(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Williams continued her dominance of (2/2) Sharapova 64 64 to win her second French Open title and 16th major title. It takes Williams to 14-2 in their career head to head, having won the last 13!
1st Set
Sharapova started intensely, holding from 0-40 in her first service game, breaking Serena's serve and even having a 40-15 lead in the third game. However, Williams fed off Sharapova's energy and started to raise her own level. Most of the points ended with an error, but the battle was fierce as both players moved each other around with power hitting. Williams took a 4-2 lead, but Sharapova levelled at 4-4, only then to lose her serve again. Williams then served it out. It was obvious that Sharapova often scored when she went out wide to Serena's forehand, but she made too many errors on important points.
2nd Set
Once again, Maria had to fight hard to even hold her serve but she managed to do it all but once during the set. The problem was that that was all Serena needed, a break in the third game being decisive as she began to hit her serve harder. Before long, Williams was motoring to the finish line, never missing on the short ball put away and firing down several aces per game. She set up three championship points with a backhand winner and it was obvious that Williams was nervous to close it out. She would later admit that she was and felt that she couldn't hit any ground stokes so had to go for aces; she got one, hitting an ace down the centre line to claim the championship.
All in all, it was a great final where Williams was forced to play her best to beat Sharapova, who did much better than she did recently in Madrid. Still, Williams didn't play as unbeatably as she did in the semis and Sharapova might have been able to take better advantage if her first serve percentage had been higher. Serena now holds Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, the Olympic Gold and the WTA Championships, making that loss in Australia seem all the more note worthy. Only Steffi Graf has held all the above championships at once in 1987-8, though she also held the Australian title! Two more majors now for Williams and she will equal Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Friday, 7 June 2013
Champion prediction
So, the world's top two will meet in a major final for the first time since the Australian Open 2004 and for the first time in Paris since 1995! Williams will be almost impossible to beat and Sharapova will have to hope for some divine intervention!
These two players have dominated the year thus far. Williams is looking for her 6th title in her 7th final, whilst Sharapova looks for her third in her fifth. Williams has won her last 4 events, is on a 30 match winning streak and is unbeaten on clay, whilst Sharapova hasn't lost to a player other than Williams on clay since 2011!
Williams has dropped only 21 games en route to the final, whilst Sharapova has dropped two sets. Both have won the title before; if Williams wins it will be the longest gap between a first and second French Open title of all time, whilst Sharapova looks to become the first woman since Henin in 2007 to defend her title.
Williams leads the head to head series 13-2, having now won the last 12 since 2004! Though they are tied at 1-1 in major finals, Williams leads 3-1 in all majors, 5-2 in any final and 3-0 on clay. So far this year, 3 of Sharapova's losses have been to Williams. On top of this, Williams has won 15 of her 19 major finals, compared to Sharapova whose ratio is much closer at 4 won out of 7!
Sharapova can't lose her serve early; she must get ahead and stay there. The first serve percentage will be key so it must be high and Sharapova must use angles. She must play like she did at Wimbledon 2004; perfectly! Anything less and Williams will romp home with a 16th major and become the oldest champion here in the Open Era.
These two players have dominated the year thus far. Williams is looking for her 6th title in her 7th final, whilst Sharapova looks for her third in her fifth. Williams has won her last 4 events, is on a 30 match winning streak and is unbeaten on clay, whilst Sharapova hasn't lost to a player other than Williams on clay since 2011!
Williams has dropped only 21 games en route to the final, whilst Sharapova has dropped two sets. Both have won the title before; if Williams wins it will be the longest gap between a first and second French Open title of all time, whilst Sharapova looks to become the first woman since Henin in 2007 to defend her title.
Williams leads the head to head series 13-2, having now won the last 12 since 2004! Though they are tied at 1-1 in major finals, Williams leads 3-1 in all majors, 5-2 in any final and 3-0 on clay. So far this year, 3 of Sharapova's losses have been to Williams. On top of this, Williams has won 15 of her 19 major finals, compared to Sharapova whose ratio is much closer at 4 won out of 7!
Sharapova can't lose her serve early; she must get ahead and stay there. The first serve percentage will be key so it must be high and Sharapova must use angles. She must play like she did at Wimbledon 2004; perfectly! Anything less and Williams will romp home with a 16th major and become the oldest champion here in the Open Era.
Thursday, 6 June 2013
Williams annihilates Errani, Sharapova outdoes Azarenka
The semi finals couldn't have been more opposite, but the expected two players progressed.
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Williams emphatically beat (5/5) Errani 60 61! Serena hit 40 winners to just 12 unforced errors in 46 minutes as she reached only her second French Open final. She couldn't do anything wrong, hitting winners from the back, the front, off drop shots and volleys! Errani was powerless, hitting merely two winners! Williams is on a completely different level and goes into the final with a 30 match winning streak. It was the most one sided Grand Slam semi since Wimbledon 2009, when the other Williams, Venus crushed the then number one ranked player Safina 61 60!
2/2 Sharapova edged (3/3) Azarenka 61 26 64 in a match that highlighted the most intense WTA rivalry. Sharapova started nervously as she was broken to love in the first game, but from there she took over entirely, forcing Azarenka into errors with her hard, deep returns. A few loose errors at 2-2 all in the second was enough though to let Azarenka back in it as the number 3 started finding her range. After a brief rain delay between the second and third sets, Azarenka looked set to have the momentum, but Sharapova's serve started to fire and she took a 5-2 lead. However, it wasn't over as Azarenka saved four match points to break Sharapova and ask the question again as she went on to hold. Sharapova didn't have to be asked twice though, serving it out at love with an ace. Sharapova offset 10 double faults with 11 aces, whilst Azarenka was left to rue too many baseline mishits under pressure. This takes Sharapova to 6-7 in her career head to head against Azarenka, though she's now won their last 2 meetings and all 3 on clay.
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Williams emphatically beat (5/5) Errani 60 61! Serena hit 40 winners to just 12 unforced errors in 46 minutes as she reached only her second French Open final. She couldn't do anything wrong, hitting winners from the back, the front, off drop shots and volleys! Errani was powerless, hitting merely two winners! Williams is on a completely different level and goes into the final with a 30 match winning streak. It was the most one sided Grand Slam semi since Wimbledon 2009, when the other Williams, Venus crushed the then number one ranked player Safina 61 60!
2/2 Sharapova edged (3/3) Azarenka 61 26 64 in a match that highlighted the most intense WTA rivalry. Sharapova started nervously as she was broken to love in the first game, but from there she took over entirely, forcing Azarenka into errors with her hard, deep returns. A few loose errors at 2-2 all in the second was enough though to let Azarenka back in it as the number 3 started finding her range. After a brief rain delay between the second and third sets, Azarenka looked set to have the momentum, but Sharapova's serve started to fire and she took a 5-2 lead. However, it wasn't over as Azarenka saved four match points to break Sharapova and ask the question again as she went on to hold. Sharapova didn't have to be asked twice though, serving it out at love with an ace. Sharapova offset 10 double faults with 11 aces, whilst Azarenka was left to rue too many baseline mishits under pressure. This takes Sharapova to 6-7 in her career head to head against Azarenka, though she's now won their last 2 meetings and all 3 on clay.
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Final predictions
I predict that...
Williams will comfortably beat Errani as she's never lost to the Italian and has beaten her recently on clay in Madrid.
The other semi's much tougher to call...
I think Sharapova will beat Azarenka because I feel that Maria is more confident on clay and is such a fighter on this surface, as her quarter final highlighted. I feel this match will be much closer though than the other semi.
Williams will comfortably beat Errani as she's never lost to the Italian and has beaten her recently on clay in Madrid.
The other semi's much tougher to call...
I think Sharapova will beat Azarenka because I feel that Maria is more confident on clay and is such a fighter on this surface, as her quarter final highlighted. I feel this match will be much closer though than the other semi.
Sharapova escapes Jankovic, Azarenka conquers Kirilenko
So, I guessed three out of the four quarter finals winners correctly!
(Rank/Seed)
2/2 Sharapova won a bizarre match against (18/18) Jankovic 06 64 63! Sharapova was missing by inches in the first set whilst Jankovic remained as solid as ever. It didn't seem possible but Jankovic seemed to have Sharapova beaten. Importantly, Sharapova won the first two games of the second and though Jankovic still made it tough, recovering from 1-5 to 4-5 in the second set, she had got into too deep a hole. The first 6 games of the third went with serve but there was always the feeling that Sharapova would come through, which she did in the end. Though she won, her forehand was worryingly erratic throughout but her movement was astonishing; at times she left Jankovic gobsmacked with the quality of her sharply angled returns. Maria moves into her 3rd successive semi here whilst the signs that Jankovic is destined to get back in the top ten remain constant.
3/3 Azarenka out toughed (12/12) Kirilenko 76(3) 62 to reach her first semi here. Nothing could separate them in the first set, not even an injury timeout Kirilenko took for a sore shoulder; whenever Azarenka broke, Maria broke straight back, including when Azarenka served for the first set at 6-5. However, in the tiebreaker Victoria's class shone through and in the end Kirilenko suffered behind her second serve. Regardless of the fact Kirilenko has now lost all 3 Grand Slam quarter finals she's played, she will move into the top 10 as of next week!
(Rank/Seed)
2/2 Sharapova won a bizarre match against (18/18) Jankovic 06 64 63! Sharapova was missing by inches in the first set whilst Jankovic remained as solid as ever. It didn't seem possible but Jankovic seemed to have Sharapova beaten. Importantly, Sharapova won the first two games of the second and though Jankovic still made it tough, recovering from 1-5 to 4-5 in the second set, she had got into too deep a hole. The first 6 games of the third went with serve but there was always the feeling that Sharapova would come through, which she did in the end. Though she won, her forehand was worryingly erratic throughout but her movement was astonishing; at times she left Jankovic gobsmacked with the quality of her sharply angled returns. Maria moves into her 3rd successive semi here whilst the signs that Jankovic is destined to get back in the top ten remain constant.
3/3 Azarenka out toughed (12/12) Kirilenko 76(3) 62 to reach her first semi here. Nothing could separate them in the first set, not even an injury timeout Kirilenko took for a sore shoulder; whenever Azarenka broke, Maria broke straight back, including when Azarenka served for the first set at 6-5. However, in the tiebreaker Victoria's class shone through and in the end Kirilenko suffered behind her second serve. Regardless of the fact Kirilenko has now lost all 3 Grand Slam quarter finals she's played, she will move into the top 10 as of next week!
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Serena survives Kuznetsova, Errani edges Radwanska
The top halves quarter finals today saw two intense battles and as I though may happen, one of the top 4 lost.
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Williams had her first real test against 2009 champion Kuznetsova, eventually winning 61 36 63. Williams started well as always, looking controlled. However, she got herself into a 0-4 hole in the second set and her temper frayed. Kuznetsova kept the same game plan; measured hitting with huge forehands every now and then and despite a noticeable stomach pain managed to hold onto her serve, twice coming from 0-40 down. By the third set, Williams was in an emotional state and was quickly down 0-2 and facing 3 break points in the third game. Each time though, Williams managed to stave it off and Kuznetsova's recent lack of big matches showed; she began missing and Williams won 5 straight games as her once errant game returned to its best. It's Serena's 29th straight win as she moves into her first semi here since 2003 having lost her last 4 quarter finals at this event.
5/5 Errani reached a second straight semi here with a 64 76(6) win over (4/4) Radwanska. It was a real battle of diversity; there was too many drop shots to count and both players utilised all corners of the court. It was Errani though who played better on the crucial points in windy conditions, winning 3 straight games from 2-3 down in the first to take a 5-3 lead. The second set was full of breaks (8 in total) as Errani came from 1-3 down to serve for the match at 5-4. Despite showing fine resistance, including winning an epic rally down match point, Radwanska often missed timed her shots when going for winning shots. This is Errani's first win over the Pole and a top 5 player!
(Rank/Seed)
1/1 Williams had her first real test against 2009 champion Kuznetsova, eventually winning 61 36 63. Williams started well as always, looking controlled. However, she got herself into a 0-4 hole in the second set and her temper frayed. Kuznetsova kept the same game plan; measured hitting with huge forehands every now and then and despite a noticeable stomach pain managed to hold onto her serve, twice coming from 0-40 down. By the third set, Williams was in an emotional state and was quickly down 0-2 and facing 3 break points in the third game. Each time though, Williams managed to stave it off and Kuznetsova's recent lack of big matches showed; she began missing and Williams won 5 straight games as her once errant game returned to its best. It's Serena's 29th straight win as she moves into her first semi here since 2003 having lost her last 4 quarter finals at this event.
5/5 Errani reached a second straight semi here with a 64 76(6) win over (4/4) Radwanska. It was a real battle of diversity; there was too many drop shots to count and both players utilised all corners of the court. It was Errani though who played better on the crucial points in windy conditions, winning 3 straight games from 2-3 down in the first to take a 5-3 lead. The second set was full of breaks (8 in total) as Errani came from 1-3 down to serve for the match at 5-4. Despite showing fine resistance, including winning an epic rally down match point, Radwanska often missed timed her shots when going for winning shots. This is Errani's first win over the Pole and a top 5 player!
Monday, 3 June 2013
Semi Final Predictions
So, my quarter final predictions weren't bad. I guessed 5 correctly, though those 5 women happen to be the top 5 in the world! As for Robson, Kanepi and Stosur, they let me down!
Here are my semi final predictions:
Williams vs Kuznetsova: William's closest test, but she'll win.
Radwanska vs Errani: Endless rallies, but Radwanska will out steady Errani.
Azarenka vs Kirilenko: Tricky match with plenty of breaks that Azarenka will win.
Sharapova vs Jankovic: A good test but nonetheless a win for Sharapova.
So, I predict the world's top 4 will meet in the semis. One of them is bound to fail now!
Here are my semi final predictions:
Williams vs Kuznetsova: William's closest test, but she'll win.
Radwanska vs Errani: Endless rallies, but Radwanska will out steady Errani.
Azarenka vs Kirilenko: Tricky match with plenty of breaks that Azarenka will win.
Sharapova vs Jankovic: A good test but nonetheless a win for Sharapova.
So, I predict the world's top 4 will meet in the semis. One of them is bound to fail now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)