Serena an even bigger fan of Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England — Serena Williams loves Wimbledon. Marat Safin hates it.
She walked out on Centre Court with a diva’s confidence Tuesday and extended her winning streak to 15 matches at the All England Club. He gave up during another early loss and says he’s finished trying to do well here.
Enjoying the oomph her serves and other strokes gain on grass, Williams opened her bid for a third straight title by beating Zheng Jie of China 6-3, 6-1.
“The most special thing is coming back as champ,” said Williams, who smacked six aces at up to 121 mph and saved all 10 break points she faced. “Win, lose or draw, it’s a great feeling to be defending champion at Wimbledon. I don’t get that feeling at any other Grand Slam.”
Safin never quite feels as frustrated at other majors, and that’s saying a lot when it comes to a player known for losing his cool.
The 2000 U.S. Open champion self-destructed as only he can in a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (1) exit against fellow Russian Dmitry Tursunov, who moved to America when he was 12 and is applying for U.S. citizenship.
Safin was two points from leading 2-0 in sets, but he fell apart with double-faults and halfhearted effort, watching shots fly past during the final points of his first opening-round defeat at a Slam since the 2000 Australian Open.
With former Russian President Boris Yeltsin in the stands, No. 19 Safin’s displays of disgust included cursing at the chair umpire, muttering to himself, smashing rackets and spitting.
“I don’t like to play on this surface. I cannot move there. Every time, I don’t know how it’s going to bounce. It’s really a nightmare for me,” Safin said. “After a while, I get bored. I lost completely motivation, and I give up.”
Talking about his difficulties on grass, where balls tend to skid, Safin added, “I cannot adjust to this. You have to be really focused in your mind, but this is not my territory.”
All Grand Slam tournaments are grinds, but Wimbledon’s rain can make it even tougher. Andy Roddick slipped and fell on wet turf while charging to the net behind a serve on the last point played in his first-round match against Wang Yeu-tzuoo. They’ll resume Wednesday at 4-2 in the first set.
Play was halted at 5:15 p.m., and court covers were removed then replaced twice, before All England Club Chief Executive Christopher Gorringe’s voice could be heard at 7 p.m. over loudspeakers across the grounds, conceding, “Play will be abandoned.”
French Open runner-up Guillermo Coria was two points from victory against Wesley Moodie in the fifth set of a match that started Monday and is now headed for its third day. Overall Tuesday, 43 scheduled matches were completed, 14 were suspended, and 31 never started.
With its grass, rain and strict rules about proper attire, the tournament formally known as The Lawn Tennis Championships tends to elicit strong feelings in players.
Andre Agassi thought little of the tournament early in his career, skipping it three straight years, won it in 1992 and changed his tune. Pete Sampras won seven titles and compared Centre Court with Mecca. Ivan Lendl’s fruitless pursuit of the title took on the feel of a Greek tragedy.
Former No. 1 players Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Marcelo Rios derided the surface as being for cows. Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten stayed away three of the past four seasons.
One player who doesn’t stay away is South Africa’s Wayne Ferreira, who has played now in a record 55 straight majors.
“Players have been congratulating me and saying that they think it’s a great thing,” said Ferreira, 32. “They know how difficult it is to stay healthy for this amount of time.”
Williams knows all about that, too. Three weeks after last year’s Wimbledon, she had left knee surgery and missed eight months of her day job.
“When I’m on the set of a movie, it’s exciting. I love it. I love being there. When I’m designing a dress, an outfit, I’m really into that,” said Williams. “But it just doesn’t beat walking out onto Centre Court at Wimbledon.”