Serena Williams' second-round victory at the China Open on Tuesday ensured that she will reclaim the No. 1 spot when the world rankings come out next week. Williams will supplant Dinara Safina, the flailing, tragicomical figure whose on-court implosions (and self-flagellations) became increasingly difficult to watch as her 25-week reign at No. 1 went on. Serena needed to outperform Safina in Beijing to take over the top spot, and the hapless Russian complied by surrendering to a 226th-ranked wild card in the second round. It was a miserable loss that might put Safina temporarily out of her misery, in that it suspends discussions about whether the 23-year-old is worthy of the No. 1 ranking.Serena Williams ascendance is merely a technicality; there was no question that she was already the best female player on the planet. Serena Williams has won three of the past five Grand Slams to bring her career total to 11. Her dominance of Safina in the final of this year's Australian Open was so comprehensive that the Russian, reduced to tears on the court, was struggling to win points, let alone games. But while for now the infamous reign of the meltdown-prone Safina is, mercifully, over, it is Serena Williams notorious U.S. Open meltdown that begs the question -- should she even be playing?Serena Williams No. 1 - but should she even be playing?
Serena Williams' second-round victory at the China Open on Tuesday ensured that she will reclaim the No. 1 spot when the world rankings come out next week. Williams will supplant Dinara Safina, the flailing, tragicomical figure whose on-court implosions (and self-flagellations) became increasingly difficult to watch as her 25-week reign at No. 1 went on. Serena needed to outperform Safina in Beijing to take over the top spot, and the hapless Russian complied by surrendering to a 226th-ranked wild card in the second round. It was a miserable loss that might put Safina temporarily out of her misery, in that it suspends discussions about whether the 23-year-old is worthy of the No. 1 ranking.Serena Williams ascendance is merely a technicality; there was no question that she was already the best female player on the planet. Serena Williams has won three of the past five Grand Slams to bring her career total to 11. Her dominance of Safina in the final of this year's Australian Open was so comprehensive that the Russian, reduced to tears on the court, was struggling to win points, let alone games. But while for now the infamous reign of the meltdown-prone Safina is, mercifully, over, it is Serena Williams notorious U.S. Open meltdown that begs the question -- should she even be playing?
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