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Notebook Men's finalists are youngest in historyPosted: Saturday July 06, 2002 12:45 PMWIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- The Wimbledon men's singles final features players with the youngest combined ages in Open era history. David Nalbandian is 20 and Lleyton Hewitt 21. That's one year less than the combined ages of the 1992 finalists -- Andre Agassi, who was 22, and Goran Ivanisevic, who was 20. Nalbandian is the fourth-youngest Wimbledon finalist in the Open era and both men are attempting to be the youngest Wimbledon champion since Boris Becker won in 1985 at the age of 17. Nalbandian is attempting to become the first man in the Open era - and the 10th player overall -- to win Wimbledon on his debut. The previous best debut in the Open era was John McEnroe's run to the semifinals as a qualifier in 1977 where he lost to top-seeded Jimmy Connors. Wimbledon is Nalbandian's fourth Grand Slam. Only three other players have needed fewer attempts to win their first Grand Slam title -- Gustavo Kuerten (1997 French Open), Mats Wilander (1982 French Open) and Mark Edmondson (1976 Australian Open), who all won on their third attempt. No top seed has won a men's Grand Slam since Gustavo Kuerten defended his 2001 French Open title. What have you done for us lately?British newspapers Saturday weren't sympathetic toward local hope Tim Henman, who lost for the fourth time in five years in the semifinals at Wimbledon."Wet, wet, wet ... no, not just the Wimbledon weather, just choker Tim," the Mirror tabloid said on its front page after Henman's loss to top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt. It continued on the back: "Four semifinals, four-time loser. Hew blew it again Tim." Henman was trying to become the first British male champion since Fred Perry in 1936. The Express, like many other papers, featured photographs of Henman's pregnant wife Lucy reacting to her husband's defeat. "It all ends in tears," the headline read. "Hurricane Hewitt ends Henman's bid for crown." The Guardian criticized Henman's remodeled all-around game under new coach Larry Stefanki. "So the Model II Henman has no major weapon, just a nice game," the Guardian wrote. "These days, when he serves, he peers over the net like a lost child looking for his parents. Henman was out-psyched and out-played. The semi-man." "Extiminated," said The Sun. "It's the Hend, Tim goes out." "The only thing that was going to save the British No.1 yesterday was a downpour of such a ferocity that his opponent, Centre Court . . . were all swept away," The Sun wrote. "No, Henman's chance has come and gone." The Times was a little more sympathetic. "We ought to appreciate Henman while he is still about: because we'll miss him like hell when he's gone. There's nobody treading on his heels. Not in this country." Crowded in the boxThe royal box at Wimbledon for Saturday's final included former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; the U.S. ambassador to Britain, William Farish; Maria Bueno, a former three-time Wimbledon champion in singles and five times in doubles; 1977 women's champ Virginia Wade; and Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee.Morrisey in the chairMike Morrisey, a 33-year-old graduate in medieval history at the University of Surrey, will be the chair umpire for the men's singles final Sunday between Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian. It will be Morrisey's fourth men's singles final at Wimbledon -- he did previous finals in 1994, 1998 and 2000. He first officiated at Wimbledon at the age of 17 in 1987.Juniors in finalsVera Douchevina of Russia will take on compatriot Maria Sharapova in the girls' singles final. The Siberian-born Sharapova, 15, lives in Bradenton, Fla., and attends Nick Bollettieri's tennis academy.Todd Reid of Australia, who lives in Sarasota, Fla., will play Lamine Ouahab of Algeria in the boys' singles final. Neither Ouahab, who is based in Barcelona, Spain, nor Reid have advanced past the quarterfinals in any previous junior Grand Slam.
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