Clijsters out of French Open

One of the reasons I like the French Open so much is that red clay tends to be a neutralizer. There are a lot of service breaks, and there are upsets. And when it gets cold and windy, odd things can happen. There was a big upset today: Arantxa Rus took out number 2 seed Kim Clijsters in the second round. Clijsters, who is returning after suffering multiple injuries, was leading, 6-3, 5-2 and held a match point. She held another match point at 5-4, but did not convert that one, either. Then Rus just took over. Clijsters wound up making 65 unforced errors, and Rus walked away with a huge 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory.

Clijsters has been a finalist at the French Open on two occasions, but has never won it. She was considered a favorite to win it this year. Rus, a former star on the junior tour, will play Maria Kirilenko in the third round.

It's official: Clijsters will play in Paris

Kim Clijsters says that her wrist and shoulder injuries have healed, and that she will compete in the French Open with her right ankle taped. Clijsters resumed training two weeks ago after suffering multiple injuries.

Passing shots

Venus and Serena Williams have both withdrawn from the French Open. This is not unexpected, given the health problems they have experienced in the past several months.

Kim Clijsters has not yet decided whether to play in the French Open, but her participation is looking more likely than some thought.

The latest Backspin Time Capsule is all about Monica Seles. It brings back a lot of memories.

Mary Carillo will join the broadcast team for Tennis Channel for both the French Open and the U.S. Open. In Paris, Carillo will host Tennis Channel's live network desk, do interviews, provide analysis, and do some selected play-by-play commentating.

Here is a brief preview of Adidas fashion for the French Open.

WTA launches "Strong is Beautiful" campaign

The WTA has launched a new, "Strong is Beautiful" global ad campaign, featuring a number of the tour's players. I really like the idea, though I'd like the campaign better if the women were shown in their tennis clothes, on a tennis court, rather than in "photoshoot" style. Still, the ads are attractive and refreshingly simple. Kim Clijsters' ad also contains an unexpected feminist message, so--if we have to keep hearing about how she had a baby and came back--this is certainly a a great way to hear about it. (Of course, the WTA had to go and ruin the effect by once again delivering the sexist message that Clijsters "balances" motherhood and professional tennis.)

Here is the Sugar and Spice video, narrated by Heather Watson:



And here is Li Na's video:

Clijsters back on the court

World number 2 Kim Clijsters, who has been in treatment for shoulder, wrist and ankle injuries, has returned to the practice court. Clijsters said that her first practice session was pain-free, but she did not put much pressure on her ankle, and she is waiting to see what will happen when her training is intensified. Clijsters' participation in the French Open is still in question.

Passing shots

Dinara Safina is ill, and had to withdraw from the semifinals in Fes. Alberta Brianti received a walkover, and will play last year's runner-up, Simona Halep, in the final. Safina had not reached a semifinal since August of 2009.

Irina Falconi has won the USTA French Open wild card playoffs. Falconi defeated Julia Boserup 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the final, which was held in Boca Raton, Florida. The other competing players were Beatrice Capra, Lauren Davis, Madison Keys, and Grace Min.

Vikings player Bryant McKinnie, who is trying to drop 20 pounds before returning to the football field, has opted to take tennis lessons from Venus Williams. "She tires you out," the offensive tackle said of his teacher.

Chris Evert expects Caroline Woznaicki to win the 2011 French Open.

Kim Clijsters has been named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People for 2011. Time's staff apparently discovered that Clijsters had a baby and returned to work. She "juggles" a  career and a family. (Roger Federer is not known to "juggle" his career and family, which makes him, I suppose, a not very extraordinary woman.)

Steve Tignor has begun a series on books about tennis.

Passing shots

Kim Clijsters, already off of the tour for a month because of shoulder and wrist injuries, now has an ankle injury, too. Clijsters hurt her ankle while attending her cousin's wedding. She is walking on crutches, and her French Open participation is now in question. Clijsters had already withdrawn from the Belgian Fed Cup team.

Withdrawing from the Australian Fed Cup team is Jelena Dokic, who cites exhaustion as the reason. Sam Stosur, Australia's lead player, had already announced that she would not play in the upcoming Fed Cup tie.

Irina-Camelia Begu was the runner-up in Marbella  this past week, so you may want to know more about her.

"I dream of being as consistent as Caroline Wozniacki for the whole season, not just clay courts or whatever," Svetlana Kuznetsova told Guy McCrae in Marbella.

Some good news: Dinara Safina's back problem in Marbella was strictly nerve-related, and not serious. Her stress fracture continues to heal nicely.

Francesca Schiavone won an exhibition set 6-4 against Caroline Wozniacki in Monte Carlo.

Venus and Serena Williams are opening a clothing store called "Courture" in Miami.

Passing shots

Kim Clijsters is out for four weeks because of continuing problems with her shoulder and wrist. She will return to the tour in Rome.

Aravane Rezai went out to wild card Estrella Cabeza Candela in the first round in Marbella today. The score was 6-3, 6-0.

Vera Zvonareva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Ekaterina Makarova have been named to the Russian Fed Cup for the semifinal event to be held later this month in Moscow. The Italian team has not been announced. It is expected that Francesca Schiavone will not play because she is preparing her title defense at the French Open. Rumor has it that Flavia Pennetta may not play, which is a bigger issue for Italy.

Women's Tennis Blog gives us a peek at Maria Sharapova's French Open dress. Women's Tennis Blog, by the way, just celebrated its fourth birthday--cheers to Marija!

A marching band will perform in the Family Circle Cup stadium today as part of Charleston's "Best Tennis Town in America" designation. Each of the first 1,000 individuals through the gate will receive a "Best Tennis Town" memento.

Clijsters upset by Azarenka in Miami

It was anything but an exciting match, but 8th seed and 2009 champion Victoria Azarenka probably doesn't care. Azarenka faced a completely flat Kim Clijsters in the Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinals tonight, and pulled off a 6-3, 6-3 victory without having to break much of a sweat. Not that Azarenka didn't have her own problems: She served really well, but she would frequently make unforced errors just when she had set up those good serves to produce winners. Still, the 2nd seed gave the impression that she wanted to be put out of her misery, and Azarenka obliged.

Clijsters has been having some problems with her shoulder ever since the Australian Open, and I don't know whether the injury factored into tonight's meltdown. "I just didn't feel good out there," she said after the match. We haves seen this type of thing before; when Clijsters goes off, she goes way off. But, after getting what looked like an impossible victory against Ana Ivanovic, it did seem odd that the defending champion would have so much difficulty in the quarterfinals.

Vera Zvonareva, the tournament's 3rd seed, was another story. She defeated 9th seed Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 63, and will play Azarenka in the semifinals. Meanwhile, on the other end of the draw, Andrea Petkovic will play Maria Sharapova, assuming that Sharapova's ankle is stable enough for her to play.

In doubles, 3rd seeds Liezel Huber and Nadia Petrova defeated wild cards Sloane Stephens and Yanina Wickmayer in straight sets to advance to the semifinals.

Clijsters squeaks into Miami quarterfinals

Kim Clijsters won the first set 7-6. Ana Ivanovic won the second, 6-3, then went up 5-1 in the third. She held five match points, too, but it was the 2nd seed who walked away with the win when she prevailed 7-5 in a third set tiebreak. Clijsters double-faulted eleven times in the match, but has to be given credit for making an amazing comeback against the 19th seed.

There were some upsets today. Top seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta were defeated by 8th seeds Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Anabel Medina Garrigues. The Spanish team defeated Dulko and Pennetta 7-5, 6-4 in a match that featured twelve breaks of serve. In singles, 6th seed Jelena Jankovic lost her quarterfinal match to 21st seed Andrea Petkovic. Petkovic, who has always had talent but who used to fall short in the nerve department, seetms to have turned that situation around. She defeated Jankovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, giving her an excellent follow-up to her defeat of world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki.

And then there was the quarterfinal match between Alexandra Dulgheru and Maria Sharapova, which seemed like the Match That Wouldn't End. At 5-all in the third, serving at 30-15, Sharapova left the court to have the trainer look at her foot after she turned her ankle (she had called for the trainer earlier, but had changed her mind); she then received medical treatment. Dulgheru can be somewhat of a wall (talk about fitness), and she was happy to hang in and continually retrieve balls and wait for the 16th seed to make errors. They played almost three hours and 29 minutes, and broke each other 18 times. It went on for so long that Dulgheru did a costume change. Once she hurt her foot, Sharapova really started taking it to the 26th seed, with Dulgheru giving it right back, as she moved Sharapova around the court as much as possible.

Sharapova, who made 76 unforced errors (including 17 double faults), won the match 3-6, 7-6, 7-6. Dulgheru's relentless defense game almost paid off, but not quite. How Sharapova will fare in terms of foot strength and energy is unknown, but she put herself back into the top 10, no matter what. She also did a very good job of working around her injury and the feelings that obviously accompanied it.

Several years ago, I watched Nadia Petrova beat down Sharapova, and throughout the match, Petrova's name was mentioned only once. Commentators Mary Joe Fernandez and Cliff Drysdale could not stop talking about Sharapova, even as she was being hammered by her countrywoman. I thought of that tonight when I had Tennis Channel on (the picture is more stable than on Tennis TV, so sometimes I have them both running). To hear Lindsay Davenport go on, Dulgheru wasn't even there. Funny--I saw Dulgheru play her heart out, change the pace when she needed to, switch from defense to offense, and skillfully run down balls that would have created winners against other players. But Davenport would not give her any credit. Even when co-commentator Ted Robinson said "Dulgheru deserves a lot of respect," Davenport changed the subject.

I enjoy watching Sharapova as much as the next person, and--as anyone who reads this blog knows--I have not been part of the "Sharapova's career is over" trend. This isn't about Sharapova: It's about a commentator's ridiculous fawning over a player--which is problematic in itself--and her subsequent dismissal of the opponent. It took Sharapova three and a half error-strewn hours to overcome Dulgheru; maybe the 26th seed could be acknowledged as at least being part of the match?

(And while I'm on the subject of Tennis Channel: The Family Circle Cup in Charleston, a premier event, takes place next week, but according to Tennis Channel, it doesn't exist. The commentators have the women heading straight from Miami to Europe.)

Passing shots

Joel Drucker wishes other WTA players would emulate Marion Bartoli's strong offensive game.

Kim Clijsters, who has been troubled by a shoulder injury, has been practicing in Miami for the Sony Ericsson Open.

The Fed Cup tie between Japan and Argentina, scheduled for April 16-17 in Tokyo, has been postponed for three months. Japan will have an opportunity to choose the venue.

The top ten has changed a bit since the completion of the BNP Paribas Open. Francesca Schiavone went from 5 to 4, Sam Stosur went from 4 to 5, Li Na went from 7 to 6, Victoria Azarenka moved from 9 to 8, and Venus Williams went from 8 to 9. The significant move, however, was Indian Wells runner-up Marion Bartoli's. She went from 17 to 10. Former number 10 Agnieszka Radwanska is now number 14.

Serena Williams is out and about in Los Angeles, probably on a limited basis.

"Xperia Hot Shots," the YouTube show that follows selected players on the tour, begins tomorrow. Participating are Sabine Lisicki, Dominika Cibulkova, Heather Watson, Alize Cornet, Sorana Cirstea, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Close matches in Tuesday Indian Wells competition

There were some long, close matches at the BNP Paribas Open yesterday. 8th seed Victoria Azarenka defeated 9th seed Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, Peng Shuai defeated 18th seed Nadia Petrova 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 10th seed Shahar Peer defeated 5th seed Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, and 23rd seed Yanina Wickmayer defeated 25th seed Dominika Cibulkova 7-5, 7-5. The first three of these matches lasted from two and a half to three hours.

Some matches weren't so close. 6th seed Jelena Jankovic appeared flat and very out of sorts in her match against 19th seed Ana Ivanovic. Jankovic likes to get on with things (her peers used to call her "JJ Express"), but the way she was rushing along, she appeared to not even want to be on the court. Ivanovic defeated her  6-4, 6-2, and we are left--yet again--to ask: What's the matter with JJ?

Dinara Safina's great run was halted by 16th seed Maria Sharapova, who defeated her 6-2, 6-0. Safina had all kinds of problems with her serve, and was outplayed from start to finish by Sharapova. One hopes that Safina doesn't take this loss to heart too much, since she has worked hard to get herself out of a big slump brought on my serious injury and lack of confidence.

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki needed three sets to defeat 22nd seed Alisa Kleybanova, but she got the job done. And 2nd seed Kim Clijsters won her first set against 15th seed Marion Bartoli, then retired in the second set because of a shoulder injury she has had for a while (Tennis Channel called the retirement "shocking," meaning that, as usual, they were unaware--in fact, they even said they were unaware--of an injury Clijsters has spoken about for several weeks now). Clijsters was considered a favorite to win the BNP Paribas Open, and now she is out, along with the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th seeds.

The two highest remaining seeds, Wozniacki and Azarenka, will play each other in the quarterfinals.

Passing shots

Andrea Petkovic, who is blogging from Indian Wells, recently had a 45-minute practice hit with Steffi Graf. Petkovic says she plans to "reinvent" herself.

You can now get to know Rebecca Marino.

News flash! Reuters has learned that Kim Clijsters balances motherhood with a career! Because women, like trained seals, have to "balance" everything.

Dinara Safina considered retiring from professional tennis after the Australian Open.

Getting a beating when you lose a set, getting slapped when you have a bad practice, seeing the father of one of your peers physically assaulted...some of the WTA's drama hasn't been the good kind.

Anna Chakvetadze, who passed out during her second round match in Dubai, retired today in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open because of dizziness.

Kvitova defeats Clijsters to win Paris championship

In both the second round and the quarterfinals at the Open GDF SUEZ, Petra Kvitova came from behind to win. Her match against friend and countrywoman Barbora Zahlavova Strycova lasted three and a quarter hours, and she followed that with another three-set match. She had an easy win in the semifinals, but one had to wonder how much--physically and mentally--she had left to give in the final.

Enough, as it turns out. The fourth seed defeated new world number 1 Kim Clijsters 6-4, 6-3, hit ten aces along the way, and once again displayed a steady and thoughtful demeanor that is in contrast to the up-and-comer we saw just a year and a half ago. Australian Open champion Clijsters was the favorite to win in Paris, but Kvitova outshone her in both serving and returning. Kvitova won the match on the Belgian's serve, though Clijsters saved one match point by hitting her only ace.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Meghann Shaughnessy won the doubles championship. The 3rd seeds defeated Vera Dushevina and Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 6-2.

She's number 1

Kim Clijsters became the number 1 player in the world today when she defeated Jelena Dokic 6-3, 6-0 in Paris. It has been 256 weeks since the last time that Clijsters held the number 1 spot. She will play 3rd seed Kaia Kanepi in the semifinals of the Open GDF SUEZ. The other semifinal will be played between 4th seed Petra Kvitova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who upset 6th seed Andrea Petkovic today.

Meanwhile, in Pattaya City, top seed and two-time defending champion Vera Zvonareva has made it to the semfinals, and will play 4th seed Daniela Hantuchova. The other semifinal match will be played between doubles partners Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, who are seeded 8th and 5th, respectively. Vinci defeated 2nd seed Ana Ivanovic in the quarterfinals.

You can call her her Aussie Kim...you can call her 2011 Australian Open women's champion!

For the first set of her 2011 Australian Open championship match again 9th seed Li Na, Kim Clijsters made the mistake of getting into a hitting contest with China's Big Sister Na. Li likes those contests--they're her bread and butter--and she tends to win them. And even though Li looked very tight in the first couple of games and was broken right away, she soon dictated a hitting rhythm after she gained control of her forehand. Serving at 2-3, Li broke the 3rd seed, then held, though Clijsters did see a break point in Li's service game. Now up 5-3, Li took advantage of a second break point by hitting what can be referred to only as a ridiculously good forehand winner.

After the second set got rolling, it became obvious that Clijsters had learned her lesson with regard to giving Li long baseline rallies that the Chinese player could use to keep dictating play. Clijsters broke right away when Li double-faulted, and the next game featured what was probably the best rally of the match. Li won it, and got a break point as a reward, but Clijsters saved it when Li put the ball into the net. She did convert on her next break point, however. Li was then broken, and--on her third break point--she broke Clijsters with a stunning crosscourt forehand shot.

Everything still looked pretty even at this point, but then Clijsters dialed up her defense, hitting several backhand slices in a row, and throwing Li off her rhythm. She held two break points, in fact, but Li saved them. Clijsters then held and broke Li.

If I were the kind of person who used the expression "This is when the wheels fell off," I'd certainly describe flying wheels. At this point in the second set, Li looked tired--not so much physically, though it was very hot, but mentally. Some of the Chinese crowd were yelling during points, and Li asked the chair umpire to get them to stop; she would do this several times in the course of the match (why do chair umpires have to be asked to scold an inappropriate crowd?). She was distracted and frustrated, then she was broken again, and Clijsters took the second set 6-3.

Clijsters held at love to begin the third set. Li then went down 0-40, but saved two break points with her signature crosscourt forehand, and then with an ace. She set up a great save of the third break point, too, but mis-hit a volley, sending the ball beyond the baseline. Clijsters then double-faulted twice, and Li broke back, but she wasn't hitting with nearly the same accuracy and precision she had executed in the first set.

Perhaps boosted by Clijsters' service problems, Li suddenly began to serve well again. But then she, too, double-faulted, and was broken back. Clijsters then held for a 4-1 lead, and it was Li's level of play, not the score itself, that hinted that Chinese player was not going to make one of her famous comebacks. Li did hold in the next game, but it was not a strong hold, and Clijsters held, too. Li was able to hold easily when Clisters made back-to-back errors, and there was the slightest hint that the match might go on, but the 3rd seed held easily for a 6-3 set win, which gave her the 2011 championship.

Given the 9th seed's propensity for coming back in tough matches, it was entirely reasonable to suspect that she would gather herself together and figure out the third set. But that didn't happen. Instead, she continued to make a number of unforced errors and nervous shots, while Clijsters (who said, on her return to the tour, that she just had to stop doing splits on hard courts!) was doing splits right and left to retrieve balls and often turn her defensive shots into winners. In the first half of the match, Li had frequently trapped Clijsters in the ad corner, but by the third set, she was having difficulty doing even that.

As is often the case in a big match, one player's level went up and the other player's level went down. In the second half of the match, Clijsters gave Li more variety than she could handle, and Li was not up to the mental task of becoming the first Chinese player to win a major.

Nevertheless, it was a good match, and Li's run to the final was one of the great stories of the tournament. As for Clijsters, she showed, once again, that on a hard court, she can now think like a champion and do what she has to do to win. She burst into tears when the match was over, then gave an amusing acceptance speech, in which she told fans that it's finally alright to call her "Aussie Kim." Indeed.

Kim Clijsters, volume 2, is as athletic and clever on court as the first version, and--despite continuing tendencies to lose her way from time to time--this Kim Clijsters has learned to be in charge when it counts. I think health is the key for her; if she can remain relatively uninjured this season, she has a chance to give some more speeches about chipped teeth, ugly lucky pants, and anything else that strikes her fancy.

One final note: Throughout her run in Melbourne, Clijsters wore a green dress that was designed as a tribute to the great Evonne Goolagong Cawley. This was a nice touch, especially from my viewpoint, since Goolagong Cawley is one of my favorite players of all time.

Paths to the final

3rd seed Kim Clijsters and 9th seed Li Na will soon play for the Australian Open championship. Here is how they got to the final:

Clijsters
round 1--def. Dinara Safina, 6-0, 6-0
round 2--def. Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-1, 6-3
round 3--def. Alize Cornet, 7-6, 6-3
round 4--def. Ekaterina Makarova, 7-6, 6-2
quarterfinals--def. Agnieszka Radwanska (12), 6-3, 7-6
semifinals--def. Vera Zvonareva (2), 6-3, 6-3

Li
round 1--def. Sofia Arvidsson, 6-1, 7-5
round 2--def. Evgeniya Rodina, 6-3, 6-2
round 3--def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 6-2, 6-1
round 4--def. Victoria Azarenka (8), 6-3, 6-3
quarterfinals--def. Andrea Petkovic (30), 6-2, 6-4
semifinals--def. Caroline Wozniacki (1), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3

Clijsters defeats Zvonareva for a spot in the Australian Open final

Vera Zvonareva didn't get the Kim Clijsters Agnieszka Radwanska got in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. That Kim Clijsters was hitting errors right and left, and if Radwanska had a better serve, she might have had a chance to go to the semifinals. Clijsters said later that she felt a bit tired, and just wasn't up to a higher level of competition. But she showed up for the semifinals looking fresher. Having lost to 2nd seed Zvonareva the last three times they had played, the 3rd seed knew she had to be prepared.

The players exchanged breaks at the beginning of the match, but this quick mutual defensive play was not to represent any kind of pattern. Clijsters hit the ball hard and with depth and precision, while Zvonareva had  problems with her serve. The Belgian took the first set 6-3 in 33 minutes.

Zvonareva continued to have problems with her second serve, but she elevated her level of play in the second set. Some of the rallies were long, with both players hitting powerful groundstrokes. Down a break, Zvonareva  held at love for 3-4. In the next game, she had 3 break points against Clijsters, and it looked like a turning point in the match had finally come. But even after winning those seven straight points, Zvonareva had to contend with a hold of serve from Clijsters.

That was Zvonareva's last opportunity to change the dynamics of the match. Clijsters, looking as solid as she has ever looked, won the second set 6-3. She will play 9th seed Li Na in the final. Clijsters and Li also contended earlier this month for the Sydney title, which Li won. Clijsters has a 4-2 career record against Li.

Clijsters and Zvonareva advance to Australian Open semifinals

Vera Zvonareva, the Australian Open number 2 seed, played her fourth left-handed opponent (and her third left-handed Czech opponent) today in the quarterfinals. Zvonareva expertly defeated an unsteady Petra Kvitova (seeded 25th) 6-2, 6-4. The match wasn't without its drama. Australia Day cannons were firing, and a fan apparently fell and hurt herself on some steps in the stands. Sometimes I think Australian Open and U.S. Open officials compete to see who can distract the most players. Zvonareva was obviously bothered by all the goings-on, and she slipped and let Kvitova in in the second set. Kvitova took the opportunity, but she made too many careless errors to make much of an impact. Zvonareva made only twelve unforced errors in the match; Kvitova made 28. The young Czech player has big hitting talent, but she showed tonight that she isn't ready for a really big stage. She's definitely one to keep an eye on, though. A calmer, more cerebral Kvitova could be a force in the future; the good news is that she has already made refinements in her game in the past year.

3rd seed Kim Clijsters won the other semifinal. Clijsters defeated 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 7-6. The Belgian went off her game in the second set, and Radwanska used her court savvy to throw Clijsters off  her rhythm. But Radwanska's serve, which drags behind the rest of her game, holds her back from defeating someone like Clijsters, who is not only athletic and powerful, but can also pull out several different shots when she needs to.

Radwanska served for the second set at 5-4, 30-0, but was broken. She also made unforced in situations in which she had carefully set up winners. All the same, it was an entertaining second set--though not so much when the Australian Day planes buzzed over the court repeatedly. And Radwanska, having just returned from foot surgery, is to be commended for making it to the quarterfinals.

The percentages for Clijsters are worth examining. She hit 41 winners and made 37 unforced errors. That is officially a "good" statistic, but Clijsters has been making a very high number of unforced errors throughout the tournament.

Wednesday, as previously mentioned, was Australia Day, which means that the ESPN crew eats Vegemite and invites a player to do likewise. Vera Zvonareva tried the Australian staple (Kim Clijsters didn't), though she recalled that she didn't like it when she sampled it five years ago. It turns out that she still doesn't like it, but she made an effort. Meanwhile, the sight of Brad Gilbert chewing with his mouth open was revolting. The good news is that, as soon as the Australian zoo creatures were brought onto the set, Gilbert made an exit.

Clijsters advances to Australian Open quarterfinals

She had to get through a tiebreak to do it, but 3rd seed Kim Clijsters defeated Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets Monday in the Australian Open round of 16. Clijsters' 7-6, 6-2 win over Makarova now puts her in contention with 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals. If she defeats Radwanska (and, with Radwanska's weak serve, she probably will), she will play either Petra Kvitova or 2nd seed Vera Zvonareva in the semifinals.

Speaking of Radwanska (who has made an amazing comeback from surgery and rehab): Why does such a brilliant tennis player not drop everything until she has learned to hit a reasonably good second serve? Her first serve is better than it used to be, but even that failed her toward the end of her round of 16 match; her second serve is a disaster. Radwanska can outplay just about anyone on the tour, but she has this major flaw in her game, and I don't understand why someone doesn't do something about it.