2019 WTA Final in Shenzhen, China
View(s):The 4 Grand Slams form the stem of the annual global Tennis. It has been so for the last 100 years, even before the professional era. The last of the 4, the US-Open concluded in early September. The focus now falls on the year ending WTA and ATP finals. This year, WTA has taken their event to Shenzhen in China, from Singapore, where it was for the last 5 years.
WTA Finals in China
Women’s year ending championships is in its 47th year for Singles, the first was in 1972. It is the 44th year for Doubles. There will be a change in the playing format this year. The prize money offered is US$ 14 million and it will be played from October 28-November 3.
The Top 8 in the WTA in the Women’s world ranking are eligible to play. Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, winner of the French-Open and ranked No.1, is the top qualifier. Australian Tennis dominated the world for decades, in the ’50′s through to the ’70′s. Since then, there were many signs of the Australian talent stream reemerging, but none sustained itself. Barty feat is the best in many decades.
The other players in the WTA final are Czech Republic’s Caroline Pliskova (27) ranked No.2 and Petra Kvitova (29) ranked No.6, Romania’s Simona Halep (28) is ranked No.3, Canadian teenage sensation Bianca Andreescu (18) ranked No.4, Japan’s Naomi Osaka (21) ranked No.5, evergreen American Serena Williams (38) ranked No.7, last year’s WTA final winner Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina (24) ranked No.8.
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and Belgium’s Kiki Bertens are the standby players in case of default within the Top 8. Both achieved respectable positions in this year’s Grand Slams.
Host China
We all remember Li Na, Grand Slam winner and world No.1 from China. Right now, there are about 9 Chinese players in the first 200 of the world ranking in Women. Four of them in the Top 50. The highest ranked are Chinese woman player is Qiang Wang (27) ranked No.20. The other four are Shuai Zhang (30) ranked No.32, Saisai Zheng (25) is ranked No.39 and Yafan Wang (25) is ranked No.49. China is said to have the most number of Spanish Tennis coaches outside Spain. Their talent stream is very visible now.
Tactics and Physical issue
When Swede Bjorn Borg came into the global arena in the ’70′s, Tennis elitism had already left Australia and was the grip pf the USA. Bjorn Borg’s feat, by any standard, was very impressive. His tactical approach was a game without unforced errors and lethal passing shots. At that time, the Net game was dominant. It was said that, Tennis had 3 certainties. 1. Every player will lose one day. 2. players will pay taxes. 3. the Swedish passing shot will work.
The tactical pundits, which included Borg’s coach Berglin, correctly saw the way to win was to reduce ‘unforced errors’. It has become a performance measuring label that is very significant even today. Every game analysis on TV has this item. A standard expression, which, to laymen, should mean, missing an easy shot. To avoid unforced errors, players weighted their game to play, almost, only ground strokes, after Borg’s era.
Playing safe is another way to express an unforced error-free game. With everyone paying attention to it, rallies became longer and longer. It has made Tennis uninspiring to watch and the players were worn out to the threshold of injury. Even today, this is the reason behind most physical breakdowns in Tennis. It affects Women more.
Change in trend
Even the greatest of the ground stroke exponents, Nadal, Wawrinka and Djokovic, after being injured, are changing tactics. They are seen at Net-play significantly now. Federer, with his move towards the eastern grip. His racquet handling ability is very effective at a Net. He often wins critical points with a volley. He did not break down physically till he was well over 33. Extreme-western grips do not permit volleys. It requires the time consuming grip change. At Net, ‘time’ is a critical and tactical factor, and no opponent will provide it.
Playing closer and inside the Baseline and at Net, reduces the length of the rally. This reduces physical strain and subsequent physical breakdown. Most of the coaching systems have altogether abandoned the Net game. No excuse is valid for doing so.
Long rallies at practice initiate injuries and will become full blown issues during competition. This is the issue with Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova and so many others. The William sisters did not suffer from these issues, until well past their 30th year.
WTA calendar
The WTA calendar still shows events till end of October. From November to 1st week in January is Women’s Tennis recess. This too is new to WTA and only a few years old. This came about for many reasons. One certainly is that too much Tennis is injuring players.
At the WTA Final, feminine touch is promoted with fashion photo-shoot, interviews and gala parties. They are designed to bring players closer to the people, than to be unreachable stars in the sky. More changes will come. Tennis players are not poor anymore. The tennis dollar has reached ever so high figures. There is a line-up of takers, when it comes to sponsorship.
–George Paldano, Int. player; Accredited Coach of German Federation; National coach Brunei, Sri Lanka; Davis-Cup, Federation Cup captain/coach– geodano2015@gmail.com