[Pyuvjzwf]

While Serena Williams was cracking under the strain on Saturday night, brandishing her racquet and threatening a poor, scared-looking lineswoman - the account of her exact words differs, but it appears that it's generally accepted that she said, "If I could, I would take this f------ ball and shove it down your f------ throat," with the lineswoman claiming Serena added the words, "and kill you" -- nobody considered the woman at the other end of the court.

Kim Clijsters walked away from tennis in May 2007, had a child, returned, and was playing the 13th match of her comeback. She was playing the woman acknowledged by all to be the best women's tennis player in the world. And disputed foot fault or no disputed foot fault -- that's what prompted Serena's foul-mouthed meltdown, leading to a match point awarded to Clijsters -- the Belgian was almost certainly going to win, regardless.

Clijsters went on to take the U.S. Open final the next day. And as admirable as the former No. 1 is, it is an awful sign for women's tennis. To come back after more than two years off and win a major 14 matches into your comeback is remarkable. To do so when you were just 1-3 in Grand Slam finals in your prior incarnation is a damning indictment of a sport in shocking decline.

Sure, Serena and Venus Williams are still marvelous players, when they deign to play. But the rest of the game is in shambles. Maria Sharapova has fought shoulder problems, and the top 10 is littered with players who can blow a mental tire at any time - Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Samantha Stosur, and fraudulent No. 1 Dinara Safina. They count three Grand Slams between them, but you wouldn't want to trust a single one with a Slam on the line.

Women's tennis was due for a fall, really. Martina Hingis won her fifth and final Slam at the Australian Open in 1999; Steffi Graf won her 22nd and final singles Slam at the French Open a couple months later. And Serena won her first Slam at the U.S. Open to close out the year. The eras were bridged.

But since the sport lost Justine Henin and Lindsay Davenport and a healthy Sharapova, it has been sliding towards this mess. The Williams sisters still win majors while only playing limited schedules, but maybe it's becoming less about how good they are and more about the fact that there are so few credible challengers.

On the men's side, the game is vibrant and rich, with Roger Federer wrestling the magnificent young Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro last night for the U.S. Open title. If Rafael Nadal can get healthy, and Andy Murray can make the next step, and Novak Djokovic can join him, we could find the sport's golden age extended for another several years.

But on the women's side? If Serena can crack like that, who's left?

http://www.nationalpost.com/blogs/story.html?id=1993683

[Pyuvjzwf]

We hinted at this discussion when Kim came back, with nothing under her belt, and was able to beat some Top 20, then some Top 10 players. So now that she wins a Slam, is it appropriate to say that the WTA is in shambles?

Personally, I think Kim's win negates the "highly competitive era" argument that has been often used. A couple of years ago, it was extremely competitive, perhaps more so than at any time I can recall. Today...seriously, who can you rely on to win, let alone step up on a big stage.

While I'm so happy about Kim's title, I gotta say that I think it does reflect poorly on the state of the WTA that, after 2 1/2 years off, Kim wins a Slam in herr 14th match on the Tour, beating the #2 and #3 in the world along the way.

[allvideO]

We hinted at this discussion when Kim came back, with nothing under her belt, and was able to beat some Top 20, then some Top 10 players. So now that she wins a Slam, is it appropriate to say that the WTA is in shambles?

Personally, I think Kim's win negates the "highly competitive era" argument that has been often used. A couple of years ago, it was extremely competitive, perhaps more so than at any time I can recall. Today...seriously, who can you rely on to win, let alone step up on a big stage.

While I'm so happy about Kim's title, I gotta say that I think it does reflect poorly on the state of the WTA that, after 2 1/2 years off, Kim wins a Slam in herr 14th match on the Tour, beating the #2 and #3 in the world along the way.

Yes, the WTA is in shamble. A bunch of top 10 players that crumble under pressure. Ivanovic wins a slam then completly disapear, Jankovic has only reached one GS final, Safina was awful in the 3 finals she reached....

[Ephedrine]

I could care less about this argument, but I do want to add that Kim reached five Grand Slam finals, not four.

[KLhdfskja]

The only thing I would "disagree" with is that Kim came back with nothing under her belt. it is no secret that women usually train with men. So although she had not played a tour level match, she was probably training with some top notch european players, maybe even American Collegiate. So coming back to the WTA tour was not so daunting as, lets say, Rafa coming back from his injury. For Rafa to see an ATP Tour level serve and ground stroke, he has to play ATP players. For Kim to see a WTA level player across from the net, the NCAA can provide for that and more (and she has the money to pay for such services).
But overall, I agree. It speaks poorly of the level of the WTA. And if Henin returns, and does well too, this generation of players has to be indicted. For sure.

[Carfanate]

I think it's a little over the top.

Federer dominates everyone and it's a "golden age". Justine does the same, then bows out and now "It's in shambles".

For a counter-argument for the sake of being argumentative: It reflects poorly on the ATP that an up and comer who has never even won a Masters, only reaching a final exactly once, even can overtake the supposed top players to win the US Open.

Now I don't believe that, but it sounds just as crazy of an argument to me.

Mitigating factors that may apply in WTA and Kim's favor:
She was a top player (a #1) and USO winner before her break
No secret that she trained intensely for her return
She entered the Open as likely the freshest player there having just started back on the tour

... Sorry, but this kind of generalized bashing bothers me.

[KLhdfskja]

I could care less about this argument, but I do want to add that Kim reached five Grand Slam finals, not four.

But remember we (at TAT) are much better journalists than 95% of the monkeys that write about tennis out there. The writer also places Ivanovic in the top ten (she left quite a while back) and Sam Stosur, who's never been there.

[freevideom]

Wasn't tennis competitive in 2005 when Kim returned to claim all those titles, and a Slam? What am I missing?

[indentKew]

I don't know if I agree the WTA is in shambles, but it definitely is in transition and I think Clijsters timed her comeback well. Justine retired, Maria is still on the mend, Serena and Venus are still dangerous, but perhaps never more vulnerable than now. The not quite established younger players are still on the rise with many looking promising so I'm not ready to condemn the WTA just yet.

As for Kim, I'm wondering if she'll still have the fire inside her in another 12 months.

[Carfanate]

You're missing the double standard.

People would have you believe that Kim was sitting on the couch eating Twinkies until she opted to pick up a racquet just minutes before the Open and walk over people in totally non-competitive matches to the title.

Plus people are still upset about rankings-gate where people are arbitrarily selected to be #1 for no good reason like tournament performance at all.

[Uhmavano]

I think Kim came back with a skill set that hasn't been seen in the WTA for a few years now. Serena was out of sorts because she has been skating by playing what passes for the top players of the WTA without having to think or work very hard to beat them. She's had some competitive matches but for the most part when she's wanted to be focused she has been and has wiped the floor with the competition. Watching that match I saw a Serena pushed out of the comfort zone she's been in for awhile.

Kim can think on court. She doesn't need her hand held and she doesn't whine and have a meltdown when something in her game isn't working. What does she do? She goes to plan B. She was countering every move Serena, and before her Venus, made. I would argue that an uninjured Venus had the better chance of beating her but that's water under the bridge.

Kim brings a true skill set to the court something all the cute girls who hit the ball hard don't have. Serena pretty much acknowledged this when she said afterwards that she'd be ready for her next time.

The WTA has been in shambles for several years now. It has not demanded that the Williams really hone their skills because the level of competition has been so low. They will now I think.

[Pyuvjzwf]

Wasn't tennis competitive in 2005 when Kim returned to claim all those titles, and a Slam? What am I missing?

Oh, it was vastly competitive Bea. No argument there. But I think (you can make the argument at least) that the difference is that Kim took a few months off for surgery on her wrist, and never stopped training during that period. She was doing everything a player does to remain fit, except for hitting. Then as soon as she got the okay from her doctor resumed hitting.

This time, she had a baby, and (if we are to believe her), did little, if anything for over a year. fitness wise, and then only did some mild stuff until earlier this year.

She's also 4 and a half years older this time around, which I don't know makes a huge difference given what we saw of her fitness level these last few weeks. I honestly thought she would have lost a step, and was pleasantly surprised that she looks to be in the best condition of her life, and chasing balls down in the same manner she did in her early 20s.

[Pyuvjzwf]

The WTA has been in shambles for several years now. It has not demanded that the Williams really hone their skills because the level of competition has been so low. They will now I think.

That would be wonderful, Ti.

[gardenerextraordinaire]

I don't know if I agree the WTA is in shambles, but it definitely is in transition and I think Clijsters timed her comeback well. Justine retired, Maria is still on the mend, Serena and Venus are still dangerous, but perhaps never more vulnerable than now. The not quite established younger players are still on the rise with many looking promising so I'm not ready to condemn the WTA just yet.

As for Kim, I'm wondering if she'll still have the fire inside her in another 12 months.

Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see how all of that unfolds. Right now, she has no pressure, no baggage. Everyone else has something going on, either physical or mental or both.

And of course, first and foremost, she needs to stay healthy.

[Misebeita]

I could care less about this argument, but I do want to add that Kim reached five Grand Slam finals, not four.

And Samantha Stosur is not and has never been in the Top 10.

[payporanymn]

I think Kim came back with a skill set that hasn't been seen in the WTA for a few years now. Serena was out of sorts because she has been skating by playing what passes for the top players of the WTA without having to think or work very hard to beat them. She's had some competitive matches but for the most part when she's wanted to be focused she has been and has wiped the floor with the competition. Watching that match I saw a Serena pushed out of the comfort zone she's been in for awhile.

Kim can think on court. She doesn't need her hand held and she doesn't whine and have a meltdown when something in her game isn't working. What does she do? She goes to plan B. She was countering every move Serena, and before her Venus, made. I would argue that an uninjured Venus had the better chance of beating her but that's water under the bridge.

Kim brings a true skill set to the court something all the cute girls who hit the ball hard don't have. Serena pretty much acknowledged this when she said afterwards that she'd be ready for her next time.

co-sign

[Pyuvjzwf]

As for Kim, I'm wondering if she'll still have the fire inside her in another 12 months.

Kim used to play a lot. 23-25 tourneys a year, and more often than not, was playing singles and doubles. At 26, if she wants to preserve her body, and her mental strength, that will have to be cut back significantly.

I think if she stays in the 16-18 tournament range (if Roadkill will permit that, because she'll be Top 10 probably between the Australian and the US Spring hardcourt swing if she keeps playing), and keeps Brian and Jada on the road with her, it might work out.

[SannyGlow]

I could care less about this argument, but I do want to add that Kim reached five Grand Slam finals, not four.

I also could care less. Women's tennis is fine, and even if it isn't, it's not going anywhere. Kim trained nearly a year for her comeback, and it's not like she had an injury or anything. Her win was surprising, but not knock-your-socks-off surprising.

Wasn't tennis competitive in 2005 when Kim returned to claim all those titles, and a Slam? What am I missing?

In fact, wasn't 2005 the pinnacle of women's tennis?

[Ephedrine]

In fact, wasn't 2005 the pinnacle of women's tennis?

Unless I'm mistaken, that was the year Serena, Justine, Venus, and Kim won the slams and Pierce and Davenport were the other finalists (and while Pierce didn't but up a fight at all in her two finals, the ones with Davenport were highly competitive).

[CicyHannyCeli]

Unless I'm mistaken, that was the year Serena, Justine, Venus, and Kim won the slams and Pierce and Davenport were the other finalists (and while Pierce didn't but up a fight at all in her two finals, the ones with Davenport were highly competitive).

Including the 2005 Wimbledon final which is for me, the match of the decade.