AO Women's Final: Serena Williams (2) v Venus Williams (13)

[Tennis Fan]

I felt sad for Venus. It would be cool to see her win one more Slams before she hangs up the racquets, given everything she's been through. She should be proud of her two weeks and what she achieved.

I felt sad for her and wasn't really into the match as I thought it was a foregone conclusion. She did well, but not good enough. She should've really taken advantage of Serena's nerves in the first set.

 

[Tennis Fan]

Moxie I am not going back to sleep until Rafa's match I slept through the alarm

I hear you. My schedule is off kilter every year during the Australian because the matches I want to see come on at 3 p.m. I'm dragging like a zombie trying to get the simplest tasks done.

 

[teddytennisfan]

yes i would agree albeit Steffi Graf's era there was a lot more competitive and Serena's been around a lot longer on the tour. I can see her winning Slams 3-4 more years from now.

if serena stays healthy -- committed -- there is simply no player that can put up the level of technical mastery she brings when she is anywhere near or at her best.

break down the arsenal, shot by shot - serves, returns, forehand, backhand, rushing the net..cross court, down the line - NONE have that combination -- and riding on that kind of athleticism. PLUS the intensity and tactical sense.

health plus focus, and undiminished intensity and desire and concentration - it's hard to see anyone stop her from getting at least another major this year - perhaps -- STILL even the grand slam. it's a matter of replicating the ''space" she needed to be on top of her game in these past 2 weeks..

just the right amount of matches in between majors with the right amount of ''clearing of the mind" and keeping the body fresh for every assault on the next grand slam and next...
if NOT this year in a grand slam-- then next year -- but

25 - even 26 by the time she really gets bored or too beat up - is very conceivable.
for me -- the moment she became really committed -- no more fashion shows, flirting around with acting and singing career and all that -- about wht? 5 years ago now? when she had around a dozen? i was CERTAIN that if she stayed healthy and committed like this -- WHAT WE DID see yesterday was completely ''in the bag" as far as i was concerned.

 

[teddytennisfan]

yes i would agree albeit Steffi Graf's era there was a lot more competitive and Serena's been around a lot longer on the tour. I can see her winning Slams 3-4 more years from now.

being a STEFFI FAN (i get angry at britbox when he says he's MORE fan than I ) -
i would agree that steffi had more VARIETY of rivals in their styles - but not necessarily ''more competitive" in the way players are today round by round. maybe i am wrong both ways -- although on one hand quite many of the ''early round" girls are still a bit ''similar type" and so , probably more 'readable" by the better players.

in the 1990's in both mens' and women's -- probably because of the greater differences of surfaces -- the changes of styles a single player had to face in just ONE tournament to win it was , i think, of a greater variety and, i think, required wider adjustments for any single player in order to rack up a string of titles.

 

[teddytennisfan]

Yes I saw Margaret Court in the stands

i don't care what people say -- such as margaret court playing 11 of her majors at the AO OR ''before the open era" -- i think she was one of the most spectacular athletes and players. from the few old documentaries.

and to HIT with those old, small heavy wooden rackets. my god.

and then to RETIRE -- leave the scene for more than a year -- get married ..return and go straight back to the top as if nothing happened. then off again when she felt faint during an FO - to discover she was pregnant -- off again -- and come back as the 'FIRST MOTHER to Become WORLD NUMBER ONE!!

OPEN ERA - AND THEN WIN WHAT? 4 more majors? thats phenomenal.
it was really SHE that revolutionized women's tennis to become what it is TODAY -the first TRUE AMAZON player.of the kind we now see so normally.

 

[teddytennisfan]

I think I'd acknowledge Serena as the greatest ever now. I've been in denial.

you don't have to call it ''in denial"
things such as ''goat" is SERIOUS business and it does take making an assault upon records because most people put great stock in such things. 22 majors -- surpassed - and all that.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

i don't care what people say -- such as margaret court playing 11 of her majors at the AO OR ''before the open era" -- i think she was one of the most spectacular athletes and players. from the few old documentaries.

and to HIT with those old, small heavy wooden rackets. my god.

I went to a lunch at Tennis NSW about 4 years ago,I do work for Tennis NSW BTW and Margaret Court was the speaker.Margaret Court a Legend as far as I am concerned.Margaret was a left handered player and decided to play right handered.Margaret also trained with men using weights,something never heard of.Margaret said even back in her day she knew she had to be strong. I had the pleasure of interviewing Margaret and asked her what was the hardest GS she had played.Margaret said Wimbledon,she never handled the main court.

 

[teddytennisfan]

It's over already?

NOOO -- they are moving it to monday -- to allow nadal to sleep extra -
and they changed the format -- in the finals -- roger and rafa will be hitting against a wall only. the one that makes more returns wins.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I went to a lunch at Tennis NSW about 4 years ago,I do work for Tennis NSW BTW and Margaret Court was the speaker.Margaret Court a Legend as far as I am concerned.Margaret was a left handered player and decided to play right handered.Margaret also trained with men using weights,something never heard of.Margaret said even back in her day she knew she had to be strong. I had the pleasure of interviewing Margaret and asked her what was the hardest GS she had played.Margaret said Wimbledon,she never handled the main court.

BTW

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

BTW Margaret Court also said in hindsight she should have stayed a leftie,she thinks she would have won more titles.

 

[teddytennisfan]

I went to a lunch at Tennis NSW about 4 years ago,I do work for Tennis NSW BTW and Margaret Court was the speaker.Margaret Court a Legend as far as I am concerned.Margaret was a left handered player and decided to play right handered.Margaret also trained with men using weights,something never heard of.Margaret said even back in her day she knew she had to be strong. I had the pleasure of interviewing Margaret and asked her what was the hardest GS she had played.Margaret said Wimbledon,she never handled the main court.

when this internet thingie was younger - like in the late 1990's -- and i was just learning how to surf -- i was such an avid reader of these legends - gosh.
who LEW HOAD was -- what were teh REAL ''big boys, big gals" tours - just reading and the stories by their peers, the intrigues and who believes who is better and the arguments among the historians..nice stuff.

of course i'ts just a much different world now -- but the careers and rivalries of those past players had a real charm all their own.

and it also shows that THEIR notions or evaluation of ''greatness" was quite a bit different than today's in which they DID put great stock - it seems -- to head-to-head rivalries ...since a lot of their ''professional tours" were weighted to gather crowds based on the pairings of this or that champion in series of rivalries. remember ?

 

[teddytennisfan]

BTW Margaret Court also said in hindsight she should have stayed a leftie,she thinks she would have won more titles.

that IS so interesting.

i loved the way the stories described her playing..how she was known as ''THE ASSASSIN AT THE NET". because of how she would so aggressively assassinate an opponent. and those photos catchin her in action jumping up high to hit those volleyes or smashes a la Pete Sampras or pancho gonzales..


AND remember she had the SIZE and height of today's players too.
love it!!

 

[Vince Evert]

being a STEFFI FAN (i get angry at britbox when he says he's MORE fan than I ) -
i would agree that steffi had more VARIETY of rivals in their styles - but not necessarily ''more competitive" in the way players are today round by round. maybe i am wrong both ways -- although on one hand quite many of the ''early round" girls are still a bit ''similar type" and so , probably more 'readable" by the better players.

in the 1990's in both mens' and women's -- probably because of the greater differences of surfaces -- the changes of styles a single player had to face in just ONE tournament to win it was , i think, of a greater variety and, i think, required wider adjustments for any single player in order to rack up a string of titles.

LOL maybe he is. Anyhow that makes three of us being Graf fans.

Methinks Serena should be assigned the number one ranking indefinitely or until she retired as quite frankly, no one else in the WTA tour deserves it as they lack consistency or Serena's dedication and work ethic she puts into her tennis. Keep her at number 1 until a more deserving and consistent rival comes along that can challenge her status as the best.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

LOL maybe he is. Anyhow that makes three of us being Graf fans.

Methinks Serena should be assigned the number one ranking indefinitely or until she retired as quite frankly, no one else in the WTA tour deserves it as they lack consistency or Serena's dedication and work ethic she puts into her tennis. Keep her at number 1 until a more deserving and consistent rival comes along that can challenge her status as the best.

I am also a huge Graf fan and have watched her live,I also agree with Britbox that Graf faced in many ways stronger opposition..........still I have always been a Serena fan and to watch her live is a great experience.To watch Serena coming on court she has a 'presence' that is chilling.

 

[Vince Evert]

Australian tv ratings for the Serena Williams vs Venus Williams final were slightly down from last years women's final, but the 2017 final still beat the Cricket Big Bash Final -
Nationally, the showdown between the Williams sisters, across the country, averaged 1.8 million viewers, down from 2.1 million viewers from last year's Australian Open women's final.

Read more: http://www.afr.com/business/media-a...-tv-rights-deal-20170125-gtyv1b#ixzz4XIMWV1Jp

 

[Vince Evert]

Be cool to read the ESPN figures (for both finals) but so far have not been able to.