The Wimbledon winners' wrap-up

By Michael Cecilio Sports Central Columnist

Martina Navratilova, in winning the mixed-doubles title with Leander Paes, equals Billie Jean King's record for the most Wimbledon titles at 20. Todd Woodbridge partnered Jonas Bjorkman for the men's doubles title, in the process not only equaling the Wimbledon record set by brothers Hugh and Reggie Doherty with eight men's doubles titles, but moving within two titles of Tom Okker's record 78 career men's doubles titles.

World No. 1 Serena Williams continued her dominance of the WTA Tour and solidified her quest to become one of the game's all-time greats by winning her sixth Grand Slam singles title. Roger Federer, arguably the most-talented underachiever on the big stage, shunned that tag by winning his first Wimbledon crown which many say is his first of many.

Williams' squash Belgian challenge to affirm status as world's best!

Venus and Serena Williams showed the world that they still are the players to beat by defeating Belgium's Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne in the semifinals of Wimbledon. Venus' victory over Clijsters in the semifinal, despite a painful stomach injury which caused her to grimace in pain frequently, and Serena's demolition of Roland Garros champion Henin-Hardenne, almost came with a sense of determination. Determination to put their stranglehold on the women's tour back into place.

What might have been considered a lackluster final by many tennis aficionados could also be considered one of the most courageous performances in Venus Williams's fabled career. Battling a stomach injury she sustained during the clay season, the lingering effects of it wreaked havoc on her serve in the latter stages of the championships. In the semifinals, a fruitful rain delay, an opponent who seemingly didn't have the nerves nor the belief to close out a match that was hers, and the steely determination to play through the pain, dug Venus out of a tight hole against world No. 2 Kim Clijsters.

The gulf between the No. 1 and No. 2 was apparent in the final. While Venus, the in-form player during the first week of the championships, eked out a tight first set against her sister with more accurate drives, the injury took its toll on her serve entering into the second and third sets. Serena displayed the self-belief and the determination that took her to the top-ranking exactly one year ago by doing what Clijsters could not do in the semifinals which was to close out the four-time Grand Slam champion. It was a scratchy display, much like her efforts in the quarterfinals against Jennifer Capriati, but the right shots at the right time towards the end (marked by some typical clutch serving) paid-off for the best player on tour.

The best player on tour and possibly one of the best players ever? Serena continues to display the qualities which may eventually take her to the pinnacle of women's tennis history. At just 21, she has amassed one consecutive year at No. 1, six Grand Slam titles including all four majors, and a legacy which transcends the lines of the tennis court. Just how much further her legacy will grow will be interesting to observe as time goes on, starting with the U.S. Open in September.

The dawning of a new champion ... and possibly a new era.

Wimbledon 2003 proved to be a fairytale for Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis. Undergoing three knee reconstructive surgeries and spending several months on the sidelines, the certainty of his playing career was never a foregone conclusion. In beating world No. 1 Andre Agassi in the fourth-round, it looked as if his fortunes were changing and that he would possibly win the title which experts believed would have been his a long time ago.

The fairy tale story was Mark's but the fairy tale ending was Roger Federer's, who many experts also tipped was on the precipice of his first Grand Slam title. The talent was always there, but the results never seemed to be forthcoming in the Grand Slams for Federer who, as one of the French Open favorites, bowed out in the first-round of the clay court major just four weeks prior to his amazing win. It is testament to Federer's skill and attitude that he could bounce back from a painful Grand Slam defeat to become a Grand Slam champion all in the space of a month.

That skill was supremely evident throughout the Championships as he dominated the draw without the loss of a set. Against foes such as Stefan Koubek, Feliciano Lopez, and Sjeng Schalken, he displayed his technical gifts as he carved up the draw in the first week. In the semifinals and final, Federer's technical ingenuity was simply ethereal. Andy Roddick and Mark Philippoussis, two of the hardest-servers in the game today, each got beaten in straight-sets by Federer, although neither could really attest to being off in their respective matches. Both amassed a greater number of winners than errors. However, Federer's statistics could be described as no less than phenomenal.

Against Roddick, Federer struck 61 winners with just 12 unforced errors while against Philippoussis, he totaled 50 winners with nine unforced errors. What is pleasing about these statistics is not just that the Swiss sensation finally reined in his talent for the big occasion, but that he upped the ante in a situation unknown to him before. It calls into question as to whether we are heralding the start of a new Wimbledon era. Federer downplays the notion of a dominant era with him as the protagonist, but the ominous signs are there. The burgeoning talent seems to not only be gracing itself in the hands and legs, but also in the mind. And after all, Federer was the very person to halt the Sampras dominance at Wimbledon back in 2001.

Doubles legends are record-book bound.

Martina Navratilova has done it all. In fact, she did it all way back in the '70s and '80s. Now her achievements in 2003 are simply a bonus to the woman who has achieved things no one on the WTA Tour may achieve ever again. Teaming up with Leander Paes, Martina won the Wimbledon mixed-doubles crown, beating youngsters Andy Ram and Anastassia Rodionova in straight-sets in the final.

A Grand Slam title is worth celebrating at any stage in a tennis player's career. It probably held even more meaning at this particular juncture in her career as she equaled Billie Jean King's record of 20 Wimbledon titles. It was the record that most tennis pundits seemed to focus on as she embarked on a return to the WTA Tour in 2000.

Will this herald in the "final" retirement for Navratilova? One would think that given her gradual rise up the doubles rankings (she stands at No. 14 this week) and the abundant success she is having against the next generation of competitors, the love for competition, and the love of competing well will still give her the impetus to continue for another year or two.

Although the achievement was not as publicized as Navratilova's record matching triumph, Todd Woodbridge equaled a record himself by winning his eighth Wimbledon doubles title, bringing him within two titles of Tom Okker's record for the most career doubles titles. Holding both of those records on his own is definitely within his sights and is definitely accomplishable as he embarks on the twilight period of his career.

At this stage of his career, it seems that one of the major driving forces behind his decision to keep plugging away on the tour is to grab the record for the most career wins, looking to cement himself as one of the best, if not the best, doubles player in tennis history. Arguably, the records currently show that his achievements speak for that title already ... although you would think John McEnroe would probably try to have the last say on that front.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.