Tennis in 2010: Remaining Attractions
With the Grand Slam season over and the tennis season for 2010 gradually winding up, many fans are at a loss, and do not know what to watch when it comes to fulfilling their sports addiction for the next few months. The Australian
Open won’t be back till January, the Davis Cup has become stale and unwatchable, and the “minor league” tournaments (such as the China Open, the Hansol Korea Open and the Malaysia Open) aren’t enough. Then what is a tennis fanatic going to do? Luckily for
everyone following are the news in the world of tennis these days, there are still some things to look forward to in the ATP and WTA tour events before the Grand Slams make a much-awaited comeback.
Serena Williams and her Run for World Number 1: With Serena Williams’s recent injury and the exaggeratedly long time she seems to be taking on her way to recovery, one of the foremost concerns on every WTA Tour
follower’s mind is whether or not the World Number 1 will return in time for any tournaments this year. Assuming that she has decided to take a temporary hiatus from the game, the next point to ponder is her replacement on the Women’s Tennis Association ranking.
The race for World Number 1 at the year end tournaments seems to be primarily between World Number 2 Caroline Wozniacki and World Number 5 Kim Clijsters, who may also withdraw from tournaments due to foot surgery, thereby leaving the competition quite open
to challenges.
Rafael Nadal and his Fall Performance: Although Rafael Nadal may have cemented himself a place in the top five tennis players of all time with his US Open victory this year, his 2009 performance
at the World Tour matches left quite a lot to be desired. During his conference after the US Open victory, Rafa stated that he would like to improve his game this year at the 2010 fall season. This should not be a difficult feat to accomplish; in the 2009
Asia tournaments, he was defeated by Nikolay Davydenko and Marin Cilic, and his performance in Paris and London was similarly disappointing. However, he sounded especially determined after his run at Flushing Meadows, acknowledging that this is the only “big”
tournament where he has yet to prove himself. It remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to improve on his abysmal performance of 2009 during which Nadal did not manage to reach the World Tour Finals, and instead bowed out at the last eight. If he
can adjust to the indoor surface, Nadal will join the ranks of former World Number 1 players, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras.
The Fed Cup: There are three reasons to look forward to this year’s Fed Cup, the premier international event for women’s tennis. For one, it is an identical rematch of the 2009 Fed Cup between
Italy and the United States, with the only difference being location. This leads us to the second major reason for celebration over the Fed Cup: the fact that for the first time in 10 years, it is being held in San Diego, USA. The third, and to some fans,
most important reason is that Venus and Serena Williams have committed to it (although they have been known to back out on such statements, so one shouldn’t expect much). Perhaps their greatest motivation are the 2012 Olympics, for which they will only be
eligible if they appear at the Fed Cup twice. The US team captain, Mary Joe Fernandez, has already guaranteed the Williams sisters entry to the team. What may help to make the tournament more interesting is French Open title holder Francesca Schiavone and
Flavia Pennetta, representing Italy for the Cup.
Until January comes around, tennis fans will have to make do with these three attractions. However, the end of the season is bound to remain interesting and watch-worthy, with Serena’s unexpectedness, Nadal’s determination and
the unpredictability of the Fed Cup in November.
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