Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire ” ….. proudly sponsored by Pete’s Auto Body.
Pete’s Auto Body; because we care about our community….
The Major League Baseball All Star Game is tonight in Denver.
It’s been almost 40 years since I watched the ” Mid-Summer Classic “, so I’m going to leave it alone in this space.
Instead, let me backtrack to the conclusion of a very entertaining Wimbledon Tennis Tournament.
With no offence to the Ladies Draw, the Men’s tournament was compelling on two very distinct levels
First, Novak Djokovic won the championship as he defeated Matteo Berrettini 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 & 6-3 in the final.
For Djokovic it was his 20th career Grand Slam title and it allows him to tie Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most Major wins.
What an era for tennis produced by those 3 great players.
But underneath, was a very solid tournament by Canadians.
Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion with Djokovic sweeping in 3 sets. However, the margin of victory was narrow 7-6, 7-5 & 7-5.
Plus Montreal’s Felix Auger Aliassime was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Berrettini who was bound for the Final. That match too was tight with Berrettini winning in 4 sets, with the key victory being a 7-5 win in the 3rd set.
Shapovalov is 22. Auger Aliassime is not yet 21. Djokovic, by comparison, is…..34.
That doesn’t guarantee the next decade will feature Canadians in contention at every Grand Slam, but the potential does exist.
For Pete’s Auto Body, I’m Fred Wallace.