Round 1: Williams vs. Tan
- Thread starter Grizzy
- Start date
flyingboris
Legend
Maybe, but I'm convinced she can still do a LOT better than what we saw today if she puts in the work. And if she does a lot better, she can get a few wins. Probably not a slam, but a few wins yes.
coolcamden
Hall of Fame
That the best quote.
ScottleeSV
Hall of Fame
As a Federer fan, I hope this isn't what I can expect 12 months from now - Fed losing gallantly in 5 sets to Johnny Nobody and it's somehow one of his most impressive achievements ever.
Federev
G.O.A.T.
It’s cool.
i just don’t think there’s a lot to expect from her at 40, in her shape, with zero matches in ages.
So I don’t think it’s really an upset.
Just dramatic.
Aussie Darcy
Bionic Poster
I mean I do agree to an extent. On paper, not an upset. But betting odds had Harmony at $5 to Serena’s $1.25. And I don’t think many had her losing 1R. And she actually looked like she should have won the match. She was up 3-1 in the third set. She served for the match at 5-4. And she led 4-0 in the tiebreaker.
Baseline_Bungle
Legend
Hey, she lost, but at least she fell to her knees in jubilation, celebrating as if she'd just won the tournament and her 24th slam. Some iffy karma right there. And some classic memes waiting to happen.
You can't tell from her sxxt floating BH that does nothing? Reminds me of some of the women players at my clubs....
Mark-Touch
Legend
Tan's 20+ minute 1st game of the second set (that she finally lost) was epic all by itself!
Latetothegame
Semi-Pro
But she has not played for a year, I know her record an all that, but it rather makes a mockery of the tour if she can turn up that unprepared and win , give the women on the tour some credit, even the unknowns, for participation and moving up the rankings ,( HT was not a wild card in the tournament,) and being match fit
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Winners or Errors
Legend
...but she showed some clear rust and hasn't played in a year. I think this match was encouraging. Maybe she'll try to play a few tournaments and get herself back into some semblance of form.
Entername
Professional
Tbh if Serena wants to be competitive again, she needs to get more fit and match ready (i.e. actually playing more matches). Her movement was terrible (has been for many years), she hesitated on many shots leading to a ton of errors and even her trusty serve couldn't bail her out
slipgrip93
Professional
I'd agree. I'd felt the same way for that long. If she was more slender like Venus, without all the extra ---, maybe she might still have chances now. Plus been way too part-time in the last two years.
MugOpponent
Hall of Fame
More time to be a mother. Good for Serena.
DutchUncle
Professional
Mouratoglu found SW evasive for months about when he could expect her to do some serious training. She kept putting it off. Finally he went to see her in person and told her she'd have to show up by some set date, and if she didn't, he'd sever connection with her.
She didn't show.
He punched out of her life.
She took the consequences of playing without preparation, relying only on her serve and shotmaking.
DutchUncle
Professional
Do you think so? In planning her return, SW might have had her eye on Wimby as at least some chance of that 24th, because Barty and Osaka wouldn't be there, even if Swiatek probably would be. It was a humiliating defeat.
I'm not sure she wants to risk another defeat in NY, and she doesn't like to put in the training effort.
I'm half convinced we've seen the last of her on court.
definitely encouraging to any future Serena opponents
she played an opponent ranked outside the top 100, on the surface that allows her to shorten points and hide her terrible movement the most, and that opponent beat her by keeping some mediocre slices and dropshots within the lines and hitting 70-80 mph serves
Serena's serve has lost significant pace, her movement has to be in the bottom 5 of women ranked in the top 200, and I'm not even sure what her strategy to beat a top player would be anymore (hope they're intimidated by her pace and hand her unforced errors on second and third balls every point?)
any woman in the top 300 should be licking her lips to get an opportunity to play her, especially on clay or hard
an amazing career, but it's pretty clear that the days of competing for GS titles are over
Mark-Touch
Legend
Anyone know if Serena is sticking around for the doubles?
She could conceivably do well there (cough cough).
Maybe wheelchair doubles?
She could conceivably do well there (cough cough).
Maybe wheelchair doubles?
Mark-Touch
Legend
FTFY.
DutchUncle
Professional
She's out of the doubles, after narrowly winning a first-rounder. She teamed with Jabeur, who withdrew due to an injury (the kind that doesn't keep you from playing singles).
Mr.Lob
G.O.A.T.
Nailed it.
prosperned
Professional
I have no idea if this would work for her but Ronaldo is known to reduce his body fat every ear. He’s now below 7% compared to the male player average of 11%. All to make up for his loss in speed and movement.
If Serena is serious about a great run, she of course needs to be on tour but also get into a shape she’s never been in. I doubt however she is that obsessed with another slam like many pretend to know she is
If Serena is serious about a great run, she of course needs to be on tour but also get into a shape she’s never been in. I doubt however she is that obsessed with another slam like many pretend to know she is
Wander
Hall of Fame
Not to diss Serena who fought hard despite having no match form whatsoever, but I think Federer takes tennis in general and preparation for tournaments more seriously than she does. Yes, he was a bit half-cocked upon his return in 2021, but it was nothing close to this degree of half-cocked. He showed that he could still play although his body couldn't quite keep up in the end. But it's clear to me that Federer would never show up to a Major like this. Not at 40. Not at 50.
brinkeguthrie
Hall of Fame
Post match presser: no credit to the opponent. Right on form.
www.espn.com
Serena falls in 3rd-set tiebreak, 'gave all I could'
Serena Williams has lost her first singles match in nearly a year, getting beat by 115th-ranked Harmony Tan of France in a third-set tiebreaker at Wimbledon.
Rosstour
G.O.A.T.
See my reply below re her
Osaka wouldn't necessarily have been any better, she skipped Wimbledon for a reason (it wasn't the points). She is the WTA Medvedev, best on hard courts
Lots of talk about how fat she is and how she needs to get more serious. But no mention of the fact that she had a kid, which absolutely wrecks your core strength. That's why she's having issues moving AND putting the sting on her shots. Her arms and legs are having to do all the work.
brinkeguthrie
Hall of Fame
Evert knows she had a kid. We ALL know she had a kid. OK, enough. Ready for some spicy Radu comments tomorrow. Ciao.
Rosstour
G.O.A.T.
Serena looks a hell of a lot less fat than Kim Clijsters did.
Mark-Touch
Legend
Good news and bad news for Serena.
First the bad news:
- She lost the match.
- She lost to a nobody.
Now the good news:
- She got to go out with a nail-biter of a close match instead of being trounced 6-1, 6-0 etc.
- She got to kick her leg up above her head in celebration of a mediocre point.
- There's always next year.
First the bad news:
- She lost the match.
- She lost to a nobody.
Now the good news:
- She got to go out with a nail-biter of a close match instead of being trounced 6-1, 6-0 etc.
- She got to kick her leg up above her head in celebration of a mediocre point.
- There's always next year.
Mark-Touch
Legend
You can't be serious!
Clijsters wasn't wearing a cover to hide anything (like Serena was).
Rosstour
G.O.A.T.
Kim's face tho. She had double/triple chin
Mr.Lob
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, when Serena's skirt blew up and stuck to her waist, she was, shall we say... exposed.
flyingboris
Legend
That's kind of what I was thinking. Better than losing 6-2 6-0 to a higher ranked player.
Bhagi Katbamna
Legend
The old Serena would not get broken serving for the match at 5-4 in the 3rd set. Tan held her nerve quite well and even though she didn't have the power to match Serena, played well and hit some absolute clutch forehands and backhands down the line.
I saw that, embarrassing to be acting like that in a first round match!
Hey, she lost, but at least she fell to her knees in jubilation, celebrating as if she'd just won the tournament and her 24th slam. Some iffy karma right there. And some classic memes waiting to happen.
Latetothegame
Semi-Pro
That was Eastbourne ...she is not entered in the doubles at Wimbledon, in fact I think she would struggle to get an entry unless a really good doubles player took the hit to pair with her
Latetothegame
Semi-Pro
Yeah because she has been playing on the tour, and has skills that she thinks can win matches , that how it works,
I like Serena, but it was really a bit to far to imagine she could have made a comeback here, and I get the hype but it was really getting on my nerves at one point, like she won one doubles match at Eastbourne,...
I am glad she is out, can’t bear to listen to the hype anymore ,sometimes a graceful exit is the best, and perhaps that is what Serena felt she achieved
brinkeguthrie
Hall of Fame
and I cannot unsee that.
THUNDERVOLLEY
G.O.A.T.
Its going to happen sooner than later; only the likes of Nadal and Djokovic will endure into 2023 as the top pick to win majors.
Regarding Serena--as noted in the Ladies match thread, I have vivid memories of King, Navaratilova, McEnroe and so many other players sticking around long past the reach or limits of their abilities, but they tried to continue because their minds told them they knew the game better than anyone else, and how to win, yet their form--their bodies were no longer up to the task.
Serena has enjoyed one of the most successful and significant careers in sports history--she has nothing else to prove in the "best of the rest" category she leads.
ACE of Hearts
Bionic Poster
Every since she had a baby she hasn’t done her part in trying to shed that weight. She has the money to get someone to get her into shape. She would have won a couple of more slams i feel had she done that.
ACE of Hearts
Bionic Poster
She still looks way out of shape.
ACE of Hearts
Bionic Poster
Man it’s possible with good training to get back into shape. She never did.
bertrevert
Legend
Stock-still footwork, entitled mentality, ignominious end. Shudder.
Gumby
Semi-Pro
She needs to be 20 again
Wander
Hall of Fame
Should've. But she got badly outplayed in the tie-break from the 4-1 point onwards.All due respect to Tan (who put up a great fight) but Serena really should have won that match after going up 6-1 in the 2nd set and then racing to a 4-0 lead in the deciding tie-break!
