Australian Open Wrap Up
By Jane Voigt January 28, 2013 — The question seems daft, but it’s worth asking: Did Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka ‘win’ their singles’ championships? Of course in the simplest of terms the answer is yes. All we have to do is look at the scores. But if we slow down and take a closer…
Rhythm Not Interrupted, Djokovic Wins 4th AO
By Jane Voigt Up in the dark. DownTheTee did start, with coffee perking in the pot. The Australian Open for men was about to start. Get a blanket, a pillow and keyboard to touch. It didn’t go five like last year’s marathon, but that thought came alive. Nonetheless, Novak Djokovic prevailed in four and won…
Mad Max Match Downunder
By Jane Voigt Victoria Azarenka broke down in tears and threw a towel over her head seconds after a cool handshake with a disappointed Li Na at the net. Azarenka had won her second Australian Open, the first slam of the year, and had retained her #1 ranking, but with controversy and skeptical support from…
Musings On The Women’s Final
By Jane Voigt January 25, 2013 — Victoria Azarenka and Li Na played one other time at The Australian Open, during the quarterfinals in 2011. Li Na won and went on to lose to Kim Clijsters. Tomorrow evening she will face Azarenka once again. But Saturday evening both women have a major title to their…
Li Na Finds Focus Through Fitness
By Jane Voigt January 24, 2013 — Maria Sharapova steam-rolled opponents in the first six rounds and lost 9 games total … a record for the tournament. Li Na, though, handily defeated the Russian in the semifinals, 62 62, crushing her dreams of a second Australian Open. How does this happen to a player as…
Changing of The Guard?
By Jane Voigt Serena Williams normally wins. That’s why she has 15 Grand Slam singles titles and 12 women’s doubles titles. That Sloane Stephens, a 19-year-old American in her second-ever Australian Open, stopped the compelling favorite is remarkable. However it isn’t a changing of the guard. Serena’s power and determination hasn’t and won’t alter because…
Powerful Women
By Jane Voigt Not that we’re bored with mens’ singles. Who could be bored watching matches extend beyond five hours and upsets teeter totter in front of 17,000 fans at the Rod Laver Arena? No one. But different tennis competition should be considered and watched, too. The ones played by women. They come from countries…
Narrowing Fields
By Jane Voigt Milos Raonic was supposed to give Roger Federer a run for his money — well, maybe not all his money — in their fourth-round match Monday night in Melbourne. But the talented, young, fast-serving 22 year-old Canadian seemed to lose control of his biggest asset at times and his ground game, too,…
Inside Maria’s World
By Jane Voigt Maria Sharapova’s world is small. It is closed off to anything and anyone not Maria. And that’s the way she wants it. The #2 seed at The Australian Open has directed herself, and her various flocks of essential believers, toward one goal: winning tennis matches. She has been immensely successful at doing…
A Long Way
By Jane Voigt “It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll,” tones ESPN2 during breaks at The Australian Open. Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils felt the long way right to the center of their bones into the wee hours of the night as they battled on and on and on for 4…