WIMBLEDON TODAY: SERENA WILLIAMS LOSES IN LONDON & MARIA SHARAPOVA & BOUCHARD WIN

Written by: Staff on 28th June 2014

WIMBLEDON TODAY: SERENA WILLIAMS LOSES IN LONDON & MARIA SHARAPOVA & BOUCHARD WIN

epa04287076 Maria Sharapova of Russia in action against Alison Riske of USA during their third round match at the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 28 June 2014. EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH |

Saturday

By Cheryl Jones

The Championships’ venue was growing darker, waiting for a Saturday filled with rain to come to an end. (The outer courts have no lights.) The scheduled play had been delayed for most of the day because of the rain. Those last matches were being frantically conducted into the twilight, trying for some catch up. Mercifully at 9:36 p.m. matches were suspended.

Unfortunately for Serena Williams, her match with a French waif by the name of Alize Cornet went on as planned and it was a defeat that has the tennis world buzzing. She lost, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, but from the second set until the end, it was clear that Cornet had her number and was making an annoyance of herself. It seemed as if Serena was dumbfounded by the play of the willowy mademoiselle who calls Nice, France home.

Up until today in London, it appeared that Serena had what it would take to run off with the Venus Rosewater Dish again. But this year, not only did she miss out on a chance to up her tally in majors, she was once again, out of the running by the end of the first week. It’s becoming a pattern. It started out in Australia, continued in Paris, and now it had stalked her all the way to London. If she can look logically at her future, she must be wondering if maybe there’s something to the “when are you planning to retire” buzz that has worked its way into the repertoire of her after-match sessions with the media.

It’s well known that Serena can be snarky in her responses to those pesky after-match queries. She wasn’t circumspect with her answers, but that wasn’t a surprise. She was more of her circular-self in the manner that she addressed her answers. When she was asked what she could take away from the loss, she sidestepped the intended direction and provided what many have known as a typical response for the chanteuse. It’s always fairly obvious that it’s a cover-up that’s not really an excuse because it couldn’t really be her play that was lacking but the level of her competition had as usual, stepped up a notch or two, or some other “avoid and defend myself” mode. She said, “Well, I think everyone in general plays the match of their lives against me…Every time I step on the court, [I have to] be a hundred times better. If I’m not, then I’m in trouble.”

Serena Williams

Truth was, she was in trouble after play resumed after the rain delay. During the long wait – four and a-half hours – Cornet found the antidote for Serena’s game. It didn’t take much, either. It was the American’s worst loss at Wimbledon, ever. It’s been a long time since one or the other of the Williams’ sisters hasn’t been a singles contestant during the second week, and there may be a reason. Maybe it is because now the younger players are becoming aware that it’s not the end of the world to see either one of the sisters across the net.

Over the years, I have watched confidence wilt when a promising but green player faced Serena (or Venus, for that matter). She’s right in saying that opponents often have played a different game opposite her. From my own perspective, a good many of those foes were mesmerized by her presence and not her game. Her successes have been awfully well publicized for a long time. Many of those women were in awe of her game, but what actually happened was that they forgot to call on their own.

Cornet, who has had her share of motivational issues, was confident in what to me looked as if it was unfamiliar territory today. Her career really began when she won the juniors at Roland Garros in 2007. She’s only 24 and the mettle that she displayed today seemed as if she had been reinvented since she had become the Number One French woman competitor after Marion Bartoli retired.

Cornet upped her chances at moving forward in the draw when play begins next Monday. (There is always a break for the Middle Sunday of The Championships.) Her win had to be encouraging for the remaining women in the draw. In essence, she had slain the dragon. Williams was out of contention and now the draw really seems as if it could be nearly anyone who might be able to claw their way to the top. Williams will no longer be an obstacle on either side of the draw.

One of those anyone’s is Maria Sharapova who has only dropped seven games since the tournament began on Monday. If she was watching the Williams/Cornet match ending, she must have performed a few cartwheels (at least in her head) along with a joyful Cornet. Sharapova defeated American, Alison Riske earlier in a Centre Court match under a closed roof, 6-3, 6-0. She began her grand slam quest here in London, when she was “only 17”, ten years ago. Today it must have seemed like déjà vous all over again for her, to quote that famous statesman of baseball, Yogi Berra .

Sharapova wasn’t the only woman smiling and sighing – it’s quieter than shrieking – after the Williams/Cornet match. There’s a Canadian who is grinning from ear to ear after a hard fought win of her own. Eugenie Bouchard moved carefully through two sets to defeat German, Andrea Petkovic, 6-3, 6-4. Petkovic is ranked 20th and Bouchard is 13th in the world that decides the rankings of women’s tennis. That’s mighty close when there are so many who have points that figure into those rankings.

A fellow who has been around American tennis for quite a while, Nick Saviano, coaches Bouchard. She has been blazing new trails as the most successful Canadian of either gender in a very, very long time. Her move to the Round of 16 was a boon for her, with an added element of hope now that Williams is no longer in the mix.

There were a few more relieved movers on, including Simona Halep who was the runner-up in Paris. There were also a few who will wait in limbo until Monday’s matches are complete. After it became so dark the lines people complained they couldn’t make out the lines, the matches were all called and everyone left for their Sunday day of rest.

An ominous question was posed to Williams just before her after-match interview was a wrap. “You’ve won everything there is to win in this sport. What motivates you to keep going in situations like this?” She applied her circular approach to the question and said, “I don’t know. I know that I can do better. I know that I have potential to continue to be on top. So hopefully that’s what keeps me motivated, I guess.”

I guess that’s what makes her merry-go-round replies to questions so uniquely Serena. It should be reality that is the basis for an examination of where she wants to head with her game. She was asked what kept her motivated and she really didn’t seem to know. That surely cannot be the case for all of the members of the 2014 Round of 16. They will take a day off, recoup and begin anew their quest for the prize that will validate just why they took up tennis as a profession.

Topics: Alison Riske, Alize Cornet, Andrea Petkovic, Eugenie Bouchard, London, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Tennis, Tennis News, Wimbledon

Follow 10SBALLS.COM on:

Facebook:

Twitter:

10sBalls_com says:

June 28, 2014 at 7:24 pm

WIMBLEDON TODAY: SERENA WILLIAMS LOSES IN LONDON & MARIA SHARAPOVA & BOUCHARD WIN – http://t.co/B8fTCVA8TW @serenawilliams @MariaSharapova
RD_Tennistalk says:

June 29, 2014 at 8:29 am

RT @10sBalls_com: WIMBLEDON TODAY: SERENA WILLIAMS LOSES IN LONDON & MARIA SHARAPOVA & BOUCHARD WIN – http://t.co/B8fTCVA8TW @serenawilliam…