Lord knows the WTA branch of tennis has offered up no shortage of drama, palace intrigue, sniping, distractions and fashion statements in recent times. But today, in back-to-back matches, a quartet of Grand Slam champions declared detente and provided great competition instead of emotional crises, beatdowns rather than emotional meltdowns, a triumph of poise to go with the customary noise—the desperate, blood-curdling shriek of Maria Sharapova and the Amazon battle cry of Serena Williams.

Advertising