WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND—How do you know Wimbledon has begun? It’s not when the defending champion walks onto Centre Court. It’s not when the first ace skids off the lush grass. It’s not even when a chair umpire politely instructs the ladies and gentlemen to “Play.” For me, it’s when an audience here makes its first low, murmurous, almost-whispered “Ooooooooo” sound after a well-hit shot or a great get. It’s the All England Club’s version of the shrill “Alllllleeeeeeeeezzzzz!” at Roland Garros, or the martial “Aussie, Aussie Aussie!” in Melbourne. Even when they celebrate at Wimbledon, they try to keep it down.
The first “Oooooooo” I heard at this year’s tournament was made in honor of a terrific, unexpected get by Maria Kirilenko deep in the corner on Court 18. It was a good omen for the 27-year-old Russian, who is among the game’s smoothest movers and ball-strikers. While injuries had her mired at No. 87 in the rankings, she qualified as a tough early-round draw, something that Sloane Stephens doesn’t typically face at the majors.
Tough draw soon turned to upset alert, as Kirilenko, who jumped on Sloane’s serve all day, won a quick first set, 6-2, and a crazy second one, 7-6 (6), on her sixth match point. The loss may not have been a shock, but it will likely be damaging for Sloane in the long run. She was defending quarterfinal points here, which means her ranking will drop, which means her seedings at future Slams will drop, which means she won’t get the same excellent draws that kept her ranking aloft in the first place. Her virtuous seeding cycle could soon turn into a vicious one.
The match itself was an intriguing and ultimately frustrating mixed bag from Stephens. With her back to the wall, she fought harder than she normally does when things aren’t going her way; serving at 5-6 in the second set, Sloane saved five match points, many times by a whisker—this was the kind of gritty play that would make a comeback artist like Venus Williams proud. But when she had the lead in the second set, Stephens became flat-footed and passive again.