Azarenka & Sharapova Sound Off In AO Final

By Erik Gudris Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

(January 26, 2012) “I’ll be back on a second Saturday. You’ll see.” - - Maria Sharapova after her first round loss at the 2010 Australian Open.

When Sharapova said that two years ago after her shocking upset to Maria Kirilenko, we should have known Sharapova would make good on her promise even though for awhile it looked liked the former champion, though all the way back in terms of recovering from shoulder surgery, was still very far away from being a clear contender for a Major again, much less having a shot at being No. 1.

When she was asked about that after her win yesterday over Petra Kvitova, she said, “Um, I mean, as positive as I always try to be, you always question what you're doing, obviously, because sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't. And especially just with the shoulder I think it was I knew some examples of some people that did not quite recover from surgery and that was a little frightening, but I really had no option.

So it was either give it a go or not do anything about it. Of course it took a long time and it was a process, but it was just something that was in my steps that I had to go through. And I did.”

The last time Sharapova was No. 1 back in May of 2008, Victoria Azarenka was ranked in the top 20. Though only two years younger than Sharapova, Azarenka was still very much on a learning curve with her game and her volatile emotions that would often overwhelm her on court should things not quite go her way. After winning Miami in 2009, Azarenka appeared poised to go even higher, but a succession of injuries, bad results, and a loss of passion for the game had the young Belarusian considering hanging up her rackets for good until a pep talk from her grandmother this time last year convinced her otherwise.

Azarenka, now a more mature player, is aware of her past and is even able to joke about it, a sign that’s she moved on. “I had, how do you call that, meltdowns? There you go. (Smiling.) Yeah, I had some. For sure you can see some on YouTube. But, you know, I grow as a player, I grow as a person, and I try to learn from my mistakes and make it better. So I'm proud of what I'm doing.”

Azarenka and Sharapova may have different personas on court (the “ice queen” vs. “crazy Vika”), different fashion styles (custom-designed skirts vs. short shorts) and different ways of grunting (screaming vs. a high-pitched hoo), but both players are very similar in that they came to America at a young age in hopes of a better opportunity, both turned pro very early and both, despite immediate success and fame, dealt with a low point in their careers where they thought tennis would no longer be a part of their life. Now they will meet in a match that could well determine the second part of their careers but also give them higher visibility and more opportunities that come with being No. 1.

The final itself will probably come down to who not only holds their serve but who will win the battle of dueling two handed backhands which is each player’s favorite shot. Nerves could play a factor too. Sharapova is known for being clutch when it matters, but what if her serve goes haywire just when she needs it the most? And if Azarenka got shaky serving out the semifinal against Kim Clijsters, how heavy will her arm feel if she has a chance to serve out the tournament?