Weekend not-so Recap of Australian Open

Greetings People

I did not blog over the weekend. I thought to give myself a break from everything, except the Australian Open. Well, before we get any further I am sorry to be talking only about the Australian Open, but this is one event that I follow. Even more this year since Hingis is now ranked as opposed to the previous years. So, faithful readers I will return to my other everyday rambling pretty soon. Perhaps I might throw in a rambling in the middle of the week.

The Round of 16 has begun as well as the second week of the Australian Open

The mighty sure did fall this past weekend. Upsets were all over the Women side of the draw. I could not believe some of the seeded players being eliminated from the Australian Open.

I have so much to talk about, but I do not want to bore you readers with info, stats and re-cap. I will assume that if you were a follower that you watched the event on t.v. over the weekend.

Though, I am going to talk about Serena Williams. I wish I can quote what she said, but for the life of me I can not remember exactly how she phrased the words that rang a tune in my head and made me said "hmmmm"

Readers, she has advanced to the round of 16 and her chances are quite good. I am not going to say that she has the easy road to the semi-finals, but she has a lot better road than Hingis does. So, I caught the Serena match over the weekend.

Once more Serena played with some authority and some finesse, but to me she looked like she getting by, just by getting by. I am not going to say it is luck that she has gotten this far, but I will say she has gotten this far because of her opponents not capitalizing on their advantages throughout the match. I am, of course, bias when any of the Williams play tennis. I dislike them from the early years, when they were the "foes" of Martina Hingis and Jennifer Capriai. Readers, I am not sure how much you know about the past history between the William sisters and Hingis and Capriai. Even now while I am remembering I am getting worked up at all the "things" the sisters did. Let me save that for another day since that would take a lot of this day's blog up...

So, Serena looked tired, but the thing that I noticed that when she had dug herself a hole that nearly got her booted from the Australian Open she somehow found something inside her to get the win she needed. After those key points that she won, you saw the face of absolute "anger". Anger in the sense of winning the point and expressing the anger on your face.

Listening to Mary Jo once more she had mentioned that the face was the face of years past. I disagree. This face is something new we have not seen in Serena. The face shows the face of "yes, I want it", but more importantly, I am onto the next match. She is living each match - match by match. She also said that she is a " dangerous floater". That says it all. She has not said that she came to win the Australian Open, She has said that she is floater and she is a force to be reckoned with. Serena has given us some good matches, but I can still see she needs something else in order to convince the world that she is back. I still Serena getting tired as the match progresses, such as the case I see in Hingis.

In order for Serena to get good, she has to follow in Hingis footsteps. Hingis, my girl, came back to the WTA in the past 15 months or so not ranked and now before the start of the Australian Open she is ranked number 7 in the world. She has earned the respect of the fans, but not me. She already had my respect. Yes, Hingis still has problems against high seeded players, but she is gaining confidence. Yet, I know as well as you know if she does win she gets respect immediately and then the headlines will fly.

Serena does have my vote to move on deeper in the Open and I support her now. Even more so when battling those pesky Russian women that have the "ova" at the end of their last name. I will root for her in the next match, but as the semi's come up I will most likely go for another girl.

Now, Blake vs Gonzalez - what a sorry match. Blake was not feeling it. However, I saw Gonzalez play Hewitt the game before and I knew this guy was going to be force to be dealt with. I do not know Gonzalez and this is the first time that I actually heard of him.

I was hoping that Roddick would fall, but he did not. And yes, I was yelling at 10:57 PM on Saturday night MST that the game went another set. I was just hoping.

Poor Mauresemo, Nalbandian, Murray and Harkleroad (oh if only they would of showed this match in its entirety).

Well, I guess I better let you readers go

until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete