2015 US Open SF: Serena Williams vs. Roberta Vinci

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41JaR0TQM7c[/video]

 

[Fiero425]

What the heck happened? I was working and so did not see anything. At lunch time, I checked the score and it was 6-2, 2-1 with Serena up. I presumed everything will be fine. Just can't believe.

Did Serena self-destruct or did Vinci beat her?

In short, Serena's nerves finally overwhelmed her, and Vinci played bravely given the circumstances.

Vinci's only fault was maybe throwing up too many lobs! I know it's easy to say that maybe a pass was the way to go, but I'd make Serena volley over hitting those overheads! She's more vulnerable with the ball below the level of the net than the ones skied! I'm very proud of Vinci; nice win! Women's tennis finally got my heart racing; finally! :eyepop

 

[Front242]

So there you go. Told you she wasn't winning the calendar slam.

Congrats Front, I think you are one of the few who predicted she won't achieve CGS.

I missed the match but her losing to anyone wouldn't have surprised me in any round. There's only so much she can keep coming from behind to win in 3 sets like she did at RG. Sure she had it a bit easier in this tournament, but as a whole, too many dodgy performances and it was gonna happen sooner or later. That it was Vinci doesn't surprise me either as she's much better than many of the younger players out there.

 

[Fiero425]

Doubt she cares. She might win this slam at this rate.

The women needed this so much! If they had allowed "the old lady" to acquire a CYGS at her age, it wouldn't say much for them! The guys are still scratchin'; finally getting it done taking out Murray and Nadal this event! Nole and Roger are still in it, but at least they've proved to be overall best players this year! :clap :angel: :dodgy:

Vinci isn't much younger!

My jaw dropped and I screamed at the TV; "who are you old woman?" :lolz: :snicker :laydownlaughing

 

[tossip]

well Serena was her own worst enemy...she was sluggish and could not move her feet.

 

[tented]

What the heck happened? I was working and so did not see anything. At lunch time, I checked the score and it was 6-2, 2-1 with Serena up. I presumed everything will be fine. Just can't believe.

Did Serena self-destruct or did Vinci beat her?

Serena struggles at times you know. It just happened at the wrong moment against the wrong opponent, who was cool as a cucumber, closing it out at love. It was a stunning match really in every sense.

"Cool as a cucumber" is a bit much -- her ball toss was most revealingly showing how nervous she was -- but she did get it done. She was also aided in that last game with a few errors by Serena. It's not like Vinci hit four winners.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

It will be curious to see what happens in the WTA now. Do players say if Vinci can do it, why not me? and Serena faces a new tougher onslaught than even before. Or, do we see Serena unhappy and furious with this loss lay carnage for quite a while?

 

[herios]

What the heck happened? I was working and so did not see anything. At lunch time, I checked the score and it was 6-2, 2-1 with Serena up. I presumed everything will be fine. Just can't believe.

Did Serena self-destruct or did Vinci beat her?

Serena struggles at times you know. It just happened at the wrong moment against the wrong opponent, who was cool as a cucumber, closing it out at love. It was a stunning match really in every sense.

"Cool as a cucumber" is a bit much -- her ball toss was most revealingly showing how nervous she was -- but she did get it done. She was also aided in that last game with a few errors by Serena. It's not like Vinci hit four winners.

No, but did not flinch at all. 99% of the players would have.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

She didn't have to flinch Serena was quite good at helping her out.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Veni, Vidi, Vinci! :clap

 

[sk310]

I imagine we're not going to see a lot of Serena until Australia. Maybe 1 tourney before the WTA Championships. She has to reset her mind and focus on closing out here career in the next few years on her own terms.

 

[herios]

Veni, Vidi, Vinci! :clap

No kidding

 

[tossip]

She was struggling on serve ...everything was not working but she can still equal Steffi Graf next year.I think the pressure was too much from the media and that rain delay affected her....this match reminds me of Wimbledon 2013 against Lisicki when she played on monday after the sunday break...she was lethargic too.
I have to be honest she was struggling all summer and even to reach the qtrs was a struggle...I think she was mentally exhausted...

 

[kskate2]

Go Flavia. Win it all and go make pretty babies w/ F3

 

[Fiero425]

Serena struggles at times you know. It just happened at the wrong moment against the wrong opponent, who was cool as a cucumber, closing it out at love. It was a stunning match really in every sense.

"Cool as a cucumber" is a bit much -- her ball toss was most revealingly showing how nervous she was -- but she did get it done. She was also aided in that last game with a few errors by Serena. It's not like Vinci hit four winners.

No, but did not flinch at all. 99% of the players would have.

Vinci held her off! ANYONE else might have folded and given it back to Serena! It's been happening for years; esp. with AZA and 'Pova! You can give them 2 breaks and 40-15, 2 MP's and they'll find a way to lose that match! Ladies have been having serious trouble closing out Serena when on the ropes! Who would have thought a double's specialist would be the one brave enough to actually "finish it?" She did Pam Shriver proud after her wins over Navratilova in '78 & '82 USO's! :angel: :dodgy:

 

[tented]

I imagine we're not going to see a lot of Serena until Australia. Maybe 1 tourney before the WTA Championships. She has to reset her mind ...

My thinking as well. She always takes GS losses hard, but this one will be epic.

 

[Kirijax]

I heard that her presser lasted all of three minutes. And she was off the premises half an hour after the match. Was looking so good after the first set. Gonna be a tough few days for her.

Top player problems.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

I know I haven't been around this Open, but y'all know I had to come express my dismay over Serena's loss. So sad. Devastated. I mean, I hate to say that. I hate to say that I was that invested in it. Ya know. But I was.

But I also saw where Serena said early in the fortnight that if she didn't win this, it wouldn't be the end of the world for her. She had completed her second Serena slam and I guess that was a enough for her.

And while of course there's no proof, I totally called a close match. I completely thought Serena would pull it out. And I didn't think it would even go three. But I did think Serena would be tight. I did think she'd let the whole thing get to her. Because.... how could she not? She's so emotional. And she knows how huge this is. She's been up and down in matches all year. Not to mention here at the Open.

She's still amazing. She's still one of the greatest to ever play the game. (And no, if she had won this match and the US Open, I wouldn't have automatically named her the GOAT. At this point, I'm so over comparing eras. And despite a lack of depth, what Martina and Chrissy did, the sheer amount of titles, is unthinkable. It's amazing. And they changed the game. They made Serena's career possible. It had to go through Steffi and Monica to make it possible too. But the game doesn't become what it is today without Martina and Chrissy. Anyways...) And of course she's not done. She may go out and win the calendar year slam next year for all we know. Doubtful. But only because it's so difficult that it was always improbable that she would do it this year. It became less improbable as the year went on. But, I just can't say I'm surprised to see her falter here. In the end, Serena will have to deal with the fact, come to terms with that fact, that it was too much pressure. That she couldn't handle it today mentally. There is no way around that. She lost this match because it was just too much pressure.

If I'm honest, if the rain doesn't happen yesterday and they play these matches yesterday, Serena wins this match. I really think an extra day to let it all hit her hurt her. And I think Serena can get cold with too much time off and today she just wasn't able to get hot. Not with all the pressure weighing her down.

And finally something about the winner of the match....
Vinci just kept plugging away. Never gave up. Went down easy in the first set like she usually does against Serena, because Serena is in fact the superior player. But she kept fighting, even before she saw Serena get too tight. Then she recognized it and just kept going at it. And reaped the rewards. I don't think I thought Serena couldn't come back until she was down 0-30 in the last game. But when she failed to get the break back at the end of the second, I was like, oh no. Her tightness is only going to get worse. I was like, this is awful. This is terrifying because a third set is final. I still thought she'd win. But the signs were there even earlier in the final set. She broke to go up 2-0 and then let Vinci break back. She didn't get a break at 3-2. And when she failed to break down 4-3 with 2 break points, I knew she was in trouble. But I still believed. Right up until Vinci hit that great little volley at 15-0 in the last game to go up 30-0. At that point, I knew Serena was done. At that point, Vinci's resolve was too great. Maybe I thought she could still find a way. But once it was 3 match points, my shoulders slumped and I knew it was over.

 

[Fiero425]

She was struggling on serve ...everything was not working but she can still equal Steffi Graf next year.I think the pressure was too much from the media and that rain delay affected her....this match reminds me of Wimbledon 2013 against Lisicki when she played on monday after the sunday break...she was lethargic too.
I have to be honest she was struggling all summer and even to reach the qtrs was a struggle...I think she was mentally exhausted...

They had gone nuts in the media where this possible achievement was pending; Sportscenter, the cable news outlets, and social media! The more hype there is, the bigger the failure when it doesn't happen! This will devastate Williams; surely! :cover uzzled :nono :angel: :dodgy:

 

[tented]

"Cool as a cucumber" is a bit much -- her ball toss was most revealingly showing how nervous she was -- but she did get it done. She was also aided in that last game with a few errors by Serena. It's not like Vinci hit four winners.

No, but did not flinch at all. 99% of the players would have.

Vinci held her off! ANYONE else might have folded and given it back to Serena! It's been happening for years; esp. with AZA and 'Pova! You can give them 2 breaks and 40-15, 2 MP's and they'll find a way to lose that match! Ladies have been having serious trouble closing out Serena when on the ropes! Who would have thought a double's specialist would be the one brave enough to actually "finish it!" She did Pam Shriver proud after her wins over Navratilova in '78 & '82! :angel: :dodgy:

Today was not as much about Vinci specifically as people are suggesting. Yes, she played very well, she got the win, she deserved it, etc.

However, the far bigger part of the story was Serena. She had never lost to Vinci before -- and there's a reason for that! -- but today the pressure of completing the CYGS got to her, and she lost a match she never should have lost.

Put it this way: raise your hand if you would have bet even $100 on Vinci taking down Serena in, say, the first round? That's what I thought ...