Elena Dementieva has had to endure the label so many tennis players and golfers dread: the best player never to win a major. Spain’s Sergio Garcia is widely regarded as the male golfer who ought to have won a prestigious championship by now, but hasn’t. In men’s tennis, Andy Murray and Nikolay Davydenko are battling for that double-edged distinction, which carries with it both a compliment and a deficiency.

The history books will note that Serena Williams won Thursday’s sensational Wimbledon semifinal against Elena Dementieva. When glimpsed from a higher vantage point, however, this ladies’ singles spectacular formed a mountaintop moment that will be shared by both performers, and an audience lucky enough to watch it. Yes, Serena claimed this classic confrontation, 6-7 (4), [...]

Sunny American tennis locales must not agree with Elena Dementieva. The woman widely regarded as the best player never to win a Grand Slam tournament on the WTA Tour fared poorly in the Indian Wells-Miami stretch of the 2009 season. Two weeks after a humiliating second-round loss amidst the palm trees of Southern California, Dementieva [...]