The sight of Vika getting out hit in a Slam by an experienced, feisty firebrand is sadly becoming all too familiar.
I’ve, frankly, never had a problem with her being one-dimensional – Soderling’s shown us the utter folly of ever underestimating someone for that.
But while Vika is devastatingly effective against 85% of the competition, she does seem to occupy a precarious middle ground where she can’t always hang with the big-babes (or, as it now seems, any heavy, flat ball-striker not named Serena Williams).
Nor, however, does she have Caro’s defensive endurance – yes we like to bitchslap her for it, here’s why it matters just as much as any big serve.
Li’s textbook, incendiary groundies should not come as a surprise to anyone – what is surprising is how well she’s held things together since…well since the season began actually – I confess I was rather banking on her to overcook things. It wouldn’t have been the first time.
Perhaps the most painful sights yesterday was how ineffective Vika’s medium-to-hard groundies looked opposite the crisper, more assured version of Li Na that’s surfaced recently.
*sigh* I still think Vika can win a Slam (she’s too good not to), but she’ll need a good draw. Is that a cop-out?
(Images: Getty)
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