Serena vs. Vera Zvonareva

[wire chief]

...on Bravo right now.

 

[alexrgct]

Whatever happened to Vera anyway? Another "it girl/next big thing" who seemed allergic to being on top. I hope sometime soon a younger player emerges with some staying power. Serena ain't getting any younger.

 

[frankenclyde8]

I called in late to work so I could watch this one. Turned out I made it on time anyways.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Whatever happened to Vera anyway? Another "it girl/next big thing" who seemed allergic to being on top. I hope sometime soon a younger player emerges with some staying power. Serena ain't getting any younger.

Zvonareva, Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, etc. - all ranked #1 or #2, with potential for greatness. All failed to capitalize.

At least Anastasia Myskina, Francesca Schiavone, Ana Ivanovic, and Li Na won one Grand Slam title (curiously, it was the French Open for all four).

Serena is not getting any younger, but she is getting fitter and more determined. And her outside interests and freak injuries have kept her out of the game for significant amounts of time, so she is relatively young in terms of "tennis years."

 

[alexrgct]

Zvonareva, Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, etc. - all ranked #1 or #2, with potential for greatness. All failed to capitalize.

At least Anastasia Myskina, Francesca Schiavone, Ana Ivanovic, and Li Na won one Grand Slam title (curiously, it was the French Open for all four).

Serena is not getting any younger, but she is getting fitter and more determined. And her outside interests and freak injuries have kept her out of the game for significant amounts of time, so she is relatively young in terms of "tennis years."

You can add Dinara Safina to that first list. Curious to see whether Azarenka, Kvitova, or Stosur can exceed the accomplishments of your second grouping. Also intrigued as to whether Kerber or Lisicki can break through. Lisicki beat Sharapova at Wimbledon and is having an interesting match with her again right now. Maybe Shvedova? She's got some potential.

Agreed that Serena's got relatively more tread on the tires than would be expected for her age, as well as the motivation to reach/exceed the slam totals of Martina and Chrissy. Still would like to see another great women's player come along who embraces being #1 and wins multiple majors. The women's side had BJK and Court, then Chrissy, then Martina, then Steffi, then Monica, then the Williams sisters, then Henin. I'd like to see who's next in that continuum. Heck, I'd even settle for another Hingis, Davenport, Arancha, Sharapova, Kim, or Capriati right about now.

 

[VAMike23]

Zvonareva, Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, etc. - all ranked #1 or #2, with potential for greatness. All failed to capitalize.

At least Anastasia Myskina, Francesca Schiavone, Ana Ivanovic, and Li Na won one Grand Slam title (curiously, it was the French Open for all four).

Serena is not getting any younger, but she is getting fitter and more determined. And her outside interests and freak injuries have kept her out of the game for significant amounts of time, so she is relatively young in terms of "tennis years."

IMO it's because the French favors the merciless beating of ground stroke after ground stroke more than hard court and, certainly, grass. And the merciless beating of ground stroke after ground stroke is one thing that tennis factories are especially good at teaching. Serve is somewhat less of a factor, and moving to net is--in some matches--almost unheard of. All this cuts down a fair % of the feel and creativity needed to execute shots.