Americans, Centre Court roof lead Wimbledon 2016 midterm grades

Jon Wertheim gives his 2016 Wimbledon midterm grades, featuring Sam Querrey, Novak Djokovic, Garbine Muguruza and more on the Middle Sunday of the tournament.

Jon Wertheim | Jul 2, 2016

Americans, Centre Court roof lead Wimbledon 2016 midterm grades /

LONDON – We’ve had the return of Juan Martin del Potro, The Grand Slam return of Federer. The familiar sight of Williams and Williams in the second week. We’ve had rain, a sadly customary sight—both from years past and from the Drench Open. But the most notable news item from Week One at Wimbledon was unfamiliar: Novak Djokovic losing early.

Through Saturday’s play, herewith our midterm grades:

A

Sam Querrey

Beats Novak Djokovic for the biggest win of his career, completely reshaping this event.

• Querrey ends Djokovic's calendar Slam bid, shakes up men's draw

Marcus Willis

The story of the Week Year, the No. 772 and the 23rd Brit, blazing through pre qualifying, qualifying and a first-rounder to set up a Centre Court date…. against Federer. While Willis didn't turn into a pumpkin, he’s back to playing club matches. Will we ever see him again? Let’s hope so. Quite apart from the best week of his tennis life, he handled the occasion with good cheer.

• 9 best things about Marcus Willis’s match with Roger Federer

Venus Williams

The oldest player in the draw marches into Week Two of Wimbledon for the 14th time in her career. On the one hand, it’s a pity she’s had some long matches already. On the other hand, it’s good to see her fighting instincts remain sharp.

Lucie Safarova

Down match points, she’s in Week Two. As a player of her skill set should be.

Juan Martin del Potro

Won his first Grand Slam match in more than two years. Then he knocked out Stan Wawrinka. “I feel alive,” he said, emotionally, afterward. Likewise, tennis is invigorated when he’s around.

• Juan Martin del Potro stuns No. 4-seed Wawrinka on Wimbledon Day 5

U-S-A, U-S-A

Usually at this point in a tournament, it’s American idle. As we write this Saturday, ten Yanks remain. (From Serena to contender Madison Keys to qualifier Julia Boserup.)

The roof

After years of being largely decorative—“the world’s most expensive sunscreen”—a covered court sure came in handy last week. The schedule may have bottlenecked, but at least there was tennis held.

• Daily Data Viz: Raonic, Federer serving strong through two rounds

Nicolas Mahut

He might always be known for that John Isner match; but Mahut has flourished at age 34, especially on grass.

B

Dustin Brown

Dreddy lost a five-setter to Nick Kyrgios on Friday but he is making a run for “Most Entertaining Player in Tennis.” Catch this guy if you can.

Ana Konjuh

Holding match point against Aga Radwanska for the biggest win of her young career, the 18-year-old Croat got the bum end of a let cord. Then, at 7-7 in the third, she slips on a ball, rolls her ankle and there goes her tournament. The tennis fates owe her one.

• Time to pay up: Williams, Troicki fined $10K at Wimbledon

Alison Riske

Lost a highly winnable first match against Roberta Vinci. But the pride of Pittsburgh did get engaged to Stephen Amritraj.

Injured players

You can't blame someone for taking advantage of the ranking they rightfully earned and showing up for first round loser money; but, as always, a few players were severely compromised when they took the court.

• Querrey leads the way for American results on Wimbledon Day 6

Maria Sakkari

Falls to Venus Williams in round two but remember the name. This is a 20-year-old Greek bearing gifts.

PHOTOS: UNIQUE WIMBLEDON FASHION

Unique Wimbledon Fashion Through the Years

Suzanne Lenglen (1922)

G. Adams/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Lili De Alvarez (1926)

Gertrude Moran (1949)

Karol Fageros (1959)

Lea Pericoli (1964)

Douglas Miller/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Lea Pericoli (1964)

Lea Pericoli (1965)

Maria Bueno (1966)

1967-Virginia-Wade-Lorna-Greville-Collins-Marlys-Burel.jpg — George Freston/Fox Photos/Getty Images

Virginia Wade, Lorna Greville-Collins and Marlys Burel (1967)

Chris Evert (1972)

Chris Evert (1973)

Billie Jean King (1975)

Sue Barker (1976)

Tracy Austin (1977)

Linda Siegel (1979)

Anne White (1985)

Steffi Graf (1989)

Martina Hingis (1997)

Venus Williams (2000)

Anna Kournikova (2002)

Serena Williams (2003)

Serena Williams (2004)

Maria Sharapova (2005)

Maria Sharapova (2008)

Venus Williams (2010)

Caroline Wozniacki (2010)

Bethanie Mattek-Sands (2011)

Venus Williams (2011)

Victoria Azarenka (2013)

Serena Williams (2013)

B-Minus

Dominic Thiem

The eighth seed—playing his 61st (!) match of the year—falls to Jiri Vesely in round two. Not a horrible loss. But, to quote John Lovitz in Big (something we try not to make a habit of doing): “Kid, stop working so hard.”

Novak Djokovic

Won his first nine games of the tournament, leading James Ward 6-0, 3-0. Then his level dropped as errors crept into his game and he became tighter than a Sorkin script. Let’s pause to acknowledge the titanic streak he put together. But this loss confounds.

C

Garbine Muguruza

You win the French Open and then, at the next major—as a defending finalist—you lose to a qualifier in less than an hour? No. Just no.

• Laver thought Djokovic 'could be the guy to' win Grand Slam

Gilles Simon

Loses to Grigor Dimitrov and then threatens to sue the referee for making him play on “the famous water that is not touching the grass.” (Oh, that famous water.)

Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki

Rough times continue for a pair of thoroughly likable former No. 1s, both cashing out and crashing out in round one as their rankings head ever downward.

• Wozniacki's miserable year continues with another early loss

Rain

We had quite enough of you in Paris.

Published Jul 2, 2016

JON WERTHEIM

Jon Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and has been part of the full-time SI writing staff since 1997, largely focusing on the tennis beat , sports business and social issues, and enterprise journalism. In addition to his work at SI, he is a correspondent for "60 Minutes" and a commentator for The Tennis Channel. He has authored 11 books and has been honored with two Emmys, numerous writing and investigative journalism awards, and the Eugene Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Wertheim is a longtime member of the New York Bar Association (retired), the International Tennis Writers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He has a bachelor's in history from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City with his wife, who is a divorce mediator and adjunct law professor. They have two children.