Date: 5/25/2011
Result: Roland Garros R2, Vera Zvonareva def. Sabine Lisicki, 4-6 7-5 7-5
Why it matters:
- You have to feel bad for Lisicki, who took her chances and put herself in a great winning position not just in the final set, but the second as well. Her body just gave out on her. Such is the story of the talented German who just can't gather enough momentum to pull herself back into the upper echelons again. The weird thing was that it all came out of nowhere - she seemed fine, then all of a sudden she looked panicked on the sidelines. In the rallies, she was moving great (I even thought she might break for 6-6) and then once the match finished she needed a stretcher. I truly believe something was wrong with her, but why it became so extreme so quickly is worrisome. Lisicki could've done real damage with a kinder draw, but she'll need to look for her breakthrough elsewhere.
- Zvonareva showed mental maturity to pull back and win this match. She was being outplayed and didn't let herself get overly frustrated. That part is impressive, to be sure. However, if Zvonareva wants to make the next step to a Slam title that she couldn't make in 2010, she needs to have intensity to do so. It's a double-edged sword, unfortunately. The emotional highs and fiery attitude can push her to some great results, but once things start going wrong, the emotions can bring her to the depths, too. In her continual evolution, perhaps Zvonareva will strike that perfect balance sometime, but she's not seemed the same player who was a dominant force at the top of the game since around March/April - could her coaching situation have anything to do with it?
Honorable Mentions:
- Roland Garros R2, Caroline Wozniacki def. Aleksandra Wozniak - 63 76 - Remember how I've been saying how uptight and anxious Wozniacki has seemed? Well everyone at ESPN finally caught on. I think having an edge isn't a bad thing for Caroline, but she needs to make sure it's controlled and doesn't get the best of her. Wozniak has been struggling, but showed some of her best tennis today. We'll see if this sparks her back to the to her former heights.
-Roland Garros R2, Gael Monfils def. Guillaume Rufin - 63 16 61 63 - Will Monfils ever learn? He can't afford to assume his opponent will just roll over after he plays a good first set. Rufin tried to take advantage, and did a good job to take his chance quickly and try and stun Monfils. The problem for Monfils is that he does this in almost every match, not just matches where it is pretty clear he should win. If he were only taking mental breaks when it (probably) wouldn't cost him too much, then it's still be a bad habit, but it wouldn't cost him a chance at being an elite player like it is now.
- Roland Garros R2,
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