The Deuce Court: 8 Women's Must-See First-Rounders

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Yesterday on The Deuce Court, we looked at some of the most mouth watering men's first round matchups. Today, we'll flip the dial and look at what's happening on the women's side in the first round.

Click here for the day 1 Australian Open Order of Play

1. Lucie Safarova vs. Christina McHale: American tennis fans might be surprised to know that the 19-year-old New Jersey-ite is ranked 2nd to only Serena Williams when it comes to American Women. McHale scored many convincing wins last year, Caroline Wozniacki, Marion Bartoli and Svetlana Kuznetsova among them) and while she may be 18 spots behind Safarova in the rankings, she is not a heavy underdog in this match by any means.

2. Victoria Azarenka vs. Heather Watson: Watson, one of two young Brits that experts are high on (Laura Robson being the other) faces a heavy challenge in Victoria Azarenka in the first round. Azarenka, seeded No. 3 and fresh of the Sydney title, is a clear contender for the title, and many feel that this could be the year she finally takes the final step in her maturation. Watson, meanwhile, proved that she enjoys the spotlight when she nearly upset Maria Sharapova in the first round of the US Open last year. She is now doubt relishing the opportunity to take a shot at another well-established player.

3. Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands: This should be an interesting study in contrast, with the crafty, agile and wonderfully cerebral Radwanska pitted against the brash go-for-brokeness that is Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

4. Serena Williams vs. Tamira Paszek: They each reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year before falling out, but beyond that, the comparisons between the 13-time Grand Slam singles winner Williams and Paszek, who is currently ranked No. 45 in the world, end. Most will be watching this match to see how much Serena Williams is hindered or not hindered by her recently-injured ankle, and if it ends up being competitive, that will be gravy for the paying customers.

5. Madison Keys vs. Zheng Jie: A resurgent Jie, a year removed from wrist surgery, appears to have regained her singles mojo. The diminutive Chinese took her first title in five years in Brisbane, and she promises to be a big challenge in a small package for the very young, very raw, yet very promising 16-year-old American.

6. Samantha Stosur vs. Sorana Cirstea: Stosur has fallen into a bit of a post-glory slumber, winning only one of her first three matches of 2012. She will play her first Grand Slam tennis since defeating Serena Williams in last year's US Open final, and her opponent, long-noted for her promise, will no doubt feel inspired to keep Stosur on the snooze. Cirstea, a former French Open quarterfinalist and a former No. 23 in the world, comes to Melbourne in good form, having nearly made the semis in Hobart.

7. Maria Sharapova vs. Gisela Dulko: Maria has not been in action since she gruesomely sprained her ankle at the WTA Championships in Turkey. It was yet another injury-related setback for the valiant Russian, who has never lost her belief, or her incredible will to win, during her well-documented return to the top of the sport. But Dulko will present a daunting challenge for Sharapova, especially since Sharapova is likely to be shaking off rust in the early going, and may or not be experiencing some mobility issues.

8. Kimiko Date-Krumm vs. Eleni Daniilidou: Hey, anytime you get to watch a 41-year-old woman compete for the second round of a Grand Slam, that's must-see tennis. End of story.

Reading the Tennis Tea Leaves: Who is Trending Up?

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It's been a tumultuous week of tennis, and today I'm going to try to make sense of some of the madness by attempting to quantify the early achievements that we've witnessed in Brisbane, Perth, Auckland, Doha and Chennai.

In keeping with the spirit of making sense of the madness, I've elected to go with a nice easy bullet format, so, without any further ado...

• Aussie Kim is Emerging as an Australian Open favorite -- There were moments during her straight set victory over Iveta Benesova last night where I became convinced that Clijsters is going to be the best player on the WTA tour through the Olympics this year. She was tattooing the ball early and often last night, from both sides, and it was easy to see that this was not the same Clijster's who didn't even bother limping to the finish line in 2011. A myriad of injuries caused Kim to pretty much throw in the towel before Wimbledon last year, but if last night's version of Aussie Kim is any indication, she's hell bent on starting the year with a bang. She was certainly banging last night, and what impressed me most of all was her movement. Precise footwork and keen fitness will allow Clijsters -- should she manage to stay healthy -- to produce a daunting blend of knock-your-socks-off power and keep-the-point-alive defense that is sure to make her a very scary opponent in Melbourne.
  

• Dolgopolov Top Ten? -- I don't know if "The Dog" will ever be one of the more consistent players on tour, but man is this guy electric. Of all the guys on tour, is there any player who has a game that resembles a 4th of July fireworks display more closely than Dolgopolov? This guy is exploding bottle rockets all the way. He may not be a fixture in Grand Slam semifinals this year, but if dolgopolov does go deep in a Slam, get your popcorn ready and your DVD set to "record."

• Kaia Kanepi Surging -- A powerful display that featured 12 aces and a whole lot of sizzling forehands left the Estonian among the last four in Brisbane. She's currently ranked No. 34, but reached as high as No. 16 in 2011. Could this be the beginning of another push for her?

• How will Serena's ankle affect her chances in Melbourne? -- I think the ankle will limit Serena's already limited mobility, and that will be a hindrance for her in Melbourne, should she be fit enough to play, for sure. That said, if there is anyone on the women's side who can overcome mobility with a parade of aces and winners it is Serena. Still, I think this will hurt her chances of returning to the Grand Slam winner's circle quite a bit.

• Tsonga at a new level? -- Doesn't it seem like the always brilliant Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has turned a corner of late? He was always pure poetry in motion, but now he seems less prone to the walkabout virus that continues to plague his friend Gael Monfils. I think the Frenchman, with all his firepower and shotmaking prowess, could make a push to enter the top four.

• Li Na has something to prove, and that is a good thing -- The 2011 French Open champion didn't like the way the rest of 2011 went down, and she's apparently out to prove that she can not only regain the form that saw her play two consecutive Grand Slam finals in 2011, she can do better. Li busted her hump in Munich during the off-season, and here's what she had to say about the experience.
  

  “The training lasted four weeks. Like no photo-shooting, no interviews, just only training, very tough, like six hours a day for training. Two or three hours for tennis but most was for fitness because I want to keep healthy and stay for whole season.

  “Before I always have knee injury and some back injury so I couldn’t finish whole season and I didn’t want to do that again. I know now I’m not young anymore – I didn’t have time to waste. I have to focus every tournament, every second, so that’s why I stay in Munich for long time just to keep body healthy and strong.”

• Tomic on the up -- the 19-year-old Aussie has made his first quarterfinal on home soil, and he's added a little muscle (3kg) to help him add some power to his already nuanced game. He'll play a winnable match against Denis Istomin for a spot in the semifinals, where either Andy Murray or Marcos Baghdatis will be waiting.
  

• Different year, same grinders -- How nice is it to see that heart and soul veterans Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova have already made their first semifinals of the year? I know it's far-fetched, but is there anybody out there who wouldn't enjoy seeing these two battlers reprising their friendly rivalry in a Grand Slam final?
  

• Masha? -- Well, Serena's got ankle issues and so does Maria Sharapova. But Maria's injury, which happened in October, is a bit more concerning. It's been almost three months and if she plays Melbourne, she'll be coming in with zero matches under her belt.

US Open: The Top 8 Quotes of The First 8 Days

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If you were expecting anything other than a fantastic first week at the US Open, then you were pleasantly surprised. As for those of us who live for Grand Slam tennis, we got what we wanted—a week so full of buzz and momentous occasions, you'd need several arms to have enough fingers to count them all.

Enjoy the video above to relive some of the glory of the week that was, then drop below to read the top 8 quotes of the first 8 days of the US Open.

1.  "Definitely not." -- Donald Young, with a wry smile, on whether it was possible that his twitter war with the USTA was a good thing.

2.  "I mean, I'm sure a lot of people were surprised because it was him that was cramping. But Rafa's human. I think some people forget that sometimes." -- Andy Murray, nonplussed, on Rafael Nadal's cramping in a press conference.

3.  "You always want to know what it is precisely? I don't even know what it means, so I don't know." -- Tomas Berdych, perturbed, when being grilled by the press after retiring from his 3rd round match against Janko Tipsarevic due to a shoulder injury.

4.  "I have no idea...that's a silly question. I'm sorry." -- Victoria Azarenka, perplexed, when asked how great the distance is between Serena and the rest of the field.

5.  "I just got out of High School. Yeah, obviously when you play on Arthur Ashe at the US Open it feels a lot different than playing at Blue Valley North High School in May at the state championship." -- Jack Sock, appreciative, on the thrill of playing bright lights, big city tennis.

6.  "That hurts watching, at least for me. I'd be out for a year...life." -- John McEnroe, amazed, on Serena Williams doing the splits in her 3rd round match against Victoria Azarenka.

7.  "I'll call you in a few days and let you know." -- Maria Sharapova, smugly, when asked what she was going to do in order to regain her "A" game.

8.  "Even though I lost the match, it was a good feeling." -- Gael Monfils, touchingly naive, on how wonderful it was to receive a standing ovation after his 5-set loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Sharapova: "I didn't feel comfortable"

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A tough loss for Maria Sharapova yesterday against Flavia Pennetta, but it's been a great year for Maria. She's returned to the top 5, reached the Wimbledon final (French Open semis, too), and reinforced her reputation as one of the hardest working, most intense players on the tour.

Still, this one has to sting. And it also makes us wonder: What's next for Maria? Now that she's established her top 5 ranking again, will she go back and shore up her serving issues so that she can put herself in a position to win more Slams?

It would be the logical step for Sharapova, but it's one she's needed to make for a few years, and hasn't. What is keeping her from improving her serve, and is there a coach who can help her get things sorted out? Thomas Hogstedt is getting the big bucks as her coach, but he doesn't appear to be helping Maria get the serve firing on all cylinders.

2 years after her return from shoulder surgery, it's still the pink elephant in the room, the fifty million dollar question, and a big reason why this press conference is so subdued. Tossing 12 double faults and getting broken 7 times is simply too much to overcome, even for a fierce competitor and world class ball striker like Maria

Upset Special: Pennetta Outlasts Sharapova

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Flavia Pennetta ended Maria Sharapova's 12-match winning streak in matches that have gone the distance, and just like that another crater-sized hole has opened up in the women's singles draw at the 2011 US Open.

Three of the top six seeds are already gone, and with No. 4 seed Victoria Azarenka playing Serena Williams tomorrow, we could have a 4th round that features only two of the top six seeds, and only three of the top eight.

Pennetta, who has now defeated Sharapova 2 consecutive times, will attempt to reach her third US Open quarterfinal when she plays Shuai Peng of China in the 4th round.

After a hard fought third set in front of a lively crowd on Arthur Ashe, Pennetta admitted that she was shaking due to nerves. If she had known about Sharapova's impressive third set winning streak, it could have been worse. "I didn't know that," said Pennetta, when Darren Cahill told her after that match that Maria had not lost a three-set match this year. "It's a good thing," she added.

Pennetta is 4-0 vs. Peng, including two three-setters at the US Open, but she's not taking anything for granted. "Tennis, it's something crazy. You have to be on the court until the last point."

In 2009, Pennetta reached a career-high ranking and became the first Italian woman to crack the WTA's top ten after a 15-match winning streak in the summer. She then rode the momentum to her memorable 4th round victory over Vera Zvonareva at the 2009 US Open. The New York crowds seemed to remember Pennetta well, and showed unwavering support for her throughout today's match.

A dejected Sharapova came into New York as one of the players with the best chance to win the title, after reaching the Wimbledon final and returning to the top 5 for the first time since shoulder surgery temporarily derailed her career in 2009.

Archie's Picks: Sharapova-Kvitova

Archie went with his heart and it cost him his perfect record as Petra Kvitova won Wimbledon today.

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This pick didn't make it to press before the match but I swear to you it's official. So the big boy is 8 for 9 heading into the final. No shame in that whatsoever.

Without any further ado, here is Archie's Sharapova-Kvitova pick.

See Archie's French Open picks here.

See Archie's Djokovic-Tomic pick here.

See Archie's Federer-Tsonga pick here.

See Archie's Nadal-Fish pick here.

See Archie's Murray-Lopez pick here.

See Archie's Kvitova-Azarenka pick here.

See Archie's Sharapova-Lisicki pick here.

See Archie's Djokovic-Tsonga pick here.

See Archie's Nadal-Murray Pick here.

Archie's Pick: Sharapova

Why: Because, like many dogs, he loves her.

My Pick: Kvitova

Why: She's a grass burner, and she was my pre-tourney pick to win (though I still didn't crack the top 1,000 on Tennis Channel's Racquet Bracket).

The Long Hard Road

Could this be the week that Maria Sharapova finally cracks the WTA top ten again?

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I came across a stunning stat last week while perusing my WTA notes: Maria Sharapova has not been ranked in the top ten since January 30th, 2009. I knew it had been a while, but I had no idea that it has been over two years. Wow.

That could all be changing next week in Miami as the current No. 13-ranked Sharapova has zero points to defend, and two players ranked just above her (Venus Williams and Marion Bartoli) have 700 and 450 respectively to defend. Also working in Maria's favor is the fact that a third player ranked above her is Serena Williams, but she's only ahead by the thinnest of margins (9 points).

One win will leapfrog Sharapova past both Williams sisters (who are inactive this week). That leaves Marion Bartoli, who was a semifinalist last year, as Maria's final hurdle to end an exasperating 26-month period of non top-ten rankings. (Provided that she isn't passed by Kuznetsova, Radwanska, or Kanepi, who aren't far behind her-- see below).

It's outrageous to think that it has taken this long for Sharapova to reach the top ten. When she stormed to the French Open quarterfinals in only her second tournament back (May, '09) from shoulder surgery, it seemed as though Maria would be a cinch for the top-ten by the end of the season.

Nearly two years later, we're still waiting. That 2009 French Open performance ended in a lopsided defeat at the hands of Dominika Cibulkova, and Maria has gone seven straight Slams without getting to the quarters since.

It has been a bumpy ride, to say the least.

The list of challenges that Maria has faced in these last two very trying years is long: there were tough draws, brought about by a low ranking; there was trepidation in her game, brought about by learning to serve with a surgically repaired shoulder; there was an elbow problem that kept her from gaining momentum in 2010. There is also the fact that the women's game places more emphasis on fitness, quickness, and agility than ever before -- these are not exactly Sharapova's greatest strengths.

In spite of it all, Maria has been close. Oh, so close.

And never, not even for a nanosecond, during the whole frustrating period of nagging injuries, near misses and inexplicably bad losses (21 double-faults vs. Oudin, 3 match points vs. Clijsters, 72 unforced errors vs. Kirilenko) has she ever wavered in intensity.

A lot of weaker players might have considered giving up the chase, or at least hanging their head and crying about it.

Not Sharapova. She's done neither, and 26-months after a 10-month hiatus, she's ready to make a statement to the rest of the tour. It's one that she's been making all along, but now she'll have the ranking to back it up: I'M STILL HERE, AND I'M STILL DANGEROUS.

It hasn't been the greatest two years of Sharapova's career by any stretch, but it has been entertaining.

Her trials and tribulations have provided us with a unique glimpse into the character of Sharapova, and the experience has been eye-opening for those who underestimated her love for the sport. We have been witness to the epic courage of the 6'2" Russian as she has fought tooth and nail to become relevant in the sport again.

Two years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that we'd ever see it as a grand accomplishment for Maria Sharapova -- a three-time Grand Slam Champion -- to reach the top ten, but considering how much she's struggled, it is how it should be perceived.

Just a month shy of her 24th birthday, Sharapova appears determined to find a way back to the top of the sport.

One thing's for certain: if she doesn't make it, nobody will fault her for not trying.