Tuesday, January 31, 2017

My Australian Open top 10



Here are my top 10 Australian Open events, in ascending order:

 10. Never too late: The unseeded team of Abigail Spears and Juan Sebastian Cabal won the Australian Open mixed doubles title, and did it by beating the 2nd seeds. More impressive, they did it by beating a team of which Sania Mirza was a member. Spears and Cabal defeated Mirza and Ivan Dodig 6-2, 6-4. The 35-year-old Spears had been two two other major mixed doubles finals (both at the U.S. Open), but this is her first major mixed doubles title.

9. Never too soon: The talented Yui Kamiji won her third wheelchair singles major, knocking off top seed Jiske Griffioen 6-7, 6-3, 6-3. However, Kamiji and her partner, Diede De Groot, lost the doubles final to Griffioen and Aniek Van Koot. This is Kamiji's fourth major singles title; she holds eight major doubles titles. Griffioen also has four major singles titles (and 14 major doubles titles). With the extremely dominant Esther Vergeer out of the picture, women's wheelchair tennis has turned into a highly competitive event. It was very competitive before, of course, in terms of quality--but Vergeer was winning all the titles.

8. Si-Mohhh-Naaa!: After losing in the first round last year, 4th seed Simona Halep lost in the first round again. The Romanian apparently strayed too close to what The Backspinner aptly refers to as "The Cliffs Of Simona," and tumbled right over into the void. I expect her to do much better in Paris, but meanwhile, having the first major of the season as your nemesis is not a pleasant experience.

7. Conspicuous by their absence: Yes, it was a great Australian Open, but it was notable for those who did not attend. Two-time champion Vika Azarenka, former champion Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, and Madison Keys--all elite players--could not be there. One especially wonders what the combination of cooler temperatures and faster courts might have meant for Kvitova.

6. Age before everything: The four semifinalists had a combined age of 130, with CoCo Vandeweghe being the "baby," at age 25. Youth is most definitely not being served. A 35-year-old won the tournament (ATP, also), and a 36-year-old was the runner-up.

5. All CoCo, no puff: CoCo Vandeweghe did some very heavy lifting in this tournament, taking out the tricky former U.S. Open runner-up Roberta Vinci, former Wimbledon runner-up Genie Bouchard, defending champion (and U.S. Open champion) and world number 1 Angie Kerber, and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza. She fell to Venus Williams in the semifinal, but not without a fight. The occasion appeared to get to Vandeweghe at that point, but if she can overcome that sort of (expected) lapse, she has nowhere to go but up. The 25-year-old Californian has refined both her game and her athleticism a great deal, and her Australian Open performance was, for the most part, very impressive.

4. Venus still rising: We've focused so much on the "never count Serena out" storyline, but we also need to devote some attention to the "never count Venus out" part of the plot. In a surprising/not-surprising run, the older (by a year) Williams sister made it all the way to the final, her first (in the majors) in eight years. She lost to her sister in straight sets, but those sets included some vintage Venus play. And her joyful spirit dominated the event--a happy and grateful Venus is something I wish we could bottle and give to the world.

3. Just dance: Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova won the doubles title, defeating Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai in the final. And with all the inspirational/feel good stories floating about in Melbourne, this one somehow got left out. Between Safarova's steady recovery following a serious illness and subsequent reactive arthritis and Mattek-Sands' transcendence of an entire career's worth of setbacks, this was a victory worth dancing over.



2. A story for the ages: It wasn't a new story--we saw Jelena Dokic, whose career was severely inhibited by the abuse she suffered from her father, make a memorable and emotional comeback at the 2009 Australian Open. This time, it was Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who also suffered terrible abuse at the hands of her father, and who lost a major portion of her career. When the Croatian player returned in 2007, it was to function as a giant-killer. But at this year's Australian Open, she was something else--a giant.

Lucic-Baroni extended her run all the way to the semifinals, where she fell to eventual champion Serena Williams. However, her quarterfinal defeat of 5th seed Karolina Pliskova, whom many had picked to win the whole thing, was arguably the story of the tournament, on the women's side. Lucic-Baroni's last appearance in a major semifinal had occurred 18 years earlier at Wimbledon, when she was labeled a prodigy, having already won (with Martina Hingis) the Australian Open doubles title in 1998, at the age of 15.

But beating Pliskova wasn't Lucic-Baroni's only dramatic feat. In the second round, she took out 3rd seed Aga Radwanska in straight sets. Those who saw Lucic-Baroni's performance at this Australian Open will never forget it. As the Croation star herself said: "I can't believe this, this is crazy."

1. You can't "come back" when you never go away: Serena Williams lost the 2016 Australian Open final and the 2016 French Open final. A correction had to be made, and she made it emphatically in Melbourne. The "new" world number 1 took the title without dropping a set (though she had some game competition from Barbora Strycova in the round of 16), then defeated her sister in the final to win her sixth Australian Open title. Williams now has a total of 23 major singles titles, and one wold be well advised to not put the calculator away any time soon.

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Saturday, January 28, 2017

Serena beats Venus to win her 23rd major singles title

She's a rocker, she takes after me
And she's a roller, runs in the family
She's a rock and roll baby, a real gone twister
But...Don't you mess around with my little sister
Michelle Shocked
 

One of the best sports stories of recent times was told yesterday in Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, when Venus and Serena Williams, ages 36 and 35 respectively, faced off in the Australian Open final. It was the first time since 2009 that the pair had met in a major final, and it's doubtful that very many fans and tennis observers anticipated that they would ever meet this way again.

It had already been a dramatic two weeks, what with Venus's return to the "last women standing" part of a big-stage draw, the giant-killing accomplishments of unseeded CoCo Vandeweghe, and the heart-wrenching semi-final run of Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. One could easily become exhausted without even lifting a racket--and for those of us who live in  my part of the world, exhaustion from lack of sleep is a given, anyway, during the season's first major.

The story was almost perfect, it's only flaw being that it was too short. Serena got off to a shaky start. She was obviously on edge, and sometimes--when she's on edge like that--she doesn't fully recover. Other times, she snaps herself back into place and does what Serena does. This was one of those "other times." 

The first set was close, with the opponents breaking each other five times. Serena won that set 6-4, and her record in major finals came to mind, as it always does: If she wins the first set, she winds up with the trophy. This match confirmed that remarkable statistic. Despite Venus significantly improving her first serve and even cutting down on errors in the second set--making it look, for a while, like the match would go the distance--she was unable to break Serena. At 3-all, Serena converted a third break point, and it turned out that that was all she needed to do. That set, also, went to Serena, 6-4. 

The match lasted an hour and 21 minutes, and featured some delicious rallies from two of the tour's greatest hitters. These two love to pull each other side to side, and force each other to come up with almost-impossible to execute shots. That happened several times during the match, as the two veterans put on the same show of athleticism and guile that they have for many, many years.

It was understandably hard to cheer for (or against) either of them. Had Venus won, she would have earned her eighth major title in a career that was rudely interrupted for a long time by the arrival of Sjogren's syndrome, which a bevy of doctors were too ignorant to diagnose (her symptoms were textbook), and then by Venus's learning appropriate management of the disease and playing her way back into the elite section of the tour. Venus won her last major title in 2008, when she picked up her fifth Venus Rosewater dish at Wimbldon.

For Serena, the win brings her major singles total to 23, which is one beyond the Open Era record set by Steffi Graf, and one behind the mixed era record set by Margaret Court. This is what fans, the media and the players focus on, but I mention it only in passing. Counting majors is really not relevant because so much has changed since professional tennis began, and since the Open Era began. 

Players often skipped the Australian Open because it was held during the holidays. Chris Evert, who pretty much owned the French Open, skipped it three times to play World Team Tennis. (And consider Rod Laver, who wasn't allowed to play in tournaments he likely would have won.) Also, counting major titles wasn't a "thing" until fairly recently. So, in a nod to the much missed Petra Kvitova, I'll say that "going by the numbers" is like comparing tennis balls with asparagus.

Having said that, I'll add that winning 23 majors--regardless of any other considerations--is indeed a a stunning reflection of how dominant Serena Williams has been for a very long time. When we consider that she and Venus first played each other at the Australian Open 19 years ago, we are able to glimpse the broad landscape of the effect that both sisters have had on the sport of tennis, and on sport in general.

It would have been quite enough for Serena and Venus to be the amazing and long-lasting force in tennis that they are. But they are so much more. They are, individually and together, a testament to belief, endurance and--perhaps most of all--survival. And to top it off, they are both entertaining, endearing and committed to causes that are more important than tennis.

"Your win has always been my win," Venus said to her sister in her beautiful runner-up acceptance. speech. And that's the way it will always be (and vice versa). 

With this victory, Serena has taken back her number 1 ranking, and woe to anyone who suggests that her time of greatness is over. She. Is. Serena. Williams. And Venus, another great champion, can certainly confirm for the rest of the tour: "Don't you mess around with my little sister."
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Thursday, January 26, 2017

Venus and Serena: together again, as you always wanted to see them



Who would have thought, when the season's first major began, that we would wind up with Venus and Serena Williams facing off in the final? I didn't. But down went defending champion Angie Kerber, down went favorite Karolina Pliskova, down went upstart Jo Konta.

To me, Kerber, Pliskova, Serena, and Konta (in no particular order) were the players comprising the field that would produce a champion. And in that group, only six-time champion Serena Williams is still standing. But in her way is, of all people, her sister.

And isn't that kind of cool?

Between them, they have lived on this Earth 71 years. In tennis years, that's some kind of old. In Williams sisters years (or Navratilova years, or Date-Krumm years, or Lucic-Baroni or Schiavone years), it's no big deal.

I disclose my bias straightaway: I am an "older" woman who, on a daily basis, rebukes all the ageist nonsense about these numbers: You are fit and ready, or you aren't. Is it different from when you were 20? Of course it is. But can you nevertheless be in better shape than many who are much younger? You bet your hours-in-the-gym/court/studio butt you can. And you can--and do--win very big matches on the WTA tour.

Okay, I got that out of my system. For now.

Venus and Serena are elite athletes and elite tennis players. They are also elite survivors of life, which makes them elite competitors. Saturday, they will meet for the ninth time in a major final. Serena leads their major final head-to-head 6-2. If she wins this one, she will have won 23 major singles titles. For Venus, it would bring the total to eight.

Amd now a few words about the other semifinalists. I think of Jo Konta as fearless, but when Great Britain's number 1 player faced Serena Williams, she caved. This is not to take anything away from Serena's spot-on performance, but in this match, Konta just didn't look like the player who stormed into the top 10 with a huge serve and a keen court intelligence. The serve went away, and Konta looked lost.

CoCo Vandeweghe also lost her way, though there were moments when she found it again. The big-hitting, big-serving Vandeweghe has added so much strategy and finesse to her game that she now appears quite threatening. There are plenty of big hitters, but it is those who developed a more varied game--Venus, Serena, Kvitova, Cibulkova--who have the big careers.

Vandeweghe was philosophical in her press conference, stating that she was disappointed, but she wasn't able to respond well enough when her opponent changed her strategy in the second set. She also acknowledged that, in the big moments, Venus was just too good. Vandeweghe, who was able to convert only one of 13 break points, said she wasn't satisfied with her performance, but that this was just the beginning of a long season, and that her team had already lifted her spirits.

CoCo Vandeweghe, it should be noted, had an extremely tough draw, and took out the likes of Roberta Vinci, Genie Bouchard, defending champion and world number 1 Angie Kerber, and world number 7 Garbine Muguruza.

Here are the players' paths to the final:

VENUS WILLIAMS
round 1--Kateryna Kozlova
round 2--Stefanie Voegele
round 3--Duan Ying-Ying
round of 16--Mona Barthel (Q)
quarterfinals--Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (24)
semifinals-- CoCo Vandeweghe

SERENA WILLIAMS
round 1--Belinda Bencic
round 2--Lucie Safarova
round 3--Nicole Gibbs
round 4--Barbora Strycova (16)
quarterfinals--Johanna Konta (9)
semifinals--Mirjana Lucic-Baroni
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Monday, January 23, 2017

8 women, 8 stories



There are eight women left in the Australian Open draw, and they represent a variety of interesting--and in some cases--inspiring, stories.

Serena Williams is there, competing to win her 23rd major. Williams got quite a fight from Barbora Strycova in the round of 16, but emerged the winner in straight sets. A six-time champion in Melbourne, the world number 2 will once again be the world number 1 if she wins the event. Just about everything in Serena's career is inspiring, and at 35 years old, her very realistic quest for number 23 is history-making in itself.

And then there's Venus, aged 36, who was more or less written off a few years ago because of the struggles she had to endure because of her illness (and its continual misdiagnosis, even though her symptoms were obvious). Now that she has a stable health management system, it certainly can't be easy to compete at the top  level, but here she is, in the quarterfinals. The last time she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open was in 2010, and she was defeated in that round by Li Na.

Perhaps the most inspiring story is that of Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who described herself yesterday as a "tough little cookie, and very, very stubborn." Indeed. Lucic-Baroni, who is 34, was considered a tennis prodigy in the late 90s. At the age of 15, she (and Martina Hingis) won the Australian Open women's doubles championship. Two years later, Lucic-Baroni reached the semifinals in singles at Wimbledon.

It looked as though nothing could stop the young Croatian star, but sadly, she was the victim of long-term abuse from her father, which caught up with her. She left the tour, but returned in 2007, and has played the role of giant-killer ever since. Now, 18 years after her Wimbledon run, she's in another major quarterfinal, and it's hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't be heartened by this turn of events.

The rest of the stories aren't as dramatic, but they have merit. Take, for example, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the next-gen Russian hope who just never quite met what many considered her great potential. Pavlyuchenkova, a world number 1 junior player, has had issues with fitness and consistency, and just, well, the Russian thing. But when she's good, she's very, very good, with superb court anticipation. And here she is, into the quarterfinals.

Karolna Pliskova went from scoring a disappointing finish in major after major until last year, when she reached the final of the U.S. Open. The Czech Fed Cup beast is now arguably the hottest player on the tour, and so far, she hasn't let anything stop her in Melbourne--not even being down 2-5 in the third set to Jelena Ostapenko. And it just might be that third round-of-16 set that gives Pliskova the super-confidence she needs to become an even bigger story.

Garbine Muguruza's Melbourne story is one that's buried on page nine, so to speak. The French Open champion has moved quietly and very efficiently through the draw and has barely been noticed by commentators and fans. Yes, Muguruza can be brilliant, and then suddenly, she can just "mugu around" and drop out of competition. So far, though, she's given us no reason to believe she isn't in Melbourne to win, and she also has the advantage of knowing what it feels like to be in a really big final and walk away with the trophy.

CoCo Vandeweghe's story is one I didn't think I'd be able to tell. The hard-hitting, big-serving U.S. player has had issues with fitness and issues with consistency and self-management. She would look as though she were getting it all together, but then self-destruct yet again. But lately, Vandeweghe has done a much better job of taking control of matches. It probably hasn't hurt that she's been hanging out on the doubles court with Martina Hingis.

Finally, Jo Konta's "meteoric rise" has been much discussed this past week. Observers are shaking their heads at the Brit's sudden ascent into the top 10, but really, if you were paying attention, you weren't shocked by Konta's rise up the rankings. It seemed practically inevitable. The British star has a big, effective serve and the attitude of a winner. She has superb court-management and self-management skills. What's not to like?

The quarterfinal include three players from the USA, two unseeded players and three players who hold at least one major championship title.

Soon, there will be only four stories. Here is the quarterfinal draw:

CoCo Vandewege vs. Garbine Muguruza (7)
Venus Williams (13) vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (24)
Karolina Pliskova (5) vs. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni
Johanna Konta (9) vs. Serena Williams (2)
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Saturday, January 14, 2017

Defending champion Kerber has tough task ahead of her in Melbourne



World number 1 Angelique Kerber, winner of the 2016 Australian Open, will have her work cut out for her at this year's event. In the first round, she meets Lesia Tsurenko, a good but inconsistent player who may try to take advantage of an apparent recent Kerber slump-funk (I had to make up a word). Let's assume, however, that Kerber deals with Tsurenko (who is recovering from a viral illness). She has a potential round of 16 clash with Daria Kasatkina, who will most definitely go after the German.

But--assuming Kerber pulls herself together--I like the world number 1's chances against the talented young Russian. Draw "wisdom" dictates that Kerber would face off against Garbine Muguruza in the quarterfinals. And since Muguruza has begun her season with a fresh attitude, that quarterfinal is indeed likely to take place. And--should it occur--it has the potential to be very, very good. Muguruza is 4-3 against Kerber career-wise, but they have split their hard court meetings at two apiece.

Also lurking in that first quarter are Genie Bouchard and the unpredictable CoCo Vandeweghe. If Bouchard beats Kasatkina in the third round, then it would be she who would face Kerber in the round of 16.

Simona Halep anchors the next quarter. For the Romanian, the Australian Open is not the "Happy Slam"--she has a tendency to make a very quick exit in Melbourne. She starts with Shelby Rogers, and that could be (but probably won't be) an easy Halep win. All sorts of danger lurks in Halep's quarter, which contains the likes of Monica Puig, Kiki Bertens, Venus Williams, Elina Svitolina, Anastasia "You Never Know" Pavlyuchenkova, Katerina Siniakova, and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

If it comes down to Halep and Svitolina in the quarterfinals, that would prove to be a mighty test for the world number 4, but given her history, she may have already left Melbourne by then.

The third quarter features Karolina Pliskova, arguably the hottest player on the tour right now, and a favorite to win the Australian Open. The top anchor of this quarter, however, is Agnieszka Radwanska, who, as they say "owns" Pliskova. She does. In seven matches, the long, tall Czech has yet to win a set because she has not figured out the puzzle that is Radwanska. When Pliskova said her New Year's resolution was to "bend my knees more," she may have been anticipating yet another matchup with The Ninja.

There are dangers to get past in this quarter, though, before anyone reaches the business end of the tournament. Players who can deliver said danger are Daria Gavrilova, Kiki Mladenovic, Timea Bacsinszky, and Alize Cornet. Radwanska plays her first round against Tsvetana Pironkova, whose mysterious power in majors has waned somewhat, but who knows what the Bulgarian Woman of Mystery has in store? A few more potentially dangerous players in Radwanska's quarter are Monica Niculescu, Yulia Putintseva, Ana Konjuh, Camila Giorgi, Elena Vesnina, and Heather Watson.

A first round to watch is probably an unfortunate one for qualifier Anna Blinkova. The young Russian, playing in her first major, will go against Niculescu, and she probably isn't prepared for what she's going to get.

The last quarter's top player is world number 2 Serena Williams, who has won the event six times. This is one tasty quarter, which includes 2014 runner-up Dominika Cibulkova, Ekaterina Makarova, Caroline Wozniacki, Johanna Konta, Lucie Safarova, and Belinda Bencic. And if that isn't edgy enough, that quarter also features Barbora Strycova, Caroline Garcia and Timea Babos, troublemakers all. You could have a thrilling tournament with just this quarter.

Williams' first match will be played against Belinda Bencic, which is certainly not a prospect that pleases either of them. Both players have had a lot of injury issues in the past several months, but Williams, of course, has been known to win major events while injured, so she perhaps has an edge in the health department. If Bencic is healthy (and she appears to be), she'll do her best to flummox Williams; she's done it before. I think, though, that the real danger resides on the rackets of Cibulkova and Konta. Also, look for Strycova to shake things up in this quarter.
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Saturday, December 31, 2016

My hot 10 for 2017

original photo by Daniel Ward
Tennis season predictions, even the vague kind (which is the only kind I ever attempt) are always tricky, but for 2017, they appear especially so. Change is in the air, only it isn't always obvious change. There are a number of players with the potential to perform quite well in this new season, and I've selected ten who I believe have an edge. But before I list them, here are some "very warm" candidates who didn't make my cut, but who could also easily do great things in 2017. In no particular order:

Madison Keys
Why, you may ask, is she not in the top ten? And all I can tell you is that it's just my instinct. Keys is loaded with potential, but between her injuries and what appears to be lulls in playing momentum, she hasn't met it. She could meet it at any time, but to me, she just isn't "warm enough" at this time.

 Caroline Wozniacki
I had no idea that the Dane would wind up on this list, but her performances at the end of the 2016 season placed her back in contention as a top player. Will she continue this streak? Who knows?

Kiki Mladenovic
Mladenovic has a lot going for her. She has a wicked serve, a love of big stages, a strategic mindset, and a nice variety of shots. But that serve can go off. And the Frenchwoman can also falter mentally. Her great successes in doubles, and in Fed Cup, have given her confidence, I think. I always feel that Mladenovic is "on the edge" in singles, and 2017 could see her step over it.

Daria Gavrilova
Gavrilova has a lot of strengths and a lot of skills. She appears to put her whole heart into playing, and she has worked hard. She appears to be fearless, which could serve her well in the future.

Daria Kasatkina
It has to happen some time. Look for the Russian to get noticed even more in the coming year.

Kiki Bertens
She finally got her big clay breakthrough in 2016. Will this Fed Cup beast do even better in 2017--and maybe not just on clay? Bertens "should" have made the breakthrough sooner. She has a big game and a steady attitude. Wait and see.

Caroline Garcia
Garcia has gotten in trouble in the past because of mental wavering. If all of her Fed Cup success has steadied her, she might surprise us in the new season.

Aan Konjuh
Something big may not happen for a while, but you never know.

Genie Bouchard
Right now, Bouchard is probably the least predictable player on the tour. I like her chances.

Belinda Bencic
She has almost everything going for her, but the young Swiss star is already so hampered by injury that she can't keep any momentum going. If she solves the health problem, she'll make her second breakout.

And now--again, in no particular order--my "hot 10" for 2017, based on their records, their progress, and my instinct (note: Vika Azarenka and Petra Kvitova would have been on this list, but circumstances, of course, intervened):

 Angelique Kerber
The world number 1 had an amazing 2016 season, winning two majors and an Olympic silver medal, and rising to the top of the rankings. Kerber now displays the walk, talk and demeanor of a champion. It isn't easy being a champion, and yes, she's going to feel the pressure, but I like the way she has handled herself,  and I expect very good results from her in 2017.

Serena Williams
Serena seems to always "come back" when she has never really gone away. The "half full" description of her 2016 singles year is that she played in three major finals, while the "half empty" one is that she lost two of them, lost her number 1 ranking, and failed to win a medal at the Olympics. Logic dictates that Williams will be on a natural decline from this point on, given her age and her history of extreme physical and mental effort. But this is Serena we're talking about, so even a natural decline could contain very big things.

Simona Halep
I just don't feel that Halep has peaked. I hope I'm right, too. The Romanian star sometimes seems to make things more difficult for herself with her perfectionist mindset and her tendency to be overly philosophical (well, is that ever a nod to idol Justine Henin). I remember when Marion Bartoli had the good sense to bring Amelie Mauresmo along as her coach at the 2013 Wimbledon event, and every time Bartoli began ruminating, Mauresmo would make her dance. I think maybe somebody needs to get Simona to bust a move. At any rate, I believe she's going to have a good 2017 season.

Karolina Pliskova
Well, if anyone is on fire, it's Pliskova. She won Cincinnati, then she went to New York and obliterated her dismal record at majors (she'd never gotten past a third round) by reaching the final. And she did it all with her characteristic, long, tall, too-cool approach. The big-serving Czech, also a Fed Cup star, has nowhere to go but up, and I see her making a steady and delightful trip up the tennis elevator next year.

Dominika Cibulkova
I believe in Cibulkova, and I wasn't surprised that she pulled off of the Combeback of the Year in 2016, after undergoing surgery for her achilles. At the end of the season, after reaching the Wuhan final and winning Linz, Cibulkova sneaked into the WTA Finals and took home the trophy. Gone are the days of the chronic hip injury. A healthy Cibulkova is dangerous, and I like her chances in 2017.

Maria Sharapova
She won't be back until mid-season, but when she returns, look for her to shake things up. Will she be wildly successful? Probably not. But she'll make a statement, and--based on her history--she'll be more than ready.

Johanna Konta
Konta, in my view, has "it." We cannot ever define exactly what "it" is, but we know it when we see it. Currently number 10 in the world, the Brit appears ready to take on anybody, and I think 2017 will be her best season ever.

 Aga Radwanska
The Ninja is permanently hot. It's just how she rolls. She may falter and she may slump, but she always pulls herself back together and does something spectacular. And she's always the Ninja. And until the day she puts her racket down, she'll be the greatest shot-maker in WTA history. (And I still give her a shot at winning Wimbledon.)

Garbine Muguruza
Muguruza brilliantly won the 2016 French Open and then faded away, relatively speaking. Who can figure out the mystery that is Muguruza? It doesn't matter, because I believe Muguruza will figure it out. Why do I believe this? Instinct again. She is a real talent, and she knows she is, and my gut feeling is that in 2017, she will get serious. (I could be wrong--I've also said this about Petra Kvitova, who has yet to get it together in a way that matches her extreme talent.)




Elina Svitolina
As someone who has had an eye on the expertly-moving Ukrainian player for some time, the 2016 season was gratifying for me. Many had written her off, but Svitolina sneaked up on the tour, quite obviously aided by Justine Henin. Among her 2016 feats was to upset Serena Williams in the third round of the Olympic Games. She was also a semifinalist in a number of big events.
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Sunday, December 18, 2016

A Tennis Carol




Virginia was retired. There was no doubt whatever about that. Margaret and Virginia were partners long ago. They’d won the Australian, the French, and the U.S. Open—twice. Virginia had a very good serve, was a clever player, and had helped stock Margaret’s trophy case.

But that was another time, a time when the tennis season seemed to revolve around Margaret. Things had changed a lot since then. First there was Billie Jean and her gang and all their feminist nonsense. Then the lesbians started announcing themselves and getting interviews. Worst of all, it became so much easier to win majors—not like in Margaret’s day. In her day, there were heavy wooden rackets, no medical time-outs, and you were lucky if you could find some water during the changeovers.

Margaret rarely saw Virginia, but she heard her on the air, making all kinds of snide remarks about the game and its players, even Andy Murray.

Now the new season was about to begin, and Margaret dreaded it. She rarely left her house except to walk to the church, where the congregation counted on her to keep them informed about all the latest attempts to give—what do they call them now?—LGBT citizens legal rights.
 
Though she dreaded it, Margaret had to go run some errands. Once on the street, she was assailed by reminders that the season was upon them. Maria Sharapova and Monica Puig walked by arm in arm, eating candy from a small cellophane bag. Maria smiled at Margaret and offered her some gummy lips. “Bah! Humbug!” Margaret muttered, and kept walking, as she contemplated what on Earth Sharapova had to be happy about.

She turned a corner and saw a group of women gathered at an outdoor cafe. They were telling stories and laughing until they cried. It was a chilly day, but the women didn’t seem to mind. Gathered at the table were Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic and Simona Halep, and—with a huge slice of cheesecake on her plate—Aga Radwanska. They looked up when they saw her pass, but continued to laugh.

“They’re probably laughing at me,” Margaret thought. As if she cared. She was eager to get away from all of this tennis season hoopla, but it was hard to avoid. She saw Venus and Serena, practicing on a court in the park. “Why,” wondered Margaret, “are those two still playing? They’re old and they’re rich. It makes no sense.”

She was so lost in thought that, a moment later, she almost collided with a strange figure, dressed head to toe in designer red and very high heels. Her hair was covered with glitter. She leapt and twirled, seemingly oblivious to everyone and everything else around her.

“What is that odd creature?” Margaret asked out loud. She jumped when a voice behind her said, “Don’t you know? That’s the Light—and the Joy!” Margaret turned around and saw Li Na, who grinned at her, then disappeared into the crowd.

“Bah! Humbug!” Margaret muttered to herself.

She had almost reached her house, when suddenly, someone tapped her on the back. She turned around and took in a shocking sight: A woman—a tennis player—covered in tattoos and wearing a leopard-pattern kit and black knee-high socks, smiled at her. How, thought Margaret, could this kind of getup ever be permitted on a tennis court? What had happened to her sport?

The woman spoke with authority. “Happy tennis season! Some of us are blessed, but some of us need help.”

“What do you mean?” Margaret asked, in spite of herself.

“Well, Simona and Petra could use some confidence, Petra and Lucie have health issues, Alize needs more consistency, the poor French Fed Cup team has lost Captain Mauresmo, Maria has had to endure the whims of WADA and the ITF, Sara and Andrea are sliding down the rankings. Oh, and poor Schmiedy is about to be declared an unnatural disaster.”

“Why should I care about any of them?” Margaret said sharply, then walked off.

“Wait!” the tattooed figure called to her. “If you don’t care about any of them, what about Little Genie?

“Who?”

“

You know—Little Genie. She was going to be the biggest star on the tour, but terrible things happened to her, and now her career is in grave danger.”

“What are you talking about?”



“It was 2014, and Scary Petra destroyed Little Genie in the Wimbledon final, right after the press built her up as the sure champion. Scary Petra showed no mercy, and Little Genie hasn’t been the same since.”

“She’ll get over it. Or not.” Margaret had heard enough of this.

“But that’s not all! Little Genie sustained some injuries, but then she started playing better. But one night, at the U.S. Open, those who were supposed to protect Little Genie left her open to harm. She slipped and hit her head and wound up with a concussion. And a lawsuit. And the USTA acts likes it’s all Little Genie’s fault! Hasn’t she suffered enough?”

“Leave me alone!” Margaret yelled, and trudged home.

That night, while she was sipping her tea, Margaret heard the sound of chains rattling. She looked up and saw Virginia.

“How did you get in?”

“That isn’t for you to know,” Virginia said. “I’m here, Margaret, to tell you that you will be visited by many images, some much scarier than I could ever be as a cynical commentator. You will not like much of what you see and hear.”

Before Margaret could answer, there was again the rattling of chains, only much louder. Standing before her, suddenly, was a player whose face was swollen and covered with gashes.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Liezel. Maybe you don’t recognize me. My opponents always hit me in the face, and now I walk the Earth talking about how glorious U.S. citizenship is, and reminding people that I became a success even though I came from a third world country!”

The pathetic figure moved on, but right behind her was the scariest apparition of the three. Rattling a large number of chains, this wild-eyed figure shook her finger at Margaret and said to her: “Life is beautiful. Wait—life sucks. Whatever. It’s going to be a happy season, though, because we’re going to make American great again and kick some serious immigrant and liberal ass! Rejoice! Maybe there’ll be a war! Why are people so mean to me? Haters, begone!”



Jennifer, thankfully, disappeared into the mist.

Exhausted, Margaret went to sleep. But she had slept only a few hours when she was awakened by a presence. She sat up in bed and saw before her yet another apparition. But this one had no chains. She was chic and elegant, and had an air of mischief about her. She looked as though every muscle in her body was poised to move at any time. Dressed in Wimbledon white from her wrap headband to her skirt and stockings, the figure stood with a soft glow about her.

“Hello, Margaret,” she said quietly. “I am the Spirit of Tennis Past, come to visit you as we embark on a new season.”

Margaret finally cracked. She began to tremble, and the figure in white winked at her, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a flask, which she offered to Margaret.

“It will calm you down,” she said quietly.

“Nonsense. I don’t need calming down, and I certainly don’t want anything to do with whiskey.”

“I always found it very helpful,” the spirit said, then took a swig before putting the flask back in her pocket.

“What do you want with me?” Margaret asked, as she continued to tremble.

“I’m here to show you what it was like long ago, way, way before the Open Era.”

The spirit gestured, and Margaret felt compelled to follow her. She found herself in a field where women were wearing long skirts and hitting tennis balls.

“How could they play, dressed like that?”

“It wasn’t easy,” the spirit laughed. “That’s why I wore a shorter skirt and a sleeveless top. You may recall, I created a scandal.”



“But you had to be comfortable to play.”

“Of course. My point is, if we don’t change things, if we keep doing things the way women are ‘expected’ to do them, we can’t be successful.

“I was a celebrity, too, you know.”



“We did fine in my day without any of that,” Margaret muttered.

“Ah, but did you have as much fun?” the spirit laughed. My spirit lives on, in Amelie’s grace, in Alize’s leaping, in Kiki’s style. I wonder, Margaret, if you spirit will live on.”

And with that, the Spirit of Tennis Past took an elegant leap and was gone.

Margaret slept fitfully that night.

The next night, exhausted, she went to bed early. But again, she hadn’t been asleep long when she was awakened by another presence, this one even more intense than the first. She looked up and was stunned to see an angel standing at the foot of her bed. Margaret knew all about angels from her extensive reading of the Bible, and she sometimes mentioned them in her sermons, but she had never seen one before!

“Please tell me who you are and why you are here,” she begged the angel.

The angel gave her a crooked smile. “I am the Spirit of Tennis Present,” she said. "I train hard. I practice for hours. I look to consultants for help. People said I was limited because all I had was my brilliant defensive game, so I changed my ways. I have a transition game that would make your head spin, Margaret, and I can hit angles you could only dream about. I went from being the player no one knew about to number 1 in the world.”

“That’s impressive,” Margaret said quietly, “but what does any of it have to do with me?”

“You think we have it easy, and I’m here to tell you we don’t. Sure, we have lighter rackets and all kinds of trainers and doctors and time-outs. But we have grueling standards and non-stop travel. You, of all players, should understand—you were the first to put in time at the gym.”

“I was,” Margaret agreed, “though the credit always goes to Navratilova.”

The angel gave her that crooked smile again. “You were a great athlete, Margaret, and you worked hard and won an amazing number of titles. Now, come with me. We’re going to watch some tennis!”

Margaret didn’t dare say no to an angel, so she followed the spirit to a huge stadium, where several matches were taking place.

She had to smile when she saw Simona Halep’s speed and her ability to out-think her opponents, even the very tall ones. “Si-mo-na! Si-mo-na!” the crowd roared, and Margaret, in spite of herself, was briefly caught up in the Romanian enthusiasm.

A young blonde woman, clutching some stuffed creatures, walked by, smiled, and whispered in Margaret’s ear: “Tennis gods bless us, every one!”



“Who was that?” she asked her guide.

“Oh, that’s Little Genie,” the angel said. This sent a shiver up Margaret’s spine.

But there was more to see. Serena was serving aces with such ease, Margaret had to marvel at her. She saw Dominika Cibulkova hit the ball so hard, it startled her. Then she watched the Russians and the French playing doubles and she was very impressed. And over on a clay court, a somewhat sullen Spanish woman was putting on a show that would have impressed even Chris Evert.

“This is quite a spectacle,” Margaret remarked to the angel, and then felt foolish because surely, it must have looked as though she were talking to herself.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” the Spirit of Tennis Present replied. She then pointed to a court where a player was walking on her hands across the court, then twirling around and hitting winning volleys over her shoulder.

“You’re playing a trick on me,” Margaret said angrily.

The angel laughed. “No, that’s The Ninja. She’s powered by cheesecake.” Sure enough, it was that woman Margaret had seen at the cafe a few days ago.

“I hope you enjoyed the show, Margaret. I have to leave now—the new season begins very soon.”

And just like that, the angel was gone, and Margaret was back in her bed at home. She tried to sleep, but she was haunted by images of these players who performed with such power and finesse. She was very confused, and very tired.

Hoping that the recent madness was over, Margaret went to bed early again the next night. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep right away, but during the night, she was awakened by an intruder. This one looked different from the others. She was long and tall, her face without expression. There were tattoos on her arm. “What is it?” thought Margaret, “with the tattoos? We would never have allowed it in my day.”

Wearily, she asked; “So who are you?”

The figure, dressed in a simple tennis kit, spoke more quickly than the others: “I am the Spirit of Tennis Future. Come with me now.”

Margaret knew better than to resist someone that tall, so she did as she was told. But she didn’t recognize the place where the spirit took her. It was filled with pictures—most of them of the spirit herself—and there were messages written all over the wall.

“Where are we?”



“We’re on my Facebook page. See, there’s a picture of my sister.”



“There are two of you?”

“Here I am in a fashion shoot.”

“What does that have to do with tennis?”



“We do everything, Margaret. We’re athletes first, but we like fashion, we like travel, and we stay in touch with our fans all over the world."

“What do you want with me?”



The Spirit’s expression didn’t change: “I want you to like me on Facebook.”

“May I please go home now?”

And before the Spirit could answer, Margaret was back in her bed, thankful that the whole ordeal was over.

Except it wasn’t. The next night, Margaret awoke in terror as she heard the unmistakable sound of a horse galloping through her house. Her breathing became shallow as the horse—a most beautiful chestnut and white creature—arrived at the foot of her bed, whinnying and stomping. Sitting on top of the creature was a grinning woman, dressed in a tasteful riding habit.

“Please don’t hurt me!” Margaret screamed.

“Don’t worry, Margaret. I am your final visitor. I am Martina, Spirit of Tennis Past, Present and Future. And I have something for you to see.”

“Whatever you say,” was all Margaret could say in the face of this all-encompassing spirit.

“See these children?” the spirit asked, and before them appeared two pitiful, disabled, dirty, and starving children.

“This is terrible,” Margaret said, “and she began to cry.

“You have to look,” the spirit said sternly. I will tell you who they are: They are Sexism and Corporate Mindset, and they have already destroyed part of our beloved tennis. You ask Billie Jean—she knows. She always knew. If you care at all, Margaret, you will support all these talented and intelligent women who are Tennis Present and Tennis Future. They work as hard as you did, and they deserve a better world.

“Goodbye Margaret.” She grinned once more. “Have a happy 2017 season!” And then she and her horse galloped out of Margaret’s life.

The next day, a sleep-deprived Margaret looked at the calendar and realized the new season was just a day away. She felt somehow different, lighter, and she decided to go out for a while and get some fresh air. She passed a tennis court, and recognized Simona, Aga, Bethanie, and Domi. They waved at her and smiled, then Simona handed her a racket.

“Oh, I couldn’t,” Margaret said. But the players began to shout “Margaret! Margaret!" and she joined in the game.

After a while, she told them, “I’m way too rusty for this,” but thank you so much.” They waved goodbye to her, and she realized how much fun she had had with them.

She walked a short way and saw a tall, attractive woman dancing in the street and making everyone around her laugh. Someone yelled “Petko!” and embraced the dancer, and Margaret turned to face the Light and the Joy—and she was struck by it.

She remembered something Virginia had once said: “I don’t make friends with the girls I’m playing against. It would be too painful to beat them.” What nonsense, thought Margaret, as she turned a corner and found herself face to face with Serena Williams.

“Happy season to you Margaret,” Serena greeted her. “Women still struggle to gain recognition as athletes, and I’m here to help them. Are you with me?”



“I am!” Margaret shouted, though she was surprised to hear herself say this. Serena high-fived her and moved on.

Margaret then came upon a huge park, filled with tennis players of all ages. Chris and Martina were there, as were Steffi and Monica. Marion Bartoli was selling art and jewelry from a kiosk, and several players gathered around Daniela Hantuchova, who was playing the piano for them. Flavia, Francesca, Sara, and Roberta were drinking wine and eating pasta. Amelie Mauresmo and Caroline Garcia were jumping up and down and yelling.

Sam Stosur saw her and waved. Two players called The Dashas posed for funny photographs. She saw Justine Henin and her protege, Elina, having a quiet chat. Everywhere around her were talented, athletic, interesting women who were ready for the new season.

Margaret felt something brush against her shoulder. She looked back and saw the world's number 1 player, who turned and gave Margaret the briefest look, and, Margaret thought, a slightly crooked smile.

As Margaret was pondering all of the startling events of the past week, she felt excited about the new season, and she, too, smiled. When she came out of her reverie, she saw Little Genie coming toward her, hand in hand with Scary Petra, who—off the court—was, after all, probably the least scary player on the tour. Little Genie looked happy and healthy, and as she passed Margaret, she said loudly: “Tennis gods bless us, every one!”
(original photo by Daniel Ward)
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