Vika M.D.

While I was drowsily waiting for what originally was a lackluster match to end, Victoria Azarenka and Sloane Stephens decided to bring tons of drama and controversy in the final moments (further delaying my bedtime...).

Serving for the match at 5-3, Vika blew FIVE match points, most of them off of bad errors. Vika was visibly upset with herself during that game, Sloane was finally coming alive with the crowd firmly behind her, and that's when the breathing issues/chest pains/rib aches/knee problems/panic attacks occurred.

What did Vika do about all of this? She committed a crime against tennis humanity, the UNTHINKABLE: she called a medical timeout.

I think I broke my "clutch" bone...

You've probably read the rest of the script. Sloane was left idle for ten minutes, cooling way down, Vika got her nerves untangled where no one can see her, and broke on her very next match point to clinch her second straight Australian Open final. Then she gave the nail-in-the-coffin on-court interview that would forever turn the American tennis contingent against her. When asked what "difficulty" she was facing, Vika bluntly stated her nerves got the best of her during those crucial moments.

Rough. As someone who really enjoys Vika's game and personality, I wanted to fly to Melbourne and rip the mic out of Rennae Stubbs' hand. It's gonna be an uphill battle with the fans and media for at least the rest of the year...

There were many aspects about the MTO which will live in infamy that plain didn't look good. The timing was bad. The duration was bad. The whole thing just seemed wrong. Still, I'm gonna defend Vika for a moment.

First and foremost, she's had breathing issues before. Before 2012, she was the queen of retirements, a few of them with exhaustion as the cause. You absolutely cannot blame her for being cautious. Safety first, kids!

Second, she cleared up her on-court interview in her presser. Vika said she misunderstood the question, and I believe her. It was worded in a very unclear way and even I, an English-speaking American, was lost in translation a little from the phraseology of it. The "difficulty" doesn't equate "injury" for me, so I can only imagine what a non-native English speaker understood.

Third, she didn't do anything illegal! She's well within her rights to take an MTO anytime she isn't feeling okay. Most pundits out there were screaming for a rule change, but, as is the norm with critics, they are yelling and overreacting without providing any practical solutions. What is the ITF gonna do: only allow MTOs before your own serve? Only when your up a break? This seems like a slippery slope. Think back to last year's French Open when Grigor Dimitrov was FLAILING ON THE GROUND, but his trainer couldn't even TOUCH him until he climbed back up his high chair (seriously, that chair was so unnecessarily tall). Is that more fair than allowing an MTO during a changeover? Don't think so. It really isn't Vika's fault Sloane couldn't hold to stay in the match, and it's not like Sloane was serving lights-out up until the last game to begin with.

The other person rooting for Vika.

Nothing left to do but see how this situation affects her preparations for the final against Li Na, who gave Sharapova the business in the semis. Don't worry, Vika, I'll root for you even though I may be one of two people that will do so come Saturday.

Leave a comment to discuss the most talked-about MTO in history or to bash RedFoo's ridiculous hairstyle and fashion choices. Those glasses need to go...