Why "shriek-fests" don't bother me - 4/2/2011

Date: 4/2/2011
Result: Miami F, Victoria Azarenka def. Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-4
Why it matters:
- Azarenka's three convincing wins over Clijsters, Zvonareva, and Sharapova show that on any given day, when she's playing her best, she can overpower opponents and put them out of their comfort zones.  But when will the consistency come?  If Azarenka can get out of her own way, she can definitely be a major title winner (maybe multiple), but she'll need to work more on mental toughness than groundstrokes.
- For Sharapova, this is still a good performance in Miami, even if her list of victories this year hasn't been so impressive.  She should take a lot of positives out of her performance, even if her serve and her aggressive attitude aren't as natural or effective as they were earlier in her career.  Most importantly, when she looked completely out of it in the 2nd set, she fought back well and but Azarenka under a lot of pressure.  If she keeps fighting hard and working, then she'll keep seeing more and more positive results.
- For the viewing audience, did it REALLY bother you how loud these two ladies are when they play?  Maybe I'm biased, because I usually grunt when I play, but I've never found grunting to really distract from play.  In fact, I think it emphasizes how much effort the players are putting into every stroke.  Additionally, players should be exhaling when they make contact, which grunting helps players remember to do.  Now if you want to say that not all grunts are created equal, ok.  The squeals that Sharapova and Azarenka produce are so high pitched that they don't seem like the natural grunt of exertion that we think should come from hitting a tennis ball.  But in the end, when you hear any type of grunt from a player and you think "I wish these players were quieter" just appreciate the tennis and how hard the players are trying.
Honorable Mention:
-Marbella Qualifying R1, Elena Bogdan def. Beatriz Garcia Vidagany - 46 63 62 - In Marbella last year, Garcia Vidagany beat Kim Clijsters in one of the biggest upsets of the year, though quickly forgotten because it was in such a small event.  The impressive performance she put together on that day was not an indication of where she'd go.  Bogdan is a solid player, but not the type of player that someone who got a lot of publicity following her big win should be losing to.