it's interesting that maria beat serena in 2 out of their first 3 meetings, and in one of them straight setted her with a breadstick, in wimbledon, and then didn't manage a single other win against serena in the next 15 years. obviously for those 2004 losses you have to account for the fact that serena was injured for a long time —she didn't play since after wimbledon 2003 until miami 2004 and 2004 was the first year she didn't win any slam (in either singles or doubles) since 1998— but i wonder if people back then were thinking this would be a recurrence. maria being the one who manages to beat serena. it wasn't, the head to head was crushingly in favor of serena of course, but still they valued each other as one of their greatest rivals. they pushed each other to the limit. and it gets me thinking... i don't know if that would've still been the case if maria hadn't beaten serena at wimbledon 2004 and at the finals that same year. because in those instances she proved that she could do it. and from then on she just had to keep trying to prove she could do it again. she never did, but it's like the past was looming over all their meetings. because as serena said, for maria that was the highlight of her career and for serena herself that was one of her hardest losses. and it's fascinating, isn't it, that all it takes is two really tough losses to a great but not as great as you player early in your career to always leave room for the potential of more losses, even if time and time again you prove that she can't beat you again, but you still feel like she always pushes you so— the tension is still there. even despite the 10-2, 15-2, 20-2. and your careers will always be linked in the way rivals' are, which could be strange when one of you was undoubtedly superior and the results say the other barely ever had a chance against you, but this is tennis and in singles it's two people on court, so whoever wins is the most remembered, but there are times when it's hard not to remember the only other person opposite them too, right?
