World No. 1 Serena Williams of the USA barely squeaked by against No. 43 ranked Vera Dushevina of Russia in a close-as-it-can-get 3-tiebreaker match, 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(5) at the 2010 WTA Mutua Madrelena Madrid Open being played in Madrid, Spain. The match lasted 3 hours, 26 minutes and was the longest match Williams has ever played, according to the WTA Tour.
Williams wasted three set points in the first set, then faced a match point on her serve while trailing 6-5 in the second, but she managed to hold on despite her game being littered with unforced errors. Perhaps their bodies are rebelling against the grind of the WTA circuit. At any rate, they are having more and more trouble winning against much lower ranked players. Is it time to look at retirement?
Williams was close to winning the match when she broke serve to go up 5-2, but she squandered the lead and Dushevina forced a tie-break. Williams trailed 4-0 in the decisive tiebreaker before sealing the win at 7-5.
âI definitely feel really proud because I definitely wasnât playing my best tennis and I was far off playing well,â Williams said. âAlso, at that point I wasnât going to lose. After three hours, Iâd better win.â
Williams left the court for treatment when 3-2 up in the third set and returned with a strapped right thigh. She said she did not yet know how serious her leg injury was.
With all the injuries both William’s sisters are experiencing, it may well be that the age of their dominance is close to an end. Perhaps their bodies are rebelling against the tough grind of the WTA Tour. At any rate, they are having more and more trouble winning against much lower ranked players. Is it time to look at retirement?
