The two women who changed Serena's career

Imagine, many years ago,  a fortune teller looking into the eyes of Serena Williams and saying: "I'm picking up something about France--or is it Italy? Wait! It's both! I see two women. You will have a remarkable career, but a Frenchwoman and an Italian woman will force you to look at yourself in new ways. There will be drama. You may not like what you see, but Oh la la!....mamma mia!--you cannot escape their influence."

That might have sounded strange at the time, but our imaginary fortune teller's words now ring totally true.

In 2012, French wild card Virginie Razzano, ranked number 111 in the world, knocked Williams out of the French Open in the first round. Razzano defeated Williams, the number 5 seed, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 on her eighth match point. The last game took 23 minutes to play.

Razzano wasn't exactly a nobody. She'd won a couple of WTA tournaments, and in 2009, she had achieved a career high ranking of 19 in the world. But her defeat of Williams was as shocking as anything fans had seen in professional tennis. The occasion marked the first time that Williams had ever lost in the opening round of a major.

Williams' life had already been seriously changed when she was forced to miss most of 2011 because of an accident that resulted in two foot surgeries, followed by a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. She started 2012 with a fourth round loss at the Australian Open, but nothing could have prepared her for the early loss at Roland Garros.

Already a part-time resident of Paris, Williams stuck around after her shocking French Open loss, and sought the guidance of Patrick Mouratoglou, founder of the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy. Mouratoglou became her coach, and Williams launched into what was almost a second career, winning the French Open in both 2013 and 2015 (prior to these recent victories, she had won in Paris only once--in 2002), and then achieving a second Serena Slam in 2014 and 2015.

In 2015, with the Serena Slam behind her, Williams faced the possibility of of doing one of the few things she had never done before in her career--winning the Grand Slam. Now, holding current titles at the Australian, the French and Wimbledon, all she had to do was win the U.S. Open, something she had already done six times. She was the defending champion. With a victory in Flushing Meadows, Williams would not only have finally won the Grand Slam (it is not a "Calendar Year Slam"), she would also have tied Steffi Graf's career total of 22 singles majors. (These major tournament comparisons have no real meaning because of the multiple and significant variables involved, but fans and tennis media insist on creating them.)

Williams defeated Madison Keys in the round of 16 and Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Italy's Roberta Vinci was quietly moving through the draw, and wound up facing Williams in the semifinals. Williams won the first set 6-2, and then--probably to the surprise of some--Vinci won the second, 6-4. Then Vinci repeated that score in the final set, and it was over. She would go on to lose to her countrywoman, Flavia Pennetta, in the final (Pennetta had removed both Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep, whom she had long dominated, in order to reach the final).

Williams ended her season early, citing season-long injury, and was scarcely seen for a while. This season, she lost the Australian Open final to Angelique Kerber, lost the Miami final to Victoria Azarenka, then lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the round of 16 in Miami, ending a Miami 20-match win streak. Williams then withdrew from Madrid.

Most of us speculated--and Mouratoglou confirmed--that not all of Williams' troubles were coming from having to deal with injuries; she has dealt with injuries--and worse--her entire career. How could she not have been crushed by getting just one match (supposedly, a "winnable" match) away from achieving what very few in the sport have ever achieved, and then losing?

Then came Rome. Williams got past Kuznetsova, Irina-Camelia Begu and Madison Keys to take the title, right before the start of the 2016 French Open. The world number 1 will play her first-round match in the next few days, thus starting a quest to win both a fourth French Open title and 22 major titles. Arguably, Kerber removed some of the pressure from Williams by making it impossible for Williams to try for the Grand Slam again this year. At any rate, win or lose in Paris, I don't think any of us doubts that Serena Williams will get to 22--and beyond.

The last time Williams won the U.S. Open, 2015, Katy Perry's "Roar" played every time a leopard-pattern-clad Williams won a match.

...You held me down but I got up

Already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, you hear that sound

Like thunder, gonna shake the ground

You held me down but I got up

Get ready 'cause I've had enough

I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter

Dancing through the fire

'Cause I am a champion

And you're gonna hear me roar...

It was as though the song had been written for Serena. Now 34 years old, the world number 1 seeks more glory both on the tour and at the Olympic Games. It's hard to imagine that she won't achieve it.

But what of Razzano and Vinci? The former is enjoying an unexpected surge in her career, while Vinci is having some problems in hers. They are both 33 years old, and their careers are, no doubt, winding down; Vinci is ambivalent about whether she'll retire at the end of 2016. The Frenchwoman has had a good, solid career. The Italian has had a very good singles career, an outstanding Fed Cup career, and a stellar doubles career. She holds the Career Slam in doubles, and has won five majors (all with Sara Errani).

But no matter how we honor those careers when Razzano and Vinci decide to leave professional tennis, we will also hold the Frenchwoman and the Italian woman in our collective memories as the pair who played integral roles in changing the course of the career of Serena Williams. Had Razzano not done the unthinkable in 2012, would Williams have won more French Open titles? Maybe, but it surely seems that her two late-career titles were the fruits of labor she began when she made such a fast exit from the courts of Roland Garros. And of course, the winning didn't stop there.

Photo by Daniel Ward

We don't yet know what role Vinci might have played, other than contributing to Williams's scarcity at the end of 2015 and throughout most of 2016. But loss always changes a person. It knocks her down and destroys her, or it painfully provides her with a new--and often better--paradigm for living. Just like serious surgery and a consequent life-threatening condition makes one more vulnerable, so does losing in ways that dash expectations and alter one's image. The Serena Williams we see now is not the Serena Williams we saw before September 11, 2015.

And that makes watching her all the more interesting because we don't yet know what current Serena will bring to the tour. But whatever it is, Serena--like the rest of us--is the product of many influences, some of which we might call "fate." Fate brought Serena two painful gifts--Virginie and Roberta, and their names will always be inexorably connected to hers in the world we call professional tennis.

Czech Republic and Germany advance to Fed Cup final

For Italy and Australia, today was just more of yesterday in the Fed Cup semifinals. Petra Kvitova defeated Roberta Vinci (subbing for Sara Errani) in straight sets, clinching her country's spot in the 2014 Fed Cup final. The fourth rubber was skipped and the doubles rubber was played, and the Czech Republic won that, too, with Andrea Hlavackova and Klara Koukalova beating Camila Giorgi and Karin Knapp 6-2, 5-7, 11-9.

In Brisbane, Angelique Kerber won the deciding match, defeating Sam Stosur 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 in the third rubber. The doubles rubber was played in that tie, too, and Australia won it, so they went down 1-3. Taken out of the semifinals by both Germans, Stosur can't be feeling too good right now. Australia's top player just cannot perform on home turf.

Who would have guessed that Sorana Cirstea would be Romania's Fed Cup star this weekend? The talented but wildly inconsistent Cirstea followed up her victory over friend Ana Ivanovic with a 6-3, 6-6, 6-3 victory over Bojana Jovanovski, putting Romania into the World Group. And what a match it was. It took Cirstea six match points to get the job done, and there were many moments when Jovanovski looked like she was going to take control of the match. She took the long road, but the shaky Romanian won. There was an attempt to play the doubles rubber, but the Serbian team retired in the second game of the first set.

I have to hand it to Cirstea. A player who seems to practically walk onto the court mentally conflicted, she nevertheless found a way to beat her best friend, and to equalize Simona Halep's 1-1 record for the weekend.

Also in World Group II Play-Offs, Sweden defeated Thailand 4-0, and Switzerland defeated Brazil 4-1 (Timea Bacsinszky was the star). The Netherlands beat Japan 3-2. Team Bertens and Rus actually clinched the tie at 3-1 but the doubles rubber was played, and Japan won it.

The USA and France had to go to a deciding fifth rubber in doubles. Sloane Stephens defeated Virginie Razzano, who substituted for an ailing Alize Cornet (causing commentator Rennae Stubbs to "sort of" apologize for her not-so-veiled speculation that Cornet's leg pain was less than significant). Stephens had a pretty easy time of it, but then Caroline Garcia took to the court again and beat Madison Keys in straight sets.

For the doubles rubber, both nations tossed out their originally announced teams and went with today's singles players, i.e., Keys/Stephens vs. Garcia/Razzano. Stephens had an excellent junior record as a doubles player, making her the only one of the four with any kind of doubles record of which to speak. The irony is that the USA has a real wealth of great doubles players--the Williams sisters, of course, but also Vania King, Lisa Raymond, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Raquel Kops-Jones, and Abigail Spears. King and Mattek-Sands are also good singles players. Mattek-Sands, when she isn't injured (as she is right now) and can create some momentum, is an especially fine singles player.

But I digress. The Frenchwomen won the first set pretty easily and it looked as though they would cruise through the second, but Keys and Stephens, down a double break, were able to get those breaks back. That was as far as it went, though, as France pulled off the win at 6-2, 7-5. France's 3-2 victory over the USA puts the spotlight on Caroline Garcia, who put the "3" into 3-2. Garcia's amazing Fed Cup weekend (her first one ever) comes only a week after she won both the singles and doubles titles in Bogota. Some of that spotlight needs to shine on captain Amelie Mauresmo, too. (And I have to believe that Marion Bartoli's fighting spirit also hovered over that French team.)

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the close French win is that Mauresmo's team pulled it off with two of their key players injured. Kristina Mladenovic, who is frequently half of a very successful doubles team known as Mladenovic and Anybody, had to withdraw from the competition because of an arm injury. Then France's top player, Cornet, sustained an injury during the first day of play and had to be replaced by Virginie Razzano today. Razzano lost her singles rubber, but she was an able partner for Garcia in doubles. Fed Cup--where anything can happen, and usually does!

Russia redeemed its World Group status with a 4-0 win over Argentina. Canada emerged 3-1 over the Slovak Republic (Jana Cepelova lost to both Wozniak and Bouchard) and Poland beat Spain 3-2. That was kind of interesting, with one Radwanska (Aga) winning both of her singles rubbers, and the other Radwanska losing both of hers. But then the elder Radwanska teamed with Alicja Rosolska to beat the Spaniards in straight sets in doubles. On clay, in Barcelona. Well done, A-Rad!

Stosur moves past Shvedova in Charleston

Photo by Daniel Ward

It took her three sets, but 2010 Family Circle Cup champion Samantha Stosur defeated Yaroslava Shvedova today in Charleston to advance to the third round. Shvedova went up 5-2 in the second set but then took a medical timeout for a leg problem. The timeout seemed to put Stosur back in the mix, as she broke to get the set to 5-all. Shvedova held at 40-love to go up 6-5, and it was within that game that she had a real "Radwanska" moment, doing a half twirl as she hit a backhand volley over her shoulder.

Stosur, after losing the second set, quickly went about the business of closing the match, and defeated Shvedova 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.

Photo by Daniel Ward

2004 champion Venus Williams also had to go three sets to get a victory, and her situation was more complicated than Stosur's. Williams has been ill lately, apparently the victim of some type of bug, and there were times in her match against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova that she appeared breathless and exhausted. But that certainly wasn't
her only problem: Zahlavova Strycova played at a very high level, serving very well and engaging Williams in long rallies.

Photo by Daniel Ward

It's obvious that the Czech player spent her recent "time off" in the gym. She doesn't physically resemble the player she used to be. Zahlavova Strycova has become stronger and more muscular, and is hitting from a really stable core. After losing the first set 3-6, she won the second set 6-0. In the third set, she impressively saved four match points when Williams served at 5-4. But in the end, after playing for two hours and 18 minutes, Williams was able to take the last set 7-5.

Gladys Knight was in the house, and caught one of Venus's autographed tennis balls. "She's got some hand-eye coordination..." Williams said of the singing legend.

Of her opponent, Williams said, "I've never seen her play that well, truth be told.
" "And she was so extremely focused today."

Williams seemed tired during her press conference, yet she talked at length about what her past year has been like as she has learned more about how to manage living with Sjogren's syndrome. "...you're not doing anything wrong; you've always done things right your whole career and you're kind of facing something that you can't control."

Photo by Daniel Ward

Things didn't go as well for 2006 champion Nadia Petrova, who lost in three sets to Marina Erakovic. Petrova got a line call she didn't like, and proceeded to go on a rant about the "blind people" in her midst. Oh, Nadia.

This morning, Zhang Shuai and Hsieh Su-Wei went at it for two hours and 48 minutes on the Althea Gibson Club Court. Hsieh isn't having a very good season in singles, and today's match didn't help. There was a third set tiebreak, postponed a bit because of some type of medical timeout that Hsieh took. Zhang then won the tiebreak 7-0. With a 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 victory, she advanced to the next round.

Also winning today were Elena Vesnina (def. Anna Schmiedlova), Peng Shuai (def. Caroline Garcia), Andrea Petkovic (def. Lesia Tsurenko), Vania King (def. Julia Glushko),  Lourdes Dominguez Lino (def. Anabel Medina Garrigues), Eugenie Bouchard (def. Alla Kudryatseva), Teliana Pereira (def. Sorana Cirstea), and Lucie Safarova (def. Virginie Razzano).

And could there be anything more fun than a doubles team composed of Jelena Jankovic and Andrea Petkovic? Hmm....no, there couldn't be. Cracking each other up from start to finish, the wild cards beat Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond 7-5, 2-6, 10-7 in the opening round of doubles. Jankovic was on fire, rushing the net and smacking winning volleys as though she did it all the time. It was a really good match with some stunning rallies.

Is another Williams-Azarenka final on the New York horizon?

Two buildings tower at the edge of Central Park

The chances of Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka meeting again in the U.S. Open final are very, very good. In last year's excellent final, Williams came back from being a break down in the third set to beat Azarenka, who served for the match, but could not close it. Since then, Azarenka has prevailed over Williams in three sets in both Doha and Cincinnati. Also, the world number 2's ordeal in Melbourne pretty much showed the tennis world what a truly tough character she can be when everything is falling apart around her.

An argument can be made, in fact, that Azarenka's tribulations at the Australian Open were somewhat of a blessing in disguise. In the words of another fiery woman with a big voice:

Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

Azarenka's challenge in such a New York final, of course, would be that the very personification of "fighter," Serena Williams, would be on the other side of the net. For tennis fans, however, seeing Williams and Azarenka in another big final would be quite an exciting event.

Of course, it's entirely possible, in the world of WTA upsets, that both players (or neither of them, for that matter) will reach the final. Having seeds 1 and 2 face off in the end is the way it "should" come out, but we all know that anything can happen. The known impediments to a "perfect" ending are 1. Williams' tendency to get caught up in unfortunate drama at the U.S. Open, 2. Azarenka's tendency to fall down and have to exit a tournament, and 3. a straight-up defeat by an opponent earlier in the draw.

Williams couldn't have asked for a better draw. Her sister is in her quarter, but Venus's health has, sadly, made her a tired singles competitor who will have enough to do to contend with in her first round match against Kirsten Flipkens. There are a couple of big hitters--Yaroslava Shvedova and Lucie Hradecka--in that quarter, but they certainly don't appear to pose a real threat to the top seed. Angelique Kerber is in Williams' quarter, too, but these days, Kerber struggles in almost every match.

Of note, however, are two of Williams' countrywomen, who are also in her part of the draw. Both 23rd seed Jamie Hampton and 15th seed Sloane Stephens can cause trouble. Stephens is so erratic--and given their history--I don't see her getting past Serena, should the occasion arise. Hampton, however, who could meet Stephens in the third round, is a new WTA danger, provided her chronic back injury doesn't give her problems.

In the first round, Williams will face 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.

Azarenka's quarter is spicier, and includes Petra Kvitova, Nadia Petrova, 2011 U.S. Open champion (and Carlsbad champion) Sam Stosur, 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, Varvara Lepchenko, and Stanford champion Dominika Cibulkova. Daniela Hantuchova is in that quarter, too, and--while her singles career seems to be winding down--there's always that "good day" scare when it comes to the smooth-striking Slovak. The same can be said for Nadia Petrova--she is never to be taken for granted.

As for Kvitova--last year's U.S. Open Series winner failed to defend either of her Series titles this year, though she had moments of "real Petra" glory. She was going for her asthma inhaler during the final in New Haven, and her respiratory system and North American humidity clearly do not get along. Beyond that issue, however, is the issue of Kvitova's apparent crumbling as a top player, and it pains me to write about it. But--out of respect for Petra, and also bearing in mind that a breakthrough could always occur--I have to include her on the list of dangerous players in Azarenka's quarter.

Stosur has split with her long-time coach, David Taylor, but I'm not sure that's going to be a problem for her. The Australian star is respectful and thoughtful, but her comments about the split made it clear that the break needed to occur, even at a "bad" time. Stosur's biggest problem is always herself (not unlike Kvitova), but she has won the U.S. Open before--and not that long ago--and that's a rather large factor in her favor.

Azarenka's first round opponent is Dinah Pfizenmaier.

Detail--Jekyll and Hyde Club, New York City

Then there's the Radwanska quarter, which is pretty much the Quarter from Hell. Radwanska hasn't had such a great time of it in this hard court season, and to make matters worse, she has to contend with the likes of Jelena Jankovic, Laura Robson and Li Na. Jankovic is kind of looking like herself lately, and my gut feeling is that she can go pretty deep into this tournament. Li, of course, is Li. She could be upset early in the event (Robson took her out last year, and they could meet in the third round this year), or she could win the U.S. Open. I don't think that the latter alternative is that likely to happen, but if the Chinese star can get her head on straight, she can win just about anything short of Wimbledon.

There are some other pesky opponents in this quarter, too. Ekaterina Makarova, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Sabine Lisicki, Monica Puig, Madison Keys, and Sorana Cirstea are all there. 

Radwanska's first opponent will be Silvia Soler-Espinosa.

Finally, there's the Errani quarter. 4th seed Sara Errani comes into the U.S. Open in the midst of a disappointing season. She was on fire for a long time, but the flames have been repeatedly put out by opponents. Still, the Italian likes a hard court, and she's a big fighter.

Errani's quarter includes Caroline Wozniacki, Klara Zakopalova, Elena Vesnina, Roberta Vinci, Maria Kirilenko, New Haven champion Simona Halep, 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta has been so up and down recently because of injury, but if she's healthy, she's a fine hard court competitor. It's Halep, however, who can cause a lot of damage--if her long New Haven run doesn't tweak her recent back injury, and let's hope it doesn't. These days, a healthy Halep who is serving well is a Simona to be feared.

In the meantime, Wozniacki--who once reached the final of the U. S. Open--is showing a bit more flare than she has in a while, and both Vinci and Kirilenko can be deadly on hard courts.

In Errani's first match, she will play Ayumi Morita.

The U.S. Open begins tomorrow. Three women from the USA--Grace Min, Victoria Duval and Coco Vandeweghe--made it through qualifying.

First round matches of interest:

Karolina Pliskova vs. Eugenie Bouchard: Two rising stars face each other right away.

Virginie Razzano vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: On paper, this is the Russian's match, but it seems that the Russian doesn't always look at the paper.

Vera Dushevina vs. Sabine Lisicki: Lisicki will have to be at her sharpest.

Jelena Jankovic vs. Madison Keys: The young star in the making will try to serve JJ off of the court.

Elena Vesnina vs. Anika Beck: This isn't the easiest way for Vesnina to start her U.S. Open campaign.

Heather Watson vs. Simona Halep: What did Watson ever do to the tennis gods to give her the first round from hell at almost every major tournament?

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Mallory Burdette: Burdette could cause problems for the former champion.

Julia Goerges vs. Christina McHale: Either will be lucky to get to the second round. Fortunately, one of them has to do so.

Elina Svitolina vs. Dominika Cibulkova: Cibulkova will have to bring her Stanford self to her first-round match.

Roland Garros week 1--answers and questions

Gargoyles, Saint-Chapelle

During the first week of the 2013 French Open, some of our expectations--for better or worse--were met. Serena Williams cruised through the first four rounds, Petra Kvitova crashed out, Sara Errani put up a fight when she had to, and Caroline Wozniacki made an early exit.

Some questions were answered:

Can Li Na rise to meet the occasion? No.

Is Bethanie Mattek-Sands actually healthy? She appears to be.

Is JJ really on a comeback path? Looks like it.

Should you dye your hair blonde for the summer? Absolutely.

Other questions will be answered next week. Like, can anyone stop Serena? Are Serena and Maria going to contest the final? How far can Francesca Schiavone go? Is Victoria Azarenka going to surprise us?

The weather played a big role in the first week of play. Rain delays and cold, wet, slippery conditions went against some players. Host country France saw its last three hopes--Bartoli, Razzano and Cornet--go out in the third round (but not before Bartoli provided some first-rate theatre, especially in the opening round). Chinese speed-demon Zheng Jie gave Sharapova a bit of a contest. Four American women made it to the round of 16 (!), and the Williams sisters withdrew from doubles competition.

Those of us who live in the USA had to contend with a weekend controlled by NBC, the official Anti-Tennis Channel. I found my iPad next to useless (advanced Flash software is required, so the "app" workaround is there in name only) for watching Tennis Channel online, but fortunately, I was able to watch it on a non-mobile device.

The low point of the week, though, had to be hearing Justin Gimelstob--of all people--give everyone a stern lecture on character.

The French Open is my favorite major, so just about anything that happens is okay with me.

Of the twelve women remaining, Schiavone, at 32 years of age, is the oldest. Williams is 31, and Jankovic and Mattek-Sands are 28. Sloane Stephens, at 20, is the "young one." On both tours, the concept of "old" has changed. The most dramatic example in this tournament is Tommy Haas, who, at age 35, is into the round of 16.

Bartoli vs. Schiavone: Coming soon to a theater near you

Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli didn't have an easy time of it today in her French Open second round match against Mariana Duque-Marino, but she walked away with a 7-6, 7-5 victory. 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone won her second round match (against Kirsten Flikens), too, and now two of the tour's most colorful players will meet in the third round. Schiavone is 5-3 against Bartoli, and the Italian won the only time they played each other on clay, in the semifinals of the 2011 French Open.

Clay is Schiavone's favorite surface; it is Bartoli's least favored. Schiavone has to be considered the favorite here. The contrast of styles provides some intrigue: The Italian is the master of slice and spin, and she can exhibit stunning athleticism. Bartoli, on the other hand, is a fierce returner of serve. Both love the fight. We can count on plenty of grunting (actual grunting, not screaming), fist-pumping, yelling, glaring, and who knows what else. Just something to look forward to.

Bartoli wasn't the only one who had a hard time of it today. Agnieszka Radwanska had one of her "off" days against Dinah Pfizenmaier the German qualifier who beat Radwanska's sister in the second round. Pfizenmaier has some impressive skills, but her tentative forehand led to some poor shot selections, and she lost in straight sets. Radwanska was a step slow throughout most of the match, however, and will definitely have to turn it up a notch to compete with Ana Ivanovic in the next round. Ivanovic defeated Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.

Also advancing to the third round today were Serena Williams, Roberta Vinci, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Carla Suarez Navarro, and Angelique Kerber, who beat Varvara Lepchenko for the first time in her career in what turned out to be a real slug-fest. The other player to advance was 2012 runner-up Sara Errani, who made pretty short work of Sabine Lisicki.

Finishing their matches and advancing to the second round were defending champion Maria Sharapova and Stefanie Voegele. who beat Brussels champion Kaia Kanepi.

Aside from the Bartoli vs. Schiavone match, the most interesting contest--at least in terms of the draw--scheduled for tomorrow is the third round match between Jelena Jankovic and Sam Stosur. Jankovic is 6-2 against Stosur, and beat her this year in Stuttgart. I think another match worth watching is the one between Voegele and Maria Kirilenko.

Victoria Azarenka, not known for her clay court skills, is operating a bit under the radar at Roland Garros, which is probably good for her. Her next opponent is Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, so the world number 3 will feel right at home--the entire crowd will be cheering against her. Should Azarenka win that match, she'll then face either Bartoli (another Frenchwoman) or Schiavone (a beloved former French Open champion). It's a good thing that Azarenka has embraced the "outsider" role.

Au revoir, Wozniacki and Pavlyuchenkova

Bojana Jovanovski is known to be somewhat of a disaster magnet, but today in Paris, she was the disaster--for Caroline Wozniacki, that is. Jovanovski took the former world number 1 out in straight sets in the second round, hitting 33 winners along the way.

Joining Wozniacki in the exit line was Anastasia "Now You See Her Now You Don't" Pavlyuchenkova, who left the tournament courtesy of Petra Cetkovska, who defeated the Russian 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.

The win of the day was accomplished by Australian teenager Ashleigh Barty, who beat Lucie Hradecka. Frenchwomen Caroline Garcia, Aravane Rezai and Mathilde Johansson lost, but Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano advanced to the third round. Petra Kvitova had to--all together now!--play three sets to beat Rezai.

Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Sara Errani, Angelique Kerber, and Agnieszka Radwanska all easily advanced. Maria Kirilenko and Roberta Vinci also made it to the third round. Jamie Hampton upset Lucie Safarova.

The first round was finally completed, and half of the second round was completed, too, so everything is caught up--for now

French Open: Serena vs. Everybody

When Serena Williams lost in the first round of the French Open last year, I remember thinking: "Okay--all Roland Garros potential opponents are in for it now." I wasn't wrong, though it was a while before I acknowledged the materialization of my thought. Since her only first-round loss in a major, Williams--with some help from Patrick Mouratoglou--has turned clay into a highly "favored" surface. The champion in Charleston, Madrid and Rome, the world number 1 now looks as ready to win in Paris as she normally looks ready to win in London.

In a way--but in a much more obvious way--Williams' arrival at the 2013 French Open echoes Maria Sharapova's arrival in Paris in 2012. The Cow on Ice came prepared to manage the special skills required for red clay dominance, and it paid off. Sharapova has become a much better mover and strategist on clay. Her chances of defending her title seemed very good--until Williams went on a hell-bent mission to dominate on tennis's grittiest surface.

I can think of only three women who have any likelihood of lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen in a couple of weeks--Williams, Sharapova and Li Na. Each of them has won the tournament one time. Each of them can do it. But at this stage, Williams is clearly the favorite (Li is kind of the "un-favorite" but things can change in a short period of time when a championship is at stake).

Williams, the top seed in Paris, really doesn't have too much to fear in her quarter. 2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova is there, and I don't want to underestimate her, but she has her own problems, which include her mentality, and the presence of Ekaterina Makarova as her first-round opponent. Also lurking in that quarter is Angelique Kerber, which brings me to what I think is the one of the most--if not the most--interesting first-round match-ups: Kerber plays countrywoman Mona Barthel. Barthel's game has gone to pieces again (suddenly an annual springtime event), but she could get it back in Paris, and Kerber has been a physical wreck recently. Barthel is fond of clay, and an upset is possible. Another player to keep an eye on in that quarter, of couse, is Roberta Vinci.

Agnieszka Radwanska leads the second quarter, but Radwanska is having so much trouble with her shoulder, one has to wonder how far she can go (bear in mind, however, that we all said exactly the same thing right before she won the two big Asian tournaments back to back). Radwanska has been off lately, and just doesn't appear to be that much of a threat.

Nadia Petrova and 2012 runner-up Sara Errani are also in that quarter. And while it may seem foolish to even consider Oh-Nadia a contender within the quarter, there was a time when she was superb on clay. In fact, in 2006, she was considered a major contender to win the French Open, but her run was cut short by an injury she sustained during a warm-up. On a given day, Petrova can do damage.

Another really interesting first round contest takes place in the Radwanska quarter: Simona Halep plays Carla Suarez Navarro. Both women are excellent clay players, and Halep recently reached the semifinals in Rome by taking out Daniela Hantuchova, Kuznetsova, Radwanska, Roberta Vinci, and Jelena Jankovic. As for Errani--a better serve would give her a probable fast track to the semifinals to back to the final. At any rate, there isn't likely to be anyone pleased to see her on the other side of the  net. When it comes to clay finesse, the Italian player just "gets" it.

Li is in the third quarter, and her Roland Garros effort starts with a bang; she plays Anabel Medina Garrigues, a clay court veteran who can beat just about anyone on the right day. Brussels champion Kaia Kanepi is hanging out in that quarter, too, as well as 2010 French Open champion (and runner-up to Li in 2011) Francesca Schiavone. Oh--and Victoria Azarenka. Li, in other words, has her work cut out for her.

Sharapova is in the last quarter of the draw, and an interesting one it is. Petra Kvitova is there, as well as Jelena Jankovic, 2010 runner-up Sam Stosur, and Dominika Cibulkova (a comeback could happen at any time). Of interest: Jankovic's first opponent will be Daniela Hantuchova.

Popular wisdom is that Serena Williams' greatest threat at this French Open is herself. She hasn't won in Paris since 2002, and obstacles tend to appear whenever she makes a run at the title. Last year, the obstacle was Virginie Razzano, who fought Williams for three hours and sent her out of the tournament in the opening round. And while anything can happen, 2013 appears to be the year when  obstacles to another Williams French championship can be swatted away with the quick swing of a Wilson Blade.

2012--loud, scary and memorable

Some WTA seasons (like 2011) are filled with drama, making it difficult to rank the degree of excitement and significance of various events. 2012, though not without its very dramatic moments, seemed like a less intense year to me. There were no bizarre (almost losing your career and possibly your life because of a broken bottle, disabling your ankle while dancing at a wedding, having a wall fall on you, etc.) injuries, no endlessly contested line calls, no "Who saw it coming?" wins at the four major tournaments.

A lot happened, though. The WTA, obviously swayed by the obsessions of the sports media, vowed to crack down on "future" grunting (but they mean screaming, and don't seem to know the difference), and to introduce a device to measure the loudness of a player's screams, shrieks, grunts, etc. All this rhetoric was swirling around while some of the tour's greatest screamers were winning majors and Olympic medals, so--in the words of our kick-ass number 1 player, Victoria Azarenka--"Good luck with that." Every time Stacey Allaster posed proudly for a press photo with Azarenka, I was overcome by the irony. I like to think that Azarenka (who also seemed to get taller each time a photo with Allaster was taken) was, too.

Some players didn't do well in 2012. 2011 French Open champion Li Na had a poor season until the fourth quarter, when she teamed with coach Carlos Rodridguez and started looking like the real Big Sister Na again. Jelena Jankovic had a dismal season, repeatedly going out in the first round or losing when she held match points. 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur just didn't bring her Flushing Meadows brilliance and confidence this year. There were other significant disappointments--more about those later.

Poor Andrea Petkovic, after struggling repeatedly with a back injury, was out most of the season because of an ankle injury. The news was better for Venus Williams, who returned to the tour after months of treatment for Sjogren's Syndrome, a condition which had gone undiagnosed for years. Williams worked her way back into the routine of the tour, and--with sister Serena--won the Wimbledon doubles title and an Olympic gold medal in doubles. She also won the singles title in Luxembourg.

Alisa Kleybanova made a tentative return to the tour this year after undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

The Olympic Games were held at Wimbledon. WTA players Agnieszka Radwanska and Maria Sharapova carried the flags for Poland and Russia, respectively. Marion Bartoli, on the other hand, wasn't permitted to compete. The maverick Frenchwoman didn't qualify for the Games because she had not played in Fed Cup competition, and she hadn't joined the Fed Cup team because she refused to abide by the coaching rules. Neither Bartoli nor the French tennis federation would budge, so Marion missed the event (more the pity, since there was a big James Bond moment in the opening ceremonies).

The season wasn't without surprises. 16-year-old Donna Vekic entered her very first WTA tournament, in Tashkent, and made it to the final. Qualifier Melanie Oudin won the Birmingham title! Veteran Russian Nadia Petrova, possibly the biggest "what if" star on the tour, won Tokyo, then won the Tournament of Champions in Sofia. And Yaroslava Shvedova served a Golden Set, the first in the history of women's tennis (she had previously come very close to serving one).

And while it wasn't exactly a surprise (not to me, anyway), Laura Robson grabbed everyone's attention at the U.S. Open when she reached the round of 16, taking out both three-time champion Kim Clijsters and Li Na. Robson, with partner Andy Murray, also won an Olympic silver medal in mixed doubles.

But Robson wasn't the only young Brit to make headlines. In October, Heather Watson became the first British woman in 24 years to win a WTA title. Watson won the tournament in Osaka, saving four match points in the final, which lasted three hours and twelve minutes.

2012 wasn't without its small pleasures. Amelie Mauresmo--who was on the short list to be France's Davis Cup captain--was named the French Fed Cup captain. Maria Sharapova launched Sugarpova, her candy line. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Iveta Benesova both had weddings. And Vika Azarenka added some luster to her star by party-rocking with Redfoo, who has become an enthusiastic WTA supporter.

Even with Petko out for most of the season, there was a lot of dancing. Azarenka danced on court every opportunity she had, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci showed some original moves unlike any others we've seen, Andrea Hlavackova joined the dance craze, and friends Eugenie Bouchard and Laura Robson put together what was probably the video of the year.

Agnieszka Radwanska failed to defend either of her big 2011 Asian titles, but she did win Dubai, Brussels and--significantly--Miami, and she was the runner-up at Wimbledon. Radwanska finished the season as number 4 in the world.

In the doubles world, Liezel Huber continued to confound opponents--but not with her shot-making. This year, she got into it big-time at the Australian Open when she and partner Lisa Raymond played against Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina. Even the usually cool-headed Mirza lost her patience with Huber, who got right in Vesnina's face in front of the umpire's chair. It was quite a show, and included a literal knock-down of Huber by one of those famous fiery Mirza forehands.

Huber and Raymond didn't have the season they were probably expecting, though they did win five titles. Also performing well were Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova. The Russian pair  won the Sony Ericsson Championships in Miami, and they won the WTA Championships in Istanbul. Kirilenko and Petrova were also the runners-up at the French Open.

Continuing their success was the Czech team of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka. They won four titles, and they were the runners-up at several events, including Wimbledon, the Olympic Games, the U.S. Open, and the WTA Championships.

Here's my personal 2012 top 10, in ascending order:

10. Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone
Former world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki finally lost her grip on the world's highest ranking. With so many points to defend, and with disappointing results in the majors, Wozniacki slipped out of the top 10 (though she's ending the season as number 10 in the world). The Dane lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open (def. by Kim Clijsters), the third round of the French Open (def. by Kaia Kanepi), the first round of Wimbledon (def. by Tamira Paszek), and the first round of the U.S. Open (def. by Irina-Camelia Begu).

Wozniacki worked with coach (really, "co-coach," since her father Peotr was definitely still in the picture) Thomas Johansson until last month. Johansson encouraged her to be more aggressive in her play, since her superb defending has let her down against very powerful players. Wozniacki is an excellent athlete who has made steady improvements over the years, so anything is possible in 2013.

9. The Last Goodbye
Kim Clijsters retired for the second--and final--time this year. Clijsters said goodbye at the U.S. Open, in which she was the defending champion. The (mostly) beloved Belgian was defeated in the second round by Laura Robson, which was too bad, of course, but her leave-taking was so touching that it almost made up (at least, from a fan standpoint) for her early exit. Clijsters, a three-time champion in Flushing Meadows, was given the warm farewell that she deserved, and she--in turn--made her exit from professional tennis with notable gratitude and dignity.

8. I'll Endorse These Czechs
Last year, the Czech Republic was everywhere, dominating the tour in ways that sometimes made me think we had gone into a time machine and were re-visiting the 80s. One of 2011's great Czech Republic accomplishments was the taking of the Fed Cup title. In 2012, the Czech team did it again. They beat Germany 4-1 in the first round, and in the semifinals, they beat Italy 4-1. The team recently defended its title by beating Serbia 3-1 in the final. Petra Kvitova, who had won ten straight Fed Cup matches, wasn't feeling that well (more on that in a moment) during the competition, and--while she handily defeated Jelena Jankovic in the opening rubber--she lost to Ana Ivanovic in the second rubber. It was Lucie Safarova who won both of her matches and led the team to victory.

7. The Radwanska
"At first glance, It seemed to be just a normal being you might pass on the street," we learn, as Maria Sharapova warns her future children in Todd Spiker's hilarious story about the Russian's loss to Agnieszka Radwanska in the Miami final. I was in Charleston watching qualifying rounds the day of the final, but I slipped into the bar to watch the match on television. The next evening, while I was still processing what had happened, I returned to my hotel to find "Watch Out....The Radwanska Might Get You" posted on WTA Backspin. I couldn't stop laughing. I'm still laughing.

For those of us who like to hang out in the Backspin lounge, the concept of The Radwanska has become such a reality that we now just call It "The Rad." The Rad may or may not have been responsible for everything from rain delays to disastrous scheduling to really big upsets that occurred in 2012. We don't know. It seems to have a lot of anger and caprice, and a mind of Its own.

(For those who may have stumbled in here for the first time, you should know that I am actually a big fan of the player, Agnieszka Radwanska.)

"You probably should sleep with one eye open, a night light on, and a heavy racket right next to the bed," Sharapova tells her frightened children in the Backspin scary tale. Well, it does pay to remember that The Radwanska is patient, and waits until you let your guard down, and then it comes for you. Maybe, when it strikes, you'll be prepared.

Perhaps--instead of investing in devices to measure the loudness of players' screams and grunts--the WTA should get down to the really important spiritual business of the tour and figure out a way to cast out The Radwanska.

6. When Is a Rock Not a Rock?
Last year was the Year of Kvitova. The Czech star won six titles, including Wimbledon and the WTA Championships, and she was named the ITF Player of the Year. Petra Kvitova has that something extra, that special quality, that potentially places her above her peers. The clever lefty serve, the wicked angles, the very powerful groundstrokes, and a strategic understanding of the game--these are qualities that earned Kvitova her first major. She also improved her movement, which was one of her few weaknesses.

But Kvitova is fragile in other areas. She plays very aggressive, first-strike tennis most of the time, and if she's "on," good luck to the opponent. But she goes "off" too frequently, creating three-set victories that should have been two-set victories--or just losing altogether. She also sufferes with asthma, and has trouble handling the respiratory demands brought on by the North American humidity during the U.S. Open Series. We saw an improvement in that area this year, as Kvitova actually won the U.S. Open Series when she took home trophies in both Montreal and New Haven.

But Kvitova was sick and injured a lot this year, and just didn't seem to be herself. Of course, if you look at her record for the year, you see a player who did extremely well, despite finishing the season as number 8 in the world (she ended last year as number 2, and her ranking future looked very bright). But when you consider the advantage she had coming into the season, and the huge talent she possesses, you are left only to wonder what I have asked on this blog many times: What's wrong with Petra?

Considered a favorite to win the Australian Open, Kvitova lost to Maria Sharapova in the semifinals. In the French Open, she lost again to Sharapova, again, in the semifinals. At Wimbledon, where she was the defending champion (she beat Sharapova in the 2011 final), she lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. She also lost in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games--to Maria Kirilenko. And at the U.S. Open, Kvitova lost to Marion Bartoli in the round of 16. Her attempt to defend her WTA Championships title was destroyed by illness, and she withdrew from competition.

It's worth noting that in two majors, Kvitova lost to the eventual champion. And it's also worth noting that Sharapova has become the Czech star's nemesis (Sharapova also beat her in the Stuttgart semifinals). There's certainly nothing "wrong" with losing to Williams and Sharapova, but Kvitova--who also lost this year to a variety of other players--is simply capable of doing great things, and somehow, the entire season slipped by her, except for her surge during the U.S. Open Series.

Kvitova, already a bit of a late bloomer, gets a fresh start in 2013. Here's hoping that her health is improved, and that we see 2011 Petra again soon.

5. The Real Thing
When Angelique Kerber came out of practically nowhere and reached the semifinals of the 2011 U.S. Open, there were a lot of WTA fans who figured it was just one of those things, and that the German player would return to her journeywoman position the next season--but with a higher ranking. However, that was not the case at all. In 2012, Kerber officially became a force with which to be reckoned. Ending the season with the number 5 ranking, Kerber is now the leading German player, and her athleticism and quick thinking on the court have provided us with a great deal of entertainment. It doesn't hurt that she also has plenty of on-court personality.

Kerber reached the semifinals of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year. She also reached the quarterfinals of both the French Open and the Olympic Games. The German star won her first two WTA titles in 2012, and there is every reason to believe she'll win more in 2013.

4. It's What's Under the Hoodie That Counts
Surely the WTA has never had a more compelling world number 1 than Victoria Azarenka. The tall, intelligent, candid Belarusian (sometimes resplendent in very cool shorts) walks through the tunnel with her hoodie up and her earphones in, and you know you are about to get an eye- and earful of smackdown Vika. No longer the fragile creature who hurt her thigh or passed out just when things were getting good--Azarenka has overcome a great deal of the mental fragility that held her back before.

The world number 1's 26-match streak, which began at the start of the season (and was finally extinguished in Miami by Marion Bartoli), was an announcement that screamed louder than even Azarenka herself does. Queen Victoria won six titles in 2012--two of them at premier events, and one at the Australian Open. She also won a bronze medal in singles and a gold medal in mixed doubles (playing with Max Mirnyi) at the Olympic Games.

Azarenka can still get angry on the court (and we wouldn't want it any other way), but she now has control. She can serve, she can hit, she can volley, she can dance, and she can be very articulate. She won the Australian Open by dismantling no less than Maria Sharapova, and she pushed Serena Williams to the limit in the U.S. Open final.

3. Que C'est Bon!
She did it. Maria Sharapova achieved her career Slam in 2012 by winning the French Open, the tournament she was expected to "never" win. Her French Open triumph came just in time, too: Sharapova got a beat-down from Victoria Azarenka in the Australian Open final, she lost in the round of 16 at Wimbledon, and then received another beat-down from Serena Williams in the final of the Olympic Games. At the U.S. Open, Sharapova lost to Azarenka in the semifinals, and she lost to Williams in the WTA Championships final in Istanbul.

The Russian star, who has had a difficult path to travel in the past couple of years, won three titles plus Olympic silver in 2012, and ended the season ranked number 2 in the world. All things considered, it was a very good year, made especially sweet by Sharapova's career Slam accomplishment, a rare and enviable feat, and one that secures her place in tennis history.

2. Fighting Italians--Even Better In Pairs
Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci were already a well-established and -respected doubles team before the season began. Best known for their amazing Fed Cup play, the Italians had already collected five titles while playing together. In 2012, however, they went on a winning tear, the likes of which is rarely seen.

Errani and Vinci won five titles in a row. They went on a 25-match win streak. They won the French Open and the U.S. Open. In all, they won eight titles this year, and provided fans with a string of thrills that lasted throughout the season. Errani became the number 1 doubles player in the world, then Vinci became the number 1 player, and then the ranking went back to Errani. But does it matter? They are Errani-and-Vinci, they are best friends, and they are Fighting Italians in the tradition of Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone.

There was more. Errani broke through in singles play, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the final of the French Open, and the semifinals of the U.S. Open. To reach the French Open final, Errani took out two former French Open champions, a former French Open finalist, and Angelique Kerber. It was an unbelievable run. She also won two singles titles, and ended the year ranked number 6 in the world.

And there's even more: Vinci reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon, and the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, where she lost to--of all people--Errani.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I have a real soft spot for the Italian players. They are so tough and so inventive. The now often-injured Pennetta and the increasingly cranky (but still wonderful) Schiavone are probably not far from the ends of their great careers, but Errani and Vinci are giving us all the Italian we can handle. Brava!

1. The Summer of Serena
Here is the first rule of women's tennis: Never ever count out Serena Williams. Throughout her career, Williams has experienced many injuries, and she has always worked with them and through them. I can recall seeing her show up at a big tournament with so much strapping and wrapping on her that she looked like she had been snatched from an Egyptology exhibit. Once, when asked which parts of her were wrapped and taped, she said it would be easier to ask which parts weren't.

Things got really bad in the summer of 2010 when Williams sustained a serious foot injury after some drunk people threw bottles in a German restaurant where she happened to be. She stepped on the broken glass and had to undergo two surgical procedures. She then suffered a hematoma and a pulmonary embolism, and later realized that she might have died from these complications. When she returned to the tour--and of course, she returned to the tour--she experienced many complications, none of which I'll go into here, but fans are familiar with the events of the last couple of seasons.

Five-time Australian Open champion Williams was upset by Ekaterina Makarova in the round of 16 in Melbourne this year. She was totally dominant in Charleston, where she won her second Family Circle Cup title. She handily beat Victoria Azarenka in the Madrid final, but hurt her back in Rome. Nevertheless, she was expected to do well at the French Open. It was in Paris, though, that Williams suffered her first opening-round loss in a major. She was upset by Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.

Williams stayed in Paris and asked Patrick Mouratoglou to help her. The founder of the Mouratoglou Academy began coaching Williams, and by the time she arrived in London to play at Wiimbledon, she was unstoppable. She won her fifth Wimbledon title, and--with sister Venus--her fifth Wimbledon doubles title. She then won her 43rd WTA title in Stanford, then went back to London and won two Olympic gold medals--one in singles and one in doubles. The career Golden Slam now a reality, the next job for Williams was to go for her 15th major title by winning the U.S. Open, which she did. She beat world number 1 Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in the final.

Williams went on to win the WTA Championships in Istanbul. She won seven titles in 2012, and four of them were very big indeed. The  31-year-old, often-injured (and for a while, very seriously ill) world number 3 has dominated the tour for a long time. It would be hard to pick a "best year" for her, but there's no doubt that 2012 was very special. The first rule of women's tennis holds today, as much as it ever did, thanks to the Summer of Serena.

My French Open top 10

Sculpture at Centre George Pompidou

My top 10 French Open occurrences, in ascending order:

10: Back in the mix: Sania Mirza, with partner Mahesh Bhupati, on the French Open mixed doubles title. This is the pair's second major title; they won the Australian Open in 2009.

9. Gone so soon: Agnieszka Radwanska, who recently rose to the ranking of number 3 in the world, continued her tendency to under-perform at the biggest events. Radwanska, after beating Venus Williams in the second round, was bundled out of the tournament, 6-1, 6-2, by 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. The former champion, who played extremely well, would, herself, go out to Sara Errani in the next round.

8. You want a jeroboam with that pizza?: Even that probably wouldn't help erase Sam Stosur's "Italian problem." In 2010, after knocking out Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic, the Austrlian star was out-classed by Francesca Schiavone in the final. This year, Stosur reached the quarterfinals and again appeared in excellent form, but there was no getting past Sara Errani.

7. The agony of victory: In recent times, few have fought harder to lose a match than Kaia Kanepi did in the third round of this year's French Open. Kanepi choked away 5-1 leads in both the second and third sets of her match against Caroline Wozniacki. As she gave away match point after match point, Kanepi appeared to be closer and closer to giving away the entire match, but in the end--after three hours--she emerged the victor of a memorable 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 contest.

6. Don't slip on the grass: Defending champion Li Na and 4th seed Petra Kvitova need to make a fresh start (yet again) at Wimbledon. Li was beaten (and got a third set bagel as a souvenir) in the round of 16 by qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova. Kvitova played eventual champion Maria Sharapova in the semifinals, and--Sharapova's excellent play aside--the 2011 Wimbledon champion made it pretty easy for the Russian to overtake her. Kvitova is just not the same player she was last season, a fact that some of us hope is remedied very soon.

5. You expect me to win in this outfit?: She had no music, she had no hoodie, she had no shorts, and she almost had no time to unpack her suitcase and put her things away. Victoria Azarenka, looking not herself from the first moment she walked through the tunnel at Roland Garros, went down a set and break points for 0-5 in her first round, against Alberta Brianti. Somehow, the top seed got herself out of trouble, and won the match 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. She would fall to Dominika Cibulkova in the round of 16, but at least she spared herself from a massive crash-out.

4. A plus tard!:  Last year, frenchwoman Virginie Razzano played at Roland Garros just a week after the death of her fiance, and--not surprisingly--she went out in the first round. This year, Razzano made it to the second round--in style: She took out Serena Williams, who many thought would win the tournament. Williams arrived at Roland Garros on the wind of a 17-match clay streak, having won both Charleston and Madrid. But she unraveled in the opening round, and Razzano--who has always been longer on talent than luck--took advantage. The Frenchwoman beat her 4-6, 7-6, 6-3, and there was quite a bit of drama involved, as Razzano cramped pretty badly, and chair umpire Eva Asderaki displayed a preoccupation with the hindrance rule. This occasion marked the first time that Williams has ever made a first-round exit in a major.

3. A match made in clay heaven: Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci swept the clay season, winning in Acapulco, Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome. The Italian team then put a big exclamation point on that statement by winning the French Open. 

2. Brava Sara!: Sara Errani has been called "feisty" and "tough" by writers and commentators, but I prefer to just call her "Italian." Errani is part of the great Italian Fed Cup team, led by the stalwart Flavia Pennetta, that has beaten all manner of other teams, including one called Russia. No one could have predicted that Errani would make it all the way to the final, especially considering what she had to do to get there. Errani, who surprised the tennis world with her quarterfinal run at the Australian Open, took out two French Open champions, a French Open finalist and 10th seed (and on-fire 2012 player) Angelique Kerber. She was stopped by Maria Sharapova in the final, but she left the tournament as the winner of the doubles title and the runner-up in singles play. 

1. Ave Maria!: It seemed impossible not to share Maria Sharapova's joy when she won the French Open title. This is the player who most thought would never win at Roland Garros, even when she was healthy. Then, after being misdiagnosed, she played with a torn rotator cuff, and went through rehab, surgery, then rehab again. When she came back to the tour, she had all kinds of problem with her serve, which had been her signature shot. She lost confidence. Then she made it to two major finals--Wimbledon and the Australian Open--but lost them. And then finally, she got to hold another big trophy, the Coup Suzanne Lenglen. Sharapova completed her career Slam, and in doing so, she taught the rest of us a thing or two about what it means to never give up.

French Open--what they said

Lindsay, did you ever cramp?
I never stayed on the court long enough to cramp.

Lindsay Davenport

I'm so tight.

Serena Williams, overheard talking to those in her box during the match

I think we have to learn many things from her.

Francesca Schivaone, on Kimiko Date-Krumm

I think it's more of a rhythm than anything else, and just a routine that I've done for a really long time. Sometimes I need it more than other times, and...if you feel like you're just rushing a little bit, it gives you time to be in your own little world and get to think about what you might need to change or do better....

Maria Sharapova, discussing her between-points ritual

The arm gets heavier and heavier when you have a big lead and it starts to get erased.

Lindsay Davenport

I'm not happy, by no means. I just always think things can be worse.

Serena Williams

I stil have to play my game, my aggressive game and be first who push the other to the back, and try to play winners and go for the volleys. and on the clay, it's a little bit different, but it's still--I have to play my game.

Petra Kivtova

When you play against Serena Williams...you don't need to focus on your legs.

Virginia Razzano, who experienced cramping in her first round match

Razzano upsets Serena Williams in French Open thriller

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said:

"Hindrance!"

Serena Williams, Virginie Razzano and chair umpire Eva Asderaki took us for a three-hour trip down the Rabbit Hole today in Paris. The Rabbit Hole was filled with red clay, to be sure, but the experience was right out of the mind of Lewis Carroll. Consider these things:

Serena Williams, in 46 appearances in majors, had never gone out in the first round.

Asderaki was the umpire who sat in the chair during the 2011 U.S. Open final, when Williams--docked a point for what Asderaki interpreted as a hindrance--referred to her as "a hater" and "unattractive inside."

Razzano, just a year ago, entered the French open only a week after the death of her fiance, Stephane Vidal, saying that she was competing, however shakily, for him (she went out in straight sets in the first round).

Razzano is French, and the French crowd is known for its overwhelming enthusiasm and merciless expressions of disapproval.

Those things set the scene for some drama, but perhaps for not quite as much drama as we actually got.

First, a few words about Razzano, a player who--at least when she speaks in English--is given to ultra-expressive, and sometimes entertaining, language. We have had several glimpses of her talent over the years. Her performance in the 2009 Dubai tournament is an example. In that event, the Frenchwoman knocked off Kateryna Bondarenko, Dinara Safina, Daniela Hantuchova, and Vera Zvonareva (by retirement). She lost to Venus Williams in the final, but her run was nevertheless impressive.

During the 2009 French Open, Razzano and Tathiana Garbin engaged in one of the outstanding matches of that event, and my personal favorite. With the wind swirling around them, Razzano defeated Garbin 7-5, 7-5 in a match that was a shotmaker's dream.

Hard times hit the 29-year-old Razzano, in terms of both injury and the loss of Vidal, who had also been her coach. She came to today's match ranked number 111 in the world, though she has been ranked as high as 16. Her opponent was world number 5 Serena Williams, holder of thirteen major singles titles, and a favorite (for the first time in years) to win this year's French Open. Williams won both the Charleston and the Madrid tournaments this year, showing her talent on both green and blue clay.

"I don't know what you mean by your way, said the Queen: "all the ways about here belong to me--but why did you come out here at all?"

Williams was 17-0 on clay this season when she arrived on Court Phillippe Chatrier. Razzano was1-1. But right from the start, it was Razzano who looked confident, and Williams who looked hesitant. Razzano quickly went up a break, but lost the set when--serving at 4-5, she double-faulted the game, and the set, away. She had looked very strong in that first set, though conventional wisdom would predict her capitulation to the champion on the other side of the net.

Razzano wasn't interested in conventional wisdom. She knew that Williams was tense, and she came out in the next set with the same resolve she had shown in the first. That set contained some very physical tennis--the kind that occurs on red clay--and Razzano suffered what appeared to be a cramp in her leg. The set went to a tiebreak, and Williams quickly went up 5-1. At 5-3, Williams stopped play because she believed that her opponent had struck the ball out of bounds. But Asderaki called the ball in, and suddenly, Williams led by only one point.

Razzano--nerves, exhaustion, cramps and all--kept at it, and she won the tiebreak 7-5. During the break between sets, Williams sat with her face in a towel, fighting back tears. She had let the match slip away by her stubborn resistance to the demands of the red clay court grind.

But she was down only a set, and how many times had Williams come back after being a set down? Also, her opponent was injured, and visibly nervous, committing double faults at crucial times. She had to put her own nerves, her own disappointment, her own errors, aside, and proceed with the rest of the match. What neither Williams nor anyone else realized, though, was that Razzano was doing the same thing: She was putting aside her fatigue, her injury, her double-faulting, and getting on with the business of winning the match.

"Speak in French when you can't remember the English for a thing--turn out your toes when you walk--and remember who you are!"

At first, it looked too easy. Razzano went up 3-0, and soon, she was up 5-0. Then Willams won a game. And then, not unexpectedly, she broke the Frenchwoman when she served for the match. Williams held,  and Razzano's anxiety became amost unbearable to watch. But Williams hadn't let go of her nerves, either. Serving once again for the match at 3-5, Razzano went through just about everything--good and bad--in her repertoire. She hit an ace. She double-faulted. She set up winners and couldn't complete them. She held seven match points, all saved by her opponent. There were twelve excruciating deuces. Williams held four break points and failed to convert them. Then, finally, on her eighth match point, Razzano did what no one else has ever been able to do: She took Serena Williams out of the opening round of a major.

As thrilling and heartbreaking as these events were, it should be pointed out that they were played against the background of Asderaki's apparent preoccupation with the hindrance rule. Early on, she gave Razzano a hindrance warning (something she failed to give Williams in the 2011 U.S. Open final) when Razzano yelled before a ball reached her opponent. Later in the match, Asderaki would default Razzano two points because of the hindrance rule. On the second of these occasions, Razzano had (not very loudly) groaned in pain when her leg began to cramp.

There needs to be a hindrance rule, but someone, somewhere, needs to firmly define what a hindrance is. Even Asderaki doesn't seem to be clear within herself what is is. Some might say that this sudden focus on yelling and crying out and the hindrance rule has something to do with the WTA's concern over the sounds players make, but that would sound conspiratorial, wouldn't it?

Never mind. Razzano won the match in spite of the defaults, in spite of cramping, and in spite of history. And as tense and anxious and error-ridden as Williams was, there was still magic coming off of the Frenchwoman's racquet during much of this contest.

I don't usually throw flowers at commentators, but Rennae Stubbs' thoughtful comments about Williams and her sensitive interview with Razzano added to the emotional depth of this event.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Paris, Maria Sharapova is smiling, maybe just a little.

French Fed Cup team does not include Bartoli

The French Fed Cup team for the February 4-5 event, in which France plays the Slovak Republic, will be composed of Alize Cornet, Pauline Parmentier, Virginie Razzano, and Aravane Rezai. Once again, France's top player, Marion Bartoli, has been left off of the team.

The Italian Fed Cup team includes Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani, and Roberta Vinci. This is, of course, the team that has led Italy to the Fed Cup championship in the past. Italy will play Ukraine.

Captain Mary Joe Fernandez has named Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Christina McHale, and Liezel Huber to the USA's team for the February competition. Sloane Stephens is the alternate. The USA will play Belarus.

Passing shots

Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Cincinnati tournament because of the viral illness that kept her out of Toronto. She has been offered a wild card into New Haven.

Katie O'Brien has retired from professional tennis. O'Brien reached her highest ranking, number 84 in the world, in 2010. The British player's last match was at a World Team Tennis event.

Laura Robson, Ksenia Pervak, Anna Tatishvili, Virginie Razzano, and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova all lost in the first round of Cincinnati qualifying.

Kamakshi Tandon reflects on the changes Li Na and Petra Kvitova face after winning majors.

"Canada: Where champions come to lose" is one of many "new" Rogers Cup slogans. Of course, by now, Da Vinci Code has been cracked.

Wozniacki quietly and efficiently advances to Wimbledon round of 16

Wimbledon top seed Caroline Wozniacki has now played three rounds of tennis and made only nine unforced errors. In her second round match against Virginie Razzano, she made only one unforced error, which is such a rarity it is worth noting. For those who are counting, the world number 1 has also hit 39 winners, and her opponents have hit 52. You can do the math, but it probably won't get you too far.

In her third round match, Wozniacki defeated Jarmila Gajdosova in straight sets. She will next face 24th seed Dominika Cibulkova, who is better known for her clay court skills. Cibulkova took out 16th seed Julia Goerges, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. I commend Goerges, by the way, for asking the umpire to pronounce her name correctly. Isn't that the least that players should expect? If only players would say something to Tennis Channel, ESPN and Sky Broadcasting, who routinely butcher players' names. (They have yet, in fact, to correctly pronounce the name of the world number 1 player.)

Also in the third round, defending champion Serena Williams had her first straight-sets win, against 26th seed Maria Kirilenko. Maria Sharapova defeated Klara Zakopalova and Sabine Lisicki defeated Masaki Doi. Also, 20th seed Peng Shuai defeated Melinda Czink, and Petra Cetkovska--this year's "out of nowhere" player--upset 18th seed Ana Ivanovic.

Wimbledon--what they said

Do you think because of what you've been through over the last couple of years with injuries and form, things like that, do you think if you might have lost today, that could have possibly been your last time here?
...you know, it didn't really cross my mind about losing today's match. It was quite clear the standard of tennis wasn't super high, but I think that's because of what's on the line, the expectations. It was never going to be a pretty match.

Anne Keothavong

You had a strap on your back.
I'm pretty much taped up everywhere.

Serena Williams

You don't use the LTA money. Can you explain that?
We haven't done for a long time. I don't really want to get into it. It's very political. I'm just concentrating on my tennis, leave the politics to other people. I'm just working as hard as I can and let my tennis speak for itself.

Naomi Broady

...no, I don't change my tennis for to play Wozniacki. I try to be aggressive every time when I play on clay court or with more intelligence, tactic, because you don't play the same on clay court than on grass.

Virginie Razzano

After what you faced off the court, is there anything on the court that can faze you?
Well, I wouldn't necessarily want to face Nadal at the French Open.

Serena Williams

I really felt for her. It actually brought a tear to my eye. I thought, You've got to snap out of it because you've got a match.

Elena Baltacha, on Serena Williams

… If she wins the next two or three matches, I think she can win the tournament.

Aravane Rezai, after playing Serena Williams

I don't look ahead and think how amazing it would be to hold the trophy. Obviously I'm very fortunate to have had that feeling before and knowing how good that feeling is. That's what drives you deep down inside. But I also think on the other hand if you want something so bad that you can't sleep over it, where is that going to get you, as well?

Maria Sharapova

She seemed to run you back and forth a little bit.
Yeah, I know. I hate that, you know. I like it standing.

Li Na

Williams sparkles, Schiavone stuns

Last year, when Roger Federer hit his first famous 'tweener at the U.S. Open, WTA commentators started longing for the days of the "Sabatweeni." Every time they talked about Sabatini's between-the-legs shot, I would think, "Great--she was a favorite of mine--but what about Schiavone? She's playing tennis now." For though she doesn't use it a lot, the 'tweener is part of Schiavone's repertoire. Tennis commentators would know that, right? Right.

They know it now. Or, more likely, they just know that she hit one today, in her third round match against Alona Bondarenko. In what was, for me, the best set played so far in this Open, the 6th seed and French Open champion and the 29th seed put on quite a show in the second set. It took Bondarenko a while to find herself, though; the aggressive and stretchy Italian swept the first set 6-1. When Bondarenko finally challenged her, we got to see a beautiful display of shot-making from both players.

Schiavone, however, would not be denied a straight-sets win. She did it all--the 'tweener (which set up a winner), a backhand volley down the line, and the kind of serving that helped her win in Paris. She hit 29 winners for the match, and was successful with 20 of 24 net approaches.

3rd seed Venus Williams appears to be pain-free, which is good news. Dressed in a form-fitting black dress featuring an overall fireworks-display sequined pattern, Williams defeated qualifier Mandy Minella 6-2, 6-1 in conditions that were windy, but which Williams said "could be worse." I dimmed the lights so I could get the full effect of that shimmering eleVen outfit.

In the house, dressed in red, was none other than world number 1 Serena Williams, who sat at the ESPN desk and interviewed her sister. It was a light moment, and a treat for viewers. The sisters feed off of each other like two members of a long-term Vaudeville act. Later, Serena went into the booth to help call the men's match.

Ana Ivanovic had some trouble handling wild card Virginie Razzano for much of the first set, but she found her form soon enough to take that set. After that, she cruised to a 7-5, 6-0 win.

Shahar Peer pulled the upset of the day, defeating 19th seed Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-4. Though she is seeded only 19th, Pennetta is historically dangerous on hard courts, and was a quarterfinalist at last year's Open.

After Peer won the first set, she went up 4-0. Pennetta was able to break and to even things at 4-all. At 4-5, she saved two match points on her own serve, but the third match point did her in. Peer, who gives everything she has in every match she plays, was just too tough and too accurate tonight. Pennetta has a good head-to-head against Venus Williams, but the prospect of a Williams-Pennetta match is now just a passing thought.

Getting back to the subject of commentators: Today, I heard a commentator tell his colleague that he mispronounces a particular ATP player's name, and knows that he mispronounces it, and--in the same sentence--he went on to sarcastically put down commentators who mispronounce another ATP player's name. The value system here is way to complicated for me to grasp.

Oh, and the commentator and unsportsmanlike former champion who knows what's best for women's tennis--need I even have to say his name?--remarked tonight that the Williams sisters have never been coached by their mother. Fortunately, Serena Williams was sitting next to him, and set the record straight.

Top seeds advance to 3rd round at U.S. Open

For Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams, Sam Stosur, and Francesca Schiavone, the second round of the U.S. Open was a straight-set affair. Clijsters, the second seed and defending champion, defeated Sally Peers in the night match, and 5th seed Stosur--who I thought would have more trouble dealing with her countrywoman--defeated Anastasia Rodionova. Schiavone defeated Maria Elena Camerin.

Venus Williams' match was interesting. For many of us, it was a first look at Rebecca Marino, the Canadian qualifier who had never before competed against a top-50 player. Marino is six feet tall with long legs, and she can fire a forehand in a most impressive way. Her serve looked good, too. She hit eight aces, and her kick serve was high enough to reach Williams' head on at least one occasion. Also, Marino's demeanor was calm and composed throughout the match; even when she became a little upset, she got past it quickly.

The match, not surprisingly, presented a scenario we have seen many times before: Marino was good enough to force a first-set tiebreak, but when she failed to win it, a straight-set loss was practically an inevitability. In fact, it was hard to imagine her winning the tiebreak because of the speed, efficiency and experience of her opponent. Williams knew how to win the tiebreak, reeling off six points in a row, and she knew how to get through the second set pretty quickly. I wouldn't say that Marino wilted--"wilted" just doesn't seem to fit her persona--but she became less sure-footed after she lost the first set.

She did have a bit of a comeback, though, getting a break point when Williams served for the match at 5-3 in the second set. Marino hit a wild forehand, though, and that was the end of her break chance. Marino hit 27 winners and made 23 unforced errors, compared with Williams' twelve.

Williams won, 7-6, 6-3, and moves to the third round, in which she will not play Tsvetana Pironkova. It can't hurt the 3rd seed's mood that Pironkova, a nemesis on the court, was taken out (and served a New York bagel) by qualifier Mandy Minella. Minella defeated Polona Hercog in the opening round, so she's having a nice run. As for Marino--I hope I get to see her again soon. She played well, and she had a great attitude.

Elena Dementieva, Flavia Pennetta and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also advanced in straight sets. Pavlyuchenkova was troubled by an elbow injury (it's always something, lately), but it didn't appear to be very serious.

Wild card Virginie Razzano upset 13th seed Marion Bartoli, and Sara Errani upset 28th seed Alisa Kleybanova. Ana Ivanovic ran over 21st seed Zheng Jie, 6-3, 6-0...and then there was Daniela Hantuvhova. She and Vania King went at it for two hours and 51 minutes, with King taking the first set 7-5. I enjoy watching both of these players because they throw in a little bit of everything. Hantuchova, the 23rd seed, won the second set 6-3, and served for the match at 5-2 in the third, but was broken. She eventually won the set 6-4, and hit a lovely drop shot for match point. Hantuchova served nine aces and hit 50 winners.

Sharapova out of Montreal

Maria Sharapova, citing the pain she felt in her left foot during the Cincinnati final, has withdrawn from Rogers Cup competition. Patty Schnyder got the lucky loser designation and has already advanced to the second round with a win over Virginie Razzano.

Venus Williams had already withdrawn from the tournament because of continuing problems with her knee.

Wimbledon draw to be made tomorrow

Venus and Serena Williams--the Queen of Grass and the defending champion, repectively--will be on opposite sides of the draw that is produced tomorrow at the All England Club. The possibility of our seeing another all-Williams final is high, though there are a few players not named "Williams" who could break through to the final.

Missing from the draw will be the following players:
Peng Shuai (illness)
Sabine Lisicki (ankle injury)
Elena Dementieva (calf injury)
Virginie Razzano (hip injury)
Carla Suarez Navarro (ankle injury)

Lisicki was a quarterfinalist last year, and Dementieva was a semifinalist. Razzano was in the round of 16.

Qualifying has concluded, and these are the twelve qualifiers:

Kaia Kanepi
Nuria Llagostera Vives
Romina Sarina Oprandi
Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Shenay Perry
Anastaiya Yakimova
Greta Arn
Mirjana Lucic
Kurumi Nara
Monica Niculescu
Andrea Hlavackova
Eleni Daniilidou