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 Anything's possible at Wimbledon, even sunshine
Posted: Sunday June 28, 1998 03:41 PM
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- It's not so much a tennis tournament as a showcase for forces of nature: fire, rain and Venus Williams' serve. All were part of the first week at Wimbledon. Sunday's traditional day off gave players a chance to dry off and hope for better weather. Hey, if Natasha Zvereva can beat Steffi Graf, anything is possible. The tournament has been tough on comebacks, tabloid photographers and U.S. males, but good for umbrella salesmen, the Williams sisters and Sam Smith, a female. The first week claimed Graf, heartthrob Anna Kournikova and 14 of the 16 American men entered, including Andre Agassi. Still around are two Britons, heartthrob Patrick Rafter and defending champions Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis. Four days of play were delayed because of rain last week, and only 28 singles matches were completed Friday and Saturday. That left the tournament 13 matches behind schedule, a modest number compared with last year, when record rain forced play on middle Sunday for only the second time in Wimbledon history. But there were no fires last year. Between showers Saturday, a match involving Todd Martin and Todd Woodbridge was suspended because of smoke from a blaze in an apartment building. Then the rain resumed. "We've seen everything," said Monica Seles, who was playing on a nearby court. "I was wondering if it's OK to breathe this air." Photographers suffered the first loss of the event when Kournikova withdrew because of a thumb injury. Her departure meant diminished media attention for a tournament already overshadowed by the World Cup. Another teenager, Wimbledon newcomer Serena Williams, dodged the puddles and made a big splash by easily winning her first two matches. The 16-year-old American is on course for a fourth-round collision with her equally impressive sister, Venus, who set a women's record with a 125-mph serve. The Williams-Williams winner would face a path that could include Jana Novotna in the quarterfinals, Hingis in the semifinals and Seles or Lindsay Davenport in the final. On the men's side, Richard Krajicek and Goran Ivanisevic are a likely matchup in one semifinal. The other is expected to pit Sampras against Rafter, Tim Henman or Petr Korda. Henman, trying to become the first Englishman to win Wimbledon since 1936, is glad to share the nation's favor with fellow Brit Samantha Smith, who goes by Sam. She earned her first Wimbledon victory last week at age 26, then promptly won twice more, beating 1994 champion Conchita Martinez to reach the round of 16. Two other former champs, Graf and Agassi, hit bumps in their comebacks. Graf, a seven-time champ plagued by injuries, lost 6-4, 7-5 to Zvereva, a player she had beaten in each of their 17 previous meetings. Graf is uncertain about returning next year. "It would be nice to play again and, hopefully, be in different shape and enjoy myself," said Graf, 29. "But I've learned enough to take what's coming up next [as it comes]. So I don't know." Agassi still hasn't reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam since 1996. He lost to unseeded Tommy Haas, who promptly lost to unseeded John Van Lottum. "Right now," Agassi said, "I feel I have a lot more to do with some of these defeats than my opponents." Also falling out was second-seeded Marcelo Rios, who lost to Francisco Clavet and then ripped Wimbledon as "just another tournament." Only 17 of 32 seeds survived the first week. Because of the weather and playing surface, more surprises may be coming during the second half of the fortnight. "On grass especially, it makes no difference if you're a star," Hingis said. "Everybody can beat you if you aren't 100 percent." "With the rain delays, anything can happen," Seles said. "You've got to stay strong mentally. So I wouldn't dismiss really anybody." Yes, anything's possible -- weather permitting.
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Although Wimbledon has not been kind to the American men, Sampras still remains in the hunt to regain the title 