Wimbledon Takeaway #5: A Trio of Tall Orders

A peculiarly scorching sun had its way with the Wimbledon grass over this fortnight. But the sun also sets. Here, our ongoing roundup of passing shots from SW19, a curated much-ado-about-everything – if a bit less manicured than the Wimble-lawns themselves.

See No. 6.

5

With Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray among the walking wounded at Wimbledon, the so-called Big Four came in to the tournament with soft spots in its armor. Marin Cilic, Tomas Berdych and Sam Querrey happily minded that gap.

Cilic composed himself well in blasting his way to the championship match, ousting Querrey in the semifinals after reaching a tuneup final that he dropped to the grass-chewing Feliciano Lopez. He earned a Twitter Moment for himself through six rounds. However, in the Wimbledon title round, so laden with meaning and tradition, Cilic started well but found himself a set down. He proceeded to psychologically melt before losing the second set, calling a trainer who appeared to ask questions and speak encouragement into his ear, not touching him on that first court-side visit.

Marin Čilić advances to his first Wimbledon final

Cilic's peers, retired and active, and other observers took note. Chiefly among them, Mardy Fish shared insights as one who would know, anxiety-riddled in the twilight of his pro career.

Opportunistic onlookers such as professional yapper/TV bobblehead Piers Morgan also chose to weigh in with fluffy takes on Cilic's sobbing situation. Then commenced the shutdown from the likes of James Blake and Steve Johnson:

But among the tens of thousands of bottles of champagne that London goes through during the Wimbledon fortnight, spare one for Cilic. Pour one out for him. His run was inspired – he had a victory over Federer in seizing the 2014t U.S. Open title – and he will be back for more. Indeed, no looking back.

Tomas Berdych's journey to the Wimbledon semis this year took a distinctly different route. Not talked about going into this major, the 2010 Wimbledon finalist downed every secondary foe he faced before squaring off against Djokovic in a so-called "popcorn" match of a quarterfinal. Sadly, the match proved to be more of a milky dud, with the laughless, flappable Djoker retiring with injury in the wake of a 7-6, 2-0 deficit.

Still, the tournament's subtle hilarity arrived when it became obvious that Berdych was wearing Djokovic's face on his Adidas shoes throughout the event:

Berdych, a maddening talent, had to be pleased despite the disappointment of Federer tuning him in the semis. He had more than lived beyond his seeding and reinserted himself in the conversation just a rung below the vaunted Big Four.

This September in New York, the field is on watch. And soon after he wafted out of Wimbledon, he celebrates two years married to his wife, Ester Satarova. It remains that he's winning at life.

Then there was Sam Querrey. Always a curious case, the hammering hopeful downed Djokovic in the ATP's grandest upset of 2016 only to stage an encore and upend a hobbled Murray at SW19 this year. His semifinal showing made for the first in a major by an American man since Roddick stormed to the Wimbledon final in 2009, falling to Federer in a classic.

With that, Querrey changed his career's narrative. No longer will he be known as the huckster who went on Million Matchmaker and made a lo-fi music video.

Now he's the veteran ball-blaster who topped two all-time greats in Djokovic and Murray in successive Wimbledons.

And so this trio of darkhorses – Cilic, Berdych and Querrey – took their chances that paid off exceedingly at the All England Club. If they stave off injuries this summer, it's quite likely that any one or three of them could reach the same final-four setting at the U.S. Open. Here goes everything.

Follow Jon on Twitter: @jonscott9.