WTA Championships - Review

The WTA Championships did not really live up to its high profile billing. This because players like Victoria Azarenka and Aga Radwanska did not play as well as they where expected to.

This meant that players like Petra Kivitova, Jelena Jankovic and Ni La who have had relatively quiet year where then able to shine.

After reading the comments that both Jelena Jankovic and Ni La made about Serena William's gamesmanship I was a little surprised. 

Both Jelena and Li Na have had average year and Serena has won eleven tournaments. As a fan I can understand why she would have been tired. 

I suspect some players might be already fed up with playing on tour with someone who some fans have given legend status. 

However Serena Williams has worked incredibly hard to achieve this and things have not always gone so well for Serena. 

But the fact she is still playing at such high level and at the age that most of her  

contemporaries have retired or thinking of retirement is amazing in itself. 

Serena's perseverance to win this tournament even though she was not feeling 100%. To me can only be admired so it is little disappointing to read comments made by fellow professionals. 

Serena to me was a worthy winner and whilst her contemporaries where falling apart. 

Serena weathered her own storm and retained her title and it was amazing to watch and to think that I was witnessing history.

WTA Championships - day three

Day three of the WTA Championships and Serena Willams beat Petra Kivitova in straight sets. 

Petra was trying so hard to win every point but Serena is just the better athlete and more comfortable in these pressure situations. 

In both sets Serena played flawless tennis hopefully she can keep this level up for the semi-finals.

Na Li also managed a very good win over Jelena Jankovic. It was a hard fought match in which Na Li eventually on in three sets.

But the shock so far of this tournament was Angelique Kerber beating  Aga Radwanksa in straight sets. 

This means that Aga goes out of this tournament with no wins and three losses. 

It was definitely a surprise for me as I didn't expect Aga lose so early. It also means she can go home get some rest and prepare for 2014.

WTA Championships - day one

WTA Championships started yesterday and Serena Williams beat Angelique Kerber in straight sets. 

Serena was in fine form and barely gave Angelique an opportunity to get into the match. 

Petra Kivitova beat Aga Radwanska in straight sets. Petra was also in fine form and kept her errors down. 

Aga was apparently in tears after match and took this loss pretty badly. 

WTA end of year tour championships - Podcast

Please click on the link below to listen to my preview of the end of year championship.

VR Online Service: 2013-10-21 15_00_32

WTA Beijing Open- 3rd round

The third round matches took place yesterday and Serena Williams beat Maria Kirilenko in straight sets. But it was a much closer encounter than I expected. 

I think because Serena is a little tired now so we are not seeing the type of efficient tennis she would normally play. She will now goes through to play Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter finals.  

Caroline Wozniacki beat a very poor Sloane Stephens in straight sets. Sloane seemed a little off her game and she is challenging for a top ten ranking.

However the way she played today as probably been a ranking set back. But she is young so hopefully she will learn from this loss.

Both Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska won their respective matches. They will each other in tomorrow's night match.

US Open - day seven

Day seven at US Open and the competition is now hotting up.

Andy Murray beat Florian Mayer in straight sets and in under two hours. Andy is now a two time grand slam champion and now is more confident and even if drops the odd set. He knows how to regroup and win. 

Serena Williams beat Sloane Stephens in straight sets and it was very compelling match. Serena worked very hard for this victory and I can honestly say that if felt like I was watching vintage Serena. It has been a while since I have seen Serena to chasing the ball like that.

Sloane played very well in fact  it's the best I have seen her play. Her movement was excellent and shot was also excellent but Serena with wealth of experience was the better player.

Sloane can take a lot positives out of this game and I am sure against any other she would have won. Sloane needs to be consistently playing like this  week in week out. Which will help to increase her confidence and develop her game.

Ekaterina Markarova beat Aga Radwanska in straight sets. This was a surprising result, however with the non attacking game that Aga plays it was only a matter time before the more attack minded players start beating her. 

Hopefully this loss plus the Wimbledon loss will force Aga  to reevaluate her playing strategy and become more attack minded.

Canadian Open Semi-Finals

The finals two spots have been decided!!! Sorana Cirstea beat Na Li to reach the final. Sorana has had an amazing tournament beating at least two grand slam champions to reach the final. Where she will face the current Canadian Open champion Serena Williams.

Serena beat Aga Radwanska in straight sets to reach the final. I am not Aga's biggest fan but my respect for her has certainly increased after this match. 

Though she still made only nine winners in the whole match she really gave it her all. Serena made forty one winners and about forty seven unforced areas so this alone should indicate the type of match it was. 

Serena had to work had to secure her place in the semi-finals but her serve let her down. At the end of the first set she had an injury time out as she needed to take pills because she was having stomach issues.

Predictions !!!!

I think that Serena will be pushed hard by Sorana but Serena's experience will see her through...

Mini round up of the various tennis tournaments taking place this week

I am disappointed that both Laura Robson and Heather Watson lost there second matches. Laura was playing in the Mercury Insurance Open and lost in straight sets to Petra Kivtova. Heather was playing in the Citi Open and lost in straight sets to Alize Cornet.

Heather is currently number 76 in the world so this will not help her ranking and on top of that she has just split from her long term coach and is now working with Jeremy Bates until the end of the hard court season. I am not sure this a good strategy and it could set her back least a year and the chances of winning any kind of silverware become slimmer and slimmer with every passing day.

Agnieska Radwanska is playing her second match at the Citi Open tournament against Daniela Hantuchova. After Agnieska shock loss to Dominika Cibulková  in the Stanford final she will want to bounce back with this title. So it will be interesting to see if she is able to succeed but I think that with the defensive type of tennis that she plays  it will always be challenge to win tennis tournaments.

I am looking forward to the Canadian Open as Serena Williams is scheduled to play there and unfortunately Maria Sharapova has pulled out  of this tournament with an injury but I am confident that it will still be a competitive tournament.

Wimbledon Semi-Finals

The semi-finals of both the men and women's lived up to expectations.

Men

Novak Djokovic beat Juan Martin Del Potro in five sets. It was the longest ever Wimbledon semi-final and it lasted nearly five hours. 

Andy Murray beat Jerzy Janowicz in four sets. Andy had to play very good tennis to beat Janowicz and rose to the challenge. It will be interesting to see if he can rise to challenge again and beat Djokovic in the final.

Women

Marion Bartoli hammered Kirsten Flipkens (who appeared to have  an injury) in straight sets. It was a very one sided semi-final and was finished in just over an hour.

Sabine Lisicki beat (the sulky) Aga Radwanska in three sets. Aga gave all she had but Sabine's serve definitely helped power her to a good win and a place in the Wimbledon final .

Predictions!!!

Men

Andy Murray's serve has really impressed me and his court craft gets better and better. 

What will also help Andy against Novak is the crowd. If the crowd really supports him that could help carry him to the title.

I really believe that Andy can win if he goes into this match confidently.

Women

Believe it or not this is a difficult match to predict. I really hope Sabine does well but Sabine will need to start very quickly and keep those unforced errors down to win the title!!!

Wimbledon Day Eight

Today was the women's quarter finals day and as the tournament favourite Serena Williams had exited the tournament the previous day so the draw was now very open.

After beating Serena Williams the previous day, Sabine Lisicki managed to regain her focus to comprehensively beat Kaia Kanpei who was outplayed on every front. Sabine has now become the tournament favourite and I hope she does win as I like her style of tennis.

Aga Radwanska managed to get past Na Li in her typical "I refuse to make winners" fashion. I for one have never understood how Radwanska expects to become a grand slam champion based on other people's errors.  Lindsay Davenport pointed out  that at the end of the match was the first time she had seen Aga happy.

 During the course of the match Radwanska always looked to me like she was about to cry. Maybe this is her game plan but she comes across as negative and not having much believe in herself.

I also don't understand why Radwanska waste so much energy chasing down very single ball. Yes she is 90% successful with this tactic but personally I don't believe that this is strategy that she can maintain long term.

 The most worrying part about Radwanksa's game is the way she goes down on her knees to hit a low ball. if she is not careful she is going to end up with a serious knee injury she already  has bandages around her thighs and I can't imagine those bandages are going to help her win a tough semi final and final should she get there.

Marion Bartoli beat the last American Sloane Stephens and Sloane played a very very poor match. Maybe the nerves of the big occasion and being on a show court got to her. But when you are losing fourteen straight points on your serve that is not grand slam winning ability.

She needs to learn how to capitalize on those opportunities when they come. But I guess that as it is her first Wimbledon quarter final  she was nervous and I hope that she has learnt from this experience.

Kirsten Flipkens saw off Petra Kivtova and Kirsten played a very intelligent match and was rewarded. She broke when it was necessary and stuck to her game and was not overwhelmed by Kivtova or being on Centre Court.

Predictions !!!!

I think that in the semi-finals Sabine Lisicki should beat the "partly injured" Aga Radwanska however I would say that if Sabine makes lost of errors then Aga will win as Aga rarely makes any errors.

I can see Kirsten Flipkens beating Marion Bartoli if plays the way she  did against Kivovta by sticking to her game plan and not going for too much. As Marion can be very erratic so for Marion to beat Flipkens she going to have to play a more consistent game and not go for too much too soon.

 So what are your predictions for the semi-finals?