• Registered: Feb. 1, 2011
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Topic: Caro Wozniacki at the US

History tells us that hard courts are, by far, Caro's favourite surface - the US Open in particular.

After a disappointing Roland Garros and Wimbledon (by World no.1 standards), can she make up for it at the US? She made it to the semis of Oz (lost the match after blowing a match point sad). Caro made it to the finals in '09 and made it to the semis last year where she lost to a now-out-of-form Vera Zvonareva.

She faces some stiff comp, namely Clijsters (returning from injury), Kvitova (if she can stay in her GS-winning form), possibly Serena, Zvonareva (if she can find her game again), Sharapova (most likely to win IMO), Azarenka (she's proved that she can overcome her mental barriers, hoping she does well as long as she doesn't play a match against Maria), hopefully Petkovic and Li Na (a disappointing loss at Wimby but should be able to bounce back).

As I said in another topic, Caro needs to retool her game to win Grand Slams. She does well generally but when she comes up against consistent ball-strikers in the later stages, she begins to falter eg. Hantuchova at RG this year. She has plenty of potential, she's only 21 (I think) and she's World no.1.

Can she go deep, possibly win her first GS? Can she retool her game or at least fix up some areas which need working on? Can she strengthen mentally?

As I love to say - it's kind of like my personal saying now big_smile - all will reveal itself when time comes.

Last edited by CrossCourt (Jul. 7, 2011 11:15pm)

  • Don
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

I think she will do fine until she runs into someone who is playing with power and consistency.  At that point, I don't give her any chance, really.  But she could, with the right draw, go pretty deep.

Last edited by Don (Jul. 5, 2011 12:13am)

  • Registered: Jun. 17, 2011
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

If Caroline Wozniacki doesn't perform as well as world no.1 should, i think Kvitova has a good chance to win even if Caroline's favourite court is hard court.

  • Tono
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

Are you giving us an insight into who you might be picking at Flushing Meadows there CrossCourt??? wink
Hopefully Wozniacki will win a Slam at some stage in her career, you would have to think she will anyway otherwise she will become the Andy Murray of the women's game... the best player to have never won a GS.
She enjoys the US Open so I'm with Don, a good draw could see her go deep in the tourney, for her sake I hope she does well bcoz the media are starting to pile the pressure on her about being No.1 and not yet winning a Slam.

  • Registered: Feb. 1, 2011
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

To be honest Tono, I'm not sure if I'll pick her. We'll see the tourneys that come before it (Montreal and Cincy) and then I'll make my choice. It's more about her draw than her game.

As a matter of fact, the way Caro will perform in any tourney depends on her draw, it depends on who she'll play against next. That is a very serious flaw in her game - something she urgently needs to improve on.

  • Aiur
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

She's a solid player, but she lacks the weapons required to win a 'Slam. She reminds me of Gilles Simon on the men's side. I usually pick her because she is the #1 seed and she has a pretty favorable draw to the quarters, but she has been disappointing lately. I'm with CrossCourt. If her draw looks like a surefire run to the quarters, she's on my team. If I see roadblocks, I'm going with someone else.

  • Don
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

Gotta see the draw before you pick the women.  (With the men, you really only have 4 discretionary picks.  Of course, you have to see the draw to make those, too.)

But if we already knew the draw, we still wouldn't know what to do.  I wouldn't, anyway.  The summer hard court season lies before us.
 
I think Li Na has some good tennis left in her this year.  Maybe.  Likewise with Zvonareva.  I'm hopeful that Petra keeps it up, but up to now she has been better on clay, where she has more time, than on hard courts.  It would be great to see Petko rise to the occasion, but I'm not holding my breath.  The quirky Bartoli is a danger player for almost everybody, and certainly you have to like Azarenka's chances to be in every match she plays.

BTW, it's interesting to note that Petko is less than 5 months younger than Sharapova!  Similarly, Kvitova is 3 months older than Wozniacki! 

Obviously, Kim and Serena are forces to be reckoned with if they come in anywhere near 100%. If Maria finds her serve, watch out!   It's conceivable Kuznetsova or Jankovic, or Lisicki for that matter, could make a run from out of nowhere.  Radwanska could go deep.

Who will find her form?  Who will lose it?  Who will be sidelined by injury?  Whose brain will fall out of her head?  Stay tuned!

Last edited by Don (Jul. 5, 2011 1:06pm)

  • Registered: Feb. 1, 2011
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

Beebo wrote:

If Caroline Wozniacki doesn't perform as well as world no.1 should, i think Kvitova has a good chance to win even if Caroline's favourite court is hard court.

She hasn't been performing well at all since the SF exit at Oz. If Clijsters can get to 100% fitness, I think she'll be the one to beat at the US. That's IF she gets to full fitness. Same goes for Serena. As much as I like Petra, I  honestly don't think she'll win. Again, like Don said, the women's pick depend on the draw.

  • Registered: Feb. 1, 2011
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

Li Na: She's already lifted the pressure of the Chinese media with a GS win at Paris. Without that pressure, can she win another Grand Slam?

Oz: SF
RG: Win
Wimbledon: 2nd RD

US Open: Again, depending on the draw, but hoping she'll make it to the final 4. To be honest, it'll depend on the fitness of Kim and Serena. Also, with Maria back on the playing field this year, the run to the finals for this Chinese wonder becomes just that much harder. Definitely one of the more mentally strong players in the WTA, can she prove once and for all that experience is a tennis players' best weapon?

  • Registered: Feb. 1, 2011
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

Kim Clijsters: 3 time US Open champion, with another GS at Oz this year. If she can return to her 100% form, she amongst will be the players to beat at this tournament (along with Sharapova).

Oz: Win
RG: 2nd RD
Wimby: N/A

US: As I said above, she can be the player to beat. One of the big questions for the women's US Open this year:

Can Clijsters get to 100% fitness before going to Flushing Meadows?

After missing most of the middle of the year and a bad RG performance, she still comes into the US Open as the #2 seed. Can she return to the same form she carried earlier this year at Australia?

Last edited by CrossCourt (Jul. 5, 2011 8:12pm)

  • Registered: Feb. 1, 2011
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Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

These are my biggest questions for the womens' GS:

Can Serena make her comeback?
Can Li Na turn the tables after a terrible Wimbledon?
Can Vika finally win a GS?
Can Kvitova carry on her GS-winning form?
Can Zvonareva go deep at Flushing Meadows after an excellent Wimby-US campaign this time last year?

Can Dinara Safina... wait a minute... no... I won't ask that question.

All will reveal itself come the US Open.

  • Registered: Jun. 17, 2011
  • Posts: 17

Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

What happened to Dinara Safina by the way? She used to be great in '08 and '09 sorta times but after that, she wasn't good at all.

  • Registered: Jun. 17, 2011
  • Posts: 17

Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

CrossCourt wrote:

History tells us that hard courts are, by far, Caro's favourite surface - the US Open in particular.

After a disappointing Roland Garros and Wimbledon (by World no.1 standards), can she make up for it at the US? She made it to the semis of Oz (lost the match after blowing a match point sad). Caro made it to the finals in '09 and made it to the semis last year where she lost to a now-out-of-form Vera Zvonareva.

She faces some stiff comp, namely Clijsters (returning from injury), Kvitova (if she can stay in her GS-winning form), possibly Serena, Zvonareva (if she can find her game again), Sharapova (most likely to win IMO), Azarenka (she's proved that she can overcome her mental barriers, hoping she does well as long as she doesn't play a match against Maria), hopefully Petkovic (Go PetNuts!!!) and Li Na (a disappointing loss at Wimby but should be able to bounce back).

As I said in another topic, Caro needs to retool her game to win Grand Slams. She does well generally but when she comes up against consistent ball-strikers in the later stages, she begins to falter eg. Hantuchova at RG this year. She has plenty of potential, she's only 21 (I think) and she's World no.1.

Can she go deep, possibly win her first GS? Can she retool her game or at least fix up some areas which need working on? Can she strengthen mentally? hmm

As I love to say - it's kind of like my personal saying now big_smile ... all will reveal itself when time comes.

I think she can lift up her game after an average Wimbledon but I do not think she will win.

  • Registered: Feb. 1, 2011
  • Posts: 180

Re: Caro Wozniacki at the US

Beebo wrote:

What happened to Dinara Safina by the way? She used to be great in '08 and '09 sorta times but after that, she wasn't good at all.

To make a long story short, she had an injury that set her back. Then she went out of form. Then she had an injury again. And then she went out of form again. And then she took a break from tennis.

Who knows what the future holds for my most disappointing player of all time?

Why is she disappointing, you ask, my dear Beebo? wink I'll give you one instance. In the first round of this year's Oz Open, she lost 6-0, 6-0 to Clijsters, becoming the first ever former no.1 in the Open Era (man or woman) to lose 6-0 in all sets. Unforgivable. sad