I like everybody else would prefer she defends her title and is the three consecutive times champion in Rome But on the other hand I think it's more likely she'll meet Serena in Madrid rather than in Rome and it would be huge if she finally manages to get that win, it'd mean she would go into RG with a lot more confidence and should they meet again there her chances would be greater so my feelings are divided :lol: I also want the claypova streaks to continue
Isn't she on a 16 match winning streak? and Vee apparently had a 19 match winning streak as of active players, so Masha could easily overtake in Madrid
I'm not a fan of this tournament. I admit that Maria's success in the other 3 clay tournaments have made me biased, but I see this as the most unnecessary of the 4. And the debacle of last year's blue crap certainly didn't help my opinion of it. It's too bad this is a mandatory.
I just think cramming 4 grueling clay tournaments into a single month puts too much wear and tear on the players. Stuttgart is a perfect start to get everyone acclimated to the red clay, but without the outdoor elements. Then you take out Madrid, give the players extra rest, and they'll all be really prepared and fresh for the 2 that matter the most, Rome and RG. The surface and conditions at Rome are nearly identical to RG, so it's the perfect preparation for the French. To me, those 2 go hand-in-hand.
I thought it was a blessing in disguise that Maria ran into Serena earlier in Madrid last year. It gave Maria a couple of extra days off and saved her from exerting herself more. And I do think that helped her complete the Rome/RG double. Madrid can go away and I just hope Maria gets through it healthy and unscathed.
this year surface will be absolutely different , not only red clay instead last year's shit, but layer of clay will be thicker and many other improvements. Last year they disgraced themselves, so this year Madrid will try to reestablish lost reputation
I don't think I'm ready for these 4 weeks of constant tennis that's about to descend upon us
All I want is Maria to be healthy going into RG, and I'm worried about what'll happen if she makes to the finals of both Madrid and Rome. Although as she displayed in Stuttgart, that girl's body is fitter than it's ever been
Tumaini @tumcarayol
Rafa: "Court is (inaudible) this year" Anderson: "well, they're better than last year." "Well, last year they were unplayable...for ME."
I wonder what he said. I really hope the courts play like RG I want Maria to do good here, especially if she meets Serena
Apparently they've gone to great efforts to achieve a very RG-like surface, however because of the humidity its very hard to properly slide.
I still think, IMO at least, that Rome plays like RG much better. But I think it's great that Madrid has gone back to red clay because at the start of RG the courts play much faster what with the warmer weather etc. However in the second week they become much slower and muddier like Rome. Hopefully this is where Masha's clay prowess comes into play, exert as little time as possible in the quick opening rounds and start to grind it out in the second week as we're so used to seeing
I'd say it all depends on how Serena serves. In Miami she served crap in the first set lots of first serve missing and it ruined her rhythm and Maria took advantage of that. But once she found her gear she's unstoppable and we all know that.