Indian Wells: 14 Years of Women's WInners

[jimlosaltos]

Indian Wells has long been known as providing more equitable treatment for WTA players than many other events, notably the Madrid Masters that's underway now. It's also produced some memorable contests, and some surprise winners. Please check out the last 14 women's winners at the BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells at this link.

Here are three of what, for me at least, were the most memorable of those matches, if not the closest.

Vika Azarenka topping Serena Williams in 2016, 6–4, 6–4. It was Serena's return after a long self-imposed exile given the poor treatment she and Venus received years back in a cancelled match. This one was all smiles for the two friends holding up their trophies as the confetti fell. Vika drove Serena back with deep forehands, then when Serena tried to counter, she seemed to overhit and sprayed errors.

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Paula Badosa in 2021, on her way to world number 2, surviving a tough battle with two-time IW champ Vika, 7–6(7–5), 2–6, 7–6(7–2). Clutch serving and forehands from the Spaniard.

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Jelena Jankovic in 2010, topping then world number one Caroline Wozniaki 6-2, 6-4. TPN wrote then, as I recall, about how she had one of the few "ATP Forehands" on the WTA.

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[stroke]

That is some painful looking technique.

[jimlosaltos]

That is some painful looking technique.

Jankovic?

[stroke]

Jankovic?

All of them.

[jimlosaltos]

All of them.

Ouch!

[jimlosaltos]

All of them.

I can see that with Jankovic, and Vika was rushed a lot on her forehands in this match, since Serena started redlining.

But I thought Badosa had a good serve.

Q: If you get a second, what do you see that's wrong? Thanks.

[stroke]

There to me are a couple of significant serve technique issues with Paula's serve, which to me are super typical example of the serve technique issues of pretty all WTA players. I am no Serve Doc Pat Dougherty, in fact I posted a link on the Pat thread in which to me Pat really articulates well what the technical issues/deficiencies that are present with almost all WTA players serve technique. That being said, there is still one exception to me, Samantha Stosar. But back to Paula and that still shot you posted, my take would be she over rotates(her head just after contact is facing way too much forward, to me a painful head neck position) and she I would say long arms the ball. In other words, no "snap" on the motion. I consider players like Sampras, Roddick, Goran, Wayne Arthurs, Karlovic, the gold standard for this snap. If you were to look a a still shot of their serve technique at the same point in time as the one you posted with Paula, it would be a night and day comparison.

[stotty]

I think teaching female players is very different from males. I have taught many good level junior players and one thing I have noticed is that boys can often naturally overcome technical problems whereas girls seldom do. For example, 95% of helicopter backswings will naturally disappear with boys as they get older whereas, conversely, 95% of girls them will be stuck with their helicopter backswing unless it's coached out of them.

It takes a lot of coaching skill to get girls out of these roadblocks. Serving is something girls find particularly difficult and coaches have to follow a strict coaching method to succeed.

Always judge a coach by the girls he teaches. not the boys.

[jimlosaltos]

There to me are a couple of significant serve technique issues with Paula's serve, which to me are super typical example of the serve technique issues of pretty all WTA players. I am no Serve Doc Pat Dougherty, in fact I posted a link on the Pat thread in which to me Pat really articulates well what the technical issues/deficiencies that are present with almost all WTA players serve technique. That being said, there is still one exception to me, Samantha Stosar. But back to Paula and that still shot you posted, my take would be she over rotates(her head just after contact is facing way too much forward, to me a painful head neck position) and she I would say long arms the ball. In other words, no "snap" on the motion. I consider players like Sampras, Roddick, Goran, Wayne Arthurs, Karlovic, the gold standard for this snap. If you were to look a a still shot of their serve technique at the same point in time as the one you posted with Paula, it would be a night and day comparison.

I remember Stosur, aka Slammin' Sammy, well. Hit heavy kick serves and loads of top spin on her forehand. These two are from 2010/11 at Stanford.

Thanks !

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[jimlosaltos]

A digression, but the second photo always reminds me of the movie "Downhill Racer" from 1969.

Stosur looks like Robert Redford's character (or rather his stunt double) running over Giant Slalom gates, one ski in the air, much of his body going inside the gate. Same tilt, same balance.