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12 Monday 22nd June, 2009 by Mattias Karen ous Wimbledon finals, with Venus winning last year and Serena tak- WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — ing the title in 2002 and 2003. The Williams sisters could be set Venus has won five Wimbledon for another Wimbledon final after titles since 2000, including the they were placed in separate Williams sisters last two. Safina, still looking for her first Grand Slam title after losing the French Open final for the second straight year, was drawn against Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain could meet in in the first round. Venus Williams will take on Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland and Serena plays Neuza Silva of Portugal. Federer could be aided by a seemingly easy path to the final of the grass-court major. Wimbledon final The Swiss star could face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, but has few dangerous matchups The Williams sisters halves of the bracket in Friday’s before then. Federer opens have played each other draw. against Yen-Hsun Lu of Taiwan, in three previous The men’s draw was rocked but could face French Open final- when defending champion Rafael ist Robin Soderling in the fourth Wimbledon finals, with Nadal pulled out because of ten- round and either seventh-seeded Venus winning last year dinitis in his knees, leaving Roger Fernando Verdasco of Spain or Federer the big favorite to win a No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France and Serena taking the title sixth Wimbledon championship in the quarterfinals. in 2002 and 2003. and 15th Grand Slam title. The biggest beneficiary of Venus has won five Defending women’s champion Nadal’s withdrawal might be Venus Williams may have to over- Andy Murray, who no longer has Wimbledon titles come top-ranked Dinara Safina in to worry about playing the since 2000, the semifinals, while Serena could Spaniard in the semifinals. play fourth-ranked Elena Murray is looking to become the including the Dementieva in the last four. first Briton since Fred Perry to last two. The Williams sisters have win the tournament and is com- played each other in three previ- ing off a Queen’s Club victory last week for his first grass-court title. Nadal’s absence is sure to increase the already high expec- tations at home for a British title. Nadal’s spot in the draw was filled by fifth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro, who will now play Arnaud Clement of France in the first round. James Blake moves into Del Potro’s slot, and the 17th-seeded American’s place is taken by Nicolas Kiefer. Thiago Alves enters the draw as a lucky loser, in Kiefer’s original spot. Former women’s champion Maria Sharapova, trying to return to form after a long injury layoff, opens against Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine and could face Serena Williams if she makes the quarterfinals. Safina could meet Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals after losing to her fellow Russian in the Venus Williams Serena Williams French Open final. The Ashes 2009 Murray ready to win by Scyld Berry quickly: not since Ian Peebles bam- decades ago, Ian Salisbury was left Warwickshire. boozled Don Bradman with his goo- to flounder in the absence of any Before the Test series in May dil Rashid’s fast-tracking is gly in 1930 have England, or in the mentor, as it is half a century since against West Indies the Lions wal- first Wimbledon title set to be the main feature of latter case Scotland, had such a an English leg-spinner made a deep loped them in three days at Derby, by Ian Chadband Gordon Sinclair’s Gregory? Athe two squads which promising wrist-spinner at so ten- international mark. and it is their patriotic duty to do Remember the rare old der an age. Rashid’s first-class fig- Mushtaq Ahmed took up the the same to the Australians – or England’s selectors will announce e has been talking drama queen, who would con- ures stack up for a Test career soon- post of England’s spin bowling last else to bat so well that the on Monday - one for a three-day non-stop for nearly duct a self-flagellating dia- game against Warwickshire, and er or later: 150 wickets already at 33 December, having already advised Australians get only one first-class runs each, a bit expensive but large- Rashid so much that the pupil had innings apiece before the Ashes, Hthree hours, has been logue with himself at full vol- the other for the Lions’ four-day asked the same question ume? The one whose cramp- game against the Australians, both ly offset by a first-class batting replicated elements of Mushtaq’s their game against Sussex being 12- starting next Wednesday. average of 32. action. Rashid has been part of the a-side. about his Wimbledon chances ing Bambi legs, protected by If the Lions need a template, every other 30 seconds and clunky ankle supports, could- they need only recall England’s has still somehow managed to n’t seem to carry the weight Adil Rashid three-day game against Queensland avoid butting anyone. of his obvious talent? The Rashid’s is a handy before the Ashes series of 2002-3: He is asked a daft one and cocky, novice world No 312, the state side kindly batted for batsman as offers no smart alec riposte, who could outclass the world almost two days and England did just a polite dead bat. He’s no No 13 Radek Stepanek and well as a not complete one innings. laugh-a-minute, but neither is then do himself no favours by leg-spin Steve Harmison could hasten rapid he the supposed monotone describing his opponent’s bowler. the moment of his recall by tearing into the Australians at Worcester as misery of legend. He comes behaviour as “stupid”? if it were the opening day of the over as a charming, unfailing Murray doesn’t raise a rise provides 2005 series. But, for the Cardiff Test model of patience while hav- smile when he thinks back on July 8, England’s first three pace ing to ponce around a mite about his 18-year-old self, bowlers have to be James self-consciously in his Fred being painted as surly and Test debate Anderson, Stuart Broad and Perry retro kit. brash. It was just an image, Andrew Flintoff, who may make a Surrounded by interroga- though; the lad was always The fun and frolics ended yes- The Test career will start sooner England squad ever since, while few runs in the meantime. tors, he stretches out his legs OK. Yet critics always did terday with the Twenty20 final. after the composure that Rashid Panesar has slipped back. As those three and Swann are lazily and it dawns just what seem to take rather too much showed in the World Twenty20. He It was unavoidable that Panesar the automatic starters if fit, Now the first Ashes skirmishes an impressive specimen he is glee in his growing pains on could not stop the Netherlands win- regressed in the West Indies earlier England’s fifth bowler at Cardiff commence. now, at 6ft 3in and just over court. Rashid had played only nine ning on his debut, when he was this year. He had to go back, and will either be a second spinner – 13st. You see Murray on TV Did the man who now Twenty20 games for Yorkshire fast-tracked too quickly and select- acquire new tricks, before going Rashid or Panesar – or a fourth and somehow imagine him to believes he is ready, both before he was called into the ed instead of Swann, but, under the forwards. He had to acquire subtle- seamer. Graham Onions is the man England squad to replace Andrew cosh, he did not bowl a bad over ty, and some variation to his stock in possession, and could have a big be still a bit lanky; yet the physically and mentally, to Flintoff in the ICC World Twenty20. during the tournament; even his ball, before he could climb from the part to play by swinging the ball quads are huge and the calves become the first Briton since Strange: not on the face of it a like- single over against West Indies in plateau on which he had got stuck: into the four left-handers in bulge. The musculature is the blessed Fred himself to for-like replacement. But England’s England’s last game at the Oval, his 125 Test wickets have cost 33, Australia’s top six from close to the striking, the sheen telling of win the event still remember management wanted to give Rashid when the Duckworth/Lewis method with his average and strike-rate stumps. an athlete in his prime. the old criticism? exposure and trial his temperament was for once not ostensibly fair. going in the wrong direction. But then Ryan Sidebottom You pinch your- on the big stage with a view to his Playing for Yorkshire since the England’s selectors can afford to would create rough outside their self. Is it really four MURRAY’S POSSIBLE PATH TO THE TITLE... becoming England’s second spinner age of 18, as their first native-born play Panesar in the Lions team, as right-handers’ off-stump – as will years since he first FIRST ROUND Robert Kendrick (US) cricketer of note of Asian ancestry, long as he does not fully exhibit his Mitchell Johnson – for Swann to against Australia, behind Graeme rolled up at SECOND ROUND Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) has toughened Rashid, as did play- new variations.

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