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Wimbledon(Conclusion
The competitiveness continued in the first semifinal, matching Mugur Kinczllers against Tomas Niklas. Kinczllers, runner-up to Girsh last year, is the sentimental favorite here. Definitely the 29-year-olds best shot at a major title. He's been #5 in the world for a couple years now, just not quite as good as the top challengers, but the door is open here. This match went back and forth, and either man could have won it. The final was 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4, with Niklas outlasting the veteran for his second-straight five-set win. Kinczllers was a little more consistent, but Tomas was a little better in the most important moments of the match, esp. at the end. Shreya Ujjaval carried the banner now for Sri Lanka, against Theodore Bourdet in the second match. This one went against the grain of the tournament, as Ujjaval cruised through and only set was close, 6-3, 7-6(6), 6-2. He moves on to this first final, while Bourdet is now 0-3 at the semfinal stage.
So it comes down to two players who are just coming into, but not quite at their prime. Tomas Niklas(CZE) against Shreya Ujjaval. We've had a long-standing rivalry with the Czechs, but it's more familiar for it to be Iglar vs. Mehul. If you told me a year ago this would be the Wimbledon final this season I would have laughed. This is the first meeting between these two, and with both a little tired I figured Ujjaval's facility with the grass would probably get him the win against the somewhat more skilled Niklas. Both players served well, and Ujjaval would not generate a single break point all day. His opponent didn't get many, and only converted one, but the tiebreaks went his way in a 7-6(6), 6-3, 7-6(6). Tomas Niklas, at 24 and a half, claims the 2048 Wimbledon title! What a year he is having. Last year he finished at #22 in the world, gradually improving, blah blah blah ... and now he's a Grand Slam champion. Amazing.
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