All Good Things Come to an End

As nothing lasts forever in life, all good things must, sooner or later, come to an end. Azarenka was among the few fortunate ones for whom the end came rather late, a fact that catapulted her to the top of the women's tennis.

Her unbeaten start to the season was the hottest topic on the tour so far this year. The Belorussian has been in sensational form in 2012, winning four titles and getting to a 26-0 record until the Miami quarterfinals. It wasn't all just a walk in the park though, the best example coming the the last 16, when the defending champion had to dug herself out of a big rabbit hole. Showing fierce determination and immense mental strength, she took advantage of Dominika Cibulkova's meltdown when serving for the match to achieve one of the most spectacular comebacks of her career, coming back from a 6-1,4-0/5-2 deficit to defeat the inspired Slovak. Having passed that hurdle, she was expected to resume her cruise through the draw, but her next opponent had other plans. Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli has been playing some of her best tennis lately. Never one to back down and accept defeat, she showed no fears or restraints while she washed Azarenka off the court with winners from all sides and positions. She quickly rose to a 4-0 advantage and, opposed to the Slovak, she hung on strongly, closing out the encounter in straight sets. Although all credit goes to Marion for playing utterly well, we must acknowledge the fact that Victoria was nowhere near her best. Probably tired after the Cibulkova marathon, she looked jaded, a sign that all those victories must have taken their toll.

While Marion targets a first success over Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinal clash, the Belorussian needs now to rebound quickly and ensure a great start to her clay-court campaign. The first few matches will be key, but some quick wins can bring back her confidence, restoring her invincibility halo atop of the women's game.

Marion Bartoli showed just why she is one of the most dangerous players on the tour, becoming the first to defeat Azarenka this season, ending her 26 winning streak with a 6-3,6-3 victory in the quarterfinals in Miami.

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