Wow! Friday's pill was a tough one to swallow. With Serena's exit from Roland Garros, there will be a 1st time French Open Champion. The match began at 5:00am (EST) and I got up at 3:45am to shower and watch the match before arriving to work at 7:30am. As I watched the match and saw Serena's forehand go awry, volleys smacked wide and overhead smashes (and casual strokes) land in the net, I knew the result was not going to be a favorable one. Granted, Serena did beat Srebotnik in Charleston (to go on and win her 1st Family Circle Cup title), but I knew (when I posted the "match-up" info on my blog) that this was going to be a tough one. When Serena lost her serve I was thinking, "this is not the match to start off slow" (which she has a habit of doing). Srebotnik got so many balls back that all she had to do was wait on Serena to make the error, which she did. Serena went only 1-for-7 on break points, including 0-for-5 in the second set. She also lost 14 of the 21 points when she went to the net, thanks to some poor approach shots, crazy volleying and four passing winners off Srebotnik's racket. Srebotnik took Serena out of her game by repeatedly changing angles and speeds and showing some awesome retrieving skills.
Gosh, I did not have the energy or desire to talk about any of this yesterday. I was seriously in a state of shock and was praying that no one asked me about this match (ESPECIALLY AT WORK)! I'm over it, Serena will learn from it (it must truly sting) but she will go on. Besides, green grass beckons and the opportunity for a 3rd Wimbledon title. Being 25-3 thus far this season with 3 titles is not bad, not bad at all. Keep moving forward Serena. Call me crazy but if she gets FOCUSED (she's already fit), I can see her winning Wimbledon, a few summer hard court tournaments, Olympic Gold, the U.S. Open and regain the #1 ranking. That being said, my pick for the French Open..... Ana Ivanovic.
2 comments:
Anonymous
said...
God! I did not expected her to lose... not at this time of the tournament at least... with her and Sharapova out, i stick with Ivanovic too...
Btw, me and my friends love ur blog (we're from brazil).
I truly did not expect Serena to lose this tournament (at all). I want to thank you and your friends for visiting and appreciating the blog. I kind of felt that Safina was going to beat Sharapova today. Maria did not impress me during this tournament and Serena only showed a few (quick) flashes of brilliance. Hopefully they will bounce back and I hope sooner than later, especially Serena!
Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open (Cincinnati) - 08/07/10
Rogers Cup (Toronto) - 08/14/10
U.S. Open (Flushing Meadows) - 08/30/10
Toray Pan Pacific Open (Tokyo) - 09/27/10
China Open (Beijing) - 10/04/10
Generali Ladies Linz (Linz) - 10/11/10
Sony Ericsson Championships (Doha) - 10/25/10
Serena Wins 10th GRAND SLAM!
Serena & Rafa: Tennis on Water
WILL SERENA BE THE 2010 YEAR-END #1
SERENA'S AUSSIE '09 OUTLOOK
Serena: The Fight of a Champion
CAREER TITLES (Singles) - 37
2010 Wimbledon
2010 Australian Open
2009 WTA Tour Championship
2009 Wimbledon
2009 Australian Open
2008 US Open
2008 Family Circle Cup
2008 Sony Ericsson Open
2008 Bangalore Open
2007 Sony Ericsson Open
2007 Australian Open
2005 Australian Open
2004 China Open
2004 NASDAQ-100 Open
2003 Wimbledon
2003 NASDAQ-100 Open
2003 Open Gaz de France (Paris)
2003 Australian Open
2002 Sparkassen Cup (Leipzig)
2002 Toyota Princess Cup (Tokyo)
2002 US Open
2002 Wimbledon
2002 French Open
2002 Italian Open (Rome)
2002 NASDAQ-100 Open
2002 State Farm Classic (Scottsdale)
2001 Sanex Championships (Munich)
2001 Rogers and AT&T Cup (Toronto)
2001 Tennis Masters Series (Indian Wells)
2000 Toyota Princess Cup (Tokyo)
2000 estyle.com Classic (Los Angeles)
2000 Faber Grand Prix (Hanover)
1999 Grand Slam Cup (Munich)
1999 US Open
1999 Acura Classic (Los Angeles)
1999 Evert Cup (Indian Wells)
1999 Open Gaz de France (Paris)
Williams Sisters Join DSRL
Serena wins 8th Grand Slam Title
TENNIS WORD OF THE WEEK
Lob - a stroke in tennis where the ball is lifted high above the net with the intention of it going over the opposing player in the case of him being close to the net, thus nearly guaranteeing the point.
Serena's EBONY Mag Photoshoot
Serena Serves 15 Aces In Match!
Serena's SIGNATURE STATEMENT
SERENA STATISTICS / AWARDS
2010 ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
2010 - California Hall of Fame Inductee
2010 BET Subway Sportswoman of the Year
Serena and Venus are the only tennis players to play each other in 4 consecutive Grand Slam Finals
2010 - Serena became the 6th woman to hold the No. 1 ranking in singles and doubles simultaneously and the first to do so since Kim Clijsters in 2003
2009 WTA Doubles Team of the Year (w/ Venus)
2009 WTA Player of the Year
Serena is the ONLY woman to win 3 Laureus World Sports Awards. Only PERSON to have won more is Roger Federer (4)
2010 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
One of only 2 women (the other being Martina Navratilova) to have won a Major Tournament in 3 straight decades
2010 Guinness World Record - Only female to have won Hopman Cup Twice ('03 and '08)
2009 SI.com Female Athlete of the Decade
2009 AP Female Athlete of the Year
2009 ITF World Champion (Doubles w/ Venus)
2009 ITF World Champion (Singles)
2009 Sports Illustrated Doubles Team of the Year (w/ Venus)
2009 Sports Illustrated Female Player of the Year
2009 Single Season Prize Money Record ($6,545,586)
2009 Harris Poll Favorite Female Sports Star
2009 ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
2009 BET Best Female Athlete
1st Female to cover EA Sports Video Game (Grand Slam Tennis)
2009 Billie Jean King Cup
2008 WTA Tour Player of The Year
ALL-TIME FEMALE ATHLETE PRIZE MONEY LEADER
Opens Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya (Nov. 14, 2008)
Has NEVER lost in the 1st Rnd of a Major (43-0)
Sept 2008 - #1 in the world (last held #1 ranking Aug. 2003); Sets record for longest gap between stints at #1 for any player (male or female) - 5 years and 1 month
(w/ Venus) 1st sisters in history to win Grand Slam doubles title together
(w/ Venus) 1st sisters in history to meet in a Tour Final
(w/ Venus) 1st sisters in history to have each won a Grand Slam singles title
World Team Tennis w/ Washington Kastles (2008)
World Team Tennis w/ St. Louis Aces (2007)
Harris Poll - Most Favorite Female Sports Star (2007)
Laureus World Comeback of the Year (2007)
BET's Best Female Athlete Award (2005)
BET's Best Female Athlete Award (2004)
ESPY Best Female Tennis Player Award (2004)
Family Circle/Prudential Financial Player Who Makes a Difference (2004)
Tour Comeback Player of the Year (2004)
34th NAACP Image Awards - President's Award (2003)
No.1 on Top 10 Most Marketable Female Athletes in Sports Business Daily (2003)
Young Heroes Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater L.A. and Inland (2003)
Celebrity Role Model Award from Avon Foundation (2003)
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year (2003)
Honored at 2003 Charleston for becoming 5th in history to complete non-calendar year Grand Slam; (The Serena Slam)
Achieved Grand Slam (age 21)
Doubles Career Golden Slam (w/ Venus); includes Olympics
Female Tennis Player of the Year (2003)
ESPY Female Athlete of the Year (2003)
Named by Time as one of the People Who Mattered (2002)
Named by People Magazine in Top 25 Most Intriguing People (2002)
Voted best female athlete in the world by AP and Spanish news agency EFE (2002)
Named one of BBC's Sports Personalities of the Year (2002)
Named by Ebony as one of 57 Most Intriguing African-Americans (2002)
Ranked No.7 among A&E and Biography Magazine's Top 10 most significant people (2002)
ITF Women's Singles World Champion (2002)
WTA Tour Player of the Year (2002)
One of the 12 Coolest Girls in Sports in SI For Women (2001)
World Team Tennis w/ Delaware Smash (2000)
Tour Doubles Team of the Year (w/ Venus) (2000)
One of People's 25 Most Intriguing People (1999)
Tennis Magazine Player of the Year (1999)
Tour Most Improved Player (1999)
Tennis Magazine/Rolex Rookie of the Year (1998)
Tour Most Impressive Newcomer Award (1998)
WTA "Looking For A Hero?" Ad
McDonald's Commercial
THE SERENA SLAM!
Serena was the last person (male or female) to hold all four Major Grand Slam Titles (at the same time): '02 FRENCH OPEN, '02 WIMBLEDON, '02 U.S. OPEN and '03 AUSTRALIAN OPEN. This accomplishment saw Serena join immortals of the game such as the late Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court, Steffi Graff and Martina Navratilova, the only other (female) players who have won four grand slam titles in a row.
2 comments:
God! I did not expected her to lose... not at this time of the tournament at least... with her and Sharapova out, i stick with Ivanovic too...
Btw, me and my friends love ur blog (we're from brazil).
Victor,
I truly did not expect Serena to lose this tournament (at all). I want to thank you and your friends for visiting and appreciating the blog. I kind of felt that Safina was going to beat Sharapova today. Maria did not impress me during this tournament and Serena only showed a few (quick) flashes of brilliance. Hopefully they will bounce back and I hope sooner than later, especially Serena!
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