Simona Halep is now number 7 in the world. Let's hope the ankle problem gets much better soon.
Li Na, Jelena Jankovic, Flavia Pennetta, Genie Bouchard, and Klara Zakopalova all have birthdays this week.
Jovana Jaksic saved 14 match points against Tamira Paszek in the 25k event in Surprise, Arizona. Jaksic defeated Paszek 4-6, 7-6, 7-5. Now let's say, for the sake of fun and argument, that I had said that Jaksic had saved 14 match points against __________, and the final score was 4-6, 7-6, 7-5. Yes, you would have guessed Paszek, wouldn't you? Because if there's a long, drawn-out, just-won't-end match, it's a pretty safe bet that Tamira Paszek is on one side of the net.
Tornado Alicia Black made her WTA debut this week, in Acapulco. She went out in the first round to Bojana Jovanovski, who beat her 6-4, 7-5.
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Comcast Corp.'s decision to offer Tennis Channel as premium programming. The Supreme Court let stand a ruling made by a federal appeals court. Tennis Channel is seeking the same Comcast programming tier as NBC Sports Network and the Golf Channel, both of which are more accessible to customers.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Karumi Nara wins in Rio
Karumi Nara won her first WTA title today when she defeated top seed Klara Zakopalova 6-1, 4-6. 6-1 in the final of the Rio Open, a clay court event. It should be mentioned that Zakopalova experienced respiratory problems throughout the match. Unfortunately, today's loss gives her a 2-12 record in tour finals.
The doubles title was won by Irina-Camelia Begu and Maria Irigoyen. They defeated Johanna Larsson and Chenelle Scheepers 6-2, 6-0.
The doubles title was won by Irina-Camelia Begu and Maria Irigoyen. They defeated Johanna Larsson and Chenelle Scheepers 6-2, 6-0.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Triumphant Venus wins Dubai
Was anyone not smiling along with Venus Williams when she won the Dubai title today? Now a three-time champion at the event, Williams beat Alize Cornet 6-3, 6-0 to win the final. The match was better than the scoreline indicates, and would have been even better if Cornet had taken better control of her emotions (some things just don't change).
This is the first premier tournament that Williams has won since 2010, and is therefore a milestone in her career, which was all but taken away from her by Sjogren's syndrome (and by the multiple doctors who were apparently too ignorant to make the diagnosis). Since returning from time off to learn how to manage the disorder, the five-time Wimbledon and two-time U.S. Open champion has had to deal with fatigue, a major symptom of the syndrome, and with playing her way back into the upper level of the game. "Stepping into the unknown," she called the process.
And in a week of surprises, perhaps the most under-stated one is that the Dubai doubles champions are Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Rodionova. The Russia/born-Russian team beat Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 6-2, 5-7, 10-8 in today's final. Both teams were unseeded. Earlier in the tournament, the champions upset 2nd seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, and they also beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Safarova.
Rodionova is a good doubles player who has played with various partners, including Kudryavtseva, over the last several years. This is her eighth WTA doubles title. She is currently ranked number 23 in the world in doubles. Kudryavtseva is ranked number 24. The Russian player has now won seven doubles titles.
This is the first premier tournament that Williams has won since 2010, and is therefore a milestone in her career, which was all but taken away from her by Sjogren's syndrome (and by the multiple doctors who were apparently too ignorant to make the diagnosis). Since returning from time off to learn how to manage the disorder, the five-time Wimbledon and two-time U.S. Open champion has had to deal with fatigue, a major symptom of the syndrome, and with playing her way back into the upper level of the game. "Stepping into the unknown," she called the process.
And in a week of surprises, perhaps the most under-stated one is that the Dubai doubles champions are Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Rodionova. The Russia/born-Russian team beat Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 6-2, 5-7, 10-8 in today's final. Both teams were unseeded. Earlier in the tournament, the champions upset 2nd seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, and they also beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Safarova.
Rodionova is a good doubles player who has played with various partners, including Kudryavtseva, over the last several years. This is her eighth WTA doubles title. She is currently ranked number 23 in the world in doubles. Kudryavtseva is ranked number 24. The Russian player has now won seven doubles titles.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Sweeping the court
Li Na is way, way cool.
Sabine Lisicki is engaging in a trial coaching relationship with Martina Hingis.
Thanks to Courtney Nguyen for finding this gem. My only problem with it is that I wish I'd written it!
Nick Bollettieri has published an autobiography.
How to pack like 'Pova.
"Party in my head," Venus Williams said when asked if she was as calm on the inside as she appears to be on the outside.
Qualifier Nastassja Burnett has reached the semifinals in Rio. Top seed Klara Zakopalova also advanced to the semifinals.
Sabine Lisicki is engaging in a trial coaching relationship with Martina Hingis.
Thanks to Courtney Nguyen for finding this gem. My only problem with it is that I wish I'd written it!
Nick Bollettieri has published an autobiography.
How to pack like 'Pova.
"Party in my head," Venus Williams said when asked if she was as calm on the inside as she appears to be on the outside.
Qualifier Nastassja Burnett has reached the semifinals in Rio. Top seed Klara Zakopalova also advanced to the semifinals.
Alize Cornet and Venus Williams to meet in Dubai final
Venus Williams defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-2 in Dubai this evening, rather easily advancing to the 2014 final. Williams, a two-time champion in Dubai, is now 5-0 against Wozniacki in career competition.
It was assumed by many that Venus's victory in the semifinal was the first step toward what would have been the 25th meeting of the Williams sisters, but a Frenchwoman got in the way. That pesky Frenchwoman is Alize Cornet, who beat Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4 to advance to her seventh WTA final.
When Cornet was a 17-year-old, fresh on the scene, she showed quite a bit of promise. But her head got in the way of her tennis (there's a lot of that going around), and for the next several years, she was streaky at her best times. But in the past year, the emotionally-driven 24-year-old Frenchwoman has pulled her game together more, and perhaps more important--she has tamed her emotional reactions. She's still streaky, but she's definitely a more mature player.
Her backhand down the line left Serena just "standing there" several times tonight. Cornet hung in the long rallies against Williams with a ferocity that was to be admired. For her part, Williams just had trouble getting into a rhythm after she was broken in the first set. In the second set, there were several moments of "this is what happens to you when you make Serena mad," and common wisdom would have given the world number 1 the second set, and maybe a blowout in the third.
But Cornet just kept coming at her, defending with a frenzy, spinning balls at Williams, moving her around, and then--it was over. After the match, Serena--in true Serena fashion--said she thought maybe she had been influenced by a cute turtle at her hotel that she looks at every day.
In doubles, Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Rodionova, after taking out 2nd seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the quarterfinals, did the same with Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Safarova in the semifinals. And with the same scoreline--6-4, 6-4. In the other semifinal, Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears defeated Flavia Pennetta and Sam Stosur 6-3, 6-2. Kops-Jones and Spears upset top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in the quarterfinals.
This tournament has taught us, yet again, not to have too many expectations. The world number 1 is out, a long-struggling Venus Williams is in yet another big final, and the two top doubles teams are out. 2nd seed Agnieszka Radwanska went out courtesy of Flavia Pennetta (who then lost to Venus).
Not so surprising, though unfortunate, was Doha champion Simona Halep's first round retirement because of an Achilles tendon problem that's been troubling her for a while. And not so surprising--though beyond unfortunate--was the second round upset of defending champion Petra Kvitova.
It was assumed by many that Venus's victory in the semifinal was the first step toward what would have been the 25th meeting of the Williams sisters, but a Frenchwoman got in the way. That pesky Frenchwoman is Alize Cornet, who beat Serena Williams 6-4, 6-4 to advance to her seventh WTA final.
When Cornet was a 17-year-old, fresh on the scene, she showed quite a bit of promise. But her head got in the way of her tennis (there's a lot of that going around), and for the next several years, she was streaky at her best times. But in the past year, the emotionally-driven 24-year-old Frenchwoman has pulled her game together more, and perhaps more important--she has tamed her emotional reactions. She's still streaky, but she's definitely a more mature player.
Her backhand down the line left Serena just "standing there" several times tonight. Cornet hung in the long rallies against Williams with a ferocity that was to be admired. For her part, Williams just had trouble getting into a rhythm after she was broken in the first set. In the second set, there were several moments of "this is what happens to you when you make Serena mad," and common wisdom would have given the world number 1 the second set, and maybe a blowout in the third.
But Cornet just kept coming at her, defending with a frenzy, spinning balls at Williams, moving her around, and then--it was over. After the match, Serena--in true Serena fashion--said she thought maybe she had been influenced by a cute turtle at her hotel that she looks at every day.
In doubles, Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Rodionova, after taking out 2nd seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the quarterfinals, did the same with Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Safarova in the semifinals. And with the same scoreline--6-4, 6-4. In the other semifinal, Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears defeated Flavia Pennetta and Sam Stosur 6-3, 6-2. Kops-Jones and Spears upset top seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in the quarterfinals.
This tournament has taught us, yet again, not to have too many expectations. The world number 1 is out, a long-struggling Venus Williams is in yet another big final, and the two top doubles teams are out. 2nd seed Agnieszka Radwanska went out courtesy of Flavia Pennetta (who then lost to Venus).
Not so surprising, though unfortunate, was Doha champion Simona Halep's first round retirement because of an Achilles tendon problem that's been troubling her for a while. And not so surprising--though beyond unfortunate--was the second round upset of defending champion Petra Kvitova.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Family Circle Cup field very strong
Five former Family Circle Cup champions--Serena Williams, Samantha Stosur, Sabine Lisicki, Jelena Jankovic, and Venus Williams--will compete in the 2014 Cup in Charleston, which begins March 29. Serena Williams is the defending champion. Also in the main draw are Sara Errani, Eugenie Bouchard, Sloane Stephens, Andrea Petkovic, Madison Keys, Maria Kirilenko, and Elina Svitolina.Svetlana Kuznetsova will also return to Charleston, after a long absence. Elena Vesnina (a singles finalist and doubles champion), Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Alize Cornet, and Peng Shuai will also be part of the field.
What a great list--and there are many more, including Lauren Davis, Stefanie Voegele and Casey Dellacqua. I'm eager to find out who accepts a wild card (Simona, are you listening?!).
This will be my 10th year to attend the Family Circle Cup, and I can attest that there just isn't a better place to be in April. The facility is beautiful, the staff is very helpful and very proficient, and Charleston is a great place to eat or to just hang out. The players get really special treatment in Charleston, too, and that's why they keep coming back.
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