I have to admit that with due respect to Alize Cornet, whom I like, when I was watching her play wonderful tennis in the first set of her Roland Garros 2013 3rd round match against former world #1 Victoria Azarenka it was very exciting. The crowd was clearly behind the Frenchwoman Cornet. They could smell the upset brewing. Not me. You watch enough tennis and you see this happen all the time. An underdog plays well early, but a champion closes it late. Vika is a champion. I never had a thought that Azarenka wouldn’t pull it together and get the job done. And Vika did just that winning 4-6 6-3 6-1. On the other hand, if you watch enough tennis over the years, you will identify players brimming with talent and potential who look unbeatable one day and suffer inexplicable losses the next day. Case in point, one of my favorite players, Petra Kvitova. Granted, I must give credit to American Jamie Hampton, who also has a bit of talent herself, taking out the 2011 Wimbledon champion, 6-1 7-6 (7). Still, Petra Kvitova has all the tools to be #1. Well, except one thing: consistency.
Women’s Singles – 3rd Round – Completed | |||
1 | 2 | 3 | |
V. Azarenka #3 « | 4 | 6 | 6 |
A. Cornet #31 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
Women’s Singles – 3rd Round – Completed | |||
1 | 2 | 3 | |
S. Stephens #17 « | 6 | 6(5) | 6 |
M. Erakovic | 4 | 7(7) | 3 |
Women’s Singles – 3rd Round – Completed | |||
1 | 2 | 3 | |
B. Mattek-Sands « | 4 | 6 | 6 |
P. Ormaechea | 6 | 1 | 3 |
Women’s Singles – 3rd Round – Completed | |||
1 | 2 | 3 | |
M. Sharapova #2 « | 6 | 7 | |
J. Zheng | 1 | 5 |
Women’s Singles – 3rd Round – Completed | |||
1 | 2 | 3 | |
M. Bartoli #13 | 2 | 1 | |
F. Schiavone « | 6 | 6 |
Women’s Singles – 3rd Round – Completed | |||
1 | 2 | 3 | |
M. Kirilenko #12 « | 7(7) | 7 | |
S. Voegele | 6(3) | 5 |
Women’s Singles – 3rd Round – Completed | |||
1 | 2 | 3 | |
P. Kvitova #7 | 1 | 6(7) | |
J. Hampton « | 6 | 7(9) |
Women’s Singles – 3rd Round – Completed | |||
1 | 2 | 3 | |
S. Stosur #9 | 6 | 3 | 4 |
J. Jankovic #18 « | 3 | 6 | 6 |
ALL PICS CLICK TO ENLARGE
VICTORIA AZARENKA
SLOANE STEPHENS
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS
MARIA SHARAPOVA
FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE