June 30, 2008 - Second-seeded Jelena Jankovic and No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova were both ousted in the fourth round Monday, leaving Wimbledon without any of the top four women in the quarterfinals for the first time.
With top-seeded Ana Ivanovic and No. 3 Maria Sharapova eliminated last week, none of the top four women reached the quarterfinals - the first time that’s happened at Wimbledon and also the first time at any Grand Slam tournament in the 40-year history of the Open era.
Meanwhile, the Williams sisters moved closer to another Wimbledon final. Venus and Serena found themselves playing back to back Monday on Court 2, known as the “Graveyard of Champions” based on the record number of upsets played on there.
While Roger Federer glided to victory on Centre Court, and Rafael Nadal played on Court 1, the Williams sisters were relegated to a less than stellar venue. Was the slight on purpose? Officials say no - schedules were based on other factors.
However, there are no replay reviews on Court 2, where the scoreboard is manually operated. Spectators can hear players muttering to themselves, and the soundtrack for matches also includes cheering from other courts and noise from the nearby dining area for players.
The Williams sisters might be glad to know the days are numbered for the Graveyard of Champions. As part of a project to renovate the outer courts, a new Court 2 opens next year, while the Graveyard will become Court 3 in 2009— meaning fewer marquee matches—and will eventually be torn down.
Even after Venus and Serena spent the day at the Graveyard, their title hopes remained very much alive. They’re defying the trend in a women’s tournament that, by one measure, ranks as the most upset-filled on record. If the Graveyard can’t stop them, what will? Which one will prevail?
In the meantime, Venus has been assigned to the Court 1 stadium Tuesday. Serena is to play on Centre Court, where fans may find them both Saturday.
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