Ivanovic steps it up in 2014.
By Matt Cronin
Singapore – The BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore will begin on Monday. Here are the eight players, some of which are are on fire and others who are struggling. On Sunday, all the players spoke to what is head. Tennisreporters discusses the field, with TR also asks for players as well as journalists who discuss the field.
Matt Cronin returns
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RED GROUP
Serena Williams: The US No. 1 has not been as dominate as she was in 2013, but Serena found herself believing her game by winning the US Open and snagging her only Slam in 2014 when she needed the most. Now she has the chance to walk away with the WTA 8 final again if she is cracking the ball once again.
Last year in the WTA final in Turkey Serena served and hit her corners when necessary — even when she was hurting — but came through the victory. This year Serena will be careful as she pulled out of Beijing with a knee injury. Williams will play Ana Ivanovic Monday night.
Q. How important is the year‑end No. 1 ranking to you? And if you had already had it locked up, do you think you would be here?
WILLIAMS: I definitely would be here if I already had it locked up. It’s obviously super important for me. I love being No. 1; I love being the best.
But at this at the same time, I’m really glad that I was able to get a slam this year, which was really annoying for me that I wasn’t able to capture one.
That was something that was super, super, super important, especially for the goals that I was trying to reach.
Simona Halep: The Romanian began to step up last summer and this year she finally showed her self-believe, walking quickly and jumping on the courts. Halep came very close to knocking off Sharapova in the Roland Garros final, but the Russian turned on the afterburners and nailed his second Slam. However, Halep has been rising quickly and could eventual grab No. 1 – if she can win the WTA 8 and a Slam next year.
Q. Do you think that actually, say, in the next year you will become No. 1?
HALEP: “I cannot say about this because I am very far to No. 1. So I just want to take the pressure out of me, out of my body, of my mind, and just to be relaxed and to, like I said, to be focused every match.”
Genie Bouchard: The Canadian had become relevant early on and hasn’t stopped, grabbing the semis of Australian and Roland Garros, and playing very close at the lines where she earned the runner-up at Wimbledon. She is contending with a left leg injury but is ready to go.
Q. When you were here in January, was it possible to look as far ahead as October, and did you think to yourself: I’d like to make it; I want to make it; I’m going to make it here? What were your thoughts about the year‑end finals in January?
Bouchard: “It’s the craziest thing, because I was with Chrissy [Evert] in this exact room at this table in January launching the WTA Finals and the Road to Singapore.
So I don’t know who believed that I would be here in October, but being here in January motivated me so much. It was an amazing city, and seeing the glamorous side of what the finals are inspired me so much to try and make it here.
Big day for Southern at USTA national Junior Team Tennis Championships. Madison, MS (advanced) and Woodstock, GA play for national titles.
Ana Ivanovic: The Serbian has matured a great deal, becoming much more consistent and winning four titles. She is more aggressive than she has been and is more effective charging the net cords
Q. Does 2009 [when she won her first and only Slam at Roland Garros] seem like a long time ago?
Ivanovic: It feels like the other life. Yeah, definitely does. I think in a way we are very fortunate because we travel so much. We compete week in, week out. I feel like there is so many experiences that we have weekly.
You know, even Auckland seems like two years ago, because so many things happen in the meantime on and off the court. Also you change a lot. You change your views on things.
This is what I feel happens. So I feel like I’m different person comparing to 2008 or 2009. I experienced lots of good and bad. You learn so you much about yourself, too.
In that sense as well it feels like long time ago.
WHITE GROUP
Maria Sharapova: The world No. 2 recalls back in 2004, in LA and besting Williams in the final, the last time she took down the great Serena. She has played the year pretty well, winning the French Open and two other big wins in Madrid and Beijing. If Serena falters, Sharapova could snare from the top spot to end the year.
Q. Just talk about 2004, WTA against Serena, just your memory, your thought.
Sharapova: Well, first I couldn’t believe that I was part of a field at that point in my career. Yeah, I was in Los Angeles where I had been training with Robert [Lansdorp] for so many years. It felt like a home tournament in a way for me. I remember the players. It was, of course, a very tough field, as always. Just going through the draw there and the way that I felt and the way I played. I’ve seen some clips as well, very inspiring. Certainly hope I can do that here again.
Petra Kvitova: The Czech has been much more consistent by being free from injury and rarely backing down. She grabbed the 2014 Wimbledon by striking the ball so hard that she was untouchable. The lefty recently won Wuhan earlier this month and has a chance to reach the yearend No.1. But she is going to play nearly perfectly to win the crown. She will face Ana Ivanovic on Monday night.
Q. It seems like your nerves, we don’t see them as much anymore. Why did that happen this year?
Kvitova: “I’m more relaxed on the court. I have a little bit more confidence probably. From the Wimbledon I showed maybe that I can play great tennis again, and that’s really what I missed for the three years. So from that time I think it’s much better. I can enjoy the tennis, I can really play, and I know that I love to play tennis. So that’s very important, to know it.
Yeah, I feel good. I know that sometimes my game, it’s too risky, but that’s part of the game. I can live with that, so that’s okay.”
Agnieszka Radwanska: The Pole has been very consistent over the past five years or so but has not been fantastic this season. She did win Montreal and reached the final of Indian Wells, but falling to Dominika Cibulkova in the semis of Australia has really hurt her overall. She needs to step up big time and end the year at a high note.
Q. What would make you really happy at the end of this year and then all of next year? What would make you super happy?
RADWANSKA: Well, of course, I think winning Grand Slam as well. I think this is the tournament that we all waiting for to get a title. I didn’t do it yet; I was close few times but still didn’t get it.
So, I think winning Grand Slam, that will make me really, really happy.
Caroline Wozniacki: Even though she is rising again, Wozniacki is only reached the top 8 when Li Na retired. However the former No. 1 has played better than in years, reaching the US Open and stepping inside the court at hard courts. Wozniacki, from Denmark, may not have figured out to upset Williams, but she is confidence to trouble anyone else at the WTA.
Q. As you were sort of slipping down and then making your way back up, did it feel like it was a long way to go, or did it feel like you were pretty close to where you had been?
Wozniacki: No, didn’t feel like a long way to go. I never really looked at the rankings, but I definitely totally stopped when I went down to 18. I’m like: This is depressing. I don’t want to be down here.
At the end of day, I just told myself, “Doesn’t matter if you’re No. 1 or No. 18. At the end of the day, you have to compete with the same players.” A lot of girls play so well now so it’s never easy. I just thought if I play well, the ranking will come back up soon.
I started playing well. I started finding my form, and then the ranking just came up really quickly.
