By Caroline Cameron

With Wimbledon over, I thought this was the perfect time to try something different.  I’m starting a new feature on my blog called ‘Broken Strings,’ where about once a month, I’ll share some funny tennis photos and videos.

Thunderstruck

Rain delays are common at Wimbledon so, in 2009, the All England Club unveiled a retractable roof over Centre Court.  It seems, however, that despite being protected from the elements, some players still aren’t used to Mother Nature’s disruptions…especially Sabine Lisicki.

‘Hello, my name is_________’

When you win Wimbledon, you attend a Wimbledon Champions’ Dinner held on the final Sunday night of the tournament.  You would assume that at this dinner, everyone would be able to recognize the two singles winners.  Well, maybe not.  Winners Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova were given name tags. Yes, you read that correctly…name tags.

See the name tags here:http://bit.ly/ozTy1K http://bit.ly/r6uysu

Pick up Your Phone

It’s always embarrassing to be that fan whose phone goes off during a match. But what about when you’re a player and your phone goes off?  Well, that’s just funny.

If you have any funny tennis pictures or videos, tweet them to me, @Caroline_A_C,  with the hashtag #brokenstrings.

By Caroline Cameron

By Caroline Cameron

When casual fans hear ‘women’s tennis’ two names come to mind: Williams and Sharapova.  Serena, Venus, and Maria are stars in their own right, with or without impressive tennis results.  Due to injury, however, all three women haven’t had great success on the court, especially Sharapova.

Now, with Sharapova back in a Grand Slam final for the first time since January of 2008, women’s tennis is gaining more attention.   In a sport that has an increasingly open field that lacks consistency and great rivalries, the possibility of a resurging star is exciting.

Sharapova last won Wimbledon 7 years ago, when she was just 17.  After shoulder surgery in 2008, Sharapova eased back into tennis, but success didn’t follow.

If Sharapova wins Wimbledon, it will give a spark to women’s tennis.  Sharapova is only 24 years old, and with the Williams sisters nearing retirement, the WTA needs stars like Sharapova to carry the load.

In the past few years, the women’s game has had many top players without any Grand Slam success: Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina, and presently, Caroline Wozniacki, to name a few.  For women’s tennis to succeed and become more popular, they need a competitive field with stars like those in men’s tennis.

That sad truth is, if Sharapova’s opponent, Petra Kvitova, wins Wimbledon, it will be mildly exciting.  But if Sharapova wins, she will return to the forefront of women’s tennis.  If that turns out to be the case, let’s hope consistency follows.