[Helen Lawson]

The whole 2005 Australian Open dwarfs the Pyramids.

[Atlicznie]

Originally Posted by MakarovaFan

Geez first post in . Guess you can't read.

Guess you just can't take things lightly.
Loose your buttocks.

[yoke]

2012 Olympics.

One-sided battles exist.

[TSequoia01]

Definitely AO 05, was so tired of Carillo constantly saying how much greater Maria was than Serena, even after Serena won would not shutup about it.

[L'Enfant Sauvage]

Watching Maria battle to preserve her dignity at the AO or Olympics finals trumps these choices.

Of the four listed it's gotta be 2005 AO SF, that was a classic. I wish this poll was public so we could see who voted otherwise(mainly 2004 YEC F which was a mediocre match that ended on very bad terms ) just for the kikis. I'm sure like in the Peak Venus vs. Peak Pova thread their names all contain "Masha" "Shara" or "Pova"

[@danieln1]

Obviously the Australian Open SF

Saving those match points

[ZeroSumGame]

Gotta be AO 2005 Serena got to a slow start, both played outstanding, Maria with the MPs & Serena roars back with grit & mental tanacity


@ the Masha/Grigor pic ...Masha looking disinterested, I bet Grigor's young age is his own achilles heel when it comes to hanging out with the top women in the WTA

He got a date from Serena & Serena takes him seriously as a good friend, but will Masha??

[bandabou]

'05 oz open SF..was great match. The forehand return winner on the second mp..

[Fighterpova]

Well people can hate Maria all they want and ridicule her for not being able to challenge Serena. but Serena is such an immense force and such an incredible tennis player that is better in everything than every other player on the WTA, it's never a shame when Maria loses to her. Plus, Serena almost always brings her A game in matches vs Maria and when that happens there's really nothing Maria or any other girl can do.

I'm glad Maria has been able to challenge Serena from time to time and hopefully she will be able to again. She will obviously never beat Serena again, but I hope she can at least come out fearless and try her best

[Fighterpova]

Out of the mentioned matches, the AO SF in 2005 tops the list. Amazing match that showed what a fighter Serena is. Unfortunately for Maria, it is the match that completely turned around her 'rivalry' with Serena.

[Povin]

Just watched YEC 2004 match... Serena looked miserable in the third set. Those DFs and a la Errani serves!... It was a HUGE slap on her, now I see why she plays Maria so fiercely

[Stonerpova]

Charleston 08. It was their highest quality match IMO.

[dsanders06]

Originally Posted by Williamsova

Watching Maria battle to preserve her dignity at the AO or Olympics finals trumps these choices.

Of the four listed it's gotta be 2005 AO SF, that was a classic. I wish this poll was public so we could see who voted otherwise(mainly 2004 YEC F which was a mediocre match that ended on very bad terms ) just for the kikis. I'm sure like in the Peak Venus vs. Peak Pova thread their names all contain "Masha" "Shara" or "Pova"

No. The YEC 2004 match was MUCH higher-quality than the AO2005 match. Both finished the match with good W-UE ratios in the YEC (compared to both having deeply negative ratios in the AO match). The 3rd set of their YEC match was particularly fantastic -- even though Serena had no serve, off the ground she was playing vintage "Shock and Awe" tennis, but Maria managed to overcome it by digging INCREDIBLY deep and playing far more absorbing rallies than anything the AO match produced. The AO match was a shitfest as both were well below good form all tournament (Maria lost a set to Farina Elia at that tournament iirc and barely scraped past Kuznetsova in the QFs). It was an entertaining match because of the intensity and what was at stake, but the quality was atrocious.

Anyway, it's a shame these two have only played 2 matches where they were both somewhere near their best (their YEC matches in 2004 and 2012 -- the former being Maria's A game vs Serena's B game, the latter being Serena's A-game versus Maria's B-game). Hopefully at some point they both bring their A-games against eachother

[Asherahpova]

Originally Posted by Griffin.

Charleston 08. It was their highest quality match IMO.

This, shame about the 3rd. AO 05 takes it drama wise though, hands down.

[Stonerpova]

Originally Posted by dsanders06

No. The YEC 2004 match was MUCH higher-quality than the AO2005 match. Both finished the match with good W-UE ratios in the YEC (compared to both having deeply negative ratios in the AO match). The 3rd set of their YEC match was particularly fantastic -- even though Serena had no serve, off the ground she was playing vintage "Shock and Awe" tennis, but Maria managed to overcome it by digging INCREDIBLY deep and playing far more absorbing rallies than anything the AO match produced. The AO match was a shitfest as both were well below good form all tournament (Maria lost a set to Farina Elia at that tournament iirc and barely scraped past Kuznetsova in the QFs). It was an entertaining match because of the intensity and what was at stake, but the quality was atrocious.

Anyway, it's a shame these two have only played 2 matches where they were both somewhere near their best (their YEC matches in 2004 and 2012 -- the former being Maria's A game vs Serena's B game, the latter being Serena's A-game versus Maria's B-game). Hopefully at some point they both bring their A-games against eachother

They were both only good in patches but the AO SF was far more memorable for me. They never played well at the same time at the YEC in 04.