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Roland Garros, Paris
https://daniela-hantuchova.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=318		 Page 9 of 9
Author:  eddy [ 30. May 2009 13:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
Yup......:(
Author:  chungwit [ 30. May 2009 20:04 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
It would have been nice if Daniela and Ai had won but it wasn't to be. At least Daniela can have a few days rest and recuperation before she prepares for the grass season.

most players that are really serious and focused on their singles don't even play doubles in the first place.[/b]

I'm guessing that the Williams sisters, the Radwanskas, Petrova, Cibulkova, Wozniacki, Pennetta, Azaranka, Zheng, Schnyder and Kanepi aren't serious and focused on their singles if they're playing doubles here, even though they're all in the top 20 (apart from Urszula Radwanska).
Author:  asj001 [ 31. May 2009 00:38 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
It would have been nice if Daniela and Ai had won but it wasn't to be. At least Daniela can have a few days rest and recuperation before she prepares for the grass season.

most players that are really serious and focused on their singles don't even play doubles in the first place.[/b]

I'm guessing that the Williams sisters, the Radwanskas, Petrova, Cibulkova, Wozniacki, Pennetta, Azaranka, Zheng, Schnyder and Kanepi aren't serious and focused on their singles if they're playing doubles here, even though they're all in the top 20 (apart from Urszula Radwanska).


The Williams' sisters play doubles and it doesn't affect them in the same way because they are normally playing singles until the end of the tournament anyway. Daniela on the other hand is regularly losing in the early rounds, and then, rather than going on to the next stop of the tour and practising on that surface, she is 'lingering' around to finish off the doubles tournament. Similarly to the Williams' sisters, the likes of Wozniacki, Azarenka and even Petrova are all players who have realistic expectations of getting through to the end of every tournament that they play, so doubles actually acts as 'good practice' for their singles matches that they are most focused on. Ask any of the top players, even on the men's side (like Nadal and Murray) - when they play doubles its to just do their best and get some practice in. The Williams' sisters use doubles to try to keep their momentum going and get as much court time as possible. Its also a nice alternative to just training the whole time that you are not playing singles.
Author:  BMC [ 31. May 2009 11:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
I have to say I think its top-20 at best for Daniela now. I think 2002 and 2007-2008 Aus Open may have been her career-best years. Two titles, making the YEC and making the semis at a Slam may arguably be her 'highlight' 12-months, despite her ranking being lower then than it was in 2002.
With so much competition out there I don't see Daniela as a top-10 player. The WTA Tour is getting really strong once again; not only do you have the mainstay top-10 players like the Williams', the Russians and the Serbs, but there are so many very strong yougsters coming up (Azarenka, Wozniacki, Cornet - when she is in form). Plus, with the return of Sharapova (and Clijsters in the summer), and with more young up-comers like Larcher de Brito and U.Radwanska (who I'm sure are going to be great players in a couple of years time), it seems unlikely that Daniela will return to the top-10.
I just hope she manages to get some good draws during the American hard-court season so she can at least get back into the top-20 (which is definately where she should be), and maybe get a few decent top-10 wins, and ideally, a top-5 win (which would put her back in the spot-light once again).

I'm not sure i totally agree. But i guess the most disappointing thing is that Daniela really looked like cementing her position inside the worlds top ten before she got injured. I actually think she would realistically have challenged all of the slams this year, but now there's just something missing. For the majority of 2007 she won the games she was expected to (she was dealing with players outside of the top 20 with relative ease), which is something which just isn't happening anymore. I'd really love it if she could re-capture that form, because she hasn't got a lot of time left to make big in-roads in the slams.

In terms of Sharapova, her mental strength is pretty incredible. She never ever doubts herself. I'm not a huge fan of her game, but she manages to win and win consistently with it, which is what i find impressive.

I think the thing that annoys me most is that players like Safina (someone Daniela used to have the edge over) have managed to overcome their mental composure and now they're seriously contending grand slams. Daniela could be in that position and it's really, really annoying that she's not.

But yeah, here's to a good grass court and american hard court season. It might be the last chance Daniela has of turning things around.
Author:  krima [ 31. May 2009 12:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
When talking about Sharapova you have to look at the performance and not only at the results.

It is true, she is making a great comeback no doubt, but the performances at it self are not really good. Especially the last match against Shvedova was not on high level. It was really Shvedova loosing that match rather than Sharapova winning it.

I think against Na Li Sharaova won't have a real chance.
Author:  Benji [ 31. May 2009 17:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
I'm not sure i totally agree. But i guess the most disappointing thing is that Daniela really looked like cementing her position inside the worlds top ten before she got injured. I actually think she would realistically have challenged all of the slams this year, but now there's just something missing. For the majority of 2007 she won the games she was expected to (she was dealing with players outside of the top 20 with relative ease), which is something which just isn't happening anymore. I'd really love it if she could re-capture that form, because she hasn't got a lot of time left to make big in-roads in the slams. The loss to Ivanovic at the AO,and the way it happened,just killed her. She hasn't been the same player since. I honestly think it would have been better for her to lose comfortably in straights,that way she wouldn't be dwelling on what might have been. :cry:
Author:  asj001 [ 31. May 2009 18:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
I'm not sure i totally agree. But i guess the most disappointing thing is that Daniela really looked like cementing her position inside the worlds top ten before she got injured. I actually think she would realistically have challenged all of the slams this year, but now there's just something missing. For the majority of 2007 she won the games she was expected to (she was dealing with players outside of the top 20 with relative ease), which is something which just isn't happening anymore. I'd really love it if she could re-capture that form, because she hasn't got a lot of time left to make big in-roads in the slams. The loss to Ivanovic at the AO,and the way it happened,just killed her. She hasn't been the same player since. I honestly think it would have been better for her to lose comfortably in straights,that way she wouldn't be dwelling on what might have been. :cry:

I agree; that was arguably the worst defeat of her career, and certainly the hardest to take. The match is very much like Coria's loss in the 2004 Roland Garros final. Another player who was not quite the same afterwards.
Author:  chungwit [ 31. May 2009 18:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
Daniela's had devastating losses and slumps in the past, notably 2003 and 2004, but she revived and won tournaments again and got into the top ten again. Daniela's shown her ambition and mental strength to get over traumatic events in the past. The manner of the Australian Open loss was devastating to her, especially being essentially stabbed in the back by a "friend" but Daniela wasn't helped by illness and injury which wiped out most of the start of 2008 and deprived her of the opportunity to quickly rebuild confidence by getting wins. I'm sure Daniela would have had a great chance to beat Henin at Antwerp which would have gone a long way to boosting her confidence, given Henin's form at that tournament and how she struggled against Bacszinsky who only got past Daniela because Daniela was sick. But Daniela had to withdraw and she also missed the Middle Eastern tournaments. She played Miami and Amelia Island injured and had two tough losses in matches that I think Daniela would have won had she been healthier, so she went into her injury layoff with the memory of two tough losses. The Austalian Open loss was very tough on Daniela but it was compounded by her health problems in the subsequent months.

I'd say there have been quite a few times over the years when playing doubles has translated into singles success for Daniela. She got to the 2002 Australian Open doubles final and won the mixed doubles and a couple of months later she won Indian Wells. In 2004, she got to the mixed doubles semi-final at Roland Garros, a few weeks later she got to the Eastbourne final. Likewise after the devastating Gloria loss at the end of 2004, Martina Navratilova teamed up with Daniela to play doubles at the start of 2005 and Daniela had a good start to the year in Australia and the Middle East. Daniela's form dipped soon after her split with Martina. She won the mixed doubles at Roland Garros and the doubles at Birmingham and that seemed to kick start a revival as she had some good wins at Wimbledon and the North American and indoor seasons - notably the LA final - while she had doubles wins at Filderstadt and the US Open mixed doubles. I'd also say that doubles success in the first half of 2006 helped Daniela's confidence after she had that devastating loss to Li in Doha.

Different things work for different players but a lot of the time when Daniela has struggled in singles in the past, success in doubles has helped her.
Author:  Benji [ 31. May 2009 18:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
No,the worst defeat was to Asagoe at Wimbledon. I've never been in such a bad way after a sports result in my life(and i support the English cricket team!)
Author:  krima [ 6. June 2009 16:38 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
Final:

Svetlana Kuznetsova - Dinara Safina 6:4 6:2


Great win by Kuzi. Really deserves that win. Safina wasn't able to play her best tennis and lost because of her nerves.

Congrats to Kuzi.
Author:  chungwit [ 6. June 2009 18:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
Another underwhelming Roland Garros final where the loser plays poorly. In the 80s and 90s there were so many great finals but the last really good one was Capriati-Clijsters in 2001. Kuznetsova played well and did what she had to do to win but Safina was so inhibited by pressure and tension.

The thing I'm taking from this is that players that leave Sanchez-Casal can go on to win slams.
Author:  christina [ 7. June 2009 06:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
:lol: :lol: that's the spirit
Author:  Benji [ 7. June 2009 16:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
:lol: Mens final result was never in doubt!

Congrats RogiGOAT :pray:
Author:  Helio [ 7. June 2009 18:13 ]
Post subject:  Re: Roland Garros, Paris
Im happy for Sveta.. though I wanted Safina to take it. She seemed very heartbroken.

Sveta is so cool 8-)

And Roger, GOAT for real :pray:
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