[Protoss]

Serena holds for 6-1 2nd set. The match was 1 hour 3 minutes long.

Serena lost only 8 games in her last 4 matches, all of them being top 15 ranked opponents. That's really bad for the tour.

[CWTennis]

So Serena's longest match at the Olympics was against Caro! Bravo Caro!

[TennisFan66]

Originally Posted by Chrissie-fan

Well, say about Sharapova what you will, but I expect her to put up a fight tomorrow.

Sorry, Chrissie, but I remembered this comment of yours and just had to quote it

[DownInAHole]

Originally Posted by Jimmie48

5-1

I wonder if Caro & Vika feel better about their matches now...

They shouldn't. It doesn't matter how other players do they should be concerned about how they did and in both cases they did not do well.

[TennisFan66]

Maybe I'm just in a good mood from winning double bets on Vika and Serena Williams, but when all is said and done, grass is very much a specialist surface. On hard court, Caro, won against Serena W and took Serena W (as the only player) to a deciding 3rd set on clay in Madrid. .. It's easy to be down, after Caro missed out on a medals match, but when you look at Kirilenko, you just have to have that bit of luck, when there's a 25% risk of landing in Serena W. quarter.

[Jimmie48]

I agree, she will be in no shape or form this dominant on hardcourt. If she would it would be damaging to the sport...this isn't good at all.

[DownInAHole]

I agree with you guys but if you are ranked number one, three or eight and you lose that badly, regardless of the surface, it is still embarrassing.

Will Serena be this dominant on hardcourts? That seems unlikely but she still has to be considered the favourite at the U.S. Open. It would be great for the rest of the field if someone could defeat her in Montreal/Cincinnati and at least prove that she is beatable.

[terjw]

Originally Posted by DownInAHole

They shouldn't. It doesn't matter how other players do they should be concerned about how they did and in both cases they did not do well.

I honestlly don't think they should spend any time at all worrying about it or being concerned. Nor do I think this final with Sharapova getting easily beaten makes any difference at all to how Vika or Caro think. I'm sure they have both just moved on. On Serena's best surface - she was simply miles better this Olympics than anyone else and worrying or being concerned about it when Serena was at her peak on her best surface won't do them any good at all.

Far more important for Caro is to build on her three wins she had and start some winning streaks. If she draws Serena again - don't give her anything and ensure she has to play well to win. But if Serena does play at her best - losing 6-0 6-0 even is just one lost match.

There's a couple of huge problems playing against Serena and I saw them in the today's match:

1. After taking a barrage I saw Sharapova set herself a golden chance to win a point with Serena at her mercy. She hits it out. That is what a barrage and pressure does to you when you know you have to take this one chance.
   .
2. You play a couple of outstanding points on Serena's serve. And then she blasts a couple of aces to neutralise your work.

I think on (1) it's about how strong you can be not to crack under a barrage. Everyone will. But it's a question of some players having more resistance than others. On 2. - theres nothing you can do about it. But Serena doesn't play lights out every match. And when she doesn't - you have to be ready.

[Chrissie-fan]

Originally Posted by TennisFan66

Sorry, Chrissie, but I remembered this comment of yours and just had to quote it

I knew somebody would remember, and considering how much you love Shappy I had a feeling it would be you.

But I'm sure she tried as hard as she could. Serena is just superior on every level compared to all these other players.

[marineblue]

Originally Posted by CWTennis

So Serena's longest match at the Olympics was against Caro! Bravo Caro!

And she managed to score 2 more games There's some light in the end of this tunnel

[marineblue]

Originally Posted by Chrissie-fan

I knew somebody would remember, and considering how much you love Shappy I had a feeling it would be you.

But I'm sure she tried as hard as she could. Serena is just superior on every level compared to all these other players.

She just couldn't do anything against Serena. The pressure and their previous matches got to her and she was on the verge of crying in the second set.

I think that if Serena stays healthy during hard courts in USA it's likely to be the same story at big events. I think she is aiming for no.1 by the end of the year.

[Chrissie-fan]

Originally Posted by marineblue

I think that if Serena stays healthy during hard courts in USA it's likely to be the same story at big events. I think she is aiming for no.1 by the end of the year.

If she plays after the USO I think it's almost inevitable that she'll be the year end number one. I think she will dominate on hard courts as well, although I expect some of the others not to be as helpless as a baby against her on that surface.

[goldenlox]

During Wimbledon Serena was in close matches in week one. Vika almost got to 1 set all.
This was a crazy level of domination.
There was a window the past year where Li, Kvitova, Stosur, Azarenka, Sharapova won majors.
But it looks like Serena is about to take over the majors again. Anywhere near this level wins the next 2 at least

[C. W. Fields]

Because Masha lost, Vika stays No. 1 but now there's four players with 8000-something points. Vika doesn't have too many points to defend until YEC so she'll stay no. 1 with a fairly good USO Series.

[Jimmie48]

The YE#1 race could be really, really close this year.