2019 US Open Ws SF: Elina Svitolina (5) vs Serena Williams (8)

[Tanya]

Bianca hits that shot where she's nearly on her knees a lot. It doesn't seem like that's a necessary position to voluntarily go into because it looks so precarious, and yet, most of the time she gets that shot in.

Radwanska esque

 

[TennisLBC]

There are two things Serena has going that prevents her from getting "moved around"; her serve and her returns. She is not a female servbot; she can crush returns especially if her opponent is struggling with their first serve.

People here keep saying move Serena around like they're the first ones to think of it.

 

[THUNDERVOLLEY]

I have decided that Svitolina doesnt' deserve to win a Major. She was one of those players that is just on the edge and good enough to win YEF and all. But after this lack of tactical awareness against power player, she doesn't deserve to win

"Deserve?" If she ever wins a major, she would have earned/deserved it. It takes learning under different curcumstances, which is what she's dealing with. That, and Serena was in instructor zone tonight, so Svitolina was not going to win in either case.

 

[albertobra]

Anyway, on the plan thing, when opponent is way suprior it's just tough to put a plan to work. Svitolina lost some crucial games on 1st set, the second game she had 40-0 and lost, on 1-3 Serena serving it was 0-40 and lost that game too. No better way to lose confidence.

 

[Fed881981]

Focus, BB... focus!

 

[zvelf]

Bencic is playing well and giving Andreescu all she can handle.

 

[Fed881981]

Bianca is not impressive. Bencic should’ve broken.

 

[Lebsta]

So clutch. How I wish Federer had Serena's clutchness. If he did he'd be pursuing #24 right now too.

Really? Serena’s lost quite a few finals to opponents she’d normally thrash in two sets. This is normally down to her imploding mentally and choking under pressure. She really should be near 30 slams now

 

[zvelf]

Andreescu is very inconsistent but she plays the big points well to stay in it. Bencic is overall playing better.

 

[zvelf]

Bencic was so consistent and then it all goes away in this tiebreaker.

 

[zvelf]

Andreescu really needs a lot of practice on her second serve.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Really? Serena’s lost quite a few finals to opponents she’d normally thrash in two sets. This is normally down to her imploding mentally and choking under pressure. She really should be near 30 slams now

Serena is quite a nervous person. She met her husband when she's having breakfast while usually she stay in her room due to nervousness before the final. And that's Serena 2015 where she dominated the game and still nervous.

I will not surprised slow starts on final but that serve needs to be there for her to overcome hurdles and let Bianca on the groove.

 

[fuzz nation]

Strange match. Svitolina is no stranger to big-time settings and I doubt that she was especially overwhelmed by the moment. But I just saw no evidence of a strategy to make trouble for Serena. Sometimes Elina had her hands full when dealing with the diva's power, but there were moments when she clearly had time to select a target and she just rolled it right down Main St.

It literally looked to me as though Svitolina had nightmares of being pelted by Serena. Over and over again she shifted into reverse and backed away from the court during rallies. Normally those stats and graphics are nauseating to me, but that one that showed how far Elina was backing up to hit second serve returns was truly damning - she was giving away any sort of initiative there.