By Erik Gudris
(January 21, 2012) Here’s a brief look back at some of the women who made the most impact during the first week of the Australian Open.
Play It Again, Sam
Despite the brave words and positive attitude Sam Stosur expressed in the lead-up to this year’s Australian Open, an nervous undercurrent was palpable from the U.S Open champion who hoped to be a contender for her country’s Major despite all the massive expectation placed on her by the local press and fans. But it turned out that the heaviest burden placed on Sam’s shoulders was from the Queensland native herself as evidenced by her stunning first round loss to Sorana Cirstea. Stosur never looked comfortable at all in that match on Rod Laver Arena, almost as if she wanted to be anywhere else rather than be surrounded by 15,000 Aussie fans who wanted nothing more than for her to win.
Stosur’s self-inflicted pressure to do well in front of the home crowd seems more acute than for any other Australian player in recent memory. In fact, since she’s climbed the singles rankings in the last two years, her performances in Melbourne have become more and more dismal. Perhaps next time around, Stosur should just simply enjoy each moment of playing on the blue plexicushion courts and not worry about winning the title or even being a contender. By removing the heavy weight she carries of trying to exceed her own expectations, Stosur just might finally live up to those placed on her from all sides for the few short weeks she spends down under.
Shorter Shorts But a Longer Fuse
Victoria Azarenka raised a few eyebrows when she stepped out on the court for her first round match against Heather Watson wearing a pair of what could be only described as “short shorts”. She raised a few more along with a chorus of boos during her third round match against Mona Barthel after the volatile Belarusian spat out a few choice words to the umpire about questionable calls. Azarenka has always been known for letting her emotions get the better of her, but lately she’s been keeping them bottled up, letting them out only when needed to fire herself up in a tight match.
Die-hard fans who learned to not only love Azarenka’s game but her personality may be saying “I miss crazy Vika” more often in the last six months, but even they know that Azarenka’s new maturity is what has turned her from a pretender to a contender for Majors now. Azarenka’s brash personality on court will still rub some fans the wrong way and her trademark high-pitched wail will make others plug their ears, but in a sea of players with similar personalities and games, the sport needs Vika’s “rock and roll” brand of tennis more than ever.
Raising the Flag
Serena Williams may once again be the last American standing in Melbourne, but this week we saw a few signs of hope from young U.S. players that someday soon Williams won’t be the only one holding up the Stars and Stripes during the second week of a Major.
Vania King repeated her best ever result by reaching the third round while Christina McHale continues to prove she could reach the top 20 soon enough. But it may be young Sloane Stephens, who lost a tough two-set match to Svetlana Kuznetsova, that might be the American to watch all year. Stephens, who really hasn’t played that much since the U.S. Open, looked fitter and proved going up against the very best doesn’t faze her at all. Watch for Stephens to make some big moves in 2011.
Still The One
It’s hard to think of a No. 1 seed and also a World No. 1 going under the radar for the first week of the Australian Open, but that’s what happening with Caroline Wozniacki who few expect either to hang on to her top ranking or win the title once play ends next week. And maybe that’s a good thing for the affable Dane who this time last year was not only dealing with the repeated jabs from the media of being a “Slamless Wonder” but also a mini-PR fiasco due to her imaginary run-in with a vicious kangaroo.
Wozniacki, who likes being No.1 and the spotlight it brings, though harsh at times, might just embrace her “non-favorite” status, giving her the freedom to swing away while her opponents deal with the burden of being expected to win over the “undeserving” No. 1. However one feels about Wozniacki’s place at the top of the sport, she deserves major props for being resilient and consistent not only on the court but in the way she’s handled all of the jabs leveled at her off the court. Some have said Wozniacki might be relieved to lose her top ranking since it would free her from some of the criticism she deals with, but don’t believe it. Wozniacki still has something to prove
So, don’t be surprised if “Sunshine” finds a way hang onto to number one even when many see her as being dead last to do so.