US OPEN TENNIS FINAL

Doghouse Riley

In the Women's Final, nineteen year-old, Bianca Andreescu beat Serena Williams  6-3, 7-5 (a bit of a wobble at the end as she was 5-1 up in the second set and Serena got it back to 5-5) But I think that was just nerves. The TV coverage wasn't on any of the major networks.

I'm pleased for her, as Williams baled out of the Canadian Open with a "bad back," which  I watched on TV a couple of months ago when she was 4-1 down to Andreescu. When moments before, she'd been scampering around the court shouting and balling as she does when things aren't going her way. But Bianca is a big girl and won't take any nonsense from anyone and she's a big hitter like Serena.

Williams has  now lost in successive US finals, last time it was to Naomi Osaka, you know, when she had another tantrum and called the umpire a thief.

Bianca came on court in her tennis gear.

                                                                               

Serena came on in her mac, maybe she thought she wasn't stopping long and  she'd have a quick win, like she did over some of  the smaller women in the previous rounds, who couldn't handle her power and just kept putting balls back into her hitting zone.


                                                                               


Margaret Court's record is safe..for another year.

Perhaps for ever?

Cobb

I think the criticism of Serena from the commentators was harsh. Often saying things like “since she became a mother” as a derogatory statement about her losses. Compared to tennis royalty Federer who they simply chalk up his losses to age - even though Serena is only about a month younger than he is.

Doghouse Riley

To be fair, Serena has tried to use "motherhood" as an excuse, why she mentioned  the fact that she was a mother last year when she getting pasted by Naomi Osaka, in trying to mitigate her bad behaviour when calling the umpire both "a thief and a liar," was inexcusable.

Margaret Court cut her career short when she realised she was expecting her second child.
She never made a big deal out of it.

Doghouse Riley

In her press conference Williams said "Serena didn't turn up." Well, she hasn't "turned up," for the last four finals in which she's played  and lost.
Her coach said, "She, unlike her opponents is under a lot of pressure  and that she's still recovering from having a baby."
That made me laugh.
Serena had 90% of the spectators cheering for her (and Meghan), so how much pressure was Andreescu under?
The "baby" was two in September. Kim Clijsters had a baby in 2008 and won the US Open in 2009. True, she was only 26 at the time.

Serena is 38. It's not realistic for her to expect to win another Grand Slam. She's been a great champion,  her time is over. Andreescu is the first "big hitter"  she's had to face recently.  

But I expect Serena will still continue to turn up for the "big money" tournaments, which seems to be her only focus lately.