Have you forgotten about our promise that we will award the best predictor of the 2013 WTA year-end ranking with a Top 10 player’s autograph? Well, Women’s Tennis Blog and its faithful contributor John Bolan are always keeping promises and now we’re excited to see which one of you was the best foreteller back in January 2013 and how good John himself was regarding the Top 10 prediction. Let’s give the word to John.
In January, The Women’s Tennis Blog published my Top 10 picks for 2013. Since the WTA tournaments for 2013 are over, it is time to look back and see how the final standings compare to the predictions.
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BOLAN’S JANUARY PREDICTIONS
1. Maria Sharapova
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Agnieszka Radwanska
4. Serena Williams
5. Li Na
6. Caroline Wozniacki
7. Samantha Stosur
8. Petra Kvitova
9. Sara Errani
10. Angelique Kerber
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ACTUAL YEAR-END TOP 10
1. Serena Williams
2. Victoria Azarenka
3. Li Na
4. Maria Sharapova
5. Agnieszka Radwanska
6. Petra Kvitova
7. Sara Errani
8. Jelena Jankovic
9. Angelique Kerber
10. Caroline Wozniacki
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There was only one incorrect pick! Wow, this is my best ever. My Top 5 were correct, but completely out of order with the exception of Azarenka at number two. The fans using the comment section to submit their own picks also had their best year ever. No fan missed more than four except for Tulp who actually had one winner. Six fans only missed one. Not one of us picked Jelena Jankovic to finish in the Top 10. She finished eighth.
The two biggest issues affecting the outcome this year were Marion Bartoli’s retirement after Wimbledon and Maria Sharapova’s injured shoulder. Bartoli would have been a sure Top 10 finisher if she would have completed the year. She could have easily been in the Top 5. Injuries are usually the big wildcard in picking the Top 10, but this year only the injury to Sharapova had any outcome on the Top 10 and then only in its order. With the tremendous year Serena Williams posted, even a healthy Sharapova would have only finished second. Serena had her best year of her career in 2013. I have never seen her so determined and focused on her game. She was so strong at an age when many players are thinking about retiring.
The amazing statistic about the Top 10 for 2013 is that it is almost identical to the Top 10 for 2012. The only exception is Jankovic replaced Stosur. This is a very rare occurrence and will not happen again in 2014 with Simona Halep, Sloane Stephens, Sabine Lisicki, Ana Ivanovic and Carla Suarez Navarro knocking on the door. Also, Vera Zvonareva and Andrea Petkovic are returning after injuries and will try to reclaim their former Top 10 positions. Then there are youngsters and veterans and some of Tulp’s picks who could surprise in 2014. Tulp has listed his Top 10 players based on his heart. Here are mine: Olga Savchuk, Alla Kudryavtseva, Sesil Karatantcheva, Galina Voskoboeva, Vania King, Michelle Larcher De Brito, Dominika Cibulkova, Ajla Tomljanovic, Sabine Lisicki, and Heidi El Tabakh. Good luck to all in 2014.
The six fans with only one incorrect pick were: Ibtisam Ahmed, Chad, Anna Cooper Patterson, Daryl, Camilerich, and Maggie. James, the defending champion was close again this year with only two incorrect picks. Four of the six entries with nine correct picks had three in the exact order, three had Serena first, two had the Top 5 correct but out of order, two had both Serena and Victoria correct at first and second. Only Maggie had three exact picks, the first two picks exact and also picked the Top 5. This contest could not have been any closer. There was very little difference between Maggie, Anna and Daryl’s choices. MAGGIE IS OUR WINNER FOR 2013!
MAGGIE’S PREDICTIONS:
1. Serena Williams
2. Viktoria Azarenka
3. Maria Sharapova
4. Agnieszka Radwanska
5. Li Na
6. Angelique Kerber
7. Sam Stosur
8. Sara Errani
9. Petra Kvitova
10.Caroline Wozniacki
Congratulations to Maggie! But, we would like to be extra generous and also award Daryl and Anna for their runner-up and third place! 😉 We simply like to spread some love in preparation for the holidays. 🙂
A big thank you to all the fans who played the game!
I won? Oh Marija, you’re really spoiling me 🙂 It’s like Christmas coming earlier 🙂 Thank you!
Hehe yes, Maggie, you won! 🙂 I will contact you shortly to the email you left here and in the meantime you think about a WTA Top 10 autograph you’d like to win! 🙂
Awesome!
Never doubted Serena would demolish everyone
JJ was quite a surprise indeed.
Also surprising was the “year of Radwanska” never happened … hope she beats her demons next year 🙂
Kartik, I’m especially pleased to see JJ back among the best. Do you know that she finished No.8 this year and in 2010 and 2009! The previous two years she was outside the Top 10.
Serena is unprecedented!
JJ was a huge surprise 😮 i can only hope ivanovic takes that as an incentive and gets back in the top 10 as well!
Mona Barthel had such a good start in 2013 but in the end her results were so disappointing. I would have loved to see more German players in the top 10. 😉
Gosh, I’ll never forgive myself for that one miss (whichever it may be)! I shall certainly do my best not to repeat the same mistake next time around.
But I must reclaim one honour undeservedly taken away from me: It was I, Maggie, dear, I, who have been pampering you all the while – remember? Ah, all too easily doth true love and devotion get wiped aside by some cheap gift or another… Sad. So sad.
Regina, they are such different personalities that the only thing they have in common is that they are from Serbia and former No.1s, but surely I’d like Ana to finally shine again and JJ to give that extra something to get back to her old winning ways.
Ines, German players are on the rise, aren’t they? As I can recall, there are much more German players in the top now than a few years ago.
Tulp, such a pity you missed that one player! 🙂
Congrats, Maggie! Will this competition return next year? Would be awesome. And the new season isn’t even a long way to go anymore!
I surprised myself with the fact that I had the correct top 5 and in the right order(except that I had Vika no. 1 and Serena no. 2). But the rest… let’s just say that it didn’t go so well.. 😀
Tenniz-fan, I’ll see with John if he’d like to do it for the third straight year. I would like to continue the tradition 🙂
I absolutely agree! They’re totally diferent! And if i’m not mistaken they dont even get along! I only hope that ana sees jj’s comeback and males her want it even more seringa that jj acomplished what has been her goal for many tears!
Regina, their supposedly bad relationship is overhyped. I just think that they respect each other but have very different personalities and interests and hence don’t get along that well, which doesn’t mean that they have something against each other. Ana’s best friend is Sorana Cirstea.
I don’t understand how a person who said that know tennis, pick Sharapova on number 1 spot and Serena Williams at 5. It’s too stupid jaja
Tenniz-fan, John will do the predictions for 2014 as well! We’ll post them at the end of December. 😉
Brenda, these are just light-hearted predictions of tennis fans. You are welcome to share yours as well.
Yes! Very muck looking forward to that!
Tulp, now I know how you managed to have one correct. You just had to pick Maggie’s favorite player. Maggie is all mine now since I’m sending her an autographed picture of her favorite player and just to seal the deal, I’m including a surprise for her too! 😉
Brenda, 9 out of 10 is my all time best result after years of doing this contest. Please go easy on me. Actually, I had Serena 4th not 5th. Sharapova was injured for much of the year. You should play this year. It is harder than you might think.
JohnnyB, you’ve got it all wrong: I actually had one “wrong” – and not “one correct” (see the comments above)!
Oh, well, perhaps you’re not exactly “all wrong”, after all, since I might have included “Maggie’s favourite player” as a tribute to Maggie herself – or, then again, I might have not: perhaps “Maggie’s favourite player” just happened to fulfil the nowadays-wayward criteria of yore I stubbornly hold onto. Magie’ll know… and, as usual, gracefully stay silent on this mute point, I’m sure – just as I’m sure that one can never, ever, conquer a true lady’s heart with a gift or two, you hopeless would-be rival of mine! There.