Clemson tennis coach Chuck Kriese used to say that "Power thrills but consistency kills."That seemed to be the case Tuesday night when Justine Henin beat Serena Williams in the US Open quarterfinals. It was the third time that the pair had met in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event this year, and the third time that Henin had come out on top.
Henin is ranked #1 in in the world and is the tournament's top seed, but her mouse-like stature (church or field is unclear) often seems to put her at a disadvantage, especially when pitted against the bulk and brawn of Serena.
Add to that the sense that the Williams sisters can turn it on whenever it's convenient, and rankings and seedings can be thrown out the window.
But Henin shows that what she lacks in thigh and biceps measurements, she makes up for in heart, quickness, and endurance. After winning the first set in a tiebreaker (7-3), Henin steamrolled the listless Williams, 6-1 in the second set.
They say that only the strong survive, which I suppose is true in a major tennis tournament. That used to mean it would be either Serena or Venus Williams holding up the hardware on the second Sunday.
But Henin is redefining strong, and I think Serena would attest to that.
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