In this Christmas Eve I realized I still didn't write in Uspeti about women's tennis season, so here it goes my brief review - that'll be quite extended, as it always ends up going.
January started with Caroline Wozniacki in the top-ranking for the second year in a row, and many tennis experts were predicting the nearly unavoidable rising of Petra Kvitova to the #1.
However, Wozniacki did lose the first place but for the Belorussian Victoria Azarenka; by starting the year winning in Sidney, Vika moved next week to Melbourne where she clinched her first Grand Slam title and her move for the top-ranking for the first time by crashing Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-0 in the finals. The 23 year-old would continue her winning streak taking Doha and Indian Wells title in the following weeks, right before falling to Marion Bartoli in Sony Ericsson Open, on late March.
On clay court season, the season's GOAT remained in Eastern Europe but it was time for an ex top-ranked to be back on great titles. Maria Sharapova started the mini-season by defeating the #1 Victoria Azarenka in Stuttgart's final, and then lost in Madrid's blue clay for the eventual champion Serena Williams before taking the Internazionali BNL D'Italia in Rome next week, on red clay again.
Masha would reach Roland Garros with zero losses on "common" clay and with Serena's astonishing loss in Paris' first round, the only player who defeated the Russian in 2012 clay season, Sharapova had her way open for reaching her first final of the French Open. There, she defeated the surprisingly Italian Sara Errani to complete her Career Slam - becoming the first player in Open Era to have a Career Slam with only 4 Major titles - and being back to #1 four years later.
Next week in Wimbledon, both Azarenka and Sharapova had high expectations for winning their second Grand Slam title of the season but it was said Serena Williams was working hard after her loss in French Open 1st round four weeks later; it was time to check her out, and we can in this season review define a 2012 season before and after Serena.
It wasn't easy for Serena to win her seventh title in All England Club. She had to turn up her 3rd round match versus the Chinese Jie Zheng after losing the first set in tie-break and then finally taking the third one only after sixteen games. She'd lose another set on next round vs Shevdova, and after defeating Azarenka in two sets nearly nobody doubted Serena would really be back to great tournaments and it became clearer with Sharapova's loss vs Sabine Lisiciki in 3rd round.
In the final, Serena would have to face one of the toughest players on the circuit when at its best: Agnieszka Radwanska. The Polish have reached Wimbledon with only four matches lost for players not named Victoria Azarenka, and she was able to win a set in Wimby's final. However, in the decisive, Serena proved her shape improvement by losing only two games (after dropping one in the opening set and seven in the following one) and won her 7th Wimbledon title, exactly two years after her last Slam title. For Radwanska, it meant her rising for the 2nd place - a victory would have put her in the top-ranking. And after Sharapova's loss, Azarenka was back for the first place and she would not lose it again in 2012.
In the final, Serena would have to face one of the toughest players on the circuit when at its best: Agnieszka Radwanska. The Polish have reached Wimbledon with only four matches lost for players not named Victoria Azarenka, and she was able to win a set in Wimby's final. However, in the decisive, Serena proved her shape improvement by losing only two games (after dropping one in the opening set and seven in the following one) and won her 7th Wimbledon title, exactly two years after her last Slam title. For Radwanska, it meant her rising for the 2nd place - a victory would have put her in the top-ranking. And after Sharapova's loss, Azarenka was back for the first place and she would not lose it again in 2012.
In late July, three weeks after Wimbledon's tournament, it was time for the Olympics. The tennis world already knew Serena was close of her best shape, but I don't think anyone predicted what happened in London'2012: the North-american defeated four ex/current world top-ranked players - Jankovic, Wozniacki, Azarenka, Sharapova lost to Serena, joining Urszula Radwanska and the ex-number 2 Vera Zvonareva -, dropping only 17 games in the whole tournament (less than 3 per match!) to win her first Gold medal in singles and becoming the first player ever to complete the Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. Sharapova left London with the Silver Medal after winning just one game(!) in the final match, completing her Silver Slam, and Azarenka won the Bronze after taking the Gold in mixed pairs.
On August, we were back to the United States for the US Open Series. The Rogers Cup was won by Petra Kvitova and next week on Cincinnati it was Li Na's time for winning her first WTA title since last year's victory in Paris. Kvitova would win her second title of a disappointing season in New Haven the week before US Open, and then it was time for the last Major of the season.
Some people were asking themselves about Serena's shape after the Olympics; she didn't compete in many tours and in Cincinnati she had lost to Angelique Kerber in quarter-finals, her first loss since Roland Garros (and also her last till the end of 2012). Once again, the younger of Williams' sisters proved the world wrong again.
On her road to the final, she just dropped 19 games in six matches, defeating Ana Ivanovic in quarter-finals and then Sara Errani in the semis. The final would be played versus Victoria Azarenka, the world top-ranked; the best possible final, in many's opinions.
On August, we were back to the United States for the US Open Series. The Rogers Cup was won by Petra Kvitova and next week on Cincinnati it was Li Na's time for winning her first WTA title since last year's victory in Paris. Kvitova would win her second title of a disappointing season in New Haven the week before US Open, and then it was time for the last Major of the season.
Some people were asking themselves about Serena's shape after the Olympics; she didn't compete in many tours and in Cincinnati she had lost to Angelique Kerber in quarter-finals, her first loss since Roland Garros (and also her last till the end of 2012). Once again, the younger of Williams' sisters proved the world wrong again.
On her road to the final, she just dropped 19 games in six matches, defeating Ana Ivanovic in quarter-finals and then Sara Errani in the semis. The final would be played versus Victoria Azarenka, the world top-ranked; the best possible final, in many's opinions.
Serena started winning the first set by 6-2, right before being surprised by a over-motivated Azarenka who won the next one by the same result. In the decisive, with the crowd on fire cheering for both women, Serena felt the pressure of taking the trophy after last season disappointing loss versus Samantha Stosur in that same stadium; Vika did served it out, but the North-american screamed louder (which is tough as hell!) and clinched her second Major title of the season!
Serena would not compete until Istanbul Championships, two months after. In the meantime, Nadia Petrova would win her first title in season in Tokyo and Azarenka was back on victories by taking Beijing and Linz titles on the following weeks.
Serena would not compete until Istanbul Championships, two months after. In the meantime, Nadia Petrova would win her first title in season in Tokyo and Azarenka was back on victories by taking Beijing and Linz titles on the following weeks.
In the last week of October, it was time for WTA Championships in Turkey's most important city in Europe. Once again, Serena reached the tournament with many doubts upon her head; she was only seen few days before the tournament and didn't play an official match since Flushing Meadows.
Yup, you guessed it right; the North-american won again the title, this time losing more games than in US Open but without a single set lost. After defeating Azarenka in the first Round Robin match, she'd defeat Maria Sharapova in the final by 6-4 6-3 for elevating her 7th trophy in 2012. For Masha, it meant her third final lost in the past five tournaments, and for Vika the fact she did the semi-finals assured her the top-ranking in the end of the season.
On the next weeks, Czech Republic would win the Fed Cup for the second time in a row and Nadia Petrova won in Sofia the "Masters B", defeating the former #1 Caroline Wozniacki.
Yup, you guessed it right; the North-american won again the title, this time losing more games than in US Open but without a single set lost. After defeating Azarenka in the first Round Robin match, she'd defeat Maria Sharapova in the final by 6-4 6-3 for elevating her 7th trophy in 2012. For Masha, it meant her third final lost in the past five tournaments, and for Vika the fact she did the semi-finals assured her the top-ranking in the end of the season.
On the next weeks, Czech Republic would win the Fed Cup for the second time in a row and Nadia Petrova won in Sofia the "Masters B", defeating the former #1 Caroline Wozniacki.
That's all. Merry Christmas!
Pedro Mendes
Pedro Mendes
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