NATIONWIDE – Serena Williams and Tiger Woods are back in a place familiar to them. Both Williams and Woods have reclaimed their status in their respective worlds of tennis and golf. Both athletes have reclaimed their No. 1 global rankings in their sports. For Woods, it’s been an uphill battle for the past few years, as he’s had to carry the weight of domestic problems.
For Williams, it was a series of injuries that took her down. But now, both Williams and Woods are back at the top. Williams, the best tennis player in the world. Woods, the best golfer in his world.
The journey back to the top was not an easy one. Woods, who has won three tournaments this year, reached No.1 with his stirring win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where his legendary putting stroke got him over the top after a storm caused a cancellation of the final day last Sunday. But Woods was still at ease this Monday, when he shot a 2-under-par, rising to No.1 on a 5-under-par 275. Now it’s on to the Masters next month at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
Williams reached the semi-finals at the Sony Open in Key Biscayne, Fla. She overcame Li Na with a three-set, 6-3, 7-6, 7-5 win as she reached the semi-finals of a tournament she has already won five times, sporting a fancy 59-7 record. So as Woods continues his preparation for the Masters, Serena will want to make sure she doesn’t duplicate the men’s No. 1 in the world, Novak Djokovic, who was stunningly upset in the fourth round.
_____
By Howie Evans
Special to the NNPA from the New York Amsterdam News
What a stark contrast to the teens that are choosing to drop out of high school. Making it to number 1 in the world takes HARD WORK… so does graduating from high school, vocational school, and college.