Who else would it, could it be, last standing but the Sisters Sledgehammer? The other 126 ladies were just window dressing.
Do you think poor Dinara Safina should sue Medusa, the WTA computer that lists her misleadingly as No. 1? If she were, say, No. 7 or 8, what Venus did to her wouldn’t seem so bad. But that result had a very garish look: Venus, 6-1, 6-0, the worst major semifinal beating since Chris Evert pummeled Camille Benjamin, 6-0, 6-0, in 1984. Not much fun for Camille, a 17-year-old lefty from Bakersfield, Calif., who gave up her senior prom to suffer at the vicious hands of the tourney’s all-time champ.
But Serena had to labor mightily to make sure the loving Sisters would be antagonists in a fourth Wimbledon final. No. 4 Elena Dementieva was in the way, and even held a match point before Serena could subdue the Russian gold medalist, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 8-6, in almost 3 hours.
Serving at 4-5, 30-40, Serena realized it was time “to be a kamikaze. This was pressure, and my idol, Billie Jean King, says pressure is a privilege. I believe it.” And she responds to it positively. ”I had to get to the net, win or lose.” She charge with a backhand approach and scored on a backhand volley.”
Dementieva’s chance was gone although she hung on for 4 more games. ”I should have hit a passing shot down the line,” she lamented.
Serena may be the the biggest big point saver ever. She cancelled 2 match points against Kim Clijsters en-route to the Australian title of 2003 and 3 against Maria Sharapova while winning the Australian of 2005.
Just call her the Kamikaze Kid, who intends to win her 3rd Big W, although Venus seeks a 6th.
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