FRENCH OPEN LADIES RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS BY CHERYL JONES

Written by: Staff on 3rd June 2015

French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros

FRENCH OPEN LADIES RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS BY CHERYL JONES

epa04781458 Sara Errani of Italy in action against Serena Williams of the USA during their quarterfinal match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 03 June 2015. EPA/YOAN VALAT |

Almost There

By Cheryl Jones

Today at Roland Garros, Sara Eranni evidenced what I call “deer in the headlights” syndrome. The idiom itself has been defined as “widely opened eyes; lack of motor reactions; anxiety; fear; panic; or a glazed expression”. In the past, I’ve seen it manifest itself in many ways, but most of all, when a player faces Serena Williams. The most profound example I’ve witnessed has to be Dinara Safina in the 2009 Australian Open final. It was heartbreaking to see a fine player reduced, literally to a deer in the headlights as she anticipated facing Williams. (At night, encountering automobiles heading toward them, deer often freeze. Their flight or fight reflexes evidently tell the poor deer that there is no reaction to assume but one of paralyzing fear.) The match today was all Williams, 6-1, 6-3.

In essence, the deer in the headlights syndrome is all about the eyes. Assuming that eyes are the windows to the soul, (another idiom); they tell a story. That day in Australia, I happened to be standing in the corridor as the players began their walk toward center court in Rod Laver Arena. Safina had been nursing a seriously damaged back the entire tournament, but she had managed to grind her way into the final opposite Williams. Safina’s vacant stare was startling at first, (I thought it might be the pain), but then I realized that it wasn’t – it was a reaction to the enormity of the situation. Williams was the favorite to take the top prize at the tournament when the first ball had been struck. After all, she had already taken home the trophy three times before, in 2003, 2005, and 2007. (Add to that, 2009 was an odd numbered year, and it somehow fit the sequence perfectly.) Safina was defeated before she even stepped through the doors to the court. Williams was all business and wasted no time in quickly dispatching her 6-0, 6-3 in just a minute less than an hour. It was a sad sight to behold. It wasn’t the loss per se, but the shear nature of the defeat.

Serena Williams of the USA falls as she plays against Sara Errani of Italy during their quarterfinal match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 03 June 2015. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT

Serena Williams is one of the best natural athletes (man or woman) that I have ever observed. Her serve has been honed into a work of art. Today there were ten aces on her score sheet. Eranni had none, but then she was never touted as a player with much of a weapon in her serve. The 19 Grand Slam titles that Serena has amassed up to now will likely turn into 20 here at Roland Garros. But, I am getting ahead of myself. She will have to face two more women in order to make that so, but she seems as if she’s on a roll.

One of those silly questions was directed Errani’s way in her after-match interview, “Do you think you did what you set out to do, what you wanted to do today?” She didn’t scoff at its stupidity, but was honest, “Well, not really. I know what I would like to do. I couldn’t do what I would like to do. I mean, I play too much shorter, too much in the middle. I want to move more the ball, but today I couldn’t. So I didn’t play my best match, for sure.” The loss will give her a few more days to hone her game on the lawns before Wimbledon begins; but it must sting to have lost so decisively. There may not be a remedy for her inability to step up her game. Anyone who follows tennis knows that Errani’s serve is weak. With Serena’s ten aces it would have been pretty much impossible for anyone to have defeated her today. As Errani said, “She’s very focused.”

Next up for Williams will be Timea Bacsinszky. She’s the Swiss player that no one was expecting to remain in the draw. She spoke after her match with Belgian, Alison Van Uytvanck. It was a bit longer and a bit less one-sided than the Errani/Williams match. The 6-4, 7-5 outcome was expected, because Van Uytvanck is ranked 93 and Bacsinszky is ranked 24. It seemed like a slam-dunk to pencil the Swiss woman’s name in the slot opposite Williams. She spoke about being the favorite in a Grand Slam Quarterfinal, which was obviously a first for her since she’d never made it past the third round of a major. She said, “Well, you know, when I step on the tennis court I’m not thinking about who is favorite and who is not the favorite. I’m more thinking about how I have to find a pace to break the other one’s game or play mine. It depends.”

Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland in action against Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium during their quarterfinal match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 03 June 2015. EPA/CAROLINE BLUMBERG

Bacsinszky took some time away from the tour when her rankings faltered after a 2008-2010 breakthroughs to the top fifty. She felt her love for the game show itself after a chance e-mail notified her of a Qualifying tournament for Roland Garros led her back into the competition in 2013. She had been working in the hotel/service industry, where very few co-workers knew of her past tennis experience. It wasn’t a miracle win that brought her back. She failed to qualify, but she realized she loved to play tennis. Evidently she worked hard and the success she’s encountered has served her well. She managed to remain calm and stay focused the entire match. It was a day she will likely savor for a long time. Her opponent had similar thoughts. It isn’t every Slam that anyone ranked 93 in the world strides into the Quarterfinal matches. When asked if these were the best ten days of her career, there was no hesitation. She said, “Yes, absolutely. So far I must say nobody believed that I would play quarterfinals here, so ten incredible days for me. Incredible.”

Bacsinszky spoke of her role as favorite today being turned upside down when she faces Williams tomorrow. She said, “I knew you would put this question to me. So in this case, she’s the favorite. Serena is the favorite. She has lots of titles under her belt. She can be a source of inspiration to many people, not only tennis players, but at the same time have a job to do. My job is to do the same.”

It would seem that each of the four women, Bacsinszky, Ana Ivanovic, Lucie Safarova and Williams, who will be in competition tomorrow have a work ethic that will take them far. Not just in tennis, but life after the glitz and glamour of the professional tennis circuit. Tomorrow will be the matches that determine the last two women standing. They will take a spot on Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday and one of them will wave to the crowd with a smile and a check for one point eight million Euros. Not bad for a couple weeks of work – if the preparation can possibly ignored.

Topics: Cheryl Jones, French Open, Paris, RG15, Roland Garros, Sara Errani, Serena Williams, Tennis News, Timea Bacsinszky, Wta

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June 3, 2015 at 3:27 pm

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