Sydney : some surprising results during this tournament. The Serbian Jovanovski ousted Kanepi (6-4, 6-4) and Rezai (7-6, 7-6) AND Pennetta (6-4, 6-1 O_O). I’d say those are pretty good results for the young player. Rezai had defeated Jankovic in 3 sets in the first round and Pennetta had sent to the locker Room the second player in the world Zvonareva in earlier round.
For those who wonder what happened to the Wozniacki, the girl with many teeth lost to Cibulkova, 2 thumbs up to the Slovakian. If only you could do that in the slam.
Kuznetsova had a few good wins including one against my favorite of the tournament Samantha Stosur, but the Russian couldn’t resist the eventual Champion Li Na.
Kim Clijsters had a scare in semi against the tank girl Alisa Kleybanova, but had some sort of a break down in the first set of her final, leading 5-0, the Chinese came back to win this tournament 7-6, 6-3. We have to ask ourself: what happen down there? Kim said she was already thinking of her first match round at the AO against Safina: Honey, why worry? The girl is a mess!!!
Hobart: Yes, the girl Is a mess, of course, starting a tournament to Bartoli, doesn’t give any chance to Safina to recover mentally as the French woman is like a bit pull out there (6-0, 6-1) but Klara Zakapalova seems to have find the key as she defeated Bartoli in to set only then to lose to the “keep on eye” girl Jarmila Groth, the Champion in Hobart. She defeated in final the always colorful Bethanie Mattek-Sands who won her first round match against Pavlyuchenkova, the poor girl had to retire. Congrat to the American who seized her chance to have a good result!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Brisbane & Auckland
Does a first tournament set a pace for the season? I hope not! In Brisbane, Samantha Stosur was sent to the locker room on her first match of the season against a player we probably won’t see again leaving the way free for Petkovic who made it all the way to the final. Petkovic had some nice victories along the way beating Growth, who might cause a few surprise this season and Bartoli: The French woman is never easy to beat.
Kvitova the surprising quarter finalist in Wimbledon last year, won that first title in 2 easy set 6-1, 6-3. She ousted Cibulkova and Pavlyuchekova on her way there.
Main while in Auckland, Maria Sharapova just proves me right by losing to Greta Arn, a veteran Hungarian player who best ranking was 91 in the world in 2002. At least, this mostly unknown player made it all the way to the final beating there Wickmayer 6-3, 6-3. Maybe tennis is not just a 20 years old thing anymore, and I won’t complain.
Let’s mention the defeat of Kuznetsova against Peng who also give a lot of trouble to wickmayer but couldn’t capitalize on the big point.
So if you ask me, 2011 will be a roller coaster ride!
Kvitova the surprising quarter finalist in Wimbledon last year, won that first title in 2 easy set 6-1, 6-3. She ousted Cibulkova and Pavlyuchekova on her way there.
Main while in Auckland, Maria Sharapova just proves me right by losing to Greta Arn, a veteran Hungarian player who best ranking was 91 in the world in 2002. At least, this mostly unknown player made it all the way to the final beating there Wickmayer 6-3, 6-3. Maybe tennis is not just a 20 years old thing anymore, and I won’t complain.
Let’s mention the defeat of Kuznetsova against Peng who also give a lot of trouble to wickmayer but couldn’t capitalize on the big point.
So if you ask me, 2011 will be a roller coaster ride!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Some thoughts before the new season begins
If Caroline Wozniacki finished at the number one position in the world last year, I am afraid that she still has to prove something. Not because she has yet to win a grand slam, but because she hadn’t beat anyone big to make it here. What makes the difference is her consistency, I’ll give her that.
The WTA championship was won by Kim Clijsters and if the Belgian would be able to be consistent a whole match, no one could really stand on her way in 2011, but with the level of competition today, against the best, the cost might be the victory.
The sudden retirement of Elena Dementieva was a surprise to a lot of tennis fans, but I guess, no to her fans. It let a big whole on the tour, but there are a lot of great players out there that will surely make sure to offer a high level of game, just like Elena did. What I will miss the most about her is her consistency. She never gives up even if she lost some matches she should have won.
What 2011 looks like? Frankly, I have no clue. Wozniacki should stayed in the top 3, Vera Zvonerava put up a great show last year but as many, she always fall short in the great moments. Clijsters won’t play enough, but the little she played last year, she always make it far in a tournament.
I’d say the best of the Williams Sisters are behind them. They probably will win some events like they always did and they will be threatening opponents. Serena might pull up a good win or 2 but this strange injury that lasted forever probably hides something bigger.
Stosur would be a sure value if she could only be stronger mentally. She got a great game, she got a great serve, if only she could believe! Schiavone played the best tennis of her whole life last year, she will fall off the top 10 because I don’t see her winner the French open again this year but if she keep this state of mind, she could do really good.
Jankovic got a new coach, it would be good for her if she could actually listen to him and stop acting like she knows it all, because she doesn’t. Jankovic’s best was at the end of 2008: then she was really playing like a #1. She blamed her descent all on her strong off court work out, which was partly true. There is a word called moderation that should have been used in her case. Now, her training took a totally opposite side and that is not going to bring her any where.
Azarenka has the power to stay among the best, but lack a little of a physical strength to win on rough conditions. She’ll be in the top 10 for sure. Radwanska is brain player, she will always find a way to be in the top 20, but she lack of power to do damages.
Justine Henin won’t win Wimbledon. If it was the reason if her return, she should pick another one. She will do damage like she always did, but she will be stopped somewhere for some reasons.
What made Maria Sharapova special once, was her powerful flat shot. Now, she is out of fashion, too many young players play like her and she is highly disadvantaged by her lack of speed and movement on court.
Flavia Pennetta lost a little of her great consistency last year, but I wouldn’t give up just yet on the beautiful Italian, I am sure she got the game to come back into the top 15.
Poor Safina has yet to recover of the mental destruction her ex-coach implemented on her. When Ivanovic started to grumble, I never thought we’d see again a former number one in the world going so low in the ranking, if she doesn’t pull herself together, that might happen again.
Kuznetsova is such a talented player, who doesn’t always show up on the court. A week, she’d loss when she should have won and then she wins when she isn’t supposed to… Go figure!
There are many great players out there, I could go on and one, but let the games begins.
The WTA championship was won by Kim Clijsters and if the Belgian would be able to be consistent a whole match, no one could really stand on her way in 2011, but with the level of competition today, against the best, the cost might be the victory.
The sudden retirement of Elena Dementieva was a surprise to a lot of tennis fans, but I guess, no to her fans. It let a big whole on the tour, but there are a lot of great players out there that will surely make sure to offer a high level of game, just like Elena did. What I will miss the most about her is her consistency. She never gives up even if she lost some matches she should have won.
What 2011 looks like? Frankly, I have no clue. Wozniacki should stayed in the top 3, Vera Zvonerava put up a great show last year but as many, she always fall short in the great moments. Clijsters won’t play enough, but the little she played last year, she always make it far in a tournament.
I’d say the best of the Williams Sisters are behind them. They probably will win some events like they always did and they will be threatening opponents. Serena might pull up a good win or 2 but this strange injury that lasted forever probably hides something bigger.
Stosur would be a sure value if she could only be stronger mentally. She got a great game, she got a great serve, if only she could believe! Schiavone played the best tennis of her whole life last year, she will fall off the top 10 because I don’t see her winner the French open again this year but if she keep this state of mind, she could do really good.
Jankovic got a new coach, it would be good for her if she could actually listen to him and stop acting like she knows it all, because she doesn’t. Jankovic’s best was at the end of 2008: then she was really playing like a #1. She blamed her descent all on her strong off court work out, which was partly true. There is a word called moderation that should have been used in her case. Now, her training took a totally opposite side and that is not going to bring her any where.
Azarenka has the power to stay among the best, but lack a little of a physical strength to win on rough conditions. She’ll be in the top 10 for sure. Radwanska is brain player, she will always find a way to be in the top 20, but she lack of power to do damages.
Justine Henin won’t win Wimbledon. If it was the reason if her return, she should pick another one. She will do damage like she always did, but she will be stopped somewhere for some reasons.
What made Maria Sharapova special once, was her powerful flat shot. Now, she is out of fashion, too many young players play like her and she is highly disadvantaged by her lack of speed and movement on court.
Flavia Pennetta lost a little of her great consistency last year, but I wouldn’t give up just yet on the beautiful Italian, I am sure she got the game to come back into the top 15.
Poor Safina has yet to recover of the mental destruction her ex-coach implemented on her. When Ivanovic started to grumble, I never thought we’d see again a former number one in the world going so low in the ranking, if she doesn’t pull herself together, that might happen again.
Kuznetsova is such a talented player, who doesn’t always show up on the court. A week, she’d loss when she should have won and then she wins when she isn’t supposed to… Go figure!
There are many great players out there, I could go on and one, but let the games begins.
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