Australian Open 2013: Women's Final Preview

The 2013 Australian Open final between Victoria Azarenka and Li Na promises to be a battle of wills as much as a battle of talent and skill-sets.

The journey hasn’t been easy for both women so far, and by no means will it get easier tomorrow. Li Na might be the only one of the two to have reached the finals without dropping a set and Azarenka might have come out trumps after facing slurs and cat-calls – from all corners; all of these won’t matter on the second Saturday, just as their rankings won’t be of any consequence, except to define the challenger and the challenged while both step on to the court.

Although the Belarusian leads their overall match-ups 5-4, Li has won both their previous grand slam encounters by a comfortable margin. And for someone who’s become a favourite – at least amongst the crowd – almost overnight, Li’s prospects seem to be just a little bit brighter. Speaking from a tactical point rather than past history, it’s Li’s focus and her hold on her temperament that appear to have really upped her position going into the finals on Saturday.

Where in the past she struggled to maintain calmness against outside forces, the presence of a new coach seems to have rejuvenated her. Her game has silently, but markedly, improved, with her ground-strokes rarely failing to make their mark. Her forehand, which had always been a pivotal factor in her arsenal, has been utilised to whiplash perfection throughout the course of the tournament. And it’s been this forehand that has accounted for the difference between Li and her opponents – even the higher ranked ones in the latter stages of the Australian Open.

Between the two players, at this juncture, there’s no denying that Azarenka’s theatrics and antics haven’t exactly gone well among the audiences – be it her fellow players, commentators and even the fans – accused of gamesmanship in her semi-final match against Sloane Stephens. While Azarenka hasn’t really appeased to the crowd sentiments, it would be wrong to assume that the crowd’s less than pleasant acceptance of her attitude would impact her overall game in the final.

Aside from the fact that she choked while serving out the match in the second set, she’s given no reason to believe that her performance has been under-par or inconsistent. The Australian Open has been one place where the 22-year old has always found her groove – however inapproachable the crowd might find her – and her game has never failed to let her down here. When compared to last year, while indeed Azarenka may not have been as clinical in her matches in 2013, it’s her return of serve that has packed a wallop more than any other shots in her repertoire. Against the Chinese, it’ll be this factor that’ll count for Azarenka more than anything else; except perhaps her mental confidence.

The Azarenka who steps onto the court today will be a vastly different persona to the Azarenka who stepped onto the court a year ago, with a raised hood and earphones glued firmly to her ears. The latter was a daunting player to challenge, more because of her faith and belief in herself than because of her exemplary playing skills. It was this unshakable belief that allowed her to trounce Sharapova, mercilessly. A year on, this belief will be tested even more stringently than what anyone could have imagined. Taking a cue from her semifinal match, where even Azarenka admitted that she had lost her nerve – though justified her time-out – for a brief period, it won’t be prudent to assume that any slacking, however inadvertent, would be set aside.

A tournament where each have contested the finals before, and where each has stood on the opposite end of the podium, albeit on different occasions; it’s perhaps only fair to say that the 2013 Australian Open women’s final forebodes a decisive outcome – even before the coin’s tossed and the match served.

Prediction: Li Na wins in three sets.