Here are the standings so far in the 2008 Sony Ericsson Championships:
WHITE GROUP:
Jelena Jankovic, 1-0
Ana Ivanovic, 0-2
Svetlana Kuznetsova, 0-1
Vera Zvonareva, 2-0
MAROON GROUP:
Dinara Safina, 0-2
Serena Williams, 1-0
Elena Dementieva, 0-1
Venus Williams, 2-0
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Zvonareva and Williams each 2-0 on the 2nd day of the Championships
Vera Zvonareva won her second match in Doha today, defeating Ana Ivanovic, 6-3, 7-6, 6-4. Toward the end of the second set, Ivanovic had to have a medical timeout, apparently because of the weakness that she had also experienced in her match the day before. Ivanovic said she drank plenty of liquids so that she would be sufficiently hydrated, but something was still wrong.
Following the medical treatment, however, Ivanovic went on to serve for the second set, but Zvonareva saved some set points and forced a tiebreak, which Ivanovic won. Zvonareva broke early in the final set, and served for the match at 5-3. Ivanovic broke her, but Zvonareva broke right back.
In the second match of the day, Venus Williams defeated Elena Dementieva 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. And in her first match, Serena Williams defeated Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-1.
Following the medical treatment, however, Ivanovic went on to serve for the second set, but Zvonareva saved some set points and forced a tiebreak, which Ivanovic won. Zvonareva broke early in the final set, and served for the match at 5-3. Ivanovic broke her, but Zvonareva broke right back.
In the second match of the day, Venus Williams defeated Elena Dementieva 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. And in her first match, Serena Williams defeated Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-1.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sometimes work interferes with watching tennis
Pity. The Jankovic-Ivanovic match was originally scheduled to be first in the Day 1 Sony Ericsson Championships round robin play today, and was I was glad I would be able to get to see an hour of it, but no such luck. Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva went on first, and I did see some of that, but then I had to leave, notebook in hand, so I could follow the scores electronically. I have to work all day tomorrow, too, so it will be another electronic scoreboard day for me.
Zvonareva is 1-0, having defeated Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3. And Jelena Jankovic is 1-0, too, having finally broken her spell of losing to Ana Ivanovic. Jankovic took the match, 6-3, 6-4.
My prediction about Dinara Safina--that she may be mentally, and perhaps physically, spent--is looking accurate so far. Safina was up 5-2 in the first set, but lost it 7-5 to Venus Williams, then went on to lose the second set, also (6-3). Venus Williams is 1-0 on the first day.
Zvonareva is 1-0, having defeated Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3. And Jelena Jankovic is 1-0, too, having finally broken her spell of losing to Ana Ivanovic. Jankovic took the match, 6-3, 6-4.
My prediction about Dinara Safina--that she may be mentally, and perhaps physically, spent--is looking accurate so far. Safina was up 5-2 in the first set, but lost it 7-5 to Venus Williams, then went on to lose the second set, also (6-3). Venus Williams is 1-0 on the first day.
Note to Serena: "Strong" isn't necessarily positive
It can, in fact, be a nightmare:
"I think the best way to go in tennis is to have the support of a parental unit. And if you look at pretty much every player that's been No.1 or ranked No.1 in the past like Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, all these great players, have had some sort of really strong parental unit behind them."
"I think the best way to go in tennis is to have the support of a parental unit. And if you look at pretty much every player that's been No.1 or ranked No.1 in the past like Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, all these great players, have had some sort of really strong parental unit behind them."
Serena Williams
So who CAN'T win the Sony Ericsson Championships?
"Seven of these women could win the title."
Tracy Austin
Monday, November 3, 2008
Sony Ericsson Championships begin tomorrow
Maroon and white, the colors of the Qatar flag, are the designated round-robin group names for the 2008 Sony Ericsson Championships. The draw has been held, and into the white group are number 1 seed Jelena Jankovic, number 4 seed Ana Ivanovic, number 6 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, and number 8 seed Vera Zvonareva. Comprising the maroon group are number 2 seed Dinara Safina, number 3 seed Serena Williams, number 5 seed Elena Dementieva, and number 7 seed Venus Williams.
Competition begins with the first white group round-robin match between Jankovic and Ivanovic. The tournament could not possibly begin with more of a bang, in my opinion.
In the Sony Ericsson Championships, each woman plays each woman in her group, then top player in each group competes against the second-place player of the other group. The upshot of this system is that two members of the same group could meet in the final.
In the white group, Jankovic has the momentum, but Ivanovic is fresh, having had less match play than her peers because of an injury she sustained a few months ago. She also appears to have regained her confidence. Kuznetsova, despite having superior ability, just does not seem to have the mental wherewithal to win big contests. Zvonareva is the wild card here. She has become somewhat prone to having emotional meltdowns again, though not the type she had in the past; now she is more inclined to have bursts of temper on the court. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, and Zvonareva has been playing quite well.
The maroon group, of course, features the ongoing sister drama, and Venus has a bit of momentum going at this point in the season. Serena is a question mark: Is she healthy enough to continue to play the way she did at the U.S. Open? Dinara Safina has had a fantastic season, but seems rather weary at this stage. If she has the energy--especially the mental energy--to compete seriously, she is a threat. And finally there is Dementieva. It used to be that Dementieva could not serve, but if she got into a three-set contest, she almost always won it. This year, she began serving rather well, but would go to pieces mentally if there was a third set. Only recently has she put the good serve and the strong nerve together, which makes her a year-end contender.
There are only four doubles groups competing in the Championhips: defending champions Cara Black & Liezel Huber, Katarina Srebotnik & Ai Sugiyama, Kveta Peschke & Rennae Stubbs, and Anabel Medina Garrigues & Virginia Ruano Pascual.
The defending champion in singles, of course, is the now-retired Justine Henin, and the defending finalist is Maria Sharapova (also the 2004 winner), who has taken the last part of the season off to heal an injured shoulder. Sharapova's shoulder was bothering her in the last half of 2007, also, and she had not planned to compete in the Sony Ericsson Championships. At the last minute, she changed her mind, and the final between her and Henin was one of the best matches of the year. It also erased any doubts about Sharapova's ability to compete at a very high level. It seems odd that she is absent from the event in Doha this year.
Competition begins with the first white group round-robin match between Jankovic and Ivanovic. The tournament could not possibly begin with more of a bang, in my opinion.
In the Sony Ericsson Championships, each woman plays each woman in her group, then top player in each group competes against the second-place player of the other group. The upshot of this system is that two members of the same group could meet in the final.
In the white group, Jankovic has the momentum, but Ivanovic is fresh, having had less match play than her peers because of an injury she sustained a few months ago. She also appears to have regained her confidence. Kuznetsova, despite having superior ability, just does not seem to have the mental wherewithal to win big contests. Zvonareva is the wild card here. She has become somewhat prone to having emotional meltdowns again, though not the type she had in the past; now she is more inclined to have bursts of temper on the court. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, however, and Zvonareva has been playing quite well.
The maroon group, of course, features the ongoing sister drama, and Venus has a bit of momentum going at this point in the season. Serena is a question mark: Is she healthy enough to continue to play the way she did at the U.S. Open? Dinara Safina has had a fantastic season, but seems rather weary at this stage. If she has the energy--especially the mental energy--to compete seriously, she is a threat. And finally there is Dementieva. It used to be that Dementieva could not serve, but if she got into a three-set contest, she almost always won it. This year, she began serving rather well, but would go to pieces mentally if there was a third set. Only recently has she put the good serve and the strong nerve together, which makes her a year-end contender.
There are only four doubles groups competing in the Championhips: defending champions Cara Black & Liezel Huber, Katarina Srebotnik & Ai Sugiyama, Kveta Peschke & Rennae Stubbs, and Anabel Medina Garrigues & Virginia Ruano Pascual.
The defending champion in singles, of course, is the now-retired Justine Henin, and the defending finalist is Maria Sharapova (also the 2004 winner), who has taken the last part of the season off to heal an injured shoulder. Sharapova's shoulder was bothering her in the last half of 2007, also, and she had not planned to compete in the Sony Ericsson Championships. At the last minute, she changed her mind, and the final between her and Henin was one of the best matches of the year. It also erased any doubts about Sharapova's ability to compete at a very high level. It seems odd that she is absent from the event in Doha this year.
Sony Ericsson Championships first round--Jankovic meets her nemesis
Ana Ivanovic is probably the last woman Jelena Jankovic wants to see on the other side of the net in her first round--in the first round--of the 2008 Sony Ericsson Championships. Jankovic is 1-6 against Ivanovic (they played eight times, but one of the results was a walkover), and her only victory occurred in 2006. Jankovic, however, is not the player she was in 2007, and--indeed--is not even the player she was the first half of 2008. Her serve is much better, and she is hitting the ball harder. Jankovic's game has more wholeness, if you will, and is no longer just the sum of a number of spectacular parts.
However, Ivanovic appears to have overcome the confidence dip she experienced after she sustained a thumb injury. And she is certainly the fresher of the two. This will almost certainly be a close one.
However, Ivanovic appears to have overcome the confidence dip she experienced after she sustained a thumb injury. And she is certainly the fresher of the two. This will almost certainly be a close one.
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