Passing shots

The WTA site has a feature story on Patty Schnyder's emotional farewell in Charleston.

Francesca Schiavone has withdrawn from Stuttgart because of exhaustion. Yanina Wickmayer has also withdrawn, in order to give her knee some rest.

"I’m a younger player with not as much experience and I played some stupid things," Bojana Jovanovski said of her Fed Cup loss to Dominika Cibulkova.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands reports that competitive shooting is her latest interest.

You know about her skills with a soccer ball, but here, you can learn even more about Sara Errani.

Belgium and Czech Republic tied 1-1 in Fed Cup play

When Barbora Zahlavova Strycova served at 4-5 in the second set in her semifinal Fed Cup rubber against Yanina Wickmayer, what emerged what arguably one of the best games of the season. It was a very long game, in which the Czech player held numerous game points, but was not able to convert them. To keep herself (and her country) in the match, she pulled out every shot imaginable. The highlights included a successful serve-and-volley play, a slide-forward down the line volley, and a drop shot. It took Wickmayer a long time to get a break point, and she won the game, thereby winning the match 6-4, 6-4.

These two had never played each other before, and I was really looking forward to seeing them in their first-ever match. They didn't disappoint me. The second semifinal rubber of the day was a high quality, sometimes thrilling, affair. Earlier in the day, the Czech Republic won the first rubber when Petra Kvitova defeated Kirsten Flipkens 6-2, 7-6. Tomorrow's highlight will be the rubber featuring Wickmayer and Kvitova.

In the other semifinal, Russia leads 2-0. Vera Zvonareva defeated Sara Errani 6-0, 6-2, and Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-7, 6-1. And while it can no longer be said that Vinci has never lost a Fed Cup match--this is an unusual situation, in which Vinci has been called on to play singles instead of doubles. Indeed, the Italian has never lost a Fed Cup doubles match.

Here are other day 1 results:

World Group play-offs

Germany--2, USA--0
Spain--1, France--1
Slovak Republic--1, Serbia--1
Australia--1, Ukraine--1

World Group II play-offs
Belarus--2, Estonia--0
Slovenia--1, Canada--1
Switzerland--2, Sweden--0
Japan vs. Argentina--postponed until July

The contest between France and Spain is also of interest. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez defeated Virginie Razzano 6-2, 6-4. The next rubber was a lively one, with Anabel Madina Garrigues playing Aravane Rezai. Medina Garrigues is in the midst of a comeback, of sorts, and Rezai needs to be in the midst of one. The Frenchwoman certainly made a good start, with a 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 win.

"Sunshine mixed with clouds"

That was the weather forecast I heard on the radio on the way to the Family Circle Cup today. The "clouds," it turned out, came in the form of 6th seed Yanina Wickmayer, who pushed world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki to three tough quarterfinal sets in Charleston. Taking the ball quickly and hitting forehand winners up the line and crosscourt, Wickmayer won the first set 6-4.

The Belgian player then went up a break in the second set, but lost her serve at 3-2 when she made an ill-timed decision to hit a drop volley. Wickmayer remained very competitive, but she missed a number of volleys after setting them up as potential winners. At 4-5, Wickmayer was broken at love. She went up a break in the third set, and hit a crowd-thrilling stab volley when she attempted to take a second break over Wozniacki.

That break of serve did not happen. Wickmayer's net game improved somewhat in the third set, but Wozniacki became more aggressive. Wickmayer served at 4-5, and then--just like that--she appeared lost. Her service game declined, and she attempted one last drop shot with little commitment, giving Wozniacki a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Throughout the match, Wickmayer hit solidly when she was being instinctual, but when she had a moment to think, things didn't go as well. She said, afterwards, that she had made a decision to add more dimensions to her game, and that she feels good about adding them. Clearly, she isn't comfortable with her new game yet, but she sounded positive about continuing to do more than "hitting, hitting." Wickmayer is working on a trial basis with  Vladimir Platenik, who is helping her expand her game. A former top 20 player, the Belgian would have had to reach the final in Charleston to return to the top 20.

I spoke with Wickmayer a few days ago about her physical health (a wall fell on her last year). She said that her leg is better, but that she is still having problems with the nerve, and she has been told by her doctors that it could take up to a year for the nerve damage to heal. (She also said that she enjoys skiing, but she can no longer ski because it's too risky: "I want to go too fast.")

Wozniacki has now been seriously challenged in two consecutive matches, but has prevailed in the usual Wozniacki way--by getting almost every ball back, waiting for her opponent to make errors, and turning to aggression when she believes it's necessary. Her next opponent is Jelena Jankovic, who ended the exciting run of Christina McHale with a 6-2, 6-0 win. Wozniacki is 1-4 against Jankovic. The two have never before faced each other on clay.

The match between Wozniacki and Wickmayer was a really noisy affair. Near me, there was action going on with some type of tournament equipment, a walkie-talkie-type communication somehow got amplified, and there was loud talking and laughing from some fans (something you usually hear at night matches). And of course, there was the repeated "Om-pah," "Whoopee!" exchange from the players.

Working it

The heat was hot, and the ground was dry

But the air was full of sound.

The screams of Maria Sharapova seemed to take on a new meaning last night in the California desert, as she won only three games and made 41 unforced errors in her semifinal match against world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki. Sharapova. seeded 16th in Indian Wells,  looked lost--almost from the first moment--and failed to hold serve in the first set. She waited longer than is her custom to strike, she flubbed what few volleys she set up, she had repeated service problems, and she missed the lines on many occasions. Wozniacki did not find it necessary to do much more than serve as a backboard for the Russian's errant shots. After an hour and 20 minutes, she advanced to the BNP Paribas Open final.

Yesteday's other semifinal match featured Marion Bartoli at her absolute best, serving and returning at a very high level against 23rd seed Yanina Wickmayer. Bartoli had a moment, at the beginning of the second set, in which she double-faulted three times consecutively, but other than that, her serve was on fire, and she ended the match with ten aces and an 83% first serve win percentage. The 15th seed defeated Wickmayer 6-1, 6-3.

Should Bartoli (who dealt with a stomach virus earlier in the tournament) play in the final the way she did in the semifinals, there will be an exciting contest tomorrow. But between Bartoli's physical fragility and the ever-changing success of her service game, all we can do is be optimistic that she repeats her performance. Wozniacki, on the other hand, has taken consistency to its highest level.

In doubles, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Meghann Shaughnessy will compete today in the final against Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina.  Mattek-Sands and Shaugnessy received a walkover in the semifinals from 6th seeds Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko. Mirza and Vesnina defeated Daniela Hantuchova and Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-4.

Bartoli and Wickmayer go to BNP Paribas Open semifinals

It wasn't easy for her, but Marion Bartoli became the first player to advance to the semifinals in Indian Wells today. Troubled by the heat, the 15th seed engaged with 19th seed Ana Ivanovic in a match that contained thirteen breaks serve, eight of which occurred in the second set. Bartoli said that the cooler weather in the first set definitely helped her, and in the second set, she just had to slow down and take her time. Bartoli is, of course, known for a certain degree of physical fragility; today, she fought through it and defeated Ivanovic 6-4, 7-6. Ivanovic, I should add, certainly wasn't the player she was in the previous round.

The second quarterfinal match was a more efficient affair. 23rd seed Yanina Wickmayer took control of the match right away, and never let go. She defeated 10th seed Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-3. Wickmayer had a solid 74/60 first and second serve win percentage.

In doubles quarterfinal play, 3rd seeds Liezel Huber and Nadia Petrova were defeated 6-4, 6-3 by Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Meghann Shaughnessy. Also, 4th seeds Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova were stunningly upset 6-1, 6-0 by Daniela Hantuchova and Agnieszka Radwanska. (Last year, Daniela Hantuchova said that she was dropping doubles, but she has evidently changed her mind; you have to have a chart to keep up with who's who on the doubles teams.)

Passing shots

Maria Sharapova has been suffering with an upper respiratory infection and had to withdraw from this week's tournament in Paris. She was scheduled to play in Dubai next week, but her name does not appear in the draw.

The decision was announced today: The French Open will remain at Roland Garros. 

Fashion note: During her week in Paris, Yanina Wickmayer was sporting some Bethanie Mattek-Sands-style black knee socks. Wickmayer plays wild card Bojana Jovanovski in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Speaking of apparel, he WTA Tour is still not offering any fan merchandise featuring the tour's new name and lame new logo.

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova is the top seed in Memphis next week. The next two seeds are Sofia Arvidsson and Melanie Oudin.

Aravane Rezai is expected to return to the tour for the tournament in Doha.

2011 starts with a great story: Arn wins Auckland

Greta Arn was supposed to play in the ASB Classic qualifying rounds, but some late withdrawals opened a slot for her in the main draw. That was a piece of good fortune, and Arn needed it--she arrived in Auckland without her coach (he didn't want to make the long trip), and without her luggage (it was lost).

Until last year, Arn had become an almost forgotten journeywoman. The 31-year-old Hungarian has played for both Germany and Hungary, and, for a few years, she didn't play at all. Then, in 2007, with a ranking of 176, she qualified for and won the Estoril tournament by defeating Victoria Azarenka in the final. Last year, she reached the third round of a major (Wimbledon) for the first time in her career.

Today, Arn became the first title-winner of 2011: She defeated defending Auckland champion Yanina Wickmayer 6-3, 6-3. After winning the first set, Arn got a break in the second, but was unable to win a match point on Wickmayer's serve. She then got a match point on her own serve and double-faulted. The "turnaround" looked like it was about to happen, as it does so many times when a better-ranked player is losing, and then takes advantage of an opponent's nerves. At 3-5, Wickmayer appeared to have her service game under complete control, but the determined and still-confident Arn crept in, and won the match--and the tournament--on her third match point.

"I'm 31, you're only 21, believe me, you have so much time," the new champion told her opponent during the trophy ceremony. Her opponent did not appear to be amused.

To win the title, Arn defeated Zuzana Ondraskova, 8th seed Sofia Arvidsson, 1st seed Maria Sharapova, 4th seed Julia Goerges, and 2nd seed Wickmayer. The defending champion had a few long and tough matches in her draw, including an almost three-hour semifinal against Peng Shuai.

The doubles title was won by top seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik. They defeated Sofia Arvidsson and Marina Erakovic 6-3, 6-0.

Sharapova out of ASB Classic

2008 Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova made her 2011 debut in Auckland as the top seed, but today, she lost to Greta Arn in the quarterfinals. Arn--the veterans who has played some of her best tennis in the last year--defeated Sharapova 6-2, 7-5 in a match in which Sharapova won only 25% of points on her second serve. This is the same Sharapova who, arguably, once had the best second serve on the tour. Sharapova had only three break opportunities, and was able to take advantage of just one. Arn broke her five times.

What does this mean, aside from the obvious fact that Arn held her nerve and played well? It's hard to know, but an educated guess is that Sharapova may need what Francesca Schiavone calls a "mental trainer." She's been through a lot, and clearly isn't the player she used to be. She has an extra coach helping her, and the season is very young, but one has to wonder about her confidence level.

2nd seed Yanina Wickmayer had no such problems, beating Simona Halep 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, it's raining in Brisbane, and a lot of match play has been suspended. 4th seed Marion Bartoli, however, has already advanced to the semifinals.

Miscellany

Victoria Azarenka has qualified as the final woman to play in the WTA Championships, which begin on Doha on October 27. (Not to put too fine a point on it, but the alternate should be practicing seriously.)

The New Haven tournament has been saved, but in the future, it will be a women's only event. Unlike many, I consider this a good thing. Now that Pilot Pen is gone, there will be no main sponsor; the sponsorship will be shared by several entities, including Yale University, Aetna and American Express. The tournament has been re-named the New Haven Open.

Yanina Wickmayer has received a Fed Cup Heart Award.

Rebecca Marino and Alison Riske have been grabbing ITF titles right and left. Marino is now Canada's number  1 player.

As previously mentioned by a reader of this blog, Svetlana Kuznetsova's relationship with coach Loic Courteau has ended after only two months. Courteau did not want to go to Moscow to train with Kuznetsova during the off-season. Don't you sort these things out before your hire someone?

This time, it's Schnyder

In the third round of the U.S. Open, Yanina Wickmayer defeated Patty Schnyder 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in an all-out thriller. Today in the first round in Luxembourg, Schnyder beat 3rd-seeded Wickmayer 6-4, 6-4.

The third seed wasn't the only one to make an exit. In the second round, 2nd seed Aravane Rezai was run over 6-0, 6-1 by Kirsten Flipkens, and Iveta Benesova defeated 7th seed Jarmila Groth 6-4, 7-5.

In Moscow, doubles 2nd seeds (and ad hoc team) Elena Vesnina and Liezel Huber were defeated 6-7, 6-4, 12-10 by Olga Govortsova and Alla Kudryavtseva. In singles, all the seeds who played today--Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Alisa Kleybanova and Victoria Azarenka--advanced to the third round. Also, Dominika Cibulkova defeated Tsvetana Pironkova.

It's alive, it's moving...it's ALIVE!

Kaia Kanepi has a history of freezing from anxiety, but she outdid herself today when she allowed 15th seed Yanina Wickmayer to roll over her 6-0 in the first set of their U.S. Open round of 16 match. Kanepi looked as though she had glue on the bottom of her shoes, and to make the contrast more dramatic, Wickmayer was jumping up and down between points and looking like she was powered by the Energizer bunny.

I was hoping that Kanepi had overcome the problem with her nerves, but apparently, she hasn't. But, to her credit, as the second set began, the Tall One from Tallinn slowly came to life, though she went down a break in the second set. She had a set point at 5-4, which Wickmayer saved. The set went to a tiebreak, which Kanepi won decisively, at 7-2. After that, the Estonian rolled, as Wickmayer made more and more errors, and Kanepi found her big serve. Kanepi went up 5-0, in fact, then Wickmayer finally won a game. But that was the only game she was to win in that set.

Wickmayer was a semifinalist in last year's Open, and for a while, she looked on track to meet either Andrea Petkovic or Vera Zvonareva in the quarterfinals. But now it will be the 31st seed who goes for a semifinal slot in Flushing Meadows. The turnaround on both sides in this match was dramatic.

There wasn't a turnaround--not a significant one, anyway, in the final daytime match. Maria Sharapova waited too long to adjust her game against top seed Caroline Wozniacki, and even when she did, the 2006 champion once again could not find her serve.

There were moments of hope for Sharapova fans, however. Down 2-4, 0-40 in the first set, Sharapova held, then broke Wozniacki. But the Russian was unable to hold her serve in the next game. She did save a couple of set points when Wozniacki served for the set at 5-3, but Wozniacki prevailed with a 6-3 first set win.

In the second set--when the 14th seed began to volley and to hit more angled shots--she had a break point when Wozniacki served at 1-2, but that was erased. She would go on to save a match point on her own serve, but the 1st seed had no trouble serving for a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Sharapova hit 32 winners, but she also made 36 unforced errors, and she double-faulted nine times. Wozniacki hit 16 winners and made only 10 unforced errors. She looked as solid as she could be, and I can only imagine what a straight-set win over Sharapova does for her confidence. Wozniacki is about as tough as they come. Sharapova, also known for her toughness, obviously isn't "back" yet.

I enjoyed the Sharapova-Wozniacki match, but it started while the Kanepi-Wickmayer match was still in progress, and I had trouble taking my eyes off of the strange goings-on in Louis Armstrong Stadium. Sometimes--at least for me--the more unusual matches are the compelling ones. So far, my favorite two have been the Stosur-Dementieva match and the Schnyder-Wickmayer match. I also enjoyed watching Venus Williams play Shahar Peer, and all of Francesca Schiavone's matches, just because she played in them.

Wickmayer wins thriller against Schnyder

If you're a fan of Patty Schnyder, I feel your pain.

Actually, I may be too preoccupied with feeling my own pain.

Wickmayer defeated Schnyder 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 today in Flushing Meadows, and now advances to the U.S. Open round of 16. Wickmayer, who was a semifinalist last year, was visibly relieved to escape Schnyder, who pulled out every shot for which she is known--and then some--against the 15th seed. The Swiss veteran dropped, spun, served out wide, changed pace, kicked the ball up in the wind, and generally made a nuisance of herself against a player who likes to play short  points.

The first set was tense, and Wickmayer won secured the tiebreak 7-5. In the second set, Schnyder appeared to conquer the wind, and was able to play her classic lefty, spinning, dropping, "I don't care how hard you want to hit the ball" game. She took the set 6-3.

The third set was so tension-filled, it was impossible to take your eyes away from it. Each player had multiple opportunities to get ahead, and--serving at 3-4--Schnyder saved three break points to hold serve. She then forced Wickmayer into a deuce service game, but the 15th seed hit a huge serve, which was followed by a point won on a mis-hit from Schnyder. Soon after, Wickmayer held a match point, which Schnyder saved, and the pair wound up in a second tiebreak.

As a viewer, I was exhausted at this point, and I could only imagine how the players felt, especially since the wind sometimes made it so hard for them to hit toward the lines. And just when you thought that one of them might let up mentally, a winner or a stunning defensive shot would be produced.

Schnyder went up 5-3 in the tiebreak, but could not hold on to the mini-break. Later, she held a match point, but Wickmayer saved it. Schnyder then saved another match point, and there was every reason to believe in her mental strength at that point. But at 6-7, she missed a serve out wide, and the second serve (which she either hit too far out wide, or it was carried a bit by the wind) went out, also. And just like that, it was over.

The match lasted two hours and 33 minutes, though it seemed to go on much longer. Schnyder hit 40 winners and made 41 unforced errors. Wickmayer hit 31 winners and made 47 unforced errors. It was hardly a clean match for the Belgian, but she fought impressively for every point she made, and was able to defeat not only a very clever opponent, but one whom she had never before played.

Bartoli & Wickmayer out of San Diego tournament in 1st round

Yesterday, Daniela Hantuchova upset San Diego 6th seed Marion Bartoli 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the first round. Also going out was 8th seed Yanina Wickmayer, who was defeated 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 by Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Yaroslava Shvedova defeated Nadia Petrova, 7th seed Shahar Peer defeated Ana Ivanovic, and Melanie Oudin defeated lucky loser Jamie Hampton.

In doubles, the 3rd seeds, Alisa Kleybanova and Nadia Petrova, were upset 6-1, 6-3 by Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Yan Zi.

Miscellany

It generally takes a while (well, a long time) for researchers to get around to studying females instead of extrapolating onto us the results of studies using male subjects. Here is a very interesting, and useful, study about female athletes, carbohydrates and proteins.

This is from the New York Times Wimbledon Straight Sets blog, and is a nice tribute to Julie Ditty from her former coach, Geoff MacDonald.

Here is a new profile of Alison Riske (via Zoo Tennis).

Who would play Bethanie Mattek-Sands in a biopic of the Fed Cup star?

Maria Sharapova and Yanina Wickmayer will be doubles partners in Stanford.

Wickmayer recovering from elbow surgery

Yanina Wickmayer is recovering from surgery to remove a bone spur from her elbow. The surgery was done on Saturday, and should heal in about ten days.

Williams and Bartoli go to Miami semifinals

It wasn't always attractive, but it doesn't have to be. Marion Bartoli and Yanina Wickmayer, meeting for the first time, played a topsy-turvy semifinal in Miami this evening. There were 12 breaks of serve, and Bartoli double-faulted 7 times. 12th seed Wickmayer, when all was said and done, wasn't up to the task of dealing with Bartoli's return of serve, which is her best shot. In fact, when she isn't injured or otherwise preoccupied, it's the shot that wins matches.

The first two games of the first set were long ones, and they were indicative of how the entire match would look. It took her a while, but Bartoli broke Wickmayer four times to take the first set 6-4. In the second set, Wickmayer began to hit with more confidence. Bartoli kept up the pressure, though, and never appeared to waver in confidence, even when things went wrong. For example, she was broken after leading 40-0 in one game, but she handled it calmly. Serving at 4-5, Bartoli went down 0-40, but eventually held. She then broke Wickmayer, and held for a 6-4, 7-5 victory.

The last game of the match was also a microcosm of the whole thing: Bartoli had three match points. She double-faulted the first one, and Wickmayer saved the second one when a netcord roller went her way. But on the third, the 13th seed won a place in the semifinals.

Earlier in the day, 3rd seed Venus Williams defeated 6th seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-1. This match should have been more competitive, but Radwanksa has issues with her serve. Williams didn't: She had a first serve percentage of 77, and hit 8 aces.

Miscellany

Yanina Wickmayer's father says that if she isn't scheduled to play singles, Wickmayer won't be at Belgium's Fed Cup match against Estonia. Wickmayer, it should be noted, says it doesn't matter to her--that she plans to be there to support her team, no matter what.

Anna Kournikova talks with Peter Bodo about her life.

Sam Stosur is cross-dominant, and eats with her left hand.

Melanie Oudin is the first U.S. woman to commit to playing on the USA Fed Cup squad next month in the semifinal against Russia.

ESPN is making a documentary on the Evert-Navratilova rivalry.

Miscellany

Dinara Safina has withdrawn from the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami because of continuing problems with her back.

Daniela Hantuchova injured her back in Indian Wells and is on her way to see a doctor for additional treatment. The injury does not appear to be serious, and she hopes to be fine for Miami.

Steve Tignor's March 15 column is all about Yanina Wickmayer.

Tennis Channel has done some new Bag Checks. The Bag Check segment is an entertaining diversion. Look for new ones featuring Sabine Lisicki, Alona Bondarenko and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

I like Carla Suarez Navarro's old-school tennis outfit.

Ashley Harkleroad will play in Miami next week. She has a protected ranking of number 70 in the world. Harkleroad left the tour in October of 2008 to have a baby.

Which reminds me: Kim Clijsters had a baby and returned to the tour. (In case you hadn't heard....)

Appeals in Wickmayer case to be heard in 2011

The Flemish anti-doping agency's appeal of the lifting of Yanina Wickmayer's two-year ban from professional tennis will be heard in April of 2011. At that time, the agency--which wanted a one-year ban--will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the body which lifted the ban so that Wickmayer could play on the tour.

The World Anti-Doping Agency, which called for the two-year ban, is also appealing the lifting of the suspension. Both bodies will make their arguments to the CAS, and then a decision will be made regarding Wickmayer's future.