I doubt if the American, Sloane Stephens, had high expectations for herself heading into the first Grand Slam tournament of the year but I would guess she was relatively confident she would progress to the second round – at least until the draw came out. Sloane Stephens drew two-time Australian Open champion and part-time nemesis, Victoria Azarenka. Incredulously, at this year’s Australian Open, unlike 2013 when they met in the semis, both players were unseeded.
Two years ago, Sloane was seeded 29th when she played Azarenka, then world number one and defending champion, in that controversial match. Fast forward 24 months and Sloane is ranked 33 in the world and Azarenka 44, her lowest ranking since September 2007. Both have stumbled and tumbled out of the top ten but for completely different reasons. Both players have an abundance of attitude but very little confidence heading into the 2015 season.
Victoria Azarenka, with 17 career titles, first attained the number one ranking in January 2012. She has the made the semis or better at all four Slams and is a two-time Australian Open champion. In 2014, Vika suffered two debilitating foot injuries which sidelined her for five months and compelled her to conclude her season at the end of the summer hard court season. As a result of these injuries, Vika made only one final last year.
She began the current season at the Brisbane International where in the first round up match point up at 6-4, 5-4 against the Czech, Karolina Pliskova was unable to close out the three hour plus match. Certainly, she too was lacking in confidence entering the Australian Open but leading their head to head 2-0 with both wins in straight sets, Azarenka knew she could defeat Sloane on such a huge occasion at Melbourne Park.
Sloane Stephens reached a career high ranking of 11 in the world in the fall of 2013 following her amazing run to the semis at that year’s Australian Open where she defeated Simona Halep, Laura Robson and world number 3, Serena Williams in the quarters.
After losing to Azaranka in the 4th round of the 2014 Australian Open, Sloane would lose in the first round at her next two tournaments. During the 2014 season, her results were inconsistent, often losing in the first or second round to players ranked outside the top hundred. She made the 4th round at the French but lost in the first round at Wimbledon and the second round at the Open. These results are somewhat shocking given that the now 21 year old has made the fourth round or better at all four slams.
Sloane possesses a powerful serve, penetrating groundstrokes and more than adequate volleys. She is extremely athletic and an exceptional mover though she tends to hang back behind the baseline and this can at times lead to off-balance shots. By far her greatest weakness is her mental fortitude and accompanying shot selection.
In playing Azarenka for the third consecutive time at the Australian Open, Sloane often hit up the middle of the court, jamming Vika and extracting errors. She often seems to second-guess herself and consequently, fails to employ tactics that were previously successful. In addition, she frequently appears passive and disinterested on court. A few more come-ons and heightened on-court intensity, undoubtedly, would serve her well not to mention a coaching change. Coincidentally, she recently re-connected with a previous coach – Nick Saviano – the former and most recent coach of the Canadian phenomenon, Genie Bouchard.
On January 19, 2015, Azarenka defeated Stephens for the third time in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. In each of their three meetings, Stephens has only managed to win five games. To contend there is a strong mental component to their matches would be a huge understatement. As a result, Vika not only has her number, she owns her! Victoria Azarenka at twenty five years of age and Sloane Stephens at twenty-one, both have ample time to right the ship but it remains to be seen if they will employ the means necessary to return to the top of the game.
Vika is by far the more mentally fit but will her body, like Rafa Nadal’s, eventually betray her? Sloane, though an incredible athlete, is mentally fragile. Will she, like Sam Stosur, succumb to the pressure of grand slam success and expectation? The year, like Sloane – is young while the season is long. Her journey back will most definitely be challenging, but it will also be fascinating. Stay tuned.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on twitter – @caporaleemmy. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Main Photo
