(Can You) Do it Again Serena?
Seventh seeded, Serena Williams, was “upset” by third seeded, Jelena Jankovic in the 2008 Australian Open quarters. Once again, Serena Williams failed to defend a Grand Slam title. In fact, Serena has never defended a Grand Slam title. It is a rather surprising statistic given Serena’s dominance several years ago. At the same time, it highlights the up and down nature of Williams’ career. Serena’s inability to repeat as a Grand Slam
champion also highlights the difference in attitude and pressure one feels when one is not expected to win, e.g. Serena at the 2007 Australian Open versus 2008 when she was playing so well in the early rounds and looking very fit. In contrast, Roger Federer’s ability to win repeatedly at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open the past couple years now looks even more impressive. In addition, Serena’s record when she’s lost the first set in Grand Slams is also slightly surprising given her reputation as a fighter, i.e. Williams is 20-22 when she’s lost the first set. Clearly, it’s important to get off to a good start… Serena has now lost in the quarters in four straight Grand Slams. What will she need to do to waltz back into the winners circle at the upcoming Grand Slams this spring? It will be all about her baseline game because serving well is not enough.
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