=================
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS (Wimbledon, England; grass; Grand Slam)
================= http://www.wimbledon.org/
Women's Doubles final (Sunday 9th July)
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+ YAN,ZI/ZHENG,JIE [4] d. Virginia Ruano Pascual/Paola Suárez,
6-3 3-6 6-2

The match started on Centre Court at 17:38 BST, and I saw it all on
BBC 2.

Zi played on the left when we were returning, and Paola played on
the left when Virginia and Paola were returning.


First Set:
YAN/ZHE * *@* * * 6
RUA/SUÁ _*___* *_ 3

Zi serving 0-0: A double fault put us 15/30 down, but we held to 30
with a forehand volley-winner by Jie.

Paola serving 0-1: Double fault. 0/15. Virginia backhand volley-
winner. 15/15. Double fault. 15/30. They recovered to hold to 30.

Jie serving 1-1: Zi forehand first-volley winner. 15/0. Virginia hit
an error-forcing drop-volley. 15/15. Jie hit a wild forehand long to
give them a break-point at 30/40. Jie saved it with a forehand
winner. 40/40. Zi intercepted to hit a forehand volley. Ad Jie.
Paola forehand just long.

All four players at the back of the court. It looks like a very
pedestrian doubles-match so far.

Virginia serving 1-2: Paola high forehand volley just long. 0/15.
Virginia forehand smash-winner. 15/15. Virginia backhand long.
15/30. Zi hit a two-handed forehand return-winner. 15/40 (2 BPs).
Jie backhand long. 30/40. Zi sealed the break with a forehand smash-
winner.

Zi serving 3-1: Paola forehand volley-winner. 0/15. Yan netted a
forehand on the run. 0/30. Paola netted a backhand. 15/30. Zi
backhand winner down the line. 30/30. Zi netted a backhand.
30/40 (BP). Virginia netted a backhand. 40/40. Virginia backhand
just long. Ad Zi. Jie hit an error-forcing forehand volley.

A poor-quality match compared to the Mixed Doubles final or even the
Men's Doubles final. They're just dollying it up to each other with
no pace, and nowhere close to the lines.

Paola serving 1-4: Errors. 15/40 (2 BPs). Service-winner. 30/40. Jie
netted a backhand. 40/40. Virginia backhand volley-winner. Ad Paola.
Zi netted a return.

Jie serving 4-2: Zi forehand volley-winner. 30/0. Zi backhand volley-
winner. 40/0. Errors. 40/40. Zi hit an error-forcing forehand-
volley. Ad Jie. Return-error.

I find Jie's attritional shots particularly tedious; at least Zi has
hit some nice volleys, as well as being a Selesian.

Virginia serving to stay in the first set at 2-5: Held to love with
errors.

Zi serving for the first set at 5-3: Serve + Jie forehand volley-
winner. 15/0. Jie hit an error-forcing forehand. 30/0. Double fault.
30/15. Virginia netted a forehand. 40/15. Double fault. 40/30.
Service-winner. Zi and Jie won the first set 6-3 at 18:18.


Second Set:
YAN/ZHE _*@____*_ 3
RUA/SUÁ *__@*@* * 6

Paola serving 0-0: Paola let out a long, loud shriek after making an
error to go 0/30 down! But they recovered with some error-forcing
play to go up 40/30. Jie forehand volley-winner. 40/40. Jie hit a
brilliant backhand return-winner down the line. Ad Zi. She netted a
forehand return. Deuce #2. Virginia smiled after hitting a forehand
volley-winner. Ad Paola. Three errors (no break-points) brought
through a Deuce #4 to Ad Paola. Zi cracked a backhand return-winner
down the line. Deuce #5. They held as we made two more errors.

Zi serving 0-1: Held to love with four errors.

Virginia serving 1-1: Jie backhand return-winner down the line.
0/15. Zi intercepted a tedious crosscourt-forehand drill to hit a
dynamic forehand volley-winner. 0/30. Both Chinese went for the same
shot, and Paola hit a forehand volley-winner. 15/30. Virginia out.
15/40 (2 BPs). Us just long. 30/40. Virginia netted a backhand
volley (forced).

Jie serving 2-1: Double fault. 15/30. We lost a long moonball-rally.
15/40 (2 BPs). We saved the first, but Virginia sealed the break
back with a forehand smash-winner.

Paola serving 2-2: Jie backhand volley-winner. 0/15. Zi netted an
easy forehand volley-winner. 15/15. Zi netcord forehand pass-winner
down the middle. 30/30. Virginia held with a forehand drop-volley
winner.

Zi serving 2-3: Zi forehand wide. 0/15. Jie netted a forehand first
volley. 0/30. Paola forehand smash-winner. 0/40 (3 BPs). Virginia
forehand long. 15/40. Virginia netted a forehand volley. 30/40. Jie
first volley long.

Virginia serving 4-2: A series of club-level errors made it 40/30,
and Virginia held with a forehand volley-winner.

Jie serving to stay in the second set at 2-5: Errors gave Virginia
and Paola two set-points at 15/40. A good 17-stroke rally ended with
Zi hitting a forehand volley-winner to save the first.
30/40 (SP #2). Paola backhand long. 40/40. Zi forehand smash-winner.
Ad Jie. She hit a backhand volley-winner after a good rally.

Paola serving for the second set at 5-3: They forced an error. 15/0.
Zi forehand return wide. 30/0. Zi hit an error-forcing crosscourt
forehand. 30/15. Service-winner. 40/15 (SP #3). Zi hit a forehand
long to lose the second set 6-3 at 19:03, and the two Chinese took a
toilet-break together.


Third Set:
YAN/ZHE _@*@*@ @ 6
RUA/SUÁ @_____@_ 2

Zi serving 0-0: Virginia forehand smash-winner. 15/15. Jie netted a
backhand volley. 15/30. Zi forehand smash-winner. 30/30. Double
fault. 30/40 (BP). Paola backhand just long. 40/40. Zi netted a
backhand, quite possibly distracted by Jie running across her field
of vision. Ad Paola. Virginia sealed the break with a forehand smash-
winner.

Paola serving 1-0: Our errors. 40/0. Their errors. 40/40. Double
fault. Ad Zi (BP). Zi netted a forehand. Deuce #2. Jie forehand
volley-winner. Ad Zi (BP #2). Zi's forehand bounced very low to
force an error and give us the break back after 40/0!

Now the Chinese are coming to the net more, taking the initiative.

Jie serving 1-1: Zi forehand volley-winner. 15/0. 40/0. Paola
forehand lob-winner. 40/15. Paola netted a very easy-looking
forehand volley!

Virginia serving 1-2: Zi hit an easy forehand volley long. 15/0.
Paola volley wide. 15/15. Zi forehand smash-winner. 15/30. Zi hit a
stinging forehand volley-winner just inside the outer sideline.
15/40 (2 BPs). Virginia hit a forehand wide and threw her racket.

Jie's groundstrokes are much more aggressive now than when I said
they were tedious.

Zi serving 3-1: Held to 15 with errors, but the Chinese are getting
very animated after points now, with yells and hand-slaps.

Paola serving 1-4: They missed a couple of volleys. 0/30. Paola
forehand lob just long. 0/40 (3 BPs). Zi netted a backhand return.
15/40. Jie hit a sensational forehand lob-winner after Paola and
Virginia had looked in control at the net.

Jie serving for the title at 5-1: Zi hit a brilliant pair of
volleys: off-backhand + crosscourt backhand winner. 15/0. Jie
forehand pass just wide. 15/15. Zi forehand first volley-winner.
30/15. Zi hit an error-forcing forehand smash. 40/15 (2 CPs). Double
fault. 40/30 (CP #2). Virginia saved it with a forehand volley-
winner. 40/40. Jie forehand just wide. Ad Paola (BP). Jie slapped a
forehand volley into the net.

Jie got really nervous in that game: I could hear trembling in her
grunt.

Virginia serving to stay in the match at 2-5: Jie forehand volley-
winner on the line after a series of superb volleys from Zi. 0/15.
Jie backhand drive-volley winner. 0/30. Paola netted a forehand
volley. 0/40 (CP #3). Zi netted a forehand. 15/40 (CP #4). Jie
netted a forehand after a dramatic rally of moonballs and calling in
Chinese. 30/40 (CP #5). Paola saved it with a forehand volley-
winner. 40/40. Jie hit an error-forcing backhand just inside the
baseline. Ad Zi (CP #6). Zi forehand wide off a deep ball. Deuce #2.
Paola forehand first volley long. Ad Zi (CP #7). Jie engaged in a
lengthy down-the-line forehand drill with Virginia, then Zi finished
it off with a forehand volley-winner. Zi and Jie won 6-3 3-6 6-2 at
19:48.

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/seles/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/seles/selesians.html