One To Watch - Timea Babos

Name: Timea Babos
Hometown: Sopron, Hungary
Age: 18
Current World Rank: #68
Tour Level Titles: 1
Signature Win: def. (2) Sara Errani (ITA) 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4 Semifinal, Whirlpool Abierto Monaco 2012

(More After The Jump...)

One To Watch - Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino

One To Watch is a series in which Blacklabel Tennis introduces fans to some of the newer and lesser known players with significant potential, today's One To Watch is Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino

Name: Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino
Hometown: San Sebastian, Spain
Age: 19
Current World Rank: #105
Tour Level Titles: 1
Signature Win: def. Alexandra Panova (RUS) 6-2, 7-5 Final, Bogota, XX Copa BBVA Colsanitas

(More after the jump...)

Step Right Up, Vikarenka

So take pretty much everything I've written about Petra Kvitova since last year's Wimbledon and do me a favor, scratch out that name and pencil in Victoria Azarenka.  I'm not alone there, there are plenty of other bloggers and writers who could say the same thing given how the Bella Belarussian has started her 2012 campaign a sterling 17-0.  I'm also not selling my stock in Kvitova.  The Czech player has remained impressive since claiming her first major last July, but Azarenka has shown us something a notch above what Kvitova has thus far.  It's about time we start paying attention.

Not Fed's Cup

For a few years now, NetJets has run a commercial featuring Roger Federer dragging a cart full of trophies across an airport tarmac.  It's surely a fitting image for a man who's acquired as much hardware as the gilded Swiss.  In fact, if you compare his record to any of the would-be GOATs (Greatest of All Time) there are only a couple of omissions.  He never won the (true) Grand Slam (OK, well only two men ever have, we can give him a pass there), nor Olympic singles gold (an event known for "funky" results, Rafael Nadal's form run in 2008 notwithstanding).  Federer's also never won the Davis Cup.  That omission is a bit less forgivable, especially after his 0-2 performance this weekend on Swiss indoor clay against Team USA.

BLT February 2012 Power Rankings

Australia's over but the 2012 tennis year has really just become.  Who came out of Oz on fire and who needs a jumpstart?  Time for a round of Power Rankings.  

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) Last Month: (2)

Is it me or is 2012 beginning to look a lot like last year?  It is for Novak Djokovic at least.  He came into this Australian swing with some legitimate question marks about his fitness and his state of mind; he left the land Down Under back on top.  Djokovic captured his fifth major and a seventh consecutive win over World No. 2 Rafael Nadal, albeit in a near six hour epic that showed the two players may be on closer terms than they seemed a year prior.  Just seven matches from the Nole Slam in Paris you have to think, wouldn't that be an interesting feather in the Serb's cap?  Federer could be the greatest ever, Nadal could be the greatest clay-courter ever and Djokovic could be the only one of the three to win four majors in a row.  You want to talk Greatest Generation?  Only seven men have captured the career grand slam and Djokovic could be the third to do it in four years...all while beating TWO of the others to get there. Why are we getting ahead of ourselves?  Djokovic beat Nadal on clay twice last year, just saying.  In any event, the next few months are on hardcourts. Djokovic has won the last three majors on the hard stuff...up next, defending the Indian Wells-Key Biscayne double.

They'll Be Back - 2012 Australian Open Finals Recap

One tough thing about being a writer is that sometimes the words just don't flow.  Well, there's certainly no writer's block on the back of this year's Australian Open and particularly finals weekend.  The matches couldn't have been more different.  Newly crowned World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka subdued 2008 champ Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0; while defending champion Novak Djokovic found his way past 2009 champ Rafael Nadal in five lengthy, byzantine sets 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5) 7-5.  As disparate as the scorelines were, is as similar the compelling storylines were both coming into and going out of the first leg of tennis' fabled Grand Slam.  Without further ado, here's how Blacklabel Tennis looks back on the 2012 Australian Open singles championships.

Australian Open Semifinal Previews - Final Four Men

When the top four ranked men in the world tangle in the Australian Open semifinals, the one thing that won't be missing is familiarity.  Novak Djokovic has faced Andy Murray ten times in tour-level matches.  Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have seen each other across the net 26 times in tour-level matches.  To say the players know what to expect from one another is a gross understatement.  At the same time, to say the results are written in stone is just as inaccurate. What we can say without qualification though is that the four best men in our sport will take the court with a (roughly) 50/50 chance of reaching the Australian Open final.

Which of the superstars will play for the title Sunday morning?  Here's your Australian Open men's semifinals preview:

Australian Open Semifinal Previews - Final Four Women

Hisense Arena

Did tournament director Craig Tiley and crew at the Aussie Open REALLY get this lucky entering finals weekend or was there some deal with the devil?  Despite its usual thrilling matches, twists and turns, this year's Australian Open has yielded four blockbuster semifinals.  Three of the top four women in the world are still in the tournament, the fourth is the defending champion.  As we write this, three of the top four men are already in the semifinals, while the fourth, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is prepping to play David Ferrer (World No. 5) in the final men's quarterfinal.  Either way, four of the top five men will be in Melbourne's final four.

Looking ahead, which of the women will play for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup...well, we've got an idea or two.  Here is your 2012 Australian Open Women's Semifinal Preview.