Venus Williams: Illness and Injury

Neutral Omes:

Injuries and illnesses. They are every athlete's fear. Unassuming and unforgiving they can attack at any time and in any stage of a career. And they've certainly gone after Venus Williams.

2011 has indeed been a nightmare year for the American. Plagued with injury she missed five months off the tour having retired in the third round at the Australian Open with a hip injury. She then returned (along with sister Serena who had had nearly a year off with an injury and extremely serious illness of her own) in Eastbourne, making a decent run to the quarterfinals. 

Wimbledon was a big test for both, and both fared very well considering the circumstances - Venus made it to the third round; Serena went out in the round of 16. But while Serena picked up the trophies of the next two tournaments she played, Venus was struck yet again. This time in form of a virus that prevented her from competing in Toronto and Cincinnati. We now learn the virus in question is Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease which affects energy levels and causes fatigue and joint pain. And it has now caused Venus to pull out of this year's US Open in the 2nd round. 

This recent onslaught of injuires and illnesses - which actually date back to a knee problem in 2010 - have shown no tact and ruined what could have been a decent year for Williams in light of the inconsistency of the WTA. With the US Open lacking any of the three previous Slam winners, the draw was wide open enough for Venus to make a run. And at 31 years and closer to the end than the beginning, a run at the US Open would have been a very welcome prospect. But Venus has been set back yet again and many fear time is running out. With an energy sapping disease, who knows when she'll next be able to compete.

If retirement is on the horizon, it will be a huge blow to tennis. And a shocking reminder to enjoy our players while we can. Because sometimes injury and illness get their way.

(Pic: AP) 

 

Female Domination

Charlotte Cooper Sherry - won five Wimbledon's titles.

Neutral Omes:

Women’s tennis has been the target for much criticism for a while due to the lack of dominant players on the scene. There are certainly plenty of folk who will enjoy the thrill and unpredictability of a new face every trophy, but a sizable amount of experts (ex-tennis players, commentators, coaches, journalists and the like) will tell you that it doesn’t do much for the image of women’s tennis. Many would echo Nick Bollettieri’s sentiments that the women’s circuit needs more “pizzazz.”

There is no doubt that the history of women’s tennis is indeed one of the most compelling in sport, having given birth to some of the most brilliant champions (of either gender) in the sport’s history. With the likes of Steffi Graf - the first and only player, male or female, to win a Calender Year Golden Slam (not to mention double-bagelling Natalia Zvereva in 32 minutes at the 1988 French Open, in the most one-sided final of the Slam’s history); Martina Navratilova who aside from winning every single Slam - singles, doubles and mixed doubles (all but one multiple times), holds the Open Era record male or female, for the most singles and doubles titles; Chris Evert - the player with the best win to loss ratio at 1,309–146 (90% of matches played won) and who might I add never lost in the first or second round of a Slam in singles; Margaret Court - the player with the most Gran Slam singles titles; and many more names of renown (key in Williams squared, Seles, Henin and Clijsters) not just within the sporting community, but for your average layman. The women’s circuit has established itself as a domain worthy of much admiration and inspiration.

True that with the absence of the current generation’s injury-laden champions, we’ve been lacking this state of super-stardom in women’s tennis for a little while*, but it looks like the tide is ever so slowly starting to twist and turn. Not only have we got said injured champions, Venus, Serena, Sharapova and fingers crossed, Kim Clijsters making their resurgences, but we’ve got young, strong up and comers like Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and exciting talent, Sabine Lisicki who will hopefully eventually be able to challenge them. And thankfully it doesn’t feel like we are trading names at the latter stages of every tournament.
 
I’m well aware that we’re yet to see the spawn of Seles at a shootout with Serena in every Slam final, but it won’t be long before we see some dominance from the ladies. 

For now let’s just be content with that fact that for the first time in a while it would at least be a shock to see the 400th-ranked female player holding a big trophy. 

*True that the current female number one has hardly failed the WTA on the consistency front, but she’d have to bring that same consistency to the Slams in order for her to be in the champions conversation.

(Pic: tiptoptennis.com)

Round One at Wimbledon

Neutral Omes:

Nadal and Murray both fought off slow starts – Murray from a set down – to seal some emphatic victories, and keeping their semi-final hopes alive. The world no. 1 was very appreciative of opening proceedings at the All England Club – something he couldn’t do so as the defending champion in 2009 as he had to pull out of the tournament after suffering from tendonitis in his infamous knees. Nadal d. Russel 64 62 62; Murray d. Gimeno-Traver 46 63 60 60

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both fought off early opposition and then sailed through their opening matches. Both are more than looking the part to reach the latter stages of the tournament. Djokovic d. Chardy 64 61 61; Federer d. Kukushkin 76 64 62

Venus Williams cruised into the second round defeating Akgul Amanmuradova 63 61. It was a tougher and more emotional journey to the second round for sister Serena as she fought to win her first Slam match in three sets against a tough, hard-hitting Arvanne Rezai 36 63 61. The 4 time Wimbledon champion, overcome with emotion due to the tumultuous battle she’s had with illness and injury, broke down, much to her surprise with tears of joy; showing the world just how appreciative she is to be alive and to be competing again.

Other favourite Sharapova looked in commanding form, winning her match against Chakvetadze 62 61.

Gentleman’s thriller: Fernando Verdasco engaged in a 5 set battle with in-form Radek Stepanek, in the first competitive gentleman’s tussle. The Spaniard took it 97 in the fifth.

Gentlemen’s shock: Former world no. 3 Nicolay Davydenko losing in straight sets to spunky Aussie Bernard Tomic.

Ladies thriller: Francesa Schiavone and Jelena Dokic engaged in a very competitive match from start to finish, with a point here and there determining a victory for the Italian French Open winner.

Ladies shock: World no. 10 Sam Stosur going down to Melinda Czink, the lowest ranked player (262) in the championships.

Click on "Read more" for my fanatic musings.

Only Serena

Neutral Omes:

The gaping hole in the WTA started to fill up this week as the Williams sisters chose the Aegon International tournament at Eastbourne, UK to stage their comeback(s). Venus was out for 5 months with a hip injury; whereas Serena’s injuries stemmed back almost a year, first slashing her foot on broken glass and then, to add insult to injury, suffering a life-threatening blood clot.  

“I'm just excited, more than anything, to be playing." The younger Williams expressed her eagerness to be able to compete again.

Venus managed to battle her way past her first two opponents to reach the quarterfinals. But she’s flying the Williams flag alone as Serena, (having showed unbelievable resilience in her opening match against Pironkova to close it out after an understandably tentative first set, 16 63 64) failed to do the same for her second match despite actually serving for it during the second set.

The match – against world no. 3 Zvonareva, drama ridden from start to finish, reminded us just how much we missed the four-time Wimbledon champion. Serena looked in control at the start and there were numerous flashes of the intimidation factor she possesses; but a pesky year away from match play will manifest itself some way or another, and it did so for Serena by way of her mental and physical fitness.

The two played a competitive tie-break in the second set which Zvonareva secured and after she broke early in the third, that looked to be it. But Serena is Serena. Having run out of strength, she tapped into her heart reserves – of which there seems to be an abundance – to even the score at 5 all, breaking twice, including when the Russian served for the match at 54. But that proved to be just about all she could muster as Zvonareva broke back and played a much more convincing game to serve out the match.

Despite the loss, Serena should be nothing but positive. She now has a feel of competing once again, and just in time for Wimbledon. If she finds a good combination of training and rest and brings that fighting spirit along with her ticker, she will no doubt be in good stead for a title defence. After all, who else could perform that emphatically after spending a year off-court; fighting for their life in the mean-time? Only Serena.

Click "Read more" to see my fanatic take. Do it do it do it.