If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same--
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it
Anyone self-identified as a tennis fan must be familiar with those words from Rudyard Kipling's If--. Those words--the first two lines to be exact--are right above the players' entrance to the Centre Court at Wimbledon. Just a few hours ago today, the world of tennis witnessed the perfect examples of ones who can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat them just the same.
Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams, two of today's best players, competed for the Women's Singles title at the 2012 US Open, and the match turned out to be the finest Women's Singles Final the US Open has seen in years.
Many expected the match to be hugely one-sided, as Serena completely demolished Vika in the semifinals of the Olympic Games--Serena went on winning gold medals in singles and doubles while Vika won the bronze medal in singles and the gold medal in mixed doubles. To be quite frank I was not surprised when I saw that many people expected Serena to win the title easily, regardless if their opinions were biased or completely based on objective observation. It was not impossible, after all, for Serena to destroy Vika before the New York crowd unless Vika showed no sign of mental block against her, as she did when she beat Serena to win her first groundbreaking title--the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami in 2009--as a teenager.
The highly anticipated final--which had to be suspended due to severe weather in the Big Apple--took place on September 9, 2012 at 4:30 PM ET, the equivalent being September 10, 2012 at 3:30 AM West Indonesian time. After roughly 45 minutes of anxious sleep, I paid my full attention to my TV, hoping the outcome would be what I wanted it to be. I literally prayed and constantly looked up, hoping that God would be on her side.
The first set, with Serena serving to start the match, went just like many people expected. With her huge, powerful serve, Serena won the set quite easily, 6 - 2, without getting broken. I reassured myself that a tennis match is not finished until I hear, "Game, set, and match..." so I just prayed more and more. Somehow God answered my prayer--Vika cruised to win the second set 6 - 2. When she broke Serena's serve for the first time, I swear my eyes were almost as big as tennis balls. Seeing no sign of mental block made me so, so, so excited. A part of me told me that the third set was going to be tough for both players, and it would force them to show the fiercest fighting spirit they have on court.
That part was right. There was no lopsidedness, there was no huge gap, there were only fights. Great fights. Break of serve after break of serve, hold of serve after hold of serve, fight after fight. My heart beat so fast I tried to distract myself by getting dressed for school. I shouted quietly as both players showed reasons why they were there. No one could deny that both players had equal chances to win by that time. Who fought slightly harder would be the winner. That was the exact formula.
Some parts were blurry. Then somehow Vika was up 5 - 3. Serena had to serve to stay in the match. My anxiety grew and I prayed a lot more, while imagining Vika holding the trophy. Vika is capable of breaking that serve, why not win the game--and the title altogether--now? I reckoned. Just moments later Serena showed that she did not want to lose yet--at least not on her serve. At 5 - 4, Vika had to serve for the championship. My anxiety was all over the place by then. And I think so was Vika's. She got broken and at 5 - 5, again, both of them had equal chances to win. They just had to show who fought slightly harder.
Firing her powerful serves, Serena had a 6 - 5 lead. Vika was the one who had to serve to stay in the match. For a brief moment I was like...the heck is this? But then I found myself enjoying the match as a whole, not merely because one of the players was one of my favourites. A light bulb went off in my head as I realised that I was watching the finest Women's Singles Final US Open had seen in years. Whatever the outcome might be, the match would be in history books. Both Vika and Serena would be remembered as two of the fiercest fighters ever in sports. Still, I hoped Vika would hold her serve for 6 - 6 and then, I said to myself, I would not really care about the outcome, as in final set tiebreak the exact formula I wrote above would really, really matter.
Deuce after deuce. Grueling rallies after grueling rallies. I sighed. Again, the rest was a blur. Serena got a championship point. I nearly shouted, "JUST BRING IT BACK TO DEUCE!" Another grueling rally. Another huge sigh I let out. Then Vika sent a ball long, that guaranteed Serena's Grand Slam victory in singles for the 15th time, and the fourth time at the US Open. I remained seated, with an astonished look on my face. I was speechless. I had been watching one of the finest Grand Slam finals ever played. It always feels good when one gets to witness something incredible, and this one was no different. For the first time in more than two years I felt a strange feeling--a combination of pride and relief--after watching one of my favourite players lose a match.
Serena truly deserved to win. I can never like her but I can never deny her place among the greats. Aside from her serve, her fighting spirit has brought her where she is now. Anyone who does not agree that she is one of the greatest fighters in the game must be out of their mind. She has some kind of determination that only a few other players have, the kind that makes them give everything they have on court and fight for every point, no matter what the outcome might be. Again she showed that determination. And she did it before her home crowd after a grueling thriller. A determination that has brought her Triumph.
Vika proved why she is the World No. 1. Despite her loss she has proven herself to be one of the fiercest fighters in sports. And that she has matured. Back then in 2009 she had the fighting spirit, she had the game, she only lacked the emotional maturity. She hardly lacks anything now. She has showed the world that she is capable of winning some more Grand Slams. And who knows if someday we will see her among the greats. Aside from her talent and fighting spirit, it was her maturity that amazed me the most. Had this match been in 2009, she would have shown her fragile side which would do her no good. Today, she showed the world that she is now able to deal with Disaster as real champions should.
Again I have been reminded of the pride of being a tennis fan--one of the factors that form the pride is the chance of seeing some of the greatest sporting fighters in general, while also getting emotionally involved with them thus the ability to appreciate them more. As I prepared to leave for school and face the day, I grinned and walked as if there were wings attached to my feet, while reckoning how I was a proud fan. I am a proud fan.
SERENA WILLIAMS, 2012 US Open Champion
VICTORIA AZARENKA, 2012 US Open Runner-up
S. Williams def. Azarenka 6 - 2, 2 - 6, 7 - 5
Congratulations on playing one of the finest Grand Slam finals with fierce spirit and determination like real champions should :)
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