2006 Wimbledon Champs

I could not have been more pleased with this year's Wimbledon champions...

Since we so rarely see them in formal attire, I thought I'd share a couple of pix from last night's Champion's Ball Dinner

For those non-tennis fans, they are Roger Federer and Amelie Mauresmo.

It is somewhat unusual that I would be rooting for the current #1 players on their respective tours... but both Roger and Amelie had something to prove this past fortnight at the All England Club...

It is difficult to ever consider Roger Federer an underdog at Wimbledon... especially, the morning after winning his 4th consecutive Big W title.  But there were some doubts floating about as he faced his achille's heel, Rafael Nadal, in the final.  Much to the surprise of the tennis knowledgeable (I humbly include myself), Nadal made it to the final and there was very much an "anything can happen" feel to the match.  Federer had lost 6 of 7 matches against Nadal... including 4 meetings this year.  So while Fed certainly had the edge on grass, there was some doubts.  If Roger lost, the sports media were ready to transfer the "king of tennis" crowd quickly to Nadal... though the official rankings would have said otherwise (Nadal was/is still considerably behind Federer after missing the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne).

I cheered for Federer... who now joins Borg and Sampras as the only players to win 4 consecutive Wimbledon titles.  Likewise, I also was thrilled that this FedEx/Rafa "rivalry" received the life support it so badly needed... though Nadal still dominates, at least a 6-2 advantage is a move in the right direction.  It should make for a very interesting US Open and summer as these two battle it out on the more neutral hard-courts.  However, in the battle of "shirtless" search hits here on W&C ... Rafael is demolishing Roger.

But after being blown out 6-0 in the first set, I was happy to see Nadal battle back and make it a match.  It is pretty much impossible not to like Nadal... no matter what the score, he is so positive and spirited on the court.  So many players, both male and female (including those at the very top of the rankings), suffer from such poor body language when behind, that Nadal's attitude is truly refreshing.

While having less to lose, France's Amelie Mauresmo had more to prove with a win.  Despite holding the #1 ranking for a good part of this year, Mauremo's first ever Grand Slam title in Australia earlier this year was a bit tarnished.  First, there was the highly criticized withdrawal of her opponent, Justine Henin-Hardenne, in the final... but her total campaign was "asterik-ed" with two earlier opponent withdrawals earlier in the tournament.  So while deserved, there were many who viewed her trophy more for being the "last woman standing."

So, it was ideal for Amelie to meet Justine in the Wimbledon final.  There was a lot on the line for both.  The Belgian was looking to complete a career Grand Slam, while Amelie was hoping for some respect (and, okay, revenge over JHH for denying her a championship point celebration). Often dubbed a choker, Mauresmo had to win the mental battle vs. her gifted athleticism that should have won her many Slams over the past few years.

So, during the post-match interview, one couldn't help but smile when a teary-eyed Mauresmo hugged the winner's plate and said "I don't want anybody to talk about my nerves anymore."

Finally, it is nice to have "one of our own" succeed at such a high level... and have it be such a non-event.  Mauresmo came out (arguably she was never "in") as a lesbian during her first big splash on the tennis circuit - a run to the finals of the 1999 Australian Open... and she has never been dubbed as the "gay" tennis player (or if she has, ironically enough, it has only been by gay media)... she is beloved in France (who can take Mauresmo's win as small consolation to finishing as the World Cup runner-ups) and her endorsements (most notably Nike) have never been lacking or serious jeopardized.

Comments

[Mike]

Roger looks like he's dressed to valet park a bunch of cars. With his class (and money), you'd think he could look more presentable at the freakin Wimbledon Ball!

Amelie does look very nice, however.

[DeAnn]

They look so weird to me in that! (Also, am I the only one whose Flickr thing from the side of your page floats over here and interferes with my commening? Does your Flickr thing hate me?)