They're laughing at you Serena...they're all laughing at you

Serena Williams may be getting paranoid in her old (tennis) age or she thinks everything is about her (more likely scenario.)

After her tight 3-set loss to eventual Berlin champion Dinara Safina, ReRe felt the world turning on her, laughing at her misfortune:

It was funny when I lost I was in the locker room and I could hear the entire players lounge really loud like really happy and joyous. Like down goes the champ! Someone beat her!!! It was like a big hoopla.... I just smiled to myself thinking you just wait... just wait......

Ohhh scary ReRe! It sounds like she didn't enjoy that moment but something makes me think she enjoys believing the world is against her and that everyone MUST be enjoying her loss.

Could it be the players were happy for Dinara? No way - that wouldn't be motivating for ReRe and isn't that what the world is all about?

(image via Getty)

WEEKEND WINNERS: Nole, Dinara

Rome - Novak Djokovic

It seems Nole was on a mission to silence the criticism surrounding his withdrawal in Monte Carlo and it may have worked. The 20-year old earned his fourth Master Series shield defeating new top-10 resident Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and giving his Roland Garros prospects a huge boost. And with 310 points now separating the Serb from Rafael Nadal in the rankings and only a quarterfinal showing in last year's Hamburg tourney, could we be looking at the soon-to-be world no. 2?

Berlin - Dinara Safina

Color me impressed. Dinara kept the "Safin syndrome" at bay all week in Berlin earning the biggest title of her career and defeating three top -10 ballers along the way, including Justine Henin, Serena Williams, and Elena Dementieva 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the final. Though she's probably not on anyone's long list to take home the French Open crown, I'd put her into the dark horse category after this impressive week of tennis.

(images via AP)

Dinara defeats Serena in Berlin, avoids "Safin syndrome" this time around

Who knew she had it in her?

A day after derailing world no. 1 Justine Henin in Berlin, Dinara Safina shocked a disappointed Serena Williams 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) in the quarterfinals and ended her 17-match win streak in the process.

Though she seems to suffer the same "Safin syndrome" as brother Marat (you know, the ability to get in your own way and *uck everything up), these back-to-back wins over the clear French Open favorites has to give the 22-year old Russian hope...well, until the next implosion I suppose.

(image via Getty)

THE LOW DOWN: Henin dumped out of Berlin - career crisis or momentary lapse?

The best lady on the terra bateau is no longer: Justine Henin suffered a surprise 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 defeat to Dinara Safina in the third round of the German Open in Berlin.

The world no. 1 has been a non-factor so far this season and this loss on her favored surface at a tourney she's won 3 times against an opponent she owned 5-0 clearly shows she's lacking any confidence and may be burnt out after her spectacular run last year. Plus, her recent talk of a post-tennis life shows her head is in the future and not in the here and now:

I don't really know when (I will retire). Maybe in two, three, four years but it's impossible to say. I hope I can remain healthy and motivated. I'm not going to play all that much. Already last year I didn't play that much and I want to stay focused on the main events. We'll see. Maybe in two, three, four or five years (I'll retire). We'll see.

Two years or five years? Those are very different time frames.

I can't help to think that the clay season is Serena Williams' now. If Jelena Jankovic can keep her acting dreams at bay and focus on the task-at-hand, she has a chance to make some noise because of her fluid movement and consistency.

But at this point, this is ReRe's to lose. As for Justine, there's always the next tourney. That's tennis!

(image via AP)

Berlin loses two top 'ovas, glamour quotient takes nosedive

Maria "Shriek"apova + Daniela Hantuchova have pulled out of next week's German Open.

Maria pulled out of the Tier 1 tourney to allow her body to recover, though no other specifics were given. I'm thinking birthday party hangover. It's like any newly 21-year old cutting all of her college classes for the next week or so to recover - we've all done it (okay, maybe just me.)

Apparently Dani has a stress fracture in her right foot, which forced her to pull out of the Fed Cup World Group II play-offs as well. Bad news for Dani. Injuries are never a great thing but stress fractures, in particular, can be career threatening. Ask Monica Seles.

(image via cache.daylife.com)