Marion Bartoli finally has a clothing sponsor. She wore her new Lotto outfit in Istanbul.
Laura Robson and Heather Watson recently played against each other for the first time since they turned pro. Robson defeated Watson 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in Barnstaple.
Will Petra Kvitova be the WTA Player of the Year? (Can anyone possibly come up with an argument for someone else?)
Get to know Bibiane Schoofs.
As of today, the top 5 players in the world are Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, and Li Na.
Here is a peek at my collection of autographed tennis balls:
6 comments:
Oh my, that collection made me drool!!! Aside Chris Evert, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario and Patty Schnyder, who else have you got?
Mauresmo, Goolagong, Hingis, Stosur, JJ, Azarenka, Krajicek, Zvonareva, Dementieva, and one that isn't signed, but is an official Family Circle Cup ball. Most I collected over the years, but a few were gifts. I have some nice autographed photos (that I took) of players, too.
The most interesting "collected" ball was from Sanchez Vicario. I saw her sitting by herself in a shady corner and asked her if she would autograph a ball. No one was around--they were all doing something else--and Arantxa was just sitting there.
There's no room in my office at home to put the collection, so it sits in a corner in the front of the house, but it doesn't take up much space!
Here it is, two months after the US Open, and my most salient memory is the call against Serena Williams for intentional hindrance on a premature yell. Absurd, given that intentional "grunting" is an accepted practice.
I know, the chair umpire was a women so you probably think it was just, but really, on some level of consciousness, don't you think that the powers at be are ruining the game?
I don't have any particular feelings at all about an umpire's gender--what difference would it make?
My understanding is that the umpire in question did was she was supposed to do, according to the rules of major tournaments. Did I think that what Serena did fell within the bounds of that particular rule? I've thought about it a lot, and I think the call could have gone either way--but I'm not an umpire and it isn't my expertise.
What I detested was the way the press handled the situation, including making things up out of thin air that Serena "did." I saw the whole thing, and--while it was strange--it was just one of those things.
I've been watching tennis for a long time, and have been equally shocked by truly abusive behaviors that were allowed to go on and on, and other behaviors that were--to me--no big thing, and were criticized and/or penalized. All you have to do right now is look at the ATP to see a player who is praised every week, yet he repeatedly gives up and throws tantrums in the middle of matches. Can you imagine if Serena or Kim or Vika did that?
Looks like you have room for three more. :)
Which current or former players are on your "most wanted" list?
I don't really seek these too often, but if one signed by Navratilova bounced onto the shelf, I wouldn't be unhappy. Same for Mandlikova--but you knew that :)
Oh, let's just make it an all-Czech (more or less) shelf and add you-know-who!
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