Australian Open - Women's Quarter Finals Preview

And just like that, we move into the business end of the first grand slam of the year. The Australian Open has served up some riveting tennis over the past week. There were obviously some upsets – Petra Kvitova lost to up and coming British star Laura Robson in the second round and Angelique Kerber, the no.5 seed lost to Ekaterina Makarova, the 19th seed from Russia in the fourth round. Local hope and no.9 seed Sam Stosur suffered an incredible loss to Chinese Zie Jheng despite being up 5-2 in the third set. But it is also not often that you see the top four women’s seeds making it through to the quarters. So there is much to cheer. Also, I felt that quite a few of the other players showed more resolve in their matches than one would give them credit for. Ana Ivanovic for instance, played with more determination and took more risks against Radwanska in their fourth round match than she has in her recent grand slam outings. Caroline Wozniacki and Kuznetsova also played out a good match in their fourth round encounter with Wozniacki, playing aggressive tennis – a change from the days when she scrambled around the court, putting in an extra ball in play.

Here’s how the quarterfinals line-ups look like:

1. Agnieszka Radwanska (4) vs Li Na (6)

Agnieszka Radwanska

Perhaps the closest one to call among the four quarterfinals, I reckon this match will be quite entertaining. Although Li Na leads their head-to-head 5-4, Radwanska won their most recent match in straight sets. Radwanska’s biggest strength is her consistency. She rarely mishits, has a good serve and a good defence. What she lacks in firepower, she makes up for in variety and her error-free game. The only way to play her out of a point is to hit a winner which is what the top 3 do very effectively against her.

Li Na has been playing very well in the tournament so far and has more power on her ground strokes when compared to the Pole. But if you try too hard against Radwanska, which is what most players end up doing in a bid to hit that winner, you also end up with more unforced errors. As much as I like Radwanska’s style of play, if Li Na comes out firing on all cylinders and serves well, she could very well win this match. Radwanska’s unbeaten run this year could come to an end at the hands of the experienced Chinese. In one of the pre-tournament posts, I had predicted that Radwanska would make it to the finals, but after seeing both her and Li Na’s performances, even if Radwanska wins this match, she will lose out against the big three unless she becomes more aggressive in her strategy.

My prediction: Li Na in three hard fought sets.

2. Maria Sharapova (2) vs Ekaterina Makarova (19)

Maria Sharapova

Before the tournament started, I wasn’t sure how well Sharapova would play because she had not played any warm-up tournament. Boy, were my concerns misplaced! Sharapova has literally annihilated her opponents on her way to the final 8. She has lost just 5 games overall in the tournament so far. Sharapova’s opponent and compatriot, Ekaterina Makarova had a more challenging journey. She had a tough 3rd round match against Bartoli and won against Kerber in the fourth round, with a break of serve in each set. Surprisingly, Sharapova and Makarova played each other in the quarters last year as well with the former winning 6-2,6-3. Makarova though is a much improved player now. Sharapova also leads their head-to-head encounters 4-0. Given how well Maria is playing, I think this will be a cakewalk for her.

My prediction: Sharapova wins in straight sets.

3. Serena Williams (3) vs Sloane Stephens (29)

Sloane Stephens

Sloane Stephens has been the rising star this season. The 19 year old American considers Serena Williams her hero, and Williams has been very generous in her praise for Stephens as well. Their only previous meeting was at Brisbane earlier this year where Serena won 6-4,6-3. The scoreline does not tell the whole story though. Stephens played really well and has been rising up the rankings steadily. Many are already calling her the next big thing and she could have not asked for a better platform than this. As talented and pumped with adrenaline Stephens might be, I don’t think she will be able to beat Serena. The latter’s experience, strong serve and the occasion in general might be just a tad too much for the young American.

My prediction: Serena in straight sets.

4. Victoria Azarenka (1) vs Svetlana Kuznetsova

Victoria Azarenka

I did not expect Svetlana Kuznetsova to make it this far given that she was coming off an injury. But the unseeded Russian is a powerhouse player and given her experience on the tour, can never be counted out in a match. Notwithstanding the minor blip against Jamie Hampton in the third round, Azarenka has been in good form. Both these players are strong hitters of the ball. Both the players are also known for their temperament. Although based on rankings and recent performances, the defending champ seems to have the edge in this match. If Kuznetsova plays her best, comes to the net more and is motivated enough to go the extra mile, there could be a surprise. I use the word ‘motivated’ because this statement made by the two time grand slam champion Kuznetsova took me by surprise – “I want to improve every day, but I don’t want to put myself through hell to succeed at the Grand Slams or get to No. 1.”

My prediction: Azarenka in three sets.

The fact that Williams and Sharapova are still dominating and several young players are making their mark augurs well for women’s tennis. There seems to be some sort of consistency in the grand slams now and this will help build more loyalty and interest toward the women’s tour. Here’s hoping for some good overall tennis.