990WBOB
Menu

WIMBLEDON: The Grass Massacre

6/26/2013

Comments

 
By Chad Hoyle
Picture
Day 3 of the 2013 Wimbledon Championship will forever be remembered as  the most injury laden day in the history of the Grand Slam era, and for the premature exit of one of the game's best.
Picture
In a remarkable upset, surely the greatest of the tournament if not for Rafael Nadal's ousting two days prior, Roger Federer fell in a battle against Ukrainian Sergiy Stakovsky 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5). Federer clearly did not expect such a hard-fought match from an opponent ranked 116 in the world, but Stakovsky fought harder and forced Federer to make mistakes, such as a wild backhand return in the fourth set tiebreak to give the match away. Federer looked noticeably less spry and struggled to keep up during the match, affirming general theories that the player, formerly unbeatable on the surface, has finally degraded with age. The loss marks the first time in 36 Grand Slam events that Federer did not reach the event quarterfinals.

The day also marked the exit of several notable players due to injuries sustained during their matches, attributed mainly to the effect of humid conditions on the lush grass court surfaces. The matches that made it to the finish were battles of attrition- in most cases, the victory was earned by the player who remained upright the longest.

Within the first five hours of the day's play, the following players withdrew from their matches:

*    John Isner: Top ranked American and ranked 21st in the world.
*    Steve Darcis: Forced Nadal out of the tournament the previous round
*    Radek Stepanek: Czech Republic, World Rank #45
*    Marin Cilic: Croatia, ATP Rank #12
*    Yaroslava Shvedova: Russia, WTA Rank #55
*    Jo Wilfried Tsonga: 2013 French Open Semifinalist, World Rank #7
*    Victoria Azarenka: No. 2 seed in tournament and heavily favored to win
Picture
Amid the multiple withdrawals, Maria Sharapova, 2013 French Open finalist and a major threat to win the title, was upset by Michelle Larcher de Brito 6-3, 6-4. Because she finished her match,  Sharapova was not included in the body count, but still considered the loss a byproduct of numerous falls on the wet grass. Sharapova, following a nasty spill during play, exclaimed, "the court is dangerous..." to the umpire, summarizing many similar sentiments of the players who prematurely retired from the event. Azarenka sharing related concerns after her withdrawal, stated "I don't know if it's the court or the weather. I can't figure it out."

Despite the injuries, representatives of the All England Club are denying any allegations that the surface of play is a contributor, claiming that their preparation for the event is no different than previous years. However, in quiet response, an extra week has been scheduled between the French Open and this event in 2015, allowing the players an additional week to adjust from the clay to the grass surface.

Comments
    Picture

    Support WBOB Sports
    Click On Today's
    Sponsor


    Associated Press
    Sports Headlines

    Search
    WBOB Sports Archives

    NFL
    MLB
    College Football
    College Hoops
    NBA
    NHL
    Boxing
    MMA

    MiLB


    Picture

    The
    WBOB Sports
    Staff

    Senior Sports Writer
    Michael Parente 
    MP@990WBOB.com

    Senior Editor
    Kevin Aherne
    KA@990WBOB.com

    Writer,On Air Personality & Editor
    Adam Palazio
    Pal@990WBOB.com

    Beat Writer & Ast Editor
    Ryan Fox

    Info@990WBOB.com

    Chief Hockey Correspondent 
    Travis Barrett
    Info@990WBOB.com


    Staff Writer
    Pat Sullivan
    Info@990WBOB.com

    Other
    WBOB Sports Contributors


    WBOB Hockey Writer
    David Rivard 

    Football Correspondent
    Mike Ferguson
    - NoledOut.com

    Former NFL Player
    Patrick Pass


    NE Pats Expert
    Erick Scalavino
    - PFW.com


    Proud 
    WBOB Sports
    Supporters
    

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Contact 
    WBOB Sports 


    info@990WBOB.com


    Affiliate
    News
    Feeds

Search For Your Favorite WBOB Author,
​or BobCast

990WBOB 
An Independent Media Outlet.

The views opinions and thoughts expressed do not  reflect those of 990WBOB, its management or its staff. All Rights Reserved 990WBOB.com 2007-2020
​
Contact WBOB HERE

WBOB Reads

Weather

Live BOBCasts

Past Casts

Contact Us

Join Our Team!

Featured Supporters

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
  • Movie Night
  • WBOB READS
  • WBOB Radio
  • Past Casts
  • Radiothon
  • Weather
  • Contact
  • About
    • WBOB Press Releases
    • Join Our Team!
    • F Bomb Friday
    • CHARITY GALA
  • Movie Night
  • WBOB READS
  • WBOB Radio
  • Past Casts
  • Radiothon
  • Weather
  • Contact
  • About
    • WBOB Press Releases
    • Join Our Team!
    • F Bomb Friday
    • CHARITY GALA