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
A big girl (conservatively listed at 5’11”, 163 pounds), Kanepi specialized in making big statements in 2010. She qualified for both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, fought Jelena Jankovic tough for three sets in Paris and pushed Petra Kvitova to the limit in a thrilling 8-6 in-the-third loss in the quarters of SW19.
Worst of 2010
With her big serve and heavy groundstrokes, Kanepi could have done some damage at the two big U.S. hard-court Masters of the early spring, Indian Wells and Miami. But she went down in flames in the first round at both of them.
Year in Review
Kanepi started 2010 barely inside the Top 60 and did her due diligence at sub-tour ITF events, including Cagnes and Saint Guadens, where she put together a 10-match winning streak to earn both titles. That set her up for her runs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and established herself as a solid Top 25 performer. She maintained her place in the pecking order for the rest of the year.
See for Yourself
You can see both the power Kanepi has—as well as her relatively poor movement—in this clip from her upset of Yanina Wickmayer at the U.S. Open:
The Last Word
Kanepi, the first highly ranked WTA pro from Estonia, is 25 years old, so it’s risky to say that she’s going to develop a great deal more. Kanepi is at her best when she can stand and slug; her size and relatively poor mobility will always make her vulnerable to players who are nimble and consistent enough to jerk her around the court.
—Peter Bodo