Serena Williams AO win - tainted?

[Power King]

For some reason, this just doesn't sit right with me.

4th round:

Azarenka 6 2 retired
SWilliams 3 4

Now if Serena was the one who was up a set and was looking like she would've won the match (a la roddick against djokovic) then I'd have no issue with this.

Now I understand that fitness is a huge part of tennis, you must have the physical capability to last a match. However, for some reason, this scoreline just doesn't sit right with me. This tournament has Serena deservedly winning the final, but in a manner that places an asterisk next to her name due to the fourth round scoreline.

Thoughts?

(only from the tennis-educated please)

 

[krisholio14]

Are you suggesting something shifty was afoot in that game?

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Didn't they close the roof mid match against Kuznetsova when Williams was out on her feet in the heat and going down? She recovered after that to win the match. No doubt she would have lost if the roof stayed open.

It was fair enough to close it but it should be either closed or open the whole match, rain not withstanding.

 

[Power King]

^Yeah, that's another debatable point from the semi final I think.

Are you suggesting something shifty was afoot in that game?

^Shifty? I'm jsut saying that Williams was losing the match, however because her opponent was sick and hence retired, Williams won.

Would have no problem if the opponent was losing and then became sick and retired as Serena's playing ability on the day would've warranted a win anyway (like in roddick's match against djokovic, an example of a match where someone retires but to me there are no issues with the winner's progression to the next round), but seeing as this wasn't the case, it doesn't feel like she progressed from the fourth round because she was too good for her opponent.

 

[red+black]

If only Stosur could have not played like a weak bitch in Sydney, the whole Summer could have panned out differently.

 

[matt_897]

If only Stosur could have not played like a weak bitch in Sydney, the whole Summer could have panned out differently.

No, that wouldn't of made difference regarding Serena. Could of given Sam huge confidence and maybe could of taken her chances she had against dementieva...

Things like this happen, it's part fo life, doesn't change the fact she won the Open and played some good tennis when it mattered. Stupid to even suggest that.

 

[Power King]

^You're probably right.

I guess what irks me is questioning if this had happened in a final. Would it be equally as deserving?

 

[matt_897]

Yeah, I believe it would, even if it happened in a final. As harsh as this sounds, you've got to be able to finish off the match with your ability as well as your phyiscality has to last the match. In the end, a grand slam title is the biggest title in the sport and will always list you with the champions of the sport. It would be a horrible way to have a final finish though and the match itself would want to be forgooten.

You can sort of use the example of Henin-Mauresmo in '06. Ameilie still won the Open and it's just bad luck that Henin was feelign well on the day. She really should of finished the match off though, was horrible for AMielie to not get that moment considering her past results.

 

[Rohan25]

^Yeah, that's another debatable point from the semi final I think.



^Shifty? I'm jsut saying that Williams was losing the match, however because her opponent was sick and hence retired, Williams won.

Would have no problem if the opponent was losing and then became sick and retired as Serena's playing ability on the day would've warranted a win anyway (like in roddick's match against djokovic, an example of a match where someone retires but to me there are no issues with the winner's progression to the next round), but seeing as this wasn't the case, it doesn't feel like she progressed from the fourth round because she was too good for her opponent.

I still rated her a better than 50-50 chance to beat Azarenka, even when she dropped the first set. You can never write her off, she is the best comeback player in the game. Just off the top of my head I can recall her making huge comebacks in the AO semi-finals of 2003, and 2005, as well as an early round match in 2007.

Later in 2007 she was playing Henin in a final. Henin led 6-0 5-4 and was serving for the match with 2 match points before Williams fought back to win. I've seen her come back from a set down on numerous occasions, and I believe she would have done so on this occasion, even if Azarenka was not affected by illness.

Say what you want about S. Williams, but being a set down does not phase her in the slightest. She is a fighter.

 

[red+black]

Things like this happen, it's part fo life, doesn't change the fact she won the Open and played some good tennis when it mattered. Stupid to even suggest that.

Maybe you shouldn't take everything so literally kid.

 

[matt_897]

Maybe you shouldn't take everything so literally kid.

What are you talking about?

 

[RobbyRoy]

Not much Serena can do about it. She managed to get to the final, no matter how lucky she got, and destroyed her opponent.

 

[Power King]

I still rated her a better than 50-50 chance to beat Azarenka, even when she dropped the first set. You can never write her off, she is the best comeback player in the game. Just off the top of my head I can recall her making huge comebacks in the AO semi-finals of 2003, and 2005, as well as an early round match in 2007.

Later in 2007 she was playing Henin in a final. Henin led 6-0 5-4 and was serving for the match with 2 match points before Williams fought back to win. I've seen her come back from a set down on numerous occasions, and I believe she would have done so on this occasion, even if Azarenka was not affected by illness.

Say what you want about S. Williams, but being a set down does not phase her in the slightest. She is a fighter.

Fair post

I agree with the notion of being physically fit on the day to last the match.

I guess it's just disappointing when a match cannot finish completely on the scoreboard, particularly when the player in the winning position is the one who has to retire.

 

[SBI]

Didn't they close the roof mid match against Kuznetsova when Williams was out on her feet in the heat and going down? She recovered after that to win the match. No doubt she would have lost if the roof stayed open.

It was fair enough to close it but it should be either closed or open the whole match, rain not withstanding.

I reckon she'd have still beaten Kuznetsova. So many women on the tour (particularly the Europeans) are mentally fragile. Kuznetsova is one of the worst offenders.

She'd have ****ed it up somehow.

But yes, a lot went the way of Serena this tournament, and for the first week she looked awful. That being said, she continues to show why she's an absolute champ and the best of a pretty sorry bunch.

 

[RW]

I reckon she'd have still beaten Kuznetsova. So many women on the tour (particularly the Europeans) are mentally fragile. Kuznetsova is one of the worst offenders.

She'd have ****ed it up somehow.

But yes, a lot went the way of Serena this tournament, and for the first week she looked awful. That being said, she continues to show why she's an absolute champ and the best of a pretty sorry bunch.

Agreed.

On another note, how good would a Dokic-S.Williams final have been?!

You could also make a case for Dokic being mentally tougher than a lot of the women on tour...when she went down with the ankle injury against Kleybanova the match was still very much in the balance! Though I suppose she was lucky no major damage was done.

 

[Sir Vlado]

If not for the illness, I still believe Azarenka would've won, up until the illness she was really taking it up to Williams, I also believe that William started to break Azarenka when the illness started to kick in. After Azarenkas retirement, I was really disappointed because she played so well in the match and really looked like she deserved to win it. It's tennis though, things happen.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Oscarman]

Didn't they close the roof mid match against Kuznetsova when Williams was out on her feet in the heat and going down? She recovered after that to win the match. No doubt she would have lost if the roof stayed open.

It was fair enough to close it but it should be either closed or open the whole match, rain not withstanding.

It was the 20 minute delay to close the roof that made the difference. Delays always suit the player that is struggling. Put an * next to Serena's name in the record books. The roof should have stayed open until the end of the match, then closed for the next one.

 

[davey_magik]

You can't use the Kuznetsova match to support your argument as even though the roof was closed she had the chance to serve for the match and choked.

You can only play who is put in front of you. It is easy to use hypotheticals to say 'What if' but in the end it goes down as Serena winning the 2009 AO.

 

[thegreenmachine]

Didn't they close the roof mid match against Kuznetsova when Williams was out on her feet in the heat and going down? She recovered after that to win the match. No doubt she would have lost if the roof stayed open.

Correct, yet our reigning Men's Aussie Open champion, Novak Djokovic, retired against Andy Roddick due to exhaustion because of the heat as the roof stayed open. Too many inconsistencies for my liking but, rules are rules.
As for your last 2 statements, while yes, Kuznetsova choked while serving out the match (and not for the first time either it's been said), having the roof closed significantly changed the whole course of that match as, coincidentally or not, Serena started to play her best tennis for the tournament. It was clear as daylight that Serena was more comfortable with the roof closed and Kuznetsova wasn't impressed in the slightest when she heard the news.

It was fair enough to close it but it should be either closed or open the whole match, rain not withstanding.

Absolutely agree with this. It seems to advantage or disadvantage a player in the middle of the match too much. Have it open or shut and leave it that way.
And as for the OP, "tainted" I'm not sure but there were things that went her way early in the tournament. Not playing any seeded players in the first 3 rounds, having Azarenka retiring when she was losing (which she may or may not have won, it only depends on which Serena came to play that day), and the roof closing in the quarters mid-way through the match.
However, after that she displayed her best form of the tournament by far and cantered to the title, we can't take that away from her whatsoever.