Tag: Li Na

American Women Have Solid Australian Open

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Sloane Stephens’ upset of Serena Williams in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Australian Open showed she had the potential to be a difference maker. A year later Stephens has proven to be a solid performer in the Grand Slams and Williams is hitting on all cylinders despite being a year older.

Unfortunately, both players fared better in the 2013 Open than this year. In 2014, they each won three matches before bowing out in the round of 16.

Americans Lauren Davis and Alison Riske had solid tournaments, winning two rounds before dropping out in the round of 32.

Madison Keys, Irina Falconi, Varvara Lepchenko, and Christina McHale posted 1-1 records. All lost in the second round.

Sachia Vickery, Venus Williams, Vania King, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands each dropped their first round matches.

Overall the American women won 14 matches and lost 12.

The real story is the impact that Na Li’s victory will have on the sport. Reportedly, more than 120 million fans in China cheered her on as she won the title on her third attempt. Her accomplishments will likely spawn a tennis boom in China. Greater interest in this market may increase the importance of the Australian Open as a Grand Slam.

Na LI’s victory raises a series of questions. Will 2014 be a year where the tested veterans such as Williams and Li dominate? Will the next level of pros such as Sharapova and Azarenka  visit the winner’s circle more often in 2014? Will the younger crowd (Simona Halpe, Sloane Stephens, Eugenie Bouchard) play deeper into the tournaments?

Check back a year from now for more answers about the American women.

 

A Shift in Power for the Grand Slams?

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Without a doubt Wimbledon is the premier tennis tournament in the world. It was the first held in 1877 and is the oldest Grand Slam. The inaugural U.S. Championships where held four years later, in 1881, followed by the French Open in 1891. Finally, the first Australian Open was held in 1905.

With the increased importance of China, India, and surrounding countries, a shift in power may be in place that favors the Australian Open. This shift would be driven by the increased population and television viewership in these countries and the fact that they are in the same time zone as Australia.

This is illustrated by the following summary of viewership for select Grand Slam events.

U.S. Open

  • 2012 US Open Men’s Finals – 16.2 million viewers watched Djokovic beat Murray (Source: AP).
  • 2012 US Open Women’s Finals – 17.7 million viewers watched Serena Williams beat Vika Azarenka (Source: AP).
  • 2002 US Open Women’s Finals – 20.1 million viewers watched Serena Williams beat Venus Williams (Source: AP)

French Open

  • 2011 French Open Women’s Finals – 65 million viewers in China watched Li Na defeat Francesca Schiavone (Source: Xinhua)
  • 2011 Australian Open Women’s Finals – 135 million viewers in China watched Li Na lose to Kim Clijsters. (Source: Sydney Morning Herald).
  • 2013 Australian Open Women’s Finals – The projected viewership in China was estimated to be greater than 200 million for finals – Vika Azarenka beat  Li Na. (Source: Sydney Morning Herald).

The increased prominence of the Asian market will ultimately impact the other Grand Slam events and the relative strength of tennis in the U.S. Consider the following questions:

Despite its tradition, will the Australian Open continue to reside “Down Under”, or will it be relocated to a more centrally located  Asian-Pacific city?

  • How much will the prestige and importance of the Australian Open increase given the size of the Asian market?
  • Will other majors be added to accommodate tennis in Asia?
  • How much will excitement over players such as Li Na increase the number of participants in China and around the world?
  • How will increased viewership in Asia impact the role of the USTA in global tennis?
  • With projected growth of the sport in Asia, will American players ever dominate the Grand Slams to the extent that the Williams sisters have?
  • Because of the time zone difference, will the U.S. be able to capitalize off the projected increase in popularity of tennis in Asia.

It will be interesting to see what changes occur in the Grand Slams over the next ten years.