Starting on December 7—the 25th day left in 2010—TENNIS.com will countdown from the year-end No. 25 on both tours with "The Last Word," a look back at the year that was and a look ahead at the season to come. Here's who we've looked at so far.
Best of 2010
When is a Slam quarterfinal a good result? When you maul Kim Clijsters 6-0, 6-1 in the third round, follow that with a win over Svetlana Kuznetsova, then play Justine Henin tough—7-6 (3), 7-5—in defeat. That’s how Petrova kicked off her Grand Slam season in Melbourne.
Worst of 2010
When is a Slam quarterfinal a bad result? When you outlast an opponent 10-8 (in the third set) in the third round, inspire confidence with a fourth-round victory over Venus Williams, win the first set of your quarterfinal with Elena Dementieva…and then win just two more games the rest of the way. At Roland Garros, one of the two Russian underachievers had to advance.
Year in Review
Watch Petrova on the right day and you’ll leave wondering how she’s not in the Top 5. Her shots are cleanly struck and with plenty of power behind them. Most of the time. The bad days—and these tend to take place in the late rounds of majors—see Petrova wilt under ever-accumulating pressure. Petrova has reached the quarterfinals of a major nine times but has never made it to a Slam final. Her play in 2010—exceptional at times, erratic at others—was nothing new. She lost in the first round at Flushing Meadows to Andrea Petkovic, though in Petrova’s defense, she did reach the New Haven final, which took place days before the U.S. Open began.
See for Yourself
I’ll remember Petrova’s whitewashing of Clijsters at the Australian Open more than any of her disappointing defeats. Here’s the finishing touches:
The Last Word
Petrova is due to break through at a major, but didn’t we say that about Dementieva? I wouldn’t write her off yet, and she’s a good sleeper candidate for your Australian Open pool at the office. But there’s a reason she’s not a first round pick.
—Ed McGrogan