Serena and Novak: Brilliant!

Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic: Rogers Cup 2011 champions.

I wonder if most tennis fans (or sports fans in general) realize how lucky we are to be witnessing what these two phenomenal players are achieving on the WTA and ATP tours! With their wins on Sunday in Toronto and Montreal, both made the emphatic statement that they are the players to beat for the US Open title!

Serena, Serena, Serena -- winning yet another title after being off of the tour after almost a year, and playing in only her fourth event. She has won 2 tournaments out of 4 that she's played (Eastbourne, Wimbledon, Stanford, Toronto), and beaten 4 top ten players along the way: Stosur, Bartoli, Sharapova, and Azarenka. And at a point in the season with both Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonareva slumping, Kim Clijsters injured again, and Li Na-Francesca Schiavone-Petra Kvitova off their games, I can't see ANY of them beating her at the Open.

Serena's semifinal match against Azarenka at the Rogers Cup was supposed to be her toughest. In fact I would have probably put her as the underdog in that match-up. Serena even said afterward that the match was a great gauge for "where her game is" going into the Open because of how well Vika has played this year. It may have been a tough match from her perspective on the court, but not to anyone who was watching.

The 6-3 6-3 victory was lopsided and comprehensive, which speaks more to Serena's abilities than any deficit by Azarenka. Vika is one of the best ball-strikers on the tour and has fully earned her place at #4 in the rankings. She possesses the ability to hit deep shots that allow her to dominate court position and rallies. Serena never allowed her the opportunity to do that, and never let her focus or intensity lapse during the entire match. There was never an opening for Azarenka to make a contest of it.

Against Lucie Safarova (the day before), Serena had appeared flat, lethargic, and off her game... and she still managed to win. Against Azarenka she was sharp in every aspect of her game. Vika never really had a chance.

It boggles the mind to think about what Serena is accomplishing since returning to the tour in June. Think about it for a moment... Serena won her first Grand Slam at the '99 US Open. Twelve years later, and after all of the health issues of the past year, she is on a two-tournament win streak and still the favorite heading into this year's Open. Pretty 'effin incredible!

On to Novak --
Simply put, Novak is playing a brand of ridiculously phenomenal tennis that is NOT of this world! He has amassed 53 wins against only one loss, won a record 5 Masters Series titles in one season (total to date with maybe more to come) along with two Grand Slam titles (Australian Open and Wimbledon), and a likely third at the US Open after two appearances in the final. It's not just the fact that he is winning at a phenomenal rate that is other-worldly. It's the reality that he looks imperious while doing so.

There was only the faintest glimmer of hope for Mardy in Sunday's final during that first game of the third set. But it never amounted a substantive challenge. To beat Novak these days, you need to play your best tennis on every shot in every game of every set. THAT is a tall order. We have witnessed the strain that type of pressure puts on the two other top guys, Roger and Rafa. Those two guys are usually pretty unflappable. But with the only exception being Fed's win over Nole at the French, they have both wilted under the 2011 Nole barrage. Mardy was not going to buck that trend.

To his credit, Fish played some great tennis at times during the final. But one sensed it was never going to be enough to get out from under Novak's proverbial thumb. For him to win that match it would have taken a huge mental lapse on Novak's part; a mental lapse as in forgetting who he was and inexplicably leaving the court to go join a circus or something. And he is just not prone to that kind of a meltdown, circus or otherwise.

Novak's self-belief in the tightest of moments shines through clearly. Added to the pace of his balls, the depth of his shots, the brilliance of his defense, I just can't see a scenario right now that ends with him NOT lifting the trophy in New York!

There is an over-riding theme of "Continued Dominance" with these two champions. Serena's continued dominance stems from the longevity she has enjoyed while being able to dominate the top players when she's fit and ready. Novak's continued dominance stems from his unwillingness to lose! To anyone, on any given court, on any given day. A belief that no point should ever be given away, and that every opponent is beatable.

It may have taken Novak a few years to put it all together, but that's okay. He's making up for lost time. And then again, so is Serena.