Wimbledon 2015: Writers Awards – Biggest Upset

Lob and Smash. CLINTON TRUEMAN. 3. <p><strong>Rafael Nadal’s</strong> loss to <strong>Dustin Brown</strong> definitely wasn’t expected, but it wasn’t inconceivable given Nadal’s recent record at Wimbledon and his previous loss to Brown.</p> <p>Defending champion Petra Kvitova’s loss to Jelena Jankovic certainly was surprising after the Czech’s performances in the first two rounds, but discounting the Serb will always be an exercise in futility.</p> <p>It was therefore Simona Halep’s loss to Jana Cepelova that really caught the eye in the first few rounds.</p> <p>Halep was not playing brilliant tennis leading up to the tournament, but she was certainly playing well enough to take out Cepelova. The Slovak had only won a single match on the WTA tour this year and was sitting firmly outside the top 100.</p> <p>Whether it was Halep’s anxious play, or the sense of occasion associated with competing against the world’s third best player, Cepelova shattered Halep’s defence with booming forehands. And by seeing the Romanian off, Cepelova won just her second match for the year (before a straightforward loss in the second round).</p>. Writer