Australian Open 2012: Serena Williams' Embarrassing Exit Signifies End of Road

Serena Williams was ousted from the Australian Open, which could be the end of her run.

She started out the tournament hot, but it clearly didn't turn into much as she was dominated by Ekaterina Makarova, losing 6-2, 6-3.

This loss isn't just a blip on Williams' radar. This is a pretty big deal. The loss illustrates that Williams isn't playing her best, inferior opponents can beat her and she's susceptible to big letdowns.

Look, it's fine that Williams isn't the player she once was. Arguably, she was the greatest female tennis player of all time. Whether you believe that or not, she was definitely the best player of her era.

Now, though, Williams is not even close to that level. She has enough pure talent to win a few early matches, but she isn't playing well enough to go deep into tournaments. She may still have some left in the tank, but it certainly doesn't look like it.

With injuries taking away chunks of playing time, Williams needs to be at her best all the time. Unfortunately, she hasn't been able to maintain a high level of play since 2010.

Beyond that, Williams just looked pretty horrible. Makarova not only beat Williams, she crushed her. This type of loss says a lot about Williams' opponents. While she probably intimidates some, others embrace the challenge.

It's nearly a consensus that Williams is an all-around better tennis player than Makarova, but you wouldn't have known that while watching. To see an inferior opponent dismantle Williams was a sad thing to watch. She usually has more grit and desire than that, but it simply didn't show.

Maybe Williams was hiding an injury. Maybe the heat got to her. Either way, she was embarrassed by someone who is a lot less talented than herself.

Finally, early exits (before the quarterfinals) might become a trend for Williams. Normally, you can pen Williams into the quarterfinals, barring injury, without much of a thought. Who knows what will happen from there.

This loss marked the second time in nearly four years that she was eliminated before the quarters (2011 Wimbledon). So, it's happened two times in the last four years, and they have occurred within the the last three slams.

That doesn't bode well.

If Williams consistently gets bounced this early, she won't even give herself a chance to win another Grand Slam.

It's unfortunate, but this loss could signify the twilight of Williams' career.

Williams clearly is not playing well as of late, inferior opponents can manhandle her and early exits are becoming a trend.

At 30 years old, that doesn't sound like a future Grand Slam winner to me.