Road to the U.S. Open: Maria Sharapova Returns, Williams Sisters and Kim Clijsters Set to Dominate By Nadya Vlassoff
After
a 10-month layoff to recover from shoulder surgery,
Maria Sharapova has finally confirmed that she's
ready to stage a proper comeback even though Sharapova
has already played in four tournaments since her
official return several months ago. Sharapova,
a former world #1 and 3-time Grand Slam champion,
played in both the French Open and Wimbledon this
year but was unable to replicate her dominating
form prior to hitting the off-court sidelines.
At Roland Garros, Maria Sharapova couldn't advance to the quarter-finals and sparked debate over whether she'd be able to return to her winning ways so quickly after coming back from injury. The Sharapova debate was short-lived as Dominka Cibulkova ousted Maria in straight sets after four straight 3-set matches on her march into the second week. At Wimbledon, Maria Sharapova had a disappointing showing after falling in the second round to Gisela Dulko in three sets. As fans and tennis critics noticed, Sharapova's service game was inconsistent and will certainly be the biggest factor in her return if Maria hopes to be a force at the U.S. Open, the last grand slam tournament of the year.
Kim
Clijsters, who retired from professional tennis
in 2007 due to nagging injuries, has finally
made her comeback a reality after asking U.S.
Open tournament organizers for a wild-card entry.
Clijsters won her one and only grand slam title
at Flushing Meadows in 2005 when she beat a
slew of top 10 ranked players in her road to
victory, which included Venus Williams in the
quarter-finals and Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals.
In the final, Clijsters faced the resurgent
Frenchwoman, Mary Pierce who put up little resistance
against the dominant Belgian. The rivalry between
Kim Clijsters and compatriot, Justine Henin
was one of the biggest draws in the WTA until
Clijsters was forced to pull out of competitive
play due to injuries, primarily a nagging wrist
injury she incurred in 2006. With Clijsters
back in the line-up and playing at Cincinnati
at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's
Open, plus in Toronto at the Roger's Cup, fans
will get a glimpse at the kind of game Kim Clijsters
can bring to the competitive tennis table. Perhaps
this year the road to the U.S. Open victory
may end with another name besides Williams.
However, the Williams name can't be ignored Venus and Serena Williams round out the top contenders for the 2009 U.S. Open. Going into Flushing Meadows, it's almost a forgone conclusion that Venus and Serena will advance into the second week. Serena Williams has ferociously dominated the hard court circuit, namely the grand slam tournaments. Serena is the returning U.S. Open champion and the reigning Australian Open champion in both singles and doubles.
Venus
Williams, on the other hand, has faltered in
recent years on hard court despite being a major
yet unpredictable force to be reckoned with.
At the Australian Open in 2009, the little known
Spaniard, Carla Suarrez-Navarro, ousted Venus
in the second round in a shocking upset. But
Venus still dominates the women's tour with
one of the biggest service games and is capable
of hitting clean winners from a variety of challenging
angles. Although Venus has improved her net
game, thanks in large part to her solid doubles
play, it'll take a lot more than just a few
good first serves for Williams to find her winning
ways from 1999 when she won the U.S. Open a
decade ago.
The WTA is getting a much needed boost with the return of two of its former stars, as Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters are both coming back from injury to try and reclaim the taste of victory. Both women are former champions at Flushing Meadows but victory will be no easy task in such a crowded field. However, like the Williams sisters, Sharapova and Clijsters know what it takes to win. Hopefully the WTA can capitalize on the returning champions in order to lure back fans that may have lost interest in the unpredictably competitive field of the WTA. Along with Sharapova, Clijsters, and both Venus and Serena Williams, a slew of other hard court hopefuls are looking to finally make a name for themselves, including Elena Dementieva, current #1 Dinara Safina, and the still determined Jelena Jankovic.
Good article, except that Venus won the US Open in 2000 and 2001. She reached the semi-finals in 1999, the year Serena won.
People always site the fact that Venus hasn't won the open in 9 seasons but she has NEVER lost at the open before The round of 16, and that only happened once. She has the best record there of any active player. She is unpredictable and not the favorite but she can still win and I truly want her to.
Go Venus
After
a 10-month layoff to recover from shoulder surgery,
Maria Sharapova has finally confirmed that she's
ready to stage a proper comeback even though Sharapova
has already played in four tournaments since her
official return several months ago. Sharapova,
a former world #1 and 3-time Grand Slam champion,
played in both the French Open and Wimbledon this
year but was unable to replicate her dominating
form prior to hitting the off-court sidelines.
Kim
Clijsters, who retired from professional tennis
in 2007 due to nagging injuries, has finally
made her comeback a reality after asking U.S.
Open tournament organizers for a wild-card entry.
Clijsters won her one and only grand slam title
at Flushing Meadows in 2005 when she beat a
slew of top 10 ranked players in her road to
victory, which included Venus Williams in the
quarter-finals and Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals.
In the final, Clijsters faced the resurgent
Frenchwoman, Mary Pierce who put up little resistance
against the dominant Belgian. The rivalry between
Kim Clijsters and compatriot, Justine Henin
was one of the biggest draws in the WTA until
Clijsters was forced to pull out of competitive
play due to injuries, primarily a nagging wrist
injury she incurred in 2006. With Clijsters
back in the line-up and playing at Cincinnati
at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's
Open, plus in Toronto at the Roger's Cup, fans
will get a glimpse at the kind of game Kim Clijsters
can bring to the competitive tennis table. Perhaps
this year the road to the U.S. Open victory
may end with another name besides Williams.
Venus
Williams, on the other hand, has faltered in
recent years on hard court despite being a major
yet unpredictable force to be reckoned with.
At the Australian Open in 2009, the little known
Spaniard, Carla Suarrez-Navarro, ousted Venus
in the second round in a shocking upset. But
Venus still dominates the women's tour with
one of the biggest service games and is capable
of hitting clean winners from a variety of challenging
angles. Although Venus has improved her net
game, thanks in large part to her solid doubles
play, it'll take a lot more than just a few
good first serves for Williams to find her winning
ways from 1999 when she won the U.S. Open a
decade ago.