Resuscitated Ivanovic Whips Off Serena

I've always said that when she is on, Ana Ivanovic plays some of the most beautiful tennis I've ever seen. I remember when I fell in love with her game back in 2007, when she lifted the Los Angeles crown mostly due her huge forehand. Although her game dismantled after her French Open triumph, Ana remains one of the standout players on the tour. In past years she's worked hard to return to the top of the leaderboard, but it's only now that she is showing the consistency required to achieve her goal.
2014 is proving to be Ana's big year, as the Serbian has already won her first title in more than two years in Auckland. She continued her invincible run at the Australian Open, easily dismissing Kiki Bertens and Annika Beck in the opening rounds. She then passed a big test, coming from behind to defeat home-hope Samantha Stosur 6-7,6-4,6-2 to reach the fourth round.
Facing the tournament's overwhelming favourite, Ana came armed with the full artillery. Serena Williams, the world No.1, was riding on a 25-match winning streak that saw her win the US Open and the WTA Championships, as well as Brisbane just a week ago. However, Ivanovic remained confident, played aggressive tennis, and relied heavily on that huge forehand to whip the American's otherwise unbreakable defense. Although she won the first set, Serena could not match her opponent's fabulous display, falling 6-7,6-3,6-3. I was pleasantly surprised to see how cool Ana was when she served out her biggest success since the 2008 Roland Garros.
Even though she didn't take a set off of Williams in four previous meeting, Ivanovic saw a chance opening up and she believed in it: "I actually believed," she said. "I had some confidence coming into today's match. I really did certain things extremely well, and I kept her under pressure throughout the whole match, I felt."
Ana also talked about a different mindset, an improve mental focused that helped her get the win: "I just think I stayed in the moment physically. I didn't think much about the occasion and who I was playing, because it can get overwhelming. I just stuck with my things and it really paid off. It's hard. I had to remind myself all the time to stay in the moment. Because there were moments where it could have gone either way. But I believed in my game and stepped up when I needed to. I had to break a fourth round spell—what better place to do it than here against such a champion?"
The most remarkable aspect of Ivanovic's 9-match winning streak is that she managed to beat two of her nemesis, namely the Williams sisters. In addition to overcoming Serena in Melbourne, Ana also defeated Venus for the Auckland crown. As she confessed, the latter victory proved extremely important: "I kept thinking and going back to that match against Venus," Ivanovic said. "I felt in Auckland Venus was serving a lot faster than Serena today, and that definitely gave me confidence for today's win."
Next up for the resuscitated Ivanovic is a clash with Canadian prodigy, Eugenie Bouchard, whom she lost to in their previous meeting at Wimbledon last year. However, judging by the way she is currently playing, Ana has a solid chance of advancing deeper into the tournament.

Ana Ivanovic play a great match against home hope Sam Stosur in the third round, coming from behind to stun the Aussie 6-7,6-4,6-2.

An overwhelming favourite coming into the Australian Open, Serena Williams couldn't find the antidote against the inspired Ivanoic. The Serbian produced the shock of the tournament, sending the world No.1 packing in the fourth round.

Ana did not win a set in four previous meetings with Serena, but today she turned the tables, closing out a stunning 4-6,6-3,6-3 to book her seat in the quarterfinals.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Million Dollar Simona

With the 2013 season nearing its end, the highest ranked eight WTA champions got to dispute one last big prize at the Tournament of Champions in Sofia. Held for the second consecutive year in the Bulgarian capital, the event welcomed red-hot Romanian Simona Halep, Australian Sam Stosur, Russians Maria Kirilenko, Elena Vesnina, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, as well as guest stars, Ana Ivanovic and home-hope Tsvetlana Pironkova.

Simona Halep was not only the No.1 seed, she was also a strong pick for the title. I’ve talked about this a couple of times, but I was genuinely stunned to witness the huge progress she made in the last couple of months. Although tired, the Romanian was extremely motivated to end her stellar season on a high. A recent champion in Moscow just a few weeks ago, Simona maintained the winning momentum, cruising through three straight-sets victories to win group A and book her place in the semifinals. As expected, things got a bit more difficult at this stage. Once again, her on-court serenity came to the rescue, helping her overcome two-time titlist Ana Ivanovic 2-6,6-1,6-3 in an entertaining come-from-behind thriller. Cheered heavily by an army of Romanian fans, Halep showed she was hungrier than ever. Even though she was outhit in the opening set of the final by Sam Stosur, she kept her cool head, managing to put forth another sensational display to come out on top once again against the Aussie. The 2-6,6-2,6-2 victory left her savouring the biggest and sweetest success of her career.

For me, Simona’s incredible transformation represents one of the highlights of the season. It’s like she woke up one day a new player, a player who suddenly knew exactly what she needed to do on the court to beat her opponent. It’s like she suddenly had an answer to everything. Her run is magnificent. With six titles and a career high of No.11, the young Romanian is announcing herself as one of the leading star of 2014. With basically no points to defend until Rome, Simona is expected to crack the top 10 when the new season resumes in January. I doubt she can claim a Grand Slam just yet, but a favourable context can be all she needs to get a big result.

Compared to other teen prodigies who bloomed early on the tour, Simona has had her share of trials and tribulations, which have prevented her to make her mark until now. I believe the experience was beneficial though because she is now ready to properly digest everything that’s coming her way. It happened the same with Azarenka. Once she shook off the failed expectations and focused on playing her game, Vika was almost invincible. As Azarenka’s, Simona’s growth is organic. Her success did not come overnight, so she is now ready to manage it and build on it to further develop her career. I expect the million-dollar Romanian to feature in the limelight for a while, so she has plenty of reasons to look forward to 2014. Well done, Simona!

The elite eight to take part at the WTA Tournament of Champions were (left to right): Alize Cornet, Tsvetlana Pironkova (invite) Elena Vesnina, Maria Kirilenko, Ana Ivanovic (invite), Sam Stosur, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Simona Halep.

Throughout the week, Simona was heavily cheered from the crowd by an army of Romanian supporters. 

For the second straight event, Simona Halep overcame Sam Stosur to win a WTA title. Despite the slow start, the Romanian came back firing to record a 2-6,6-2,6-2 triumph to collect the Tournament of Champions crown.

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Has Invincible Vika Gone Astray?

Not sure if it's only me, but I feel that Azarenka has lost some of the huge momentum she had last year, or even at the start of this new season. Back then there were times when she looked invincible, like she would go on and win each and every tournament she enters. The only potential, though big threat would come from Serena Williams, her nemesis, bur other than that Vika really was untouchable. In the last couple of months though I feel like she has forgotten how to win championships. It's true that she barely played due to "injuries," but still she has accumulated a few surprising defeats to players she should normally beat. She lost twice to Sharapova (i.e. WTA Masters and Roland Garros), to Ekaterina Makarova in Rome, and now to Samantha Stosur in Carlsbad.

Having won all eight meetings with Stosur, the Belorussian was expected to crush the Australian in the California final. However, drawing confidence from their last two encounters, when she managed to push the battle into the decider, a determined Sam refused to give in this time. She was in control from start to finish, refusing Vika's every chance of getting back into the match. Her biggest weapon was the serve, which she fully utilized to save 11 of the 12 break points she faced. Throughout the final, Vika looked fragile, vulnerable, and in desperate need of a miraculous turnaround to match her opponent's superb display. While Sam was kicking aces and strong first serves and was being aggressive coming to the net or finding the lines with her big forehand, the former world No.1 struggled in vain to produce anything similar. Stosur remained focus and eventually served out a commanding 6-2,6-3 victory to win her first title since the 2011 US Open.

Did Vika lost her way, or was she just having a bad day on Sunday? I was hoping to find the answer this week when she was scheduled to play in Toronto, but guess what, she withdrew last minute citing a lower bad injury. Again the so-called injuries?! It is very hard to tell with Azarenka. In the spring, she had a really good chance of regaining the No.1 ranking provided she played more. However, she kept pulling out due to different minor health issues. Then came the nasty fall at Wimbledon, but even then I felt she could have pushed it a few more rounds, just to better evaluate the damage. Anyway, she just made her comeback, played a solid tournament and now she is injured again?! This sounds fishy, especially as she looked unbothered during the final. I am a huge Azarenka fan, but I would just like to see her play more. She really needs it if she wants to challenge Serena for the year-end No.1. Go Vika, #letswintheUSOpen!

Making her return since the nasty knee injury she sustained at Wimbledon, Vika was no match to Australian Samantha Stosur in the Carlsbad final. Although she has won all previous eight encounters with Sam, this time she had to admit defeat, losing 2-6,3-6.

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Wozniacki's Russian Roulette

Coming into 2012 as the world number 1, Caroline Wozniacki has endured a pretty miserable season as she witnessed helplessly how she was striped of all her possessions. First, she lost the top spot to Victoria Azarenka, then all of her WTA crowns and eventually, she dropped out of the top 10 after a disappointing first round loss at Wimbledon. 

Things took a positive turn at the start of the Asian swing though, as the Dane ended a one year title drought by winning in Seoul. She followed that up with a promising performance in Tokyo, at the Pan Pacific Open, where she stunned old foe Na Li before succumbing to Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarters.
A last minute entry at the Premier event in Moscow, Wozniacki started strong, overcoming the younger Radwanska, Urszula, 6-1,6-3 to book a last eight meeting with defending champion, Dominika Cibulkova. The Slovak has always troubled the Dane, but on this occasion the latter proved the strongest. Caroline recovered after a second set hiccup, to cruise through the decider and serve out a 6-2,6-7,6-1 victory. A similar story unfolded during her semifinal clash with Swede Sofia Arvidsson. Wozniacki won the opener and had opportunities to close out the match in two sets, but Arvidsson fought back to push a decider. After the duo exchanged several breaks, it was the former world number 1 who sealed the win and booked her spot in the final.
The final showdown with former US Open champion, Sam Stosur, was a great reflection of Caroline's recent rejuvenation. Having lost three of the five previous encounters with the Aussie, she hanged in tough after the loss of the second act, 'annoying' her opponent with her exquisite defensive skills.  Serving to stay in the match at 5-6 in the decider, Stosur cracked under pressure allowing the Dane to break and run away with the title.
With two crowns in as many months and several wins against some of her toughest rivals, Wozniacki looks to have found the peace and inner stability that took to the top of the rankings two years ago. Her game is still lacking a vital weapon, but her consistency and excellent passive-aggressive display can challenge most of the top players. She is surely looking forward to starting anew in 2013, and most importantly to fulfilling her promise of regaining her top spot.

In a nail-bitting final in Moscow, Caroline Wozniacki edged Sam Stosur 6-2,4-6,7-5 to conquer her biggest title since winning New Haven in 2011. Having gone titleless for more than a year, the Dane turned her season around, collecting her second trophy in as many months.

photos (top-down): Reuters, Kremlin Cup, AFP, GETTY IMAGES

The 2012 HARD Fashion Scoop

After a thrilling London Olympics, the tennis world got back on track quickly, resuming the North American hardcourt season, which will culminate with the US Open at the end of August. This time of the year marks the transition period between Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows, so, fashion wise, players are switching from the tradition all-white London attire to more vivid, colourful pieces. Roger Federer and Maria Kirilenko stuck to white though, but there were others who opted for powerful, bold colours such as neon yellow or strawberry pink.

In the battle of the titans, both Nike and Adidas upped their game. While the first proposed an interesting colour palette, mixing blue, black and white with some neon touches, Adidas displayed a colour splash of pinks and blues to create some trademark cool, hip garments.

Roger Federer - RF Group NIKE

Federer was once again at his imperialist best in a classy white-navy ensemble. I love the discrete touches on the sides of his shorts, as well as on the sleeves. Although this is not the epitome of creativity, the Swiss showcased once again a clean, well-thought look.

Maria Kirilenko - AdiPure

I was a huge fan of this outfit since I first saw it at Wimbledon. It is stunning. I love the dark green stripes and the fabric of the skirt. For me this is one of the standouts of 2012 and I was happy to see Maria continue to wear it after Wimbledon.

Serena Williams - NIKE

Juan Martin del Potro - NIKE

Although I am not a big neon fan myself, Nike proved it pays close attention to current trends by introducing some neon yellow tops to its fall collection. Serena Williams and Juan Martin del Potro were quick to pick up the opportunity, though in the American's case I feel she somehow took the easy way out. While the outfit is extremely current, I was a bit let down by its dullness.

Venus Williams - EleVen

While I prefer the black&white version of her 2012 EleVen collection, Venus Williams continues to spice up the tour with her out of the ordinary, spectacular clothing. Aiming at making a strong statement, the American opted for a bold strawberry pink which to perfectly complement her dark skin tone.

Sorana Cirstea - AdiZero

Ana Ivanovic - AdiZero

Angelique Kerber - AdiZero

Jo-Wilfired Tsonga - AdiZero

Lucie Safarova - NIKE

Petra Kvitova - NIKE

Contrary to what happened last year when Nike was crushed by archrival Adidas, this time around things were a bit more balanced with both manufacturers producing interesting summer garments. While Adidas had a canvas feel with the colour splash displayed on the sides, Nike showcased some more structural pieces with blue and black lines being the motif. The only downside was again Kvitova's belly which continues to be revealed without any restrictions.

Samantha Stosur - Asics

The smaller manufacturers try hard to come up with interesting designs but they seldom succeed. It's the case of Asics, Sam Stosur's new sponsor, who followed on the geometric trend, but failed to deliver due to the ill-picked colour combination and the cheap overall feel.

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Sorana Pays Back Heavy Dues

When the women's draw was announced, one of the battles that immediately stood out was the clash between Romanian Sorana Cirstea and home hope Samantha Stosur. The two share some kind of a history, as they both rose to prominence at the same time, at the 2009 French Open when the Aussie prevailed in their quarterfinal match. While Sorana failed to make an impact since, struggling with injuries and poor form, Sam's career took off. An established top 10 figure now, she won the 2011 US Open crown and, as the number 6th seed, she started the encounter as the huge favourite. However, she has always struggled when playing at home. She has never made past the fourth round in Melbourne and, after early losses in Brisbane and Sydney, the Romanian was in with a chance of her own. Moreover, the latter started the season in much better fashion, holding two match points before succumbing to Germany's Angelique Kerber in the Hobart quarterfinals. The last few months saw a rejuvenated Cirstea working hard to re-ignite the spark that took her to number 23 in the rankings in August 2009. This match was about to be just another testimony of her recently found groove.

Procedures were tense from the very beginning, as both players were feeling the pressure. It was Stosur though who lost her composure, allowing her opponent to wrap up the first set tiebreaker 7-2. As the Australian continued her misery in coping with the huge expectations of a packed Rod Laver Arena, Sorana remained clearheaded. She found her shots and after breaking for a 5-3 second set advantage, she witnessed Samantha crumble once more under the immense burden that was put on her shoulders. The Aussie hit a looping forehand over the baseline and, at the third time of asking, the Romania sealed the victory 7-6,6-3. 

While joking that "probably the whole country hates me now" [sic], Cirstea was delighted with the win, especially as she got to pay some heavy due to her nemesis, who won their two previous meetings in straight sets, both coming in key moments in her career. While she goes on to face Polish Urszula Radwanska, Stosur was left speechless by her inability to perform well in front of the cheering crowd. In her press-conference she confessed her disappointment, saying that this was "certainly not the way that I wanted, not just this tournament, but the whole summer," to play out. "There's not any other word for it but a total disappointment."

photos: GETTY IMAGES

Tennis Moods Style: The 2011 Istanbul Fashion Week

Every year, the WTA elite gathers for the prestigious Season-Ending Championships, where the world's best eight performers go head-to-head in search for ultimate glory. The tournament was moved from Doha to Istanbul this year and the Draw Ceremony on Sunday provided the perfect setting for a true fashion showdown.
Although most of the players were clearly inspirited by the historic location, the rich heritage of the Turkish culture was best brought to life by Agnieszka Radwanska and Vera Zvonareva. The duo displayed superb examples of red and green embroidery, while Kvitova and Stosur offered a glimpse of the Turkish extravaganza with their silk golden evening gowns. On the other hand though, world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki set herself aside by opting for a purple mini dress, which bore no resemblance to the theme. Sharapova was wiser with her choice, finding a sort of a middle ground, as she wore a sheer yellow see-through dress to which she accessorized a golden encrusted pair of sandals and matching necklace.

Maria Sharapova (B)

The Russian lived up to her fashionista status once again. Although she wore something that does not immediately strike as Turkish, Sharapova played with the accessories, creating an overall garment that is closely aligned to the venue's specificity. Compared to other players who were overdressed, Maria remained faithful to the saying "less is more" (especially if we are talking about the Turkish fashion), managing to put together a clean, modern look. However, I am worried that the overall look lacks a bit of the red carpet glamour. Even though her campaign ended sooner than expected, Sharapova withdrawing after the loss of her first two matches, she scored another big fashion victory, being the only one to endorse a new on-court apparel.

Caroline Wozniacki (A-)

Caroline Wozniacki is not afraid of standing out from the crowd. While debates about her legitimacy as world No.1 have heated up following Kvitova's sensational season, the young Dane continues to look utterly confident in defending her status. She probably wanted to make a bold fashion statement too, as she wore a fitted minidress. Although I like the design, I think she has the same issue as Maria. I am not convinced her look is appropriate for the red carpet.
She turned the tables with her on-court attire though, the yellow version of the see-through Stella McCartney dress she showcased at Flushing Meadows shining through this rather uncompetitive fashion field.

Agnieszka Radwanska (B)

I am not a Lotto fan, but during this Championships, Aga Radwanska looked pretty impressive in the red dress produced by the Italian manufacturer. Although it's probably a one hit wonder, the success provided a pleasant surprise.

Na Li (B)

The Chinese kept close to her roots when selecting an Asian inspired deux-piece.The voluminous layered bottom actually worked great against her tiny figure, as Li looked imperious on the red carpet.

Vera Zvonareva (B-)

Samantha Stosur (C-)

Petra Kvitova (C)

The Czech's star shone brightly on the courts of Istanbul, but unfortunately she didn't boost her fashion credentials. This look is too flat for my taste.

photos (top-down / left-right): GETTY IMAGES (x3), AP, GETTY IMAGES (x13)