Location: Sydney, Australia
Dates: January 11-16, 2009
Status: Premier
Prize Money: $600,000
Draw: 32M/32Q/16D
Surface: Hardcourt/Outdoors
Tournament Director: Craig Watson

Official Web Site:

Oh man what a entry list. In the current situation every single win will be a great deal.

The experience should be really great for her. She is doing what she loves to do and she has the people who support her. She invested a lot of time for this. She likes singles.

i dont have the same optimism as previous years

I am never optimistic in this tournament

i am speaking for the whole upcoming season.

I really hope that Daniela can make some changes to her game with the next coach. I think she's become too predictable and I think that's why 2nd rate players like cirstea, errani and Kleybanova are able to beat her. It's like what kirilenko said about Daniela after she beat Danka in Zurich. "You known she's gunna hit some winners but u also know that she's gunna hit a lot of unforced errors, so i tried to get lots of balls back in play."

That's why I hope this new coach will make players have to work Daniela out again as Daniela's game has become too predictable.

Any thoughts please say.

I really hope that Daniela can make some changes to her game with the next coach. I think she's become too predictable and I think that's why 2nd rate players like cirstea, errani and Kleybanova are able to beat her. It's like what kirilenko said about Daniela after she beat Danka in Zurich. "You known she's gunna hit some winners but u also know that she's gunna hit a lot of unforced errors, so i tried to get lots of balls back in play."

That's why I hope this new coach will make players have to work Daniela out again as Daniela's game has become too predictable.

Any thoughts please say.

For a player who has been ~struggling or down, I think she made a very bad choice in coaches. I'm not sure who he is (and I am not criticizing his career) but he is basically starting off for the first time as a coach. That would give him very little standing as a someone to "turn the ship around". I'm sure he has a lot of experience with the game and his technique or tricks-of-the-trade could be utilized. This is women's tennis we are talking about. With coaching, either you have the answer or you don't. And then you shut up. So I wonder if this is the correct choice (which I am almost sure it is not).

It's basically Hantuchova Heresy at this point.

Daniela need to find what it is she wants or needs at this point anyways.

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I do road cycling. It is very intense. The situation of the speed, pavement and the atmosphere drives me forward. I can cycle at high levels of exertion for hours.

I have a customized stationary elliptical rider. I can do about 10-20 minutes usually just enough to get my sweat up. Even if I go 1 1/2 hours I do not reach the point of endorphin driven exercise.

The same thing applies with tennis. When the pressure drives you, you excel. When you feel the power (especially when it is new) you excel.

Interesting thing. As I became more and more engrossed in problems of my personal life -- I could cycle less and less. It eventually reached the point where I could not cycle anymore. There was just this pressure I felt from else where that made me want to stop.

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Players who "like to play tennis" don't bail out of close matches 6-0 in the third. If she "liked" doing what she was doing, she would take advantage of the court time. That is actual practice. Practice on a "practice court" is an excuse not to get analyzed. She thinks she should play tennis but wants to play like crap.

What I suggest is that she find the nearest exit, arrange not her priorities (everyone wants to win) but her happiness. It is kind of a mute point that tennis is her favorite thing when she seems not to enjoy it -- not enough anyways. The happiness really does make a difference in my opinion. Especially in going where it is she wants to go with her career.

Whatever it is. She needs to get it fast. It will make a great difference almost immediately.

She deserves it. It doesn't hurt.

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Otherwise I can think of about half a dozen things that would help her at this point. She needs to settle into the game more comfortably if she wants to continue for many more years.