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Wimbledon TV Coverage

Nine-time Wimbledon Women's champion Martina Navratilova and former World no.4 and US Open finalist Greg Rusedski are joining BBC's television commentary team for this year's Wimbledon Championships.

Navratilova and Rusedski join John McEnroe who returns this year, alongside fellow Wimbledon champions, three-time victor Boris Becker and two-time winner Jimmy Connors, who will be combining his TV work with coaching Andy Roddick.

Also back this year is Virginia Wade, celebrating the 30th anniversary of her win over Betty Stove in the 1977 Wimbledon Women's Singles Final during the Queen's Silver Jubilee.

Tracy Austin also returns for a fifth year behind the microphone. A winner of the mixed-doubles title at Wimbledon with her brother John in 1980, Tracy also won the US Open twice, in 1979 and 1981.

Live coverage begins on June 25.

Once again, Sue Barker will present the BBC's live coverage from the All England Club, with John Inverdale fronting the nightly highlights programme, Today At Wimbledon.

June 06 2007 - waveguide.co.uk

BBC Serves Up Wimbledon Promo

BBC Sport today launched its campaign to promote its Wimbledon coverage with a TV promo featuring a rally between tennis greats of the past and present such as Fred Perry, John McEnroe and Roger Federer.

The 40-second clip, developed by agency Red Bee Media to promote BBC coverage of the event, opens with British contender Andy Murray serving to 1936 champion Fred Perry.

All the stars in the promo, including McEnroe and Wimbledon women's champions Martina Navratilova and Billie-Jean King, feature as part of one continuous rally. The ad finishes with the line: "Greatness Awaits ..."

Red Bee Media's creative director, Dan Moore, said: "We wanted to show what Wimbledon feels like for a player, when you step onto Centre Court you're not just playing your opponent but also carrying the weight of history."

June 14 2007 - waveguide.co.uk

Injured Murray out of Wimbledon

Great Britain's Andy Murray has pulled out of Wimbledon after failing to recover from a wrist injury.

Murray had left his decision to the last minute in order to give himself the best possible chance of playing.

But after an indoor session at Roehampton on Sunday the 20-year-old said he feared he would do further damage to his wrist if he played.

"The doctor has advised me not to play and that I probably need about 10 days to be ready," said Murray.

Report: BBC Radio Five Live's Jonathan Overend

"Unfortunately, I don't think it is going to rain for the next 10 days.

"I have done everything possible to get ready for Wimbledon. I have played practice sets the last few days but still cannot hit a top-spin forehand properly.


I love playing Wimbledon because of the great support I get and that is what I will miss the most

Andy Murray
"It has been six weeks of really hard work but I'm not 100% ready."

Murray injured the wrist playing a routine forehand in the Hamburg Masters on 15 May, his 20th birthday.

It was soon apparent that he would not be fit for the French Open but he retained hopes of being able to compete at Wimbledon.

His wrist still had not healed in time for him to play in any of the traditional Wimbledon warm-up events but he remained optimistic of being fit right up until Sunday when he announced his withdrawal.

"The wrist is a very important part of tennis and there are a number of players who have made the decision to come back too soon and ended up with long-term injuries," added Murray.

"I do not want to take the risk and make the same mistake.

"I love playing Wimbledon because of the great support I get from the British public and that is what I will miss the most."

Murray has been replaced by American Kevin Kim in the draw, leaving Tim Henman to spearhead the British men's challenge once again following the retirement of Greg Rusedski.

The four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist has won just two matches on the ATP Tour all year, and faces a tough first-round match against veteran Spaniard Carlos Moya.

There are three other British men are due in action on the opening day.

Josh Goodall and Jamie Baker - two of five British male wildcards along with Alex Bogdanovic, Richard Bloomfield and Jonathan Marray - are scheduled to play Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin respectively.

Fellow Briton Lee Childs, who came through the qualifying tournament, will take on another qualifier, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan.
BBC

Henman dreams still alive

Tim Henman's Wimbledon dream lives on after he finally overcame Carlos Moya in their delayed first-round match at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
The players resumed at 5-5 in the final set after bad light had halted their match late on Monday evening.

It was another nail-biting affair as the first 13 games went with serve.

But Moya eventually double-faulted on Henman's seventh match point to allow the 32-year-old Briton a famous 6-3 1-6 5-7 6-2 13-11 victory.

Four-time semi-finalist Henman will now play another Spaniard in the second round in the shape of Feliciano Lopez, who beat Britain's Josh Goodall.

Even without the roof, the atmosphere is second to none - the support I've had here has always been incredible and I use it to my advantage
Tim Henman on the Centre Court crowd

After the drama that had taken place on Monday evening, there was further tension for Henman's fans in a packed Centre Court on Tuesday.

Both players looked solid on serve until 30-year-old Moya earned two break points at 11-11.

British number two Henman saved both with terrific serves, including a second-serve ace on the latter.

In the following game, it was Moya's turn to struggle as he went 15-40 down after a clever lob from the Briton, who had failed to convert four match points on Monday evening.

He saved both and another but finally cracked on the seventh, tamely handing victory to Henman, who had fought back from a break down earlier in the final set.

It also ensured the Briton avoided his first first-round defeat since his Wimbledon debut 13 years ago.

Afterwards, Henman said his twilight heroics on Monday evening had been the turning point.

"The key was coming back from 2-4 and 15-40 down in the fifth set. I stuck to my guns to hold serve then broke back to get back on level terms.

"I have to give Carlos credit for coming out and serving and volleying like he did. If I'd lost, on reflection I could have accepted it because he played so well."

He also paid tribute to the Centre Court crowd. "They were fantastic," he said.

"It's obviously different without the roof, but the atmosphere is second to none and the support I've had here has always been incredible and I use it to my advantage."

BBC

Henman out despite fightback

Tim Henman suffered another desperate Wimbledon disappointment as he came back from two sets down only to lose in the fifth to Spain's Feliciano Lopez.
The Briton, playing his 14th Wimbledon, looked doomed at two sets and a break down but found his best form to level.

However, it was Lopez who grabbed the key break at the start of the decider and went on to win 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 2-6 6-1.

The 25-year-old will face France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last 32.

"The first two sets l felt pretty solid," said Henman. "You play two sets with no breaks and you've just got to keep hanging in there.

"The latter part of the third and fourth his game dropped considerably. I kept staying positive but knew when it got into the fifth I'd got to maintain the momentum.

"Suddenly he hits two or three good shots in one game and he's in the driving seat. It certainly wasn't through lack of concentration at that moment."

After defeating Carlos Moya 13-11 in the fifth set in his first match, Henman was in action for the fourth straight day as he and Lopez resumed their rain-delayed match at 1-1.

The two are among a select band of players that rate grass as their favourite surface and it was a rare sight to see two serve-volleyers going head to head.

A tight first two sets came down to tie-breaks, and Lopez deservedly took both.

The first was decided when Henman double-faulted to fall 6-3 behind, and Lopez missed five break points in set two before racing 5-0 clear in the tie-break and holding off a mini fightback to take it.

The match looked as good as over when Lopez got an early break in the third but Henman finally grabbed the initiative when he broke back, glaring at Lopez from the net as he took the key point.

A sublime backhand winner helped Henman to a 4-2 lead and he served out surprisingly confidently, bearing in mind his past record and the edginess of the crowd.

With the scores level and the crowd in full voice, Lopez headed for the locker room at the changeover. It proved a wise move as he returned to break Henman straight away.

And with the energy of the third and fourth sets long gone there was nothing Henman could do to stop Lopez wrapping up victory in three hours 17 minutes.

"Down two sets to love I'm not in a great position but I really felt like my game was there," said Henman.

"I really did believe he wouldn't keep playing like that. In that respect I was right."

And asked if he would be back next year, Henman replied: "Absolutely."

Lopez said: "I feel sorry for the fans because they love him and support him but when you go out there you want to win.

"It's very disappointing for him to lose with 15,000 people supporting him."


BBC

Fantastic!

Can we now cancel Wimbledon coverage on BBC1 now that the fist clenching Persil boy has tragically exited the tournement and stick Neighbours back on??

Hingis: I failed cocaine test at Wimbledon




Tennis champ Martina Hingis yesterday announced that she was retiring after tests showed she had taken cocaine.

The former world number one denied she had ever used illegal drugs and said she was "shocked and appalled" by the accusations.

Martina, 27, took a routine drugs test at Wimbledon back in June after crashing out to Laura Granville 6-4, 6-2 in the third round. Players' identities are kept secret until any appeal is heard but Martina has decided to waive her anonymity.

She said: "I've never taken drugs and I am 100 per cent innocent.

"The reason I have come out with this is because I do not want to have a fight with anti-doping authorities."

Martina said of the tests by the International Tennis Federation: "I find this accusation so horrendous, so monstrous, that I have decided to confront it head-on by talking to the press."

She said she would be too terrified to take drugs.

Martina added: "They say that cocaine increases self-confidence and creates a type of euphoria.

"I would think that it would be impossible for anyone to maintain the co-ordination required to play top-class tennis."

Czech-born Swiss Martina, who has won five Grand Slam titles, first quit in 2003 with ankle trouble. She said: "I have no desire to spend the next seven years fighting doping officials.

"Because of my age and health problems, I have also decided to retire."

She also called off her engagement to fellow tennis star Radek Stepanek two months ago.
Mirror