Serena Williams began hitting in April in preparation for her comeback this week in Eastbourne.

About a year ago, Serena Williams stood atop the tennis world as she hoisted her fourth Venus Rosewater Dish at the All England Club and her 13th overall Grand Slam.  After suffering a career-threatening injury to her foot due to broken glass in a Munich restaurant, and having multiple blood clots in her lungs which subsequently led to a moderate sized hematoma on her abdominal region due to the blood thinners she was on due to the embolism in her lung.  After a much-anticipated wait for her return to the WTA Tour, Serena has finally pleased her millions of fans and brought the next stage of her career to the southeastern coast of England in Eastbourne before traveling to London in order to compete for her 5th Wimbledon title. 

In her first match, she will take on Tsvetana Pironkova, who beat her sister Venus in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last year.  But, Pironkova has not has the best of seasons and should not pose a huge risk to the younger Williams sister.  But, anything is possible after a year off from professional tennis.

Serena Williams last played on the tour at Wimbledon almost a year ago.

Should she get through her first match, she will take on either the British wildcard Heather Watson or the top seeded Vera Zvonareva.  A match against the Russian Zvonareva would be particularly interesting since Serena beat Zvonareva in the finals of Wimbledon last year.  This match would call on Serena and Vera to bring their best tennis to the court in Eastbourne, but nothing can be assumed until both woman play their first-round matches. 

Serena Williams and Vera Zvonareva, who met in last year's Wimbledon final, could meet again in the second round of Eastbourne.

Group A:

(1) Serbia- Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic

(3) Belgium- Justine Henin and Ruben Bemelmans

Kazakhstan- Yaroslava Shvedova and Andrey Goublev

Australia- Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt

Group B:

(2) Great Britain- Laura Robson and Andy Murray

(4) Italy- Francesca Schiavone and Potito Starace

France- Kristina Mladenovic and Nicolas Mahut

United States- Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner

This post will highlight in detail the top four seeds chances at the finals and briefly touch upon the other four unseeded teams in the field.

(1) Serbia- Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic

These two lifelong friends will partner each other for the second time (they also played with each other in 2006) at the Australian event and based on the second half of 2010, they look to be in great shape to take the title in 2011.  Novak Djokovic played impeccably well in the US Open semis against Roger Federer to make the finals only to lose to Nadal.  But, more significantly, Djokovic led his Davis Cup team to the title at the beginning of December in his native Belgrade.  In addition, Ana Ivanovic made an incredible late-season surge up the rankings taking International titles in Linz and the second-tier year-ending championships event in Bali.  All signs point to a spectacular 2011 for these two Serbian phenoms and the Hopman Cup will surely be an indicator of how the new season will progress.

If she can hit plenty of forehands like this, Serbia will be in great shape to win the tournament.

(2) Great Britain- Laura Robson and Andy Murray

Reaching the final of this event together last year, the British duo of Robson and Murray will look to go one better at this year’s edition of the tournament.  But, it should be noted that last year Robson only one of her singles matches (against Martinez Sanchez in the final) and she will have to improve upon that statistic if she hopes to lead her team to glory.  While she has yet to score a hair-raising victory against a top player, she won’t face too much competition from the other females in her group, with the exception of Francesca Schiavone, as she is scheduled to face Bethanie Mattek-Sands (#58) and Kristina Mladenovic (#300).  Andy Murray, on the other hand is by far the strongest male player in his group as he should be minimally challenged by Nicolas Mahut and Potito Starace.  However, John Isner also resides in this group, and certainly shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Playing the event for the second year in a row, Robson and Murray will attempt to hoist the trophy this go-around.

(3) Belgium- Justine Henin and Ruben Bemelmans

The unheralded Ruben Bemelmans will want to impress his partner Justine Henin from the start, and he might have to because Henin hasn’t played a tour match since Wimbledon.  Henin, who appeared to be struggling with the serve and forehand at an exhibition against compatriot Kim Clijsters in December will need to play well from the get go in Perth if she wants any hope of reaching the weekend.  Bemelmans on the other hand will be hard pressed to beat men like Djokovic and Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt.  Nevertheless, as the mantra goes: anything is possible, and it will have to be if the Belgian team hopes to have any chance at the title.

Ruben Bemelmans will partner Justine Henin in the 2011 edition of the Hopman Cup

Justine Henin will be returning from an elbow injury at the Hopman Cup.

(4) Italy- Francesca Schiavone and Potito Starace

Led by the surprise Roland Garros champion, Team Italy will have a decent chance at making the finals.  Schiavone, who is coming off a career-best season, will face relatively weak opposition from Laura Robson, Kristina Mladenovic, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, whom she beat in the Fed Cup final.  Starace, a perennial top-75 player on the ATP World Tour, will be the clear underdog when he goes against Andy Murray and John Isner, but could have a chance at victory against France’s Nicolas Mahut.  But, with the doubles skills of Schiavone, the duo will always be alive up until the final match, mixed doubles, is decided.

Francesca Schiavone will hope for a strong start to her season after taking the Roland Garros title in 2010.

Other Teams: Australia- Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt, Kazakhstan- Yaroslava Shvedova and Andrey Golubev, France- Kristina Mladenovic and Nicolas Mahut, and United States- Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner

The remaining four teams, all full of potential, lack the stardom of the other four seeded teams, despite having several distinguished names, like Lleyton Hewitt and John Isner.  Isner, who was originally partnered with Serena Williams, will now play the mixed doubles event with lesser-known, but highly capable Bethanie Mattek-Sands.  The US team will have a fair shot at reaching the finals if both Mattek-Sands and Isner can win a majority of their matches.  Like the US, Australia will also have a chance at the Saturday final if the stars align for Molik and Hewitt.  On the other hand, France and Kazakhstan will be hard-pressed to win any of their matches because of the relatively shallow resumes of their four players.  Team Kazakhstan, which could also be referred to as Team Russia as both Shvedova and Golubev hail from Russia.  When it comes to their tennis, both are talented, but also young and fairly inexperienced when it comes to big matches and pressure situations, despite the fact that Shevedova won two Grand Slams in doubles last season with Vania King.  If Kazakhstan was a part of Group B, along with Britain, France, and Italy, I would give them a fair chance, but Group A is far more competitive than B.  Lastly, France brings two players ranked outside of the top 100 to Hopman Cup: Mahut, who is most famous for his first-round loss to John Isner at Wimbledon and Mladenovic, who much like Laura Robson won her home junior Grand Slam event as a teenager (she won Roland Garros juniors in 2009). However, both players will have chances at victories in Group B.

Tennis enthusiasts won't have to worry about another 70-68 final set score with the third-set tiebreak in Hopman Cup play.

Alicia Molik's volleying skills will come in handy during the duration of Hopman Cup play.

Late this week/early next week: Photos from the U.S. Open from wTennisPhotos (http://www.wtennisphotos.com)

Next week: Players to watch in the fall tennis season and who has the best chance of making it to the Tour Championships on both the WTA and ATP.

Later this month: A recap of the U.S. Open and a preview of the remainder of the season. 

Before the Beijing event: An all-inclusive preview of the last big WTA event of the season before Doha.

Before the Shanghai and Paris Masters: Previews of the draws and players with the best oppurtunities of advancing to the finals. 

Following the Tour Championsips: The season in review.

Please contact me at tennisnewsnow@gmail.com if you have any questions or requests for my blog over the next few months.  Enjoy!

Check back to the blog later in the week for a complete photo recap of the U.S. Open from our friend wTennisPhotos.  He was at the U.S. Open and took some great pictures that I can’t wait to share with you! 

Daniela Hantuchova hits an overhead at the Rogers Cup in Montreal earlier this summer.

Victoria Azarenka sits in the shade during a practice session at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Svetlana Kuznetsova fine tunes her serve during a practice session at the Rogers Cup.

Fed Cup star Bethanie Mattek-Sands hits a backhand in her match at the Rogers Cup in Montreal earlier this summer.

Radwanska hits a backhand at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Caroline Wozniacki hits a serve during her practice session at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. The Great Dane went on to win the title.

Melanie Oudin gets low for a backhand slice shot at the Rogers Cup in Canada earlier this summer.

Caroline Wozniacki, eventual champion, practicing at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Alona Bondarenko hitting an overhead at the Rogers Cup in Canada.

Daniela Hantuchova smiles at the Rogers Cup in Montreal

Dinara Safina gets herself pumped up in her match at the Rogers Cup.

Vera Zvonarena practices in Montreal at the Rogers Cup.

Victoria Azarenka prepares to hit a backhand at the Rogers Cup in Canada.

Agnieszka Radwanska bends low in a doubles match at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Maria Kirilenko looks on in her match at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Caroline Woznaicki had to play two matches in one day at the Rogers Cup, but she prevailed and won the event.

 Check back in a few days for the second installment of these fantastic photos from wTennisPhotos (www.wtennisphotos.com).

(1) Andy Murray

Andy Murray, the Montreal champion in 2009, hopes to have another great US hard court season.

After losing to Nadal at Wimbledon, Andy Murray went to his training base in Miami to work on his fitness and most likely get acclimated to the hot summer temperatures in the U.S.  By playing LA this year, Murray has a great opportunity to win the U.S. Open Series and go into the U.S. Open as a favorite.  But, hard courts do favor the aggressor, so he must play with more conviction and offense in his game if he hopes to win in southern California this week.

(2) Sam Querrey

If anyone has experience playing in southern California, it's Sam Querrey, 2009 Farmers Classic champion and resident of the area.

It’s no secret that this is one of Sam Querrey’s favorite tournaments in the world.  He lives close enough to the event that all of his friends have the chance to support him throughout the entire tournament and this is a big boost to his confidence.   Not to mention the fact that he won the tournament last year and went on to win the U.S. Open Series.  So, coming into LA this year, Sam Querrey should be as confident as ever.

(8) Mardy Fish

The winner of the first leg of the U.S. Open Series, Mardy Fish looks to extend his run of 10 straight matches and two straight tournaments here in LA.

Could Mardy Fish be more confident?  He reached the Queen’s Club final on grass back in June, won the event in Newport immediately following Wimbledon, and just last week he won the inaugural Atlanta Tennis Championships.   He is also on a 10 match winning streak that he doesn’t want to see end anytime soon.  But, his draw is tough here in LA.  After facing Benjamin Becker in the first round, he could play James Blake in the 2nd round, should they both make it there.  He is also on Andy Murray’s side of the draw, but with two wins over the Scot this year alone, he would have enormous confidence in that match should it take place.

View This Poll

Tune into the blog for updates throughout the week on not only the LA event but also on the women’s event in Stanford.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Stanford (WTA Premier Event)

First Quarter:

The weakest of the four quarters, it is highlighted by top seed Sam Stosur and seventh seed Yanina Wickmayer.  These two women look like they will be able to make the quarters without too much adversity as the only other player of note in this section is former top 20 player Dominika Cibulkova.

Quarterfinal 1: Sam Stosur def. Yanina Wickmayer

Second Quarter: This section contains the defending champion, Marion Bartoli, and the always tough Victoria Azarenka as the two seeds in addition to U.S. Open standout Melanie Oudin and former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic.  But, Ivanovic looks unlikely to advance past the first round, where she faces Alisa Kleybanova, who has beaten her twice this year.  Nevertheless, Ana could always catch Kleybanova on a bad day and capitalize on the Russian’s erratic play.  Former Stanford champion Aleksandra Wozniak faces Melanie Oudin, in a match that will depend on both women’s consistancy.  But, when it comes to the two quarterfinalists from this quarter, I think that we will see Alisa Kleybanova take on Victoria Azarenka for a spot in the semifinals.

Quarterfinal 2: Victoria Azarenka def. Alisa Kleybanova

Third Quarter: This quarter has the probability of the most upsets simply due to the circumstances surrounding several of the players in this section.  Shahar Peer, the No. 5 seed, faces veteran Daniela Hantuchova while also battling a thigh injury.  Whether or not the injury will play a significant role in the match has yet to be determined, but I would expect the Slovakian to have a slight edge in that match.  Also in this section are good friends Maria Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwanska, who I believe will contest the quarterfinal for this quarter.

Quarterfinal 3: Maria Kirilenko def. Agnieszka Radwanska

Fourth Quarter: The strongest section of the draw includes former World No. 1′s Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina.  Both Safina and Dementieva are coming back from injuries, back and calf respectively, and are slated to play in the third round if Safina beats Roland Garros conquerer Kimiko Date Krumm in the first round.  Maria Sharapova will take on Zheng Jie in the first round, a rematch of their Indian Wells 3rd round match in which Zheng won.  But Sharapova is playing better tennis now than she was in Indian Wells and should get through this match to reach the quarters, where I think she will face Elena Dementieva.

Quarterfinal 4: Maria Sharapova def. Elena Dementieva

Semifinals: Both semifinals should bring great tennis to the campus of Stanford University and at the top of the draw is Stosur pitted against Azarenka.  Each woman has had polar opposite years, with Stosur having her best year by reaching the Roland Garros final and with Azarenka encountering many tough loses after her breakthrough season in 2009.  In this match, I think that if Azarenka is hitting her groundstokes with conviction and depth, then she will have the oppurtunity to defeat Sam Stosur, who will bring her best to the court in the form of her serve and forehand.  But, I think at this point, that Azarenka will have the edge because of her hard court expertise and the fact that she might have more desire to perform well here than Stosur.  It will be a tight match though and whoever emerges as the winner will certainly deserve it.

Semifinal 1: Victoria Azarenka def. Sam Stosur

Victoria Azarenka will look to make a quick start in the U.S. Open Series here in Stanford.

In a potential rematch of the Australian first round, the two Marias will play each other for a spot in the final.  While Maria Kirilenko has had a great year already in 2010, you would have to back former No. 1 Maria Sharapova in this match.  Unless Sharapova is having an off day, she does everything a little better than Kirilenko, with the exception being Kirilenko’s superior movement.  Nevertheless, this should be an interesting match and should it take place would provide for some tense and intriguing sets of tennis.

Semifinal 2: Maria Sharapova def. Maria Kirilenko

Can Maria Sharapova gain avenge her first round loss in Melbourne to fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko?

Championship Match:  If Azarenka and Sharapova meet for the title come Sunday, then it will surely be a match to watch.  These women have played three times, with Sharapova winning two matches over the Belarussian last year.  Since they both have similar games,  the winner will have to be hitting cleaner, harder, and more precise than her opponent in order to be crowned champion of Stanford.  In this particular match, I believe that it will be Sharapova who does these things better than Azarenka and will subsequently win the title.

Championship: Maria Sharapova def. Victoria Azarenka

Check back later this week for late-round previews of both the Stanford and LA events.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

This preview will include 10 player profiles highlighting each individual’s chances at this event and my thoughts on who could make it all the way to the final weekend and who might be vulnerable in the early rounds. Lastly, once the draw for the tournament has been released, I will post a draw analysis to the blog, most likely Saturday afternoon or evening.

(1) Sam Stosur

Sam Stosur has had a great season so far. Can she play with the form that got her to the French Open final earlier this year once again?

Sam Stosur has had a great year coming into the U.S. Open Series; she won the clay court event in Charleston, reached the Stuttgart final, and of course she reached the final at Roland Garros. Her game is just as suited to hard courts as it is to clay, as evidenced by her semifinal run her in Stanford last year in addition to her great showing in L.A. (she made the finals). With a huge serve and booming forehand, Stosur will be one to contend with if she can keep herself positive.

2) Elena Dementieva

Elena Dementieva made the semis here in Stanford last year and went on to win the U.S. Open Series. How will she fair this year?

The last time we saw Dementieva was in a moment of agony, at least for Elena, as she was forced to retire in the French Open semifinals against the eventual champion Francesca Schiavone. Her calf tear has now healed and she is ready to make some noise on the North American hard courts once again. Last year, she had the best summer hard court season by winning the Rogers Cup and subsequently winning the U.S. Open Series. Her history in Stanford is limited, but she reached the semifinals in 2009 and will look to make it a better result this week. And if she is healthy, then there’s no limit as to how far she can go this year.

(3) Vera Zvonareva (She has since withdrawn from the event, but you can still read the profile I wrote on her.)

Vera Zvonareva made the Wimbledon final just a few weeks ago. Will that help or hurt her this week in Stanford?

Coming off a career fortnight at Wimbledon, Vera Zvonareva will look to prepare for the U.S. Open by getting some good practice in at Stanford this week. This tournament will be a good indication in determining what her current mental status is; she had a tough last day at Wimbledon, by losing both the singles and doubles finals. But, if she is mentally ready to go, then her game will follow, and that is never a good thing for her opponents.

(6) Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova looks to make an impact at the Stanford event.

Maria Sharapova has been playing progressively better this year after losing to the other Maria, Maria Kirilenko in the first round of the Australian Open. She has won two small events this year, in Memphis (hard courts) and Strasbourg (red clay) and after her encouraging performance in the French Open 3rd round, l. to Henin, and at Wimbledon, l. to S. Williams, we are due to see some stellar results from Maria once again. She played a highly anticipated match against Venus Williams in the quarterfinals last year and with no Williams sisters in the draw this week, she has just as much of a chance for the title as anyone.

(8) Yanina Wickmayer

Yanina Wickmayer, the first-time semifinalist at last year’s U.S. Open, is the 8th seed this week and although she hasn’t had the results to back up her suprising run in Flushing Meadows last year, she is always a threat on hard courts and can certainly make an impact at this tournament if she is able to get some momentum and play through a heavily stacked draw here in Stanford.

(WC) Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic, who has struggled since winning her maiden Grand Slam, looks to find her form in California.

Playing in her first event since losing first round to Shahar Peer at Wimbledon, Ana Ivanovic begins her summer for the first time in Stanford. Since she is unseeded, there is a possiblity that upon the release of the draw, she could face anyone from Maria Sharapova, Dinara Safina, or if she is lucky, a qualifier. With that being said, since winning the French Open in 2008, her main problem hasn’t been being outplayed by her opponents, it has been her inability to play up to her potential due to various problems (pressure, injuries, lack of confidence). So, if Ana is able to play her way into the event anything could be possible and at this moment the more matches she wins, the better off she is for the rest of the summer.

(WC) Dinara Safina

Dinara Safina is coming back from a back injury and hopes to get a few matches under her belt this week.

Ever since losing in the French Open final to Kuznetsova back in 2009, I feel that Dinara Safina hasn’t been the same player that she was during the 2008 summer and the first half of 2009. After being forced to retire in the Australian Open earlier this year, she was subsequently out of the game until the clay court season, where her results were dismal, with the epitome of her decline coming at Roland Garros in the first round to the 39 year-old Kimiko Date Krumm. Following this match, she withdrew from Wimbledon, again citing the back injury, and is once again coming back to the game, but this time on hard courts. Depending on her physical condition, in addition to her mental condition, Stanford will be an important event for her on the road back to the WTA Tour.

(WC)Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka can always be a threat on hard courts.

Victoria Azarenka has also had her fair share of injuries. She battled bilateral thigh injuries during the clay court season, losing first round at Roland Garros and sufferred through knee tendinitis in during the grass court season, losing in the third round of Wimbledon to Petra Kvitova. Hard courts are by far the best surface for the young Belarusian and with a favorable draw, Azarenka could make some real noise in Stanford this year.

Alisa Kleybanova

Best known for her upsets over top players, Alisa Kleybanova has the game to get her far in the WTA Tour.

Better known for her upsets over major players, Alisa Kleybanova has the game to be recognized for her own merits, but lacks the mental fortitude to get it done week after week. But there are signs of promise for the young Russian after beating Clijsters in Indian Wells and Ana Ivanovic at Roland Garros. Will this be the week she goes from being the hunter to the hunted?
Melanie Oudin

Last year

One of the only players entered in all five of the U.S. Series events, Melanie Oudin will look to make a quick start to her summer campaign this week in Stanford.  Oudin, who reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals last year, has had a mediocre year so far and based on her prior results in 2010, one would think that she wouldn’t have a chance to go very far at this event, but with the crowd on her side whenever she plays in America, she always has a fighting chance to do well in Stanford this week.

There will indeed be many things to look foward to this week in Stanford and the fans who attend the event will be very lucky to see so many marquee players taking part in this event on the campus of Stanford University.  Check back for a draw analysis on the Stanford tournament later tonight or tomorrow and a LA preview/draw analysis on Sunday.  Once again, thanks for reading my blog and comment if you anything to say.  Enjoy!

Ana Ivanovic has seen the best of times...

and the worst of times.

With the events that have transpired throughtout this past weekend, many tennis fans are left with one question: should Ana Ivanovic, the former Roland Garros champion and former World No. 1, have received a wild card to compete in the Rogers Cup, a title she previously won?  While some side with tournament director, Eugene Lapierre, many others agree that she should have gotten a wild card out of pure respect for her prior achievements.

As a fan of Ivanovic, I think that it is a shame she wasn’t awarded a wild card, but don’t find it to be a tragedy, as it will give her the oppurtunity to play some easier matches that she will have a descent chance of winning, especially coming in after playing in three consecutive tournaments in Stanford, San Diego, and Cincinnati.  So say what you will, but this could actually be what Ana needs to reignite her game to the level it was once at.

Please vote in this poll to show your opinion of the situation and feel free to comment no matter your opinion on the matter.