2012 WTA Championships & ATP Finals Preview

2011 Year in Review 1

WHAT’S INSIDE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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LONDON CALLING: ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS

LESS IS MORE FOR SERENA

RANKINGS

p.8-10 GRADING THE FIELD

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p.20-21 p.22 CLOSING SHOTS

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Editor

Theodore L. LePak ted@tennisnow.com Erwin Ong Blair Hemley

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Writers

Erik Gudris

Letter from the Editor Heading into the WTA Championships, Serena Williams was the wildcard on everybody’s mind. She had a lukewarm start to the year at the Australian Open and seemed to be gaining momentum before crashing out in the French Open first round. But since that stunning defeat, she’s been unstoppable, winning Wimbledon, the Olympics, and the US Open. Serena barreled into the Championships and cut down her opponents one after another. Is Serena unbeatable? The results from the Istanbul seem to answer that question.

With the WTA Championships behind us, the focus now shifts towards London where the top eight ATP players clash for the big bucks.

Chris Oddo

In this edition we expose the secret to Serena’s success, grade the performances of the ladies, get the lowdown on their fashion, and look ahead to London.

Thanks to all the writers, editors, and our graphics team for helping compose this magazine. We also want to highlight our photographer Andy Kentla for his photos that capture the atmosphere and the action in Istanbul.

Blair Henley

blair@tennisnow.com

Erwin Ong

erwin@tennisnow.com

Nick Georgandis

We hope you enjoyed the WTA Championships, and we look forward to bringing you comprehensive coverage of the ATP World Tour Finals!

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Alberto Capetillo Juan Esparza

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Andy Kentla

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Theodore LePak Editor, Tennis Now Magazine Ted@tennisnow.com

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Less is More for

Serena Williams is enjoying a career renaissance, and we’ve figured out why.

Serena Serena Williams has a magical formula. And after years of research, the secret is finally out. Are you ready for this?

possibly the most polarizing figure in professional tennis. But, the truth is, she’s right.

Less = more.

Serena played no competitive matches in the six-week span between her U.S. Open title run and her complete dominance in Istanbul. She played just one tournament in between the Olympics and the U.S. Open, and she competed in zero Wimbledon warmups after her shocking first round loss at the French Open. Though her schedule is not surprising given her track record of leaving large gaps in her calendar (or creating them by way of sickness or injury), Serena continues to shock fans and pundits alike with her seeming ability to win at will, almost as if she simply decides when she’s in the mood for a victory. It’s that factor alone that has prompted outlets like ESPN to declare Serena “the real No. 1.”

Revolutionary, right?

As much as we like to criticize Serena for taking time away from the game to sell her bag line on the Home Shopping Network, star in an episode of Law and Order: SVU or, you know, become a certified nail technician, she has paced herself – and her tennis career – in a way rarely seen in sport. After watching the 31-yearold plow through the field in Istanbul to become the oldest WTA Championships winner in history, it’s evident that her strategy has paid dividends.

Of course, most players aren’t nearly talented enough to approach their careers Serena-style. The vast majority of athletes on tour must grind their way through the grueling tournament calendar in hopes of collecting as many points as possible. Serena, on the other hand, doesn’t seem at all concerned by her place in the rankings. (She’s been the top-ranked player for just 123 total weeks in her 17-year career, and she’ll finish this year at No. 3.)

But perhaps that’s because, in her mind, she’s been No. 1 for as long as she can remember.

“If I’m playing well and doing everything right, it’s pretty difficult to beat me, without trying to sound too full of myself,” Williams said after claiming her third year-end title with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Maria Sharapova.

This kind of commentary has become a hallmark of Serena’s press conferences - a factor that has contributed to her reputation as

With seven titles and a 59-4 record this year, it’s easy to laugh at Serena’s comments to the Sydney Morning Herald back in January: “I’ve actually never liked sports, and I never understood how I became an athlete,” she said. “I don’t like working out. I don’t like anything that has to do with working physically.”

That wasn’t exactly a shocking admission. Serena has never been known for strenuous practices or exceptional fitness, which is what made her transformation in the second half of 2012 even more astonishing. Those six weeks between the U. S. Open and Istanbul?

She spent them training in France with her coach, and rumored boyfriend, Patrick Mouratoglou. In fact, she’s been training at Mouratoglou’s Paris academy consistently since her first round French Open loss in June. And she actually seems to like the hard work! Or maybe it’s just the winning that goes with it. Either way, she’s 31-1 dating back to Wimbledon.

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“Even though I’m 30, I feel so young,” she said after the U.S. Open.

“I’ve never felt as fit and more excited and more hungry.”

After her win in Istanbul, Serena even talked about her training plans for the off-season.

“When I was out there today I thought, okay, I want to work on this in November. Oh, okay, I’m going to work on that one in November.”

So does this mean Serena is going to give up her magical, less-ismore formula in the twilight of her career? Probably not. Her critics will likely be left wondering how good she could have been if she dedicated herself to a packed schedule à la Caroline Wozniacki.

That’s a valid point, of course.

But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Serena, it’s that she like the honey badger – doesn’t care.

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"If I’m playing well and doing everything right, it’s pretty difficult to beat me..."

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GRADING THE FIEL D ­– Chris Oddo

With the idea in mind that the WTA Championships was the final exam for the elite students at the head of the WTA class, let’s take a look back and see how each player performed under pressure in Istanbul, and how those performances impacted each player’s overall grade for the season:

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Final Exam:

A Overall Grade:

A

Serena Williams Short of winning another Serena Slam or the calendar year Grand Slam, there isn’t much more that Serena Williams could have done to make 2012 more impressive. She lost only one match after her shocking first-round loss to Virginie Razzano at the French Open, tearing through Wimbledon, the Olympics, the U.S. Open and the WTA Championships like a house on fire, and doing it all at the notso-tender age of 31.

the oldest player to do so since Martina Navratilova in 26 years.

Even more remarkably, against a field of elite players Williams was never tested. She won her 12th straight match against top-two opposition, and after predictably thumping Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova en route to the title, Williams reinforced the notion that she is worthy of mention alongside the names of the greatest to ever play the game.

Last week in Istanbul, after a long layoff, Williams won her third title in eight appearances at the elite year-end event, and became

Final Exam:

A Overall Grade:

A

Maria Sharapova Maria Sharapova took a huge step in Istanbul when she finally took out Victoria Azarenka on a hard-court. But after she again fell short to Serena Williams, losing her ninth straight encounter to the 31-year-old, it was once again apparent that as good as Sharapova is--great is a better word--she still has the capacity to be outclassed at the elite level.

Sharapova’s 6-17 career tally against Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka is perhaps the only reminder that the Russian is, in fact, a woman that can be outshined on a tennis court.

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With that said however, we must take into account the fact that Sharapova finally returned to the Grand Slam winner’s circle in 2012, putting the finishing touches on the career Grand Slam with a French Open title that was mightily impressive. And let’s not forget her 60 match wins, 3 titles and 13-1 record in three-set matches either.

It was a remarkable year for the 25-year-old Russian, losses to Williams and Azarenka notwithstanding.

Final Exam:

A Overall Grade:

A

Victoria Azarenka Ending the season with a disappointing pair of losses to her biggest rivals in Istanbul wasn’t the perfect ending to a near-perfect season for the Belarusian, but when one takes stock of all that she accomplished in 2012, it’s hard to assess Azarenka’s season as anything ot her than a giant success.

victory over Li Na in Istanbul last Friday. But it wasn’t a perfect ending to the season for Azarenka. She failed to gain ground on her archrival Serena Williams, losing a ninth consecutive decision to the American, then went on to drop her first match to Maria Sharapova on a hard court since 2009.

Azarenka won her first Grand Slam and set a single-season record for prize money, becoming the first WTA player to eclipse the $7 million mark. The 23-year-old also confidently climbed to the No. 1 ranking and clinched the year-end ranking with her round-robin

Still, with her six titles, a 69-10 record and the tour’s longest winning streak--a 26-match mind-bender to start the season--Azarenka has placed herself on the contender list for every future Slam.

Final Exam:

A Overall Grade:

A

Agnieszka Radwanska Like Azarenka, Radwanska had a breakout year in 2012, reaching the Wimbledon final, ascending to No. 2 in the rankings, winning three titles and compiling an impressive record of 59-19. What was perhaps more impressive about Radwanska’s success is the unconventional means with which she accomplished her rise to the top of women’s tennis. In a sport populated with powerhitting, laser-serving behemoths, Radwanska is the antidote to size and power. She bravely toes the line against her threatening competition with a game predicated on tact, timing and touch, reeling in her opponents by encouraging them to hit harder, harder,

HARDER! Then, like a spider who has prepared an intricate web, luring them in for the kill.

Watching Radwanska do what she do is an eye-opener to be sure.

Her success teaches us that even at the professional level a little intelligence and a well-crafted defense can go a long way. However, after losing a tight three-setter to Sharapova, then being dominated

by Serena in the semifinals, it’s apparent that Radwanska still has her work cut out for her if she plans to consistently challenge the top three players in the game at the Grand Slams.

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Final Exam:

B Overall Grade:

B

Angelique Kerber Realize, we are grading on a very difficult curve here, as Kerber’s rise to relevancy in 2012 was almost improbably good. The 24-yearold became only the fifth German woman to ever reach the top five a few weeks ago, and even more remarkably, she did it after never having finished a season inside the WTA’s top 30 before.

We could go on and on when speaking about the ways Kerber impressed us in 2012. She won her first two WTA titles and pushed into the French Open quarterfinals and Wimbledon semifinals with inspired runs; She reached the 60-win mark; She played some of

the craziest, most intense matches of the season (at Wimbledon versus Sabine Lisicki and at the US Open versus Venus Williams, to name a few). But in the end, Kerber came up just a tad short of the monumental breakthrough that we all now consider her capable of.

In Istanbul, she played gutty, inspired tennis but finished without a win. Still, her three-hour thriller against Victoria Azarenka in her first match proved just how close Kerber is to making another jump.

She finished the year with a four-match losing streak, but is there anybody out there who doubts that the disappointing finish won’t end up pushing Kerber to higher highs in 2012?

Final Exam: Inc o m pl ete

Overall Grade:

B

Petra Kvitova Kvitova had to drop out of Istanbul after just one match—a disappointing, head-scratcher of a loss to Agnieszka Radwanska that featured 41 unforced errors and a disconcerting lack of decisionmaking by Kvitova—but the Czech No. 1 still has the Fed Cup final to end her season on a high note.

It will be a high note that she badly needs, for Kvitova’s 2012 campaign, while impressive in spots, can only considered as a disappointment up until now. The 22-year-old failed to replicate her scintillating Wimbledon-winning form of 2011, and after being in the

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running to claim the No. 1 ranking in Australia, she slowly dropped back to her current position of No. 6 with some inconsistent play during the meat of the season. That said, Kvitova did reach two Grand Slam semifinals in 2012, and she pushed Serena Williams at Wimbledon in a way that no other player could. Still, when it’s all said and done, Kvitova followed up a season in which she won a Grand Slam and ended the season at No. 2 with a season that featured no Grand Slam finals and a year-end ranking four spots lower than the previous year. It’s not devastating but it isn’t quite what we expected from the rare, explosive left-hander.

Final Exam:

B Overall Grade:

B

Sara Errani Sara Errani, much like Angelique Kerber, came from out of nowhere in 2012 to her current status as formidable top ten player with a penchant for going deep in Grand Slams. How has she done it? It’s simple. Errani plays the game with spirit and passion, and what the 5’4 1/2” spunkmeister lacks in size she more than makes up for with stamina.

Sure, Errani can look outclassed by many of her bigger, faster, stronger top ten comrades, but what was surprising about 2012--Errani’s first year ever finishing a season inside the top 40 (she’ll finish at No. 6

this year)--was that Errani could make those bigger, faster players seem outclassed by her. Even in Istanbul, a far from the clay courts that truly bring her game to life, Errani surfaced as a viable threat, coming within a set of reaching the semifinals before finally losing to Agnieszka Radwanska in a hard-fought battle.

But on the clay, her favorite surface, was where Errani really gained steam this season. She won four titles and reached the French Open final, and introduced herself as a true threat to win the title at Roland Garros in the years to come.

Final Exam:

B Overall Grade:

B

Li Na Simply put, time is running out for Li Na, and while she showed her finest tennis at times this season, she didn’t show it often enough to provide fans with any hope that she might have another Grand Slam title in her. From the baseline, the 30-year-old is as balanced and as explosive as they come. From the service stripe, she can be lethal as well. But Li’s game suffers from the fact that she isn’t a very nuanced tactical player. She can drive the ball with authority, but she very rarely seems to vary her pace or her tactics enough to throw her competition off.

In short, Li lives by the fastball and dies by the fastball. And in doing so--as brilliantly as she can strike the ball--Li gives her opponents the opportunity to become accustomed to her pace and rhythm.

But it hasn’t been all bad for Li Na in 2012. Strong performances in Cincinnati (her first Premier Mandatory title) and Beijing reminded us all that she can be even better than she has been if she continues to fine-tune her attack.

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London Calling: ATP World Tour Finals ­– Erik Gudris

Instant classics and unpredictable results, the final stop of the men’s tour continues to be the perfect climax to a packed tennis season.

Despite going through several name changes and being staged in multiple locales around the world, the year-end event now known as the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals continues to be a goal for every player and also the perfect way to conclude the year.

Outside of the four Grand Slams, the ATP Finals are considered the fifth biggest event of the season with its champion often being crowned the year-end No. 1; that certainly could happen this year if Novak Djokovic takes the trophy in London. But Roger Federer, who’s now stuck to playing second fiddle to Djokovic, has his eyes are on a different set of goals.

“I’ve already reached my goal by getting back to World No. 1 in the summer. That was for me the goal, getting back there and winning a Grand Slam, particularly Wimbledon,” Federer said during the Shanghai Masters event. “I feel very much at peace and I’m happy.

I always have to look 12 months ahead, as well, making sure I stay injury free, that I stay hungry for more. This is where if it works out, great, and if it doesn’t, someone else plays better. I am here, so I’ll give it the best shot I can and we’ll see how it goes.”

But Federer has to like his chances in the unique round-robin format event that ensures fans will see the elite eight of the men’s game square off against each other several times during the week.

The Swiss superstar has won the event six times, the most ever in its history, and will likely be the favorite again simply because the indoor conditions suit his all-court game.

Stan Smith won the very first ever year-end event held at Tokyo in 1970. Known then as the Masters Grand Prix, it was the final tournament of the Grand Prix tennis circuit and was subsequently held in different cities until 1997 when it began a 12-year stay at Madison Square Garden in New York City. When the newly formed

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ATP Tour began in 1990, the event was renamed the ATP World Tour Championships and was hosted for several years at Frankfurt, Germany and then later at Hanover, Germany until 1999.

In 2000, the ATP Tour merged the finals with its rival Grand Slam Cup event that was sponsored by the ITF. Now called the Tennis Masters Cup, this new event was held in a variety of cities including Houston, Lisbon, and Shanghai. In 2009, the ATP Tour relocated the event to its new home inside London’s O2 Arena and rebranded it as the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. As of now, the finals are expected to remain in London until 2016.

Memorable and classic matches have come to be expected throughout the years of fierce competition between the elites.

Boris Becker and Pete Sampras battled in the 1996 finals with Sampras winning 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), 6-7(11), 6-4 in a match considered one of the decade’s best. In 2005, Federer won the first two tiebreaks against David Nalbandian in the finals – that year, the vent was held in China -- before the Argentine rallied to win 6–7(4), 6–7(11), 6–2, 6–1, 7–6(3) in a performance many still consider Nalbandian’s best ever. And in 2010, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal faced off in the semifinals at London before Nadal prevailed 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(6) in a match widely considered as that year’s best.

Murray has only reached the semis twice in the finals’ history (2008, 2010) and having it held in London gives the newly crowned U.S. Open champ a slight advantage -- with the flip side being burdened with the added pressure and privilege of playing in front of his home crowd. The Scot has a better chance for claiming his first ever year-end championship also because of the unfortunate absence of Rafael Nadal from this year’s field.

“It’s great to have qualified again for London,” said Murray on

making it to elite eight for the fifth straight year. “I’ve played some of my best tennis this year on home soil, so hopefully I can also have a good run at The O2 in November. The atmosphere and the support I’ve had there has always been incredible.”

For Djokovic, who won the event back in 2008 and has now qualified for a sixth straight year, London could allow him to take back the No. 1 ranking and also solidify a worthy bookend to the season that saw him win the Australian Open way back in January.

But he knows getting back to the top spot won’t be easy.

“It’s my biggest objective in this moment,” Djokovic said just after winning the Shanghai title. “It’s something I’m aiming for. Obviously this is going to be a huge confidence boost and also is going to help me in the race for No. 1. As I said, it’s still not done. I still have to play well indoors.”

Federer, Djokovic, and Murray each would dearly love a title run in London to end their 2012 season on a high. But as in years past, the unique round robin format has produced its fair share of surprise winners proving that anyone who has a good week under the lights could raise the coveted trophy. That’s why the drama, unpredictability, and excitement of the year-end finals always mark the perfect end to every tennis season.

"It’s my biggest objective in this moment. Obviously this is going to be a huge confidence boost and also is going to help me in the race for No. 1. As I said, it’s still not done. I still have to play well indoors." ­– Novak Djokovic

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RANKINGS As of 10/29/12

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Federer, Roger Djokovic, Novak Murray, Andy

Nadal, Rafael Ferrer, David

Berdych, Tomas Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried Del Potro, Juan Martin Tipsarevic, Janko Monaco, Juan

Isner, John Gasquet, Richard Almagro, Nicolas Raonic, Milos Cilic, Marin Nishikori, Kei Wawrinka, Stanislas Dolgopolov, Alexandr Kohlschreiber, Philipp Simon, Gilles Haas, Tommy Seppi, Andreas Querrey, Sam Granollers, Marcel Verdasco, Fernando

SUI SRB GBR ESP ESP CZE FRA ARG SRB ARG USA

FRA

ESP

CAN

CRO

JPN

SUI

UKR

GER

FRA

GER

ITA

USA

ESP

ESP

12,315 11,970 7,690 6,905 5,610 4,985 4,710 3,990 3,100 2,775 2,565 2,550 2,435 2,300 2,210 2,000 1,955 1,935 1,830 1,815 1,701 1,620 1,560 1,545 1,525

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Azarenka, Victoria Sharapova, Maria Williams, Serena Radwanska, Agnieszka Kerber, Angelique Errani, Sara Li, Na Kvitova, Petra Stosur, Samantha Bartoli, Marion Wozniacki, Caroline Ivanovic, Ana Petrova, Nadia Cibulkova, Dominika Kirilenko, Maria Vinci, Roberta Safarova, Lucie Goerges, Julia Kanepi, Kaia Makarova, Ekaterina Lepchenko, Varvara Jankovic, Jelena Wickmayer, Yanina Williams, Venus Shvedova, Yaroslava

BLR RUS USA POL GER ITA CHN CZE AUS FRA DEN SRB RUS SVK RUS ITA CZE GER EST RUS USA SRB BEL USA KAZ

10,595 10,045 9,400 7,425 5,550 5,100 5,095 5,085 4,135 3,740 3,685 2,900 2,725 2,495 2,463 2,400 2,125 1,965 1,929 1,841 1,835 1,751 1,680 1,650 1,565

These two little fans show off their artwork as they cheer on their favorite competitor Agnieszka Radwanska.

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Serena Williams poses with his trophy to the excited crowd while Maria Sharapova stands by as the runner up.

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In a New York minute, Roger Federer found himself in a unfamiliar place: on the losing end of a night match at the U.S. Open as Tomas Berdych defeated him 6-7(1), 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 to reach the semifinals.

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Fans of the former World No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, wishing their favorite Dane had made it into Istanbul.

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Following Petra Kvitova’s withdrawal from Istanbul, Sam Stosur quickly jumped into action as the alternate.

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Serena fans cheer on their American hero at the finals match.

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Maria Sharapova had a solid run in Istanbul defeating her rival, Victoria Azarenka, in the semifinals. However, Sharapova just couldn’t find a way to defeat Serena Williams in the finals.

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Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova were the last team to qualify, and ended up being the last team standing. The duo were the biggest long shot but the Russians pulled their weight and came out of victorious.

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Wideshot of last year’s ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 arena in London.