Wednesday, January 23, 2008

4 women standing

Nick Bollettieri, who knows both Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic very well, says that if Sharapova does not win their semifinal match in two sets, the victor will most likely be Jankovic. If Sharapova's serve does not stay at a very high level, or...if Jankovic can figure out early on how to use Sharapova's serve against her (something David Ferrer finally figured out in his semifinal againt Djokovic, only he was a bit too late doing it), he thinks Jankovic gets the edge. Otherwise, he likes Sharapova. Again, to use the Djokovic-Ferrer match as an example: short rallies = good news for Sharapova, long rallies = good news for Jankovic.

What about Ivanovic and Hantuchova? Ivanovic is the clear favorite here, but after seeing Hantuchova's steady nerves and shot selection in her quarterfinal, I think this could turn into an actual contest. Hantuchova will have to be careful not to let her opponent's grunting and squeaking get to her, and she will have to be aggressive from the get-go to show Ivanovic that she means business. Ivanovic, of course, will have to be careful not to let Hantuchova's very mannered service habits not get to her, and she will have to serve at a high level.

No comments: