Razzano upsets Serena Williams in French Open thriller

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said:

"Hindrance!"

Serena Williams, Virginie Razzano and chair umpire Eva Asderaki took us for a three-hour trip down the Rabbit Hole today in Paris. The Rabbit Hole was filled with red clay, to be sure, but the experience was right out of the mind of Lewis Carroll. Consider these things:

Serena Williams, in 46 appearances in majors, had never gone out in the first round.

Asderaki was the umpire who sat in the chair during the 2011 U.S. Open final, when Williams--docked a point for what Asderaki interpreted as a hindrance--referred to her as "a hater" and "unattractive inside."

Razzano, just a year ago, entered the French open only a week after the death of her fiance, Stephane Vidal, saying that she was competing, however shakily, for him (she went out in straight sets in the first round).

Razzano is French, and the French crowd is known for its overwhelming enthusiasm and merciless expressions of disapproval.

Those things set the scene for some drama, but perhaps for not quite as much drama as we actually got.

First, a few words about Razzano, a player who--at least when she speaks in English--is given to ultra-expressive, and sometimes entertaining, language. We have had several glimpses of her talent over the years. Her performance in the 2009 Dubai tournament is an example. In that event, the Frenchwoman knocked off Kateryna Bondarenko, Dinara Safina, Daniela Hantuchova, and Vera Zvonareva (by retirement). She lost to Venus Williams in the final, but her run was nevertheless impressive.

During the 2009 French Open, Razzano and Tathiana Garbin engaged in one of the outstanding matches of that event, and my personal favorite. With the wind swirling around them, Razzano defeated Garbin 7-5, 7-5 in a match that was a shotmaker's dream.

Hard times hit the 29-year-old Razzano, in terms of both injury and the loss of Vidal, who had also been her coach. She came to today's match ranked number 111 in the world, though she has been ranked as high as 16. Her opponent was world number 5 Serena Williams, holder of thirteen major singles titles, and a favorite (for the first time in years) to win this year's French Open. Williams won both the Charleston and the Madrid tournaments this year, showing her talent on both green and blue clay.

"I don't know what you mean by your way, said the Queen: "all the ways about here belong to me--but why did you come out here at all?"

Williams was 17-0 on clay this season when she arrived on Court Phillippe Chatrier. Razzano was1-1. But right from the start, it was Razzano who looked confident, and Williams who looked hesitant. Razzano quickly went up a break, but lost the set when--serving at 4-5, she double-faulted the game, and the set, away. She had looked very strong in that first set, though conventional wisdom would predict her capitulation to the champion on the other side of the net.

Razzano wasn't interested in conventional wisdom. She knew that Williams was tense, and she came out in the next set with the same resolve she had shown in the first. That set contained some very physical tennis--the kind that occurs on red clay--and Razzano suffered what appeared to be a cramp in her leg. The set went to a tiebreak, and Williams quickly went up 5-1. At 5-3, Williams stopped play because she believed that her opponent had struck the ball out of bounds. But Asderaki called the ball in, and suddenly, Williams led by only one point.

Razzano--nerves, exhaustion, cramps and all--kept at it, and she won the tiebreak 7-5. During the break between sets, Williams sat with her face in a towel, fighting back tears. She had let the match slip away by her stubborn resistance to the demands of the red clay court grind.

But she was down only a set, and how many times had Williams come back after being a set down? Also, her opponent was injured, and visibly nervous, committing double faults at crucial times. She had to put her own nerves, her own disappointment, her own errors, aside, and proceed with the rest of the match. What neither Williams nor anyone else realized, though, was that Razzano was doing the same thing: She was putting aside her fatigue, her injury, her double-faulting, and getting on with the business of winning the match.

"Speak in French when you can't remember the English for a thing--turn out your toes when you walk--and remember who you are!"

At first, it looked too easy. Razzano went up 3-0, and soon, she was up 5-0. Then Willams won a game. And then, not unexpectedly, she broke the Frenchwoman when she served for the match. Williams held,  and Razzano's anxiety became amost unbearable to watch. But Williams hadn't let go of her nerves, either. Serving once again for the match at 3-5, Razzano went through just about everything--good and bad--in her repertoire. She hit an ace. She double-faulted. She set up winners and couldn't complete them. She held seven match points, all saved by her opponent. There were twelve excruciating deuces. Williams held four break points and failed to convert them. Then, finally, on her eighth match point, Razzano did what no one else has ever been able to do: She took Serena Williams out of the opening round of a major.

As thrilling and heartbreaking as these events were, it should be pointed out that they were played against the background of Asderaki's apparent preoccupation with the hindrance rule. Early on, she gave Razzano a hindrance warning (something she failed to give Williams in the 2011 U.S. Open final) when Razzano yelled before a ball reached her opponent. Later in the match, Asderaki would default Razzano two points because of the hindrance rule. On the second of these occasions, Razzano had (not very loudly) groaned in pain when her leg began to cramp.

There needs to be a hindrance rule, but someone, somewhere, needs to firmly define what a hindrance is. Even Asderaki doesn't seem to be clear within herself what is is. Some might say that this sudden focus on yelling and crying out and the hindrance rule has something to do with the WTA's concern over the sounds players make, but that would sound conspiratorial, wouldn't it?

Never mind. Razzano won the match in spite of the defaults, in spite of cramping, and in spite of history. And as tense and anxious and error-ridden as Williams was, there was still magic coming off of the Frenchwoman's racquet during much of this contest.

I don't usually throw flowers at commentators, but Rennae Stubbs' thoughtful comments about Williams and her sensitive interview with Razzano added to the emotional depth of this event.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Paris, Maria Sharapova is smiling, maybe just a little.

The two women who changed Serena's career

Imagine, many years ago,  a fortune teller looking into the eyes of Serena Williams and saying: "I'm picking up something about France--or is it Italy? Wait! It's both! I see two women. You will have a remarkable career, but a Frenchwoman and an Italian woman will force you to look at yourself in new ways. There will be drama. You may not like what you see, but Oh la la!....mamma mia!--you cannot escape their influence."

That might have sounded strange at the time, but our imaginary fortune teller's words now ring totally true.

In 2012, French wild card Virginie Razzano, ranked number 111 in the world, knocked Williams out of the French Open in the first round. Razzano defeated Williams, the number 5 seed, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 on her eighth match point. The last game took 23 minutes to play.

Razzano wasn't exactly a nobody. She'd won a couple of WTA tournaments, and in 2009, she had achieved a career high ranking of 19 in the world. But her defeat of Williams was as shocking as anything fans had seen in professional tennis. The occasion marked the first time that Williams had ever lost in the opening round of a major.

Williams' life had already been seriously changed when she was forced to miss most of 2011 because of an accident that resulted in two foot surgeries, followed by a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. She started 2012 with a fourth round loss at the Australian Open, but nothing could have prepared her for the early loss at Roland Garros.

Already a part-time resident of Paris, Williams stuck around after her shocking French Open loss, and sought the guidance of Patrick Mouratoglou, founder of the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy. Mouratoglou became her coach, and Williams launched into what was almost a second career, winning the French Open in both 2013 and 2015 (prior to these recent victories, she had won in Paris only once--in 2002), and then achieving a second Serena Slam in 2014 and 2015.

In 2015, with the Serena Slam behind her, Williams faced the possibility of of doing one of the few things she had never done before in her career--winning the Grand Slam. Now, holding current titles at the Australian, the French and Wimbledon, all she had to do was win the U.S. Open, something she had already done six times. She was the defending champion. With a victory in Flushing Meadows, Williams would not only have finally won the Grand Slam (it is not a "Calendar Year Slam"), she would also have tied Steffi Graf's career total of 22 singles majors. (These major tournament comparisons have no real meaning because of the multiple and significant variables involved, but fans and tennis media insist on creating them.)

Williams defeated Madison Keys in the round of 16 and Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Italy's Roberta Vinci was quietly moving through the draw, and wound up facing Williams in the semifinals. Williams won the first set 6-2, and then--probably to the surprise of some--Vinci won the second, 6-4. Then Vinci repeated that score in the final set, and it was over. She would go on to lose to her countrywoman, Flavia Pennetta, in the final (Pennetta had removed both Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep, whom she had long dominated, in order to reach the final).

Williams ended her season early, citing season-long injury, and was scarcely seen for a while. This season, she lost the Australian Open final to Angelique Kerber, lost the Miami final to Victoria Azarenka, then lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the round of 16 in Miami, ending a Miami 20-match win streak. Williams then withdrew from Madrid.

Most of us speculated--and Mouratoglou confirmed--that not all of Williams' troubles were coming from having to deal with injuries; she has dealt with injuries--and worse--her entire career. How could she not have been crushed by getting just one match (supposedly, a "winnable" match) away from achieving what very few in the sport have ever achieved, and then losing?

Then came Rome. Williams got past Kuznetsova, Irina-Camelia Begu and Madison Keys to take the title, right before the start of the 2016 French Open. The world number 1 will play her first-round match in the next few days, thus starting a quest to win both a fourth French Open title and 22 major titles. Arguably, Kerber removed some of the pressure from Williams by making it impossible for Williams to try for the Grand Slam again this year. At any rate, win or lose in Paris, I don't think any of us doubts that Serena Williams will get to 22--and beyond.

The last time Williams won the U.S. Open, 2015, Katy Perry's "Roar" played every time a leopard-pattern-clad Williams won a match.

...You held me down but I got up

Already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, you hear that sound

Like thunder, gonna shake the ground

You held me down but I got up

Get ready 'cause I've had enough

I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter

Dancing through the fire

'Cause I am a champion

And you're gonna hear me roar...

It was as though the song had been written for Serena. Now 34 years old, the world number 1 seeks more glory both on the tour and at the Olympic Games. It's hard to imagine that she won't achieve it.

But what of Razzano and Vinci? The former is enjoying an unexpected surge in her career, while Vinci is having some problems in hers. They are both 33 years old, and their careers are, no doubt, winding down; Vinci is ambivalent about whether she'll retire at the end of 2016. The Frenchwoman has had a good, solid career. The Italian has had a very good singles career, an outstanding Fed Cup career, and a stellar doubles career. She holds the Career Slam in doubles, and has won five majors (all with Sara Errani).

But no matter how we honor those careers when Razzano and Vinci decide to leave professional tennis, we will also hold the Frenchwoman and the Italian woman in our collective memories as the pair who played integral roles in changing the course of the career of Serena Williams. Had Razzano not done the unthinkable in 2012, would Williams have won more French Open titles? Maybe, but it surely seems that her two late-career titles were the fruits of labor she began when she made such a fast exit from the courts of Roland Garros. And of course, the winning didn't stop there.

Photo by Daniel Ward

We don't yet know what role Vinci might have played, other than contributing to Williams's scarcity at the end of 2015 and throughout most of 2016. But loss always changes a person. It knocks her down and destroys her, or it painfully provides her with a new--and often better--paradigm for living. Just like serious surgery and a consequent life-threatening condition makes one more vulnerable, so does losing in ways that dash expectations and alter one's image. The Serena Williams we see now is not the Serena Williams we saw before September 11, 2015.

And that makes watching her all the more interesting because we don't yet know what current Serena will bring to the tour. But whatever it is, Serena--like the rest of us--is the product of many influences, some of which we might call "fate." Fate brought Serena two painful gifts--Virginie and Roberta, and their names will always be inexorably connected to hers in the world we call professional tennis.

Venus takes Dubai and wins her 40th title

The first set in the Dubai final between Venus Williams and Virginie Razzano was filled with really great tennis from both players, and was a pleasure to watch.

You do the Hantuchova
and you turn yourself around...

One of Razzano's tactics was to turn her back on Williams before Williams served, thus slowing down the pace, at least symbolically. Razzano's serves were nothing to sneeze at, and she used her first serve very effectively throughout the set.

Before the set was over, though, Razzano would complain of lower back pain and would call for a trainer. She received treatment and continued play, but was broken by Williams when she served at 4-5, giving Williams the first set.

The second set was a completely different story, with Razzano double-faulting five times, and making errors even when she was handed great opportunities by Williams, whose serve also fell apart toward the end. It was because Williams' serve went to pieces, in fact, that Razzano avoided a second set bagel. Williams took the match, 6-4, 6-2.

Was Razzano's back problem what did her in in the second set? Maybe. Or perhaps it was just exhaustion. Or playing Williams. Or all of the above.

At any rate, Williams has now won her fortieth tour singles title, and is starting the 2009 season very impressively.

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?

Williams to meet Razzano in Dubai final

Toward the end of 2007, Virginie Razzano did something she had never done before--she won a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournament. Then, the following week, she won a second one, in Tokyo. Her opponent in that final was Venus Williams, whom she defeated 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Razzano had a lot of momentum then, but did not win any tournaments in 2008. In fact, she was not able to defend her Tokyo title because of a back injury. The world number 58 has been a streaky player for some time, and one hopes that her success in Dubai this week will put a stop to that pattern. This week, Razzano defeated both world number 2 Dinara Safina and world number 5 Vera Zvonareva. Now--having defeated Kaia Kanepi in straight sets in the semifinals--she has reached the final of a very big event, and waiting for her, once again, is Venus Williams.

Williams, for her part, put herself ahead 10-9 today, in Williams sisters match competition. She defeated Serena Williams 6-1, 2-6, 7-6.

My French Open top 10

Sculpture at Centre George Pompidou

My top 10 French Open occurrences, in ascending order:

10: Back in the mix: Sania Mirza, with partner Mahesh Bhupati, on the French Open mixed doubles title. This is the pair's second major title; they won the Australian Open in 2009.

9. Gone so soon: Agnieszka Radwanska, who recently rose to the ranking of number 3 in the world, continued her tendency to under-perform at the biggest events. Radwanska, after beating Venus Williams in the second round, was bundled out of the tournament, 6-1, 6-2, by 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. The former champion, who played extremely well, would, herself, go out to Sara Errani in the next round.

8. You want a jeroboam with that pizza?: Even that probably wouldn't help erase Sam Stosur's "Italian problem." In 2010, after knocking out Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic, the Austrlian star was out-classed by Francesca Schiavone in the final. This year, Stosur reached the quarterfinals and again appeared in excellent form, but there was no getting past Sara Errani.

7. The agony of victory: In recent times, few have fought harder to lose a match than Kaia Kanepi did in the third round of this year's French Open. Kanepi choked away 5-1 leads in both the second and third sets of her match against Caroline Wozniacki. As she gave away match point after match point, Kanepi appeared to be closer and closer to giving away the entire match, but in the end--after three hours--she emerged the victor of a memorable 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 contest.

6. Don't slip on the grass: Defending champion Li Na and 4th seed Petra Kvitova need to make a fresh start (yet again) at Wimbledon. Li was beaten (and got a third set bagel as a souvenir) in the round of 16 by qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova. Kvitova played eventual champion Maria Sharapova in the semifinals, and--Sharapova's excellent play aside--the 2011 Wimbledon champion made it pretty easy for the Russian to overtake her. Kvitova is just not the same player she was last season, a fact that some of us hope is remedied very soon.

5. You expect me to win in this outfit?: She had no music, she had no hoodie, she had no shorts, and she almost had no time to unpack her suitcase and put her things away. Victoria Azarenka, looking not herself from the first moment she walked through the tunnel at Roland Garros, went down a set and break points for 0-5 in her first round, against Alberta Brianti. Somehow, the top seed got herself out of trouble, and won the match 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. She would fall to Dominika Cibulkova in the round of 16, but at least she spared herself from a massive crash-out.

4. A plus tard!:  Last year, frenchwoman Virginie Razzano played at Roland Garros just a week after the death of her fiance, and--not surprisingly--she went out in the first round. This year, Razzano made it to the second round--in style: She took out Serena Williams, who many thought would win the tournament. Williams arrived at Roland Garros on the wind of a 17-match clay streak, having won both Charleston and Madrid. But she unraveled in the opening round, and Razzano--who has always been longer on talent than luck--took advantage. The Frenchwoman beat her 4-6, 7-6, 6-3, and there was quite a bit of drama involved, as Razzano cramped pretty badly, and chair umpire Eva Asderaki displayed a preoccupation with the hindrance rule. This occasion marked the first time that Williams has ever made a first-round exit in a major.

3. A match made in clay heaven: Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci swept the clay season, winning in Acapulco, Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome. The Italian team then put a big exclamation point on that statement by winning the French Open. 

2. Brava Sara!: Sara Errani has been called "feisty" and "tough" by writers and commentators, but I prefer to just call her "Italian." Errani is part of the great Italian Fed Cup team, led by the stalwart Flavia Pennetta, that has beaten all manner of other teams, including one called Russia. No one could have predicted that Errani would make it all the way to the final, especially considering what she had to do to get there. Errani, who surprised the tennis world with her quarterfinal run at the Australian Open, took out two French Open champions, a French Open finalist and 10th seed (and on-fire 2012 player) Angelique Kerber. She was stopped by Maria Sharapova in the final, but she left the tournament as the winner of the doubles title and the runner-up in singles play. 

1. Ave Maria!: It seemed impossible not to share Maria Sharapova's joy when she won the French Open title. This is the player who most thought would never win at Roland Garros, even when she was healthy. Then, after being misdiagnosed, she played with a torn rotator cuff, and went through rehab, surgery, then rehab again. When she came back to the tour, she had all kinds of problem with her serve, which had been her signature shot. She lost confidence. Then she made it to two major finals--Wimbledon and the Australian Open--but lost them. And then finally, she got to hold another big trophy, the Coup Suzanne Lenglen. Sharapova completed her career Slam, and in doing so, she taught the rest of us a thing or two about what it means to never give up.

Dementieva and Wozniacki upset in Paris

Elena Dementieva was down a set when she played Jelena Dokic in the third round of the French Open, but Dokic had to retire. We'll never know how that match would have otherwise ended, but for Dementieva, the relief was short-lived. The 4th seed lost today in the round of 16 to Samantha Stosur, who defeated her 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Dementieva, known for her fitness, said in her press conference that she did not feel fit enough to play in Paris, and that she had problems with all the spin that Stosur put on the balls.

Caroline Wozniacki was done in by a shoulder injury, a back injury, and her best friend. The 9th seed entered the tournament with a vulnerable shoulder, and--not surprisingly--she hurt her back during her round of 16 match against her best friend, Sorana Cirstea. Cirstea prevailed, 7-6, 7-5, and those who saw the match said her forehand was impressive.

Winning one of the best match points I think I've ever seen, Virginie Razzano defeated Tathiana Garbin 7-5, 7-5 in a match that was every bit as entertaining as I expected it to be. Both players are to be commended for giving the crowd some big tennis. Razzano was up 5-0 in the first set, in fact, but Garbin made things a lot more interesting at 0-5. Razzano said she thought part of the problem was that she was rattled by a tour employee's asking her to remove her shirt.

Serena Williams, who seems to have some kind of curse on her at major tournaments, had to deal today with an incident which may go down as "the arm," a companion disaster to "the hand" of 2003. Williams hit a backhand very hard to Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who was at the net at the time. The ball bounced off of Martinez Sanchez's racquet, but it also appeared to have bounced off of her arm. It is entirely possible that Martinez Sanchez had her racquet raised in protection as much as anything else, but it doesn't matter: If a ball touches your body, you lose the point.

Replay showed that the ball did indeed hit Martinez Sanchez's arm. However, the umpire awarded the point to her, and an angry Williams later accused her opponent of cheating, which the Spanish player called "stupid." Martinez Sanchez maintains she doesn't know if the ball hit her arm, and Williams says she hit the ball so hard that "She knew that ball hit her."

Williams went on to win the match, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

French Open: Serena vs. Everybody

When Serena Williams lost in the first round of the French Open last year, I remember thinking: "Okay--all Roland Garros potential opponents are in for it now." I wasn't wrong, though it was a while before I acknowledged the materialization of my thought. Since her only first-round loss in a major, Williams--with some help from Patrick Mouratoglou--has turned clay into a highly "favored" surface. The champion in Charleston, Madrid and Rome, the world number 1 now looks as ready to win in Paris as she normally looks ready to win in London.

In a way--but in a much more obvious way--Williams' arrival at the 2013 French Open echoes Maria Sharapova's arrival in Paris in 2012. The Cow on Ice came prepared to manage the special skills required for red clay dominance, and it paid off. Sharapova has become a much better mover and strategist on clay. Her chances of defending her title seemed very good--until Williams went on a hell-bent mission to dominate on tennis's grittiest surface.

I can think of only three women who have any likelihood of lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen in a couple of weeks--Williams, Sharapova and Li Na. Each of them has won the tournament one time. Each of them can do it. But at this stage, Williams is clearly the favorite (Li is kind of the "un-favorite" but things can change in a short period of time when a championship is at stake).

Williams, the top seed in Paris, really doesn't have too much to fear in her quarter. 2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova is there, and I don't want to underestimate her, but she has her own problems, which include her mentality, and the presence of Ekaterina Makarova as her first-round opponent. Also lurking in that quarter is Angelique Kerber, which brings me to what I think is the one of the most--if not the most--interesting first-round match-ups: Kerber plays countrywoman Mona Barthel. Barthel's game has gone to pieces again (suddenly an annual springtime event), but she could get it back in Paris, and Kerber has been a physical wreck recently. Barthel is fond of clay, and an upset is possible. Another player to keep an eye on in that quarter, of couse, is Roberta Vinci.

Agnieszka Radwanska leads the second quarter, but Radwanska is having so much trouble with her shoulder, one has to wonder how far she can go (bear in mind, however, that we all said exactly the same thing right before she won the two big Asian tournaments back to back). Radwanska has been off lately, and just doesn't appear to be that much of a threat.

Nadia Petrova and 2012 runner-up Sara Errani are also in that quarter. And while it may seem foolish to even consider Oh-Nadia a contender within the quarter, there was a time when she was superb on clay. In fact, in 2006, she was considered a major contender to win the French Open, but her run was cut short by an injury she sustained during a warm-up. On a given day, Petrova can do damage.

Another really interesting first round contest takes place in the Radwanska quarter: Simona Halep plays Carla Suarez Navarro. Both women are excellent clay players, and Halep recently reached the semifinals in Rome by taking out Daniela Hantuchova, Kuznetsova, Radwanska, Roberta Vinci, and Jelena Jankovic. As for Errani--a better serve would give her a probable fast track to the semifinals to back to the final. At any rate, there isn't likely to be anyone pleased to see her on the other side of the  net. When it comes to clay finesse, the Italian player just "gets" it.

Li is in the third quarter, and her Roland Garros effort starts with a bang; she plays Anabel Medina Garrigues, a clay court veteran who can beat just about anyone on the right day. Brussels champion Kaia Kanepi is hanging out in that quarter, too, as well as 2010 French Open champion (and runner-up to Li in 2011) Francesca Schiavone. Oh--and Victoria Azarenka. Li, in other words, has her work cut out for her.

Sharapova is in the last quarter of the draw, and an interesting one it is. Petra Kvitova is there, as well as Jelena Jankovic, 2010 runner-up Sam Stosur, and Dominika Cibulkova (a comeback could happen at any time). Of interest: Jankovic's first opponent will be Daniela Hantuchova.

Popular wisdom is that Serena Williams' greatest threat at this French Open is herself. She hasn't won in Paris since 2002, and obstacles tend to appear whenever she makes a run at the title. Last year, the obstacle was Virginie Razzano, who fought Williams for three hours and sent her out of the tournament in the opening round. And while anything can happen, 2013 appears to be the year when  obstacles to another Williams French championship can be swatted away with the quick swing of a Wilson Blade.

Williams sparkles, Schiavone stuns

Last year, when Roger Federer hit his first famous 'tweener at the U.S. Open, WTA commentators started longing for the days of the "Sabatweeni." Every time they talked about Sabatini's between-the-legs shot, I would think, "Great--she was a favorite of mine--but what about Schiavone? She's playing tennis now." For though she doesn't use it a lot, the 'tweener is part of Schiavone's repertoire. Tennis commentators would know that, right? Right.

They know it now. Or, more likely, they just know that she hit one today, in her third round match against Alona Bondarenko. In what was, for me, the best set played so far in this Open, the 6th seed and French Open champion and the 29th seed put on quite a show in the second set. It took Bondarenko a while to find herself, though; the aggressive and stretchy Italian swept the first set 6-1. When Bondarenko finally challenged her, we got to see a beautiful display of shot-making from both players.

Schiavone, however, would not be denied a straight-sets win. She did it all--the 'tweener (which set up a winner), a backhand volley down the line, and the kind of serving that helped her win in Paris. She hit 29 winners for the match, and was successful with 20 of 24 net approaches.

3rd seed Venus Williams appears to be pain-free, which is good news. Dressed in a form-fitting black dress featuring an overall fireworks-display sequined pattern, Williams defeated qualifier Mandy Minella 6-2, 6-1 in conditions that were windy, but which Williams said "could be worse." I dimmed the lights so I could get the full effect of that shimmering eleVen outfit.

In the house, dressed in red, was none other than world number 1 Serena Williams, who sat at the ESPN desk and interviewed her sister. It was a light moment, and a treat for viewers. The sisters feed off of each other like two members of a long-term Vaudeville act. Later, Serena went into the booth to help call the men's match.

Ana Ivanovic had some trouble handling wild card Virginie Razzano for much of the first set, but she found her form soon enough to take that set. After that, she cruised to a 7-5, 6-0 win.

Shahar Peer pulled the upset of the day, defeating 19th seed Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-4. Though she is seeded only 19th, Pennetta is historically dangerous on hard courts, and was a quarterfinalist at last year's Open.

After Peer won the first set, she went up 4-0. Pennetta was able to break and to even things at 4-all. At 4-5, she saved two match points on her own serve, but the third match point did her in. Peer, who gives everything she has in every match she plays, was just too tough and too accurate tonight. Pennetta has a good head-to-head against Venus Williams, but the prospect of a Williams-Pennetta match is now just a passing thought.

Getting back to the subject of commentators: Today, I heard a commentator tell his colleague that he mispronounces a particular ATP player's name, and knows that he mispronounces it, and--in the same sentence--he went on to sarcastically put down commentators who mispronounce another ATP player's name. The value system here is way to complicated for me to grasp.

Oh, and the commentator and unsportsmanlike former champion who knows what's best for women's tennis--need I even have to say his name?--remarked tonight that the Williams sisters have never been coached by their mother. Fortunately, Serena Williams was sitting next to him, and set the record straight.

Which Serena is in Paris?

It was hard to tell, from her first round match, which Serena Williams is playing in the 2009 French Open. Is it the Serena who struggles mightily in the first round, then gets better and better and wins the title? Or is it the Serena who shows up at a major, and--in her words--"goes crazy"? Williams needed a record nine match points to defeat Klara Zakopalova in a three-set first round match that clearly had the number 2 seed and 2002 French Open champion very frustrated. Zakopalova defeated Williams in the first round in Marbella, and it seemed unlikely that Williams would let that happen again, but Zakopalova made that outcome as tough as possible.

Playing in windy conditions, Williams held five match points in the second set, but could not convert them because Zakopalova just wouldn't go away. Finally, after two hours and twenty-five minutes, Williams prevailed, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4. Stay tuned...

As if we haven't had enough old favorites exit in the first round, out went Daniela Hantuchova today, also, a victim of Virginie Razzano's forehand and her own second serve.

In a match that was held over from last night, Caroline Wozniack defeated Vera Dushevina, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Dushevina had the match on her racquet at a set and 3-0, but a bad return kept her from going up 4-0. Then, at match point--when it was obvious she wasn't positive that Wozniacki's ball had gone out--she stopped play. The ball was in, which gave Wozniacki set point. Dushevina's behavior went into the "What the hell were you thinking?" category, and today, it was all Wozniacki.

31st seed Peng Shuai was upset in the first round today by clay specialist Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Three more Frenchwomen--Claire Feuerstein, Nathalie Dechy (yet another favorite veteran) and Kristina Mladenovic--went out today in the first round, and, of course, Razzano advanced to the second round. Alize Cornet won her first set, but her match against Maret Ani had to be postponed because of darkness. The players will resume tomorrow at 4-all in the second set.

Stosur moves past Shvedova in Charleston

Photo by Daniel Ward

It took her three sets, but 2010 Family Circle Cup champion Samantha Stosur defeated Yaroslava Shvedova today in Charleston to advance to the third round. Shvedova went up 5-2 in the second set but then took a medical timeout for a leg problem. The timeout seemed to put Stosur back in the mix, as she broke to get the set to 5-all. Shvedova held at 40-love to go up 6-5, and it was within that game that she had a real "Radwanska" moment, doing a half twirl as she hit a backhand volley over her shoulder.

Stosur, after losing the second set, quickly went about the business of closing the match, and defeated Shvedova 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.

Photo by Daniel Ward

2004 champion Venus Williams also had to go three sets to get a victory, and her situation was more complicated than Stosur's. Williams has been ill lately, apparently the victim of some type of bug, and there were times in her match against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova that she appeared breathless and exhausted. But that certainly wasn't
her only problem: Zahlavova Strycova played at a very high level, serving very well and engaging Williams in long rallies.

Photo by Daniel Ward

It's obvious that the Czech player spent her recent "time off" in the gym. She doesn't physically resemble the player she used to be. Zahlavova Strycova has become stronger and more muscular, and is hitting from a really stable core. After losing the first set 3-6, she won the second set 6-0. In the third set, she impressively saved four match points when Williams served at 5-4. But in the end, after playing for two hours and 18 minutes, Williams was able to take the last set 7-5.

Gladys Knight was in the house, and caught one of Venus's autographed tennis balls. "She's got some hand-eye coordination..." Williams said of the singing legend.

Of her opponent, Williams said, "I've never seen her play that well, truth be told.
" "And she was so extremely focused today."

Williams seemed tired during her press conference, yet she talked at length about what her past year has been like as she has learned more about how to manage living with Sjogren's syndrome. "...you're not doing anything wrong; you've always done things right your whole career and you're kind of facing something that you can't control."

Photo by Daniel Ward

Things didn't go as well for 2006 champion Nadia Petrova, who lost in three sets to Marina Erakovic. Petrova got a line call she didn't like, and proceeded to go on a rant about the "blind people" in her midst. Oh, Nadia.

This morning, Zhang Shuai and Hsieh Su-Wei went at it for two hours and 48 minutes on the Althea Gibson Club Court. Hsieh isn't having a very good season in singles, and today's match didn't help. There was a third set tiebreak, postponed a bit because of some type of medical timeout that Hsieh took. Zhang then won the tiebreak 7-0. With a 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 victory, she advanced to the next round.

Also winning today were Elena Vesnina (def. Anna Schmiedlova), Peng Shuai (def. Caroline Garcia), Andrea Petkovic (def. Lesia Tsurenko), Vania King (def. Julia Glushko),  Lourdes Dominguez Lino (def. Anabel Medina Garrigues), Eugenie Bouchard (def. Alla Kudryatseva), Teliana Pereira (def. Sorana Cirstea), and Lucie Safarova (def. Virginie Razzano).

And could there be anything more fun than a doubles team composed of Jelena Jankovic and Andrea Petkovic? Hmm....no, there couldn't be. Cracking each other up from start to finish, the wild cards beat Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond 7-5, 2-6, 10-7 in the opening round of doubles. Jankovic was on fire, rushing the net and smacking winning volleys as though she did it all the time. It was a really good match with some stunning rallies.

Is another Williams-Azarenka final on the New York horizon?

Two buildings tower at the edge of Central Park

The chances of Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka meeting again in the U.S. Open final are very, very good. In last year's excellent final, Williams came back from being a break down in the third set to beat Azarenka, who served for the match, but could not close it. Since then, Azarenka has prevailed over Williams in three sets in both Doha and Cincinnati. Also, the world number 2's ordeal in Melbourne pretty much showed the tennis world what a truly tough character she can be when everything is falling apart around her.

An argument can be made, in fact, that Azarenka's tribulations at the Australian Open were somewhat of a blessing in disguise. In the words of another fiery woman with a big voice:

Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

Azarenka's challenge in such a New York final, of course, would be that the very personification of "fighter," Serena Williams, would be on the other side of the net. For tennis fans, however, seeing Williams and Azarenka in another big final would be quite an exciting event.

Of course, it's entirely possible, in the world of WTA upsets, that both players (or neither of them, for that matter) will reach the final. Having seeds 1 and 2 face off in the end is the way it "should" come out, but we all know that anything can happen. The known impediments to a "perfect" ending are 1. Williams' tendency to get caught up in unfortunate drama at the U.S. Open, 2. Azarenka's tendency to fall down and have to exit a tournament, and 3. a straight-up defeat by an opponent earlier in the draw.

Williams couldn't have asked for a better draw. Her sister is in her quarter, but Venus's health has, sadly, made her a tired singles competitor who will have enough to do to contend with in her first round match against Kirsten Flipkens. There are a couple of big hitters--Yaroslava Shvedova and Lucie Hradecka--in that quarter, but they certainly don't appear to pose a real threat to the top seed. Angelique Kerber is in Williams' quarter, too, but these days, Kerber struggles in almost every match.

Of note, however, are two of Williams' countrywomen, who are also in her part of the draw. Both 23rd seed Jamie Hampton and 15th seed Sloane Stephens can cause trouble. Stephens is so erratic--and given their history--I don't see her getting past Serena, should the occasion arise. Hampton, however, who could meet Stephens in the third round, is a new WTA danger, provided her chronic back injury doesn't give her problems.

In the first round, Williams will face 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.

Azarenka's quarter is spicier, and includes Petra Kvitova, Nadia Petrova, 2011 U.S. Open champion (and Carlsbad champion) Sam Stosur, 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, Varvara Lepchenko, and Stanford champion Dominika Cibulkova. Daniela Hantuchova is in that quarter, too, and--while her singles career seems to be winding down--there's always that "good day" scare when it comes to the smooth-striking Slovak. The same can be said for Nadia Petrova--she is never to be taken for granted.

As for Kvitova--last year's U.S. Open Series winner failed to defend either of her Series titles this year, though she had moments of "real Petra" glory. She was going for her asthma inhaler during the final in New Haven, and her respiratory system and North American humidity clearly do not get along. Beyond that issue, however, is the issue of Kvitova's apparent crumbling as a top player, and it pains me to write about it. But--out of respect for Petra, and also bearing in mind that a breakthrough could always occur--I have to include her on the list of dangerous players in Azarenka's quarter.

Stosur has split with her long-time coach, David Taylor, but I'm not sure that's going to be a problem for her. The Australian star is respectful and thoughtful, but her comments about the split made it clear that the break needed to occur, even at a "bad" time. Stosur's biggest problem is always herself (not unlike Kvitova), but she has won the U.S. Open before--and not that long ago--and that's a rather large factor in her favor.

Azarenka's first round opponent is Dinah Pfizenmaier.

Detail--Jekyll and Hyde Club, New York City

Then there's the Radwanska quarter, which is pretty much the Quarter from Hell. Radwanska hasn't had such a great time of it in this hard court season, and to make matters worse, she has to contend with the likes of Jelena Jankovic, Laura Robson and Li Na. Jankovic is kind of looking like herself lately, and my gut feeling is that she can go pretty deep into this tournament. Li, of course, is Li. She could be upset early in the event (Robson took her out last year, and they could meet in the third round this year), or she could win the U.S. Open. I don't think that the latter alternative is that likely to happen, but if the Chinese star can get her head on straight, she can win just about anything short of Wimbledon.

There are some other pesky opponents in this quarter, too. Ekaterina Makarova, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Sabine Lisicki, Monica Puig, Madison Keys, and Sorana Cirstea are all there. 

Radwanska's first opponent will be Silvia Soler-Espinosa.

Finally, there's the Errani quarter. 4th seed Sara Errani comes into the U.S. Open in the midst of a disappointing season. She was on fire for a long time, but the flames have been repeatedly put out by opponents. Still, the Italian likes a hard court, and she's a big fighter.

Errani's quarter includes Caroline Wozniacki, Klara Zakopalova, Elena Vesnina, Roberta Vinci, Maria Kirilenko, New Haven champion Simona Halep, 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta has been so up and down recently because of injury, but if she's healthy, she's a fine hard court competitor. It's Halep, however, who can cause a lot of damage--if her long New Haven run doesn't tweak her recent back injury, and let's hope it doesn't. These days, a healthy Halep who is serving well is a Simona to be feared.

In the meantime, Wozniacki--who once reached the final of the U. S. Open--is showing a bit more flare than she has in a while, and both Vinci and Kirilenko can be deadly on hard courts.

In Errani's first match, she will play Ayumi Morita.

The U.S. Open begins tomorrow. Three women from the USA--Grace Min, Victoria Duval and Coco Vandeweghe--made it through qualifying.

First round matches of interest:

Karolina Pliskova vs. Eugenie Bouchard: Two rising stars face each other right away.

Virginie Razzano vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: On paper, this is the Russian's match, but it seems that the Russian doesn't always look at the paper.

Vera Dushevina vs. Sabine Lisicki: Lisicki will have to be at her sharpest.

Jelena Jankovic vs. Madison Keys: The young star in the making will try to serve JJ off of the court.

Elena Vesnina vs. Anika Beck: This isn't the easiest way for Vesnina to start her U.S. Open campaign.

Heather Watson vs. Simona Halep: What did Watson ever do to the tennis gods to give her the first round from hell at almost every major tournament?

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Mallory Burdette: Burdette could cause problems for the former champion.

Julia Goerges vs. Christina McHale: Either will be lucky to get to the second round. Fortunately, one of them has to do so.

Elina Svitolina vs. Dominika Cibulkova: Cibulkova will have to bring her Stanford self to her first-round match.

Top seeds advance to 3rd round at U.S. Open

For Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams, Sam Stosur, and Francesca Schiavone, the second round of the U.S. Open was a straight-set affair. Clijsters, the second seed and defending champion, defeated Sally Peers in the night match, and 5th seed Stosur--who I thought would have more trouble dealing with her countrywoman--defeated Anastasia Rodionova. Schiavone defeated Maria Elena Camerin.

Venus Williams' match was interesting. For many of us, it was a first look at Rebecca Marino, the Canadian qualifier who had never before competed against a top-50 player. Marino is six feet tall with long legs, and she can fire a forehand in a most impressive way. Her serve looked good, too. She hit eight aces, and her kick serve was high enough to reach Williams' head on at least one occasion. Also, Marino's demeanor was calm and composed throughout the match; even when she became a little upset, she got past it quickly.

The match, not surprisingly, presented a scenario we have seen many times before: Marino was good enough to force a first-set tiebreak, but when she failed to win it, a straight-set loss was practically an inevitability. In fact, it was hard to imagine her winning the tiebreak because of the speed, efficiency and experience of her opponent. Williams knew how to win the tiebreak, reeling off six points in a row, and she knew how to get through the second set pretty quickly. I wouldn't say that Marino wilted--"wilted" just doesn't seem to fit her persona--but she became less sure-footed after she lost the first set.

She did have a bit of a comeback, though, getting a break point when Williams served for the match at 5-3 in the second set. Marino hit a wild forehand, though, and that was the end of her break chance. Marino hit 27 winners and made 23 unforced errors, compared with Williams' twelve.

Williams won, 7-6, 6-3, and moves to the third round, in which she will not play Tsvetana Pironkova. It can't hurt the 3rd seed's mood that Pironkova, a nemesis on the court, was taken out (and served a New York bagel) by qualifier Mandy Minella. Minella defeated Polona Hercog in the opening round, so she's having a nice run. As for Marino--I hope I get to see her again soon. She played well, and she had a great attitude.

Elena Dementieva, Flavia Pennetta and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also advanced in straight sets. Pavlyuchenkova was troubled by an elbow injury (it's always something, lately), but it didn't appear to be very serious.

Wild card Virginie Razzano upset 13th seed Marion Bartoli, and Sara Errani upset 28th seed Alisa Kleybanova. Ana Ivanovic ran over 21st seed Zheng Jie, 6-3, 6-0...and then there was Daniela Hantuvhova. She and Vania King went at it for two hours and 51 minutes, with King taking the first set 7-5. I enjoy watching both of these players because they throw in a little bit of everything. Hantuchova, the 23rd seed, won the second set 6-3, and served for the match at 5-2 in the third, but was broken. She eventually won the set 6-4, and hit a lovely drop shot for match point. Hantuchova served nine aces and hit 50 winners.

Williams to meet Williams again

Venus Williams defeated Elena Dementieva today in Dubai in straight sets, and her sister defeated Ana Ivanovic, also in straight sets. The sisters will now meet in the semifinals.

Joining them will be 16th seed Kaia Kanepi, who defeated qualifier Elena Vesnina 6-3, 7-5. Kanepi's opponent will be Virginie Razzano, who played a stunning 7-6, 7-5 match to defeat Vera Zvonareva. The match was dramatic and tense--so much so that Razzano wept when it was over. It took Razzano too long to close the match, but close it she finally did, after hitting a stupendous fifty winners.

French Open draw: Some tasty first round matches await

When I looked at the French Open draw this morning, I noticed more potentially interesting first round matches than I have seen in a while. Here are some I plan to watch, or at least follow:

Victoria Azarenka vs. Roberta Vinci: The 9th seed--on paper--should cruise through this match, but Azarenka has been struggling on clay courts, and Vinci is more than comfortable on them. This has also been an unusually good clay season for Vinci.

Sara Errani vs. Ana Ivanovic: The term "grinder" suits Errani completely. She is relentless from the baseline, and is willing to hang there for hours. Her tennis is no match for the 8th seed, but she can frustrate her.

Lucie Safarova vs. Sabine Lisicki: Safarova is a very talented player who just doesn't know how to string victories together. Her inconsistency could do her in, but there is another factor at work in this round. Safarova's talented opponent has experienced a shoulder injury and a serious illness, and has had no match play since Charleston. I don't know whether Lisicki is in any condition to compete in a major.

Dominika Cibulkova vs. Alona Bondarenko: These are two players who frustrate fans--Cibulkova because she is injured so often, and Bondarenko because she is so inconsistent. If they both show up in form, it could be a great match.

Tamira Paszek vs. Gisela Dulko: The fading phenom plays the under-achiever. Paszek has had her share of the problems lately, though she is still capable of causing some trouble from the baseline. Dulko is an excellent clay court player who doesn't always come through, usually because of service problems. It's Dulko's match to lose.

Li Na vs. Marta Domachowska: Clay isn't Li's surface, so--if Domachowska should happen to have one of her rare good days--the 25th seed could find herself in some trouble.

Virginie Razzano vs. Daniela Hantuchova: Razzano was simply terrible in Charleston, and clay is not her favorite surface. But it isn't Hantuchova's preferred surface, either. If Razzano brings her fighting spirit and Hantuchova can stay away from errors, this could be quite an entertaining match.

Samantha Stosur vs. Francesca Schiavone: Stosur is 2-1 against Schiavone, and, surprisingly, was the victor the one time they played each other on clay. Stosur is one of the few players to have a good first and second serve, but it has sometimes let her down since she returned to the tour. Schiavone is obviously winding down, but perhaps someone can convince her she is playing a Fed Cup match, and then Stosur will have her hands full.

Klara Zakopalova vs. Serena Williams: This match is of interest because Zakopalova defeated Williams in the first round of the Adalucia Tennis Experience. Williams was injured at the time. Right now, it is kind of difficult to discern the state of the 2nd seed's health, but it doesn't take much discernment to assume she will get to the second round.

Bad luck for Anne Keothavong, who drew number 1 seed Dinara Safina in the first round. Better luck, though, for Olga Govortsova, who is scheduled to play Vera Zvonareva; the Russian is expected to withdraw any moment.

Razzano defeats Williams--wins Tokyo

Virginie Razzano saved three match points in the second set, and went on to defeat Venus Williams in the final of the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships. Williams apparently suffered some sort of injury, which--from what I have heard--is not very serious.

Only last week, at the Jinjiannan Guangzhou International Women's Open in Guangzhou, Razzano won her first career tournament, and now she has won her second, proving again that some of the toughest players around are the French ones.

Final score: 4-6, 7-6, 6-4

My U.S. Open top 10

Melanie Oudin showed us that you don't have to be the tallest to be imposing.

This was the strangest U.S. Open I have ever seen. Generally speaking, the French Open is my favorite of the four majors, but the non-stop drama in New York this year made the other tournaments pale by comparison. In fact, other majors may seem a bit dull after this one. Here are my top 10 U.S. Open occurrences, in ascending order:

10. We don't know her, and anyway, she's Belgian: Pam Shriver had never heard of her. Brad Gilbert called her Wicker Chair. Yanina Wickmayer didn't get very nice treatment from commentators in the U.S., but that didn't stop her from going all the way to the semifinals. Sure, she had help from the disappearing draw in her half, but she had a respectable run, taking out 16th seed Virginie Razzano, Peng Shuai, Sara Errani, Petra Kvitova, and Kateryna Bondarenko.

9. Pardon?: Heather Watson, Great Britain's top-ranked junior, became the first player from that country to win the U.S. Open junior girls championship. Fellow Brit Laura Robson made it to the semifinals.

8. I hope they have built-in shelves: Serena and Venus Williams won their 10th doubles major in Flushing Meadows. It's getting hard to keep track of the number of trophies the sisters have collected over the years.

7. And maybe someday, they'll pronounce her name right: Caroline Wozniacki broke through big-time at the U.S. Open, going all the way to the final. She played clever tennis and held her nerve admirably throughout two weeks of play. She has had a stellar season so far, and is now number 6 in the world.

6. Where is everybody?: The early round upsets were stunning. In the first two rounds, we lost Sybille Bammer, Alisa Kleybanova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Patty Schnyder, Sabine Lisicki, and Elena Dementieva. The third round featured the upsets of Victoria Azarenka, 2006 champion Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, and world number 1 Dinara Safina. Eventually, the draw was so emptied of top names that two unseeded players competed in the semifinals.

5. Who needs tactics?: "...it's not like we strategized at all," Carly Gullickson said when she and Travis Parrott won the U.S. Open mixed doubles championship. But they must have done something right: They took out the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th seeds, as well as another team comprised of award-winning players, and at least one player on each team had won at least one doubles major.

4. Mam-ma Mia!: Flavia Pennetta, in the second set of her round of 16 match against Vera Zvonareva, smacked five glorious winners to save six match points, and in doing so, created the most thrilling extended episode of the tournament.

3. Foot fault!: The foot fault call heard 'round the world led to all hell breaking loose in the women's semifinals and beyond. "All hell" included: reporters hurriedly distributing incorrect information about both the call and Serena Williams' shockingly rageful response, intense outrage from people who saw only the poorly shot CBS footage, indignant suggestions that the rules of tennis be followed arbitrarily, the usual sexist and racist attacks on Serena Williams, a barrage of sexist and racist attacks on the lineswoman who made the call, and more irrational and crude pronouncements than I care to list.

2. The power of belief: Scooting around the court with her pink and yellow shoes and imperturbable attitude, Melanie Oudin made knocking off tall Russians look like so much fun, I wanted to do it. Pavlyuchenkova. Dementieva. Sharapova. Petrova. The player nicknamed "Little Miss Upset" frustrated a veritable matryoshka of Russian players, but before she could remove the last one, Caroline Wozniacki did it for her, then defeated Oudin, also. Nevertheless, the tough-minded 17-year-old with "BELIEVE" stamped on her shoes had one of the most exciting and memorable runs in recent tournament history.

1. Remember me?: Comebacks are popular these days, but they're hard to pull off. Not so for Kim Clijsters, who left the tour over two years ago, had a baby, started training all over again, played in two tournaments, then dropped in to win the U.S. Open. Her run was as dramatic as the tournament itself, and included a 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 win over Venus Williams, as well as a 7-5, 6-4 win over Serena Williams.

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.

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.

Dubai is getting interesting

First we lost number 2 seed Dinara Safina, and now we have lost number 3 seed Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic lost her third round Dubai match to Kaia Kanepi, a player I've been watching for a long time. Kanepi beat Jankovic in straight sets (6-2, 7-5), even going to a 4-0 lead in the second set. JJ hasn't look like herself at all this season, which is a disappointment to her fans, and unfortunate for women's tennis.

Other seeds gone today are Alize Cornet, who lost to Venus Williams, Marion Bartoli and Dominika Cibulkova--both of whom retired--and Anabel Medina Garrigues, who lost to Elena Dementieva. The Jankovic loss was the only upset, however. Virginie Razzano, not content to just take out Safina, also defeated Daniela Hantuchova today.

Zheng Jie fought hard against Serena Williams, but Williams pushed her into taking a lot of risks that resulted in errors. Williams was finding angles that probably made Zheng's head spin. It was a good match, with Williams winning 6-4, 6-2.