WTA 2011 Review: Other Notables

Выставил статью Кронина о некоторых других теннисисток

December 24, 2011 By Matthew Cronin

Julia Georges ended the year at No. 21 but among players outside of the top 10, she was my most improved, even though she sputtered past her terrific clay court run where she drop-kicked Caro Woznaicki’s confidence. I love her forehand but on faster courts she has trouble setting up for it. However, if she can improve her reaction time and play with more calm, a Slam semi is not out of the question.

Because she’s  a former No. 1, Slam champ and one of the tour’s most personable players, there is no end to the Ana Ivanovic news cycle. But can she really get back to No.1? Let’s not even ask question that question yet. How about can she get back to the top 8 and be consistent Grand Slam quarterfinalist? That’s where she should be aiming before attempting to take the big mental plunge. She made progress in 2011 but still had to feel much more secure in her game before she can begin to chop down the world’s elite. Australia will be a huge test for her and her new coach, Nigel Sears.

Daniela Hantuchova is aiming to re-enter the top 10 again, but I think she is past the point where she can play top flight singles, She’s a smart person with weapons but she simply isn’t quick enough to win multiple matches from the baseline against the world’s best. A commitment to doubles could see her land some Slam titles though.

Exactly what happened to Yanina Wickmayer and how is that she is not battling fellow youngsters Wozniacki, Azarenka et al week in week and week out for top 5 spots? She has enough power, but she’s too erratic and needs to improve her variety and defense.

Good for Spain’s Anabel Medina-Garrigues for finishing the year in the top 30 again. She’s 29 now and still is primarily a counterpuncher, but she has stepped it up in the fitness and power department.

Maria Kirilenko has a fine year overall, but fell short in the some of the big tournaments, as well as in the Fed Cup final. I’m not sure how much more she can improve, but at least when she retires she can say that she gave every ounce of energy to her career, and not every player can say that.

Nadia Petrova is in the twilight of her career at age and will turn 30 in 2012. There was a while there when she was the best player not to have won a Slam, but that’s no longer the case. Given her lengthy injury history, even one more final four of major would babe surprising.

It’s too bad that Petra Cetkovska had to overplay through the hardcourt summer to get her ranking up because she was competing so well that she might have had an impact at the US Open. But now with a No. 31 ranking, she’ll have her chance Down Under. Props too to Angelique Kerber and Jarmila Gajdosova for finding themselves in 2011. I just wrote a long piece on Bethanie Mattek-Sands, so wont overdue it ,but consider this: had her shoulder not given out in July, she had a decent shot at a top 20 year-end ranking, which shows just  how much she’s improved.

Between the No. 21 and No. 50 rankings there are only seven players born in 1990 or later, which to some degree means the pickings amongst the younger set is pretty slim. I’m not ready to declare that the average breakout age has advanced three years or so, but it’s safe to say that few players are beginning to peak as teenager anymore. Here’s the primarily Eastern European list of the those 1990s  players: Polona Hercog, Xeniya Pervak, Irina-Camelia Begu, Simona  Halep, Tamira Paszek, Christina McHale and Petra Martic. All have top 20 potential, but none are obvious top 10 players to me yet.

Judy Murray is quite pleased to have a promising Fed Cup squad with veterans Elena Baltacha  and  Anne Keothavong coming off relatively strong seasons and teenagers Laura Robson and Heather Watson showing promise. But  Baltacha  and Keothavong would consider top 40 seasons in 2012 to be a success, so it’s up to Watson and Robson to make  serious pushes, which means ending next year at least in the top 50. They are not too young and undeveloped to do so.

Canada had one of its best seasons ever, more of that having to do with the success of its ATP players than WTA, but Rebecca Marino is young and promising and could be a threat is she improves her movement and backhand, and Aleks Wozniack has worked hard enough to put herself on the verge of the top 100 again and can really bang the ball.

I’ve written volumes about the young Americans this year so there no need to go too deep into their prospects here. Let’s stick with those who ended the year in the top 100 and I have not already mentioned:  Vania King, Irina Falconi and Sloane Stephens. King is more of a known quantity as she’s been on tour longer. She had an OK year in singles and a very good one in doubles.  If she focuses more on her singles, she could surpass her career high ranking of No. 50 in 2006, but given that she’s inhaled Slam success in doubles, she may be temped to put more of her energy there. Falconi is lively and perhaps the best Amercian  layer to come out of college since Laura Granville. She is one of  the WTA’s most interesting bloggers and if she can refine her game a little more and not over play (she logged 28 events in 2012), top 50 is not out of the question. Stephens is fast and a fine ball striker with serious potential, but she experienced two decent injuries in the last two years, so she has to be wary as to how she’s training. She’s funny and confident and if she can stay the right course, she’ll be a fine addition to top flight US women’s tennis over the next decade.