World number one women’s tennis player, Serena Williams looked fierce in a black crop top and matching leggings at the Australian Open Players’ Party which held in Melbourne, Australia. Williams pulled out of the Hopman Cup two weeks ago due to inflammation in her knee, but she says entering Melbourne that her knee is a non-factor.
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She skipped the remainder of the year to recuperate, also indicating the mental pressure to achieve the grand slam had taken a toll as she admitted her heart had been broken by the defeat to Italy’s Roberta Vinci.
William’s biggest threat is Victoria Azarenka.
Despite Serena’s dominance, and deserved favourite tag, it seems like the victor of the Australian Open on the women’s side this year will be the player who is most able to turn around hard recent times.
“I think where Djokovic excels is just the physical – like Brad said – the defence, the offence”, ESPN’s Chris Evert said in the conference call, “and he’s mentally just head and shoulders above everyone else”.
Amid questions on Saturday about her fitness and forearm injury and hopes for a second Australian crown, Sharapova was asked whether she had ever had any trouble with lost clothes or laundry on tour.
The floater in that quarter of the draw is No. 13 Milos Raonic, who plays Lucas Pouille of France in the first round. “She’s a great champion, and maybe she will surprise me there again”.
Despite feeling good in practice, Sharapova said, it’s a lack of matches rather than any kind of superstition which prevents her looking too far ahead. I mean, I didn’t have the match play that I wanted to have, ‘ she said, a clear contradiction.
Sharapova, the 2008 champion, said her restricted preparation was purely precautionary.
For both draws, the most anticipated viewing was which quarter would have formidable No. 5 seeds Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova.
Stan Wawrinka defeated him in the French Open final, denying him a collection of grand slam titles; Andy Murray had his opportunity in last year’s Australian Open final; Roger Federer went 4-for-23 on break points in losing the U.S. Open final, and the Swiss also stretched Djokovic to four more sets at Wimbledon.
The world No 1 insisted she was “actually really fine”, and added: “I don’t have any inflammation any more”.
According to Centre Daily William’s has won the Australian Open six times previously (’03, ’05, ’07, ’09, ’10, ’15), boasts five singles titles in 2015, and 69 career singles titles. She’s been grinning and bearing through some achilles difficulty, getting regular rubdowns on her left leg and trying to fight through the pain. She defeated the likes of Ana Ivanovic, Garbine Muguruza, Caroline Wozniacki, Aga Radwanska, Simona Halep, and Serena Williams all in 2015.
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Tennis: Maria Sharapova spoke to Fox Sports’ Julian de Stoop about how she copes with the hot temperatures in Australia and what her priorities are for 2015.
