Well Hello, Mona!

Mona Barthel first knocked on the door of fame early last season when she captured her maiden WTA crown in Hobart. However, many remember her for her brave performance at Indian Wells, where she was on the brink of ending the unbeatable run of world number 1, Victoria Azarenka. Although 2012 had many ups and downs, it was a great year for Barthel who also reached two semifinals at Bastad and Quebec respectively. 

Putting her breakthrough year behind her, Mona started the new year strongly, reaching a second consecutive final in Hobart where she lost to Russian Elena Vesnina. After a disappointing first round exit at the Australian Open, the 22-year-old regrouped quickly to lift her first Premier title. The big-hitting German experienced a fairytale run in Paris, recording wins over Italian Roberta Vinci, Frenchwomen Marion Bartoli and Kristina Mladenovic, as well as Vinci's doubles partner, Sara Errani, in the final. 

With two top 10 victories under her belt and a new career best ranking at 28, Mona is edging closer to the top of the women's game. She definitely has the shots to win big matches, so if she continues to improve and adds some consistency to her performances, I am sure she will definitely be among those to watch in the upcoming months.

photo: GETTY IMAGES