Todd at WTA Backspin has been known to coin a great adjective ("Jankovician" and "Radwanskan" come to mind) from time to time. His latest is "Sloaney," which is, I think self-explanatory. And oh, how Sloaney the world number 16 was tonight in Miami. I mean no disrespect to her opponent, Caroline Wozniacki, who did her job and did it well, while hitting only about a half dozen winners. But Wozniacki didn't have to do anything else; Stephens was a not-very-moving target, just waiting to be picked off. There was no energy, no creativity and no aggression on her part. She made five points in the second set. Wozniacki beat her 6-1, 6-0.
Something is really wrong in Sloaneville.
Meanwhile, Varvara Lepchenko slugged it out with Ajla Tomljanovic for three hours, and won, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6. Impressive. Venus Williams beat Casey Dellacqua, though it took her three sets to get the job done. Dominika Cibulkova won a hard-fought two-setter (7-6, 6-4) against Alize Cornet (who seems to finally be hitting her stride again), Li Na beat Madison Keys 7-6, 6-3, and Aga Radwanska beat Elena Vesnina 7-5, 6-3. Carla Suarez Navarro defeated Kaia Kanepi, and Elina Svitolina defeated Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
I'm going to miss most of tomorrow's play because of my work schedule (work--always getting in the way of watching tennis), but I hope to catch some highlights here and there.
Yeah, that "effort" was just a hot Sloaney mess. Since Stephens had never gotten a set off Wozniacki previously, and you know she knew that fact, I think the match was over before it even began. Annacone can do a great deal -- and seems to have helped at times this season -- but he can't make her believe in herself when every "why even bother" receptor is going off in her head. She has to do that herself.
ReplyDeleteWorst case Future Sloane: "I'm only 25. Who cares? Serena is like 37 and she's still doing well." :D
ReplyDeleteHa. Sloane should have asked Wozniacki about the danger of thinking she has all the time in the world in a sport where 3-4 years is akin to a decade in "real time."
ReplyDeletePetra 3-6, 6-0, 6-0. Light at the end of the hallway?
ReplyDeleteTough draw for Kvitova, but it's time that she stepped it up by delaring her health, mental and physical. Sharapova and then Williams. Then...?
ReplyDeleteOne match at a time, one match at a time......
ReplyDeletewell Sloane's loss is looking slightly better now that Woz demolished Lepchenko too. Perhaps Woz is on a roll and Sloane is slightly injured.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Kvitova goes... maybe one set at a time. Or maybe games? ;)
ReplyDeleteYes, a game at a time sounds about right!
ReplyDeleteDon't know what happened to Lepchenko (I didn't get to watch), but Woz seems to be on a roll in Miami.
As for Sloane, I think she's in her own version of Na Na Land--only--unlike Li--you don't get the feeling she's going to snap out of it and win a major.