Wimbledon title chances evaporate for Venus, Roddick and Hewitt
Was that the sound of the door slamming shut on the last chance saloon? Or do Venus Williams, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt still have another Grand Slam title chance left in them, at Wimbledon or at one of the three other majors?
The truth is, two of this trio will probably struggle to find themselves with a better chance of winning the Wimbledon title again; the third may well find he never gets closer than that epic (the word loses some of its former impact after the 11 hour show John Isner and Nicolas Mahut delivered in the first round this year) final against Roger Federer last year.
Even before Wimbledon began this year, there was a school of thought that subscribed to the theory that five-time champion Venus Williams did not have another Grand Slam title left in her. Possibly a bold call to make heading into the tournament where the elder Williams sister hadn’t missed a final since 2006, and who had won two of the last three ladies’ singles titles before Serena Williams claimed it as her own in 2009.
At 30, Venus’ chances of adding a sixth Wimbledon title to her collection are diminishing by the year. The world No. 2, however, remains as positive as ever about her chances to emerge as the last woman standing at the end of a major.
“I've done it [win Grand Slam titles] before and have the experience to do it,” Venus said. “Definitely. I mean, that's not a doubt for me.”
Hewitt, who wasn’t without his chances to establish an advantage over Novak Djokovic in his fourth round match, is another who still believes he’s got another Wimbledon title in him, to add to the one he claimed eight years ago.
“I feel like I've got as good a chance as a few guys there that can win it. Yeah, I need a little bit of luck always,” Hewitt, who will be 30 when he returns to the All England Club next year, said. “I come back, I give a hundred percent and see what happens. I'd much rather be in my position of coming back at 30 and won it before than never have won it and trying to win your first one.”
That’s the situation Roddick, who will be 28 by next year’s Wimbledon, faces after his fourth round exit this year from a tournament where he’s thrice been runner-up. The fifth seed was clearly displeased he’d let his chance to go one better get away from him in 2010.
“It [losing at a Grand Slam] never gets easier,” a still hungry Roddick said after his shock loss to Yen-Hsun Lu. “Of course I'm going to be p***ed off when I wake up tomorrow. I mean, if you got fired from your job, you probably wouldn't wake up the next day in a great mood.”
The US Open will mark the seventh anniversary of the American’s only Grand Slam title, but since that victory, it has been Wimbledon that has offered him the best opportunity to become more than a one Slam wonder.
After this year’s tournament, it’s hard to avoid at least wondering whether last year’s five-set final against Federer is as close as Roddick will come to taking the title at the most prestigious Grand Slam of them all.
One thing is for sure: Roddick, Hewitt and Williams all retain the hunger and belief that they can prevail at Wimbledon, and at Grand Slams elsewhere.
Whether or not they can convert that belief into reality will only be known in the fullness of time.
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