Flavia Shows Forza in Melbourne

There wasn't much news on Flavia Pennetta since her magnificent run to the semifinals of the US Open last season. Although she announced herself back in the game with that superb result in New York, Flavia did not confirm during the Asian swing, nor European indoor season. However, it all came together at the right moment. 

Although she injured her ankle at the start of the season while playing in the Hopman Cup, Pennetta recovered in time for the Australian Open. She was quick off the blocks, beating Romanian Alexandra Cadantu, Puerto Rican Monica Puig, and German Mona Barthel without dropping a set. 

Hoping to advance to her first Melbourne quarterfinal, Flavia came across a familiar face in the form of German Angelique Kerber. The two met in 2011 in New York, when Kerber stunned hot favourite Pennetta to advance to her first Grand Slam semifinal. That loss was extremely painful for the Italian, so she was determined to get her revenge. She started strongly, cruising through the first set 6-1. The German, an established top 10 presence now, got her groove back in the second act, winning it 6-4. Pennetta had controlled the match throughout, and although she let go of a 5-3 advantage in the decider, she was not to be denied, closing out a 6-1,4-6,7-5 victory. "I think the first set was perfect," she confessed. "I was really aggressive. Everything was working pretty good. My serve, my return, everything was perfect."

"In the second set I was waiting a little bit more and she started to play much better—of course, it's normal. I had a few chances in the second set and didn't make it. And then in the third it was a little bit up and down for both of us - I served for the match at 5-3 and played really badly, I have to say.

"But I just tried to keep going and tried to be aggressive, and in the end it was working pretty well."

In her post-match interview, the Italian talked about her struggles recovering from the injury that sidelined her for six months last year. "The feeling I had was completely not good," she said. "I kept working well with my team and everyone, but in the beginning the result was not good at all. I did like five or six first rounds in a row. But everything has just changed, because I think I was there and trying to play all the time and just working really hard."

"So this is amazing. It's always nice to be in the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam, and it's the first time for me here, and I really enjoy playing here. Today was a really good match and I'm just very happy."

Next up for ferocious Flavia is Chinese trailblazer, Na Li, twice a runner-up here in Melbourne, including last year, when she lost a nail-biting encounter to Azarenka.

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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.

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France's Winning Combo

Although they always had great contestants who would battle for the big prizes, the French squad has lacked those fierce competitors who would cross the finish line victorious. This year marked a change of fortune for France who finally put forth a winning combo to lift its first ever Hopman Cup. A success-hungry Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the always talented Alize Cornet cruised through a star-studded field in Perth to take home the crown. 

The French duo came through a tough group, dismissing three solid tandems: Americans Sloane Stephens and John Isner, Spaniards Anabel Medina-Garriguez and Daniel Munoz de la Nava, respectively Czech lovebirds Petra Kvitova and Radek Stepanek. 

Tsonga has been the powerhouse behind the team, winning all of his singles battles. Although she lost some of her singles clashes, Alize did a brilliant job backing up Jo to win the decisive mixed matches. That proved essential, especially in the final against Poland, which was won after the French duo crushed Agnieszka Radwanska and Grzegorz Panfil 6-0,6-2 in the mixed rubber.

Tsonga endured a miserable 2013, missing out on a golden opportunity at Roland Garros, before injuring his knee at Wimbledon to be sidelined for most of the remaining months. The triumph marks a great start to the next season for Jo-Wilfried, whose confidence was shaken after the aforementioned miserable period. This week should give him a much needed boost ahead of the Australian Open. Go Tsonga, win that elusive Slam!

Alize on the other hand, experienced a solid 2013, displaying some of her best tennis to claim the title in Strasbourg. The victory in Perth should help her strengthen her credentials as one of the leading ladies on the women's tour.

Alize and Jo-Wilfried found love on the tennis courts in Perth, combining their efforts to claim France's first Hopman Cup. The French duo came through a star-studded field in Perth, defeating teams from the US, Spain, Czech Republic, and Poland.

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New Year, New Ana Ivanovic

After endless trials and tribulations, Ana Ivanovic looks to have re-found her inner strength and that champion attitude that took her to top the rankings as she bagged the first title of 2014 in Auckland. The triumph marks a long-awaited revival of the former French Open champion, whose last WTA success came in 2011 at the Tournament of Champions in Bali.

The Serbian has a tremendous game making her one of the most exciting players on the tour. When she is full on, there are few who can stay in her way. Unfortunately, in recent years she wasn't able to put together more than a few such performances in a row. That prevented her from reaching any final stages in the last couple of seasons. 2014 seems to be the year of her return to the top though. 

With a new approach to the sport, a calmer Ivanovic started the new season on a high note conquering the crown in Auckland after a strong week of tennis. She didn't drop a set en route to the final, beating fellow top 20-er, Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, along the way. Playing one of her nemesis in the final, Ana knew she must bring her A-game if she wants to stand a chance against Venus Williams. She was all set to close out the match in straight sets as she served for the title at 6-2,5-4. However, the American, one of the fiercest competitors in history, came back to level the dispute by winning the second act 7-5. Showing great mental progress, Ivanovic did not crumple under the immense pressure. She kept believing, pressing Williams with her aggressive display to ultimately emerge victorious. 

"It's amazing," Ivanovic said. "Coming into this week I didn't really have any expectations. I didn't even think about making the finals or winning it. I just tried my best, and I felt very comfortable here.

"Today was a great match. Venus is always very tough—she's a great champion and showed that again today. I'm just happy that after losing that second set I managed to stay calm and close it out."

It's so great to have exciting Ana back. This success might be just the beginning of a potentially spectacular 2014. Congrats Ana!

Aged 33, Venus Williams remains a force to be reckoned with. The American showed she is back in business after reaching the Auckland final where she barely lost to an inspired Ivanovic.

Ana Ivanovic looks to have put her gray days behind her, claiming the first title since Bali in 2011. The Serbian beat Venus 6-2,5-7,6-4 to claim the Auckland crown.

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The 2013 WTA Moods Awards

2013 has been a fabulous year for the WTA tour. Not only did the WTA celebrate its 40th anniversary, but the leading ladies of the tour have put forth some breath-taking performances. Serena Williams once again dominated the proceedings, making an emphatic return to No.1 before going on to win Roland Garros, the US Open, and the WTA Tour Championships. Her fiercest rival, Vika Azarenka, also showed glimpses of geniuses, successfully defending her Australian Open crown. More important, she set records straight with Serena, beating the American to win in Doha and Cincinnati. Sadly, she lost the Flushing Meadows final, one of the most emotional and electrifying matches I ever saw. 

Wimbledon provided one of the most beautiful stories of the year, with quirky Marion Bartoli achieving her life goal by crowning herself champion. The star of the tournament was German Sabine Lisicki though, who beat Serena Williams and Aga Radwanska en route to her first Grand Slam final. 

2013 also saw the emergence of two new stars in Sloane Stephens and the million-dollar Romanian, Simona Halep. Stephens fared better in majors, but Simona turned things around in the second half of the season, winning six titles, among them the Tournament of Champions in Sofia. 

Tennis Moods favourites Flavia Pennetta and Andrea Petkovic fought their way back to the top, while Bartoli and former world No. 5, Russian Anna Chakvedatze, sadly said good-bye to the sport sooner than expected. The queen of hearts, Martina Hingis, stirred waters in August announcing she'll be making a comeback in doubles alongside Slovak Daniela Hantuchova. Poor results quickly made her reconsider her plans and the Swiss Miss is still undecided whether she'll continue playing in 2014.

The young guns have stepped up their game this year with Canadian sweetheart Eugenie Bouchard, Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic, German Annika Beck, Croat Donna Vekic, as well as Americans Madison Keys, Victoria Duval, and Taylor Townsend showing their enormous potential. 

Tennis Moods looks back at all these incredible stories and rewards these amazing champions. Congrats to all the 2013 WTA Moods Awards winners!

The 'World's Greatest' Award (for the best player of the year)

Winner: Serena Williams

Runner-up: Victoria Azarenka

The 'She Found Love' Award (for the most improved player of the year)

Winner: Simona Halep

Runner-up: Sloane Stephens

The 'Homecoming' Award (for the most spectacular comeback)

Winner: Flavia Pennetta

Runner-up: Andrea Petkovic

The 'She Works Hard for the Money' Award (for the most hard-working player)

Winner: Agnieszka Radwanska

Runner-up: Sara Errani

The 'Here I Am' Award (for the newcomer of the year)

Winner: Sloane Stephens

Runner-up: Shuai Zhang

The 'We Are Young' Award (for the most promising youngster on the tour)

Winner: Eugenie Bouchard

Runner-up: Kristina Mladenovic

The 'Talk That Talk' Award (for the wittiest player on the tour)

Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Runner-up: Martina Hingis

The 'Broken Hearted Girl' Award (for the most disappointing player of the year)

Winner: Julia Goerges

Runner-up: Heather Watson

The 'Queen of Hearts' Award (for the Tennis Moods' favourite)

Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Runner-up: Marion Bartoli

The 'When We Collide' Award (for the most spectacular doubles team)

Winner: Daniela Hantuchova & Martina Hingis

Runner-up: Ashleigh Barty & Casey Dellacqua

The 'I Feel Pretty' Award (for the the most beautiful player)

Winner: Eugenie Bouchard

Runner-up: Maria Kirilenko

The 'Fashion of Her Love' Award (for the best dressed player throughout the year)

Winner: Serena Williams

Runner-up: Sloane Stephens

The 'Paparazzi' Award (for the most memorable outfit of the season)

Winner: Venus Williams (US Open outfit)

Runner-up: Serena Williams (US Open outfit)

The 'I Will Always Love You' Award (for the player who retired this year and will be missed the most)

Winner: Marion Bartoli

Runner-up: Anna Chakvetadze

The 'Imagine' Award (for the most emotional story of the year)

Winner: Victoria Azarenka winning Australian Open

Runner-up: Marion Bartoli winning Wimbledon

The 'I Dreamed a Dream' Award (for the accomplishment of a dream)

Winner: Marion Bartoli winning Wimbledon

Runner-up: Kristen Flipkens reaching Wimbledon semifinal

The 'Hero' Award (for the braveheart performance of the year)

Winner: Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon

Runner-up: Victoria Azarenka at the Australian Open

The 'Clash of Titans' Award (for the most exhilarating duel of the year)

Winner: Victoria Azarenka & Serena Williams

Runner-up: Victoria Azarenka & Maria Sharapova

SEE ALSO: The 2011 WTA Moods Awards and The 2012 WTA Moods Awards

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The 2013 ATP Moods Awards

2013 has been a great year for tennis. It was highlighted by Nadal's magnificent comeback to the top of the rankings, Djokovic's flawless end to the season, the rejuvenation of tennis hopefuls Stanislas Wawrinka and Richard Gasquet, as well as the coming of age of young guns Bernard Tomic and Grigor Dimitrov. For me though, the biggest story of them all was Andy Murray winning Wimbledon to end the 77-year wait for the hungry home nation. In one of the most bizarre tournaments ever, the crowd carried Andy to the title, helping him fulfill his prophecy. 

2013 also marked a big disappointed as we've witnessed Roger Federer drift further away from the top. His series of surprising losses made headlines throughout the year, raising questions about his future. However, the Swiss has been adamant in declaring he will continue playing for many more years, proving determined to change fortunes in 2014. The world needs the almighty Federer back!

Exhilarating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga produced another disappointment as he let an enormous chance slip by. Facing hard-working David Ferrer for a place in the Roland Garros final, Jo played a terrible match to gift away the victory. The loss also marked the end of his season as he injured his knee at Wimbledon and was sidelined till October. Hope he comes back stronger next season!

On the bright side, Tommy Haas confirmed his good form, making an emphatic return to the top 10. At 35, the German is as dangerous as ever as he continues to break new grounds and push his opponents to their limits. Spaniard Tommy Robredo also put together a sensational comeback season, reaching the quarterfinals at both the French and the US Open. Although he is not fully recovered, Gael Monfils is showing steady progress in making his way back to where he was a few seasons ago. 

The young guns have also showed their great potential. Milos Raonic cracked the top 10, while outspoken Pole Jerzy Janowicz reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon.

Bob and Mike Bryan clearly dominated the doubles tour, winning most of the big tournaments. A near miss at Flushing Meadows prevented them from completing a calendar Grand Slam, but they did hold all four majors plus the Olympic gold at the same time (a.k.a. the Golden Bryan Slam) strengthening their credentials as the best doubles team in history.

Tennis Moods looks back at a rich 2013, recognizing the stand-out players of the year. Congrats to all the 2013 ATP Moods Awards winners!

The 'World's Greatest' Award (for the best player of the year)

Winner: Rafael Nadal

Runner-up: Andy Murray

The 'He Found Love' Award (for the most improved player of the year)

Winner: Stanislas Wawrinka

Runner-up: Richard Gasquet

The 'Homecoming' Award (for the most spectacular comeback)

Winner: Tommy Robredo

Runner-up: Gael Monfils

The 'He Works Hard for the Money' Award (for the most hard-working player)

Winner: David Ferrer

Runner-up: Rafael Nadal

The 'Here I Am' Award (for the newcomer of the year)

Winner: Jerzy Janowicz

Runner-up: Vasek Pospisil

The 'We Are Young' Award (for the most promising youngster on the tour)

Winner: Grigor Dimitrov

Runner-up: Bernard Tomic

The 'Talk That Talk' Award (for the wittiest player on the tour)

Winner: Novak Djokovic

Runner-up: Mike & Bob Bryan

The 'Broken Hearted Boy' Award (for the most disappointing player of the year)

Winner: Roger Federer

Runner-up: Brian Baker

The 'King of Hearts' Award (for the Tennis Moods' favourite)

Winner: Roger Federer

Runner-up: Tommy Haas

The 'I Will Always Love You' Award (for the player who retired this year and will be missed the most)

Winner: David Nalbandian

Runner-up: James Blake

The 'When We Collide' Award (for the most spectacular doubles team)

Winner: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan

Runner-up: Michael Llodra & Nicholas Mahut

The 'Fashion of His Love' Award (for the best dressed player throughout the year)

Winner: Roger Federer

Runner-up: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

The 'Imagine' Award (for the most emotional story of the year)

Winner: Andy Murray winning Wimbledon

Runner-up: Rafael Nadal winning US Open

The 'I Dreamed a Dream' Award (for the accomplishment of a dream)

Winner: Andy Murray winning Wimbledon

Runner-up: David Ferrer reaching the French Open final

The 'Hero' Award (for the braveheart performance of the year)

Winner: Juan Martin del Potro at Wimbledon

Runner-up: Stanislas Wawrinka at the Australian Open

The 'Clash of Titans' Award (for the most exhilarating duel of the year)

Winner: Novak Djokovic & Rafael Nadal

Runner-up: Roger Federer & Juan Martin del Potro

SEE ALSO: The 2011 ATP Moods Awards and The 2012 ATP Moods Awards

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Federer Not Done Yet

Just when we were announcing the end of his era, Roger Federer is showing he has plenty of sparks left in him, coming from behind to overcome Juan Martin del Potro in a winner-takes-it-all match at the ATP Championships in London. The victory secured his spot in the last four, where he'll go head-to-head with nemesis and world No.1, Rafael Nadal.

Following a disastrous season that saw his slip to No.8 in the world rankings, the Swiss caught fire just in time for the prestigious Season-Ending Championships, showing his rivals he is not done yet, that he is ready, both mentally and physically to give it one more fight. While his poor form, the back issues, and the mental tribulations have prevented him from playing his best for most of the season, Roger seems to have put all that behind him as he is laying the foundations for what he hopes will be a stellar comeback season next year. 

Although he was yet to qualify for the final tournament of 2013, Federer took a long break after his shocking loss to Tommy Robredo at the US Open, skipping the Asian swing. In this time span he parted ways with long-time coach Paul Annacone, opting to go solo for the time being. The risky strategy paid off and he came back energized and more focused. Well rested and clear-headed he got to play some great, consistent tennis in the last three tournaments he entered. It all started in his hometown, in Basel, where he made it all the way to the final, dispatching young guns Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Canadian Vasek Pospisil along the way. Even though he lost a nail-biting contest against del Potro, the result helped boost his confidence. Next week in Paris, he gained revenge on the Argentinean, overcoming him to reach the semis. He even had Novak Djokovic on the ropes for a set and a half, but unfortunately was unable to close out what would have been a magnificent triumph.

Having qualified for London the week before, Roger took full advantage of the opportunity. Although he lost another thriller against Djokovic, he beat both Richard Gasquet and del Potro to secure his place in the last four. The win against del Potro excited me the most because of fight back he was able to produce. Having gone 1-5 down in the opener, he responded in still holding two chances to level at 5. The Argentinean won the set eventually, but the momentum shifted in Federer’s favour. Although he was down a break in both sets, the confident Swiss managed to recover the deficit every time, serving out a superb 4-6,7-6,7-5 victory. The most important highlight of this match was Roger’s mental strength. The way he found his way out of the rabbit hole was reminiscent of the old day, of the days when the invincible Federer used to rule the world. Another positive was the fact that he took his chances, sealing the deal on his first match point by serving an ace. This is something that he failed to do this season, so again great progress here. He desperately needs to play smart on the big points if he wants to advance further in the tournament.

A win over Nadal might seem impossible, but with the right tactic and a great deal of self-belief, Federer can deny the Spaniard’s perfect ending to 2013. If the Swiss gets a sublime day at work, we might be in for a surprise, else Nadal will probably crush him. So set caution to the wind Roger, don’t blink, don’t doubt it, just play your best and beat Rafa! #letswinthis Federer!

Either way, it’s good to see Roger in this more competitive mode. Following the good results he’s had this past month, he set himself nicely for what could be a magnificent 2014.

Federer seems to have recaptured his winning momentum at the ATP Championships in London where he beat Richard Gasquet and Juan Martin del Potro to secure his place in the semifinals. He goes on to face nemesis Rafael Nadal next.

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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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