2013 in a nutshell

Here a quick summary of the winners and losers of 2013.

January:

Brisbane:

Winner: Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Olga Puchkova

Shenzhen:

Winner: Li Na

Wooden Spoon: Silvia Soler-Espinosa

Auckland: 

Winner: Agnieszka Radwanska

Wooden Spoon: Anastasija Sevastova

Sydney:

Winner: Agnieszka Radwanska

Wooden Spoon: Urzsula Radwanska

Hobart:

Winner: Elena Vesnina

Wooden Spoon: Hsieh Su-Wei

Melbourne:

Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Wooden Spoon: Stefanie Voegele

February:

Paris Indoors:

Winner: Mona Barthel

Wooden Spoon: Sofia Arvidsson

Pattaya:

Winner: Maria Kirilenko

Wooden Spoon: Chanelle Scheepers

Doha:

Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Wooden Spoon: Francesca Schiavone

Memphis:
Winner: Marina Erakovic

Wooden Spoon: Maria Sanchez

Bogota:

Winner: Jelena Jankovic

Wooden Spoon: Beatriz Garcia Vidagany

Dubai:

Winner: Petra Kvitova

Wooden Spoon: Varvara Lepchenko

Florianopolis:

Winner: Monica Niculescu

Wooden Spoon: Nina Bratchikova

March:

Acapulco:

Winner: Sara Errani

Wooden Spoon: Alexa Glatch

Kuala Lumpur:

Winner: Karolina Pliskova

Wooden Spoon: Kristyna Pliskova

Indian Wells:

Winner: Maria Sharapova

Wooden Spoon: Lucie Hradecka

Miami:

Winner: Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Allie Kiick

April:

Charleston:

Winner Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Yaroslava Shvedova

Monterrey:

Winner: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Wooden Spoon: Julia Cohen

Katowice:

Winner: Roberta Vinci

Wooden Spoon: Julia Goerges

Marrakech:

Winner: Francesca Schiavone

Wooden Spoon: Daniela Hantuchova

Stuttgart:

Winner: Maria Sharapova

Wooden Spoon: Samantha Stosur

Oeiras:
Winner: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Wooden Spoon: Dominika Cibulkova

May:

Madrid:

Winner: Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Camila Giorgi

Rome:

Winner: Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Francesca Schiavone

Brussels:

Winner: Kaia Kanepi

Wooden Spoon: Caroline Wozniacki

Strasbourg:

Winner: Alize Cornet

Wooden Spoon: Annika Beck

Roland Garros:

Winner: Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Coco Vandeweghe

June:

Birmingham:

Winner: Daniela Hantuchova

Wooden Spoon: Maria Joao Koehler

Nurnberg:

Winner: Simona Halep

Wooden Spoon: Jessica Pegula

Rosmalen:

Winner: Simona Halep

Wooden Spoon: Kiki Bertens

Eastbourne:

Winner: Elena Vesnina

Wooden Spoon: Sorana Cirstea

Wimbledon:

Winner: Marion Bartoli

Wooden Spoon: Irina-Camelia Begu

July:

Budapest:

Winner: Simona Halep

Wooden Spoon: Lucie Safarova

Palermo:

Winner: Roberta Vinci

Wooden Spoon: Kristina Barrois

Bastad:

Winner: Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Caroline Garcia

Bad Gastein:
Winner: Yvonne Meusburger

Wooden Spoon: Andrea Petkovic

Baku:

Winner: Elina Svitolina

Wooden Spoon: Nigina Abduraimova

Stanford:

Winner: Dominika Cibulkova

Wooden Spoon: Magdalena Rybarikova

Washington:

Winner: Magdalena Rybarikova

Wooden Spoon: Vania King

Carlsbad:

Winner: Samantha Stosur

Wooden Spoon: Monica Puig

August:

Toronto:

Winner: Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Anastasia Rodionova

Cincinnati:

Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Wooden Spoon: Jana Cepelova

New Haven:
Winner: Simona Halep

Wooden Spoon: Angelique Kerber

September:

US Open:

Winner: Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Chanel Simmonds

Quebec City:

Winner: Lucie Safarova

Wooden Spoon: Michelle Larcher de Brito

Tashkent:

Winner: Bojana Jovanovski

Wooden Spoon: Kateryna Kozlova

Guangzhou:

Winner: Zhang Shuai

Wooden Spoon: Luksika Kumkhum

Seoul:

Winner: Agnieszka Radwanska

Wooden Spoon: Chan Chin-Wei

Tokyo:
Winner: Petra Kvitova

Wooden Spoon: Anastasia Rodionova

October:

Beijing:

Winner: Serena Williams

Wooden Spoon: Venus Williams

Linz:

Winner: Angelique Kerber

Wooden Spoon: Yvonne Meusburger

Osaka:

Winner: Samantha Stosur

Wooden Spoon: Chanelle Scheepers

Luxembourg:

Winner: Caroline Wozniacki

Wooden Spoon: Irina-Camelia Begu

Moscow:

Winner: Simona Halep

Wooden Spoon: Yaroslava Shvedova

Istanbul:

Winner: Serena Williams

Sofia:

Winner: Simona Halep

Most titles: Serena Williams (11)

Worst player: Irina-Camelia Begu (2), Anastasia Rodionova (2), Francesca Schiavone (2), Yaroslava Shvedova

The you'll-never-know-what-to-expect player: Yvonne Meusburger (W-Bad Gastein, WS-Linz), Angelique Kerber (W-Linz, WS-New Haven), Francesca Schiavone (W-Marrakech, WS-Rome, Doha), Lucie Safarova (W-Quebec City, WS-Budapest), Samantha Stosur (W-Osaka, Carlsbad, WS-Stuttgart), Caroline Wozniacki, (W-Luxembourg, WS-Brussels), Magdalena Rybarikova (W-Washington, WS-Stanford), Dominika Cibulkova (W-Stanford, WS-Oeiras), Daniela Hantuchova (W-Birmingham, WS-Marrakech), 

No sisterly love: Sydney (W- Agnieszka Radwanska, WS- Urszula Radwanska), KL (W - Karolina Pliskova, WS - Kristyna Pliskova), Beijing (W -  Serena Williams, WS - Venus Williams)

Player analysis: What sets Serena Williams apart?

At the age of 32, most tennis players will be enjoying their post tennis life with a family and maybe a couple of kids. However, Serena Williams turns back the hands of time and dominated the tour with 11 titles in 2013 with an impressive 78-4 win-loss record. One must wonder, what does Serena have that makes her so damn good?

Number 1: Serve

Serena always had a massive serve and was capable of serving herself out of trouble. In the earlier stages of her career, Serena was always tempted to go for the big bombs every single time. Now, with her experience and impressive repertoire of other serves, she chooses the correct delivery. The American no longer goes for the radar gun numbers anymore, but instead places her serve which gives her the advantage. It is also extremely difficult for the opponent to read Serena's serve as she tosses it the same way for every serve. If there's a stroke where everyone should emulate, it is Serena's impressive serve.

Number 2: Fighting spirit

Serena is an expressive person and it shows on court. In her younger days, she often found herself expressing too much on court, and the opponent picked up on her vulnerability and frustration. These days, Serena fights, but only to psych herself up. She still shows moments of frailty and outbursts of anger, but she channels that energy to play even better. Not forgetting her intimidation factor. Her presence on court is so commanding that the match is sometimes lost before the opponent hits the first ball. Serena believes she will win, and the opponent sometimes is influenced too.

Number 3: Fitness

Being a naturally aggressive player, it's difficult for Serena to rein in their power and not go for outrageous shots when pulled wide. Serena's game has matured from a pure power player with almost no back up plan, to a smart tennis player who knows when to pull the trigger. Sure, the earlier Serena would have a lot of shots in the highlights reel. But it's the victory that matters; and with her improved fitness, Serena is able to stay in the point and wait for the right moment to pounce.

Number 4: Schedule

Serena is not a machine. The American needs some time off tennis to get a normal life. Very rarely will you see her play for 2 or even 3 weeks consecutively. With smart scheduling, it ensures that she doesn't burn out, and her off court endeavours gives her breathing space to reinvigorate herself.

Number 5: Commitment

What else is there for someone who has won everything that can be won? Serena is an icon and inspiration, not only to the tennis world, but to the general public. By continuing to give the best at 32, she inspires people that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. Serena can very well drop her rackets and retire on her astronomical earnings, but she knows she can make a difference, and is willing to stay committed to continue to inspire.

What's next for Serena Williams?

With 17 Grand Slam titles now, it's difficult not to think about the fabled number, 22. Will Serena equal, or even overtake Steffi's record of 22 slam titles? And will Serena's body hold up for her to achieve this number? Let's face it. Tennis these days is more about fitness than shot-making. Racket technology has transformed the game into a gladiatorial fight of sorts. Serena's recovery is not as fast now, as evidenced in the Year-End Championships. However, she does enough to claim victory nevertheless. Can she do the same 2 years down at 34? I'm sure Serena is not thinking so far ahead at 22 titles, but one can only hope Serena continues to stay healthy, because tennis greats do not come along that often.

2013 WTA awards predictions

The nominees for the WTA awards are not announced yet, except for WTA player of the year which is obviously Serena Williams. Let's make a prediction on who might walk away with these prestigious awards.

Player of the year: Serena Williams

With only 4 losses this year, it will be a travesty if Serena Williams did not win this award. Granted that 2 of her losses happened in Grand Slams, but Serena's longevity and consistency throughout this year is remarkable. Most players would be hanging up their rackets at 31, but Serena just keeps breaking records. If she continues her winning ways, she might very well replace Steffi Graf as the greatest player of all time. We are fortunate to witness history in the making.

Honorable mention: Victoria Azarenka

Only 1 player can boast that she beat Serena Williams twice in her most dominant year, and that is Victoria Azarenka. While the rest of the field quiver with fear upon facing Serena, Azarenka thrives on the challenge and always raises her level against the American. Despite a forgettable post US Open slump, Azarenka managed to defend her Australian Open crown to become a multiple slam champion. She needs to pick up her game though, as she's beginning to show signs of slowing down.

Most improved player: Simona Halep

If there is a song to describe Simona Halep's second half of the season, it would be Alicia Keys's "Girl on Fire". The Romanian went from a perennial bridesmaid to a proud owner of 5 titles in 2013. With wins over top 10 winners like Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber, it's only a matter of time before she breaks into the top 10. I expect to see the Romanian shine in 2014, and make her debut in the Year End Championships in Singapore.

Honourable mention: Sloane Stephens

Despite not winning any titles, or even reaching any finals, Sloane Stephens is knocking on the top 10's door. This is a remarkable improvement from last year, where she was just a middling top 50 player. As one of the players who defeated Serena, Sloane carried her confidence in big tournaments (perhaps a little bit too much), with good showings in Slams and the premier events. Now Sloane just needs to make less noise and let her racket do the talking, before she becomes a one season wonder.

Comeback player of the year: Jelena Jankovic

At the beginning of 2013, you would not have expected Jankovic to re-enter the top 10. She seems to be losing her motivation and there were even rumours of her retiring at the end of the year. Jelena shut all of us up as she put together a consistent, though unremarkable year to end as the world number 8. The Serbian took advantage of collapsed draws, but also sprang a few upsets of her own over Kvitova and Azarenka. Let's see if she can continue her renewed enthusiasm into 2014 and qualify for Singapore 2014.

Honourable mention: Marion Bartoli

If Marion hadn't decided to retire after her Wimbledon triumph, she would have clinched the comeback player of the year hands down. Her shock retirement is a downer, as many of her fans looked up to her as a model of persistence and determination. Well, she is a Grand Slam champion and has stated that she does not miss competing, so we have to respect her decision. Bartoli will definitely go down WTA's history as one of the tour's most quirky characters.

Newcomer of the year: Eugenie Bouchard

As the second youngest player in the top 50 (the younger one being Madison Keys), Eugenie Bouchard is quickly climbing up the rankings and will be guaranteed a seed for Australian Open. Her stellar fall results show that she's ready for the limelight, and has already claimed upsets over Ivanovic and Jankovic. If she keeps it up, we will have a new star in the making with her compact game and pleasant looks.

Honourable mention: Madison Keys

The youngest player in the top 50, Madison Keys is quickly becoming the dark horse in the tournaments she entered. With her good showings against top 10 players like Li Na and Agnieszka Radwanska, she proved that she has the game to compete with the best, and just needs to gain more experience on winning the important points. If she manages to play a disciplined power game, she has the potential to be the next Venus Williams with her booming serve.

Sofia F: Halep's got this in her bag

Simona Halep vs. Samantha Stosur

A rematch of the Moscow final where Halep won easily, it's difficult to pick against the Romanian, whose 2nd half of the year was just stellar. If not for her first half of the year, she will definitely be top 10, or even top 5. Her drastic improvement has to be accredited to her coach change, and it will be exciting to see what she can accomplish next year with the pressure on her. Samantha Stosur also "woke up" after her US Open failure, and only lost to her boogeywoman, Lucie Safarova, and Simona Halep since. Against Halep, Samantha needs to serve big and take the net to end the points early. Any long drawn rallies will inevitably end up as a backhand extended rally which Simona will come out on top 9 out of 10 times. With her patient and counterpunching play, Simona will cruise to her 6th title of the year, knocking on top 10's door.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets

Sofia SF: Halep vs Ivanovic; winner to win it all?

Samantha Stosur vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Interesting line-up here in Sofia as the players almost mirror the Moscow semi-finals, but with different match ups. Stosur is coming off an impressive fall season which saw her win in Osaka and made a final run in Moscow. Except the small blip against Ivanovic, she is almost flawless. She will be the favourite against Pavlyuchenkova as she leads the heads to heads 2-1. The indoor courts will give Stosur the added advantage as she will not shank as many balls as compared to outdoors. Pavlyuchenkova needs to serve well, but her serve is the weakest part of her game.

Pick: Stosur in 2 tight sets

Simona Halep vs. Ana Ivanovic

Yikes... The way Ana lost her match against Vesnina shows that her mental frailty is still there. That loss cause a blemish as that's her first loss in the Tournament of Champions in 3 years. Against Halep, Ivanovic will stand no chance if she chokes a lead like that. However, it's almost certain that Ivanovic won't even get that kind of lead, as Halep is just tearing up the lower tier events. Her superior record over the rest of the field shows that she's bound to clinch this title, and despite Ana's winning record over her, it is set to change. Ana needs to return very well, but her backhand weakness will be full exposed by the tactical Halep.

Pick: Halep in 2 sets