Two girls, one cup… well, plate

Wow, what a Wimbledon! Who would ever have imagined that Federer would face Nadal in the men’s final? Or that the Williams sisters might meet in the women’s? That’s right, only every single human being on the planet. Even people who have never heard of tennis. That said, there were a couple of minor shocks - the kind one might get from accidentally taking an electric heater into the bath, or popping an index finger into a plug socket.

Two of those surprises took the form of Ivanovic and Sharapova (both pictured below).

Not just a great sportswoman, also tremendous to look at

That’s right. Lucky Ana was born blessed with a gift for both athleticism and beauty - choosing to put tennis above a career in modeling, or any bits of promotional work she might have swept up in her hometown of Serbia. And it was a pretty great choice too, because she’s just won the French Open, and looks like a contender for the Wimbledon crown and sceptre. Clever move.

A preview of the ladies you’ll see grunting on grass next week

In just three days, the world’s media will be devoting their attention to SW19, where the best grass courts in the world will be covered up while you watch classic replays from the seventies. If the inclement weather stops long enough for a spot of tennis, however, all eyes will be on Maria Sharapova and French Open winner Ana Ivanovic. To whet your appetite for all that much-slower-than-the-mens-but-great-to-watch action, the lovely ladies are staring in a new campaign to promote the hotly-anticipated* Sony Ericsson Championships in Qatar.

*Actually, no one cares that much

Sexy bonus: Here’s a much more impressive advert featuring Ana Ivanovic and Daniella Hantuchova…

And not a Mauresmo in sight

Wow, isn’t tennis great? There’s Federer, Nadal, some other guys. It’s just brilliant. Plus, every year, Wimbledon introduces the planet to a new Chris Evert, or Anna Kournikova, or Maria Sharapova. But which of the saucy little lovelies will have Des Lynam cleaning sweat from his moustache in between games this year? Here’s The Spoiler’s top five to look out for - a mixture of old and new.