Well I'd to start off this post by saying happy new year to everyone out there (and to whoever is reading!) as we are now into 2013, and we have survived the Mayan prophecy in 2012, so it looks like existance will continue for quite a while yet. So now onto my first tennis post of the year (and for quite a while) which will be a quick preview of the Australian open, and my thoughts on the contenders for the men and the ladies tour. I'll split these posts into two, one for the ladies and the men each.
So to kick off with the ladies, starting the top favourite, Serena Williams, who has already made a bold statement in saying she is looking to make a clean sweep at the grand slams this year, and go for a calendar slam, by trying to win all four majors. This is quite ambitious even for Serena, but can she do it???? Absolutely, as she is by far the greatest in the ladies game just now, and one of the all time greats, and despite my misgivings about her, I can't deny her talent as a player, and she is more than capable of winning the Australian open, having won the last two slams at Wimbledon and the US Open. And despite the fact she went out in the 4th round last year, I don't think it will happen this year, as she really re-established herself throughout last year, so for me she will be the player to beat.
And the next player to beat after Serena will be Victoria Azarenka, who is also the defending champion, who triumped last year by thrashing Maria Sharapova in straight sets. Victoria had her best season last year, winning 26 consecutive matches at the start of 2012, as well as going on to win big titles such as Indian Wells, Beijing, and additionally winning the Olympic bronze medal in the singles, the gold medal in the mixed doubles. And she is just about the only player who has the chops to actually beat Serena, and she came real close in the US Open final last year, but in doing so, she will have her work cut out. But if by any chance Serena is knocked in Melbourne, I'd peg Vika as the next favourite to win.
Other contenders for the title are of course Maria Sharapova, who is the world No.2 and she without doubt the hardest hitter in the ladies game right, and no doubt she will bludgeon her way past the opposition, that is until she meets Serena and Vika. But it would be mad to write off Sharapova's chances depending on how her draw works out, so she is still a top contender. Next up would be Agneiszka Radwanska who had a great season last year, having reached the final at Wimbledon, and winning her biggest title at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Aga also had the most consistent year of her career in 2012 as well, and if she carries on in that veint she will be hard to stop, and she can ever upset the big hitters such as Sharapova and Angelique Kerber, which she did last year, with her guile and ingenuity. However Aga lacks the raw power of the big hitters, and she has definitely struggled against Serena and especially Azarenka in the past, so it will be tough for her if she should meet either player to get past them, but you never know. Which brings me to Angelique Kerber who made a meteoric rise in 2012, and also won the most matches out of any female player on the tour last year. Kerber while she isn't quite as big a hitter as Sharapova, Serena or Azarenka, she does have the speed and the agility to take it to any of these players, and she has beaten them all, with the exception of Azarenka. However Kerber's serve is also somewhat inconsistent and she does falter at times on the big points in the big matches, so I think it will tough for her to battle past the big three, but not impossible.
Next up would be Sam Stosur, the Aussie, although she does lack the focus in the big matches at times, and is prone to making errors on her forehand, and she obviously felt the pressure last year going out in the 1st round, with the expectation of winning in Melbourne, after her victory at the 2011 US Open final. And this year she appears to be suffering the same as she has already made first round exits at Brisbane and Sydney on the WTA tour. But if Stosur regroups her game, then she will prove to be very tough to beat, and she has the chance to make a really good run in Melbourne, if she holds her nerve.
And then there is Caroline Wozniacki, who has been up and down of late, and she already suffered (like Stosur) a first round exit at the Brisbane International event last week, but as of this week (updated 07.01.13) she has won her first match of the year against Ursula Radwanska (Aga's younger sister). However Caroline is one of the grittiest competitors in the women's game, and if her game is really on then she will be tough to beat. But she also lacks the raw power to take it to the big hitters, who mostly can overpower her with relative ease. On the tour she has always had an over reliance bringing her dad, Piotr, onto court quite alot, and in the slams the ladies aren't allowed that, so she may also find herself in tight moments where she has to fend for herself without help. However Caroline has shown she can be a tough obstacle to remove especially as she proved against Sharapova last year in Miami, in a tight match, and when she defeated Serena there as well. So while she isn't a top favourite to win there, Caroline still can pose a threat to the other players, but she will have to up her pace and aggression in order to win through.
Then there is Li Na who was of course a finalist at the Australian open two years ago, and she is also a major champion having won the French Open two years ago. However Li Na can also be a bit up and down on the tour, but she is a tough competitor and on form she will be tough to win against. Li has also shown some great form early on in the lead up to Melbourne, as she won a title in China, and is playing well in Sydney. So I think Li could be a real dark horse for the title in Melbourne. Next up is Sara Errani who has also made a name for herself after last year when she reached the final of the French Open, where she lost to Sharapova. Errani is another clever counterpuncher, and she the tools to knock any player off their ryhthym, however she also lacks the raw power of the big hitters, and that's where she comes up short, as proved at the US Open last year, when Serena Williams thumped her in the semis. Nonetheless Errani still managed to reach the quarter finals of Melbourne last year and she is still a danger when she is playing her best.
And finally another potential contender could be Marion Bartoli, who is one of my favourite players on the tour, with her unorthodox style of play and her two handed forehand and backhand. Marion has proven that she can pose a big threat to the top players and she has pretty much beaten all of them at one time or another. And while Marion didn't have the best season last year, she made promising signs in reaching the quarter finals of the US Open in 2012, and defeating Petra Kvitova in the 4th round. Marion has also proven she has the ability to reach the latter stages in a major, having been a former Wimbledon finalist, and she is also one of the best returners in the ladies game. However Marion, while she has improved her fitness, she still lacks the speed of the more agile players on the tour, and her two handed style can hamper her movement on the court, and her ability to reach certain shots. But regardless of that, Marion is still a possible contender and one to watch in Melbourne.
So that's it for the ladies, next up is my look at the men's.
See you in a bit!
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