It is always fun to enjoy breakfast while watching Wimbledon's championship weekend, and this year was no exception.
While Serena Williams and Roger Federer captured their fifth and seventh titles, respectively, I found myself rooting for the runners-up throughout both title bouts.
While it's hard not to cheer on an American at Wimbledon, it was troubling to hear Serena Williams describe her quarterfinal-final opponent as "riff-raff" after a 6-3, 7-5 win over Petra Kvitova.
Williams could be a tremendous role model and inspiration for American athletes and tennis players, especially after overcoming the death of a sister, and a pulmonary embolism that forced her to take the better part of a year off.
While she has become a comeback story, she doesn't act like an underdog. Instead of humbly moving through the brackets, she spent her time insulting opponents and playing to the crowd as though she has won every tournament of the last 10 years.
Certainly, her grand slam championship resume is impressive, and winning a fifth Wimbledon title proves she is still among the best of the world. Still, I would feel better cheering for a world-class athlete who, at times, showed a little more class.
That said, it was still fun to watch the Williams sisters win another doubles title together.
On the men's side, Roger Federer performed and reacted like the champion he is, as humble in victory as ever. Federer called American Pete Sampras his "hero," and was obviously moved by his historic, Sampras-tying seventh Wimbledon championship.
They say that in victory, athletes should act "like they've been there before," but the charm of Federer is that he acts like he's never been there, as kind and grateful for his 17th major title as he was for his first. Federer also exercised restraint in his post-match on-court interview, knowing that most of the crowd was behind his homegrown opponent, Andy Murray.
Murray was England's best hope for a singles championship since 1936 and crowds of people were cheering for him, not only in the stands of Wimbledon's center court, but also on the grounds outside the stadium, in local pubs and in their living rooms.
Murray did them proud in the final round, in spite of losing his third championship bout to Federer.
His tearful post-match interview was respectful of his opponent and appreciative of his fellow countrymen, who had bolstered him throughout the tournament. The more he played at Wimbledon, the more pressure fell upon him, and the more he drew strength and motivation from the country so supportive of his efforts.
In the end, it was wildcard Jonny Marray who raised the championship cup at Wimbledon, with his Danish partner in the doubles finals.
Now, the famed British courts are being prepared to host another significant tennis competition, the 2012 Summer Olympics. We can only hope they provide as many exciting moments as the last fortnight at Wimbledon.
Kellie Goodman Shaffer can be reached at kellie@bedfordcountychamber.org. Her column appears on Tuesdays.
