[Andy.]

Originally Posted by lefty24

I completely agree.

Also, I love Maria, but I also love the WTA as a whole and I'm sick of people saying it's a joke. Hopefully 2013 will be another good year for the WTA.

I totally agree. I think the WTA is in the best shape its been in for years. I thought 2012 was great. A GS winning number 1. Top players playing each other regularly on the big stage and actual rivalries existing. And some actual different styles of play (Big hitters, power grinders, all court, defensive styles, counter punchers and players with a lot of variety etc.). 2013 is going to be great.

[peipei]

Originally Posted by dsanders06

Fun stat: Serena hasn't won a Slam which she entered when on a winning streak since 2002 Wimbledon Since then, every time she's won a slam, she'd always lost her most recent match before that Slam started.

I daren't post this in GM though, because it's inviting a sarcastic bump if Serena wins this one

Originally Posted by Tennisvampire

That's more like it



I love how we see universal patterns in every little stat
Oh, and just to inform all of you, you first heard it here: Novak and Maria are taking this
Her pattern is well known.
And whenever Novak played the USO final, he won the AO the next year. Also, whenever he played the Hopman cup and reached the final, he won the AO
Plus, Maria and Novak winning this is linked with some connections in their cosmic patterns, so...

[Mashabator]

GOOD DRAW WOO except for Vee but at least she isnt in Serena or Vika's half

[Steven.]

Maria's path to the AO title would be like Puchkova, Martic, V Williams, Cibulkova/Zakopalova, Kerber, Na/Barthel/Radwanska, Azarenka/Serena

realllllly unhappy that she drew martic and venus (this early) and na. the scary thing about this draw is that she's gonna be tested early on with no match practice, unlike last year where she got walking byes until lisicki in r4, oh well.

i'm really glad she didn't draw barthel early but. that girl is fucking SCARY

anyone else worried about venus?

[Stonerpova]

Originally Posted by Steven.

Maria's path to the AO title would be like Puchkova, Martic, V Williams, Cibulkova/Zakopalova, Kerber, Na/Barthel/Radwanska, Azarenka/Serena

realllllly unhappy that she drew martic and venus (this early) and na. the scary thing about this draw is that she's gonna be tested early on with no match practice, unlike last year where she got walking byes until lisicki in r4, oh well.

i'm really glad she didn't draw barthel early but. that girl is fucking SCARY

anyone else worried about venus?

Considering her form in Hopman Cup, not at all.

[Chrissie-fan]

Originally Posted by Trih

Anyway Wozniacki-Lisicki 1st round is a bomb

[heelsrule1988]

Originally Posted by Mashabator

GOOD DRAW WOO

Are you kidding? This is her toughest GS draw in quite some time.

[swissmr]

I'd love for the Venus match up to happen. I don't think Maria has ever feared Venus in the same way that she does Serena, and Venus is hardly in great form.

[Stonerpova]

Originally Posted by Chrissie-fan

I know

[Craig.]

That Venus match really needs to happen It'd be so epic and intense under the lights, I can just imagine it

[Mexicola]

If Maria can't beat a broken down old Venus at this point in a Grand Slam, then what is Maria even doing out there? I just don't see Venus as a threat. This isn't 2007 or 2008 when she was still relevant. The last time Venus had a big match under the lights at a GS, she put together one of most horrific serving displays I've ever seen against Kerber in New York. She's much more prone to error implosions than Maria. Her power isn't as fearsome as it once was and her movement isn't any better than Maria's now. And we know Maria's conditioning is far superior. I can't think of one advantage Venus would have over her.

If they should meet, I'd be surprised if Maria doesn't win in straights.

[Abuttons]

There are a few potential dangers in Maria's half of the draw but in my view they can all be managed if Maria is in good form and focused. She had a lot of time to practice but no matches, she will hopefully use the first two rounds to get back to the match routine. I hope that collarbone and ankle are ok and won't jeopardize her game.
Good luck, Maria!

[Maria Croft]

Maria has some potentially very tough matches before she even makes the QF's.
The plus side to that is that she she needs to be very focused and ready early on. That will help her if she makes it through.

I don't care if people think Venus isn't as dangerous anymore, she's still Venus, and Cilbulkova has (nearly) always proved difficult for Maria.
Those first couple of matches are also very important, as they are her first matches of the season.

If Maria makes it through to the QF's, she will be very difficult to beat, until the Finals anyway, but that's too far away for now.

[Andy.]

Originally Posted by Maria Croft

Maria has some potentially very tough matches before she even makes the QF's.
The plus side to that is that she she needs to be very focused and ready early on. That will help her if she makes it through.

I don't care if people think Venus isn't as dangerous anymore, she's still Venus, and Cilbulkova has (nearly) always proved difficult for Maria.
Those first couple of matches are also very important, as they are her first matches of the season.

If Maria makes it through to the QF's, she will be very difficult to beat, until the Finals anyway, but that's too far away for now.

Totally agree. These sort of situations really favour her rather than easy draws.

[Jalil Sherman]

Hey girls and boyz