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LiveAnalysis: Victoria Azarenka vs Li Na, Australian Open Final

By Lindsay on January 26, 2013

YOU GUYS IT’S TIME. It’s the Women’s Final. It’s Australia Day. And Daren Cahill is in a kilt.

Stay tuned here for all of your live-blogging needs, as I keep you updated game-by-game and insulting media narrative by insulting media narrative.

(You can scroll directly to the bottom if you’re just looking for my final thoughts and impressions from the match.)

Here’s are the keys to the match, as I see them:

1. Li Na’s UFE count. Li Na has an extremely aggressive style, but she is not the most consistent. She’s going to have a higher UFE count than most players, but she needs to keep that number somewhat reasonable in order to have a shot against the steady and punishing Azarenka. Keeping them somewhere between the 18 she had against Sharapova and the 40 she had against Radwanska would be a good measure. I think if she keeps that number in the mid-twenties, she’ll win.

2. Azarenka’s forehand. This shot completely broke down at the end of her match against Sloane Stephens, and she cannot let that happen vs. Li Na or this match will be over quickly.

3. Ugh, I hate to talk about it but we must- how will Azarenka handle the fact that she’s been vilified these past few days? The crowd is going to be brutal. If it gets to her, she’s in trouble. She has to rise above.

Let’s do this!

Pre-match.

Okay, so as we expected the crowd cheered much louder for Li Na than Azarenka.

ESPN is reminding us about the MTO-gate for the one hundredth time. I see the didn’t read my plea to make this about the tennis, and not the villain vs. comic plot-line.

Ugh.

Here’s the head-to head between the two. It’s notable that Azarenka won all three matches in 2012, but Li Na won both of their Grand Slam meetings in 2011. Plus, Li Na is the last person to beat Vika in Australia! Intriguing!

Screen shot 2013-01-26 at 3.42.23 AM

Azarenka won the coin toss and elected to receive. Ready, play!!

Set 1

0-0: Li Na starts the match with a double-fault, but follows it up with a beautiful forehand winner. Then they both hit errors to bring the match to 30-30. It’s shocking that Azarenka can even manage to hold the racket, being that she’s so evil. Li Na misses three first serves, and Azarenka absolutely kils her to get the break.

Three 2nd serves, three unforced errors. Not the start that Li Na needed.

Chrissie, “In my mind, Azarenka’s return is better than her serve.” She’s always on top of things, isn’t she? Startling insight.

0-1: I AM OBSESSED WITH THE LEGGINGS VIKA IS WEARING. Okay, just had to get that out.

A nervy game from Azarenka on serve, which isn’t shocking. The crow is cheering her errors and she is pulling the trigger too early. seems to be a step slow, but she could just be feeling out the match. She gets broken easily though.

1-1: Li Na is still struggling with her UFE count, but manages to hit a great forehand winner at 30-30 to get it to game point. She is going to have to get more first serves in so that she can dictate points. Azarenka’s return will put her on the defensive, which is exactly what happens in the next game as she floats a 2nd serve in, gets caught in a defensive position in a rally, and puts a backhand into the net to set up break-point. She saves it with a good first serve to set up AD, and then on game point she gets a solid 2nd serve in out-wide and draws the error from Azarenka, and we have a hold!!

2-1: Azarenka now under pressure to hold, starts with a double-fault. After a couple of nice rallies–that ended on errors from each–Li Na hits a phenomenal forehand winner to give herself two break-points. She has settled down nicely. On the first break-point she attacks Azarenka’s second serve and draws the Azarenka error to break. Vika angrily practices a backhand.

3-1: Azarenka gets her first winner of the match with an overhead smash at the net. Hard to believe her first winner is coming down 1-3 in the match, but that shows you how aggressive Li na is being. But Li Na hits two great first serves that draw errors from Vika to make the score 30-15. Vika finds the range on her backhand the next point and gets a second winner, but a Li Na ace sees her down game point. Li Na comes forward on the next point and hits a swinging volley to the backboard. Shank alert! Luckily her memory was short, because on the next point she finds herself hitting another clean forehand winner from mid-court.

At AD Li, Vika gets on top of the rally and forces Li to pull the trigger too early. Rinse and repeat on deuce No. 2 and break-point. Azarenka manages to get the break back and utters a huge: COME ON!

3-2: WOW. Azarenka hits three 2nd serves and finds herself down 0-40. This is a returning clinic. Azarenka seems to have the advantage when the rallies get going though, and is able to save the first one. After Li Na hits a backhand error, Chrissie talks about what a beautiful shot it is. That seems to trigger something in Li Na, who hits a bullet of a backhand winner after a mid-length rally and grabs the break. Serious backhand porn there. Amazing.

4-2: Li Na’s serve placement has improved immensely, and she seems determined to get the ball in cleanly to try and minimize the brutal return from Vika. Her serve/forehand combination is putting Vika on her back-feet. Li holds at love. The crowd continues to show immense hostility towards the defending champion.

WOW.

5-2: Vika finds a first serve, and Vika holds. Amazing how that works. She is a competitor and is not going to go away easily. But Li Na still is the best player on court right now.

5-3: Li Na serving for the set is never a given. Ever. She quickly loses the range on her backhand and goes down 0-40, but then saves the first one with a beautiful backhand winner. But at 15-40, Li Na hits a 2nd serve, gets into a defensive position, and Azarenka is able to draw the error and break back. This is far from ever, and the rallies are picking up pace and aggression. Just because there’s a high error count doesn’t necessarily mean it’s low quality. These girls are screwing their nerves and going for it.

We’re back on serve.

5-4: At 15-15, Li Na gets such amazing depth on her shots that they all land at Azarenka’s feet and she has to get down so low to retrieve them that she’s off balance. That’s the same thing that happened against Sharapova as well. The game gets to 30-30, when an Azarenka 2nd serve is absolutely destroyed by a Li Na forehand angled winner to bring up set point. That was highlihgt-reel stuff. Down set point Azarenka finds a first serve and gets control of the rally, leaving Li Na off-balance and sending a forehand long.

At deuce Vika hits the SHOT OF THE MATCH, a running forehand cross-court winner, her first forehand winner of the match! She gets game point, but after a great side-to-side rally, Li Na comes foreward and hits a topspin forehand from mid-court. Two winners in a row! On the 2nd deuce Azarenka sprays her forehand to give Li Na a 2nd set point. Azarenka hits a great first serve out-wide, and then comes to the net and hits a volley winner. Brave. Redfoo is on his feet.

Chrissie marvels at how zen Li na has become, and she’s right, though I do miss a bit of the crazy.

Deuce 3. Another first serve and a PHENOMENAL side-to-side rally that finds every single corner of the court. Finally Li Na finds a ball she can attack and hits a backhand winner for set point 3. But Azarenka hits a great serve and Li Na gets to it late and sprays the return long. Deuce 4. Azarenka gets another first-serve in, but pulls the rigger on the forehand too early and sprays it long. Set point 4. 2nd serve. And ohmygod. she double-faults. After such a phenomenal and high-quality game, it ends on a double-fault. Brutal.

Li Na takes the first set 6-4.

Set 2

First set stats:

Screen shot 2013-01-26 at 4.32.29 AM

Set Two:

0-0: Li Na gets to game point but cannot convert. Azarenka, who started the match a step slow, has really improved her movement as the match goes on. Whether it be nerves, distraction, or Azarenka’s penetration, Li Na hits three consecutive errors and gets broken even though she’s up game point.

Remember, she won the first set two years ago vs. Clijsters.

Also: ESPN has reminded us that if Li Na wins she’ll become the oldest women’s Grand Slam champion and Serena will be the oldest No. 1. Or something like that. I don’t think I got that right. Fact check me. I’m not great at this.

Meanwhile…

0-1: Li Na’s backhand is great at keeping her in rallies, but is not as great when she tries to pull the trigger, probably because Azarenka keeps her on the move. Azarenka finds her first serve this game and is able to get to game point for a chance to the 2-0 lead,

Chrissie says that Li Na is the better mover, but I disagree. Li Na is quick, but Azarenka’s court coverage is phenomenal.

Azarenka hits an error and then double-faults to go down a BP, but she saves it with a huge serve out wide. On the deuce point she serves and volleys-including a beautiful pick-up at the net- and Li Na hits a lob that goes just long. Azarenka manages to hold with a beautiful forehand winner to the far corner.

80% first serves for Azarenka in that game. Makes a huge, huge difference.

0-2: Aaaah, I am loving this you guys. The quality is getting better and better as the match goes on. Such clean, aggressive hitting. A battle to see who can dictate. Li Na is serving on the side of the court that has seen ZERO service holds all match, so this is a great opportunity for Vika to really sieze control of the set. However, she quickly goes down 15-30 because she pulls the trigger too early. But Li Na hits a dtl shot forehand gone wrong. On the next rally Azarenka attacks the Li Na forehand, seemingly daring her to make an error, and finally she does.

BP Azarenka, and she pins Li Na in the corner and out of position and gets the break. Smart, crafty play from Azarenka who suddenly seems to have a game-plan and a double-break lead.

Oh, and I forgot to post a screencap of the fabulous leggings!! Thanks twitter.

0-3: HAHAHAHAHAHA, Chrissie says that Li Na is the fresher mentally of the two, which completely goes against everything they’ve been saying all match. Way to make up narratives as we go along, everyone.

Azarenka’s forehand goes missing, as it is known to do, and she gets down two break-points. Li Na converts the first on a forehand winner. Very, very quickly one break is gone. Luckily she has two!

1-3: OH NO. At 15-30 Li Na takes a tumble while trying to quickly change directions and seems to tweak her ankle. She is favoring her left ankle and limping to the sidelines. She is walking under her own power, but we have a MTO. Worth noting that her ankles are not taped. Also worth noting that Vika immediately walked to the net to check on her opponent. This is really, really awful because the match was getting so high-quality.

Meanwhile, this is another opportunity for people I used to respect in the media to take pot-shots at Vika.

https://twitter.com/unseededlooming/status/295108305444040704

They are taping Li Na’s ankle. Azarenka has her warm-up jacket on and is practicing serves to stay focused. Absolutely the right thing to do. Take note, Sloane Stephens.

Upon replays it looks like just a twist, not a complete buckle. Hopefully some tape will take care of things. She is going to continue to play, but shoots a concerned look to her box.

However, on the first point back in play she hits a beautiful backhand winner to go up 40-30. And then ANOTHER winner to take the game! Seems to be moving well. Everyone can breath easy for the moment. Hopefully the adrenaline will keep her in this.

2-3: Azarenka shanks a ball. Then another miss. And then another. 5 straight points for Li Na since the MTO and Vika is down 0-40. She saves the first one with a cross-court backhand winner that should be FRAMED. On the 2nd break-point, she hits a 2nd serve but gets into the rally, ad then gets help from a net-cord that brings her to net and allows her to smack a winner into the open court. On the third break-point Azarenka drives a forehand dtl and Li Na is there, but misses a backhand into the net. If she loses this, that’s what she’ll see in her nightmares, as well as that swing volley from the first set.

Two more KILLER winners from Vika and she wins five straight points to hold!!! She is hitting to Li Na’s backhand, which is going to be her weak link with the ankle. Li Na is starting to let the crowd get to her, and express frustration with the disorganization of the ball kids. This could be a turning point.

2-4: Li Na is on the side of the court where nobody has held serve all day. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

She is clearly rattled now, be it the ankle or Vika’s aggression, and she hits two double-faults to go down 15-40. She saves the first one by drawing an error with a great backhand dtl that Vika can’t quite handle. Azarenka tries to challenge, but is way, way, way too late. She shrugs it off.

Still a break-point for Azarenka. Li Na gets her 2nd serve in play and Azarenka hits a nervy backhand into the net. Not a good miss. The quality has dropped and the atmosphere changed these past two games, but Li Na wakes the crowd up when Vika jumps on a return to serve and comes to net too early and Li Na pummels a bhdtl for a winner. She was not getting those dtl shots earlier in this match, but she sure is now. A backhand clean backhand winner from Li Na seals the hold. That is huge. Last game I was afraid that the ankle was going to effect the backhand but she seems to be gaining confidence and feeling more and more comfortable putting weight on it. Vika still has a break, but this feels dead-even.

3-4: Li Na begins the game with a return winner and then a phenomenal running cross-court forehand winner, a beauty of a shot that should signal to Azarenka that she is back to full strength. Two break-points for Li Na. And she converts the second one! We’re back on serve!!! The crowd is booing Azarenka, who showed her frustration after a bad miss.

4-4: Li Na quickly goes down 0-30 on her serve, but gets back into the game with a forehand winner. She hits a 2nd serve at 15-30 and suddenly is in an extremely defensive position. Her forehand, which is beginning to break-down a la Azarenka in the semis, finds the net tamely to give Vika two break-points. Azarenka hits a return of serve to Li Na’s feet, and she can’t handle the depth and hits a backhand way long.

Vika breaks back. This is a wacky match, and the momentum swings are reminiscent of the Federer/Murray semi from yesterday.

Also, you guys, the Australian Day fireworks are coming. They’re going to be here in about 10 minutes. Holy moly.

4-5: Azarenka is serving for the 2nd set. She quickly goes up to a 30-0 lead, and then hits a great 2nd serve down the Tee that Li Na can’t handle. Three set points for the world No. 1. Another 2nd serve. An Li Na sprayed forehand does it. We are going three, folks. Buckle up.

Azarenka takes the 2nd set, 6-4.

Set 3:

https://twitter.com/Bonnie_D_Ford/status/295116118014705664

I don’t know why others aren’t excited. I am! Tense, entertaining match.

0-0: Li Na is serving, and you can feel her nerves. People are saying that it’s the injury, which it might be, but she seems to be moving okay for the time being and not grimacing much between points. It does feel like her old nerves–the ones we saw here two years ago–are coming into play. Not to mention the fact that Azarenka isn’t giving her anything.

Li Na sprays her forehand, misses a lot of first serves, and Vika breaks to start the 3rd set. Of course, she’s done that before.

0-1: It’s really going to be the battle to see who’s forehands can hold up. Azarenka gets to game point, but Li Na hits a beautiful backhand winner to save it. Then, at deuce, Azarenka sprays her forehand long. I said this during the Sloane match, but I have really never seen a top player’s shot break-down like her backhand does. It goes from being the forehand of a world No. 1 to being the forehand of an unconfident journeywoman. That would rattle anyone, and it does. She double-faults to give Li na the break back. Settle in, everyone. Anything could happen.

1-1: We’re officially on firework watch, folks. Any minute now. Just what this match needs. Hysterical. Li Na finds her first serve–and, significantly, her forehand–and races out to a 40-0 lead. Azarenka saves the first game point, but then Li Na hits an ace to hold!

And now, quite literally, we have fireworks. This. Is. Amazing. A Grand Slam final is having a firework break.

FIREWORK BREAK:

Also, in a twist, Azarenka calls the trainer and goes off-court. Hmmm…….

And, the cheap-shots at Vika continue. Ugh.

2-1: And we’re back! “We’ll see if anyone blows a fuse,” Pam jokes. Oh Pam.

Vika is serving. On the first point back in play Li Na collapses and grimaces and it seems like it’s her ankle again. Everyone gasps, the crowd is quiet. Then we realize that it’s not just her ankle, but it seems she has hit her head as she’s fallen. She is laughing as the trainer is talking to her and they are giving her a concussion test. I cannot believe that a tennis player is dealing with a head injury. Li Na stands up on her own two feet and goes to the side where she calls 2 MTOs, for ankle and head. They are checking her neck, her comprehension, and her movement. She is smiling, but she’s always smiling so it’s hard to know what this means.

This is the craziest final ever.

Azarenka is hitting with a ball-boy. Li Na comes back onto court smiling, taking a deep breath, and hopping around.

Azarenka is serving and up 15-0.

Okay, so they’re playing this sport called tennis again. Hitting the ball back and forth. Staying on their feet. Going for their shots. After a few side-to-side rallies (both ladies are getting great depth), Li Na hits a backhand winner into the corner of the court to set up break-point. Azarenka saves it with a forehand winner, and then Li Na botches an easy return. game point, vika, who converts with a forehand winner.

Craziest thing? The quality is as high now as it’s ever been. Holy moly.

What a picture. What a match.

2-2: Li Na is serving, and on the first rally off her serve she sprays her forehand. But on the next point, down 0-15, she moves forward confidently and hits a forehand volley winner. i don’t know how she’s still standing, let alone playing high-quality tennis. At 15-15 she hits a double-fault, and then misses a backhand off of a net-cord after a crazy rally begun by her 2nd serve, and falls down 15-40.

2nd serve, once again, down break-point. Not what she wants. But somehow Azarenka doesn’t attack her second serve, and after a baseline to baseline rally Azarenka hits a backhand long. She challenges, and it turns out the ball was in, but they replay the point. Azarenka argues with the ump for a minute and then gets back to business. Another 2nd serve, another lost point. Vika goes up a break. The crowd is going insane now, and not for Vika.

2-3: WOW. Vika holds serve at love from the “bad end”. She’s finally found her serve. There is no cheering from the crowd as she holds emphatically.

2-4: Azarenka is zoning now. She knocks a return winner off of Li Na’s first serve for her fifth straight point. But Li Na slows the pace down, takes a deep breath, and gets a few first serves in. She hits a gorgeous backhand drive volley to go up 40-15 in the game. With another forehand winner, she somehow, some way, holds. You guys this is amazing I am in love with this match. I might change my mind if Li Na’s injuries end up being serious. But right now? This is absurdist theatre. Every single part of this is compelling. BUT HOW WILL IT END?

3-4: Li Na, her back against the wall, plays two of her best points of the match on return of serve to get to 0-30, but then Azarenka steps up the depth of her shot–the key for her right now–and gets back to 30-30. this feels like the most important point of the match. And OMG!!!!! After a long rally baseline-to-baseline, Li Na sends a moonball back and Azarenka is thrown off enough to hit a shot into the net.

EVERYTHING. This match has everything.

Okay, maybe not everything.

Li Na can’t convert her first break point and we’re back to deuce. Azarenka wins the backhand-to-forehand rally and hits a clean forehand winner to get AD. She hits a first serve out wide, Li Na sprays the return. Vika holds.

3-5: Li Na serving to stay in the match. To say the tension is palpable would be an understatement. Of the century. Li Na loses the first point but then hits two PHENOMENAL backhand winners to get ahead in the game again. Azarenka, however, says that she can hit a winner too, and smacks a cross-court forehand winner.

Crap, two points from the end. I don’t ever want this to end.

30-30, 2nd serve for Li Na. Feels like this is it, but then she drives a backhand deep, Azarenka guesses wrong and can’t switch directions in time, and she gets to game point. First serve. Another mid-length rally that ends with a Li Na backhand into the net. Azarenka’s forehand is holding up nicely under pressure.

Oh geez. Suddenly Li Na’s backhand breaks down. she sprays one wide and Vika has Championship Point.

2nd serve. Azarenka gets it back into play, and Li Na hits her shot long.

Victoria Azarenka d. Li Na 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Post-match:

The handshake is icy. Doesn’t seem like it’s over. Azarenka doesn’t collapse onto the ground, doesn’t even smile, she just sobs uncontrollably. After two days of pressure and persecution, she is letting it all out.

This women’s final was brought to you by Lars von Trier.

Azarenka goes over to her box, stands below them, sobs, and lifts her hands up. She doesn’t know what to do. “We f*cking love you, baby. You’re f*cking amazing,” Redfoo says. Pam apologizes for his language. This does not seem like a victory. This feels like survival.

Li Na smiles, and then cries tears of her own on her chair.

Trophy presentation:

The presenter starts it off by saying, “We couldn’t have scripted this any better.” Hmm…seems insensitive with Li Na standing right there. Then they introduce Margaret Court. We are not off to a great start.

“She’s battered, she’s bruised, and she’s quite possibly buggered. Ladies and gentlemen, Li Na!” (That should be on her tombstone.)

Li Na begins her speech by congratulating Vika and thanking her sponsors. Says, “two weeks ago I’d really have to say I hate my team, they push me a lot. But I think it’s not so bad, so I should shut up and continue.” SHE IS THE BEST.

Victoria Azarenka, two-time Grand Slam Champion, is introduced and takes the trophy. Claps, no boos. Or at least they drown out the boos. I’m very happy for that. It was a pretty uneventful speech, but she thanks her team, her “Party Rock Crew”, the sponsors, the fans, and finally–just as I was freaking out–she acknowledges Li Na. These things do not come naturally to Azarenka, and she certainly doesn’t enjoy them, but she is getting better. She is surviving. She ends the speech by wishing the crowd “Happy Australian Day.” There are cheers. Wow.

Victoria Azarenka is your world No. 1 and a two-time Grand Slam Champion.

But, make no mistake about it, it’s still the Year of Li Na.

******

Final statistics:

Screen shot 2013-01-26 at 6.50.50 AM

(Vika on the left, Li Na on the right)

***

Final Thoughts: Theater of the Absurd

What a match.

I thought it would be nearly impossible to top the US Open final, which I was lucky enough to see live, But this one takes the cake. It had intrigue and drama oozing out of it. Anything that could have happened, happened. When combined with the overall drama headed into the mach about the hatred of Azarenka, the adoration of Li Na, and the focus on personalities, it seemed like every sub-plot had a sub-plot, to the point that I felt like I had left a tennis match and stepped into a scripted pilot for the newest Showtime hit, “Give me Tennis, or Give me Death.” (BTW I would totally watch that.) Seriously, the only thing missing from this match was actual blood. And surely if we had played a few more games that would have happened.

Before the match I wrote about how much I wanted this match to stop being about the motifs and the stereotypes of the good-natured and funny and angelic Li Na vs. the evil and destructive Victoria Azarenka, and while I’m sure that those limiting portrayals won’t vanish or dissipate overnight, I was happy that this match was so engaging and entertaining in it’s own right that what happened on the court can tell it’s own story. And what a story it was.

Li Na was on the outside looking in before this tournament started. She was a former champion who had been overshadowed by Azarenka, Sharapova, Radwanksa, and even Kerber and Kvitova. She had seized her time in the spotlight in 2011 when the WTA’s future stars were still coming into form, but she wasn’t expected to take any more of the spotlight away. Sure, she would be competitive and a threat to anyone, but there was always a feeling that she would get in her own way. I think we can rest assured that this is a new Li Na. She’s more mature mentally, she’s more even-tempered than ever before, and she has more variety and weapons than she ever has. A lot of this is personal growth, with an assist from her new coach Carlos Rodriguez. She was not overwhelmed by this match, and she never stopped fighting, not when she fell and twisted her ankle, or when she fell and hit her head, or when her backhand disappeared, or when she dropped the 2nd set and had to wait through fireworks, or even when Azarenka minimized her errors and started playing her best tennis of the match in the third set. We’ve always known that Li Na had a dangerous game when she was at her best, and that she gives one of the best interviews in tennis, and this tournament reinforced both of those things. But the variety in her game, the adherence to game-plan, the calm under pressure, and the tenacity to keep fighting when everything–and I mean everything–is going against her? That’s brand new. And that’s revolutionary. And that’s what’s going to keep her in the mix as long as she’s healthy.

Meanwhile, Azarenka took this opportunity to overcome every distraction in the book–and the book has some new additions–to establish herself as the best player in the world. Boo her, throw stones, crucify her, she doesn’t care. She’s there to compete. I don’t know many players who would have been able to put the insane and over-blown drama of the last two days behind her and still win the match, especially after she faced an on-fire opponent and got down a set. It made sense that the final was such an up-hill struggle for her, because it was in such stark contrast to her surprising coronation last year, and it proved one thing that I think we all forget: it’s not easy being at the top. Since claiming her major and becoming No. 1 this time last year, she’s been faced with the harsh realities that it’s rough under the spotlight. There have been questions about the legitimacy of her ranking due to her struggles against Serena Williams, scrutiny over her love-life as she ended her long-term relationship with Bubka Jr. and moved on to RedFoo, and continued to receive resistance from the press because she’s not as open, bubbly, or easy to explain as the others. She’s very different, and the WTA has never seen someone quite like her. But she’s here to stay. And the great think about Vika is that she doesn’t apologize for who she is, but she also never stops working on herself, both on the court and off. She’s growing up. She’s coming into her own. And, like it or not, right now “her own” involves being a two-time Grand Slam champion and No. 1 in the world. And she’s just going to keep getting better.

The last three women’s Grand Slam finals have all been extremely well-contested three-setters. This match might have been high on drama, errors, and breaks of serve, but it still contained battle-royale rallies of strike-first, aggressive tennis. I went into this tournament and year excited about the future of the WTA, and I might even be more excited after this final. The world needs to see the strength and humility of Azarenka. And the world needs to see the badass-ness and cheery disposition of Li Na. The WTA wanted stars, and it has them, and they’re more diverse than just Maria and Serena. This was their stage, and their moment, and they both gave it everything they had–good, bad, ugly, and even, according to Li Na, stupid.

After Victoria Azarenka finally won, there was no jumping for joy or show-boating or even collapsing to the ground. There was uncontrollable sobbing. Relief. Pathos.

It turns out that this match was good vs. evil, but in a broader sense. It was about the good and the evil in the media, the good and the evil in the crowd, the good and evil in the forehands and backhands, the good and the evil of the tennis gods, and the good and the evil in Li Na, Victoria Azarenka, and every one of us. That’s what happens with a final this surreal, this all-encompassing, this heart-felt. It becomes a mirror that reflects everything around it.


Lindsay is an author, a filmmaker, a long-winded blogger, and a huge tennis fan.

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2 Responses

  1. topboy
    topboy January 26, 2013 at 10:08 pm |

    Loved the last paragraph! Great write up, Lindsay!

  2. qtaro
    qtaro January 27, 2013 at 5:33 am |

    “This women’s final was brought to you by Lars von Trier.” Gold. Couldn’t have said better than that.

    Seeing the two chatting during the ceremony made me think that the handshake over the net was due to the surge of emotions on each side; they had to make it back to the seat as quickly as possible and stay with themselves. Despite the loss, I’m still looking forward to the year of Li Na!

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