Thumbs down to Caro!

Of course, Li Na also stank it up at a fair few of the majors, too. :) And I'd predicted her to do well at Wimby, too.

One interesting thing is that after winning her major, Li lost 2 of 3 matches at majors. Kvitova went 0-1 in her next major. Stosur also known for being an inconsistent head case.
So these 3 join Schiavone as one slam wonders who disappear for months.
I remember during the US Open the talk was that Serena was the real #1.
The only talk of Kvitova was that she was a laughing stock the whole US hard court summer, and no one at the USO knew who she was as she walked around the grounds.
So it makes for an interesting, if comical, 2012

Final 2011 Ace WTA rankings

(1)Petra Kvitova(56-11): Wimbledon, WTA Championships, Madrid, Paris, Brisbane and Linz
(2)Caroline Wozniacki(63-17): Indian Wells, Dubai, Charleston, Brussels, New Haven and Copenhagen
(3)Victoria Azarenka(55-17): Miami, Marbella and Luxembourg
(4)Na Li(32-17): French Open and Sydney
(5)Maria Sharapova(43-14): Rome and Cincinnati
(6)Samantha Stosur(45-23): United States Open
(7)Agnieszka Radwanska(46-18): Beijing, Tokyo and Carlsbad
(8)Vera Zvonareva(56-22): Doha and Baku
(9)Marion Bartoli(58-25): Eastbourne and Osaka
(10)Kim Clijsters(23-7): Australian Open
(11)Andrea Petkovic(54-17): Strasbourg
(12)Serena Williams(22-3): Toronto and Stanford

Hoping someone with some oomph (maybe Kvitova?) will taking the lead in the WTA... it's no fun when there aren't any consistent contenders and casual fans/slam-only audiences can't even recall you the names of the top 3...

Good Morning Everyone,

Yay Pete has done a post on the WTA.....off to read

"For the second year in a row she finished No. 1 without having won a Grand Slam title."

Without a slam finals appearance even. But she should be able to change that this year. Maybe? Hopefully?

As much as we give you a bad time about pictures, Pete, this was a good one. A Domi with every page refresh is a very good thing. :)

Btw, thanks for the post in general. It's nice to do something other than argue about Roger, Rafa, and Novak. :)

Morning, AM!!

I would just like to comment regarding Rafa and his comments that he lacked passion etc

I have read articles recently regarding that statement and Rafa has come out and said he knew it would be taken out of context.

Moving On

Agree Sherlock I am over talking about Novak,Rafa and Roger.....well for the present time :)

"And it's not just that she hasn't won a major. That's not really a deal breaker in and of itself. It's that she's failed to lift her game to the appropriate level (of a No. 1) at the majors."

Indeed

"Gut feeling here is that she'll be No. 1 by the time the early hard-court season is over."

+1

"That serve has become so unreliable as to be almost Dementieva-esque."

*sigh*

Pete,
Here is my opinion with the following Top 7:

(a)Caroline - Agree. I believe Caroline,despite her sunny deposition, is still trying to recover from her loss to Dominika at Wimbledon despite winning New Haven, USO SF(where she was lost against Serena), making WTA Championships and ending 2011 at the top. At Wimbledon, Caroline won the first set 6-1, lost set 2 despite not losing serve and the match getting broken 3 times in the final set after losing serve only once in her first 8 sets.

(b)Petra - Agree. If she obtain the consistency on a weekly basis, look for her to win at least one Slam(possibly two) and a Premier Mandatory event. Also, she needs to find a way to overcome the North American blues(3-5 in 2011).

(c)Victoria - Disagree. Victoria made the WTA Championships where she lost a 3 set battle to Petra in 2011 along with making her first career semifinals. If you would have said that Victoria did not make her breakthrough due to her retiring or withdrawing from matches along with coming up "small" at AO and USO, I would have agreed to an extent.

(d)Maria - Disagree. Due to her serve being an issue, the elite players take advantage of this along with her movement. For all the media saying that she is strong mentally, she did not produce this consistently against (ie - Flavia Pennetta at USO at Stanford and Petra at Wimbledon)

(e)Na - Disagree. Despite her winning her first Slam at the French and making the finals at Australian Open, she failed to capitalize on those aspects. If I recall, she won 25 of her 32 matches at Sydney, AO, Madrid, Rome and the French. Therefore, Na continues to be a streaky player even though she got hot at the right times. Also, she did not handle her coaching situation well saying that Mortensen was too "quiet" for her despite him being in her box when she won the French. However, she gave Hogstedt, who coaches Maria, more credit with her success.

(f)Samantha - Agree thanks to her USO title. Before USO HC season, she fell below expectations as she could not repeat her run at the French and sputtered during the Australian Open swing. Full credit to her for gutting out wins during the USO before dominating Serena in the final and making the SF at WTA Championships.

(g) Vera - Agree. She was/is in a similar position to win a Slam with Caroline. I think 2010 season was her last chance to obtain a Slam.

Sokol

Good to see you posting

By the way anymore info on Dinara?

hi, AM! How are you doing?

Nothing new about Dianra, just the info about her doing cooking show :-)
Also, I've read that she was not happy with Marat's comments about her retirement. Looks like he wants her to retire to save her back and be able to lead a normal life, but she's stubborn and still hoping to return...

AM, have you heard the rumors that Kirilenko broke off with Andreev and is dating Alex Ovechkin now?
I was surprised when I read that, I hope it's not true for Igor's sake...

"Bali, aka the Tournament of Also-Rans"

lol

sokol

Good thanks and I hope you are well

Cooking show LOL! I read when she was in Melbourne at the AO a few years back she would love to go to the book shops and buy "cooking books" she has really excelled hasnt she in the cooking area.....

Stubborn? not our Dinara lol!

I really miss her.Though at least my alchol and drug bills dont cost as much now she hasnt been playing :)

Typepad is very slow for me today...

sokol

I think Maria was tired of waiting for Andreev to propose? those 2 have been going out for sometime now?Hmmmm a bit shocked with that news.

"at least my alchol and drug bills dont cost as much now she hasnt been playing :)"

:-))
and I've cut on chocolate :-)

MA: Vera still has a chance to win a slam, that's the nature of the WTA these days. Last year people were saying that Stosur was never going to get an opportunity like she had a RG again. Only for her to prove everybody wrong at the USO this year.

Sokol,
I heard that same rumor about Maria K and Ovechkin yesterday. Was wondering why Ovechkin numbers were below his expectations for the Capitals.

"she has really excelled hasnt she in the cooking area....."

seems that way :-), and looks like she enjoys herself in that

just as Elena is enjoying journalism :-)

"I think Maria was tired of waiting for Andreev to propose?"

maybe the reason, especially in Russia we don't have long engagements :-)

Wilson75,
Indeed, Samantha did prove us(mainly me) wrong by winning USO. Speaking of Pete giving a thumbs up to Ana winning Bali, I wonder will she capitalize in 2012 unlike she did in 2011 after winning 2010 Bali.

MA, he he. Can't blame the guy. My numbers would be down too. :)

Being as the Caps have gagged in the playoffs lately, at least Maria can't have a negative effect on his team's results.

Sokol, good to see you here again. Maybe Maria will find that serve again in 2012? :)

Sokol,
Heard that Elena D is doing well doing hockey news(journalism).

"Hmmmm a bit shocked with that news."

me too... well, maybe it's not true. They say she's chose to practice in Arlington this offseason, which seems strange, and she's been seeing at some of Alex's game.

I got used to thinkg of Andreev-Kirilenko couple, in my mind I can't see her with anybody else :-)

"Was wondering why Ovechkin numbers were below his expectations for the Capitals."

so you're blaming little Maria, MA? :-))

Until the day she retires, I will still hope for a Zvonareva slam. Hey, it's the WTA, and she's "only" 27!

I wholeheartedly disagree with giving Azarenka the thumbs down - if for that terrific Istanbul final alone.

Woz will be at a more reasonable #2 or #3 soon enough, unless she pulls off a huge surprise in Melbourne. It's strange that the idea of the world #1 and the top seed would be a surprise winner, though clearly she would be.

Sherlock,
Agreed about the Capitals choking history in the playoffs. Have you heard that the Capitals fired their coach Monday? Wonder if Maria K is in the USA watching Ovechekin.

"Vera still has a chance to win a slam"

I hope you're right, Wilson. Though with Petra so successful, Vika getting more consistent, Aga as Vera's latest "challenge", and some other players who can be problem for her, I tend to agree with MA about Vera's chances...

MA: For Ana to have more success next year, she has to get tougher mentally. I think in 2012, they will be 4 slam winners again.

"Can't blame the guy. My numbers would be down too. :)"

LOL, Sherlock

Tina,
Agree that Caroline would be a surprise winner. I said that Caroline would win a Slam before 2012 is done, I will stick to it even though she has regressed in 2011 compared to her ending in 2010.

"Maybe Maria will find that serve again in 2012? :)"

you think? I gave up on her finding a reliable serve, I will be surprised if she ever starts serving well again. She has to find a way to struggle for the rest of her career without it, I'm afraid...

"Heard that Elena D is doing well doing hockey news(journalism)."

I've read a lot of positive review of her program. I heard her interviews are pretty interesting. She said she enjoys it a lot and enjoys studying as well. Good for her. She seems happy in her marriage too, now she needs a baby for the full package :-)

"it's the WTA, and she's "only" 27"

lol, Tina

"Until the day she retires, I will still hope for a Zvonareva slam"

I'm in the same boat, even though it doesn't look good...

Sokol,
Speaking of babies, have you heard that Anastasia Myskina is expecting another one?

"I have read articles recently regarding that statement and Rafa has come out"

I KNEW it ;-)

I'm very happy Domi got her first WTA title in 2011, she's too good of a player to be title-less

In regards to Caroline I have to agree with Pete 100% that she "failed to raise her level in GS" that is a area she "has to improve" during the 2012 season.

Kvitova Winning Wimbledon and then.....I will give her some slack seeing it was her first major and she proved herself at the end of year championships and also in the winning Czech Fed Cup team.Her indoor hard court record is sublime.I believe she has more "upside to her game" though she can be "inconsistant" as we have all witnessed.I have become a true fan and I am looking forward to watching her in 2012.

Azarenka I agree with Petes thoughts.I feel Victoria is still missing a Weapon in her game.She is strong on both wings and a good returner....still there is something missing...also her body seems to break down....

Sharapova Agree.Maria will always been in the hunt though her serve? sorry it lets her down under pressure

Li Na Still in shock over her winning RG...I will be interested to see if in 2012 Li Na gets a new coach or stays with Hubby.I feel a new coach could hold the "key" to her success in 2012.It certainly helped her in winning RG.

Stosur Again In Total Shock she won USO of all surfaces.Sam was in total control in that final and of herself.Sam hasnt down well in Australia she will be under pressure to perform well.Can she do it? We Gonna See No?

Vera Sigh always the bridesmaind and never the Bride.I was disappointed in her results this year.Vera I want your old coach back okay.Also "great eye candy for me".

"Svetlana Kuznetsova leaves us wondering if those familiar resurrections aren't a thing of the past. . . if anyone ever figures out"

My biggest dissapointment and reason for my high consumption of chocolate :-), so much talent and such a headcase

I'll keep waiting for another magical run...

"Speaking of babies, have you heard that Anastasia Myskina is expecting another one?"

Yep, third one for her

Go Petra! The best ball striker on the tour.

Oh exciting - a WTA post!

The only change I would make is to Vika's rating, maybe a hands in neutral position rather than up or down.

Alternatively, bandage up the hands as the biggest thing holding her back this year is the number of injuries.

"Vera I want your old coach back okay.Also "great eye candy for me"."

lol
+1

I was kind of dissapointed to read several of her interviews, where she talked about coaches. She said that Sam Sumyk was the coach who developed her game in the level where she could compete at top level, and affected her in positive way. After that, as she said, nothing new was contributed, and now she just "listens to herself" practicing... She sounded bitter

any more guesses of "mistery coach" foe Caro? Anyone thinks she's going to "unveil" a new coach at AO? :-)

Oh exciting - a WTA post!

The only change I would make is to Vika's rating, maybe a hands in neutral position rather than up or down.

Alternatively, bandage up the hands as the biggest thing holding her back this year is the number of injuries.

Having not posted for ages it seems the site is now ignoring me and refusing to accept my posts

Please take me back!

"have you heard that Anastasia Myskina is expecting another one?"

Very pregnant Anastasia Myskina at the Russian "Grammy" award ceremony :-):
http://tinyurl.com/6ndcm4w

"foe"="for"

sokol

I am sticking with Brad Gilbert as Carolines "mystery coach"

Yawn I am really over it by the way :)

Claire, lol. Apparently, TW was messing with you as an initiation to your return. :)

Claire

Hi!

LOL to the bandage of hands

Verdasco's AO kit looks "fiery", I hope he "catches some fire" game-wise...

Claire, I'm having problems seeing the posts too, takes like 5-10 minutes to see new posts, and then they come in batches...
I just post and hope it'll come up eventually :-)

Caroline is only 20 or 21. She will win her GSs soon. Maybe next year.

'Apparently, TW was messing with you as an initiation to your return. :)'

If TW really wants to mess with me it would have auto-play videos that ran every time you refreshed the page... Dubai duty free anyone?!

Aussiemarg,
Thanks for reminding me of Vera's old coach. Vera's decision in 2011 to have him, who left due to circumstances, and someone else coach her was not well thought out as the coach did well for her in 2010.

Type Pad is slow and Tim isnt even here posting....:)

Perhaps the gremlins at TW have an off-season too.

Sorry for the OT, but I thought this was an interesting article about the movie "Brian's Song". Warning for non-US folks, the backdrop of the movie is American football. But it's also about men and crying, a frequent topic for TW. :)

http://tinyurl.com/7gt7r6k

And not OT, I recommend everyone read the article that Arun linked to at the end of the previous thread. Excellent 1986 Sports Illustrated article on Lendl.

Big Thumbs down on womens tennis, except for Sam Stosur at the U.S Open. The over all quality of tennis in womens matches is just horrible. The amount unforced errors these women generate in the best 2 of 3 sets is mind boggling. Surprisingly, I saw Serena show more patience than anyone to try and set up a point and then go for a winner.

Watching most of these women fail to work on there first and second serve and get broken 4 or 5 times a set is pathetic.
The worst part of all is they make the same amount of prise money at the major as men and deliver this crappy product.

And hello back AM, everyone

*waves*

Brian,
Speaking of tennis, would you rather have the ATP Big 4 win all the major touraments ranging from Slams to Masters events or the unpredictability of the WTA which leads to entertaining matches?

ATP Big Tournaments:
Slams - Djokovic 3 and Nadal
World Tour Final - Federer
Masters 1000(required) - Djokovic 5, Murray 2 and Federer
Masters 1000(not required) - Nadal

Brian: I'm guessing you didn't watch any of the slam F this year or the WTA Championships.

@ Brian - Kvitova was great when she was great. Also, as soon as airlines/coaches/physios/dieticians/etc... charge women less, they can pay the women less. Oh wait, women pay the same amount as men and have the same dedication! Not to mention the star power of Serena and/or Maria Sharapova...

@ Sherlock - "There's no crying in baseball!"

sokol - I like Verdasco's outfit for the AO, both the orange and the green.

And in a turn-up for the books, I'm liking the look of Caro's dress. Not so keen on Ana's or Maria's but I'm sure they will both manage to look pretty decent when it's on

Freddy, your post 12.49

I agree.
And for your eyes only. Part of my obstinacy on this topic is problably emotional, a lingering need to process the intense disappontment from Mac´s loss in the French Open final to Ivan in 1984. Don´t really understand why else I would put so much energy in a discussion like this.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yes, but I´ve always been weak for the crazy idea to play attacking tennis on clay. So vain.

J.Balcells.
Laver´s candidacy in that competition had those good performances in mind, but I didn´t know he never even tried to defend some of his titles.

sokol

Can you post a link to Verdasco's outfit for AO 2012 at all?

I believe Rafa is going to wear Green....I hope he dosent wear yellow sweat bands and bandana to match....Hmmm.

For me Kvitova is new kid on the block. Strong, tall and powerful. She has every potential to be great champ

Believe it or not, ESPN3.com will show the US AO WC playoffs starting Monday at 6 PM. Oudin and Ginepri will be participating.

"I'm liking the look of Caro's dress"

+1
first time in a long time :-)

"Not so keen on Ana's or Maria's"

I kind of like Ana's, but not Maria's

Bottom line is, if/when Wozniacki wins a slam, then she will have proven her "worthiness" - in my personal opinion. Even a couple of slam finals next year will do. Sure, she's young and has plenty of time - again, it's the WTA, where veterans have recently been surprise winners, too. I'll be pulling for "Crazy Vera" and "headcase Sveta" until the bitter end just as I did with Ivanisevic; but among the younger group, it's Petra and Vika for me all the way.

Some great pics from Sevilla (mostly Rafa;))

http://www.elpais.com/fotogaleria/Cuenta/final/Copa/Davis/elpgal/20111130elpepudep_2/Zes/1

"Believe it or not, ESPN3.com will show the US AO WC playoffs starting Monday at 6 PM. Oudin and Ginepri will be participating."

Correction : ESPN3.com will show the AO WC playoffs starting Monday at 6 PM(10 AM Tuesday locally in Australia). Wonder if Casey D will play the playoffs as she has won at least 26 matches in a row? Will Ashleigh Barty be invited to play?

AM, I've seen it at adidas somewhere, but can't find it right now, but here is from the Russian site: http://tinyurl.com/89coxbg

Master Ace

I am sure Samantha Elin will be watching Oudin with interest :)

sokol

Thanks.I love the teal blue colour of the shorts.I hope he leaves his Hair alone....

"I am sure Samantha Elin will be watching Oudin with interest :)"

lol

Aussiemarg,
Did you see my corrected post where it is where the Aussies are playing for their traditional WC spot instead of USA?

Sherlock, thanks for the link to the "Brian's Song" article. I'll never forget that movie! I've seen it several times and I've cried each time. BTW, don't bother with the remake that came out like 10 years ago, it was awful.

James Caan and Billy Dee Williams were unforgetable. Jack Warden and Shelly Fabares were great too.

I saw Ferdasco's outfit at The Slice and the ladies on womens tennis blog if anyone is looking

"I love the teal blue colour of the shorts."

+1, and I love his 6 pack abs :-)

"I hope he leaves his Hair alone...."

lol

Master Ace

Thanks for the correction.

AM, this weekend I'm going to root against your boy, sorry :-))

I hope Nando and DelPo can take it for Argentina...

Vamos, Argentina!

Claire

Any news on JJ and her plans for tournaments in Australia before the AO?

"Nando" shoudl be "Nalbandian"

sorry, those abs are stuck in my mind :-))

Btw - @Sherlock from the other post:
No offense taken, I too felt the same frustration with Nalby and Safin.
All I was trying to say was that out of Nalby, Safin and Fed, as raw material just "talent"-wise they were pretty equal so it can't be a "weak era". Fed managed to maximise his potential by consistently having the right mentality and conditioning to sustain his consistent high standard of play whereas the other two didn't.

And now the young ones Rafa, Novak have learnt to also apply that same dedicated mindset to attain consistent excellence, so all the better for the sport.

But to say things like "weak era" of mediocre non-talented players to Fed's generation or to say the older generations before with wooden racquets would never beat the guys in this era is just nonsensical.

All these generations had just as much "talent" as any other, it's how the individual worked to maximise their potential given their situation that made the difference in outcome.

Anyway, back to WTA, hope Kvitova takes AO but wouldn't mind if Caro proved herself there too!

sokol

Hmmmm its not the first time you have "rooted against my Boy"

I am used to it....

I feel it will be a close tie and I would love David Nalbandian to get a DC victory he has played his heart out for his country over the years....

Still my heart belongs to Spain.

Yeah, I'm pulling for Argentina as well. It would be nice to see them finally get a win. But in Spain on clay? My hopes are not high.

"My hopes are not high."

+1

I also hope the Pretty Boys dont go "sunning themselves" on a nearby beach.D.

Brian's unfortunately right. I thought I was the only person who noticed a more patient champion in Serena this summer. Her age, injuries, or time off may be the reason, but changing her game a bit worked VERY well for her so other players on that level should take note. Like Vere Z. stated, "she's a human being" so it's not magic or a revel in past playing form. Putting hard work into changing your game doesn't have to come from a bad place (a la Sharapova's surgery). It's simple evolution. I'm still waiting w/sweaty palms (sorry, but true) for January. Thank heavens for the Williams sisters return. More titles maybe, but definitely more FUN!!!!!!!

Well, from what I have seen reported JJ has entered Brisbane next year. And she will be wearing a Nike outfit as her ANTA contract was for 3 years and therefore has ended.

There is a small part of me hoping she is going to wearing the Maria line ;)

Claire

Thanks.I went to the Brisbane site yesterday and I didnt see her name as yet.

I wish Apia International in Sydney would hurry up with their other players as well.All I get is the same old message on the webiste....pfft.

webiste= website oops