I had the pleasure of watching Serena Williams' Wimbledon match against Daniela Hantuchova live on ESPN2. If you haven't heard the story yet. Serena went down late in the second set (after winning the first) with a strained calf muscle. She was down in pain for several minutes. A few points later, in a tie-break for the second set, the Wimbledon rain set in, allowing her to get some attention to the injury.
She came back out on the court, losing the second set in a few quick points. What happened next, however, was incredible. In obvious pain, limping around, Serena fought. The first few games went back and forth, with her serve not allowing Hantuchova to break. As the set progressed, she gained more mobility and was able to run down a few balls. Serena was obviously emotionally charged, yelling to herself after multiple points to rev herself up. Her dad raised out of his seat on every positive point to back his daughter.
Serena won the last set 6-2. She somehow managed to dominate her opponent even while she was, as many on the broadcast put it, "physically vulnerable". This was one of the most amazing sports acts that I've ever seen. The sheer emotion Serena brought to the court was enough to make tennis interesting to those who would otherwise blow it off. If you have a chance to watch a replay of this, or catch it online, do so. It's inspirational, in it's own way, but also re-affirms the idea that Serena is back, and she means business.
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