Flavia Pennetta, Agnieszka Radwanska, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza, Petra Kvitova, Angelique Kerber and Lucie Safarova (click to enlarge)
So here’s what happens when Serena Williams takes the rest of the season off after the 2015 US Open. You get an intriguing WTA Finals among the singles participants. I honestly can’t pick a favorite, in terms of predicting a likely winner. I can make a legitimate case for every player going all the way or not even making it past the round robin stage. For example, both Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova have won this event in past years. They each have the skill to rise to the top but injuries and inconsistency could also doom them early. Masha, Simona Halep, Agnieszka Radwanska and US Open champion Flavia Pennetta make up the Red Group. Normally, I would pick Masha and Halepeno, but I don’t even know if Sharapova will physically make it through her first match and you never know which Simona will show up. The White Group is Petra, Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber and Lucie Safarova. Each of these players are dangerous but Safarova is coming in not long after battling illness. Petra is my personal favorite player in this event, but part of me is pulling for Garbine Muguruza, the 2015 Wimbledon runner-up, to win and throw down the gauntlet for 2016.
ALL PICS CLICK TO ENLARGE
MARIA SHARAPOVA
SIMONA HALEP
GARBINE MUGURUZA
PETRA KVITOVA
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA
ANGELIQUE KERBER
LUCIE SAFAROVA
FLAVIA PENNETTA
EVERYBODY
with WTA President Micky Lawler
Fairways and Forehands 
I remember Sharapova’s father being a pain in the ss. Can’t blame her for that though. Serena can be a cold fish, but you could say her father was a jerk also. A top ten for Paula would probably bolster her confidence the last couple of events. Once Lydia gets in a groove, she is hard to catch.
Tennis dads have long been a tour issue. Then again, you can find obnoxious parents at lots of youth sports events these days.