Will 1997 Be Jana Novotna's Year At Wimbledon?

by Samir Bhakta

When you think of the women of Wimbledon today, one name usually comes to mind -- Steffi Graf. That is natural -- after all, the reigning queen of the royal lawns has won the event seven out of the last nine years. For me however, a different name comes to mind -- Jana Novotna. Her athletic attacking game is an absolute delight to watch on the often slick lawns of the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

It was nearly four years ago that Novotna had the defining moment of her career on Wimbledon's famed Centre Court. After defeating Martina Navratilova in the semifinals (the "greatest day of her career" she called it afterwards), she squared off against Graf in a memorable final. Following the loss of a close first set tiebreak, Novotna cruised through the second set 6-1, and jumped out to a 4-1, 40-15 lead in the third. Just five points separated her from the title. But then it all fell apart -- errors started creeping into her game, and she lost 17 of the final 21 points and the match. During the trophy ceremony, she cried on the Duchess' shoulder, a scene which has been replayed countless times over the past few years.

Since that fateful afternoon, Novotna has still managed to enjoy a fair amount of success at Wimbledon, though she has not made it back to the finals. Unfortunately for her, Navratilova exacted revenge in the 1994 quarterfinals, and Graf defeated her the past two years (semifinals and quarterfinals). It is a cruel fate for her to keep running into Navratilova and Graf, the two women who have dominated Wimbledon for the past fifteen years. Now, with Navratilova retired and Graf injured, the road to the title has opened up for her. Will 1997 be the year that she finally gets to capture that elusive Wimbledon singles crown?

Novotna certainly possesses the tools requisite for success on grass -- excellent volleys, good serve, unparalleled athleticism, and the ability to chip and charge effectively. More than any other player now, she has the game to win Wimbledon. However, it is not her game that has been called into question, but rather her nerves. To put it bluntly (as people are prone to do), the question is "will she choke again?". I tend to think not. I feel this way because she has become mentally tougher over the last year. She doesn't fear some players the way she has in the past. Beating Monica Seles three times in a row and Aranxta Sanchez Vicario twice in a row demonstrate her newfound confidence. In fact, she defeated both women in succession en route to the Madrid claycourt title prior to this year's French Open. If she can defeat them on clay, a surface which works to their advantage, I certainly like her chances against them on grass. Of the other top Wimbledon contenders, Martina Hingis is not as accomplished a grasscourt player as Novotna at this stage of her young career, and 1994 champion Conchita Martinez has playing poorly for quite some time. Other threats include Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, Chanda Rubin, Mary Joe Fernandez, and Nathalie Tauziat. However, none of these women boast the sort of grasscourt artillery that Novotna does.

So far, 1997 has brought two first-time Grand Slam winners to women's tennis. Will Jana Novotna continue the trend? We will find out in a few weeks.