Wimbledon Women's Draw Rant

Posted by T. A. Niles Jun 22, 2007

What is it with women’s tennis these days? Is it that they don’t care to have the best two players, the match-up that generates the most drama, in the final? For the second Grand Slam in a row, Justine Henin and Serena Williams are scheduled to meet in the quarterfinals. Once she got over her opening match jitters at the French, Henin rolled everybody in less than seven games, except for Serena who got exactly seven. Henin lost four (not enough for one set much less two) games in the final.

Wimbledon has been known to arrange the seeds to get desired match-ups in desired rounds. Why would they choose to put Serena and Justine in the Quarters? I can’t imagine too many people objecting to having Ana Ivanovic as the seventh seed and Serena the sixth…especially after Ivanovic got a whopping four games from Henin at Roland Garros in the final!

Okay, okay, I’ll calm down and act as though there is some really legitimate reason for the way the draw is setup. I just hope Venus can get to Maria Sharapova. I’m sure that Venus would rather have her wig fall off on center court than lose to Maria “Shriekapova” as some have called her. Getting to Sharapova will be no mean feat though, because if she gets past her first two opponents she gets to tango with Dinara Safina, who is about as locked as you can get to reach the third round. Safina has been bringing much game lately, and she’s only afraid of bugs.

But I digress; this is really about wanting to see a great match in the final, which will probably feature Queen Henin and one of her subjects. I mean, the woman is practically unbeatable these days! She’s won four of seven events she has played in and is in the finals of Eastbourne, and likely to spank Mauresmo in straights.

I suppose one of the terrible teens might not know enough to show Henin the respect she’s earned and with the cheek of youth pull the upset. I’m thinking she’s too good and too smart for that. She has been known to crumble here and there in a tight match, but not since that loss to Serena in April, her fourth tournament of the year. Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova have pushed her to three sets a couple times, but the woman has lost three sets total in the last 18 she has played! Sounds like dominance to me. Of course, only the last six have been on grass, but she’s still only giving up about four games per match.

Then again, Serena might take her out in the quarters, and then we will have an exciting match...unless Sharapova gets there, then Serena will open a can of whoop-ass and force-feed her. Anyone else, and Serena will make it exciting. Yeah, I still think Serena is the only woman out there that can give Henin a run, and it’s just a shame that, if it happens, it will be in the quarters when we still have two matches to go. I was disappointed with the lack of competition in the later rounds of the French, and more than likely I’ll be looking toward the US Open to produce the excitement I’ve been anticipating and haven’t gotten thus far this year. I’m disgruntled and I’m out…