| 02 May 2010
Queen Justine reigns again!! Vive La Reine! The $ and the Porsche, incidental. The most exciting player in the WTA is back where she belongs and showing the girls it's time to get beyond their grinding backcourt schtick. What's more, Justine Henin beat Sam Stosur, also an all-courter. Since when did the WTA have that kind of final?? My memory fails me. So today's final was historic, for more than one reason.
Justine's evolution into a more offensive player is beginning to pay dividends. Carlos R. must be rejoicing. Just her return was a big deal. To return playing DIFFERENTLY was a bigger deal. To return playing differently and WIN is monumental, everybody. Her service percentages, which have really lost her some big ones since her comeback, have looked pretty rotten as she tried to serve bigger and dished up double faults like other WTAers. But she's been getting over that problem, more aces are flying off her stick, and she's hitting early, returning, coming in and volleying like a demon. So I say again, vive La Reine. May Her Majesty win many more matches. The WTA should get down on its knees and thank her for resuscitating the tour.
Alright, what about Stosur? She has two greatly improved weapons. Her forehand and her serve. As with S Williams, she lives and dies by her serve. Sam also has some big upper body muscles and they both have questionable mechanics moving on court that mean they muscle the ball back instead of hitting clean shots. Sam has short legs that aren't as strong or flexible as her upper body. Her movement remains a weakness and she moves much better to her forehand. She stays a bit too upright, prepares late, and often relies on her arm and wrist rather than her legs and hips to hit. But there's a lot about Sam to like. Her fair dinkum Aussie-ness. Her willingness to go the distance. Her work ethic. Simple, straightforward clothes. No grunting, chest beating, stick smashing, screaming, sobbing diva antics. No false eyelashes, hair lacquer, fingernail paint, or outsized jewelry. She just brings her tennis.
Justine's new improved play won her the 1st set. She had a lapse later in the 2nd, made more errors, hit too much to Sam's FH. Her timing looked a bit off. Taking the ball early is all about timing, and Sam took full advantage of that weakness and did her thing. But the Queen always fights to the death. She righted her ship in the 3rd. She gripped the wheel hard, lowered her head against the wind, steered through the start of the set by will, and her superior movement and agility carried the day. After she broke Sam, she cruised through 6-1 and went for a short ride in her new Porsche land vessel. Vive La Reine.
Other things to smile about:
A commentator who actually pronounced Justine's whole name right.
Awards dignitaries dressed in beautiful dark European-cut suits. Especially notable was the gray-haired fellow with tie and pocket handkerchief of dusty rose. Very sharp, indeed. Made up for young excitable guy sitting next to Coach Rodriguez. Way too much jumping up, that guy. Needs to move to Djokovic's camp.
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