Women's tennis - A far cry?

It’s a grand slam, that season of the year when history repeats itself. Like a pack of cards, they fall. On Monday went the favourite, Sharapova. On Tuesday departed last year’s semi – finalist Lisicki and the defending champion, Kvitova. And surprisingly (or not), it’s just the quarters that were completed this week. Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki look like mere shadows of their past. Women’s tennis looks like a far cry from that of the opposite sex. Barring the decibels, latest fashion trends and magazine covers, it has only become insipid.

Of course the talent is there, the intensity is there and the nerves too but for an average joe, the thing which seems to be missing is the sheer dominance and the grueling rivalries for which the game of Tennis is famous for. Since June 2009, the No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings has been occupied by 10 different players. Each has had her slice of the cake but none has really taken that leap into greatness. Azarenka promises a lot but it’s still early days for her. Serena Williams, still going great, is in the dusk of her career and hasn’t won a major in 2 years now. So the onus is on the new crop to revive the glory of the yesteryears of women’s Tennis.

The Comparison

Comparing men’s and women’s tennis is like comparing apples and oranges. Unlike other sports, Tennis is definitely a woman’s game too. It is not about 3 sets or 5; it is about consistency and perseverance. Such has been the brilliance of the men’s top 4 that 3 out of the top 4 have always made it to the semis in the last 4 majors whereas in the women’s game, these spots have been occupied by players ranked as low as 92. Actually, it’s not about the statistics per se. It just shows what the game lacks; a few good men..err..women. The arrival of Djokovic only added fuel to the fire and we now have a 3 way rivalry which is more exciting than ever. If only we can have a Federer-Nadal or a Djokovic-Nadal kind of dominance, women’s tennis would be so much better to watch. The last decade did have a stamp of authority laid down primarily by the Williams sisters, Justin Henin, Maria Sharapova and occasionally by Kim Clijsters. But given the retirements and the injuries, they have paved the way for the new players who are still trying to find their feet. Maybe, a Sharapova-Azarenka battle can transpire in this decade if Azarenka can keep upto her potential.

The Past and The Present

If it was Billie Jean King in the late 60s and early 70s, it was Chris Evert in the late 70s and early 80s. Then came Navratilova, who is touted as the ‘greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who’s ever lived’ by Billie Jean herself. Among the 3 of them, they won 48 grand slam singles.

The 80s and 90s saw Steffi Graf (22 singles majors) and Monica Seles (9 singles majors) rise to prominence. The late 90s saw Martina Hingis (5 singles majors) popping up into attention. It was like a beautiful evolution from one champion to another and in between that evolution were fierce battles which enchanted one and all. No man has ever won as many majors as Evert, Navratilova or Graf. Such was their greatness that it overwhelmed the crowd and people’s love for Tennis transcended the gender. And as my parents tell me, just like taking sides with Agassi or Sampras, people took sides with Graf or Seles.

Cut to the present, it’s a new player every tournament and you keep guessing about who is this new kid on the block. With Venus’ career marred by injuries and Clijsters to retire after the US Open this year, it’s only Serena who now is the lone ranger from the last decade having won double the number of titles won by players ranked 1 to 10 combined.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if she wins but then it wouldn’t be a surprise otherwise also. Anyway, the men’s Wimbledon quarters ended on Wednesday and as always it’s going to be another nerve-wracking round of semis with 3 out of top 4 progressing. As for the women’s singles, this Wimbledon looks promising and may be a precursor of things to come with 2 out of the top 4 and Serena Williams in the semis. Maybe Williams can be that old captain of the ship along with her commanders in the form of Sharapova, Azarenka and even Kvitova and take women’s Tennis to the shores of success.