Kuznetsova Qualifying?

[jman]

Was looking at the draw for Sydney International, and seen S. Kuznetsova in the qualies draw?! What happened? This is the US Open & Roland Garros champion we're talking about? ain't it?

 

[NadalAgassi]

She is in the twilight of her career. This is probably her last year on tour.

 

[Bjorn99]

Get out of here? Qualifying? No way.

 

[Colin]

It says she's ranked 71st on the WTA site, which is kind of shocking because she can still play really well at times despite being uneven. I would have guessed she was about No. 30-35.

Isn't 71 high enough in a 128 draw? (Also assuming a handful ahead of her won't play because of injuries). How many qualifiers and wildcards do they have?

 

[andymaratkimi]

Maybe Kuz wants t warm up more.

 

[tacou]

71 should be high enough? Maybe she applied late and they didn't see fit to giver her a WC.

WTA is crazy. The overall quality is sometimes overlooked, but the consistency is unbelievable. She was winning and contending for slams just a few years ago.

 

[Zildite]

Lisicki is qualifying too and she is ranked 37 so it must be a tough field.

 

[NadalAgassi]

Kuznetsova is an enigma. On raw talent alone she might be worth more than 2 slams, maybe 4 or 5. However when one looks at her overall career and the only marginal force she was amongst the elite even in her prime years (2004-2009) she really never should have won 2 slams and been in 4 slam finals, in comparision to other players like Mauresmo and Pierce. She might have more overall natural talent than Mauresmo or Pierce, but there is no doubt those girls were way bigger forces in their primes than her. Mauresmo beat Henin in 2 slam finals which is something Kuznetsova who was a usless 3-17 vs Henin in head to head would never do, while Pierce is a perfect 6-0 in slam semis, and both of those were consistent top 5 players and tournament winners for a half decade or more, so in that sense it is amazing with her general production and impact in her prime years that she even won as many slams and made as many slam finals as she did.

In essence she was never this huge consistent force at the very top of the game, and her 2 slams both kind of slipped through the cracks out of nowhere.

Either way right now she is done IMO. She is starting to show the natural effects and decline of age, isnt she almost 30 now, and she is not a hungry or resilent enough battler to fight her way back up while already started a physical decline.