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Thursday, July 17 Serving it up at The Championships
Andy Roddick of the United States leaps to return a shot to Sweden's Thomas Johansson. Roddick upset Johansson 7-6 (7-1), 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (3).
Slumping U.S. Open champion Marat Safin is trying
almost everything to recover his game, including cutting his hair
short.
"Maybe now I can be faster on the court. I don't know. I was
trying to change something. Maybe it will change my game."
Safin, who reached the third round after Daniel Nestor retired
injured in the third set, tried to laugh at his poor season.
"What can you celebrate this year? That I got injured? I
haven't won one tournament for six months?"
Nine-time Grand Slam winner Monica Seles, who
pulled out of Wimbledon with an injured foot, has been watching the
grass court action from her home in Sarasota, Fla., while she
prepares for her return to the game.
"It's been a tough one for me to miss," Seles said Wednesday.
"I've missed a lot of my favorite tournaments and it's been hard
watching it on TV."
Seles first left the French Open in May because of her injury
and said she wanted to be ready to play Wimbledon, the only Grand
Slam she has not won.
"I'm missing two Grand Slams; I haven't done that in ages in my
career."
Bjorn Borg's famous pinstripe
tennis shirt is again seen prowling Wimbledon's grasscourt
baselines this year.
But this time it is the women donning the famous Fila
attire.
Jelena Dokic was dubbed "the Borg-ette" at the French Open
earlier this month when she started wearing the distinctive
shirt and shorts, a line named "Settanta," which means Seventies
in Italian.
She has scrapped the shorts in favor of a plain white skirt
for Wimbledon and has been joined by fourth seed Jennifer
Capriati.
"They wanted to bring out the Bjorn Borg thing again and it
looks good," says Dokic. "He was an icon and I'm happy to wear
the outfit."
The Swede was Wimbledon champion five years running from
1976-80.
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Free to watch
Olympic champion Cathy Freeman, the
Australian aboriginal who lit the Sydney Olympic flame, made her
third trip to Wimbledon on Wednesday and sat in the Royal Box.
It was much better than her last visit to Centre Court.
"The second time I came was in the first round to see Pat
Rafter play and I fell off my seat," she said. "But apart from
that embarrassment, it was nice to support my countryman."
The Olympic 400-meter champion is in the midst of a nearly
year-long break from track and field. Dressed in khaki trousers, a
matching blazer and a green blouse, she sipped a glass of red wine
and took in the tennis.
"Here I am, drinking red wine, a social butterfly," she said.
"My first impression of Wimbledon was being overawed. I remember
watching as a little girl on TV all the time and thinking this was
the big time for international tennis.
"It's kind of a cross between a museum and a time machine."
Freeman, who plans to return to training in November and will
skip the world championships this summer in Edmonton, has been
studying Italian and doing volunteer work.
"I'm endeavoring to spend more time with my family, with my
friends, be at home with my cats and try to be a good wife," she
said.
Freeman is also working in support of Beijing's bid for the 2008
Olympics, partly because her great-great grandfather was from China
and because she believes the games will improve human rights in
China.
"People will want to work toward healing with the international
spotlight on them," she said. "It's amazing how people band
together and feel so proud and forget about their differences.
People forget about the black and white issues."
Freeman watched Serena Williams defeat Barbara Rittner and
American teen-ager Andy Roddick beat Thomas Johansson. Roddick
caught her eye.
"I particularly thought the American guy Roddick had a bit of
attitude right from the start. He's got something else."
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New coach: The former coach of Pete Sampras is out of prison
and helping American tennis player Alexandra Stevenson.
Stevenson, 20, defeated Tathiana Garbin 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in
Tuesday's first-round match and said she has been taking coaching
tips from Pete Fischer, a former Los Angeles pediatrician who
pleaded guilty in 1997 to molesting young patients.
In 1999, Stevenson became the first woman qualifier to ever
reach the Wimbledon semifinals.
Fischer, who coached Stevenson as a young child and also coached
seven-time Wimbledon champion Sampras during his early years, was
released from prison several months ago.
"Well, he's out," Stevenson said. "I've seen him. He's a good
friend of mine and he always will be."
Concerned friend: The sudden illness of Davenport's doubles partner and close
friend, 23 year-old Corina Morariu, was a great shock. Morariu
began treatment for a rare form of the leukemia in May.
"It's something that changes everybody's life around her,
even friends, family. I've certainly never had anybody that
close to me that's had to fight something like that, especially
so young."
Davenport said the illness had made her change the focus of
her life away from tennis.
At the grass-court tournament in Eastbourne last week
Davenport claimed victory wearing a silver "C" on a chain around
her neck in tribute to her friend.
"I've tried to look at my career now as the second part and
have a much happier outlook about things, not so down when
things don't go your way."
Davenport will face Australian Alicia Molik on Thursday.
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PETE SAMPRAS
On his five-set match against Barry Cowan:
"I was in a dogfight out there. It wasn't until the fifth set that I could smell the kill."
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ANDY RODDICK
On showing his credential to Wimbledon officials:
"I get stopped everywhere. I guess they think I'm trying to sneak into the locker rooms."
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JENNIFER CAPRIATI
On winning matches:
"My desire has gotten greater. I like the taste of
success."
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