Pete Sampras – 14 Grand Slam titles. Most of all time. Broken
Roger Federer – 21 straight Grand Slam semifinals. Most in the Open Era. Broken
Serena Williams – 46 straight Grand Slam victories in the
first round of Majors. Broken
The third item in this list is one of the most significant
and underrated achievements in all of tennis. Much like the story of Serena
Williams. At times glorified, but most
of the time vilified by tennis pundits (who wish they could be her). By tennis
fans (because of what she has done to their faves) and general disliked because
of the colour of her skin, Serena Williams has made her mark in the world of tennis,
so much so that today when she lost her opening round match on Court Philip
Chartier, it was Breaking News by every major news network in the world. That is the power of Serena Williams.
I watched this match from beginning to end with points in
between when I turned it off as I, like most fans of Serena Williams, became disconsolate at her
performance during this match. Looking back you could tell that something was
not right with Serena.
If you are a fan of this woman you know her history. You know what she brings to the court of tennis.
You know her aura and you know her game.
Every player in the locker room knows it as well. If you want to beat
Serena, you don’t listen to the pundits. You don’t listen to the coaches. You don’t listen to the noise. You listen to
yourself. You close your eyes and you
swing for the fences, and you pray to whatever deity that you believe in that
Serena is off her game by just a notch, and you will hear your name echoed for
all the ages.
The French Open has not been a pleasant stomping ground for
Serena. She won this title in 2002 on
her way to the Serena Slam (holding all 4 Majors though not in a calendar
year). Since that victory, she has only
made it to the semifinals one time since then where she lost to Justine Henin
in a hard fought match, where it was revealed by Henin that yes she did cheat
to win that match.
Serena lost that match to a chorus of boos and jeers from
the French crowd, and if there is ever any doubt that Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder is not a disease or not evident amongst professional tennis player,
one need only look at Serena’s career at Roland Garros.
If she wins, it is greeted with a smattering of
applause. If she loses it is met with
resounding cheers.
Today, 29 May 2012, in her first round match, Serena, for
the first time in her career lost in the first round of a Major. She lost to Virginie Razzano, a French player
ranked 111 in the world and who has herself seen tragedy, having lost her fiancée/coach
last year to cancer.
After the match, Serena walked across the net and shook her
opponent’s hand. I will not recap the match here as I am sure that everyone in
tennis land has seen it, but suffice it to say that Serena could have played a
lot better and Virginie could not have played any better than she did.
Is this the end for Serena? I doubt it. She showed an
amazing sense of calmness in her post-match press conference. She did not seem too perturbed by it. It was
a bit as if she was almost too accepting of her loss.
Since her return to competitive tennis after her life
threatening illness, Serena has seemed a bit complacent in relation to the
Majors. She has taken some hard losses
since her return, but what has been lost in the equation is the way how her
opponents have played. The media would like
us to think that Serena has lost her aura.
I say that the media needs to stop and take stock of the way in which
Serena has lost. Players have had to
bring their A+ games in order to dethrone Serena.
Today, Serena fought and she fought hard. She was not on her game, but that does not
take away the fact that Razzano, with the French crowd solidly behind her did
what 46 other women before her could not do.
She defeated Serena Williams in the first round of a Major for the first
time in her stellar career. Does this
mean that Serena Williams is done. No.
All it means is that Wimbledon is a few weeks away and by that time Serena’s
game should have caught the flight from Florida and made its way to Europe.
OTHER STUFF
Today, Maria Sharapova had a practice session on Suzanne
Lenglen. Alexandra Cadantu needs to join the Futures circuit. She has no business playing on the WTA Tour. Fans
joked on twitter that Cadantu told Sharapova thank you at the net. Some joked that they were sure that Sharapova
passed her $20.00 for the practice session.
I wonder if fans asked for their money back. They probably should.
Tennis writers really need to chill out a bit. It is only tennis.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame needs to continue its
investigation of Bob Hewitt, and preferably remove him from the Hall of Fame
pending its investigation. If you agree,
sign this Petition and make the suffering that these women endured at the hands
of a man who “carried a tin of Vaseline” with him whenever he went on coaching
sessions with young girls go away.
Venus Williams is a Legend.
There is no denying that. She is
the epitomy of what a champion of this sport is. As someone who also suffers with an
anti-immune disease I can relate to what Venus is currently enduring. Stay strong my champ.
I personally find Mary Carillo and Martina Navratilova to be
2 of the most negative and least influential in the sport of tennis, with Pam
Shriver running a close third. Neither
Carillo or Navratilova have contributed to the development of women’s tennis in
the way that Billie Jean King has done.
Their negative views on the state of women’s tennis leaves a bad taste
in my mouth. The constant chattering about the shrieking/grunting etc of
professional female athletes, leaves me to think that they have nothing else to
talk about, or they just want to be one of the boys. Say something positive about women’s tennis
or shut up.
Venus plays her second round match tomorrow against
Radwanska. That is the only match that I
am interested in. Go Venus!!!
