from Anna, but Nicole dumped a sloppy forehand into the net.

A streaky game from Nicole, and I don't want to see Anna go quietly in the next game. This third set has seen some fantastic tennis, but I don't think it has had half the drama it deserves yet.

Nicole serving 5-3: First serve out wide; forehand return down the middle; Nicole hit a deep off-forehand; Anna hit a deep crosscourt backhand; Nicole backhand just long. 0/15. Second serve: Anna hit a cheap backhand return long. 15/15. Nicole seemed to have the initiative as her first serve down the middle + deep backhand forced a short forehand from Anna, but it skidded low, inducing Nicole to dump a backhand halfway up the net. 15/30. With Nicole achieving much better depth on all her groundstrokes than Anna, Nicole's deep backhand on the seventh stroke induced Anna to slip after she hit a forehand, so she was late for Nicole's off-forehand: Anna earthed a backhand. 30/30. In a long rally with Nicole's grunting increasing in volume and pitch, Anna on the eighth stroke threw in a sliced backhand; Nicole opened up the court with an off-forehand; Anna replied with an acute crosscourt backhand; Nicole's backhand down the line clipped the netcord and she got lucky yet again as it forced Anna to hit a late crosscourt forehand wide. Simon Reed said he saw an ironic smile from Anna after yet another netcord went against her, but all I saw was that she looked close to tears. 40/30 (MP #1). Body-jamming first serve: Anna initiated an exchange of three short sliced backhands crosscourt; Nicole hit a deep crosscourt backhand down the middle; Anna hit her own backhand back down the middle; Nicole sprayed a wild forehand that landed closer to the back fence than to the baseline. Nicole had a nervous laugh about that. 40/40. Nicole got away with a rather short second serve as Anna's forehand return clipped the netcord and fell back on her side. Simon Reed: "If that had been Vaidišová, you know the ball would have gone over the net and it would have been dropping dead." Anna again looked close to tears. Ad Nicole (MP #2). Short first serve out wide: Anna netted a crosscourt backhand return. Nicole raised her arms, emitted a little yell and jumped for joy, but Anna seemed to be fighting back tears as she walked to the net to shake hands. Nicole won 4-6 7-6 (7/0) 6-3 at 15:08 (third set 41m, match 2h00m).

My first reaction is that I'm sorry to see Anna out of the championships, and that this mouthwatering match is also over - far too soon IMO. I really wanted Anna to break back and make it "the kind of drama we've come to love and expect at Wimbledon" (as Sue Barker said of the Ancic v Verdasco 13-11 fifth set later on Monday), but at least I got my wish of a three-setter, and hopefully Nicole won't be too tired for her quarter-final tomorrow.

Anna didn't hang around long before she walked off court in tears.

Virginia Wade: "If you just took that match out of context, you would say Nicole Vaidišová was the calmest, coolest competitor: very mature, and she took her time to get into it, and just did what she had to do. If you'd seen this match, you would think that she was going to win it, because she was dictating forever in that match. It took to like a set and 4-4 before Nicole finally started to dictate points. She came up with her best tennis when she really needed to."

www.wimbledon.org: "Speaking of totally focused, someone who often seems to lose her mindset is Nicole Vaidišová, but after the loss of the first set, the tall Czech has powered back to beat a tearful Anna Chakvetadze in three. Vaidišová will face Zheng tomorrow in the quarters."

Nicole's BBC interview

RISHI PERSAD: Nicole, what do you think helped turn things around after that first set today?

NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ: Oh my God; definitely, er, she was the better player first set. I just tried to grind, and the second set, keep, keep in the game and played a great tiebreak, and it just went from there. You know: got my confidence from the second set.

RISHI PERSAD: The net was very kind to you today.

NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ: Oh my God; I know! Tried to apologise many times, but yeah, it definitely worked ??couple times??.

RISHI PERSAD: And there were a couple of times where you left some returns sort of inexplicably; we didn't understand what was going on.

NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ: Er, it was just: it was weird because her microphone was humming, so it sounded like she called it out, so I kind of let it go, so it was weird. I tried to tell her that, you know, by moving there, it makes a sound: it sounds like it's out.

RISHI PERSAD: What was happening with Anna: the tiebreak in the second set? She seemed to totally lose her cool.

NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ: Definitely, er, I think I started really well off: I served well, played some great shots, and I think she kind of fell apart.

RISHI PERSAD: And your reaction to making the quarter-finals?

NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ: So excited. I made the quarters last year, so being here again is, er, just so exciting.

RISHI PERSAD: Well done.

NICOLE VAIDIŠOVÁ: Thank you.

RISHI PERSAD: Thanks very much

Statistics

Nicole had a W:UE ratio of 25:25, while Anna's was a slightly more conservative 20:19. I think the keys were that Nicole increased her winner-count from set to set (with a particularly impressive 11 winners in the 6-3 third set), while Anna went from 3 UEs in the first set to 10 in the second.

Nicole got 64% of her first serves in, winning 70% of the points when she did so, and 67% on second serve. From set to set, the pattern was that the more first serves she got in, the fewer points she won when she did so - the implication being that she went for bigger first serves in the second set, where she got 55% in and won 89% when she did so (the low first-serves-in percentage didn't hurt her, as she won an amazing 80% on second serve in that set!).
            The corresponding percentages for Anna were 59%, 72% and 58%, implying that she went for her first serve slightly more than Nicole, but didn't get away with missing it as much as did Nicole. From the first set to the second, Anna got more first serves in, but her winning-percentage dropped - and her second-serve winning-percentage dropped from set to set until it was just 47% for the third set.

Nicole served faster than Anna in all three categories, but only slightly: fastest 109-107 mph, average first serve 102-99 mph, average second serve 86-85 mph.

Both girls served an impressive 7 aces, but Anna had 6 double faults to Nicole's 3, with 5 of Anna's double faults coming after the first set.

Both girls found it amazingly difficult to break each other's serves, with Nicole converting just one of 9 BPs (to break in the second game of the third set), and Anna converting just one of 6 BPs (which just happened to be a set-point). The timing of the BPs was also significant: Nicole didn't have any until 4-6 4-4*, while Anna had 5 BPs in the first set and her sixth BP in the first game of the third set.

Nicole won 9 of 10 points at the net (5 of 6 in the first set, and a perfect 4 thereafter), Anna just 4 of 6.

In points, Nicole won 110-103 (first set 29-36, second set 41-32, third set 40-35). How ironic that the second set had the biggest gap in points when it was decided by a tiebreak! Nicole was holding serve much more comfortably than Anna in that set.

Anna's press-conference

Nicole's press-conference

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Nicole Vaidišová beat eighth seed Anna Chakvetadze to secure her second successive quarter-final at Wimbledon.

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Vaidišová lost to Ivanovic in last year's quarter-finals.
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