YEC--final words

This year's Year-End Championships were a bit strange, for sure. I thought Maria Sharapova was going to withdraw, but she didn't. Venus Williams did withdraw, and Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic had to retire because of injury and illness, respectively. Here are my final critiques:

Justine Henin (5-0, dropped one set)--Her performance further seals her position as way at the top of women's tennis. Every month, she gets better, and if she stays in good health, she will continue to be the toughest opponent on the tour.

Jelena Jankovic (0-3)--It was sad to see someone with her talent give such a lackluster performance--and finally retire--because of illness. However, it was no surprise: Jankovic has to scale back her schedule or she will flake out again before the season ends.

Serena Williams--It seemed clear from the way she was bandaged all the way to Barcelona that Williams should not have been there. It would have been nice for Marion Bartoli to have more preparation, and for her not to have to inherit a loss.

Anna Chakvetadze (2-1)--2-1 sounds good, but one win was from Williams' retirement, and the other involved defeating a sick opponent. Chakvetadze's overall performance was dismal, and marked by a mental meltdown. The mental part of the game is still Chakvetadze's weakness, and though she has improved from a year or two ago, she still has a long way to go.

Marion Bartoli (1-2)--This record is deceptive, also. One of Bartoli's losses she inherited from Serena Williams (by retirement), and her only win was against Jankovic, also by retirement. She was pulverized by Henin. But she also did not get to prepare much, and she gets a nod for maintaining her cool and her sense of humor under unusual circustances.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (0-3)--This is the worst record of the YEC because Kuznetsova had neither an injury or an illness; she just kept losing. Ivanovic, Sharapova and Hantuchova are all tough opponents, but one would expect the number 2 player in the world to come up with something better.

Ana Ivanovic (2-2)--Ivanovic, on the whole, performed well in Madrid. She got to the semifinals and had to face Henin. But unlike her meltdown in the French Open final against Henin, this time, Ivanovic held her nerve and put up a fight.

Maria Sharapova (4-1)--Sharapova has not played much tennis this year because of a bad shoulder injury and resulting bursitis. Because the shoulder made it so difficult for her to serve, she also experienced service problems when she was finally physically able to serve, undoubtedly for psychological reasons. She withdrew from the tournaments preceding the YEC, began practicing only a week before the YEC, and I expected her to withdraw from Madrid, too. Instead, she put on a show like the one she put on at the 2006 U.S. Open. A 3 1/2 hour final took too much out of her, though, and in the final set, she physically faded, and even had trouble breathing. But her performance was wonderful, and we have much to look forward to in 2008.

Daniela Hantuchova (1-2)--Hantuchova was the surprise participant in this year's YEC, and despite her 1-2 record, she is to be commended for her level of play. She came very close to taking out Ivanovic, but she choked away--as she is so prone to do--the last couple of points. Her defeat of Kuznetsova was stunning. Hantuchova has worked hard to get back into the top 10 after a long time away from it, and her YEC appearance was a good one.

Henin wins Year-End Championships in best match of the season

Both of them were 4-0 coming into the final. Henin, the defending champion, had already had a fantastic season, and Sharapova--because of a shoulder injury and resulting bursitis--had had almost no season at all, and did not start practicing until a week before the championships. Considering how little preparation she had, it was Sharapova who astounded with a dazzling performance that eventually wilted because of physical fatigue and breathing difficulty. Her service problems abolished, she hit not only powerful groundstrokes, but also some very effective volleys--not a characteristic Sharapova strength.

This is to take nothing away from Henin, whose brilliance on the court is unsurpassed. Again having problems with her serve, Henin compensated for them with court speed, clever change-ups, and her usual array of uncanny shots.

The last game of the first set lasted 20 minutes, with Sharapova winning on her 8th break point. Anyone who thought the match was going to get tamer after that was in for a surprise. Even toward the end, when Sharapova looked like she might fall down, the quality of play was high, if not quite as high as before. The match lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes, and the diminished Sharapova fought to the end. No matter whom you wanted to win, the championship match was a joy to watch.

With this victory, Justine Henin earned $5,367, 086 this year, giving her the highest income within a year of any female athlete in history.

Black and Huber win Year-End-Championships

It wasn't always pretty, but Cara Black and Liezel Huber, the number one doubles team in the world, defeated Katarina Srebotnik and Ai Sugiyama, 5-7, 7-3, 10-8 in Madrid today. It was the first time that Black and Huber had won the Year-End Championships. The match, though somewhat messy, was lively, and featured some splendid shot-making, especially from Srebotnik and Black.

Madrid finals set

As expected, Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova are on their way to a final match at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships in Madrid. Sharapova had an easy time of it today, as her opponent, the ever-fragile Anna Chakvetadze, melted away in an mental meltdown--she has them from time to time--and offered inadequate resistance. Final score: Sharapova def. Chakvetadze, 6-2, 6-2

In the other semifinal, Ana Ivanovic gave Justine Henin an entertaining battle, but it wasn't enough to stop the world number one. There were multiple breaks, and for a moment, it looked like we would get a third set, but it was not to be. Final score: Henin def. Ivanovic, 6-4, 6-4

In doubles action, Srebotnik and Sugiyama defeated Chan and Chuang, 6-2, 6-2, and Black and Huber defeated Peschke and Stubbs, 7-6, 4-6, 10-6.

Madrid semifinals--no surprises expected here

The Sony Ericcson WTA Tour Year-End Championships are down to four players: Justine Henin, Anna Chakvetadze, Ana Ivanovic, and Maria Sharapova. The semifinals break down like this:

Henin v. Ivanovic: They have played only twice, both times on clay, Henin's best surface. The first match, in Warsaw in 2005, was close. The second one, the final of this year's French Open, was a huge disappointment: Ivanovic, realizing the moment, simply went to pieces.

Ivanovic, who does not yet have the experience to shrug off bad times, is probably feeling somewhat demoralized by the thrashing she got from Maria Sharapova in their YEC match. All she needs now is to face Henin, but that is exactly what she gets. If she can take a set off of Henin, she will have reason to feel very proud, but I don't think that is a likely scenario.

Sharapova v. Chakvetadze: For her part, Chakvetadze has an 0-5 record against Sharapova. Three of their matches have been close and very competitive, so statistically speaking, Chakvetadze has a chance. But if Sharapova comes out with the kind of tennis she used to obliterate Ivanovic, she will have another straight-set win. Unlike some fans, I do not believe that Chakvetadze's problem is that Sharapova overpowers her; her problem is that she has mental lapses. Though she dislikes comparisons with Hingis, Chakvetadze does have the kind of court sense that made Hingis successful. But she is not consistently mentally tough, and is prone to making unforced errors when she is under pressure.

If Henin and Sharapova do win, as expected, and Sharapova's shoulder continues to behave, we should get a high quality final.

Sharapova is back...and how

In a stunning display reminiscent of her 2006 U.S. Open run, Sharapova totally dominated Ana Ivanovic in her third round robin Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships match, easily defeating her, 6-1, 6-2. Sharapova's did not appear to be hampered in the least by her problematic shoulder. Rather, it was Ivanovic who had problems, as Sharapova went on a crosscourt tear and hit winner after winner, leaving Ivanovic with no defense. Sharapova never faced a break point. (And by the way, I really like her YEC outfit.)

Sharapova's victory puts her at the top of the Red Group, which means that she will play Anna Chakvetadze in the semifinals. Ivanovic will play world number one Justine Henin, who finished at the top of the Yellow Group. Both Sharapova and Henin won all three of their round robin matches.

In other action, Jelena Jankovic, clearly on her last leg and sick with a virus, had to retire, with Marion Bartoli leading, 6-1, 1-0. It was painful to watch an obviously sick Jankovic try to tough it out, but it was no surprise--after her overwhelming and unwisely planned schedule--that her body would go to pieces at the end of the season. Jankovic says she has been ill for a couple of days, which would certainly explain her lackluster performances against both Justine Henin and Anna Chakvetadze. She received loud applause when she walked off the court, none, in fact, more enthusiastic than the applause she got from Bartoli. It was a sad ending for Jankovic in Madrid; we can only hope she has learned a lesson and will tone her schedule way down in 2008.

The final match was between Svetlana Kuznetsova and Daniela Hantuchova. Hantuchova showed her new-found toughness by saving five set points in the first set, and by delivering solid first and second serves. The second set was all Hantuchova. Final score: Hantuchova def. Kuznetsova, 7-6, 6-0. Had Hantuchova not choked away the last two points of her match against Ana Ivanovic, she would be in the semifinals, and her chances would be good. Nevertheless, this has been a great year for Hantuchova, who is playing some of the best tennis of her career.

Hingis in Madrid

An unexpected guest showed up Friday at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships in Madrid. Martina Hingis was seen chatting with both Svetlana Kuznetsova and second alternate Elena Dementieva in the players' lounge, according to Tennis.com.

3 matchs to go in Madrid before semifinals are played

The remaining singles round robin matches in Madrid involve two dead rubbers and one decider. The dead rubbers, however, do determine whether someone goes home with an 0-3 record. Jelena Jankovic (whom Bartoli also eliminated from Wimbledon competition) plays Marion Bartoli, and who knows what will happen? Jankovic, as I predicted way back when, has burned out, and Bartoli is, well...Bartoli. Whoever loses goes home 0-3. In the other dead rubber, Svetlana Kuznetsova plays Daniela Hantuchova, and whoever loses winds up 0-3.

The third match, between Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova, determines how the semifinals are set up. The loser will play Justine Henin, not something to look forward to. The winner will get Anna Chakvetadze.

YEC doubles draw announced

The draw for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships semifinals is:

Black/Huber v. Peschke Stubbs
Srebotnik/Sugiyama v. Chan/Chuang

The Tennis Channel is carrying the doubles competition live.

YEC scores so far

Here is a breakdown of the current Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships scores:

YELLOW GROUP

Justine Henin--2-0 (defeated Chakvetadze and Jankovic)
Jelena Jankovic--0-1 (lost to Henin)
Marion Bartoli--0-1 (alternate: inherits Serena Williams' loss to Chakvetadze by retirement)
Anna Chakvetadze--1-1 (lost to Henin; won 2nd match by Williams' retirement)

RED GROUP

Svetlana Kuznetsova--0-1 (lost to Ivanovic)
Ana Ivanovic--2-0 (defeated Kuznetsova and Hantuchova)
Maria Sharapova--1-0 (defeated Hantuchova)
Daniela Hantuchova--0-2 (cheated out of 2nd match 3rd set against Ivanovic by terrible line calling)

Next, Kuznetsova plays Sharapova, Henin plays Bartoli, and Jankovic plays Chakvetadze.

Henin, Chakvetadze and Ivanovic win in Madrid

In their tenth meeting, Justine Henin had a fairly easy time of it against Jelena Jankovic in today's Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships competition. Jankovic showed flashes of the brilliance that has made her number 3 in the world, but anyone who follows professional tennis knows that she is burned out, and badly in need of a better serve. Final score: Henin def. Jankovic, 6-2, 6-2.

Anna Chakvetadze looked good, but it didn't really matter. Her opponent, Serena Williams, retired with a knee injury after the first set, and has withdrawn from the tournament.

The match to watch was the one between Ana Ivanovic and Daniela Hantuchova. Hantuchova seemed lackluster in the first set, but picked up her level of play in the second to the degree that she was, on occasion, absolutely brilliant. She fought her way to a tiebreak, saved three match points, and then--just when it looked like there was going to be a third set--she remembered she was Daniela Hantuchova and choked away the last two points. In fairness, though, Hantuchova should have taken the set, but she was the victim of a bad line call at a crucial time. Even that could be written off to bad luck, only Hantuchova was the victim of bad line calls throughout the entire match. It would be nice if someone with relatively good vision would call the lines. Final score: Ivanovic def. Hantuchova, 6-2, 7-6 (9).

Serena Williams--the walking wounded

Will it ever end? Just when Serena Williams gets her game together, she endures another knee injury. Today, at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships, she came onto the court looking--at least from the waist down--like an extra from an old mummy movie. She was coy about it in the pre-match interview, preferring to mumble "preventive." I'll say. Only not preventive enough. After retiring at the end of the first set, Williams was taken to a Madrid hospital with her knee hurting her quite a bit. The match went to Anna Chakvetadze, who won the first set 6-4, and who--her opponent's injury aside--was looking pretty good.

After getting an MRI, Williams has decided to withdraw from the Madrid event, which means that first alternate Marion Bartoli will step in and play, of all people, Justine Henin, in the next match. Bartoli brilliantly defeated Henin in the Wimbledon semifinals. (Commentators, are you listening? Henin did not have a "meltdown" at Wimbledon--she got her ass kicked.) Henin and Bartoli very likely would have met in the finals of Zurich Open a few weeks ago, but Bartoli had to retire from a match against Tatiana Golovin that she was winning.

Of course, given Henin's current level of play and Bartoli's unscheduled appearance, there is little chance that Bartoli will prevail in Madrid. She will inherit Serena Williams' 0-1 record, which means that if things go as expected, she will be 0-2 after tomorrow's match. It is a pity that Bartoli was not given the chance to go to Madrid with the other players, rather than get called in after Williams' elaborate preventive bandaging failed her.

The final eight in Madrid

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships start in Madrid tomorrow, with the eight top players of 2007 competing to win. Here is the breakdown for round-robin play:

YELLOW GROUP:

Justine Henin--World number one and defending champion Henin has to be a huge favorite to repeat in Madrid. She is playing outstanding tennis, and--unlike many of her peers--does not play a lot of tournaments. Her health seems to be good and she is not dealing with any significant injury.

Jelena Jankovic--Henin is her nemesis: She has never beaten her, though she has come terribly close. She will have to get through Henin in order to make it to the final rounds. Jankovic, who has the talent to win the Year-Ends, may not have the stamina. She has overplayed this year, and even the fittest players eventually burn out if they do not get adequate rest. Mental burnout is probably another issue Jankovic has to face, also.

Serena Williams--Storming into the Australian Open and winning it, out of nowhere, was a grand accomplishment, as was Williams' victory in Miami. But since then, she has looked vulnerable and inconsistent, and she has had a lot of trouble with Henin. Of course, Williams could always storm in and win in Madrid, too--it's hard to tell with her these days.

Anna Chakvetadze--The talented Russian has experienced a meltdown at the end of this season, and unless she picks up her level, she may not last long in Madrid.

RED GROUP:

Svetlana Kuznetsova--Kuznetsova could easily move to a semifinal or even a final in Madrid. She has the talent, is in good health, and has a comfortable draw. She has trouble being consistent throughout a match, however, and on a good day, another member of her group could take advantage of that. Round-robin plays allows for one loss, in most cases, however, so Kuznetsova looks good to back up her world number two spot.

Ana Ivanovic--Though not as inconsistent as Chakvetadze, Ivanovic does sometimes seem to be two different players: the scary one with the killer forehand, and the other one--who melts away at big moments. How she does depends on which Ivanovic shows up in Madrid.

Maria Sharapova--I have been expecting Sharapova to withdraw from Madrid play. She has had so many problems with her shoulder and has cancelled most of the latter part of her season. Now I think she was letting her shoulder rest so that she could compete in Madrid. But even if her shoulder is okay (and I certainly hope it is), Sharapova's lack of match play does not put her in a good position to do that well in Madrid. At the same time--if her shoulder is healed--I don't count her out.

Daniela Hantuchova--After so many years of choking and losing rank and just being a competitive mess, it is a real pleasure to see Hantuchova wind up in the top eight (though I hated how she squeezed in--beating Schnyder in Linz--but that's another sad story). Hantuchova is the wild card of the final eight. No one expected her to be at the party, but here she is, anyway, with nothing to lose. She has a comfortable draw (no Henin, no Jankovic) and a recent Tier II victory. Of course, this is Daniela Hantuchova, and she could still choke away any gains she makes. But maybe not. Being in the final eight may mean more to Hantuchova than it does to any of the other players: Working your way back into the top ten after making a big (and lengthy) tumble is not easy, but she did it. Hantuchova could use Madrid to seal her return to the big time.

Sony Ericsson WTA Year-End Championships draw announced

The two round-robin groups have been announced for the Year-End Championships in Madrid:

YELLOW GROUP
Justine Henin
Jelena Jankovic
Serena Williams
Anna Chakvetadze

RED GROUP
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Ana Ivanovic
Maria Sharapova
Daniela Hantuchova

Play begins on Tuesday, November 6.

Final four selection completed

The doubles team of Katarina Srebotnik and Ai Sugiyama, along with the team of Kveta Peschke and Rennae Stubbs, will participate in the Sony Ericsson WTA Year-End Championships in Madrid next month. The other two teams--Black and Huber, and Chan and Chuang--were the first two to qualify. Defending champions Lisa Raymond and Sam Stosur cannot compete because Stosur is recovering from viral meningitis.

Chan and Chuang qualify for final 4

Chan Yung-Jan and Chuang Chia-Jung have qualified in doubles competition for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships. Cara Black and Liezel Huber had already qualified, and there are two slots left. Defending champions Lisa Raymond and Sam Stosur will not be there because Stosur is recovering from viral meningitis, and the highly-ranked Yan Zi and Zheng Jie have not been able to play for several months because of Zheng's ankle injury.

Chakvetadze confirmed as part of final 8

Anna Chakvetadze has been officially confirmed as a competitor in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships. That leaves only two slots open. The round-robin tournament begins November 6 in Madrid.

Raymond and Stosur will not defend title in Madrid

The doubles team of Lisa Raymond and Sam Stosur, who won last year's Sony Ericsson WTA Year-End Championships, will not be in Madrid next month to defend their title. Stosur has been ill with viral meningitis for much of the latter part of the season, and she is currently receiving treatment in the U.S. that will take up to six weeks to complete.

This is a blow to fans, but good for Stosur, who should be healthy and ready to play by 2008.

4 cities selected to compete for 2008 WTA tour championships

For many years, the Year-End Championships were held in Los Angeles, but last year, they were moved to Madrid, the home of the men's championships. However, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour recently underwent a global bidding competition for the 2008 event, and the finalists are Bangalore, Doha, Istambul, and Monerrey. The winning city will be announced later this month.