US OPEN 2011: Women's Final Preview

Serena Williams USA (28) v. Samantha Stosur AUS (9). 

by Mad Professah, contributing writer

The 2011 US Open finalists are the two women in the draw with the two best serves in women's tennis. Serena demonstrated the importance of having an effective serve in her 6-2 6-4 drubbing of the now and future World #1 Caroline Wozniacki in a routine semifinal whose result was never in doubt. Serena served 11 aces and hit another 23 winners from all over the court--and she was probably playing at about 80% of her ability. Her "B" game. Wozniacki simply had (and has) no weapons with which to bother Serena and almost no offensive intent or capacity so Serena simply bided her time, broke the 21-year-old Dane at will and was content to serve out the match. When suddenly she played a loose match game at 6-2, 5-3 she calmly broke back easily to reach the final.

Stosur's route to the final was more complicated. She played the unheralded (some would say unknown) Angelique Kerber from Germany, at 6pm on the Grandstand court (capacity 6,000) when the second men's semifinal was still going on on the main stage at Ashe which holds 23,000+. Instead of winning easily, Stosur won a relatively tight 6-3 2-6 6-2 victory. Stosur has had a pretty dramatic tournament overall, playing the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam history in the 4th round (losing it 17-15) against Maria Kirilenko and playing the longest U.S. Open women's match (in terms of games played) against Nadia Petrova in the 2nd round, eventually winning7-6(5) 6-7(5) 7-5 in 3 hours, 16 minutes.

Stosur is the probably the only other player in the draw who is not overwhelmed by Serena's physicality. The Australian 27-year-old has very broad shoulders herself and probably an even better kick-serve than Serena's. However, Stosur has one distinct weakness: her backhand. She can either slice it (not very effectively) or she can hit it with two hands, often not very cleanly or powerfully. Sitting in the stands, literally 15 feet from her in the now-famous tiebreak with Kirilenko I was very surprised how softly the ball came off her racquet on the backhand side. Serena can just pin her into the backhand corner with forehands down the line and it will be a very short day. However, Stosur does possess an excellent topspin inside-out forehand so if her footwork is good she may be able to run around her backhand and hit her powerful forehand but unless she hits a winner against a very fit and fast Serena, Stosur will be off the court and unable to reach the reply. Mentally, since Stosur has been in a major final before (losing badly to Francesa Schiavone in the 2010 French Open final) she should not be overwhelmed today, but she simply does not play finals well, having won only twice in 11 attempts. Serena is playing in her 5th U.S. Open final in 12 appearances, with wins in 1999, 2002 and 2008. We all know what Serena's mental toughness is like.

In the 2011 U.S. Open I have correctly predicted 2 of 4 women's quarterfinals and 2 of 2 women's semifinals. Last year I correctly predicted 2 of 2 women's semifinals and 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals. This year I have also correctly predicted 3 of 4 men's quarterfinals, and 1 of 2 men's semifinals. My prediction for the women's final is that Serena Williams will win her 14th major title, putting her a scan 4 titles away from the all-time greats: Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert (but still behind Steffi Graf's 22).

MadProfessah's pick: Serena Williams.

Wimbledon 2011: Women's Semifinals Preview

by Mad Professah, contributing writer 

Here are my predictions for the women's semifinals at the Wimbledon Championships for 2011. I predicted 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals correctly and 3 of 4 men's quarterfinals correctly. Last year I predicted 2 of 2 women's semifinals correctly.  

Maria Sharapova RUS (5) vs Sabine Lisicki GER . Sharapova appears to be returning to the form that has led her to win 3 major tournaments (2008 Australian Open, 2006 US Open and 2004 Wimbledon) so far after surgery in 2009 really deteriorated her game. Lisicki is a wild card has put on two amazing performances on Wimbledon Centre Court this year, dismissing 2011 French Open champion Li Na in the 3rd round and eliminating 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli in the quarterfinals. With both Williams sisters gone from the tournament (this was Serena's half) this is the most wide open Wimbledon in over a decade. If  you start to match up the two player's games Lisicki has the better serve, while Sharapova has the better return. 

Sharapova has the better second serve, or at least she goes for more, but this also makes it less reliable. Sharapova has 19 aces but also 19 double faults over 5 matches so far. Lisicki has 44 aces and only 13 double faults. Sharapova has a total of 126 winners while Liscki has 157, including an incredible 52 winners in the round before in her 3-set win over Bartoli. Lisicki is probably the better mover but Sharapova is faster than she appears and can do more with the ball when she gets there. Analyzing their groundstrokes you have to give a big advantage to Sharapova, especially on the backhand side, with the forehand side being a bit closer. On grass you have to give the edge to the better server (Lisicki) but all the intangibles (been in this position before, mental toughness) go to Sharapova.I would be delighted if Lisicki wins, but I think it's more likely she will falter than Sharapova will. I was very surprised that Lisicki had to play a 3rd set against Bartoli, after having 3 match points in the second set, but she shook that off to win 6-1. If she gives that opportunity to Sharapova to come back, the Russian will reach her 2nd Wimbledon final. PREDICTION: Who I think will win: Sharapova, Who I want to win: Lisicki.

Victoria Azarenka BLR (4) vs. Petra Kvitova CZE (8). This should be the more interesting match of the two because the higher ranked player is the one with the less experience being in the semifinals of Wimbledon. However, I'm sure in her own mind Azarenka feels like she should have won a major already. Azarenka is like a young Novak Djokovic in that early in his career the Serbian retired in a number of important matches and Azarenka is (in)famous for her withdrawals from multiple matches, especially this year.

They are both incredibly talented players and you totally expect them to win multiple majors. Djokovic has met (and possibly even exceeded) expectations but Azarenka is still waiting for her big breakthrough. If you look at each of the semifinalists' records to this point Azarenka has only had 10 aces to 9 double faults in 5 rounds. Kvitova has had 26 aces to 11 double faults. Interestingly, when you match up their games you see that Kvitova has the better serve and the better ground strokes. Azarenka is by far the better mover and I think the intangibles are pretty even. Kvitova disappointed me when she lost a 2nd set tie-break to Tsevetana "Venus-killer" Pironkova with some bad misses on attempted winners. Then again, like Lisicki, she won the deciding set pretty easily. This second match should be closer than the first semifinal with Kvitova, another left-handed female player born in Czechoslovakia like the great Martina Navratiilova, reaching her first (but probably not her last) Wimbledon final. PREDICTION: Who I think will win: Kvitova, Who I want to win: Kvitova.

Quote For The Day

“You would not be asking that if Federer-Nadal were one and two. You wouldn't be saying oh, does that mean that the men's field are not so strong because they are number one and number two again. Uh... no. I think those guys are two great champions and Serena and Venus are two great champions. They will be two of the greatest champions that the game has had. It just so happens that they are from the same family. ..but ... I think you would not be asking that if they weren't sisters as much. And, maybe be asking that question if it were guys rather than women. But, no, of course, they are fantastic athletes. They play the game on another level. They have so much power and so much speed. You think the point is over and somehow the ball comes back again. Not only do they get there, but what they do with it when they get there because again, they are so strong. Venus with her wingspan and Serena with her raw power. Yeah, they are two phenomenal athletes. But ... you should just be fortunate that they are still playing the game.” --Martina Navratilova

(Thanks, Karen and Savannah)

Face Of The Day

Reuters

Martina Navratilova of the U.S. is introduced before playing an exhibition doubles match with Justine Henin of Belgium, Steffi Graf of Germany and Lindsay Davenport of the U.S. during the Hit for Haiti fund raiser event at the Indian Wells WTA and ATP tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, March 12, 2010.

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Men's Singles - First Round
V Hanescu (ROU) d J Chela (ARG) 63 76(4)
A Clement (FRA) d P Luczak (AUS) 46 63 62
S Stakhovsky (UKR) d W Odesnik (USA) 61 64
D Sela (ISR) d [WC] J Levine (USA) 62 62
S Greul (GER) d R Gasquet (FRA) 76(6) 76(7)
[WC] D Nalbandian (ARG) d [Q] S Koubek (AUT) 62 76(2)
T de Bakker (NED) d M Daniel (BRA) 63 63
[Q] Y Lu (TPE) d O Hernandez (ESP) 61 62
A Seppi (ITA) d [WC] R Ginepri (USA) 26 76(5) 63
M Russell (USA) d P Lorenzi (ITA) 62 75
N Almagro (ESP) d M Zverev (GER) 63 62
J Blake (USA) d D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 63 62
[Q] M Matosevic (AUS) d M Llodra (FRA) 63 60
[Q] R Mello (BRA) d H Zeballos (ARG) 26 63 64
P Mathieu (FRA) d B Becker (GER) 63 61
E Korolev (KAZ) d F Mayer (GER) 63 62

What is Richard Gasquet doing losing to Simon Greul?

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Men's Doubles - First Round
J Tipsarevic (SRB) / V Troicki (SRB) d [8] C Kas (GER) / D Norman (BEL) 76(5) 26 10-8
T Bellucci (BRA) / P Cuevas (URU) d M Melo (BRA) / B Soares (BRA) 62 46 10-4
J Isner (USA) / S Querrey (USA) d M Cilic (CRO) / I Ljubicic (CRO) 46 61 12-10
D Ferrer (ESP) / A Montanes (ESP) d G Monfils (FRA) / G Simon (FRA) 64 62
J Benneteau (FRA) / J Tsonga (FRA) d R Lindstedt (SWE) / R Soderling (SWE) 75 75

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Women's Singles - Second Round
(2) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Vania King (USA) 57 62 64
(4) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Olga Govortsova (BLR) 64 46 60
(5) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 62 53 ret. (left ankle injury)
(Q) Elena Baltacha (GBR) d. (7) Li Na (CHN) 76(6) 26 76(7)
(10) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. Vera Dushevina (RUS) 46 75 62
(11) Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Polona Hercog (SLO) 64 62
(15) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 63 64
(16) Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. Patty Schnyder (SUI) 63 57 64
(18) Zheng Jie (CHN) d. Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 63 75
(19) Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. (LL) Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 64 75
Peng Shuai (CHN) d. (20) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 61 64
Jill Craybas (USA) d. (22) Sabine Lisicki (GER) 46 75 20 ret. (left ankle injury)
(WC) Alicia Molik (AUS) d. (29) Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 64 57 76(3)
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) d. (30) Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 61 62
(31) Gisela Dulko (ARG) d. (WC) Justine Henin (BEL) 62 16 64
(32) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Virginie Razzano (FRA) 75 63

Dulko is collecting quite a collection of scalps, no?

Women's Doubles - First Round
Grandin/Spears (RSA/USA) d. (8) Makarova/Peng (RUS/CHN) 60 64
Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova (CZE/CZE) d. Jans/Rosolska (POL/POL) 64 63
Amanmuradova/Kustova (UZB/BLR) d. Govortsova/Poutchek (BLR/BLR) 61 16 105

Serena Williams Wins Lengendary No. 12

Reuters

It wasn't always pretty, but Serena Williams rained on Justine Henin's fairytale comeback parade to take her fifth Australian Open crown, an Open Era record.

Fighting through nerves, sticky feet, and legs heavy as wet hay, the world No. 1 picked apart Henin's game at the most crucial moments of the match for a gritty 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory on Rod Laver Arena last night.

It's the first time the American defended a Slam since Wimbledon 2003. The first to defend a title Down Under since Jennifer Capriati in 2002. And she finally broke the even-year jinx, winning a title in the first year of the decade to go with crowns in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009.

Serena has now won a Slam in three different decades, beginning with her maiden US Open title in 1999 at age seventeen.

With the victory, she claimed her 12th major title, equaling her idol Billie Jean King for sixth place on the all-time list. Serena now trails only Margaret Smith Court (24), Steffi Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19), Martina Navratilova (19) and Chris Evert (18).

With her five Australian Opens, she surpasses Smith Court, Graf, Monica Seles, and Evonne Goolagong for the most won in the Open Era. And she improves her overall winning percentage in Grand Slam finals to 12-3 (.800) the best among active players, woman or man.

Henin, who retired in a cloud of questions 20 months ago, was trying to repeat Kim Clijsters' comeback success by winning her first major entered, and to become the second unranked woman to win a Slam in the Open Era. (Bet I know who Clijsters was rooting for last night.) Despite Henin's run to the finals, she'll remain unranked on Monday. The WTA rankings system requires three events on the computer before spitting out a number before your name.

The Little Backhand That (Almost) Could played brilliantly in stretches and fought like she always fights, but it wasn't enough to overcome a determined defending champion. Despite being mummified with tape on her right thigh and left calf, and playing every day of the event for the last week and a half, including defending her doubles title with her big sister the day before, Serena had two practice sessions earlier in the day to get her feet moving and prepare for Henin's low slices.

In the first few games of the match, you would've never known. Serena had to serve 29 times, fight through two break points and five deuces just to hold her opening service game. She broke Henin's serve to lead 3-1 but faced another 15-40 deficit. She saved the first break point with a 119 MPH service winner.

On the second, a controversial line call denied the Belgian a break back. Henin played a great point to win the game but it had to be replayed because the linesperson called Henin's short volley out, corrected herself, but Serena chased the ball down and got her racquet on it. The crowd booed. When Serena struck another service winner to save break point, Henin cursed behind the baseline, and the crowd booed again. From thereon, it was firmly in Henin's corner.

Serena dropped the next three games to level the set and 4-4, but composed herself and broke Henin again in the ninth game to take the first set.

40 for 40 in wins Down Under after taking the first set, Serena was poised to run away with the match. Leading 3-2 in set two, she earned a break point on Henin's serve, but hit a forehand into Melbourne. After a few more deuces, Henin held on.

At 3-3, 30-0, Serena tossed in a wild double fault that landed halfway between the service line and the baseline. I gagged. So did Serena. She won a single point the rest of the set. Her feet froze, her mind wandered, and Henin took full advantage, striking line-cleaning winners off both wings from all over the court to win the set 6-3 and level the match.


Getty

Surely the match was now Henin's to lose, right? After all, she had the advantage of opening the third set on her serve.

After both players took an extended bathroom break, Serena returned to the court composed and ready to take names. After the match, she told Mary Jo Fernandez she might not ever get another chance and had to "man up", dig in and go for it. But that's not exactly what she did.

The intensity when these two play is unrivaled and I wasn't sure who would raise her game, hold it together, and seize control of the match. Was this see-saw affair headed to 12-10 in the third?

Momentum still on her side, Henin opened the set with a strong hold at love. Serena once again had to save 15-40 on her serve to level the match. After trading three nervy breaks, Serena finally consolidated one to lead 4-2. The finish line in view, the defending champ switched tactics, adding more topspin and less pace to her shots, spreading the court with angles instead of depth. Henin had trouble creating her own pace on the higher bouncing shots and finally capitulated another break to a fiercely focused Serena who was not to be denied.

Reuters

With a strong service game, including the fastest ace of the match at 123 MPH, Serena closed out the tug of war in two hours and seven minutes. Falling on her back in victory, relief broke over her face like surf. When she finally got up to approach the net, she could hardly walk, a fortnight of fatigue on full display. Almost thought she was going to fall down again before reaching the stands and sharing celebratory hugs with her mother and sister.


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A double duty champion Down Under two years running and fifth overall, Serena the Great put out an extraordinary effort. Now that she's reached her goal of equaling King's Slam victories, she may be more relaxed on the crushed brick of Paris and finally win another crown there.

Henin surely will have something to say about that.


Reuters

Reuters

Getty

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Cross posted to The Huffington Post

Quote For The Day

"Shocking. Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn't own up to it. He's up there with Roger Clemens, as far as I'm concerned. He owned up to it (in the book), but it doesn't help now."--Martina Navratilova on Andre Agassi's published confession.

Faces Of The Day

Getty

Argentina's former tennis champion Gabriela Sabatini approches to embrace Czech-US former tennis champion Martina Navratilova after their charity tennis exhibition, at the Lawn Tennis Club, in Buenos Aires, on March 14, 2009. The exhibition is organized by the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation (FAIAM) of Argentina, to raise awareness and funds to search for a cure of the illness.

All The Rage

The International Herald Tribune looks at women's tennis in Gotham City. And Savannah has posted her pictures.

Bushed

Martina Navratilova does British reality TV in the Australian jungle.