I, like many others, have been part of that doubting Thomases crowd, not really believing that Caroline Wozniacki actually deserves that #1 ranking. Anyhow, since the ranking system is really based on the points won during the tour, we cannot argue against performance, even if those wins were in smaller tournaments compared to the Grand Slams - which are really like the Olympics of tennis.
These past two weeks though, I have seen why Caroline is the #1 player in the world. I believe that she will win a Grand Slam title soon and maybe a couple more. At a very young age, she has already the mental toughness, the clever play and the array of shots needed to win a Grand Slam. In this Australian Open though, she was thwarted by Li Na, who just really was more aggressive in the last few games of the third set. Also, Caroline, allowed Li Na to win several key points when they were 5-all in the second set.
But I don't feel too bad for Caroline. Only 20, and already a semifinalist here, she will have many more chances in the future, as compared to Li Na, who's already 28. In my opinion, Caroline just needs to be more aggressive and really dictate the points, especially when the opponent across the net is as tenacious as Li. Her defensive skills against Li and Schiavone were impressive! I can only think of Jankovic and Dementieva who have those abilities to really make the opponent play an extra ball!
Well, from what I see now, Caroline will continue to be a threat in all the Grand Slams, and I won't be surprised if she reaches the semi's or better in the 3 next Grand Slams this year. She came here to the Australian Open not quite prepared. I'm sure as the year progresses, she will continue to beef up her mental and shots armory.
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