Pathetic Yanks Go Feebly Into the English Night

As week one nears its end, we are greeted with the grim spectacle of yet another total American exodus from the draw before things really even get good. A few years back, this would have been unthinkable--Wimbly was supposed to be sweet payback for the Yanks getting ritually humiliated on the red clay of Roland Garros. Different story these days. Roddick: Out. Blake: Out. Querrey and Isner--two big servers who ought to be able to make something happen on the grass--both O-U-T. The point has been made that Maria Sharapova is essentially a psuedo-American, and she's also Out.

What in the world is wrong? It's not like the flower of our tennis-playing nation is getting whumped by serious competition. A-Rod got spanked by Tipsarevic, a genuine weirdo with a balanced but basically unimpressive game (Andy will never, ever live down he gimpy chip forehand return off a gimpy Tipsarevic second serve, a return that he plunked into the middle of net on a set point that would have evened the match). And Blake? I dunno--he's athletic enough to do damage at Wimbly, but his game lacks the kind of variety we're now routinely seeing among the Euros.

I don't buy all this business about the surface being slower and the balls being heavier and all that as an excuse for crappy American play. Our boys are just not stepping up and doing what it takes. Wimbledon for as long as I can remember has been hallowed ground for USA tennis. Not anymore. Evidently, this is the worst U.S. result since the Open Ear began. Way to go, fellas!