WTA ATP Aus Open 1/17 - 1/30 2022

[ashkor87]

Too bad, she is an asset to the tour..the most complete player out there, capable of playing at a high level..I hope she will be back soon.
Players are human, and I, for one, would not want to speculate too much about her motives ..I certainly don't know her well enough to do that!

[ashkor87]

Time for some farfetched predictions! Muguruza to win the AusOpen.. following the footsteps of Wozniacki..
much harder to predict the men this time - depends too much on a certain (maybe) unvaccinated player..

[ponchi101]

Have you checked Mugu's record AFTER she wins a big tournament? She goes into tennis hibernation for almost an entire year. Next big Mugu win: 2023 Canadian Open. The earliest

[JazzNU]

Have you checked Mugu's record AFTER she wins a big tournament? She goes into tennis hibernation for almost an entire year. Next big Mugu win: 2023 Canadian Open. The earliest

Ponchi, your fandom continues to confuse me. Have some faith. She wasn't coached long term by Conchita those times.

[ponchi101]

Didn't she switch to Conchita shortly after her W victory? And she has been with her since 2019, at least.
You know I hope she will make me eat my words. But Garbie is not a tournament winning machine. She plays selectively, and then gets 2, 3 tourneys a year, max.

[JazzNU]

Didn't she switch to Conchita shortly after her W victory? And she has been with her since 2019, at least.
You know I hope she will make me eat my words. But Garbie is not a tournament winning machine. She plays selectively, and then gets 2, 3 tourneys a year, max.

No, Conchita consulted and was the driving force behind that Wimbledon run, but she was never her full-time coach. And by 2019, I assume you know that is the very end of 2019, so really starting in the shortened 2020 season, when soon after they reunited, Garbine made the Aussie Open finals.

[JazzNU]

Novak is listed among the entrants for the Aussie Open. Maybe more concrete info will become available later in the day in Australia, but several of the Aussie media accounts on Twitter are speculating that Novak is on the entry list and seeking a medical exemption rather than actually being vaccinated, this rumor has apparently been floating around there in recent days.

Also, Serena is not on the entry list, she's not going to be ready to compete by then.

[ashkor87]

Have you checked Mugu's record AFTER she wins a big tournament? She goes into tennis hibernation for almost an entire year. Next big Mugu win: 2023 Canadian Open. The earliest

He he true but maybe winning YEC does something for you..

[meganfernandez]

Have you checked Mugu's record AFTER she wins a big tournament? She goes into tennis hibernation for almost an entire year. Next big Mugu win: 2023 Canadian Open. The earliest

He he true but maybe winning YEC does something for you..

Too late, I've already got my hopes up that Mugu has a great shot the Australian Open, as long as she doesn't inexplicably get injured before then. I'm choosing faith over cynicism and raw data.

[meganfernandez]

Time for some farfetched predictions! Muguruza to win the AusOpen.. following the footsteps of Wozniacki..
much harder to predict the men this time - depends too much on a certain (maybe) unvaccinated player..

Good recall, Wozniacki, winning the Tour Finals then winning the Aussie. But let's hope Mugu doesn't go down a set and 5-1 in R2, like Caro did.

Since you mentioned Caro winning the Aussie, that was the cap on an interesting 12 months for her. In 2017, Wozniacki was still on her climb back from falling out of the Top 10 but playing really well. She lost six finals that year, starting in Dubai in February, until she won in Tokyo in September, then Singapore (tour finals), then the Aussie. She talked about how hard it was to maintain her belief after going 0/6 in finals, but she kept thinking that one had to fall her way eventually. Winning Tokyo and Shanghai definitely built the confidence she needed to get through the 2018 Australian Open. Interesting trajectory...

[meganfernandez]

Serena out of the Australian, hasn't played since withdrawing from R1 at Wimbledon IN JUNE with a torn hamstring. See you at Wimbledon, maybe.

[ponchi101]

...

Too late, I've already got my hopes up that Mugu has a great shot the Australian Open, as long as she doesn't inexplicably get injured before then. I'm choosing faith over cynicism and raw data.

Of course she has a shot. She has made the finals there, last year (as you earlier pointed out) she was the sole player that gave Naomi a real test, and she is playing some of her best tennis.
But there are at least 12 players that have a shot: basically, the entire top ten and Miss "Other", who has won two of the last four slams (Krejcikova and Raducanu coming out of nowhere). She is in the top tier of Contenders, but that is what makes it so hard for her to win. It will be hard to win for anybody.
And we don't know when a Kostyuk or a Muchova decides to finally get her game in shape. You know that when we open that topic I will start up a poll, and I am wondering if I should put OTHER on top.

[ponchi101]

Serena out of the Australian, hasn't played since withdrawing from R1 at Wimbledon IN JUNE with a torn hamstring. See you at Wimbledon, maybe.
...

Maybe indeed. RG would be her least viable choice for #24, and Wimby is her favorite. Also, if there is a place to retire for her, Centre Court should be it.

[meganfernandez]

...

Too late, I've already got my hopes up that Mugu has a great shot the Australian Open, as long as she doesn't inexplicably get injured before then. I'm choosing faith over cynicism and raw data.

Of course she has a shot. She has made the finals there, last year (as you earlier pointed out) she was the sole player that gave Naomi a real test, and she is playing some of her best tennis.
But there are at least 12 players that have a shot: basically, the entire top ten and Miss "Other", who has won two of the last four slams (Krejcikova and Raducanu coming out of nowhere). She is in the top tier of Contenders, but that is what makes it so hard for her to win. It will be hard to win for anybody.
And we don't know when a Kostyuk or a Muchova decides to finally get her game in shape. You know that when we open that topic I will start up a poll, and I am wondering if I should put OTHER on top.

I meant GREAT shot. Like she'll be one of the top 2 favorite if not THE favorite, a slight tier ahead of the rest of the top 10-15.

The field will seem wide open at first, especially until we know who had a solid off-season, who's healthy, who's motivated, who's vaccinated... Usually i would temper my expectations with Mugu but I think it's too late.

[ponchi101]

Ah, the hair splitting part Your knife is much sharper than mine
I would not go that far. I say she has the same chance as Aryna, Anett (who has now become part of the conversation), Barty (she has to break through at home sooner or later), Pliskova and a few others. I want to see Raducanu coming back to a slam, this time with a bullseye on her back (Leylah too).
I still say: the field. And will not be surprised one but when another unseeded player takes her first slam.