Insider Podcast: Venus Vs Serena XXXVIII In Melbourne
WTA Insider | The Insider team previews the ninth Grand Slam final between Venus and Serena Williams; who will emerge victorious at the Australian Open?
WTA Insider | The Insider team previews the ninth Grand Slam final between Venus and Serena Williams; who will emerge victorious at the Australian Open?
Agnieszka Radwanska was the top seed in Stuttgart but upset by hometown hero Laura Siegemund in the semifinals. As the top seed in Madrid thanks to Serena Williams’ absence, can Radwanska live up to her lofty standing in the Spanish capital?
Here’s a look at the draw, quarter by quarter.
First quarter: Aga’s tough start
The draw gods were unkind to Radwanska, who has never been shy to admit that clay isn’t her favorite surface. Her opener comes against fellow Grand Slam finalist Dominika Cibulkova, also a former French Open quarterfinalist in the midst of rebuilding her ranking. When Radwanska and Cibulkova met in Indian Wells, it turned into a nearly three-hour classic edged by the former.
If she passes that difficult test, Aussie Open semifinalist Johanna Konta or Caroline Garcia — who likes to play on clay and seems to thrive in an underdog role — awaits. Her potential third-round foe? Well, it could be 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani. Should we keep going?
Svetlana Kuznetsova not only reached the final in Miami but was last year’s finalist in Madrid; Radwanska and Kuznetsova might tangle in the quarterfinals. Kuznetsova will be hoping the thigh injury she sustained in Prague is nothing serious.
Prediction: Cibulkova
Second quarter: Vika and the defending champion
Victoria Azarenka can play on clay, no question. But would the Belorussian have taken an extension to the hard-court swing? Maybe. She is riding a 15-match winning streak, dropping a measly four sets in the process. Azarenka became just the third women’s player to achieve the Sunshine Double, too. Given all of her success in 2016, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that there was heartbreak for Azarenka in Madrid 12 months ago. Three match points came and went against Williams, one of a trio of close matches she lost to her pal in a span of two and a half months.
Azarenka’s journey this year starts against Laura Robson, and in the second round another player returning from injury, Alizé Cornet, could feature versus the two-time Slam champ. A possible clash between Azarenka and defending champion Petra Kvitova looms in the quarterfinals.
Besides thriving in the quicker conditions in Madrid, Kvitova is sure to be buoyed by her performance in Stuttgart. Kvitova fell to eventual champion Angelique Kerber — but it was a high-quality contest between the lefties.
Prediction: Azarenka
Third quarter: Halep’s revival?
In 2013, Simona Halep needed a wildcard to play in Madrid. Those days are long gone. She doesn’t need wildcards anymore. But it isn’t the best of times for Halep. Injuries – and coming back from them – have proved to be, somewhat predictably, problematic. She sits 29th in the Road to Singapore standings. Could Madrid, where Halep made the final in 2014, mark a revival? Halep appears to have a nice path to the third round, although if the confidence is low and the body still not at 100%, the likes of Misaki Doi and Margarita Gasparyan shouldn’t be discounted.
Should she progress to that third round, Timea Bacsinszky could surface, and the Swiss ousted Halep in Miami. Garbiñe Muguruza finds herself at 35th in the Road to Singapore, going through a similar struggle as the Romanian. Muguruza, projected to play Halep in the quarterfinals, starts against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Schmiedlova broke through in 2015 but the Slovak can’t buy a win at the moment (199th in the Road).
Yet another younger player seeking an upturn, Eugenie Bouchard, might confront Muguruza in the second round. Karolina Pliskova, however, is the form player of the section.
Prediction: Pliskova
Fourth quarter: Surging Kerber
She was already a Grand Slam winner, but Kerber achieved a significant feat in Stuttgart: For the first time in her career, the 28-year-old successfully defended a title. Not only did Kerber repeat, but she did so in style, playing sizzling tennis from the quarterfinals onwards.
Now Kerber’s task is to put aside Stuttgart and refocus on Madrid. Last year, fresh off her success at home, Kerber fell in her opener. Mind you, it was an especially difficult pairing — with 2010 French Open finalist Samantha Stosur. The versatile Barbora Strycova – a loser to Stosur in Prague this week – is Kerber’s foe on this occasion. Strycova is certainly no slouch.
Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens or Daria Kasatkina, a trio from the younger guard, may line up against Kerber in the ensuing rounds. Kerber and Keys have already met five times, with the elder of the two holding a 4-1 advantage. Lucie Safarova picked up a maiden 2016 win in Prague this week and hasn’t stopped, making the final in her home country. Safarova and Carla Suarez Navarro – one of Kerber’s victims in Stuttgart – are on a collision course in the third round.
Prediction: Kerber
Semifinals: Azarenka, Kerber
Winner: Azarenka
Happy Chinese New Year, and welcome to the year of the rooster! The 12 years of the Chinese Zodiac are represented by animals – which players are roster? Find out here.
MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams broke the Open Era record for Grand Slam titles on Saturday night, beating her older sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 to win her record-setting seventh Australian Open title. Her 23rd major title moved her past Stefanie Graf’s record of 22 and puts her just one shy of the all-time record of 24 majors, set by Australia’s Margaret Court.
But in a career that has spanned three separate decades, having won her first major in the 90s (1999 US Open), 10 more in the 2000s, and 12 in the aughts, Serena stands alone as the greatest tennis player the game has ever seen.
Saturday night’s blockbuster final at Melbourne Park was a celebration of greatness, revolution, and longevity. There was nothing more poetic than for Serena to finally capture No.23 – she fell short in her last attempt at the US Open last fall – with Venus by her side. The Williams sisters took the sport by storm when they turned pro as teenagers in the late 90s. Venus got the ball rolling, but it was Serena who carried it.
“There’s no way I would be at 23 without her, there is no way I would be at 1 without her, there’s now way I would have anything without her. She’s my inspiration. She’s the only reason I’m standing here today, the only reason the Williams sisters exist. So thank you, Venus, for inspiring me to be the best player I could be.”
As Venus joked in her speech on court, she had a front row seat for Serena’s 23 major titles, whether because she was on the court – she is now 7-8 in Slam finals with seven of those losses coming to her sister – or playing the role of cheerleader in the players’ box. Together they now hold 30 major singles titles.
? @serenawilliams' Grand Slam singles titles@AustralianOpen: ???????@rolandgarros: ???@Wimbledon: ???????@usopen: ?????? pic.twitter.com/ThqFAW7C95
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
“I don’t think we’re going for the greatest story in sports,” Venus said, when asked how she reacts whenever the reference is made. “We’re just going for some dreams. In the case that we are, what an honor.
“What an honor.”
Melbourne belongs to Serena, who in addition to breaking the Open Era record for major titles, also reclaimed her position atop the rankings, overtaking last year’s champion Angelique Kerber at No.1. But 23 was the number of the day. Before taking to the podium to accept her trophy, Serena switched out her match shoes for a pair of Nike Air 23s, an homage to another great sporting champion, Michael Jordan.
“His Airness” wrote her a letter, delivered on the set of ESPN, congratulating on her record-breaking feat.
???#AusOpen #Serena pic.twitter.com/etQVXxfCDP
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
Aside from sending every record book back to the printer, Slam No.23 puts Serena firmly ahead of the woman to whom her domination is often compared in Stefanie Graf. Both women showed incredible dominance – Graf remains the last palyer to complete the Calendar Slam – and the German still holds the record for weeks at No.1, at 377 (Serena trails at 309 weeks). But this is where Serena’s longevity reigns supreme.
“My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of,” Serena said. “I couldn’t have written a better story. I just feel like it was the right moment. Everything kind of happened. It hasn’t quite set in yet, but it’s really good.”
.@WilsonTennis (via Mary Joe Fernandez) present @serenawilliams w/ a special golden racquet on the occasion of Grand Slam No. 23 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/0VIgFhN2SA
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
Graf’s glorious career ended in 1999 at the age of 30. By contrast, Serena has won 10 major titles after the age of 30. At 35 years old she continues to be the standard against whom all others are measured, and given her performance over the fortnight in Melbourne, that window is not closing anytime soon.
En route to the title, Serena faced down four current or former Top 10 players and did not lose a set, never once even going to a tie-break. In five of her matches she finished with more winners than unforced errors.
This was a relaxed and focused Serena. And a stress-free Serena is a dangerous one.
“I feel like my game is good,” Serena said. “I was thinking yesterday on the practice court that gosh, I’m playing better than I have ever. I thought, man, I’m hitting pretty well. It felt really good to know that I’m playing better and I’m here to take this game pretty seriously.”
Team Serena celebrates the new ? addition to the family! ?#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/JRtpjnIWiY
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
Numbers won’t matter much for Serena going forward. But they also don’t lie. As she repeatedly insists, she is playing with house money and everything from here on out is a bonus. From the outside, the focus will shift to the prospect of eclipsing Court’s record of 24 major titles. It’s a nice goal, but whether she beats it or not will have zero impact on her legacy.
“I’ve been trying to live it (play stress-free) for quite some time now, but definitely I agree that this tournament I was really able to do it even though I was trying to do it and trying and trying. I think having to play those two matches in the first two rounds, I had no choice but to be better.
“I really was OK with, not losing, but I knew that I didn’t have to win here to have to make my career. For whatever reason that settled with me this time. I don’t know why. I wish I could tell you. I want to know because I definitely want to do that next time,” she said with a laugh.
#Serena on GOAT talk: “Between Martina [Navratilova], myself, Steffi Graf — hands down we are leading that conversation.” #AusOpen
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
Outside of Billie Jean King, no woman – or women, if you rightfully include Venus – has had more impact on the women’s game. They introduced and perfected the power game. They forced the rest of the field to match their intensity and physicality. In elevating their status as pop culture icons they elevated the game, bringing what was traditionally considered a country-club sport to the masses.
And they did it by marching to the beat of their drummer, faltering and flying on their own specific terms.
Simona Halep aims to rebound from an early exit at the Australian Open amidst a stacked field at the St. Peterburg Ladies Trophy while Elina Svitolina headlines the Taiwan Open.
Venus Williams speaks to the media before her opening match at the St Petersburg Ladies Open.
Elina Svitolina had Wednesday’s shot of the Day at the Taiwan Open.
Top seed Elina Svitolina played Lucie Hradecka for a place in the Taiwan Open quarterfinals.
Kristina Mladenovic takes on Roberta Vinci in the quarterfinals of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Venus Williams’ run at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy might have come to an abrupt end earlier in the week, but the former World No.1 still took time to take in the sights in the culture capital of Russia.
“This is a place I want to be, and have always wanted to visit because of the historic value, and because it’s a beautiful city,” Venus told press ahead of her participation in the tournament.
“I’m really interested in the local fashion and the designers here because I like to be inspired by different cultures. Those two things are on the top of my list.”
The Australian Open finalist took the opportunity to visit some of St. Petersburg most iconic cultural landmarks, like the Fabergé Museum and the famous Church On Spilled Blood:
After her excursion, Venus took some time with her many Russian fans in an absolutely mobbed autograph session:
– Photos courtesy of St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy