Disappointment marred the All England Club on Monday when “Carmen” was announced but “Carmen” was not sung.
As the curious bunched around Court No. 17 and brought along their ears, the supreme 109-decibel grunter Michelle Larcher De Brito failed to grunt gratingly. During her 6-2, 7-5 win over Klara Zakopalova, the 16-year-old from Portugal by way of Bollettieri Academy in Florida did not approximate her French Open simulation of a Christmas goose being strangled, instead releasing little yelps resembling a Chihuahua’s bark.
“Nobody can tell me to stop grunting,” Larcher De Brito said. “If they have to fine me, go ahead, ’cause I’d rather get fined than lose a match because I had to stop grunting.”
Also Monday … Wimbledon remains a mystery to No. 17 seed James Blake, 29, who said, “This is something that has probably been my worst slam, and I don’t understand why,” after his 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (5) loss to No. 48 Andreas Seppi of Italy. Blake has played seven Wimbledons and reached two third rounds. … Two other American males, No. 25 Mardy Fish and No.48 Sam Querrey, tore through their first-round matches, Fish leading by two sets when Sergio Roitman retired and Querrey beating lucky loser Danai Udomchoke by 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 after Ivan Ljubicic withdrew. … For the sixth straight year, Roger Federer played the first match on Centre Court, the traditional role of the defending champion, but this time only because Rafael Nadal had withdrawn. “I know that Rafa deserves it obviously more than I do this year,” he said, “but somebody had to do it, so I’m very happy they chose me. Yeah, gets your heart beating.”
Statistic of the day
39-0 Serena Williams’ career record in Grand Slam first-round matches
Tuesday’s featured matches
Venus Williams (3) vs. Stefanie Voegele (98) : The queen hasn’t lost here since the third round in 2006, when records indicate she fell to Jelena Jankovic 6-4 in a third set. It’s clear now that on that day, they just counted up the score wrong.
Andy Murray (3) vs. Robert Kendrick (76): Kendrick led Nadal by two sets in the second round in 2006. If Kendrick leads Murray by two sets, the spectators and the BBC might experience symptoms including shortness of breath, profuse sweating and mild nausea.
