We are having an amazing year in women's tennis at least in my regard. For the first time in the last several years, some rivalries are born, Azarenka - Sharapova the most striking and intense one, Azarenka - Serena Williams and maybe Azarenka - Radwanska, a very one-sided one.
Do these rivalries, that I speculate, tell you something? One side of the rivalries is occupied by Azarenka No.1 for the whole season. She is really strong, consistent and doesn't have many weaknesses, to be exploited, which makes her a very competent player on every surface and in every occasion. She proceeds nearly in every tournament she plays to the finals or semi-finals and match one of these ladies in the top 5.
There is nothing much to tell about Serena, she is having her second golden era and seemed quite impossible to beat especially on grass. I say seemed because that level seemed so superior because she played two great tournaments in a row in her favorite surface and caused a and I believe she played better than she would have imagined. Sharapova also plays at a high and consistent level but alongside her fierce offensive weapons, she possesses a very striking Achilles tendon: her lack of speed, which prevents her chasing the ball like Azarenka, Radwanska or Wozniacki, and locks her to the baseline (maybe sometimes drive volleys and overhead shots but seldom We can still say that her serve despite an enormous improvement in the past two seasons, can cause trouble in close matches.
Radwanska, in terms of rankings, is like the David Ferrer of women's tennis. It is not a strong comparison but she is like a buffer zone between the three best players and the rest. She is clearly the best of the rest and can dare to stand against the best three but doesn't stand a chance when the best three are in good form. For example, she beat the best 3 players only once (Sharapova in Miami final and lost in the other 7 occasions against them)She is not just a counter puncher but also versatile and smart enough to make good use of her versatility. Fyi, she is not at the level she used to be in the beginning of the year.
Kvitova is lost this year she was more inconsistent than ever, I think she will try to erase this year from her memory and wish to make a fresh start next year. I remember she was declared to be the most improved player of 2011, this year everything went wrong for her. She needs to be health both physically and mentally.
The other players Kerber, Li Na and Errani are in my opinion no way a favorite Though they are strong players who could make to the finals, they possess certain weaknesses to be exploited. Li Na's inconsistency, movement and mental problems coupled with a mediocre serve can put her nearly any moment in the match under stress especially facing these top 7 players and she is not as strong to handle that much stress. Kerber is an awful server and that's it, she can't beat the top three players if they are in good form, she may gave improved a lot in the course of the past season but she still has a lot to improve.
To conclude, I don't think Errani or Kerber has any chance to make to the semis. But on the other side, things might get complicated with the substitution of Stosur with Kvitova. As we have seen in last years US Open, Sam is capable of beating every woman in the tour regardless of anything, if she is at her prime. But she has been only a handful of times in her prime, including the Us Open final against Serena in 2011. Nonetheless, she will definitely bring some excitement to that group, I think she is the only underdog who can oust out a favorite.
If you ask me who will the tournament, I bet we will have a rematch of the Us Open final and we will see who will benefit more from an indoors court. One more thing, I really wonder whether Serena will be able to maintain her physical level, if she plays 5 intense matches in 6 days. That was a problem for Federer in the Olympics. Okay he had an incredibly long match in the semis (4h30m marathon against Del Potro) just one day before the final but still, it won't be much easier for Serena.
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