Ladies Final Tidbits: Desire.

 

1) Feeling a bit letdown after the final to be honest, correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s been a full three years – since Wimbledon 2006 – that we’ve had a 3 set final. 

Never mind that Serena was my pick anyway. Heart, desire, guts, serve and impeccable groundstrokes – she had it all together this Wimbledon. I just couldn’t see her losing after her surly reaction to last year’s loss and the amazing win over Elena Dementieva in the semi. 

 

2) I am happy Serena won, but I’d like to forget whom she beat. 

Venus… didn’t actually play so badly, but just had a fraction less desire than her sister. I’m disappointed, but not surprised. She just hasn’t been tested all that much coming into the final, which worked to her detriment.

I don’t know what I want to say about Venus. I find her to be the more endearing one of the two sisters, and desperately want her to win another slam. The US Open? Or will Serena take that one too?

 

 

3) Now, the rankings.

At some point during the year, I just wished people would shut up about it. If you have an entirely points based system, of course it’s going to reward participation and consistency more than periodic brilliance. That’s just the way it is.

I feel sorry for Dinara Safina, and I hate it that she makes me feel that way. Instead of celebrating her achievements in the past year, every time I look at her, I am reminded of her humiliating defeats late in a slam, her implosions, her inadequacies … We have a World No 1 who is not in control of her game, her talent, her emotions on court… That is just not right. The rankings system does need to be reworked to put this girl out of her misery. 

 

Pretty clear who Serena considers to be the “real No 1″

 

Serena’s not helping: 

 

Q. How much of a motivation is it for you to try and regain the world No. 1 ranking?

 SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I’m not super motivated. I think if you hold three Grand Slam titles maybe you should be No. 1, but not on the WTA Tour obviously, so…

You know, my motivation is maybe just to win another Grand Slam and stay No. 2, I guess (laughter).

Q. Does that disappoint you?

 SERENA WILLIAMS: No. If it did, I would go crazy just thinking about it. I think anyone really could. That’s just shocking. But whatever. It is what it is. I’d rather definitely be No. 2 and hold three Grand Slams in the past year than be No. 1 and not have any.

 Q. Do you see yourself as No. 1?

 SERENA WILLIAMS: I see myself as No. 2. That’s where I am. I think Dinara did a great job to get to No. 1. She won Rome and Madrid (laughter).

 

OUCH. Williamsova at her best/worst. 

Credit to Serena, she did make a half-hearted attempt to defend Safina. 

 

Q. We all know the slams are the key events in our sport. Do you think someone somewhere should sit down and maybe tweak the ranking system a little bit so we don’t have this problem?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Uhm, I mean, maybe if I’d have done better at the French Open, like got to the semifinals, maybe things would have been different. But, uhm, honestly, I’m not picking on anybody. Everyone works hard.

 I think the girl, Dinara, who is No. 1, you can clearly see by her physique how hard she works. You can’t get anywhere by not doing the best and not working your hardest.

 So, you know, I’m happy for her. I’m really excited that I won Wimbledon, though, because, like I said, I’d rather win that than not win the Championships.

 

I hope the rankings even out by the end of the year. I really do.

 

4) My email inbox for youtube went a bit psycho yesterday. People were debating whether the match was fixed in the comments section. Shut up and get over it, conspiracy theorists! 

 

 

5) Onto something more positive, Serena Williams’s amazing stats: 

 

She is the current title holder of 3 grand slams: the Australian, Wimbledon and the US Open.

She has 3 Wimbledon titles. 

3 times in her career, Serena has come from match point down in a grand slam to win the tournament.

She has a winning or even H2H every player in the Top 100 save for one.

 

Serena doesn’t want to consider herself as an all-time great yet, but I already do. 

 

6) Thailand’s Noppawan Lertcheewakarn beat France’s Kristina Mladenovic in the final of the Girls Singles. If they both make it to the top of the women’s game, I don’t fancy having to learn how to spell their names. 

 

 

7) WTA = Williams Tennis Association. Cleansweep by the Sisters yet again. I’m not complaining though. Just the way I like it. 

 

 

Now. Time to frazzle over the men’s final. 

xx doots

 

Image Credit: Yahoo Eurosport UK & Ireland