Star-Spangled Day

The Wimbledon reign of Lindsay Davenport was still in its infancy--minutes old, really--when seven-time champion Steffi Graf abruptly announced the end of her sublime run at the All England Club on Sunday.

The day of duel surprises started when the 23-year-old from Newport Beach stopped Graf’s bid for her eighth Wimbledon title and 23rd Grand Slam singles championship with a barrage of heavy groundstrokes and powerful serves, defeating the second-seeded German, 6-4, 7-5, in a 76-minute final.

Davenport squealed when Graf netted the final forehand, then covered her mouth, as if subduing the errant noise.

Her disbelief was palpable. She looked a little bit like swimmer Amy Van Dyken did at the 1996 Olympics, her eyes widening when she realized she won. Davenport covered her eyes, still not believing the score.

Now she has a glorious bookend to her 1998 U.S. Open title. Here, as well as in New York, Davenport did not drop a single set. Then, as now, she cried. In New York, it was earning her first Slam title on her mother’s birthday. In England, it was winning her first Wimbledon singles championship on the Fourth of July and later taking the doubles title with partner Corina Morariu too.

For a moment, Davenport thought about thanking her supporters in the Friends’ Box, making the, well, interesting climb. Then she thought again.

“I was in such shock, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I did it,’ ” said Davenport, who was seeded third. “I was in more shock and I sat down in the chair and looked at the box and thought, ‘How do you climb up there?’ I was like, ‘Forget it, I don’t even want to try.’ I didn’t see any opening, any ladder, anything.”

Graf promptly created the next shock when she announced she would not return to Wimbledon. Then, by refusing to discuss any other event, including the U.S. Open, she raised more questions about her future plans. Graf was so downcast, the mood turned decidedly gloomy.

“I won’t be back here as a player again,” Graf said. “I will not comment on anything other than that. I haven’t had enough time to think about those things.”

Last month at the French Open, Graf impulsively decided that she would not return after defeating Martina Hingis in the final. There was simply no way she could surpass that moment in Paris, Graf said.

Here, the constant scrutiny about her future took its toll on the 30-year-old. Her tender left thigh--which was wrapped--forced her to pull out of the mixed doubles event with partner John McEnroe. Graf said McEnroe was “calm” but tried to talk her out of it.

“You know, I think it’s very tough if I get a question every single day about [the future],” she said. “I think it’s a little unfair if I’m still playing and getting questions about continuing or not. I wish that I would have gotten a break from that because obviously I’m thinking about it.”

Unlike her theatrical German countryman Boris Becker--who says he really has retired from Wimbledon--Graf did not share the information with Davenport when they hugged after the match. Nor did she leave Centre Court in any memorable fashion.

But there was a reason Graf did not make a grand gesture, not even waving goodbye to her loyal supporters.

“No, I didn’t,” she said. “I felt it was her day and I wanted to keep it that way.”

Said Davenport: “It’s pretty obvious that if she’s not playing the French or Wimbledon again, that she’s probably retiring some time this year and it’s sad. She came through so much. She’s the greatest player probably that’s ever played.

“But at the same time, I think it’s really cool that she’s been able to go out on her own.”

The incessant rain of the second week created havoc with the schedule and Graf never quite reached the lofty heights she scaled in a stirring three-set quarterfinal against Venus Williams.

She was broken in the very first game against Davenport and only had two break points, one in each set. Graf could not convert either opportunity.

Unlike Paris, the crowd never became a factor.

“I just wish I could have shown more and could have maybe gotten into the third set,” Graf said. “They’ve been so good to me the last few years.”

A half an hour rain delay in the second set did not slow Davenport. She promptly held at 30 to tie it, 5-5, and broke Graf in the next game with a sharply hit crosscourt forehand. It was almost an outright winner, but Graf grazed the ball with the frame of her racket.

As for nerves, Davenport served for the match and hit two aces in the final game.

“I’m telling you, it was the most unbelievable thing that I was not nervous,” she said. “It was so bizarre . . . At the Open, I was so nervous and here I was so calm about it.”

Said Graf: “She really served well. It was difficult for me to figure out where she was going to serve to. She had me always guessing.”

Davenport, the woman who once hated grass and had never gone past the quarterfinals here, can now be called a two-Slam wonder. Graf and Martina Hingis are the only other current top-10 players who have won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

“The U.S. Open was an incredible one because it was my first one and for so long people would always say, ‘She’s a good player, but she can’t win the big one,’ ” Davenport said. “I felt so much pride to just tell all these people they were wrong. And here it was more that I can’t believe I overcame myself to win on grass.

“To win two [Slam events] is incredible. I’ve won the two biggest tournaments that there are in the world. A few players can say that, but not many. And it’s an amazing resume.”

Graf has reached nine Wimbledon singles finals; this is only the second she has lost. The other defeat was to Martina Navratilova in 1987. The development even caught the Duchess of Kent, who presents the awards, off guard.

“She didn’t think she would give me the runner-up plate,” Graf said. “She is getting so used to giving me the winner’s plate and it’s been such a long time, and she is happy to have seen me again.”

For Graf, it was difficult to sum up the entire Wimbledon experience.

“Right now I’m a little sad about everything, which is normal for the moment,” she said. “In a way, I feel like a winner getting out of this tournament.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Women’s Box Score

Box score of No. 3 Lindsay Davenport’s 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 2 Steffi Graf for the women’s title: *--*

Davenport Graf Aces 4 2 Double Faults 1 0 1st Serve Percentage 66 62 Unforced Errors 39 42 Percent 1st Serve Points Won 76 65 Percent 2nd Serve Points Won 57 69 Winners (including service) 21 25 Service Break Points 2-2 0-2 Net Points Won 12-19 8-9 Total Points Won 70 67

*--*