Former Australian champion Wendy Turnbull believes that sisters Serena and Venus Williams are the biggest chances to claim the Australian Open 2009 women’s singles title.
“They are really good athletes, really good tennis players,” Turnbull, a three-time Grand Slam singles finalist and four-time Grand Slam doubles titles winner, said on Thursday.
“They think for themselves out on court, which is a huge plus. They train in Florida, so they are used to these conditions.
"They’ve won so many Grand Slam titles that I can’t pick one over the other.”
Turnbull, who will be inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame on Australia Day 2009, believes the tournament is "really up for grabs" outside of the American sisters.
“[Ana] Ivanovic didn’t have a very good second half of the year, especially after the French Open," she said.
“The No.1 player [Jelena Jankovic] has not won a Grand Slam, so we don’t know whether she capable of doing it.”
Out of the local female contingent that will compete at Australian Open 2009, Turnbull rates Samantha Stosur as Australia's best chance.
“Stosur has a good game for the surface,” Turnbull said.
“She has a good serve, and if she can really believe in herself, she can do well. I wouldn’t count her out.”
Brisbane native Turnbull won 13 career singles titles and 55 doubles crowns in a 14-year career that featured eight straight years in the women's singles top 10 between 1977-84. She made one Australian Open singles final, losing to Hana Mandlikova in 1980.
No comments posted
