People these days can be excused if they’re unsure who the No. 1 woman tennis player is.
Some may think it’s Maria Sharapova, the Florida-based Russian who ripped through the singles field at the Australian Open 2008 without dropping a set.
Or is it one of the Williams sisters, maybe Venus, who last July won Wimbledon for the fifth time and subsequently added the year-end WTA Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha to her list of credits?
Then again, Serena Williams’s US Open triumph comes to mind. She reversed her defeat by Venus in the Wimbledon final, and beat French Open finalist Dinara Safina of Russia to make the Flushing Meadows final. So perhaps Serena pipped the others for the coveted tag of numero uno?
Well, no - it was none of these players. The No. 1 spot went to Jelena Jankovic, a lesser-known player yet to capture a Grand Slam singles title. In 2008 Jankovic lost to Sharapova at Melbourne Park, to Ana Ivanovic at Roland Garros, and to Serena Williams in the US final. Confusing, eh?
But (with apologies to Rumpole of The Bailey) the computer is “she who must be obeyed”, and the computer put Jankovic at the head of the class for consistency. After all, it’s not as if the Belgrade player didn’t win much. She won impressively at Rome, Beijing, Stuttgart and Moscow.
Jankovic is sure to play a prominent role in the 2009 Grand Slam season. Will a new era commence in which one or, at most, two players dominate? Or will the majors again be divided up, as in 2008 when the victors were Sharapova, Ivanovic, and the Williams sisters?
Plenty of other gifted players seek recognition - for example, Russia’s in-form Elena Dementieva, up-and-coming Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
In fact, with eight or so evenly-matched stars in hot contention for the four Grand Slam crowns, it could resemble musical chairs, with much nervous circling until the music stops, whereupon all make a frantic dive for a seat to keep their hopes alive.
It should be very exciting.
On the other hand, the emergence of just two outstanding champions – in other words, A Great Rivalry – could also captivate fans. Women’s tennis was never more intriguing than in the 1970s and ’80s, when Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova faced each other in countless epics. Their vastly different styles and characters added to the fascination.
Steffi Graf and Monica Seles also had their moments, but Martina Hingis, the most cerebral player of her era, fell victim to the power-hitters before any long-term rivalry developed. Her two Australian finals against Jennifer Capriati in 2001 and 2002 provided a tantalising glimpse of what might have been.
The difficulty today in speculating on the prospects of any woman player is the sport’s high rate of injury. Capriati, Henin, Hingis, Ivanovic, Mauresmo, Sharapova and the Williams sisters have all been sidelined in recent years.
Sharapova was the most likely successor to Henin as No. 1, but missed the second half of 2008, including the Olympics and the US Open, with an injured shoulder. She’d begun the year brilliantly by routing Henin in a semi-final at Melbourne Park, a blow that, conceivably, helped to persuade the Belgian to retire – the first reigning No. 1 ever to do so.
Henin’s abrupt departure set the cat (or cats) among the pigeons, though Sharapova, perhaps the most fearsome feline, could only watch in frustration.
Having won Wimbledon at 17 and the US Open at 19, the glamorous Russian is still only 21 and may well establish an engrossing rivalry with one of the Williams or with Ivanovic, Jankovic or the rejuvenated Dementieva.
Jankovic could produce the more entertaining clashes, since she relies not so much on power as variety, court speed and an ability to retrieve. She is also adept at mind-boggling leg-splits.
A more obvious rivalry is Venus v Serena. The sisters have split 18 matches equally, their quarterfinal joust at the US Open, which Serena won 7-6(6) 7-6(7) being generally considered the best yet.
While their early encounters were marred by the siblings’ sensitivity towards each other’s feelings, they are far less inhibited by family ties now. If they were to clash at Melbourne Park this year, it would be in the semifinals.
A lot of interest will focus on the progress of Ivanovic and Safina, who fought out the French final. Both are in their early 20s and both are extremely popular, not just because of their shot-making, but because of their engaging personalities.
Ivanovic isn’t afraid to show her emotions, whether they be of disappointment or joy, whereas Safina is stormier, like her elder brother Marat. Croatian coach Zeljko Krajan has to harness Safina’s anger to ensure she doesn’t finish up a wreck, along with her much abused racquets.
Yes, the drama could be riveting – provided the medicos can stay out of it …
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