When beautiful 19-year old Victoria Azarenka wins the 2009 Wimbledon Championship, she will have prevailed over the most difficult draw in women’s tennis history. There, I have said it. I have said that Victoria will prevail and win the championship. I have said the draw was stacked against her.

You might remember that I also said Melanie Oudin would be Wimbledon’s Cinderella. She was. But, Victoria Azarenka is not too far behind. When she hoists the silverware, she will have earned the right, believe me.

Many of the Brits do not like Victoria. She grunts, groans and moans her way through points and matches. Apparently, these Brits are unfamiliar with LaMaze. Women’s tennis today sounds like a maternity ward. But, that’s the way it is. It is far easier to count the touring non-grunters than to count the grunters.

As Victoria recently said, “I have been doing it since I was 10 years old. I wasn’t really strong and that was what helped me to accelerate more, to put more power to the ball.” You know what, Victoria, if it works for you, it works for me. But, please don’t do it when you hoist the Championship Trophy.

On a day where my other Cinderella, Melanie Oudin, succumbed to the effects of too much media, too much hype and forgot that this was another match against another girl that she could beat, Victoria Azarenka overcame a very stubborn Nadia Petrova in three tense sets.

On a day where Venus beat Ana into submission and where Serena lost just four games and where the surprising Elena Dementieva looks ready to snap out of her slump and move past Elena Vesnina, Victoria Azarenka was out there a long time, working hard, hitting one gorgeous drive after another and moving gracefully across the court. We were blessed to see her play.

And, Nadia Petrova had it working. The Russian 10 seed, served powerfully, hit beautiful shots of her own and used a devastating drop shot to counter every move Victoria made. Victoria was soon grunting and surging, groaning and reaching and winning.

You may remember that Victoria had Venus on the ropes at Melbourne before all sorts of unusual things happened. You may remember that Victoria reached the quarters at Roland Garros. You may forget that she is a very nice, very elegant 19-year old. She is, trust me. You would like to have her over for dinner.

She is also trying to fend off a well-traveled group of American and Russian hierarchy. The Brits have made sure it was a full time job. In the 3rd round, she drew the testy Sorana Cirstea, of Paris fame, today Petrova, tomorrow Serena, Thursday Elena and most likely Venus in the finals. Wow! Could it be any more difficult?

Take for example Dinara Safina. She overcame hard playing Amelie Mauresemo and now plays Sabine Lisicki. Dinara may choke again, but could it be an easier?

Venus draws Odin conquerer, Aggie Radwanska, who I am sure is very pleasant despite not being welcome at my house anymore. Elena, who has yet to lose a set and is quietly and quickly moving through the draw plays unseeded Francesca Schiavone. Elena has some choking issues of her own, but really how does that happen? How are all these talents at the bottom of the draw sheet?

Hey, if you looked at Victoria’s draw, you would grunt and groan too. So, instead of being a typical tennis frontrunner, come on over to the world of Victoria Azarenka and see how it is in the real world of a non-prima donna tennis champion. You see that is what Azarenka is all about. That is why she has so many fans. She is a hard-working, grind-it-out player that leaves nothing on the court. When Victoria walks off the court, she is spent, emotionally and physically.

After Azarenka took the first set from Petrova in a tiebreaker, Nadia needed a timeout to get some ice on her legs and have her blood pressure checked. These things happen when it is going well for Azarenka.

Petrova recovered. You knew she would. She stormed through the second set at 6-2. The Russian’s serve was dominant and it looked like the cooled off Azarenka would not avenge last year’s loss.

In the third set, there were five breaks but Victoria captured the key one at 4-3. In the final three games, Victoria lost just three points. Yes, she groaned, yes she grunted and yes she played like a champions for 2 hours and 35 minutes in the grueling heat.

Victoria Azarenka, your time has come. Remmeber what you did to Serena in Key Biscayne this year. Take no prisoners. Play like a champion and grunt as loud as you like. You are the best!

1. Dinara Safina – 8/1 –

Dinara will make use of her top seed to romp through the opening rounds. The tennis world keeps waiting for Safina to bring that early-round mentality to the finals. At some point, she begins to play not to lose rather than to win.

Her resume is dotted with success. She has earned her top billing. However, her Grand Slam final matches have not helped the public’s perception of Safina as a bit of a choke artist. Her time is now!

2. Serena Williams – 5/2 –

Watch out for the Williams women. Serena is looking for her 3rd Wimbledon title and her 11th Grand Slam Championship. She is tough on grass and has a score to settle with Safina. Serena is looking to get the number one ranking back. In a big match, it is hard to bet against a proven star.

3. Venus Williams – 11/4 –

A five-time winner at Wimbledon and a two-time runner-up, Venus is right at home on the grass. Uncomfortable on the clay of Paris, she will be a force to beat in this one.

Venus has had a disappointing season with early exits in Melbourne and in Paris. The elder sister looks fit and fans expect the juices to flow for the next two weeks. A tough out for anyone.

4. Elena Dementieva – 25/1 –

Elena has reached the semis in three of the last four Grand Slams. Her 2008 semifinal appearance was her best performance in ten outings. However, the fleet Russian’s lackluster effort at clay ground raises questions about her heart.

Dementieva needs to assert herself to hold her number four ranking. Lesser players now regard Elena as a good and doable win.

5. Svetlana Kuznetsova – 16/1 –

Svetlana has added the 2009 French Open to her 2004 U.S. Open Championship and she did it with all the qualities of a true champion. Her strategy and execution were precise and her conditioning excellent.

Svetlana has climbed up in the rankings and the bookmakers like her chances at Wimbledon, where she has reached the fourth round and the quarters in the past two years. If we had to pick an upset winner, Svetlana would be our choice!

6. Jelena Jankovic – 16/1 –

Jankovic was favorably positioned in Paris and was cruising through the draw. When Dementieva was taken down, Jankovic seemed on track to move through the draw until her game inexplicably disappeared in the fourth round.

Much like Safina, the former number one has a history of Grand Slam failure. Her fitness is in question and once again Jelena looks like a long shot.

7. Vera Zvonareva – 33/1 –

Vera’s 20-4 record this year would normally make her a better risk. The determined Russian missed Roland Garros, but is in shape for Wimbledon. If she is fully rested and recuperated, Vera can pull an upset. With $1 million banked so far this season, we look for Vera to reach the quarters and quite possibly the semis.

8. Victoria Azarenka – 12/1 –

Now here is an athlete. Entering her fourth Wimbledon, Victoria strutted her big game power in Paris and should benefit from the grass. Her 32-6 record explains her jump in the rankings and in her popularity with the bookmakers.

Azarenka has the stuff to intimidate sift servers. A native of Belarus, Victoria could very well be a semifinalist this time around.

9. Caroline Wozniacki – 25/1 –

Denmark’s consistent tour player just does not seem to have Grand Slam consistency. The hard-working blonde may not have the ability to endure the grueling two-week demands. Caroline could be out early at Wimbledon. Her serve must improve to reach the quarters.

10. Nadia Petrova – 66/1 –

A quarterfinalist last year, Nadia’s sub-par performance in Paris raises more questions than it answers. One of Russia’s dominating team, Nadia may not fare too well. We look for an early upset of the ten seed.

11. Ana Ivanovic – 14/1 –

Where have you gone Ms. Ivanovic? The pretty fan favorite lost her serve here last year and has only whimpered since. The pretty Serb and Verdasco heartthrob has dropped five notches since the season began. Without a coach and a serve, Wimbledon may not be Ana’s best event.

12. Maria Sharapova – 6/1 –

She’s back! Praise be! Have you ever seen a 24 seed at 6/1? Probably not. If Maria’s conditioning lets her compete, she will be in the mix and the player all the big guns look to avoid. She had moments of brilliance in Paris but lacked stamina. We look for a solid performance on the grass.