[Patrick345]

Originally Posted by ozza

Serena is down for Doha and Dubai. But seeing as she went down in Melbourne with 2 injuries, and is currently walking around with some sort of visible strapping on her ankle, I would be surprised if she actually does. If she doesn't, she definitely won't play before Miami, but we will see. Tbh Vika should just concentrate on getting to her best level. Serena will probably get to number 1 before Wimbledon regardless. Vika won the Australian Open, but I think everyone agrees she can play better. And that is a good thing looking forward .

Serena doesn´t play anything in Asia east of Istanbul (no Doha, Dubai, Tokyo, Beijing or exhibitions). I doubt she would have played Doha or Dubai, even if she wasn´t legitimately injured.

[Deestruction]

Originally Posted by Dann2695

Glad to see Vika has career earnings of $350 Million according to the ever reliable wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTA_Tour_records

No. Active Prize Money
1 United States Serena Williams $42,242,272
2 United States Venus Williams $28,599,243
3 Russia Maria Sharapova $23,654,080
4 Belarus Victoria Azarenka $350,674,293
5 Russia Svetlana Kuznetsova $16,805,053
6 Denmark Caroline Wozniacki $14,313,350
7 Serbia Jelena Janković $13,395,247
8 Russia Vera Zvonareva $13,225,072
9 Australia Samantha Stosur $11,887,954
10 Russia Nadia Petrova $11,661,359
11 Poland Agnieszka Radwańska $11,459,906
12 China Li Na $10,682,583
13 Russia Dinara Safina $10,585,640
14 Serbia Ana Ivanović $9,847,838
15 United States Lisa Raymond $9,582,911

Make maria wanna piss on herself.

Im kidding.

[Dghyletta]

Why are you sure that Serena will not play Doha and Dubai? I can`t find any information about withdraw from this tournaments.

[ozza]

Originally Posted by Dghyletta

Why are you sure that Serena will not play Doha and Dubai? I can`t find any information about withdraw from this tournaments.

Because it's Serena Williams . Logic based on the past would suggest there is a high chance she doesn't play. Out of the 4 times it's been held I think she has played once.

[Christinawww]

Originally Posted by Exordes

Yep. Vika has 900 points to defend in Doha in February 2013 as a winner, but she withdrew from Dubai last year where the winner gets 470 points. After that the next big tournament in March 2013 is Indian Wells where Vika is also a defending champion (1000 points) from the last year. If Serena doesn´t play before Miami in March 2013, Vika has good chances to remain at No.1 but she wasn´t playing her best game in Melbourne. But she surely showed her mental strength.

also, as she withdrew in 2012, she got stuck with a zero, which she soon will lose and in worst case, her 2012 Rome points will be added: 125

[Natural Joe]

Originally Posted by Natural Joe

Ben Rothenberg ‏@BenRothenberg
Sloane mostly adamant that Azarenka's timeout didn't affect her. But said she's never once taken a medical timeout in her career.

Matt Cronin ‏@TennisReporters
Stephens: 'I love Vika , we share same agent, pretty good friends, I’m sure we’ll talk. She should get oxygen tank and figure it out'

It's funny, isn't it? Everybody's bashing Vika but the only person who really has the "right" to do so doesn't.

They share the same agent? Meilen? Didn't know that.

Originally Posted by Igor_Biscan

I think it's Sam Duvall (@samduvall)

Meilen is more like Vika's manager I guess

Found this article today in which it says:

Asked if she had spoken to Stephens since their semi-final, Azarenka explained that they had exchanged text messages. These two women share an agent, the former world No?35 Meilen Tu, and it was noticeable how generous Stephens was in her post-match interview.

http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report...tm_source=t.co

Not sure how reliable that source is though.

[Patrick345]

Originally Posted by Natural Joe

Found this article today in which it says:


http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report...tm_source=t.co

Not sure how reliable that source is though.

So Stephens was generous, because they share the same agent. Somebody remind me again which functions besides ESPN TV analysts MJF and Pat McEnroe hold? That conflict of interest seems insignificant in the eyes of these "journalists", or better the story they like to spin.

[Deestruction]

ESPN wants drama and wants to stir shit. Thats how i see it.

[Exordes]

There is some interesting information: http://www.tennishorts.com/2013/01/2...ooks-the-fool/

Besides for the constant presence of her agent, former player Meilen Tu, Azarenka now has Nadal media man, Benito Perez-Barbadillo, helping out. And he certainly had the commonsense to have her spend some time on Friday offering some mea culpa explanations for her actions — legal or not — while playing Stephens on Thursday.

Otherwise I think Sam Sumyk and Meilen Tu form an excellent team for Vika, and they are married too.

[stegall]

Originally Posted by Patrick345

So Stephens was generous, because they share the same agent. Somebody remind me again which functions besides ESPN TV analysts MJF and Pat McEnroe hold? That conflict of interest seems insignificant in the eyes of these "journalists", or better the story they like to spin.

McEnroe is the general manager of player development for USTA, MJF is the fed cup captain etc,and Evert used to train Sloane. Espn just ignored that Stephens says she wasn't bothered by it/likes Vika but w/e.

[Nina.]

Originally Posted by Dghyletta

Why are you sure that Serena will not play Doha and Dubai? I can`t find any information about withdraw from this tournaments.

Looking at history
Plus she in genuinely injured this time. But even if she's healthy in time I see no chance she is playing both.

[Patrick345]

Originally Posted by stegall

McEnroe is the general manager of player development for USTA, MJF is the fed cup captain etc,and Evert used to train Sloane. Espn just ignored that Stephens says she wasn't bothered by it/likes Vika but w/e.

You didn´t need to remind me. It was a rhetorical question.

[stegall]

Originally Posted by Patrick345

You didn´t need to remind me. It was a rhetorical question.

Yeah,I realized that right after I posted it...sorry

[ozza]

Originally Posted by Exordes

There is some interesting information:

Besides for the constant presence of her agent, former player Meilen Tu, Azarenka now has Nadal media man, Benito Perez-Barbadillo, helping out. And he certainly had the commonsense to have her spend some time on Friday offering some mea culpa explanations for her actions — legal or not — while playing Stephens on Thursday.

Otherwise I think Sam Sumyk and Meilen Tu form an excellent team for Vika, and they are married too.

How often is Benito actually going to be around? I'd imagine with Nadal's return imminent he's not gonna be travelling much of the WTA tour. Tbf I am surprised Benito didn't have Nadal tweet her after her Australian Open win, it would be pretty easy publicity. Maybe he can't trust Nadal to spell her name correctly .

[Dghyletta]

Originally Posted by ozza

Because it's Serena Williams . Logic based on the past would suggest there is a high chance she doesn't play. Out of the 4 times it's been held I think she has played once.

Originally Posted by Nina.

Looking at history
Plus she in genuinely injured this time. But even if she's healthy in time I see no chance she is playing both.

Yes, I understand. I just thought I missed official information about withdraw.

I worry about another thing. Vika doesn`t play Fed Cup. I read the interview of our team captain Poutchek. She said that Vika and some other players stroke against new ITF rules about pick to the Olympic games. You know it is a big battle: WTA against ITF. But she needs to play 4 times in Fed Cup that join our tennis team in Rio. Of course our team is so weak without Vika. It is mean we will play only one time in a year in the FedCup. So Vika can be not pick on the Olympic Games.