Stosur Charleston Champion

Isn’t ironic that a player with a grass game performs better on a clay court? After making to the semi last year in RG, Samantha Stosur was just brilliant this week to win the biggest title of her career.

Well, i wasn’t totally wrong saying that Daniela Hantuchova was the only one standing is Jelena Jankovic’s way: she did indeed, beat the Serbian despite a quick start from her but, Stosur didn’t really had trouble getting rid of her in the semi despite the confidence boost.

Wozniacki didn’t make it to the final. She had to retire and Vera had clear passage to meet the Aussie in the final. But the Aussie was too confidante to let the Russian rain on her parade with her bad mood and attitude and 52 minutes was all she needed to send Zvonareva to the locker room. Well, 52 minutes and 36 winners : 60 63.

Charleston – My previsions

There are some good players missing from the top 10 but, this doesn’t mean that the competition won’t be interesting, far from it. The family circle cup is the first event on clay court of the season.

My first thought when i look at the upper part of the draw was : what the hell Victoria Azarenka is doing there? She had to retire in a match she was leading not later then last week! I don’t give much of her skin out there. She’ll lose or retire within the first couple of round.

With that in mind, I think Vera Zvonareva should make it in semi easily unless memories of her past come and haunt her: let me remind you that it is here that everything changed for Vera. She injured herself quite badly last year at the right ankle and I think she was never the same player afterward. She was in her best form then.

And it depends on Nadia Petrova if Vera will meet either her or Wozniacki there because really, if Nadia could play at her full potential, Wozniacki wouldn’t stand a chance but unfortunately for the Russian, her mental state is quite fragile. Will she even make it there?

And on the other side of the draw, it looks like we are going to have another rematch between my 2 favorite players on the tour: Samantha Stosur and Jelena Jankovic.

Sammy’s part of the draw is quite open and I don’t see anybody stopping her before the semi especially if she serves well. And only Daniela Hantuchova stands in Jeca’s way to join Sammy there. It depends here if Jelena is consistent or not. Everything depends on Jelena’s regularity!

And if you ask me, the winner of this tournament is on the bottom side of the draw so, it is either Samantha or Jelena. And Jelena won that tournament in 2007, who knows, she might surprise us again!

Let's talk about ....

Caroline Wozniacki! Let’s talk about her a little, and that will be the only entry on my entire blog that will be dedicated to her. I was arguing with a good friend of mine this other day about if she deserved or not to be #2 in the world.

Well, her strait answer was no. Well, my answer was yes. Well, but not because i like her, because i really don’t, but she earned the points and was the most consistent player all year around, which is true, to my point of view. However, digging deeper, it is a little bit out of luck to: let’s face it, the Dane has a good game, her only big weakness is to have no big weapon at all. She can do almost everything good on a court, and make you play one more shot because she is not going to miss anything, but if her opponent got a really good strength, that might be enough to beat her.

She had some good victories over Dementieva, Pennetta and Stosur, but got also lucky draws, but hey, she had to win those matches and she did. You combine that to the fact that other better players didn’t perform really well, so, you got a very happy Dane camping at the second position.

Well, she is number two, and deserve to be there, for the points and the consistency, and being there making it even easier because tougher players just come later in a tournament, so, she will keep rolling for while. Until, the big guns decide to show some guts…

Pennetta won Marbella

As predicted in my Book, especially after Azarenka had to retire, i couldn’t see who would have been able to stop the beautiful Italian to own her ninth title of the WTA tour. She defeated in 3 high core sets Carla Suarez Navarro. Despite that fact that the crowd favorite didn’t win, everybody was satisfied of the intensity displayed by both players.

“It was a very tough match from the very beginning”, during which she felt tired of the intense rhythm on several occasions.


And my last words will be able fashion : i totally hate the new adidas collection. Yellow wouldn’t be so bad on Flavia but it’s the cut of the different dresses she wears. I am going to miss Sergio Tacchini collection.

Since i mentioned Vedra Beach tournament, again, as predicted, Alek lost to Cibulkova and Wozniacki defeated her title there. But since i don’t like the Dane, i will just, move on to another tournament.

Wozniak in the last 8 in Ponte Vedra Beach

As a patriot, I must talk about our Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak. Currently ranked 39 in the world, she needs to do really good in that tournament since she made the final last year. She needs to keep those precious points to stay within the top 50. She hasn’t played really well since the year started losing some matches she could have won, but she might get a good momentum; she is now in quart. Hopefully, she will remind herself the good sensation she had last year, beating Lisicki and Petrova, because her next opponent is no else then the little bit pull Dominika Cibulkova. She could beat her, she could be«t a lot of people, but the main problem of Alek is that she makes too many unforced error.

Open draw for Pennetta in Marbella

After a dream week in Miami, Kim Clijsters streaks of win finally came to an end and the one responsible is Beatriz Garcia Vidagany. Yes, you are puzzled and need to read her name again saying to yourself, Beatriz who? And you are entitled to do so, because this player from Spain is 258 in the world and as for today, she was a no name player. That is, without a doubt, her greatest victory.

Flavia, the beautiful Italian, won’t complain about that, since Kim was on her side of the draw. Pennatta is struggling a little lately and hopefully, this might help her making it to the finale since, if you look at it on paper, no one can really challenge her till this last match.

And this challenge is called Victoria Azarenka and she is going to have a hazardous road to make it to the final because, in the next round, Maria Jose Sanchez Martinez, her next opponent, never gives free points. The Belarusian better play consistently because Maria is home, and Maria is playing great tennis lately. And if Maria is not enough, then, a great clay court specialist in Carla Suarez Navarro shouldn’t be taken lightly either and the small Spaniard is also home. She made the final last year: Jelena Jankovic defeated her in 3 tough sets.

Kim Clijster without mercy

Who did i said was impetuous this week? Yes, I said Kim Clijsters was impetuous! Only Justine Henin was a challenge for her. In fact, this semi final match could have been the final, score was 62 67 76 in 2h34 hours battle. It was the only set Kim lost in Miami. Yes, because in final, she crushed Venus Williams allowing the American to win only 3 slim games in the entire match which lasted not even an hour; 62 61. Congratulations to Kim for this great run!