[Volcana]

Well, we pretty much all look at Serena and think , 'What should [Insert favorite player here] do to raise her game so she can beat Serena at least one out of three'? Or something similar. And before that

What should she do to compete with Venus?
What should she do to compete with Martina?

Yada yada yada

I have a slightly different question.

What WILL they change? We've all seen how our faves approach the game. What do you think your fave will ACTUALLY change between now and OZ in response to Serena's dominance in 2003?

I take a couple players as examples, one fave, two not. Remember, its about predicting what they WILL do, not what you think they SHOULD do.

Venus Williams - It pains me to say this, but I think the answer is, 'not much'. Over the past year, Venus has dialed a lot of the aggression out of her game. I believe she views this as 'cutting down on unforced errors'. She paints the lines a lot more. Her UEs ARE down. She'll ended the year with highest Year-End ranking she's ever had. She's won 7 tournaments so far this year. If Serena wasn't on the tour, her tactics would have to be considered an unqualified success.

But Serena IS on the tour.

I think Venus will work on improving her first serve percentage, and maybe try to add a LITTLE pace to her second, but I think she still believes she plays best defending the baseline, and she'll refuse to try to beat Serena from the net.

Jelena Dokic - Sorry. This is another 'not much'. She'll continue to approach the game as 'Lindsay-lite' (Of course, Lindsay herself is pretty light these days.) Jelena's a stone baseline banger when she under pressure. And I'm sure she won't change the game that made her a top five player.

Amelie Mauresmo - Yet another, 'not much', but for positive reasons. She rebuilt her game over the past two years, and is now finding great success with a transformed style of play. I don't see any 2003 changes, just additional success. A real threat for the OZ title. Remember, she's made the final before.

So that's the sort of answers I'm looking for.

Your Fave in 2003. What she REALLY gonna change?

 

[Tee Rexx]

VENUS WILLIAMS - She WILL improve her serving technique and those volleys as well. At her present level, any improvement will be quite significant.

And anyway, VENUS only has one player to really worry about.

 

[Volcana]

Tee Rexx - I dd read an interveiw where she said she hadn't worked on her net game and would in the off season, so that's a safe bet. I think. I wonder if she really going to work on her serve. It's been in-and-out for years.

 

[Volcana]

bump

 

[mmcdonald]

Venus Williams- She will work on her second serve and her net game.

Monica Seles- She will work a bit on her fitness (not as much as she should) and she will work on her net game and her aggression.

Martina Hingis- She will try to get back into the top 5

 

[Volcana]

mmcdonald - I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe Monica will work on her net game.

 

[Kart]

Monica isn't going to add net play to her game.

She won't change her game in any way short of maybe getting a bit fitter - nor really does she need to. Her best chance remains in just playing her game and sticking with the baseline.

Although it would certainly help if she served better :angel:.

 

[Volcana]

Serena made some changes o her game in 2002. More topspin, more slice, don't hit everything full power, and she's number oner by over a thousand points.

Amelie changed her game, falling out of the top ten in the process, but now she's the fastest rising player on the tour, and if your name isn't Williams, or maybe Davenport, she's death on two legs.

SOME other top fifteen player should see that change can bring success.

 

[Tee Rexx]

True, VENUS may/should/needs to be inspired by her sister and better improve that serve and net game if she wants to hoist more slam titles over her 6'1' frame.

 

[mmcdonald]

Monica said that shes trying to come to net more in one of her interviews

 

[mmcdonald]

I think 2003 will be the year of Russia as well

 

[Volcana]

mmcdonald - If she said it, its good enough for me. I'm sure she'll try. It IS a radical change for her.

 

[mmcdonald]

I dont expect her to start serving and volleying or anything i just mean every once in awhile coming to net to finish off points.

But anyway, how long are Venus and Serena (or Serena and Venus) going to stay 1 and 2. I dont think the girls will want to see that all of them seem really really bitter (except maybe Lindsay Kim and Monica)

 

[MirjanaLfan]

Venus will work on cutting out her double faults. I'm sure she has worked on the second serve in the past but was able to get away with so many just by being so good in all other facets of her game. Which is still true except for the fact that it's costing her matches against Serena who happens to be her biggest ( only? ) rival at the moment.

Capriati will work on her 2nd serve too and will attempt to get to net more ( as she has been doing this hardcourt season ).

As for Mauresmo, well she's been trying to storm the net more than before since Wimbledon. I expect to see her increase her efforts to move up the court.

As for my fave Mirjana Lucic, I know she's trying to focus on getting fit and staying injury free. She's already come on a bit this season. She has won 12 of her last 16 matches. Provided her nightmare match with Venus at the Open hasn't discouraged her I know she's working on getting it right physically and mentally.

 

[Colin B]

Venus' problem with Serena is in her head. She still looks over the net and thinks "Aaah - there's my lil siss; better take it easy", whereas Serena sees just another player to be annihilated.

One day Venus will look up and think "Right bitch; you're toast!!" and THEN we'll see some tennis!

 

[mmcdonald]

Venus needs to do two things, cut down on her errors and double faults. Thats what killed her in the match. She made the same # of aces, and they were pretty much even in Winners but Serena didnt make as many errors in that match. And venus gave away nearly 3 games worth of double faults

 

[Dawn Marie]

[email protected]!!


Venus will work on her net game and use that while playing Serena. As far as her serve is I think it is fine. It got her to 3 slam finals this year. Sure she can work some on her second serve, but overall she just needs to think of Serena as another opponent and not as her lil sis.

 

[The Crow]

Justine will hopefully work on that serve some more. I think she knows if the serve doesn't improve next year, she'll have to live with a errorprone serve. I don't think she'll change much otherwise, just go into the new season with a positive spirit.

 

[Volcana]

Lindsay Davenport has already made a significant change too, coming back from injury at such a light weight. Maybe that's the ket to why some people come back from injury really strong, and some don't. Those who return at lower weights than when they departed seem to gewt results closer to their norm than those who return at the same weight or higher. Much is made of how the WIlliams sisters always come off breaks like they never left, but they virtually always return in top shape.

The notable exception was Venus at OZ this year. She looked like they'd kept her chained in the attic and hadn't been feeding her. She didn't look good at all and she played like it.

 

[Ada Monroe]

Serena's adding of the slice and topspin a lot more to her game is THE key to the reason why she's #1 in the world today. Not to mention her heavy kick serve. In 1999, her game was mostly raw power.

Venus has tremendous DTL shots, I'd love to see her develop those further. Her 2nd serve must be as solid as her 1st serve if she is to beat Serena again. I hate to say this, but Venus must take the net and attack also.