No revenge for Radwanska, Azarenka wipes her out 6-0 6-2

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Wilson Blade 9

Agnieszka Radwanska was not even slightly close to challenging Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals of Indian Wells, their fourth meeting this year and Azarenka’s fourth victory over the Pole in 2012. All the losses Radwanska suffered this season came at the hands of the world No.1, and the most recent one, in Doha, especially irritated Radwanska as she considered that Azarenka used gamesmanship in order to win.

Because of the mentioned 4-0 record of Azarenka over Radwanska this year, the gamesmanship scandal and the fact that Azarenka came into the match undefeated in 2012, with a 20-0 record, the quarterfinal encounter was especially interesting. However, what spectators got was an overwhelmingly one-sided match, except for Radwanska’s brief revival at the very end.

Azarenka won 10 of the first 11 points in the match, before Radwanska looked to be stopping that trend by fighting off three break points in the third game. But the Pole didn’t win that game, and actually, just as we were all ready for a double bagel, at 6-0 5-0 for Azarenka, Radwanska won six straight points, broke her opponent’s serve and won her own service game to love. But that was it, Azarenka continued from where she had stopped two games earlier, and finished the match 6-0 6-2. (photo: Johan Rivera)

3 COMMENTS

  1. It may have been better if Aga had not shown up at all.

    The only thing that holds true is that she did surprise me – but not in a way I admire. Well my favourite player has lost her shine, not b/c she lost – it was unlikely she would have won: or b/c she didn’t play as well as we hoped – but b/c she barely played at all.

    Unless she is ill, there is not explanation for not moving your feet. A demonstration of lackluster tennis, the absence of competitive spirit, – it was as if she didn’t want to deign to play Vika.

    And then the slap handshake, the brittle “Congratulations.”

    She will probably reach No, 4 in the rankings and she played miserably the last 2 matches.

    Does she think her ranking entitles her to Attitude, or that the tennis gets any easier? She really needs to let go of her issues with Azarenka and start playing tennis and improving her game.

    Without sportsmanship, tennis is just another past time involving hitting a ball.

  2. The handshake is may be considered a convention, but it is a significant one. It is the last act of the match. What happens at the net: says a lot about the players. What is said at the net should be public and audible.

    What the player says about a match afterwords is something else altogether.

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