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Jan/19

22

AO: Serena Shows Class of Champion In Defeat

60 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Scoop

By Scoop Malinowski

Serena Williams had control of the AO quarterfinal, 46 64 51 and match points from a semifinal showdown with rival Naomi Osaka.

But then Serena faltered and lost six straight games to bow out of the tournament and the much-anticipated revenge match versus her nemesis, Osaka.

What happened? How could Serena Williams, the greatest champion of all time, crumble like a crumb cake? 5-1 lead and match points and she can’t close the show?

I have a theory and it was not a choke or miracle comeback by Pliskova. It may have been a subconscious tank.

It’s possible Serena subconsciously tanked the match so she could show class in defeat. To redeem herself for the horror show at the US Open final last year. Having exhibited phenomenal class and composure in what could be the most astonishing loss of her career, Serena is now forgiven by the tennis gods and the tennis world and she’s a respected champion again. And the black cloud that hunger over here is now forever gone after the honor and class she showed in suffering through those agonizing final six games.

You see? Serena had to lose gracefully first before she could become a champion again. And she did that tonight vs. Pliskova.

The US Open final last year was traumatic for Osaka and Carlos Ramos but maybe it was even more traumatizing for Serena, she is the one that had to live with the guilt and anxiety, the embarrassment and shame of that disaster for the rest of 2018.

You see? Serena has a heart of gold underneath her warrior exterior. Yes, she has to fight so hard for everything in tennis and she steps over the line sometimes but she is one of the greatest champions in tennis history. She has a heart of a champion and a heart of gold, all champions do.

My favorite Serena heart of gold moment is when she lost the Wimbledon final to Maria Sharapova and after the match on court, when Maria was in the box hugging and celebrating with her dad, the TV camera showed Serena from her chair, watching that celebration for a about five seconds and the look on Serena’s face I will never ever forget. Serena was actually happy for Maria in those seconds, she understood how important and magical that moment was for her and her father and she felt a little joy also for them, even though it was at her own expense. Serena showed her heart of gold in that moment.

So yes Serena Williams lost at the Australian Open tonight, surely one of her most painful failures. But sometimes a champions gains more respect in defeat than any of their glorious triumphs.

 

 

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60 comments

  • Wayne Bradford · January 23, 2019 at 1:20 am

    Bravo to Scoop and bravo to Serena for her sportsmanship. Now we can put all that ugliness from last year behind us. It would have been chaotic if she got to play Naomi again so soon so it may be a blessing in disguise.

    Naomi is looking like the No.1 player in the world. A final against Collins would be mouth watering.

    As I said, Mauresmo showing the world why she is a top coach as Pouille is up on Raonic. I was not surprised because Lendl and Zverev made it easy on him and he probably got a little fool’s gold from that victory, not realizing that Lendl was the “fool.” Maybe now the world will give Mauresmo her due for lifting Pouille to new levels. She may be on course to be elected to the HOF a second time as a coach.

  • Doug Day · January 23, 2019 at 6:33 am

    Wayne- could you expand more on the fools gold coach theme please?

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2019 at 7:21 am

    It’s possible Serena also subconsciously tanked the match last night to avoid the rematch with Osaka and have to live through that traumatic experience all over again. By losing she avoids it all, no questions, no agony of being on the court again with the beloved Bambi figure. Losing to Pliskova from MP was constructive for Serena, she showed she’s back at the top level and can win majors still and she has avoided opening the almost healed wounds and scars of the US Open final. Mauresmo is getting a lot of credit for this coaching of Pouille and deservedly so but I wish he would clarify in detail what she’s been able to instill in him that is working so well. Collins coach went on Tennis Channel last night and only spouted cliches about working hard, getting better every day, keeping it simple and enjoying the process. Surely Mauresmo is doing more than that.

  • Chazz · January 23, 2019 at 9:24 am

    Pouille has to be the biggest shocker of the tournament on the men’s side. I doubt anyone saw this coming.

  • Chazz · January 23, 2019 at 9:55 am

    Saw this stat: Pouille was 0-5 at the AO prior to this year. It was by far his worst major.

  • catherine · January 23, 2019 at 10:40 am

    Scoop – Why should any coach or player reveal details of what goes on between them in terms of tactics etc ? That would seem to me pretty silly, particularly in the middle of a tournament. Hostages to fortune etc…

    Good to see Mauresmo and Martinez flying the flag for women coaches at a high level.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 23, 2019 at 12:55 pm

    Sure Doug.

    Anyone who watched the Zverev-Raonic match saw a player who was ill prepared. As Hartt noted on this site, Raonic used the simple tactic of a slice backhand and Zverev was totally unprepared. Lendl clearly didn’t prepapre the player for this tactic at all and it made Zverev look foolish.

    I said after that match that such a tactic would not be effective against Pouille since Mauresmo knows her tennis and the slice in particular. And you saw how the match played off. You saw a game plan to be aggressive on the backhand return and take advantage of Milos at the net. The match should have been more in Lucas’ favor had he converted break points but Milos served well on those points. All in all, a tactical masterclass by Mauresmo.

    Meanwhile, Lendl is supposed to take Zverev to the next level and that was an awful match. The player was so baffled tactically it was hard to watch.

    Plus as you see Zverev has this macho personality that he is too stubborn to change. One thing a female voice provides is a motivation to do better; it comes from Erik Eriksson’s ground-breaking research that we all psychologically want to do well to please our mothers.
    That said, Zverev may be best coached by a German tennis player like Barbara Rittner or Anke Huber.

    All men respond to females telling them what to do – sometimes negatively, sometimes positively. Females put us through so much adversity. But if a man can learn to handle that adversity, he gets tougher mentally on the court. That is Fed’s secret in how Mirka gets him ready.
    Pouille no doubt has an attractive girlfriend but he also needs a woman in his life that commands respect. Mauresmo is perfect; it shows you the chauvanism of France that a French player had not thought of it before. Players like Tsonga and Monfils and Gasquet and even a French-speaking Goffin all should have been fighting for her services. Just imagine the success they could have. Credit Pouille for making the move. As McEnroe said, he looks like a different player.

  • catherine · January 23, 2019 at 1:44 pm

    Wayne

    I know this wasn’t addressed to me but I have to say I’m not sure about the Eriksson idea – or its relevance to tennis coaching. Most male players would probably feel a man understands their game better and therefore inspire more trust. And Eriksson’s theories are by no means accepted as Holy Writ these days. All a little speculative.

    I know Jimmy Connors was coached by his mother early on but at a certain stage she took him to California to be coached by her friend Pancho Segura. Gloria felt that Jimmy had reached the point where he would benefit from a male voice on the court. Thay may be true of other male players, I don’t know.

    So it’s not cut and dried. We may see more women coaches but I doubt they’ll ever be in the majority on the men’s circuit.

    Barbara Rittner is the head of women’s tennis at the DTB – I don’t know how much individual coaching she does. She’s probably got her hands full trying to find promising young German girls.

    ‘Females put us through so much adversity’ – that’s a sweeping statement and not too precise. Again, I wonder if you can isolate those psycholical aspects and exprapolate to the tennis court.

    And what about all those men who coach women ? Food for thought there.

    You know – maybe Lendl’s just a rotten coach. Ok for Murray but not otherwise.

  • catherine · January 23, 2019 at 1:56 pm

    PS – Erikson was close to Anna Freud and trained in the orthodox Freudian tradition – so if you don’t accept the dogmas of Freudian psychoanalytic theory, and I and many others don’t, then using Erikson’s research in this way is questionable to say the least.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 23, 2019 at 2:24 pm

    Catherine, you make some excellent points.

    Keep in mind that there are fine margins in tennis so even a little psychological boost can immensely help the player. Yes, Eriksson’s theories do not hold water with many but I see in Pouille someone who is humbled and willing to learn; I think McEnroe was right that he was too satisfied with his game after the early success. Mauresmo is the voice he needs. Everybody is different and Lucas seems to respond to this type of coaching.

    You see the opposite with Sascha, with his father and Lendl enjoying larger roles and his mother less so. Keep in mind that Sascha’s early development was with his mother when his father was away on the tour with Mischa.

    Here is my problem: No one is calling out Lendl and Agassi for being terrible coaches. If Mauresmo coached Sascha to that defeat against Milos, the tennis media would be calling for her head. Because it is Lendl, sexism is at play and I am the only one making the obvious point that he did a terrible job. Like I said, the French players are sexist as well for not hiring Amelie sooner.

    Lendl is a terrible coach and the media won’t call him out because of how patriarchal society is. I understand this but sometimes you have to trust your eyes and the results on the court. Mauresmo did far more against the same opponent with a lesser player than Lendl could with the superior player. The difference in coaching is plain to see but people don’t have the guts to say so unlike me. But I’m not here to please the world, just shine a line on the truth.

  • Hartt · January 23, 2019 at 3:45 pm

    It sounds like Mauresmo would be a good coach for many different players, both men and women. She coached the French Fed Cup team, and was slated to coach the French Davis Cup team before deciding to work with Lucas. She was given some credit for helping Bartoli win her Slam.

    Lucas had this to say:
    “She’s a champion; she’s a great, great coach,” said Pouille.

    “Men are coaching women, so why not the contrary? It’s not about being a man or a woman, it’s about knowing tennis and about having the good state of mind.

    “She’s bringing a lot of confidence to my game. The goal is not to reach the final, the semi-final – the goal is to improve my tennis, to put what I work on during practice into the match.”
    (BBC)

  • Doug Day · January 23, 2019 at 4:02 pm

    That’s my patriarchy alright Wayne- the one where females put us through so much adversity. Shine on your gutsy light.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 23, 2019 at 4:27 pm

    Meanwhile BBC reported that Tsitsipas got a coaching violation during his QF match.

    From BBC: All the momentum was with the Greek, and though he was given a warning for coaching during the break between sets, Tsitsipas rose to the challenge.

    Later he claimed his dad told him to drink water. But Mourataglou could have been giving him signals. Somehow the tennis announcers let it go since the Greek didn’t lose his mind like Serena. But it makes you wonder if this illegal coaching was going on when he beat Roger. I would venture to day yes.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 23, 2019 at 4:32 pm

    Ha Doug. But we don’t walk away, do we? Certainly Lucas won’t from that smoking gf with the tight white top and bare midriff last night.

    For Canadian fans, here is Milos Raonic explaining how interest rates work:

    https://twitter.com/macleans/status/1083053789974876162?s=19

  • q10 · January 23, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    I also remember that Serena showed a lot of happiness and respect when Stosur won the US open. (maybe she gifted that match)

  • Doug Day · January 23, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    Wayne – dont hold back now. Tsitsipas barely arrives and he’s a cheat, Lendl’s terrible coaching backed with pedestrian P.C. greivences. Why not lay in some swiss sport psychology and TMC titillation. Wait a minute.. you actually… did.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 23, 2019 at 10:32 pm

    Doug, I am truly sorry if I hurt your feelings but I tell no lies.

    FACT: Tsitsipas was called for coaching in his QF.

    FACT: The player coached by Lendl is ranked No. 4 in the world and got picked apart by a slice backhand and incompetent serving in a straight-set loss to Raonic.

    FACT: The player coached by Mauresmo is ranked No. 31 and had never won a match in Australia or a set over Raonic. But two days later, a game plan that included standing close to the baseline to negate Milos’ serve and being aggressive with the backhand derailed the Canadian.

    Those are the facts. We know if Mauresmo had coached Zverev to such a pathetic loss, everyone would be calling for her head. And rightfully so. I am just here to tell you that we should be doing the same with Lendl.

    I am sorry if the truth hurts your precious feelings,
    and don’t let the door hit you on the way out but Wayne Bradford knows the score.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 23, 2019 at 11:28 pm

    Alright, enough Lendl bashing. Let’s move on and bash someone else deserving. Kei Nishikori. Yet another pathetic end to a Slam for him. His Slam runs are quite a waste of time. Maybe he should learn how to train for a tennis tournament.

    I think we can all agree that was (yet another) gutless performance from the Japanese. I am sure Naomi Osaka is ashamed of him.

  • Chazz · January 23, 2019 at 11:56 pm

    Collins never really got in the flow, I didn’t look up the stats but I bet it was a terrible 1st serve percentage. Really ugly match to watch, it seemed like every point was either a Kvitova winner or unforced error by one of them. Kvitova still hasn’t lost a set.

    Kvitova should win the title(as should Nadal), my early round prediction.

  • catherine · January 24, 2019 at 1:39 am

    7-6 6-0 – 🙂

  • catherine · January 24, 2019 at 1:49 am

    Terrific heat, fans roasting, closed roof and very happy Petra.

    I’m not sure about the title but if anyone deserves it, she does.

    Simona spotted road testing Goffin’s ex-coach – expect an announcement soon.

  • catherine · January 24, 2019 at 2:36 am

    Osaka/Kvitova final. 3 tough sets but Naomi deserved the win.

    Got a feeling Petra and coach did some homework on her opponent after their Brisbane match.

    I do so love the exalted level of argument here on T-P – and not to hurt anyone’s feelings but I recall Mauresmo did get a fair amount of abuse (not too strong a word) when she was coaching Murray – she got the blame for every poor performance. And every tantrum from Sir Andy.

    Both Agassi and Lendl have this aura around them as coaches. I’m not sure why. They haven’t actually done much. I think Steffi should start coaching. She might begin with unpicking Angelique’s brain knot.

    Oh and Wayne – I’m sure Naomi is far too gracious to have any feeling but sympathy for Kei. They’re good friends anyway. They play computer games together.

  • Hartt · January 24, 2019 at 2:45 am

    The women’s final should be a terrific match. I am so looking forward to it, especially since both players are treat-eligible! 🙂

    Sadly, among the remaining men only Stefanos is treat-eligible and it would be a huge surprise if he won the title.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 24, 2019 at 3:51 am

    Cath,

    Congrats on seeing Collins humbled. I know you are quite satisfied with that last set. Collins got a taste of her own medicine.

    Kei still plays video games? Thought he was more mature by now.

  • catherine · January 24, 2019 at 7:55 am

    Collapso Tsitsipas – got a feeling Nadal won’t be denied.

    Wayne – last year Naomi was asked about Kei, if she knew him well eg and she giggled a bit and said she’d only recently got to know him because she was too shy before and that ‘he’s just a big boy really’ and they shared some of the same interests, ‘games and stuff’. She then giggled some more and said she’d probably get into trouble for calling him a ‘big boy’. So you may have a point there 🙂

  • Chazz · January 24, 2019 at 9:11 am

    Collins won more games off Kvitova than her 5 other opponents at AO (Barty, Anisimova, Bencic, Begu, Rybarikova).

    Tiafoe won more games off Nadal than 4 of his 5 other opponents (Tsitsipas, Berdych, de Minaur, Ebden).

    Perspective or reach. You decide. Lol.

  • Chazz · January 24, 2019 at 9:44 am

    Going with the last decade+ trend in men’s tennis of being predictable at the top, Djokovic will surrender 5 or 6 games total to Pouille in their SF match.

  • Thomas Tung · January 24, 2019 at 12:54 pm

    There is very much that kohai-sempai relationship in how Osaka deals with Nishikori — it’s a major fundamental element of Japanese culture (junior to senior). He is the older and more experienced; therefore, automatically commands respect (and deference) from a younger, less experienced contemporary. It also explains why she giggled when she spoke of Kei as a “big kid” (older acting like a junior). As I noted back during the US Open, Osaka’s mother has instilled in Naomi much of the deeper underpinnings of Japanese culture.

    I am absolutely certain that Osaka isn’t “ashamed” of Nishikori in any way — Kei’s body (for whatever reason) seems to be prone to breakdown, and he probably runs more than is absolutely necessary on the court (but that’s something he needs to talk over with his coaches: Chang and Bottini).

    As for “video games”: the last few surveys over 5 years or less, have shown that around 150 million Americans play video games (yes, cell phone games ARE “video games”, and when I’m riding the NY subways, I frequently see the most “surprising”, even “shocking” individuals playing said video games) …

    Keep in mind that the US has an estimated population of around 327 million or so …

  • Thomas Tung · January 24, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    The kohai-sempai relationship structure is (surprisingly) well-explained on Wikipedia:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senpai_and_k%C5%8Dhai

  • Hartt · January 24, 2019 at 7:09 pm

    Genie Bouchard and Bianca Andreescu will face each other in the QFs of the Oracle Challenger in Newport Beach. In live rankings Genie is at No. 72 and Bianca is No. 80, so this match will have an impact on who is the top ranked female player in Canada. Even if Bianca won the match she would not surpass Genie, but I think it is just a matter of time before she does. Anyway, it could be a very interesting match.

  • Doug Day · January 24, 2019 at 7:11 pm

    Fascinating cultural reveal there Thomas. The hierarchy has benefits too. Now I pray the one who knows the score – Wayne Godzilla Bradford doesnt do a fact suplex on your feelings.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 24, 2019 at 8:06 pm

    I confess I don’t know what a fact suplex means by this Doug character or what his insinuation is.

    But Thomas is 100 percent right about the kohai-sempai relationship as anybody who is educated and has a passing knowledge of Eastern cultures would ascertain.

    Not sure people understood that the ashamed comment was tongue in cheek. The point was more about Nishikori unsurprisingly crumbling yet again. The larger picture is how disappointing Nishikori, Raonic, Baby Fed and Berdych have been as pretenders to the throne for various reasons. Cilic has thankfully escaped their list. I leave Anderson out too since he is more of a late bloomer and wasn’t pegged to contend in Slams until the last couple years.

    It is clear for Nishikori to win a Slam that about 8 or 9 of the top players need to get food poisoning, including all of Nadal, Fed and Djoker.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 24, 2019 at 8:08 pm

    Tsitspas’ press conference was another example of arrogance humbled. Dunno if I have seen as many players as disappointed. He said he expected to win the match and didn’t come close.

    It’s the kind of beating that may have major psychological ramifications down the road. Now we find out what the Greek is made of after being swatted aside like a fly.

  • catherine · January 25, 2019 at 5:34 am

    Chazz – Djokovic surrendered 4 games to Pouille. So we’ll have a ‘record breaking”classic”all-time great’ final between Djoko & Nadal. 5 hrs ? 6 hrs ? Didn’t one last 7hrs a few years ago at AO ?

    No change at the top in ATP.

  • Doug Day · January 25, 2019 at 6:52 am

    Everyone suspects what these finals mount up to. Should Djokovic slay Nadal at Paris- the game’s Everest- how could he not become the new GOAT?

  • Chazz · January 25, 2019 at 8:17 am

    Catherine, I was one game off 🙂

    As much issues as there on the WTA, these semifinal matches are what’s wrong with the ATP. They were so predictable and for the most part followed the pattern of the last 10+ years. Something’s wrong when guys in their 30s gave up a total of 6 and 4 games in SF matches.

  • catherine · January 25, 2019 at 9:46 am

    Chazz –
    Maybe someone can come up with a theory about young men not wanting to kill their fathers – reverse Oedipal 🙂

    (‘young’ in this scenario meaning higher ranking )

  • catherine · January 25, 2019 at 2:50 pm

    Women’s final: My head says Naomi for the title and the rest of me just hopes it’s a good close match.

  • Hartt · January 25, 2019 at 3:01 pm

    Both are terrific players and appealing young women, so it is hard to choose which one I would like to win. I have no idea who will win, but am leaning towards wishing for a Petra win. Naomi is so young she will have many more chances at a Slam title in the future. But most of all am hoping for a close, competitive and entertaining match.

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 25, 2019 at 6:56 pm

    Gotta go with Naomi, she’s blossoming into a super champion right before our eyes. Kvitova is a very dangerous opponent, she looks in tip top shape, her best shape ever but I believe Osaka is showing something special now. She followed up the sensational US open triumph with another final run in her next major, something Kvitova failed to do after her majors. I was fortunate to learn some things about Osaka this week in Miami where I visited a small academy of a coach who worked with Osaka when she was just 12. He also worked with Serena when she was 12. He shared some interesting revelations about both which I will share later.

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 25, 2019 at 7:02 pm

    Thomas, thanks for sharing this info, I never heard about this before. Nice to learn something new. The more I see and hear about Osaka, the more I like her. She is becoming the world’s sweetheart. It was nice to hear Cliff Drysdale say several times on ESPN how much he adores Osaka, how she talks, how she plays, her character. Major respect shown by a legend for a young champion.

  • Hartt · January 25, 2019 at 7:54 pm

    Bianca Andreescu just beat Genie Bouchard 6-2, 6-0 in 55 minutes in the QFs of the Oracle Challenger in Newport Beach. I thought Bianca would win the match, but did not expect it to be so one-sided. Bianca did everything better – serving, hitting with power and accuracy, coming forward. I have said for some time that Bianca would be the top female player in Canada, and that will be soon. In live rankings she is No. 76 to Genie’s No. 72, and stands a good chance to pass Genie if she has another win in this tourney.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 25, 2019 at 8:30 pm

    Australian Open uploaded Collins’ press conference and she really is a classy, respectful young lady – beautiful too.
    This will show a different side.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20DSalDinxY

    Gotta believe Naomi will win big. Look for her to cash another Czech!

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 25, 2019 at 8:39 pm

    A stunningly resounding win by Andreescu over a pretty hot Bouchard. Hope this loss doesn’t kill her confidence and momentum. This kind of win vs a quality foe suggests Andreescu is gonna do something big this year.

  • Chazz · January 25, 2019 at 10:35 pm

    I’m sticking with Kvitova and Nadal. What I saw from Kvitova in the SF is that because she is so lanky she is able to get to hard to reach shots with relative ease. And when she is on offense and in a groove she’s able to hit ahots at extreme cross court angles that are difficult for anyone to get to. Should be a great match. Kvitova 6-4 in the 3rd.

  • Wayne Bradford · January 25, 2019 at 10:36 pm

    For all the Federer fans, here is footage of him leaving the airport in Melbourne. What a man!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgwzrcO5oKs

  • catherine · January 26, 2019 at 6:30 am

    Chazz – you nearly got it right – it was 6-4 in 3rd to Osaka.

    I wanted Petra to win but a fitting match for the final all in all.

  • Hartt · January 26, 2019 at 6:48 am

    I am happy with either player winning, but hoped a little more for a Petra victory.

    Naomi, at 21 years old, 2 Slam titles and the No. 1 ranking, has established herself as a superstar. Watching the rest of her career will be a lot of fun. 🙂

  • catherine · January 26, 2019 at 7:59 am

    Hartt – yes, I was hoping Petra could win mainly I suppose because Naomi is young and has years in front of her and Petra is nearing the end of her career – inevitably, but a career she can be proud of.

    Got the feeling this was a very popular match with the crowd – and relatively few nasty online comments which is a nice change.

  • Chazz · January 26, 2019 at 8:24 am

    Great match, it’s good Osaka was able to enjoy her title instead of having to put up with a sore loser and boos from a terrible crowd.

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