Is a Major on the Horizon for Zvonareva?

Ranked #2 in the world and with her confidence riding high, twenty-six year old Russian, Vera Zvonareva is poised to win a Grand Slam title in 2011 and it might be in Australia.

Zvonareva recovered from a career-threatening sequence of injuries to become one of the biggest surprises of 2010, winning close to 50 matches and moving up the world rankings to a career high.  With a favorable draw in Melbourne until the quarter-finals when she may meet Samantha Stosur, Zvonareva feels this might be her time.

She reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals by beating leading players, including world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, US Open champion Kim Clijsters and former world number one Jelena Jankovic.
The Russian has one doubles and two mixed-doubles Grand Slam titles -- at Wimbledon and at the US Open -- but it's the singles major she wants.  To get this major, she might even cut down on some of her doubles play.  "I have to use my strength and make sure I'm fresh for the most important matches," she said. "And maybe I will cut down on doubles a little bit more this year, because it takes a lot of energy."

Zvonareva is a "thinking woman's" player and she hopes she won't analyze her game too much.  "I think when I play naturally I play my best tennis," she said after losing her first competitive match of 2011 at the Sydney International this week.

As for what it takes to be a grand slam champion, the Muscovite, who combines her tennis with studies for a postgraduate degree in international economic relations, had clearly given the subject plenty of thought.

"You have to know yourself well," she said. "You have to know how hard you want to work throughout those two weeks. What exactly do you have to do to bring your best in the last stages of the grand slams.

Zvonareva has been training hard and hopes she is peaking three Saturdays from now.

Davis, Harrison Claim Australian Open Spots

Although playing indoors in Atlanta, GA with temperatures outside windy and about 45 degrees may not seem like the ideal preparation for the blistering sun of the Australian Open, two young Americans had Georgia and Australia "on their mind" this weekend as they landed spots in the main draw at the 2011 Australian Open.

The United States Tennis Association gets one men's and one women's wildcard in the Austrailan Open in a wildcard exchange with Tennis Australia.

Lauren Davis, and amateur from Gates Mill, OH took the women's spot with a 6-2, 6-2 win over favored CoCo Vandeweghe.  Davis has been on quite a roll winning 27-straight matches in tournament competition, and she is hoping that roll continues in Australia.  "Depending on the draw, winning a round or two is realistic", said Davis.  Davis had only eight unforced errors in the match, while Vandeweghe struggled from the baseline.

Davis said the key for her was staying positive and not getting down on herself.  She was pleased with the way she handled Vandeweghe's serve.  Davis said she has never been to Australia, and when a reporter asked if she knew the Capital of Australia, she quickly answered "Sydney!"  Looks like she will learn a little more about our friends "down under", as well as tennis on her trip.

Ryan Harrison, one of the many bright young American men in the draw locked up the men's wildcard with a four-set victory over Jack Sock.  Harrison used his all-court game to defeat the Nebraska native 7-6, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4. 

For Harrison it will give him a chance to build on his U.S. Open success in another Grand Slam event.  Sock also has much to be proud of, he played well all weekend and his forehand was a weapon all weekend.  Harrison and Sock are both looking for major breakthroughs in 2011.  They are well on their way.

USTA Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs: Day 2 Men

Jack Sock drives a forehand

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The future of American men's tennis will be on display Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, and if you have a ticket, you are getting an early Christmas present.

Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock will be looking to earn a spot "Down Under", but with the tennis they have played this weekend, their stock is rising up and up.

Harrison, from Cortez, FL played his second collegiate opponent in as many days, and he edged out a .4-6, 6-2, 9-7 win over University of Tennessee sophomore Rhyne Williams. No tie-breaker is used in this single-elimination tournament, and Harrision wasn't concerned, "The U.S. Open is the only Slam that uses the tie-breaker to decide a match so I’m used to it. I had a couple of matches at the French Open that were long and had the chance to go the distance but I’ve actually never had to do it in the pros. But you want to prepare yourself anyway."

Sock, from Lincoln , Neb. , rolled his ankle up 3-2 in the second set against Denis Kudla of Arlington , Va. , and had to call a medical timeout, but was able to pull through. He started strong and closed out his rival Kudla 6-2, 7-5.

Following his win, Sock already had his sights set on Harrison, "Ryan’s a very good player and I just have to play my ‘A’ game. I’m going to have to play well to win the match." Sock had possibly his biggest win the round before defeating top-seeded Donald Young in three tough sets. Kudla congratulated Sock on the match win, "I thought I played horrible at the start of the match. But after his injury (at 3-2 down in the second set) I just kept thinking I could be the luckiest man alive because I should have easily been losing the way I was playing. But he dealt with the adversity well on his service games and I just didn’t do enough. He dealt with the pain fine."

Should be a "Super Sunday" of tennis tomorrow in Atlanta. The women's final will be followed by the men's finals. A trip to the Australian Open is at stake to the winner, but so far the big winner is American tennis.

USTA Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs: Women's Day 2

CoCo Vandeweghe is one match away from gaining entrance to the main draw at the 2011 Australian Open.  Vandeweghe's power game proved too much for Beatrice Capra today at the USTA Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs held at the Racquet Club of the South outside of Atlanta, GA.

Vandeweghe ended Capra's hopes with a 6-1, 6-4 victory. 

Vandeweghe will have her hands full with a youngster who is on quite a roll.  Fresh off a victory at the Dunlop Orange Bowl, Lauren Davis of Gates Mill, OH defeated Krista Hardebeck 6-2, 6-1 to earn her spot in the finals.  Davis said coming off her first round win yesterday that her legs felt a bit tired.  She will need to be in top form to stand up to the powerful Vandeweghe on these fast indoor courts.

Lauren Davis

USTA Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs: Day 1

Sixteen Americans today began three days of play for a coveted wildcard into the 2011 Australian Open in Melbourne.

It was a mix of players.  On the men's side, a couple college players mixed in with a few upcoming pros.  In the women's draw, players like CoCo Vandeweghe, Beatrice Capra and Jaime Hampton took to the courts with newcomers Madison Keys, Lauren Davis and Shelby Rogers.

Here's how the action went today:

On the women's side.  CoCo Vandeweghe bested Madison Keys 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 2010 Orange Bowl champ Lauren Davis overcame Jamie Hampton 7-5, 7-5, Beatrice Capra defeated Shelby Rogers 6-2, 6-3, and Krista Hardebeck outlasted Irina Falconi 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

In men's action, U.S. Open boys' champion Jack Sock upset top seed Donald Young 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-4.  Dennis Kudla overcame Jordan Cox 6-4, 6-3. Ryan Harrison, who won the event last year, edged Michael Shabaz 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 6-4 while Tennessee's Rhyne Williams defeated Tim Smyczek 6-4, 6-0.

Lauren DavisBeatrice Capra