Posted on 07/06/2012 1:49:46 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
More than once during the past fortnight, Serena Williams has won an important point at Wimbledon and then returned to the baseline, her clenched fist leading the way.
The ferocity of the gesture is understandable, given the obstacles she has beaten back in the past couple of years.
A succession of health issues led to a long layoff that forced Williams to mount a career comeback, and she'll try to cap it Saturday when she plays Agnieszka Radwanska, the first Polish player to reach a Grand Slam final since 1939.
Williams seeks her 14th major title, and would tie her sister Venus with a fifth win at Wimbledon.
"I'm so happy to be playing," she said. "I've been through so much in the past year or two years, it has been unbelievable."
This week Radwanska has been ailing herself, battling an upper respiratory illness that makes it difficult to speak and forced her to cancel a news conference Friday.
"I will do whatever it takes to make sure I'm ready to play the best I can," she said in a statement.
While the No. 3-ranked Radwanska seeks to become Poland's first Grand Slam title, the No. 6-ranked Williams has a shot at her first major championship since Wimbledon in 2010. Shortly after that victory, she cut her feet on glass at a restaurant, required two operations and spent more time in the hospital because of blood clots in her lung and a gathering of blood under the skin of her stomach.
"I really thought Serena was going to die," said her father and coach, Richard Williams. "This is the most important tournament that Serena would ever win ... because Serena didn't think she'd ever play tennis again. She told me so."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
I caught a discussion on ESPN today regarding the lack of enthusiasm for Serena....they could not figure it out.....of course the black announcer brought up the race thing in passing but that wasn’t a big discussion.......I thought, could it be she always comes across as an arrogant b!+ch..........she is a talent but classless......
Many remember the way she abused that poor ref, and her hollow, half-hearted apology afterwards.
Wow! Another mixed singles match!
I wonder if the Williams sisters have ever taken a chromosome test to see if they’re actually women.
They have broader shoulders than I do, and I’m fairly sure I’m an actual dude.
I would love to see the Polish girl win also.
Babcia
So! I have four Polish grandparents. Whom do I root for, the American or my Polish “cousin”?
is she juiced?....one has to wonder about her “comeback”...
they are not very nice, not very engaging.....they haven't endeared themselves to anybody because they and their father have always played the race card, which I expect them to do tomorrow, win or loose...
there have been plenty of terrific, friendly, down to earth, and admired black athletes...the Williams girls just aren't them...
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