Larcher de Brito makes it to the 2nd round in Miami

Having lost the first set, Michelle Larcher de Brito was 1-4 down in the second, then found a way to force a tiebreak, which she won. She and opponent Ekaterina Makarova exchanged a few breaks in the third, and Larcher de Brito was down 0-30 when she served for the match, but she was able to win, despite double-faulting twelve times, and being broken eight times (Makarova was broken seven times).

Larcher de Brito, who entered the tour rankings last fall at 364, became the youngest player to win a main-draw match since the age-eligibilty rule was put into place in 1995. She defeated Meghann Shaughnessy in the first round in Miami. Shaughnessy, incidentally, is out again in the first round--this time defeated by Vania King.

Larcher de Brito will play Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round.

Larcher de Brito def. Makarova, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3

I scream, you scream...

I suppose it all started with Monica Seles, whose grunt I found amusing, but I realize not everyone felt as I did. I simply never got tired of hearing that unearthly sound come out of her. There used to be a Seles website--I think it is gone now--that delivered Monica's unique grunt the moment you clicked on the home page. And my all-time favorite American Express commercial was the U.S. Open ad in which Monica went to a store and the clerk grunted the entire time she was checking her out.

Seles made a lame--and embarrassing--attempt to make fun of herself at her International Tennis Hall of Fame induction. Her grunting--in itself a topic of controversy when Seles was playing--is now part of a much wider context in women's tennis.

Seles grunted, though her grunt was unusually loud and was a borderline shout. Grunting, on the whole, however, is
easy on the ears. Dinara Safina grunts. Justine Henin grunted. Unfortunately, the sports press, as well as multiple fans, insist on calling screaming "grunting." It most certainly is not.

Many women have been quick to say "If you stop the women from grunting, are you going to stop the men?" They miss the point entirely. There is no reason whatsoever to stop Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian from grunting, just as there was no reason to stop Henin, and there is no reason to stop Safina. These particular fans need to understand a simple fact: The men on the ATP Tour do not scream. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am a feminist activist, but the fact remains that people are not disturbed by simple grunting, which is what some men on the ATP do.

I do, however, join other feminists in being disturbed by a different issue--that the media has paid more attention to WTA players' screaming than they have ever paid to their tennis. I find that offensive, but predictable.

But back to the screaming. It is that, and not the grunting, that disturbs people. Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, and Michelle Larcher De Brito all scream--some more than others. Larcher De Brito has been singled out lately because her screams have been measured, and they last longer than the screams of the other women.

Martina Navratilova calls such screaming "cheating" because, she maintains, the noise prevents an opponent from hearing the ball struck. Many tennis writers are vehemently opposed to the screaming, as are many fans. I don't enjoy hearing it, either, and when two of the screamers play each other (remember that 2005 Wimbledon semifinal?), I find it difficult to listen.

However...the great majority of the players who have been interviewed about Sharapova, Larcher De Brito, etc., say that the screaming does not bother them at all--that they do not even notice it. My guess is that it bothers some, and does not bother many. Interestingly, if this were an ATP issue, I'm sure that those who said the noise bothered them would be singled out as wimps and excuse-makers. In the case of the WTA, however, there appears to be a movement to cater to those who are bothered by noise.

It is not "wrong" to be bothered by the screaming, just as it is not "right" to not be bothered by it. Different things affect different people in different ways. The solution, it would seem, is for those players who are bothered by the screaming to complain to the umpire.

A more interesting question, to me, is: Why are the players screaming? I have done a lot of thinking about this culture of screaming, and my best theory is this: As tennis became more and more powerful and more physical demands were made on players, it became natural for some of them to grunt loudly. But grunting is not "feminine" and therefore it is a no-no in the WTA culture. And so some players scream. There are, I'm sure, many who think that such shrieking is not "feminine," either, but it is probably more acceptable than loud grunting. And...it may just come natural for some of the players to scream.

Should screaming (not grunting) be banned? If you think it should, I would like to know who is going to tell Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova to stop doing it. Azarenka and Larcher De Brito have already said that they will not stop, though Larcher De Brito was noticeably quieter at Wimbledon, where she was placed on courts as far away as possible from The Important People.

I also think there is more to the screaming than an unconscious fear of not passing the femininity test. As the general culture becomes more and more intrusive, it seems only logical that the sports culture would, also. Do I like it? Not really, but I have gotten used to it, just as I eventually got used to the demise of the wooden racquet and to multiple injury time-outs. As far as I am concerned, there are far more pressing problems for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour than how long Larcher De Brito's screams last. With several top players not able to serve, an awkwardly reorganized tour calendar, and the use of sex as a marketing tool, I'd say there are plenty of very important matters to be addressed.

In the meantime, I suppose Michelle can scream away.

Larcher de Brito watch--no U.S. Open for Michelle

Ioana Raluca Olaru won the first set in her third round U.S. Open qualifying match against Michelle Larcher de Brito, with a comfortable 6-2 score. In the second set, she served for the match at 5-2, and was broken. Larcher de Brito then saved four match points on her own serve, but Olaru won the match on her fifth match point. As always, Larcher de Brito did not give up, but this wasn't her day.

Olaru def. Larcher de Brito, 6-2, 6-3

Czink and Rybarikova out of Estoril Open in 1st round

5th seed Melinda Czink and 6th seed Magdalena Rybarikova were both upset today at the Estoril Open. Stephanie Voegele defeated Czink 6-4, 6-3, and Jarmila Groth defeated Rybarikova, also 6-4, 6-3.

Also leaving in the first round was Alize Cornet, who lost to Michelle Larcher De Brito in a match that lasted almost 2 hours and 47 minutes. De Brito emerged the victor, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Cornet hit nine aces, but had a lot of trouble with her second serve. Larcher De Brito double-faulted nine times, which is characteristic of her. This was probably a frustrating event to watch. Cornet once had such promise, and Larcher De Brito was considered a star on the rise. To her credit, Larcher De Brito is a very good ball-striker who finds a lot of angles, but the double faults and the sometimes wild hitting get her into trouble. She's still quite young, though, and has time to clean up those problems.

Larcher de Brito in Memphis

Michelle Larcher de Brito, the 15-year-old who unexpectedly won the Orange Bowl in December, and who plays World Team Tennis for the Sacramento Capitals, is into the second round of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis. Her opponent, Stephanie Cohen-Aloro, retired shortly after the beginning of the second set, sending Larcher de Brito into a contest with either Milagros Sequera (nice to see her back!) or Caroline Wozniacki.

Should Larcher de Brito manage to defeat either of those players, she would have to face Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals...that is, assuming Davenport gets past Sabine Lisicki in the first round.

In praise of Serena--and Michelle

Serena Williams was nothing short of spectacular in her Wimbledon first round match against Michelle Larcher De Brito today. Williams had a first serve win percentage of 100, and what can you say about that?--it speaks for itself. She also hit 15 aces, double-faulted only once, hit 47 winners, and won 75% of the times she went to the net. She won the first set 6-0 against a totally frustrated Larcher De Brito, and one wonders if any player could have won many games against her.

But I also want to commend Larcher De Brito for not giving up, for having a very admirable attitude, and for finding a way to win games in the second set. The second set, in fact, was quite entertaining, with the crowd doing everything possible to bolster the 17-year-old. Larcher De Brito hits hard, and can find some really good angles. Known for double-faulting, she did so only three times in this match. She ran, she dove, she fell onto the grass, and her effort made for a good second set.

Next for defending champion Williams is Anna Chakvetadze, a former top 10 player who has had a hard time of it for the last couple of years. Chakvetadze defeated up-and-comer Andrea Petkovic in the first round.

Larcher de Brito watch--no Los Angeles main draw

Michelle Larcher de Brito was defeated in straights sets today by Ahsha Rolle in the first round of qualifying for the East West Bank Classic in Los Angeles. Larcher de Brito hit ten aces, to her credit, but she was unable to stave off break points.

Larcher de Brito took Serena Williams to three sets in Stanford this week.

Dokic and Larcher de Brito both out of Indian Wells

Jelena Dokic told us, after the Australian Open, that she thought she would have a letdown. Somehow, I don't think most of us thought it would occur in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open, but it did. Jill Craybas defeated wild card Dokic 6-4, 6-2. Dokic double-faulted eight times, which didn't help.

Michelle Larcher de Brito saved two match points in her contest with Urszula Radwanska, only to have Radwanska win the match on de Brito's serve. Once again, de Brito got herself through qualifying, only to lose in the first round.

Another losing wild card was Michaella Krajicek, who was defeated by Nicole Vaidisova. Vaidisova will face Alona Bondarenko in the second round.

de Brito wins Orange Bowl

In dramatic compensation for not having won a tournament throughout the 2007 season, Michelle Larcher de Brito won the 2007 Orange Bowl a week ago, defeating American Melanie Oudin, 7-5, 6-3. Prior to the final, Oudin had dropped only one set--to Urzula Radwanska--during the prestigious tournament, she was on a 26-match win streak, and was a favorite to win the Orange Bowl.

Larcher de Brito, who made her Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings debut this year, was, at age twelve, the youngest player to win the Eddie Herr International title. Fans can watch de Brito on television during the summer; she plays World Team Tennis for the Sacramento Capitals.

Larcher de Brito watch--Michelle out of Melbourne qualifying

Portugal's Michelle Larcher de Brito has lost her second Australian Open qualifying round. Larcher de Brito, seeded 14th in the qualifying competition, lost in straight sets (6-2, 6-3) to Alberta Brianti. She defeated Margit Ruutel in the first round.

Other players who have been eliminated from qualifying include Yuliana Fedak (2nd round), Yan Zi (2nd round), Arantxa Rus (2nd round), former world no. 14 Elena Bovina (1st round), Emelie Loit (1st round), Ioana Olaru (2nd round), Andreja Klepac (2nd round), Eleni Daniilidou (2nd round).

French Open miscellany

Yesterday, the Tennis Channel online live streaming went out. Today, it went out again, then the entire site went down. The result was that I could not watch the Williams-Martinez Sanchez match. I was able to find a live stream of the Federer match, and occasionally, Williams-Martinez Sanchez highlights were shown. As we move into the second week, I certainly hope that the Tennis Channel website gets it act together.

I was informed by an eyewitness that when the Sharapova-Petrova match began, a spectator was asked to leave the stadium, and that during Sharapova's press conference, her manager showed photos of the spectator to security personnel. The word is that the man was banned from Roland Garros but found his way in, and that Sharapova's manager has requested additional bodyguards for her.

Li Na is the first Chinese player to reach the round of 16 at the French Open.

Referee Stefan Fransson says that there will be an official chat with Michelle Larcher de Brito prior to Wimbledon about her shouting on the court. Aravane Rezai complained to the both the umpire and Fransson about Larcher de Brito, who responded by noting that Rezai didn't complain until Larcher de Brito started winning games.

Where are they now?, Where are they going?

The Next Big Thing in tennis is not always the Next Big Thing. Here are are a few players who were "anointed" way too early in their careers:

Michelle Larcher De Brito
The Portuguese teenager broke through at such an early age that she was immediately called a "prodigy." When she was 12, Larcher De Brito won the Eddie Herr tournament, and she won the Orange Bowl when she was 14. Sadly, she became better known for her on-court screaming than she did for her tennis, although--in 2013, playing as a qualifier, she beat Maria Sharapova in the second round at Wimbledon. This victory fueled a possible resurgence for Larcher De Brito, but it wasn't to be. She has yet to win a WTA tournament, and is currently ranked number 245 in the world.

Tamira Paszek
The Austrian player was also considered a tennis prodigy by many. She reached the round of 16 at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2007, but that remains the peak of her career. That career has, at times, been interrupted by injury and other issues. Paszek has won three titles, but none since 2012, when she defeated Angelique Kerber for the Eastbourne title. She is clearly talented, but has not been able to reach anything near the success that was frequently predicted for her. She is currently ranked number 105 in the world.

Nicole Vaidisova
Vaidisova is a bit of a different story. The Czeck player actually rose to a number 10 ranking in 2006. She won six WTA events, and reached the semifinals of both the Australian Open and the French Open, as well as the quarterfinals (twice) at Wimbledon. An undeniable talent, Vaidisova sometimes struggled to control her temper. She retired from professional tennis in 2010. I recall that someone who knew her well remarked that the Czech star simply had a dislike for competition. In 2014, however, Vaidisova came back to the tour, but retired again not long ago.

It's hard to imagine the tremendous pressure--both internal and external--that is placed on a young player who has been chosen as The Next Big Thing. In some cases, perhaps that player just couldn't handle the rigors of tennis life after junior competition. In other cases, the family or public pressure may get in the way.

Recall Andrea Jaeger, who had a top 10 career, reaching the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon, and the semifinals of both the Australian Open and the U.S. Open. Jaeger's career was cut very short by injury, but it also came out that she had little interest in competing; after retiring, she revealed that she had tanked some very big matches. Jaeger  (who had endured significant parental abuse), made it clear that her heart was just never in it--She would go on to become Sister Andrea, a member of the Anglican Order of Preachers, though she allegedly left the order several years ago.

And while tennis doesn't have a dramatic story of "failed prodigy shows them all," golf does. Michelle Wie was hailed as the ultimate gold prodigy, and had some very impressive sponsorships contracts, but when she didn't meet public expectations, she was treated very harshly by the sports media and by fans. But Wie hung on. She went to Stanford, made exceptional grades, and earned a degree. She also began painting, and--not surprisingly--experienced healing and a sense of focus from creating art.

In 2014, Wie won the U.S. Open, showing the world that she was indeed a very fine golfer, and doing it on her terms (she is still criticized for her putting style). So far, Wie has won four LPGA events, with the U.S. Open being the only major. She may never be a Lydia Ko or an Inbee Park, but one never knows--Wie is only 26, and the career of a professional golfer can last many years.

Every year, I wonder which of tennis's Next Big Things will "make the cut." Obviously, Garbine Muguruza has already done so, and time will tell about the likes of Karolina Pliskova, Madison Keys and Belinda Bencic.

Williams goes 3 sets with Larcher de Brito

From what I heard, it was an entertaining, if frustrating, match to watch. Williams hit fourteen aces, and smacked match point so hard, Larcher de Brito fell down. Williams def. Larcher de Brito, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

In other Stanford news from July 17, Dominika Cibulkova defeated Kateryna Bondarenko, and Ai Sugiyama upset Daniela Hantuchova.

McHale advances to 2nd round of Family Circle Cup

Qualifier Christina McHal--who saved two match points when she was down 2-5--defeated Alla Kudryattseva 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 today in Charleston to advance to the second round of the Family Circle Cup. McHale's next opponent will be 3rd seed Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka sustained a thigh strain last week in Marbella and had to retire in her quarterfinal match.

Michelle Larcher De Brito fought hard to defeat Vesna Manesieva. Manesieva had to receive treatment during the match for what appeared to be some type of illness. Larcher de Brito won the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Vocals aside, Larcher De Brito is a very dynamic player, releasing a lot of energy in every movement. Like some other big hitters, she goes for too much too often. If she can learn to pull back, she should be competitive.

I realized this morning that Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had withdrawn from the tournament; I was so looking forward to seeing her play.

 Michaella Krajicek served her team's way to victory in the first round of doubles

In doubles play, last year's finalists--Liga Dekmeijere and Patty Schnyder--lost in the first round to Vania King and Michaella Krajicek. King and Krajicek dominated Dekmeijere and Schnyder throughout, and defeated them 6-2, 6-1 in less than an hour.

Larcher de Brito watch--into Indian Wells main draw

Michelle Larcher de Brito has made it through qualifying in Indian Wells, defeating Galina Voskoboeva and Alberta Brianti.

Joining Larcher de Brito as qualifiers are:

Varvara Lepchenko
Petra Cetkovska
Stephanie Dubois
Angela Haynes
Kristina Barrois
Evgeniya Rodina
Stephanie Foretz
Anastasiya Yakimova
Yaroslava Shvedova
Petra Martic
Virginia Ruano Pascual

Top qualifying seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Masa Zec Peskiric. 2nd seed Mathilde Johansson was defeated in the final round. 3rd seed Julie Coin retired toward the end of the second set of her final qualifying round, giving the win to Virginia Ruano Pascual.

Ready for the Big Girl tour? Larcher de Brito says "Yes"

It took two hours and twenty minutes, there were eleven breaks of serve, and the third set--from an electronic scoreboard viewer's vantage--appeared to be a thriller. Michelle Larcher de Brito has taken Agnieska Radwanska out of the Sony Ericsson Open, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.

The 15-year-old from Portugal, who plays World Team Tennis and who unexpectedly won last year's Orange Bowl, entered the tour last year with a rank of 364, raised it to a high of 249, and is currently ranked number 255.

Larcher de Brito will play Shahar Peer in the third round.

Larcher de Brito reaches the third round

Michelle Larcher de Brito has reached her second Tier I quarterfinal round, after defeating Flavia Pennetta, 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 in Montreal today. I could not watch the match, so I don't know whether Pennetta's blister played a role, but regardless, the real news is that Larcher de Brito has advanced to a third round in another big event.

The Portuguese player has a 9-9 win-loss record for this season, and is ranked number 169 in the world. If that doesn't impress you, please bear in mind that she is 15 years old, and did not enter the rankings until the end of September last year. Earlier this year, she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open, and she took Serena Williams to three sets in Stanford earlier this month.

Larcher de Brito wins Liverpool International exhibition

Michelle Larcher de Brito won the Liverpool International today. The Liverpool International is Europe's largest exhibition tennis tournament. Larcher de Brito defeated Laura Robson, 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 (super tiebreak) in the final. The winner last year was Caroline Wozniacki, who won the AEGON International today. Wozniacki also won the Liverpool exhibition in 2006.

Schnyder advances to 3rd round in Charleston

Patty Schnyder played her second round Family Circle Cup match in the Althea Gibson Club Court this morning, and things couldn't have gone much better for her. She rushed to a 3-0 lead over Michelle Larcher de Brito, but the intense player from Portugal, whose backhand is formidable, got herself back into the match. Schnyder stayed calm and broke again, however, to take the first set 6-3.

It was in the second set that Schnyder brought out all the shots for which she is known. Her service game was outstanding (1st and 2nd serve percentages of 71 and 62), and she looped and spun the ball all around the court, staying patient while her opponent made errors. Schnyder was so dominant in the second set that Larcher de Brito won only one game.

Larcher de Brito is a good hitter, but like some of her contemporaries, she lacks patience. In this case, the veteran took advantage of that impatience. If Schnyder can continue serving at this level, she can be competitive in this tournament.

Larcher de Brito makes her tour rankings debut

14-year-old Michelle Larcher de Brito has entered the Sony Ericsson WTA tour rankings as number 364 in the world. This year, the Lisbon native became the youngest player to win a main-draw match (at the Sony Ericsson Open) since the age-eligibilty rule was put into place in 1995.

If you have The Tennis Channel, you can watch de Brito as she plays World Team Tennis for the Sacramento Capitals.