For a while, it seemed as if Coco Vandeweghe was a lost cause on clay. After all, she had barely registered any wins on the surface and was excelling on the hard and grass courts, making the clay an afterthought. However, this clay season we have seen a different Vandeweghe on the dirt. Suddenly, Vandeweghe looks like a real factor in the clay court season and, perhaps, even a threat for the title at the French Open.
Before 2014, Coco Vandeweghe had not even won a WTA Tour-level match on clay in her entire life. The clay courts seemed like they wouldn't fit her powerful, first-strike tennis game, however, and the results backed up this notion. Even in 2014, she only had one win on clay, beating Iveta Melzer in the First Round before being convincingly beaten by Ekaterina Makarova in the Second Round. This was the same year that Coco won her first title, on a grass court in s'Hertogenbosch, so the difference between surfaces for Vandeweghe was very pronounced at this point.
In 2015, Vandeweghe only won two clay court matches, compiling a 2-5 record on the dirt, including Fed Cup. In Paris that year, Vandeweghe lost in the First Round to Julia Goerges. Again, the differences between her game on grass and clay were pronounced. At Wimbledon in 2015, she made the Quarterfinals, coming within one set of the semis before losing to Maria Sharapova. It seemed as if Vandeweghe would never show great results on clay, and this was seemingly confirmed by another lackluster clay court season in 2016 (including Fed Cup), where Coco went 1-4, her only victory coming in a three-setter at Roland Garros. Last year, Vandeweghe won s'Hertogenbosch again, which once again proved that she was playing good tennis, just not on clay.
Perhaps it was the 2017 Australian Open that gave Vandeweghe more confidence, which has been able to convert to the clay courts. During this year's Australian Open, Vandeweghe played spectacular tennis. Coco only dropped one set and came within one set of the Final before losing to Venus Williams in three sets in the Semifinals. Vandeweghe was "in the zone" for much of the tournament, and this was highlighted by a stomping of defending French Open champion Garbine Muguruza in the Quarterfinals. Vandeweghe seemingly couldn't miss and played precision power tennis, taking the racquet out of Muguruza's hands. She won the match 6-4, 6-0 and displayed, with the exception of Serena in Australia, the highest quality of tennis in that match that I have seen all season.
This match surely must have given Vandeweghe the confidence, if she didn't already have it, that she could play with the elites in the game and be a force on the WTA Tour. Not everyone in the tennis world likes her unfiltered attitude, but I find it refreshing to see a player not feel the need to act like a public relations employee at every moment. This is not a knock on people who are very careful in what they say, but there is something refreshing about Coco's attitude.
Coco went on a slump following her run in Australia, and it seemed like she might have to wait until the grass court season to regain her form. After a couple wins in Fed Cup, she lost in the First Round of Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami, which included shocking losses to Alison Riske and Jana Cepelova. However, on the green clay of the Fed Cup, with American support, Coco finally found her game again. Vandeweghe beat Vondrousova and Siniakova in straight sets, never losing more than four games in the process. She followed this up with a win against Kontaveit in Stuttgart, before falling in a hotly-contested match against Pliskova.
Vandeweghe then moved on to Madrid, where she has blossomed. After beating Kontaveit again in the First Round, Coco followed that up by beating recent Stuttgart champion Laura Siegemund in a three-setter, a surprising win for Coco given her lack of good results on the surface and Siegemund's great clay court play. Today, Coco then followed up that win with a huge result against Carla Suarez Navarro. Not only was Suarez Navarro playing in her home country, but her best surface is by far clay.
It would have been easy for Vandeweghe to fold, especially after she lost a tight first set 7-4. However, Coco wouldn't go away. Vandeweghe won the second set 6-4, and despite going down 3-0 in the third set, clawed her way to a three set victory, 7-5 in the third. This was a huge victory for Coco, and was confirmation that she could definitely play on the dirt. Yes, Madrid is at a high altitude, and thus, it helps power players, as the ball flies through the air. But, beating players so great on clay courts, such as Siegemund and Suarez Navarro says a lot more than about the altitude alone.
Since Frencesca Schiavone in 2010, the French Open has had a player that one couldn't refer to as a traditional "clay courter" win the title. In 2011, Li Na won the title, while Sharapova took the title in 2012 and 2014. In 2013 and 2015, Serena Williams won at Roland Garros, while in 2016, Garbine Muguruza lifted the winner's trophy. In my opinion, there is nothing stopping Vandeweghe from winning the title in this wide open women's field, given Serena's pregnancy. Power players can still win on clay, and if Vandeweghe plays up to her capabilities, she can beat anyone in the field, no matter the surface.
No matter the result of her match against Simona Halep in the Madrid Quarterfinals, Coco Vandeweghe has proven that she can play on clay. And, quite frankly, that should scare the rest of the WTA.
No comments:
Post a Comment