Fellow tennis blogger Diane of the Women Who Serve made a good point – we have been so busy praising Justine Henin’s fantastic year, Serena Williams’ comeback, the success of the Serbian players, and Maria Sharapova’s magnificent end of the season, that we have almost completely forgotten about Amelie Mauresmo.
Of course, there is a clear reason for that – Mauresmo hasn’t lived up to the expectations this year (the sad fact that proves this is that my last three posts that mention the Frenchwoman are Mauresmo stunned early in Zurich, Mauresmo falls in Stuttgart opener, and Mauresmo upset at China Open). However, Amelie is not to blame for all this, appendicitis and a very long period of recovery, followed by an appendicitis-related adductor strain, kept her off the court for much of the season.
I’m glad Diane reminded us all that Mauresmo is still one of the world’s best players and that with appropriate training she’ll be there to challenge all the players that are now in the focus of attention. The two-time Grand Slam champion will probably have a confidence problem that could hold her back in 2008, but she should be able to overcome that and come back to the top, where she belongs.
I’m looking forward to mentioning Mauresmo in more positive contexts than it was the case in 2007. Allez!
Thanks, Marija!