Here is the quarterfinal lineup for doubles at Wimbledon:
Black and Huber (1) vs. Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez (11)
Williams and Williams (4) vs. Groenefeld and King (12)
Barrois and Garbin vs. Stosur and Stubbs (3)
Kleybanova and Makarova vs. Medina Garrigues and Ruano Pascual (2)
Groenefeld usually plays doubles with Patty Schnyder, but Schnyder is not playing doubles at this tournament, which seems rather odd.
The Williams sisters are the defending champions.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wimbledon--what they said
Five years ago your career started in Oakland. That night when you played, did you have any idea where your career was going, and do you remember much about that night?
"Oh, yeah, I remember a lot about that night. I got to the tennis and I left my clothes on the bed in the hotel. So that wasn't the best start."
"...I say like, 'Okay, go down, go up, do this.' Then I toss the ball and I'm already by the fence running. I am just escaping the serve....I go away from the serve. Okay, I start the serve, but I don't end up the shot. I'm going away. That's why I'm serving double‑faults. I'm not finishing the serve. It's kind of technical."
Did you ever feel like you were actually ever in the game today?
"Not really. I tried. I tried many time. I was not totally out. I did my best to try to play, but I couldn't."
"She has every shot. She's very strong mentally. She fights until the last moment. I think she just has the whole package, what makes her a great champion."
Are you working specifically on the mental side of your game?
"If I would work, I would not serve 250 double faults today...."
"I do have strategy. Maybe it doesn't look like it, but I do. I think that's my secret weapon, that it doesn't look like I'm thinking, but I am."
"I think I learned how to play on grass actually. I know that I can play on grass now and that I don't have to be afraid to come back next year and play all the grass court tournaments."
"...it will be a really good matchup to me. She's playing really well on the grass. She hasn't been stretched too much in any of her matches either, so she's kind of like going undercover, you know, and bam."
People might be expecting an all‑Williams final. Do you think we can have an all‑Russian final instead?
"Can we play just two finals instead?"
"Oh, yeah, I remember a lot about that night. I got to the tennis and I left my clothes on the bed in the hotel. So that wasn't the best start."
Venus Williams
"...I say like, 'Okay, go down, go up, do this.' Then I toss the ball and I'm already by the fence running. I am just escaping the serve....I go away from the serve. Okay, I start the serve, but I don't end up the shot. I'm going away. That's why I'm serving double‑faults. I'm not finishing the serve. It's kind of technical."
Dinara Safina, deconstructing her double faults
Did you ever feel like you were actually ever in the game today?
"Not really. I tried. I tried many time. I was not totally out. I did my best to try to play, but I couldn't."
Agnieszka Radwanska
"She has every shot. She's very strong mentally. She fights until the last moment. I think she just has the whole package, what makes her a great champion."
Victoria Azarenka, referring to Serena Williams
Are you working specifically on the mental side of your game?
"If I would work, I would not serve 250 double faults today...."
Dinara Safina
"I do have strategy. Maybe it doesn't look like it, but I do. I think that's my secret weapon, that it doesn't look like I'm thinking, but I am."
Venus Williams
"I think I learned how to play on grass actually. I know that I can play on grass now and that I don't have to be afraid to come back next year and play all the grass court tournaments."
Sabine Lisicki
"...it will be a really good matchup to me. She's playing really well on the grass. She hasn't been stretched too much in any of her matches either, so she's kind of like going undercover, you know, and bam."
Serena Williams on her next opponent, Elena Dementieva
People might be expecting an all‑Williams final. Do you think we can have an all‑Russian final instead?
"Can we play just two finals instead?"
Elena Dementieva
Venus, Serena and Elena all win straight-set quarterfinals
As predicted by just about everyone who is following Wimbledon, Venus Williams easily defeated 11th seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in her quarterfinal today. The third seed, who hit five times as many winners as her opponent, won the match with a 6-1, 6-2 score.
The 4th seed, Elena Dementieva, found it just as easy to defeat surprise quarterfinalist, the unseeded Francesca Schiavone. She won the match 6-2, 6-2, but old habits die hard: Dementieva double-faulted 9 times.
2nd seed Serena Williams defeated 8th seed Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-3 in as good a match as one could hope to see Williams play. She made few errors, was great at the baseline, great at the net, rapid and precise in her movement and footwork, served very well, and hit 9 aces. I've seen Azarenka play better, but she would have had to play a lot better to defeat Williams today.
She will play the unheralded Elena Dementieva in the semifinals, and her sister Venus will play world number 1 and top seed Dinara Safina.
The 4th seed, Elena Dementieva, found it just as easy to defeat surprise quarterfinalist, the unseeded Francesca Schiavone. She won the match 6-2, 6-2, but old habits die hard: Dementieva double-faulted 9 times.
2nd seed Serena Williams defeated 8th seed Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-3 in as good a match as one could hope to see Williams play. She made few errors, was great at the baseline, great at the net, rapid and precise in her movement and footwork, served very well, and hit 9 aces. I've seen Azarenka play better, but she would have had to play a lot better to defeat Williams today.
She will play the unheralded Elena Dementieva in the semifinals, and her sister Venus will play world number 1 and top seed Dinara Safina.
Safina wins error-filled match and moves to Wimbledon semifinals
Sometimes you watch a match and you think "no one deserves to lose." Watching world number 1 Dinara Safina and Sabine Lisicki playing their Wimbledon quarterfinal today, all I could think was "no one deserves to win." This was a messy affair, with each player bringing her collapsible nerves onto the court, along with a bag of racquets and strings. Safina double-faulted 15 times, including three times in a row when she up 40-0 in the sixth game of the third set. For her part, Lisicki--once again--saw her estimable forehand go astray over and over.
The unseeded Lisicki went up a break early in the first set, but--serving for the set at 5-4 and obviously tense, she double-faulted, went down 0-40, and was soon broken. The set went to a tiebreak, during which Lisicki double-faulted again. She had an easy put-away on her second set point, and missed it. But then Safina double-faulted, giving Lisicki her third set point, which she converted to a set victory.
In the second set, down 3-5, , Lisicki had a break point against her, but held. Safina served for the set, starting with--you guessed it--a double fault. At 30-all, there was an intense 21-shot rally, which Lisicki won. But then she slipped on a bare patch before striking a ball, and failed to break. Safina went on to win the set at 6-4, on her second set point.
Safina broke early in the third set, and Lisicki's serves suddenly lost their sting. Down 1-4, she called for a trainer because of a right calf strain. Safina managed to win the game in which she double-faulted three times in a row, and she went on to win the set, 6-1.
Safina's 15 double faults were all the more glaring because she did not hit any aces. Lisicki double-faulted a half dozen times and hit 12 aces. She made only four more unforced errors than Safina, and hit 10 more winners. Clearly, the reality of playing in a quarterfinal match on Centre Court had an effect on the German player, but so did her level of fitness. In her post-match interview, Lisicki said she thought that physical fitness was what made the difference, and--considering that her opponent was as mentally shaky as she was--she is probably right. You don't see Safina getting a calf strain or a thigh strain in a third set.
Lisicki would be wise to make fitness a goal for the rest of the season. But even with her third set problems today, it is obvious that she has what it takes to be a top player. As for Safina--her mental fitness continues to need work.
The unseeded Lisicki went up a break early in the first set, but--serving for the set at 5-4 and obviously tense, she double-faulted, went down 0-40, and was soon broken. The set went to a tiebreak, during which Lisicki double-faulted again. She had an easy put-away on her second set point, and missed it. But then Safina double-faulted, giving Lisicki her third set point, which she converted to a set victory.
In the second set, down 3-5, , Lisicki had a break point against her, but held. Safina served for the set, starting with--you guessed it--a double fault. At 30-all, there was an intense 21-shot rally, which Lisicki won. But then she slipped on a bare patch before striking a ball, and failed to break. Safina went on to win the set at 6-4, on her second set point.
Safina broke early in the third set, and Lisicki's serves suddenly lost their sting. Down 1-4, she called for a trainer because of a right calf strain. Safina managed to win the game in which she double-faulted three times in a row, and she went on to win the set, 6-1.
Safina's 15 double faults were all the more glaring because she did not hit any aces. Lisicki double-faulted a half dozen times and hit 12 aces. She made only four more unforced errors than Safina, and hit 10 more winners. Clearly, the reality of playing in a quarterfinal match on Centre Court had an effect on the German player, but so did her level of fitness. In her post-match interview, Lisicki said she thought that physical fitness was what made the difference, and--considering that her opponent was as mentally shaky as she was--she is probably right. You don't see Safina getting a calf strain or a thigh strain in a third set.
Lisicki would be wise to make fitness a goal for the rest of the season. But even with her third set problems today, it is obvious that she has what it takes to be a top player. As for Safina--her mental fitness continues to need work.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Only 8 remaining
There are only eight women left in the Wimbledon draw. In some ways, order prevails: Former champions Venus and Serena Williams are still around, as is world number 1 Dinara Safina. Elena Dementieva, though she has never won a major, is also somewhat we would expect to see in a quarterfinal, and--at this point in her career--it is no surprise to see Victoria Azarenka in the last eight.
Here is how the draw breaks down:
Dinara Safina vs. Sabine Lisicki: Possibly to her own surprise, Safina is looking pretty comfortable on the grass. The same could be said of Lisicki, who--until this tournament--had never won a match on grass. It is notable that, in her round of 16 match, Lisicki cut out the excessive double-faulting, while retaining the positive parts of her impressive serve. Though Safina is capable of serving well, she is often hampered by inconsistency. Both players are excellent returners of serve, and both are good volleyers. There is every reason to think this will be a high-quality match. And while one might expect Lisicki to experience a major case of nerves, one might be wrong.
Venus Williams vs. Agnieszka Radwanska: Radwanska is a tricky, cerebral, instinctive player who is a delight to watch. I could go on and on about Radwanska's game, which I admire, but the hard truth is--Williams will demolish her serve. Radwanska has been not been serving very well at all lately, and unless she corrects that, Williams will make short work of her. It should be noted that Williams--though she is being quite coy about it--is having an issue with her knee.
Francesca Schiavone vs. Elena Dementieva: Who knew that this pairing would be part of the Wimbledon quarterfinals? These two talented veterans could provide us with a very entertaining match, to be sure. Dementieva made it to the semifinals last year; the farthest Schiavone has ever gone was the third round, and that was in 2003. The pressure is on Dementieva, whereas Schiavone is kind of a novelty quarterfinalist (and I don't mean that in a bad way). Enjoy!
Victoria Azarenka vs. Serena Williams: Talk about having history. Azarenka decisively took the first set off of Williams in their Australian Open match, but then she had to retire because of food poisoning (note to commentators--stop talking about Azarenka's vulnerability to heat illness "like she had in Australia"). When the two met in Miami, there was unfinished business, and Azarenka proceeded to finish it, upsetting Williams in straight sets in the final. Now they meet again, and the consensus among many fans and experts is that Azarenka is one of two players in the final eight who could defeat Williams. The other, of course, is her sister, the five-time Wimbledon champion. Azarenka is somewhat of a hothead, which could hurt her, and Williams--in her words--occasionally "goes crazy" toward the end of a major. Each of these players is likely to being out the best--and the worst--in each other. Williams appears to be on a course to meet her sister (again) in the final. Can Azarenka stop her?
Here is how the draw breaks down:
Dinara Safina vs. Sabine Lisicki: Possibly to her own surprise, Safina is looking pretty comfortable on the grass. The same could be said of Lisicki, who--until this tournament--had never won a match on grass. It is notable that, in her round of 16 match, Lisicki cut out the excessive double-faulting, while retaining the positive parts of her impressive serve. Though Safina is capable of serving well, she is often hampered by inconsistency. Both players are excellent returners of serve, and both are good volleyers. There is every reason to think this will be a high-quality match. And while one might expect Lisicki to experience a major case of nerves, one might be wrong.
Venus Williams vs. Agnieszka Radwanska: Radwanska is a tricky, cerebral, instinctive player who is a delight to watch. I could go on and on about Radwanska's game, which I admire, but the hard truth is--Williams will demolish her serve. Radwanska has been not been serving very well at all lately, and unless she corrects that, Williams will make short work of her. It should be noted that Williams--though she is being quite coy about it--is having an issue with her knee.
Francesca Schiavone vs. Elena Dementieva: Who knew that this pairing would be part of the Wimbledon quarterfinals? These two talented veterans could provide us with a very entertaining match, to be sure. Dementieva made it to the semifinals last year; the farthest Schiavone has ever gone was the third round, and that was in 2003. The pressure is on Dementieva, whereas Schiavone is kind of a novelty quarterfinalist (and I don't mean that in a bad way). Enjoy!
Victoria Azarenka vs. Serena Williams: Talk about having history. Azarenka decisively took the first set off of Williams in their Australian Open match, but then she had to retire because of food poisoning (note to commentators--stop talking about Azarenka's vulnerability to heat illness "like she had in Australia"). When the two met in Miami, there was unfinished business, and Azarenka proceeded to finish it, upsetting Williams in straight sets in the final. Now they meet again, and the consensus among many fans and experts is that Azarenka is one of two players in the final eight who could defeat Williams. The other, of course, is her sister, the five-time Wimbledon champion. Azarenka is somewhat of a hothead, which could hurt her, and Williams--in her words--occasionally "goes crazy" toward the end of a major. Each of these players is likely to being out the best--and the worst--in each other. Williams appears to be on a course to meet her sister (again) in the final. Can Azarenka stop her?
Wimbledon doubles news
10th seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Nadia Petrova were upset today in their third round match at Wimbledon. Defeating them 6-4, 7-5 were Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova.
Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez advanced to the fourth round when their opponents, Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina, gave them a walkover because of Vesnina's heat illness.
And Zheng Jie and Yan Zi--while they no longer enjoy the very high ranking they used to have, because of injury issues--nevertheless were seeded 13th at Wimbledon. Today, though, they failed to win one game against 4th seeds Venus and Serena Williams.
In mixed doubles, 3rd seeds Marcin Matkowsky and Lisa Raymond were upset by 15th seeds Iveta Benesova and Lukas Dlouhy. Top seeds Cara Black and Leander Paes defeated 13th seeds and 2009 Australian Open champions Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupati.
Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez advanced to the fourth round when their opponents, Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina, gave them a walkover because of Vesnina's heat illness.
And Zheng Jie and Yan Zi--while they no longer enjoy the very high ranking they used to have, because of injury issues--nevertheless were seeded 13th at Wimbledon. Today, though, they failed to win one game against 4th seeds Venus and Serena Williams.
In mixed doubles, 3rd seeds Marcin Matkowsky and Lisa Raymond were upset by 15th seeds Iveta Benesova and Lukas Dlouhy. Top seeds Cara Black and Leander Paes defeated 13th seeds and 2009 Australian Open champions Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupati.
Wimbledon--what they said
"I had to bring my best tennis to beat her."
"I was aware for the first time I think in my career that I was on a winning streak."
At least you have to be very happy with how you played in the first set: aggressive, controlling everything, seemed to be clicking pretty well.
"Yeah, I'm a control freak...."
...ball‑striking‑wise do you feel like you're playing at your A level or almost 100 percent?
"Well, it's never 100 percent. I mean, it's grass...."
"She's a very smart player. I like the way she plays. Very crafty. Has a lot of different shots. Plays very good defense. My hat's off to her. Pretty good match."
Sounds like you're not really that pleased with how you've played so far.
"Yeah...like I said, I feel like I can play better. I know I can. So the fact that I actually know I can get to a higher level is good for me."
Do you need someone to push you to find that next gear?
"Maybe I just need an espresso."
"...out of all the matches I've played against her, I think this was one of her best performances."
"...the last year, you know, I had those good shots, but I couldn't play consistently. And I think the first time I did that well, it was in Charleston. And I proved to myself that I can actually beat the big players and keep on playing consistent in a tournament. And I think it's going pretty well now, as well."
"I am playing mixed third match and I look forward to it, as I love playing mixed. It's a different pressure, more fun and enjoyable, and I will get a chance to take one of the men's towels."
Dinara Safina, referring to Amelie Mauresmo
"I was aware for the first time I think in my career that I was on a winning streak."
Serena Williams, referring to her quarterfinal match against Daniela Hantuchova
At least you have to be very happy with how you played in the first set: aggressive, controlling everything, seemed to be clicking pretty well.
"Yeah, I'm a control freak...."
Venus Williams
...ball‑striking‑wise do you feel like you're playing at your A level or almost 100 percent?
"Well, it's never 100 percent. I mean, it's grass...."
Elena Dementieva
"She's a very smart player. I like the way she plays. Very crafty. Has a lot of different shots. Plays very good defense. My hat's off to her. Pretty good match."
Melanie Oudin, referring to Agnieszka Radwanska
Sounds like you're not really that pleased with how you've played so far.
"Yeah...like I said, I feel like I can play better. I know I can. So the fact that I actually know I can get to a higher level is good for me."
Do you need someone to push you to find that next gear?
"Maybe I just need an espresso."
Serena Williams
"...out of all the matches I've played against her, I think this was one of her best performances."
Daniela Hantuchova, referring to Serena Williams
"...the last year, you know, I had those good shots, but I couldn't play consistently. And I think the first time I did that well, it was in Charleston. And I proved to myself that I can actually beat the big players and keep on playing consistent in a tournament. And I think it's going pretty well now, as well."
Sabine Lisicki
"Venus put on a show today, and I would call it the Venus Williams Show."
Richard Williams
"I am playing mixed third match and I look forward to it, as I love playing mixed. It's a different pressure, more fun and enjoyable, and I will get a chance to take one of the men's towels."
Rennae Stubbs, from her Wimbledon blog
2 upsets, new roof, new hope for world number 1
A lot went on today at Wimbledon in the round of 16. It would have been nice if I could have seen most of it. As it is, I saw a little and heard a lot. The new roof was used, and 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo became the first person to strike a ball under it. Her opponent, world number 1 Dinara Safina, became the first person to win under that roof, as she defeated Mauresmo 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. I am a fan of both players, but Mauresmo is my absolute favorite player, and when she went up 3-0 in the third set, I was thrilled. It didn't work out for her, though. When she left the court (I saw half of the match after the fact), she looked a bit stunned by the crowd's enormous response to her. It was touching. The Radio Wimbledon commentators indicated that this match was one of the best--if not the best--so far. Naturally, I couldn't see it.
Safina has never before gotten past the third round of Wimbledon, and now, here she is, in the quarterfinals. And in that round, she will face Sabine Lisicki, who upset 9th seed Caroline Wozniacki, 6-4, 6-4.
The other upset today was pulled off by Francesca Schiavone, who defeated 26th seed Virginie Razzano 6-2, 7-6. Schiavone's run is one of the standout stories at this year's Wimbledon. Not only has the Italian veteran faded from the top portion of the rankings--she is not a player you would expect to win big at Wimbledon. But she does have that slice, and--though known to fade away in finals--Schiavone is a fighter from way back.
Both Williams sisters easily advanced, though Venus's move to the quarterfinals involved a retirement by Ana Ivanovic. At the beginning of the second set (Williams won the first set, 6-1), Ivanovic sustained a painful groin injury and could not go on. Serena needed only 56 minutes to defeat Daniela Hantuchova in straight sets (6-3, 6-1), so the two biggest favorites to win the title get a nice rest.
Elena Dementieva (remember Elena Dementieva?) also won in straight sets. She defeated Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-3. Victoria Azarenka needed three sets to defeat Nadia Petrova, which she accomplished with a score of 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 (despite double-faulting 10 times). And Melanie Oudin's outstanding Wimbledon run was stopped by Agnieszka Radwanska, who hit fewer winners than Oudin, but also made fewer unforced errors. She took the close match 6-4, 7-5.
Safina has never before gotten past the third round of Wimbledon, and now, here she is, in the quarterfinals. And in that round, she will face Sabine Lisicki, who upset 9th seed Caroline Wozniacki, 6-4, 6-4.
The other upset today was pulled off by Francesca Schiavone, who defeated 26th seed Virginie Razzano 6-2, 7-6. Schiavone's run is one of the standout stories at this year's Wimbledon. Not only has the Italian veteran faded from the top portion of the rankings--she is not a player you would expect to win big at Wimbledon. But she does have that slice, and--though known to fade away in finals--Schiavone is a fighter from way back.
Both Williams sisters easily advanced, though Venus's move to the quarterfinals involved a retirement by Ana Ivanovic. At the beginning of the second set (Williams won the first set, 6-1), Ivanovic sustained a painful groin injury and could not go on. Serena needed only 56 minutes to defeat Daniela Hantuchova in straight sets (6-3, 6-1), so the two biggest favorites to win the title get a nice rest.
Elena Dementieva (remember Elena Dementieva?) also won in straight sets. She defeated Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-3. Victoria Azarenka needed three sets to defeat Nadia Petrova, which she accomplished with a score of 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 (despite double-faulting 10 times). And Melanie Oudin's outstanding Wimbledon run was stopped by Agnieszka Radwanska, who hit fewer winners than Oudin, but also made fewer unforced errors. She took the close match 6-4, 7-5.
If it's raining, it must be Wimbledon
Today, around 4:30 p.m. British time, it finally happened--it rained during Wimbledon. It has been dry for days, but the showers came during the busiest day of the tournament. All play was suspended and the roof was placed over Centre Court, a process which took a really long time. Dinara Safina and Amelie Mauresmo were in the middle of their round of 16 second set when the delay occured, and once play resumed, Mauresmo became the first player to strike a tennis ball under the roof.
Once play resumed, it took a while for the electronic scoreboard to begin working again. In the meantime--for those of us who were unable to view the match--Radio Wimbledon was available.
It turns out that the showers did not last long. Simply waiting for them to end would have taken about the same amount of time as it did to put the Centre Court roof on. However, there is no way of predicting how long a storm will last, and putting the roof on keeps the grass from getting wet.
For those who enjoy historical moments at tournaments, it must seem fitting that the first players to play under the new roof were the world number 1 and a former Wimbledon champion.
Pardon me for saying it again, but...
NBC is evil. Nothing has changed since the French Open. ESPN does not show women's matches unless someone named Williams or Oudin is playing in them. In many cases, they do not show even parts of other matches. This morning, in the U.S., we were able to watch most of Oudin and Radwanska, and Williams and Hantuchova. That was it. No Petrova and Azarenka, no Wozniacki and Lisicki, no Razzano and Schiavone.
In my time zone, ESPN's non-broadcast (I did get to see Federer) ended at 9 a.m. But NBC's broadcast did not begin until 10 a.m. It didn't matter. While live matches were taking place, NBC showed the third set of the Federer-Soderling match, then went directly to the Williams-Ivanovic match. And once again, there are matches that ESPN is not allowed to show, so people who want to see them are forced to watch them after the fact on NBC.
This viewers' nightmare is almost identical to what we had to go through during the French Open. I say "almost" because it is worse: ESPN and NBC also conspired to deny U.S. viewers the right to purchase Wimbledon Live. When we had Wimbledon Live, a great service, it didn't matter what kind of shenanigans ESPN and NBC were up to--we could watch good matches. I like Radio Wimbledon, but it would be nice to actually see Wimbledon matches.
In my time zone, ESPN's non-broadcast (I did get to see Federer) ended at 9 a.m. But NBC's broadcast did not begin until 10 a.m. It didn't matter. While live matches were taking place, NBC showed the third set of the Federer-Soderling match, then went directly to the Williams-Ivanovic match. And once again, there are matches that ESPN is not allowed to show, so people who want to see them are forced to watch them after the fact on NBC.
This viewers' nightmare is almost identical to what we had to go through during the French Open. I say "almost" because it is worse: ESPN and NBC also conspired to deny U.S. viewers the right to purchase Wimbledon Live. When we had Wimbledon Live, a great service, it didn't matter what kind of shenanigans ESPN and NBC were up to--we could watch good matches. I like Radio Wimbledon, but it would be nice to actually see Wimbledon matches.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Middle Sunday blues
For your middle Sunday entertainment, here is some Wimbledon memorabilia and miscellany:
Virginia Wade, Joyce Williams and Ann Haydon-Jones show off their 1969 Ted Tinling outfits.
Here are some details about the Venus Rosewater dish.
Only two left-handed women have ever won the Wimbledon championship.
Lawn tennis in the Wimbledon area was originally played at the All England Croquet Club. In order to have more space, a move was made, and the organization's name was changed to All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The new courts were officially opened by King George V, who banged a gong three times as the court covers were removed. As play began in the first match, the rain came.
Finally, here's another look (and listen) at "Evonne," the song tribute to two-time Wimbledon champion Evonne Goolagong. The graceful Goolagong won the title in 1971 and 1980.
Virginia Wade, Joyce Williams and Ann Haydon-Jones show off their 1969 Ted Tinling outfits.
Here are some details about the Venus Rosewater dish.
Only two left-handed women have ever won the Wimbledon championship.
Lawn tennis in the Wimbledon area was originally played at the All England Croquet Club. In order to have more space, a move was made, and the organization's name was changed to All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The new courts were officially opened by King George V, who banged a gong three times as the court covers were removed. As play began in the first match, the rain came.
Finally, here's another look (and listen) at "Evonne," the song tribute to two-time Wimbledon champion Evonne Goolagong. The graceful Goolagong won the title in 1971 and 1980.
Round of 16 to be played on Monday
Monday is a busy, busy day at Wimbledon, with men and women playing round of 16 singles matches, as all manner of doubles and junior matches take place at the same time. Here is the women's round of 16 draw:
Dinara Safina vs. Amelie Mauresmo: The world number 1, never that keen on grass, faces the 2006 Wimbledon champion, a master on the surface. Of course, there are several other factors involved, such as Safina's struggle to win a major, and the pressure she may feel, and Mauresmo's efforts to be a meaningful factor on the tour again.
Caroline Wozniacki vs. Sabine Lisicki: The two friends meet for the first time since Lisicki defeated Wozniacki for the Charleston title. This has the potential to be a wonderful match because neither player is likely to fold easily. However, Lisicki has been double-faulting a lot, which could hurt her at this point in the tournament.
Venus Williams vs. Ana Ivanovic: I thought Williams would be playing Sam Stosur in this round, but Ivanovic has made a bit of a turnaround at this tournament. She's still having trouble with her ball toss, but her confidence appears to have increased. Williams looks simply great.
Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Melanie Oudin: Radwanska didn't look that great today, but she still found a way to defeat Li Na in the third round. If she gets herself straight on Monday, she can stun Oudin with her groundstroke lines and angles, and with her spooky anticipation. But Oudin could stun her right back with all the shot variety she displayed in her third round match.
Virginie Razzano vs. Francesca Schiavone: Is that a typing error? No--Fran Schiavone really is in the fourth round of Wimbledon. The respected clay veteran has been having a high old time in London, taking out Eastbourne semifinalist Aleksandra Wozniak, rising star Michelle Larcher De Brito, and grass court specialist (and 2007 Wimbledon finalist) Marion Bartoli. You'd think it was Fed Cup. At the rate she's going, who's to say she won't also defeat Razzano? Razzano, like Bartoli, is a very aggressive player. Expect a lively match.
Elena Vesnina vs. Elena Dementieva: Vesnina hurt her back in the third round, but won her match anyway, upsetting Dominika Cibulkova. Unless she has a disastrous summer hard court season, I'm ready to give Vesnina the Most Improved award; this just isn't the same player we've seen for the last few years. She has become clever and instinctive, and a fine shotmaker. She'll be playing against one of the finest athletes on the tour. A superb shotmaker herself, Dementieva will probably give Vesnina all she can handle.
Victoria Azarenka vs. Nadia Petrova: For reasons unknown to me, Petrova showed up at Wimbledon wearing a dress covered in wide ruffles. Aside from the fact that such a dress just doesn't suit her frame (or probably anyone's frame), there is also something gently ironic about the sight of a mass of ruffles unleashing the kinds of serves and groundstrokes that Petrova delivers on a good day. Petrova eeked out a 7-6, 7-6 win over Azarenka in the third round last year, so the revenge factor should be in play. If Petrova has a good day, ruffles will fly.
Daniela Hantuvhova vs. Serena Williams: The last time these two played each other at Wimbledon, it was also in the round of 16, and it wasn't pretty. Two years ago, Williams felt pain in her calf, took a fall, and sustained a very painful leg injury; it looked as though she would retire. She was in a lot of pain, though a lengthy rain delay did allow her to get some rest and some extra strapping. What many people didn't realize was that Williams had also injured her thumb when she fell. The upshot of all this is that Williams, playing with one functioning leg and one functioning hand, won the match. To make things even more interesting--the year before--Hantuchova had defeated Williams at the Australian Open when Williams was the defending champion. They have, you could say, some history.
Hantuchova is a very fine tennis player, but is known for choking as much as for anything else. One never knows how she is going to handle things when she pulls ahead in a match. So far, at Wimbledon, she has defeated 2008 Wimbledon junior champion Laura Robson, 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie, and Ai Sugiyama. These matches were challenging, but the real challenge will appear on Monday. Will Hantuchova's past with Williams motivate her? Or will it be part of her undoing?
Dinara Safina vs. Amelie Mauresmo: The world number 1, never that keen on grass, faces the 2006 Wimbledon champion, a master on the surface. Of course, there are several other factors involved, such as Safina's struggle to win a major, and the pressure she may feel, and Mauresmo's efforts to be a meaningful factor on the tour again.
Caroline Wozniacki vs. Sabine Lisicki: The two friends meet for the first time since Lisicki defeated Wozniacki for the Charleston title. This has the potential to be a wonderful match because neither player is likely to fold easily. However, Lisicki has been double-faulting a lot, which could hurt her at this point in the tournament.
Venus Williams vs. Ana Ivanovic: I thought Williams would be playing Sam Stosur in this round, but Ivanovic has made a bit of a turnaround at this tournament. She's still having trouble with her ball toss, but her confidence appears to have increased. Williams looks simply great.
Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Melanie Oudin: Radwanska didn't look that great today, but she still found a way to defeat Li Na in the third round. If she gets herself straight on Monday, she can stun Oudin with her groundstroke lines and angles, and with her spooky anticipation. But Oudin could stun her right back with all the shot variety she displayed in her third round match.
Virginie Razzano vs. Francesca Schiavone: Is that a typing error? No--Fran Schiavone really is in the fourth round of Wimbledon. The respected clay veteran has been having a high old time in London, taking out Eastbourne semifinalist Aleksandra Wozniak, rising star Michelle Larcher De Brito, and grass court specialist (and 2007 Wimbledon finalist) Marion Bartoli. You'd think it was Fed Cup. At the rate she's going, who's to say she won't also defeat Razzano? Razzano, like Bartoli, is a very aggressive player. Expect a lively match.
Elena Vesnina vs. Elena Dementieva: Vesnina hurt her back in the third round, but won her match anyway, upsetting Dominika Cibulkova. Unless she has a disastrous summer hard court season, I'm ready to give Vesnina the Most Improved award; this just isn't the same player we've seen for the last few years. She has become clever and instinctive, and a fine shotmaker. She'll be playing against one of the finest athletes on the tour. A superb shotmaker herself, Dementieva will probably give Vesnina all she can handle.
Victoria Azarenka vs. Nadia Petrova: For reasons unknown to me, Petrova showed up at Wimbledon wearing a dress covered in wide ruffles. Aside from the fact that such a dress just doesn't suit her frame (or probably anyone's frame), there is also something gently ironic about the sight of a mass of ruffles unleashing the kinds of serves and groundstrokes that Petrova delivers on a good day. Petrova eeked out a 7-6, 7-6 win over Azarenka in the third round last year, so the revenge factor should be in play. If Petrova has a good day, ruffles will fly.
Daniela Hantuvhova vs. Serena Williams: The last time these two played each other at Wimbledon, it was also in the round of 16, and it wasn't pretty. Two years ago, Williams felt pain in her calf, took a fall, and sustained a very painful leg injury; it looked as though she would retire. She was in a lot of pain, though a lengthy rain delay did allow her to get some rest and some extra strapping. What many people didn't realize was that Williams had also injured her thumb when she fell. The upshot of all this is that Williams, playing with one functioning leg and one functioning hand, won the match. To make things even more interesting--the year before--Hantuchova had defeated Williams at the Australian Open when Williams was the defending champion. They have, you could say, some history.
Hantuchova is a very fine tennis player, but is known for choking as much as for anything else. One never knows how she is going to handle things when she pulls ahead in a match. So far, at Wimbledon, she has defeated 2008 Wimbledon junior champion Laura Robson, 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie, and Ai Sugiyama. These matches were challenging, but the real challenge will appear on Monday. Will Hantuchova's past with Williams motivate her? Or will it be part of her undoing?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wimbledon miscellany
So-called journalists continue to ask inane/offensive questions:
It looked like mirror images. You had your left leg all taped and she had her right leg all taped. Is this for the cripple's championship or what?
Do you think about the girls ahead of you? Steffi Graf has seven; Martina has nine.
Unfortunately, players very rarely call these people out. It would make a difference if they did.
9th seed Christina McHale was upset in the first round of junior girls competition today.
128 people had to be treated for heat illness at Wimbledon today--128 if you count Jelena Jankovic. And one had to be taken to the hospital. The temperature went up as high as 28C, which--where I live--would constitute a mercifully cool day right now. I remember, decades ago, traveling to London in the summer, and feeling so relieved that the temperature was much lower than it was here. Imagine my surprise when I saw heat wave precautions posted everywhere.
Here's a unique take on Melanie Oudin.
Though I generally try to avoid Sports Illustrated, I was relieved to find someone there who, like I, cannot understand why screaming is called "grunting."
Can someone please tie up Brad Gilbert, put a sock in his mouth, and lock him in a closet until Wimbledon is over? Actually, the sock part would be good enough. There is probably no greater philistine or yahoo on the sports airwaves--and that's saying something. It isn't just his constantly calling the French Open champion "KOOnetSOva" his "Double J" moniker for Jelena Jankovic, or the fact that he calls Tammy Tanasugarn "Tammy Sue Garden." His extreme "masculine" posturing, matched only by his tiny frame of reference, can be maddening.
Today, he was astonished by the idea of moving outer court matches to Centre Court if there is rain and Centre Court is not being used. Seriously, he was amazed that someone suggested this clever probability. And he made a series of lame "Simon says" jokes about Gilles Simon, whose name, of course, is not pronounced "SImon."
He also tried to "reassure" Tommy Haas that it just wasn't so when Haas described himself as emotional. Patting him on the back, Gilbert said in an avuncular tone, "No, you're not." It wasn't irony--he needed for Haas to stop thinking of himself as "feminine," I suppose.
If you've ever been to a gathering--maybe just your office--and noticed there is one man who just has to blurt out anything, no matter how inane it is, then you know what Gilbert is like. Several of the commentators are annoying, but next to Gilbert, they're all class acts.
It looked like mirror images. You had your left leg all taped and she had her right leg all taped. Is this for the cripple's championship or what?
Do you think about the girls ahead of you? Steffi Graf has seven; Martina has nine.
Unfortunately, players very rarely call these people out. It would make a difference if they did.
9th seed Christina McHale was upset in the first round of junior girls competition today.
128 people had to be treated for heat illness at Wimbledon today--128 if you count Jelena Jankovic. And one had to be taken to the hospital. The temperature went up as high as 28C, which--where I live--would constitute a mercifully cool day right now. I remember, decades ago, traveling to London in the summer, and feeling so relieved that the temperature was much lower than it was here. Imagine my surprise when I saw heat wave precautions posted everywhere.
Here's a unique take on Melanie Oudin.
Though I generally try to avoid Sports Illustrated, I was relieved to find someone there who, like I, cannot understand why screaming is called "grunting."
Can someone please tie up Brad Gilbert, put a sock in his mouth, and lock him in a closet until Wimbledon is over? Actually, the sock part would be good enough. There is probably no greater philistine or yahoo on the sports airwaves--and that's saying something. It isn't just his constantly calling the French Open champion "KOOnetSOva" his "Double J" moniker for Jelena Jankovic, or the fact that he calls Tammy Tanasugarn "Tammy Sue Garden." His extreme "masculine" posturing, matched only by his tiny frame of reference, can be maddening.
Today, he was astonished by the idea of moving outer court matches to Centre Court if there is rain and Centre Court is not being used. Seriously, he was amazed that someone suggested this clever probability. And he made a series of lame "Simon says" jokes about Gilles Simon, whose name, of course, is not pronounced "SImon."
He also tried to "reassure" Tommy Haas that it just wasn't so when Haas described himself as emotional. Patting him on the back, Gilbert said in an avuncular tone, "No, you're not." It wasn't irony--he needed for Haas to stop thinking of himself as "feminine," I suppose.
If you've ever been to a gathering--maybe just your office--and noticed there is one man who just has to blurt out anything, no matter how inane it is, then you know what Gilbert is like. Several of the commentators are annoying, but next to Gilbert, they're all class acts.
Hanuchova and Sugiyama upset at Wimbledon
6th seeds Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama were taken out of Wimbledon doubles competition today by Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova, who defeated them 4-6, 7-6, 6-2.
The other doubles upset today involved 15th seeds Chuang Chia-Jung and Sania Mirza (I still can't get used to not writing Chan and Chuang). They were defeated, 6-2, 6-3, by Alla Kudryavtseva and Monica Niculescu.
The other doubles upset today involved 15th seeds Chuang Chia-Jung and Sania Mirza (I still can't get used to not writing Chan and Chuang). They were defeated, 6-2, 6-3, by Alla Kudryavtseva and Monica Niculescu.
Wimbledon--what they said
"...I felt okay, and then all of a sudden I won that first set. I felt, you know, I was like a ghost, you know, white in the face. Really, I didn't know where I was."
Can you afford to have a fun middle Sunday, or is it going to be all business tomorrow?
"I haven't quite planned out what I'm doing. I always enjoy myself, so every day's fun that I'm alive. It's good."
"We know each other pretty well now. No big surprise today. "
"...something maybe, you know, that someone can, you know, push me a little bit harder. I needed I think some more intensity on the court. And that's something that I feel maybe was lacking a bit."
"She's actually been more aggressor of the two."
"Then once I reached position number 1, it's like, 'Okay, what's next?' So then, you know, when I had some setbacks, I sort of didn't know how to deal with it because there is no higher position than the number 1."
"...I went out there and actually did really well. Was just thinking that she was any other player and this was any other match and I was at any other tournament, you know, not like on the biggest stage at Wimbledon playing my first top 10 player."
"...I felt like I was standing, I was not moving anything. Her game is not--you cannot adjust. You cannot have long rallies so you've got to be quick and at maximum level all the time, and I haven't done so today. That's why I lost."
"... mentally you just learn from playing matches, and nothing can really replace that."
"That racquet bag is bigger than she is."
Does that (being asked whether she is a legitmate number 1 without a major title) bother you?
"Annoying. But what can I do? They keep asking this."
You've had such great support from the strap on your leg. Is this something that you plan to use after this tournament because it's given you such great support?
"That's a good idea. You know, I was thinking maybe I could, like, totally get a permanent one. So maybe you'll see me with one that's just not tape, that's neoprene and Velcro and all that good stuff. So you never know."
An artificial leg?
"Not yet."
Jelena Jankovic
Can you afford to have a fun middle Sunday, or is it going to be all business tomorrow?
"I haven't quite planned out what I'm doing. I always enjoy myself, so every day's fun that I'm alive. It's good."
Venus Williams
"We know each other pretty well now. No big surprise today. "
Amelie Mauresmo, referring to Flavia Pennetta
"...something maybe, you know, that someone can, you know, push me a little bit harder. I needed I think some more intensity on the court. And that's something that I feel maybe was lacking a bit."
Ana Ivanovic, on why she returned to the Adidas coaching team
"She's actually been more aggressor of the two."
Brad Gilbert
"Then once I reached position number 1, it's like, 'Okay, what's next?' So then, you know, when I had some setbacks, I sort of didn't know how to deal with it because there is no higher position than the number 1."
Ana Ivanovic
"...I went out there and actually did really well. Was just thinking that she was any other player and this was any other match and I was at any other tournament, you know, not like on the biggest stage at Wimbledon playing my first top 10 player."
Melane Oudin
"...I felt like I was standing, I was not moving anything. Her game is not--you cannot adjust. You cannot have long rallies so you've got to be quick and at maximum level all the time, and I haven't done so today. That's why I lost."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
"She wasn't even born when I played my first Wimbledon, I mean that's ridiculous, right? Anyway enough about me, holy cow, she knocked off Jelena Jankovic today in three sets."
Rennae Stubbs, writing about Melanie Oudin
"... mentally you just learn from playing matches, and nothing can really replace that."
Amelie Mauresmo
"That racquet bag is bigger than she is."
Pam Shriver, referring to Melanie Oudin
Does that (being asked whether she is a legitmate number 1 without a major title) bother you?
"Annoying. But what can I do? They keep asking this."
Dinara Safina
You've had such great support from the strap on your leg. Is this something that you plan to use after this tournament because it's given you such great support?
"That's a good idea. You know, I was thinking maybe I could, like, totally get a permanent one. So maybe you'll see me with one that's just not tape, that's neoprene and Velcro and all that good stuff. So you never know."
An artificial leg?
"Not yet."
Venus Williams
3rd Wimbledon round shakes up the status quo
Two young players pulled off two big upsets today at Wimbledon. Melanie Oudin defeated a (literally) shaky Jelena Jankovic, seeded 6th at the tournament. And Sabine Lisicki, who has struggled to regain her form after experiencing back-to-back health problems, took out 5th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.
A small upset occurred when 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo, seeded 17th, defeated 15th seed Flavia Pennetta in straight sets, and though many (myself included) thought that Samantha Stosur would overcome Ana Ivanovic, the 13th seed held her own, also in straight sets. In fact, with the exception of the Jankovic-Oudin match, all of the wins were in straight sets, though some were more straightforward than others.
Venus Williams did not allow Carla Suarez Navarro to win one game in the opening set, but Suarez Navarro found her game in the second set, only to lose it 4-6. Dinara Safina had a tight first set against Kirsten Flipkens (Flipkens held a set point), a player I like to watch (but that didn't seem to impress ESPN, who showed nothing of the match), but easily won the second. And Caroline Wozniacki defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-2, 6-2.
More complicated was the contest between 11th seed Agnieszka Radwanska and 19th seed Li Na. Very little of it was shown on television here, but the last part of the third set was a drama all unto itself, with the relentless Li making it next to impossible for Radwanska to close the match. It took Li a long, long time to break Radwanska when she served for the match at 5-4, but Radwanska broke her right back, and went on to win, 6-4, 7-5.
A small upset occurred when 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo, seeded 17th, defeated 15th seed Flavia Pennetta in straight sets, and though many (myself included) thought that Samantha Stosur would overcome Ana Ivanovic, the 13th seed held her own, also in straight sets. In fact, with the exception of the Jankovic-Oudin match, all of the wins were in straight sets, though some were more straightforward than others.
Venus Williams did not allow Carla Suarez Navarro to win one game in the opening set, but Suarez Navarro found her game in the second set, only to lose it 4-6. Dinara Safina had a tight first set against Kirsten Flipkens (Flipkens held a set point), a player I like to watch (but that didn't seem to impress ESPN, who showed nothing of the match), but easily won the second. And Caroline Wozniacki defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-2, 6-2.
More complicated was the contest between 11th seed Agnieszka Radwanska and 19th seed Li Na. Very little of it was shown on television here, but the last part of the third set was a drama all unto itself, with the relentless Li making it next to impossible for Radwanska to close the match. It took Li a long, long time to break Radwanska when she served for the match at 5-4, but Radwanska broke her right back, and went on to win, 6-4, 7-5.
For some, the distance between Paris and London is overwhelming
It was only a matter of time before Sabine Lisicki got herself back on track, and with her big-serving game, what better time than this week? After her Charleston win, Lisicki suffered from both an injury and a mystery illness, and her game suffered just as much. She had trouble winning matches, so she wasn't able to get match-tough. Some said that Lisicki had simply returned to her old, inconsistent ways, but--after seeing her in Charleston--I felt pretty sure the slump had more to do with her health problems.
Despite still having Safina-like double-faulting problems, Lisicki managed to reach the third round at Wimbledon, and today, she took out 5th seed and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets. Kuznetsova was never really there--perhaps she was wondering why someone had planted grass on the court. She did come in a lot, but was only moderately successful at the net. Her service stats were respectable, but she was outserved by her opponent.
Lisicki, however, had a bit of trouble closing the match, despite Kuznetsova's going down 2-5 in the second set. Lisicki served for the match at 5-3 and was broken. She said later that having to serve with new balls was difficult for her. Kuznetsova saved a match point on her own serve, and when a second one came up, a nerve-ridden Lisicki threw the ball into the net. She then saved a game point, and then had a third match point, which she handled with a big mishit. Kuznetsova then managed to hold.
Lisicki held, too, and shortly, Kuznetsova was serving at 5-6, 40-0, but Lisicki reeled off three points in a row, bringing the now-crucial game to deuce. Kuznetsova got a game point, which Lisicki saved, then Kuznetsova saved a fourth match point with a sharp cross-court forehand. Finally, Lisicki won the match, 6-2, 7-5, on her fifth match point.
"It just goes to show you, it's always something"
If Roseanne Roseannadanna were with us, she could do her entire tangential routine on Jelena Jankovic. A few days ago, it was one of Jankovic's chronic foot problems. Today, it was dizziness, in addition to the foot. No one is more of a JJ fan than I am, but the fact remains: It really is always something with the talented but under-achieving Serb.
Melanie Oudin could have lost her nerve and let a less-than-stellar Jankovic win the match. And she could have become distracted after holding four set points in the first set. But Oudin didn't do that. Oh, she had her anxious moments and made some errors because of them, but when it mattered, the 17-year-old was there with the right shot. She used the drop shot successfully and often, a combination pulled off by few players (Sabine Lisicki comes to mind right away), and she covered the court very well. She stayed tough, and her reward was a 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
In the round of 16, Oudin will play the winner of the third round match between Agnieszka Radwanska and Li Na.
Melanie Oudin could have lost her nerve and let a less-than-stellar Jankovic win the match. And she could have become distracted after holding four set points in the first set. But Oudin didn't do that. Oh, she had her anxious moments and made some errors because of them, but when it mattered, the 17-year-old was there with the right shot. She used the drop shot successfully and often, a combination pulled off by few players (Sabine Lisicki comes to mind right away), and she covered the court very well. She stayed tough, and her reward was a 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
In the round of 16, Oudin will play the winner of the third round match between Agnieszka Radwanska and Li Na.
Friday, June 26, 2009
It's always about team sports--even when it isn't
The great Muriel Spark wrote one of my favorite lines in all of literature: "Cleopatra knew nothing of the team spirit...."
One of the things I like best about professional tennis is that it is not a team sport. I have nothing against team sports--they just don't hold my interest the way individual competition does. I'm jut not a "team" kind of person the way other people are, though I totally understand how people can develop strong loyalties to teams, and I respect that loyalty. I have, on occasion, even enjoyed watching team sports myself, but never with the enthusiasm I have for watching someone struggle alone on a tennis court.
But in the U.S.--perhaps in other places, but I cannot speak for other countries--just about every sport somehow gets turned into a team sport. ESPN, as I and several of my readers have complained, is so U.S.-centric that it is sometimes difficult for us to find a television match that does not involve Americans. The most boring match imaginable can be televised, and a thriller can be played at the same time, but if the boring match has an American in it, we're stuck with watching it.
Part of that U.S.-centric syndrome, as I have written about on several occasions, is the U.S. televisin commentators' unwillingness to perform the basic courtesy (and job description item) of correctly pronouncing the names of non-Americans. (I recall a woman looking at the photos of tennis players in my office. She asked me who they were, and when I told her, she said "Well, you certainly know how to pronounce their names," as if I had just performed neurosurgery with a penknife.)
I recently heard from a man who used to be a fan but gave up following the ATP because the golden age of American tennis ended several years ago. I wanted to ask him "But what about Roger Federer? What about Rafa? What about Safin and Hewitt?"
A year or so ago, I listened to a woman go on and on about that fact that she cheers for American players only. When I suggested that some of us were fans of non-Americans, too, she would have none of it. Instead she told me what a die-hard fan she was of Chris Everett. Right. No need to even know what her name is--just know that she is American. (I was especially put out by this because I am a long-time fan of Evert's.) Some of you may recall that during the Family Circle Cup, I blogged about some women who wondered how I was related to the Bartoli family because I happened to be cheering for Marion while she was competing against an American player.
On some blog or other this past week, I saw a comment someone made about the British players who have been trying so hard to advance in their sport. The commenter said she supports them because she wants more English-speaking players to win. Let's see...just about every player in the top 50--maybe the top 100--speaks English. I wondered whether the commenter was bi- or multilingual; my instinct told me she wasn't.
Aside from the obvious and ridiculous fact that dozens of players are English-speaking, there is the darker reality of what this woman really meant: Too many non-Anglo Eureopean and Asian players have "invaded" the sport. I also read a comment somewhere else about the "Asian robots" who have "taken over" the LPGA (and of course, the comments included an ethnic attack on Lorena Ochoa).
Such chauvinism is part of the reason that tennis isn't as popular in the U.S. as it might be. As a person who has never been into "rah-rah country" (or "rah-rah" anything), it is hard for me to understand this attitude.
My understanding is that a twist on this problem exists in Great Britain. I have heard from both fans and players that the British ignore tennis the other fifty weeks of the year to the same degree that they go slightly nuts over it during Wimbledon. So if a British player doesn't do something spectacular at the All England Club's showcase, s/he is a failure.
The world of sports is, of course, merely a microcosm of the rest of life's business: It is filled with racism, ethnicism, sexism, misogyny, gay-hating, and chauvinism. Sticking with the topic of tennis, however, it's a shame that so many Americans cannot see their way to enjoying the likes of Jelena Jankovic, Li Na, Flavia Pennetta, or Daniela Hantuchova (who speaks English--and probably two or three more languages than they do).
One of the things I like best about professional tennis is that it is not a team sport. I have nothing against team sports--they just don't hold my interest the way individual competition does. I'm jut not a "team" kind of person the way other people are, though I totally understand how people can develop strong loyalties to teams, and I respect that loyalty. I have, on occasion, even enjoyed watching team sports myself, but never with the enthusiasm I have for watching someone struggle alone on a tennis court.
But in the U.S.--perhaps in other places, but I cannot speak for other countries--just about every sport somehow gets turned into a team sport. ESPN, as I and several of my readers have complained, is so U.S.-centric that it is sometimes difficult for us to find a television match that does not involve Americans. The most boring match imaginable can be televised, and a thriller can be played at the same time, but if the boring match has an American in it, we're stuck with watching it.
Part of that U.S.-centric syndrome, as I have written about on several occasions, is the U.S. televisin commentators' unwillingness to perform the basic courtesy (and job description item) of correctly pronouncing the names of non-Americans. (I recall a woman looking at the photos of tennis players in my office. She asked me who they were, and when I told her, she said "Well, you certainly know how to pronounce their names," as if I had just performed neurosurgery with a penknife.)
I recently heard from a man who used to be a fan but gave up following the ATP because the golden age of American tennis ended several years ago. I wanted to ask him "But what about Roger Federer? What about Rafa? What about Safin and Hewitt?"
A year or so ago, I listened to a woman go on and on about that fact that she cheers for American players only. When I suggested that some of us were fans of non-Americans, too, she would have none of it. Instead she told me what a die-hard fan she was of Chris Everett. Right. No need to even know what her name is--just know that she is American. (I was especially put out by this because I am a long-time fan of Evert's.) Some of you may recall that during the Family Circle Cup, I blogged about some women who wondered how I was related to the Bartoli family because I happened to be cheering for Marion while she was competing against an American player.
On some blog or other this past week, I saw a comment someone made about the British players who have been trying so hard to advance in their sport. The commenter said she supports them because she wants more English-speaking players to win. Let's see...just about every player in the top 50--maybe the top 100--speaks English. I wondered whether the commenter was bi- or multilingual; my instinct told me she wasn't.
Aside from the obvious and ridiculous fact that dozens of players are English-speaking, there is the darker reality of what this woman really meant: Too many non-Anglo Eureopean and Asian players have "invaded" the sport. I also read a comment somewhere else about the "Asian robots" who have "taken over" the LPGA (and of course, the comments included an ethnic attack on Lorena Ochoa).
Such chauvinism is part of the reason that tennis isn't as popular in the U.S. as it might be. As a person who has never been into "rah-rah country" (or "rah-rah" anything), it is hard for me to understand this attitude.
My understanding is that a twist on this problem exists in Great Britain. I have heard from both fans and players that the British ignore tennis the other fifty weeks of the year to the same degree that they go slightly nuts over it during Wimbledon. So if a British player doesn't do something spectacular at the All England Club's showcase, s/he is a failure.
The world of sports is, of course, merely a microcosm of the rest of life's business: It is filled with racism, ethnicism, sexism, misogyny, gay-hating, and chauvinism. Sticking with the topic of tennis, however, it's a shame that so many Americans cannot see their way to enjoying the likes of Jelena Jankovic, Li Na, Flavia Pennetta, or Daniela Hantuchova (who speaks English--and probably two or three more languages than they do).
Wimbledon--what they said
And two, one or two of the top players, such as yourself, who complained about being put on outside courts. Are you happy with your scheduling?
"Well, I'm happy to have gotten my match over. I'm happy to have won. You know, I always play on Court No. 2. You know, it's not a court for Roger, but it's definitely a court for me. But I haven't won Wimbledon five times."
You won it two times.
"Hey, I guess it's not enough."
"I think some people are just too noisy. I understand that they grunt or when she hits the ball, says, 'Uhh,' or something, but not like extra noise until their opponent hits the ball. That's, I think, way too much."
"I thought I was playing against a wall; the ball keeps coming back, keeps coming back, and it was really hard to make one winner."
It's three magnificent wins for you. How do you really explain that progress?
"I think to grow up and stay a little bit alone, you can think much more to yourself and stay more focused. So I think to be alone is a step that I need to do it. And now I did, and I feel good."
You have to face Sugiyama again to team up in the doubles. Are you going to say sorry when you meet her?
"Yeah, I already said sorry after the match. You know, it was quite funny before the match. We were warming up at the same place. We just had to make sure we were not going to sit on the same bench."
"I was keeping hitting the ball, hitting the ball, hitting the ball, and the ball keeps coming back, keeps coming back. So when I was trying to come to the net, if my approach shot was not absolutely perfect, she was passing me all the time. So I had to come up with the perfect shot on each point, which is really difficult to do."
Have you ever played your sister in any other game or sport and who won?
"I don't know. I mean, we play ping‑pong."
Who won?
"I'm terrible at ping‑pong. I hit too hard. Court's too small."
"Well, I'm happy to have gotten my match over. I'm happy to have won. You know, I always play on Court No. 2. You know, it's not a court for Roger, but it's definitely a court for me. But I haven't won Wimbledon five times."
You won it two times.
"Hey, I guess it's not enough."
Serena Williams
"I think some people are just too noisy. I understand that they grunt or when she hits the ball, says, 'Uhh,' or something, but not like extra noise until their opponent hits the ball. That's, I think, way too much."
Ai Sugiyama
"I thought I was playing against a wall; the ball keeps coming back, keeps coming back, and it was really hard to make one winner."
Marion Bartoli
It's three magnificent wins for you. How do you really explain that progress?
"I think to grow up and stay a little bit alone, you can think much more to yourself and stay more focused. So I think to be alone is a step that I need to do it. And now I did, and I feel good."
Francesca Schiavone
You have to face Sugiyama again to team up in the doubles. Are you going to say sorry when you meet her?
"Yeah, I already said sorry after the match. You know, it was quite funny before the match. We were warming up at the same place. We just had to make sure we were not going to sit on the same bench."
Daniela Hantuchova
"I was keeping hitting the ball, hitting the ball, hitting the ball, and the ball keeps coming back, keeps coming back. So when I was trying to come to the net, if my approach shot was not absolutely perfect, she was passing me all the time. So I had to come up with the perfect shot on each point, which is really difficult to do."
Marion Bartoli
Have you ever played your sister in any other game or sport and who won?
"I don't know. I mean, we play ping‑pong."
Who won?
"I'm terrible at ping‑pong. I hit too hard. Court's too small."
Serena Williams
Melanie Oudin: Win or lose tomorrow, she's a standout
Tomorrow, Melanie Oudin plays her third round match at Wimbledon. She will play former world number 1 Jelena Jankovic, and--given Jankovic's recent form, her declared decrease in motivation, and her preference for non-grass courts--there is talk about an upset. I'm not expecting one, but I won't fall over from shock if one occurs, either.
The former junior world number 2, at 17 years of age, has an intense and no-nonsense persona on the court. I saw her play several times in Charleston this year, and she has a mature game. She is a good returner of serve, has a crisp forehand, and is not afraid to use a variety of shots to outplay her opponent. At the Family Circle Cup, Oudin had to win two qualifying matches to get into the main draw, and she was the last qualifier standing in the third round. She defeated a significantly injured Olga Savchuk in the first round, but then went on to defeat (with one 6-0 set) Aleksandra Wozniak in the second. Marion Bartoli overwhelmed her in the third round, but Oudin nevertheless played well.
At Wimbledon, Oudin upset 29th seed Sybille Bammer in the first round, then upset Yaroslava Shvedova in the second round. The five-foot, six-inch American considers herself a clay player, and has told the press that she is suprised to see herself in the third round of Wimbledon.
8 matches, 2 upsets, 1 walkover
Virginie Razzano got a nice rest today when Vera Zvonareva gave her a walkover in the third round. Zvonareva, who injured her right ankle in Charleston, discovered this week that it has not yet healed.
In a tennis plot twist, it was her opponent--and not Dominika Cibulkova--whose back went out in their third round match. Elena Vesnina, who won the first set, had to have treatment after she began having back problems in the second set. I, and I'm sure many others, assumed Vesnina would not be able to do much in the third set, but she did enough to win the match, upsetting the 14th seed 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
The other upset was Francesca Schiavone's 7-6, 6-0 victory over 12th seed Marion Bartoli.
Victoria Azarenka defeated Sorana Cirstea, 7-6, 6-2. It is a pleasure to watch Cirstea play on any surface, especially when one contrasts her game with so many others. What's not to like?
It took Nadia Petrova three sets to defeat Gisela Dulko. Elena Dementieva, Serena Williams and Daniela Hantuchova all advanced in straight sets, defeating Regina Kulikova, Roberta Vinci and Ai Sugiyama, respectively.
In doubles, the Williams sisters advanced to the third round, as did the teams of Kuznetsova/Mauresmo, Stosur/Stubbs and Medina Garrigues/Ruano Pascual.
In a tennis plot twist, it was her opponent--and not Dominika Cibulkova--whose back went out in their third round match. Elena Vesnina, who won the first set, had to have treatment after she began having back problems in the second set. I, and I'm sure many others, assumed Vesnina would not be able to do much in the third set, but she did enough to win the match, upsetting the 14th seed 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
The other upset was Francesca Schiavone's 7-6, 6-0 victory over 12th seed Marion Bartoli.
Victoria Azarenka defeated Sorana Cirstea, 7-6, 6-2. It is a pleasure to watch Cirstea play on any surface, especially when one contrasts her game with so many others. What's not to like?
It took Nadia Petrova three sets to defeat Gisela Dulko. Elena Dementieva, Serena Williams and Daniela Hantuchova all advanced in straight sets, defeating Regina Kulikova, Roberta Vinci and Ai Sugiyama, respectively.
In doubles, the Williams sisters advanced to the third round, as did the teams of Kuznetsova/Mauresmo, Stosur/Stubbs and Medina Garrigues/Ruano Pascual.
Wimbledon and the media
I have already discussed the extreme sexism of the British press with regard to Wimbledon (and everything else, for that matter). In the U.S., on both ESPN and Tennis Channel--and I'm sure NBC will be no exception--the mispronunciation of players' names continues, with Pam Shriver taking this offense to new depths. And I also continue to hear those lazy, tennis-demeaning other-sports pseudo-metaphors almost all the time.
Today, describing himself, Darren Cahill used a pseudonym for a word that--in the context in which he was speaking--meant that he was weak and scared--like a woman. Since I hear people more intelligent than Cahill using the same term frequently, I certainly wasn't surprised, but doesn't anyone ever stop and think about what s/he is actually saying? (And yes, I realize that many people actually believe that weak and scared = woman.)
Among the mispronunciations, sloppy tennis-insulting metaphors and the sexism, there often isn't a lot to like about television commentary. But I would be willing to tolerate at least some of the nonsense if ESPN could just remember that women are playing tennis at Wimbledon. I no longer have access to Wimbledon Live--the U.S. is now excluded from using the service--so if a match isn't on ESPN (or NBC on the weekends), I cannot watch it. And women's matches have been few and far between on ESPN so far. If we're lucky, we get to see a segment of a women's match. The exception, of course, involves matches in which Venus and Serena Williams play.
The Williams sisters are very important people at Wimbledon, and one can understand ESPN's preoccupation with showing their matches. But who wants to watch an entire match consisting of Serena plowing over an opponent when there is a really interesting WTA match going on at the same time? I don't. But for now, it's lots of Williams sisters and only snippets--if we're lucky (not a moment of the Vesnina-Cibulkova match)--of other women's matches.
Today, describing himself, Darren Cahill used a pseudonym for a word that--in the context in which he was speaking--meant that he was weak and scared--like a woman. Since I hear people more intelligent than Cahill using the same term frequently, I certainly wasn't surprised, but doesn't anyone ever stop and think about what s/he is actually saying? (And yes, I realize that many people actually believe that weak and scared = woman.)
Among the mispronunciations, sloppy tennis-insulting metaphors and the sexism, there often isn't a lot to like about television commentary. But I would be willing to tolerate at least some of the nonsense if ESPN could just remember that women are playing tennis at Wimbledon. I no longer have access to Wimbledon Live--the U.S. is now excluded from using the service--so if a match isn't on ESPN (or NBC on the weekends), I cannot watch it. And women's matches have been few and far between on ESPN so far. If we're lucky, we get to see a segment of a women's match. The exception, of course, involves matches in which Venus and Serena Williams play.
The Williams sisters are very important people at Wimbledon, and one can understand ESPN's preoccupation with showing their matches. But who wants to watch an entire match consisting of Serena plowing over an opponent when there is a really interesting WTA match going on at the same time? I don't. But for now, it's lots of Williams sisters and only snippets--if we're lucky (not a moment of the Vesnina-Cibulkova match)--of other women's matches.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
3rd round pairings
There's a lot going on in the third round of Wimbledon, in terms of who plays whom.
They meet again: Carla Suarez Navarro defeated defending champion Venus Williams in the second round of the Australian Open, and now they meet again in the third round of Wimbledon. That was a hard court and this is grass, which--for Venus Williams--changes the dynamics dramatically.
Excuse me, you're on the wrong side of the net: Daniela Hantuchova has to play her doubles partner, Ai Sugiyama, in the third round. Probably not fun for either of them.
How many Russians does it take to change an outcome? There are seven in the 3rd round, and two of them--Regina Kulikova and Elena Dementieva--play each other.
I didn't catch your name: Four of the third round pairings feature players who are playing each other for the first time: Dinara Safina vs. Kirsten Flipkens, Sabine Lisicki vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Melanie Oudin vs. Jelena Jankovic, Roberta Vinci vs. Serena Williams.
They meet again: Carla Suarez Navarro defeated defending champion Venus Williams in the second round of the Australian Open, and now they meet again in the third round of Wimbledon. That was a hard court and this is grass, which--for Venus Williams--changes the dynamics dramatically.
Excuse me, you're on the wrong side of the net: Daniela Hantuchova has to play her doubles partner, Ai Sugiyama, in the third round. Probably not fun for either of them.
How many Russians does it take to change an outcome? There are seven in the 3rd round, and two of them--Regina Kulikova and Elena Dementieva--play each other.
I didn't catch your name: Four of the third round pairings feature players who are playing each other for the first time: Dinara Safina vs. Kirsten Flipkens, Sabine Lisicki vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Melanie Oudin vs. Jelena Jankovic, Roberta Vinci vs. Serena Williams.
Wimbledon--what they said
"I think the best thing about this sport is you can choose your own destiny."
"So I'm getting very bored in the afternoons after my matches and practices. I want to go shopping and see London. Not tourism though, because you get tired. I need just two, three hours to spend some cash."
"...that's kind of the thing about tennis, that you can have such a good preparation, great three, four weeks of great results, great performances, and then you have that one day where it's just -- it's not quite there."
So you don't try to change your game or the way you play or anything like that?
"No. I should not change."
But on grass do you think it's any more of an advantage to be short sometimes?
"It's good to--it's an advantage to be short when you return, and on serves you have to grow a little bit. Let's put it that way."
"...I think everyone goes really crazy over the one week. I think the public and everyone kind of expects someone to do so fantastic, otherwise you're deemed as a failure."
What have you been up to since Paris?
"You know, party every day until 6:00 in the morning and then sleep during the day, and now I play these two days."
Venus Williams
"So I'm getting very bored in the afternoons after my matches and practices. I want to go shopping and see London. Not tourism though, because you get tired. I need just two, three hours to spend some cash."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
"...that's kind of the thing about tennis, that you can have such a good preparation, great three, four weeks of great results, great performances, and then you have that one day where it's just -- it's not quite there."
Elena Baltacha
So you don't try to change your game or the way you play or anything like that?
"No. I should not change."
Won't see any slice, dropshots?
"I can do this if I need to. But if I'm not pushed to do this, why to do it?"Dinara Safina
But on grass do you think it's any more of an advantage to be short sometimes?
"It's good to--it's an advantage to be short when you return, and on serves you have to grow a little bit. Let's put it that way."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
"...I think everyone goes really crazy over the one week. I think the public and everyone kind of expects someone to do so fantastic, otherwise you're deemed as a failure."
Elena Baltacha, on the British press and public's Wimbledon expectations
"...once I got to the top position, it was sort of --you know, it had some setbacks. It was a little bit hard for me to accept it. I just thought it's always going to be up the hill and it's always going to be better and better. But it's not always the case."Ana Ivanovic
What have you been up to since Paris?
"You know, party every day until 6:00 in the morning and then sleep during the day, and now I play these two days."
Svetlana Kuznetsova, at her cheeky best
And then there are the idiotic things they (the sports press) said. I'm glad that more and more players are refusing to answer personal and other inappropriate questions asked at their press conferences, as a couple of players did yesterday. Today, the inane questions included:
Do you feel as well as athleticism and talent and dedication, there's an important place for grace and beauty and femininity in the sport?
Larry Scott gave his final press conference this morning. You were the one current player he singled out for having a leadership role, being on the Player Council for the whole time he's been in charge of the WTA Tour. Not only have you done that, but you've actually been proactive, telling him that you wanted to be involved in gender equality. What interests you, and why are you doing that? Do you feel responsible, or are you just interested in that stuff?
But what do you expect?
Do you feel as well as athleticism and talent and dedication, there's an important place for grace and beauty and femininity in the sport?
Larry Scott gave his final press conference this morning. You were the one current player he singled out for having a leadership role, being on the Player Council for the whole time he's been in charge of the WTA Tour. Not only have you done that, but you've actually been proactive, telling him that you wanted to be involved in gender equality. What interests you, and why are you doing that? Do you feel responsible, or are you just interested in that stuff?
But what do you expect?
Day 4 at Wimbledon less eventful than previous days
There were no upsets in singles today at Wimbledon, but there were very close calls. 11th seed Agnieszka Radwanska had to fight for three hours to ward off Peng Shuai, who made 45 unforced errors and hit 54 winners in an intense second round contest. Radwanska did prevail, though, with a score of 6-2, 6-7, 9-7.
Also facing imminent loss was Sam Stosur, who--having lost the first set to Tatjana Malek--was down a break in the second, then down 0-4 in the second set tiebreak. As if that weren't enough, she was also down 1-4 in the third set. That's a lot of tough fight for someone who, until recently, was not known for mental toughness.
Sabine Lisicki improved on her ace/double fault ratio, but only by a tiny bit. Today, she hit nine aces and made seven double faults. She is into the third round, but she is going to have to clean up that stat quickly.
Vera Zvonareva, who has been struggling with her injured ankle since she arrived in London, retired in doubles today because of that ankle. Whether this was a precautionary move or whether she will withdraw from singles is unknown at this time. One way or the other, it doesn't look good at all.
5th seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai were upset in the first round today by Sorana Cirstea and Caroline Wozniacki, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.
Also facing imminent loss was Sam Stosur, who--having lost the first set to Tatjana Malek--was down a break in the second, then down 0-4 in the second set tiebreak. As if that weren't enough, she was also down 1-4 in the third set. That's a lot of tough fight for someone who, until recently, was not known for mental toughness.
Sabine Lisicki improved on her ace/double fault ratio, but only by a tiny bit. Today, she hit nine aces and made seven double faults. She is into the third round, but she is going to have to clean up that stat quickly.
Vera Zvonareva, who has been struggling with her injured ankle since she arrived in London, retired in doubles today because of that ankle. Whether this was a precautionary move or whether she will withdraw from singles is unknown at this time. One way or the other, it doesn't look good at all.
5th seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai were upset in the first round today by Sorana Cirstea and Caroline Wozniacki, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.
Wimbledon official site no less sexist than the rest of the British press
I recently wrote that the British press is so sexist, it makes the U.S. press look relatively good. It turns out that even the official writers for Wimbledon are typical of sexist British journalism, which hardly surprises me. Greg Couch, writing for Fanhouse.com, brings to our attention the sexist garbage that was written yesterday on the official Wimbledon site about Maria Sharapova, Gisela Duklko and the tour in general.
Apparently, someone associated with Wimbledon was as repelled as Couch, for the article was later replaced by one that was appropriate, written by the same person.
One of the lines Couch quotes is "For all that the ladies of the WTA Tour wish to be taken seriously as athletes, there are times when they are fighting a losing battle." In context, this line is not pretty. But I'm not sure how seriously some of the women in the Sony Ericsson WTA do want to be taken seriously as athletes. One famous player's official website features photos of her posing topless (not explicit, but topless, nevertheless). And several top tour players have participated in a tour promotion that has them striking undeniably "sexy" (actually more of a cheesy sendup of sexy) poses, in which their faces have been airbrused all the way to Stepford. This promotion appears in a number of venues, including the tour's official site.
It is expected that some players will do photo shoots outside of their tour obligations. Some ATP players do them, too, though none of those players ever has to prove that he is, first and foremost, a good athlete, and that he just happens to be attractive, too. That is the diference between the selling of sex in the WTA and the selling of sex (rare as that sale is) in the ATP. Female athletes who want to be taken seriously as athletes should be objecting to their being marketed as sex objects, not colluding with the exploiters.
Bigotry and prejudice directed toward girls and women is generally accepted and encouraged, regardless of where one lives, and internalized sexism makes girls and women part of the problem. As I have said on more than one occasion, marketing female tennis players as sex objects does nothing to help the tour, but plenty to help the agents, photographers, makeup artists, publishers, copyright thieves, and webmasters who provide space for people to make obscene remarks about players' bodies.
Bloggers can write until we are blue in the face about the offensive "journalism" of the British press, including the official Wiimbledon website, but it is the players who need to put a stop to it.
(Thanks to After Atalanta for finding this story.)
Apparently, someone associated with Wimbledon was as repelled as Couch, for the article was later replaced by one that was appropriate, written by the same person.
One of the lines Couch quotes is "For all that the ladies of the WTA Tour wish to be taken seriously as athletes, there are times when they are fighting a losing battle." In context, this line is not pretty. But I'm not sure how seriously some of the women in the Sony Ericsson WTA do want to be taken seriously as athletes. One famous player's official website features photos of her posing topless (not explicit, but topless, nevertheless). And several top tour players have participated in a tour promotion that has them striking undeniably "sexy" (actually more of a cheesy sendup of sexy) poses, in which their faces have been airbrused all the way to Stepford. This promotion appears in a number of venues, including the tour's official site.
It is expected that some players will do photo shoots outside of their tour obligations. Some ATP players do them, too, though none of those players ever has to prove that he is, first and foremost, a good athlete, and that he just happens to be attractive, too. That is the diference between the selling of sex in the WTA and the selling of sex (rare as that sale is) in the ATP. Female athletes who want to be taken seriously as athletes should be objecting to their being marketed as sex objects, not colluding with the exploiters.
Bigotry and prejudice directed toward girls and women is generally accepted and encouraged, regardless of where one lives, and internalized sexism makes girls and women part of the problem. As I have said on more than one occasion, marketing female tennis players as sex objects does nothing to help the tour, but plenty to help the agents, photographers, makeup artists, publishers, copyright thieves, and webmasters who provide space for people to make obscene remarks about players' bodies.
Bloggers can write until we are blue in the face about the offensive "journalism" of the British press, including the official Wiimbledon website, but it is the players who need to put a stop to it.
(Thanks to After Atalanta for finding this story.)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wimbledon miscellany
Rennae Stubbs is fed up with the littering behavior of some of her colleagues.
Several years ago, Mary Carillo coined the term "Big babe tennis." Today--on ESPN's "Technically Speaking" segment--Carillo, Pam Shriver and Mary Joe Fernandez did a cheesy--and hilarious-- send-up of themselves--with a little help from Maria Sharapova.
New roof rule: Any player hitting a lob or service return and striking the ceiling loses the point.
Note to certain unevolved fans (and writers): Using or suggesting the word "feminine" to insult a man is actually much more insulting to women and girls. If you don't like a player's outfit, fine. But just once, could you leave gender out of it?
IMG is trying to sign Laura Robson again.
Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle doesn't think a Venus-Serena final would be such a good thing.
Several years ago, Mary Carillo coined the term "Big babe tennis." Today--on ESPN's "Technically Speaking" segment--Carillo, Pam Shriver and Mary Joe Fernandez did a cheesy--and hilarious-- send-up of themselves--with a little help from Maria Sharapova.
New roof rule: Any player hitting a lob or service return and striking the ceiling loses the point.
Note to certain unevolved fans (and writers): Using or suggesting the word "feminine" to insult a man is actually much more insulting to women and girls. If you don't like a player's outfit, fine. But just once, could you leave gender out of it?
IMG is trying to sign Laura Robson again.
Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle doesn't think a Venus-Serena final would be such a good thing.
Wimbledon--what they said
You've always been a crowd favorite here. Did you detect a groundswell of support for Gisela as the underdog today?
"That was the least of my worries today. I was just trying to win a tennis match."Maria Sharapova
"I was very nervous in the end. The last game was forever for me."
Gisela Dulko
"I'm happy the way I'm playing. I've changed my serve a little bit, and obviously that's coming into play, so it's going to take some time before it starts to get better. But I already feel like I am playing much better, I'm moving better."
Sania Mirza
"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. I cannot change it, that's what helps me to play. I have to keep going with the thing that helps me play."
Victoria Azarenka, on her screaming (which even she incorrectly calls "grunting")
You did a good job getting back into the match. You won seven straight games.
"Not good enough."
Maria Sharapova, on her loss to Gisela Dulko
The surprises keep coming
Italian clay specialists are showing their versatility at Wimbledon this year. Francesca Schiavone moved to the third round today, having defeated Michelle Larcher de Brito, 7-6, 7-6. She has already defeated Eastbourne semifinalist Aleksandra Wozniak. In the meantime, Barcelona champion Roberta Vinci showed the door to a talented young Russian, 31st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
As of now, there is one British woman still standing at Wimbledon. Elena Baltacha has made it past only the first round, but she made it with a big win--she defeated Alona Bondarenko. Next for Baltacha is a match against Kirsten Flipkens.
Victoria Azarenka made a statement in her match against Iona Raluca Olaru, defeating her 6-0, 6-0 in the second round.
There were a few upsets. In addition to Vinci's victory over Pavlyuchenkova, Gisela Dulko defeated 24th seed Maria Sharapova. Daniela Hantuchova upset 16th seed and 2008 semifinalist Zheng Jie, and Regina Kulikova upset 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova.
Upcoming second round matches of interest include: Tathiana Garbin vs. Anabel Medina Garrigues (two players whose games I really enjoy), Venus Williams vs. Kateryna Bondarenko, and Iveta Benesova vs. Jelena Jankovic. Benesova is one of the best servers on the tour, and it's a pity her great serve isn't enough. It should give JJ plenty to think about, though.
As of now, there is one British woman still standing at Wimbledon. Elena Baltacha has made it past only the first round, but she made it with a big win--she defeated Alona Bondarenko. Next for Baltacha is a match against Kirsten Flipkens.
Victoria Azarenka made a statement in her match against Iona Raluca Olaru, defeating her 6-0, 6-0 in the second round.
There were a few upsets. In addition to Vinci's victory over Pavlyuchenkova, Gisela Dulko defeated 24th seed Maria Sharapova. Daniela Hantuchova upset 16th seed and 2008 semifinalist Zheng Jie, and Regina Kulikova upset 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova.
Upcoming second round matches of interest include: Tathiana Garbin vs. Anabel Medina Garrigues (two players whose games I really enjoy), Venus Williams vs. Kateryna Bondarenko, and Iveta Benesova vs. Jelena Jankovic. Benesova is one of the best servers on the tour, and it's a pity her great serve isn't enough. It should give JJ plenty to think about, though.
Dulko performs Heimlich maneuver on herself, takes out Sharapova
There wasn't much that Maria Sharapova--or anyone--could do about Gisela Dulko's first set in her second round Wimbledon match. Slicing, dropping, serving way out wide, and generally gliding around the court, Dulko put on a gorgeous display of tennis. I sometimes wonder why Dulko--whose small frame belies her big hitting--isn't ranked much higher than she is, and then I am reminded.
I was certainly reminded today in the middle of the second set, when she choked away a 3-0 lead. Dulko had a complete meltdown, allowing Sharapova to gain a bit of confidence. The 2004 Wimbledon champion began to look like herself again, though--at 4-3, on Sharapova's serve--Dulko forced the game to deuce. Just when it looked like the second set was still up for grabs, Sharapova held that serve, and went on to win the set.
The third set, many of us thought, might be a cruise for Sharapova, since Dulko's mind had clearly gone somewhere else. But Dulko came to life again and regained the sharpness of her game, breaking Sharapova and holding tough through five match points to win the match, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Once again, in that set, Sharapova--though she had her moments--was a step behind, and her shots lacked the fire we have seen from her in the past.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Wimbledon--what they said
"...this wanting to win a Grand Slam, it took over me."
"...although right now it's really hard to look at all the positives, I've still...got a lot to look forward to in the summer, you know, and have another bash at it."
There's a comfort level having won. Do you go out there and say, Here I am again, time to win?
"No, I wish it was that easy. The way you said it, though, I'll try to do it that way."
"He says, 'I sit there and I'm hopeless, because you're doing completely opposite thing from what you know how to do.'"
"Once again, I've said it a million times: I have absolutely nothing at all to do with him. So I don't see why people would think that I would reunite with my dad when every single question I answer is about me not doing that."
"A Grand Slam of course is a big tournament, but if you lose, what happens? Nothing really happens. Life goes on."
"...I did constantly keep saying to myself, 'You are going to win this. You are definitely within a shout. There's no doubt, you're going to come through this.' When I did actually come through, I didn't believe it."
"Playing on grass gives me quite a hard time. It's nothing like on other surfaces, where I have time to prepare, where I have time to set up for my shots."
When was the last press conference when you were only asked about tennis?
"Never, unfortunately."
Dinara Safina, on her French Open loss
"...although right now it's really hard to look at all the positives, I've still...got a lot to look forward to in the summer, you know, and have another bash at it."
Anne Keothavong
"...it's very easy to lose your rhythm on grass and very easy to lose a couple games in a few minutes, you know, without even blinking."
Jelena Jankovic
There's a comfort level having won. Do you go out there and say, Here I am again, time to win?
"No, I wish it was that easy. The way you said it, though, I'll try to do it that way."
Venus Williams
"He says, 'I sit there and I'm hopeless, because you're doing completely opposite thing from what you know how to do.'"
Dinara Safina, on her coach's frustration
"Once again, I've said it a million times: I have absolutely nothing at all to do with him. So I don't see why people would think that I would reunite with my dad when every single question I answer is about me not doing that."
Jelena Dokic, after being badgered repeatedly by reporters about her father
"A Grand Slam of course is a big tournament, but if you lose, what happens? Nothing really happens. Life goes on."
Caroline Wozniacki
"...I did constantly keep saying to myself, 'You are going to win this. You are definitely within a shout. There's no doubt, you're going to come through this.' When I did actually come through, I didn't believe it."
Elena Baltacha
"Playing on grass gives me quite a hard time. It's nothing like on other surfaces, where I have time to prepare, where I have time to set up for my shots."
Jelena Jankovic
When was the last press conference when you were only asked about tennis?
"Never, unfortunately."
Jelena Dokic
Upsets continue on day 2 of Wimbledon
It was a day of upsets, injuries, illness, and close calls at Wimbledon. Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic both benefited from the poor health of their opponents, Vera Zvonareva is still dealing with a weak ankle, Dinara Safina has tendonitis of the knee, Amelie Mauresmo had to make it up as she went along, and there were several upsets.
25th seed Kaia Kanepi lost to Carla Suarez Navarro in three sets, 30th seed Agnes Szavay was defeated by Kirsten Flipkens, who is almost always fun to watch (unless you're Szavay). Vera Dushevina defeated 22nd seed Alize Cornet, former junior number 2 Melanie Oudin defeated 29th seed Sybille Bammer, and Sabine Lisicki upset 32nd seed Anna Chakvetadze.
Lisicki has been strugging with consistency since she had to deal with the consecutive problems of a bad shoulder and a mysterious abdominal illness. She struggled today, hitting 8 aces and 8 double faults.
Though not an upset on paper, Elena Baltacha had a win over Alona Bondarenko. It is hard to understand why someone of Bondarenko's considerable talent keeps losing, but the good news--if you cheer for Great Britain--is that there is still one Brit standing.
Though many expected Alexa Glatch to win a couple of rounds, she is out in the first round, defeated by Peng Shuai. Jelena Dokic is out, too, as is Nicole Vaidisova, whose early exits are now the norm.
25th seed Kaia Kanepi lost to Carla Suarez Navarro in three sets, 30th seed Agnes Szavay was defeated by Kirsten Flipkens, who is almost always fun to watch (unless you're Szavay). Vera Dushevina defeated 22nd seed Alize Cornet, former junior number 2 Melanie Oudin defeated 29th seed Sybille Bammer, and Sabine Lisicki upset 32nd seed Anna Chakvetadze.
Lisicki has been strugging with consistency since she had to deal with the consecutive problems of a bad shoulder and a mysterious abdominal illness. She struggled today, hitting 8 aces and 8 double faults.
Though not an upset on paper, Elena Baltacha had a win over Alona Bondarenko. It is hard to understand why someone of Bondarenko's considerable talent keeps losing, but the good news--if you cheer for Great Britain--is that there is still one Brit standing.
Though many expected Alexa Glatch to win a couple of rounds, she is out in the first round, defeated by Peng Shuai. Jelena Dokic is out, too, as is Nicole Vaidisova, whose early exits are now the norm.
Dokic's bad luck follows her to London
Jelena Dokic, who was in the midst of defeating the world number 3 when her back went out at the French Open, today experienced dizziness and weakness during her first round match at Wimbledon. She didn't retire, but her level of play went down considerably, and she was defeated by Tatjana Malek. She says she thinks she has some type of virus; she has been dizzy on and off for about a week.
Some of Dokic's bad luck rubbed off on Lucie Hradecka, whose thigh looked seriously bandaged when she played Ana Ivanovic. At one point in the match, Hradecka's movement was obviously compromised, though she continued to play as tough as she could. Ivanovic saved two match points, had a bit of her Wimbledon netcord good luck, and showed the kind of pull-from-behind spirit that has won her many a match.
Faring no better was Kimiko Date-Krumm, whose classic grass play had Caroline Wozniacki befuddled in their first set. Date-Krumm, however, sustained a thigh strain and an abdominal strain, and--though she played out the match--she was never the same again.
Some of Dokic's bad luck rubbed off on Lucie Hradecka, whose thigh looked seriously bandaged when she played Ana Ivanovic. At one point in the match, Hradecka's movement was obviously compromised, though she continued to play as tough as she could. Ivanovic saved two match points, had a bit of her Wimbledon netcord good luck, and showed the kind of pull-from-behind spirit that has won her many a match.
Faring no better was Kimiko Date-Krumm, whose classic grass play had Caroline Wozniacki befuddled in their first set. Date-Krumm, however, sustained a thigh strain and an abdominal strain, and--though she played out the match--she was never the same again.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Wimbledon--what they said
What was going through your mind in the dressing room beforehand, just about to go out there?
"Nothing really. I was kind of thinking about what the towels were going to look like this year. They're really nice."
"I was able to give her a little bit of her own medicine there."
"I haven't read one article where people say 'She beat number 15 in the world at Roland Garros on her way to the third round.' Nobody realizes that, because the only thing they're really focusing on is my grunting."
"It's such an unattractive sound, isn't it?"
"I always feel like if people can believe in me, then I should, too."
"...with my kind of game I play, I think it's most of the time about me. If I did the right things, I think I can beat anybody. If I play badly, I can lose to anyone."
After years and years of press conference after press conference, what is the thing you're most utterly fed up of talking about that you get asked?
"How does it feel to play your sister? I might start boycotting that."
Next question. How does it feel to play your sister?
"It feels great."
"...she has nothing to lose and she can just swing at the ball. So I was thinking, gosh, that felt so good when I was at her age."
"I'm just here for myself. I'm not here really to be quiet for anybody. I'm here to play. I'm here to win. That's it. If people don't like my grunting, they can always leave."
"When I have confidence in my fitness, I think I can keep playing at the top level. "
There are so many new names in the game, many not from our country. Is it hard to follow who's who?
"I just know the standard: Everyone is from Russia. Sometimes I think I'm from Russia, too...."
"Nothing really. I was kind of thinking about what the towels were going to look like this year. They're really nice."
Laura Robson
"I was able to give her a little bit of her own medicine there."
Maria Sharapova, on her comeback against Victoriya Kutuzova
"I haven't read one article where people say 'She beat number 15 in the world at Roland Garros on her way to the third round.' Nobody realizes that, because the only thing they're really focusing on is my grunting."
Michelle Larcher de Brito
"It's such an unattractive sound, isn't it?"
Laura Robson, on the screaming phenomenon
"I always feel like if people can believe in me, then I should, too."
Serena Williams
"...with my kind of game I play, I think it's most of the time about me. If I did the right things, I think I can beat anybody. If I play badly, I can lose to anyone."
Daniela Hantuchova
After years and years of press conference after press conference, what is the thing you're most utterly fed up of talking about that you get asked?
"How does it feel to play your sister? I might start boycotting that."
Next question. How does it feel to play your sister?
"It feels great."
Serena Williams
"...she has nothing to lose and she can just swing at the ball. So I was thinking, gosh, that felt so good when I was at her age."
Daniela Hantuchova, on playing Laura Robson
"I'm just here for myself. I'm not here really to be quiet for anybody. I'm here to play. I'm here to win. That's it. If people don't like my grunting, they can always leave."
Michelle Larcher de Brito
"When I have confidence in my fitness, I think I can keep playing at the top level. "
Ai Sugiyama
There are so many new names in the game, many not from our country. Is it hard to follow who's who?
"I just know the standard: Everyone is from Russia. Sometimes I think I'm from Russia, too...."
Serena Williams
1st day of Wimbledon is eventful
A lot went on today at Wimbledon. Maria Sharapova's elegant dress probably has some grass stains on it; she fell twice in her first round match against Victoriya Kutuzova. Sharapova was down 1-5 in the first set, but came back to win the match, 7-5, 6-4. Serena Williams faced an unknown opponent, Neuza Silva, who gave her a fight in the second round, with Williams prevaling, 6-1, 7-5.
There were two retirements: Tamira Paszek retired against Virginie Razzano with a lower back problem, and Severine Bremond Beltrame took a nasty fall, hurt her knee, and had to retire against Victoria Azarenka.
Marion Bartoli delivered two bagels to Chan Yung-Jan. Bartoli thought she might have to withdraw from the tournament, but--so far, so good--with the thigh injury.
Michelle Larcher de Brito survived Klara Zakopalova, and even won in straight sets. Laura Robson was up a set and a break against Daniela Hantuchova, but it was all too much for her. She wound up hitting 10 aces and 14 double faults, and losing in three sets.
Nathalie Dechy and Anna-Lena Groenefeld are both out, losing to Ioana Raluca Olaru and Sania Mirza, respectively.
There were two official upsets: Aleksandra Wozniak lost to Francesca Schiavone, and Patty Schnyder lost to Ai Sugiyama.
Finally, four of the six top 2009 grass season winners were eliminated today.
There were two retirements: Tamira Paszek retired against Virginie Razzano with a lower back problem, and Severine Bremond Beltrame took a nasty fall, hurt her knee, and had to retire against Victoria Azarenka.
Marion Bartoli delivered two bagels to Chan Yung-Jan. Bartoli thought she might have to withdraw from the tournament, but--so far, so good--with the thigh injury.
Michelle Larcher de Brito survived Klara Zakopalova, and even won in straight sets. Laura Robson was up a set and a break against Daniela Hantuchova, but it was all too much for her. She wound up hitting 10 aces and 14 double faults, and losing in three sets.
Nathalie Dechy and Anna-Lena Groenefeld are both out, losing to Ioana Raluca Olaru and Sania Mirza, respectively.
There were two official upsets: Aleksandra Wozniak lost to Francesca Schiavone, and Patty Schnyder lost to Ai Sugiyama.
Finally, four of the six top 2009 grass season winners were eliminated today.
Birmingham champion, Ordina Open champion, Ordina Open finalist, and Eastbourne semifinalist all out in 1st round of Wimbledon
The glory was as brief as the grass season for four of that season's top stars in 2009, as they fell in the first round of Wimbledon. Eastbourne semifinalist Aleksandra Wozniak was defeated by clay specialist and Italian tour veteran Francesca Schiavone, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. The young Birmingham champion, Magdalena Rybarikova, also went out, defeated by Italian clay expert Roberta Vinci. Also going out was Ordina Open finalist Yanina Wickmayer, who lost to Elena Vesnina, 6-1, 6-1.
The big shock, at least for me, was the defeat of Ordina Open champion Tammy Tanasugarn. Tanasugarn saved three match points, but ultimately lost to Arantxa Parra Santonja, 6-4, 6-4. Parra Santonja hit seven aces, as well as almost twice as many winners as Tanasugarn, who never saw a break point. Last year, grass specialist Tanasugarn made it the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the first time, after having reached the round of 16 six times.
The big shock, at least for me, was the defeat of Ordina Open champion Tammy Tanasugarn. Tanasugarn saved three match points, but ultimately lost to Arantxa Parra Santonja, 6-4, 6-4. Parra Santonja hit seven aces, as well as almost twice as many winners as Tanasugarn, who never saw a break point. Last year, grass specialist Tanasugarn made it the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the first time, after having reached the round of 16 six times.
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour introduces mobile phone-controlled video game
Vera Zvonareva may have been off of the tour for several weeks, but--as part of her comeback--she gets to play against a crowd of people. Today and tomorrow, in London's Covent Garden, fans will "compete" against Zvonareva in the new "Challenge a Hero" video game that is controlled by mobile phones. Fans will press phone keys to return Zvonareva's blistering groundstrokes (watch out for that backhand!), and prizes will be awarded.
If you're in London, get out your Sony Ericsson phone and see how you can do against Vera. And be careful--she doesn't need to go over on that ankle again.
If you're in London, get out your Sony Ericsson phone and see how you can do against Vera. And be careful--she doesn't need to go over on that ankle again.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Experts' picks for Wimbledon--updated
Jon Wertheim--Venus Williams
Steve Tignor--Serena Williams (originally chose Venus)
James Martin--Serena Williams
Peter Bodo--Victoria Azarenka
Mark Hodgkinson--Serena Willliams
Tom Perrotta--Victoria Azarenka
Abigail Lorge--Serena Williams
Bonnie D. Ford--Venus Williams
Greg Garber--Venus Williams
Matt Wilansky--Dinara Safina
Kamakshi Tandon--Serena Williams
Ravi Ubha--Serena Williams
Steve Tignor--Serena Williams (originally chose Venus)
James Martin--Serena Williams
Peter Bodo--Victoria Azarenka
Mark Hodgkinson--Serena Willliams
Tom Perrotta--Victoria Azarenka
Abigail Lorge--Serena Williams
Bonnie D. Ford--Venus Williams
Greg Garber--Venus Williams
Matt Wilansky--Dinara Safina
Kamakshi Tandon--Serena Williams
Ravi Ubha--Serena Williams
Wimbledon first round matches
The first round of Wimbledon, for me, is not nearly as interesting as the first round of the French Open was, and that's not surprising, because several otherwise competent players do not do that well on grass, and my expectations are lowered. Here are a few matches I have my eye on:
Anna Chakvetadze vs. Sabine Lisicki: Neither is at her best. Chakvetadze hasn't been at her best for a long, long time, though she shows occasional flashes of the former top 10 player. Lisicki hurt her shoulder, then became ill, and has played very few matches lately. She was unable to get much of anything--including her amazing serve--going at the French Open. There is probably also a loss of confidence at this point. So if either player can find some of her potential, she wins. Should they both find it (which I doubt), it will be a very good match. And should neither find it--it will be one to skip.
Alexa Glatch vs. Peng Shuai: This is a chance for Glatch to show off her grass skills. Should she win, though, she will almost certainly have to face Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round.
Sybille Bammer vs. Melanie Oudin: I don't know what Oudin is like on grass, but she's pretty good on clay. Bammer runs hot and cold, so Oudin has a chance here.
Aleksandra Wozniak vs. Francesca Schiavone: One doesn't think of Schiavone as a grass player, but she has done pretty well this grass season. Of course, so has Wozniak.
Yanina Wickmayer vs. Elena Vesnina: Vesnina had a really good clay season, but she may be vulnerable on grass, and she may be vulnerable to Wickmayer.
Vera Dushevina vs. Alize Cornet: The Frenchwoman has the ranking, but Dushevina knows a thing or two about playing on grass.
Maria Sharapova vs. Victoriya Kutuzova: Why isn't Kutuzova ranked higher? She knows how to do some damage with that forehand, and could give Sharapova a workout.
Daniela Hantuchova vs. Laura Robson: The luck of the draw isn't very good for last year's junior champion.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Petra Cetkovska: Two talented young players compete.
Anna Chakvetadze vs. Sabine Lisicki: Neither is at her best. Chakvetadze hasn't been at her best for a long, long time, though she shows occasional flashes of the former top 10 player. Lisicki hurt her shoulder, then became ill, and has played very few matches lately. She was unable to get much of anything--including her amazing serve--going at the French Open. There is probably also a loss of confidence at this point. So if either player can find some of her potential, she wins. Should they both find it (which I doubt), it will be a very good match. And should neither find it--it will be one to skip.
Alexa Glatch vs. Peng Shuai: This is a chance for Glatch to show off her grass skills. Should she win, though, she will almost certainly have to face Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round.
Sybille Bammer vs. Melanie Oudin: I don't know what Oudin is like on grass, but she's pretty good on clay. Bammer runs hot and cold, so Oudin has a chance here.
Aleksandra Wozniak vs. Francesca Schiavone: One doesn't think of Schiavone as a grass player, but she has done pretty well this grass season. Of course, so has Wozniak.
Yanina Wickmayer vs. Elena Vesnina: Vesnina had a really good clay season, but she may be vulnerable on grass, and she may be vulnerable to Wickmayer.
Vera Dushevina vs. Alize Cornet: The Frenchwoman has the ranking, but Dushevina knows a thing or two about playing on grass.
Maria Sharapova vs. Victoriya Kutuzova: Why isn't Kutuzova ranked higher? She knows how to do some damage with that forehand, and could give Sharapova a workout.
Daniela Hantuchova vs. Laura Robson: The luck of the draw isn't very good for last year's junior champion.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. Petra Cetkovska: Two talented young players compete.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Wimbledon and other miscellany
Laura Robson is keeping a very low profile these days. Virginia Wade and Martina Navratilova think that she and her family are handling her career nicely.
A recent study shows that--surprise!--sports reporters have problems writing or speaking positively about gay athletes and Title IX. The problem with Title IX, of course, is that the great majority--I'd say 90%--of "experts" who write about it do not have a clue about what is included in the legislation. It has to be the most misinterpreted piece of legislation ever. But writers and television reporters, like so many other people, refuse to let facts get in the way of their prejudices.
All week long, Tennis Channel has shown the 1973 Wimbledon final between Billie Jean King and Chris Evert. King won the first set 6-0, and the second set 7-5. It's an interesting match to watch, and it was just Evert's second Wimbledon (she got to the semifinals in her first Wimbledon); she would win the tournament in 1974.
A reader was kind enough to direct me to this feature in the New York Times.
The Telegraph has listed the top 10 "grunters." The problem is that only two of them--Kournikova and Clijsters--grunted. You could actually stretch that to three because Seles did something that was not really a grunt but certainly not a scream. It seems that no one can get this rather significant distinction right.
Laura Golarsa was the first woman to win what used to be called the DFS Classic in Birmingham. But she is probably better known for being two points shy of taking Chris Evert out of the 1989 Wimbledon quarterfinals. Here's a look at a bit of that match--take note of Evert's three consecutive passing shots!
A recent study shows that--surprise!--sports reporters have problems writing or speaking positively about gay athletes and Title IX. The problem with Title IX, of course, is that the great majority--I'd say 90%--of "experts" who write about it do not have a clue about what is included in the legislation. It has to be the most misinterpreted piece of legislation ever. But writers and television reporters, like so many other people, refuse to let facts get in the way of their prejudices.
All week long, Tennis Channel has shown the 1973 Wimbledon final between Billie Jean King and Chris Evert. King won the first set 6-0, and the second set 7-5. It's an interesting match to watch, and it was just Evert's second Wimbledon (she got to the semifinals in her first Wimbledon); she would win the tournament in 1974.
A reader was kind enough to direct me to this feature in the New York Times.
The Telegraph has listed the top 10 "grunters." The problem is that only two of them--Kournikova and Clijsters--grunted. You could actually stretch that to three because Seles did something that was not really a grunt but certainly not a scream. It seems that no one can get this rather significant distinction right.
Laura Golarsa was the first woman to win what used to be called the DFS Classic in Birmingham. But she is probably better known for being two points shy of taking Chris Evert out of the 1989 Wimbledon quarterfinals. Here's a look at a bit of that match--take note of Evert's three consecutive passing shots!
A brief history of fashion trouble at Wimbledon
Maria Sharapova suggests that, every few years, the All England Club allow players to wear colors. I disagree (I also disagree with her that Radek Stepanek is a tennis fashion disaster; I think he looks old-school great)--if you are going to have a (benign) tradition, stick to it.
The wearing of white is as classic as you can get when it comes to tennis. But there have been many interesting attempts to push the white rule--and all that it implies--as far as possible. No one worked harder at this than Ted Tinling, who first began causing trouble in 1947--when the white rule was implied, rather than written--when he designed a white dress with a colored border for Joy Gannon. Color was almost banned from Wimbledon the next year because Hazel Wightman was undone over a white-with-color dress Tinglin designed for a Wightman Cup player.
In 1949, color was indeed banned at Wimbledon, and one of Tinling's designs instead incorporated white-on-white shimmering satin. The dress, designed for Gertrude Moran, included a pair of lace-edged underpants, and also included a 33-year-ban from Wimbledon for Tinling, who was not only a designer, but who had served as a liason between the players and the All England club. Players at Wimbledon continued wearing his dresses, however, and starting in 1952, every champion for ten years wore a Tinling design. He also designed for the other major tournaments.
In 1962, Maria Bueno caused a stir when she appeared at Wimbledon in a dress with colored diamond-shaped petals on the skirt lining, and across the underpants. Bueno's outfit provoked another total ban of color at Wimbledon.
Of all the players, however, Tinling was probably the most enamored of Rosie Casals; he turned her into an ongoing display of his various design fancies. There was trouble again at Wimbledon in 1972, in fact, when Casals showed up on court in a Tinling-designed white dress with purple squiggles on it. The dress was predominantly white, according to the new rules, but the referee's sensibilities were disturbed by the color purple (go figure), and the dress was banned. Casals thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, and later joked that her Wimbledon dress beat her to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Then there was Anne White. In 1985, the suitably named American player appeared on court in her Wimbledon first round wearing a full-length white lycra bodysuit. Alan Mills was not amused. When the match had to be stopped because of darkness, he told White to return the next day in something more appropriate.
Moran's lace-trimmed underpants were not the first undergarments to create controversy at Wimbledon. In 1920, Suzanne Lenglen dared to play at Wimbledon without a corset, and was promptly named "the French hussy." In 1958, Karol Fageros wore gold lame underpants. And in 2007, Tatiana Golovin played around with the "spot of color" rule in a way that was unusually cheeky: She wore bright red underpants, a first for Wimbledon.
You can see Golovin's red drawers, White's bodysuit and Moran's lacy underpants here.
The wearing of white is as classic as you can get when it comes to tennis. But there have been many interesting attempts to push the white rule--and all that it implies--as far as possible. No one worked harder at this than Ted Tinling, who first began causing trouble in 1947--when the white rule was implied, rather than written--when he designed a white dress with a colored border for Joy Gannon. Color was almost banned from Wimbledon the next year because Hazel Wightman was undone over a white-with-color dress Tinglin designed for a Wightman Cup player.
In 1949, color was indeed banned at Wimbledon, and one of Tinling's designs instead incorporated white-on-white shimmering satin. The dress, designed for Gertrude Moran, included a pair of lace-edged underpants, and also included a 33-year-ban from Wimbledon for Tinling, who was not only a designer, but who had served as a liason between the players and the All England club. Players at Wimbledon continued wearing his dresses, however, and starting in 1952, every champion for ten years wore a Tinling design. He also designed for the other major tournaments.
In 1962, Maria Bueno caused a stir when she appeared at Wimbledon in a dress with colored diamond-shaped petals on the skirt lining, and across the underpants. Bueno's outfit provoked another total ban of color at Wimbledon.
Of all the players, however, Tinling was probably the most enamored of Rosie Casals; he turned her into an ongoing display of his various design fancies. There was trouble again at Wimbledon in 1972, in fact, when Casals showed up on court in a Tinling-designed white dress with purple squiggles on it. The dress was predominantly white, according to the new rules, but the referee's sensibilities were disturbed by the color purple (go figure), and the dress was banned. Casals thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, and later joked that her Wimbledon dress beat her to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Then there was Anne White. In 1985, the suitably named American player appeared on court in her Wimbledon first round wearing a full-length white lycra bodysuit. Alan Mills was not amused. When the match had to be stopped because of darkness, he told White to return the next day in something more appropriate.
Moran's lace-trimmed underpants were not the first undergarments to create controversy at Wimbledon. In 1920, Suzanne Lenglen dared to play at Wimbledon without a corset, and was promptly named "the French hussy." In 1958, Karol Fageros wore gold lame underpants. And in 2007, Tatiana Golovin played around with the "spot of color" rule in a way that was unusually cheeky: She wore bright red underpants, a first for Wimbledon.
You can see Golovin's red drawers, White's bodysuit and Moran's lacy underpants here.
Amanmuradova and Sugiyama upset Stosur and Stubbs in Eastbourne
Yesterday, Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs upset the world number 1 team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber, but today, it was they who were upset. The AEGON International championship was won by Akgul Amanmuradova and Ai Sugiyama. Amanmuradova and Sugiyama defeated Stosur and Stubbs 6-4, 6-3.
Larcher de Brito wins Liverpool International exhibition
Michelle Larcher de Brito won the Liverpool International today. The Liverpool International is Europe's largest exhibition tennis tournament. Larcher de Brito defeated Laura Robson, 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 (super tiebreak) in the final. The winner last year was Caroline Wozniacki, who won the AEGON International today. Wozniacki also won the Liverpool exhibition in 2006.
Tanasugarn defends her Ordina Open title
Tammy Tanasugarn did today what few players do these days--she defended a title. The 2008 Ordina Open champion won the championship again, defeating Yanina Wickmayer 6-3, 7-5. To get to the final, Tanasugarn knocked out three seeded players--Iveta Benesova, Flavia Pennetta, and top seed Dinara Safina, whom she also defeated at the tournament last year.
It's a shame the Wimbledon organizers--who pride themselves on giving special seedings--didn't give one to Tanasugarn, who made the quarterfinals last year, and has advanced to the round of 16 on a number of occasions. As a grass specialist, she has a very short season and therefore has trouble obtaining ranking points.
It's a shame the Wimbledon organizers--who pride themselves on giving special seedings--didn't give one to Tanasugarn, who made the quarterfinals last year, and has advanced to the round of 16 on a number of occasions. As a grass specialist, she has a very short season and therefore has trouble obtaining ranking points.
Wozniacki wins Eastbourne
Caroline Wozniacki, playing a high quality match against Virginie Razzano, won the AEGON International today, 7-6, 7-5. Both players served well, and both returned well. Razzano wound up with almost twice as many winners as Wozniacki.
The match also had some unusual drama. Wozniacki was up 6-1 in the first set tiebreak, when Razzano began making point after point. Toward the end of the tiebreak, Wozniacki hit a ball which appeared to be in, but which the chair umpire overruled as out. The point was replayed, and Razzano won it. Justice was served in the end, though, when Wozniacki--serving at 6-5--immediately own the set on her first serve.
In the second set, there was another moment--again toward the end of the set--when Wozniacki thought she had hit a winner and won the championship, only to have her ball called out as she was approaching the net to shake hands with her opponent (reminiscent of what happened to poor Nathalie Dechy last year during the second round of Wimbledon). She and Razzano both had a good laugh, then Razzano proceeded to win the next two points. Wozniacki prevailed in the end, however.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Quote of the day
"To say what she said yesterday in the French newspaper, that is not really brilliant. I guess that is just the way she is."
Marion Bartoli, on comments Virginie Razzano made about her in L'Equipe
Bartoli may miss Wimbledon
Marion Bartoli is having her quad strain--sustained today in Eastbourne--evaluated so that she can determine whether she will play at Wimbledon. Her doctors have not yet issued a diagnosis, but--according to Bartoli--it doesn't look good.
Long time gone
This Wimbledon marks the return of a couple of players most of us have missed for a while. Vera Zvonareva is back, after enduring a nasty fall in Charleston and injuring her ankle. Last year, Zvonareva was taken out in the second round by grass expert Tamarine Tanasugarn, who went on to remove Jelena Jankovic from the tournament, also.
Returning after a long injury break is Katarina Srebotnik, who lost in the first round of Wimbledon last year to Julia Goerges, a player who is 2-0 against her. Srebotnik has been off of the tour all season with an Achilles injury.
And though she is not as well known as the others, it's also nice to see Tatiana Perebynis's name in the Wimbledon draw. Perebynis has been out all season with a back injury.
Returning after a long injury break is Katarina Srebotnik, who lost in the first round of Wimbledon last year to Julia Goerges, a player who is 2-0 against her. Srebotnik has been off of the tour all season with an Achilles injury.
And though she is not as well known as the others, it's also nice to see Tatiana Perebynis's name in the Wimbledon draw. Perebynis has been out all season with a back injury.
Mallory Cecil wins Honda Sports Award
Duke freshman Mallory Cecil, who recently won the NCAA singles title, has received the Honda Sports Award for tennis. Cecil is now eligible to win the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year award.
Errani and Pennetta win Ordina Open
Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta, known more for their clay and hard court play, won the Ordina Open today. They defeated Michaella Krajicek and Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 5-7, 13-11.
Tanasugarn upsets Safina in s'Hertogenbosch
For those who follow grass court tennis, it could not have been much of a surprise that defending champion Tammy Tanasugarn took out the world number 1 at the Ordina Open today. With her 7-5, 7-5 win, Tanasugarn goes to the final, in which she will meet Yanina Wickmayer. Wickmayer defeated Francesca Schiavone 7-6, 2-6, 6-3.
Black and Huber upset in Eastbourne semifinal
Top seeds and defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber were defeated today in the AEGON International semifinals by 4th seeds Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs, 6-4, 7-6. Stosur and Stubbs will meet Amanmuradova and Ai Sugiyama in the final. Akgul Amanmuradova and Sugiyama defeated Vania King and Zheng Jie 6-3, 6-4.
Razzano and Wozniacki to compete for Eastbourne title
I didn't get to see the semifinal match between Virginie Razzano and Marion Bartoli, but I remarked last night that it was either going to be an outstanding affair, or Bartoli was going to retire--nothing in between. Well, Bartoli retired at 4-6, 0-1, with a thigh strain, so there you are.
I also missed the first set of the match between Aleksandra Wozniak and Caroline Wozniacki. Wozniak took that set, 6-4. The infamous Eastbourne wind howled, which I think may have caused Wozniak to become too conservative; she just stopped taking necessary risks. Wozniacki raised her level of play, came in more, and took the next two sets, 6-3 and 6-4.
There was a very amusing moment when Wozniacki, having slipped and fallen on the grass (for the second time), returned a shot when she was practically lying on her back. It was a good return, but Wozniak sped it back to her while she was still on the ground.
At one point in Tennis Channel coverage, there was a brief clip shown of the 1998 Novotna-Tauziat final, and I was thinking that I would like to see Jana Novotna terrorize today's (comparatively boring) baseline grass players. One of the commentators then said something similar. Enjoy Amelie Mauresmo while you can.
I also missed the first set of the match between Aleksandra Wozniak and Caroline Wozniacki. Wozniak took that set, 6-4. The infamous Eastbourne wind howled, which I think may have caused Wozniak to become too conservative; she just stopped taking necessary risks. Wozniacki raised her level of play, came in more, and took the next two sets, 6-3 and 6-4.
There was a very amusing moment when Wozniacki, having slipped and fallen on the grass (for the second time), returned a shot when she was practically lying on her back. It was a good return, but Wozniak sped it back to her while she was still on the ground.
At one point in Tennis Channel coverage, there was a brief clip shown of the 1998 Novotna-Tauziat final, and I was thinking that I would like to see Jana Novotna terrorize today's (comparatively boring) baseline grass players. One of the commentators then said something similar. Enjoy Amelie Mauresmo while you can.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wimbledon begins Monday
I have already discussed my mixed feelings about Wimbledon, but there is more: I also have confused thoughts about Wimbledon. This confusion occurs every year, when I have no clear idea about who, other than Venus Williams, might win the tournament. (Actually, it didn't happen in 2006, when I knew that Amelie Mauersmo had a very good chance to win, which she did.)
So here we are, just a few days away from the event, and when I think of who might win, my list is short.
ACTUAL CONTENDERS
Venus Williams--Williams is the current queen of Wimbledon. She has won it five times, and--whatever other problems she may be having on the tour--she always shows up in London as The One To Beat. This means that she can play with a lot of confidence, and that she can also probably count on players going off-track against her, as Tammy Tanasugarn did at one point last year during their quarterfinal match. Williams uses her big serve, fast pickup, considerable net skills, and superior athleticism to win on grass with considerably less effort than it might take her to win on other surfaces. She remains The One To Beat.
Serena Williams--Williams won Wimbledon in 2002 and 2003, so we know she can do it. She tried to do it last year, competing against her sister in the final, but she was not able to pull it off against TOTB. She is the better server of the two, but her sister is the better grass mover. There is always the possibility, however, that Venus's younger sister will find a way--she has found a way so many times before.
Maria Sharapova--Sharapova says she believes she will win Wimbledon again some day, but not this year. She is currently struggling with using a new service motion, which she adopted in response to her serious shoulder injury. She was also off the tour for a long time. If she continues to have trouble getting used to her modified service motion, I don't see her going that far in the draw. But if it suddenly clicks for her, I make her a contender. Because she's Maria Sharapova.
CONTENDERS ON PAPER
Dinara Safina--She's the number 1 player in the world, though she just flubbed another major final. She has never gotten beyond the third round at Wimbledon, though last year doesn't count because she sustained an injury in the middle of her third round match.
Svetlana Kuznetsova--Clay is clearly her best surface, though she is no slouch on hard courts. But with her athleticism and variety, there is no reason she could not--theoretically--win Wimbledon. She just went out in the first round in Eastbourne, but we'll let that pass for now.
Elena Dementieva--Technically speaking, there is nothing to keep Dementieva from winning any major, but the irony is--now that she finally has a good serve--she has returned to having a not-so-good mentality.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ana Ivanovic--This hasn't been a good season for Ivanovic, but if she can get her ball toss somewhere within reason and regain her serve, she could still do well in London.
Jelena Jankovic--What is there to say that hasn't been said? I've certainly said enough about one of my favorite players, who just can't seem to get it together.
Victoria Azarenka--Fiery and unpredictable, the very talented Azarenka has been plagued by injuries lately. As I write this, she is out of Eastbourne because of a hip injury. If she is healthy going into Wimbledon, she could go quite far--if she can keep a lid on her emotions, that is. I had originally picked Azarenka as a contender on paper, but her recent injury caused me to change my mind.
Marion Bartoli--The 2007 Wimbledon finalist is about as good on grass as she could get, but mental and physical vulnerabilities keep her from the attaining the glory she briefly experienced two years ago.
Zheng Jie--Last year's outstanding semifinalist just doesn't seem to be up to the job this year, judging from her pre-Wimbledon grass play. Still, one never knows.
Amelie Mauresmo--The 2006 champion says she wants another Wimbledon win. Her grass skills are hard to beat, but Mauresmo's comeback hasn't been what some of us hoped it would be.
Caroline Wozniacki--Is Wozniacki a Player to Watch or a Contender? I don't know, but I believe she may go far into the draw.
Vera Zvonareva--She's always a player to watch. Right now, though, she's returning to the tour after a couple of months off to heal a bad ankle injury, so this may not be her best Wimbledon opportunity.
Jelena Dokic--We haven't really had a chance to see what Dokic can do since the Australian Open because she has been either ill or injured. Here's hoping she's healthy for Wimbledon.
Samantha Stosur--Her French Open run looked like a mental breakthrough, but her second round in Eastbourne looked like business as usual for the mentally shaky Stosur. Her serving and volleying certainly are good grass court skills, though.
Patty Schnyder--Because it is probably her last Wimbledon, and because she is always worth watching.
Virginie Razzano--Because she plays so aggressively, she is going to be a player to watch on grass. Also, the entertaining Frenchwoman appears to have made some progress in her own battle against mental instability on court.
Nathalie Dechy--Because her game is so lovely.
Kai Kanepi--I hope to watch Kanepi as much as my limited coverage will allow me; she could very well succeed in London with her big serve.
Tamarine Tanasugarn--Veteran Tanasugarn comes to life during grass court season, which is--for her--regrettably short. Last year, after making several rounds of 16, the 2008 Ordina Open champion made it to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the first time, but kind of fell apart when she saw Venus Williams on the other side of the net. But it is always great fun to watch her on the Wimbledon courts.
Daniela Hantuchova--Because I can't give up my Hantuchova-watching habit.
Agnieszka Radwanska--What a mystery she is, in every way. Last year's Eastbourne champion isn't looking her best right now, and she has not progressed enough to put herself into the next level of play. All the same, she is almost always worth watching, with her great anticipation and her sometimes laser-like groundstrokes.
and, regrettably, with some reservation...Sabine Lisicki--She has everything it takes to win on grass, but since her shoulder injury and intestinal illness (one directly followed the other), she hasn't done much of anything. If she can somehow pull herself together for next week, she is very watchable, but I'm not holding my breath.
Miscellany
Maria Kirilenko is no longer the tennis face of Stella McCartney. Caroline Wozniacki will now be wearing McCartney's stunning designs.
Women's Tennis Blog has some photos of Maria Sharapova posing in a department store window in London.
Sam Stosur has terminated her coaching relationship with Rene Moller, and has returned to Australian Fed Cup captain David Taylor.
Katarina Srebotnik's name is still on the Wimbledon entry list.
Toronto Sports Radio The FAN 590 is debuting a one-hour talk show about tennis.
Maria Sharapova has been given a special seeding of number 24 at Wimbledon.
Women's Tennis Blog has some photos of Maria Sharapova posing in a department store window in London.
Sam Stosur has terminated her coaching relationship with Rene Moller, and has returned to Australian Fed Cup captain David Taylor.
Katarina Srebotnik's name is still on the Wimbledon entry list.
Toronto Sports Radio The FAN 590 is debuting a one-hour talk show about tennis.
Maria Sharapova has been given a special seeding of number 24 at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon qualifiers set
The following women have qualified for the main draw at Wimbledon:
Regina Kulikova
Alberta Brianti
Anastasija Sevastova
Neuza Silva
Arantxa Parra Santonja
Sesil Karatantcheva
Melanie Oudin
Aiko Nakamura
Klara Zakopalova
Tatjana Malek
Victoriya Kutuzova
Vesna Manasieva
Regina Kulikova
Alberta Brianti
Anastasija Sevastova
Neuza Silva
Arantxa Parra Santonja
Sesil Karatantcheva
Melanie Oudin
Aiko Nakamura
Klara Zakopalova
Tatjana Malek
Victoriya Kutuzova
Vesna Manasieva
Upsets in s'Hertogenbosch
3rd seed Flavia Pennetta was upset today in the Ordina Open quarterfinals by defending champion Tamarine Tanasugarn, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Yanina Wickmayer defeated Kristina Barrois, and Francesca Schiavone defeated Olga Govortsova. Finally, 1st seed Dinara Safina fought back a spirited challenge from Daniela Hantuchova to post a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.
In doubles, both of the semifinal matches were upsets. Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta defeated 4th seeds Nathalie Dechy and Marie-Eve Pelletier, and Michaella Krajicek and Yanina Wickmayer upset 3rd seeds Liga Dekmeijere and Raquel Kops-Jones.
In doubles, both of the semifinal matches were upsets. Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta defeated 4th seeds Nathalie Dechy and Marie-Eve Pelletier, and Michaella Krajicek and Yanina Wickmayer upset 3rd seeds Liga Dekmeijere and Raquel Kops-Jones.
French vs. French, Woz vs. Woz
Commentators, and perhaps others, who do not follow Agnieszka Radwanska sometimes believe she is somewhat out of sorts on the court when she is not. Her Evert-like affect is merely one of calm and concentration (Evert herself was torn to shreds by the media--especially the British media--for her affect). Today, however, in Eastbourne, she really was out of sorts, muttering and frustrated, and unable to get her first serve in. Her opponent, Virginie Razzano an aggressive player under any circumstance, took full advantage of the defending champion's vulnerability. Razzano stood on the baseline to receive most of Radwanska's serves, and took the ball as fast as she could.
The Frenchwoman had trouble closing--she needed four match points--but she has not really displayed any of her characteristic mental weakness lately. Perhaps she has gotten some help, or perhaps she has worked through the issue on her own. At any rate, she was the victor, with a score of 7-6, 7-5.
Also winning today in Eastbourne was Marion Bartoli, who defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 6-4. No surprise--grass is not Medina Garrigues' surface to about the same degree as it is Bartoli's.
Caroline Wozniacki had little trouble defeating Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2, and Aleksandra Wozniak defeated Vera Dushevine 6-1, 6-0 in just 45 minutes.
Razzano and Bartoli will play each other in the semifinals, and Wozniacki and Wozniak will compete. Bartoli is 2-1 against Razzano, and they have never before played each other on grass. Wozniacki is 2-0 against Wozniak, and one of those matches was in the second round of Wimbledon last year.
The Frenchwoman had trouble closing--she needed four match points--but she has not really displayed any of her characteristic mental weakness lately. Perhaps she has gotten some help, or perhaps she has worked through the issue on her own. At any rate, she was the victor, with a score of 7-6, 7-5.
Also winning today in Eastbourne was Marion Bartoli, who defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 6-4. No surprise--grass is not Medina Garrigues' surface to about the same degree as it is Bartoli's.
Caroline Wozniacki had little trouble defeating Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2, and Aleksandra Wozniak defeated Vera Dushevine 6-1, 6-0 in just 45 minutes.
Razzano and Bartoli will play each other in the semifinals, and Wozniacki and Wozniak will compete. Bartoli is 2-1 against Razzano, and they have never before played each other on grass. Wozniacki is 2-0 against Wozniak, and one of those matches was in the second round of Wimbledon last year.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
One more round of Wimbledon qualifying
Top Wimbledon qualifying seed Victoriya Kutuzova has advanced to the third round of qualifying. Among those joining her are Sesil Karatantcheva, Melanie Oudin, Naomi Cavaday, Anastasia Sevaststova, and--somewhat of a surprise--Lindsay Lee-Waters.
Top seed Safina advances to quarterfinals in s'Hertogenbosch
Number 1 seed Dinara Safina--who will also be the top seed at Wimbledon--enjoyed a straight sets win today over Yaroslava Shvedova at the Ordina Open. She will be joined in the quarterfinals by Francesca Schiavone, 6th seed Daniela Hantuchova, and Olga Govortsova. The latter three had wins over Alona Bondarenko, Kateryna Bondarenko and Nathalie Dechy, respectively.
Safina didn't do as well in doubles, however. She and partner Sorana Cirstea were defeated in the quarterfinals by the Italian team of Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta.
Safina didn't do as well in doubles, however. She and partner Sorana Cirstea were defeated in the quarterfinals by the Italian team of Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta.
Dementieva out of AEGON International
Top seed Elena Dementieva was upset today in the third round of the AEGON International by Virginie Razzano, 6-0, 3-6, 7-6. The third set was intense and made for good viewing.
Sadly, there were two retirements today: 7th seed Nadia Petrova retired in her match against Vera Dushevina, and Li Na retired in her match against defending champion and 8th seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Petrova sustained a lower back injury, and Li was put out by an abdominal strain.
6th seed Caroline Wozniacki, who was defeated in Eastbourne last year by Samantha Stosur, turned the tables today, winning their match 6-1, 5-7, 6-1. Stosur had trouble at the net, of all places, and appeared to return to her former, somewhat wobbly, mentality.
Aleksandra Wozniak continued her success with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie. And Ekaterina Makarova prevailed over Amelie Mauresmo in two very tight sets. The 7-6, 7-6 result reflects tiebreak scores of 10-8 and 15-13. Mauresmo hit eight aces and double-faulted seven times.
Marion Bartoli defeated Anna Chakvetadze, Anabel Medina Garrigues defeated Sybille Bammer, and in doubles, top seeds and defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber easily defeated Ana Ivanovic and Sabine Lisicki.
Here is the quarterfinal singles draw:
Virginie Razzano vs. Agnieszka Radwanska
Marion Bartoli vs. Anabel Medina Garrigues
Caroline Wozniacki vs. Ekaterina Makarova
Vera Dushevina vs. Aleksandra Wozniak
Sadly, there were two retirements today: 7th seed Nadia Petrova retired in her match against Vera Dushevina, and Li Na retired in her match against defending champion and 8th seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Petrova sustained a lower back injury, and Li was put out by an abdominal strain.
6th seed Caroline Wozniacki, who was defeated in Eastbourne last year by Samantha Stosur, turned the tables today, winning their match 6-1, 5-7, 6-1. Stosur had trouble at the net, of all places, and appeared to return to her former, somewhat wobbly, mentality.
Aleksandra Wozniak continued her success with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie. And Ekaterina Makarova prevailed over Amelie Mauresmo in two very tight sets. The 7-6, 7-6 result reflects tiebreak scores of 10-8 and 15-13. Mauresmo hit eight aces and double-faulted seven times.
Marion Bartoli defeated Anna Chakvetadze, Anabel Medina Garrigues defeated Sybille Bammer, and in doubles, top seeds and defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber easily defeated Ana Ivanovic and Sabine Lisicki.
Here is the quarterfinal singles draw:
Virginie Razzano vs. Agnieszka Radwanska
Marion Bartoli vs. Anabel Medina Garrigues
Caroline Wozniacki vs. Ekaterina Makarova
Vera Dushevina vs. Aleksandra Wozniak
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
First round of Wimbledon qualifying is over
There is, of course, a long list of players who did not make it through the first round of Wimbledon qualifying. Here are some of the more notable eliminations:
Julia Vakulenko--notable because it was just two years ago that she gave Kim Clijsters so much trouble in the main draw
Arantxa Rus--the former junior world number 1 has been making a good showing lately, but not here
Camille Pin--never fun to see Camille go out so early
Mariana Duque Marino--seeded 7th in qualifying, she lost in straight sets to Ekaterina Bychkova
Lenka Wienerova--a player I've been watching; did her bad leg do her in, or is she just not a grass player?
Anna Tatishvili--taken out by Julia Schruff
Noppawan Lertcheewakarn--last year's junior finalist
Yuliana Fedak--runs hot and cold, and lately--just cold
The first qualifying seed, Victoriya Kutuzova (another player who should be ranked higher than she is) has advanced to the second round.
Julia Vakulenko--notable because it was just two years ago that she gave Kim Clijsters so much trouble in the main draw
Arantxa Rus--the former junior world number 1 has been making a good showing lately, but not here
Camille Pin--never fun to see Camille go out so early
Mariana Duque Marino--seeded 7th in qualifying, she lost in straight sets to Ekaterina Bychkova
Lenka Wienerova--a player I've been watching; did her bad leg do her in, or is she just not a grass player?
Anna Tatishvili--taken out by Julia Schruff
Noppawan Lertcheewakarn--last year's junior finalist
Yuliana Fedak--runs hot and cold, and lately--just cold
The first qualifying seed, Victoriya Kutuzova (another player who should be ranked higher than she is) has advanced to the second round.
Wimbledon: Some traditions are better than others
The tournament at Wimbledon is often considered "the best" of the four majors. For me, it pales next to the French Open, for I prefer to watch clay court tennis over grass court tennis any day (and I certainly prefer Paris over London). Wimbledon is built on mythology about tradition, some of which is pleasant. I enjoy seeing the players in their tennis whites once a year, and I also enjoy seeing the sometimes unusual and more formal fashions of the linespeople.
However, "tradition" is also used--and not just during Wimbledon--as a way to cling to less-than-progressive values. "Tradition" kept the All England Club from giving women equal prize money for decades (and Wimbledon officials wouldn't hear of women playing five sets). "Tradition" is why the umpires refuse to acknowledge (and consequently make several errors) the more equality-based U.S. honorifics . And "tradition" still permits the British press to write garbage that is so sexist, it actually makes the U.S. press look good.
Still, as someone of British heritage, I have a certain appreciation of Wimbledon. It was on English television, during Wimbledon, that I first saw Evonne Goolagong, and at that moment, I became a tennis fan. I also have a strong appreciation of Katharine, Duchess of Kent; she was, I suppose, my favorite Wimbledon tradition, and the tournament just isn't the same without her. She genuinely cared about the players, and she is the person I wish had inducted Jana Novotna into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Another thing I like about Wimbledon is the presence of Virginia Wade. For the last two years, Wade has served as a commentator for Wimbledon Live, but now that Wimbledon Live is no longer available in the U.S., I will have to be content with listening to her on Radio Wimbledon.
I don't know if it's still being done, but my favorite new Wimbledon tradition was the donation of used Wimbledon tennis balls to The Wildlife Trust so that harvest mice could have nests.
Quote of the day
"I'm missing motivation at this moment. I'll play Wimbledon and then we'll see. At least I can take a few weeks off then"
Jelena Jankovic, after her first-round loss in Eastbourne
Cibulkova upset in first round at Ordina Open
Top seed Dinara Safina needed just an hour to defeat Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 6-0, 6-3 in s'Hertogenbosch today. 2nd seed Dominika Cibulkova, however, lost in three sets to Nathalie Dechy--who, though she is not the singles player she used to be--can still put on a lovely display of tennis from time to time. Both were first round matches.
There were two other upsets in the second round. Yanina Wickmayer defeated 4th seed Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3, and Tammy Tanasugarn--always a threat on grass--defeated 7th seed Iveta Benesova.
There were two other upsets in the second round. Yanina Wickmayer defeated 4th seed Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3, and Tammy Tanasugarn--always a threat on grass--defeated 7th seed Iveta Benesova.
Jankovic and Kuznetsova both out in 1st round in Eastbourne
2nd seed Svetlana Kuznetsova won only three games today in her first round AEGON International match against Aleksandra Wozniak. Those three games were all played in the second set. Also going out was 3rd seed Jelena Jankovic, who was defeated by former top 10 player Anna Chakvetadze, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. This score gives Chakvetadze a career lead of 7-3 over Jankovic, who double-faulted nine times during the match.
4th seed Vera Zvonareva, making her first appearance since her unfortunate third round in Charleston, lost to Amelie Mauresmo. Great Britain's top player, Anne Keothavong, also lost in the first round--to Sybille Bammer. And Agnieszka Radwanska handily defeated her younger sister, Urszula.
Aleksandra Wozniak
Monday, June 15, 2009
Top seeds upset in first round of Ordina Open
Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Monica Niculescu were upset in the first round of the Ordina Open today by Sorana Cirstea and Dinara Safina. Cirstea and Safina won the match 6-2, 6-2.
Medina Garrigues and Ruano Pascual upset in 1st round in Eastbourne
3rd seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual were upset today at the AEGON International by Vera Dushvina and Galina Voskoboeva, 4-6, 7-6, 11-9.
The only other upset occurred in singles qualifying: Top seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez was defeated in straight sets in the final qualifying round by Jarmila Groth.
In singles play, Nadia Petrova and Zheng Jie are through to the second round; they defeated Ana Ivanovic and Carla Suarez Navarro, respectively. Sabine Lisicki, one of the tour's top servers, won only three games against Samantha Stosur, another of the tour's top servers. Since she sustained a shoulder injury and then--immediately after--experienced an abdominal illness, Lisicki has not done much of anything, and going out in the first round in Eastbourne does not help her Wimbledon chances.
The only other upset occurred in singles qualifying: Top seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez was defeated in straight sets in the final qualifying round by Jarmila Groth.
In singles play, Nadia Petrova and Zheng Jie are through to the second round; they defeated Ana Ivanovic and Carla Suarez Navarro, respectively. Sabine Lisicki, one of the tour's top servers, won only three games against Samantha Stosur, another of the tour's top servers. Since she sustained a shoulder injury and then--immediately after--experienced an abdominal illness, Lisicki has not done much of anything, and going out in the first round in Eastbourne does not help her Wimbledon chances.
With apologies to E. H. Harburg
I could have some bigger moments, destroyin' my opponents
And breakin' down their nerve
And my game I'd be improvin' while I do my expert movin'
If I only had a serve
I'd unravel every Russian, their returns I would be crushin'
With my cleverness and verve
With the points that I'd be winnin', I'd beat all those screamin' women
If I only had a serve
Oh, I could show you why I'm headed to the top
I could hit it flat or kick it with a pop
And then I'd spin it like a top
I would not be just in semis or competing for the Emmys
I'd be way beyond the curve
I would hit a lot of aces and put smiles on my fans' faces
If I only had a serve
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Quote of the day
"I was so excited last night after I beat Sharapova. I forgot I had a match today."
Li Na, on her loss in the Birmingham final
Miscellany
I've already mentioned this--but just in case you're looking for it--Wimbledon Live is no more. This is such a loss to those of us who either want to watch Wimbledon from somewhere other than our homes, or who simply want to watch a match that is not on television. I know I'll really miss the service.
Happy Birthday to Steffi Graf, whose most recent tennis event was the set she played against Kim Clijsters at the ceremony marking the addition of a retractable roof at Wimbledon Centre Court.
Madison Keys has withdrawn from junior Wimbledon competition. She also missed the junior French Open tournament because of ongoing problems with her hips.
Bruce Jenkins, of the San Francisco Chronicle, calls Michelle Larcher de Brito's screaming "juvenile, rude, devious, pathetic, and weak-minded."
A chilling commentary: I took the Nielsen survey for Tennis.com, and, as I have come to expect, "writing" was not included on the very long list of leisure activities. But--here's the frightening part--neither was "reading."
Happy Birthday to Steffi Graf, whose most recent tennis event was the set she played against Kim Clijsters at the ceremony marking the addition of a retractable roof at Wimbledon Centre Court.
Madison Keys has withdrawn from junior Wimbledon competition. She also missed the junior French Open tournament because of ongoing problems with her hips.
Bruce Jenkins, of the San Francisco Chronicle, calls Michelle Larcher de Brito's screaming "juvenile, rude, devious, pathetic, and weak-minded."
A chilling commentary: I took the Nielsen survey for Tennis.com, and, as I have come to expect, "writing" was not included on the very long list of leisure activities. But--here's the frightening part--neither was "reading."
Rybarikova upsets Li for Birmingham title
Magdalena Rybarikova won her first Sony Ericsson WTA title today. The Birmingham 13th seed defeated 4th seed Li Na 6-0, 7-6. Rybarikova, who is ranked number 58 in the world, was the junior Wimbledon finalist in 2006.
Defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber took the doubles title, defeating Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 6-1, 6-4.
Defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber took the doubles title, defeating Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 6-1, 6-4.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Big first round action coming up in Eastbourne
Qualifiers still have to be determined and placed, but even without them, the Eastbourne draw presents some potentially dramatic first rounds:
Alize Cornet vs. Virginie Razzano: If I were Todd Spiker, I might say "What happens when you drop a couple of pastries onto the grass?" What indeed. Neither is known for grass play, and these days, Cornet isn't known for much of any kind of play. Still, it could be an interesting match.
Gisela Dulko vs. Marion Bartoli: Despite Dulko's considerable skills, she is not a grass court player. Bartoli is, but Dulko--if her serve is on--could still make it interesting.
Caroline Wozniacki vs. Alisa Kleybanova: She's a clay court star, but how will Wozniacki do against big hitter Kleybanova?
Samantha Stosur vs. Sabine Lisicki: This one has the most potential for drama. Or at least it would if Lisicki were match-tough. An injury, followed by an illness, kept her out of the clay court season, except for the French Open, and she was simply not prepared to compete there. Her big serving and deft net play should work well on grass, and--if she's up to it--she can make this a real contest.
Amelie Maursmo vs. Vera Zvonareva: This match will mark Zvonareva's return to the tour following an accident she sustained in Charleston. She'll be rusty, but she could still give the 2006 Wimbledon champion some trouble.
Nadia Petrova vs. Ana Ivanovic: Petrova was last year's finalist; she lost--in a very entertaining match--to Agnieszka Radwanska. Though the Russian is a clay expert, she has a big serve and a lot of doubles skills, and can do well on a grass court.
Alize Cornet vs. Virginie Razzano: If I were Todd Spiker, I might say "What happens when you drop a couple of pastries onto the grass?" What indeed. Neither is known for grass play, and these days, Cornet isn't known for much of any kind of play. Still, it could be an interesting match.
Gisela Dulko vs. Marion Bartoli: Despite Dulko's considerable skills, she is not a grass court player. Bartoli is, but Dulko--if her serve is on--could still make it interesting.
Caroline Wozniacki vs. Alisa Kleybanova: She's a clay court star, but how will Wozniacki do against big hitter Kleybanova?
Samantha Stosur vs. Sabine Lisicki: This one has the most potential for drama. Or at least it would if Lisicki were match-tough. An injury, followed by an illness, kept her out of the clay court season, except for the French Open, and she was simply not prepared to compete there. Her big serving and deft net play should work well on grass, and--if she's up to it--she can make this a real contest.
Amelie Maursmo vs. Vera Zvonareva: This match will mark Zvonareva's return to the tour following an accident she sustained in Charleston. She'll be rusty, but she could still give the 2006 Wimbledon champion some trouble.
Nadia Petrova vs. Ana Ivanovic: Petrova was last year's finalist; she lost--in a very entertaining match--to Agnieszka Radwanska. Though the Russian is a clay expert, she has a big serve and a lot of doubles skills, and can do well on a grass court.
Li and Rybarikova to compete for AEGON Classic title
In today's Birmingham semifinals, 4th seed Li Na defeated Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4, and 13th seed Magdalena Rybarikova defeated Sania Mirza 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.
Kateryna Bondarenko won the tournament last year.
In doubles, 4th seeds Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears defeated Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci 6-1, 7-6, and top seeds and defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber defeated number 3 seeds Chuang Chia-Jung and Sania Mirza, 7-5, 6-3.
Kateryna Bondarenko won the tournament last year.
In doubles, 4th seeds Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears defeated Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci 6-1, 7-6, and top seeds and defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber defeated number 3 seeds Chuang Chia-Jung and Sania Mirza, 7-5, 6-3.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Birmingham semifinals set
Magdalena Rybarikova, Sania Mirza, Li Na, and Maria Sharapova all advanced today to the semifinals of the AEGON Classic. They defeated Urszula Radwanska, Melinda Czink, Stefanie Voegele, and Yanina Wickmayer, respectively. Li, seeded 4th, is the highest seed left in the competition.
In doubles, the semifinalists will be Black and Huber, Chuang and Mirza, Kops-Jones and Spears, and Schiavone and Vinci.
In doubles, the semifinalists will be Black and Huber, Chuang and Mirza, Kops-Jones and Spears, and Schiavone and Vinci.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Busy day in Birmingham
Several players did double duty today, as participants in the AEGON Classic played catch-up from the many rain delays.
Top seed Zheng Jie defeated Melanie South in the second round, but then was upset, 7-6, 6-4, in the third round by Magdalena Rybarikova. Also upset in the third round was 3rd seed Aleksandra Wozniak, who was defeated by Melinda Czink, 6-7, 7-5, 7-5. The next upset--also in the third round--was of 5th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who was defeated in three sets by Sania Mirza. And finally, 7th seed Francesca Schiavone was defeated by Maria Sharapova.
Top seed Zheng Jie defeated Melanie South in the second round, but then was upset, 7-6, 6-4, in the third round by Magdalena Rybarikova. Also upset in the third round was 3rd seed Aleksandra Wozniak, who was defeated by Melinda Czink, 6-7, 7-5, 7-5. The next upset--also in the third round--was of 5th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who was defeated in three sets by Sania Mirza. And finally, 7th seed Francesca Schiavone was defeated by Maria Sharapova.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Kanepi injured in Birmingham
Kaia Kanepi has withdrawn from the AEGON Classic because of a knee injury she sustained earlier in the week. Her spot in the draw has been taken by lucky loser Michaella Krajicek.
Doctors are looking at Kanepi's knee to determine whether she will be healthy for Wimbledon.
Doctors are looking at Kanepi's knee to determine whether she will be healthy for Wimbledon.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Ivanovic-Kardon relationship over
Ana Ivanovic has parted ways with coach Craig Kardon and has returned to the Addidas Player Development Program for coaching during the grass court season. She has retained her strength and conditioning coach, Scott Byrnes. It is unknown what, if any, coaching changes Ivanovic will make after Wimbledon.
In related news, Ivanovic will play doubles with Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon.
In related news, Ivanovic will play doubles with Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon wild cards announced
The following players have received wild cards into the main draw at Wimbledon:
Laura Robson
Elena Baltacha
Melanie South
Michelle Larcher de Brito
Katie O'Brien
Kimiko Date-Krumm
Georgie Stoop
Alexa Glatch
Laura Robson
Elena Baltacha
Melanie South
Michelle Larcher de Brito
Katie O'Brien
Kimiko Date-Krumm
Georgie Stoop
Alexa Glatch
Monday, June 8, 2009
2 upsets in Birmingham today
There were two upsets in Birmingham today, both expected--at least by me. Urszula Radwanska defeated 10th seed Maria Kirilenko, 6-3, 6-3, and Alexa Glatch defeated 9th seed Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 7-6, 6-3.
Grass experts Maria Sharapova and Tammy Tanasugarn both won their first round matches. Michaella Krajicek, however, did not get out of qualifying.
Grass experts Maria Sharapova and Tammy Tanasugarn both won their first round matches. Michaella Krajicek, however, did not get out of qualifying.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
What does the future hold for Safina?
Dinara Safina, after double-faulting at match point in the French Open finalPhoto courtesy of Angelica
Dinara Safina is not the first tour player to lose three major finals and therefore be without a major title. Kim Clijsters lost four of them before she finally won the U.S. Open in 2005. However--despite what anyone may say about Clijsters' performances against Capriati and Henin--I think we can all agree that "going to pieces mentally" would not be one of the descriptions. Of course, some people may indeed say that Clijsters went to pieces mentally against Henin, but relatively speaking, whatever she did was not what Safina did yesterday, or what she did in Australia against Serena.
While it's true that Safina doesn't have the clay court movement or the variety of Kuznetsova, or the speed of Serena Williams, she does have considerable talent, and she has the titles to go with it. In the end, it isn't her deficiencies that are keeping her from winning big trophies--it is her mentality.
She kind of fooled us this time around, too. There was very little of that Thrill Ride action going on during the Euoprean clay court season; mostly, Safina was just straight-out winning. But when she got to the biggest match of all, she fell apart. Can this type of mentality be repaired? Yes, but Safina has to be willing to do what it takes to repair it.
A few days ago, Ted Robinson made a groaner of a joke: He said it was appropriate that Safina's coach is named "Cry on." It is even more appropriate as of yesterday. It has crossed my mind that there relationship may have run its course, although I hope that is not the case.
A few days ago, Martina Navratilova suggested that perhaps Safina needed a hypnotherapist, only she incorrectly said "hypnotist." (I suspect Leif Shiras's laughter was over the concept, not the incorrect nomenclautre, but the concept is exactly right.) No, she doesn't need to walk like a chicken, but she could use a good hypnotherapist in the worst way. When someone has that much anxiety and that much ultimate lack of belief, the conscious mind has to be circumvented. Learning to do relaxation exercises and utilizing prepared thought scripts would also help.
A lot of people are trashing Safina right now, and predicting her demise. They could be right--this latest loss could do her in. But it doesn't have to. Dinara needs to continue adding finesse to her game, and she does need to improve her movement. But everything is relative. Lindsay Davenport was the least of the court movers, but she won three majors. Maria Sharapova has her own weaknesses, but she has won three majors. They won because they had enough superior skills to win, and because they believed--really believed--they could. Safina does not believe--yet.
Dulgheru and Larcher de Brito both out of Birmingham qualifying
Alexandra Dulgheru, recent Warsaw champion, lost in the first round of AEGON Classic qualifying. The top qualifying seed was defeated in straight sets by Eleni Danilidou, who is more at home on grass than many players. Michelle Larcher de Brito was defeated in straight sets in the second round of qualifying by Chanelle Scheepers.
Miscellany
Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Alexa Glatch will play each other in the first round of the AEGON Classic in Birmingham.
Yesterday, I wrote about Marat Safin's intervention in Svetlana Kuznetsova's career. Today, we learn that they are actually close friends.
And speaking of Kuznetsova, TennisInfoBlog provides us with the text of the telegram she received from Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
Maria Sharapova says she believes she can win Wimbledon again, but probably not this year.
Women Who Serve congratulates the great Roger Federer on achieving his career slam, a wonderful accomplishment!
Yesterday, I wrote about Marat Safin's intervention in Svetlana Kuznetsova's career. Today, we learn that they are actually close friends.
And speaking of Kuznetsova, TennisInfoBlog provides us with the text of the telegram she received from Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
Maria Sharapova says she believes she can win Wimbledon again, but probably not this year.
Women Who Serve congratulates the great Roger Federer on achieving his career slam, a wonderful accomplishment!
My French Open top 10
Here are my top 10 French Open occurrences, in ascending order:
10. I Wake Up Screaming: Maria Sharapova screams. Victoria Azarenka screams. Venus Williams screams. Their screaming bothers some people, doesn't bother others. Michelle Larcher de Brito's screams, however, appear to bother a lot of people. The French Open referee says her screams are longer. Perhaps, but where and how do you draw the line? Larcher de Brito herself noted that--during the French Open--there had not been a big production made over Sharapova's vocals.
9. Stand by for "the shoulder": It's only a matter of time. Serena Williams has already endured "the hand" incident with Justine Henin, and now "the arm" incident with Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. I don't know why these things happen to Williams, but they do.
8. Match point!: Rarely do you get to see a match point as wonderful as the one that occurred at the end of the round of 16 match between Virginie Razzano and Tathiana Garbin. Razzano won, but the point belonged to both of them. The rest of the match was pretty entertaining, too.
7. Oops, out so long I forgot I can't play on clay: Who knew that Maria Sharapova--never a big deal on clay-- after being off the tour ten months with shoulder problems, would reach the quarterfinals? Quite impressive.
6. Short on height, long on fight: It's a shame that Dominika Cibulkova was so anxious during her semifinal match against Dinara Safina. But even with her anxiety-produced errors, she played well enough to demonstrate her potential.
5. They don't call it "doubles" for nothing: Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual did what few do these days--they defended their French Open doubles title.
4. That scoreboard must be wrong: They are considered unbeatable, but Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Nadia Petrova thought otherwise, and defeated Venus and Serena Williams in doubles. The match was one of the most enjoyable of the tournament--with constant momentum changes--and the upset was significant.
3. What did I do to upset you?: There were so many very early upsets in this French Open--Flavia Pennetta, Amelie Mauresmo, Patty Schnyder, Kaia Kanepi, Anna Chakvetadze, and Daniela Hantuchova all went out in the first round. Zheng Jie, Elena Vesnina, Nadia Petrova, Alize Cornet, Marion Bartoli, and Anabel Medina Garrigues went out in the second.
2. Slammin' Sam comes through at last: With a great first and second serve, a strong forehand, and superb net play, Samantha Stosur should be ranked higher than she is. But a combination of mental fragility and a lengthy illness have held her back. She made a long-awaited breakthrough at Roland Garros, however--getting to the semifinals and taking a set off of Svetlana Kuznetsova.
1. You've got a lot of nerve: It's been five years since Kuznetsova won the U.S. Open. She is probably the best clay court player on the tour, and it has always seemed just not right to me that she owned no French Open titles. Now she does. Kuznetsova held her nerve, which is almost all she needed to do to finally hold the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. The bad news is that Dinara Safina collapsed mentally in the final, just as she did at the Australian Open.
Mladenovic wins junior girls French Open title
The French have a winner! 9th seeded Kristina Mladenovic defeated Daria Gavrilova today, to win the junior girls French Open championship. Mladenovic, who lives in Boulogne Billancourt, won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
French Open championship--what they said
Photo courtesy of Enrico Milani "I'm still in some of the shadow yet. I don't understand what happened, really."
Svetlana Kuznetsova, on winning the French Open
"Here I am back in the same situation as last year. Hopefully one day I can win here."
Dinara Safina, at the awards ceremony
Was it easier or more difficult because she's your countrywoman?
"Look, two finals I won against Dementieva and Safina. It's weird. For me it's weird. I had troubles playing Dinara. But anyway, it was most important match we've played, I guess. I won it, and I'm happy for this."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
The pressure, because being the number 1, the discussion that (has) been made if you are the real number 1, is that what you feel, as well?
"I just wanted to win. I didn't win it, and now it's disappointing. But tomorrow is another day. I have in one week a tournament, so tomorrow I will be fine."
Dinara Safina
"I was in some point I was saying--I lost in Rome and I left to Moscow and my coach was not happy about it. I say, I don't want to train. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to go back to Spain. I said a few times I want to quit playing tennis. I said it. I never felt it. Definitely I would still play to enjoy, to have fun. I said it to Marat (Safin) few times. I said, 'Marat, I don't know, maybe I should not play.' He said, 'Okay, you are crazy or what? You have unbelievable opportunities. You just have to play.'"
Svetlana Kuznetsova, on a difficult time she went through last year
At what point you felt this is not going to be my day?
"I mean, once I play on the court, I always believe that I can win. Doesn't matter what's the score."
Dinara Safina
"Look, I want to move from Spain. I want to go to Russia. Everybody telling me this. I don't know what to do. He say, 'Look, you can only depend on yourself. You can control it. If you can concentrate and live in Moscow, do this. If you cannot, only you can judge, you know.'"
Svetlana Kuznetova, on advice she received from Roger Federer
Do you have explanation why you could not stay mentally tough?
"If I would know explanation, then of course I would do it on the court."
Dinara Safina
"You don't have to think about that you win before you win. So now I won, but I still trying to focus on the match because I push it so much into myself, this thought. That's why I don't smile. But maybe I have few glasses of wine, I relax, and something happens."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
A long time coming--Kuznetsova wins French Open
Photo courtesy of AngelicaFor over a year now, when Dinara Safina has found herself at a set and 2-5 down, she has come out of nowhere and taken us all on the Thrill Ride that caused me to create that name for her. Today, at Roland Garros, she was down a set and serving at 2-5, and--while things didn't look good at all for her--I had to wonder: Is she about to do it again?
The answer was no. Already troubled by the damp conditions that slow down the ball, and already more than troubled by an on-spot Kuznetsova--who likes a slow court--Safina double-faulted on championship point. That final double fault, one of seven in the match, was--unfortunately--a fitting ending to Safina's disaster of a day.
The conditions were especially nice for Kuznetsova, who was better able to neutralize Safina's powerful groundstrokes. Kuznetsova put on quite a clay court show for spectators--spinning the ball, changing the pace, and finding angle after angle. She also made Safina do a lot of vertical court movement, something that is not her strong suit.
The match began with an exchange of breaks, which set a nice clay court tone. Serving at 3-4, Safina saved a break point, but then got broken anyway when a ball hit by Kuznetsova failed to bounce, and Safina could not pick it up. However, when Kuznetsova served for the set at 5-3, she was broken at love. She went on to win that set, however, 6-4.
At 2-all in the second set, Kuznetsova went down 0-30 while serving, but Safina was unable to exploit this opening. Down a set and 2-4, she yelled at her coach, "Why am I such a chicken?!" Pushing back tears, Safina once again saw a major title slip away from her. At the conclusion of the match, she smacked her racquet on the clay, then composed herself and walked to the net to shake the hand of her friend, Svetlana.
It is well worth noting that Safina had multiple opportunities to win more points and more games--opportunities that she created. But--over and over--she would set up a winner, and then hit an unforced error at the crucial moment. The only explanation for this phenomenon is one involving mentality. Safina knew what to do--she even did it. But she was too unsteady to finish it. Interesting, Kuznetsova made the same number of unforced errors--22--but hers were not always made at such important moments.
Kuznetsova, one of the finest clay court players in recent tour history, lost the French Open final (after holding a match point) to Justine Henin in 2006. She also lost to Henin in the 2005 round of 16; and in 2004, she lost in the round of 16 (after holding a match point) to the eventual champion, Anastasia Myskina.
Kuznetsova's 6-4, 6-2 victory is the lastest in a long string of two-set French Open women's championship scorelines.
Bogdan and Lertcheewakarn win French Open junior doubles title
Elena Bogdan and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, the number 2 seeds, have won the junior girls French Open doubles championship. They defeated 3rd seeds Timea Babos and Heather Watson, 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.
Forgotten Lewis Carroll manuscript found in NBC studio
Ted Robinson: "I realize I've been pronouncing her name wrong. In Australia, they called her SAFinuh, but I think it should be SaFEEnuh."
Mary Carrillo: "No, actually, we always called her SaFEEnuh, and when we asked her 'how do you pronounce your name?' she said 'It's SAFinuh.' So I don't know WHAT to call her."
Pardon me while I get my head to stop spinning...
Mary Carrillo: "No, actually, we always called her SaFEEnuh, and when we asked her 'how do you pronounce your name?' she said 'It's SAFinuh.' So I don't know WHAT to call her."
Pardon me while I get my head to stop spinning...
Friday, June 5, 2009
The experts predict
Greg Garber--Safina in 3
Bonnie D. Ford--Kuznetsova in 3
Steve Tignor--Safina in 2
Nick Bollettieri--Safina in 3
Bud Collins--Kuznetsova
Bonnie D. Ford--Kuznetsova in 3
Steve Tignor--Safina in 2
Nick Bollettieri--Safina in 3
Bud Collins--Kuznetsova
French Open final--expect a great match
Victory Column at Place du ChateletDinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova have played each other thirteen times. Safina has won eight of those matches. However, they have won four each of the matches they have played on clay. This season, Kuznetsova is the only player to have beaten Safina on clay.
Technically speaking, Kuznetsova is the more skilled clay competitor. She can spin the ball very well, is comfortable at the net, and can sustain the stress of lengthy points. She is a good court thinker and a superb mover. Safina, on the other hand, is not as good a mover, but her entire strategy is to dictate points from the baseline--something she can do quite well. But Safina is no boring ball-basher; she has developed her own bag of clay court tricks over the past couple of years.
Kuznetsova is the more consistent server of the two; Safina's serve comes and goes. In the past, both players have shared the same major weakness--a fragile mentality. Whether one or both of them will
bring that mentality to the court tomorrow is a question I cannot answer, though it's hard to imagine either of them sustaining a cool head throughout the entire match. I am anticipating a good number of unforced errors from both of them, and Safina is also prone to double-faulting during big occasions.
Kuznetsova won the U.S. Open in 2004, and since then, she has been in the finals of two majors--the French Open in 2006 (defeated by Justine Henin) and the U.S. Open in 2007 (defeated by Henin). Safina has never won a major, but she was the finalist in last year's French Open (defeated by Ana Ivanovic) and in this year's Australian Open (defeated by Serena Williams). A win by either woman will bring about not only joy, but--undoubtedly--significant relief. The press is focusing on Safina's attempt to prove she deserves her number 1 status, but there is also pressure on her opponent to repeat a victory she has not experienced in five years.
Who will better hold her nerve and become the 2009 French Open champion?
Je ne sais pas.
NBC is....what's the word?...oh, yes--evil
Readers of this blog know that I am quite restrained in public expression, but it is all I can do to keep from letting loose a string of invectives regarding the National Broadcasting Company.
We have already discussed how frustrating it was that those of us who live in the U.S. did not get to see the Nadal-Soderling match live. And today, we were deprived of seeing both the Gonzales-Soderling and Federer-Del Potro matches live.
At least one (and perhaps both) of these matches were available live on ESPN 360, but I cannot access ESPN 360 because my ISP is Charter, another entity that that has occupied a top slot on my hate list for some time.
I am so sorry, NBC, that Andy Roddick and James "the fake" Blake were not in today's semifinals. They weren't, and they probably never will be, but perhaps you have heard of Roger Federer? Here were two of the biggest matches imaginable, and I have to follow them on an electronic scoreboard, and watch them on television after the fact.
We have already discussed how frustrating it was that those of us who live in the U.S. did not get to see the Nadal-Soderling match live. And today, we were deprived of seeing both the Gonzales-Soderling and Federer-Del Potro matches live.
At least one (and perhaps both) of these matches were available live on ESPN 360, but I cannot access ESPN 360 because my ISP is Charter, another entity that that has occupied a top slot on my hate list for some time.
I am so sorry, NBC, that Andy Roddick and James "the fake" Blake were not in today's semifinals. They weren't, and they probably never will be, but perhaps you have heard of Roger Federer? Here were two of the biggest matches imaginable, and I have to follow them on an electronic scoreboard, and watch them on television after the fact.
Mladenovic to face Gavrilova in junior French Open final
Kristina Mladenovic, the French 16-year-old who lost to Magdelena Rybarikova in the first round of the main draw, is now in the final to determine the French Open junior girls' champion. Her opponent will be the unseeded Daria Gavrilova of Russia, who upset fellow Russian and 3rd seed Ksenia Pervak in the semifinals. Mladenovic, who is seeded 9th, defeated American Sloan Stephens, who was the 15th seed.
Medina Garrigues and Ruano Pascual defend French Open title
The 2008 French Open women's doubles champions have done it again. Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual defeated Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-1 today to win the 2009 French Open. This makes six French Open doubles titles for Ruano Pascual, who now holds a total of ten doubles titles in majors.
In wheelchair doubles, Esther Vergeer and Korie Homan are the 2009 champions. They defeated Annick Sevenans and Aniek van Koot 6-2, 6-3. Vergeer and Homan were the top seeds. Earlier today, Vergeer defeated Homan to win the singles championship.
Vergeer beats Homan again, wins French Open
Esther Vergeer has lost only one singles match since 2001. Since 2003, she has lost no singles matches. Today, she made it 360 straight matches by defeating her countrywoman, Korie Homan, 6-2, 7-5 in the wheelchair competition of the French Open. Vergeer and Homan were seeded 1 and 2. In the last couple of years, Homan has managed to take their matches to a third set a few times, and in Beijing, she pushed Homan to their first-ever third set tiebreak.
The French Open website, for some reason, does not include any of Vergeer's remarkable stats on her profile page.
The French Open website, for some reason, does not include any of Vergeer's remarkable stats on her profile page.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Navratilova receives Philippe Chatrier Award
The International Tennis Federation's highest honor, the Philippe Chatrier Award, was presented this week to Martina Navratilova. The award was presented at the World Champions Dinner in Paris. Champions' awards went to Jelena Jankovic, Cara Black and Liezel Huber.
French Open--what they said
"I really can't say that I wish I could have handled it differently, because I went out there and felt good physically, and like I said, mentally. I knew that I had a shot."
"I mean, my plans--you know, actually, I knew how she's going to play. She didn't surprise me with anything. She played a lot of cross, good backhand. You know, I played a lot to her backhand and I didn't make her move a lot, because, you know, I was scared to play on the lines, just to miss the ball."
"Liezel has a good record against me. That's why I picked her. I was just trying to be Cara Black out there, you know. A little taller, but the same."
"A lot of them play the same kind of tennis...there are not many new players (who) stand out with a different kind of tennis."
"I think I got nervous, you know, and I made a couple mistakes, you know, and then I got in panic."
"I'm not playing my best, but it's still not easy to beat me."
"I mean, I been playing ball from the second floor up here. It was not very comfortable."
"The guy, pretty much at all times, looks nuts."
"I notice it a lot more when I watch them. It can be a bit annoying. But as far as a player down on the other end, it's never affected me, myself, anyway, on the court. It's--I guess it is what it is."
What do you think about when you think back to when you first came on the tour and you were playing doubles with Martina? When you think back to the young woman you were then, what do you think about?
"I would think how come she could handle me? I was so difficult. I was so--maybe‑‑no, I would not--if you tell me to go back and do all over the same, I don't want to do this. You know, I've done it as I've done it, and I'm fine with that. But I was so late all the time. I was not organized that much. I was flying out in my head somewhere. It was so new."
"I haven't seen a lot of players adjust their games to opponents....in the past, watching Serena play or Justine, or like when I got to play Sharapova, I... thought there was a lot more thinking."
What is your preferred warmup song at the moment?
"I don't listen to tough stuff. I listen to some happy stuff, because I'm not going to court to die. I'm just going to have fun."
Samantha Stosur
"I mean, my plans--you know, actually, I knew how she's going to play. She didn't surprise me with anything. She played a lot of cross, good backhand. You know, I played a lot to her backhand and I didn't make her move a lot, because, you know, I was scared to play on the lines, just to miss the ball."
Dominika Cibulkova
"Liezel has a good record against me. That's why I picked her. I was just trying to be Cara Black out there, you know. A little taller, but the same."
Bob Bryan, on winning the mixed doubles championship with Liezel Huber
"A lot of them play the same kind of tennis...there are not many new players (who) stand out with a different kind of tennis."
Kim Clijsters, speaking on the BBC
"I think I got nervous, you know, and I made a couple mistakes, you know, and then I got in panic."
Dominika Cibulkova
"I'm not playing my best, but it's still not easy to beat me."
Dinara Safina
"I mean, I been playing ball from the second floor up here. It was not very comfortable."
Svetlana Kuznetsova, on handling all the spin she received from Sam Stosur
"The guy, pretty much at all times, looks nuts."
Mary Carillo, speaking of Zeljko Krajan
"I notice it a lot more when I watch them. It can be a bit annoying. But as far as a player down on the other end, it's never affected me, myself, anyway, on the court. It's--I guess it is what it is."
Samantha Stosur, on screaming players
What do you think about when you think back to when you first came on the tour and you were playing doubles with Martina? When you think back to the young woman you were then, what do you think about?
"I would think how come she could handle me? I was so difficult. I was so--maybe‑‑no, I would not--if you tell me to go back and do all over the same, I don't want to do this. You know, I've done it as I've done it, and I'm fine with that. But I was so late all the time. I was not organized that much. I was flying out in my head somewhere. It was so new."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
"I haven't seen a lot of players adjust their games to opponents....in the past, watching Serena play or Justine, or like when I got to play Sharapova, I... thought there was a lot more thinking."
Kim Clijsters, speaking on the BBC
What is your preferred warmup song at the moment?
"I don't listen to tough stuff. I listen to some happy stuff, because I'm not going to court to die. I'm just going to have fun."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Huber and Bryan win French Open mixed doubles championship
Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan won the 2009 French Open championship in mixed doubles today, defeating Vania King and Marcelo Melo, 5-7, 7-6, 10-7. This is Huber's first mixed doubles championship at a major, though she has been a finalist three times.
We have our finalists!
Dominika Cibulkova was brutal to herself in her post-match press conference, but the reality was that she played rather well in her semifinal match against world number 1 Dinara Safina. The 6-3, 6-3 score looks a bit ordinary, but the match was enjoyable.
On the other hand, one can understand Cibulkova's frustration that she was unable to do more with Safina's somewhat shaky serve. Also, Cibulkova's serve was shaky, but that was the only visible sign of what she later described as the high anxiety she felt on the court. There were plenty of visible signs that Safina was angry and frustrated, and one British broadcaster felt compelled to apologize to his listening audience for Safina's language. No sympathy here--find a different way to position the microphones.
There are mitigating factors. Safina is ill, and has been for a couple of days. She looks pale and she sounds terrible. As for Cibulkova, she entered the French Open not having played matches since she retired in the Charleston quarterfinals.
(Photo courtesy of Angelica)
The Stosur-Kuznetsova match was a bit of a different story. Stosur, the queen of spin, did not disappoint. I saw only a set and a half, but Sam Stosur looked pretty good. In the end, she was--not surprisingly--outplayed by Svetlana Kuznetsova, who is top-notch on clay. Kuznetsova won, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, in a match that went on for almost two and a half hours.
Getting to the semifinals was an outstanding accomplishment for both Cibulkova and Stosur, neither of whom has ever won a tournament. One hopes that they will feel some pride in what they did at this French Open. And as for the finalists--whether you're cheering for Dinara or Sveta--let's hope Dinara is feeling healthy.
We have doubles finalists, too. 2008 champions and 3rd seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual will play 12th seeds Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina for the championship.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
4 women standing
How time flies when you're vicariously enjoying Paris. There are only four women left in the contest, and here is how the semifinals line up:
Dinara Safina vs. Dominika Cibulkova: The world number 1 and top seed is probably still capable of going off the track somewhat, but she has appeared more mentally stable on court lately. Even the shock near-obliteration she took from Victoria Azarenka in the first set of their quarterfinal didn't do any permanent damage to Safina's confidence. Cibulkova, the 20th seed, moves extremely well, and can get back a lot of balls; she will doubtless try to wear Safina down until she makes an error. This tactic will work only if the errors penetrate Safina's psche for any appreciable length of time.
Samantha Stosur vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova: Stosur, the 30th seed, is a very unlikely semifinalist for too many reasons to list here, but she got to the final four by putting on a very impressive display of tennis. She has a huge serve, and--when everything is working right--a very good second serve, too. If the moment doesn't do her in and that serve stays on, she can earn a lot of points over which Kuznetsova will have little control. Stosur puts a lot of spin on the ball, something 7th seed Kuznetsova is more accustomed to giving than getting. Kuznetsova is arguably the best clay player on the tour, however, and--as with Safina--her main job is just to do what she does best and to keep her mental focus intact.
Quote of the day--Sveta explains why Russians are so tough
Speaking of Russian grandparents: "They had to go with nothing, you know, without maybe bullets, only with knife, and still to go to war."
1st round Fed Cup draw held today
The draw for the first round of 2010 Fed Cup competition was held today. Here are the results:
Word Group:
Italy vs. Ukraine (in Ukraine)
Czech Republic vs. Germany (in Czech Republic)
Serbia vs. Russia (in Serbia)*
France vs. USA (in France)
World Group 2:
Spain vs. Australia (in Australia)
Belgium vs. Poland (in Poland)
Estonia vs. Argentina (in Estonia)
Slovak Republic vs. China (in Slovak Republic)
The first round will be played February 6 and 6.
* "...it's going to be very tough, because Ana, Jelena and Belgrade is three very difficult things to play against."
Word Group:
Italy vs. Ukraine (in Ukraine)
Czech Republic vs. Germany (in Czech Republic)
Serbia vs. Russia (in Serbia)*
France vs. USA (in France)
World Group 2:
Spain vs. Australia (in Australia)
Belgium vs. Poland (in Poland)
Estonia vs. Argentina (in Estonia)
Slovak Republic vs. China (in Slovak Republic)
The first round will be played February 6 and 6.
* "...it's going to be very tough, because Ana, Jelena and Belgrade is three very difficult things to play against."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
French Open--what they said
Some people say the woman tennis is really boring. What's your point of view about that?
"I think they're kind of wrong."
"In the third I had an opportunity and I got really tight, and I pretty much gave it to her. It was like, 'Here, you know, do you want to go to the semis? Because I don't.' She was like, 'Okay'."
When you had to interrupt your career because of Lyme disease, at that time when youwere down, did you ever imagine that you would be able to come back and play at such a level? Did you ever imagine you could reach one day a Grand Slam semifinal?
"I guess I wasn't really thinking about Grand Slams or winning tournaments or anything like that at that stage. It was more just trying to get healthy and leave my apartment, basically."
"I would say normally I would think that she would win first set and I'll have to win second set. So it was very confusing."
Do you wish there was more of a gap between the seasons?
"No, I mean, because now it's like, Okay, well, I lost here. Maybe I can do better at Wimbledon. I wish it were tomorrow."
The men say always in this tournament they are playing almost on cement. This is hardcourt, it's not clay. You're insisting about saying about clay, clay, clay. So what it means? You are a specialist on clay? It's really clay or not? What about this surface?
"Well, did you see the sand? I still have after clay in my hair. I think it's the clay."
"I think they're kind of wrong."
Samantha Stosur
"In the third I had an opportunity and I got really tight, and I pretty much gave it to her. It was like, 'Here, you know, do you want to go to the semis? Because I don't.' She was like, 'Okay'."
Serena Williams
When you had to interrupt your career because of Lyme disease, at that time when youwere down, did you ever imagine that you would be able to come back and play at such a level? Did you ever imagine you could reach one day a Grand Slam semifinal?
"I guess I wasn't really thinking about Grand Slams or winning tournaments or anything like that at that stage. It was more just trying to get healthy and leave my apartment, basically."
Samantha Stosur
"I would say normally I would think that she would win first set and I'll have to win second set. So it was very confusing."
Svetlana Kuznetsova, on playing her quarterfinal against Serena Williams
Do you wish there was more of a gap between the seasons?
"No, I mean, because now it's like, Okay, well, I lost here. Maybe I can do better at Wimbledon. I wish it were tomorrow."
Serena Williams
The men say always in this tournament they are playing almost on cement. This is hardcourt, it's not clay. You're insisting about saying about clay, clay, clay. So what it means? You are a specialist on clay? It's really clay or not? What about this surface?
"Well, did you see the sand? I still have after clay in my hair. I think it's the clay."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Kuznetsova wins battle of nerves against Williams
Today at Roland Garros, Svetlana Kuznetsova ended Serena Williams' chance to win a second French Open by defeating her 7-6, 5-7, 7-5 in the semifinals. You could look at this match from two perspectives: 1. Kuznetsova, through a mental collapse, caused this match to go on much longer than it should have, or...2. Kuznetsova, through an impressive display of mental toughness, took this match away from Williams just when it appeared she owned it.
Both perspectives would be correct. And if you looked at the stats, you might assume that Williams won the match: She had a better first serve win percentage than Kuznetsova, and she hit eleven more winners. The players' break point conversion stats were identical, as were their net win stats. It was indeed a close match, and it took almost three hours to play it.
In the first set, serving at 5-6, Kuznetsova saved a set point. She would go on to win that set with a decisive 7-3 score in the tiebreak. In the second set, Kuznetsova was up 4-2, 40-30, but when she went to return a ball, her toe caught the clay and she fell onto her side. There was no harm done to her ankle, but her momentum was interrupted, and it was obvious that the injury was to her psyche. Covered with clay, she returned to the game, but was broken. Williams evened the score, and then broke her again. At this point, Kuznetsova was making errors and looking tired, and the momentum was obviously with Williams, who won the set, 7-5.
If you follow women's tennis, and you expected Williams to take charge of the third set and go to the semifinals, you have no reason to second-guess yourself. So many times, we have seen Kuznetsova fail to recover from a mental collapse. And so many times, we have seen Serena turn straw, grass, and even clay to gold just when the pressure was at its greatest.
But not today. Today it was the other way around. Kuznetsova found her groove again in the third set, and it was Williams who could not hold her nerve when it counted. Williams did go up an early break to take a 3-1 lead, and she saved two match points at 4-5. At that point, it was natural to predict that the momentum would go right back to Williams again, only it didn't. After Williams converted the score to 5-all, she became error-prone, and Kuznetsova moved in to break and hold, taking the set at 7-5.
Both perspectives would be correct. And if you looked at the stats, you might assume that Williams won the match: She had a better first serve win percentage than Kuznetsova, and she hit eleven more winners. The players' break point conversion stats were identical, as were their net win stats. It was indeed a close match, and it took almost three hours to play it.
In the first set, serving at 5-6, Kuznetsova saved a set point. She would go on to win that set with a decisive 7-3 score in the tiebreak. In the second set, Kuznetsova was up 4-2, 40-30, but when she went to return a ball, her toe caught the clay and she fell onto her side. There was no harm done to her ankle, but her momentum was interrupted, and it was obvious that the injury was to her psyche. Covered with clay, she returned to the game, but was broken. Williams evened the score, and then broke her again. At this point, Kuznetsova was making errors and looking tired, and the momentum was obviously with Williams, who won the set, 7-5.
If you follow women's tennis, and you expected Williams to take charge of the third set and go to the semifinals, you have no reason to second-guess yourself. So many times, we have seen Kuznetsova fail to recover from a mental collapse. And so many times, we have seen Serena turn straw, grass, and even clay to gold just when the pressure was at its greatest.
But not today. Today it was the other way around. Kuznetsova found her groove again in the third set, and it was Williams who could not hold her nerve when it counted. Williams did go up an early break to take a 3-1 lead, and she saved two match points at 4-5. At that point, it was natural to predict that the momentum would go right back to Williams again, only it didn't. After Williams converted the score to 5-all, she became error-prone, and Kuznetsova moved in to break and hold, taking the set at 7-5.
Black and Huber out of French Open
Today at Roland Garros, the 2008 French Open champions--Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual--defeated the top seeds, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Medina Garrigues and Ruano Pascual now go to the final, in which they will play 12th seeds Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina. Azarenka and Vesnina defeated 9th seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai 6-3, 7-5.
Black and Huber, the number 1 team in the world, have never won the French Open.
Black and Huber, the number 1 team in the world, have never won the French Open.
Who would have thought it? Sam Stosur in the semifinals
Samantha Stosur has always had a variety of really useful tennis skills, like a great first serve, great second serve, strong forehand, heavy topspin, and a wonderful sense of touch at the net. Her fans yell "Smash 'em, Sam!" when she plays. But Stosur has also always had--in singles, that is--a big deficit: She has tended to come apart mentally at big moments.
Stosur had to stay away from the tour for several months because of a really bad case of Lyme Disease, which led to a case of viral meningitis. She returned in the spring of 2008, and began trying to put her career back together. She was supposed to play doubles with Rennae Stubbs during the Australian season only, and then concentrate on singles. The pairing with Stubbs has continued, however, and Stosur's French Open results indicate that her singles game has gone to another level.
In her semifinal match against Sorana Cirstea, the player who took out Jelena Jankovic, Stosur hit twice as many winners as her opponent, did a great job at the net, and had a lot of success with her first serve. Her next task, however, will be much tougher--she plays Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semifinals.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
French Open--what they said
In the beginning of the second set, your serve went down a little bit. What happened there? Was it the wind that bothered you?
"No, I don't know. It was just something with my emotion. I didn't feel it. I didn't know what was going on. I have no idea."
What’s your least favourite training exercise?
"Talking tactics. It drives me mad!"
"I'm not really happy with my game today."
"You know, it was my tactic, you know, to play close to the baseline and, you know, to make her move and not to be scared of her first, two, three, like fast shots. I knew that if I managed to put it back, then I have my chances."
"It was his weaker part, I guess, his emotions. It was also for me. It's good that I managed to change it. I knew this is my weakness, and I deal with it. That's why I think I did such a big jump."
"When it was 6‑0, 5‑0 and 40‑30, that's when I realized like what is happening? 6‑0, 5‑0, it's too much, I think, against Maria."
On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you place your physical?
"Um, I don't really like scales, so I don't know. I don't know where it is. I don't like numbers, either."
"No, I don't know. It was just something with my emotion. I didn't feel it. I didn't know what was going on. I have no idea."
Victoria Azarenka, on her loss to Dinara Safina
What’s your least favourite training exercise?
"Talking tactics. It drives me mad!"
Dominika Cibulkova
"I'm not really happy with my game today."
Dinara Safina
"You know, it was my tactic, you know, to play close to the baseline and, you know, to make her move and not to be scared of her first, two, three, like fast shots. I knew that if I managed to put it back, then I have my chances."
Dominika Cibulkova, on her match again Maria Sharapova
"It was his weaker part, I guess, his emotions. It was also for me. It's good that I managed to change it. I knew this is my weakness, and I deal with it. That's why I think I did such a big jump."
Dinara Safina, speaking of Marat Safin
"When it was 6‑0, 5‑0 and 40‑30, that's when I realized like what is happening? 6‑0, 5‑0, it's too much, I think, against Maria."
Dominika Cibulkova
On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you place your physical?
"Um, I don't really like scales, so I don't know. I don't know where it is. I don't like numbers, either."
Maria Sharapova
Robson exits French Open in 2nd round
Top seed and 2008 junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson was defeated today in the second round of the French Open. Robson lost to Sandra Zaniewska, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3. Robson has had some injury problems lately, and has also been more focused on her schoolwork.
Thrill Ride tosses Azarenka off at French Open
In the first set of their French Open quarterfinal, Victoria Azarenka threw everything she had at world number 1 Dinara Safina. Playing practically flawless tennis and making only one unforced error, the 9th seed made it difficult for Safina to do much of anything. Azarenka dictated every point, used the net to her advantage, and appeared everywhere on court she needed to be without missing a step.
That kind of play cannot last, and it didn't. After winning the first set 6-1, Azarenka came back down to Earth and started making errors. Whether Safina got herself together during the break or whether she simply saw an opening and took it--I don't know. But she became more sure of herself in the middle set, and as her confidence grew, she became more focused, and her shots became more precise. She went up 4-1, but her opponent then staged a comeback to even the score. At 4-all, however, the top seed began to look like Dinara Safina again, taking charge, and also taking the set, 6-4. The third set was all Safina, with Azarenka melting down in frustration and anger, muttering and pounding her racquet into the clay. The world number 1 claimed that set 6-2, and thus claimed the match.
As a rule, Safina prefers to be a set and 2-5 down before she takes it to a tough opponent. Today was a little different: She was a terrible set down and tied at 4-all. Still a Thrill Ride.
Photo of Safina courtesy of Angelica
Ferris wheel image provided by Classroom Clipart
Cibulkova advances to French Open semifinals
After taking ten months off to repair and recuperate her shoulder, it was amazing that Maria Sharapova was able to reach the quarterfinals of any major, much less the one that least suits her game. She had to play a series of three-set matches to get that far, and--not surprisingly--fatigue finally did her in. Dominika Cibulkova, who is quite comfortable on clay courts, defeated Sharapova 6-0, 6-2 today in Paris, and is now in the French Open semifinals.
Cibulkova had a match point at 0-5 in the second, at which point Sharapova--out of nowhere--began hitting winners. The former world number 1 saved four match points and won two games. Cibulkova hit only nine winners, but they were all she needed. She also made only nine unforced errors.
Thank you, Martina--part 2
Martina Navratilova pleasantly surprised me again today. She and Rennae Stubbs were part of the Tennis Channel French Open commentary team for the Safina-Azarenka match, and at one point, Stubbs referred to "the girls on the tour." Replied Navratilova, "We can call them 'girls' but the men have to call them 'women.' We don't call them 'boys'."
I've little doubt that Navratilova understands that--in most contexts--women should not be referring to the women as "girls," either; rather, she was being tactful toward Stubbs.
I don't know how or when Navratilova got her consciousness raised, but it's a great thing, especially among sports media personalities.
I've little doubt that Navratilova understands that--in most contexts--women should not be referring to the women as "girls," either; rather, she was being tactful toward Stubbs.
I don't know how or when Navratilova got her consciousness raised, but it's a great thing, especially among sports media personalities.
Monday, June 1, 2009
2 unseeded players to compete in French Open quarterfinals
Sorana Cirstea and Maria Sharapova, both unseeded, are two of the last eight women standing at Roland Garros. Sharapova is unseeded, of course, because she has been off the tour for ten months, but her survival in the final eight of the French Open is no less impressive for her having once been number 1 in the world.
Dinara Safina vs. Victoria Azarenka: The world number 1 has been described as a buzzsaw this week. In four rounds, she has given up only five games, and her average match time has been fifty-nine minutes. There is no doubt that she is rested. And while some people thought that Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Aravane Rezai might give Safina a bit of trouble, there is little doubt that Azarenka will. The odd thing is that--until very recently--Azarenka appeared awkward and lost on red clay. Suddenly, though, she has found her form, taking out two clay experts and the defending champion. Azarenka is hardly a cool character on the court; she gets easily rattled, but it doesn't stop her from winning. Expect a real contest.
Dominika Cibulkova vs. Maria Sharapova: Last year, Cibulkova and Sharapova competed in the Amelia Island final on green clay. Cibulkova looked as though she were going to win, but then she sustained an injury and her level went down considerably for the remainder of the match. The following month, Sharapova defeated her in three sets in Rome. Cibulkova is often injured, and therefore doesn't always get the competitive momentum she needs. Still, she is more comfortable on clay than Sharapova, and should give the Russian star all she can handle.
Sorana Cirstea vs. Samantha Stosur: One way or the other, we will have a so-called surpise semifinalist. The unseeded Cirstea, who took out Jelena Jankovic, plays the 30th seed, who defeated Elena Dementieva. Stosur has been slowly making a comeback, after being out ill for a very long time. With her outstanding serve and her volleying skills, the affable Australian doubles star has the potential to go far; unfortunately, she has also had a major problem with the mental aspect of the game. But not in Paris. Since she arrived at Roland Garros, Stosur has dictated play with ease.
Cirstea stunned the crowd with her all-court skills and her poise during her tense round of 16 match. But she appeared tired in the last set, and there is a question as to whether she can be refreshed for a quarterfinal match. If she is, the contest against Stosur could be quite intriguing. Both players have strong forehands, and--since they have never played each other before--there will be an element of mystery in the competition.
Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Serena Williams: Kuznetsova and Williams know each other's games very well. Kuznetsova is the ultimate clay court master with a sometimes weak mentality, and Williams is the champion who finds a way to win, even on surfaces she doesn't prefer. They can both serve extremely well, and they can both move well. When she is in tune, Kuznetsova's forehand can be deadly.
Kuznetsova and Williams have played each other on clay only once before, in 2004, and Williams won. In fact, Williams dominates their head-to-head record. Whether Kuznetsova plays the clay game of which she is capable depends on her state of mind. If she can hold steady, this could be a very tight match.
Dinara Safina vs. Victoria Azarenka: The world number 1 has been described as a buzzsaw this week. In four rounds, she has given up only five games, and her average match time has been fifty-nine minutes. There is no doubt that she is rested. And while some people thought that Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Aravane Rezai might give Safina a bit of trouble, there is little doubt that Azarenka will. The odd thing is that--until very recently--Azarenka appeared awkward and lost on red clay. Suddenly, though, she has found her form, taking out two clay experts and the defending champion. Azarenka is hardly a cool character on the court; she gets easily rattled, but it doesn't stop her from winning. Expect a real contest.
Dominika Cibulkova vs. Maria Sharapova: Last year, Cibulkova and Sharapova competed in the Amelia Island final on green clay. Cibulkova looked as though she were going to win, but then she sustained an injury and her level went down considerably for the remainder of the match. The following month, Sharapova defeated her in three sets in Rome. Cibulkova is often injured, and therefore doesn't always get the competitive momentum she needs. Still, she is more comfortable on clay than Sharapova, and should give the Russian star all she can handle.
Sorana Cirstea vs. Samantha Stosur: One way or the other, we will have a so-called surpise semifinalist. The unseeded Cirstea, who took out Jelena Jankovic, plays the 30th seed, who defeated Elena Dementieva. Stosur has been slowly making a comeback, after being out ill for a very long time. With her outstanding serve and her volleying skills, the affable Australian doubles star has the potential to go far; unfortunately, she has also had a major problem with the mental aspect of the game. But not in Paris. Since she arrived at Roland Garros, Stosur has dictated play with ease.
Cirstea stunned the crowd with her all-court skills and her poise during her tense round of 16 match. But she appeared tired in the last set, and there is a question as to whether she can be refreshed for a quarterfinal match. If she is, the contest against Stosur could be quite intriguing. Both players have strong forehands, and--since they have never played each other before--there will be an element of mystery in the competition.
Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Serena Williams: Kuznetsova and Williams know each other's games very well. Kuznetsova is the ultimate clay court master with a sometimes weak mentality, and Williams is the champion who finds a way to win, even on surfaces she doesn't prefer. They can both serve extremely well, and they can both move well. When she is in tune, Kuznetsova's forehand can be deadly.
Kuznetsova and Williams have played each other on clay only once before, in 2004, and Williams won. In fact, Williams dominates their head-to-head record. Whether Kuznetsova plays the clay game of which she is capable depends on her state of mind. If she can hold steady, this could be a very tight match.
2 doubles teams into French Open semifinals
12 seeds Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina advanced to the French Open semifinals today with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over 16th seeds Yan Zi and Zheng Jie. 3rd seeds (and 2007 champions) Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruana Pascual also advanced by defeating 11th seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Patty Schnyder 7-6, 6-2.
In mixed doubles, top seeds Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan advanced to the semifinals, with a 1-6, 6-4, 12-10 win over Ai Sugiyama and Andre Sa. Also advancing to the semifinals were Vania King and Marcelo Melo. 3rd seeds Lisa Raymond and Marcin Matkowski were upset by Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Mark Knowles.
In mixed doubles, top seeds Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan advanced to the semifinals, with a 1-6, 6-4, 12-10 win over Ai Sugiyama and Andre Sa. Also advancing to the semifinals were Vania King and Marcelo Melo. 3rd seeds Lisa Raymond and Marcin Matkowski were upset by Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Mark Knowles.
French Open--what they said
"She's an excellent clay court player, so it will be fun."
"Serena, you know, she wished me to keep it up and keep working hard. She's a--you know, champions know what to say."
"Definitely I not happy to play three sets, but I already been through a little bit of fight, because other matches were too easy and sometimes it's not too good."
Didyou know how well she could play?
"I didn't know how well she could play, but I know how well I can play."
"To me, her match was perfect. I felt I was powerless on the court. I couldn't find the solutions to win. I wanted to feel less bad, if I can say."
"...I respect her a lot. She achieved unbelievable effort in tennis, you know. Every player dreams to achieve what she did in tennis. I respect her for her achievements. Outside of the courts,she has great personality. We text on BlackBerry. Definitely in these tournaments we talk less, but we listen kind of similar music. We have similar interests. We laugh a lot, you know."
"...I think for me was a little harder, because I wanted things happening too fast, you know. I think the best thing for me lately is I'm trying to have more patience and taking the wins and the lose the same."
"...I need my confidence back. I need this--you know, when it's important points, important moment of the match, I need to, you know, go for my shots. I need to have that belief that they're going to go in."
"Now I have my hitting partner, which is 22, my massagist [sic] which is 24. So it's funny, you know. In some way I just start to think about it right now, and it's very funny. But Ienjoy it so much. I cannot explain it."
Why is that funny?
"Because everybody is so young. We're like in school almost. A little bit grown school."
"Unfortunately, this is the feeling I had, powerlessness against her. I couldn't go to the net. I couldn't enjoy my shots ont he court today. I didn't enjoy it. I had the impression I didn't know how toplay tennis."
"Leading into here, I lost first round and second round. But my second round in Madrid was a tight one, 7‑6 in the third. So I knew that I was starting to play better, but, you know, it was just kind of a round by round kind of thing and play each match as it comes, and hopefully find myself in the second week, which is what's happened. I'm really pleased with that."
"...I'd say that she serves even better than Serena or Venus, because she can do all types of serves. She can vary her serves. That is, hit a very strong first serve, or she would give spin to the ball so that the ball is inside out."
Serena Williams, on her upcoming quarterfinal against Svetlana Kuznetsova
"Serena, you know, she wished me to keep it up and keep working hard. She's a--you know, champions know what to say."
Aleksandria Wozniak
"Definitely I not happy to play three sets, but I already been through a little bit of fight, because other matches were too easy and sometimes it's not too good."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Didyou know how well she could play?
"I didn't know how well she could play, but I know how well I can play."
Jelena Jankovic
"To me, her match was perfect. I felt I was powerless on the court. I couldn't find the solutions to win. I wanted to feel less bad, if I can say."
Virginie Razzano, on her match against Samantha Stosur
"...I respect her a lot. She achieved unbelievable effort in tennis, you know. Every player dreams to achieve what she did in tennis. I respect her for her achievements. Outside of the courts,she has great personality. We text on BlackBerry. Definitely in these tournaments we talk less, but we listen kind of similar music. We have similar interests. We laugh a lot, you know."
Svetlana Kuznetsova, on her friendship with Serena Williams
"...I think for me was a little harder, because I wanted things happening too fast, you know. I think the best thing for me lately is I'm trying to have more patience and taking the wins and the lose the same."
Sorana Cirstea
"...I need my confidence back. I need this--you know, when it's important points, important moment of the match, I need to, you know, go for my shots. I need to have that belief that they're going to go in."
Jelena Jankovic
"Now I have my hitting partner, which is 22, my massagist [sic] which is 24. So it's funny, you know. In some way I just start to think about it right now, and it's very funny. But Ienjoy it so much. I cannot explain it."
Why is that funny?
"Because everybody is so young. We're like in school almost. A little bit grown school."
Svetlana Kuznetsova
"Unfortunately, this is the feeling I had, powerlessness against her. I couldn't go to the net. I couldn't enjoy my shots ont he court today. I didn't enjoy it. I had the impression I didn't know how toplay tennis."
Virginie Razzano, on her match against Stosur
"Leading into here, I lost first round and second round. But my second round in Madrid was a tight one, 7‑6 in the third. So I knew that I was starting to play better, but, you know, it was just kind of a round by round kind of thing and play each match as it comes, and hopefully find myself in the second week, which is what's happened. I'm really pleased with that."
Samantha Stosur
"...I'd say that she serves even better than Serena or Venus, because she can do all types of serves. She can vary her serves. That is, hit a very strong first serve, or she would give spin to the ball so that the ball is inside out."
Virginie Razzano, speaking of Samantha Stosur
Oh, my aching confidence
She had an abdominal strain going into the round of 16, and once she got there, she had a sore toe. But according to 5th seed Jelena Jankovic, it wasn't her abs or her foot that hampered her in her match against the unseeded Sorana Cirstea: It was her lack of confidence. By her own account, the beginning of Jankovic's season was "a catastrophe." Since then, she said, she has not had enough belief that her shots will go in, and consequently--in big moments--she hesitates.
There were plenty of big moments in the third set of that match. Jankovic was 6-5, 30-0, and just when it looked like she was going to win--albeit the hard way--the visibly exhausted Cirstea came to life and brought the set to 6-all. She would go on to win the match, 3-6, 6-0, 9-7. Cirstea wound up with eight more unforced errors than her opponent, but she also hit almost twice as many winners. She had just about everything going for her, including the ability to stay calm when the atmosphere was tense.
This match was memorable, especially the third set, in which two tired women--both good movers and good tacticians--gave it all they had. And once again, Jankovic's failure to win easy points on her serve helped to do her in.
Stosur quietly moves into French Open quarterfinals
When it seemed as if no one was looking, Australia's Slammin' Sam Stosur advanced to the quarterfinals of the French Open today, defeating Virginie Razzano, the last Frenchwoman standing. It didn't take long; Stosur took the match 6-1, 6-2 in an hour and thirteen minutes. Her first and second serve win percentages, respectively, were 70 and 62, which pretty much says it all--and she threw in eight aces. Razzano had eight break chances against Stosur, but failed to convert any of them. Stosur has always had a great service game (though it was shaky earlier this year), but tended to crumble at big moments. So far, though, she has kept her focus.
Svetlana Kuznetsova won the first set against Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, but in the second, she made way too many unforced errors, and her opponent also began playing with the precision for which she is known. The third set was all Kuznetsova, though, and she took it, 6-1.
As expected, Serena Williams had an easy time of it, winning her round of 16 match against Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-1, 6-2, in just 53 minutes.
Svetlana Kuznetsova won the first set against Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, but in the second, she made way too many unforced errors, and her opponent also began playing with the precision for which she is known. The third set was all Kuznetsova, though, and she took it, 6-1.
As expected, Serena Williams had an easy time of it, winning her round of 16 match against Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-1, 6-2, in just 53 minutes.
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