MELBOURNE, Australia -- The women's side is shaping up with fabulous matchups. If Venus Williams wins in the quarterfinals then it's a fascinating semifinal whether she's playing Martina Hingis or her sister, Serena Williams. The conclusion of majors don't always have these tough matchups, but this Australian Open does and that gives it an extra dimension.
|
Pam's Picks |
|
| | | Shriver |
Former WTA Tour pro Pam Shriver is providing ESPN.com with in-depth analysis throughout the Australian Open. Shriver, a tennis analyst for ESPN, reached a high ranking of No. 3 in singles with 21 titles and in doubles she won 112 titles including 22 Grand Slams. |
Martina Hingis (1) vs. Serena Williams (6)
The safe bet is with Hingis. She's playing with confidence and a little more power. She beat Williams two weeks ago in Sydney. Hingis will play at a high standard and is playing better. Williams, at her best, is the better player, but there's no telling if Serena is at her best. Serena did win her fourth-round match 6-2, 6-2 and looked like she was approaching a high standard, but she's struggled in the past on this surface. Pick: Hingis
Venus Williams (3) vs. Amanda Coetzer (10)
Venus all the way. Coetzer is one of those players who if Venus has a bad day could beat her. Coetzer beat Venus last year on clay, however Coetzer is not comfortable playing these heavy hitters. Pick: Venus
Lindsay Davenport (2) vs. Anna Kournikova (8)
Kournikova beat Davenport the last time they met in San Diego, and she has defeated her a couple of other times. However, during the big matchups, Davenport has won -- as she did comfortably in the fourth round last year at the Australian Open (1 p.m. ET ESPN Tuesday tape-delayed). Davenport has bigger weapons in her forehand, backhand and serve. While Kournikova does move better, unless Davenport plays badly that won't be enough. Pick: Davenport
Jennifer Capriati (12) vs. Monica Seles (4)
This is a fascinating head-to-head matchup between two players who have basically had two careers. In 1990, when Capriati was 14 in her first Grand Slam, she reached the semifinals of the French Open where she lost to Seles. Seles went on to win the championship in what was her first Grand Slam victory. So these two players came onto the scene about the same time. Seles was the dominant story and personality, but Capriati was also attracting attention. Then in '93 they both quit playing for different reasons. Seles was stabbed in the back during a match in Germany, and Capriati fell off track, even quitting tennis altogether for a while.
Now in the early 2000s, they are both a factor in the majors having made substantial comebacks. Seles, after being a finalist in the U.S. Open in '95, won the Australian Open in '96. Capriati did not win a match in a major tournament between '93 and '98. She recently started to become a factor in the Grand Slam events again as she reached the semifinals here last year.
They are both power players, and despite the fact that Seles seldom loses to a player ranked below her, Capriati is playing better tennis. Pick: Capriati