[garwe]

Not sure how much it matters, but it seems she is featured a lot more on all sorts of places.

From all the player "cards" in Dubai to the Indian wells home page and the WTA home page. And suddenly after one big win mainstream media talk about the big two players, with the number three a bit behind.

I guess they recognize who the star will be for the next 5 years or so.

[ozza]

Did I dream it, or were we told a new Vika video would be coming like 3 weeks ago ?

In other news is there any reason the fact Vika and Serena got fined for withdrawing from Dubai has made mainstream media. The fines are the standard fines that everyone gets when withdrawing from tournaments, yet in this case seems to have caused a big stir. There definitely wasn't this much commotion last year.

[ozza]

An interesting discussion about Azarenka's chances on clay in GM, under the guise of Errani's chances at French Open .

All threads eventually end up about Serena, Azarenka or Sharapova .

[viktory]

Originally Posted by ozza

An interesting discussion about Azarenka's chances on clay in GM, under the guise of Errani's chances at French Open .

All threads eventually end up about Serena, Azarenka or Sharapova .

so true
even the woz petra result thread has become petra vs. Vika thread.

[garwe]

Originally Posted by ozza

An interesting discussion about Azarenka's chances on clay in GM, under the guise of Errani's chances at French Open .

All threads eventually end up about Serena, Azarenka or Sharapova .

Yes, she is the odds favorite to win with Serena. And Sharapova close behind. It could go another way but that is of course the most likely thing to happen. And not what random person writes in forum.

[viktory]

I am not too confident about the clay season,cause vika has become an entirely different player in hard court over last 1.5 years and i think her self belief and confidence plays pivotal role in her success. In clay,i dnt think she has the same confidence level,and that can hamper her match play. Specially,keeping in mind she got beatdowns in both stuttgrt and madrid finals. I hope she plays rome this year.

[ozza]

She almost certainly will play Rome . She isn't playing Stuttgart, so that leaves only 2 clay warm ups.

[ReboundAce]

Originally Posted by viktory

I am not too confident about the clay season,cause vika has become an entirely different player in hard court over last 1.5 years and i think her self belief and confidence plays pivotal role in her success. In clay,i dnt think she has the same confidence level,and that can hamper her match play. Specially,keeping in mind she got beatdowns in both stuttgrt and madrid finals. I hope she plays rome this year.

Last year was not bad at all, she got the final of Madrid and Stuttgart, but i think that she should have tanked earlier Madrid rather than Rome, cause Rome will get her better preparation IMO, she should add a MM on red clay like that she won in Andalucia two years ago. We'll see what happens but definitely she will do ate least the quarters of the FO that's for sure

[garwe]

Originally Posted by ReboundAce

Last year was not bad at all, she got the final of Madrid and Stuttgart, but i think that she should have tanked earlier Madrid rather than Rome, cause Rome will get her better preparation IMO, she should add a MM on red clay like that she won in Andalucia two years ago. We'll see what happens but definitely she will do ate least the quarters of the FO that's for sure

I look forward to FO. Perhaps the one tournament she can be an underdog. And i remember that people said before US open that she could never do well there. I just think she is a better player than previous years. But last FO should have been better.

[ozza]

Originally Posted by ReboundAce

Last year was not bad at all, she got the final of Madrid and Stuttgart, but i think that she should have tanked earlier Madrid rather than Rome, cause Rome will get her better preparation IMO, she should add a MM on red clay like that she won in Andalucia two years ago. We'll see what happens but definitely she will do ate least the quarters of the FO that's for sure

She can't add an international on red clay. She is playing her 1 allowed international pre-US Open in Monterrey. I agree it's important to play Rome this year, but I don't advocate tanking Madrid.

[Nina.]

Originally Posted by hurricanejeanne

The tour just doesn't know what to do with the calendar anymore.
They thought that if we cut a bunch of stuff, or condense it down, and force attendance would lead to better fields.
The facts are it just doesn't work that way. I also think cutting or downgrading some long running tournaments hurt them.
Also there really aren't consistent "seasons" anymore. There is the Australian Swing, the Clay Season and the US Open series but that's about it. Even the clay season isn't as good as it used to be. And don't even get me started about the Fall Season.

The tour is so focused on chasing money instead of building legacy tournaments that will attract top players based on the fact that the GOATs won it (think Miami, Moscow, Tokyo PPO, Zurich, San Diego). I think a lot of players know that these tournaments don't mean as much simply because they can't conjure a history.

I loved the indoor fall season so much
I agree with what you said. It seems that the tour really only cares about money and doesn't give a thing about keeping popular tournaments alive or creating ones that actually attract fans. It's sad.

[ReboundAce]

Originally Posted by ozza

She can't add an international on red clay. She is playing her 1 allowed international pre-US Open in Monterrey. I agree it's important to play Rome this year, but I don't advocate tanking Madrid.

Honestly, she has bee a finalist two times, even if she wins that crappy tournament it won't help for the FO believe you me. I would love to see her winning Rome and detrone Maria
And she should have chosen a clay MM instead of that Monterrey tourney

[ozza]

I think we should wait and see the surface at Madrid first. They are under big pressure this year to get it right after last years debacle. If it's a proper red clay surface it should be fine. Least it shouldn't be a complete farce like it was last year.

[viktory]

Originally Posted by ReboundAce

Honestly, she has bee a finalist two times, even if she wins that crappy tournament it won't help for the FO believe you me. I would love to see her winning Rome and detrone Maria
And she should have chosen a clay MM instead of that Monterrey tourney

well,i agree calling maria the new clay queen is ridiculous but i do think post surgery masha is one of the best clay courter at present in tour. dethroning her will be difficult, i certainly dont think vika can do it in her weakest surface. lets see.

[ReboundAce]

Originally Posted by ozza

I think we should wait and see the surface at Madrid first. They are under big pressure this year to get it right after last years debacle. If it's a proper red clay surface it should be fine. Least it shouldn't be a complete farce like it was last year.

Let's hope ti will be red, I just cannot with that tournament, it is the one i like the less