Serena Williams, Jelena Jankovic to Highlight Sony Ericsson Open Final
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Apr 3, 2008 | Print | Email | Bookmark | Free Subscription
Once again, Serena Williams has proven that the courts at the Sony Ericsson Open are her domain.
In one of the best matches fans have seen at this year’s event, defending champion Serena Williams came back from the brink of defeat to reach Saturday’s championship match.
Williams, seeded eighth in Miami, defeated third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 after two hours, forty-seven minutes of play on Thursday.
If Kuznetsova had managed to defeat Serena, she would have joined an elite company of women.
Only six other players (Sanchez-Vicario, Graf, Hingis, Clijsters, Davenport, and Henin) have completed the “Williams Slam” by defeating both Venus and Serena Williams in the same tournament. Kuznetsova downed Venus in the quarterfinals, only to come up short against Serena in the semifinals today.
Serena will play for the title on Saturday against Jelena Jankovic.
Jankovic advanced to the final round after blitzing past Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-4. The No. 2 Serbian needed only seventy-five minutes to reach her first final of the season.
Serena and Jelena have met five times in the past, with Jankovic holding a 3-2 lead. Their last meeting was at the Australian Open in January where Jelena denied Serena a chance to defend her Grand Slam title by ousting her in the quarterfinals 6-3, 6-4.
If Williams wins Saturday’s final, she will not only retain her position inside the Top 10, but also tie Steffi Graf’s record of five singles titles in Miami.
Jankovic could overtake her countrywoman Ana Ivanovic for the No. 2 spot behind Justine Henin if she wins the Sony Ericsson Open title. Should she lose, she is projected to remain at her current ranking of No. 3
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Will.I.AM | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Great match! It’s a bittersweet moment for me because I love Serena, but I am sad for Svetlana. Kuznetsova played a great match, and I think she is starting to live up to her potential. She is much better than one grand slam title. It seems that her mind is catching up to her game.
Also, I don’t know who coined the term “Williams Slam”, but people shouldn’t use it. Call me sensitive if you like, but it harbors such a negative connotation! Williams Slam?! An elite group of members who have “slammed” the williams sisters? Not “Williams Double”? It’s things like this that give credibility to Richard Williams’ comments about racism on the tour. And I’m sure it’s not meant to be racist, but the imagery of the term suggests otherwise.
Go Serena!
Aaress | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Will.I.AM, I don’t know who coined the term “Williams Slam” either, but as an African-American, I don’t consider it to be a negative connotation. If the same thing had happen to say the Bondarenko sisters, it would be a Bondarenko Slam. Or, for a different era, the Maleeva Slam.
Plus, remember it was Serena who bestowed upon herself the claim to winning a “Serena Slam” back in 2002.
Still, for what it is worth, the Tour officially refers to it as a Williams-Williams Double.
Will.I.AM | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
So if it’s officially called a Williams-Williams Double, what’s the point of the Williams Slam? Oh wait, there is no point!
And what does the Serena Slam have to do with the Williams Slam? Serena Slam deals with GRAND SLAMS! The Williams Slam “record” has nothing to do with winning. It’s just a negative term. The media can be so harsh to the sisters.
Aaress | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
You know Will, we could debate this one till the cows come home . . .
However, you know that I respect your opinion and have taken note of your concern regarding the term. If the phrase bothers you, I offer my sincerest apologies. No offense was intended.
I’m not changing the article, because I personally consider the use of the term “slam” in this context to be doing two or more things in succession in the sport of tennis.
Will.I.AM | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Sorry to be a jerk about this. I’m 99% sure the term wasn’t meant to be offensive, but that 1% bothers me because there is a better way to phrase it. I’m not asking you to change the article, I just felt I should say something because it doesn’t sit well with me.
Aaress | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
No problem - that’s why we have the comments!
pov | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
I think it takes a lot of work to turn the phrase “Williams Slam” into something negative.
I’d even say that what is “negative” is the thinking that it takes to produce such a perspective.
It is that type of approach that sometimes leads to the paranoid, hyper-sensitive, self-defeating perspective evidenced in many of Richard Williams’ comments. Here also we see that, even after being offered examples to the contrary, there is a choice to persist in seeing things from a negative standpoint.
Dapxin | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
I only managed to see the game,on a terribly choppy internet stream. But I could see all the never say die attitude of Serena, out and out.
Once Andy Murray or Jamie Murray isnt on a tournament out here in london, tenniswise, we are pretty done for.
I have to agree with Will, I thought Kutzie played very well, and she’s indeed overcoming the bit of her that gets in the way of her potentials….
As for the one on williams slam, I dont really mind, the 1% negative connotation…I m black and luckily has never been at the receiving end of racism, even after 4 years in mainland london.
In general, I think some folks are too quick to play the racism card, so much that we are all as guilty.
In the end, if you are still dumb enough to be a racist in 2008, you’ll be for the rest of your live, even if the press uses serena slam or william slam…I mean, a racist is a racist.
my 1cent.