Serena Secures Comeback from Year of Injury
Following a year of intense injury, ranging from pulmonary blood clotting to multiple foot surgeries, 13-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams returned to the WTA spotlight in August, winning her first tournament title since her return to the game after nearly a year on the sidelines. Williams vanquished ninth-ranked Marion Bartoli of France, with a 7-5, 6-1 win in the Bank of the West Classic final in Stanford, California.
Serena made her way from a two break shortfall in the first rally to a powerful end. The second rally saw Williams pull ahead 5-0, rendering the final outcome somewhat predictable according to pundits.
The match's outcome demonstrated a stark turnaround from Bartoli's previous record against Williams, in which Bartoli trounced Williams at Wimbledon's fourth round earlier this year. Bartoli gained her victory against the former globally no. 1 ranked Williams in straight sets at Wimbledon. William's triumph in Stanford was her first appearance in the finals since the 2010 All England Club, which she won.
William's victory was the first time in three years in which an American woman won in her home country, the previous winner being herself in the 2008 US Open in New York. The victory will likely prope Williams from a ranking of 169 to no.28 prior to the US Open, as she entered the tournament unseeded.
Serena easily fought her way to the finals, beating Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Her match against Bartoli is sure to go down in the tennis history books as a demonstration of her amazing abilities as a tennis player. Bartoli advanced to the finals when Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova withdrew in the semifinal due to a strained abdominal.
Nonetheless, Bartoli faced injuries of her own on Sunday. Her performance was hindered by a swollen bruise in the center of her right hand, which she said loosened her grip, although she did add that it did not cost her the match.
Williams has not only returned, but she is ready to take on the hard-court series this summer. She says her stamina has returned and her game continues to improve each day, which is likely to strike fear into her opponents in upcoming tennis tournaments. It's clear from that performance that despite a loss in the US Open tennis fans should be enthusiastically awaiting her next matches.
Serena made her way from a two break shortfall in the first rally to a powerful end. The second rally saw Williams pull ahead 5-0, rendering the final outcome somewhat predictable according to pundits.
The match's outcome demonstrated a stark turnaround from Bartoli's previous record against Williams, in which Bartoli trounced Williams at Wimbledon's fourth round earlier this year. Bartoli gained her victory against the former globally no. 1 ranked Williams in straight sets at Wimbledon. William's triumph in Stanford was her first appearance in the finals since the 2010 All England Club, which she won.
William's victory was the first time in three years in which an American woman won in her home country, the previous winner being herself in the 2008 US Open in New York. The victory will likely prope Williams from a ranking of 169 to no.28 prior to the US Open, as she entered the tournament unseeded.
Serena easily fought her way to the finals, beating Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Her match against Bartoli is sure to go down in the tennis history books as a demonstration of her amazing abilities as a tennis player. Bartoli advanced to the finals when Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova withdrew in the semifinal due to a strained abdominal.
Nonetheless, Bartoli faced injuries of her own on Sunday. Her performance was hindered by a swollen bruise in the center of her right hand, which she said loosened her grip, although she did add that it did not cost her the match.
Williams has not only returned, but she is ready to take on the hard-court series this summer. She says her stamina has returned and her game continues to improve each day, which is likely to strike fear into her opponents in upcoming tennis tournaments. It's clear from that performance that despite a loss in the US Open tennis fans should be enthusiastically awaiting her next matches.
About the Author:
John Casson is a contributing writer for the Imagine Sports Network which provides baseball, soccer, and tennis news. He has written about multiple sports and has followed tennis tournaments for many years and he has posted on tennis blogs as well as tennis forums.