Kvitova and Wozniacki flash in the pans?

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NadalAgassi

Guest
Both are already looking like has beens and they are only 22. Will they gradually (or even not so gradually) settle into careers as journeywomen on tour, and in Wozniacki's case before she is 26 get bored with and retire to become Mrs. Rory around the PGA.
 

DRII

G.O.A.T.
I don't think so with Kvitova. She genuinely has the weapons to win more slams and have a very good career...
 
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NadalAgassi

Guest
I don't think so with Kivitova. She genuinely has the weapons to win more slams and have a very good career...

That doesnt mean squat. Vaidisova and Lucic had the weapons to win slams, but they were done as respectable pro players by 20 (or in Vaidisova's case done as a pro player period). There are many facets besides having a big shot or two that go into having a successful career and Kvitova doesnt seem to have it at all, long range anyway. Atleast she can comfort herself that she already had a pretty good career if the best is already in the past (which it almost certainly is). A Wimbledon and WTA Championship title, and the real #1 player of 2011. Wozniacki too has had a good career for herself if the best is already in the past (which it probably is as well). Although not even as good as Kvitova's.
 

DRII

G.O.A.T.
That doesnt mean squat. Vaidisova and Lucic had the weapons to win slams, but they were done as respectable pro players by 20 (or in Vaidisova's case done as a pro player period). There are many facets besides having a big shot or two that go into having a successful career and Kvitova doesnt seem to have it at all, long range anyway. Atleast she can comfort herself that she already had a pretty good career if the best is already in the past (which it almost certainly is). A Wimbledon and WTA Championship title, and the real #1 player of 2011. Wozniacki too has had a good career for herself if the best is already in the past (which it probably is as well). Although not even as good as Kvitova's.

Yea, but Kvitova actually won a slam; she crossed that threshold unlike Vadisova (lol @ you mentioning Lucic)...

I think Kvitova is having a year and a half to 2 year 'sophomore slump'. She needs to get a handle on her fitness and allergies; once that happens she'll be back in contention.
 

syc23

Professional
Kvitova will turn things round and win more slams whereas Wozniacki is done as far as getting back to world no.1 or reaching slam finals. She is just whoring herself and now she has struck gold with Rory, she'll be hanging onto him for dear life.

Woz will take the Kournikova route and go into fashion and become Mrs Mcillroy. Will probably fill out Mirka style too.
 
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kvitova still has the Talent, she just Needs to get in shape.

on the other Hand I think woz seriously lacks weapons. she was just lucky that serena and Maria bothered for other things then Tennis at this time and azarenka didn't hit her prime yet.
 

THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
Both are already looking like has beens and they are only 22. Will they gradually (or even not so gradually) settle into careers as journeywomen on tour, and in Wozniacki's case before she is 26 get bored with and retire to become Mrs. Rory around the PGA.

I'll repost part of something from the "What's Wrong With Her?" thread:

What a fall from expectation and hype. Between Kvitova's lack of fitness/flatfooted movement (which seems to have gone south since her lone majors title), lax behavior on court and falling back on blasting balls, she seems to be on the path of (ultimately) being a one-major wonder. She had the skill to win a major, but all of that vanished quickly--almost as though she just encountered the perfect storm of a draw to get her to the final, with the added benefit of facing one who was not so strong an opponent.

Adding to that, as the post-Wimbledon victory years pass, Kvitova does not appear to posess a natural champion's mentality--the instinct and vision to see majors as something they deserve to win, rather than hope to win. The differences are absolutely critical, as the former removes most doubt and confusion, and allows the player to see the opponent as someone that is merely "a fight on their way to the title," as opposed to the latter, which leads the player into believing oppenents are "someone I might have a shot against."

As of this date, Kvitova had the former for exactly one moment in time. I still think she's on the path to being a one-major wonder, but I give her a small window for serious retraining of her mind and body to be able to forcefully use the skill which won that lone major.

She's not in the washout zone occupied by Wozniacki, Safina or Jankovic, and she has more natural talent than here-one-year-gone-another majors winner like Kuznetsova, but she is wasting her best years being introverted, and lacking every ounce of that deserve to win vision & instinct.
 
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Laurie

Guest
I'll repost part of something from the "What's Wrong With Her?" thread:



Adding to that, as the post-Wimbledon victory years pass, Kvitova does not appear to posess a natural champion's mentality--the instinct and vision to see majors as something they deserve to win, rather than hope to win. The differences are absolutely critical, as the former removes most doubt and confusion, and allows the player to see the opponent as someone that is merely "a fight on their way to the title," as opposed to the latter, which leads the player into believing oppenents are "someone I might have a shot against."

As of this date, Kvitova had the former for exactly one moment in time. I still think she's on the path to being a one-major wonder, but I give her a small window for serious retraining of her mind and body to be able to forcefully use the skill which won that lone major.

She's not in the washout zone occupied by Wozniacki, Safina or Jankovic, and she has more natural talent than here-one-year-gone-another majors winner like Kuznetsova, but she is wasting her best years being introverted, and lacking every ounce of that deserve to win vision & instinct.

I really agree with everthing you said re Petra.
 
kvitova still has the Talent, she just Needs to get in shape.

on the other Hand I think woz seriously lacks weapons. she was just lucky that serena and Maria bothered for other things then Tennis at this time and azarenka didn't hit her prime yet.

Shouldn't that be a requirement to be a professional athlete? I think that's ridiculous. If you follow NBA/NFL, if you're not in shape, the coach will bench you.
 

kishnabe

Talk Tennis Guru
Kvitova will win more slams....similar to Maria in the year spans between majors I think.

Wozzy...I doubt she will reach another Slam Final.
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
Kvitova and Wozniacki are virtual opposites. Almost nothing in common. Kvitova has big potential. Once it all clicks she will be right up there with Azarenka. Wozniacki, at her best is very consistent, but has limited potential which we've already seen.
 

90's Clay

Banned
Well at least they have done SOMETHING.. Thats more then 95 percent of the men's field currently can say.

Regardless of how much women's tennis has dipped since the early-mid 00's, its not nearly as bad the men's field is currently
 
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NadalAgassi

Guest
Well at least they have done SOMETHING.. Thats more then 95 percent of the men's field currently can say.

Regardless of how much women's tennis has dipped since the early-mid 00's, its not nearly as bad the men's field is currently

LOL that is true. There are currently something like 15 active slam winners or former #1s on the womens side. The mens game I think has 6, and one of them dinosaur Hewitt who arguably no longer even plays top 100 caliber pro tennis, and cant even handle journeyman pushers in his prime almost a decade ago he would have barely lost games against (aka he is a corpse, a dead man walking, who technically counts as an active player but really isnt).
 
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RAFA2005RG

Banned
I'm surprised at how much Wozniacki has improved her appearance in this Australian Open.
Caroline+Wozniacki+2013+Australian+Open+Day+1Lz5ps8Jao0l.jpg

Much better than last year. Probably the cap suits her too.
 

SLD76

G.O.A.T.
Kvitova will turn things round and win more slams whereas Wozniacki is done as far as getting back to world no.1 or reaching slam finals. She is just whoring herself and now she has struck gold with Rory, she'll be hanging onto him for dear life.

Woz will take the Kournikova route and go into fashion and become Mrs Mcillroy. Will probably fill out Mirka style too
.

what a nasty piece of work you are.

something tells me you are single.
 

SLD76

G.O.A.T.
Sampras took 2 years to win another major after his first breakthru at the USO.

Hopefully Petra gets her mind and fitness together.
 

slal1984

Semi-Pro
Kvitova still has weapons, but her Achilles heel is her movement. opponents have figured that, so once she improves that she will be a force on the tour again (Not like she is not already)
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
C Woz reached #12 in 08 and has been in the top 10 for most of the past 4 years. Is this what we are calling a has been? I suppose those who have never made it to the top 10 are just pathetic losers? And what lofty goals have we achieved in life NA?

She's got a good shot of making it to the QFs this year but will undoubtedly have a difficult time getting past Azarenka. No shame in that. I wouldn't give up on her just yet. She has proven herself to be a consistent player. However, she's sacrificed that a bit in an effort to put more power into her game. That may pay off or it may not. Time will tell.
 

SLD76

G.O.A.T.
C Woz reached #12 in 08 and has been in the top 10 for most of the past 4 years. Is this what we are calling a has been? I suppose those who have never made it to the top 10 are just pathetic losers? And what lofty goals have we achieved in life NA?

She's got a good shot of making it to the QFs this year but will undoubtedly have a difficult time getting past Azarenka. No shame in that. I wouldn't give up on her just yet. She has proven herself to be a consistent player. However, she's sacrificed that a bit in an effort to put more power into her game. That may pay off or it may not. Time will tell.


she wont ever win a major.

unless she gets extremely lucky i,.e serena ahd sharapova lose early, axarenka injured and radwanska loses to someone like kerber.
 

fedfan46

Rookie
Kvitova still has the potential to win another major or two, but I don't think she will. I don't think Wozniacki can be seen as a has-been since she hasn't done anything remotely important except hold the #1 ranking during a weak period in women's tennis.
 

THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
Kvitova will win more slams....similar to Maria in the year spans between majors I think.

She lacks that instinct I referred to earlier--more and more, she's becoming--or already is Kuznetsova 2.0--or maybe she will be stuck with half of that success (such as it is). She buries herself into introverted head case zone, and that is not the mentality of a multi majors winner in the Open Era. Make no mistake, there's a difference between being reserved (Borg, Graf, Lendl, et al) and behaving as though she could bury her head in the sand at any moment.

Perhaps the situation is as others have said elsewhere: she needs a sports psychologist.

Wozzy...I doubt she will reach another Slam Final.

The only chance she has is the perfect storm of top players being the victims of fluke loss, injury, or not showing up. Just changing one of the factors means Wozniacki goes back to her not-so-terrific trio filled out by Jankovic and Safina.
 

NLBwell

Legend
Can't wrap my head around comparing Safina and Jankovic. Safina had one of the biggest games in women's tennis and at times could be terrific - had some emotional issues (like her brother) but it was severe back problems that ended her career. Jankovic had some speed and consistency - much like Wozniaki - but nothing like Safina.
 

THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
Can't wrap my head around comparing Safina and Jankovic. Safina had one of the biggest games in women's tennis and at times could be terrific - had some emotional issues (like her brother) but it was severe back problems that ended her career. Jankovic had some speed and consistency - much like Wozniaki - but nothing like Safina.

They are linked by being weak, former #1 players who never had the goods to win a major while holding that rank. Add the fact both tried to defend that unwanted status, and they are forever joined at the hip of history.
 
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NLBwell

Legend
I would never describe Safina as a weak player - unless you are talking about emotionally. She had the talent to dominate anyone in any era of tennis on a good day (when she was in shape). Would you describe Marat Safin as a weak #1? A similar talent, but able to hold it together emotionally sometimes.
I would not describe Jankovic as a strong player - except mentally. Just opposite types.
 
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NadalAgassi

Guest
Can't wrap my head around comparing Safina and Jankovic. Safina had one of the biggest games in women's tennis and at times could be terrific - had some emotional issues (like her brother) but it was severe back problems that ended her career. Jankovic had some speed and consistency - much like Wozniaki - but nothing like Safina.

You overrate Safina. She did not have one of the biggest games in the WTA. She wouldnt have been made to look like a fool whenever she played Serena, Sharapova, Henin, Venus, Dementieva or many others on a hard or grass court if she did. Only on clay could she even compete with the top players. Jankovic atleast pushed the best players harder than Safina did, look at her record vs the Williams sisters vs Safina's for instance. Even Henin who Jankovic never beat (and Safina did once when Henin was flaking out and retiring) Jankovic had many more competitive matches with than Safina who was just a bakery shop for Henin for the most part. Jankovic became a top player much earlier than Safina and remained one much longer. Safina was basically just a B level power player without a great serve, very good movement, or hardly any variety, who was a super hard worker, and who made the most of limited raw talent until her injuries. Basically a fatter and uglier version of peak Hantuchova who happened to peak in 2008/2009 rather than 2002/2003, hence why she got to #1 rather than to a high of say #5. She was also a huge headcase, one of the biggest ever seen, even Jankovic is mentally tough compared to her, and Wozniacki is Chris Evert in mental toughness by comparision.

To compare Safina to Safin in talent is quite the joke. Safin did have the talent to dominate the ATP in the several years before Federer existed. Safina certainly did not have the talent or the anything to dominate the WTA, she had the ability (through tons of hard work more than talent) to win a French Open at some point had she not been a choker on the big stage, and to be one of a string of computerized #1s in a really weak WTA era, that is it.
 
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THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
I've never won a major either. I suspect that you haven't either. Guess we are both has been's or ne'er will be's.

That makes no sense, as the job of a tennis player is to win majors--that's not the job of a spectator, nor is he to be judged by the standards of someone else's career. Players such as Wozniacki, Safina and Jankovic can and should be judged for their failure to reach the prime goal--what is required within their own sport.
 

NLBwell

Legend
I wasn't saying Safina was a better player than Jankovic, just a different type of player. Much of Safina's career, she wasn't in shape and her movement limited her. Jankovic was a terrific mover.
 

THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
To compare Safina to Safin in talent is quite the joke. Safin did have the talent to dominate the ATP in the several years before Federer existed. Safina certainly did not have the talent or the anything to dominate the WTA, she had the ability (through tons of hard work more than talent) to win a French Open at some point had she not been a choker on the big stage, and to be one of a string of computerized #1s in a really weak WTA era, that is it.

Above all else, Safin cannot be referred to in the same breath as his sister, since he won majors--he never lived up to his obvious potential, but he was aboe to win, and compete against the best of his transitional eras (remember who was playing when his career launched, and who was on top when he retired). Safina was a problem right out of the gates, and she--like Wozniacki--does not deserve credit for being a glorified workhorse who mindlessly plays every event on earth, but fails at the all-important majors.
 
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Laurie

Guest
She lacks that instinct I referred to earlier--more and more, she's becoming--or already is Kuznetsova 2.0--or maybe she will be stuck with half of that success (such as it is). She buries herself into introverted head case zone, and that is not the mentality of a multi majors winner in the Open Era. Make no mistake, there's a difference between being reserved (Borg, Graf, Lendl, et al) and behaving as though she could bury her head in the sand at any moment.

Perhaps the situation is as others have said elsewhere: she needs a sports psychologist.



The only chance she has is the perfect storm of top players being the victims of fluke loss, injury, or not showing up. Just changing one of the factors means Wozniacki goes back to her not-so-terrific trio filled out by Jankovic and Safina.

I have been thinking about this. If I was a sports psychologist, I would emphasize that she gets to travel the world, earn lots of money and gets to run around in the sun more often than not on an almost daily basis. Most people would love to be in that position and so she should embrace the "pressure".

I think most Kvitova fans (myself included) are waiting for the day when she has the realization moment. That's when her tennis will improve and her commitment returns to go with her talent. That realization moment may not have happened just yet.
 
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