In 2015, the year of the dominating athlete, how can we not expect Serena Williams to win the women’s U.S. Open in New York in early September and become only the fourth Grand Slam winner in tennis history?
Steffi Graf of Germany was the last athlete to accomplish this amazing feat — singles’ titles in the Australian and French Opens, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in one calendar year — but that was back in 1988. Now, 27 years later, Williams is poised to make it happen again, to put an exclamation point on her status as perhaps the game’s GOAT (greatest of all time).
Williams has 21 career Grand Slam titles, and at the age of 33, would seem to have enough years remaining to overtake Graf (22) and Margaret Court (24) on the Grand Slam list before her skills begin to erode.
Jordan Spieth’s attempt at pro golf’s never-accomplished Grand Slam came up a hair short (one stroke out of a playoff at the British Open and a runner-up finish at the PGA) after victories at the Masters and U.S. Open, but thoroughbred
American Pharaoh set the ‘slam’ precedent by winning the Triple Crown of racing for the first time in 37 years, so the stage is set for Williams.
“What has made Serena the best on the women’s side of tennis, possibly in all of the sport, is not only her skill, but her determination to win,” wrote Isportsweb.com’s Rachel Grim.
Not to downplay her accomplishment, but Williams is at her tennis peak at a point in history where the competition is … well, a little lacking. Martina Navratilova had Chrissie Evert to beat; Graf and Monica Seles were 1-2 or 2-1 for most of their careers. Williams’s foes are lesser lights in the overall scheme of things. Maria Sharapova leads the tour in gorgeousness, but her five Grand Slam career titles pale in comparison to Serena’s 20. Sharapova is ranked No. 2 in the world and you’d need Google or be a tennis nerd to know who’s No. 3 and 4 (Simona Halep is ranked third in the world, Angelique Kerber fourth).
Unless Williams comes down with an illness or injury, there’s no reason to think she won’t breeze to victory in early September. Winning the Grand Slam would be a fitting bow to tie around her brilliant career.
• RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “A Canadian is the 2015 North American Scrabble Champ. Matthew Tunnicliffe credits his victory to studying dictionaries for over three hours a day. He now faces a bigger challenge — getting a girlfriend.”
• Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle: “No more calls, we have a winner! Arrest of the year: Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, already on NFL suspension for flunking a drug test, is arrested for allegedly driving 143 mph, resisting arrest, tailgating, driving without lights and running a red light. Cops say they find a fully-loaded semiautomatic handgun in the car, which reeks of weed. Awesome.”
• TV broadcaster David Feherty, after Matt Jones played a shot off a carpet in a fan-laden hospitality area at the PGA at Whistling Straits: “I don’t know whether we need a rules official or an event planner.”
• FIFA presidential candidate Chung Mong-joon of South Korea, to the London Telegraph, on Sepp Blatter trying to distance himself from soccer’s mega scandal: “Blatter is like a cannibal eating his parents and then crying he’s an orphan.”Comic Torben Rolfsen, on the Harlem Globetrotters ditching their patsy Washington Generals after 63 seasons: “They’re going to use the New York Knicks instead.”
• Greg Cote of The Miami Herald, after Buffalo signed QB-puncher IK Enemkpali: “First day in the Bills’ locker room, Enemkpali had his lunch money stolen by Richie Incognito.”
@Randyturner15 of the Winnipeg Free Press, on Twitter: “I’m all for ads on NHL jerseys as long as referees’ uniforms can be sponsored by LensCrafters.”
• Comedy writer Alan Ray, on dancer Julianne Hough’s upcoming wedding to NHL player Brooks Laich, the pride of Wawota, Sask.: “The ‘something borrowed’ will be his false teeth.”
• Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “Apple is working to develop a driverless car. They might’ve gotten the idea watching the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offence last season.”
• Another one from RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “Reuters reports a man wasn’t allowed to pay a parking ticket in Pennsylvania with 2,500 pennies because it was against the law. So there’s one fewer use for CFL bonuses.”
• Blogger Phil Mushnick: “Rumour is Urban Meyer suspended those four Ohio State football players after he caught them in the library.”
• Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “Tim Tebow stopped a fight at the Philadelphia Eagles training camp. He didn’t stop it so much as he raised his arms and the fight parted.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca
