Serena Williams has always hewn to an idiosyncratic playing schedule that has included weeks-long absences from the tour, followed by forceful returns at tournaments. She did it as a teenager and shes doing it again now in the gloaming of her career.So Williams announcement Sunday evening that she was really, really bummed to be withdrawing from the year-end WTA Finals in Singapore for the second straight year -- this time citing the unspecified shoulder injury that first began bothering her mid-summer -- didnt exactly establish a new personal precedent or surprise even her most ardent followers.What Williams decision did do is revive the usual intrigue about what is really going on with her -- questions that now wont begin to be answered until after New Years, when shes scheduled to play an early January tune-up for the Australian Open.After being upset in the US Open semifinals on Sept. 8, Williams said she was tired of playing hurt. She said perhaps she just needed to go away and get fully healthy before showing up again. And she seems to be keeping her word.But at 35, any perceived blip in desire or dip in form will raise questions about whether this is the beginning of the end for Williams as the dominant player on tour. For the second straight year, she has chosen to skip the last 3? months of the season. This time around, she said in an explanatory video posted to the WTAs Facebook page that she was withdrawing because, My doctor insists that I stay home and heal [my shoulder] every single day, and just do different treatments every day so I can have a chance to play next year and hopefully make it back to Singapore and reconnect with her fans.But fans are an independent-thinking, perceptive bunch. In the comment section below the video, reactions ranged from congratulating Williams on the brilliant management of her career, to questioning her commitment by juxtaposing her on-court inactivity with her frequent Instagram and Twitter posts about her off-court exploits.Three weeks ago, Williams turned up in Milan tweeting about how she was spending time working and hanging out with fashion designer Donatella Versace. Ten days ago, she floated up a teaser on Twitter saying something exciting is going to happen in about two hours -- then posted photos of herself wearing a spangly leotard and fishnet stockings for an on-stage cameo at her friend Beyonces concert. Just a few days ago, paparazzi in New York photographed her out with Taylor Swift.So while Williams has indeed disappeared from the tour itself, she has hardly been invisible -- let alone tied to rehab workouts at home every day under doctors orders, as she suggested in the WTA video.But theres nothing wrong with that. Expecting athletes to lead some monastic existence when they are injured and not playing has always been a farce. Williams can rehab anywhere. Being famous shouldnt require her to stop being human. She has never been obsessed with people-pleasing optics, anyway. The older she gets, she cares even less.The only pertinent questions about Williams right now in tennis terms are these: Will yet another long break help or hurt her career? Does leaving the tour this long signify anything foreboding? How long can she keep up this high-wire act?With Williams, there have always been two ways to look at it.The first school of thought contends that her many long hiatuses are the reason, along with her talent, that Williams has lasted this long at the top.The second argument is Williams increasingly frequent absences underscore how shes an aging champion who is increasingly fighting physical breakdowns and a bad case of ennui.Truthfully, Williams has only herself to blame for the questions about her desire.She admittedly suffered a long emotional hangover last year after her shocking US Open semifinal loss to?Roberta Vinci that ruined her bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam sweep. Her semifinal upset at the 2016 US Open against Karolina Pliskova was also bitterly disappointing. ESPN commentator Chris Evert wasnt the only one who said, I have to admit, I didnt see this coming.Afterward, Williams was again in a desolate mood. She refused to talk about losing her stranglehold on the No. 1 ranking to Germanys Angelique Kerber,?or blame a left knee injury that her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, revealed only after the match.Nonetheless, even Mouratoglou seemed frustrated with her. Noting that Williams sandwiched losing two Slam finals and an early exit at the Rio Olympics around her Wimbledon win in July that tied her with Steffi Grafs open-era record of 22 majors, Mouratoglou told CNN that overall Williams had a bad year.And that was even before her Singapore withdraw on the heels of scratching from the Wuhan Open and China Open.Williams final 2016 ledger thus slams shut with just eight tournaments and 44 matches played -- her lowest totals since a foot injury, then a pulmonary embolism, truncated her appearances in 2010 and 11. Her hold on the world No. 1 ranking snapped at a record-tying 186 consecutive weeks.Williams year always seemed more like a series of cameos than a campaign in which she moved in lockstep with the tour, even before she scratched Singapore off the schedule.It will take a vantage point more distant than this to know if Williams has indeed lost her edge physically, or if injuries alone contributed to her vulnerability.But the last time we saw her, at the US Open news conference following the Pliskova loss, she actually made one of the most forceful defenses of her desire in a long, long time. It happened when a reporter tried to give Williams an out, and suggested it was tough having to play her quarterfinal and semifinal matches on back-to-back days.Williams only grew more aggravated, not less.OK, Im not going to repeat myself, OK? she said. I wasnt tired from yesterdays match. Im a professional player. Ive been playing for over 20 years. If I cant turn around after 24 hours and play again then I shouldnt be on tour. ... Fatigue had absolutely nothing to do with it.If I was tired, I should definitely get into a new career.The flash of anger and defense of her professionalism were good to see.Williams might indeed be unable to be as consistently spectacular as she once was given the 20 years of tour miles on her shoulders and knees and legs. She now loses to players who couldnt touch her in the past. Some of them have even publicly said her aura of invincibility is fading.Drama will always follow Williams. Its just who she is. But she has promised to come back as determined as ever in 2017. She has done it before, and she can do it again.Anyone who doubts it just hasnt been paying close enough attention. Discount NFL Jerseys . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Cheap Authentic Jerseys . Newcastle dominated in the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. http://www.cheapjerseyswholesaleauthentic.com/ .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. China Jerseys Wholesale . PAUL, Minn. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season.Charlie Nicholas says Scotland have not been good enough in the past two years, and believes Gordon Strachan will leave his post. Scotland lost 3-0 at Wembley on Friday night, leaving them second bottom of World Cup Qualifying Group F and their hopes of a first major tournament appearance since 1998 fading once again. Six months half price Upgrade to Sky Sports now to watch Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six months half No decision has been made on Strachans future as yet, but Sky Sports pundit Nicholas says Scotland dont even get close to competing these days. Nicholas told SSNHQ: Two years ago, we beat the Republic of Ireland and everybody was a bit upbeat. Since then, weve won three competitive games - against Gibraltar twice, and against Malta. I dont think its good enough.Im a realist, I think in Scotland we are. We like to laugh and joke about the situation because were used to it.When we see the likes of Wales and Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland doing well, we dont even threaten now, we dont even get close. Scotland had two fine chances to equalise before England got their second at Wembley For Strachan, we dont know when the meeting will be, whether hell be sacked, whether hell walk or whether he does truly believe he can do better.The higher core of the SFA is run by amateurs in my opinion, and theres a very negative feel around at the moment. Its been going on too long, and its time to modernise the whole set-up. We need a lift. It was a wearily familiar story for the Tartan Army on Friday night Strachan said on Friday after the defeat by England that he was not thinking about the pressure on himself, and is fully focusssed on the fortunes of the players and the fans.dddddddddddd.Nicholas however does expect Strachan to depart before their next international fixture in March, at home to Slovenia, and insists Scotland need a fresh outlook going forward.Id expect him to walk. Hes had his four years. He knows the situation, we can pick holes in the players, but are we going to get anyone in that is any better? We dont know that. We could get a big name in and he could change it, or it might not go well. Highlights of Englands clash with Scotland at Wembley in their 2018 World Cup Qualifier Hes had four years to make it better, it has not worked, hes been making strange selections and his formations have not looked exciting.When he came in we looked a threat going forward, and all of a sudden our defence looks all over the place. We need something new, someone has got to come in eventually and make things better.We have to look at the future, and I think Gordon will admit hes not done too much. Weve got five months to build up and start planning. It should have been done and dusted this week. Also See: Griffiths: Dont sack Strachan Strachan not thinking of himself Clinical England down Scots Scotland news Cheap Jerseys 2019 Cheap NFL T-shirts Youth NFL Jerseys Wholesale Stitched Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Online Cheap Stitched Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Jerseys NFL Cheap Wholesale NFL Autographed Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping ' ' '