Page 122 - CNM_AUGUST_13TH_2012._Neat

Serena Williams…On Fire!
CNM | SPORT

Best player in the world 6-0, 6-1

illiams can add the gold medal to her
14 Grand Slam singles championships.
She’s the first player to achieve a Gold-
en Slam in both singles and doubles.
“One of the most dominating perfor-
mances in the history of the sport “said
Jay Burger, the men’s coach of the Unit-
Wed States Olympic Tennis Team.
She went 13-0 this summer at the all England Club, where she won
her fifth Wimbledon title a month ago. Williams said the tourna-
ment was the best she has played from start to finish.
When playing Sharapova for her goal medal she said “I was fo-
cused, I remember I was serving and was thinking Serena, this is
your best chance to win a gold medal. You’re at Wimbledon, you’re
on grass, and you play great on grass, pull it together, and just win
this. That’s what I thought about.” And, indeed she did
.
At one stage late in the first set, Williams had as many aces as
Sharapova had points. Williams finished with 10 aces and 24 total
winners and –most remarkable for those who have followed Wil-
liam’s first-strike tactics over the years – just seven unforced errors.

“Look, she’s playing incredibly confident tennis,” said Sharapova
who has lost eight consecutive matches to Williams.” After winning
Wimbledon, you’ve seen her level progress so much here over this
tournament. With every match she’s played, she’s playing better,
hitting harder, so much power on the ball. Even against the wind
today, her shots were very powerful.”
Sharapova representing Russia in her first Olympics, she main-
tained her focus and her composure, but Serena Williams was sim-
ply in a different league.
Her 6-0, 6-1 victory , which she finished with an ace, required 1
hour 3 minutes and of course, celebrated with a scream an a few
dance steps on the grass.

And she was not finish in London. Williams and her sister Venus,
pursuing their third gold in doubles, beat Maria Kirilenko and Na-
dia Petrova of Russia 7-5, 6-4 in the semifinals. And on Sunday
August 5, 2012, the Sisters beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie
Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4. As the Americans in the
crowd at Centre Court broke into a chant of “U- S –A! U-S-A! The
sisters each pumped their fists, turned around to wave, and then
slapped a high five.
While Serena was thrilled to win on her own Saturday, the doubles
is what she most cared about coming to the London Games.

Venus and Serena celebrate after winning
the women’s doubles gold medal match of
the London 2012 Olympic Games in Wim-
bledon, England.
122 CNM | CARIBBEANNETWORKMAGAZINE.COM