the Amazon returns.

Serena Williams is back, and she wants to destroy the WTA and its members.

At least that's what it looked like, watching the Aussie Open final against Maria Sharapova. I rarely pay attention to tennis unless it's the women (more for three-set matches and more interesting characters rather than cheesecake; the men's tour is basically a "who will lose to Roger Federer this week?" affair unless it is French Open time), and watching a Williams sister play when on point is something shocking for the casual viewer because of the power involved; there is finesse in the game, but it's like buying your first metal record and cranking the volume up to "stun."

I'll probably watch Federer dominate whomever it is he's up against when it comes on past midnight, but watching a match of his after he dismantles Andy Roddick is anti-climactic.

(P.S. "Amazons" are the name my mother gave to Serena and Venus Williams after watching them for the first time on television years ago; it was pride, not in insult -- seeing black faces in what are commonly "country club" sports was a big deal in my family in the last decade.)