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Sloane deserves credit injury or not most players would have choked this match

4K views 51 replies 36 participants last post by  Matt01 
#1 ·
I think Serena was indeed injured in the second set when she hurt her back and Sloane almost let Serena back into the second set but managed to win it and push it to a third set. However, in the third set, I got to give Sloane Stephens credit most players would have choked against Serena even though she is injured. When Serena broke Sloane for 4-3 in the third I thought the match was over. So credit to Sloane for fighting and not giving up like most players would have done. I did not expect this, Sloane did an amazing job to drive the ball, make Serena run and earned this victory. Well done Sloane she beat the best female tennis player of all time and a great champion. I hope this victory gives Sloane a lot of confidence. This girl is really good she is incredibly powerful and very quick.
 
#3 ·
Absolutely...and you have to take into account that she was playing for a SF spot on a Gran Slam for the first time in her career and playing her idol/mentor. She really deserves credit because Serena despite not being 100% did not give her the match she fought for it.
 
#10 ·
Oh well, it took Sharapova and Henin to beat an injured Serena in 3 sets too. '04 YEC final and '07 Wimbledon QF, she's TOUGH to beat even when she's injured.
 
#41 ·
Not good examples, because Maria and specially Henin beated healthy Serena several times. In fact Henin has several two sets victories against her.

But yes, Sloane deserves credit, because in fact most wta players, including some top players would have choked for sure
 
#13 ·
Congrats Sloane!!!

You played a great match and you used an all court game and you won. I for one thought you were overrated, but after seeing all of your arsenal tonight, I don't thinks so.

Sloane played a great game and she's young and still learning how to play and keep focus and choose the best shot selection; and most of all she's learning how to be mentally tough.

Serena didn't give her the match because in the third set that medicine kicked in and Serena started hitting some hard serves, but Sloane was able to get them back and neutralize Serena's power. Once she did that she easily ran her from side to side.

Good win Sloane, now don't celebrate because you haven't won the title. Calm down and refocus on your match with Vika. Go Sloane:bounce::bounce:
 
#14 ·
That Serena was injured is a convenient excuse for Serena fans to explain away the rare loss. As I understood it, the injury was simply back spasms that was controlled by pain killers. Admittedly the pain killers took some time to take effect. From my viewpoint and confirmed by the announcers the pain killers would have fully numbed the pain at the very latest by the start of the fifth game in the third set. Professional athletes play through pain like this all the time; it is an occupational hazard.

There is no denying by the 6th game of the third set if not before Serena was playing at her normal skill level. And she did break Sloane’s serve at the seventh game to go ahead 4-3. Recalling the next three games all won by Sloane and hence the match, I cannot remember Serena losing any point that you can suggest was due to the injury. She was simply outplayed.

There is no asterisk to this match. Sloane was full value for this upset win.
 
#20 ·
The loss is the loss...no but's nor if's. Sloane played well and that was it. I do think that without the back acting up in set two, Serena wins it in two..but well the back acted up and nothing can do about it.
 
#21 ·
It is amazing that Serena beats Maria & Vika every time, but she lost to Makarova, Razzano & Stephens at slams in the last 12 months
Thats why its a great sport. One on one. Each day is a chance for the impossible
 
#23 ·
I think Serena was indeed injured in the second set when she hurt her back and Sloane almost let Serena back into the second set but managed to win it and push it to a third set. However, in the third set, I got to give Sloane Stephens credit most players would have choked against Serena even though she is injured. When Serena broke Sloane for 4-3 in the third I thought the match was over. So credit to Sloane for fighting and not giving up like most players would have done. I did not expect this, Sloane did an amazing job to drive the ball, make Serena run and earned this victory. Well done Sloane she beat the best female tennis player of all time and a great champion. I hope this victory gives Sloane a lot of confidence. This girl is really good she is incredibly powerful and very quick.
:hug:
 
#24 ·
If anyone watched the match between Serena and Sloane, she did not beat Serena because of the slow balls Serena was serving in the second set. As a matter of fact when Serena came back from her timeout injury she won her games.

Sloane had a hard time with Serena's slow serves because they had no pace on them. That's why MJF said that Sloane was gonna have to calm down and concentrate because she was actually hitting those balls out because they had on pace on them, and Serena was winning the points.

Serena was clearly able to serve in the third set.. The problem for her was that Sloane began to step back further and she began to get a read on Serena's serve and she began to retrieve those balls deep and to the sides of the court. She kept Serena on the run because she wasn't returning in "the middle of the court" like Serena likes it.

Sloane took control of the points by running Serena side to side; by retrieving all of Serena's HARD GROUND STROKES, and by "drawing Serena to net and then coming in herself and beating Serena at net. I carefully watched what sloane did.

In the first set Sloan one her first 3 games at 40 love. It was only when she was one serve at 4-3 that she made some errors that cost her the game and Serena went up 5-3. And that was due to INEXPERIENCE.

Sloane hit that short ball, which made Serena have to run to the net to get it and that's what caused the tweak in her back. After she took that timeout injury, Sloane lost concentration and Serena was just going for broke on sloane's serve and she broke back and took the lead.

When that medicine kicked in at the end of the second set, Serena began to hit her serves, but Sloane stood back far enough to get a read on them, and like MJF kept saying is that Sloane was reading her serve and she was retrieving those balls. Sloan had more winners than Serena when Serena was winning the game. Sloane's made some ROOKIE mistakes with her serve and that is what cost her the first set.

She ran Serena enough to make Serena's serve go off because her entire game is built around her serve. In the third set Serena started hitting her hard serves again, but the problem was that Sloane had gotten a read on them and she was returning the deep and in the corners and even when Serena was hitting some hard ground strokes, Sloane not only absorbed those ground strokes, but she was hitting winner after winner on the run.

Serena began to hit winners and both players was hitting some great shots, but it Sloans ability to get to basically all of Serena's shots and return them deep with the winners, and most of all she brought Serena in with deep slow shots with a lot of spin on those balls and that caused her problems.

Sloane is a young player and she still has a lot to learn because she's not as experienced as the older girls. This was her chance to win and she held her cool and she kept Serena on the run and she won. All players have to take their opportunities. Serena has taken her opportunities and Sloane took her opportunity and she's in the semi's.

What I loved about Sloane is that she didn't jump up and down after the win and that was so smart because she still has not won the title. She has two more rounds to go and Vika, Maria, or Li is not gonna give her the title. She's still gotta go through them to get the title.

And now that Venus and Serena is out of the AO, I'm rooting for the American and praying Sloane can keep it together mentally and execute her game enough to lift up that trophy on Saturday. That would be so cool if another African American could win a grand slam for America.

May be this is the new beginning of a rivalry between Sloane and Serena. Serena and Venus are old in terms of tennis years. It's time these new young American's step up and announce that they have arrived. I love the other American, I think her name is Keys. It's time this younger generation of American tennis players do just like Venus and Serena did when they came on the scene. It's time they start winning and began to take the mantle so when the Williams sisters do leave tennis in the next 4 years, they will be in place to reign.

Serena will win more grand slams, but yesterday was Sloane's coming out party and it was nice to see some NEW BLOOD in American Tennis. Go Sloane, I hope you win the title because all eyes are on you!
 
#27 ·
I think you gave a very true and honest account of the match. :clap2:

However, I'm not sure what Sloane's future truly is. A lot of things were in her favor yesterday (Serena's temperament due to her injuries, Sloane revenge from their previous "Disrespectful" match, no pressure as she was supposed to be cannon fodder for Williams 'expected' stampede to the finals, Sloane looking for respect with her friend/mentor and playing out of her mind, etc.). That remains to be seen. Steven's may get smoked by Azarenka today, and then what?

I'm also not sure that Serena is going to roll up the majors in 2013 like in 2012, just by right, either. This should be a vivid example. Oh no. You still gotta play. :eek:

We'll see?
 
#30 ·
IMO most players who made the 4th round would have won this match. I can't think of many who would have choked.
 
#43 ·
I agree that Sloane deserves credit. Sloane had worked hard to make a match of it in the middle of the second set. The injury coincided with Sloane's good form and it was going to be a case of who handled it best. Sloane almost did not handle it well but recovered to take the second set. In the third, Serena was playing well again and led 4-3. But Sloane managed to stay in the match and take her chances when many players would not have done. It is a very positive sign for her future, showing what she is made of.
 
#45 ·
She does deserve credit a lot of players would have freaked out and lost.
 
#47 ·
“I don't think my level was high. I don't know how many unforced errors I ended up hitting, but for sure more in one set than I probably did in the whole tournament.

“So I think her level was high. But as for my end, I mean, you can tell. You each can say this is definitely not my best match in months.”

For the record, Williams struck 48 unforced errors to her opponent’s 39. Considering Williams hadn’t hit more than 25 in any of her previous matches in Melbourne, then statistically this was easily her worst performance.
 
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