Iga Swiatek wins WTA title
The Women Final in Mexico concluded with Iga Swiatek of Poland winning the title and regaining number one position. This is her first best after the injury breaks. Aryna Sabalenka is placed second in the latest ranking. Sabalenka Swiatek encounter in the semi-final went into a threeset thriller. These two players have over 3000 ranking points. Others in the ranking are way behind.
Jessica Pegula of USA came up with fabulous form in Mexico to reach the final against Swiatek. The final match ended up one-sided, Swiatek winning the match with surprising ease at 6/1, 6/0. Injury could be the reason for Pegula’s performance in the final. She achieved fifth position in the WTA ranking. Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina got the third and fourth positions.
The WTA event in Mexico was in an open air stadium, Disturbed by unfavourable weather was far from perfect. WTA admitted conditions did not turn out to be not good for the event. Global warming and tennis, for the players there will be a break until the 2024 season in Australia. Players will cherish the holiday break to recover physically and mentally.
This year was the first in WTA tennis without any of the dominant players of the last two decades. Tennis was good.
Magic of Swiatek
WTA’s number one is an exceptional talent and performer. Swiatek could beat any from the Top 10 with ease. Her combination of flawless tactics, speed and balance in movement, ability to sustaining it through three sets is perfect. I cannot recall her losing a match being nervous. In a way, Swiatek is a combination many of the best past players put together. She, in an all-time tennis evaluation scale of 10, will score nine point five plus. Right now, she is in prime performing phase.
Everlasting Djokovic
In the Paris Open of 2023 Novak Djokovic won the title beating Grigor Dimitrov, currently ranked 14 in the final. It was Djokovic’s 40th master’s title. Djokovic brushed shoulders with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras from 2003, he beat them at times convincingly. His 20 years in the professional circuit had triumphs, troubles and confrontations with authorities. During the corona virus time, he defied taking the vaccine, considered it would harm him. [Medical science, now indicates that he was not wrong] Djokovic faced deportation after a court proceeding from Australia for false declaration and could not enter USA for one year. Many do not like him for the intimidating exhibition towards his opponents. [Show wrestling piece, strangely he is loved because for this by the young]
Paris Open 2023 title
Right through the Paris event Djokovic’s all-round performance kept him on top. He lost sets to couple on the way. Winning the six million dollar event did not come easy. Djokovic, now 36, was beaten by Spaniard Alcaraz this year. Even now, Alcaraz, on a given day, will beat Djokovic. He did that in 2023. At present, injuries are making him perform well under his capabilities.
Djokovic’s total career prize money now stands at USD 176 million. This year his winloss record is 51 to 5 in his favour. His overall record is 1082 to 211 in his favour and has 97 carrier titles.
ATP final in Turin Italy
The top eight qualified are Djokovich, Alcaraz, Medvedev, Sinner, Rublev, Tsitsipas, Ruud, and Zverev. They represent seven countries. These seven countries are the best in men’s tennis today. All have win-loss record in their favour. Every conceivable model of today’s effective tennis is in them. Imagination is the limit as to how tennis played. It has been so, ever since the game came to being in 1800s.
In the tennis of today, athletics of the player plays a dominant part. In fact, it is excessively athletic. Players spend more time in the gym and field to shape up the body to perform on the court. Fifty years ago, court work was good enough to play well. Today’s tennis player is a super athlete capable of highend feats on the court. Most incredible is their ability to accommodate the speed modern courts demands.
Alcaraz is injured. Did not play well in Paris Open. Last year too when he was number one, he appeared in Turin only to accept the trophy and could not play. There is no profession in the world without difficulties.
The eight who will play in Turin from 12th of this month are the best proven. Their racquet-ball coordination will match any circus act. Makes it thrilling to watch them play. In life, what looks simple is the most difficult to achieve.
--George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; Coach German Tennis Federation; National coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup coach, coached ATP, WTA, ITF ranked players in Europe and Asia; WhatsApp +94775448880