Previewing the 2014 WTA season

The 2014 tennis season is just a couple of weeks away, the WTA tour promises another exciting season, an opportunity to look at the potential leading contenders for glory.

Serena Williams

I don’t think I’ve seen a player make such an impact in her early 30s as Serena Williams.  Andre Agassi did a great comeback where he pocketed four slams between the age of 29 and 32 but Serena is virtually dominating all of her opponents.

It is likely a combination of Serena’s game improving further over the years as she has found a way to avoid perennial injuries; and perhaps collectively her opponents are not quite as good as past rivals like Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin and Venus Williams.  What has helped to take Serena’s game to an even higher level has been the improvement of her serve.  Serena’s serve has always been a major weapon but since the beginning of 2012 has got even better with the ability now to hit aces at will in all four corners of the service box.

That makes Serena very tough to break in tennis matches and the awe factor by her opponents has gone up a notch on the back of this.  Serena’s opponents know that even when she is not playing well, her serve can keep in the match.  Serena did lose the 2013 Australian Open quarterfinal to Sloane Stephens and Wimbledon 4th rd to Sabine Lisicki so as ever her opponents have to be ready to grab the opportunity.  However, with the best serve in womens tennis history, athleticism, power, experience and intelligence, the only thing that will stop Serena winning more slams and finishing number 1 in 2014 are injuries or complacency. 

Victoria Azarenka

2013 was an interesting year to follow Victoria’s progress.  And you can say it’s been a mixed bag of great results and a player who appears to be in need of rejuvenation.

 

Victoria defended her Australian Open title defeating Li Na from a set down when it looked like she might not make it.  Victoria also won Cincinnati defeating Serena Williams in a great final but then lost to Serena Williams a month later in a blockbusting US Open final.   Victoria also lost to Serena in the Rome final and then lost to Maria Sharapova in the semifinal of the French Open. At Wimbledon, Victoria withdrew from her 2nd round match against Flavia Pennetta due to injury.  In the autumn, Victoria really seemed to suffer after her US Open loss and posted some mixed results in Asia losing to Venus Williams in Tokyo and Andrea Petkovic in Beijing.  At the WTA championships in Istanbul, Victoria managed only one win against Sara Errani.  

So, at this stage of her career Victoria appears to be a hardcourt specialist.  If she wants to go one step further in 2014 and return to the number 1 ranking she will have to improve her results at the French Open and Wimbledon and target winning at least one of those titles. 

In terms of her game, Victoria is in danger of grinding her career to an earlier end.  She’s a very steady and intelligent player but needs to develop a way of winning quicker points off her serve and avoid those long punishing rallies on hardcourts in particular.  If Victoria can add an extra dimension to her game in 2014 she has an opportunity to get back to number 1.  However, if Victoria makes no discernible improvements to her game, her ranking could drop further.

Li Na

I recently watched a DVD of a match from 2007 involving li Na and Vera Zvonareva at the Indian Wells championships quarterfinal stage.  Li won the match in straight sets but certainly Li could be described by that lovely colloquial phrase “ball basher”.

Since then, watching Li at the recent WTA championships in Istanbul and you see a player whose game has improved tremendously.  Li serves a lot better, her transition game is good, she moves her opponents around and doesn’t make as many errors.  In fact, Li is slightly unfortunate not to have won two major titles at this stage of her career.

Like Serena Williams, Li is now in her early 30s but there’s no reason to believe that she cannot have another good season in 2014.  She has a master tactician and highly motivated coach in Carlos Rodriguez who will hopefully curb Li’s up and down form and help her to become more consistent throughout the year.  Her big chances should again be at the Australian and French Open championships where the slower courts suit her game of having time to set up her shots and implement her game plan.

Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova did not have a good season in 2013 and at one stage dropped out of the top 10 altogether.  

Petra was knocked out early at the Australian Open by Laura Robson and lost in the French Open to Jamie Hampton of the United States.  In Wimbledon, Petra lost in the quarterfinal to Kirsten Flipkens in a tight three set match when she would have fancied winning the tournament.  Petra is yet to make a deep run at the US Open so far in her career and this year was no exception.

What this all means is that Petra has not progressed as much as we thought she would when she won Wimbledon back in 2011.  Big things were predicted after the manner in which she played the semifinal and final against Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova.  The most interesting to note here is that according to official stats Petra was not in the top 10 in 2013 for highest percentage service holds but was in the top 5 for aces hit and break points saved throughout the season.   

This is very contrasting and confusing statistics and suggests that even though Petra has what is considered to be one of the best serves in the game, her pattern of serving is either too predictable or her movement once the ball is in play is preventing her from backing up her serve on a consistent and regular basis to win matches. What I’ve noticed is that through the course of 2012 and 2013 Petra’s return of serve has gone off.

Onwards to 2014 and it is difficult to predict with absolute confidence that Petra will have a stellar season.  Petra still needs to work on her fitness levels and mental game to be more consistent during matches.  If Petra can cut down on her errors and hold serve much better, her confidence will increase and she can then be a contender at all four grand slam championships and a top 5 player where she belongs.

Agnieszka Radwanska

Agnieszka is a player that very much divides opinion.  She’s an update on the type of player that was predicted will not survive in the age of the power game which really took off in 1999 with the Williams sisters, Lindsay Davenport and later Jennifer Capriati who challenged Martina Hingis. 

Agnieszka is very much in the Hingis camp of playing a brand of tennis which as we know is very rare.  She plays with touch, feel, court craft and intelligence and looks as though she’s never ventured into a gym to lift weights.  However, what also divides opinion is that Agnieszka often appears to be not enjoying herself; her facial expression is often one of a frown which doesn’t warm her to some tennis fans.

Agnieszka’s big opportunity came at Wimbledon where she was the highest seed at the semifinal stage but succumbed to the power game of Sabine Lisicki.  Waiting in the final was Marion Bartoli who never beat her but Lisicki won the first set easily.  Agnieszka came back to take the 2nd set and went 3:0 in the final set but Lisicki came back and served for the match twice before sealing her final spot.  Agnieszka’s reaction to defeat was quite ungracious and didn’t acknowledge that the match was always in Lisicki’s hands.

As for 2014, I see Agnieszka having a similar season to 2013.  Agnieszka has never really made an impression at the French Open or US Open, her best chances are at Wimbledon and perhaps the Australian Open.  Like Lleyton Hewitt years before, the grass helps her game where her lack of power is exposed on the clay.  Agnieszka will be there or thereabouts but it is difficult to see her breaking through to win because although her game is well crafted and consistent, she often lacks inspiration.

Maria Sharapova

It was a very strange season for Maria Sharapova.  Maria did have a good first half of the year, getting to the semifinals of the Australian Open and then winning Indian Wells and Stuttgart. Maria lost the final in Madrid to Serena Williams and at the French Open, Maria almost defended her title but ran into Serena Williams again who is very much her nemesis at Grand Slam level. 

But things really started to unravel from late June onwards.  During her 2nd round match at Wimbledon, Maria constantly complained about slippery conditions before going down in straight sets to Michelle Larcher de Brito.  In the summer, Maria took on Jimmy Connors as coach then dispensed with his services after just one match after losing a three setter to Sloane Stephens in Cincinnati.

Then came the Sugarpova episode where it is claimed she applied to a court in Florida to use the name during the US Open which would help promote her products; this was denied by the Sharapova camp once the inevitable backlash got into full swing.  But it didn’t matter anyway as Maria withdrew from the tournament with a shoulder injury just before it was about to commence and hasn’t played competitively since. 

So no one really knows what 2014 has in store for Maria Sharapova.  What we do know is that Maria is one of the biggest fighters in womens tennis so she is more than capable of coming back and winning big tournaments if her shoulder holds up, despite the inevitable double fault syndrome she has suffered since 2009 and will suffer in 2014; she will be a force again.

Other players to watch in 2014?

Sloane Stephens:  I think we are waiting for her to win her first tournament.  I would like to see Sloane up her intensity, make her serve more of a weapon and play more aggressively by improving her net game at crucial moments.

Angelique Kerber:  Definitely has the potential to win big tournaments in 2014 and challenge at the majors as long as she gets her tactics right; her self belief was coming back towards the end of 2013.

Jelena Jankovic: Definitely one of the more talented players not to have won a major title.  There is still hope for Jelena as we have seen players like Schiavone, Bartoli, Li and Stosur all claim majors late in their career.  It can be done but she needs more self belief.

Laura Robson: The new generation along with Sloane Stephens. Like Sloane, Laura is yet to win a tournament but that could happen in 2014.  However, Laura must improve her fitness and consistency, and realise that the net is her friend and not her enemy; she must learn how to take advantage of short balls and venture to the net to finish points!