Another Nolesque Run on the Horizon?

I’m surprised there isn’t a little more chatter about the women’s game. Surely it’s not that bad. I think recent months dating back to Kvitova’s Wimbledon triumph have been pretty exciting and there’s been a gradual shift in power to the new generation. I don’t believe Clijsters or Serena will win another slam but I guess we’ll see. I’m here to focus on Azarenka.

I’ve not watched much tennis in recent months, much less the women’s game, so I was wondering what has really changed in Vika’s game to account for the meteoric rise in her level since the turn of the year – much like a certain Serbian joker did last year. It’s not just about her winning but the way she’s winning. She’s absolutely steamrollered some of the most powerful players on tour in Sharapova (twice) and Stosur. Sharapova who can hit through most of her opponents just couldn’t seem to hurt Azarenka yesterday and at Melbourne and was thoroughly outclassed and out-thought and out-gunned. The wily, little Radwanska, who reminds me a little of Hingis, seems to have the measure of everyone but gets a creaming from Azarenka. This is the same Azarenka who not too far back, was talking of retirement in a bit of a self-indulgent, impetuous rant.

So what has “clicked” for the Belarusian? The fundamentals of her game look the same to me from watching her for the first time in Melbourne 3 or 4 years back. Is there anything thing on the technical side she’s doing better? Has she got fitter or has she just put it together mentally after being a bit of a head case reminiscent of Safina.

Finally, do you think she could do a Djokovic this year? She was actually confident enough after her Melbourne win to talk of doing the Grandslam! Not even Federer in his prime spoke of doing the Grandslam in January! She must have come a long way to be that confident. Must be ominous for her rivals.

Hmm........ I guess no one cares about women's tennis enough to comment.

It's a terrific run and she's clearly the best player at the moment. Not sure she's really being pressed too hard at the moment.
Sharapova - to me - has never quite got the power back in her serving and forehand since her injury.
Kvitova seems out of sorts, the Williams sisters have disappeared off the face of the earth, Kim C is not playing at the moment and Caroline W is slipping away.
At least we have a number one who has a slam.

Its quite possible given the lack of depth in the women's game presently with no-one really stepping forward. Its kind of in the wilderness years at the moment awaiting the next great player now that the Williams are slowly easing off the radar. I dont really here of any "wunderkinds" coming through though so Azarenka has a great shot at amassing slams.

Cant stand the grunting though!

Hard to say with little tennis watching that I do (WTA tennis that is).

But you are correct that there is little change in her game from previous years. As far as competition is concerned, I see little or no competition to her at the moment.

I don't rate Sharapova all that much (brave statement I know), but her movement looks so lumbering. Once you get her on the run, she is toast. That's what happened in Melbourne. One more match I remember is last year FO vs Li Na. Li Na gave her quite a drubbing.

There are actually two ladies that I can see troubling her. One is Serena and other is Petra Kvitova. Serena when her serve is firing is quite someone from other planet. Rest of her game is quite good enough to take care of anyone. I clearly remember the way she hammered Sharapova and Safina in AO finals who are quite similar to the way Azarenka plays.

Petra Kvitova is also someone who can outhit an opponent. A good lefty serve and penetrating ground strokes. What happened to her is that she started missing a lot from quarter-final onwards at AO. Took 3 sets to defeat Spanish S-V lady... And would have won against Sharapova had she not missing the shots she was making regularly earlier. She blew away competition at WTA finals at Doha if you remember.

I don't think Radwanska or Wozniaki are good enough to blunt her power game.

lydian wrote:Cant stand the grunting though!

Yes, and with Sharapova and Azarenka both reaching the finals of the tournaments, it's a double whammy!!

I may be wrong but I genuinely believe the grunting and squealing puts off many fans of the men's tour from following the women's game on a consistent basis these days.

Okay, when set against the context of the ever-rising standards and overall quality of the game (ie. compared to say two or three decades ago), the grunting might seem a trivial and merely peripheral factor. But for me it can be a huge distraction when having to endure it over a sustained spell of around 90 mins or more per match

That said, I'm sure I read that WTA attendances are riding high - and perhaps same for tv audience figures too ....?? Anybody have actual stats on this ...??

sirfredperry wrote:It's a terrific run and she's clearly the best player at the moment. Not sure sher's really being pressed too hard at the moment.
Sharapova - to me - has never quite got the power back in her serving and forehand since her injury.
Kvitova seems out of sorts, the Williams sisters have disappeared off the face of the earth, Kim C is not playing at the moment and i Caroline W is slipping away.
At least we have a number one who was a slam.

Sharapova’s hitting is as good as I’ve seen it (her serve, less so) but her movement and one-dimensional ball bashing was exposed. She was never really known for a great forehand and it doesn’t look any different to before. The decline of the William sisters and Clijsters due to injury and the wear of age, not to mention their questionable commitment to the tour may be a key factor but eventually, the WTA will have to move on from their shadow. I honestly don’t believe those players will win another slam. Kvitova and Azarenka are a slight step-up from former number-ones like Jankovic and Wozniacki and I’m confident they can keep it together.

Wozniacki who you mentioned was never really a factor imo. I always thought if any of several players ranked behind her got their acts together, she was a sitting duck waiting to get rolled over. She simply never had the weapons to really dominate.

Shriekapova will probably hang around and continue to play at this level for sometime.

Shriekarenka is a very shaky player, despite a slam under her belt. She almost lost to Mona Barthel in the first round.

If it cannot be dominated, at least some consistency in later stages of the slam would be good.

I miss Graff, Navaratilova, Henin, Evert, BJK and some of the stalwarts who were wonderful players. Whoever it is, at least women play, which is a relief.

spuranik wrote:Hard to say with little tennis watching that I do (WTA tennis that is).

But you are correct that there is little change in her game from previous years. As far as competition is concerned, I see little or no competition to her at the moment.

I don't rate Sharapova all that much (brave statement I know), but her movement looks so lumbering. Once you get her on the run, she is toast. That's what happened in Melbourne. One more match I remember is last year FO vs Li Na. Li Na gave her quite a drubbing.

There are actually two ladies that I can see troubling her. One is Serena and other is Petra Kvitova. Serena when her serve is firing is quite someone from other planet. Rest of her game is quite good enough to take care of anyone. I clearly remember the way she hammered Sharapova and Safina in AO finals who are quite similar to the way Azarenka plays.

Petra Kvitova is also someone who can outhit an opponent. A good lefty serve and penetrating ground strokes. What happened to her is that she started missing a lot from quarter-final onwards at AO. Took 3 sets to defeat Spanish S-V lady... And would have won against Sharapova had she not missing the shots she was making regularly earlier. She blew away competition at WTA finals at Doha if you remember.

I don't think Radwanska or Wozniaki are good enough to blunt her power game.

Sharapova's game isn't really similar to Azarenka other than both being offenssive baseliners but Azarenka's defensive movement and working of angles is superior. Safina's game is a little similar but Safina was a real bottler and mental head case who was really vulnerable to her emotions. Vika is much more of a fighter who channels her frustrations better.

I have vivid memories of the first time I watched Azarenka which was incidentally against Serena Williams 3 years back (I think) and she dominated Serena from the baseline and looked the winner till she retired from illness. All that kept Serena in that game was her serve. I agree with you though that Kvitova would be the biggest challenge and previous meetings between the pair had Kvitova dominant. Kvitova simply has to be more consistent and she'd be the best of her generation.

To be brutally honest I don't like the noise and Azarenka needs to quieten down before I take an interest. I did watch 10 minutes of the match yesterday as something to watch during dinner.

Radwanska has been a good player for years, but never elite.

I am going to the final of the FO so may have something to report then.

I don't follow much but from what I saw, Azarenka is there to stay and re-establish some order in the women's game.

I don't really watch the women's game either now, apart from slam finals, although in different eras I have enjoyed it as much, if not more, than the men's tour.

Azarenka is certainly on a tremendous run and it is great to see a No 1 who has a major under her belt rather than watching the torturing of Jankovic, Safina and Wozniacki one after the other by the media every single slam!

I just echo others on here that the shrieking and grunting does not enjoyable watching make.

Henman Bill wrote:To be brutally honest I don't like the noise and Azarenka needs to quieten down before I take an interest. I did watch 10 minutes of the match yesterday as something to watch during dinner.

Radwanska has been a good player for years, but never elite.

I am going to the final of the FO so may have something to report then.

Radwanska (Azarekna's practice and training partner as well), is a less-powerful and more brittle version of Wozniacki, IMVHO.

Would repeat an earlier exhortation from me that the opponent, faced with a shrieker, should also yell loudly just as they are hitting the ball. Failing that, the crowd should start shrieking. Failing that, the umpire should yell out.
Am waiting for an umpire to shush the players with the reverse of the normal plea and say: "Quite please, the crowd is ready." Alternatively they may ask the players to take the "first available shrieks, please".

Last year Kvitova had the upper hand vs Azarenka but it was clear that Azarenka had the weapons to be challenging for the top spot. She's a complete player & takes the ball very early. I think this marks a transition to a new era in the women's game where the best players have incorporated more from the men's game, a more adept use of spin to allow a wider range of placement of shots, i.e. more aggressive play. Even though Sharapova is hanging on in there near the top her game looks very limited now, that style of ball-bashing is on the way out. Last time I looked 4 of the top 5 in the rankings were GS champions, I think that marks a clear shift.

Unfortunately I can't put up with the screeching either so I'll have to let most of it pass me by.
I prefer Kvitova as a player, hopefully she'll be back to form soon. Being a year younger than Azarenka she's ahead of her in terms of her achievements relative to age.

sirfredperry wrote:Would repeat an earlier exhortation from me that the opponent, faced with a shrieker, should also yell loudly just as they are hitting the ball. Failing that, the crowd should start shrieking. Failing that, the umpire should yell out.
Am waiting for an umpire to shush the players with the reverse of the normal plea and say: "Quite please, the crowd is ready." Alternatively they may ask the players to take the "first available shrieks, please".

It was great one time when the centre court (I think it was?) all started shrieking out with imitations. For a giddy moment, the slight possibility that a little revolution was about to take over and eliminate the shriekers by public court was in the air, but sadly it didn't last.

H'Bill. It was a pity it didn't last. They don't shriek (the players, that is) in practice so there's no excuse for it happening ON EVERY SHOT during a match.
The post-match press conferences with the shiekers should start and end with questions about the noise they are making, with lots of questions about it in the middle of the conferences as well.