2013 Wimbledon: Biggest Disappointments Thus Far at All England Club
In a strange first week at Wimbledon, a combined 16 players seeded in the top 20 in both the men’s and women’s draw were eliminated within the first two rounds. Three former champions were among those making extremely early exits.
But even amidst such wide spread under achievement, these three failures stick out as the most disappointing thus far.
Match stats per Wimbledon.com
Roger Federer Bows Out in the Second Round
Unseeded Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky took out the seven-time champion in four hard-fought sets, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).
It was the second time Stakhovsky had faced Federer in his career. He was easily handled in straight sets in their previous meeting in Dubai in 2011. Most realize Federer’s time as an elite player is drawing to an end, but a second-round exit at Wimbledon is still stunning.
Federer failed to win enough points off his second serve (55 percent), and Stakhovsky’s net play was prevalent and successful (61 of 96 in net opportunities for points at the net).
Not even Fed can defeat Father Time. Slowly but surely, he’s making a mortal of the greatest player of all-time.
Rafael Nadal’s Embarrassing One and Done
We all know Rafa reigns supreme on the red clay. He reaffirmed his dominance at Roland Garros with another title at the French Open in May. But a first-round exit at the hands of unseeded Belgian, Steve Darcis, was remarkable.
Worst yet, the loss was in straight sets: 6-7 (4-7), 6-7 (8-10) 4-6. Darcis' return game was sharp against Nadal. He had 17 return winners to help him score three break points against Nadal.
This was also just the second time Nadal and Darcis locked horns. Nadal won the first meeting when Darcis retired trailing by a set in 2010.
The two-time Wimbledon champion hasn’t won since 2010. The early removal marked the only time in his career he failed to make it out of the first round of a Grand Slam event.
Nadal may be the King of Clay, but he is far from the Master on Grass.
Maria Sharapova Sent Packing in Second Round
Just days after trading barbs with world No. 1 Serena Williams about everything but tennis, Sharapova may have been a little distracted heading into play at Wimbledon.
She laid a complete egg in her second-round match against Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal. The 20-year-old qualifier sent the 2004 champion home after a 6-3, 6-4 straight-sets win.
The two had no prior playing history, and De Brito seemed to benefit from the lack of familiarity. Sharapova committed 18 unforced errors compared to just nine for de Briton.
To add insult to injury, Williams play is on, and she remains the favorite to win her second-straight Wimbledon title and sixth overall.
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