WTA Premier Mandatory, Beijing 2013

[Correspondent Kiu]

I don't consider Sabine a top gun...

Any player that can beat a #1 is a top gun in my book.
There are lots of top guns!

 

[RJD11]

Maddie had more than double the Winners as Aga

Unfortunately she also had more than triple the ufe

 

[Calvy]

I don't consider Sabine a top gun. She can enter that conversation when she starts making the quarters, semis and finals of tournaments a bit more consistently than she has. .

Me neither!

How can you be a top gun when you can't even make the top ten after all these years?

A one tourney trick pony

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

You all should really reconsider your standards!
Who says a top gun has to be top 10?

A top gun can be top 50! or even top 100... all you need to be considered a top-gun is being able to out gun a top player.
Franny is a top gun! So is Petra, Li and just about anyone who was #1 or anyone who won a slam, they are all top guns.

Sabine is definitely a top gun, she out gunned Masha and Serena! Both when they were at the top!

So tell me, who is a top gun in your book?

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Back to Beijing.

JJ just handed Carla a bagel!
Serena and Maria K at 3-3 in the first set.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Top guns are Serena, Vika and Maria and I would throw Li in there somewhat as someone who can consistently make the semis and finals of tournaments. Heck, even Radwanska is more of a top gun than some of the ladies you named at least she is consistently near the latter stages of matches for the most part. Not some flakes that like to show up every now and then and claim a scalp here and there. I don't even consider Franny and Petra top guns at the moment. Again, a top gun is someone to me who is proving day in and day out they can win tournaments and make the latter parts of a tournament on a consistent basis. Someone who is always threatening for hardware. PS one match does not a top gun make. Sure Sabine outgunned Maria and Serena in those matches, but most the time that girl can't even make it to the stage to meet Maria or Serena and loses to some nobody on a consistent basis that she should be beating.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Top guns don't have to be consistent, they just have to out-gun you!
You are talking about top players, there is a difference.
I guess we have to agree to disagree.

 

[tossip]

I don't consider Sabine a top gun...

Any player that can beat a #1 is a top gun in my book.
There are lots of top guns!

yes in your book:lolz:

 

[tossip]

Top guns don't have to be consistent, they just have to out-gun you!
You are talking about top players, there is a difference.
I guess we have to agree to disagree.

tired Roland Garros winners..:lolz:Sabine seems lazy and likes the quick points at Wimbledon.:snigger

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Kirilenko giving Serena EVERYTHING she can handle. Serena came out on top after been down triple set point on Kirilenko's serve (Kirilenko choked). But here in the second set Kirilenko has not disappeared and furthermore seems to have decided to go for it even more. Kirilenko has held both of her service games and now she's just broken Serena for the second time in the match. The first time, in the first set, Serena sort of handed it to her with errors. This time Kirilenko took with winners. Played a GREAT game. Serena isn't playing her best. But much of it is because Kirilenko isn't allowing her to. Serena is still hitting some great shots and hitting less errors now in the second set. But Kirilenko has truly found her best stuff. Serena will have to do the same to win this at all much less in straights.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Well.... I guess I should mention the main reason she's doing so well. I mentioned that she held both of her service games in this set. But that doesn't really show the point. Kirilenko is serving phenomenally. And Serena isn't dealing with her first serves well. Which, it's these matches that Serena wins anyways that show that she's the best. This match simply is not against a player who can't serve. Serena is of course of a wonderful returner. But against those who really can serve, maybe not quite at her level but well nonetheless, she can't dominate their first serves. Their second serves may still get thumped. But she can't return ace those first serves. Her returns haven't gone in on many of Kirilenko's first serves, because they've been quite accurate with good speed.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Serena found a higher level and broke back immediately with some good returns followed by great shots. And then she held at love with some GREAT serves. All first serves I think. Just took up the speed. But not some much that she would miss. And Kirilenko just couldn't handle it. She'll now have to serve to stay in the match.

 

[kskate2]

Serena holds for 6-5. Serena and Nadal are extremely testy this week. It must be the rice. uzzled

 

[tossip]

Kirilenko always a Serena punchbag...h2h...8-0

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Kirilenko kept up her strong serving and played aggressively. Took some risks and executed and held for 5-5. Then Serena held despite one long backhand and one double fault. Came up with some strong serves after the double fault to win the game from 15-30 down.

Then serving to stay in the match down 6-5 Kirilenko went down 40-15 but played some very strong tennis from there to get it back to deuce. She missed her first serve at deuce though. And Serena crunched the second serve. STILL Kirilenko got it back, but she couldn't hand Serena's next ball. She missed her first serve again down match point; Serena's third match point. But Serena hit the return way out on the second serve. But then got back to match point again on the next point. And even after a good first serve Serena got the return back in. Kirilenko then made the mistake of slicing the ball back to Serena who hit it back with interest and deep and Kirilenko couldn't handle that. It made it over the net but sailed wide. Serena takes it 7-5 7-5.

A lot of fun this one. Kirilenko played great. But at the end of the day she's just not quite physically strong enough and while she showed quite a bit of mental strength today, she did show some weakness as well. Or in other words, Serena still just has too much power for Kirilenko and is mentally tougher because she has the mind of a champion and has more experience as well. And that of course is why she wins most of her matches and is the best in the world by far.

 

[kskate2]

Petko down an early break to Lucie 4-2

 

[kskate2]

It was more than just power Tenis. Serena used slice, angles and chance of pace to win a few of those critical points. Like the commentator said, it looked like she was RG again.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

It was more than just power Tenis. Serena used slice, angles and chance of pace to win a few of those critical points. Like the commentator said, it looked like she was RG again.

Yeah, I guess I shouldn't give the impression that it was all power. She came up with some great shots. Which I mentioned in one of those posts, but I didn't elaborate. She definitely came up with some great angles. I loved every one of them. She has done that so well all year I think. Not just at RG. So good on every level.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Ah. Petko almost righted the ship but Safarova holds to take the set 6-4. Hopefully they can keep up this level of tennis we've seen the last few games through the rest of the match, through three sets (because I'm pulling for Petko).

 

[Hoergren]

And that was Serena's 70th win in 2013clap - impressive. Hopefully we'll have a match between Serena and Caroline in the quarters - could be a good match I think