Who’s Serena’s Top Challenger at 2013 US Open: Sharapova or Azarenka?

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 29, 2013

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Serena Williams is the overwhelming favorite to win the 2013 U.S. Open. 

The debate is over who her top challenger is. 

Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova are the two names mentioned as most capable of stopping the Serena train from steamrolling over the competition.

But which player has a better chance? 

Forget the rankings. Azarenka and Sharapova have played seesaw at No. 2 and No. 3 since Williams took the No. 1 spot in February. 

They are the only women, other than Williams, to win a Grand Slam title in the past two years. Unfortunately, they have a combined 4-26 record against her. Yet they have as good a shot as any of keeping Williams from winning a fifth U.S. Open championship. 



Although Sharapova is ranked No. 2, recently Azarenka has given Williams the tougher challenge. Azarenka defeated Williams at the Qatar Open in Doha in February. It's one of only three losses Williams has suffered this year. Sharapova, despite putting up a fight at the French Open, has lost 13 straight to Williams.

Both women are nursing injuries sustained during their short run at Wimbledon.

Azarenka pulled out before her second-round match after suffering a knee injury in the first round. Sharapova injured her hip during a second-round loss. She later withdrew from Stanford, and Sunday, she announced she was withdrawing from Toronto, as WTA Tennis reported.

Azarenka returns to the courts this week at the Southern California Open. She said to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune that she was confident her knee would be ready. 

Sharapova recently hired American tennis great Jimmy Connors as her new coach. Connors replaces Thomas Hogstedt, who retooled Sharapova's game after her shoulder surgery. But no coaching change can dramatically improve Sharapova's game over a mat...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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