Matt Cronin previews 2009 for the ladies:
- Jelena Jankovic: Let's begin with the positives: Jankovic became the first Serbian in history to end the year at No. 1 and really went hard after the top ranking following Wimbledon. Even though she frequently complains about nagging injuries, she shows up week after week and punches the time clock, mostly with a positive attitude. She is by no means a standout No. 1, but she's a terrific defensive player who can capably mix in high-octane offense. Jankovic does have the tools to win her first major and could do so in 2009, but she cannot afford to play scared at crunch time like she did in Paris and New York.
- Serena Williams: For those who have closely
followed the younger Williams' career, 2008 is the season where she
deserved the heartiest pats on the back, as she drove herself harder
than she ever has in order to snare another major title. After eight
months of fits and starts and some extremely tough losses, all her hard
work paid off when she won her third U.S. Open title. Williams all but
packed it in after that, but with a continued commitment she should win
her 10th Slam in '09. If she does, she will all but have sewed up the
unofficial title of being the best player of an extremely good
generation.
- Dinara Safina: A tremendous four-month
stretch that included runs to the French Open and Olympic finals and
titles in Berlin, Los Angeles, Montreal showed that in tip-top shape,
the tall Russian is capable of great things. But while she picked up
her chin at some of the year's biggest events, she also fell short,
which indicates that she's not bubbling with self-belief yet. Without
question, she has the on-court tools to go a step further in 2009. Now
it's up to Safina to take a page from her Slam-winning brother Marat's
book and close the deal.
- Elena Dementieva: She finally achieved one
of her biggest goals by winning the Olympic gold medal, but at the age
of 27, the fleet Russian likely doesn't have more than two years to
meet her other two goals, reaching No. 1 and winning a Slam. Dementieva
showed in Beijing that she is capable of both accomplishments, but she
has to put her nose and mind to the grindstone for an extended period
next year if she doesn't want to retire a barely decorated competitor.
-
Ana Ivanovic: The
sweet-as-pie Serbian roared out of the 2008 gates, reaching the Aussie
Open final, winning Indian Wells and then her first major at the French
Open. Then, it appeared that she had finally reached her potential and
would become a more consistent player. But after sustaining a thumb
injury prior to Wimbledon, she collapsed mentally and wasn't really
heard from until the end of the year, and even then, she did little to
impress. There is no doubt that by improving her serve and coming to
net more that Ivanovic could be a primetime contender at every Slam,
but as bright as she is off court, she doesn't play smart nearly
enough. Ivanovic must open her mind to new strategic possibilities in
2009.
- Venus Williams: It's a virtual toss-up
between Venus and her sister Serena for Player of the Year honors, but
by winning her fifth Wimbledon title at the season-ending WTA
Championships in Doha, Venus grabbed two of the year's six biggest
crowns, which no other player was able to do. Week to week, the
28-year-old is no longer a dominant player, but when she's healthy and
employing her spiced-up net attack, she's as good, if not better, than
any player on the planet. But it would be nice to see her win another
hard-court Slam, a feat that has eluded her since 2001.
- Vera Zvonareva: One of five Russians in the
top 10, Zvonareva rediscovered her love of competition and fought as
hard as she ever has in her career in 2008. Somewhat introverted, she
has no love of the biggest stages, but she's a ferocious
inside-the-baseliner and can take down any elite competitor when she's
not being touted as the favorite. Next year will tell the tale as to
whether she can withstand the pressure of being an elite player again.
- Svetlana Kuznetsova: A truly disappointing
year for the 2004 U.S. Open champ, who ended the year without a title
and then waved goodbye to her longtime coaches at Spain's Sanchez-Casal
academy. Now she has gone back to her Russian roots by returning home
in the offseason and hiring Olga Morozova to coach her. Hopefully,
Morozova will be able to pull the self-confidence that Kuznetsova has
been sorely lacking out of her student's stubborn head.
- Maria Sharapova: A season which began
brilliantly with her third Grand Slam title at the Aussie Open, an
astounding first appearance on the Russian Fed Cup team and her first
clay-court title in Amelia Island ended miserably when Sharapova
suffered a tear in her right rotator cuff and was unable to compete
past the first week of August. The only positive that might arrive from
being unable to serve during much of the fall is that she'll be forced
to improve her all-around game. But if the world's most endorsable
women's athlete doesn't come back at full strength or very near to it
and is unable dominate in her service games, she'll be hard-pressed to
snare the No. 1 ranking, or even win another major. She's an incredible
fighter and manages the court better than she used, but she's for all
intents and purposes a power player and given that she's not
particularly fast or durable, it's hard to see Sharapova remaining a
super-elite player by contesting long, exhausting rallies from the
baseline. But if her shoulder does heal, grant her another Slam title
in 2009.
- Agnieszka Radwanska: The only teenager in the top 10, this creative and scrappy Pole is much tougher inside than her ever-present smile would indicate. She doesn't have huge overall weapons, but Radwanska plays smart, is very steady and understands her weaponry. At this point it doesn't look like she's Slam-winning material, but if she can grow in confidence and hit out on key shots, a visit to the top five isn't out of the question in 2009.
