[MakarovaFan]

First i think for Amelie Mauresmo this may be a blessing in disguise.For like the past 5 years she has come into RG as THE favorite or one of them and always bombed out in the early rounds or choked in the 2nd week.....this time due to poor form and coming off of an injury, she has little expections and talk.I feel this could be great(and she seems to be finding some form in Strausbourg)for her and she will regain her form big time;i feel itll be Mauresmo VS Schnyder in their Quater,which leads me to.....

Maria Sharapova.Playing Istanbul was PERFECT for her and because of this(well up until today's loss)i feel she would be able to play her way into the second week,where as before i had her prime for and early upset.But if she somehow manages to beat Schnyder(which i just dont see,unless this injury really affects her),she will lose to Mauresmo

Next, Nicole Vaidisova is gonna be a day one uspet;i have a bad feelin about this.Reports suggest she's ready to go and is very eager and her draw seems rather well.If she gets through,first i praise her,but she's gonna go down to ugh Petrova

Jankovic....i hope she wont get burned again, Melbourne should have been a lesson(as good as Serena played,i think Jelena was just flat in that match because all that tennis caught up to her at the wrong match);she has an easy draw but i have a feeling she's gonna manage to be flat against Venus and Venus is gonna get her

Ivanovic as the 7th seed,even after Montreal,Tokyo and now Berlin i just dont buy her. She's gorgeous,love her game(reminds me of....Graf ) but something about her makes me nervous....dont see her making her seed,and she is probably a favorite in that QF,but she wont get there(if she does i may FINALLY be sold)

Finally my love,Anastasia Myskina....she's back .I have an eerie feeling about her;i hope im wrong but i get this Iva Majoli,Barbara Schett,Karina Habsudova vibe.She will either get slaughtered by Meghan(which would be good) or it'll be one of those 3rd set dogfights(which is bad,bad because that will confirm my fears that she will become just another "regular" player,top 50,struggling against girls she NEVER should,beening on qualifying draws and never posing any kind of threat to the top players DESPITE all her talent(aka Majoli,Schett etc AFTER their subsuquent falls from the top).If she beats Meghan she will lose to Kuznetsova

O and that Henin-Serena quater will happen and will be the draw of the tourney(ugh!!!)

 

[MakarovaFan]

....




bump

 

[Bruno71]

Serena: Shouldn't have any trouble at all thru the 4th round where she may meet Safina. Safina could cause her trouble but I still think Serena will head thru easily to meet Justine. Which will indeed be the match of the tourney if it occurs.

Justine: She's played well all year, but something about her right now is screaming disappointment. I could see her dropping some sets in this tourney, but she should make the QF vs. Serena. I still think she has the edge to beat Serena based on clay court play to this point, and should win it all.

Ana: I have to agree with you...she just hasn't hooked me yet. Too inconsistent. But she may be capable of beating any of the other players on a given day.

Jelena: She may face the one low seed no one wanted to. And Venus will have extra motivation after losing so closely to JJ the last 2 times. Still, if JJ plays well, she should beat Venus. But I'm thinking she'll bow out before the QF's somewhere.

Myskina: Any win here might moderately surprise me. She wasn't playing that well after Wimby last year and she hasn't played much in many months. Will have a lot to prove, but she obviously has the game to do it in there somewhere.

Sveta: I always say if she could improve her fitness she'd be challenging for #1. The one day of rest between matches should help her quite a bit...I see her through to the semis.

Nicole: Biggest question mark in the tournament. I'd guess with her type of game it might not take too long to get back in the groove, but then again look at Maria. We'll have to just wait & see on her, but she has the ability to go thru to the semis against a likely victorious Justine or Serena.

Venus: I can see her beating anybody. I just can't see her winning 7 matches here though. Her game, despite appearances, is starting to come back together.

Shahar: Has the killer instinct but likely doesn't have the goods to beat a Justine or Serena. I think she'll bow out to Sveta this time.

Amelie: Not much I can say that hasn't already been said by others. If she's losing to Medina Garrigues she likely can't win this tourney. But she always does seem to turn it up at (the other) slams.

Maria: Just simply not playing well enough to get past an in-form player like Sveta or possibly even Schnyder. She'd have to discover the "old" Maria, and even that one never made it to the semis in RG.

Patty: Which Patty shows up on what day? Wacky Patty who can't win a service game against Jelena or lethal-serve Patty who outlasts Serena? A darkhorse candidate for the semis or finals, but I don't see her beating Justine. Serena on the other hand...

Dinara: Would need her draw to open up but has the ability to beat most players ranked below her and occasionally one above.

Anna C.: Just not playing as well as she did to start the year...I don't see her getting past the 4R.

Elena: Her terrific movement and killer groundies always give her a shot to go far, but her serve and her mind will hold her back. May beat Jankovic or Venus in the 4R to make the QF's.

 

[Demosthenes]

come on, patty.

 

[floco]

I hope you're right about Amelie... Normally I would agree, she usally does not do better than when she her pre-Slam results are bad. But this time, I'm not sure... I mean obviously she hasnt found her game yet, so I just hope Safarova as a 3rd round match wont be too early for her. Even Wozniacki as 2nd round (I dont know her well, but from what i read she's a very promising junior).

Myskina - I dont think she'll do much... too early IMO, she just came back, and her draw is not easy.

I agree about the rest - and yes I could easily see Jankovic fall against Venus, or even Dementieva/Rezai. Maybe she'll prove me wrong?

Only thing I disagree with is Ivanovic. She's been pretty impressive in Berlin, AND we know she can play well at RG. I can see her going very deep this year... if she can get past her QF match against Kuznetsova or Peer (dont forget the feisty Israeli)

 

[serenaforever]

GO SERENA!

She can repeat. I know she can.

 

[LudwigDvorak]

Henin - This is her tournament to lose. Will not make it past Serena should both meet in the quarterfinal.

Serena - My pick to win RG 2007. She is easily the best player since Graf and I think wants this Slam more than any other this year, just for parity's sake. She'll have trouble against Henin, sure, and she'll have a dogged fight with Venus/Jankovic/Elena/Petrova/Vaidisova in the SF, but I'll see her prevailing against anyone in the bottom half in the final (Schnyder, Peer, Kuznetsova, Ivanovic, Hantuchova).

Patty Schnyder - Has shown great form in Berlin and Rome, defeating Hingis and Serena. Always a threat at RG, but has never lived up to it. I think this is her best chance she's had. I expect her, if her brain doesn't get in her way, to make it to the final. At the very worst, she's making the quarterfinal. (I hope!)

Elena Dementieva - I don't think Istanbul will make much difference with her. She'll feel the pressure of having to play well because of her recent victory and lose in the 3R or 4R. She won't make it past Jankovic or Venus, though of course I hope she does. Her draw is too difficult if the players live up to their seeds. Unless someone is injured, like Davenport was in 4R in '04, I don't see her getting past Venus or Jankovic. Elena, realistically, cannot beat top players anymore, aside from the occasional one-off or at the USO.

Daniela Hantuchova - Will surprise us all and make the quarterfinal for the first time! She'll lose to Peer or Kuznetsova, of course.

 

[cartmancop]

Serena/Justine: Should happen Should be great Picking Serena 10-8 in third in a classic

Jankovic: Still not 100% sure how she'll do... She has the game to play with anybody, but I can also see her going out to Venus or Dementieva...

Vaidisova: I think she'll go out to Petrova, if not before...

Ivanovic: She has a pretty good draw to the Qtrs...

Kuznetsova: Probably my pick from bottom half to make the finals. Match vs. Myskina in 2R would be fun & a good test, but she's solid @ RG.

Mauresmo: I agree that she has been blessed this year with low expectations and a very favorable draw to the SF @ least...Really nobody in her quarter she shouldn't beat if she plays like she is capable of...

Sharapova: I could see her going out to Loit in R1, that's a tricky match...

Schnyder: I think she has a chance to sneak by Mauresmo in the SF. She has the game and a decent draw with Sharapova as her 4R opponent... Her mentality will be the biggest question mark.

 

[VeeReeDavJCap81]

Serena: Everyone knows if Serena gets going, watch out to the rest of the field....Justine included. I'm just worried about her fitness, will her body hold up playing those grueling rallies that it takes to win at RG? We'll see, it usually takes Serena a few rounds to show us if she's going to go all the way or not. I predict that we will know whether Serena will go all the way by the 4th round.

Justine: I think a lot of people are predicting for Justine to win her 3rd RG title in a row, but her last two wins have been against sub-par competition. In 2005 she beat a choking Kuznetsova who had MP against her, a winded Pierce who didn't show up on the day of the final, and Maria Sharapova who doesn't know diddly squat about playing top players on red clay. In 2006, she beat a typically post US Open 2005 unmovtivated Kim Clijsters, and a seemingly lost and unconfident Kuznetsova in the final. However this year the competition is much stiffer. We have the resurgence of Serena, Venus is showing signs that she may reach a high level soon, Kuznetsova just beat her in Berlin, Jankovic has taken her to 3 set seemingly every time they've played, and several other floaters who can take it to Justine.

Kuznetsova: I'm pretty nervous against my favorites when they play Kuznetsova because she's capable of beating ANYONE. Her game is so solid when she's on, and she hits with so much top spin that if she gets you on your backfoot, you're in trouble. She has more confidence in herself this year than last year IMO and if she's on fire she may just take home her 2nd RG title.

Sharapova: I'd say her chances are very slim to win this year, and possibly even ever. Her game just does not work against top players on red clay. Her flat strokes just aren't as harmful on a clay court than on grass, and she isn't that great of a mover even considering her height. Of course you can't count her completely out because she is a two time slam champion that knows what it takes to go all the way.


Jankovic: Definitely in the top 4 contenders for this title. If she is to win her first slam title, this is the surface for her to do it on. She has a great counterpunching game like Hingis, but with more power and faster feet. She is a threat to everyone in this draw who is also a contender, Williams x2, Kuznetsova, JH, Vaidisova, Ivanovic, Petrova etc;

Vaidisova: Her game works very well on red clay, she has time to hit her heavy ground strokes. She has a huge forehand which is always a great weapon on red clay, and she moves better than Sharapova IMO. They may have the same MPH, but Vaidisova moves cleaner and doesn't look as sloppy moving foward.

Peer: She has the type of game that irritates players. She moonballs, counterpunches, and can hit with pace and power. She is not the type of player top players want to face on a bad day.


Venus: I've been a fan of Venus since '97, and EVERY year I cross my fingers wanting her to win this friggin' title. This year, I'm just going to sit back and watch her play. If she wins rounds....cool...if she doesn't...that's okay because I have the feeling she will do something big at Wimbledon.

 

[serenaforever]

If Serena wants it, which she does,
then she'll win it, which I think she will.
As you guys said, when she's playing well,
watch out!

 

[MakarovaFan]

Serena: Everyone knows if Serena gets going, watch out to the rest of the field....Justine included. I'm just worried about her fitness, will her body hold up playing those grueling rallies that it takes to win at RG? We'll see, it usually takes Serena a few rounds to show us if she's going to go all the way or not. I predict that we will know whether Serena will go all the way by the 4th round.

Justine: I think a lot of people are predicting for Justine to win her 3rd RG title in a row, but her last two wins have been against sub-par competition. In 2005 she beat a choking Kuznetsova who had MP against her, a winded Pierce who didn't show up on the day of the final, and Maria Sharapova who doesn't know diddly squat about playing top players on red clay. In 2006, she beat a typically post US Open 2005 unmovtivated Kim Clijsters, and a seemingly lost and unconfident Kuznetsova in the final. However this year the competition is much stiffer. We have the resurgence of Serena, Venus is showing signs that she may reach a high level soon, Kuznetsova just beat her in Berlin, Jankovic has taken her to 3 set seemingly every time they've played, and several other floaters who can take it to Justine.

Kuznetsova: I'm pretty nervous against my favorites when they play Kuznetsova because she's capable of beating ANYONE. Her game is so solid when she's on, and she hits with so much top spin that if she gets you on your backfoot, you're in trouble. She has more confidence in herself this year than last year IMO and if she's on fire she may just take home her 2nd RG title.

Sharapova: I'd say her chances are very slim to win this year, and possibly even ever. Her game just does not work against top players on red clay. Her flat strokes just aren't as harmful on a clay court than on grass, and she isn't that great of a mover even considering her height. Of course you can't count her completely out because she is a two time slam champion that knows what it takes to go all the way.


Jankovic: Definitely in the top 4 contenders for this title. If she is to win her first slam title, this is the surface for her to do it on. She has a great counterpunching game like Hingis, but with more power and faster feet. She is a threat to everyone in this draw who is also a contender, Williams x2, Kuznetsova, JH, Vaidisova, Ivanovic, Petrova etc;

Vaidisova: Her game works very well on red clay, she has time to hit her heavy ground strokes. She has a huge forehand which is always a great weapon on red clay, and she moves better than Sharapova IMO. They may have the same MPH, but Vaidisova moves cleaner and doesn't look as sloppy moving foward.

Peer: She has the type of game that irritates players. She moonballs, counterpunches, and can hit with pace and power. She is not the type of player top players want to face on a bad day.


Venus: I've been a fan of Venus since '97, and EVERY year I cross my fingers wanting her to win this friggin' title. This year, I'm just going to sit back and watch her play. If she wins rounds....cool...if she doesn't...that's okay because I have the feeling she will do something big at Wimbledon.

Lol when did she get her first RG championship;we know she's had match points twice against the players who would go on to win,but that doesnt mean she won. Sure you meant 2nd overall slam though

 

[austennis]

Nicole : I think she could struggle with both her seeding and expectations on her.. but if she can get past 1st round she should be good for QF at least..

Ana: I Believe in her !! I had feeling in Amelia Island that she was going to make a name for herself this clay court season - and she hasnt disaapointed me yet..

Jelena: Same as Ana shes making her name for it and i dont see her repeating her perfomance in Melb or NY

Serena & Venus : have the game and skills to go far.. but do both have the preperation? i hope so would be good to have them both going far in a GS but i dont see it happening this year for both..

 

[VeeReeDavJCap81]

Lol when did she get her first RG championship;we know she's had match points twice against the players who would go on to win,but that doesnt mean she won. Sure you meant 2nd overall slam though

My bad :lol: Meant 2nd overall GS title, I was typing really fast.