|
|
HODGKINSON: SHARAPOVA'S GREATEST CHALLENGE
Russian looks to end Serena hoodoo
A tournament can be a long time in tennis; this sport can change irrevocably in the minutes it takes to complete a set or a game, even in the half-second of tossing up the ball, unloading and hearing the ‘thwack’ of an ace against the backstop.
So it's hard to process that a full decade - that's nothing less than an age in the tennis world – has now passed since the World No.2 and one of the greats of the game, Maria Sharapova, last defeated the only woman higher than her in the rankings, Serena Williams.
It was Boris Becker who once observed that so much is crammed into a season on the circuit that commentators should talk of tennis years as pet-owners do of dog years, with seven to every regular year; if we follow that suggestion then we're up to 70 since Sharapova last smiled during a post-match handshake with Williams. Even sticking to the standard way of measuring the passage of time, a decade is an extraordinarily long period for one alpha female to go without beating another, especially for someone as relentlessly competitive and ambitious as Sharapova.
This month's BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global brings up the 10-year anniversary. Occasion, then, to consider everything that has happened in the tennis lives of those two women, and across the sport, since Sharapova's victory over Williams at the 2004 season-ending championships in Los Angeles.
Take Sharapova, who earlier that season, at the age of just 17 years, had beaten Williams in the Wimbledon final to score her first major title (that was her only other victory over Williams); she has since scored trophies at the US Open, the Australian Open and French Open to put herself in that elite group of women to have achieved the Career Grand Slam. Why, she's even reinvented herself as a force on the clay, with two titles on the clay of Roland Garros, the second of which came at this year's tournament. Who would have thought, back in 2004, that she would have such success in Paris? Sharapova, for one, wouldn’t have been among that group. In so many ways – including holding the World No.1 ranking – this has been a fine decade for Sharapova, a golden decade even.
Off the court, she has established herself as the world's highest earning female athlete. And yet, for all her other accomplishments, what has been beyond her is beating Williams (while other less celebrated players have had their victories against the American).
Fifteen times Sharapova and Williams have played since that 2004 season finale in California, and on every occasion it was Williams who triumphed, with two of those matches coming this year, in the Brisbane semifinals and at the same stage of the Miami tournament. How can you possibly describe this as a rivalry, Sharapova has said, when she hasn't beaten Williams in 10 years? "Maria is the one who says that you can't talk about rivalries until she wins one - and she says that with a chuckle," Tracy Austin told wtafinals.com. "Even so, if there were two players I would want to see competing in a big final, it would be those two."
Many would agree with Austin on that. For this is a match-up that, despite the American's dominance with a 16-2 lead in their head-to-head record, demands your attention. Their matches are not to be missed. And, as Chris Evert told wtafinals.com, there's no reason for Sharapova to feel extra pressure the next time she encounters Williams. Quite the opposite – she should feel free on court. "Maria should just go out nice and free and easy, with the pressure almost all on Serena," said Evert, an ambassador for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore. "I don't think that Maria has anything to lose against Serena now. And I don't think that it's become a mental thing for Maria – I've seen Maria play some great sets against Serena."
If Sharapova is simply too fierce to let a decade-long run of defeats affect here, then how can we explain Williams’ superiority? Evert's analysis is that Williams' movement has been key. "I think Serena's game is always going to give Maria trouble because of movement. Serena can run down a lot of Maria's balls. So Maria has to hit three or four more if she's going to win the point. Serena can run down Maria's power. However, Maria can't run down Serena's power so easily," Evert said. "With Serena and Maria, it’s about their movement and their serves, and Serena has come out on top in both those areas."
It’s Williams’ physical power, Austin said, that has enabled her to consistently beat Sharapova. "The reason Maria hasn't beaten Serena in 10 years is Serena's athleticism and speed. Serena's so fast about the court, and she hits the ball so hard,” said Austin, who will be competing in the WTA Legends Event at the Singapore Sports Hub.
Don't expect any pessimism from Sharapova ahead of her next meeting with Williams. There's nothing that Sharapova likes more than a challenge, and there's no greater challenge in her professional life than trying to overcome an adversary who some regard as the greatest female tennis player of all time. "Despite my results against her, I still look forward to playing against her because you learn so much from the level of tennis she produces," Sharapova has said.
"You finish the match and you know where you need to improve and the things you need to work on. Someone like Serena, who is so powerful and explosive, and who's in there every point, that teaches you to make sure you're in there every point and you're doing your thing consistently, and not just for a short period of time. There's no reason for me to feel any extra pressure because of my results against her. That's the reason she's at the top. She has accomplished a lot, her tennis speaks for itself, and I have nothing to lose against her."
It's not as if Sharapova doesn't create her opportunities against Williams; on that last meeting, on the cement of Florida, she led 4-1 in the opening set before losing the match in straight sets. "I have tremendous respect for the way that Maria has gone about her career. There's always total engagement from first round to last. And from first point to last," observed Austin, who said of recent encounters between Sharapova and Williams: "Maria has pushed Serena in the last year or so."
How much further can Sharapova push her? Will Williams' unbroken period of dominance soon come to an end? “It’s no secret,” Sharapova has said, “that Serena is an opponent I would love to beat.”
Mark Hodgkinson is a tennis writer based in London. His new book, 'Game, Set and Match', will be published by Bloomsbury in 2015. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sharapova has said, “that Serena is an opponent I would love to beat.”
c'monnnnnnnnnnnnn mariaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)))))) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Genny Bluemoon
6 mins ·
As reported by IB3, Rafa will play Basel (totally certain) & Paris (likely, but not certain), while WTF is almost certain to be ruled out. The main doubt is when the appendectomy surgery will take place. As of now, the possible dates are before or after the M1000 of Paris Bercy. If before, Rafa wouldn't play in Paris, while he would if the surgery is delayed till the first days of November, at the latest, as this is the only way to ensure that he starts 2015 fully recovered. He's currently w/o symptoms & feeling OK (just a bit low in defenses) after 2d w/o taking antibiotics. He has the OK from the doctors to play. No big expectations, he'll just try his best (difficult tournies anyway). Rafa will head to Basel today, but first he'll stop in Cannes where he has a commercial commitment this evening. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
tgk schedule astro mcm xde je live wta final dari singapore ni? giler aar dh byr mahal utk sports..phm la dulu naik sbb rege bola, tp xkan sports lain ssh nak tygkan..shanghai atp ari tu pon xde live setiap ari kan? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
kemain dok tgk hp..klaka pic ni...masha ngn eugine mcm bosan jer...tp nmpk masha ni sombong kan..heheh |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
williams winner WTA finals. Masha dreams to climb to no.1 spot dashed. Dia keluar 2nd after genie. Cuba lagi masha |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
oger Federer was as surprised as anyone to see Rafael Nadal lose to 17-year-old Borna Coric in the Basel quarterfinals.
"That Rafa loses against Coric, no one could have expected. I was surprised," said Federer. "He should not be defeated by someone I have ever seen play."
"But that was not the Rafa we know," noted Federer.
Federer, whose match followed Nadal's in Basel, saw Rafa drop the first set but did not start warming up, expecting the Spaniard to turn things around. Nadal, however, was well below his usual level, having been diagnosed with appendicitis at Shanghai.
"I don't want to take anything away from Coric, he did wonderful," said Federer, "but so weak I almost never see Rafa."
Nadal came off the court to announce that he was withdrawing from the Paris Masters and the ATP World Tour Finals to undergo surgery and rehab his back, which he injured at the Australian Open. The world No. 3 chose to compete in Shanghai and Basel despite his condition, taking antibiotics to control the inflammation.
"I do not understand it completely, because I would never do it that way," said Federer. "That he played in Shanghai with antibiotics and pain, then also played here and now ends the season because he needs an operation. But only he knows how he feels."
"I don't want to take anything away from Coric, he did wonderful," said Federer, "but so weak I almost never see Rafa."
Nadal came off the court to announce that he was withdrawing from the Paris Masters and the ATP World Tour Finals to undergo surgery and rehab his back, which he injured at the Australian Open. The world No. 3 chose to compete in Shanghai and Basel despite his condition, taking antibiotics to control the inflammation.
"I do not understand it completely, because I would never do it that way," said Federer. "That he played in Shanghai with antibiotics and pain, then also played here and now ends the season because he needs an operation. But only he knows how he feels."
--------------------
Degil. Remove la appendicitis tu cecepat. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Racquet Reaction
WTA Finals: S. Williams d. Halep
Once again, Serena Williams reigned supreme at a season-ending championship. (AP Photo)
SINGAPORE—Just last night, Serena Williams said that if she won three games against Simona Halep in today’s final, she would be very pleased. Sounds strange, but remember, Halep crushed Williams in their round-robin meeting on Wednesday, giving up just two games.
Today, she won only three games—Halep, that is. Williams reversed course in the rematch, crushing Halep, 6-3, 6-0, to win the WTA Finals.
Once again, Williams stepped up to the plate in a very significant contest and rose to the challenge, overwhelming her young and talented opponent. Halep looked impressive all week, but had nowhere to go today, as the 33-year-old world No. 1 started quickly.
Fired up, Williams held in the first game, pumping up her feet, dancing around, and screaming after her winners. Halep, quick and adept from inside the baseline, was surprised that Williams refused to engage in long rallies and instead chose attack immediately. Williams rushed the net off deep groundstrokes and polished off forehands and backhands to the corners, of all which Halep couldn't handle.
Still, Halep hung in, only down 4-3, but she was rushing and was badly missed her backhands wide. At 5-3, Williams took her gloves off. She hit two gigantic serves that Halep couldn't touch en route to taking the set. It was surely satisfying for Serena, who went 11 of 14 on net points—a high conversion percentage for her on slow courts.
In the second set, Serena was locked in while Halep fell apart. Williams stepped in and hit as hard she could on second serves. Halep had no solution to Serena’s rather simple formula: Hit winner after winner. On her second match point, Williams was ready: She hit a reasonable serve and moved forward for Halep’s high return. Williams backed up a little bit, jumped up in the air, and slapped a crisp overhead for the final winner.
The Romanian smiled very broadly and shook her head as if saying, ‘How did I actually win this week?’ As Halep said later, she couldn't manage the ball, she was tired, and her arm was sore.
“I had to play more Serena-style tennis and just do what I do best—enforce myself,'' Williams said. “That's what I was trying to do.”
The result means Williams, who nearly pulled out of this tournament with leg trouble, has won the last three WTA Finals, a testament to her stamina at the end of nearly year-long seasons. Seven other players came to Singapore and hoped they could win the trophy, a mix of veterans (Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic), experience (Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova, Agnieszka Radwanska), and kids (Halep, Eugenie Bouchard). But the oldest—and most decorated—of them all was triumphant again.
Currently holding 18 Grand Slam titles, Williams could pass Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova next year, and who knows where she can go from there? What do know, and what she showed in Singapore, is that she is ageless.
“I do have goals, but I always keep them to myself,” Williams said. “No disappointments.”
-----------------
pras tul... harapkankan fight la finals ni.. rupanya abeh simona kena belasah... dah agak dah serena mesti nak balas dendam punya lps rr match tu.
tgklah apa serena buat kat masha lps wimbledon 2004, maria takleh menang dgn serena dah 10 thn. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maria with Billie Jean King in Singapore
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
first & last Maria's match in 2014
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year-end No. 2 Maria Sharapova: "I've done an incredible job."
Despite not emerging from her group at the WTA Finals, world No. 2 Maria Sharapova said that she was pleased with her year overall.
Sharapova won her fifth Grand Slam title by winning Roland Garros, and also won tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid, and Beijing.
"I'm very happy, going into this year I didn't really know what actually my personal expectations were,” she said. "I had one goal, and that was to try to remain as healthy as possible, to keep my shoulder strong. I've done an incredible job of that.
"I think it's one of the few seasons where I haven't withdrawn or retired from an event."
Sharapova began the season with a new coach, Sven Groeneveld. Groeneveld has worked with a number of top women's players, including Ana Ivanovic during her 2009 season in which she won Roland Garros.
"I had a new team. I feel like there are a lot of new things in my career at that point, and I was still kind of trying to get myself back after an injury," Sharapova said. "A lot of question marks at the beginning of the season, and I'm happy to be sitting here and saying that I've added another Grand Slam to my resume, that I've won great titles, I had a great clay court season, and a lot of good wins, a lot of tough matches that I pulled through that I could have easily lost.
"At this stage of my career I've gone through many coaches, a lot of different teams. I also kind of know what I want and what I feel works for me. [Sven] is a great listener, and yet when I need it he pushes me. But also a very calm, positive person. I think that's also nice to have in a team.”
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ashburn posted on 27-10-2014 01:33 PM 
the truly fighters
Maria eliminates herself in Singapore, blowing a 5:1 lead and 3 match ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ashburn posted on 27-10-2014 01:11 PM
ahahahha halepppppp....
ibarat melepaskan anjing tersepit
takpe halep byk peluang lagi.. masa dia akan tiba.
u racist, calling serena a dog! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ashburn posted on 27-10-2014 01:14 PM
mesti nak sebut nama masha kann...
alaaa..masha pon xnk mng gan serena
tu ponnn
butthurt masha kalah awal2 la tu...
takyah dengki la rezeki serena.... masha dah kaya sebab cantik & WASP... jgn tamak.. bersyukur apa yg ada
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Post time 16-10-2014 01:49 PM
