The Holy Grail of Tennis
Wimbledon is just another tournament,” said a friend, as we debated the best sporting events of the year. Just another tournament? Really? The game at the Championships is not what it used to be, there’s no question about it; and the authorities at SW19 have made some dramatic changes in the past few years. In the late Eighties and Nineties, the Wimbledon game was dominated by serve and volley. Baseliners weren’t thought to have a shot at victory – barring the random win by Agassi in 1992. A big serve and a decent game were what you needed to be a contender. It was in complete contrast to the games on the clay courts of the French Open, which concludes just two weeks prior to Wimbledon. At the French, the sluggers from the baseline continued to win titles, then struggled in England a fortnight later. The complaints started in the late Nineties and early Noughties. There were very few rallies. Players like IvaniĊĦevic would bang out 200 aces in the tournament, keeping average points on h...