Another historically bad day for American tennis ended with Andy Roddick demonstrating much better touch in the Wimbledon interview room than he had on Centre Court, where he was eliminated in the second round by Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia.
But it was hardly a day worth bemoaning for all those with American tennis connections. Alla Kudryavtseva, an outspoken Russian who trains in Florida with an American coach, burst into the light in dramatic fashion by upsetting third-seeded Maria Sharapova, 6-2, 6-4, in their second-round encounter.
Holding a match point has been no guarantee of a major upset at the All England Club this year. Ana Ivanovic, the No. 1 women's seed, saved two on Wednesday before defeating the French veteran Nathalie Dechy. But there would be no reprieve for Sharapova, who played tentatively in the earliest defeat of her career at Wimbledon.
Like Sharapova, Kudryavtseva is a Russian blonde in her early 20s with a two-handed backhand and connections to the United States. But unlike Sharapova, one of the world's most recognizable athletes, the 20-year-old Kudryavtseva was ranked just 154th before Wimbledon and had earned less than $400,000 in her career, less than a quarter of what the 21-year-old Sharapova has earned this season alone.
But in tennis, you have to keep proving yourself every round, and the Wimbledon title that Sharapova won in 2004 at 17 or the Australian Open championship she won in such convincing fashion in January were of no help to her Thursday. Instead, she failed to control the shots and nerves that have helped make her into a self-described "global brand."
But it was hardly a day worth bemoaning for all those with American tennis connections. Alla Kudryavtseva, an outspoken Russian who trains in Florida with an American coach, burst into the light in dramatic fashion by upsetting third-seeded Maria Sharapova, 6-2, 6-4, in their second-round encounter.
Holding a match point has been no guarantee of a major upset at the All England Club this year. Ana Ivanovic, the No. 1 women's seed, saved two on Wednesday before defeating the French veteran Nathalie Dechy. But there would be no reprieve for Sharapova, who played tentatively in the earliest defeat of her career at Wimbledon.
Like Sharapova, Kudryavtseva is a Russian blonde in her early 20s with a two-handed backhand and connections to the United States. But unlike Sharapova, one of the world's most recognizable athletes, the 20-year-old Kudryavtseva was ranked just 154th before Wimbledon and had earned less than $400,000 in her career, less than a quarter of what the 21-year-old Sharapova has earned this season alone.
But in tennis, you have to keep proving yourself every round, and the Wimbledon title that Sharapova won in 2004 at 17 or the Australian Open championship she won in such convincing fashion in January were of no help to her Thursday. Instead, she failed to control the shots and nerves that have helped make her into a self-described "global brand."
