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Australian Open first week is ova!

2012-01-22T00:25:00.001+03:00

by Orysbestos

The first sunday of a grand slam usually refers to the culminationof an upset filled week of tennis on the womens side. The 2012 Australian Open,though, had relatively few upsets on the womens side. The only notable “bigname” losses were Kuznetsova (although defeated by higher seeded Lisicki),Schiavone (Oprandi) and perhaps Bartoli (Zheng), but overall it looks like wemight actually get to see some second week drama between highly ranked players.Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for underdogs and “unpredictability” but sometimesits good to see the players that you’ll hear about in the upcoming monthsplaying actually each other. The interesting fourth round matchups are Li vs Clijsters, Sharapova vs Lisickiand Kvitova vs Ivanovic. I won’t make predictions but I’d like to see theSharapova-Williams quarterfinal and see Ivanovic actually win a big match forthe first time in years.

Usually it’s the women that provide the entertainment earlyin slams, but surprisingly the mens side has had me captivated this first week.Hewitt’s campaign in particular has actually left me a little verklempt. It was a little saddening towatch him play his first round versus Cedric Marcel Stebe seeing how themovement and speed that he was famous for at his peak has deteriorated, but hewas running like a rabbit against Raonic today when he won in four sets to setup a match with my favourite mens player, Djokovic. His run will probably endnow but it was nice to see a veteran player no one counted in play and winmatches on the biggest stage in his country against much younger, fresherplayers. Gives me a fuzzy feeling inside. That’s in contrast to Bernard Tomicwho reminds me way too much of Andy Murray and I’m not feeling his recent successat all. I’m hoping Rajah (Federer)will send him packing quickly!

The Retirement Game

2011-11-01T01:32:00.000+03:00

by tennis_psych

Let’s be creative and make a situation for ourselves here. Do we want to hit the pro tour on our professional stride, riding the tide of winning and losing, leaving tempers on the court, with nothing to hide? Journey the skies to finally hit the ground, blast through the competition and wear our winning crown? Do we grind and continue to grind and accept the falls until one day it finally clicks? Do we want to go away as champions, remembered for holding one of the biggest titles of all?

In the colorful world of TennisForum, one thing you certainly don’t want to be is a bridesmaid. Bridesmaid, the casual tennis fan may ask? Here is the simple definition…

Brides ∙ maid

1. In tennis terms, the person that is the runner up at a Grand Slam tournament.

Much was said about the possible retirement of Russian tennis player Dinara Safina at the beginning of October. Many sources pointed to her brother announcing that Dinara should just finish tennis completely and begin to enjoy life. Oh what a remark he could make, he simply faded into retirement, what a way to root your sister on. But I digress, he may be right. Thinking about retirement should definitely not be anything to worry one’s self about. It wasn’t just Marat’s fault. The article titles gave fans of Dinara a scare, and other fans accepted and wanted to wish her well saying something to the effect of “Dinara Safina has Retired”. Then those same articles say her brother feels she should devote a year to become physically healthier and think about retirement. One article goes to say she’s not retiring. I admit this can become quite confusing. Well I’m here to set you back on track!

Dinara isn’t going anywhere! Let’s look at a trail of events, shall we. Early 2011, she plays a couple tournaments, lost early, made strides on the hard courts. Nearing May and the beginning of the clay court swing, her persistent lower back injury that she acquired in late 2010 became worse at the Marbella tournament. After this she finally made the decision to take an indefinite break from tennis to focus getting treatment for her back.

After Marat’s comments were made the tennis world spiraled and fans began wishing Dinara a nice life after tennis. So like others, little sister took to twitter, telling her tweeties, she was not going to retire.

“My sweet tweeties, I didn’t make yet any official announcement… Give my please some time and I’ll let u all know… Right now I want to take care of my back, on Tuesday i’m having a treatment… Ones I’ll decide something U’ll be the first to know I promise!! Love u all.”

Why rush your sister out Marat?!

Currently, the tennis world would remember Dinara as a former number one, who unfortunately was a bridesmaid not only once, but three times in grand slam finals. Dinara has had a great career for someone who started out as a player the elite would crush regularly. That took a change in 2008. Before that, she broke into the top 10 in 2006 but ended the year at number eleven. Safina went on to have an average year in 2007. The following year, she would start poorly, but gain a winning wind at the tier one clay court tournament at Berlin. She defeated world number one at the time, Justine Henin in the third round, in the quarters she defeated Serena Williams and in the final she was victorious over fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, to win the title. She ended the year ranked number two and acquired the number one ranking on April 20, 2009.

Those wins sparked something in Dinara, who in the earlier part of the 2009 season, thought about quitting tennis. That was just her emotions talking, but luckily for her she kept at it. She was certainly more of the player I ever thought she would be. I actually liked her big medium paced swings and was amazed at the consistency of the topspin she’d create on both the forehand and the backhand. She played with a new confidence and I was happy for her. She gained more fans. I know she would love to have a grand slam title, especially on the terre battue of Roland Garros.

She’s currently ranked 132 in the world.

You can come back Dinara!

Do you know Venus Williams?

2011-09-24T05:16:00.001+03:00

by tennis_psych

2011 translated into 20EleVen for Venus Williams’ fans. The "Veelievers" of TennisForum thought this year would be Venus' for the taking, especially after she earned the #2 spot in the WTA rankings in the middle of the 2010 season. The Australian Open called for a fantastical battle suit, bright, shimmery, shiny colors of blue and yellow. That campaign came to an end because of injury. A win at Wimbledon would have been consolation but that was prevented by another loss at 2 and 3 to Tsvetana Pironkova.

No worries, Venus fans are resilient and have endured droughts before and were willing to ride it out with their favorite player.

Moving on. Venus won her first round at the US Open convincingly, a surprise after such year of minimal play. Some time before the second round encounter would have begun against Sabine Lisicki, she suddenly pulled out. What in the world was wrong with Venus Williams this time?

I wondered if it was the knee again, or did she tweak anything? I definitely didn’t consider her exercise induced asthma or her well documented anemia because within those bounds she seemed fine. Turned out that an autoimmune disease known as Sjögren's Syndrome was the culprit. By definition, Sjögren's is a disorder of the immune system identified by its two most common symptoms — dry eyes and a dry mouth (MayoClinic) but other symptoms appear to have impacted Venus's playing ability the most. There is the joint pain associated with the condition, which may explain her knee troubles and maybe her recurrent wrist injuries. There is also the prolonged fatigue, which can obviously be a major hamper to a tennis player. The syndrome can be treated but not cured and medication must be taken for a period of 3 to 6 months before the symptoms will subside.

Is this the golden answer to an injury-filled year?

Hearing of those symptoms makes the mind wonder. Maybe Sjögren's syndrome was to blame for some weird losses. Fans reminisce on times where Venus seemed to lack energy, move and react slower and look as if she was pushing herself around the court. Of course we can try and figure out which matches she played that the syndrome may have affected her. The 2007 US Open Quaterfinal and the 2010 Australian Open 4^th round both come to mind. She seemed to have had the energy taken from her in the 2007 match and was absolutely three steps slower than ever in the 2010 match.

But that is the past. Venus is still one of the best at 31 years old and can play better than a huge percentage of the WTA Tour. Do you know Venus Williams? If so, you know never to count her out!

She is the six-foot-one, ebony goddess of the WTA tour and seven-time grand slam singles champion (Twenty-one Grand Slam Titles altogether) that, along with her sister, brought tons of athleticism into the game of professional women’s tennis. Legs and arms reaching into two different galaxies, the foot speed and the power of a lioness who thundered through the game with confidence. What do you remember most of Venus? What do you think of when you hear of the Williams Sisters? “Beads!!!”- The answer of casual tennis fans. They’ve passed that point, geez! Venus has grown into a powerful woman, not only in tennis but in business, becoming recognized more for her silent intensity and perseverance in contrast with the borderline arrogant 17 year old that stunned the tennis world at the 1997 US Open.

The most gold medals of any tennis player to date; the most Wimbledon singles titles of her generation, she has provided the women’s game much needed excitement. Showcasing her fight and determination to come through matches to be the victor when she was down was routine and she’s respected because she’s proven herself as a champion. She is solidified. She has become an inspiration for many. Tennis fans love the aura of Venus Williams, even though many never see her in person, one can tell there is something extra about that woman.

Venus has had an illustrious career and has had injuries along the way, which superstar athlete hasn’t? Complications with her wrists, an abdominal injury, exhaustion, viral illnesses, knee injuries, and familial tragedies, she has continued onto the court as a warrior. She’s battled the competition and silenced her naysayers once before, so what is Sjogren ’s syndrome compared to Venus Williams…nothing! Once in full health, she’ll show one more time why she is “The F***ing Venus Williams” (Irina Spirlea’s quote, not mine).

Venus Williams: She'll be back.

September Cover

2011-09-20T17:08:00.001+03:00

by Orysbestos

Serena Williams

Here comes the rain again ...

2011-09-08T19:41:00.002+03:00

by Orysbestos

Another year, another manufactured controversy about rain at the US Open. Three years ago the scheduling conspiracy to ensure a Roger Federer win did not go unnoticed, in 2009 a delayed semi-final contributed to a cranky Serena Williams loss to Kim Clijsters, last year was the third year in a row that the mens final was played on a monday... and this years drama? Yesterday, Rafael Nadal arrived on court an ungodly SIX minutes after his opponent Gilles Muller for their fourth round encounter and then, horror of horrors, was subjected to the most outrageous on court conditions causing him to go down an early break in the first set.

Naturally, the trusty crew at ESPN, led by Hannah Storm, saw this is an opportunity to muster up a story about player unions, the ATP's organisational skills and an inconclusive debate about whether tennis players are entitled to say no to tournament organisers, all of this ending with a rant by John McEnroe about how tennis players don't get enough money. Really, ESPN? I realise that the weather has been horrendous, but let's be frank, no one switches sport on TV on to hear retired players and broadcasters complaining about issues that have almost no palpable effect on the sport we tune in to see. As I write, Nadal is up a set and 5-0. So much for that.

Speaking of fourth rounds, Donald Young's run has brought back memories of the glory days of American tennis when young, exciting players were the side stories to Grand Slam tournaments. Unfortunately for Donald and his country, he faces the world number 4 in Andy Murray, whose steady, if uninspiring, play will probably be too much for the American. If Young wants to keep it competitive he will need to play aggressively and maintain his composure against the Scot who is known for his psychological as well as tennis tactics.

Other interesting match-ups:

David Ferrer vs Andy Roddick - Can Roddick reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal of the year? I'm not a huge fan of Roddick's personality but it would be nice to see him have a good runs as his ranking takes a turn for the worse.
Roger Federer vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - It can't be denied that this year Tsonga has had the old man's number. Most will put that down to Federer's 'decline' over the past 24 months but credit must go to the Frenchman who has shown time and time again that he has the goods to beat the best although perhaps not as frequently as he would like due to injuries and other form related issues. However, I see Federer beating Jo-Wilfried in 5 sets to play Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

Women’s Fourth Round Matches to Watch at the U.S. Open

2011-09-04T17:00:00.002+03:00

by Doni1212

Doni1212’s Record Thus Far: 26/48

Caroline Wozniacki (1) vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (15)

Wozniacki leads the Head to Head 4-2 including that 2009 match at the Open where she won the last two sets of that three set match in tiebreakers. Kuznetsova has not beaten her since 2009 and unfortunately it does not look like she will be consistent enough to do it here.

-Wozniacki in 2

Ana Ivanovic (16) vs. Serena Williams (28)

My two favorite tennis players ever! This is definitely a bittersweet match-up for me as it is hard to cheer for one against the other. I expect Williams to get through in straights but I hope that Ivanovic makes it very competitive.

-Williams in 2

Francesca Schiavone (7) vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (17)

Although Pavlyuchenkova may appear to be the fresher of the two, Schiavone has proved that fitness is one of her greatest strengths on the tennis court having outlasted Kuznetsova in almost five hours of play during that epic match this year in Melbourne. Schiavone leads this head to head 3-1 including a 6-3 6-0 victory in the fourth round of this event last year.

-Schiavone in 3

Vera Zvonareva (2) vs. Sabine Lisicki (22)

Zvonareva has never lost to Lisicki and recently beat her in three sets at Carlsbad and a few months earlier in Paris during the French Open. These two also met last year at the Open and Zvonareva won in straights but was pushed to a tiebreak in the second set. I expect this match to be close like all the matches they have played and I think Zvonareva’s experience will pay off in the end.

-Zvonareva in 3

Women’s Third Round Matches to Watch at the U.S. Open

2011-09-04T16:12:00.002+03:00

by Doni1212

Doni1212’s Record Thus Far: 18/33

Victoria Azarenka (4) vs. Serena Williams (28)

This match comes way too early in the tournament but that was the luck of the draw as per Williams’s seeding. These two just met a few weeks ago in Toronto where Williams won 6-3 6-3. I expect more of the same here and I am very excited for this match.

-Williams in 2

Jelena Jankovic (11) vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (17)

Surprisingly, Pavlyuchenkova has never lost to Jankovic and has a 2-0 record against her. Jankovic is suffering from a back injury and that may affect whatever chance she has to win this match.

-Pavlyuchenkova in 3

Shuai Peng (13) vs. Julia Goerges (19)

This match is a toss-up. Both women have had an incredible year, perhaps the best in their respective careers. These two have never met before but I expect this match to go three sets as they battle hard for a spot in the 2nd week.

-Peng in 3

Maria Sharapova (3) vs. Flavia Pennetta (26)

Pennetta has not had a good summer coming into the Open winning only two matches in the entire U.S. Open Series. Sharapova looked really good in her second round match under the lights losing only two games. All three of their previous matches have been won by the victor in three sets but I expect Sharapova to win this one in straights.

-Sharapova in 2

Samantha Stosur (9) vs. Nadia Petrova (24)

This is a very interesting match. Both ladies have big serves and groundstrokes and therefore, I expect it to be tough for either player to break. Although Petrova leads the head to head 4-1, I believe that Stosur will win because she has been building on her form and gaining confidence with every match since reaching the final in Toronto.

-Stosur in 3

Women’s Second Round Matches to Watch at the U.S. Open

2011-08-31T17:54:00.002+03:00

by Doni1212

So I decided to calculate how accurate my predictions have been over these next two weeks. I will award myself three points if my prediction was correct and one point if I selected the right winner but the wrong number of sets. After my first round picks, my score is 13/18 or 72%. Hopefully I can get that percentage up over the next two weeks!

Caroline Wozniacki (1) vs. Arantxa Rus

Rus is the talented player who took out Kim Clijsters in the second round at the French Open and forced Maria Sharapova to three sets in Rome. I’m hoping she can back up her clay feats on hard court and I give her a chance here.

-Rus in 3.

Victoria Azarenka (4) vs. Gisela Dulko

This is an interesting match-up because these two met at the exact same stage at this event last year. Dulko was up an early break when Azarenka collapsed on the court after having issues with the heat and persistent migraines. As a result, Dulko was given the victory. Dulko has upset several big names at majors including Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2009 and Samantha Stosur at the French Open this year. Dulko has not had good results this summer so I believe that Azarenka will get the victory.

-Azarenka in 2

Ana Ivanovic (16)vs. Petra Cetkovska

Cetkovska has been having a wonderful summer after Wimbledon where she beat Ivanovic in two sets. Since then, she has scored wins over Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli and Li Na at New Haven. She appears to be tired after her run in New Haven while Ivanovic is slowly finding her form again. I’m expecting Ivanovic to look for revenge here.

-Ivanovic in 2

Shahar Peer (23) vs. Sloane Stephens

Stephens is a young 18 year old American who just won her first Grand Slam match in her career. She battled hard in her last match and I think Peer is another player she can upset if she is not too tired.

-Stephens in 3

Lucie Safarova (27) vs. Madison Keys

Keys is the youngest player in the draw at 16 years old and is American too. She also won her first Grand Slam match in the previous round and will look to back that result up against the lefty Safarova. I think Safarova will have too much experience and game for the young American and will win the match.

-Safarova in 2

Marion Bartoli (8) vs. Christina McHale

Another young and talented American is McHale who has had a great summer beating Wozniacki in Cincinnati. Bartoli looked vulnerable in her last match but McHale is likely exhausted after playing many matches over five consecutive weeks and being pushed to three sets in her last match. For that reason, I give Bartoli the slight edge.

-Bartoli in 2

Sabine Lisicki (22) vs. Venus Williams

This is the feature match that everyone wants to see. The battle of the big servers! These two have played only twice with Lisicki winning a close match on clay and Williams easily winning the match on hard court. Although Williams has played very little this year, her record at Flushing Meadows speaks for itself as she has never lost a match before the fourth round.

-Williams in 2

Lisicki blazes through the field at scorching hot Texas Tennis Open

2011-08-29T23:00:00.000+03:00

by miffedmax

The only thing hotter than the sun in Grapevine, Texas during the next-to-last week of August was Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, who torched the field at the inaugural Texas Tennis Open, dropping just 13 games on her way to defeating a resurgent Aravane Rezai in the finals.

Despite Lisicki’s blistering performance, the big story of the tournament was the 37 degree (100F) and hotter temperatures that plagued players and fans throughout the event. Although organizers hoped to beat the heat with early evening start times, the simple fact is that even by Texas standards this year has been an exceptionally hot summer—the second hottest on record, in fact. Temperatures were running well above average and evening temperatures were simply not dropping the way they usually do.

Lisicki likened playing her first to matched to “being in an oven.” Early round matches saw Johanna Larsson and Simona Haslep retreating to the far corners of the court in search of the slightest scrap of shade between points.

As with any first-time event, there were a few hitches and glitches. For much of the week, the tents that were supposed to host various tennis related retailers and displays were empty, and the temporary stands lent a sort of USTA-level feel to the proceedings, despite a strong field that included many popular players. One hates to pick on a bunch of youngsters, but the ball kids were not well-prepared for working a tournament, and there were some delays which, for the most part, the players handled with good grace and even a little humor. However, Dallas has hosted a number of USTA-level events, so it seems like there ought to be people who know what they’re doing to make sure the kids are well-prepared. These sorts of glitches are not something that happen at other events in the D/FW area, and to have them occur at the most high-profile tennis tournament in North Texas is inexcusable.

Lastly, the weekend crowds were very good, and also very kid-heavy—weeknight crowds were pretty sparse. Texas kids went back to school the Monday after the tournament started, and that severely impacted attendance.

The plus side? A very strong field for an event of its size, and a convenient location for fans from all over North Texas, which hasn’t had a major event since 1989. Under slightly more normal weather conditions, things would have been much easier on the players and the crowd, so there is some hope for the future on that count. I’m not sure what the answer on the venue is. Dallas doesn’t have a permanent site that’s “just right” for this event—most are either too big or too small. The official word is that the Texas Tennis Open will be back for next year. If the defending champion (and the doubles champions Alberta Brianti and Sorana Cirstea can be persuaded to come back and defend their titles, the Texas Tennis Open could be on its way to being a highly regarded stop on the WTA tour. It has the potential—if the venue is developed and the weather cooperates.

Women's First Round Matches to Watch

2011-08-29T09:09:00.004+03:00

by Doni1212

Svetlana Kuznetsova (15) vs. Sara Errani

Kuznetsova has been struggling lately with her game and has not won many matches. Errani is always a threat to top players when they are off their game.

-Errani in 3

Serena Williams (28) vs. Bojana Jovanovski

This match-up is only on my list because I think it might be a little tricky. Williams is usually more nervous in first round matches because she has her undefeated first round record to uphold. I still think Williams will get through.

-Williams in 2.

Ana Ivanovic (16) vs. Ksenia Pervak

As a huge fan of Ivanovic, I know that she usually loses matches that she shouldn’t because she mentally collapses when she faces an inspired player. Pervak recently reached the fourth round at Wimbledon but also lost in three sets to Sorana Cirstea in the first round at her latest event. I’ll be watching this match closely!

-Ivanovic in 2.

Agnieszka Radwanska (12) vs. Urszula Radwanska

This is just a fun sister act match-up! Their head to head is tied at 1-1 but I still expect Agnieszka to get the victory here.

-A. Randwanska in 2.

Flavia Pennetta (26) vs. Aravane Rezai

Neither player has been playing well as of late so I feel either one can win this match. I really have no idea who takes this one but I’ll guess it goes to 3 with the victory going to Pennetta.

-Pennetta in 3

Christina McHale vs. Aleksandra Wozniak

McHale has had a wonderful summer and I’m hoping that she can back it up against the slightly more experienced Canadian.

-McHale in 3.

U.S. Open Women's Draw Preview

2011-08-29T07:59:00.003+03:00

by Doni1212

In a few hours the last Grand Slam of the season will be under way! This year, Serena Williams comes in as the overwhelming favorite to take the title but other players like Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, Li Na and Victoria Azarenka will be competing just as hard for the title. Here is a preview of the draw!

Top Half

The easiest quarter of the draw is that of the world number one Caroline Wozniacki. She has what the tennis world calls a “cakewalk” to the quarterfinals. Not surprising after those recent reports of rigged draws for top seeds at majors. If Wozniacki advances to the semifinal, she is slated to play Williams for a spot in the final. Williams, on the other hand, has a very tricky draw beginning in the first round against Bojana Jovanovski. Jovanovski is a talented young Serbian who has been steadily rising up the rankings. Unfortunately for Azarenka, Williams was drawn in her quarter of the draw and if both women win their first two matches then they will meet in the third round. Williams could play Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round and Her quarterfinal match-up could see her face Francesca Schiavone or Jelena Jankovic. Williams can face she can face Wozniacki or Na in the semifinal. The top half also contains other talented players such as Andrea Petkovic, Daniela Hantuchova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jie Zheng and Shahar Peer.

Bottom Half

The two biggest names that comprise the bottom half are Venus Williams and Sharapova. Luckily, they can only meet at the latest stage possible—the semifinal. Williams faces a tough test earlier on when she potentially plays Sabine Lisicki in the second round. Other than that, if healthy, Venus should be able to reach the fourth round where she is seeded to play the second seed Vera Zvonareva. Samantha Stosur or Marion Bartoli would likely face Williams in the quarterfinal match. Sharapova will play Heather Watson in her first round match and her draw is almost as easy as that of the top ranked player. Sharapova should reach the fourth round with ease where she could play Julia Goerges. Kvitova or Agnieszka Radwanska are potential opponents in the quarterfinal.

I’m sure excited for the Open to kick off! My dream final would be Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova (with Williams winning of course ;) ) Make it happen ladies!

And to all you fans out there, get ready to enjoy two weeks of exciting, action packed tennis!

Serena Williams Wins the U.S. Open Series

2011-08-29T03:50:00.004+03:00

After victories in Stanford and Toronto, Serena Williams won the U.S. Open Series! It is her very first time winning the Series and sets her up to possibly win the largest amount of tennis prize money in history at the U.S. Open--2.8 million dollars!! Congratulations Serena!!!

Final 2011 Women's Standings

Place Player Points
1 Serena Williams (USA) 170
2 Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 130
3 Maria Sharapova (RUS) 130

New Haven: Nothing New

2011-08-29T03:17:00.004+03:00

by Doni1212

Caroline Wozniacki won her first match of the U.S. Hard Court summer swing at New Haven and the title as well. Wozniacki defeated Petra Cetkovska 6-4, 6-1 to win her fourth New Haven tournament in a row. Although this tournament lacks the top players of the previous U.S. Open Series tournaments, this win gives Wozniacki some much needed confidence heading into the U.S. Open as she had come into the tournament winless.

Cetkovska was my story of the tournament as she was a qualifier who scored several notable victories to reach the final. She defeated Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets, Marion Bartoli in a very close two set battle and Li Na in a long semifinal match where she saved match point and eventually won 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (9). It is no wonder that Cetkovska appeared visibly tired in the final match. I believe that had she had more energy and rest, she would have made the final match more competitive as she was hitting many winners and dictating play against the passive world’s number one player.

Cincinnati: Things Just Got a Little More Interesting

2011-08-29T01:40:00.004+03:00

by Doni1212

The final match at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati was full of tension, drama and was completely unpredictable. Maria Sharapova defeated Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 for her second title of the year. Sharapova was the impressive one early on taking a 4-1 lead in the first. But after calling coach Ricardo Sanchez, Jankovic was able to win five games in a row to take the first set. Sharapova appeared visibly upset to have lost such a huge lead and called her coach at the end of the first set. It took a few games for his advice to sink in as she was broken early in the 2nd set to fall behind 0-2 early. After almost a full set full of breaks and long games, Sharapova was able to win the tiebreak 7-3 after a series of winners to force the match into a deciding set. Sharapova is undefeated this year when having to play a third set and this set was no different as she was able to finish off Jankovic with the loss of only 3 games in the third. After this thrilling match, both ladies established themselves as real title contenders at the U.S. Open.

As a viewer of this match, I would have to say that the best part was the apparent dislike and animosity between the players. From Jankovic complaining about Sharapova holding up her serve to Sharapova screaming “Come Ons” at Jankovic’s unforced errors, I can honestly say that this was truly an entertaining match. Also, I have seen many Sharapova matches over the years but never have I seen her so frustrated and visibly upset. She halfheartedly banged her racket on the court multiple times and even yelled at herself several times. It was clear that no player gets under her skin like Jankovic.

Other Notables:
-The 76 ranked player in the world scored the upset of the tournament when she beat the top ranked player in the world. Christina McHale, a 19 year old American, was impressive in her 6-4, 7-5 win over Caroline Wozniacki. Wozniacki remains winless during the U.S. hard court summer swing.
-Serena Williams withdrew in the 2nd round of the tournament giving Samantha Stosur a walkover into the third round. Williams withdrew with an aggravated right toe injury but expects to be fine by the Open.
-Andrea Petkovic suffered a meniscus tear in her right knee before her semifinal loss to Jankovic. She competed with the heart of a champion when most would have withdrawn. She came close to winning the first set but eventually lost the match 6-7(4), 1-6.
-Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska and Kimiko Date-Krumm all withdrew from the tournament with lingering injuries.

WTA U.S. Open Series Standings (Week 4)

2011-08-15T20:34:00.004+03:00

by Doni1212

2011 Women's Standings

Place Player Points
1 Serena Williams (USA) 170
2 Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 130
3 Samantha Stosur (AUS) 70

Toronto: And That Makes Two!

2011-08-15T18:56:00.005+03:00

by Doni1212

For the second time this summer, Serena Williams has captured a U.S. Open Series title. After firing four non-consecutive aces in the last game, Williams defeated Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-2 to capture the Rogers Cup title. The road to this victory was more difficult than the previous one in Stanford as Williams was challenged by several opponents along the way. In the second round, Julia Goerges was able to take Williams to a tiebreak in the second set before Williams was able to close her out winning 6-1, 7-6 (7). The next two matches for Williams were three set affairs against Zheng Jie and Lucie Safarova. Although Williams lost the first set in both matches, she was able to prevail by making adjustments and imposing her game. In the semifinal against Victoria Azarenka, Azarenka gave it her all but still was only able to win six games losing 3-6, 3-6. The final match against Stosur was even through the first eight games as both women held serve with ease. The turning point came in the ninth game when Stosur was up 40-15 on her own serve. At 40-15, Williams cracked a booming forehand crosscourt return winner off of a first serve and this seemed to rattle Stosur as she lost the next two points to set up a break point for Williams. Although Williams did not break at that first opportunity, she was successful on her second chance when she broke after a series of deep penetrating groundstrokes that set up a forehand volley to the open court. The rest of the match was routine for Williams as Stosur lost a little confidence on her serve and Williams grew bolder on the return. Williams finished with a ninth ace that she fired down the T to win her second Rogers Cup title. Williams is now ranked #31 in the world and is back in first place in the U.S. Open Series Standings.

What are the other notable stories of the 2011 Rogers Cup? The fascinating stories of the countless number of upsets of the top women of course! Before the event began, the fans were anticipating several early match-ups between the top players as the entire Top 20 was there and the draw was packed like the early second week of a slam. The first disappointment came when Venus Williams withdrew after the draw was released with a viral illness. The second letdown was when one of the most anticipated matchups, ( Kim Clijsters vs. Serena Williams in the third round), did not happen. This match-up did not take place because Clijsters retired after she won the first set in her second round match against Jie because of a tear in her left abdominal muscle. She will be unable to defend her title next week in Cincinnati and her U.S. Open participation remains in doubt.

The defending champion of the Rogers Cup and world number one, Caroline Wozniacki, looked anything but during her second round loss to the Italian, Roberta Vinci. Vinci constantly interrupted the pace of the ball with her low backhand slice and drop shots and took the first set 6-4. After Vinci lost some of her rhythm at the start of the second set, Wozniacki took advantage, stormed to a 5-1 lead and a third set seemed inevitable. Vinci, however, was not to be denied a straight sets victory and stormed back with similar play as that of the first set and took the second set and the match to defeat the defending champion in her very first match of the Series on her favorite surface 6-4, 7-5. Other seeds to lose early and in straight sets in Toronto included Jelena Jankovic, Petra Kvitova, Daniela Hantuchova, Ana Ivanovic, Vera Zvonareva, Francesca Schiavone, Maria Sharapova, and Li Na.

Next Up: Cincinnati!

WTA U.S. Open Series Standings (Week 3)

2011-08-11T04:06:00.004+03:00

2011 Women's Standings

Place Player Points
1 Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 85
2 Serena Williams (USA) 70
T-3 Marion Bartoli (FRA) 45
Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 45

Carlsbad: Aga reigns supreme!

2011-08-11T01:22:00.008+03:00

by Doni1212

For the second year in a row Agnieszka Radwanska reached the final in Carlsbad, San Diego. This time, though, she won the title. Radwanska defeated the top seed, Vera Zvonareva, 6-3, 6-4 in a relatively easy final which saw the Pole play arguably some of her best tennis ever. Having played the majority of the tournament with shoulder strapping and at times visibly struggling to hold serve, Radwanska fought hard and defeated quality players such as Andrea Petkovic and Daniela Hantuchova in three sets to reach the final. In contrast to her prior matches Radwanska never lost serve in the final and forced her opponent into errors with her ability to chase down nearly every ball. This title in Carlsbad is Radwanska’s fifth WTA Tour title and propels her to the top of the U.S. Open Series Standings.

The other big story of the tournament was the success and progress of Ana Ivanovic. After losing in straight sets to Ayumi Morita one week prior to in the first round of the Bank of the West Classic, Ivanovic once again drew her in her opening round. This time, however, Ivanovic defeated Morita 6-1 7-6 (5) after fighting back from 1-5 down in the 2nd. With the guidance of her new coach, Nigel Sears, Ivanovic was able to reach the semifinals beating players such as Alberta Brianti and Shuai Peng along the way. Although Ivanovic had several opportunities to defeat Zvonareva in straight sets before losing 7-5 4-6 4-6 in the semifinals, her team will only be encouraged with her efforts this week. Ivanovic showed a lot of fight in all her matches and her forehand and serve showed why she was once the number one ranked player in the world.

Other Notables:

Despite losing her semifinal, Andrea Petkovic was comforted in the fact that she gained enough points to reach the Top 10. She becomes the sixth German to achieve this feat.
The 18 year old American, Sloane Stephens, reached her first WTA quarterfinal before losing to Petkovic 2-6, 1-6. Stephens scored a notable, upset victory over Julia Goerges in the second round winning 6-3, 7-5.
Maria Kirilenko, the eleventh seed, was forced to withdraw after winning her first round match with a left hip injury. The sixth seeded player, Dominika Cibulkova, also had to pull out of the tournament with a left abdominal strain.
Sabine Lisicki made her second consecutive quarterfinal before losing 3-6, 6-3, 4-6.

Next Up for the WTA on the U.S. Open Series: Toronto!

When will it happen? Side-stories at Washington

2011-08-08T22:35:00.003+03:00

by Orysbestos

Radek does his thing.

Last week in Washington Radek Stepanek beat Gael Monfils 6-4 6-4 to win his 5th tour title at the ATP 500 event. Not bad for a 32 year old veteran playing an opponent 8 years younger, seeded first and in his physical prime. Monfils appeared lethargic and tired from the start of the match, seemingly unable to counter the Czech’s wily net rushing tactics, perhaps due to the fact that his 6-4 3-6 7-6 (6) semi-final win against John Isner lasted past 1 AM the night before. All this means is that Monfils moves to a miserable 3 - 11 win-loss record in finals and despite being the seventh ranked player in the world he never truly appears to fit in the upper echelons of the men’s tennis. Will he ever fulfill his potential as a player? Does he want to? It remains to be seen.

Donald Young: famous for not being famous.

Another player on the ‘when will it happen’ contingent is American Donald Young who made his first ATP semi-final at Washington, beating world number 26 Marcos Baghdatis and 18 Jurgen Melzer who retired down 1-3 in the final set. Young, who is famous for not being famous, tested the eventual champion Stepanek in the early games of his semi-final before going down 6-3 6-3. Fernando Verdasco, conversely, looked unhappy as he sprayed simple shots when losing to Stepanek in the quarterfinals 6-4 6-4.

As hard as it is to admit, too many players are struggling with form and confidence or simply settling for mediocrity while the tour celebrates the record breaking success of Novak Djokovic in 2011.

WTA U.S. Open Series Standings (Week 2)

2011-08-03T06:33:00.004+03:00

2011 Women's Standings

Place Player Points
1 Serena Williams (USA) 70
2 Marion Bartoli (FRA) 45
T-3 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 25
Sabine Lisicki (GER) 25

Stanford: She's backkkkkkkk!

2011-08-03T03:36:00.011+03:00

With one last unreturnable serve, Serena Williams signaled her return to the winner's circle at the first stop on the Women's U.S. Open Series in Stanford, California with a 7-5 6-1 victory over France’s Marion Bartoli. After giving up an early break, Williams was down for most of the first set but the seventh game, in which Bartoli had the opportunity to break serve several times, proved crucial. Immediately after Williams fought to hold for 3-4, she broke Bartoli but celebration was short lived when Bartoli broke right back to lead 5-4. During the changeover, Bartoli requested a meeting with her coach and father, Walter. Usually coach visits are beneficial, but after this visit Bartoli went on to lose the first set and a further 5 successive games. Williams played spectacular in the final set serving numerous aces and firing winners all over the court. Despite losing only one game but as she would later warn: there is still much to be improved.

The play in the last set of the final was not out of the ordinary for Williams in this tournament. Unlike most tournaments where Williams has a tendency to start slow but finish fast, she dominated from the very start of the Bank of the West Classic defeating Anastasia Rodionova 6-0, 6-0 in her first round match. The toughest test for Williams actually came in the second round against the Russian, Maria Kirilenko. After easily winning the first set 6-2, Williams seemed to lose some of her focus as Kirilenko raised her level and mixed in some variety with her shots. This proved successful for Kirilenko as she was rewarded with the second set 6-3. But Williams was not to be denied a spot in the Quarterfinal, and she took the third set playing much like the first and won it 6-2.

The expected match of the tournament was the Quarterfinal Match-up between the two biggest Divas in Tennis: Williams and Maria Sharapova. Although it was hyped up by many it failed to live up to the expectations of many fans when Williams routed Sharapova 6-1 6-3. Sharapova hasn’t beaten Williams since 2004 and she definitely played like a woman who lacked confidence. Williams played brilliant, controlled tennis but Sharapova did not even begin to test Williams until midway through the 2nd set. The match ended when Sharapova sent a backhand lob long before the two women shared a quick smile and handshake at the net. Even though this match-up lacked the drama and tension of previous matches, a future match-up will be one that spectators will undoubtedly hope to see again along the U.S. Open Series.

Other Notables:

Sabine Lisicki backed up her semifinal at Wimbledon here at the Bank of the West Classic beating players like Samantha Stosur and Agnieszka Radwanska along the way before losing to Serena Williams in the semifinal 1-6 2-6.
The top seed of the tournament, Victoria Azarenka, lost in her opening match to qualifier Marina Erakovic in three sets 6-4 5-7 2-6.
Dominika Cibulkova reached the semifinals before withdrawing from her match against Marion Bartoli with a strained abdominal muscle.
With her victory in Stanford, Serena Williams moves up to #79 in the rankings and #54 in the race standings.

Next Up on the U.S. Open Series: San Diego!

Doni1212’s Women’s First Round Matches to Watch

2011-01-17T04:45:00.002+03:00

[1] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) vs. Gisela Dulko (ARG)
Dulko has made a name for herself defeating top players in slams before so Wozniacki should be careful with this match. Wozniacki hasn’t had a good start to the 2011 season as she only won one game in an exhibition match against Vera Zvonareva in Hong Kong and lost easily to Dominika Cibulkova in her first official match of the season in Sydney.

Prediction: Wozniacki in 3

[21] Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) vs. Jarmila Groth (AUS)
Both players have played some good matches in 2010 and this one is sure to be a thriller. They both hit big and hard but I give the advantage to Jarmila because she will have the support of the crowd to help pull her through.

Prediction: Groth in 2

[14] Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA)

Sharapova looked very shaky on serve and her groundstrokes didn’t seem to penetrate the court in Sydney. Tanasugarn prefers the grass courts but she might be able to provide Sharapova a test.

Prediction: Sharapova in 3

[3] Kim Clijsters (BEL) vs. Dinara Safina (RUS)
Safina has not been a serious contender for Slams since her back injury that resurfaced last year. Clijsters should have an easy time with Safina but the 3-time Grand Slam finalist might rise to the occasion and challenge the Belgian.

Prediction: Clijsters in 3

Australian Open: Draw Analysis

2011-01-17T02:45:00.002+03:00

Another year, another slam! In less than two hours, the Australian Open will commence to kick off the 2011 Slam Season. As always, we enter this slam with two big questions. Will Rafael Nadal be able to complete the “Rafa Slam” by winning his fourth slam in a row? Will the much disputed number one player on the women’s side, Caroline Wozniacki, be able to win her first slam and justify her ranking? The answers to all these questions and more will be revealed over the next two weeks as we follow all of the action in Melbourne. Now, let’s check out the draws…

On the women’s side, the field is wide open again with the absence of two-time defending champion Serena Williams. Surprisingly, the draw is almost balanced but most of the former Grand Slam champions are lurking in the top half. Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Francesca Schiavone and of course as the top seed, Caroline Wozniacki, make up the top half of the draw. The bottom half of the draw consists of Kim Clijsters, Ana Ivanovic, Samantha Stosur, Jelena Jankovic and Vera Zvonareva. Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova are slated to meet in the fourth round while Li Na could be waiting to face the winner in the Quarterfinals. If Wozniacki wins her first round, she could face potential challenges from players like Dominika Cibulkova, the woman who easily defeated her in Sydney. In the bottom half, Kim Clijsters must face former grand slam finalist Dinara Safina in the first round and could meet Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round for the second slam in a row. Jelena Jankovic has a fairly easy path to the Quarterfinals to gain some confidence while Vera Zvonareva could face the big hitting Serb, Bojana Jovanovski in the second round.

On the men’s side, as usual, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal cannot meet until the final. In the top half, Nadal is joined by Robin Soderling, Andy Murray, Lleyton Hewitt and Juan Martin Del Potro. In addition to Roger Federer, the bottom half includes Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Gael Monfils and Fernando Verdasco. Andy Murray and Robin Soderling could face each other in the Quarterfinals while Roger Federer could meet Novak Djokovic in the semifinals once more. Although there are bunch of good players in this draw it’s hard to see a men’s final without Rafael Nadal as he goes for his fourth slam in a row against either Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic. Let the first ball be tossed!

ATP Finals Day One, Carlos Moya retired

2010-11-22T21:07:00.000+03:00

by Orysbestos

Just like the WTA version, the ATP Year End Championships started off slowly with two not-very-competitive matches. Andy Murray made people feel uncomfortable by celebrating a bit too enthusiastically after he routined Robin Soderling 6-2 6-4 while Roger Federer made sure feisty David Ferrer felt as out of place as possible scoring a 11-0 record against the Spaniard with a 6-1 6-4 win. Not the most nail-biting stuff but hopefully it will pick up as the week continues.

In other news, 34 year old Carlos Moya, famous for winning the French Open 1998, hitting the number one spot and being the Rafael Nadal before we had Rafael Nadal was honoured in an unemotional ceremony after the Murray-Soderling match. Nadal gave a monotone speech in Spanish which managed, surprisingly, to emphasise the eerily sterile mood the Barclays-blue gives these Championships. Seems like everyone is retiring these days...

ATP World Tour Finals Preview

2010-11-19T18:41:00.003+03:00

by Orysbestos

As I was looking for pictures to make a graphic for the ATP Tour's Year End Championships (cleverly marketed as the "World Tour Finals"), I noticed how absolutely horrible the official ATP player photos are. Whose idea was it to go for a "mug shot" theme? Fortunately, though, they hit the spot with some snazzy matching suits. And, the suits actually fit this time.

Who's the odd one out?

Groups:

Rafeel Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Andy Roddick

Roger Federer, Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and David Ferrer.

Orders of play:
Sunday, 21 November 2010
CENTRE COURT Start At 12:15 PM[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs [8] J Melzer (AUT) / P Petzschner (GER)
Not Before 2:00 PM
[4] R Soderling (SWE) vs [5] A Murray (GBR)
Start At 6:15 PM
[4] L DLouhy (CZE) / L Paes (IND) vs [6] M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL)
Not Before 8:00 PM
[2] R Federer (SUI) vs [7] D Ferrer (ESP)

Monday, 22 November 2010
CENTRE COURT Start At 12:15 PM[3] M Bhupathi (IND) / M Mirnyi (BLR) vs [5] L Kubot (POL) / O Marach (AUT)
Not Before 2:00 PM
[3] N Djokovic (SRB) vs [6] T Berdych (CZE)
Start At 6:15 PM
[2] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) vs [7] W Moodie (RSA) / D Norman (BEL)
Not Before 8:00 PM
[1] R Nadal (ESP) vs [8] A Roddick (USA)

What Should Nadia Wear?

2010-11-12T13:09:00.010+03:00

From left: Nadia's outfits at Wimbledon 2010, the US Open 2010, the Australian Open 2009 and Wimbledon 2009.

Nadia Petrova is an interesting character. Off the court she is lovely and charming, whilst on the court she can be intense and fiery. Her clothing sponsor, Ellesse, appears to be trying to capture the essence of Nadia in the clothes she wears. As you can see, there have been a lot of swings and quite a few misses.

I think in order for Nadia to look good, she should be adventurous but not quite as... outrageous as she has been in the past (see the "dead swan dress" above). Before Nadia partnered with Ellesse she had a brief period with Venus Williams' line "EleVen".

Some suggestions, hand picked from Venus' wardrobe onto Nadia:


Venus Williams' Tina Turner inspired dress from Wimbledon 2010.

Venus Williams' Paris dress from Roland Garros 2010.

Venus Williams' "Goddess Dress" from The Championships 2008.

Let us know what you think.

Dementieva ends her run

2010-11-12T06:00:00.002+03:00

by miffedmax

Ordinarily, I write about juniors’ tennis.

This time, though, I’m focusing on Elena Dementieva, who retired last month after a 12-year tennis career, much of it spent in the Top 10. I’ll be upfront. She was my favorite WTA player of all time—and I’ve been watching since the days of Martina vs. Chrissie.

No sooner had the tears—and they were copious—from her retirement ceremony dried, than the debate over her legacy began. The bridesmaid of her generation. One of the best players never to win a slam. A chronic underachiever.

And, in some ways, yes, the numbers do bear that out. She made two slam finals in 2004, and lost them both. She had epic collapses at the Aussie Open against Patty Schnyder, at the US Open against Mary Pierce, and at the French against Dinara Safina. She lost narrowly, most famously to Serena in the Wimbledon semis in 2009. She lost in blowouts, and she lost in upsets. Most heartbreaking of all, she lost due to an injury at her last Roland Garros, despite having been one of the most durable players on the tour for most of her career.

On the other hand, her numbers are pretty impressive. An Olympic gold medal. Sixteen WTA titles. Four Grand Slam runner-ups (two in doubles). An Olympic silver. A very respectable 574 tour wins. And she qualified for the YEC 10 of 11 years she was a full-time tour player—and the 11^th year she was one of the alternates. And her tough-as-nails performance at the 2005 Fed Cup—which she all but won single-handedly for Russia—should have been enough to shed the choker moniker forever.

The big knock on Lena will always be that her resume doesn’t include a major. But I’m not sure it really matters. When a number of journalists and publications ranked the Top 10 players of the decade, Lena ranked #10. Would a slam have moved her ahead of Mauresmo, Clijsters, Kuznetsova? She would have had to have won multiple slams to have moved up the list, frankly.

But the fact is that the numbers will never quite do Elena justice. At a time when the Top 100 is bursting with Russians, they routinely pick up titles and make runs at majors, it’s easy to forget the Elena was the second of the post-Soviet era after Kournikova to make a major impression on the tennis world. She was the first to make a US Open semifinal. The first to break $5 million in prize money. And, of course, the one of the first to play in an all-Russian slam final. Of course, she can’t take all the credit for her countrywomen’s success. But there’s no question she was an inspiration to the current crop of Russians, and played a major role in the changing demographics of the WTA.

Then there’s her role as an Olympian. Dementieva has long insisted that she’d rather win Olympic gold than a major. And while hers is still a minority opinion on the tour, there’s no doubt that the Olympic title is growing in importance and prestige. Again, it’s not solely due to Lena, but there’s no doubt that the fact she took it so seriously helped add to the luster of Olympic gold. For me, as a fan, I’ll always believe that Lena did have one slam in her, but that she used all that energy and focus on the Olympics instead.

In the end, though, Lena will probably most be remembered for her rivalry with the greatest player of her generation, Serena Williams. For the true measure of a champion is not only her accomplishments, but how accomplished their opponents are. And in a way, their epic semifinal at Wimbledon will be the ultimate testimony to both their respective careers.

Lena may not have been the best player of her era, or even one of the best. But there seems little doubt that her era was one of the brightest times in the history of women’s tennis, and it shone all the brighter because of her.

She will be missed. And not just by diehard fans like me.

Back, back, back and forth...

2010-11-12T00:05:00.000+03:00

by Orysbestos

I remember the day I bought my first racket. I can remember the excitement that oddly shaped piece of yellow metal gave me. All the fancy labels … the smell, the touch, the taste (kidding, I really didn’t put the grip in my mouth… ok, maybe once). How little I knew about the passion, frustration, obsession and the literal blood, sweat and tears this object would introduce into my life.

Why did I decide to start playing tennis? I was 19, in university and a casual fan of the game for years. As a kid I’d gone over to the nearest tennis courts one or twice with a friend, and of course, I was completely incapable of doing anything with the ball besides hitting it over the fence into the bushes below. But it was all in good fun, we had no concepts of footwork, swing-paths, topspin … it was all about hitting a little green ball (the balls are green, why do people call them yellow?) back to a kid with no inkling about what he was dong. So simple.

Three years after I bought that racket I’m back on the court after a lengthy period of not playing at all. Since I first started playing, I’ve gone through different backhands, a multitude of forehand grips and about five rackets, all with different levels of success. Now, with the perfect racket and years of experience I’m feeling like I haven’t hit a tennis ball before. I’m out of breath after hitting a couple of shots (resulting in the guy I’ve been playing with asking the oh-so-very patronising question “Are you tired?” after barely five minutes) and, for the love of God, I cannot hit a backhand. OK, I admit I wasn’t that good before I took the break … but I wasn’t this bad. Was I?

Learning how to play for the first couple of months was fun and surprisingly easy for me. I enjoyed hitting against a wall at 5PM on most weekdays after school. Most of all I loved the excitement of finding that I was able to do something or a hit a certain shot that I simply could not a week before. I remember how good it felt to hit backhand slice a bunch of times in a row or how finally mastering the art of hitting an overhead was like ... well, I can’t describe the feeling fully, but I felt pretty chuffed! But what really amazes me is that there was a time when just hitting 10 balls to the wall consecutively was the biggest deal and how happy I was to accomplish that. Now, I don’t want to get too corny, but I get kind of misty when I think how those little goals I set for myself – hit a backhand, hit 10 or 20 balls – made me leave the tennis courts with a broad smile on my face every time I achieved one. How time changes things… *As I stare dramatically outside the window with strings playing softly in the background*

Over time I got better by working on my fitness, developing chunky calves and generally starting to understand myself and the game better. Then I stopped. And now I’m back to square one, but this time I’m not smiling on my way home like the idiot main character in some sappy romantic comedy. I’m frustrated and tired and annoyed that I can’t hit simple shots or that I’m too damn slow to get to balls in time. Worst of all I hate that the sucky guy I’ve been playing with me said to me: “... but I always win” (context deliberately omitted!) and it was true! Yes, I am also bitter. So why am I playing again? Am I trying to recapture the innocent joy of a naïve beginner? Or am I trying to get better than I was before? Why? What will happen if I don’t get any better, will it make any difference to my life? Why am I asking all these rhetorical questions? Why don’t you find out in next months “Courting Disaster”?

Amazons in the New Era

2010-11-01T00:01:00.001+03:00

by Nykinora

Well, the USO has come and gone. Players have been vanquished. A new champion has been crowned on the men’s side and a previous champion re-instated on the women’s side as Rafael Nadal and Kim Clijsters have reigned triumphant over the final slam of the year. Having watched the US Open, I can’t help but feel that it provides an interesting coda for the women’s game and highlights the direction in which women’s tennis has steadily progressed over the past ten or so years.

For fans of women’s tennis, I think that it is typical to regard the late nineties and the first half of the last decade as a critical apex in the development of the sport. Not only were these tumultuous years characterised by high profile names such Monica Seles, Mary Pierce, Anna Kournikova, Martina Hingis and the Williams Sisters to name but a few but also a number of caustic rivalries. More critically, there was also the sense that a ‘life-and-death’ evolutionary struggle occurring in the sport, creating a stark perceptual binary between finesse and power. Consequently there was the emergence of the 6-foot-plus Amazon armed with a fearsome serve, monster forehand and lethal backhand. What characterised the Amazonian game was the unrelenting pace, power and depth on their groundstrokes which tended to be extremely hard and flat off both wings.

This drama was nowhere more exemplified than in the career of fortunes of one Martina Hingis who was first eclipsed by power-strikers such as Lindsay Davenport then unceremoniously pushed aside by both Williams sisters. Tennis had truly become an overtly physical contest and the consensus was that size truly mattered.

In terms of the classic stereotype of the ‘long tall Amazon,’ players such as 6 ft. 2 Lindsay Davenport and 6 ft. 1 Venus Williams were early predecessors of this physical ‘type’ which eventually culminated in the likes of Maria Sharapova, the tallest of them all at an estimated 6 ft. 3 inches. Fast forward to 2010 however, and it might be fair to ask...where have the Amazons gone? Other than the retired Davenport who now occupies the commentary booth both Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova, who have remained on the scene, were the 3rd and 14th seeds at this year’s US Open. Neither, however, won the grand prize. Instead, half of the grand slams at the close of the decade have been secured by Serena Williams (winner of the AO and Wimbledon), while Francesca Schiavone and Kim Clijsters are the current Roland Garros and US Open champions respectively. While all three women (Serena, Clijsters and Schiavone) are undoubtedly athletic and powerful they are not tennis ‘Amazons’.

So how are the so-called ‘Amazons’ faring these days?

Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams have both had a reasonably ‘consistent’, if unspectacular, 2010; one can’t help but note, however, that their once swift serves and powerful groundstrokes, have failed to intimidate their opponents and reap the rewards.

Indeed, neither woman has even advanced to a slam final this year with Sharapova putting together a string of early slams exits, and Williams advancing to the quarter-finals or beyond at all slams - save for the elusive French Open where she stumbled in the 4th round. At this year’s US Open Sharapova was specifically singled out by some pundits as the most disappointing performer in the women’s draw after hitting a large number winners and errors as she was tamely bundled out in the 4th round by top seed, Caroline Wozniacki – and in straight sets no less...

Williams, who hadn’t played a match during the US Open series, surprised critics (many of who had anticipated an early exit) and made a semi-finals for the first time since 2007. Yet, despite winning the first set, and appearing to be on route to victory and the finals, she double-faulted consecutively in the critical second set tie-break and eventually lost the match to Kim Clijsters in three sets, eerily echoing her loss to Clijsters last year.

Although both losses were different in many respects – Sharapova for instance, was largely tipped to win her match, while Venus was expected to lose hers - what was significant is that despite their weapons and, in most instances, superior fire power and ability to hit more winners I couldn’t help but sense while watching their matches that each had found a way to lose and that much of it hinged on their serve. This is not to discredit the victories of their opponents, who played the critical points well or, at least, well enough and thus fully deserved their victories.

Nevertheless, it became glaringly obvious to me that both Sharapova and Williams consistently played poorly under pressure to the extent where they gave away key points like “free money” – particularly on their own serve - all of which brings me to the heart of this article: Are the days of the Amazons and the big power game of yesteryear numbered (like the dinosaur)? Or is there something a little more complex a play here? Why are these players who were once tipped to dominate the sport, now struggling and currently regarded by some as underachievers?

Sometimes dismissed as ‘brainless’ ballbashers, both players are known primarily for their cool on-court demeanours and power. If I had to identify one quality that was the key to their success, it would be ‘depth’. Both also possessed serves that were once regarded as assets and weapons, although critically for both, this is no longer the case; both players have demonstrated a new tendency consecutively double-fault in critical moments. This is significant for Sharapova who was renowned for clean and fairly powerful serving on both first and second serves. Since shoulder surgery in 2008 and considerable time out of the game however, Sharapova's current service action has been riddled with double-faults; sometimes struck consecutively, and at other times reaching double numbers or more and heading straight into territory once occupied by Elena Dementieva….

Venus by contrast has always had the tendency to hit aces and double faults alternately. Furthermore, her weak and predictably placed second serve has long been identified as a serious shortcoming in her overall game. However, the critical difference between the woman who won the USO in 2000 and 2001, and the woman who lost to Clijsters in both 2009 and 2010 by playing the role of kingmaker, is that the Venus of old had nerves of steel and was able to brush aside any double faults or weak second serves and produce aces or unreturnable on critical points; the latter by contrast, is almost the inverse and currently serves up double-faults on the biggest points of all, like clockwork.

The ability to serve consistently well and hold serve under pressure has been highlighted by Serena Williams, a player who even in the earliest days of her career was renowned for her ability to combine both power and placement on both her first and second serves. Not only can she routinely hit to all corners and areas of the service box, but her second serve is particularly impressive for its tremendous kick. As time as progressed, Serena's mobility is not quite what it once was, but her serve, like fine wine, as aged wonderfully well; it is the best serve not only in the women's game, but in the history of the sport. While neither Kim Clijsters nor Francesca Schiavone possess quite as enviable a weapon, it is significant that during their successful slam runs both players consistently maintained a respectable first serve percentage, round by round. As is typical of Clijsters, she did have one or two questionable rounds, and some unsteady moments on serve. She did, however, manage to serve well enough in the key moments, thus determining the outcome of her quarter and semi final matches.

To return to the Amazons, and their serving woes...

There is little mystery around Sharapova’s ailing serve. It is obvious to most viewers that she has yet to fully negotiate a new and maintainable service action that captures the potency of her old serve while avoiding the risk of further injury. With Venus however, the cause of her declining serve is far less clear to the point where it is easy to speculate that nerves are getting the best of an aging athlete. Then again, the spectre of injury also lingers in the form a recurring knee injury that is intermittently bound (often from knee to thigh), that pushed her out of the hard court season leading up to this year’s US Open, and that she remains tight-lipped about. [*]

In tennis, the physical and the mental are inextricably linked and it often becomes difficult to say which precedes which. But it remains undeniable that both women are routinely producing their very worst serving and most tentative shot-making under pressure which is extremely disappointing to see especially when the expectation from the Amazon game is clutch serving and audacious shot-making when it counts. This is all merely speculation of course, but whether it is a question of sports psychology, physical therapy or both one thing remains certain: both Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova will have to rediscover their serve and their nerve on the big points if they intend to add to their slam count.

Whether or not you’re a fan of their particular brand of tennis, there can be something impressive – even thrilling - about watching the Amazonian game played the way that it is supposed to be played.

So, here’s to 2011 and a fresh start.

[*Edited to add: Williams has been recently seen on crutches while there is speculation that she has recently had knee surgery...]

November Cover

2010-11-01T00:00:00.002+03:00

by Orysbestos

Retired Elena Dementieva graces the November cover that, sadly, is more tacky than a Yonex outfit. :(

On Doha

2010-10-30T13:51:00.002+03:00

The big news from Doha was, of course, Elena Dementieva’s retirement. It was a bitter-sweet moment for me watching the retirement ceremony held on court after her 6-4 6-2 loss to Francesca Schiavone. I thought it was poignant that the retirement came after a loss where she failed to take opportunities but still fought to the end. How will she be remembered? Well, to me, as a worker. Someone that tried but never tired., fought and never gave in. For all her well documented “weaknesses” and “failures”, she will still go down as one of the most loved players of the past ten years

Semi-finals preview

So, the Round Robin stage of the WTA Year End Championships in Doha is over with Sam Stosur and Caroline Wozniacki coming first and second in the Maroon Group while Vera Zvonareva and Kim Clijsters respectively did the same in their White Group. Stosur will play her semifinal against Clijsters today (Saturday) at 2.30PM GMT and Zvonareva will follow against Wozniacki later

Who will come through? Clijsters was impatient and error prone when she lost to Zvonareva (4-6 5-7) in last night’s round-robin match. Some think it’s because the semifinal positions had already been decided before the match, but it remains to see whether Clijsters can continue to get away with mediocre performances. Both Stosur and Wozniacki have been impressive in their wins (Stosur beat Schiavone 6-4 6-4 and Wozniacki 6-4 6-3, while Wozniacki beat Dementieva 6-1 6-1 and Schiavone 3-6 6-1 6-1) but they have both show that they are beatable (Stosur lost to Dementieva 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4)). Zvonareva has looked the best of the eight players at the Championships not having dropped a set in her 3 matches. Can she repeat her 2008 run and go undefeated till the finals?

Big ups to Fran Schiavone and Victoria Azarenka for keeping their heads up and fighting for their wins against Dementieva and Jelena Jankovic despite the fact that winning would not advance them in the tournament. Dementieva had an excuse for a lackluster performance in her loss, but what’s up with Jankovic? She lost 6-4 6-1 to Azarenka and didn’t win any sets in her other two matches. Either she’s about to retire or she needs a long break. Hopefully next year we’ll see a semblance of the enthusiastic player that got the number one.

Shanghai ATP 1000 Final: Murray defeats Federer 6-3 6-2

2010-10-18T14:02:00.000+03:00

by Orysbestos

Another week, another ATP hard-court title for Andy Murray. Does it mean he's better than Roger Federer? Does it mean that he's going to win the next Grand Slam? What does it all mean!? Who knows, but Andy better enjoy it while it lasts.

Commonwealth Games - Women's singles semifinals

2010-10-09T15:37:00.003+03:00

by Orysbestos

Tennis is such a vain sport: it’s all about individuals and what they’ve achieved and what they haven’t, what mistakes they made and so on. When a player loses a match it is one big tragedy, because they, individually, have failed and that stench of failure follows them around (till they lose again). So I love team competitions in tennis. Davis and Fed Cup, the Olympics, now the Commonwealth Games and even doubles, for me it’s a breath of fresh air.

There’s also something about non-traditional tennis crowds that can be extremely entertaining when they get into a match. They’re not familiar with tennis etiquette so they cheer wildly for any point their favourite wins and they don’t care about unforced errors. Yesterday at the CWG in Delhi, Indian Sania Mirza came back from the brink, down 1-6 1-3 in the women’s singles semi-finals to defeat

Australia

’s Olivia Rogowska 1-6 6-4 6-4. At 1-6 0-2 Mirza had not held serve the entire match but it didn’t take a while for the partisan crowd to make its mark. I’ll be honest, the quality of this mach was not very good but the electricity of the atmosphere in the stadium towards the end made it as, if not more, compelling than a lot of tour matches.

The second semi-final between Australians Anastasia Rodionova and Sally Peers continued with the dramatic theme later that night. Goodness me, I’ve heard that Rodionova has a reputation for being somewhat of a drama queen but since I had never actually seen her play, I wasn’t too sure how much of it was true. Well she certainly has an interesting on court persona. Midway through the second set (after being broken, no less) she took a medical time-out because of the heat after which she spent the rest of the match keeling over and barely able to walk between points. Finally, at a point in the third set the umpire gave her a time violation warning which prompted Rodionova to give him a death glare that literally had me bursting out with laughter. Eventually she won 6-2 6-7 6-1 with Peers fading badly in the third (ending it with 4 double-faults).

The kid gets into the mix. Doubles, that is.

2010-10-09T00:00:00.006+03:00

It’s hard enough playing your first competitive doubles match with a partner you’ve never met, let alone practiced with before.

It’s even harder when you’re 13. And your partner is a girl.

That’s just the situation my son found himself in as he played his first league mixed doubles match recently.

At this age, mixed doubles matches are a lot like junior high school dances. The girls are a lot taller than the boys, and nobody talks to each other. So my son walks out and looks up—way up—at his partner. She looks down at her feet. He looks down at his feet, shifts his racket to his left hand, and offers his right. Laurie, reaches out, touches it, briefly, like it might be a rattlesnake in disguise, and quickly pulls her hand back. I assume they exchange introductions at this point, but since I’m sitting three courts away I can’t be sure. I turn to Laurie’s mom. “Well, this isn’t very promising.”

“She’s shy,” she replies.

And 13. A mysterious age. At 13, there are kids who are going on 30, and some who still find the mere thought of playing an entire tennis match with a member of the opposite gender disgusting. My kid’s somewhere in the middle of the continuum. Girls are interesting, but still a little intimidating. From the way she’s staring at the ground, I can only assume that Laurie’s sentiments are similar to my son’s.

Their opponents walk on the court. Once again, the girl towers over her partner, but there the resemblance ends. These two are laughing, actually—heaven forbid—apparently on speaking terms with each other.

“Oh yeah,” their mom--who happens to be sitting next to us--says, “those two have played with each other for a couple of seasons now.”

Great. Those two kids are having a pregame conference. My son and Laurie are sitting on their bench, staring at their respective feet.

The match begins, and my son and his partner have apparently determined to stick with their “Don’t Look, Don’t Speak” strategy. When they should both be up, they're one up, one back. Or both back. When they should one up, one back, they’re both up.

On the bright side, when my son sends an easy volley sailing into the adjacent court, there are no insults or complaints from Laurie because that would mean—you know—actually TALKING to a boy. And, likewise, when Laurie doublefaults on a critical point, there are no harsh words from my son. I mean it can’t really be a silent treatment if you weren’t speaking to each other in the first place, right?

The score is about as ugly as you might expect, give the lack of communication.

And then, somewhere at about 4-1, a miracle happens. A tiny one, anyway. The boy fires an ace past the other team's girl—yes, that’s a miracle, but not the one I had in mind. No, what is truly, utterly, incomprehensibly amazing is what happens next. Laurie turns, looks back at her partner and says, “Nice serve.”

He says “Thanks.” They tap rackets.

I’d love to be able to report that the two of them came storming back and won the match. But they didn’t. They lost, 8-5 (USTA league matches use the eight-game, pro-set format).

But they did actually keep talking. And playing. And, incredibly enough, start to look a little bit like a team.

The Year of Rafa: Retrospective Issue

2010-10-01T05:37:00.000+03:00

by Nykinora

Pensive in Victory: Rafael Nadal at the USO 2010

Undoubtedly Rafael Nadal has thoroughly ruled the world of tennis in 2010. Not only has he regained the number one ranking which for the time being at least seems to be shared property between himself and Roger Federer, but he has also won 3 slams including arguably the two most prestigious slams, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. He also found the time to pick up his first ever US Open thus becoming 1 of only 7 men to have completed a career grand slam in the history of the sport.

And all of this has been accomplished at the relatively young age of 24.

What fascinates me about Rafael Nadal though - aside from the muscle tees and piratas of old, his clay court prowess, ongoing rivalry with Roger Federer and yes, *that* physique - is his overall approach to the sport. More often than not, Rafael is placed in an inextricable binary which pairs then positions him as the polar opposite to Roger Federer which could not be easy for any player. As a result, we hear reports of Rafa’s dogged determination in contrast to Roger’s natural flair, Spanish fire and intensity is compared to cerebral Swiss cool; and of course, he is the kryptonite to Roger’s superman and so forth. Consequently, an image of Rafa as the tough and determined grinder and hard-worker has emerged – an image which, I would argue, is not only generic but that somewhat underestimates his abilities by damning them with faint praise.
While I wholeheartedly agree that his determination, mental toughness and desire to improve are all critical to his success he also possesses attributes that aren’t discussed as much as they should be. But rather than rhapsodising about Rafa I’ll identify 5 qualities that have made him the player that he is today.

1.) Temperament? Too cool: Like many male players with an even temperament, Nadal doesn’t receive nearly enough recognition for this attribute as the pundits probably feel that fierce competiveness makes for a more interesting focus. He may be an intense presence and is overtly demonstrative on a winner; and, like most players he will grimace at a miss - but when have you ever seen Rafael Nadal break a racquet, curse out the umpire, or lose his cool even as a 17-year-old newcomer? His coach, Antonio Nadal Homar (ubiquitously known as Uncle Toni) is in large part responsible for Nadal’s contained on-court demeanour by refusing to tolerate racquet-abuse and tantrums when he was a child. Some lessons last for life it seems. I think that his ability to stay calm and collected informs his immense powers of concentration. Rafael has the stay focused across each and every point and seldom wavers from the task at hand. (Watch the way he just stood back while Novak smashed his racquet in the USO final etc.) While others emote and lose focus Nadal, for all of his fire as a competitor, ultimately stays cool to almost Bjorg like levels.

2.) Method Man: I think that it is obvious to most pundits he’s an "ambitious young man.” After all, you don't win 9 slams and reach a career slam at the age of 24 without this quality but he tempers that ambition with a realistic mindset and consequently doesn’t 'overreach' himself. A combination o realistic ambition allows him to accomplish exactly what he sets out to do - but in a methodical manner which makes his goals extremely attainable. Nadal consistently alerts the press of his goals as they arise and informs us all when he has achieved what he has set out to do. He really doesn't put himself under undue pressure, and he doesn't allow himself to get sidetracked or distracted or to think too far ahead. After winning the USO, when reporters started to question him for example, as to whether or not he thought he could ever reach 16 slams (ala Roger) he very wisely shut down the conversation in an instant!

He refuses to place additional pressure himself, which means that he only has to deal with the immediate pressure of whatever match or tournament he plays and whatever underlying goal he has in mind.

3.) Humility = Awareness: People argue back and forth about Nadal's humility (particularly on tennis fan sites) and whether or not it is genuine and organic or tactical and fake. While I suspect that it's the former, it matters little in the end and stands as a moot point. Whether true or feigned what his humility has allowed him to do is openly acknowledge to himself (and to others) that he doesn't have the fastest serve or the biggest groundstrokes, while he knows from the off-set that in most matches he won't hit the most aces or winners either and to comfortably ACCEPT that reality and stick to his own game. Nadal is secure in his identity as a player and doesn't aim to crush or dominate his opponents because that simply not his personality or style of play.

Yet, he also knows that he is much more likely to hit far less errors than his opponent, and that the longer a match goes on the more it favours him; he is much more likely to outlast his opponent because of his superior fitness, and he knows that currently there is no-one else in the men's game that can consistently hit acute angles from the back of the court and put immense top spin on the ball. His game is unique and he is fully aware of his own game and how it works.

4.) Matador, rather than Spanish "bull": This elaborates on point three and is one of the ways in which he belies the stereotype of the 'Spanish bull' that has been bestowed on him by the media. Yet, if you listen to his press conferences and what you'll hear is someone who tends to be serious, shy and introspective by nature. It is common for commentators to remark on the physical side of his game and for the media to sensationalise this aspect (such as the "Muscles from Majorca" tag). Unfortunately, they tend to overlook his mind often failing to identify the fact that he's a great thinker on court and is actually a mature analyst of the game. In the aftermath he tends to think about his matches in terms of what went wrong and what went right in detail - win OR lose. I always get the sense that he enters each match with a set goals (i.e. reaching a certain first serve percentage, hitting as few errors as possible, or working on a particular shot) and a specific strategy. Even when he's losing, I sense that he's entered the match with a real plan.

So with all of the goal setting and the strategic approach to managing his career as well as individual matches, what you have is someone who is uncannily mature. (Young shoulders, old head.) Rather than being someone who grinds hard and sets his shoulder to the wheel he’s an excellent thinker and planner. This was nowhere more exemplified than in the way in which he systematically dismantled by ruthlessly exploiting the Federer backhand at Wimbledon in 2008. (And that match was a testament to both players in terms of shot-making and endurance.) Prior to this display though, conventional media wisdom had asserted that Federer was without flaw or weakness.

For those who would argue that Toni, rather than Rafa, is the master strategist, I would suggest that Toni is not the sole strategist. Nadal has time and again demonstrated that he is not only intimate with his own game and the assets/flaws that he has, but that he can also provide a detailed, on-the-spot analysis of the games of almost any of his opponents - particularly of his regular rivals such as Roger, Novak, Andy and so forth along with a cogent and fair account of the overall match. If you've listened to his press conferences you'll notice that he'll praise his opponent's ability at some aspect of the game but will follow that praise by telling you exactly what he did to counter them.

5.) A wider view: Like the Williams Sisters, Nadal refuses to live and die with each loss. Instead he shares and espouses with them the uncharacteristic view that tennis is temporary and fleeting and that there is far much more to life beyond the sport (he is deeply family-oriented for example). And I would wager that such an attitude is essential in maintaining a balanced (rather than an obsessive) outlook.

In conclusion, these are but a few of the things about Rafael Nadal that I wish was discussed more often - at least outside of tennis blogs or fan sites, and in the wider media.

October Cover

2010-10-01T00:00:00.001+03:00

by Orysbestos

Mirror, mirror, who's the baddest Spaniard of them all? After winning the 2010 US Open Rafael Nadal is on the October cover.

Fireworks in New York

2010-09-10T14:25:00.000+03:00

Venus Williams

(Pictures from usopen.org.)

US Open 2010: Men's Quarter-Finals (Part I)

2010-09-09T13:24:00.005+03:00

Half of the men's quarter-finals were played today: these were the following results:

(2) Roger Federer (SUI) def. (5) Robin Soderling (SWE): 6-4 6-4 7-5

Roger Federer continued his march towards the US Open finals disregarding both the wind and his hapless opponent Robin Soderling. He thundered down 18 aces to not only complement the weather but challenge John Isner's position on the aces leader board, as he secured a place in the semi-finals. Soderling, to his credit, rallied hard in the third set but couldn't avoid a loss.

An uncharacteristically subdued Robin Soderling, attempts to rally.

(3) Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. (17) Gael Monfils (FRA): 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 6-2

Third seed Novak Djokovic was initially caught in a tight contest against the 17th seed in the first set. Although the french man pressured the higher ranked Serb, he fell apart in the tie-break and ultimately fell to Djokovic in an error-filled match. Both players ,who are expressive on-court, reacted negatively to the windy conditions. Djokovic often threw his hands in the air to convey his disgust, while Monfils looked nonplussed and no less frustrated by the conditions. He later admitted that his style of play (namely, his huge backswing) was hampered by the wind. Nevertheless the last two sets were a rout for Djokovic as he breezed his way through the next two sets and on to the semis.

Us Open Graphics

2010-09-09T12:44:00.002+03:00

Dustin Brown in his third round match against Andy Murray.

Venus Williams wins against Roberta Vinci at the US Open.

(Pictures from usopen.org).

US Open 2010: Women's Quarter-finals recap

2010-09-09T12:09:00.010+03:00

No lack of effort. Unseeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia battles top seed Caroline Wozniacki.

The wind continued to howl around Flushing Meadows as the last eight were forced to do battle against the elements as well as their opponents...

(3) Venus Williams def. (6) Francesca Schiavone: 7-6 (7-5) 6-4

Many fans and pundits alike, including the likes of Matt Cronin, predicted that this would be a tightly contested affair with the potential to go all the way. While these predictions didn't eventuate and Venus Williams prevailed in straight sets, the 2010 Roland Garros champion gave a good account of herself, using her variety and court coverage to draw a number of backhand errors and push Williams into yet another first set tie-break. Both players served a respectable 60% of first serves apiece and consistently charged the net (with 18 approaches from Williams and 19 from Schiavone) although neither were nearly as effective as they had been in previous rounds, committing some untidy errors. Overall, the winner-to-error ratio overall was unfortunately skewed in favour of error, as the wind made precise placement and shot-making difficult. Nevertheless, this day match proved to be the better women's quarter-final match of the day.

(2) Kim Clijsters def. (5) Samantha Stosur: 6-4 7-5 6-3

The wind died down somewhat for the marquis night match which began promisingly enough as Stosur relied on her huge serve and inside-out forehand to hit winners and take a lead in the first set; Kim in turn, used her stellar court coverage and court sense to run her opponent and set up angled winners and overtake Stosur. After the first set however, the match rapidly disintegrated into a error-strewn, low quality, almost farcical affair. Clijsters succumbed to her tendency to lose concentration, allowing Stosur to re-establish a foothold in the match. From then on, both players demonstrated an inability to hold serve throughout most of the third set, and along with a barrage of truly groan-worthy errors made for distinctly painful viewing.

Despite leading in all three sets, Stosur still managed to lose the match, while Clijsters looked less than impressed with her performance even after closing out match point with a pin-point accurate ace.

(1) Caroline Wozniacki def. Dominika Cibulkova: 6-2 7-5

Caroline Wozniacki further emphasised her claim as top seed at the tournament by dismissing Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets. Both players struggled greatly to adjust to almost cyclonic conditions, but fortunately Cibulkova prevented a dull whitewash from occurring by raising her level in the second set and deciding to play the aggressive brand of tennis that ousted Svetlana Kuznetsova in the previous round. Wozniacki stuck to her usual game plan, resisted the lure of unnecessary risks and continued to play the percentages, while Cibulkova's bolder shot-making didn't reward her as well as it could, and perhaps should, have had the match taken place in more reasonable weather conditions. While the quality of this quarter-final encounter was not of the highest quality, the conditions provided some genuine extenuating circumstances for both players, and left viewers to wonder what might have been had the match been delayed or played under a protective roof.

(7) Vera Zvonareva def. (31) Kaia Kanepi: 6-3 7-5

In a scoreline that was almost an inverse mirror image of the previous quarter-final, Wimbledon 2010 runner-up Vera Zvonareva prevailed over the 31st seed from Estonia. Zvonareva played a patient, intelligent match while Kanepi hit herself completely out of the match and semi-final contention by committing a horrendous number of unforced errors (60 to be precise) compared to Zvonareva's 28. Zvonareva was similarly victorious against her more powerful opponent, Ana Ivanovic, at Indian Wells in 2009 despite playing blustery conditions and only hitting negligible number of winners. The same script repeated itself today which means that of the four semi-finalists, Zvonareva alone is a first time semi-finalist at the US Open.

US Open 2010 Fashion Report: K-Swiss

2010-09-09T06:09:00.019+03:00

K-Swiss may not be in the same echelon as giants Nike, Adidas or even Reebok but in tennis circles the brand is well known for its affordable, pleasantly attractive clothing. Let's check out what K-Swiss players are wearing at this year's Open:

For the women we have 4 looks from K-Swiss:

We'll start with the highest ranked and seeded woman for K-Swiss, Vera Zvonareva who wears a fairly straight forward white tank top with spaghetti straps and a diagonally striped skirt edged with black trim:

Front and Back: 7th seed Vera Zvonareva in K-Swiss.

It's the kind of look that would flatter a wide range of body types and that actually gives a respectful nod to fashion while remaining first and foremost, functional sportswear.

Olga Govortosova strikes!

Belarusian Olga Govortsova wears a pleasing contrast of rich maroon purple and white. It's a little on the dark side for daywear but it's raised by the white, and also makes a welcome change of colour to the various blues that are all over the US Open courts this year.

Ecstatic in victory and K-Swiss purple: Kateryna Bondarenko.

Not merely content with skirt sets, K-Swiss also shows off its range of dresses. Junior Bondarenko sister, Kateryna (above) wears a purple dress with a broad black trim. In the meantime Senior Bondarenko, Alona (below) rounds out K-Swiss' women's line up with a graceful black-and-white 'dress' variation on Zvonareva's skirt set:

Alona Bondareko forehand and fashion.

Once again, K-Swiss utilises the broad black side trim which contrasts with the fine, diagonal stripe of the main print. A touch of athletic elegance is added at the back as K-Swiss channels classic Reebok designs of yesteryear and opts for the halter-neck, single back strap:

Halter-back strap: Reebok and K-Swiss

For the men, K-Swiss also create 3 distinct looks:

Arguably one of the most photographed men at the US Open this year, flamboyant 17th seed Gael Monfils dons a super-casual pair of plaid longshorts for a youthful look that would probably be too busy for most body types but works extremely well on his long, slim frame:

Plaid long-shorts: Gael Monfils

Although abandoned by Rafa Nadal, Gael proudly continues to rock the sleeveless muscle-tees - in this instance a slim white tank with a touch of flair with black tiger 'stripes' around the neck and shoulders as seen below:

K-Swiss Men's tank top.

No wonder the cameras just can't leave him alone...

Americans Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish wear white and grey shorts respectively but are clad in identical baggy, striped K-Swiss tees that fashion-wise at least, put me in mind of the days of Becker and Edberg:

Eighties Reminiscing!

Sam Querrey (above) and Mardy Fish (right)

Speaking of twin acts, we conclude our K-Swiss report with the Bryan brothers also decked out in K-Swiss:

Bamboo Brothers.

The twins continue the green and white scheme of the previous look but with a much bolder print in terms of the bamboo leaves. And once again, the eighties are calling... at the top of its lungs. Let's venture to take a closer look, shall we?

Bob Bryan, solo act.

Overall: K-Swiss keeps it sensible yet manages to put together a cohesive range with some genuine variety. Alona Bondarenko dress wins for the women although Olga Govortsova gets an honourable mention for the colour alone. It's nice to see someone stray from a sea of blue and endeavour to do something different, and I appreciate the purples, whites and greens that K-Swiss bring to the court. Gael Monfils effortlessly runs circles around the competition, (and then some) looking completely at home and casually fabulous in his K-Swiss attire as he makes a strong bid for best-dressed male at the USO 2010.

Next: Lacoste, hopefully followed by Lotto! Stay tuned.

US Open 2010 Men's Results: 4th round summary

2010-09-09T04:50:00.011+03:00

(8) Fernando Verdasco thanks the crowd after his 4 hour, 23 minute victory over compatriot (10) David Ferrer.

(3) Novak Djokovic def. (19) Mardy Fish: 6-3 6-4 6-1

In a routine match with few surprises, the third seed romped into the quarter-finals as he overpowered and outpaced his American opponent. Fish's best effort came in the second set where he fought in front of his home crowd and attempted to make the match more competitive, but the result was never in doubt.

(2) Roger Federer def. (13) Jurgen Melzer: 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3

In a marginally more interesting contest, Jurgen Melzer constantly challenged at the net and served extremely well, but couldn't match the Swiss in terms of pure pace on serve. Federer cranked out 41 winners in an efficient straight sets victory, but not before the Austrian pushed back in the second set, forcing Federer into a tie-break.

(17) Gael Monfils def. Richard Gasquet: 6-4 7-5 7-5

Gael Monfils continued his good form by dismissing compatriot Richard Gasquet in three competitive sets. Although the trademark Gasquet backhand was on display, it was edged by the power and accuracy of Monfils forehand. Monfils relatively clean winner to error ratio - 40 winners to 28 unforced errors secured him the victory and a berth into the quarters.

(5) Robin Soderling def. (21) Albert Montanes: 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-3

21st seed Albert Montanes continued to justify the ubiquitous presence of Spanish men amongst the seeds by drawing first blood and seizing the first set 6-4. However, 5th Robin Soderling who has defeated the likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at Grand Slams en route to the final, has the experience and pedigree to raise his game when it matters. He did precisely that, warding off the Spaniard's challenge in straight-forward fashion, easily winning the next three sets.

(1) Rafael Nadal def. (23) Feliciano Lopez: 6-3 6-4 6-4

Top seed Rafael Nadal showed imperious form in his straight sets dismissal of fellow countryman and left-hander Feliciano Lopez. His clean stats sheet (9 aces, 1 DF, 30 winners, and 14 unforced errors) indicates significant improvement from his shaky start in the earlier rounds.

(25) Stanislsas Wawrinka def. (20) Sam Querrey: 7-6 (11-9) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 4-6 6-4

In the first of two five set marathons that occurred on Day 9 of the Open, Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland pulled the minor upset of the day by pushing past his higher-seeded American opponent, effectively ending American hopes in the men's draw. Wawrinka displayed greater touch and guile at the net and superior court coverage than the 6 ft. 6 Querrey, often out-volleying and passing him at the net. The first set which was contested down the the wire was a contrast to the fairly methodical 6-4 conclusion.

(8) Fernando Verdasco def. David Ferrer: 7-5 7-6 (10-8) 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-4)

In the all-Spanish thriller of the night, Fernando Verdasco was on the brink of defeat as compatriot David Ferrer put on a brilliant display of serving and ran Verdasco ragged in two fiercely fought sets. Verdasco, however, steadied his game, cleaned up his unforced error count and proceeded to dominate his swifter, but less powerful opponent with his percussive groundstrokes. The final set ended in a tense tie-break with extended rallies which Verdasco finally concluded with a brilliant round-the-post winner to force his into way in the quarter-finals.

(12) Mikhail Youznhy def. Tommy Robredo: 7-5 6-2 6-4 6-4

In the final match, Russian Mikhail Youzhny booked his spot in the quarter-finals by overcoming a spirited Tommy Robredo in four sets. Youzhny appeared to be heading for a straight sets victory when Robredo staged a brief come-back in the 3rd set. Youzhny recovered his focus and went on to close the match, 6-4.

US Open 2010 Women's Results: 4th round summary

2010-09-07T05:38:00.012+03:00

We're down to the business end of the USO as the Quarter-finals loom ahead...

Women's 4th round: The fourth round was highly anticipated as for the first time this year, most of the top-seeded women had actually advanced. Clijsters-Ivanovic received top-billing and a night slot, while the clash between top seeded Dane, Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova was regarded a potential show-stopper.

However, as is so often the case with women's tennis, fan expectations were defied...

As previously reported, Kim Clijsters easily overcame her young Serbian opponent in a listless encounter. Meanwhile Wozniacki out-thought, out-ran, out-served, and out-defended her taller, more powerful but error-prone opponent with the Siberian hitting 30 winners to 32 unforced errors. Sharapova's 9 double-faults - three of which were consecutive and occurred in the 2nd set to hand Wozniacki another break - didn't help her cause. She vacillated between power-play and sporadic approaches to the net but did not appear to have a cohesive, effective strategy to deal with Wozniacki's relentless retrieving.

Wozniacki deservedly won the match in a routine 6-4 6-3 and moves on to the quarter-finals where she will face the diminutive Dominika Cibulkova, who played at her aggressive best and conquered former USO champion Svetlana Kuzetsozva in two tough sets, 7-5 7-6 (7-4).

Venus Williams vs. Shahar Peer was tipped to be a foregone conclusion before the first ball had been struck, but the 16th-seeded Israeli served well, charged the net, struck hard, fought for every point and for the first time in her career took Williams to a first set tie-breaker, resulting in one of the more entertaining 4th round matches. Despite Williams' noticeably low serving stats (48 % of first serves) she emerged the victor in straights, 7-6 6-3 and will face fellow veteran, Francesca Schiavone.

Schiavone, who seems to recovering the form that won Roland Garros this year, rolled over Russian teen Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3 6-0. Pavlyuchenkova appeared to hampered by a forearm injury which required a medical time-out, and wasn't competitive in the second set. Schiavone continued with her impressive form and was far too fleet-footed and skillful for her Russian opponent.

Kaia Kanepi continued her march, as she overcame 15th seed Yanina Wickmayer in a strangely erratic match that involved several momentum shifts. Despite Wickmayer winning the first set 6-0 and breaking Kanepi in the 2nd, the Estonian continued to battle hard and forced a second set tie-break winning it 7-6 (7-2). From there the momentum went all the way of the 31st seed, who summarily dismissed the fatigued Belgian in the third, 6-1.

7th seed Vera Zvonareva put an end to Andrea Petkovic's quirky (or, depending on your viewpoint, obnoxious) post-match celebrations, the temperamental Russian coolly brushing aside the German with ease, 6-1 6-2.

And as expected, 12th seed Elena Dementieva played yet another heart-breaker of a match and continued to torment her fans by losing 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-2) to 5th seed Samantha Stosur in an agonising 3rd set; the Russian failed to convert a crucial match point then went on to lose the tie-break.

Feeling the Sting: (12) Elena Dementieva questions why...

A tale of two cities

2010-09-06T22:55:00.001+03:00

Kim Clijsters defeats Ana Ivanovic 6-2 6-1

The four US Open women's fourth rounds played yesterday could not have been more different in the performances of the players that were not expected to win. Believe it or not, I picked Ana Ivanovic to defeat Kim Clijsters in their match. I thought that with the lack of any expectation whatsoever, Ivanovic would come into the match swinging freely without any pressure on her shoulders. How wrong I was. Instead, she looked uninspired and mediocre, piling up 28 unforced errors to Clijsters 16 and only managed to hold serve once in the entire match. Despite breaking serve twice (early in the first set and at 4-0 in the second) Ana failed to capitalise on momentum gained or the fact that her opponent wasn't having to do anything special to beat her. Basically, she just rolled over and died. It's starting to seem like the heights of Ivanovic struck in 2008 will be balanced by the lows of 2009 with 4th, 3rd round Grand Slam results. Of course, I could be wrong - I'm terrible at making predictions.

US Open 2010 Fashion Report: Erke and Fila

2010-09-04T18:48:00.021+03:00

The on-court style of Fila comes under the spotlight but not before scrutinising Erke's attire.

ERKE:

Erke: Yanina Wickmayer and Tommy Robredo.

HongXing owned label 'Erke' has bought fresh simplicity to the US Open. Young Belgian star, Yanina Wickmayer's dusky pink and cool white attire is perfect for daytime. The double layer skirt is sporty, summery and feminine without going to the elaborate, frilled excesses of Stella McCartney's older designs or some of Nike's current skirt sets. The tank singlet also remains neat and relatively fitted without being too tight. A white visor and simple accessories complete the outfit, and not even the bright blue watch can detract from the fact that Wickmayer accessories work and that she wears it well.

Tommy Robredo wears a loose blue tee with an old-fashioned polo-neck collar and simple polka dot graphics, coupled with black shorts. It doesn't make as much of an impression as Wickmayer's attire - although the yellow/orange wristbands add a welcome touch of colour - but again it is functional, neat and the blue works for day matches.

FILA:

Edina Gallovits and Kim Clijsters

Fila Day: These outfits are quintessentially ‘Fila’ in terms of the loose fit for the dresses as seen on Edina Gallovits (right), and the athletic top and skirt set on Kim Clijsters (left). They reinforce the traditional colours of Fila use – namely blue, blue and still more blue…with white while choosing to forgo the of red.

Fila Night: Fila momentarily sets aside summer shades and shifts to a more vibrant set of hues for the night time lights:

Kim Clijsters and Karolina Sprem in Fila.

This is simply Fila doing what it does best – straightforward sportswear for unabashedly athletic yet attainable-looking bodies as demonstrated above by Kim Clijsters (left) and Karolina Sprem (right). Even though it’s a night dress, glamour and spectacle aren't part of the equation – which is why this successfully doubles as a day dress for Sprem. Fila won’t rock, shock, or offend but it's extremely functional, easy on the eye and what you see is what you get.

Additional - Fila Men:

Janko Tipsarevic: Day and Night

Same player and brand - but two decidedly different looks. I'll let the readers be the judge of which look they prefer between the casual grey and whites for daytime or russet with black stripes for night.

Overall: For the women, Erke wins this round because they combine style with function and strike the right balance, whereas the Fila dresses aren't as shapely as they could be. But Fila is the clear winner for the men with their detailed fabrics, modern lines and richer colours.

Next: K-Swiss.

Special Edition: Eleven and Counting - Fireworks in New York

2010-09-04T18:00:00.008+03:00

Not content to merely limit herself to alternate day and night wear, Williams whipped out yet another Eleven design and put on quite a dazzling display under the night lights that evoked comic book heroes and glittering evening wear:

Ebone Starr: Spider Sense

This is another coup for Venus on the level of a design concept; not so much for the night-sky motif as a commentary on New York - an idea that runs the risk of being every bit as literal as Maria Sharapova’s ‘New York’ skyline with Nike – but for the relentless way in which she takes risks. Despite wagging tongues and controversy she continues to go her own way and build on previous her previous designs, expanding on notions of sheerness, undergarments and exposure.

Love: The relative simplicity of the front of the dress offset by the sexy complexity of the back which isn’t afraid to dip it low:

Bringing Sexy back...

And the silver jewellery is understated and just right.

Like: The use of sheer materials and the clever way in which even her undergarments appear to be an extension of the sparkling motif emblazoned on the overlay. And while I’m generally not a big fan of glitter (sorry JJ!), it's all about effect. The sequins work incredibly well under lights and were clearly made for the night session. I also like that despite the allusion to 'evening wear' she remains evocative rather than literal; the silhouette of the dress remains svelte and simple enough toretain an athletic edge. Once again, the cut also showcases Williams figure to perfection:

Sheer Fireworks

Dislike: That we have yet another 'high-riding' skirt that refuses to stay put so that Venus is constantly tugging it down; it even seems to inhibit her movement at times, which is downright impractical for an athlete:

Down, damn hem!

Thing is, she very much strikes me as a relatively new designer on a creative journey, and with risks come missteps…. If, however, she continues to persevere and actually follows through on her original ideas and revisits them – which seems to be her approach as a designer– then eventually she will start to perfect some of these outfits, and hopefully strike a balance between function and form. And as a viewer I, for one, cannot wait to see what she’ll do next....

But for now we leave the stars and come back down to earth with an upcoming report on Fila and K-Swiss.

Eleven and Counting: Daylight

2010-09-04T17:06:00.012+03:00

Day: In early February 2010, Venus Williams partnered up with Tide Febreeze creating a unique 10 week competition which offered participants the opportunity to design a digital dress for Venus. Not only would the winner gain a $5,000 dollar prize and the winning entry would be debuted by Venus at the US Open. Inevitably the contest drew to a close as a winner was announced. There was a great deal of speculation on sites like Tennis Forum.com that this was the winning entry:

Pretty in Green: The Rumoured Winning Entry

As a result, I'm sure number of people were taken aback when this strolled out onto Arthur Ashe Stadium instead:

The Winning Entry...

Instead of cool pastel mint and white stripes, Venus donned a black-and-white tie-dye print, halter neck tie and and black mini-skirt with a side split. Even though this wasn’t actually designed by Williams it nevertheless sports the Eleven logo in red. At first glance the body hugging attire fits Venus like a second skin as the overall design errs on the side of cute rather than classic - especially with the bra straps that initially seem as if they are part of the outfit:

From the Back

But as you watch her play in the outfit you can't help but notice Venus tugging at the top - as is customary for her. But the excess fidgeting causes me to question the practicality of tie around the neck:

Tie-dye, halter neck top.

Worse however, is the fact that eshe's ALSO tugging down her skirt which is frankly too short for the leggy amazon and keeps riding up. As is sometimes the case with Venus’ Eleven apparel I really like the design concept but wish that that the execution was a little more polished. Had that been the case then the waistband would sit neatly on her waist instead of creasing; the sexy split skirt would fit comfortably; the halter tie would be more secure and even the tie-dye print could have seemed richer in a better fabric. With a little more care, this could and indeed should have been one of the best day outfits of the USO. As it stands, it's not bad - but it could have been better.

Moving on....

Next: Special Edition: Eleven Night Wear, Part II!

Eleven and Counting: The Night Collection

2010-09-04T14:35:00.008+03:00

If there is one brand at the US Open that flirts with yet fully embraces the theme of "Night and Day", it's none other than Eleven. So let's begin with a night time foray, shall we?

"Liquid Leather"

Venus Williams picks up where she left off with Eleven, continuing her risqué ‘lingerie’ theme for 2010. The bra straps in place of standard spaghetti straps, her choice of materials – spandex spliced with ‘leather’ - and the visible silver zipper detailing at the back - keep the bedroom connotations well and truly alive. The playful fringe at the hem is also a subtle revisioning of and nice nod to her sassy Tina Turner tribute earlier at Wimbledon this year:

Proud Venus

While this innovative night dress photographs quite nicely indeed (as demonstrated in the first photo) the black-on-black textile results in some of the details being lost in translation on a TV screen.

Really Like: The length, the way the fabric moulds to the shape of her body and flatters her physique. The dress is youthful with an edge of sleek sophistication. It's daring and glamourous without being overtly controversial as Venus continues to play with textiles and imagery, while challenging the boundaries of what we conventionally perceive to be 'sportswear'

Uncertain About: I’ve already expressed doubt about how it looks when televised. Let’s talk about the dress in motion. Most of the Eleven outfits this year have been specifically designed with movement in mind as exemplified by this Miami number earlier in the year:

Frills and Flow

...it seems to me that the one flaw with this latest design is that despite its super-sleek silhouette it tends to bunch and crumple at the sides in a rally…

Hit or Miss?

…which detracts from should be a smooth effect. (Once again, there are times when I wish that some of the Eleven outfits were constructed with higher quality material.)

Additional: I could take or leave the gold earrings (see left) - but the silverware (necklace and bracelet to the right) can definitely stay.

Serving and Accessorising.

Overall: A bold, sophisticated idea that falls a little short in the polish of its overall execution but displays a willingness to be unique and take risks.

Next: Daytime Eleven!

Oh Ellesse!

2010-09-04T13:45:00.009+03:00

The name 'Ellesse' *probably* doesn’t conjure up quite the same degree of brand-name recognition as say, Adidas or Nike. Nevertheless, the Perugia based sportswear company has a long-standing history of design for men, women and children dating as far back as 1959.

Here are a few examples of what Ellesse is capable of with with a mix of modern and conservative styling in their tennis apparel:

Not too bad, huh? So let’s see what they came up with for highly-ranked Russian, Nadia Petrova:

..........................Um.........................

Well... for once, I’m almost speechless – not that it matters since this dress is loud enough to speak for itself... But since a picture speaks a thousand words:

Additional:

Although Nadia and Ellesse were promptly ejected from the singles in the first round, perhaps she can redeem herself in the doubles?

Well...while I'm not sure about this coral pink she's wearing but at least she’s finally picked a colour (or two).

Next: Eleven!

Anta and Ansic

2010-09-04T13:24:00.010+03:00

As promised, we play catch-up and continue to assess on-court style at the US Open - this time from Anta and Asic!

Anta:

Sapphire and Rubies: This a typical effort from Anta: the v-neck, slim straps, symmetrical side-ruching, v-shaped bodice and flowing skirt don't deviate from or innovate on the feminine yet practical clothing style that they specifically design for JJ. The combination of blue or purple – depending on the light– and bright red will ensure that whether day or night, Jelena can’t be missed and it's a nice contrast.

As is so often the case though, I find myself wishing that Anta would use better quality material, but this is probably the best dress that Jelena has worn all year and certainly the best she's looked at a slam in 2010. The colours trump the canary yellow or kermit green she donned earlier in the year and they've avoided frills, ruffles, or unnecessary overlays. All in all JJ keeps it simple and looks good, but it's certainly nothing that we haven’t already seen from her. Speaking of (yawn) standard fare:

...this is a fairly run-of-the mill skirt set for Zheng Jie, as she wears cool white along with various shades of light blue - shades that are currently dominating women's day wear at the USO. Unfortunately, it's nothing that would make her stand out on court or give the viewer reason to pause. It’s serviceable but generic and far from Anta's best for Zheng. Moving on...

Asic:

Virginie Razzano in Asic: A straightforward, solid black sports dress with a lively orange trim and asymmetrical neckline is what Asic brings to the Open. It looks alright on Virginie but the colour, combined with the weight of the material, means that this dress doesn't strike me as if would be particularly fun to wear as a day dress in NY's soaring temperatures...

Overall: Thanks to Anta's efforts on JJ's behalf, she easily trumps the rest of the competition here.

Next: We look at some Italian style and verve from Ellesse.

Additional Report: Stella McCartney for Adidas

2010-09-04T13:06:00.017+03:00

We've seen plenty of day wear from Adidas - so how about some night time glamour?

Mesh Neckline

Caroline Wozniacki continues her reign not only as the women's top seed at the Open but also as the poster girl for Stella McCartney’s Adidas line. Fortunately for Wozniacki, *she missed out on the insane frills, furbelow and bloomers of Stella’s previous efforts, so let’s see what she has been subjected to instead!

Bright Yet Tight: One Size Too Small?

Hmmm...
There's an awful lot going on with this night dress. The yellow underlay, mesh neckline, decidedly short hemline and pleated - almost corseted - overlay put me in mind of any number of Serena Williams' outfits of yesteryear, insofar as this design is clearly meant to flatter a more compact, curvier body type:

Stella Design

Like: The pleated panelling on the bodice and the back and front - even if the effect is a little 'armoured'. Still, this outfit has the potential to look very good.

Dislike: The colour scheme. I think the charcoal (which looks vaguely greenish and at other times bluish) is a little too dark and the yellow too bright to really complement one another, but it is an eye-catching combo nevertheless.

Really dislike: The fact that it seems as if they’ve deliberately handed her a dress size too small - just to 'see' what would happen…And it makes me wonder what the dress would look like if it actually fit her comfortably and had the more streamlined effect (I suspect) its supposed to have…

Additional:
Caroline is also playing doubles (see below):

Wozniacki Doubles

Okay... I retract my earlier statement. * This outfit seems like a throwback to the type of ‘fashion’ that Stella McCartney used to routinely inflict on the hapless Maria Kirilenko. Despite its tendency to balloon outward, it’s not too bad, while the skirt is cute and age appropriate. It looks like it should be comfortable (even though she is tugging on the straps.)

It’s not generic and it’s a youthful, deceptively ‘casual’ look that hints of summertime and Aussie beachwear… (Don't ask!) She isn’t drowned out by the rather bright yellow as I suspect many players would be. And at least no-one could accuse this outfit of being too 'tight'. While the outfit doesn't aim to flatter her body type, nor does it work directly against it either. In the meantime, whether day or night, Wozniacki keeps it simple with the purple pedicure and light accessories.

Overall: A mixed bag for Adidas as they play it safe and keep it very conservative for the most part, save for Wozniacki’s and Ivanovic’s wardrobes who they reserve some actual creativity for.

The Adidas Report

2010-09-04T12:37:00.009+03:00

Sportswear heavyweight Adidas did the rounds, and put out a bevy of styles for the USO - enough so that they require an extensive report of their own:

Adidas, Round I:

Sportif: Adidas is taking a ‘strictly sportswear’ approach here with an emphasis on function over form. With the loose tee-shirt, fitted skirt and visor, this tomboyish attire is something that I’d expect the likes of Justine Henin to feel right at home in.

Adidas, Round II:

Sorority of Sweat: Let's start with the cut – or lack thereof - that somehow manages to make all the women who wear this outfit - from Dinara Safina (above) to Maria Kirilenko - look uniformly square and boxy. And, frankly, it's hard to fathom what Nike were thinking when they chose such a dark shade of blue – or as some would argue ‘purple’ - for a day dress in the New York heat. I’m not sure what fabric they’re using but it *looks* heavy and unfortunately the word ‘absorbent’ doesn’t exactly spring to mind…

Adidas, Round III:

Simple: This fitted skirt and v-neck tank top results in relaxed, athletic lines for a comfortable, casual daytime look, but with a more feminine touch than the previous top-and-skirt set. Flavia Penetta (above) pink and plum combination, this season's main colours for Adidas.

Adidas, Round IV:

Ubiquitous Butterfly: There’s the same fitted sports skirt once again, but paired this time a tank top that hints of the butterfly sleeves that have been appearing all over the NY courts (think: Nike) so get used to them! It’s hardly exhilarating but it if the intent of the design was to look like sportswear with a little feminine detailing on the top, then it succeeds.

Adidas, Round V:

Ana or Dani? Same dress, two very different players. Nine times out of ten I would normally expect the waifish Daniela Hantuchova (above) to triumph in a fashion comparison to Ana Ivanovic, whether on or off the court. In this instance, however, Ana Ivanovic wins:

The broad straps, square neckline, empire waistline and pink and plum combination were clearly designed with Ivanovic’s statuesque frame and warmer complexion in mind. Even the thick, satiny vertical stripes that complement Ana by adding some curves to her torso only work to further elongate the already slender Hantuchova. That said it’s nice to see Adidas dispense with their usual shapeless sacks for Ana and go for actual form.

USO 2010 Fashion Report: Night and Day!

2010-09-04T12:14:00.007+03:00

We're down to the last slam of the year in NYC, one of the fashion capitals of the world! Like a classic Cole Porter number, the US Open distinguishes itself amongst the slams with its star-studded opening ceremonies, bright light and atmospheric night matches, all of which means twice the glamour - or double the fashion faux-pas...

Over the next week, we'll be making up for lost time so stay tuned for regular installments where we'll check out on-court style from 'A' to 'Z'!

US Open 2010 Women's Results: 3rd round impresions

2010-09-04T11:59:00.000+03:00

(20) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova dismisses opponent Gisela Dulko and moves into the 4th round.

Women 3rd round: On the women's side, a number of 3rd round matches were played in gale force conditions compromising their quality. This was particularly evident in the lop-sided score - 6-0 6-0 - that resulted from the 3rd round clash between 14th seed, former number 1, and former US Open champion Maria Sharapova and unheralded American Beatrice Capra. While Sharapova was not at her best, the pace and weight of her shots, along with her experience favoured her in the blustery conditions while Capra made a rash of unforced errors and was able to match Sharapova's power.

By contrast the 3rd-round encounter between 11th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and 23rd seed Maria Kirilenko provided a far more absorbing contest despite the conditions which inevitably drew 30 UFEs and winners apiece for the former US Open champion, and 16 UFEs to 12 winners from Kirilenko. Neverthless, the first set in particular treated viewers to a display of angled volleys, clean serving, bold shot-making, down-the-line winners, and intelligent use of slice from both players. Kuznetova's early break of serve in the first game proved critical however, as Kirilenko was left playing a game of catch-up against her more powerful opponent and her fortunes faded in the second set.

15th seed, Yanina Wickmayer emerged as the victor in a marathon against veteran Patty Schnyder with the third set being decided 7-6 (6-8) in the Belgian's favour.

4th seed Jelena Jankovic was the highest seeded casualty thus far, falling to always dangerous 31st seed, Kaia Kanepi. Jankovic could only watch in indignation as the capricious wind played havoc with her comparatively light ground strokes while simply Kaia powered her off the court.

2nd seed Kim Clijsters trounced an error-prone Petra Kvitova who put up little resistance and fell 6-3 6-0 to Clijsters. Ana Ivanovic overcame a spirited challenge from France's Virginie Razzano, who pushed Ivanovic in the first set 7-5, but completely faded in the 2nd, 6-0.

In a battle of the retrievers, Francesca Schiavone crushed Alona Bondarenko 6-1 in the first set. Bondarenko battled her way back into the second but it was too little, too late. The Italian wrapped up the second set and the match, 7-5 in little over an hour. Russian teen and 2oth seed, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat notorious 'seed-slayer' Gisela Dulko with ease 6-1 6-2 and progressed into the 4th round. The 16th and 19th seeds, Shahar Peer and Flavia Penetta also squared off with the higher seeded Peer emerging triumphant in a surprisingly routine 6-4 6-4 win.

In the meantime, dancing German, Andrea Petkovic continued her run with a walkover as Shuai Peng, who had defeated Agneiska Radwanska in the previous round, retired with a wrist injury. In happier news, top seeds Venus Williams, Sam Stosur, and Elena Dementieva moved on to the 4th round with relatively little trouble.

The next best thing...

2010-09-03T23:59:00.063+03:00

Sergiy Stakhovsky defeats Ryan Harrison 6-3 5-7 3-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6)

I have to give Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky a lot of credit for weathering the New-Great-Hope mania that every Grand Slam brings to the latest young local hype. Last year Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova (oh, especially, Nadia Petrova) squandered leads and played atrociously to fall victim to a US Open crowd screaming at their every basic error and double-fault as Melanie Oudin made her way to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. This year, it looked like another All-American blue-eyed blonde in 18 year old Harrison would rattle his higher ranked opponent, serving and volleying his way back from 3-1 down in the fifth set to set up 3 match points in the tie-break for himself. Stakhovsky made bizarre errors, hitting simple volleys wide and long and failed to win any of 7 break points in that final set, which I think had more to do with the the voracious crowd support than anything else. Fortunately for Stakhovsky, Harrison lacked the experience and the poise to capitalise on any of his match points during the tie-break which included double-faulting on the final one.


Ryan Harrison (USA) prepares to serve. Photo by: Philip Hall/usopen.org

But I also have to give credit to Harrison for his interesting and relatively unique game. He's not a giant Croatian, so he does not have an extraordinarily big serve, but he entertained with his forays into the net - hitting several volley winners and showing off his athleticism through "Slam-Dunk" overheads off Stakhovsky's lobs. There's no denying that Ryan is an exciting player for US tennis: he's young, he appears to have some semblance of self-belief, and he's got game. But can he replicate such this form elsewhere? After all, it's no coincidence that his "breakthrough" has come at a tournament where an entire stadium is cheering for his opponents head!

Serve's up!

2010-09-02T11:34:00.003+03:00

Venus Williams defeats Rebecca Marino 7-6 (7-3) 6-3

18 year old Rebecca Marino of Canada impressed playing her first grand slam. (Photo: Reuters)

There's something amusing about players with huge serves playing one another. There's a look of frustration and annoyance each time a serve whizzes past them or forces them into error that makes you think, "that's how it feels, huh?". I was really impressed by Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino's performance against Venus Williams in the second round of the US Open yesterday. She has an easy, fluid service motion that served up 10 aces, including one that flew past Venus' head, complemented by aggressive ground strokes that hit clean winners or force errors. After the match Venus said on court to Pam Shriver "I guess I know what it’s like now playing myself." Unfortunately for Rebecca, though, Venus indeed knows how to play herself and raised her game during the first set tie break and early in the second set in a match that featured only one break of serve. But if Marino can maintain the level she showed in this match her future looks bright.

September Cover

2010-09-01T00:00:00.002+03:00

All smiles: Venus Williams is our September cover girl.

Guess I’ll die another day …

2010-08-30T23:02:00.004+03:00

Kim Clijsters defeats Greta Arn 6-0 7-5

I won't lie, I'm a sucker for an upset. So when I saw the number two seed down 4-0 in the second set against the world number 104 after winning the first 6-0, my tongue got wagging about the prospects of a third set, thinking about how the ESPN commentators would react to a loss by their golden-girl… but it was not meant to be. Kim started playing just a little bit better and it became clear that Arn did not have what it takes to take this match. But this match did set alarm bells about Clijsters form and her tendencies to disappear for significant periods in her matches. If she hopes to win again this year, she'll have to avoid such dips in form or hope that none of her opponents know how to take advantage.

Coming to win?

2010-08-28T19:55:00.007+03:00

by Orysbestos

For some reason, a Marat Safin quote on the difference between older tennis players and younger players stuck with me for a really long time. He said something to the effect that younger guys play more freely, without fear of consequence, being able to go for their shots. I remember thinking that it was paradoxical. The idea that a legend of the game with years of experience, obviously extremely talented, should be in a disadvantageous position to some kid was perplexing to me. Surely it is the veteran that should feel the least pressure? Surely nerves should be the domain of the young? Besides, what does a multiple grand slam champion have to lose anyways? He’s won everything. The kid hasn’t.

The context of the Safin’s quote was the final moments of his career. He had announced that he intended to retire at the end of 2009 and at the time I couldn’t understand. He had recently reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon (2008), a run which I had followed with great excitement, despite never having been much of a fan of his testy personality. His ranking was finally showing improvement (he was a top 20 player in mid 2009). But he suffered some heartbreaking losses to Monfils in Miami, Lapentti in Monte Carlo, Robredo in Rome, Ouanna in Paris. Commentators would imply, or outrightly state, that it was because he’s old, he’s about to retire, he’s past it. Still, I didn’t understand. I figured, he can still play tennis, he can win points and games and so on, he’s able compete with young, athletic men who admired him when he was at the top, why then should he be considered “past it”? If he was able to get into a winning position, and in theory win matches, certainly it is not the right time to go? I’ve since theorised that for some it’s not the body that defines their passion, it’s their spirit, their mind and their soul. Marat never recovered his passion, he played his last professional match in November of 2009 at Shanghai.

This brings me to the main subject of this article and the central theme of this issue of One Game to Love. Venus Williams has not won one grand slam in the past two years. She’s 30 years old and at an age long past what is generally considered to be the age for contenders for major titles in tennis. People have written her off, they’ve said she’ll never win a slam again. But yet here she is, entering the US Open this week as the number three seed. She’s old, she is injury prone and her physical abilities are deteriorating – not to mention her tennis skills. So why is she in the draw? Why bother when you are so far out of contention, when no-one believes you can hoist the trophy at the end of the two weeks? Well, Venus, like Safin, has suffered shocking losses in the past 12 months to players like Kim Clijsters (6-1 6-2 in the Miami final), Jelena Jankovic (6-0 6-1 in the quarterfinals Rome), Aravane Rezai (6-2 7-5 in the Madrid final) and most recently to Anastasia Pironkova (then ranked 82 and in her first quarterfinal at Wimbledon) winning only 5 games. In these matches, her game has looked ragged and confused. Lack of confidence and poise has seeped through resulting in her piling up ugly unforced errors and double-faults. But she has also scored nice wins, including a 14 win streak from Dubai to Miami, has won 85% of her matches (second on tour) and has reached four finals (winning two). But still, she’s old.

I understand where people are coming from when they say Venus is not the favourite to win every slam she enters. She loses far too many crucial matches for some to have any real confidence in her. She also fails to bring her “A-game” when it really counts (see her loss against Li Na at the Australian Open this year). It’s hard to back a horse when it loses too much.

However, when her age is used as the main factor in why she cannot possibly challenge for titles I take issue. This is a women’s tour where the number one player is just slightly over a year younger than Venus (one year and three months to be exact), where the majority of the top 10 are over 25 years old and where a 29 year old can win the French Open (Francesca Schiavone, who is days apart from Venus in age). Add that to the fact that Williams has never been known for a predictable approach to the game, let alone predictable results, leads me to believe that she is less likely to follow the path of previous champions whose best game left them by the age of 27. But the most important factor for me has to be her passion. Venus says that she will retire when she feels “she can no longer play good tennis”. She still sets goals (she says she wants to play the 2012 Olympics and has even suggested she may play in 2016) and she never concedes that her age contributes a negative factor to her game.

Q. When you have a match like today, to what degree does it make you think about the possibility of having a limited time left in your career; that maybe this isn't what you want to pursue all the time?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, why wouldn't I want to pursue this? I'm pretty good at it most days. Today I didn't seem to be the best tennis player, but for the most part, I rock and roll this game.I'll give it up when I'm just terrible. It would take more than just a few bad days in a year to make me quit tennis. So that's not even in the equation.
(Williams after her loss to Pironkova in July. Courtesy of ASAP Sports.)

Some may view this as mere lip service or even denial or lack of self-awareness. But to me, it is the mind that plays the biggest part in a champion’s pedigree. If you are in it to win it, you certainly stand more of a chance than someone that is playing with the retirement finish line in sight. Perhaps Venus will not win the US Open title of 2010, maybe she will never win another grand slam, but I doubt that when she signed up for this tournament that she did not come to win.

(Pictures: Getty Images)

Doni1212's First Round Match-Ups to Watch:

2010-08-28T06:14:00.006+03:00

Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Jarmila Groth (AUS): Sharapova is the overwhelming favorite in this match but if she happens to be a little off her game, Groth can do a lot to trouble her. She is a hard hitter, serves very well and although their last match doesn’t officially count, Groth did just beat Sharapova 5-0 in WTT. That victory can do a lot for an underdog’s confidence. Still, I predict Sharapova in 3.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) vs. Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN): Krumm is a true veteran on the tour and this year has proven to still be a threat with wins over Dinara Safina, Nadia Petrova, and close matches with Elena Dementieva and Victoria Azarenka. It will be critical for Kuznetsova to bring her A game to advance to the second round. Prediction: Kuznetsova in 2.

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Simona Halep (ROU): Jankovic has not had the best preparation for the Open. After injuring her ankle in Portoroz, she declared herself healthy and fit but went on to lose early in San Diego, Cincinnati, and Montreal; thus claiming only one victory in the U.S. Open Series. If any top seed is ripe for an early loss, it’s Jankovic. Prediction: Halep in 3.

Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) vs. Dinara Safina (RUS): Safina slowly seems to be regaining her form. In fact, she beat Hantuchova in 2 close sets this week in New Haven. This is going to be another tough match between two tough players. Prediction: Safina in 3.

Ana Ivanovic (SRB) vs. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS): Ivanovic had one of her most successful weeks on the tour since Rome when she advanced to the semifinals of Cincinnati before she injured her foot. This match should help Ivanovic regain some of her confidence and form of two weeks ago. Prediction: Ivanovic in 2.

2010 U.S. Open Draw Analysis

2010-08-28T06:10:00.003+03:00

Well, it's that time of year again! The final grandslam of the tennis season has arrived and all eyes were on New York Thursday afternoon as the draw was announced. At first glance, it was pretty obvious that the bottom half of the draw was the tougher half. Both Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka were winners in the U.S. Open Series this year with Clijsters taking the title in Cincinnati while Azarenka won in Stanford. Former grandslam champions Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic and Francesca Schiavone and previous grandslam finalists Dinara Safina, Samantha Stosur and Elena Dementieva also make up the bottom half. Venus Williams, a two-time U.S. Open Champion, could potentially face Azarenka in the quarterfinals and Clijsters in the semifinals while Ana Ivanovic could meet Kim Clijsters in the Round of 16. It's hard to believe that only one of these ladies can make the final! Finally, Flavia Pennetta (if healthy) and Marion Bartoli could give top seeds such as Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters tough matches down the line.

In the top half of the draw, after making two finals during the U.S. Open Series, Maria Sharapova looks to be a real contender for this last Grandslam of the year. In her road to the final stand such possible competitors as Aravane Rezai in the third round and this year's U.S. Open Series winner and number one seed Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round. Svetlana Kuznetsova, no stranger to the thrills of the U.S. Open having won this event back in 2004, is her potential opponent in the quarterfinals and Jelena Jankovic, a finalist of this event two years ago, could await her in the semifinals. Maria Kirilenko, Agnieszka Radwanska, Yanina Wickmayer and Na Li could challenge the top players in this half of the draw while Nadia Petrova and Vera Zvonareva are a couple players to watch.