WWW YEC Istanbul RR White Group: [2] Azarenka vs [7] Jankovic?
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Sundaymorningguy
Grand Slam Champion
Well it comes in waves. Serena doesn't have as much to defend as Maria and Vika have before Indian Wells, but Serena has over 5,000+ to defend from Miami-French Open. However, the likelihood of Serena burning out and just having a disaster filled Miami-French Open stretch is very slim barring an injury. Serena does seem to be taking better care of herself and knowing when to withdraw and when to play. The redeeming thing is she can pick up at two slams Australia and Wimbledon. I don't really think holding on to number 1 is her goal so much as winning hardware is her goal. If she keeps winning, number 1 will just come with it.
MargaretMcAleer
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fashionista said:
She has been off her game since the USO final
As hard as she fought, clawed, and scratched
her way to win that second set only to have
Serena dismiss her with a breadstick so easily
in the 3rd had to affect her negatively.
Sundaymorningguy
Grand Slam Champion
I think the problem is she isn't very good at maintaining herself or a smart schedule yet. She has even said she probably should have skipped some tournaments after the US Open. She definitely should not have played Tokyo and Beijing possibly. I don't think what Serena does per se has a negative effect on Vika. I am sure it hurt to lose in much the same fashion as she did the year before, but Vika is used to Serena by now to know that nothing is certain against Serena. You could be 6-1, 5-0 against her and Serena could claw her way back to a win. Every player knows this about Serena, so I doubt that weighs on their minds when they lose against her. If anything after the US Open, it should make facing Serena harder, not losing to other players. I think she just didn't really think her schedule through really, and wasn't mentally and physically at times ready to play this fall circuit.
I think the one thing you can maybe take as a negative for players like Maria and Vika is at their age this is/should be the prime of their career where they are winning everything left and right, but they are going up against someone who found a new level at age 32, so they are not. Serena has a hunger and goals now. She is in legendary status and building her legacy with every new win. That has to be hard when what is usually the decline age for women in tennis the 30's isn't showing itself to be true.
I think the one thing you can maybe take as a negative for players like Maria and Vika is at their age this is/should be the prime of their career where they are winning everything left and right, but they are going up against someone who found a new level at age 32, so they are not. Serena has a hunger and goals now. She is in legendary status and building her legacy with every new win. That has to be hard when what is usually the decline age for women in tennis the 30's isn't showing itself to be true.
Sunday. I don't know what Vika could be tired about. She's taken several weeks off this year and hasn't really played a full schedule. In fact her match count is somewhere in the fifties. Serena has played like 80 matches (don't know if Fed Cup counts).
Sundaymorningguy
Grand Slam Champion
Well some of it was because of injuries that she had to sit out, but I do understand what you mean. You also have to keep in mind that we don't know what she has been dealing with behind the scenes in her personal life. There is more than just tennis that could be making her feel burned out.