| 05 June 2010
A "wee person" from Milano lays seige to the red clay with style and panache, and ends up taking the victory supposedly intended for Sam Stosur
No matter who ended up in the respective French Open finals, I was still prepared earlier in the week to write about how gloriously good the Italians were to us at Roland Garros this year. Starting with that early match between Fabio and Gael, absolutely to die for in terms of spectator appeal. How could you not love this match? It made my week, that first week in Paris. Then Flavia Pennetta had a few good rounds, Flavia who had reached the Top Ten last year, only to fall off since then. Maybe she will reroute herself toward the Top Ten again after this strong showing here.
It was her compatriot though, Francesca Sciavone, who enjoyed the most transcendent two weeks of anybody. She had more than a few good rounds. She made the final, an improbable enough thing in itself, even though she is very experienced on clay and had been having a good spring. But for her to contemplate a win in the final over the tour's new uber-woman, Sam Stosur, who had beaten Henin, Serena and then Jankovic, the latter in overwhelming fashion, was a huge ask.
Sam supposedly had the bigger game, and the forehand, which along with the serve had been her bread and butter into this final. But Schiavone proved to have the craftier game, she didn't need big power moves, she used a lot of changes of pace and angle. She also served exceptionally well, as effectively winning points at it as Stosur's serve. I was quite impressed by how steadily consistent her first serve was, all over the box, with a surprising amount of pace for one only 5'5". She's a wiry little squeak but quite strong, and mobile as can be around the court. She especially liked mobility when it takes her forward, into the net, where she finished a goodly number of points. Her one handed backhand is truly one of the most beautiful in all of tennis. Like her countryman, Filippo Volandri, and also Fabio Fognini come to think of it, they all hit it like there's no tomorrow, with a full range of arm motion from ankle up to eyeballs, and kind of a joyous little flip at the end. You look at that shot, or at least I do, and it makes me happy.
But most importantly, Francesca came out knowing she was the underdog but taking a strong so-what attitude and started playing her game with more energy and consistency than did Stosur, who in fact appeared more overwhelmed by the occasion than did her older counterpart. Before you could utter "autostrada" the first set had been appropriated and Schiavone suddenly looked like a woman who was not going to give it back.
Stosur had to fight just to hold her own in the second set. By the time she had gathered her forces and started to really unlock her own game, the match was too far under Schiavone's intensity; it became her match to choke away, only she wasn't going to choke it away. Not this one. Now, Stosur? That might have been another story. Not to be disrespectful at all. I am a big fan of her game, but she gets tight as we know. I thought I wanted to see her take this first Slam, but as the match progressed you couldn't help but turn toward the Italian. She was putting on the show of a lifetime.
Well worth the wait, no?
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