2010: Williamses, Clijsters, Sharapova, 'Henin' back on top? 08-09 'break'years?

Well... it's time to bring this one up again after today, and SERIOUSLY discuss it.

I think we can all agree the williams are up there, and whatever happens, they'll hold their ground. They'll fight for slams until they retire and have it in them to draw out the toplevel that's required to win slams/perform in the latter stages of slams.

Now with our current topplayers: Safina, Dementieva, Jankovic and Kuznetsova..

1.
I really don't see them stopping a Clijsters or Sharapova from winning more then them... They're way too scrapy and folding at the important moments. And if Henin returns, how are they ever going to win big titles with all 5 of them playing?


2.
Safina's form has been horrid, and lets face it, she's scraping through but when she's meeting the elite she's folded when it matters. I doubt she'll win as much when sharapova, clijsters and potentially henin get to full flight. She just doesn't have a plan B.

ElenaD has been a complete headcase and has been in questionable form during the spring, and showed that even within good form she can't hold it together mentally. Besides this, she's getting older.

Kuznetsova's been up-and-down pretty much the whole season and is still doubted when facing the elite in important matches.

Jankovic has been a blip on the radar this year. Hard to mention any highlight...

Ivanovic has hit rockbottem.

3.
After them we have: Zvonarenva, Wozniacki, Azarenka, Pennetta
Are they going to stop clijsters and pova from taking over? I'd say no. They might grow, but i doubt they have what it takes. Their games look so pale compared to the 5 mentioned before.
And in Azarenka and Wozniacki's case they definetly need more time. They've been bombed to being top10 players because the 20-25 guard couldn't perform.


4.
To be honest, i'm fairly convinced the old guard will be back on top in 2010... So what do we have to say about the last 2 years? Was it a 'break'?, to me the last 2 years feel so empty right now while i'm typing this. Is it alright that i'm delighted to have those older players back because i just know the quality of woman's tennis will be much better? I'm way more exited about the old guard then the new guard.

It's just that there's a minor difference. The spark just isn't there with the 20-25 generation... Somehow it just doesn't click. I don't feel like there's any of them who has what it takes to get it to the next level. Someone who has what it takes to compete with the mentally stronger top.

5.
This brings me to the last point:
Where will we have to find those rough diamonds who can be sharpen into elite? Oudin? Rogowska? Players even younger then them maybe? One of them might make it to become a 5+ slamwinner instead of the 20-25 generation?

So we'll have to wait at least a few more years till we get that upcoming generation of elite players? And hopefully a future great?

Hopefully.

Ana will be back :)

Victoria Azarenka is up there too.

How on earth have 2008 and 2009 been a break from the old guard. All the non-clay slams have been won by the WS and Sharapova.

Tour-wise, no I don't see the old guard ever getting back on top, Kim is not going to win more than a few ordinary tour titles a year, neither is Maria, neither are Serena or Venus. When was the last time all of them won a title in the same year? 2005/6?

ith the exception of Justine RG has been a slam with randomers winning it every year since Evert then Seles and Graf dominated it.

How on earth have 2008 and 2009 been a break from the old guard. All the non-clay slams have been won by the WS and Sharapova.

Tour-wise, no I don't see the old guard ever getting back on top, Kim is not going to win more than a few ordinary tour titles a year, neither is Maria, neither are Serena or Venus. When was the last time all of them won a title in the same year? 2005/6?

ith the exception of Justine RG has been a slam with randomers winning it every year since Evert then Seles and Graf dominated it.

ASV?

The Williamses, Justine and Kim are gonna be the top players next year.

Maria is still the same ball basher with a bad serve. Don't believe the hype that's coming from Pam, MJF, and Carillo's mouth. The WTA has purposely kept Maria out of Venus and Serena's path.

Come on now, when Venus was ranked low she had some hard players to get through because of her rankings and nobody gave her easy draws like Maria.

Hell, Maria isn't even a seed and she ended up getting an easier draw that Venus. The purpose of being in the top 5 is so you don't have to face tough opponents in the earlier rounds, and how did Maria end up getting a draw like she's a #1 player. And how is it that Serena had to wait until Federer played last night, and Maria will play before Andy.

The WTA is doing everything to make sure that Maria gets an easy path to the finals. She was purposely put in the same draw as all of the Russians who she knows how to beat. The kept her from Venus, Serena, and Kimmy.

And Dinara and all of the others who are top winners of the USO series and could get bonus money if they win are all in the easy part of the draw. Elena included, but these lower ranked players are knocking them off left and right.

Maria is not playing well, she was just given a real easy player who had no power or game, and Pam, MJF, stupid Cliffy, and Carillo talked her game up more than what it really is.

Even if her serve is working she will not beat Venus or Serena because they not only can read her serve, they can stand on the baseline and hit her first serves like they are second serves.

Maria is sloop footed and she's slow and Venus and Serena will run her around the court like a greyhound dog. Just look how Venus kept Maria so far behind the baseline and ran her around the court at Stanford like a dog.

ASV?

She never dominated the FO in terms of compiling winning streaks there, it being rare to take a set off her etc. like Graf and Seles did. Of course I could have mentioned her as part of the Graf-Seles era when you knew who was going to win it; as of course ASV was a fierce competitor in every FO she entered, indeed, winning it three times. But I didn't want to start listing past champions. Three names was enough.

I was thinking about the state of the tour today. Honestly, I believe a lot of the players on top would not be if the more talented players of this era were not plagued by injuries, fragile mentality, and personal issues. If Hingis, Clijsters, and Henin never retired, Golovin and Sharapova not injured, and Dokic did not have family drama I believe the top 10 (in no particular order) would be:

Henin, Clijsters, Hingis, Serena, Venus, Sharapova, Dokic, Golovin, Dementieva, and Ivanovic (Ana would not have been number 1, and would have had more time to adjust to being a top player and a real contender at slams. Then no mental collapse).
Kuznetsova, Safina, and Jankovic would be in at times, but not there consistently. Azarenka, Radwanska, and Wozniacki would all be breaking through, getting close to top 10.

Wow, what could have been....

Has Justine officially announced a comeback next year or are we just speculating?

I think Serena will stay on top by winning Madrid and Rome and then Justine will say she's the best player in the world while being N2 and Safina will bitch that she's not under pressure anymore.