Azarenka, Sharapova face pressure

 

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Updated: March 7, 2012, 12:32 PM ETESPN.com

Spring is in the air, daylight saving time is just mere moments away and big-time tennis is back in the U.S. Yep, Indian Wells signals the beginning of what promises to be a captivating month.

Victoria Azarenka has shown no signs of ceding her top spot in the game, but with all eyeballs focused squarely on her No. 1-ranked shoulders, will she succumb? Don′t forget, she did win Miami last year.

Maria Sharapova, who was thumped by Azarenka in the Aussie final, played brilliantly at the Indian Wells/Miami double last year, reaching the semis and final, respectively.

The WTA is rife with players who can win at any given moment, from Petra Kvitova to Li Na to Kim Clijsters, of course.

Who will shine? Who will flop? Our pundits test their prescience.

 

Is Victoria Azarenka a legitimate No. 1?

Howard Bryant: Yes, and finally we can say that we have one. That doesn′t mean she will stay there indefinitely because Petra Kvitova has the tools to always challenge in a tournament and is resurgent after hitting a bump following her title at Wimbledon last year. After Caroline Wozniacki amassed points and benefited from a lull in the women′s game, Azarenka is a true power player who deserves the top spot.

Greg Garber: More legitimate than, say, Caroline Wozniacki? Well, yes, since Azarenka already has her first Grand Slam singles title under her belt. She′s started the 2012 season by winning her first 17 matches, and last year she played well at both Indian Wells and Miami. Winning one of those two events will keep her on top and give her confidence heading into the final three Slams of the season.

Joanne Gerstner: I always scoff at the thought that there is an illegitimate No. 1 in the world. If there is an illegitimate way to get there, sign me and thousands of other club hackers up. Azarenka has put together a dominant run to start the year, winning Sydney, the Australian Open and Doha. She′s shown poise in handling the top spot so far, which can′t be said for the tenure of previous No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki.

Kamakshi Tandon: Absolutely. Azarenka holds a Slam and multiple titles, and most people see her as the player to beat. In this day and age on the women′s tour, that almost qualifies as dominance. She certainly has been dominant so far this year, with an unbeaten streak of 17 -- just 24 to go to match Djokovic′s start last year. But now Azarenka has to start backing it up, and Indian Wells and Miami will be the first full fields she′s faced since getting to the top spot. She′s not expected to go on a Djokovic-like run, exactly, but neither is she expected to completely fall apart like her recent Slam predecessors. In this day and age on the women′s tour, that would almost qualify as Djokovic-like ascendancy.

Ravi Ubha: Yes. Sure, you could say that Azarenka isn′t playing in the most competitive of times, and injuries to Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams have made it easier for her. But Azarenka has always had the weapons to become No. 1. There′s no debating that. And the numbers are backing her up. She′s a No. 1 with a Slam (sorry for mentioning that, Caro and JJ). Further, winning 17 straight matches to begin 2012 has Azarenka creeping toward Djokovic-like territory, and although she has a long way to go to match the Serb′s 2011 start, it′s impressive nonetheless.

Matt Wilansky: As opposed to whom? Azarenka has the drive and confidence to go along with her all-around game, which should keep her atop the field for a long stretch. Sure, Serena or Clijsters could take her down on any given day, but neither of them will play enough tennis to challenge her ranking. Petra Kvitova might be slightly more talented and hits with more firepower, but she doesn′t play with the same mettle on a consistent basis. So by process of elimination, and the dearth of other viable contenders, Vika is here to stay.

 

What does Maria need to do to finally start winning these big tournaments consistently?

Bryant: Play better offense. Sharapova has never quite been the same since shoulder surgery, and it shows mostly in her serve. But after being bombed by Kvitova in the Wimbledon final last year, Sharapova beat Kvitova in three sets in the Aussie semis. With Kvitova and Azarenka at the top of the rankings with her, Sharapova can′t expect to overpower either on the baseline. A little more diversity and fewer double faults might just be enough.

Garber: Serve with authority. This is -- and has been for some time -- the coin of the realm in women′s tennis. It′s why aging Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters continue to be threats for any tournament they play, and it′s why Petra Kvitova broke through a year ago at Wimbledon. Since returning from shoulder surgery, Sharapova has had issues with her serve -- especially the second offering when matches get tight. It′s sort of like Tiger Woods′ inability (until this past week) to make those 8-foot putts that he used to own.

Gerstner: Yes, Sharapova has been tantalizingly close to winning titles, but the crushing defeats in the 2011 Wimbledon and 2012 Aussie finals show how far she still needs to go. Sharapova is lacking the big weapon that will take out the best for a Grand Slam. Her serve is still not a huge asset, and faster and harder-hitting opponents can take advantage of Sharapova′s touch-slow foot speed on the baseline. Tennis has changed, and Sharapova is no longer the tallest, hard-hitting, big-screaming player on the court anymore. She needs to find something to give her the advantage again.

Tandon: Get her serve in. Although Sharapova has been in two Grand Slam finals since coming back, she′s been blown away by younger players in both matches. Although her opponents played well, she didn′t perform her best. Although Sharapova remains as much of a fighter as ever, the old reliability during tight moments just hasn′t come back. It shows most in her serve, and not being able to count on it puts pressure on the rest of her game. Maybe things will just fall into place, but it better happen soon -- more and more players are catching up to her power.

Ubha: I′m among those who admire Sharapova. She works hard at her game and is a tremendous competitor. So what if she doesn′t trade high-fives in the locker room. But for Sharapova to bag another major, she′d need a nice draw. It′s clear that post-shoulder surgery, the serve still isn′t what it needs to be against the elite: Even if she avoids the double faults, her second serve gets crunched. Azarenka took advantage in Melbourne. Sharapova has never been the best athlete or most versatile, but that wasn′t as much of an issue prior to her shoulder troubles.

Wilansky: Weirdly, she′ll need to channel her inner Caroline Wozniacki at times. In other words, Sharapova′s go-for-broke style lends itself to errors and mental lapses, and it can take her out of matches quickly, as it did in the Aussie Open final. Playing a tighter and more consistent game isn′t really her M.O., but she will struggle to win those matches against Azarenka and Kvitova until she really starts manifesting more patience and waiting for the right opportunity. Sure, she isn′t actually fleet of foot, but she′ll need to work on that to compete with today′s sleek movers. Oh, and there′s that serve issue, of course.

 

Which women′s player is under the most pressure to succeed at Indian Wells and Miami?

Bryant: That′s a toss-up between Azarenka and Wozniacki. Wozniacki no longer has the pressure of being the major-less No. 1, but she is also in the dangerous territory of being the women′s version of David Ferrer -- terrific defense, big heart, but without the weapons to compete with the top four -- and Indian Wells could be the start of a run to a major, or the resignation that she just doesn′t have enough firepower to be a great player. Azarenka must escape the trap that has befallen her first-time major-winning predecessors. Samantha Stosur won the 2011 U.S. Open and immediately struggled. Francesca Schiavone won the 2010 French Open and hasn′t won another tournament. Li Na won the 2011 French Open and hasn′t won another tournament. Kvitova won 2011 Wimbledon and got knocked out in the first round of the U.S. Open.

Garber: I′ll go with Azarenka. There are only two ways for this to go: The top ranking can give her confidence -- and the hunger to maintain her position. This is what happened last year with Novak Djokovic. On the other hand, being No. 1 could be a burden, as it has been to so many women in recent years. Based on Azarenka′s emerging positive attitude (something new) in those matches Down Under, I think she′ll respond to that pressure. Honorable mention: Serena Williams, who is skipping Indian Wells as usual, will be feeling the heat to perform in her hometown tournament in Miami.

Gerstner: The spotlight will be on Wozniacki, Sharapova and Azarenka at Indian Wells. Wozniacki and Sharapova will be watched to see how they′ve bounced back since their disappointments in Australia. And Azarenka will be watched to see how her rolled ankle in Qatar has healed. In Miami, the spotlight will focus on Serena Williams, to see where she′s at since her bad injury at the Aussie.

Tandon: There really isn′t anyone who′s facing a lot of pressure to go all the way and lift the trophies. Azarenka has won so much, a lull would be understandable. Petra Kvitova should be picking it up, but she doesn′t like the U.S. hard-court events and has stalled a bit. Sharapova doesn′t look ready to set the world on fire. Caroline Wozniacki isn′t being looked at to win now that she′s not No. 1. Is Agnieszka Radwanska really ready to hold off everyone at a big event? So it goes. Someone′s got to win, of course, but whoever does, it′ll be seen as impressive rather than expected -- with Azarenka perhaps the exception. But having said that, early defeats would be a dangerous indicator for any of these players. So there is a lot of pressure to have a respectable showing, particularly for defending champion Wozniacki, who could soon be closer to No. 10 than No. 1 if she doesn′t step up her results.

Ubha: Caroline Wozniacki. When Wozniacki lost the No. 1 ranking in Melbourne, she said defiantly, "I will get it back eventually, so I′m not worried." She should be, since Azarenka and Petra Kvitova passed her on the depth chart and figure to be swapping top spot in the years ahead. Wozniacki, who loved the attention that surrounds being No. 1, flopped in Doha and then fell to Julia Goerges, again -- but this time on a hard court. Uh-oh. Agnieszka Radwanska is charging behind her in the rankings, and Wozniacki has ample points to defend in California as last year′s winner.

Wilansky: That′s a toughie, but I′ll go with Petra Kvitova. She was earmarked as the next big thing as 2011 wound down, winning Fed Cup and the year-enders. She foundered in Australia, and there′s just this uneasy feeling that unless she plays with some aplomb this spring, her fall could have long-lasting effects. No one expects Azarenka to keep up this pace, and Wozniacki just kind of is what she is right now. Kvitova is the one player who could challenge Azarenka this year, but first she needs to prove she wants it.

http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/7656185/tennis-victoria-azarenka-maria-sharapova-face-pressure

 

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