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Sharapova and a mystery player!Favourite Player Countdown - Almost Ready to start!
It is tough deciding who your top 15 favourite players are! Well my top 9 are pretty much set in stone but is has been tough deciding 10-15 and in fact the final order is still in doubt.
But a full profile of No.15 will be coming soon but first as a clue here she is in the above picture - hint she is not the woman who had just won Roland Garros in June 2012........................
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Friday, 22 March 2013
Favourite Player Countdown - Almost Ready to start!
Looking back on Indian Wells 2013
| Sharapova was in top gear in California |
Looking back on Indian Wells 2013
The Sony Open Tennis is already well underway in Miami but I cannot not comment on another terrific tournament at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in the Californian desert.
The 2013 BNP Paribas Open brought many thrills and spills but in my book these were the highlights:
Red hot Sharapova - The Russian looked awesome in her 6-2 6-2 demolition of Wozniacki in the final slamming 32 winners past the Dane. Back to World No.2 after her 28th career title she showed that Serena and Vika have company at the top.
Rafa's back - Hot on the heels of two clay court titles the mighty Spaniard took out Federer, Berdych and Del Potro to take a record 22nd Masters 1000 title. Impressive stuff after so long away and his next tournament is Monte Carlo and he's played ok there in the past.
| The Del Potro forehand was on fire |
Mighty Del Potro - Victories over Murray and Djokovic and a 6-4 3-1 lead against Rafa in the final showed that Del Potro is on track to regain his place in the top 5.
With that sledgehammer forehand he is the next best, when on form, after the big 4.
Roger vs Rafa is still thrilling - Yes their quarter final meeting was not a thrilling match or a great contest in their storied rivalry but there is no doubting that when Federer and Nadal take to the court to do battle it is still a special event for tennis fans.
Comeback Girls - I was impressed by my comeback ladies Kimiko Date-Krumm and Mirjana Lucic- Baroni. The Japanese legend won a tight one against the heavy hitting Voskoboeva before leading Vesnina 6-3 4-2 and losing in three.
Lucic-Baroni qualified and saw off Parmentier before falling in three sets to Wickmayer, again after leading by a set and a break.
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Monday, 11 March 2013
Favourite Player Countdown - Honourable Mentions
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| JMDP crushing that monster forehand - an awesome sight |
Favourite Player Countdown - Honourable Mentions
I love a countdown more than most so being a tennis blog it makes sense that my first countdown will be of my favourite players - those players that have inspired me, thrilled me and had me biting my nails on the edge of my seat. Players that i've cheered for, screamed for and cried for.
So between now and the end of 2013 I'm going to countdown my top 15 favourite players looking at why I love them, when it started and my favourite matches of theirs.
There will be retired players, active players, Grand Slam Champions and players without a career singles title. (My overall bias towards women's tennis will inevitably come through!)
So before the project gets going proper I'll go through five players who just missed the cut but deserve an honourable mention.
In alphabetical order:
Jennifer Capriati - the American had a rollercoaster career including one of the greatest comeback stories the sport has ever seen. I'm a sucker for a great comeback tale.
Her back to back Australian Open final victories against Hingis will live long in the memory, particularly the 2002 victory from the jaws of defeat where she clawed her way back from 4-6, 0-4 and fended off four championships points.
The incredible 2003 US Open semi-final versus Henin will go down as one of the great matches this century.
Juan Martin Del Potro - Watching the giant Argentinean slam that sledgehammer forehand is one of the great sights of the modern game. Awesome is the word. Nobody could watch Del Potro going after his shots and tell me he is not exciting to watch.
I hope that he will take another major title before the end of his career. When he's on top of his form he's the fifth best player right now after Djokovic, Federer, Murray and Nadal.
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| Edberg - one of the greatest ever volleyers |
Stefan Edberg - The Swedish legend was such a beautiful player to watch. I was lucky enough to watch him play for the final time at Queen's Club in his retirement year 1996.
Edberg had such style and attacking verve at the net and was such a nice character to root for and get behind. The six-time Slam Champ also gets extra points for being my Mum's favourite.
Flavia Pennetta - The Italian is a player I've really enjoyed watching the last few years and find it easy to support. Very talented and with a great feisty spirit she brings a good mix of attacking and consistent tennis.
I find myself sometimes wishing it had been her and not Schiavone that had broken through and taken a Slam. Still Flavia cracked the top 10 and has been a US quarter finalist three times - hopefully there will still be more to come.
Todd Woodbridge - I loved the Woodies, a truly magnificent doubles team. However it was always Woodbridge who was my favourite.
Perhaps it was because he always looked 19, even in his 30s, or the fact that he went onto win with Jonas Bjorkman but Woodbridge was always a wonderfully talented player who I loved to watch, especially on the lawns at SW19.
Coming soon - No.15 in the countdown!
Sunday, 10 March 2013
WTA highlights while i've been away
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| Kvitova was on great form in Dubai |
March 11th - WTA highlights while i've been away
After a month off Forehand Passing Shots is back! I've been off running my own eight day amateur tournament and diving into a busy new job but now my attention is well and truly back on the pro game and a lot has been happening in the last four weeks.
Tomorrow I'll look at the ATP World Tour but here is a keep recap of recent headlines on the WTA tour.
Serena back in Pole Position
In Doha Serena Williams completed her climb back to the summit by reclaiming the World No.1 ranking for the first time since October 2010.
While i'm sure the 31 year-old American would have prefered, as expected, to have regained the top spot with her 16th major title in Melbourne it is nonetheless just reward for a truly spectacular twelve months that has seen Serena produce some of the best tennis of her career
Williams did not have a golden end to her week in Doha though as in the final outgoing World No.1 and Aussie Open champ Victoria Azarenka scored her first win over Serena since Miami 2009.
Serena is just 40 points clear of Azarenka at present and the top spot will very much be up for grabs again when both our in action in Miami.
Red hot Kvitova returns in Dubai
When Petra Kvitova is on, really on, I maintain that she is the second best player in the world after Serena. In recent weeks she has displayed a return to that form that took her to the 2011 Wimbledon title and within sight of the No.1 ranking early last year.
The Czech left-hander led Serena 4-1 in the third in their Doha quarter final, the victory that sealed Williams' return to the top ranking, and then was very impresive in taking the crown in Dubai.
Kvitova swept past Agnieszka Radwanska and Caroline Wozniacki before surviving a wobble against in-form Sara Errani to come through 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 in the final.
Errani on form - after hard court finals in Paris and Dubai the Italian won her first title of the year back on her beloved clay in Acapulco and overtook Radwanksa for most wins in 2013 in the process.
JJ ends title drought - Jelena Jankovic had lost five WTA singles finals since last tasting victory at Indian Wells three years ago. But the former World No.1 snapped that streak with a title run at Bogotá.
Heather hits the 30s - British No.1 Heather Watson cracked the top 40 for the first time on 25th February by reaching a new career high of No.39. The tantalising prospect of Watson being seeded at Roland Garros or Wimbledon is a real possibility.
Annie K at last reaches a final - after years of semi-final heartbreak former British No.1 Anne Keothavong reached her first WTA final at the inaugural Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianopolis.
The Londoner partnered Valeria Savinykh to reach the doubles final before falling to the experience of Anabel Medina Garrigues and Yaroslava Shvedova.
Cornet wins memorable marathon - Alize Cornet may not have won the title in Acapulco but the Frenchwoman secured one of the most memorable wins of 2013 en route to a semi-final finish.
Cornet survived an amazing NINE match points against Lourdes Dominguez Lino in their quarter final before winning by the narrowest of margins 3-6, 7-6(12-10), 7-6(7-2) after three and a half hours of battle.
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