Maybe I am naive, but I think it is brought up with respect to the Williams sisters because they took the women’s game to a completely different level, particularly with respect to power and speed, such that it looks to the casual observer as if they might be able to compete with men. Plus when they were younger, the Williams themselves alluded to being competitive with men, although they were only teenagers at the time and have wisely kept quiet since.
Hence to my mind it is a compliment to the Williams that some people raise the question of whether women can compete with men. As is the case in this thread, the question is usually raised by people who do not know much about tennis. Xema himself is open about that and is genuinely curious to know the answer. Several people with more tennis knowledge have answered - fighting ignorance, and all that. I really don’t see any disturbing issues here.
Exactly. The WTA sets rules for the ranking system giving points at varying levels according to the prestige of the tournament, and requires a minimum number of tournaments to be played. That seems entirely reasonable to me. If the best player in the world, as Serena has clearly been for several years, does not play in many tournaments (whether by choice or forced by injury), then that person does not get the #1 ranking. There is no fundamental rule that says that the number 1 ranked player has to be the best in the world and vice versa. Serena is the best in the world and Wozniacki is the deserving #1 ranked player.
Could I possibly hate Serena Williams any more than I already did? Why yes I could. Way to debase the sport once again, Williams. Next time, bring class.
BTW, even I called the hindrance. I turned to my husband and said, “You can’t do that.”
She shouted, “Come on!” after she hit a great forehand. The point wasn’t over yet. It would have been a winner. She got a hindrance penalty and the point went to Stosur.
She hit a ball that she thought was a winner and yelled “Come on.” Stosur just barely got her racquet on it, so Serena was called for a point penalty and Stosur won the game. You can’t shout while the ball’s in play, but it was a dodgy call. Stosur had no chance to hit that ball back.
Anyway that was a fantastic match by Stosur. Serena didn’t look her best - I think the foot was bothering her - but Stosur played great throughout and rose to the occasion. She deserved to win.
I disagree. She should have waited til the point was over. At the very best, it was horribly unsportsmanlike. But I have zero sympathy for Williams because she knows the rules and couldn’t control herself. As Carrillo said, “Bad form.”
She thought the point was over. She was a little early and she should’ve just waited, but there you have it.
I don’t think saying “Come on” half a second early at a juncture where it made no difference is even intentional, nevermind unsportsmanlike. Anyway in her postmatch comments she said the call made no difference.
I can’t recall one instance where a male or female player has ever called out like that in the middle of a point. I’ve seen a lot of fist pumps and yelling, but always after the point is over. That is the difference and a very important distinction.
It wasn’t the middle of the point. It was the end of the point. Stosur happened to get her racquet on the ball, but didn’t come anywhere close to putting it in play. If she hadn’t stuck her racquet out, nobody would have noticed. The rules are what they are, but her slightly-early yell did not affect the point at all. If the umpire had to get involved I think a let would have been a better solution. I’d rather talk about Stosur’s performance rather than this.
