It didn't take 2nd seed Maria Sharapova long to post a 6-0, 6-0 score against Alexandra Cadantu in her French Open first round today. Also dispatching opponents in straight sets were 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone (def. Kimiko Date-Krumm), 9th seed Caroline Wozniacki (def. Eleni Daniilidou) and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who defeated junior Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty.
Julia Goerges defeated Lucie Hradecka, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated Greta Arn.
And while all the talk today was about Serena Williams' first round exit, there was quite a bit going on in doubles competition, too. Kaia Kanepi and Zhang Shuai upset top seeds Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond, 6-3, 7-5.
6th seeds Barbora Zahlavova Strycova and Iveta Benesova were upset 7-6, 7-5 in the first round by Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska. Nina Bratchikova and Edina Gallovits-Hall defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sania Mirza, and Janette Husarova and Christina McHale defeated Charleston champions Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova.
Also going out was the team of Julia Goerges and Sam Stosur; they lost to 6th seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.
I keep thinking about Serena's loss yesterday. I have never seen her so tight...I should say, I've never seen her not get over her anxieties and come up with the goods. And she wasn't adapting either. She was constantly wrong-footed by the lefty angles. The last time I saw her so impatient and stubborn, she lost two sets to Li Na 6-1, 6-0.
ReplyDeleteI think this performance proves that Serena really has changed as a person and a competitor...the catalyst being the fallout from her outbursts. I think she is afraid to be herself. When she's on, she's on and she just bats people away easily...but when she was off before she could fire herself up...But now, I think she's afraid to go there... And as Todd said, "A caged Serena is not Serena."
She's probably a better person, but not as good of a tennis player.
I think maybe some of it is fear of being herself. But I also think there are other factors involved. Serena has undergone some very big changes, physically and mentally/emotionally.
ReplyDeleteAsderaki is a bigger mystery, in my opinion.
Pretty girls always like to be the center of attention.
ReplyDelete'Nuff said.
:)
But seriously, I felt like Eva escaped the limelight last time for her questionable call bc Serena's reaction was over-the-top...but this time...it almost seemed like Eva was just inserting herself into the match unnecessarily and incorrectly at times. And every time was like a nail in Serena's momentum -- even the calls against Razzano.
I was rereading what I wrote -- I wasn't trying to say that Razzano wasn't negatively affected by those calls...just that it didn't stop her from being in the zone.
ReplyDeleteSerena let it get to her...perhaps having flashbacks...
Hey, how come you don't get to go to the Slams? Don't they give you media passes? I should ask Todd, too. I thought you guys were amateurs (not in quality, but in title), but you're actually press and your work is widely distributed (even that guy was looking to post your work the other day)...shouldn't you get invites to the slams too? :)
Also, everyone's been saying Serena's dress was good, but I thought it wasn't flattering at all. Made her look very big.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think?
Sorry, I didn't mean to comment-bomb you...but I didn't have time to make the blog rounds yesterday so I'm catching up (I figured, what could happen on Day 3 of Round 1 lol...was I wrong!)...why is everyone saying Serena didn't conducte herself graciously? I read her presser and it didn't seem too bad...
ReplyDeleteI've never applied to go to any of the majors, Eric, because I would still have to pay for transportation and hotel :(
ReplyDeleteI liked Serena's outfit; I think maybe I wasn't paying attention to her legs, however.
I didn't realize people were down on Serena (again). Maybe that comment about "everyone has a story, etc." rubbed people the wrong way. Tact isn't her strong suit, but I generally don't have a problem with anything she says.
I always have to check with other people sometimes...just in case I'm off base lol. Thanks
ReplyDeleteIn my notes for the Serena/Razzano match, I wrote a little off-hand comment about how the color of Serena's outfit was almost a perfect match for all the advertising surrounding the court. It sort of made her melt into the background in some of the TV shots taken from the sidelines.
ReplyDeleteI wrote, "Does it mean anything?"
Weirdly enough, in some figurative sense, maybe it DID.
Of course, the same thing happened when she wore blue on the blue clay in Madrid... and things worked out pretty well for her there.
About Serena getting jabbed about her post-match comments, I think it's just another case of everything with Serena being hyped up exponentially.
Seriously, watching all the post-loss coverage on ESPN2 yesterday, it was like her career had just ended with some horrific tragedy. She just lost a match at her worst slam. She'll probably just out and win Wimbledon now. :)
Well, those who excessively hyped her to win were going to excessively hype her loss, that's for sure. And no one's tears, save Federer's, have caused such a media frenzy.
ReplyDeleteAllow me...
ReplyDeleteI don't buy the cut foot, the hematoma or the embolism. No proof was adduced at all to support the claims. She was seen dancing uninhibitedly later the day that the cut was claimed.
Theory: What to do after the 2009 US Open imbroglio?
Well, the NY crowd would have had her head on a platter in 2010 and Serena knew it. Enter the other health claims. Why? Well, on the supposition that she's more than narcissistic, indeed, that she's a sociopath, the pity play is usually their main weapon. Collect empathetic pity alms for a year and return to New York with redemption in mind, the crowd and media primed for her 'inevitable' victory.
Sam Stosur spoiled the party, and Serena wrecked it for herself. She did scream out while the ball was well on its way to her opponent. That is a hindrance. Never mind that the ball was almost certainly going to be a winner. Maybe not without the scream... Anyway, I'd put money on this theory and will not think otherwise until we have photos, X-rays or other medical proof from the Williams camp. This brings up a suggestion: Any claim of injury during a match that is questionable at all as being a delaying tactic could be investigated by submittint the player to an MRI scan and a medical exam, immediately following a match. Any local clinic could be on call for this. I think back on the execrably low behavior of Kerber at Wimbledon during her match with Robson. Kerber did everything imaginable (as bad as Connors) to disrupt Robson's concentration. Part of it was feigned injury and calling the trainer. Bad news should not be rewarded. Oh, Robson stayed the course and won anyway.
As to Serena. ...seems to me that being herself brings in all kinds a stuff that is not what could be called 'decent.' Tennis is a relatively clean, elegant sport. The participants stand on their own (for the most part). Yes, BJK and the WTA are intent on undermining that. But, the public overwhelmingly expect good behavior on court. The media do not. Many American commenters (commentators, common taters) are frustrated would-be jocks whose underlying values leave much to be desired. They champion the bad boys and girls.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I am a very experienced physchotherapist, and I don't diagnose people I haven't met and evaluated.
ReplyDeleteDiane,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you make of the MRI suggestion that Bobby Skipsey made? I seems to have merit.
On another tack, I happen to have seen the Kerber/Robson match and it was disgraceful to see what Kerber did and got away with there.
I did not write about Serena as a certainty. I made it clear that my idea is a theory; one that I'll hold onto until I see or hear more about her injuries and illnesses.
ReplyDeleteI would truly like to see medical proof. If I'm wrong, so be it. But I think that it's worth looking into. There is so much odd pragmatic behaviour from her that I shake my head in disbelief at how she behaves from time to time.
I defer to you and your profession, but there is stuff amiss here that has not been properly addressed.