Well Serena really bashed Justine off the court yesterday and Justine wasnt injured.So there can be no excuses from her this time.Serena always said that if she plays her best there is no one that can stop her.Those comments came last year after she got a mangling from Henin who regardless had to struggle to beat Serena especially at Wimbledon.
Serena went out yesterday and produced a near flawless display of tennis resulting in a one sided demolition which served a baked goody.We all slated Serena last year for making those comments but I have to say that she has proven it again that if she plays her best she can beat anyone regardless of where she is ranked.

Serena played well yesterday but she didn't need to be at her best. She played a calm and measured match-hitting a good length without going for the power we know she is capable of. It will be interesting to see if she can maintain this level and raise it (she will need to against an in form Kuzzy)

As for Henin-this loss is much more worrying for her. In Melbourne Maria played a blinder-this time Serena just outsmarted her....

You know, I love the way fans do this.

Venus won Wimbledon and suddenly she was the best, Maria went on a run earlier this year and suddenly she was the best, Serena now wins and suddenly she is the best....

It seems as if Justine's wins in all the tournaments that mattered last year and now overriden by a thrashing in one nan slam event.... Granted Serena bashed her everywhere and Justine wasn't injured but lets get some perspective people.

Quite frankly I think everyone should be happy that Serena, Venus, Justine and Maria have shown within the same 12 months they have all got the form to be fantastic on the court, which I hope will make for an interesting French Open and rest of the year on the WTA.

I think you are missing my point.I didnt saythat Serena is the best,I merely said that she cemented her statements last year which everyone thought was coming from a bitter sore loser at the time and no one took seriously. I just think that the perspective here is that Serena despite her poor press conferences and whatever else we call it actually deserves credit because she knows her tennis and what she is capable of.The reality is that she knows she with her off court interests ruined her chance at utter dominance when she was on top and thats why she made those comments because deep down she knows the truth.Serena is very good actually bloody good and thats a fact. :ok:

It is good for the game that we have a lot of the best players now perfroming at their best, albeit not at the same time, but it does make things more interesting. And also Kuznetsova seems to be showing better form lately. Sadly though we have Amelie looking like it's all over which si a shame as she throws a different brand of tennis into the mix. Also, the promising Vaidisova seems to be in a mess too. I do hope Justine isn't on the declien here becuase we need the interest her variety brings.

Back to Serena though - I think she is the remarkable story of the last year or so becuase she was down and out and supposedly unfit and past it, and showed she sould win a slam with ranking of (I think) around 80! I'm not yet 100% sure that is she plays her best, she is the best player out there but given her problems and less than consitent form, and that AO win and yesterday, I'm am starting to believe her. I never used to like her, but I appreciate her much more now and she is like her sister much more interesting as player when she is not the dominant force in the WTA.

True :ok: And I think it adds interest to have players like Serena around, having someone win a slam (despite nto havign the best of times) because their game was hot and came together that fortnight rather than having winners that have simply been consitent or not had injuries. :bow: I realyl thought Serena's AO win 2007 was one probably the defining statment of her career so far annone fo the most outstandign GS wins of all time.

I'm as pleased as anyone that Serena broke her duck against Henin, but I don't know that many conclusions can be drawn from it. The No 1 has been vulnerable all year, nearly losing the Sydney final before Kuznetsova characteristically let slip a 4-1 lead in the decider, dropping sets left and right to lowly-ranked players in Antwerp, and being stunned by Schiavone in Dubai. There was also the Sharapova drubbing, but the shocking thing about that one was that Henin actually played very well there, and it still wasn't enough to weather the storm.

But all credit to Serena, who played well within herself and always seemed a step ahead on the court yesterday. I think if anything the result shows that having both sisters fit and engaged, showing up at events, always livens things up and throws a spanner into the works. With Henin's dominance loosening a bit, it really throws the Slams and big tourneys wide open this year. But I think once the clay rolls around she has to be the favourite almost by the default, so we'll see what happens.

:) I like it when you go straight to the point SB :hug: ... The Australian open performance 2007 was actually the one that showed Serena's human spirit, given where she was coming from and injuries. And mind you, even Sharapova was no slouch back in 2007 Aussie. Plus, that was a final, when nerves and all come into play.. her shots then were decisive and simply too strong, all round superlative.

Serena for me has played better when she was less heavy and fleet footed ( relatively speaking) ...but for what it's worth..putting it into context she played a very smart controlled game against Justine, taking her chances cleanly. I mean, she was all there mentally, even coming to the net of all places and still pummeling Justine.

Now Justine on the other hand just fell apart, didn't take care of what she needed to do to win. I remember arguing with Petalp about this rivalry not always being exciting, inthat... it will often be a one sided drubbing of the other person. Simply because two talented players of their calibre don't give up easily...so it is really the person who blinks first, or whoever doesn't show up mentally. Just a mental thing....and you know you've blown it... I won't Judge Justine or Serena for that matter on this performance. I know...should Justine play like she can...it would be
an absolutely different ball game.

Justine is probably soaking in the emotions of having her family back around her so will give her time this year to find the right gears again...

But note what Serena said.....

She knows that those Slam loss to Justine were pitiful by her standards, for once being sincere...she knows getting Justine at her stomping grounds ie Roland Garros, is where things get really tricky. She plays like this in Miami much as Venus plays as if possessed at Wimbledon... they should all start playing like that more often...will be good for me as a fan of the game..

But you can't kick Serena for too long..... straight after that she goes back to her exuberant self....

I guess ....somewhere at the back of her mind ...she is saying I still look fabulous...and Justine must have played some 'very unlucky shots... :P '

......... :)

Thanks, i try my best! :D

I agree with this 100% Darky. I was one of the few who defended Serena last year, commending her for wearing her heart on her sleeve and being passionate in interviews, rather than just going through the motions and reading autocue like most. Which is why i disagree with this:

Serena is nothing if not sincere, which gets her in trouble when shes in a bad mood, but you cant say she doesntsay what she thinks. Its great to have her back at the top :bow:

Gav i dont think people were that fickle in regards to the Slam winners last year and this. Even as a Venus fan, i've always been a firm believer that Serena is the best player at her best, in my mind it's indisputable really. I've never seenanyone of the current generation produce the level of play she can. It's just the most overwhelming experience for her opponents and that's why she's the best in my book. Other players may be the more consistent from time to time, i'm not trying to disprove that at all but if we were judging playerws at their best Serena would be several notches up even from Venus.

However if Serena can produce this form on a consistent basis then she should return to number 1 again. I'm not being hyperbolic, that's realistically where she belongs. The Slams be telling again, but i just feel one Slam will make all the difference and she could start dominating again. It's not out of the question anymore like in 2005/06 and perhaps in 2007. I feel she's more clear of her ambitions and she's really striving for that top spot again. It's been 5 years since Serena was nunber 1 and i for one think she can reach that again.

Call me crazy but whatever :lol:

We knwo you are crazy dl :D But I think you are talking sense here and if she can maintain her form and win a big one then she could well get back to the top. :ok:

SG has a comment on the main page on the BBC story..

Everything you say there makes perfect sense DL, but a lot of it was said last year after the AO, Serena was supposed to become No.1 again and dominate for years to come....

In a way I would love her to become a top 5 player again-and if she plays like she can-she obviously will. However I think it would be terrible for the game if she went into 2002 like dominance. It would kill the excitement. What is preferable is Henin, Sharapova, Venus, Serena and (possibly) Kuznetsova & Ivanovic all playing a good year and creating a really clear battle for the top.

Also I think although Serena played well, she could have done much more-it was largely Henin that played rubbishly and this will knock her confidence-she must eb thanking her lucky stars its clay now.

:flirt:

I dont agree with that really, as Henin could probably get away with kind of performance against anyone else. Against someone like SErena who's moving well and taking the ball [/B] early, it was always going to be in her hands.

I don't think so-watching the match Serena wasn't actually hitting the ball that hard-just keeping it at an amazing length. I always felt there was another gear in Serena should she need it. The fact is she didn't because Henin didn't vary her tactics and kept going for the same shots that weren't working....

how is she back at the top liam, she has had one good win so far this year, let's not count chicken's here... :shrug:

I didn't see it but I've heard that Henin played quite well in the first set, and that the way Serena played completely disarmed her regardless.

I find it depends who you ask. Ask a Serena fan and you'll be told that Serena played amazing and won the match regardless of how Henin would have played. A Henin fan would say that she lost the match by letting Serena play her best shots.

It's a pattern I have seen from fans before and will see forever I am sure.

The truth usually comes from a neutral just watching the match.

I am happy to see Serena is still capable of playing at a high level. Is she capably of carrying that on at a consistent basis? Time will tell.

I certainly hope we have them all playing at their best for the rest of the year to make the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open fantastic tournaments.... and hopefully get the first decent and worth watching women's GS final in ages!!!!!

Just so you know Gav-I am NOT a Henin fan....in fact I prefer Serena to Justine ;)

"certainly hope we have them all playing at their best for the rest of the year to make the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open fantastic tournaments.... and hopefully get the first decent and worth watching women's GS final in ages!!!"

The last high quality final was US Open 2006 and the last dramatic final was Wimby 2006.

But Wimbledon 2005 was the best final in recent times...

Oh I know Gav, bt I though tthat they said that on some commentary highlights I saw as well.

Anyway yes, it would be good to have everyone playing well bu tti doesn't seem to happen. I'm also not convinced that getting two good players in the final will necessarily result in a good one. We've had it before and look what has happened. Serena thrashed Maria at the AO, thsi year Maria thrashed Ivanovic. I often think these dasy that the women's finasl are such an overly tense affair. The best match up in recent times for me was Amelie and Justine at Winby but even that was marred by the tenseness. Bioth players were on form but rarely played their best at the same time.

:bow: :bow:

A post from someone not retarded.

Thank you Gav.
:ok:

BTW if people think there is nothing wrong with Justine then they need their head examined :rolleyes: . To go from playing sublime tennis to this .... come on, something's wrong and I don't know what the hell it is :( .

I wish I knew what it was.

I have a feeling she might be mentally exhausted from everything last year and it's completed f*cked with her mind. The tactics she used yesterday were worse than I could have done. She kept hitting back to Sourena's racket when there was an open court. Why?????????

Exactly.

I couldn't believe it :o

No way. :tsk: :tsk: :bs:

Who told you that? A Serena fan? roflmao

SB believe me .... it was embarrassing the way she played - completely pitiful and embarrassing by her standards.

Really? Well I didn't see it and just wondered. I think they said she played well on soem website but no idea where. :shrug:

How are you btw? Long time no see :hug:

interesting debate going on here guys and gals... just a little reminder - we dont want to descend into slating people just cos their view is different to yours..

debate nicely now :D

:admin:

well anyway I donn't know why people are getting their knickers into a twist, it's only one match.
Who knows whether Serena will maintain this form in the next round or whether further meetings this year with Justine will end in such a scoreline? :shrug:

Time will tell... :ok:

It's fine by me to disagree :hug: Liam, but the point I was trying to get across wasn't that Serena is not always sincere.... I meant ..that she actually spoke as one who has analysed recent events as any pro would most likely do..and has come to the conclusion.. this is the kind of level, if not more, that I need to raise my game to in order to beat Justine again at the Slams. ... :unsure: I'm guessing that she is very cogniscient of her successive defeats to Justine at the Slams..

She is not attributing anything to being superior or lucky..but more to playing a very sound game. She, I believe, was saying ..I need to put in this kind of work effort..

It is good to be Sincere, but ..lets say I sincerely think the Prime Minister is an utter tw*t... ..I won't go saying that to him or her or the press for that matter, simply because it is a sincere thought, albeit even true. Like you said yourself, it gets her in trouble because it is inappropriate the way she goes about it...else, no one would see anything wrong with it. ..

Justine must have been feeling bad....but after the game she said she failed to muster up the courage to challenge Serena when she started playing well and aggressively. She said Serena was the best player in the game, she kept it together very well. TBH...you know Justine can play much better than she did .... and Justine acknowledged that she was very poor on the day.

I like Serena.... even her comments give me something to think about...but I will whole heartedly tell you that Serena knows that when she is feeling upset, especially against Justine she says unnecessary stuff..even if sincere .. thats all. And I agree with DN too.. that on her day with her talent , she can beat virtually anyone on tour... 8 slam titles in the current tour is no mean feat. And she can say that. But, tennis is played and not read or said..so hopefully she will be putting up more of such fine displays in the future.

On that note ,, I like sharapova, Ana , Jelena , Kutzy chakvetadze,, all of them... you even know I like Dinky Jo ;)2 .... so there...... :) you too Liam.

* word correction there... I said I'm guessing she is conscientious of her successive defeats to Justine at the Slams.. * ..need to go sleep..I'm rather too tired......

:hug:

The reason i defend Serenas off court (press conference)personality so much is because i have a very similar composure. If i lose in my poker league when i know i should have played better, yes i blow up at people when they ask me about the game, and people think its a case of being a bad loser, when it isnt. Its a case of having an expectency of yourself and losing it when you dont play at that level, and its certainly nothing to do with your opponent. This is obviously a vague comparrison seeing as im not a top ten world player with the stresses and spotlight that comes with, but i think people are too hard on Serena calling her a sourpuss etc. Im sure her opponents know her bad moods are directed at herself rather than at them.

Anyway drunken rant over :P :P

:ok:
Im the same after a league match given the fact that I can assess my performance on court.If I lose a match knowing that I played well and that the level of tennis was exceptionally well all round then I leave the court smiling and concede defeat knowing I gave my best.But if I know that I could have played better after a loss then Im hard on myself and those that ask because its not a true refelection of what I know I can do.

I think this is also how Serena is and for that we cant fault her. :ok:

Please,lets also include Lindsay in the mix because she is also steadily getting back into the foray. :ok:

I'm definitely not the same, I hate losing-I'm not the worlds best loser :unsure: . ALthough I will acknowledge my opponent for being the better player. And I don't think Serena does that-In all 3 of her matches against Justine at slams last year she said the loss was all down to her-which is simply not true.

I can relate to that. If you lose something and are not happy with your performance you look to blame yourself. Sometimes you are wrong but that doesn't sink in until after you've looked back and analysed the situation.

yes we can... :ok:

when Serena acts like a baby throwing toys out fo the pram, then I'm sorry but I'm not going to agree with this...
she is a professional sportswoman, she surely can give acknowledgement to her opponents when they play well and beat her just as she should be given the credit for playing well when she wins... :ok:

her hissy fits after her Slam losses last year to Henin especially after the US Open were completely ridiculous... :bs:

and gamesmanshiprena is baaaaaaaaaack!!

She was losing the first set and poor babygurl takes an injury time out twice! Poor babygurl could hardly move, she couldn't twist or turn. BUT WAIT without any medication she can run like a sprinter and is winning the 2nd set!

What d'ya know? :rolleyes:

Oh boy I hate this woman so much just because of her ways. Even Jo Durie and Simon Reed thought she might be putting it on. It's absolutely disgusting it really is.

What with her bad press conferences and injury time outs when she's losing, it's just awful. Justine is an angel compared to this.

Everyone knows Serena is the ultimate diva, i'm suprised people act like this is news :rolleyes: roflmao

Sveta didnt even mention a word about the time-out in her press conference, and anyway she still the first set regardless :lol:

Go Serena! What a display this week :bow:

oh c'mon dl if some other player you didn't like acted like Sourena does, you'd be all over it... ;) :shrug: