Re: PAW #920: Australian Open | Welcome | Round 1 pts up!
Australian Open: Preview
Welcome everyone to Melbourne for the first slam of the year-- PAW: Australian Open! Give where the WTA Tour is at right now, it's going to be a tricky tournament with the potential for a lot of upsets. Or, perhaps, the top players will be here to play and it will make for a very difficult PAW tournament! Regardless, I sat down with our top PAW players to get their take on this year's Australian Open.
Looking at the Tours
Currently, the WTA Tour sits in an... interesting state. As Trmooney888 explains, "Last season was as well-balanced and unpredictable as any in a long time." To some, it may just be that he is putting things nicely--some have called it the worst season in history! To others, it makes the tour better, as he goes on to explain, "there was never a dull moment!"
Already in 2018, we're seeing some of this unpredictability. In Sydney last week, the top 8 seeds managed to win only one match combined. Granted, this was a combination of poor play, tough competition, and what goOudinUSA calls "adjusting to the Aussie heat," but it made for an interesting first few tournaments of the PAW tour, with players either racking up lots of points from the upsets, or trying to play conservative and falling behind early.
Going into the Australian Open, we can see the struggle in last year's WTA Tour slam champions. Serena Williams, of course, had to withdraw because she is not yet ready after her pregnancy. But, meanwhile, Jelena Ostapenko crashed out early to Kristyna Pliskova in Shenzhen, then again to Makarova in Sydney--both in straight sets. Similarly, Wimbledon champ Garbine Muguruza was forced to retire in the third set in Brisbane, then beat Kiki Bertens in Sydney only to withdraw in the quarterfinals. And the most recent slam winner, surprise US Open champ Sloane Stephens, is yet to win a match since, and is often seen as an easy upset pick for PAW players. Going into the US Open, then, it will be interesting to see which PAW Players choose these players to be done early, and which have a little more faith in their ability to show up for the slams. (Speaking of "showing up for the slams," will Kiki Mladenovic show up and finally get a win here, or will she continue to extend her double-digit losing streak? Regardless, she is a top 10 seed and some possibly easy points for PAW players!).
When asked about their thoughts on the WTA Tour and possible upset players, it was clear that these thoughts were already running through the minds of some of our top players. For example, Trmooney888 tipped Shuai Zhang as a possible upset pick, noting that she takes on slumping Sloane Stephens in round 1 then could have a decent draw to make it through a few more rounds. Looking at the warm up tournaments as cues to who to pay attention to in Melbourne, goOudinUSA thinks that Hobart finalist Mihaela Buzarnescu might be a player to pay attention to if she can handle her "tough draw," as well as Belinda Bencic who showed her form in the off-season and during the Hopman Cup. Similarly, Trmooney888 chose Heather Watson (Hobart semifinalist) as a player he expects to come into form here, while kondrashov brought up the player on everyone's mind-- Maria Sharapova. Although she won't be worth as many points as she was when she was unranked last year, she's certainly a player that could bring in some easy points.
The last thing to consider which makes the WTA Tour interesting is the fight for the #1 ranking. Coming into the Australian Open, there are 6 players who could become #1. As PAW Players, we all need to consider how this will impact players' performance--will it cause players to crumble under the pressure, or provide that extra boost of motivation when they need it most?
Regardless of how you feel about the current state of the WTA Tour, it's important to figure out what works best for you if you want that PAW success. As goOudinUSA explains, success is about "finding a strategy that works"... with "a little luck" thrown in as well!
The Favorites
@Trmooney888 [1]
Why?: After a strong 2017, Trmooney888 comes into Melbourne as the defending champion and one of the favorites to replicate his success. After a 2nd place finish last week in Sydney, it's clear that he is coming into 2018 with high expectations--and already doing his best to meet them! He believes the toughest part of PAW is "trying to map out picks to save for later round," which is especially difficult in a slam with 127 matches, and only 26 picks. Hopefully Trmooney888 will rise to the challenge of defending all of his points from 2017, starting here in Melbourne.
Last year in Australia: Champion
What are your expectations for the Australian Open? As defending champion, I am here to win it again!
Thinking back to 2017, what didn't you do last year that you hope to do this year? It's hard to find much to complain about regarding my performance last season. I wa sable to win multiple tournaments, including a grand slam, and finish as the #1 PAW player for the year! In 2018 I hope to maintain consistency on a week-to-week basis as there will be lots of points to defend, starting in Melbourne!
@goOudinUSA [2]
Why?: After a top 10 finish in Melbourne last year, goOudinUSA would go on to win Wimbledon and start 2018 ranked #2 in the world. Although he is off to a tough start in 2018 (finishing 22nd in both Brisbane and Sydney), he has made it clear that his favorite part about PAW is how much he enjoys the game, stating that "PAW has easily become one of my favorite games on TF." The question here, though, is whether goOudinUSA will have fun AND be successful in order to defend his 2017 points--or do even better.
Last year in Australia: 7th
What are your expectations for the Australian Open? I have high expectations this year. I haven't faired too well in the warm-up tournaments, but I'm confident I can have a good showing. I finished in the top 10 last year, so there is some pressure to defend those points and have another nice finish in Australia.
Thinking back to 2017, what didn't you do last year that you hope to do this year?
@kondrashov [3]
Why?: Like our #1 and #2 seeds, kondrashov also followed up his top 10 finish in Melbourne 2017 with a grand slam win--taking home the Roland Garros title. A long-time, dedicated supporter of PAW, kondrashov knows the game very well and has shown it with his consistency over the last few seasons. His hopes are that the PAW Tour will continue to grow in 2018 and he says "good luck and have fun " to everyone. With high expectations for the 2018 season, kondrashov looks to capitalize on a potential point loss from the players ahead of him--but he'll also need to better his top-5 finish from last year!
Last year in Australia: 4th
What are your expectations for the Australian Open? 1st place
Thinking back to 2017, what didn't you do last year that you hope to do this year? I plan to do the same as last year!
@LUXXXAS [5]
Why?: Although LUXXXAS admits his frustration at never having won a slam, no one can deny his consistency and commitment to the PAW game--having been a force on the tour for nearly a decade with 53 weeks at #1 over 5 different periods. He also has several top 10 Australian Open finished to his name--including a tie for 2nd place here last year. His advice to everyone is to "go for 10+ point picks," but remember not to think too hard because "it's women's tennis--there is no logic ". After finish 9th in Sydney and 13th in Brisbane, LUXXXAS hopes to build on his 2018 by taking home his maiden slam here in Melbourne.
Last year in Australia: 2nd
What are your expectations for the Australian Open? My goal is always winning the title I'm playing this game since ages and still have 0 slams on my account. I feel like Radwanska So I want to win a slam and retire
Thinking back to 2017, what didn't you do last year that you hope to do this year? Risk more, go for first thoughts and pick less matches in first rounds
Dark Horses
@Wojtek
Why? At the 2017 US Open, Wojtek managed to surprise everyone as the #18 player and take the title by 15 points. This year, he comes into the Australian Open as a seed (#13), with a #6 finish in Auckland but a tough week in Sydney. In addition, he has been around the tour since its inception, and even has an Australian Open title under his belt--even if it was way back in 2003! Although he only finished 39th last year, he comes into 2018 looking to return to the top of the PAW rankings-- where he stood for 34 weeks back in 2003.
@Walsall
Why? Last week, he nabbed a Premier title in Sydney with a dominant performance, missing only 2 picks and winning before the semifinal round even occurred. Last year, he finished 9th at the Australian Open and has the potential to put up a good showing this year if he can continue his form from last week.
@twight6
Why? Alright, it may be a little self-serving to put myself here, but as the winner of Brisbane I deserve a little credit Having returned to the PAW Tour in 2017, I managed to win a title late in the year and pull into the top 25. Having spent a decade on tour pre-break, and having reached #1 for just one week, I'm looking to nab my first Australian Open title However, after an abysmal week in Sydney, I'll need to stay focused and have a good balance of risk-taking and smart-picking to do so.