Lose the plastic
The issue of plastic and the damage being done to the environment is worrying Kevin Anderson, the No.8 seed, who told the Guardian that he wants to use his position in the game to end the use of plastic bags that cover rackets when they are returned from the stringer.
The paper reported that Anderson said: "This is going to be a big initiative for me going forward", and added: "Anderson (pictured above) hopes to use his influence as vice-president of the ATP player council to push through moves to reduce the use of plastic across the board during tournaments around the world.”
Dutch delight
Kiki Bertens is giving tennis fans in the Netherlands plenty to shout about and her three set win over Venus Williams earned headlines in Rotterdam’s Algemeen Dagblad: “Bertens fights Venus Williams in a breathtaking match”. The paper went on to say: “Of course, 38 years old Venus Williams is no longer the youngest. But Kiki Bertens provided craftsmanship by defeating the five-time Wimbledon champion on her favourite surface in a delicious tennis fight.”
Master class
The Independent joined in the praise for defending champion Roger Federer after his master class while defeating Jan-Lennard Struff and informed their readers that: “In winning in just 94 minutes on Centre Court, Federer did not have to defend a single break point as he beat the big-serving German to take his run of consecutive sets won at the All England Club to 29.”
McDonald's treat
The American media is raising the profile of Mackenzie McDonald who has reached Wimbledon's round of 16 in his tournament debut. The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington said: “The world No.103 American, a college star at UCLA not that long ago, played in a Grand Slam tournament's third round for the first time and won, beating Guido Pella of Argentina 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(6).
"'I'm in disbelief, to be honest. Just pretty crazy,' said McDonald, who grew up in California, and now is based at the US Tennis Association's main training facility in Florida. 'I mean, if you told me I'd be in the second week of Wimbledon before the tournament, I wouldn't have believed you.'"
Seed carnage
The loss of so many of the top 10 seeds from the women’s singles is causing debate across the sporting world with the Sydney Morning Herald giving Serena Williams and Karolina Pliskova pats on the back for avoiding similar disasters stating: “Since tennis turned professional in 1968, this is the worst showing at Wimbledon by the women's seeds. Serena Williams and No.7 seed Czech Karolina Pliskova both won on Friday to avoid this year's surprising cull of favourites.”
Mothers' day
The Daily Nation in Kenya is intrigued to report that Williams will now face the only other mother left in the women’s singles Evgeniya Rodina. The paper reports: “Williams, seeded 25 and chasing a 24th Grand Slam title, will face Russian qualifier Evgeniya Rodina for a place in the quarter-finals. The match on Monday will also be a tussle between two of the tour's mothers. Serena gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September, while Rodina became a mother to Anna in November 2012.”
