Womens British Tennis on the Rise

British Tennis celebrated a great weekend with Heather Watson winning the first singles title of her career and the first WTA title by a female British player since Sara Gomer won in Aptos in 1988.

 

Watson defeated Chang Kai-Chen of Taipei in 3 hours 11 minutes of tense and intense tennis with both players going for their first title.  Watson took the match on a third set tiebreak after serving for the 2nd set and saving match points in the 3rd.  Not only did Watson win her first singles title, she also reached the doubles final partnering Kimiko Date Krum but lost to the US pair Spears/Kops-Jones.

However, this has not been the only success for Heather Watson this year.  Earlier this summer, Watson teamed up with Marina Erakovic to win her first WTA doubles title in Los Angeles.  Watson also reached the 3rd round of Wimbledon, the first player to do so since Elena Baltacha in 2004

 

Meanwhile, Laura Robson has also had an excellent summer.  Robson did lose a tight 3 set match in the 1st round of Wimbledon to Francesca Schiavone but bounced back well to reach the semifinal of the clay court tournament in Palermo.  In Palermo, Robson beat players of the calibre of Roberta Vinci before losing out to Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová. Robson then went on to achieve a silver medal with Andy Murray in the mixed doubles event at the Olympics.  

 

In the US Open, Robson made an even bigger name for herself by getting to the 4th round of the event.  In the 2nd round of the Open, Robson sent Kim Clijsters packing into a second retirement and beat Na Li in a tough 3rd round encounter.  In the 4th round, Robson had opportunities but defending champion Sam Stosur had too much experience.

Two weeks later, Robson reached her first career final at the Guangzhou Open but lost a tense 3 set match to Hsieh Su-Wei.  Robson had opportunities to win after saving match points in the 2nd, but blew at 3-0 lead in the 3rd set.  

 

This is the injection womens British tennis has been looking for, for years decades even.  To have two players of a similar age challenging each other and pushing each other up the rankings.  Watson was the first to reach British number 1 in July after her first doubles title reaching 71 in the world.  Then Robson’s good run at the US Open and final in Guangzhou propelled her to move ahead as British number 1and 52 in the world.  Now Watson has overtaken Robson again to finish her year ranked 50 in singles and 52 in doubles.

With both players at the start of their careers and determined to do well, I expect a further rise up the rankings over the next couple of years and challenge for bigger titles.  At the highest level, sport is all about confidence – they have trained for years and ability wise there is not much difference between a player ranked 100 and a player in the top 10.  

 

Sport is often in the mind and is about a player’s ability to learn from defeats and wanting to maintain fitness and improve physically, mentally and tactically.  If you think this is far-fetched, look at the rise of Angelique Kerber who jumped from 100 to number 6 in 12 months with a change in approach.  

Heather Watson and Laura Robson bring something different to the table and complement each other well.  They have different physiques; Laura Robson is a tall lefty who has adapted a game similar to Petra Kvitova in terms of shotmaking and movement.  Robson plays a big game and wants to dominate opponents if possible.  

 

Watson has a slighter physique and relies on quickness of feet and retrieves really well but is also trying to adapt a more aggressive game, in the spirit of a Justine Henin; combining defensive qualities with the courage to go for her shots and serve more often. 

 

Despite the excitement of seeing two young British players do so well, we must not carried away as yet and expect a challenge for major titles.  That might yet happen in future but for now the priority must be to keep improving, moving up the rankings and win more titles.  There is no reason to believe Heather Watson and Laura Robson cannot become top 10 players and be in contention for big titles in future.  2013 should prove to be very exciting.

Can Wozniacki learn from Andy Murray?

Andy Murray conquered years of questions and self-doubt to win his first US Open title.  Caroline Wozniacki so far has chosen a different path to Murray and now appears to be regressing in her career.  Is it too late for Wozniacki to win a major title?

After his first three major final losses and other disappointments, Murray accepted change was needed to his game mentally and tactically.  By appointing Ivan Lendl as coach, Murray showed to the world he was prepared to take tough decisions. 

The memo is that Lendl first approached Murray’s representatives towards the end of 2011 with a view to working with Murray.  Not that it matters who approached whom as it was clear changes needed to be made to Murray’s game if he wanted to win a major title.  Since the appointment at the beginning of January, Murray’s game more or less looks the same but the changes are more subtle.  

First of all, Murray has cut down markedly on the temper tantrums on court.  You still see Murray holding his leg and having a “whinge” from time to time but Murray never has a go at Lendl.  Lendl was one of the greatest players of the game and Murray has too much respect to try that on, and would be roundly condemned by the media if he did.  

Murray also plays an instinctively counterpunching game but has the ability to be a proactive player, he has the height and the power to do it, but a combination of slower surfaces and mentality contrived to see Murray play a more defensive game more often than not, especially in the major finals.

What Lendl has brought to the table is how to deal with the big pressure situations and encourage Murray to be more expansive with his forehand.  For years, Murray would hit crosscourt repeatedly, as in a practice drill, Murray was aware that it was not enough at the highest level.  We will never see Murray camp on the backhand side and hit inside out forehands like Lendl but Murray has certainly added more variation to the shot, although he’s yet to master the inside in forehand from the backhand corner of the court.

For sure, Murray didn’t play an exciting brand of tennis against Novak Djokovic in the US open final but the conditions certainly played a factor in that.  Delivering a major after so many attempts may relax him and in his next final we may see the best of Murray.

With this in mind, where does Caroline Wozniacki fit in the picture?  Wozniacki has received all of the criticisms for her game style and mentality as Murray has done over the years.  Like Murray, Wozniacki is blessed with height and athleticism but chooses to play a counterpunching style which limits her chances at grand slam level.  However, not only is it limiting her chances at grand slam level, the grinding style of play is also taking its toll on her physically and mentally.

During Wozniacki’s reign as world number from late 2010 to early 2012, there were lots of calls for her to improve her game.  The areas identified as needing work were her serve, forehand and transition game to the net (volleys).  Wozniacki and her father/coach often refuted those suggestions, saying that everything was fine and being number 1 was proof of that.  But everyone can improve even when the world’s best.  Justine Henin worked hard on improving her forehand to make her a formidable player, Lindsay Davenport worked hard on getting fitter.

Wozniacki gave the impression that she wasn’t prepared to make the necessary changes to improve her game.  However, after a year of successive disappointments at Grand Slam level in 2011, it looked as though constructive criticism was taken on board because Ricardo Sanchez was hired to work with her. However, after a few weeks it became apparent that the arrangement was a sham and Piotr Wozniacki was pulling the strings.  Sanchez was fired not too long afterwards and complained that he was not allowed to do the job he wanted.  

Since that strange appointment, Wozniacki’s form has dipped alarmingly this year.  She has not progressed beyond the 4th rd of any grand slam event and has dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in three seasons.

Wozniacki can learn from Murray’s acceptance that help was needed if he was to transition from underachiever to grand slam champion.  Murray has struggled on the tour this year, but Lendl was brought in to help Murray win a major, not Miami, his experience and advice has proved invaluable.  Wozniacki has shown so far she is not prepared to put her hand in her pocket to hire a top class coach who she can put her trust in.  

As a result Wozniacki’s career now stands at a crossroad.  If she takes the wrong decisions, she could vanish into obscurity.  Or she can swallow her pride and take the courageous step of bringing in someone who could her improve significantly, it’s her call.

Angelique Kerber - new force in Womens Tennis

2012 has proven to be a great year for Angelique Kerber, Angelique is rapidly becoming a household name in the world of tennis, mainly due to her exciting performances and rise up the rankings, Angelique is now an established top 10 player on the WTA tour with a good chance of making the year end WTA championships in Istanbul. 

 

Angelique won her first career title at the indoor event in Paris in February, and backed that up with a title two months later in Denmark defeating Caroline Wozniacki.  However, the win in Paris showed what Angelique is all about, defeating Maria Sharapova in straight sets in the quarterfinal and Marion Bartoli in a three set final thriller in front of an extremely raucous home crowd.  

In reality, Angelique’s good run started well before 2012, twelve months ago at the 2011 edition of the US Open, Angelique came from nowhere to get to the semifinal, defeating players of the calibre of Agnieszka Radwanska and Flavia Pennetta along the way before losing to Sam Stosur in three sets in the semifinal. Going into the 2011 US Open, Angelique was ranked 92 in the world.

However, Angelique would cite her turning point before that, to 2011 Wimbledon where she was ranked 100 in the world and lost in the 1st round to Laura Robson.  At that point, Angelique decided to take a look at herself to see where she was going wrong and what she needed to do to improve physically, mentally and tactically.  Sometimes it takes one significant defeat or bad performance to illicit a change and it is always a measure of a player’s character to turn a crisis into something positive; after all crisis means decision. 

With the confidence that US Open run gave her, she has used it to great effect in 2012, being a contender in almost every tournament she has played.  Not only has Angelique won Paris and Copenhagen, she has reached the semifinals of the Italian Open, quarterfinal of the French Open, final of Eastbourne and semifinal of Wimbledon.  More recently, Angelique reached the final of Cincinnati and the 4th round of the US Open.  In Cincinnati, Angelique defeated Serena Williams and Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinal and semifinal but lost to Li Na in the final after taking the 1st set 6-1.  

Of course, hunger, desire and mental discipline go a long way in competitive sport but to really excel the biggest factor needed is talent, and I feel Angelique has that in her game and now she is able to use that combined with tactical nous from years of experience on the tour.  She is an interesting mix of defence and offence, able to play both in an era where so many players play the same way, which is to hit the ball as hard as possible and make unforced errors like there’s no tomorrow.  

When I went to the Paris indoor tournament in February, I looked forward the most to seeing Angelique play.  I was not to be disappointed and it was a joy to watch a player who can counterpunch so well and yet be willing to hit down the lines to win a point, the courage to hit down the line is always the sign of a good player.  She is probably one of the two best counterpunchers in the top 20 at this moment in time and can get to balls other players can’t reach; often getting them back deep to turn a defensive position into a winning one on the court, especially if her opponent comes to net. 

Her ability to hit down the lines to stretch her opponent is also one of her greatest assets and is not afraid to hit the drop shot from time to time.  Angelique is also capable of absorbing pace and taking the ball early right on the baseline in the fashion of Agnieszka Radwanksa, often getting to her knees to get the ball across the net.

Angelique is a tactically smart player, no doubt due to years of experience on the tour dealing with different situations; she will not go for outright winners too often but wait for the right opportunity whilst keeping the unforced error ratio compact.  Even so, Angelique is striving to improve further by developing her serve to make it a more reliable weapon, and perhaps be willing to come to net more often than she currently does, I feel her volleys are good and she could use that side of her game more often to win quick points.  Improving those two areas will ensure Angelique stays established in the top 10 for years to come.

The beneficiary of Angelique’s rise has been German tennis.  German tennis is now coming on strong with a group of young players of a similar age pushing each other up the rankings and putting Germany on the map as a serious force.  Players such as Sabine Lisicki, Julia Georges and Andrea Petkovic along with Angelique Kerber can give Germany a legitimate shot at winning a grand slam tournament in the future and be serious contenders for the Federation cup in the coming seasons.

I linked up with Angelique on the eve of this year’s US Open tournament in New York:

1. You had your first Olympics experience at Wimbledon in London. What did you think about the Olympics and your experience there? I was so excited to participate to the Olympics, it's such an honor to compete for your country and being surrounded by so many talented athletes. Atmosphere was also very different from what I had experienced in the past. Staying at the village was unique!

2. I saw you win your first title in Paris Indoor in February (I was the English voice in the crowd supporting you). How much confidence did that win give you, especially beating Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinal and Marion Bartoli in the final? Marion and Maria are amazing players. That win gave me more confidence as I was able to beat such talented players. That kind of win gives you the push to believe you can achieve more and more.

3. Your rise up the rankings has been superb. You were ranked 100 one year ago and now you are top 8. What in your opinion has been the change to bring out your best consistently? I believe one of the key things have been my practice, the way I take them and the way I have been doing it this past year. I practiced a lot more and really gave importance to fitness training. Also, winning Paris gave me that confidence that was missing. Now I feel I trust my game. Knowing I can beat top players was necessary to bring me to another level.

4. Which player(s) influenced you the most growing up / who were your favourite players to watch? Without even thinking about it, I'll say Steffi Graf! I had a chance to met her at Wimbledon, I'll never forget those 5 minutes!!!

5. German tennis is doing well right now; you have 4 players that have come through at the same time. What is the spirit like and how far do you think you can push each other up the rankings? And how can that translate to Federation cup success in future? I feel proud and happy that German tennis is doing so well. We are all close to each other, I played doubles with Sabine at the Olympics and we were happy doing so, enjoyed my time. We have a healthy rivalry and in the end we all support each other.

6. Which player would you have liked to play from the past and why? I would again answer Steffi Graf! Why? Because Steffi is Steffi... Number 1 during 377 weeks, 22 times Gd Slam winner... You name it!

7. What do you consider to be your best or favourite surface? I like all of them

8. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths on the tennis court? I would say my backhand, my movement and my fighting spirit.

9. With the Olympics coming to an end, which other sport would have liked to have seen if you had a ticket? I like sport in general, if I had to choose one, I would have loved to watch swimming.

10. What goals have you set for the rest of the year and the upcoming seasons? I obviously want to maintain my ranking and be part of the top 5.

11. What are your favourite things to do outside of tennis? Sport wise I love to swim. I also like to dance, do shopping, hanging out with my friends, watch movies.... Being on a tournament is everything but having a normal life, when I'm home I really like to have this connection that brings me back to reality.

Murray plays the tennis fans want to see

One month has made all of the difference for Andy Murray.  Murray went from despair in his Wimbledon final defeat to Roger Federer, to absolute joy one month later in the Olympic final against the same opponent.  So what made the difference?  There were a few factors that ushered the transformation, mainly change of mentality and approach to the game.

Because it was the change in mentality which lead to the change in approach and tactical awareness, you cannot have one before the other. And during the Olympics I saw a Murray that played consistently aggressive from start to finish in most of his matches particularly in the semifinal and the final.  

In the Olympic final, Roger Federer came into the match on the back of an incredible semifinal against Juan Martin Del Potro which lasted almost 4 hours and 30 minutes and went to 20 – 18 in the 3rd set.  Murray played two mixed doubles matches with Laura Robson on the Saturday, which left him feeling very sharp for the gold medal match.  The final started just how Murray hoped, saving two break points in his opening service game to hold, which clearly gave him confidence.  

Murray had chances on Federer’s serve early on in the match and was able to break in the 6th game of the 1st set.  Murray closed out the set impressively then incredibly went on a run of 10 straight games finding himself at 5 – 0 in the 2nd set.  Murray won the set 6-1 and then claimed the third set 6-4 to claim the best win of his career and his biggest win over Federer yet.  

There is no doubt this should be seen as a turning point for Murray as this win will give him considerable confidence to know he can play with the top guys in a best of  5 set final.  Murray’s decision to employ ex champion Ivan Lendl as his coach in January 2012 is now looking a wise decision.  The change Lendl has bought to Murray’s game over the 7 months has been both mental and tactical.

On a tactical level, Murray’s serve has been both one of his best weapons and a liability as he is capable of serving some of the biggest first serves but very poor 2nd serves; the contrast between the two deliveries has been too great.  In a big match, once Murray missed 1st serves consistently, his 2nd serve delivery has been too attackable, especially if his percentage dropped below 60%.  Federer was able to exploit this weakness during the Wimbledon final, by employing the drive backhand return more than usual and the chip and charge manoeuvre on a regular basis.  By hitting weaker 2nd serves, it sent the message that he was willing to counterpunch which allowed Federer to get on top in the rallies.

During the Olympic final, the tables turned completely because Murray was willing to go for the big shot earlier in the rally, particularly down the lines testing Federer’s movement and running forehand.  The tactic worked because it made Federer think and made him look a half step slow.  Murray also changed his serving pattern during the Olympic final.  I’ve been advocating that Murray needs to find a big serve down the middle (T) on the ad court as he relies too much on the big serve out wide to the backhand on the big points.  

During the Olympic final, Murray found speeds of 120mph (190kph) plus down the middle, serving bigger made a big difference because it made Federer stretch more and gave him more leeway to go wide to the backhand.  The big slider serve down the middle is an underused shot in modern tennis but it is vital if a player wants to win at the very highest level.

Another area where it can be seen Lendl has made a difference is Murray’s shot selection.  Murray was not as afraid to make mistakes in the semifinal and final as he was in the past.  To hit the big shots, you have to be prepared to make mistakes and when Murray missed a big shot, he composed himself quickly, instead of complaining and gesticulating.  This a very good sign going forward for Murray and his fans and  reminds me of Ivan Lendl’s motto when he was a top player in the 1980s and early 1990s “crush or be crushed!”  

The tactic of going for his shots is perfect for hardcourt tennis, and hardcourts are Murray’s favourite surface; this sets him up beautifully for Cincinnati and more importantly the US Open in September.  Murray should now be seen as one of the strong favourites for this event along with Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.  The best part of Murray’s career could be yet to come and a major title could be closer than ever with Murray’s new found confidence and tactical improvements.

Heather Watson - Future of British Tennis

Womens British tennis is looking up after years in the international wilderness.  There is a long way to go before Britain can get into the elite group, but in Heather Watson, we have a player who has the desire and talent to make a real impression on the WTA tour for years to come. 

We also have a situation where we have two British players of a similar age vying to be British number 1, the other player being Laura Robson.  That can only be good for British tennis if both players can push each other to ultimately rise up the rankings and be consistently in the top 30 of the womens game.  

That process has already begun this summer.  Heather Watson reached the 3rd round of Wimbledon, which was the first time that has happened since Sam Smith in 1999.  And last weekend Heather won her first tour doubles title in Stanford with partner Marina Erakovic of New Zealand.  With that triumph, Watson reached a career high 71 in the WTA rankings and claimed the British number 1 ranking for the first time.  Meanwhile, Laura Robson reached her first WTA semifinal on clay in Palermo dispatching top players like Roberta Vinci along the way before losing in 3 sets to Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová. 

This is very good news for British tennis to have two young players pushing each other to improve and get as far as possible up the rankings.  Watson is not averse to pushing the envelope, she took the decision at the age of 12 to leave England and head for the Nick Bollettieri academy in Florida which has produced so many great champions over the years.  It is always a brave decision to leave for another culture and country at such a young age but it shows her determination to progress and succeed which will hold her in good stead for years to come.  Especially when things don’t go to plan, Heather should be able to draw on an inner strength.  This is reflected on the court as Heather always displays great fighting spirit, you rarely see her give up. And Heather has already tasted success as a junior, winning the junior US Open title in 2009.

In terms of her game, Heather is developing a strong first serve and during Wimbledon was getting up to speeds of 105 mph (170kph).  Heather is also a tremendous mover along the baseline and possesses exceptional footwork, always taking little steps before getting to the ball and hitting her shots.  I am also impressed with her willingness to go down the line off both wings to stretch her opponent.  Heather is working hard to introduce more variety into her game such as the use of the slice on the backhand side and take to the net off short balls or after creating a short ball to attack and take any floating replies out of the air.   

Like many young players starting out, Heather is working to improve her 2nd serve delivery to make it more reliable for her to defend her serve with.  A good player to study would be Justine Henin, Henin didn’t have the reach to hit big kicker serves so developed a really good slice serve which jumped at her opponents, especially when serving into the body on deuce and ad courts.  The slice 2nd serve can often be more effective than a topspin serve; a topspin serve can be a liability if they are slow and not well directed, they are easily attackable. 

I linked up with Heather recently to ask her views on her tennis and related things, here’s what she had to say:   

1.    Congratulations on winning your first WTA tour title in Stanford with Marina Erakovic.  How does it feel to get a tournament win under your belt so soon into your career and to be British number 1?

It felt great to win that title with Marina and my first career WTA Tour title.  It makes me want to keep working hard and keep fighting.  Becoming the British number 1 is a great accomplishment for me but I still have a long way to go.

2.    You received great support at this year’s Wimbledon championships, how inspiring is it to play in front of your home crowd in a major tournament?

I love playing at home and feeling the support of the fans there.  Their energy really carries over onto the court and is such a big help.  I can’t wait to feel that same energy and enthusiasm when I play at home for the Olympics!

3.    How much are you looking forward to the Olympics and seeing other sports?  Which sports do you watch or play most outside of tennis?

I think  it is going to be so exciting to compete in a home Olympics.  It is a once in a lifetime experience and I am so glad I have the opportunity to represent my country.  I would love to be able to see Usain Bolt race because he is one of my favourite athletes.  I think the swimming would be very cool to see as well since I swam competitively when I was little as well.

4.    Which players inspired you the most whilst growing up in tennis?

I loved the Williams sisters when I was little.  It is a bit surreal to be playing in the same events as them now though.

5.    There are now four British women in the top 100, how do you see the future of British womens tennis developing

We have all been working really hard and this is such a great accomplishment.  We all want to keep climbing though and hopefully this will help motivate other young girls to start playing tennis.

6.    What would you say is your best attribute on the tennis court and why?

I think I would say my best attributes are my movement and my fighting spirit.  I never give up until the last ball is hit.


7.    What goals have you set, how far would you like to go in your career?

Every winter I sit down with my father and we go over the my year and then set goals for the following year.  He really helps me take a step back and see the big picture.  Of course I want to be #1 and that is what I work for every day.  It is a process though and takes consistent dedication on court and off.

8.    I am very impressed with your personality and attitude on the court.  Do you think this helps you to stay as relaxed as possible during the big moments in a competitive match?

I think I am very different on the court and off.  I am a very friendly, playful person off the court but when I step on the court I am a fighter and a competitor.  I have always been very competitive in everything I do and that is something I love about playing tennis for a living.

9.    What are your favourite pastimes outside of tennis?

 I am really just a normal girl that likes to hang out with my friends when I can, listen to music, go see movies and of course do a little shopping from time to time.    

 

 

Petra Kvitova can use setback to become a better player

Petra Kvitova relinquished her Wimbledon title in a defeat to 2010 champion Serena Williams in two sets on centre court on Tuesday.  It was a high quality match, particularly in the 2nd set, but the difference between the two players was the serve of Serena Williams.  Kvitova will be disappointed not to defend her Wimbledon title but should use this experience to learn from the defeat and become a better player longer term.

By her own admission, Kvitova has not had a great start to 2012 in comparison to 2011.  By July 2011 she had won Sydney, Paris Indoor, Madrid and Wimbledon, plus played in the final of the Aegon Championships in Eastbourne.  However, so far in 2012 Kvitova has not reached a final of any event despite getting to 4 semifinals including the Australian and French Opens.  This has left some people to question whether she has the potential to become the best player in the world. 

There are a few factors which have prompted this; in January she had two opportunities to become number 1 in the world but didn’t take them, losing in the semifinals of both Sydney and the Australian Open.  The defeat to Sharapova in Australia was particularly painful for her as she had at least 8 break point opportunities in the 3rd set and was not able to capitalise, eventually coming up short when serving to stay in the match.  In many ways that defeat has set the tone for this year and she has lost her confidence slightly as a result.

Due to Federation cup commitments, Kvitova chose not to defend her title at the Open Gaz de France in Paris.  She then missed Doha and Dubai due to illness and had a rotten time of it in Indian Wells and Miami.  The clay court season was better with semifinal appearances in Stuttgart and the French Open, plus a quarterfinal appearance at the Italian Open.

However, it is fair to say that Kvitova went into Wimbledon short on confidence and belief, coupled with the fact it was a new situation for her to arrive at a major tournament as defending champion.  In the first round against Akgul Amanmuradova, Kvitova went 4-1 down in the 1st set but dug deep and found her game to win in straight sets.  That allowed her the freedom to play much better against Elena Baltacha and Varvara Lepchenko.  In the 4th round, Francesca Schiavone provided a very stern test with her variety but Kvitova came through 6-1 in the 3rd set.

In many ways it was unfortunate that the two previous Wimbledon winners had to play each other in the quarterfinals as it would have been much more worthy as a semifinal or final.  Although Kvitova was defending champion, Serena Williams would have been seen as the slight favourite due to her achievements and experience; that proved to be the case. 

The key to the match was the serve and return of serve, classic grass court tennis.  Serena Williams served incredibly well including 13 aces and returned beautifully.  Meanwhile Kvitova didn’t start well but played much better in the second set and manufactured a set point but couldn’t take advantage as Serena hit a bomb at 114 mph.   Kvitova didn’t get enough returns into play to make a dent into Serena’s service games.  This probably made Kvitova aware that she couldn’t make any mistakes at key moments, which precisely led to mistakes because of the pressure put on her by Serena Williams, especially at 5-6 when she netted a forehand, leaving Serena to serve out the match.

Petra Kvitova will be disappointed to lose her Wimbledon title, but should not become too disheartened with her performance.  I saw a player who played a high level of tennis in the 2nd set, which would have been good enough to defeat any of the other quarterfinalists in the draw.  Kivitova will return to her hometown to have a bit of downtime, and take the opportunity to reflect on where her game is with her coach and what she has to do to keep improving.

Kvitova is not moving quite as sharp as when I saw her in Eastbourne 12 months ago; injuries and illness may have disrupted her training schedule during 2012 but that is something she can work on.  She is not getting to the ball to hit those amazing shots she has at her disposal.  I think Kvitova can work on getting more topspin on her shots to improve her margin for error.  A good example is Pete Sampras who said he added more topspin to his forehand to improve his margin of error after a couple years on the tour.   Sampras showed it is possible to hit bullet shots and consistently get them in, that is an area Kvitova can improve.

I also think Kvitova’s return of serve has gone off a bit this year compared to 12 months ago.  She can develop a great return of serve because she sees the ball so early and gets to wide angles, but probably goes for too much at this stage.  A good strategy would be to get the ball into play deep on big points to ask the question of the server.  

One area I’ve been advocating for Petra Kvitova to become more aggressive is the serve, I have mentioned in previous articles that she should go for her first serve more often.  Serena Williams showed why this is a good tactic, by serving aces and so many unreturnables, it allowed her to have more freedom to take risks in the return games.  Kvitova has a great serve and 2nd serve in particular; she can work on her making her first serve a bigger and faster weapon.  I also feel Kvitova can serve many more aces than she currently does, especially on grass and hardcourts.

This is an opportunity for Petra Kvitova to make some ground on her rivals with the hardcourt season coming up.  She doesn’t have many points to defend so if she can get good results in North America, it will be an opportunity to re-establish herself as a major contender for the titles and major titles going forward.  A player can learn much more about themselves in defeat than victory, therefore I am backing Petra Kvitova to overcome these difficulties at this stage of her young career and to come back to Wimbledon next year an improved player.  I am also backing her to win more major titles and get to number 1 in the future.