Air Quotes: Shriver on 2009

"Venus will be the favorite again next year to win Wimbledon, but then where else is she going to sneak in?  Maybe the US Open, because I can't see her winning either Australian or the French. Serena is the best bet and maybe her time at the French is over, but at the other three, if she enters them healthy and is a reasonable frame of mind, she'll be at least the co-favorite if not the favorite. A lot depends on how Sharapova comes back because she should be good for winning one Slam a year, too. It looks the injury will come and go, just like her serve and toss, but when it clicks in, she's can best player. Ivanovic looks like she went through the typical first Slam win, followed by a big slump. She might be like Maria was after she won her first Slam at 2004 Wimbledon – following it up with mediocre year. And then you have the stayers, like Jankovic, who plays her 20-25 tournaments, reaches her semis, finals and gets some titles. She'll just plod along and rack up the points. It's been a year of bizarre twists and turns and a little intrigue. In some way it's been absolutely fascinating, but some have been frustrated with whether anyone can actually take No. 1 and embrace it."

-- Pam Shriver, on the uncertainty and unpredictability of the 2009 WTA season (subscription required).  Other interesting thoughts from Pammy going into the YECs:

• She thinks JJ and Lena D will each win a Slam in the next 18 months
• She thinks that regardless of what happens at the YECs, 2008 will be remembered not as the year of a dominant #1 emerging, but as the year that a dominant #1 retired;
• She believes JJ is a deserving #1;
• She wonders if Serena's tank is empty after it took 9 months of hard work to win the US Open;
• She hopes that the YECs being held in not-so-woman friendly Doha will inspire the local women.