Notes from French Open 2013

NOT SO PROMISING

Has ‘Vika’ put on a few pounds?

If there was one thing that was very noticeable, not just at the French Open but also in the few clay court tournaments leading up to it was Women’s No.3 seed Victoria Azarenka looking a little not in the best of shape. The Australian Open champion looked a lot bulkier from early on in the season when she claimed her 2^nd Grand Slam crown.

Federer’s Concentration (or the lack of it)

Roger still has the shots and the skills that made him what he is. But more importantly, his concentration is off. And that is the biggest difference between the current Federer and the one of old. Multiple blips in concentration are a feature of his matches these days – it cost him 2 sets against Gilles Simon in Round 4 and the match against a much better player in Tsonga in the quarters. Roger even lost control multiple times while bouncing the ball leading up to his serve – a clear sign of how not-so-strong mentally the 17-time Grand Slam champion is these days. He will have to work on that if he harbours any hopes of defending his crown at his beloved Wimbledon.