Bad news for women's tennis

The German Open, a major stop on the European clay court tour, has been cancelled. The Qatar Federation says it no longer wants to operate the Berlin tournament and wishes to sell the membership back to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. A Tier I event under the pre-2009 classification system, the German Open was re-classified as a "premier event" for this year. It had also been pushed back two weeks from its regular May schedule. There is speculation that the event has been cancelled because it could not attract enough top players so soon before the French Open.

The German Open and the Italian Open, for those of us who love clay court tennis, are two of the biggest tennis events of the year, and losing Berlin is a major blow to women's clay court tennis. Last year's German Open was especially exciting because of the one-woman thrill show put on by 2008 champion Dinara Safina.

Black and Huber win in Berlin

Though many expected them to be defeated on Berlin clay, Cara Black and Liezel Huber defeated Spanish clay specialists Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Martinez Sanchez today to win the Berlin title.

Black and Huber have now won three titles this year. You can see them tour Berlin here.

Safina takes Berlin!

Dropping the first set, just as she did when she defeated both Justine Henin and Serena Williams, Dinara Safina won her first Tier I tournament today when she defeated Elena Dementieva, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Safina's victory in Berlin seemed almost inevitable, yet so many times, when a player performs superbly throughout a tournament, she winds down in the final against a tough opponent.

Dementieva is one of those tough opponents--one of the toughest--but Safina did the same thing with her that she did with her other opponents: She kept a cool head about her, figured out what to do to win, and then launched a successful two-set campaign.

Winning Berlin--especially the way she won it--places Safina in a whole new category of players. She is serving very well, hitting sharp, accurate groundstrokes, successfully neutralizing the deep, hard shots of powerful opponents, and using her doubles skills to be successful at the net. Most of all, though, she is playing as though she believes she is there to win. This was a most impressive victory for a most impressive champion.

All-Russian final to be played in Berlin

Dinara Safina defeated an injured Victoria Azarenka, and Elena Dementieva defeated defending champion Ana Ivanovic in today's Qatar Telecom German Open semifinals. From what I have heard, Azarenka began cramping some time in the second set. She and partner Shahar Peer later retired during the first set of their doubles match.

Those who have been paying attention will not be surprised to see Dementieva in another final, but few were expecting to see Safina in this final. She was in the final of another Tier I tournament last year, in Charleston, but she had great difficulty playing in the high winds that followed the tornadoes that struck in the Charleston area. Her opponent, Jelena Jankovic, handled the winds expertly and won easily. Safina was also a finalist in Rome in 2006.

Dementieva has yet to lose to Ivanovic. She and Safina have played four times, but in one of those contests (Berlin, 2004), Safina had to retire. Dementieva won two of the others, but lost their only other clay match, which was played in Rome in 2006.

Spanish team upsets Peschke and Stubbs

Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Martinez Sanchez, members of Spain's successful Fed Cup team, upset number 2 seeds Kveta Peschke and Rennae Stubbs in Berlin today, 6-2, 3-6, 16-14. In the final, they will play Cara Black and Liezel Huber, who won their semifinal match when opponents Victoria Azarenka and Shahar Peer retired in the middle of the first set. Azarenka suffered from cramping earlier in the day when she lost to Dinara Safina in her singles semifinal match.

Berlin: For me, both disappointing and thrilling

My favorite player, Amelie Mauresmo, withdrew. One of my other favorites, Patty Schnyder, was upset early. My third big favorite on the tour, Jelena Jankovic, was upset today. And Alona Bondarenko, whom I really enjoy watching, was also upset.

However, I couldn't help but be excited for Dinara Safina, who is having a huge tournament. I watched her play today, and I was very impressed with her service game and her mental toughness. And it's exciting to have Victoria Azarenka (even though she beat Bondarenko) in the semifinals, and perhaps Agnes Szavay, too (I hope).

We may have an unexpected winner. Can Safina keep it up, or will she finally wind down? Is this the right time for Elena Dementieva to take another Tier I? Will Azarenka stun everyone? Will Szavay? Or will Ana Ivanovic defend her title?

Upset City, Germany

Dinara Safina defeated Justine Henin for the first time today

First it was Svetlana Kuznetsova, who lost to Alona Bondarenko. Then the really big upset came: Dinara Safina defeated Justine Henin. After that, Agnes Szavay squeaked by Marion Bartoli. Other seeds had already been upset, but not many people were expecting to see Henin and Kuznetsova go out in the third round.

Henin had a first serve percentage of 43, though she had a first serve win percentage of 66. Her second serve win percentage was 32, and she double-faulted seven times. She was broken eight times by Safina.

Alona Bondarenko is coming into her own as a clay court player. Her next challenge will be Victoria Azarenka, who defeated clay court specialist Gisela Dulko.

Bondarenko def. Kuznetsova, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
Safina def. Henin, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
Szavay def. Bartoli, 7-5, 7-5

Russians have mostly good results in Berlin today

Both Nadia Petrova and Anna Chakvetadze--neither of whom is having much of a season--were upset today at the Qatar Telecom German Open. Petrova's countrywoman, Maria Kirilenko, defeated her, 6-3, 6-3, and Victoria Azarena defeated Chakvetadze, 1-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Other Russians who got through to the third round were Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Dushevina.

Pass the cream cheese

Some stats from yesterday's and today's Berlin matches:

Kanepi def. Knapp, 6-0, 6-1
Radwanska def. Kerber, 6-0, 5-3 (ret.)
Peng def. Craybas, 7-6, 5-7, 6-0
Bartoli def. Safarova, 6-0, 6-3
Kleybanova def. Govortsova, 6-0, 6-0

Schnyder and Vaidisova upset in Berlin

Number 9 seed Patty Schnyder lost her second round match to Vera Dushevina, 6-2, 6-3, today in Berlin. From the looks of the stats, Schnyder was having trouble with her serve, which can go from outstanding to dismal in the course of a few matches.

Also upset was Nicole Vaidisova, seeded number 12. Not surprisingly, Vaidisova was defeated by clay specialist Gisela Dulko, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Bondarenkos send phenoms out of Berlin

The Bondarenko sisters, Alona and Kateryna, sent two of the tour's hottest young stars out of Berlin today. Alona Bondarenko defeated clay specialist Dominika Cibulkova, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, and Kateryna Bondarenko defeated Tamira Paszek, 6-4, 6-3.

The other hot young clay star, Alize Cornet, fared no better when she was beaten by clay veteran Francesca Schiavone, in a close, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 contest.

Two other good young players did better. Agnieszka Radwanska won her match against Angelique Kerber when Kerber retired at 6-0, 5-3, and Caroline Wozniacki upset a vulnerable Tatiana Golovin, 7-5, 6-1.

Not surprisingly, the struggling Shahar Peer was also upset--wild card Sabine Lisicki defeated her, 7-6, 6-1.

Alona Bondarenko will face either Tathiana Garbin or Anabel Medina Garrigues in the second round. Kateryna Bondarenko will play Elena Dementieva.

German Open first round features some interesting matches

Talented young clay star Alize Cornet is playing in Berlin next week

Waiting for her in the opening round is tough clay veteran Francesca Schiavone

We don't know who the qualifiers are yet, so there could be even more interesting matches, but check out what we know so far:

Schiavone v. Cornet: No one, no matter how talented she is, wants to meet Francesca Schiavone in the first round (or any round) of a red clay tournament. The very talented Cornet could have problems dealing with the Italian's lobs, spins and beautiful one-handed backhand.

Cibulkova v. A. Bondarenko: Dominika Cibulkova appears to be a clay specialist, at least at this point in her career, but Alona Bondarenko is pretty good on the surface, too. This could be quite a contest.

Vaidisova v. Dulko: Vaidisova is trying to get her career back on track, and clay expert Dulko's game has improved a lot of late. If Dulko can keep her newly improved serve working reasonably well throughout the match--something she failed to do against Serena Williams in Charleston--she can move to the second round.

Wozniacki v. Golovin: Golovin is trying to come back from an injury and surgery layoff, and Wozniacki has had a problem with her left ankle for the last few weeks. Neither will be in especially good form.

K. Bondarenko v. Paszek: Kateryna Bondarenko can use her doubles skills to throw the relentless baseliner off her rhythm. This could be interesting if Bondarenko is willing to play agressively.

Petrova v. Srebotnik: Petrova is one of the very best clay players on the tour, but her career has been on a downward spiral for some time. Srebotnik, also good on clay, is playing quite well these days.

Razzano v. Safarova: Virginie Razzano defines the term "late bloomer." Red clay is not her best surface, but Lucie Safarova is not doing well on any surface these days.

Peer v. Lisicki: Shahar Peer is not having much of a season, so far. On paper, she should be able to take care of the big-hitting but tactically deficient Sabine Lisicki, but considering how she's been playing lately, she may have to really work this one.

Bammer v. Krajicek: Neither is having that good a season; Michaella Krajicek, in fact, is having a dreadful season. She and Sybille Bammer have played each other on clay twice, and have split the victories.

Sharapova withdraws from Berlin

Citing an unidentified injury, Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Qatar Telecom German Open. Daniela Hantuchova is out of the tournament, of course, because of a heel injury. There is a possibility she will not play in Rome, either.