Liz Clarke
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 6, 2007; 12:00 PM

Join Washington Post staff writer Liz Clarke on Friday, July 6, at noon ET to chat about Wimbledon and the world of tennis.

A transcript follows.

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Liz Clarke: Cheers from Wimbledon, where stunningly it is NOT raining!! Venus Williams just won her semifinal a moment ago, 6-2, 6-4, to earn her sixth trip to the finals, where she'll face either Justine Henin or Marion Bartoli in tomorrow's final.

Andy Roddick in the first set now, trying to earn a semi-final meeting with Roger Federer tomorrow.

I'm thrilled to take a crack at your questions. Thanks for writing in, Liz

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Alexandria, Va.: I didn't see the match but it seems Venus took Maria Sharapova apart. That surprised me some. Is Sharapova starting to lose a commitment to her game with all her promotional activities ??

Liz Clarke: Great question. I don't think Sharapova is any less motivated or driven than she was as a 17-year-old Wimbledon winner. She has an amazing will. Her dropoff in performance I think is really related to her health and awkward growth spurt. In short, her upper body and shoulders in particular aren't strong enough for the pounding, and she needs to work on that. She was off 8 weeks this year for that reason, and has found it slow coming back -- particularly regaining confidence on the serve. She also doesn't move particularly well, and could improve there. She is the highest earning female athlete, as you alluded, with lots of commitments for sponsors. But she still puts tennis first.

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Washington, D.C.: Hooray for Venus! What do you think her chances are?

Liz Clarke: I think they are fabulous. I still am breathless over the metamorphosis she has gone through here in just the last two weeks. She nearly lost her first round match and surely would have if Serena hadn't been there yelling and telling her what to do. I was sitting just a few seats away from Oracene and Serena and had a great view of Venus's helpless expression every time she looked up for advice.

That said, she is now blowing people off the court. She was fabulous against Sharapova and again today against Ivanovic. Most of the female players give the edge to Henin, but I would find it hard to believe Henin could handle Venus is she keeps this up. Serena doesn't cover the court nearly as well as Venus, and Henin exploited that in her victory. Venus will be tougher on this surface.

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Fairfax, Va.: What do you think of the Nadal-Soderling kerfuffle? Was Soderling out of line? Was Nadal being too sensitive? And is this what tennis needs -- more feuds?

Liz Clarke: I do think Soderling was out of line. And just to show you have a sense of humor, Ilie Nastase was one of my favorites! But he was witty, whereas Soderling was crude and stupid in mocking Nadal. And the capper was the limp, heartless handshake. That is disrespect to both Nadal and Wimbledon.

I don't think Nadal was being too sensitive. He was asked to comment by the media about Soderling; it's not as if he came off court and ripped him.

As for tennis, it DOES need something to help capture fans' imaginations. Great rivalries do that. And ugly feuds do that, as well. I wish the sport could appeal simply on the merits and personalities, but maybe a blood feud is in order....

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Saint Paul, Minn.: Hi Liz -- Thanks for taking my question. I have nothing but admiration for the Williams sisters, but I was really put off by Serena's comments that against Henin she was only "40 percent" -- I watched the match and she was simply outplayed (okay, maybe she was 85 percent, but you get my point). Is it just me, or do they not always display the best sportsmanship/grace in giving credit to their opponents? Or is that part of the mental game?

Liz Clarke: Thanks for the question, and it's one I hear a lot. In my experience, Venus is consistently graceful in victory. She has no problem complimenting her opponents, either in victory or defeat. I think she is a very gracious athlete.

Serena very rarely compliments her opponent. After losing to Henin at the French she said of Henin's "all she had to do was show up," which I think diminishes Henin's achievement needlessly. My guess is that it is a tactic. But the mental part of Serena's game is something formidable indeed. It may not be your taste, but it is a force to be reckoned with.

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Nashville, Tenn.: Hi Liz,

In your opinion, what will it take to bring tennis back to the popularity it enjoyed in America during the McEnroe-Connors-Borg golden years?

Liz Clarke: Boy, I wish I knew.

I think it will take one of two things: A fabulous, charismatic American champion who competes regularly (more than the Williams sisters, who elevated the game so much a few years back).

And/or a charismatic champion of any nation whose personality translates well to U.S. audiences. I cant imagine a more gifted player than Federer, or a more charismatic player than Nadal, Baghdatis and now Djokovic. But their personalities so far have not pierced U.S. consciousness. I don't know if that is the fault of TV broadcasters, print media's indifference, American attention-span, confusion over the tennis calendar and schedule, of simply a result of the fact that there are so many channels and offerings for sports fans. It's a pity because it's a beautiful, international game, I think.

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Adams Morgan: Hi Liz,

This has nothing to do with Wimbledon other than the fact that you weren't here for July 4th because of it, but I was wondering if you heard what Mr. Tony and company thought of their evening with your archenemies, the Canadians?

Any word if you were burned in effigy? Or did Mr. Tony make peace with them for you?

Liz Clarke: Ha! A listener to the radio show! Yes, I have already gotten two lengthy e-mails about the party at the Canadian embassy that I missed, and everyone from Washington Post radio -- Tony K and his posse -- had a fabulous time. They met the ambassador; they dined on caribou; and they enjoyed what sounds like THE most fabulous view of fireworks ever! I was bowled over by the Canadians' warmth and good humor in extending the invitation, and I thought about them a lot on July 4th. I even sent the Embassy a postcard from Wimbledon but I don't think it arrived in time. So it sounds as if I missed a swell time. I am rethinking my Canadian bias now, though am unrelenting on the matter of Canadian music.

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Suitland, Md.: I find that I prefer watching women's tennis over the men's -- Nadal being the exception.

I find men's tennis boring and all about hard serves and short points. I miss the day's of Bjorn Borg, when finesse was more important than power.

What can be done to bring back excitement to men's tennis?

Liz Clarke: Wow. I wish we had John McEnroe on because he could give you a great answer. But from listening to McEnroe talk ad nauseam about this issue, I will share his thoughts. The real wrinkle is the technology of rackets. It sounds as if going back to smaller racket heads and less powerful frames would bring back the tennis you love, but the reality is that is not in the cards. I know John Mac also laments greatly the demise of serve-and-volley tennis, and he blames it on the fact that youngsters aren't taught to volley and become afraid of it as adults. More doubles play would help reverse that trend, but doubles is sort of dying. It's a pity, but I think I share your view. I like rallies -- rather than howitzer serves...

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Bluffton, S.C.: Since you're there at SW19 perhaps you could relay my complaint to NBC about their taped matches. Who wants to watch tennis on tape when you already know the score by logging on to the Wimbledon Web site? I'm tired of having to "watch" important matches that way. What are chances of seeing the men's semis live? But kudos to Chris Fowler on ESPN -- he is the BEST tennis commentator, easy on the eye, with a wonderful sense of humor. I LOVE him.

Liz Clarke: I post this at your request. And I will add to it that I will greatly miss Bud Collins after this broadcast. He is a prince of a man, an exceptional journalists and a tireless promoter of the game.

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Freising, Germany: Having been such a huge fan of Bjorn Borg, I feel almost resentful that Roger Federer is expected to win his 5th consecutive Wimbledon tournament, and thereby tie Borg's record.

Amongst the remaining male and female players, who are the crowd favorites?

Liz Clarke: I am a huge Borg fan, too, but you should know that Borg and Federer recently hit together in Dubai and had great fun. Borg told Roger he will be happy if he breaks his record of 5 Wimbledons this year, and Borg is supposed to show up Sunday, in fact.

About crowd favorites, it's skewed a bit here at Wimbledon, probably. First, there is no "rock star" figure in tennis now, like Borg, who drives teens wild. No player seems to elicits shrieks. But it seems all fans bow to Roger Federer; there is a respectful silence when he plays, as if all are aware they are witnessing greatness.

I think the most fervent rooting, in truth, is for the longest match possible. So if someone is getting blown out, the crowd will root for the player trailing to extend the match.

I think the fans aren't too keen on the shrieking in the women's game and feel that Sharapova, Venus would be better liked if they could ramp that down.

Nadal is esp popular in France; maybe a little less here.

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Laurel, Md.: Can ESPN2 fire that woman that hosts Complete Wimbledon? She's HORRIBLE! Her awkward pauses, reading from the page...argh!

Liz Clarke: I have no idea who this is, as I only see BBC coverage over here, but I will post for others to see.

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Kingstowne, Va.: How much different is it for the players, and spectators, between playing Centre Court and one of the other courts you never see on TV?

Liz Clarke: Great question. It is a staggering difference, and it's hard to convey without being able to show you.

But Centre Court is fairly massive, and very odd this year without the roof. But it seats 14,000 or so. Court One is fairly similar to that, though smaller. Then, after that, it's like playing in someone's back yard. Court 3, for ex, has seats for 800. That's tiny. And the bleachers are right on the court; there is no players' guest box. Very basic indeed. And of course this year, there is no hawkeye replay on any court except Centre and Court 1, which really is an odd disparity. I'm not sure why they allow that, to be honest.

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Washington, D.C.: Any one else think that Serena's histrionics and grandstanding were irritating at best and unprofessional at worst?

I thought it was a horrible display of sportsmanship.

Liz Clarke: This has been a huge topics here in London, both among the newspaper columnists and former players. I haven't heard anyone question the muscle cramp itself -- that it was real; that it hurt horribly. But I have heard many express doubts about how limited joy after hitting winners. But again, everyone I've heard believes it was an excruciating injury and a heroic comeback. The question of mind-games; gamesmanship; histrionics is very much open...

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Bethesda, Md.: Does anyone have a serious shot against Federer?

Liz Clarke: Wow. I would say Djokovic, more so than Nadal or Roddick. Let's see, I'd put it in this order: Djokovic, Nadal, Roddick.

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Rockville, Md.: Can Venus win again?

Liz Clarke: I wouldn't have said so last week, when she struggled to beat unknowns in her first and second rounds. But after the last 2 or 3 matches, I would say absolutely. She is serving and returning unbelievably well. And she is covering the court like spiderwoman -- limbs everywhere! She is an amazing athlete. And she's very smart -- esp. about winning on this surface. And she has cut down on her errors a ton. If Henin can beat here, she's truly amazing..

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Washington, D.C.: One thing I've always wondered about covering events like this -- as a reporter, other than the press conferences, what do you get from being there that you couldn't get from watching the matches on TV? How does it influence what ends up in the paper?

Liz Clarke: Wow, what a great question. It is so helpful to see the matches live, for one, because you can see and hear the emotions of the players far better. For ex, I heard everything Serena yelled to Venus during her first-round struggle, and watched every eye-contact exchange. It gave me a huge window on how vulnerable she was, and TV cutaways don't do that. Also you sense conditions much better -- the gusting wind today was unreal. You know the point at which winds shift; rain falls; shadows creep. then being on the grounds is a huge plus as you run into players' families, coaches, hitting partners -- most of whom will talk to you for the "backstory" on an athlete or match. Then there is the chance to interview rising players who may not appear in the story you're writing, but who can provide insight into the locker room, how particular players are viewed, feared, admired, etc. And then there are the numerous former players on the grounds--Tracy Austin, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Billie Jean King, Virginia Wade, Guillermo Vilas, etc etc etc - I could go on, who reporters can speak to, as well. It's a huge trove of tennis insiders, willing to share perspective. A huge percentage of that reporting doesn't end up in stories, but it educates you and ideally, gives you a better command of the sport and its personalities.

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Bluffton, S.C.: I totally agree with Laurel, Md. The woman is Chris McKendry.

Liz Clarke: A reader speaks..

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Beating Borg's record: I've always thought the most remarkable thing about Borg's record was that he won the French Open and Wimby back-to-back 4 times. Winning Wimby 5 times in a row is certainly impressive, but Roger will never be able to match the entirety of that record.

Also, Serena's lack of graciousness in defeat is well known, but I think a large part of her incredible ability to fight her way back into matches is her competitive ferocity. She truly believes that if she didn't win, it's because she didn't play her best. Thrown Henin into the mix as her conqueror and her post-match comments will naturally get a little uglier. Serena has never forgotten that serve when she held her hand up and JH went ahead anyway. And it must irk her that Henin is so tough mentally herself.

Liz Clarke: Interesting comments from a reader.

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John McEnroe: Hi Liz,

I saw John McEnroe on TV play in a senior event recently. Can't remember the name of the tourney but Pete Sampras was in it and won it, I am pretty sure. During McEnroe's match that I watched, he reverted back to his very rude and boorish behavior of berating and belittling a linesman. I was incredulous that he would treat someone like that in a, frankly, meaningless tourney. His bad behavior as a teen was hard enough to take. It was extremely sad for a man his age to act that way. I lost what little respect I had for him and now don't even want to listen to his commentary. How sad.

Liz Clarke: This is interesting. As a BBC commentator, John comes across as very mature and reasonable and even gracious, believe it or not. Dare I say, self-deprecating.

My sense is that on his seniors' gig tour, he kind of feels that his "role" is to play to boor -- to take fans back to the days when he was a churlish brat. I wish he didn't feel that way because he still has beautiful tennis strokes and CAN be an ambassador for the game when he chooses. But I can totally see why this would be a turnoff to you. He is a father of six now and should act like an adult...

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Washington, D.C.: You've covered a lot of different sports for The Post -- Redskins, NASCAR, tennis. What's been your favorite, and where does Wimbledon rank?

Liz Clarke: Hard question. Wimbledon really ranks right up there. I can't tell you the chills I got when I first covered this, and it never gets old. It is such a privilege. I feel that way about the Olympics as well. Conversely, I have never felt that way about covering the Super Bowl or Final Four. To me, they are so grossly commercialized that there is nothing special about covering them, though many would love to. The mega-American events like that end up making me feel like part of an ugly herd. Awful.

There are certainly things I loved about covering the Redskins -- knowing a lot about the topic that DC sports fans care about most, for ex; I also liked the very regimented schedule that is useful on the personal front; and the earnestness of most of the players. Also NASCAR -- there are some exceptional people in that sport, without airs or pretense. And it's nice, in a way, to know a lot about something that's NOT a DC obsession.

A rambling answer, I'm afraid, for a very good question!

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State College, Pa.: I have a question - UGGHHN - to ask you. - UGHHNN - Is the decline in - UGGHNN - tennis popularity on TV - UGGHNN - partly due to the horrendous - UGGHHHN - grunting and groaning by today's players?

It is very annoying to hear the grunting and groaning every shot. I know it's not new, but it certainly happens a lot more often and a lot louder than in years past.

Liz Clarke: Ha ha ha !! I am laughing very hard. I think it's horrendous. And Martina Navratilova, for one, was just saying on TV that it is NOT necessary to do. I think it's irk every fan and almost every older player. Why it is in vogue--I am not sure.

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Washington, D.C.: Hey Liz,

I think your coverage of Wimbledon has been excellent - you and John Branch of the NYTimes lead the way.

Do you think that Roddick has a shot of beating Federer if they both make it to the semis? Do you think Roddick is playing more consistently now that he's been under Connors and is trying to keep the ball in play more frequently and not make stupid unforced errors?

Or, do you think the buzz about Roddick has been positive so far in Wimbledon, not just because he's winning, but that he's winning against nobodies? I mean, Nadal has had to face tougher opponents than Roddick so far.

Anyway, congrats on the great coverage.

Liz Clarke: What a generous note, and I will share it will John Branch, who is sitting two seats away!

I don't think Roddick had a shot at beating Federer. I do think his grass-court game has improved under Connors. His backhand is not such a glaring weakness; and his volley and willingness to use it have improved. But Roddick has a troubling tendency to revert to bad habits when things go wrong -- like running 3/4 of the way around the court to hit a forehand rather than backhand; and sticking to baseline rather than pressing. I think if he gets behind, his "new" skills will go out the window.

I think he really works hard at his game and fitness; and would love nothing more in the world than to beat Federer here. But it's hard for me to see that happening. I still see him as a 2-trick pony (serve and forehand) whose weaknesses aren't as pronounced as they once were. And that's not good enough.

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S. Rockville, Md.: You imply, or maybe I just infer, that Venus was receiving coaching from Serena during her first round match. I thought (blatant) coaching was outlawed? I know just about everybody, especially on the women's side, receives illicit coaching, but wasn't Serena's behavior over the top?

Liz Clarke: I had a conversation with a fellow reporter, and we both felt it really straddled the line. When Serena said, "You can do it!" that wasn't coaching. When Serena said, "Stay down (bend your knees)" " Look at it (the ball)," maybe it was. But there are all sorts of gestures and hand signals for that type of thing, and they go on all the time, too.

The WTA has got itself in a pickle on this issue -- they have a rule that they don't enforce, so Serena surely didn't do anything other coaches aren't

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Cleveland: What's surprised you most about the tournament so far?

Liz Clarke: A few things:

Venus's unbelievable transformation from horrible rusty to unbeatable...

Nadal's continued improvement on grass..

Djokovic's heart...

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Washington, D.C.: I am not suggesting that Serena's comments are always complimentary of opponents but I have heard her be gracious toward opponents and I kind of think this point is being overemphasized in the press. Even with regard to Henin, Serena said that her play was strong.

Liz Clarke: well stated

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Washington, D.C.: Venus's outfit is very skimpy, but it doesn't seem vulgar because of her lean frame. Have there been any rumblings among the officials about her attire?

Liz Clarke: Funny, I have not heard a peep about it until today, when Navratilova questioned why Venus's skimpy shorts and top were allowed yet the woman who wore the skintight white catsuit years ago was ordered to change. It was a legitimate point, I thought. I guess Wimbledon has loosened up on a few things. They're still sticklers over the predominantly white rule -- except for bloomers (if you followed the brouhaha over Golovin's red ones)

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Grunting not necessary: This is true, but I see why they do it. I think the girls today hit the ball so very hard that it may feel natural/helpful to have the exhalation of breath, obnoxious and loud though it may be.

That being said, I have noticed that Serena will sometimes stop grunting and screeching for the entirety of a game. I've always seen it as a tactical maneuver - it typically throws her opponent off, because they have adjusted to knowing where the ball is and how hard it's been struck based on the pattern of screeching she usually employs. Smart cookie.

Liz Clarke: Yes , the shrieking by several women comes and goes. And It's definitely loudest when things are most dire. Isn't it amazing how great Federer can be, and he is silent as a mouse....

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Raleigh, NC: I watched Baghdatis-Djokovic match. What a game! How do you think Djokovic will fair against Nadal tomorrow? Will fatigue be an issue for him?

Liz Clarke: THAT was a fabulous match! By far the best match of the day. I think it should be a terrific match; I doubt fatigue will be a factor. They are 20 and 21 respectively. And it was windy today, but not witheringly hot. Should be fabulous

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Liz Clarke: Sadly I must go back to work now. You had terrific questions and I'm sorry we didn't get to all. I am a slow and sloppy typist, I am afraid.

News update: roddick is up 2 sets to 0 over gasquet, so it's looking good for federer-roddick SF tomorrow.

enjoy it all.

many thanks, liz

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