WILL Serena Williams win tennis’s true Grand Slam?
Or will Jordan Spieth score golf’s version of the Slam?
Williams won the year’s first two majors in the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June. The remaining majors are Wimbledon set to start on Tuesday, and the US Open in September.
Spieth snatched the Masters in April at Augusta, Georgia (proudly, I want to say again that I was there in 1991, ahem!), and the US Open in June at Chambers Bay in Tacoma, Washington.
Without a doubt, Williams and Spieth are today’s hottest sports properties although it’s a fantasmagorical fact that Williams is miles ahead of Spieth, slam-wise.
To begin with, Williams has massive numbers with her 20 majors compared to Spieth’s puny two.
Oceans apart.
Worlds apart.
From Earth to Pluto.
But Williams, at 33, is 12 years older than Spieth. That makes her a virtual rocket ship long in orbit of Mars ahead of a canoe-riding Spieth crossing Pasig River.
In short, the screaming script is that Williams is a battle-scarred veteran, her 21-match winning streak from her September US Open victory to her French Open triumph only weeks back is “just” one of the longest ever in the open era.
Her string of three majors from New York to Melbourne and to Paris made her the first woman to do it since she swept all four majors herself in 2002-2003 for the serendipitous “Serena Slam.”
And to think that in tennis, age 33 is a bit too old already?
Look at the 17-time major winner Roger Federer—he’s been tasting defeats more often than nibbling at his favorite Swiss Miss chocs now.
“Serena has seemed late in her career…to be mentally tougher than she’s ever been,” said 7-time major champion John McEnroe.
Serena’s actually a whisker away from Steffi Graf’s 22 Slams—with Graf producing the last true Slam in 1988. A Wimbledon win would make the September US Open Serena’s 22nd major target—and sweetest Slam.
Meanwhile, will Spieth live up to expectations and likewise lick his foes anew to win the British Open this July?
The links in Scotland favor Spieth as his recent US Open win was carved out under similar situations in Chambers Bay.
Well, while Serena’s secure already in her perch, Spieth is barely starting. A movie of opposites beckons.
(alsol47@yahoo.com)