Qinwen Zheng – TennisReporters.net

TennisReporters.net top 32 women: No. 15-11

December 18, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

15 Qinwen Zheng

She is only 21-years old so with our a doubt, she is rising, quickly. In October, she won Zhengzhou, China, taking down against Maria Sakkari and Barbora Krejcikova. Her forehand and her backhand can be so consistent, and she can be thriving. She grabbed it and she won Palermo, and at the end of the year, she reached at the final at the sort-of-new at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai. She had won three matches, but finally, Beatriz Haddad Maia out hit her. Gradually, Zheng is pushing herself harder, and she knows that her forehand is better than she thinks it is. Also, she has to play more doubles so she can really learn at the net. Apparently, she will listen to almost everyone.

14 Petra Kvitova

It might be possible that the Czech can win another Grand Slam, but it won’t be easy, as the former two-time Wimbledon champ is slowing down. She can bash the balls, with her forehand and her backhand, crosscourt or down the line, yet she isn’t fast, when she is running, so she can put in some multiple errors. When she is feeling right, and super confident, after she nails a winner, you could here her scream, in delight. But if her serve and her return goes away, then she will shake her head. This year, even though she lost a lot of matches, but she did win Miami and Berlin. Then she was great. However, at the Slams, in the last three years, she has not gone into the second week. That is a bit shocking, so in 2024, she has to more ability.

13 Jelena Ostapenko

All year, or many years, it looked like that when she is smashing the ball, from the backcourt, and she is on fire, she should have a chance to win another Grand Slam. But she hasn’t yet, as she won the 2017 Roland Garros, and she was so phenomenal, but after that, even though she has gone deep, but she could not make it back into the finals. This year, she did win Birmingham in June, and at the Australian Open, in the fourth round, she beat Coco Gauff before she lost against Elena Rybakina. On the day, she can play marvelous, almost stunning against the current No. 1, Iga Swiatek at the U.S. Open. After that, though, Gauff overwhelmed her. Ostapenko did not much after that, so next year,if she can be more consonant, and amend at the net, she will win another title. How many more, though, who knows?

12 Madison Keys

Since she came into the WTA, she was already so good, with her massive forehand and her backhand, as well as her first serve. She knew that in order to beat the best players, she had to attack, early, when she returns, and demolish into the corners. She has gone very deep at the Slams, at the 2017 U.S. Open, when she reached into the final, and she was playing astounding, but she froze, and she lost easily to Sloane Stephens.

This year she was vertical, losing early, but at some tournaments, she can look darn good, when she won Eastbourne on the grass. Obviously, though, she likes the hardcourts, and at the 2023 U.S. Open, she began to catch the wildfire, going into the semis against the No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka. She had so many chances to win the match, but Sabalenka hung in there, and in the third set in a tiebreak, she fell down. She cried. That happens with everyone, so if the 28-year-old Keys won’t get hurt next year — and she does it a lot — then she should return better, and be more patient. As she said: “Setting a goal, accomplishing it, and feeling good about yourself can help build confidence and perseverance.”

11 Beatriz Haddad Maia

Right at the end of the year, she won the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, beating Zheng and Keys in the final. That was one of her biggest title, ever. She can be up and down, beating some fine players, but also, she will back up. She did upset Elena Rybakina,and she did reach into the semis at Roland Garros, beating Ons Jabeur, before she lost against Swiatek 6-2, 7-6. That was decent enough, and one of the reasons why is because she plays a lot in the doubles, too, which is helpful. She is very good when she returns, and she can meld it up, from the backcourts, but in order to win some major events, she needs to grow, on the court. She seems like a nice person, so next year, she will be additionally satisfied, in the matches.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Beatriz Haddad Maia, jelena ostapenko, madison keys, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Petra Kvitova, Qinwen Zheng, wta

The top 10: the women after the US Open

September 14, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Here is my list of the women with the biggest impact from the US Open.

1. Coco Gauff
When it started, it looked like she had a chance to win her first Grand Slam, but she had to wait over seven matches. She is only 19-years-old, but she knew that if she played really well, especially with her new, very good forehand, then she could beat anyone. That she did, when her backhand was terrific, her first serve was even harder, and of course, at the net, she could put it away. Her confidence is so high, that soon enough, if she is healthy, then she can become No. 1. A new, fantastic player.

2. Aryna Sabalenka
Yes, she is No. 1, and she has had a fine year, but in the third set in the final, she made so many errors, and she did not mix it up, more. Yes, she is a massive hitter, with her powerful backhand and her forehand, but at times, her serve can be mediocre, and at the net, she is OK, but she needs to improve it. She did win the 2023 Aussie Open, and perhaps she will recover in the fall, yet she could be frustrated again. It is all about her direction.

3. Karolina Muchova
The Czech looked wonderfully, all the way into the semis, and during the first and the second set, she was pretty close against Gauff, but then, she pushed back and she made some crazy error. On the court, she can be patient and smart, but then she forgets what she is doing, and then she panics. Really though, she is a fine player, but the older you get, she has to add some better shots. She only has won just one title, Seoul, in 2019. Maybe she can win another title during the tough fall.

4. Madison Keys
She looked great in four matches, then right at the end against Sabalenka, she collapsed in the third set tiebreaker. Of course she can crush the ball, with her hard forehand and her backhand, but she still can be concert, and then she will over-hit it. She has gone deep many times, and off the court, she seems to be intelligent, but the only way to win a Slam for the first time has to add something new, and be much more CALM.

5. Jelena Ostapenko
She is just so hard to figure out. She played so well and she crushed Iga Swiatek and then the next match against Gauff, she made so many errors, and it ended, quickly. She is one of the biggest hitters, but she is also somewhat slow, and she doesn’t be patient enough. That is how she is, maybe for ever.

6. Marketa Vondrousova
The great thing is that she won the 2023 Wimbledon, and she played as well as she can. The other Czech has gone deep at another various events, and she has also taken down a number of darn good players. However, in the quarters against Keys, she did not play at all. Yes, the American played stellar, but Vondrousova was second-class, and maybe worse. Hopefully, she can forget that she was way down, and if she does that, she can stay in the top 10 for a long time.

7. Sorana Cirstea
At the beginning this year, it looked like that she has become more aggressive, and push herself into the het, and also, to go for it much early. The 33-year-old has around for 17 years at the WTA Tour, so she was always very decent, but not fantastic. But now, in the summer and at the U.S. Open, she looked so much better, on court. Maybe in 2024 she will finally reach the top 10. That would be a stunner.

8. Qinwen Zheng
She is only 20-years-old, so clearly she is already good, reaching the quarters, and beating Ons Jabeur. It will take the Chinese to improve a lot, and she knows that, but if she can commit it, then she will continue to take down the good players. However, she has to leap higher.

9. Carolina Wozniacki
Was it surprising that the former No. 1 won a couple matches and she looked pretty good, but in the third set against Gauff, she could not out hitter her, forehand versus forehand. Her backhand has always been great, and she can run fast, almost forever, but her forehand and at the net were good, but not sublime. However, she is a little bit better, so moving forward, maybe she will gradual wax.

10. Xinyu Wang
The young 21-year-old player really likes to play the doubles, but in the singles, she can be interesting. She returns very well, and at the net, too, but in the back courts, she can be proper, but she does hit the ball even harder. She needs to be more gutsy.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aryna Sabalenka, Carolina Wozniacki, coco gauff, jelena ostapenko, Karolina Muchova, madison keys, Marketa Vondrousova, Matthew Cronin, Qinwen Zheng, Sorana Cirstea, us open, Xinyu Wang

TennisReporters.net, the top 32, in 2022: women 32-26

December 11, 2022 by Matthew Cronin

32. Kaia Kanepi
She is 37 years old and she still is a darn good player. She has never gone too deep at the Slams. In at least in four of them, she has reached all the quarters. That is a fair accomplishment. However, even though she is very strong, a huge hitter, she does not have enough variety. Next year, if she wants to reach into the top 20, she has to be much more aggressive.

31. Karolina Pliskova
The Czech was so close to winning the US Open and Wimbledon,. But her mental game disappeared. When she is playing amazing, she can crush her first serve, her forehand and her backhand, but unfortunately, she is not very fast. That is too bad, but after she finished her match, when she talks to the press, she is so honest and real. Just turning 30, when she walks on the court, and she has to realize that pretty soon she will retire. In 2023, at the important tournaments, then she has to go for the lines. Maybe she can push herself at the net, as she has rarely done it. So, do it now.

30. Aliaksandra Sasnovich
She seems to really like clay, going somewhat deep at Rome and Roland Garros. She is even-keeled. There are other times when she loses early and she is upset. She has been around for 10 years. If she wants to knock down the excellent players, then she must attack very early and then try to clip the lines. Try to rip it.

29. Elise Mertens
She can really hustle. The Belgian plays all the time, and certain weeks, she is thoughtful, but other times, she loses her control. It is hard to know why she is doing. She can play great, or she can play mediocre, at best. Perhaps next year she can try to hit the ball harder, because when she does it, here and there, she can be very tough to beat her. That is up to her.

28. Martina Trevisan
Here is another young player who is rising now. The Czech is only 20 years old, and she started the year ranked No. 81. She took down a number of good players, like Jessica Pegula and Caroline Garcia. She actually won Prague this year and she wants to win when it is extremely important. She knows that, and next year she can meld it around. Finally, she can pop the ball.

27. Qinwen Zheng
Another 20-years-old who has reached the top 30, Zheng is certainly climbing up the later. Maybe she is not that powerful, but she is very quick, and steady. On court, her eyes are locked in. She started the year No. 108, and now when she starts in January, it is very possible that she can be seated at the Australian Open. If she wins a few matches, then the fans will go to watch her. She has some wonderful variety, and she has to use it all the time.

26. Victoria Azarenka
The so-called ‘Vika’ is one of the most powerful players over the past 12 years. Yes, when she started, she was very shy, and she realized that to grow, and she had to really listen, on court and off. Finally, she did, not only banging her forehand and backhand, but in some key moments, she locked in, winning two Grand Slams. However, that was a long time ago, so the 33-year-old has to find out what is working for her. She still needs a couple pieces so she can have one more shots at a huge event.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Elise Mertens, kaia kanepi, Karolina Pliskova, Martina Trevisan, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Qinwen Zheng