[ys]

That's how it feels right now..

2000 and 2001 were years of great battles for supremacy on WTA with a lot of excitement, a lot of contenders. Mostly, it was Venus Williams who was proving being the best, and a number of challengers who tried to withstand her onslaught, tried to match her, trying to be the best. Venus had to deal with a lot of major and lesser challenges ( Capriati, Hingis, Davenport, Clijsters, Henin, Seles, Dokic, at some point even Dementieva ). Venus won that fierce battle, outmuscling everyone, proving that she is the best. But the battle was hard, and it seemed to take its toll on its every participant. It took so much of physical and mental strength from each of them, that they don't seem to have much left. Not a single of above mentioned players was able to match in 2002 their best form of 2000-2001. Some got injuries, some got mentally tired and lost their mental strength, most of them seem no longer having the heart in the game. They all look weary and tired of what they are doing, they don't look hungry, don't seem to have a will to fight.

As a result, the only player who stayed aside of that battle seized the battlefield. Serena is great player, but she is nowhere that good to have a kind of dominance that she is enjoying right now. She got it as a result of 2000-2001 war, where her older sis and her sis's great opposition worn each other down to leave the crown to the younger sister. And, I must say, it doesn't look good. Most of those players might not be back to their best. Even the great Venus Williams.

 

[Go Rainer]

I agree somewhat. Davenport and Hingis injured, Capriati in a lull. Venus seeming satisfied. Serena grabbed the spotlight- no doubt she stepped her game up, but its obvious the other women have stepped theirs down.

 

[joie]

I like this post- never tought of it this way but could be some truth...time will tell in 2003.... the saga continues

 

[supremeross]

While I agree with most of what was said in this post I do have to disagree with the statement that "Serena is nowhere near that good to be as dominate as she is right now". What the hell does that mean? You cannot be serious (If I may borrow a quote). Prior to this year Serena had a winning record over just about everyone you had mentioned in your post with the exception of Venus and Jennifer Cap. By the argument you put forth you could say that Steffi Graf really wasn't as good as her record suggest and history would have bore that out if not for that "incident" in Hamburg in 1993 that took down her biggest opposition. Or Martina Hingis isn't as good as a player as her record would have suggest and 1997 was just really a fluke... Monica just returning for a full year on tour, Steffi plagued with injures, pre-Venus, pre-Serena, and before Lindsay finally got her game together. It almost seems that your suggesting that Serena's unparalled success this year is a fluke. Serena has beaten every woman in the top 10 this year that she has encountered. And while Henin is the only person in the top 10 to have beaten Serena this year in Berlin, Serena has since then beaten her twice. And that battle you speak of between 2000-2001, Serena was there also.

 

[Tsequoia01]

Interesting reading, BS, but interesting.

 

[Daniel]

 

[janie]

Interesting idea, ys! It's fun to read a new thought new for once!

 

[the cat]

interesting thoughts, y_s! But Serena has no weaknesses. All the other players you mentioned have weaknesses. They aren't, haven't and won't be at Serena's level in the future.

 

[cybelledarkholme]

Wow this has got to be the slickest take on dismissing serena's achievement i've seen yet. the battles of two years ago! please.

Davenport has been sidelined yes, but shes back and is fitter than ever. Martina wasnt winning much of anything in terms of majors since 99 so.... Jcap has for the most part just run into better players defeating her 'cept at the aussie where she muscled it through. Momo has had a great year upsetting the number three player in the world twice!

The real difference between this year and last year is that serena williams commited herself to tennis. Thats the reason not the "mental exhaustion" of one or two years ago! Heck if anyone had that they would be better off seeing a sports psychiatrist and not playing at all.

Face it, serena is simply better; she's playing smarter, she's using the whole court. And thats the reason. If serena hadn't raised the level of her play there would not have been three of the last four grandslams an all williams affair. it would have been jen vs venus, momo vs venus and lindsay vs venus.

Serena is the player of 2002. period.

With martina h. the game is simply passing her by. People are improving and she is stagnating. The same thing is happening now to venus with playing her sister. she must evolve to match serena or else be left in second place.

 

[vaiva]

Thank you y_s for a new look at the situation. Do not agree with you entirely, but it somehow reminds the situation of 1997 (or was it 1998?) with Hingis. She was so dominant not only because of her game, but also because other big players were mainly struggling with or (re)discovering theirs.

If the soldiers are really tired, then the new armada should be on the attack. But where are they?

To all Ms W & H fans: If you find my words offensive, please try to improve your reading comprehension skills.