Wk.10/11 - A Waffle, with Bagels on the Side

Tennisrulz.com WTA BACKSPIN March 21, 2005 A WAFFLE, WITH TWO BAGELS ON THE SIDE...and other random spins on Indian Wells by Todd Spiker This week's random spins revolve around... THE TALE OF FilaKim CLIJSTERS AND HER MIGHTY BAND OF SUPPORTERS: The list of those who've sung a love song to Kim Clijsters has been pretty long over the last few years, even as she's often failed to show the mental makeup to close out a grand slam in a manner befitting a one-time #1 player in the world. At times, those spewing out such admiring words conveniently ignored Clijsters' shortcomings in favor of showering praise on her friendliness and willingness to please. Backspin's never seen fit to join that flock (squeegeeing a court just doesn't impress me, I guess), choosing instead to act as a pseudo-Greek chorus if only to serve as a guard at the Temple of the Obvious... never forgetting the one thing that a professional tennis player of Clijsters' ability is SUPPOSED to do -- win major titles, specifically grand slams. Around these parts, at least, Clijsters upped her likeability quotient when she finally ended her relationship with ATP jerk Lleyton Hewitt, a perplexing union that was monumentally at odds with her diametrically opposed reputation. That development, and the tour absence that has at least made the heart grow a tad fonder, means Clijsters gets the appropriate kudos this week after winning her first title (22nd overall) in thirteen months in Indian Wells. So, since I'm currently on good terms with the idea of liking FilaKim, I won't even mention how Lindsay Davenport (again) fell apart in a final as soon as she faced a little adversity, or that KC faced an injured Elena Dementieva in the SF. I mean, what fun would that be? This is supposed to be a celebration, right? It's quite an accomplishment to become only the second unseeded woman to ever win the Tier I Indian Wells title (S.Williams '99), and the first since the event sported 32 seeds. Thus, instead of wondering whether this "new" Clijsters will be just like the "old" one come grand slam time (if her wrist holds out, that is), I'll harp on that pessimistic Belgian doctor (Bruno Willems, remember?) who all but effectively declared Clijsters' career over last September (nice work, Doc), and the fact that Clijsters somehow doesn't qualify for special injury seedings at events such as this after the likes of Davenport and the Williams sisters have seemed to feast on them the last few seasons. There, that's as nice as I can be to "Nice Kim." She'll have to win something bigger to get the full shower of praise around here. ====================================== THE SAGA OF THE ALMOST-30 (or OVER) GANG: Indian Wells allowed some of the tour's most veteran players to show that "age" is in the eye of the beholder. 28-year old Davenport wiped out Maria Sharapova (more on that later), won 24 straight games at one point and made her fourth final of '05. Of course, she wilted there for the third time this season...but strengthened her hold on the top ranking. Mary Pierce, 30, took out Nicole Vaidisova and Nadia Petrova. And 32-year old Conchita Martinez made the QF, beating youngster Maria Kirilenko and making one wonder if she'll continue this late-career rebound as the tour soon heads for the European clay courts. ====================================== GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! ...it wasn't just the veterans making waves in California. A bevy of teenagers made their presence felt, too. Supernovette Kirilenko upset Elena Bovina. Anna Chakvetadze knocked off Dubai RU Jelena Jankovic. Viktoriya Kutuzova beat two-time '05 titleist Flavia Pennetta. Jessica Kirkland made the 4th Round. And Evgenia Linetskaya whipped up on Amelie Mauresmo. All but Kutuzova (#249) left Indian Wells with new career-high rankings: #37 Evgenia Linetskaya #48 Maria Kirilenko #65 Anna Chakvetadze #151 Jessica Kirkland ====================================== ...and, of course... THE UNMAKING OF A SUPERNOVA: ...who couldn't but be stunned by the 6-0/6-0 loss that Maria Sharapova suffered in the SF against Davenport? It almost feels like some bizarro alternate universe/reality result, doesn't it? Sure, it was a windy day and the twelve games lost were part of Davenport's dominating 24-game streak against Nathalie Dechy (8), Sharapova (12) and Clijsters (4) from the QF to Final late last week. But there's no question the 4 winner/25 unforced error loss was very un-Supernovian, especially coming off Sharapova's WTA season-best 12-match winning streak. Was it just an aberration, or a cause for concern? Coach Robert Lansdorp saw fit to comment about his worry that the 17-year old Russian is wearing herself out by playing and travelling too much and should skip Miami after this career-worst loss. He says he told the Sharapova camp (Yuri and, well, just Yuri, I guess) so, too. He might have a point, but Sharapova apparently has a month-long break coming up after Miami... and, let's be honest, Lansdorp, for all his expertise, loves being the center of attention. So, while his fears might be at least somewhat justified, one must pose the question, "Is there another reason why Lansdorp felt the need to go public with his recommendation?" Discuss. ====================================== And, finally... THE GANG'S (ALMOST) ALL HERE: ...Miami arrives, with Serena (three-time defending champ), Venus (excuses ready), and even Queen Justine (26-straight Tier I match wins, but out of action since September) waiting to hit the courts. Should be an interesting two weeks. ====================================== ==WEEK 10/11 CHAMPIONS== INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA USA (I-HO) S: Kim Clijsters d. Lindsay Davenport 6-4/4-6/6-2 D: Ruano-Pascual/Suarez d. Petrova/Shaughnessy **PLAYER AWARDS** PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kim Clijsters ...Backspin's Kim "lovefest" continues. A few facts: this was Clijsters third career Tier I crown. Wins over Top 5ers Elena Dementieva and Davenport made her sojourn outside the Top 100 a short one, as she jumped from #133 to #38 on Monday. ====================================== RISERS: Clijsters & Elena Dementieva ...Dementieva came back from a set down to win three-setters three times in a row (3r-Beltrame, 4r-Golovin, QF-Kuznetsova), but her injury ultimately rendered her SF run a little disappointing. ====================================== SURPRISES: Victoriya Kutuzova & Jessica Kirkland ...16-year old Ukrainian Kutuzova made Odessa proud, upsetting Pennetta and Amy Frazier on her way to the 4th Round. Kirkland, 17, further claimed the role of "most promising American" with a 4th Round run that included wins over Marion Bartoli and Jill Craybas. ====================================== VETERANS: Lindsay Davenport & Mary Pierce ...sure, Davenport's 1-3 in singles finals this season, but the double-bagel win over Sharapova was simply stunning. Pierce made the QF before being stopped by Sharapova, but earlier wins over Vaidisova and Petrova makes one wonder if she'll have a final slam run in her come Paris or NYC. ====================================== FRESH FACES: Evgenia Linetskaya & Marina Erakovic ...18-year old Russian Linetskaya claimed the big prize last week, Mauresmo's head on a 2nd Round platter. She's all the way up to #37 in the rankings. New Zealand's Erakovic, 17, spent the last few weeks making a name for herself in ITF events, winning her first in Warrnambool and reaching the final a week later in Benalla. She's #459 and climbing. ====================================== DOWN: Daniela Hantchova & Jelena Dokic ...after such a nice build up in the preceding weeks, Wonder Girl's 3rd Round exit at the hands of a hot Fabiola Zuluaga couldn't help but be a bit anticlimactic. And as for the Debutante, what can you say? After falling to #251, she chose to play qualifying for the first time since 1999. Needing only to win two matches to make the main draw, she only won one (and left Indian Wells with another love set on her ledger, this time delivered by Maria-Emilia Salerni). **LINK OF THE WEEK** ...speaking of Dokic, her choice to see how "the other half" lives didn't exactly turn out the way she'd hoped, but after winning her 1st Round qualifing match she did seem to have a more adult, realistic view on her current situation: http://tennisreporters.net/scoop_030705.html ====================================== BACKSPIN POP QUIZ #2 Justine Henin-Hardenne returns to action this week in Miami. She carries a 26-match Tier I winning streak into the event. Who was the last player to defeat her in a Tier I? a.Meghann Shaughnessy b.Chanda Rubin c.Nadia Petrova For that matter, who was the most recent victim in that 26-match string? a.Kim Clijsters b.Serena Williams c.Lindsay Davenport ====================================== **MATCHES** [Qualifying to 3rd Round] 1.3rd - Linetskaya d. Mauresmo ...2-6/6-2/7-5. Even when the Horde falters, the Hordettes take up some of the slack. -------------------------------------- 2.2nd - Chakvetadze d. Jankovic ...2-6/6-2/6-4. No, that wasn't Jelena DOKIC playing that match. If that'd been the case, this match probably wouldn't have gone three sets, silly. -------------------------------------- 3.3rd - Zuluaga d. Hantuchova ...6-3/6-2. So much for re-living the Indian Wells experience. -------------------------------------- 4.2nd - Kutuzova d. Pennetta ...7-6/4-6/6-3. No, she's not Russian. -------------------------------------- 5.Qual.2 - Salerni d. Dokic ...7-6/6-0. Dokic led 4-1 and was a point from 5-1 in the 1st set, fell behind 5-6, battled back to force a TB, lost it 7-2... then didn't win another game. It's gonna be a long road back, if she ever makes it back at all. -------------------------------------- HM-Doubles 1r - Gagliardi/Jankovic d. Kuznetsova/Navratilova ...6-2/6-2. Apparently, it's no longer 2003. [4th Round to Final] 1.SF - Davenport d. Sharapova ...6-0/6-0. In 49 minutes. It'll either be the most telling or most bizarro result of the year. Bet money on the latter, and the Supernova's ability to rebound. -------------------------------------- 2.Final - Clijsters d. Davenport ...6-4/4-6/6-2. Davenport led 4-0 in the first, with points for 5-0. -------------------------------------- 3.QF - Dementieva d. Kuznetsova ..3-6/6-3/7-5. The Contessova double-faulted on MP, giving Punch-Sober reason to finally want to talk to her after all that drug test testiness from January. -------------------------------------- HM-QF - Clijsters d. Martinez ...6-1/3-6/6-2. Martinez, 32, was nearly the combined age of Clijsters' two previous opponents (18-year olds Linetskaya and Chakvetadze). ====================================== ==LISTS== *TIER I TITLES - ACTIVE** 10...Davenport 9....Martinez 7....S.Williams 6....Henin-Hardenne 6....V.Williams 5....Mauresmo 3....Clijsters 3....Pierce *LOW-RANKED TIER I WINNER* #133...Kim Clijsters ('05 Indian Wells) #58....Iva Majoli ('02 Charleston) #54....Lisa Bonder ('83 Tokyo) *2005 WINS OVER #1 PLAYER* January #7 S.Williams d. #1 Davenport (Aust.F) February #4 Sharapova d. #1 Davenport (Tokyo F) March #133 Clijsters d. #1 Davenport (IW F) *LOW-RANKED 2005 CHAMPIONS* #134 Sania Mirza (Hyderabad) #133 Kim Clijsters (Indian Wells) #100 Ana Ivanovic (Canberra) *LONG 2005 WTA MATCH WIN STREAKS* 12...Sharapova (Feb-Mar) 10...Pennetta (Feb) 10...Ivanovic (Jan) *CONSECUTIVE YEARS WITH WTA TITLE* 7...Serena Williams (1999-05) 7...Amelie Mauresmo (1999-05) 7...Kim Clijsters (1999-05) (Venus Williams, 7 years, 1998-04) (Next Longest: JHH, 4 years, 2001-04) ====================================== BACKSPIN POP QUIZ #2 ANSWERS b....Rubin, in the QF of Miami in '03. c....Davenport in the Indian Wells '04 Final. ====================================== WEEK 12/13 "WISH LISTS" ...for the record, in the "Indian Wells Duel" I got five quarterfinalists right, while Pierre had four. In the SF, PC had three while I had two. Sharapova's double-bagel left us both gasping for breath with zero finalists. Effectively, a dead heat. But in the torture trial that has been my prediction section in '05, I'll deem my mission "accomplished." I finally brought Cantin down to my level. Sure, he's 3-for-4, while I'm 3-for-(edited to protect the children)... but at least he's no longer "perfect." Victory! Let's try this again: MIAMI, FLORIDA USA (I-HO) 2004 F: S.Williams d. Dementieva 2005 TOP: Mauresmo/Sharapova /Sharapova
=============================

==4th Round==
-TS-
#1 Mauresmo d. #20 Hantuchova
#6 Kuznetsova d. #18 Jankovic
Linetskaya d. #22 Golovin
Clijsters d. Mirza
#11 Schnyder d. #7 V.Williams
#3 S.Williams d. #15 Likhovtseva
#7 Molik d. #19 Henin-Hardenne
#2 Sharapova d. #14 Schiavone

-PC-
Mauresmo(1) def Hantuchova(20)
Kuznetsova(6) def Vaidisova
Dementieva(4) def Bovina(13)
Clijsters def Myskina(5)
Karatantcheva def VWilliams(8)
SWilliams(3) def Likhovtseva(15)
Henin-Hardenne(19) def Molik(7)
Sharapova(2) def Shaughnessy


==Quarterfinals==
-TS-
#1 Mauresmo d. #6 Kuznetsova
Clijsters d. Linetskaya
#3 S.Williams d. #11 Schnyder
#7 Molik d. #2 Sharapova

-PC-
Kuznetsova(6) def Mauresmo(1)
Clijsters def Dementieva(4)
SWilliams(3) def Karantantcheva
Sharapova(2) def Henin-Hardenne

==Semifinals==
-TS-
#1 Mauresmo d. Clijsters
#3 S.Williams d. #7 Molik

-PC-
Kuznetsova(6) def Clijsters
SWilliams(3) def Sharapova(2)

==FINAL=
-TS-
#3 S.Williams d. #1 Mauresmo

...I hate picking Sharapova out in the QF because I have just as much confidence that she might just rebound as she normally does -- by winning the entire tournament. But I'll go with Serena, who has a dream of a draw fit for a three-time defending Miami champion, over Mauresmo (though Clijsters, again, or the slow-starting Kuznetsova wouldn't be a surprise).

-PC-
SWilliams(3) def Kuznetsova(6)

==============================

Ahh...suspense. All for now.




==4th Round==
-TS-
#1 Mauresmo d. #20 Hantuchova
#6 Kuznetsova d. #18 Jankovic
Linetskaya d. #22 Golovin
Clijsters d. Mirza
#11 Schnyder d. #7 V.Williams
#3 S.Williams d. #15 Likhovtseva
#7 Molik d. #19 Henin-Hardenne
#2 Sharapova d. #14 Schiavone

-PC-
Mauresmo(1) def Hantuchova(20)
Kuznetsova(6) def Vaidisova
Dementieva(4) def Bovina(13)
Clijsters def Myskina(5)
Karatantcheva def VWilliams(8)
SWilliams(3) def Likhovtseva(15)
Henin-Hardenne(19) def Molik(7)
Sharapova(2) def Shaughnessy


==Quarterfinals==
-TS-
#1 Mauresmo d. #6 Kuznetsova
Clijsters d. Linetskaya
#3 S.Williams d. #11 Schnyder
#7 Molik d. #2 Sharapova

-PC-
Kuznetsova(6) def Mauresmo(1)
Clijsters def Dementieva(4)
SWilliams(3) def Karantantcheva
Sharapova(2) def Henin-Hardenne

==Semifinals==
-TS-
#1 Mauresmo d. Clijsters
#3 S.Williams d. #7 Molik

-PC-
Kuznetsova(6) def Clijsters
SWilliams(3) def Sharapova(2)

==FINAL=
-TS-
#3 S.Williams d. #1 Mauresmo

...I hate picking Sharapova out in the QF because I have just as much confidence that she might just rebound as she normally does -- by winning the entire tournament. But I'll go with Serena, who has a dream of a draw fit for a three-time defending Miami champion, over Mauresmo (though Clijsters, again, or the slow-starting Kuznetsova wouldn't be a surprise).

-PC-
SWilliams(3) def Kuznetsova(6)

=============================

Ahh...suspense. All for now.

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Wk.9 - Of Heavy Balls & Blisters

Tennisrulz.com WTA BACKSPIN March 7, 2005 OF HEAVY BALLS & BLISTERS by Todd Spiker Week 9 has passed, after having further proved the headline-grabbing abilities of the Williams sisters... again, as more often than not of late, more for their various ailments and complaints than actual victories. What a perfect time for some more "Random Spins": VENUS WILLIAMS: I joked last week that maybe Venus' Monday 7-5/7-6 1st Round loss to Silvia Farina Elia in Dubai was "because of a hangnail." As it turned out, I wasn't far off the mark. Truth sometimes IS funnier than fiction, or is it just "sad?" After losing to SFE for the first time, Venus blamed it all on a blister on her right palm. "It normally would have been a quick match," she said. "She (SFE) really doesn't have the weapons to hurt me. The blister was really a factor." And if it wasn't, Venus surely could have found something else on which to lay the blame rather than commend her veteran opponent for one of her better career moments. Next time, she'll blame her failure on a curse or something. Well, no, probably not.. I mean, no one EVER does that, right? (More on that, and Serena, soon.) PRINCESS SANIA: The Indian Princess seems to have been emboldened by her title in Hyderabad. In her first action since, she accepted a wild card into the main draw of Dubai. After fighting for a three-set win over Jelena Kostanic, the 18-year old found herself a point from going down 0-5 to Svetlana Kuznetsova when the Indian turned her ankle. She returned to win twelve of the next fourteen games and take out the Contessova in straight sets. Her week ended with a quick SF loss to Jelena Jankovic, but it's difficult not to be more and more impressed with her development as the matches become bigger and bigger. THE CONTESSOVA: What of Kuznetsova? In her first match since the drug story-strewn Australian, she blew that big lead against Mirza and lost in straights. Could it have been the "heavy balls" used in Dubai, as Serena would later use as her crutch? If so, at least the Contessova didn't create a mini-firestorm of her own (maybe Melbourne taught her a lesson?) by saying it. She DID rebound by reaching the doubles final with Alicia Molik. WONDER GIRL: If Daniela Hantuchova has been aiming to peak heading into Indian Wells, three years after her breakthrough title there, she seems to have put herself in position to attain that goal (too bad she might meet the Supernova in the 4th Round). Her straight sets win over the hot Molik last week puts her side-by-side with Jankovic as the young momentum-carriers to watch over the next two weeks. JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Wonder what the Queen is doing right about now? Her continued absence finally dropped the former #1 out of the Top 20 on Monday. NA LI: Finally, Li showed some staying power outside of China in Dubai. She advanced through qualifying for the second straight week, then knocked off Ai Sugiyama in the 1st Round. She hasn't made a big move yet in '05, but she's 15-6 in main draw & qualifiying matches. SHEILA SAMMIE: Samantha Stosur was the belle of January with back-to-back singles RU in Australia. After having lost twice in Acapulco, she followed that week up by falling in the Q2 to Cara Black in Dubai. It was nice while it lasted. And last, but not least... SERENA WILLIAMS: Who can ever overlook Serena? Even when she has a bad week, she makes sure she's the one everyone is talking about when everything's finished. Unfortunately, Dubai maintained the pattern that Williams has followed since her breathtaking Australian Open run... she failed to finished the event. A few weeks ago, it was flu that stopped her in her tracks. In Dubai, it was a strained shoulder tendon. Or maybe it was the balls the tournament used. At least that's what she blamed her injury, which led to her retirement at 0-6/3-4 to Jankovic in the SF, on. She said she'd hurt herself hitting the "heavier" balls, the same ones other players have expressed a dislike for in the past. Of course, none of them found a way to hurt themselves and used them as a scapegoat for a loss to yet another young player on the rise. But, that's the Serena way, isn't it? Generally, when all parts are working properly, Serena DOES win... but that's become an increasingly rare occasion. Her "full" return to the top of the sport has always been dependant on her body holding up. So far, she's already registered a walkover and a retirement -- and it's only March. Still, watch her be ready for her attempt at a four-peat in Miami in two weeks time. For a closer look at Serena's complaints about the Dubai balls, and the WTA's quick counterpunch to the charges, take a look at this link: http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpb3M3YzRkBF9TAzkIODYyNTg0BHNlYwN0bQ--?slug=afp-tennisuaeusawilliams&prov=afp&type=lgns It's always something. ==WEEK 9 CHAMPIONS== DUBAI, UAE (II-HO) S: Lindsay Davenport d. Jelena Jankovic 6-4/3-6/6-4 D: Ruano-Pascual/Suarez d. Kuznetsova/Molik ==PLAYER AWARDS== PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Lindsay Davenport ...the #1 player finally got her first title of the year in Dubai, overcoming a bad cold by winning anyway. Plus, she didn't blame her close wins on her obvious energy-sapping illness, either. Imagine that. ====================================== RISER: Jelena Jankovic ...the 20-year old (as of last Monday) Serb had been one of the more disappointing players of '05, until last week. She caught fire with wins over Suarez, Farina Elia, Mirza and Serena before pushing Davenport to a 6-4 final set in the final. She's now in the Top 20 for the first time. ====================================== SURPRISE: Laura Granville ...the 23-year old American, a one-time Top 30 player back in '03, is on her way back. She's already won two ITF titles in '05, just a few months after reaching the Vancouver WTA final late last season. Thing is, while she's 10-0 in ITF matches this year, she's 0-4 in WTA events. ====================================== VETERANS: Lindsay Davenport & Silvia Farina Elia ...SFE deserves some credit for her first win over Venus in ten matches, considering Miss Williams will never deem to give it. ====================================== FRESH FACE: Sania Mirza ...the Indian Princess continues her rise, with her victory over #7 Kuznetsova last week ranking as her career-best. She's up to a career-best #77. ===================================== DOWN: Venus & Serena Williams ..."will" is for the willlld and wacky variety of excuses the sisters come up with to hang their losses on, "iam" is for the two words (I am) that never pass through their lips when they look for a person to blame, "s" is for the you-who-what storm they tend to create in their path when things don't go their way. Some players are good winners, AND good losers. Some simply defy description. ==LINK OF THE WEEK== ...more Princess Sania, who's quickly becoming a Backspin favorite. Here's another link about Mirza's growing influence, on both boys and girls, on the growth of the sport in India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1037464.cms ==MATCHES== 1.1r - Farina Elia d. V.Williams ...7-5/7-6. The details: SFE went up 4-1 in the 1st, and nearly blew the lead. But didn't. SFE led 5-2 in the 2nd, and nearly blew the lead. But didn't. After the 8th MP, Venus was in position to make excuses. She didn't miss the opportunity, either. ====================================== 2.F - Davenport d. Jankovic ...6-4/3-6/6-4. Davenport is steady, but never spectacular. At least she didn't quit here like she seemed to do in the Melbourne final. ====================================== 3.2r - Mirza d. Kuznetsova ...6-4/6-2. A point from 0-5, and a turned ankle later, the Princess blew out the Contessova. How can you not like this girl? ====================================== 4.QF - Schnyder d. Myskina ...6-7(0),7-6(2),6-1. This match crystalizes the Czarina's season -- so much promise, in the end, amounting to nothing. Myskina gradually faltered and fell after blowing a MP in the 2nd set. ====================================== 5.SF - Davenport d. Schnyder ...4-6/7-5/6-1. Surprisingly, before this, Davenport had lost two of the three times she'd played the Swiss lefty since '02. Maybe battling a bad cold helped her forget about those past matchups. ====================================== 6.SF - Jankovic d. S.Williams ...6-0/4-3 ret. At 0-6, who couldn't smell a match-halting moment on the horizon? ====================================== 7.1r - Hantuchova d. Molik ...7-6/6-2. Wonder Girl squashes the Steamer. ====================================== 8.2r - Jankovic d. Farina Elia ...4-6/7-5/6-1. SFE led here 6-4/5-3. The tennis gods giveth, and they taketh away. ==WTA LISTS== **MOST 2005 WTA FINALS** 3...Davenport (1-2) 2...Sharapova (2-0) 2...Pennetta (2-0) 2...Mauresmo (1-1) 2...Molik (1-1) 2...Stosur (0-2) **CAREER WTA TITLES - active** 46...Davenport 33...Martinez 31...V.Williams 26...S.Williams 21...Clijsters 19...Henin-Hardenne 16...Mauresmo 16...Pierce 14...Capriati 10...Maleeva **700 CAREER WINS** 1442...Martina Navratilova 1304...Chris Evert 900....Steffi Graf 839....Virginia Wade 759....Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 720....Conchita Martinez 704....Evonne Goolagong-Cawley (Davenport has 647) **2005 FINALISTS BY COUNTRY** 6...USA (4 wins) 4...Russia (4) 4...Australia (1) ===================================== ===================================== **WEEK 10/11 "FACE-OFF"** ...why am I not surprised that I picked Serena to win Dubai, and she leaves early (again) with another ailment? I already had eight wins at this time last season, but in '05 I have a measly three in eighteen events. Meanwhile, as he "delightedly" pointed out this week, Mister Cantin is 3-for-3 (even I'd forgotten about him picking the Australian correctly). So, to try to confuse the tennis gods, we'll both pick Indian Wells and see what happens: INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA USA (I-HO) 04 F: JHH d. Davenport 04 TOP: Davenport/Mauresmo ==============================
**QUARTERFINALS**
=TS=
#1 Davenport d. #10 Likhovtseva
#3 Sharapova d. Vaidisova
#5 Kuznetsova d. #3 Dementieva
#2 Mauresmo d. #23 Martinez

=PC=
#1 Davenport(1) def Bartoli(22)
#2 Sharapova(3) def Vaidisova
#3 Kuznetsova(5) def Golovin(14)
#4 Clijsters def Martinez(23)



**SEMIFINALS**
=TS=
Sharapova d. Davenport
Mauresmo d. Kuznetsova

=PC=
Sharapova(3) def Davenport(1)
Kuznetsova(5) def Clijsters

**FINAL**
=TS=
Sharapova d. Mauresmo

...when in doubt, pick the Supernova. Words to live by, for me, thus far in '05.

=PC=
Sharapova(3) def Kuznetsova(5)

Now, please give me a chance to brag a little. Just wondering how a 3/3 average goes up against 3/18? You know, I'm starting to feel bad for my friend Todd, poor guy, he keeps getting it wrong... Anyway, I'll move on to another subject as I'm sure M. Spiker is now grinching his teeth (now before he brings it up, yes he is ahead of me in tennis-pool, but not for long and anyway, these predictions on the world reknown Backspin column are what really count right?) Well if this tournament goes as planned, a lot of surprises including a win by Kim Clijsters against Amelie Mauresmo among other things! But in the end, I think Sharapova will be up to the challenge with a good shot at making a #1 spot within sight!

-----------------------------

If Pierre does it again, I refuse to even touch Serena's attempt to win Miami for a fourth straight year. Either that, or I'll just have to copy his
picks, I guess.

All for now.

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