Latest upset shows Serena can no longer dominate as part-timer

Serena Williams committed 37 errors and seven double-faults in her loss to Ekaterina Makarova.

NICOLAS ASFOURI/Getty Images

2012 Australian Open

Day 14

• WERTHEIM: Fifty parting thoughts
• WERTHEIM: Aussie final for the ages
• NGUYEN: Djokovic finds another gear
• Go Figure: Epic men's final by the numbers
• Djokovic outlasts Nadal in five-set thriller

Day 13

• NGUYEN: Can Nadal solve Djokovic?
• WERTHEIM: Azarenka breaks through
• Azarenka routs Sharapova for first major
• NGUYEN: Game-by-game analysis
• Bryan brothers beaten in doubles final

SI Photos

Men's Champions	Women's Champions
Federer vs. Nadal	Australian Open Fashion

Previous Coverage

Day 12 WERTHEIM: Another Big Four classic Djokovic survives Murray to reach final NGUYEN: Game-by-game analysis Kuznetsova, Zvonareva win doubles VIDEO: Men's final preview VIDEO: Women's final preview - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 11 WERTHEIM: Different script, familiar result NGUYEN: Federer-Nadal game-by-game Nadal downs Federer again to reach final WERTHEIM: Thoughts on women's semis Sharapova, Azarenka advance to final - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 10 WERTHEIM: Big 4 dominance; mailbag WERTHEIM: New rivalry wrinkle (video) NGUYEN: Women's semifinal preview Djokovic tops Ferrer to complete semis Sharapova sets up rematch with Kvitova Back-to-back runner-up Murray advances No. 2 Kvitova rolls over Errani into semis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 9 WERTHEIM: Vintage Federer; mailbag NGUYEN: Clijsters rises, Wozniacki falls NGUYEN: Nadal survives Berdych PHOTOS: Best Aussie Open wackiness Federer rolls Del Potro, gets Nadal next Clijsters ends Wozniacki's reign at No. 1 Azarenka comes back to beat Radwanska - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 8 WERTHEIM: Serena no longer dominant Serena upset by Makarova in 4th round WERTHEIM: Berdych's classless act, mail Day 8: Sharapova survives Djokovic sends Hewitt packing Tsonga crashes out to Nishikori

Kvitova ousts Ivanovic to reach quarters

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 7 WERTHEIM: Aussie Open Midterm Grades WERTHEIM: Admiring Hewitt, Clijsters Clijsters saves 4 match points to stun Li NGUYEN: Kim escapes, Berdych booed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 6 NGUYEN: Monfils falls, Hewitt surprises Serena, Djokovic, Sharapova advance Nalbandian to appeal water-throwing fine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 5 NGUYEN: Tomic's variety, Day 5 recap NGUYEN: Top 10 fashion hits NGUYEN: Top 10 fashion misses VIDEO: Federer's amazing lob shot Federer, Nadal move into Round of 16 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 4 WERTHEIM: Roddick's exit sadly fitting NGUYEN: Williams' milestone; Day 4 recap VIDEO: Sharapova coasts by Hampton Serena, Djokovic cruise in Melbourne - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 3 WERTHEIM: Wozniacki worthy of No. 1 NGUYEN: Day 3 Recap: Fish's ugly exit VIDEO: Baghdatis smashes four rackets NGUYEN: Isner-Nalbandian controversy Fish out; Federer, Nadal, Clijsters advance New ATP head sympathizes with players - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 2 WERTHEIM: Sharapova thumps Dulko JENKINS: Best, worst of TV coverage NGUYEN: Roundup of Day 2 happenings Djokovic, Serena cruise into Round 2 Stosur bows out early; Kvitova advances Roddick rolls over Haase into Round 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Day 1 WERTHEIM: Federer-Nadal rift, more mail NGUYEN: Roundup of Day 1 happenings Young Tomic edges Verdasco in five sets Day 1 recap: Nadal, Federer roll in openers NGUYEN: Highlights from Melbourne- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Preview Roundtable: Predictions and analysis Wertheim: Australian Open men's seed report Wertheim: Australian Open women's seed report The Toss: Contenders outside the Big Three? Australian Open TV schedule Nguyen: Under-the-radar players to watch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MELBOURNE, Australia -- For more than a year now, the tennis parlor game here has been trying to confirm the identity of the WTA's top player. The rankings give us little guidance. Nor does a list of the recent major singles title winners. The consensus: the Queen Bee is Serena Williams. Or at least she is when willing and able -- and fully committed. The combination of her physical gifts, ballstriking, fearlessness and self-confidence -- the ingredients that have enabled her to win 13 Grand Slam titles over a gilded career -- are still some of the most fearsome and feared weapons around.

But it's those "ifs" and "whens" and "whats" that are becoming more and more problematic. Serena is 30 now, the magic age when the skills of even the best players supposedly start their irretrievable decline. Serena is often injured; and when she does play, she comes wrapped in tape like a knight swaddled in armor. Her focus is, as ever, erratic. There was a time when Serena's aura was worth a few games each set. She'd pound aces and hammer forehands and play "big points" as though they were "small points" and ... presto, the wins would materialize.

That aura isn't what it once was. There's a new cohort of players that are not only motivated, but scarcely aware of the indomitable figure who could win three majors in a season, no problem, who could take months of flex-time and return as though she hadn't missed a day.

Now? Serena Williams can no longer do tennis as a part-time gig. That was laid bare today. Under kiln-like conditions, she fell meekly -- as in 6-2, 6-3 meekly -- to No. 56-ranked Ekaterina Makarova, the lowest-ranked woman remaining in the round of 16 and a player inferior to Serena to an order of magnitude.

Let's dispense with the credit now. Makarova played crafty left-handed tennis. She transitioned gracefully from offense to defense and back again. Unlike so many similarly-situated opponents, when the match tightened, she didn't.

"I think she played really well," Serena said after the match. "She went for broke on a lot of her shots."

But mostly, she won by allowing Serena to self-destruct. She watched as miscast shots sailed beyond the court's parameters -- if not into Kia placards yards back of the court. She stood idly as serve after serve crashed into the net. The grim math: 37 unforced errors in 17 games, as well as seven double-faults. Not even Serena Williams wins playing like that.

"I made 37 errors," she added. "That kind of tells the story of the match."

Fighters lose a bout and may not compete again for months. The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers will have a brutally long offseason to marinate in defeat; and almost eight months before they'll play another game. One of the virtues of the tennis caravan: there's always next week.

Except with Serena, there isn't. Her schedule, sparse in the best of times, has been pared to the four majors and the Olympics. Her chance for redemption won't come until late spring.

We will see if today's dismal result sharpens her resolve, whether it motivates her to make one last, earnest push toward the Evert-Graf-Navratilova corridor. Or whether this defeat further complicates what is already a complex relationship with the sport of tennis. This we know: she can't get away with doing this halfway anymore.