2012 WTA Most Improved Player?

[soyizgood]

Pretty much a no-brainer this will come down to either Kerber or Errani. I'll just make a short poll and let you all argue.

[Gonzo_style]

My vote go to Kerber, Errani lost golden set at W i think, but played GS final, i don't know really...

[kishnabe]

Eranni did nothing impressive outside of Clay(barring QF of Australia). Kerber was good everywhere.

Vote goes to Kerber.

[boredone3456]

Originally Posted by kishnabe

Eranni did nothing impressive outside of Clay(barring QF of Australia). Kerber was good everywhere.

Vote goes to Kerber.

Errani outperformed Kerber at 3 of the 4 majors, won twice as many titles and made a major final. On the biggest stages at least (the majors) Errani did much better everywhere but Wimbledon. Plus she won more titles. Yes they were all on clay but 4 titles (won something like 17 matches in a row and 3 titles consecutively) in 1 year is nothing to scoff at. I like Kerber but my vote is Errani.

[tennisaddict]

MIP is one who is on the wrong end of a golden set ? No thanks.

It is more than likely her results are due to dope.

[soyizgood]

If Errani beats Radwanska, she'll make the SF and out perform Kerber at 4 of the 5 biggest events (2-0 against Kerber in the process). Even if she loses she still out did Kerber at the YEC.

Neither one has a great record against the top 10 this year. Errani never beat a top 10 player coming in to this year and now has 5 such wins, including 2 at the French Open. She still did little at the Premier 5 and Premier Mandatory events, but still top 10 in both singles and doubles.

Kerber showed she's not a fluke. A Premier title at Paris where she beat Sharapova along the way, dethroned Wozniacki to win Copenhagen, and made the later rounds at numerous events. Around 60 wins this year, compared to prior years where she struggled to get 20 wins.

I think Kerber will finish higher ranked unless Errani beats Radwanska. Who would have thought Kerber would actually sit at #5 when the consensus was her compatriots Lisicki or Petkovic would do so first? At the same time, Errani went from obscure (#40-45) to being a top player in both singles and doubles.

Okay Errani had a golden bagel to swallow at Wimbledon. But Kerber went off like a cry baby losing to Sharapova 6-0 3-0 recently.

[Brian11785]

Voted Kerber, because before last year's US Open, she was a nobody. I'd at least heard of Errani. And I think that Kerber is the better player.

Vinci would be third in my book. After (and way behind...) that, I would put Ula Radwanska, Stephens and (too little to late) Robson.

[cc0509]

Kerber. Kerber has been much more consistent across surfaces this year.

[cc0509]

Originally Posted by boredone3456

Errani outperformed Kerber at 3 of the 4 majors, won twice as many titles and made a major final. On the biggest stages at least (the majors) Errani did much better everywhere but Wimbledon. Plus she won more titles. Yes they were all on clay but 4 titles (won something like 17 matches in a row and 3 titles consecutively) in 1 year is nothing to scoff at. I like Kerber but my vote is Errani.

True that Errani outperformed Kerber in the slams and won more titles, but all of those titles were on clay surfaces at smaller tournaments. Kerber has been more consistent throughout the entire year at all tournaments on all surfaces and made the QF or SF of tournaments starting from Aukland this year all the way up to Beijing. It is a tough one but my vote goes to Kerber even though Errani did better at the slams.

[Russeljones]

Lol @ people picking Kerber. Helloooo Errani was a complete non-starter! Look at her now, she is defying everything (suspiciously so).

Wasnt Kerber ranked alot lower to start the season? If she ends the year ranked higher, and I fully expect she will (while crazier things have happened unlikely Errani will beat Radwanska to make it past the RR), it will go to Kerber. Now if Errani pulls the upset over Radwanska, makes the semis, and ends the year ranked higher, they might give it to her.

[Russeljones]

Aren't we talking about potential though? You could see Kerber had the makings of a very tough competitor. Errani has nothing. And look at her now, there seems to be no logic to WTA players' ups and downs.

Originally Posted by Russeljones

Aren't we talking about potential though?

Why would we be talking about potential? Wouldnt someone who fulfilled previously unfulfilled potential be just as deserving as someone who shocked people and lived up to potential nobody thought they had. Anyway nobody thought Kerber had any potential before this year. Her U.S open run was regarded as a huge fluke, and nobody expected to hear from her again.

[cc0509]

Originally Posted by Russeljones

Lol @ people picking Kerber. Helloooo Errani was a complete non-starter! Look at her now, she is defying everything (suspiciously so).

What are you talking about? At the end of August in 2011(before the USO that year,) Kerber was ranked 92 in the world while Errani was ranked thirty something. Isn't that rankings jump by Kerber in itself enough to justify Kerber's most improved player status?

Originally Posted by cc0509

What are you talking about? At the end of August in 2011(before the USO that year,) Kerber was ranked 92 in the world while Errani was ranked thirty something. Isn't that rankings jump by Kerber in itself enough to justify Kerber's most improved player status?

I guess he means people could see Kerber was a flower just waiting to burst. I dont see it. I post on the WTAforum and we all dismissed her U.S Open run last year as a fluke, and expected nothing like that from her again. She shocked us all this year, as much or more than Errani. Of course looking at the two now it seems Kerber has much more potential, one could see her remaining a top player and even getting a bit better, while most probably believe Errani is having a career year and will drop backwards. Do you know Kerber's exact ranking to start 2012 btw.

Actually I didnt realize this but Errani was ranked lower than Kerber to start the year. She was #45 vs #32 for Kerber. Perhaps Errani has a better shot at Most Improved of the Year than I thought. Still Errani had been a solid often top 30ish player before this year. Kerber was a nobody until last years U.S Open. It will be interesting to see who they go with if Errani loses to Radwanska. In the unlikely event Errani beats Radwanska she will most likely get it now.

[cc0509]

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

I guess he means people could see Kerber was a flower just waiting to burst. I dont see it. I post on the WTAforum and we all dismissed her U.S Open run last year as a fluke, and expected nothing like that from her again. She shocked us all this year, as much or more than Errani. Of course looking at the two now it seems Kerber has much more potential, one could see her remaining a top player and even getting a bit better, while most probably believe Errani is having a career year and will drop backwards. Do you know Kerber's exact ranking to start 2012 btw.

I was going to say her ranking was in the low 30's but it is just the fact that she jumped from 92 to 30 plus in such a short time in 2011 that makes me think she is the most improved player. However, what Errani has done particularly in the slams is great as well. Kerber has just been more consistent throughout the year in all tournaments across all surfaces, but either player as most improved player makes sense. Tough one to call.

[Russeljones]

Originally Posted by cc0509

What are you talking about? At the end of August in 2011(before the USO that year,) Kerber was ranked 92 in the world while Errani was ranked thirty something. Isn't that rankings jump by Kerber in itself enough to justify Kerber's most improved player status?

No because you would have been forgiven for saying Errani would never break the top 20 while Kerber looked an exciting prospect.

[Tafmatch]

I think Kerber's level of play has improved the most, although Errani's results are more spectacular.

Besides those two I'm impressed with how Sharapova keeps getting better and more consistent.

Good effort by Errani but she falls short today against Radwanska as expected. So Kerber ends the year ranked 1 spot higher, isnt that correct? However she improved her ranking by only 27 spots vs 39 spots for Errani. Errani with better slam performances and more titles, Kerber with more consistently good performances in Premier events. This will be interesting.