Can Nadia Petrova win Wimbledon?

[samboy01]

I know that she's mentally not always strong, but at her best she can (and has) beaten almost everybody. She has a pretty good record at all grandslams, so I guess it's a matter of where things will come together for her. Do you think she has it in her? She has a very tough draw with Henin & Clijsters around her, but she can do it, no? Also Mauresmo & Novotna struggled for years with their mental strength, but eventually found away... So you can't say that she will "never" be mentally strong to win a slam. One thing is for sure, I think game wise she has what it takes to be no.1. When she's at her best, she's incredible. She has a huge serve, huge groundstrokes, moves pretty good for a tall girl and can play at the net. What she did to Clijsters at the AO was nothing short of spectacular. And then she beat Venus at the French. GO NADIA

 

[decades]

Sammy...please don't WAGER on this...

 

[samboy01]

Sammy...please don't WAGER on this...

It's too late lol But for 200-1, I think it's insane. All you have to do is wager like $20 and you win huge! She can put it together and play the tournament of her life, she definitely has what it takes gamewise, definitely more than Shiavone.

 

[decades]

It's too late lol But for 200-1, I think it's insane. All you have to do is wager like $20 and you win huge! She can put it together and play the tournament of her life, she definitely has what it takes gamewise, definitely more than Shiavone.

Sammy. Please don't do it. $20 is real money and I would hate to see it go "up in smoke"....

 

[davey25]

No. She isnt mentally strong enough to win a slam. At the Australian and French she played well and beat some good players but it only got her to the quarters, 3 matches short. Womens tennis isnt as weak as it is potrayed, it is a deep field and Petrova still strikes me more as the dangerous spoiler type than a champion. Anyway doesnt she have Henin in the 3rd round? While she could win that I would more likely bet on her losing that and being eliminated in the 3rd round.

And given the draw she would have to go through- Henin, then Clijsters, then maybe Jankovic, then probably Venus, then maybe Serena, not a chance. Grass isnt really her best surface either, in fact it is the one she has the least results on. If she wins her first slam it isnt happening here.

 

[davey25]

It's too late lol But for 200-1, I think it's insane. All you have to do is wager like $20 and you win huge! She can put it together and play the tournament of her life, she definitely has what it takes gamewise, definitely more than Shiavone.

Schiavone has always had alot of mental toughness. Her winning the French was a shock but you need to be mentally tough to win a slam. Petrova is not, atleast not nearly enough. And your saying Petrova has more game? Well she has more power and weapons. However one could argue Schiavone has a more complete game, she actually has plan B and plan C when she plays. Petrova is just a ball basher really, if she can hit through opponents she will win, and if that isnt working she really has nothing else to go to.

 

[TheTruth]

No. She isnt mentally strong enough to win a slam. At the Australian and French she played well and beat some good players but it only got her to the quarters, 3 matches short. Womens tennis isnt as weak as it is potrayed, it is a deep field and Petrova still strikes me more as the dangerous spoiler type than a champion. Anyway doesnt she have Henin in the 3rd round? While she could win that I would more likely bet on her losing that and being eliminated in the 3rd round.

And given the draw she would have to go through- Henin, then Clijsters, then maybe Jankovic, then probably Venus, then maybe Serena, not a chance. Grass isnt really her best surface either, in fact it is the one she has the least results on. If she wins her first slam it isnt happening here.

Agree with everything, but especially the bolded ones. It's sad, though, because if she changed her mindset good things could happen for her.

 

[boredone3456]

Assuming the Williams, Clijsters, Stosur, Henin, probably Sharapova all go out early for a start she might stand a chance...oh wait they were pretty much all gone at the french and she didn't win that either. Plus she is better on clay then grass to boot, so I honestly don't see it happening unless she gets some insane luck.

 

[davey25]

Agree with everything, but especially the bolded ones. It's sad, though, because if she changed her mindset good things could happen for her.

Yeah for sure. Several years back I thought she would win atleast 1 slam. She really hasnt been the same since that loss to Serena at the Aussie a few years back where she had 6-1, 5-2. I remember that well, Petrova was playing lights out, serving aces and hitting all kinds of winners, and Serena just bore down and rose her game and took it away. She was a top 5 player at the time I believe. She has dropped down quite a bit since. Has come back a bit in the last year though.

 

[davey25]

Assuming the Williams, Clijsters, Stosur, Henin, probably Sharapova all go out early for a start she might stand a chance...oh wait they were pretty much all gone at the french and she didn't win that either. Plus she is better on clay then grass to boot, so I honestly don't see it happening unless she gets some insane luck.

The bigger the opportunity the more likely she is to crash if anything. That is her history.

 

[TomatoSoup]

Petrova? Yeah,sure,if the Williams sisters,Clijsters,Sharapova,Henin,Jankovic all go out before the third round.

 

[TheTruth]

The bigger the opportunity the more likely she is to crash if anything. That is her history.

That's it in a nutshell. She gets on my nerves not using her experience to overcome previous shortcomings. I mean, to never (up to this point) get it together after so many years at the top is frustrating.

 

[jigar]

In short Nope..

 

[bluetrain4]

Her peak physical game is good enough to win a Slam, any Slam.

But, she's never had it mentally, certainly not for two whole weeks. OP says "I know that she's mentally not always strong ..." which is completely true. You can't just ignore the mental aspect. It can be as elusive as having strong ground strokes or a good second serve. And, we've seen time and again that Petrova can't close the deal. She's been around for a long time now. I don't see her developing great mental fortitude any time in the near future. There's always the hope of a really fortunate draw.

 

[boredone3456]

That's it in a nutshell. She gets on my nerves not using her experience to overcome previous shortcomings. I mean, to never (up to this point) get it together after so many years at the top is frustrating.

That exactly how I feel. I like her, really do...but she really with all the talent has been a pretty big flop when you consider her big stage achievements. I figured by now she might have managed to at least sneak into a slam final...literally sneak but yes, she has more talent than she shows on a day in day out basis.

 

[thalivest]

It is funny how this era seems to be gathering up a big collection of "best player not to win a major" types. Jankovic, Dementieva, Safina, Petrova, now Stosur. Actually maybe Safina could even be dropped from that list since in hindsight it appears she was a moderately talented huge overachiever who never really had slam winning talent. Still she was #1 and did reach 3 slam finals, even if during a huge hole in the womens game.

How many of those will actually win one? I hope atleast a couple of them. It is hard to believe that Petrova, Jankovic, Dementieva, and Stosur all had a golden chance to win their first slam at this years French and they collectively allowed someone like Schiavone to sneak through and win it. Good for Schiavone and it was an exciting moment all the same, but what further despair for that still slamless group.

 

[TheTruth]

It is funny how this era seems to be gathering up a big collection of "best player not to win a major" types. Jankovic, Dementieva, Safina, Petrova, now Stosur. Actually maybe Safina could even be dropped from that list since in hindsight it appears she was a moderately talented huge overachiever who never really had slam winning talent. Still she was #1 and did reach 3 slam finals, even if during a huge hole in the womens game.

How many of those will actually win one? I hope atleast a couple of them. It is hard to believe that Petrova, Jankovic, Dementieva, and Stosur all had a golden chance to win their first slam at this years French and they collectively allowed someone like Schiavone to sneak through and win it.

Good for Schiavone and it was an exciting moment all the same, but what further despair for that still slamless group.

I agree. I seriously thought Jankovic would pull this one out, considering how she's come so close in the past, but at the semifinal? quarterfinal level she came out playing like it was a first round.

I'm still one of her biggest fans, and will be even if she never wins one, but I don't feel sorry for her, because she has to man up when the prize is on the line.

Edit:

Oh, but I am happy for Schiavone, because I like her too and am glad to see her scrappiness rewarded, big time.

Good on her! She did what she was supposed to do. Go on court and do your best to win.

 

[thalivest]

I agree. I seriously thought Jankovic would pull this one out, considering how she's come so close in the past, but at the semifinal? quarterfinal level she came out playing like it was a first round.

I'm still one of her biggest fans, and will be even if she never wins one, but I don't feel sorry for her, because she has to man up when the prize is on the line.

I totally agree. I still cant believe Jankovic let that semifinal with Ana Ivanovic slip away in 2008. Ana was playing her best ever tennis around that time but JJ was up a break in all 3 sets, and up a break multiple times in the 3rd! She has to get down and angry and really want to win a slam. Her semifinal performance vs Stosur this year had to be one of the biggest dissapointments. Sure Stosur was playing great and was coming off wins over Henin and Serena, but JJ should have relished being the more experienced player in a match like that rather than playing Henin or Serena. She should have looked at it as a huge and perfect opportunity for her, and instead she came out like a scared little kitten.

Oh, but I am happy for Schiavone, because I like her too and am glad to see her scrappiness rewarded, big time.

Good on her! She did what she was supposed to do. Go on court and do your best to win.

Yeah I agree. She played like a Champion the whole French Open and deserved it. Even when she got the final almost everyone was coronating Stosur the Champion before the match even began, and she went out and just took it.

 

[TomatoSoup]

Petrova should retire. She's way past her prime,and she's as unreliable and inconsistent as Safina's brain. One day she appears and beats the likes of Clijsters and Serena Williams,the other day she loses to nobody mugs ranked n times lower than her.

I can't believe this thread actually exists. It's as unreal as Federer almost getting beaten by Falla.

 

[TheTruth]

That exactly how I feel. I like her, really do...but she really with all the talent has been a pretty big flop when you consider her big stage achievements. I figured by now she might have managed to at least sneak into a slam final...literally sneak but yes, she has more talent than she shows on a day in day out basis.

I read, or saw an interview once where they talked about how her parents were trying to help her in her career and she didn't want their input.

Now, her parents aren't tennis players, but they were world class athletes with many stellar achievements in their fields. I thought, OK, then it's no more than you deserve. If you refuse to listen to people who have been there and understand competing at a high level on a worldwide stage, then, you get what you deserve, because that's just downright silly.

It's the mental aspect they could help her with, and it's also the area where she's lacking.

So, if she doesn't realize her potential, in a way she's brought it on herself.

 

[TheTruth]

I totally agree. I still cant believe Jankovic let that semifinal with Ana Ivanovic slip away in 2008. Ana was playing her best ever tennis around that time but JJ was up a break in all 3 sets, and up a break multiple times in the 3rd! She has to get down and angry and really want to win a slam. Her semifinal performance vs Stosur this year had to be one of the biggest dissapointments. Sure Stosur was playing great and was coming off wins over Henin and Serena, but JJ should have relished being the more experienced player in a match like that rather than playing Henin or Serena. She should have looked at it as a huge and perfect opportunity for her, and instead she came out like a scared little kitten.




Yeah I agree. She played like a Champion the whole French Open and deserved it. Even when she got the final almost everyone was coronating Stosur the Champion before the match even began, and she went out and just took it.

I know. I don't know if she still has nightmares about that Ana semifinal, but I do! I couldn't believe it. Still don't, but further don't understand why that wasn't an impetus for improvement. She did the same thing with Henin one year. Now Stosur, who I don't know, I'm not impressed with Sam. I like her, but don't see her as the talent they try to make her out to be. Of course, it helps that she's Australian and Cahill is a commentator, but for me, that dog ain't hunting.

Yeah, they were getting on my nerves during that final, acting like Frankie didn't deserve to be there and Sam was just going to annihilate her. Frankie's always been scrappy. I thought they knew!

 

[thalivest]

I know. I don't know if she still has nightmares about that Ana semifinal, but I do! I couldn't believe it. Still don't, but further don't understand why that wasn't an impetus for improvement. She did the same thing with Henin one year. Now Stosur, who I don't know, I'm not impressed with Sam. I like her, but don't see her as the talent they try to make her out to be. Of course, it helps that she's Australian and Cahill is a commentator, but for me, that dog ain't hunting.

Yeah, they were getting on my nerves during that final, acting like Frankie didn't deserve to be there and Sam was just going to annihilate her. Frankie's always been scrappy. I thought they knew!

Stosur has only been focusing on singles less than 2 years. She did play a great French Open and has played some other good events of late. Yeah I am not as impressed by her as many are though. At the French she caught Henin at her worst, and had a hard time putting away an off form Serena as well. Of course she deserves alot of credit for her string of wins nonetheless. However she has generally fared poorly vs the other top players ever since becoming one herself. And if clay is her best surface she never has won a tier 1 and she even lost easily to Venus of all people on clay before the French. I dont think it is certain she wins a slam but we will see.

The Henin match I think you are referring to is the 2006 U.S Open semis where Jankovic was completely outplaying Henin that day and had her virtually beat in 2 sets before she just fell apart. No doubt she should have won that match and been playing Maria in the final. Even if she lost to Maria (which she probably would as Maria was on fire that event) that experience would have helped her a great deal and likely improved her chances of winning a slam by now.

 

[vortex1]

Not beating Henin in 3rd round.