OFF: Who Was Your Favorite Newcomer in 2007?
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Oct 19, 2007 | Print |
Agnes Szavay. Agnieszka Radwanksa. Victoria Azarenka. Tamira Paszek.
Those four women are just a few of the new names we saw climb the rankings in 2007. For them, the 2007 season will be known as the year they rose to prominence and captured big wins that had everyone buzzing.
Today’s Open Forum Friday discussion is on your favorite newcomer of the 2007 season.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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Kurt | Oct 19, 2007 | Reply
Well, I don’t personally pull for any of them yet. So instead of just choosing a favorite, I wanted to look at who made the biggest breakthrough this year. (I happen to be a math guy) and so I took a look at the following stats: Ranking at first tournament of the year (in January), current ranking (as of 10/15), titles/finals (SE WTA tour only), top 10 wins, year record, and best performance at a major.
Szavay / 189 / 20 / 2 of 3 / 3 / 56-14 / QF at US
Radwanska / 59 / 31 / 1 of 1 / 2 / 35-20 / 4r at US
Azarenka / 96 / 27 / 0 of 2 / 2 / 34-18 / 4r at US
Paszek / 187 / 45 / 0 of 0 / 0 / 31-16 / 4r at US
To me, it’s clear that Szavay had the biggest breakthrough year. She’s in the top 20, won a Tier IV and a Tier II, while Radwanska had a Tier IV, Azarenka had 2 Tier IV finals, and Paszek did not reach a final. She recorded more top ten wins, came back from championship point down in Beijing to beat Jankovic (mental strength), posted a better record, and had the best singles slam result (Azarenka won US mixed).
Three notes: One, Radwanska did well to mentally unhinge Sharapova at the US Open. However, I didn’t particularly like her methods. They were a little too competitive to me, and I believe that without such antics she wouldn’t have performed as well against Sharapova. Two, Paszek is at least a year younger than the other three players, which means she is probably less mature physically, mentally, and emotionally. I think 2008 will be a bigger break-out for her. Three, of the four, I can only remember two of them having a noted weapon: Szavay and Paszek- both a two-handed backhand down-the-line. If you’re going to be a great player, you need a weapon of note. What do Azarenka and Radwanska have? I don’t know them well enough to answer.
By the end of 2008: (1) Szavay will be top ten with a Tier I title, (2) Radwanska will be top thirty with a Tier III title, (3 & 4) Azarenka and Paszek will be top twenty with a QF finish at a slam each.
Aaress | Oct 19, 2007 | Reply
Kurt, thanks for posting those stats! They are not only fascinating, but very telling.
Out of the four I mentioned, Szavay was clearly the most successful. Her performance at New Haven, combined with her winning run at Beijing bids well for 2008.
Paszek is developing into her game, and like you mentioned, her two-handed backhand is solid and packs a lot of punch.
I’m not had a chance to watch much of Azarenka’s game over the past season, but I’d like to see more of her, especially at the Slams.
I agree with you about Radwanska - against Sharapova she did not have one definitive “go-to” shot. Much of that win was about the mental side of competition, especially when Radwanska kept standing six feet inside the baseline. Ordinarily Radwanska hugs the baseline, but she knew that it was one way to get inside Maria’s head, especially with Sharapova misfiring powder puffs at her.
Chris | Oct 20, 2007 | Reply
Tamira Paszek. Definitely. I LOVE her game.
She has looooads of potential. She lacks a powerful serve, but she’s like Dementieva in that as soon as the rally starts, she can beat you down with her backhand and mental tenacity. All four ladies, to be honest, are very strong mentally most of the time, with the most suspect being Azarenka.
But, on Paszek, I just love her game. She’s soooo young too.
Azarenka was the other one I liked. She was once a ballbasher, but she’s adding more to her game. Against Sharapova, for example, she was a counterpuncher where a year ago she’d have bashed the ball as hard as she could and would’ve lost the match. She’s trying to use the net in her matches more and more and it’s working.
Radwanska and Szavay do nothing for me. Which just means they’ll have the best careers of the four while the two I like will become chokers and stall in the rankings.
Always my luck.
Chris | Oct 20, 2007 | Reply
By the way, Caroline Wozniacki is also a very talented young girl I’m extremely interested in. Like the other girls, her backhand is her best shot. Good all court coverage, and by watching her play you can tell she’s going to try and be a strategist on court even better than she is now as she progresses her game.
Exciting times for the future of tennis.
Richard | Oct 20, 2007 | Reply
With the way Azarenka played against Sharapova and Hingis, I expect her to post the best result in 08. Plus she’s the best looking. I remember she was the Roger Federer of the girls game at one point, she was unbeatable in the juniors draw.
I’m with Chris on this one. I don’t like Svavay or Radwandska. Both of them are kind of like Shahar Peer to me. They make me want to turn off the television set or hope a men’s match will come on soon. I’m totally bored by those two and hope they will continue to do well at Tier III level and below so I won’t have to sit through their matches. Not much to say about their looks department either. Maybe if they are hotter I can at least be glued to the tv set. Like Kirilenko, who has a boring game but amazingly hot.
The other girl I have no idea, as I haven’t watched her match yet. She’s young and she’s had success, that’s good I guess.
So yeah, go Victoria!
Dintweng | Oct 22, 2007 | Reply
Agnes Szavay
Diane | Oct 22, 2007 | Reply
Radwanska was was “Newcomer of the Year” last year, and certainly began living up to her potential in 2007. My personal favorite of the phenoms is probably Paszek, though she has made a less showy start than the others. B
And a player not in this category, but one nevertheless worth watching, is Italy’s Knapp.