German Threesome

For more than a decade now, Germany is missing a player capable of dominating the tennis world. It looks like all their talents were clustered in one golden generation, which saw the likes of Graf, Huber, Becker and Stich reaching the highest heights. If Haas and Kiefer gave their country some reasons to cheer about, no woman managed to fill in the huge void left after Steffi's retirement.

However, this week's Stuttgart Open finally gave the German fans a glimpse of hope, as three young guns, enjoying great results lately, advanced to the quarterfinals causing a string of upsets on their way.

Andrea Petkovic

I saw Andrea Petkovic a couple of years ago when she was playing the final of the 2009 ITF Challenger in Bucharest against Jelena Dokic. I didn't hear of her before and was not instantly blown away, but I must admit she played a really good match and ended up winning the title. She continued to work hard and to improve and her efforts paid off. The results began to show as she won her first title in Bad Gastein later that year. She then pushed Henin all the way before bowing out when the two met in the final of the s'Hertogenbosch Open in 2010. In January this year, she advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. After scoring wins against Wozniacki, Sharapova, Venus Williams and Jankovic, she proved she is capable of competing and challenging the world's best.

In Stuttgart, she was close to pulling off another upset holding 4 chances for a 5-1 first set lead against Caroline Wozniacki in their quarterfinal clash. She lost the momentum and ultimately, the match. However, judging by the way she's been playing recently, I foresee she'll crack into the top 10 in no time.

Also, she's developed into quite a character since that first encounter. She has introduced the Petko dance, an instant hit with media and fans, and she is really enjoying her time on the court. I never expecting this, but I am beginning to like her. She has good energy and she's a great German ambassador.

Sabine Lisicki

Sabine is probably Germany's best shot of topping the WTA rankings for some years now. I remember her impressive run in Charleston two years ago, when she won the title without losing a set. She defeated Venus Williams, Marion Bartoli and Caroline Wozniacki on her way to capturing her first trophy. She backed up this performance a couple of months later with a run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, beating Kuznetsova and Wozniacki en route. Just when she was about to break into the top 20, she injured her ankle. This marred her 2010 season and saw her rankings drop out of the top 100. Since her return, she has been struggling to adjust and to recapture her top form. It took her some time and she's still not there yet, but her recent wins over Petrova, Bartoli and Li are a good indication of the fact that she's on the right path. I look forward to seeing her back where she belongs.

Julia Goerges

Julia Goerges is probably the underdog in this trio, as she has yet to reach the fame of her compatriots. However, this did not prevent her from overshadowing them in Stuttgart, being the only German to reach the semifinals. Her performance was even sweeter as she denied Lisicki a place in the last four. Coming off a strong finish in 2010, she is enjoying the best period of her career. During this span, she won her first title in Bad Gastein, where she defeated Timea Bacsinzky in the final act. Additionally, she conquered a red-hot Ana Ivanovic on her way to the final in Luxembourg, where she eventually succumbed to Italian Roberta Vinci. After a not so promising start of the year, Julia is finally showing some form. She is preparing to tackle French Open finalist, Samantha Stosur, for a place in her first Premier final in front of her German fans. I wish her the best of luck.

photos: GETTY IMAGES