Serena absence leaves women’s draw wide open
Women’s tennis starts its 2018 campaign with the usual early focus on the Australian Open and a huge question mark over who can fill the yawning gap left by the absence of Serena Williams.
No one was able to get anywhere close last year, not just in terms of consistently winning the biggest tournaments but also when it comes to charisma.
Williams left Melbourne a year ago with a 23rd Grand Slam title under her belt but soon hung up her racket for the remainder of 2017 upon discovering she was eight weeks pregnant at the time of her triumph.
Her forced hiatus will extend past this year’s tournament after she decided last week that she was not fully match-ready, giving the chasing pack more opportunities to stamp their authority on the women’s game.
Boris Becker, who knows a bit about both winning grand slams and star appeal, believes the landscape at the top of the women’s game is just too confused at the moment.
“I think there is a real opportunity for the next superstar. It’s not clear cut,” he said.
“(Simona) Halep is number one at the moment but we have four or five different girls. It’s just that there is no one dominating, but it’s up to them.
“I could mention 10 names who could win the Australian Open, that’s good and that’s bad. I think the sport needs a strong rivalry because that’s good for fans. But the women’s game doesn’t have that at the moment.”
The remaining 2017 majors were shared by three rising stars of the game, with Latvian teen Jelena Ostapenko storming to the French Open title, Garbine
SINGAPORE:
Simona Halep (ROM x1)
Destanee Aiava (AUS) Johanna Konta (GBR x9)
Madison Brengle (USA) Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR)
Karolina Pliskova (CZE x6) Garbine Muguruza (ESP x3)
Jessika Ponchet (FRA) Carina Witthoeft (GER)
Caroline Garcia (FRA x8) Venus Williams (USA x5)
Belinda Bencic (SUI) Qualifier Elina Svitolina (UKR x4)
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x7)
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) Timea Babos (HUN) CoCo Vandeweghe (USA x10) Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROM) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x2)
Muguruza winning Wimbledon and Sloane Stephens returning from injury to lift the U.S. Open crown.
The world rankings saw three new names ascend to the top last season with big-serving Czech Karolina Pliskova’s two-month reign ended by Spain’s Muguruza in September, before Romania’s Halep took over to end the year in pole position.
However, perhaps the most significant indicator of who could shine brightest in 2018 came in October when Caroline Wozniacki battled to a maiden WTA Finals title, displaying a new brand of ruthless tennis that suggested a first Grand Slam was imminent. The Dane had lost six straight finals before winning the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo a month earlier and she carried that momentum to Singapore before starting the season with a solid showing in Auckland to move up to second in rankings.
KERBER MARCHES ON IN SYDNEY, MULLER LOSES
Germany’s Angelique Kerber won a seventh straight match as she steamed into the semi-finals of the Sydney International boosting her confidence for next week’s Australian Open.
Kerber, who began last year as No.1 before finishing at No.22, continued her 2018 resurgence with a thumping 6-3, 6-1 win over Slovakia Dominika Cibulkova. The German will meet Italian qualifier and world No.100 Camila Giorgi, who upset Poland’s former world No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-2.
BOUCHARD OVERCOMES BUTTOCK PAIN TO WIN
Struggling star Eugenie Bouchard won her first match of the year Thursday, posting a 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Australian teen Destanee Aiava at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.
The Canadian had gone down in three group matches last week at the Hopman Cup in Perth, where she suffered a buttock injury.
MELBOURNE: