STATISFACTION: Top WTA Returners Seeking Record Numbers

Victoria Azarenka and Sara Errani could end up winning more than half of their return games in 2012.

By Chris Oddo

Victoria Azarenka could finish the 2012 season with winning for than half of her return games.

(October 3, 2012) -- NUMBER CRUNCH: No WTA player has finished a season winning more than half of their return games in a season over the last five years, and since the WTA didn’t compile year-end stats for any years before 2008, it’s feasible that we could be looking at Victoria Azarenka and Sara Errani as having the best return seasons in the history of the Open Era.

Anybody who's watched the women’s game evolve over the last few years has seen the level of returning rise across the board. Once a method of weathering the storm until a player could get back to the service stripe, the shot has evolved into a bona fide weapon for the tour's top players. Thanks to advancements in fitness, and racquet and string technology, women are more aggressive, more confident, and more powerful than ever with their return games.

This year, Victoria Azarenka, always a fantastic returner (top two in return games won in each of the last four years), and Sara Errani have been taking the return to a new level.

Here’s a look at the top two returners, in terms of return games won, for 2008 through 2012.

***2012 stats through Sep 24, courtesy of WTA Media

Player	Year	% Return Games Won	Matches
1. Jankovic 2. Dementieva	2008	1. 48.4 2. 48.1	1. 80 2. 69
1. Azarenka 2. Sharapova	2009	1. 49.5 2. 48.6	1. 60 2. 40
1. Dementieva 2. Azarenka	2010	1. 48.3 2. 47.8	1. 56 2. 62
1. Sharapova 2. Azarenka	2011	1. 49.7 2. 49.0	1. 56 2. 72
1. Errani 2. Azarenka	2012***	1. 52.4 2. 51.4	1. 65 2. 61