#SmashTalk: WTA season awards

The WTA Finals concluded at the weekend, bringing the curtain down on the women’s tennis season for 2016 – if you discount the somewhat random WTA Elite Trophy tacked onto the end of the calendar in Zhuhai this week.

So, what better time than to reflect on the year that was and pay tribute to some of the best players, most memorable matches and biggest storylines of the past 10 months?

We’ve borrowed a few categories from the WTA’s own awards, as well as adding a couple of our own. What do you think? Have your say on Facebook and Twitter using #SmashTalk.

Player of the year

VC: The year-end world No.1 is an obvious choice for Player of the Year – but it’s not just that Angelique Kerber finished in that coveted position that made her the most notable woman of season 2016. While few observers expected the German would deny Serena Williams to claim Australian Open victory, even less of them imagined that she would go on to duplicate that success at the US Open and subsequently usurp Serena at world No.1. Most impressive about Angie is the way she has responded to any hint of vulnerability – a perfect example being the career-best run to the Wimbledon final that followed her first-round loss at the French Open. And then there are the personal qualities: the stunning athletic abilities Kerber has displayed on the court are complemented by the refreshing down-to-earth demeanour she maintains off it. It’s hard to imagine a better role model, or a more deserving champion.

PM: Angelique Kerber. Is any doubt? Started at world No.10, finished at world No.1, scooped two Grand Slams and an Olympic silver. Hands down the best player of 2016.

MT: Angelique Kerber, by a mile. The German won three titles in eight finals in 2016, but it was the stature of those tournaments that was the most impressive. Two of her trophies came at the Australian and US Opens, while she was also a finalist at Wimbledon, the Olympics and the WTA Finals. She peaked at the most prestigious events and brought her best tennis when it counted most. Plus she rose, deservedly, to world No.1.

LR: Angelique Kerber. Two Grand Slam titles and year-end No.1 makes it impossible to argue otherwise. It was simply an incredible season. Okay it wasn’t a perfect one – but I think that is what makes the German relatable to the fans. She’s worked hard to achieve her dream and had to overcome many challenges to get where she is. Yes there were nervy performances, but there were some incredibly brave ones too. The 28-year-old is great role model and her remarkable improvement was the feel-good story the WTA desperately needed in a tough 2016 season.

Match of the year

VC: Cibulkova v Radwanska – Wimbledon fourth round. Angelique Kerber versus Serena Williams set a tremendous benchmark for 2016, but it wasn’t the only superb-quality match of the season. My personal favourite was this fiercely-fought Wimbledon battle. Proving that players don’t always need power to stage a modern-day classic, both women showcased tactical brilliance, stunning shot-making and unwavering suspense throughout the three-hour encounter. With contrasting styles but similar spirit, there was also superb drama on Wimbledon’s No.3 Court, with both women saving match points before Cibulkova claimed the 9-7 third-set victory.

PM: Kerber v Serena – Australian Open final. Admittedly, I thought this final was going to be one-way traffic, but blimey did it deliver. Kerber bought her A++ game, Serena bought her A game and the result was an intense, shot-making spectacular.

MT: Kerber v Serena – Australian Open final. There were dramatic rallies, an electric atmosphere at Rod Laver Arena, and a stunning upset. Kerber brought the house down when she became the first woman ever to defeat Serena in the third set of a major final. Given the stage and the stakes, this contest gets my nod.

LR: Kerber v Serena – Australian Open final. This one was the most unforgettable. It was an emotional roller coaster for the players – and as a fan I felt it too. I still get goosebumps recalling the match point and the overflow of emotion from Kerber. Serena’s graciousness in defeat was also exemplary.

Most impressive newcomer

VC: Given the Aussie allegiance, I admit my bias– but I’ve been tremendously impressed by Daria Gavrilova in 2016. From the way she teamed with Nick Kyrgios to deliver Australia’s first Hopman Cup title in 17 years, to her personal-best Australian Open fourth round run to her first WTA final in Moscow, one breakthrough has followed another in a career-defining season. Among 10 wins against higher-ranked opponents in 2016, there were multiple victories over two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and a first against a world No.1 in Angelique Kerber. Dasha is admittedly inconsistent but she also shows an instinctive ability to rise to a big occasion. I can’t wait to see where that fighting spirit takes her next …

PM: Daria Kasatkina. I honestly haven’t really got a clue whether she qualifies as a newcomer or not, but I hadn’t heard of her before this season and all of a sudden she’s No.26 in the world (which is pretty impressive in my books).

MT: Naomi Osaka. There’s so much to like about this Japanese-Haitian teenager, who began the year outside the top 100 but surged inside the top 50. Osaka reached the third round at three of the four majors and made the final on home soil in Tokyo, thrilling fans with her huge serve, power and athleticism. She could be a huge star.

LR: Naomi Osaka. I was impressed with her game when she qualified at Hobart in January and tipped her to rise up the ranks quickly – but after ending 2015 just outside the top 200 I didn’t expect her to be top 40 by season end. She made the third round in the three Grand Slams she played (Australian Open, French Open and US Open) and made her first WTA final in Tokyo to end her season in style. With her explosive power and refreshingly quirky personality, the 19-year-old could soon be one of the game’s biggest stars.

Most frustrating player

VC: Several women could qualify: Agnieszka Radswanska and Simona Halep earn (dis)honourable mentions but Garbine Muguruza is most frustrating of all. The Spaniard promised so much after her stunning French Open victory and while a letdown is understandable, Muguruza’s inability to string more than two wins together in nine of the 10 events that followed is unfathomable. In an era of late-blooming champions it’s possible I’m being too harsh on 23-year-old Garbine but it’s a view that comes from respect too – after all, she’s only frustrating because she has so much potential.

PM: Garbine Muguruza. Talk about a championship hangover. From French Open champion to barely there in every other tournament she’s played, Muguruza’s form has just been, well, annoying. Perhaps the bigger frustration is that the Spaniard has everything she needs to be a great… except the ability to win, apparently.

MT: Petra Kvitova. When she’s on, she’s incredible, as we saw in Asia when she romped to the Wuhan title and also performed strongly in Beijing. When she’s off, she’s a disaster. The Czech slumped to her lowest ranking in more than five years, and should she end the season outside the top 10 – she’d currently ranked 13th – it would be her lowest finish since 2010. What’s frustrating is that she is so much more talented than her ranking suggests and it’s a pleasure to watch her when she’s playing well. I want to see more of the form that took her to two Wimbledon titles.

LR: Agnieszka Radwanska. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan and it’s not easy for me to criticise the world No.3, but realistically she didn’t step up this season like I expected. After her WTA Finals breakthrough in 2015, I thought Grand Slam glory could be within reach but she didn’t deliver. The Pole is too good to have only advanced past the fourth round in one Grand Slam for the season (at the Australian Open), not to mention a first-round Olympics loss.

Biggest surprise of 2016

VC: I sensed we’d at last see a dip from Serena Williams in 2016 but I didn’t foresee that Angelique Kerber would step into the void that created – or that she would do it so convincingly. Even after the German claimed her breakthrough major in Melbourne, there was a sense that any number of players could capitalise on a more-level playing field in 2016 – and it grew with Maria Sharapova’s shock suspension from a doping offence and Victoria Azarenka’s absence due to pregnancy. But with two Slams among three titles and a further five finals (including Wimbledon and the Olympics), Kerber finished 2016 more than 2000 points ahead of world No.2 Serena and almost 4000 ahead of world No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska. Who’d have imagined such dominance when she only just scraped into the top 10 late in 2015?

PM: Caroline Wozniacki’s resurgence. It looked like Caro had pretty much checked out of the game in early August and then, boom! A barnstormer of a US Open, followed by a crackerjack Asian swing. It seems that there’s life in Wozza yet.

MT: Maria Sharapova failing a drugs test. Sharapova is the last person I could have ever imagined would fall foul of the doping authorities, such was her squeaky-clean reputation, professionalism and attention to detail. It turned out to be quite the complicated, protracted case rife with grey areas, and the sentence reduced upon appeal. Whatever your reaction to her admission, one thing is for certain – she’s left a big hole in the women’s game.

LR: Elena Vesnina’s resurgence. When the Russian lost in the first round of Australian Open qualifying, who would have thought she would finish the season in the top 20? The 29-year-old’s remarkable form turnaround was great to see, even if it was surprising. Ending the season with a new singles career-high rank, an Australian Open mixed doubles title, an Olympic doubles gold medal, a Wimbledon singles semifinal and the WTA Finals doubles title – it’s a heart-warming story of perseverance.