No one would have expected the incredibly dramatic conclusion to Caroline Wozniacki's gritty 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-4 decision over Vera Zvonareva at the Sony Ericsson Championships in a physically grueling two hour, 48-minute victory yesterday.
The showdown in Doha featured both blood and guts — Zvonareva took an injury timeout for treatment of a bloody nose and Wozniacki collapsed to the court suffering from cramps in both legs in the final game.
No one would have expected it, but perhaps we should have all seen it coming.
Wozniacki, who was playing with her left thigh taped to protect a hamstring injury that prompted her to retire from her match against Anne Kremer in Luxembourg last week, showed signs she was having trouble with her quads, not her injured hamstring. Despite the tightening condition of her leg muscles, she stretched them occasionally as she fought on. The rigors of the struggle finally caught up with her as she tried to hold her balance moving forward. Her legs seized up and she collapsed in terrible pain. Yet, she found the extraordinary courage to get up and soldier on, trying with her last ounce of strength to finish the match.
Zvonareva simply couldn't be a party to her pain. She promptly ceded the struggle to the tearful Wozniacki.
While there's much to admire about this match, there's also much to condemn in horror. The year-end championships shouldn't be played in sauna conditions. This is insanity in the extreme which could be dangerous to the long term health of these wonderful athletes. Many of the players were already physically-depleted from the rigors of the 10-month season by the time they got to Doha — playing in that sweat box that is the Khalifa Tennis Complex is no remedy. Let's put it this way, notice in some matches how sparse attendance has been — if fans have trouble sitting and watching tennis in the desert heat then imagine how the players must feel playing nearly three hours in it?
This tournament can be held anywhere on Earth, as long as the conditions are temperate or controlled indoors so why Doha? Because that's where the money is, but short-term cash can be a big price to pay when it comes to jeopardizing the health of the Tour's top players.
Further, the policy of counting a player out as he or she writhes in pain on the court is simply outrageous.
I was at the US Open match when the Japanese player, Shuzo Matsuoka, was literally counted out of the match after many minutes as he lay in extreme pain in the middle of the court.
This madness must end.
The player's health and well being is more important than the outcome of any match. Severe cramps could lead to a heart attack or a massive stroke or seizure. If you think I'm overstating the danger, then pay attention to how almost every year in this country a young football player dies on the practice field in the heat of sumer two-a-day practices.
Must some player expire before our eyes before we get serious about these matters?
This match should've been stopped immediately and indefinitely until the health of the fallen player is stabilized and secured. Some may say a loss of conditioning is part of the game and the other player deserves the win if the stricken player can't continue. This is correct. But, this should be determined after the health of any player reaches emergency status.
Bags of ice, massage and any other service should've been extended to Wozniacki immediately. When she had a chance to recover to the point of being able to respond clearly to the question whether she would like to continue or not, then and only then should the outcome of the match itself be determined.
The cruel attitude that the health of the player is of secondary importance to establishing the result of the match has to buried once and for all time. Yes, I understand critics will argue that some players will resort to gamesmanship and abuse a rule as a time-out tactic, but clearly Wozniacki was suffering. This was no act.
The highest rule of our hallowed sport is it's not whether you win or lose. It's how you play the game. We should always play this exquisite sport for the love of it and with genuine respect for our competitors. This is why we shake hands after each match.
Center Court isn't the Roman Colosseum. A match isn't a battle to the death and we should never expect it to be. Great play is about grit, guts and guile. It's not about physically destroying the person on the other side of the net. The future of our sport has to jettison the gladiator mentality. This isn't to say players shouldn't fight as long and hard as they can. However, when they get into obvious physical trouble, their immediate health should be of greater concern than the numbers on the scoreboard.
When will the WTA learn this lesson? Hopefully, before the health of the players is further compromised.
Caroline Wozniacki collapsed with cramps, but the WTA Tour execs are the ones who should be floored by what occurred on the court.
Tennis Week contributor Franklin L. Johnson has been an avid tennis player for more than 40 years and has written about the sport for two decades. The New York City native and former No. 2 singles player on his company team competing in a corporate league vividly recalls losing a marathon match at Forest Hills in the 1970s. He is a published poet who wrote How Roger Can Beat Rafa, Serena's Cover Up, Ashe No Friend To Fans and Remember The Titans for this website.
