From 3-1, Jankovic held two separate points to go up a double break 4-1 - instead she let both of them slip on poor attempts at outright winners. Then she promptly dropped serve herself and then, a few holds of serve later, the entire set on her first double fault to lose it 5-7.

Safarova is on a one-woman mission to take out my favourite players in the early going of Slams this year. :rolleyes: Can't see Jankovic escaping this one unless the Czech's level drops dramatically, or the Serb cleans up her game.

at some point, all the tennis jankovic has played must catch up with her. and she has her hands full at the moment.

And now Chakvetadze loses the first set to Krajicek in a marathon tiebreaker 6-7(8), despite having led 5-3 with a chance to serve it out on her two points. I thought the Dutch teen would be a tricky opponent for her on this surface but not quite to this extent!

I guess I'll have to see Jankovic and Chakvetadze trailing in their matches as the draw potentially opening up nicely for Hingis on the back of Bammer's exit. 1997 - 2007! Instead of a five-year plan like Pierce she's got a ten-year plan. :P

The Chakvetadze v Krajicek match is edgy, to say the least!!

A lot tension out there, very emotionally charged match, esp the tie-break, which Michaela won and had Anna in tears..

In fact after almost every point has either player (whichever lost the point) chuntering on about something!

Chakvetazde gave the umpire a verbal tirade before the rain break that was soo vicious.. She's had a dark cloud over her since then and Michaela has been throwing her toys out of her pram too.

Some decent tennis in between, thankfully, although Krajicek's game seems a little more solid.

this match between jankovic and safarova has been quality :ok:
this will silent all the idiots saying there's no depth in women's tennis, and saying the don't deserve equal prize money, although some are trying to justify henin's 2 set win today for the whole of the wta :rolleyes:

Jankovic v Safarova is becoming quite the battle. Jankovic had to mount a monumental effort to hold serve from 0-30, with a couple of 20+ stroke rallies against the relentless Safarova, barely eking out a winner in each. She closes it with an ace and has bought some more time for herself 3-all.

I have to wonder if all that running Safarova had to do on a bothersome knee will begin to tell. Wonder, not hope, I assure you. B)

The Krajicek v Chakvetadze match has been good too, and the Bondarenko v Scnyder match a bit of a contest as well

There is more depth in the men's game though, it has to be said. Don't get that may competitive matches in the earlier rounds on the women's side.

this seventh game of safarova/jankovic is too much :wacko: :wacko: :wacko:

not really, only federer and nadal can win the slams in the mens, whereas the women it could be anyone

i don't know how, but safarova FINALLY holds after a 10 deuce game :phew:

oh bugger, i put jankovic for a 2-1 win in the predictions, when i felt safarova would win. why do i do that? :wacko:

What a titanic struggle at 3-all! Eleven deuces, with Jankovic holding at least three break points. If she were going to force the decider this would have been the opportunity to turn it around, but she was so oddly passive at critical moments and of course Safarova can seize the offensive in an instant which she did.

So it's the Czech who takes the quintessential seventh game and she fully deserves the upset now in my view.

The fact that more/ less people can win a slam has no indication about the depth in the field. Just more/ less players able to emerge as the winner at the end of the day.

Bondarenko v Schnyder.. 6-6 in the final set.. :unsure:

... Patty breaks serve, wins 8-6. B)

Good for her!

Mind you, she was throwing some tnatrums of her own in the first set, hubby the receiving end of a few verbal volleys.. :blink:

Unfortunately Bondarenko couldn't maintain the challenge and Schnyder abruptly races to the finish line. The Swiss veteran is into the final 16 at Wimbledon for the first time with a tough 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 win. It only took a dozen attempts! :P Well done to her, although unfortunately she's only earned an encounter with Henin, who has yet to break a sweat on court.

wow, good effort patty :)

Both the JJ v LS and AC v MK both intriguingly poised at 5-5 in the second set..

bps for JJ though..

Safarova hasn't been the same player since holding serve in that epic game at 3-all. It seems to have been a Pyrrhic victory of sorts in hindsight, as she tamely surrenders her serve to Jankovic with a couple of errors and a disappointing double fault on break point. The No 3 seed will try to serve her way into a deciding set 6-5.

there has been some lovely hitting from both saffy and janky in their match. jankovic trying to take it to a third...

jankie is in trouble now, and she has no more challenges

Another tie break in the Anna C v Michaela K match.. :wacko:

Anna still looks on the verge of tears all the time.. And Michaela doing a 'Marat' re: racquet abuse.. very lucky not to have been warned so far..

Things look interesting at 15-30, but Jankovic holds set point from 40-30 - only to lose the next three in a row, the decisive point coming from some stellar play by Safarova. She earns a chance to take it in straights in the tiebreaker.

great rally in JJ LS tie break.. (point 2)

Would like both of these matches to go to a 3rd set. The've both been very enjoyable..

Two mini-breaks for Jankovic are given back in turn, and it stands at 3-all at the change of ends in the tiebreaker. Tense moments.

3-3 at the halfway point in both tie breaks!

The tension builds..

Two gorgeous Hingis-esque 'dinky' shots from Anna Chak to give her 2 set points..

But a fabulous btl backhand from Michaela to save the first..

a mis-hit gives jankovic the tiebreak 7-4 and the second set...bring on the third.

Anna C takes her second set point!

Goes to a deciding set. This match has already lasted 2+ hours already...

excellent!! B) 3 setters for both matches :ok:

Both extremely competitive matches are taken into the third almost simultaneously! Looks like you got your wish petal.

Safarova is a bit hard done by but Jankovic has been unflappable. Hard to predict what will happen now but there are indications that the Czech will fade away a bit from both disappointment and the huge expenditure of effort in that second set.

probably longer than federer's match today too :P

I've been flickign between that and Jankovic v Safarova. Bith tough matches, and close fought. I wish I'd reflected that in my predications cos I changed my mind on both. Always the way eh?.

I'm cool with that.. As long as it's the Fedster that prevails :B) :P

Looks like a lucky break for the underdogs, as sprinkles of rain start coming down and threaten to interrupt play again. Matches which were already tough to predict become even more so.

Must say I've seen a side to Jelena that I'm not keen on in this match. There's been hoo ha over her getting coaching, she has seemed quite arsy at times shouting for balls and stuff, now there is a medical timeout. :shrug:

Me too.. been following the Anna C v Michaela match more, but an eye on JJ v Lucie too..

Two good matches at once. There were about 2 good women's matches in total at RG (Sharpie v Patty and Dani v Anabel M-G)

And of course Patty in another epic today.

oh boy.. rain.. :(

that's coz wimbledon is better than the fo, and also the fo was missing a certain player, who produced a great match on the first day :P

piss off rain :angry: