Patrick Mouratoglou: "Azarenka is much better than Sharapova. There's no discussion."

[donquijote]

Not only she has a better career, Sharapova is definetly more professional and more consistent on the long run. Azarenka is more injury prone and emotionally not stable.
Just because Azarenka gives Serena a run for her money doesn't mean she's better than Sharapova.

Who shrieks better is a different debate.

 

[mattosgrant]

If Serena gets injured or gets eliminated early in a major (which has happened before), then Sharapova is the next in line to win, so yes, I see it likely that she will win another major or two in the future, as long as she somehow gets around Serena.

That is debateable. She hasn't won a non RG in forever now which is a ton of women not named Serena have. She lost slam finals to people like Kvitova and Azarenka before winning RG for her first major in 4 years. Also slam semis to Li Na (now retired but that is aside the point). I could easily see someone like Azarenka, Kvitova, Muguruza, and numerous others stopping her even if Serena doesn't. Azarenka is coming back to form and has a winning lifetime record.

Maria is not young at all. She is 28. We can assume like most women she wont be winning majors in her 30s. So her window is coming close to an end.

 

[ScottleeSV]

I don't think Sharapova wins another major. She looks older in her movement than even Williams, but damn if she's still had a damn fine career. 5 majors + all the rest + all the millions.

 

[CurrenFan]

Patrick seems rather astute these days, doesn't he? Serena looked no more urgent and just as relaxed today stomping Shriekapova as she does when she smacks around little Sara Errani, who is what, all of a foot shorter than the blond screaming Russian? Sharapova had a look of defeat on her face from the very start - this match was a foregone conclusion after the very first double fault (and after the next one and the third one, all in the same game).

After the match they mentioned a statistic that shows how completely Serena owns Sharapova: Serena has only lost a single set to her in the past 13 matches.

 

[ScottleeSV]

Patrick seems rather astute these days, doesn't he? Serena looked no more urgent and just as relaxed today stomping Shriekapova as she does when she smacks around little Sara Errani, who is what, all of a foot shorter than the blond screaming Russian? Sharapova had a look of defeat on her face from the very start - this match was a foregone conclusion after the very first double fault (and after the next one and the third one, all in the same game).

After the match they mentioned a statistic that shows how completely Serena owns Sharapova: Serena has only lost a single set to her in the past 13 matches.

It doesn't make much sense, but it is what it is. For instance, Watson broke Williams five times the other day. I don't think Sharapova saw a break point today.

The trouble is in the main, too many people desperately want this to be a rivalry just because Williams has had no rivalry since Henin. In reality, 20 majors against 5 tells the story without needing to evaluate it too much.

I find the Williams/Muguruza narrative more interesting. It's only 2-1 at the moment, and isn't as set in stone as the Sharapova rivalry.

Granted, this time next year Williams might be 6-1 up over Mugu and okay, let's see the next contender please. But on the other hand, you just never know...

With Shara, I do know, so it's old and stale. And if she did win a match now, so what?

 

[SoCalJay]

Azerenka isnt a better player than Sharapova. Against Serena Maria height work to her disadvantage thats why Azarenka gives tougher matches to Serena.

Venus is very nearly the same height as Maria... Are you trying to say that she can't get low or something?

 

[SLD76]

That would all well and good except that #Maria hasn't lost to #Azarenka in almost three years. #GirlBye

#GrannyIlluminati​

Ok and Azarenka has struggled with injury the past two years.

What did Sharapova win when she was recovering from surgery?

 

[mistik]

Venus is very nearly the same height as Maria... Are you trying to say that she can't get low or something?

For me Maria isnt a natural athlete. She isnt moving great. Venus used to be great athlete in her hey day. Too much height is never helps to your movement. Biggest problem of Maria nowadays against Serena is her serve. Maria serve wasnt as pathetic as this before the shoulder injury. On the other hand Maria still mentally stronger player than Azeranka. İt is wrong to judge players with h2h against only one other player.

 

[hugobosstachini]

That is debateable. She hasn't won a non RG in forever now which is a ton of women not named Serena have. She lost slam finals to people like Kvitova and Azarenka before winning RG for her first major in 4 years. Also slam semis to Li Na (now retired but that is aside the point). I could easily see someone like Azarenka, Kvitova, Muguruza, and numerous others stopping her even if Serena doesn't. Azarenka is coming back to form and has a winning lifetime record.

Maria is not young at all. She is 28. We can assume like most women she wont be winning majors in her 30s. So her window is coming close to an end.

Exactly lol. I don't know what the poster is on. Sharapova has not made a US Open final since 2006, has not made a Wimbledon final since 2011 and was only able to make a final in AO since 2012.

Serena Williams is really not Sharapova's main concern in slams. And for the matter she's only lost to Serena 6 times in majors in 20 matches (in comparison to 10 times for Victoria).

 

[hugobosstachini]

Sharapova's career stats are miles better than Azarenka's. And she has the career slam, including one win against peak Williams

Azarenka needs a lot more. What difference does it make that she played "well" yesterday? Bottom line, she's 3-18. Not good enough. And she's only won one of the four slams. I repeat, Masha has all four.

It makes a difference in terms of confidence. Obviously you're not a tennis player and you cannot know but when you lost a match, even if you lost it, you feel better and much more eager at taking the challenge when you meet that player a next time and to whom you lost to but was close to defeating or competed extremely well against than one who consistently beats you love and love.

This is the main reason why Victoria consistently challenges Serena because she feels that she is always extremely close to her even if she loses 70% of the time. Now Sharapova feels like she has 0% chance regardless of her form because she has taken so many straight set beatings and has never ever felt that she was close to defeating Serena.

Victoria is 25 while Sharapova is 28. Sharapova had the benefit of playing in a period where many 17 year olds had it already to win slams when Victoria started in a period where players mature much later and in their late 20's (22-23). Victoria Azarenka competes in a period where Serena is even more dominant than in the past when Sharapova had some luck (2004, 2006 etc.) to steal some slams. Can't compare.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

At least Vika took a set off Serena. Sharapova is god awful against Serena. 11 years. You can't call her one of the greats of the game when she can't defeat a player. Even Stosur, Cornet, Azarenka etc have been able to defeat her in recent years.

 

[THUNDERVOLLEY]

Azerenka isnt a better player than Sharapova. Against Serena Maria height work to her disadvantage thats why Azarenka gives tougher matches to Serena.

Ridiculous. Height has no bearing, otherwise Davenport (6'2 1/2") would have been incapable of defeating Serena.

 

[Andyk028]

Azarenka is much more fun to watch, she "turns up", amps up herself and the crowd.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Azarenka is more injury prone and emotionally not stable.

HA! Tell that to the player who has lost 18 consecutive matches to Serena. There both not stable emotionally.

 

[Apun94]

Azarenka is not a better player than Sharapova. Look at their careers.
It's just a matchup issue. Sharapova has a similar game to Serena but Serena plays better than her in literally every department

 

[torpantennis]

Azarenka is much more fun to watch, she "turns up", amps up herself and the crowd.

Azarenka is the best that WTA has to offer at the moment. And TBH, Azarenka-Williams matches are close to the best that tennis has to offer now, male or female.

 

[okdude1992]

I don't watch the women's game that much. But it seems to me that Vika has way more variety, and moves better than Masha.

I've never really found Sharapova to be that impressive since her shoulder issues, but she is a fighter (against everyone except Serena) and is more focused/professional/consistent than most anyone on the WTA tour. Hence her 5 slams.

 

[spinovic]

I don't watch the women's game that much. But it seems to me that Vikanhas way more variety, and moves better than Masha.

I've never really found Sharapova to be that impressive since her shoulder issues, but she is a fighter (against everyone except Serena) and is more focused/professional/consistent than most anyone on the WTA tour. Hence her 5 slams.

I think she fights just as hard against Serena. She just has no answers in that matchup. Sharapova is a great role model for any aspiring tennis player in terms of mental toughness.

 

[Andyk028]

Azarenka is the best that WTA has to offer at the moment. And TBH, Azarenka-Williams matches are close to the best that tennis has to offer now, male or female.

Agree with the first statement, but I've got a feeling that if Andy Murray makes it to the final, he and Djoker will put on one hell of a show.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

There could be a translation issue. He might have been saying Az is a worse match up for Serena than Maria.

 

[ScottleeSV]

I think she fights just as hard against Serena. She just has no answers in that matchup. Sharapova is a great role model for any aspiring tennis player in terms of mental toughness.

True.

Suspect that if the shoe was on the other foot and Sharapova was winning every match, Williams would have packed it in long ago.

 

[spinovic]

True.

Suspect that if the shoe was on the other foot and Sharapova was winning every match, Williams would have packed it in long ago.

Maybe. Who knows? Serena is a tough one for me to call with regards to mental toughness. She can be at either end of the spectrum, sometimes in the same match.

Roland Garros this year was a good example. She seemed pretty shaky mentally numerous times to me, yet she had situations where it would have been easy to pack it in and she buckled down and kept grinding, pulling out a bunch of 3-set wins. There's a part of me that questions how much credit she should receive for being a fighter when I know she should win many of these close encounters in routine, straight set fashion. Yet, I also appreciate the unique position she is in being so much better than the field. That brings its own kind of pressure I think.

 

[PeteUSA]

There speaks the bitterness because he has to hump Mount Serena.

Sugarpova clearly is not into such a sleazy worm.