In a time when tennis had become a rather unpredictable sport, with top ranked players being dispatched in early rounds and experienced ones being granted another opportunity of fulfilling long-term career goals, Agnieszka's recent run of stunning form shouldn't come as a surprise. It does nevertheless, as the Pole was never one to shine on the big occasions. She won a handful of titles whilst a teenager, but faded quickly after. Her defensive game and craftsmanship made her seem obsolete, thus limiting her prospects and narrowing her chances of becoming the next big thing. Gone are the days when the serve and volley display of Navratilova or Novotna made the delight of the Wimbledon crowds. Or when brainy Hingis fooled around with her rivals and won title after title. Or more recently, when the one hand backhand of Justine Henin made her the undisputed queen of the courts. Tennis has evolved now. Nowadays, those who are powerful, who rely on big serves and huge forehand, have a better shot at winning the big prizes. There are dozens of examples to support this claim, starting with the Williams sisters and ending with Ana Ivanovic, Dinara Safina or Petra Kvitova. An all-rounder like Radwanska would struggle to cope with the physical superiority of her opponents. This was indeed the case for several seasons now, with the Pole failing to make headlines since 2008, her best year to date.
Struggling to find her way back after a series of injuries, Agnieszka's game underwent some changes in 2011. They were first noticeable during the summer hardcourts, when the Pole won the title in Carlsbad defeating Andrea Petkovic and Vera Zvonareva en route to her first Premier crown. After a disappointing loss to Angelique Kerber at the US Open, Agnieszka regrouped, got her mojo back and shone once more. Again at a Premier event, in Tokyo. By turning her solid defensive game into atack, she managed to beat Jelena Jankovic, Victoria Azarenka and ultimately Vera Zvonareva to cap a great week. She kept the winning streak running next week in Beijing when she took full advantage of the favourites misfortune, getting past Flavia Pennetta in the semifinals and Petkovic in the final to ensure another dream week and add another trophy to her resume.
With three Premier victories under her belt, she is one of the stand-outs on the women's tour. Following her incredible run of form, she now stands a good chance of qualifying for the season's ending championships in Istanbul, a performance that seemed farfetched at the beginning of the year.
It will be interesting to see how things will unfold for the Pole. In a way, she a similar game as current world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki, the difference being that the Dane's is probably more efficient. The latter also has consistency on her side, although recent results seem to contradict this claim. Nevertheless, the kind of performance she produced during the Beijing final was just stunning. If she plays like that for a fortnight, Agnieszka can potentially win a Grand Slam.
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| Aga Radwanska came to life this season winning several Premier events. In Tokyo, she beat Jelena Jankovic, benefited from Azarenka's withdrawal, then overcame Zvonareva in the final. |
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| Radwanska carried her excellent form to Beijing where she won her second consecutive Premier title beating Andrea Petkovic in the final. The two really enjoyed themselves during the match and ended up celebrating the occasion with the now famous, 'Petko Dance.' |
photos: GETTY IMAGES
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