2009 Projections - Part II

WTA HEADLINES

Injured, Injured, Mono

Three interesting comebacks to watch for on the WTA:
Maria Sharapova – will her nagging shoulder injury indefinitely suspend her return to the top of the game? Her recent announcement to withdraw from the Australian Open only fuels the doubtful fires.
Amelie Mauresmo – can she regain her fitness and form in 2009, or does she face retirement?
Nicole Vaidasova - once touted as a future Top 10 elite player, can she recover from a dismal 2008 season to realize her true potential?

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

An inspired Venus Williams can have one of the best seasons of her veteran career. For the past three years, her performance has shown steady improvement. Will 2009 be the year of Venus? If little sister Serena has anything to say about it, 2009 will more likely be the year of Serena. Whatever the outcome, their newly found commitment towards their careers and legacy will inspire both to show up to win. We predict, however, that Venus will outlast Serena in the game and produce better tennis for a longer duration of time. This could very well be the year that Venus puts herself first, leaving baby sister Serena behind.

Anando 2009

Ana Ivanovic's off season was as busy as ever with vacationing, buying a new $4.5M mansion in Mallorca, and ,of course, Nando. With Ana being completely smitten by Fernando Verdasco, will her focus on winning be a little clouded? And imagine what would happen if their relationship were to end!

We think that Ana's results this year will be less than stellar. But who needs a Grand Slam when you have love!

The Return of the Queen

The WTA Tour is keeping a close watch for any signs of a Justine Henin return. If rumors do surface, they are likely to occur after Wimbledon.

Confessions of a teenage drama queen
Watch as the young stars of the WTA tour continue their climb up the world stage of tennis.

Bank your deposits on Caroline Wozniacki and Dominika Cibulkova. One of these young talents will work her way into the Top 10 for 2009.

American tennis fans will become more familiar with the name Coco Vandeweghe, as this feisty teenager begins her promising journey up the pro-women's tour.

Retirement Roll Call
Who will make the official announcement first: Amelie Mauresmo, Lindsay Davenport, Patty Schnyder, or Mary Pierce?

2009 WTA Thread to follow

Jelena Jankovic will be tested, out-gunned and hunted by the competition as she attempts to validate her #1 ranking with a Grand Slam title. She said a lot during the off season, and will have to back those words up with a ton of action. Is she up to the challenge? We think so.

When I say "Bun", you say "Oven"

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court, we would like to announce that our beloved Lindsay Davenport is pregnant, AGAIN! So, let me get this straight. Just last week we got wind of her impending return to the game (Australian Open 2009), only to find out today that she “will be putting tennis on hold for the foreseeable future.” ("Quote"). If you feel like you’ve just been PUNKED, you are not alone. Needless to say, we were all looking forward to her return to center court. I guess we’ll have to wait another year to see if she can fool us yet again. Any gamblers?