Serena vs. Safina: A Battle Without Honor Or Humanity
Serena Williams started the 2009 WTA season as the clear world No. 1. A screwy scoring system and almost five months later and Dinara Safina usurped Williams at the top of the leaderboard. Another six months would pass with Safina as one of the weakest No. 1-ranked players in women’s tennis history and Serena Williams complaining that it was so. Order would seemingly be restored on October 12 when Serena regained the top rank, but by October 26, she would lose it to Safina again.
There is one tournament left to decide who will end the 2009 season on top.
I’d like to tell you that this will go down as a battle for the ages. I’d like to tell you that these two women respect each other and that respect drives them to the brink. I’d like to tell you that everything about their careers comes down to this season and everything about this season comes down to the final tournament in Qatar. I’d like to tell you where Qatar is on a map.
Unfortunately, I can’t tell you any of these things.
This will be the WTA’s lede story heading into the final tournament. Because on paper, it’s dramatic. Because Serena Williams is so far ahead of her competition, any sniff of tribulation the association can throw in front of her to keep their best player compelling, they’ll do. Because it would be nice if the current ranking system wasn’t as bunk as it is and if Safina can pull one out – just one, even if it’s not a major – it will help keep that veneer alive.
But it’s not happening, or at least it shouldn’t happen. But instead of blaming the WTA’s scoring system, why not blame Williams and Safina? After all, if either of these women wanted the glory of the No. 1 rank, this match (and a few others) could be as epic as it will be hyped.
But Safina doesn’t want it because she’s not a killer. She’s efficient, but ultimately can’t handle the eyes on her. She’s a piano player that knows the notes backward and forward, but plays without enthusiasm. You hear it. You see it. You feel it. She wants to reach the No. 1 spot, but she doesn’t want to be the No. 1-ranked player in the world.
And Williams? She wants that top rank, but she wants Grand Slam titles more. And she wants her book to sell well and her clothing line to grow and her brand to enhance. That top rank is important, but not important enough for her to make it out of the second round in three separate small tournaments from April 6 to May 17. It wasn’t important enough for her to play in more than 14 tournaments like Caroline Wozniacki who played in 24 and climbed from No. 12 in the world to No. 4 in 12 months. Williams is a decade older than Wozniacki and has won more Grand Slams this summer than Wozniacki has in her career, but Williams greatness stunts many people from articulating that she expects things to be given to her. The WTA’s scoring system may be flawed, but Williams knew that going into the season. It was flawed in January ust as it is flawed now. If she wants that No. 1 rank, she could have had it. She wants it, but not bad enough.
From left: Caroline Wozniacki, Serena Williams and Dinara Safina at the October 25 draw for the WTA Championships in Doha, Qatar
These are the gladiators set to do battle one last time in 2009. One who can’t handle it and one who doesn’t want to work for it.
Sweet.
When the season ends the only compelling stories with Safina and Williams will be if Williams bothered stepping up when the stakes were less than “grand” and if Safina stepped up when … there were stakes. You’ll notice in both cases, the story is internal. Internal tennis is very often uninteresting tennis.
Wozniacki’s only 287 points out of third. I’m pulling for her to buzz saw through everyone and give both the No. 1 and 2 spot a reason to get motivated. If that’s possible anytime before the Aussie Open.
UPDATE: See? This is what I’m sayin’.
______________________________
Photos courtesy of Yahoo! via Getty Images
Leave a Reply
