What will happen to Wozniacki and Kvitova in 2012?

Written by: Tennischiro on 11th January 2012

What will happen to Wozniacki and Kvitova in 2012?

The Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova returns to Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia during their quater final match at the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, 11 January 2012. EPA/PAUL MILLER AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Well, we are just a couple of days away from the real start of the 2012 season. Yes, I know we are already in the second week of the 2012 schedule for both the ATP and WTA World Tours, but these events are just preliminaries to loosen up some stiff joints and wipe away the cobwebs from that incredibly long 3 week break since the 2011 season ended. Not long enough you say. You are right, but it is what it is!

Yes, there are 9 of the top 10 women entered in Sydney this week (Maria is missing as are Serena and Kim) and Stosur and Zvonareva were the only head cases unable to justify their seeding and reach the quarterfinals. It is a tremendous field for any tournament, much less a $637,000 WTA Premier event. Nevertheless, it is just a warmup.

Kvitova increased her confidence last week winning all her matches and the diamond tennis ball trophy in the Hopman Cup, including getting another win over #1 Caroline Wozniacki. The one match to watch will be if these two meet in the finals. It would be for the number one ranking in the world. You can argue about whether Wozniacki really deserves that spot with her shortcomings in the Majors, but rest assured, she does not want to give that perch up! They will both have some dangerous and very eager opponents in the quarters and semis (and full commitment the week before a major championship is always questionable), but if Caroline and Petra meet in that final it could set the tone for the entire year. If Caroline can hold off Petra here and retain that #1 ranking, that little bit of confidence could take her through to her first major in two more weeks.

On the other hand, if, as I expect she will, Petra continues her winning ways (she would be on at least a 20-match win streak since the second week of October if she reaches the final) and executes another victory over Wozniacki, I think she will be ready to put up an even better year than Djokovic did last year. And I think her domination of the women’s game could easily go on for a couple of years, at least. At Wimbledon and Istanbul, she showed me she has more game than anyone else in women’s tennis today. The question is whether, at just 21 years old, she has the maturity and focus to maintain that kind of domination over a long period of time; she definitely has the physical tools (albeit she appears to have room to improve her fitness, speed and agility on the court). If she could carve herself into the kind of hardbody of preparedness Dementieva brought to the court, I think she would dominate the game for the next 5 years, and probably even more. But that’s just me looking for someone to be the best they could possibly be. Petra appears to be just a little “too nice” to be that mean to either herself (training, dieting) or her opponents. Could she be that “mean” to Caroline? A couple more losses will be very tough for the Dane to absorb. Her frustration could drive her to kickboxing.

Petra may not go on such a “Novak-like” tear; nevertheless, barring injury, I would expect her to take possession of the number one ranking over the next few weeks and not relinquish it for the forseeable future. As for the Australian Open, the women only play 2 out of 3 sets and upsets happen, especially in the heat. But Maria, Serena and Kim are all battling injuries to get back into the thick of it and they are highly unlikely to upset the applecart this time around The other major champions of last year, Li Na and Sam Stosur, seem to be battling mental demons of their own making.

Bartoli and Azarenka are certainly dangerous, but just a little behind. Azarenka is a wonderful player, but I just don’t get excited watching her grunt her way through a match. On the other hand, the personality and intelligence Bartoli has revealed in some of her press conferences makes me pull for her when I watch her play; but all in all, she is just a little too much. I’m always thinking she could be so much better if only …

I would expect the Australian Open to follow form for the most part. Still, I am very anxious to see whether Kvitova fulfills the rich destiny that I am projecting for her. I think we are about to see a great women’s champion emerge. I certainly hope so; I like the way she plays. It will be fun to watch this drama unfold!

TennisChiro

PS Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at what I see at the top of the men’s game!

Topics: Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova