Clan-Members » The clinching eventually cost Neeraj two-point deductions

NEW YORK -- A year ago, this was precisely the time and place Serena Williams crashed and burned.She was attempting the rare calendar-year Grand Slam, having won her first 26 major matches of the season in Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon and through the quarterfinals in New York.And then Williams was blindsided by Roberta Vinci of Italy, playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal. The pressure that had been building all year -- pressure Williams had flatly dismissed -- seemed to paralyze her.This year, with milestones of a more cumulative sort on the line, Williams had been noticeably calmer -- until Thursday night. But playing against Karolina Pliskova, a 24-year-old from the Czech Republic, there were times when the same looks of dread and absolute anguish that surfaced against Vinci again crossed her features.The No. 10-seeded Pliskova produced an emphatic 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory to advance to Saturdays final against the winner of the late match between No. 2 seed Angelique Kerber and two-time US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki.Williams wasnt just a victim of nerves; as the match progressed she seemed troubled by a left hamstring injury that had her hobbling into the tiebreaker.I had a goal today, to beat Serena, Pliskova said in her on-court interview. And thats what I did.I dont believe it. Actually, I do believe it. I knew I could beat anyone if Im playing my game.A few more takeaways from this stunner:Pliskova never, ever blinked: Down a set and 15-30 in the opening game of the second, Williams desperately needed to change the momentum of her swiftly vanishing match against Pliskova. So she cracked a forehand right at Pliskovas midsection, who was lucky to barely deflect it with her racket. Williams let out a huge roar, but Pliskova wasnt impressed. She hung on to force a second-set tiebreaker and closed the deal there -- just as she had done earlier against Serenas sister Venus. America probably hates me, she said, because I beat Venus and Serena.Williams was physically compromised: Williams did not move particularly well throughout the match, possibly because she was playing for a second consecutive night. Ultimately, that was her responsibility because she asked the USTA to play her first match last Tuesday, which meant playing the quarterfinals and semifinals on successive nights. Coming off a difficult match against No. 5 seed Simona Halep that she won in three sets, Williams seemed to be increasingly troubled by a left knee injury. Her deteriorating footwork and her tight forehand didnt help, either.This was a coming-out party: While Williams was going for a handful of cherished records, Pliskova played with a grit and style that belied her lack of major experience. This was her first Grand Slam semifinal, while Williams has now appeared in 33. Pliskova is the first Czech woman to reach the US Open final since 1993, when Helena Sukova did it. Shes on a career-best 11-match winning streak. And to think, she had never been past the third round of a major. Pliskova has now beaten five top-10 players this year -- including all three 2016 Grand Slam winners: Svetlana Kuznetsova, Garbine Muguruza, Kerber, Venus Williams and Serena Williams.Serena needs a vacation: After losing to Vinci a year ago, Williams shut it down for the rest of the season. It worked, and she won a Slam this year and got to another final. Williams, who turns 35 at the end of the month, might want to consider that again. 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The decision, when it came, might have come as a shock. 2-1 to the Haryana boxer.Zareen bowed to an equally surprised crowd and quickly made her way out of the ring.Going into the tournament - her first senior Nationals -?it had been expected that Zareen would take gold. However, she ticked several of the boxes that should make her the next big hope.Shes just 20 - the federations period of sordid infighting hasnt yet robbed her off her prime fighting years. She has boxing pedigree, having won gold at the junior Worlds in 2011 and a silver at the World Youth Championships in 2014. But what really got people excited is simply the division Zareen boxes in - flyweight. Thats the one in which Mary Kom won her Olympic bronze. Zareen had fought Mary too - at the SAF Games test event - losing by a split decision. She had impressed even in defeat. And now it was on Zareens slight frame that Indian boxings hope for the future were to rest.At Haridwar, she was the heir apparent. Mary wasnt participating. The only competitor who was expected to mount a serious threat - Commonwealth bronze medalist Pinki Jangra -?had dropped out injured. It was only a matter of time to the coronation, it had seemed.Zareens own goal had not just been to win gold. That was expected. I want to win the best boxer award,she had said prior to the tournament.As it turned out, that was not to be the case. Zareen will have to be satisfied with a bronze and a spot in the national camp. When selection trials are held ahead of the Asian Championships next year, she will know she isnt assured of a spot at the top of the pecking order.Zareen had seemingly prepared well for the Nationals. She has been training for the last two years with E Chiranjeevi, former chief coach of the Indian boxing team. An American coach, Ronald Simms, had begun working with her over the past month as well.The partnership with Chiranjeevi - respected as one of the sharpest minds in Indian boxing - had appeared to be a fruitful one. Chiranjeevi had worked on retooling Zareens boxing inventory. He had worked on her lead left jab and on her movement. Zareen had won the Inter University title in 2014 followed by a gold at the Bongaigaon National tournament - an all India competition organized by the ad-hoc committee that was managing the sports affairs in the country in the absence of a federation. But it wasnt an entirely winning graph. Zareen had competed at the 2016 World Championships at the 54kg division where she lost in the quarters to a tall Chinese southpaw.At the Nationals, it had seemed that Zareen, after a scratchy first bout had hit her stride. Her second bout against Manju Basumatry was a potential banana peel. Basumatry was a left-handed boxer with a natural advantage against the right-handed Zareen. The bout, however, would prove to be one that Zareen dominated. Her side-to-side movement constantly had her rival committing early and then opening her right side up as Zareen stepped towards her left.It was a boxing masterclass -- but even while others enthused about her quick feet and fast hands, some experienced coaches pointed out what they saw as flaws in her game. While she certainly floated llike a butterfly, her sting was mosquito-like.dddddddddddd Zareens sideways movement is one of the best I have seen. But she doesnt have power in her punches. You cant succeed at the senior level unless you make your opponent think twice about coming forward, reckoned Bhaskar Bhat, a coach who has worked with the senior Indian womens team. Chiranjeevi was cautious. The true test was yet to come, he had said.Zareen has been able to show her skills against her opponents when she has been allowed to box. My worry is whether she will be able to maintain her cool even when she comes under pressure, he said.That was exactly the kind of game, when Zareen faced Neeraj. The Haryana boxer is 21 and was playing her first tournament as well. She is a southpaw and at 56, a tall one at that, in the 51kg division.It wasnt as if this was an insurmountable obstacle. Coach Chiranjeevi had been preparing for such an eventuality, due to which he practiced padwork with Zareen over the last few days. A southpaw has multiple angles of attack against an orthodox boxer. The mantra for an orthodox boxing a southpaw is to find a way to keep her lead left foot outside the southpaws lead right. That negates the opponents power hand. If the orthodox boxer slips the southpaws right hand jab, she can easily hook to the body or throw the right cross at the body. Considering Zareen is perhaps one of the slickest movers in the entirety of womens boxing in the country, it should have been easy for her.Yet, inexplicably, Zareen wouldnt fight this textbook style. Neeraj would throw her left jab and then follow up with a clinch. It was an ugly style, but there was no doubt about its effect. Frustrated by her opponents bum-rushing approach, Zareen forgot that she could simply side step and leave Neeraj flailing at air. Instead, Zareen either stood still or back pedalled - not the wisest of strategies considering that the Haryana boxer had the height and reach advantage.The clinching eventually cost Neeraj two-point deductions in the second and third round, but the damage had already been done. Zareen lost fairly unanimously on the scorecards. Two judges had her losing each round 40-36. Another two had her beaten 39-37. Just one had her winning 39-37. The point deduction only made the margin of defeat narrower.Zareen will grudge the scoring in the bout, and yes, the fight appeared a lot closer than what the judges seemed to suggest in their cards. But there is genuine soul searching required for Zareen to do herself. The Nationals have revealed genuine flaws in her game. While she could easily set herself up in great positions through her feinting and pivoting on her back leg, she didnt appear to have a lot of venom in her punches. Post the semifinals, her mental fortitude and ability to focus under pressure will be questioned, with a number of worthy challengers having sprung up.While disappointed, Chiranjeevi agrees there is plenty of work to be done. She needs to be able to maintain her cool during bouts a lot better. I think she is perhaps at 30 percent of the level she needs to be.?It wasnt the result we wanted but it is an important learning experience for Zareen. She would have understood the difference in boxing at the age group and at the senior level. She will only come back stronger, he says. ' ' '