They Call Them Guns for a Reason

I am an unabashed Serena Williams fan. I know there are weaknesses in her game (not really) and that she should play more (eh, not really) but I think she is exceptional.

When I watch her playing, I understand why people refer to arms as guns. When she unleashes her serve, she's sending a bullet right down the line and that bullet has a name on it. She shoots to kill. Her forehand, when it's on, is all the way on. She is a weapon and love her or hate her, you have to respect her serve, its power and its consistency.

This Williams v. Pennetta match is really interesting. Both ladies are showing sophisticated play. I like that Serena is thinking about her shots and in the second set she's really intense. She wants this win. When she shouts, "Come on!!!!" I get so damn pumped. I say it too, only I'm sitting in my living room so it doesn't have the same impact and I get strange looks.

Unlike many of Serena's other matches this year, Pennetta is forcing Williams into really long rallies and both players are giving us a clinic on shot selection. That lob Pennetta dropped which Serena applauded was classy business. I wish I could hit a shot like that. Sadly, the only way that would happen would be if I were flying above the court and dropped the ball from the sky.

Serena is hammering away at those balls. The definition in her arms makes me sick.

I like Pennetta. She has spunk. She held her own throughout the match. She should hold her head high.

The last point of the match was exceptional. Pennetta has my utmost respect. She did not give up. She fought hard and hit some elegant shots. I like that she didn't just bend over. She believed she could win, even at the very end. Case in point. The last serve at 40-15, was a nearly unreachable serve wide in the corner and Pennetta not only got it but sustained a rally. Every time Serena thought she had hit a winner, Pennetta had a solid answer.

I love when players start cursing at themselves because they don't know what to else to do. That's the thing about tennis. You're out there alone. Even surrounded by thousands of people, when you're down a break, your legs are heavy, your body drenched in sweat, center court must be the loneliest place in the world. That's why tennis is the greatest game in the world.