Thursday, September 3, 2009

Is Serena Peaking too Early?

                 Can Serena maintain this punishing pace?

I’m actually a little bit worried about Serena Williams. That’s crazy talk right? Probably. She mashed the ball so hard tonight that I thought her opponent, Melinda Czink might have asked the umpire for a bodyguard or better yet, a flak jacket. Serena’s 6-1, 6-1 win was not as close as it sounds. You had the feeling that there was nothing any woman on earth could have done to slow down that assault.

But is Serena’s overwhelming effort in the early rounds a good thing for her? I’ve been watching her since she first hit the tour and I have never seen her play with such ferocity and intensity this early in a Grand Slam tournament. She usually plays her way into form and starts tearing people apart in week two. This early house cleaning is not really her M-O.

She is either peaking too early after having a mediocre summer or she is the “New Look” Serena. It’s still too early to tell – and she is the reining champ at every Grand Slam Event right now with the exception of the French.

Serena crushed the ball tonight like someone had done her wrong. I could be off the mark, but I question whether or not Serena can maintain this level intensity for the entire fortnight. If she can, the remaining women in the draw should invest in some riot gear or skip any upcoming matches with her altogether.

No comments:

Post a Comment