Good Article: Asian Influence on WTA Tour

Gppd read here from the Citi Open in Washington D.C.

The Asian players on the WTA Tour are becoming more in numbers.  It seems even more then the men on the ATP World Tour.

Here's a good read:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/at-citi-open-and-on-the-wta-tour-there-is-a-growing-asian-influence/2014/07/30/bb76357e-17f4-11e4-9349-84d4a85be981_story.html

Australian Open Day 8: Match of the Day

Ana Ivanovic vs. Petra Kvitova

On paper it looks like it could be a good matchup.

Petra Kvitova comes into the match looking for her first career win over Ivanovic.  Ivanovic has a 3-0 career edge, but they haven't played since 2009.

Kvitova had a scare in her last round and Ivanovic looks in good form.

Kvitova has been my pick to win the tournament and if she is going to, I expect her to turn in on in this match.

Look for three sets, but Kvitova pulling away at the end.

U.S. Open Match to Watch: Day 6

Someone was going to draw Serena Williams in the 3rd round and it happened to be Victoria Azarenka.

This has the potential to be the match of the tournament on the women's side and it will be at about 3pm on Ashe Stadium Court.

Serena holds the career edge over Azarenka 5-1, including three wins at Grand Slam events.  Serena won the matchup earlier this summer in Toronto, and I like Serena again here in two tough sets.

Here's the tale of the tape:

Photos from USTA Women's Circuit Event in Atlanta

The heat is on in Atlanta and on the tennis courts of the Norman Wilkerson Memorial Tournament women's event held all this week outside of Atlanta at The Falls of Autrey Mill.

A lot of young players on hand and the action will be intense.

Here's a sample:

Caroline Price, the daughter of former NBA All-Star sharp-shooter Mark Price.

Caroline Price is heading to UNC this fallJunior player Peyton GollhoferMichaela KissellOne of the Ellison Sisters, Roxanne, who plays for San Diego St.Joanna MatherCC Sardinha of Oklahoma St.Skylar Kuykendall won a 3 hour + marathon todayPlay will continue all week with American player Lauren Davis as the top seed.

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.