Home > Tennis > Comeback queens Clijsters and Henin must keep an eye on Azarenka
by Chris Goldsmith on 09 November 2009
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With 13 of the WTA tour's top 21 ranked players aged 25 or over, it's time for the new generation of talent to shake up the likes of the Williams sisters, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, especially at the four Grand Slam events.
Next season I expect big things from one girl in particular - Victoria Azarenka. She has the looks of a champion - and all the tennis skill needed to be a champion sooner rather than later.
Azarenka started 2009 just inside the world's top 20, having had a consistent 2008. She can play on any surface and her extreme power from the baseline enables the Belarussian to dominate her opponents.
Once she gets ahead in a match she can often steamroll her rivals, especially the lower-ranked players, without breaking into a sweat.
Also she is not afraid of playing the world's best. This year she has wins against Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, Caroline Wozniacki, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Serbia's former world number ones Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic.
Azarenka was unlucky to have to retire against Serena in the fourth round of the Australian Open, winning the first set before retiring in the second.
The best tournament victory of her career came at the end of March in Miami where when dominated from the first round, dropping only one set in the six matches she played and gaining revenge over Serena by destroying the world No.1 in the final, 6-3 6-1.
Williams had no answer to the power of Azarenka and at 19, the Belarussian came of age on the tennis court.
However, she did show a few nerves in falling to Safina in the French Open quarter-finals, having led by a set, and also showed she still needs to work on her grass court game when she was easily dispatched by Serena in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
Azarenka fell away in the second half of the year and what seemed like an easy passage to a top five WTA ranking hit a stumbling block with a shock defeat at the US Open to Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone, followed by a string of tough tournament draws.
She lost close matches to Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova, both on the way back to top-class tennis.
Azarenka will have a lot of points to defend in the early part of 2010, but if she can start the season fit and confident then there is no reason why she can't defend these points and even progress along the way.
But it will not be easy. There are eight women inside the current top 22 on the WTA tour who have reached No.1 in the world. Add the returning Justine Henin to the equation and I think 2010 could be exciting for tennis spectators.
But I feel that Azarenka has something special. She has the serve, the strokes and the tennis mind of a potential champion. She is my player to watch in 2010 and even though there may be many fans who don't know much about the 20-year-old, they soon will.
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Comments (16)
by carl jones on November 09, 2009
has thrown away a few matches but defo a contender
by russian on November 09, 2009
Azarenka, Wozniacki and Pavyluchenkova will be strong next year. Kim and Justine should be too much for Serena.
by henin fan on November 09, 2009
go belgium
by Paul on November 09, 2009
Azarenka was labeled the next major winner after her win over injured Serena Williams in Miami but she hasn't lived up to expectations since then. After getting thrashed by Serena in Wimbledon her results became mediocre. Victoria lost a lot of matches after being a set and at least one break of serve up. She needs to control her emotions and if she can do that nobody except for a few elite playes will be a problem for her.
by Andrew Broad on November 09, 2009
You can't say of many players that Serena Williams doesn't have an answer to their power! Vika is a very talented player, with power, brilliant angles, and touch. She reminds me a lot of Maria Sharapova in the way she plays, looks, and sounds! Vika certainly has the potential to win a Major if she can learn to control her emotions. I saw her play at this year's French Open and Wimbledon, and at times she looked distraught. She gets too upset about mistakes, whereas Maria just turns to the back fence and erases them.
on November 09, 2009 on November 09, 2009
i agree. if she can get the nerves out the way, winning one slam may really open up her game
by David on November 09, 2009
I actually thought her grass court game looked very good and there's only a handful of players i'd say are better than her right now on that surface. In the QF's of Wimbledon she came up against Serena playing probably her best match in 2 and a half years since the Australian open 2007 final against Sharapova. I don't think anyone currently on tour could have beaten her that day in that sort of form. I agree Azarenka has all the makings of a future champion and the areas i think she needs to work on the most are undoubtedly her serve and controlling her emotions better. The future looks bright for her though and I look forward to seeing her build on this years success'.
by gillian on November 09, 2009
i think she could be a future no1
by tenisfanatico on November 09, 2009
vicki is talent. we not seen best yet.
by Anson Le on November 09, 2009
Azarenka reminds me of a young Hanchuchova...can be brilliant but way too unpredictable to be a true consistent top contender.
by mike on November 10, 2009
Azarenka has definitely got the game to get to win slam soner rather than later
by jazzyjeff on November 10, 2009
i agree, the best chance of success in womens tennis is confidence and consistency. if she is going to be like hantuchova she is going to be an underachiever
by Masha Fan on November 11, 2009
Didn't a pretty tired Masha beat Azarenka in China? <A href=http://www.crunchsports.com/category/Tennis/Maria -Sharapova-vs-Victoria-Azarenka--WTA-China-Results-20 0910060023/>Maria Sharapova vs Victoria Azarenka - WTA China Results</A> 2010 could be a great Masha year - All her Grand Slam successes happened in even numbered years (2004 - 2006 and 2008) - Maybe she'll manage to win in Roland Gaross in spite of all the odds against her? - That would be a real big bang!
by David on November 11, 2009
I'm not sure Masha was really that tired from a few days rest after a short forfeited final from not far away in Tokyo. It was her first match after all and Azarenka's second of the tournament. Azarenka should have won that though too from having a 5-2 lead in the deciding set only to lose 7-5. If she improved her first serve she wouldn't have half the trouble closing out the matches that she does right now. Hopefully that'l be what she works on in the off season because i think that's the only thing stopping her from being a regular QF/SF in grand slams at the moment.
by paul on November 12, 2009
she will find it hard but certainly has the talent
by cindy on November 13, 2009
i don't think azarenka is a threat, kim and justine are more experienced and better players.... 2010 will be a year of great tennis with kim and justine in the limelight, as a great fan of them, i wish them well and Justine go and win your Wimbledon next year...good luck
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