[quote user="Liquid"]
I honestly don't mind people criticisning Maria, but only when those crticisms are reasonable.
Maria knows that the failure of her season has been that she has not got the points when she needed them -- set points against Serena, break points against Justine, match points against Kim, and countless break points against Caroline. Failure to perform at the big points has been the death of Mara's year. This is a reasonable criticism supported by fact. how mnay times has Maria emphasised the point that she 'did not take her chances' in matches?
However, to say that the game has moved past Maria, I feel, is not a reasonable suggestion. You simply don't have so closes matches against Justine and Serena is you are past it like some people suggest. Likewise, it is unreasonable to suggest that Maria lacks dedication. We can all see how much it hurts Maria when she loses; if she did not care, then she ought not to look so dissapointed when she loses. Maria is no Vaidisova.
The difference between the good and the great, is that the great are willing to get back on the horse every time they fall. Did Venus crumble when she went four years without a slam, and when people were writing her off, to claim three more Wimbledon titles? Did Mauresmo and Schiavone crumble when for all intents and purpose it looked like they would end their careers without ever making an impact on the sport? Did Kim crumble when people wrote her off for as a contender after giving birth? No, no they didn't, because these women are great, and that's why they will always be better than these internet commentators who find nothing better to do with their times but to spew hate. Even the girls ranked 500th in the WTA are 1000 times the people than these haters will ever be. I have every faith in Maria, so to those haters, I am immune to their poison. History has been decided by people who overcome those who hate and criticise.
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Yea great post and I mostly fully agree!!!!! Maria is going to work even harder now and I expect that she will get back to the top sometime.
She was fidgety and nervous at her post Princess press conference because she was extremely upset and disappointed!!! So get off her back Philli. I also think that she is only a few important points away from beating Serena, Henin and Caro in the last grand slams, so the game has not passed her by. I tghink the wind was also a big factor in her loss to Caro, as she couldn't manage her points to accomodate it, as she needed to go for it to get the ball past Caro and thus it affected her more. I think when she next meets up with the Princess in better conditions, she will have revenge.
Quite the thread folks!!!!! Now, now kids don't fight!!!!! I think Maria will do well in Tokyo and China!!!
Masha is my #1!!
