[rjd1111]

" #1 Victoria Azarenka
Strengths:
- Currently the best returner in the game "



I have heard this said about Sharapova also.

Serena IMO is the best returner in the game today

She is 8 - 0 vs the two players above

and her return was a major part of those victories.

the way she was slapping their serves around

Players are afraid to serve to her. Even good

servers have double faults when playing her.

they know they have to put something more on their serves

to keep from eating it...hence....doublefaults.

[Miss Atomic Bomb]

At 4-4 30-30 which player are you going to bet on to pull through?

Throughout her career, Serena has shown an unparalleled ability to raise her game when her back is against the wall. She might have been missing all her backhands and forehand throughout the match, but when it comes to the clutch times she starts turning them into winning shots more often than not. Her will to not lose along with her serve as set her apart from all her peers

And LOL @ at people saying Martha wins ugly more times than Serena does so she is mentally superior. Martha has to win ugly because she is vastly INFERIOR as a player.

Sent from my Galaxy Note II using VerticalSports.Com App

[MrProdigy555]

Originally Posted by Bradbury

At 4-4 30-30 which player are you going to bet on to pull through?

Throughout her career, Serena has shown an unparalleled ability to raise her game when her back is against the wall. She might have been missing all her backhands and forehand throughout the match, but when it comes to the clutch times she starts turning them into winning shots more often than not. Her will to not lose along with her serve as set her apart from all her peers

And LOL @ at people saying Martha wins ugly more times than Serena does so she is mentally superior. Martha has to win ugly because she is vastly INFERIOR as a player.

Sent from my Galaxy Note II using VerticalSports.Com App

Clock that T, bb.


*an example of this is when Serena was down at the US Open (Vika 5-4 30-15, I think) and Serena hit an unbelievable running forehand winner down the line. That point made the difference of either having to fend off 2 match points or having an easier chance of breaking Azarenka. Serena shows up, mentally, for those important moments.

[bandabou]

Originally Posted by MrProdigy555

Clock that T, bb.


*an example of this is when Serena was down at the US Open (Vika 5-4 30-15, I think) and Serena hit an unbelievable running forehand winner down the line. That point made the difference of either having to fend off 2 match points or having an easier chance of breaking Azarenka. Serena shows up, mentally, for those important moments.

Good points. That's what makes Serena..not only her condifence that she will make it, but the fearlessness.
Her forehand was gone for a whol set and a half..but 5-4 30-15 down? She GOES for it..full throttle down the line and KNOWS she will make it. THAT'S mental toughness.

[Chrissie-fan]

Originally Posted by Bradbury

And LOL @ at people saying Martha wins ugly more times than Serena does so she is mentally superior. Martha has to win ugly because she is vastly INFERIOR as a player.

Well, every player is inferior to Serena, not only Maria. To enable someone to challenge Serena on a consistent basis she would need all the best qualities of every other top player combined. But reading TF one could get the impression that the top ten or twenty players consist of one genius and a collection of nobody's, which does neither Serena or the tour as a whole any favors.

As for mental superiority, I think that both, or all three if we include Vika are very tough. The outstanding record that both Maria and Vika have in three set matches testify to that. The main reason that for example Maria always loses by such a big margin against Serena is that everything Maria does very well Serena does even better. I don't think that a lack of mental toughness is the reason why Maria suffers all those beatdowns, she's just being outhit. In their match at the YEC for example I think Maria was mentally as tough as she could possibly be and she definitely played a good match. But to no avail because Serena was just too good.

It's hard to measure mental toughness anyway. For all we know the #250 ranked player in the world may be a mental giant, but she's just not good enough to do better and without her mental toughness she might be the #500.

[bandabou]

Originally Posted by Chrissie-fan

Well, every player is inferior to Serena, not only Maria. To enable someone to challenge Serena on a consistent basis she would need all the best qualities of every other top player combined. But reading TF one could get the impression that the top ten or twenty players consist of one genius and a collection of nobody's, which does neither Serena or the tour as a whole any favors.

As for mental superiority, I think that both, or all three if we include Vika are very tough. The outstanding record that both Maria and Vika have in three set matches testify to that. The main reason that for example Maria always loses by such a big margin against Serena is that everything Maria does very well Serena does even better. I don't think that a lack of mental toughness is the reason why Maria suffers all those beatdowns, she's just being outhit. In their match at the YEC for example I think Maria was mentally as tough as she could possibly be and she definitely played a good match. But to no avail because Serena was just too good.

It's hard to measure mental toughness anyway. For all we know the #250 ranked player in the world may be a mental giant, but she's just not good enough to do better and without her mental toughness she might be the #500.

I hear you, buddy.

But the thing is: you're like the ONLY voice of reason among Mashafans.
If Mashatards would just accept the fact that Serena IS better than Maria..mentally, gamewise, movementwise, etc... then there wouldn't be much problem.

Instead all you hear from douchesanders and co: Serena doesn't have a groundgame, Serena doesn't have movement, yada yada..

[NashaMasha]

If Mashatards would just accept the fact that Serena IS better than Maria..mentally, gamewise, movementwise, etc... then there wouldn't be much problem.

they wouldn't , because Masha won 2 big Finals playing verus Serena and it's hers, nobody else won more big finals playing against Serena

[bandabou]

Originally Posted by NashaMasha

they wouldn't , because Masha won 2 big Finals playing verus Serena and it's hers, nobody else won more big finals playing against Serena

2 wins followed with 9 losses in a row ( with scorelines 6-1 6-0, 6-1 6-1, etc..)
All those two losses have been set straight so thoroughly by Serena I mean..and you guys STILL talking?!

[NashaMasha]

Originally Posted by bandabou

2 wins followed with 9 losses in a row ( with scorelines 6-1 6-0, 6-1 6-1, etc..)
All those two losses have been set straight so thoroughly by Serena I mean..and you guys STILL talking?!

or 2-6 7-5 8-6, 7-5 4-6 6-1, 7-6(9) 6-4

a number of players haven't won a match vs her, it will take centuries when the likes of overhyped here Azarenkas and Radwanskas will win 2 Finals versus Serena or maybe they will never do it

Henin won only 2 matches vs Serena outside clay , Clijsters, Mauresmo also only 2 matches , but only Masha is always being mocked for not beating Serena more

[bandabou]

Originally Posted by NashaMasha

or 2-6 7-5 8-6, 7-5 4-6 6-1, 7-6(9) 6-4

a number of players haven't won a match vs her, it will take centuries when the likes of overhyped here Azarenkas and Radwanskas will win 2 Finals versus Serena or maybe they will never do it

Henin won only 2 matches vs Serena outside clay , Clijsters, Mauresmo also only 2 matches , but only Masha is always being mocked for not beating Serena more

Because none of them were even put on a pedestal they didn't deserve. Commentators saying things like: maria's still the better player and this was in '12, yada yada... that's the reason that Masha gets the full wrath.

[doomsday]

Originally Posted by bandabou

I hear you, buddy.

But the thing is: you're like the ONLY voice of reason among Mashafans.
If Mashatards would just accept the fact that Serena IS better than Maria..mentally, gamewise, movementwise, etc... then there wouldn't be much problem.

Instead all you hear from douchesanders and co: Serena doesn't have a groundgame, Serena doesn't have movement, yada yada..

Serena is better than Maria off clay this can't be contested.
But on clay, Maria is miles ahead of her as well.

[Stonerpova]

Originally Posted by bandabou

Because none of them were even put on a pedestal they didn't deserve. Commentators saying things like: maria's still the better player and this was in '12, yada yada... that's the reason that Masha gets the full wrath.

Who said Maria was better this year

[Chrissie-fan]

Originally Posted by bandabou

But the thing is: you're like the ONLY voice of reason among Mashafans.
If Mashatards would just accept the fact that Serena IS better than Maria..mentally, gamewise, movementwise, etc... then there wouldn't be much problem.

I very much doubt that I'm "the only voice of reason among Mashafans." It's just that people on both side of the issue often are drawn into a mudpie throwing contest, or something that comes close to it whenever there is a this vs that player discussion, and Serena vs Maria seems an even more sensitive comparison than most. So whenever they feel that someone from the opposite side is throwing a shade (learned that expression at GM, so it's good for something after all ) at their fave they go into payback mode and say something that they hope will upset them as well, even though they don't really think it's true, or it's at least an exaggerated version of what they think is true. It's a vicious circle really. Nobody is really sure who started it but everyone is convinced that it wasn't them.

[bandabou]

Originally Posted by Griffin.

Who said Maria was better this year

Mary Carillo...you know the usual suspects.

[bandabou]

Originally Posted by doomsday

Serena is better than Maria off clay this can't be contested.
But on clay, Maria is miles ahead of her as well.

Recently Masha's had the better results on clay, so yeah...kinda like Juju vs Serena.