Roberta Vinci’s playing style perfectly counteracted Williams’,and to call the result an upset shortchanges both players in a year we’ve been lucky to witnessThere was a point late in Serena Williams’s match with Roberta Vinci in Friday’s US Open semi-finals when it became evident the world No 1 was in danger. Actual danger, rather than the imaginary fire, and often of her own making,that she’d made her plaything during a season that had seen her win 18 of 19 matches when extended to three sets. Back to the wall, she had just pounded a soul-crushing 126mph ace down the middle on deuce at 3-3 for a game point her fastest of the match – in an emphatic response meant to demoralize an opponent playing the tennis of her life. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com