By James BeckThe Post and Courier / Charleston.net
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Serena Williams has a secret weapon on backhand service returns. She shoots straight from the hip. It's almost impossible to jam Serena with a serve into her backhand because of this shoot-from-the-hip technique.
Watching several of Serena's Family Circle Cup matches from the baseline from near courtside while concentrating on her service returns shed new light for me on why she is so dangerous on service returns.
Opponents surely recognized that danger during her march to the championship. Serena doesn't step back with her left foot or attempt to turn sideways on serves directed into the left side of her body. She simply flexes her wrists to her left, a move that places the racket on her hip. She combines her incredible upper-body and arm strength with the power of the serve to drive service returns toward the server, often with near-unreturnable pace. The bullets sometimes arrive near the middle of the opposite baseline before her opponent can make a move for them.
She seems to have more trouble with serves into the "routine" backhand area that force her to extend her racket out from the power pocket of her hip. Yet, serves a little wider and out of the routine backhand area on the "ad" side fall back into the danger zone for servers because Serena tends to power these balls cross-court, or maybe even down the line.
She seems to have more trouble with serves into the "routine" backhand area that force her to extend her racket out from the power pocket of her hip. Yet, serves a little wider and out of the routine backhand area on the "ad" side fall back into the danger zone for servers because Serena tends to power these balls cross-court, or maybe even down the line.
Because of her service returns, especially from the "ad" side, Serena has the most dangerous weapon in women's tennis on the decisive point of a receiving game that goes to six or more points.
Combining the threat of her service return with her ability to serve aces so routinely should make Serena Williams nearly unbeatable. If she can stay healthy, and maintain her physical fitness and focus, the rest of women's tennis may be in trouble for several more years.
Williams survived some shaky play down the stretch and an improbable comeback by Jankovic, who trailed 5-3 in the second set. Williams closed out the elusive victory on her eighth championship point with an overhead slam. "It definitely got tough," Williams said during the trophy ceremony. "I think maybe I got a little tight and put too much pressure on myself." 
Williams arrived at Key Biscayne a trimmer player, thanks to a recent rigorous training regimen, and needed to be in top condition in the 2½-hour final. Both players held up well in the 85-degree sunshine, and some of their best rallies -- one lasting 26 shots -- came in the final few games. Williams, who grew up in nearby Palm Beach Gardens, also won the tournament in 2002-04 and 2007. "The Serena and Steffi Open," Williams said. "I love Steffi Graf. She's a great champion and was my role model. To even be compared to her is awesome."
Williams improved to 14-1 this year, with her only loss to Jankovic in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. At first it appeared the final might not last an hour. Williams dominated for a set and a half, and she was three points from victory in the second set when she began spraying nervous shots, while Jankovic started to play better. Williams lost her serve at love for 5-all, then double-faulted to lose set point and forced a third set.
"I was thinking, 'Maybe she's going to be nice to me,'" Jankovic said. Even the pro-Williams crowd applauded the dogged effort by Jankovic, who had rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the third set and there was more drama to come. Angered by her lapse, Williams raced to a 5-0 lead in the third set but again wavered. She had her first championship point in the next game, another at 5-1 and three more at 5-2. Williams twice exhorted herself with screams but lost that game, then slammed her racket against the concrete and sent it skipping into the side wall, which drew jeers from the crowd.
Jankovic saved two more match points in the next game before Williams closed out the victory with her 51st winner. She also had 52 errors. "She was just too strong," Jankovic said. "She's a great champion. All the credit to her." Williams, who improved to 47-5 at Key Biscayne, won $590,000. Jankovic received $295,675.
