(Rank/Seed)
In a dramatic three set final, (1/1) Azarenka edged (6/6) Li 46 64 63 to defend her title and secure the number one ranking.
1st Set
Both players started nervously, breaking each others serves to begin. Li settled faster though, her greater power paying dividends as she gained a 3-1 lead. Though Azarenka staged a late comeback, from 2-5 to 4-5, she still was making too many unforced errors. She doubled faulted down set point to the roars of the partisan home crowd, all too eager to bait the Belorussian after her semi final antics.
2nd Set
Azarenka started fast and broke to begin before Li had a stumble and twisted her ankle; in keeping with the run of ankle injuries throughout the week. It didn't stop the Chinese 2011 finalist though, as she reduced a 2-4 deficit to 4-4. But from there, she made a glut of unforced errors to lose the last 2 games. For a third straight major, it would go to three sets.
3rd Set
After swapping breaks of serve again, both players left the court due to the Australia Day celebration fireworks. On resumption, Li did the unthinkable; fell on her already injured ankle and banged her head on the court. Though Li seemed unfazed initially, it was clear that afterwards her ankle was troubling her. Still, Li never gave in, endearing her further to the crowd and fought on, but Azarenka was now in the zone. She broke on a Li backhand error to win a second Grand Slam title and broke down in tears after a traumatic fortnight. Overall, Azarenka hit only 18 winners to 28 unforced errors, compared to Li's 36:57 ratio and there was an incredible 16 breaks of serve, 9 to Azarenka, 7 to Li.
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Azarenka vs Li
Who will win the 2013 Australian Open?
Azarenka is the defending champion with a chance of maintaining her number one status. This is her third Grand Slam final and she has always played well in them, crushing Sharapova here last year and serving for the match against Serena at last year's US Open. She is on an eight match winning streak, having made the semis in Brisbane before withdrawing and has only dropped one set all fortnight; to Jamie Hampton in the third round. However, she hasn't played an opponent ranked higher than 25 and also has had a few injury problems, some related to nerves.
Li is a former finalist here, leading a set before losing to Clijsters in 2011. This is her first chance of winning a slam since she won her only slam to date in Paris 2011. She already has one title this year in Shenzhen and has only lost one match; a fatigued beating to Radwanska in the Sydney semis. However, she's back and better than ever, not dropping a set in beating the likes of world number 4 Radwanska and world number 2 Sharapova. Can she beat the top two in the same tournament for the first time?
Azarenka lead the head to head 5-4, winning the last 4 between the WTA Championships 2011 and 2012. However, twice in that period it went to three sets and Li has won both of their past Grand Slam matches, at the Australian and French Opens 2011. Ironically, the two finals they've played have both come on Australian soil, in the Gold Coast 2008, which Li won in three and Sydney 2012, which Azarenka won in three. To me, Li is in the best form of her life and I favour her to go the whole way here in Melbourne this time. I think she will win, but it will have to be in straight sets. If it goes the distance, I think Azarenka will win.
Li Shocks Sharapova!
The semi finals were completed on Thursday and one of them generated a rather unexpected upset.
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Azarenka ended the fairytale run of (25/29) Stephens 61 64 to reach a second straight Australian Open (AO) final. The first set wasn't even close as Stephens no doubt struggled to refocus after yesterdays drama. The second however saw Azarenka hurt her ankle and get broken for the first time in the third game. From there on in, it was a contest with Stephens breaking back from 2-4 and 3-5 down, saving five match points in the latter as Azarenka grew increasingly nervous. Azarenka then took a surprising medical time out to regain her composure and returned to finish off the match on her sixth match point. Stephens will now crack the top 20 for the first time and Azarenka is close to being guaranteed her number one ranking.
6/6 Li upset the apple cart in taking out (2/2) Sharapova 62 62. From the off, Li was sharp, breaking in the first and fifth games to carve out a 4-1 lead. Sharapova constantly struggled to return Li's sliced second serve and made many errors off her backhand. She managed one break back, but Li broke for a third time to win the set. After a few close games, that saw Sharapova hold twice, Li rallied to win five straight games and the match. The games were often very close, with Maria often having break point, but each time Li remained composed and Sharapova would error, winning only 1 of 7 break points. Sharapova's number one hopes have now gone and it leaves a sour taste to a competition that so far had been so easy for her, whilst for Li she makes her second AO final and her first Grand Slam final since winning the 2011 French Open where she beat Maria in the semis too. It seems as if the lack of test went against Maria, who often seemed slow and off the pace, hitting 32 unforced errors to just 17 winners, compared to the 21:18 winner:error ratio of Li.
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Azarenka ended the fairytale run of (25/29) Stephens 61 64 to reach a second straight Australian Open (AO) final. The first set wasn't even close as Stephens no doubt struggled to refocus after yesterdays drama. The second however saw Azarenka hurt her ankle and get broken for the first time in the third game. From there on in, it was a contest with Stephens breaking back from 2-4 and 3-5 down, saving five match points in the latter as Azarenka grew increasingly nervous. Azarenka then took a surprising medical time out to regain her composure and returned to finish off the match on her sixth match point. Stephens will now crack the top 20 for the first time and Azarenka is close to being guaranteed her number one ranking.
6/6 Li upset the apple cart in taking out (2/2) Sharapova 62 62. From the off, Li was sharp, breaking in the first and fifth games to carve out a 4-1 lead. Sharapova constantly struggled to return Li's sliced second serve and made many errors off her backhand. She managed one break back, but Li broke for a third time to win the set. After a few close games, that saw Sharapova hold twice, Li rallied to win five straight games and the match. The games were often very close, with Maria often having break point, but each time Li remained composed and Sharapova would error, winning only 1 of 7 break points. Sharapova's number one hopes have now gone and it leaves a sour taste to a competition that so far had been so easy for her, whilst for Li she makes her second AO final and her first Grand Slam final since winning the 2011 French Open where she beat Maria in the semis too. It seems as if the lack of test went against Maria, who often seemed slow and off the pace, hitting 32 unforced errors to just 17 winners, compared to the 21:18 winner:error ratio of Li.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Stephens Sends Serena Packing!
In the match of the tournament so far, 19 year old Sloane Stephens did what so many other women have failed to do in the last year; beat Serena Williams!
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Azarenka opened the day with a close fought 75 61 win over Kuznetsova in the QF. Trailing 1-4 as Kuznetsova mixed up the game, Victoria looked in trouble. But from there on in, she found her baseline game and regained control. Svetlana struggled early on in the 2nd set and a stumble on the baseline certainly didn't help her ankle, as she rather meekly exited the AO QF for a 3rd time in as many attempts.
Most people expected Victoria to meet (3/3) Serena in the semis. However, (25/29) Stephens had other ideas. The match started in a subdued fashion, neither player comfortable under the hype. Stephens game was non existent as Serena reeled off 5 games from 3-3 to lead 63 20 without hitting her top game. However, after breaking back, Stephens got the benefit of an unfortunate injury of Serena's back whilst she chased down a drop return. After treatment, Serena's serve was severely hampered, but from the baseline she was still tough. Stephens served for the set at 5-3 and even held set point, but got nervous and let Serena back, before ultimately closing out the set 75. The 3rd was as dramatic as they come with Serena beginning to loosen up and Stephens also mixing up her game sublimely at the net. After breaking to lead 4-3, Serena's camp sensed blood but as if by magic, Stephens began to fire and reeled off the last 3 games of the match to reach her 1st Grand Slam semi, winning 36 75 64. It snapped Serena's 20 match, 3 tournament winning streak and was her 1st loss since Cincinnati to Kerber last summer. No Grand Slam for Serena!
Now, Stephens has to right herself to take on Azarenka in a 1st meeting on Thursday. I can't see Stephens pulling off 2 epic wins, but as the 1st American teen to reach this stage of a slam since Serena herself back at the US Open 2001, I put nothing past her.
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Azarenka opened the day with a close fought 75 61 win over Kuznetsova in the QF. Trailing 1-4 as Kuznetsova mixed up the game, Victoria looked in trouble. But from there on in, she found her baseline game and regained control. Svetlana struggled early on in the 2nd set and a stumble on the baseline certainly didn't help her ankle, as she rather meekly exited the AO QF for a 3rd time in as many attempts.
Most people expected Victoria to meet (3/3) Serena in the semis. However, (25/29) Stephens had other ideas. The match started in a subdued fashion, neither player comfortable under the hype. Stephens game was non existent as Serena reeled off 5 games from 3-3 to lead 63 20 without hitting her top game. However, after breaking back, Stephens got the benefit of an unfortunate injury of Serena's back whilst she chased down a drop return. After treatment, Serena's serve was severely hampered, but from the baseline she was still tough. Stephens served for the set at 5-3 and even held set point, but got nervous and let Serena back, before ultimately closing out the set 75. The 3rd was as dramatic as they come with Serena beginning to loosen up and Stephens also mixing up her game sublimely at the net. After breaking to lead 4-3, Serena's camp sensed blood but as if by magic, Stephens began to fire and reeled off the last 3 games of the match to reach her 1st Grand Slam semi, winning 36 75 64. It snapped Serena's 20 match, 3 tournament winning streak and was her 1st loss since Cincinnati to Kerber last summer. No Grand Slam for Serena!
Now, Stephens has to right herself to take on Azarenka in a 1st meeting on Thursday. I can't see Stephens pulling off 2 epic wins, but as the 1st American teen to reach this stage of a slam since Serena herself back at the US Open 2001, I put nothing past her.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Li Stops Radwanska Whilst Sharapova Strolls
The 1st 2 quarter finals were played on Tuesday and one of them followed form whilst the other saw a minor upset as I predicted.
2/2 Sharapova wasn't quite at her best but nonetheless put away (19/19) Makarova 62 62. Only broken once all match, she hit with consistent depth and punished her opponents spinning second serve. No woman's dropped fewer games en route to the semis here since 1988, as she has dropped only 9 games and is now through to her 6th AO semi final, maintaining her perfect winning ratio in QF here.
6/6 Li ended (4/4) Radwanska's 13 match, 26 set winning streak with a 75 63 win. The 1st set saw Radwanska twice go up a break, including serving for the 1st set at 5-4. With the recent win over Li in Sydney, it looked as if she was set to seize control. Each time though, Li broke straight back and under Roderiguez has learned to control her emotions and stay calm. Despite some poor serving, Li's ground strokes were deep and proved too tough for the Pole to handle. Despite going 0-2 down in the 2nd, she then went on a tear of 4 straight games, whilst Agnieszska often made the wrong decisions to come into net on nothing balls. Li maintained her perfect AO quarter final winning ratio to reach her 3rd semi in the last 4 years, whilst Agnieszka failed for a 4th time in 4 attempts to go beyond this point at the AO and incurred her 1st loss of the season.
So, Maria and Li! Sharapova leads the series 8-4 and won all 3 2012 meetings, twice winning a set to love. Maria's won her last 3 AO semis, whilst Li has gone 1-1 in the 2 previous. However, each time it's been close and Li did beat Maria in their biggest slam meeting yet; the FO semis 2011. I'll say Sharapova will win, but she'll lose more than 4 games!
2/2 Sharapova wasn't quite at her best but nonetheless put away (19/19) Makarova 62 62. Only broken once all match, she hit with consistent depth and punished her opponents spinning second serve. No woman's dropped fewer games en route to the semis here since 1988, as she has dropped only 9 games and is now through to her 6th AO semi final, maintaining her perfect winning ratio in QF here.
6/6 Li ended (4/4) Radwanska's 13 match, 26 set winning streak with a 75 63 win. The 1st set saw Radwanska twice go up a break, including serving for the 1st set at 5-4. With the recent win over Li in Sydney, it looked as if she was set to seize control. Each time though, Li broke straight back and under Roderiguez has learned to control her emotions and stay calm. Despite some poor serving, Li's ground strokes were deep and proved too tough for the Pole to handle. Despite going 0-2 down in the 2nd, she then went on a tear of 4 straight games, whilst Agnieszska often made the wrong decisions to come into net on nothing balls. Li maintained her perfect AO quarter final winning ratio to reach her 3rd semi in the last 4 years, whilst Agnieszka failed for a 4th time in 4 attempts to go beyond this point at the AO and incurred her 1st loss of the season.
So, Maria and Li! Sharapova leads the series 8-4 and won all 3 2012 meetings, twice winning a set to love. Maria's won her last 3 AO semis, whilst Li has gone 1-1 in the 2 previous. However, each time it's been close and Li did beat Maria in their biggest slam meeting yet; the FO semis 2011. I'll say Sharapova will win, but she'll lose more than 4 games!
Kuznetsova Battles Past Wozniacki
The 4th round's now complete and I can't believe I predicted 7 out of 8 quarter finalists correctly at the beginning of the week! I only got Kerber wrong!
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Azarenka got back on track, cruising past Hobart champion Vesnina 61 61.
3/3 Serena was equally ruthless against a tense (15/14) Kirilenko, winning 62 60.
Kuznetsova emulated her 3 set win over (10/10) Wozniacki in Sydney with a 62 26 75 win. After cruising through the 1st set, Kuznetsova became undone in the 2nd as Wozniacki stepped it up on the backhand and she struggled with blistered feet. She was 2 points from losing in the 3rd too, serving at 4-5 30-30, but each time the pressure was on she calmly hit a winner, usually on a volley. In the end, she was consistently too strong, pressuring the Dane's erratic forehand. It's Kuznetsova's 1st GS quarter final since the FO 2011 and only her 3rd in Oz, whilst its Wozniacki's earliest exit here since 2010.
(25/29) Stephens made her 1st GS quarter final, edging unseeded Serb Jovanovski 61 36 75 to become the 1st American outside of the Williams sisters to go this far at a slam since Melanie Oudin back in 2009 at the US Open.
So, Azarenka will play the only unseeded quarter finalist, Kuznetsova ranked 75. The Russian won 4 of their 1st 5 meetings, but these were all in and before 2009, with Victoria winning both meetings in 2012. I favour Azarenka to win, but it will be close. Williams and Stephens will meet in a repeat of their Brisbane quarter final 2 weeks ago. It's the 1st all American clash this deep in the AO draw since 2005 and I feel Serena will win, but if there's going to be an upset, it will be right here!
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Azarenka got back on track, cruising past Hobart champion Vesnina 61 61.
3/3 Serena was equally ruthless against a tense (15/14) Kirilenko, winning 62 60.
Kuznetsova emulated her 3 set win over (10/10) Wozniacki in Sydney with a 62 26 75 win. After cruising through the 1st set, Kuznetsova became undone in the 2nd as Wozniacki stepped it up on the backhand and she struggled with blistered feet. She was 2 points from losing in the 3rd too, serving at 4-5 30-30, but each time the pressure was on she calmly hit a winner, usually on a volley. In the end, she was consistently too strong, pressuring the Dane's erratic forehand. It's Kuznetsova's 1st GS quarter final since the FO 2011 and only her 3rd in Oz, whilst its Wozniacki's earliest exit here since 2010.
(25/29) Stephens made her 1st GS quarter final, edging unseeded Serb Jovanovski 61 36 75 to become the 1st American outside of the Williams sisters to go this far at a slam since Melanie Oudin back in 2009 at the US Open.
So, Azarenka will play the only unseeded quarter finalist, Kuznetsova ranked 75. The Russian won 4 of their 1st 5 meetings, but these were all in and before 2009, with Victoria winning both meetings in 2012. I favour Azarenka to win, but it will be close. Williams and Stephens will meet in a repeat of their Brisbane quarter final 2 weeks ago. It's the 1st all American clash this deep in the AO draw since 2005 and I feel Serena will win, but if there's going to be an upset, it will be right here!
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Kerber Ousted In 4th Round
The 1st 4 quarter finalists were decided on Sunday and all but one followed the rankings.
(Rank/Seed)
2/2 Sharapova killed Flipkens 61 60, making her the most uncharitable player since the 128 player draw was introduced to Melbourne in 1988. She has now won 5 of her 6 Australian Open 4th rounds played.
4/4 Radwanska stretched her straight sets winning streak to 13 matches with a 62 64 win over former finalist (13/13) Ivanovic. She's the 2nd woman after Dementieva in 2009 to win 2 titles before then reach at least the quarters at the Australian Open, as well as improving to a perfect 4-0 in AO quarter finals.
(19/19) Makarova did it again! Just like last year when she surprised Serena in the 4th round here, she stunned (5/5) Kerber 75 64. Though she was nervous, letting a 5-2 1st set lead slip, she ultimately forced the play more (hitting 31 winners) and also defended brilliantly in a match between 2 lefties. Kerber was bothered by a back complaint which affected her serve, but couldn't take advantage of 2 break points at 4-3 in the 2nd set; losing one after an immense baseline and net exchange between the two. Makarova emulates her quarter final result from last year.
6/6 Li also kept up the good work, coming from 3-5 and set point down in the tie break to edge (18/18) Goerges 76(6) 61 in a first meeting. Having not gone beyond the 4th round of a Slam since winning in Paris back in 2011, this must have been a welcome relief.
So, Sharapova will face Makarova in a repeat of last years quarter. Ekaterina is really looking forward to the challenge, but Maria's form's been the best of the tournament so far. She's also never lost to Makarova, nor in an AO quarter final before, so I pick her to win comfortably. Radwanska and Li's harder to pick because they're both experienced and have a close head to head. Radwanska has just beaten Li in Sydney which will help, but I felt Li was very tired in that match. Last year, Li destroyed Radwanska 3 times and unlike her opponent, has never lost an AO quarter final, whilst Agnieszska's never won one. I'm going to say it will be close, but I'm favouring Li slightly.
(Rank/Seed)
2/2 Sharapova killed Flipkens 61 60, making her the most uncharitable player since the 128 player draw was introduced to Melbourne in 1988. She has now won 5 of her 6 Australian Open 4th rounds played.
4/4 Radwanska stretched her straight sets winning streak to 13 matches with a 62 64 win over former finalist (13/13) Ivanovic. She's the 2nd woman after Dementieva in 2009 to win 2 titles before then reach at least the quarters at the Australian Open, as well as improving to a perfect 4-0 in AO quarter finals.
(19/19) Makarova did it again! Just like last year when she surprised Serena in the 4th round here, she stunned (5/5) Kerber 75 64. Though she was nervous, letting a 5-2 1st set lead slip, she ultimately forced the play more (hitting 31 winners) and also defended brilliantly in a match between 2 lefties. Kerber was bothered by a back complaint which affected her serve, but couldn't take advantage of 2 break points at 4-3 in the 2nd set; losing one after an immense baseline and net exchange between the two. Makarova emulates her quarter final result from last year.
6/6 Li also kept up the good work, coming from 3-5 and set point down in the tie break to edge (18/18) Goerges 76(6) 61 in a first meeting. Having not gone beyond the 4th round of a Slam since winning in Paris back in 2011, this must have been a welcome relief.
So, Sharapova will face Makarova in a repeat of last years quarter. Ekaterina is really looking forward to the challenge, but Maria's form's been the best of the tournament so far. She's also never lost to Makarova, nor in an AO quarter final before, so I pick her to win comfortably. Radwanska and Li's harder to pick because they're both experienced and have a close head to head. Radwanska has just beaten Li in Sydney which will help, but I felt Li was very tired in that match. Last year, Li destroyed Radwanska 3 times and unlike her opponent, has never lost an AO quarter final, whilst Agnieszska's never won one. I'm going to say it will be close, but I'm favouring Li slightly.
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