Wk.29 - Sneaky Patty...and Peeing on the Couch

Well, I've officially gone to the "other side." Gone down the rabbit hole. Peered through the looking glass. Yes, I've seen the show that I figured would either change television history, or set the medium back about five years... and I didn't hate it. In fact, I can't really tear it up quite like I was expecting. But I'll do my best.

What did we learn on the premiere episode of "Venus & Serena: For Real?" Well, for one, the girls really HAVEN't forgotten where they came from, even if they don't have any desire to ever have to go back to those days of five-to-a-bedroom (with four beds), and a life that caused Venus to think that showers hadn't even been invented until the 1990s. It was even slightly endearing to see Venus & Serena's "moment of awe" -- seeing James Avery, the actor who played the father on Will Smith's "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" TV series, on the red carpet of an awards show, not to mention would-be thespian Serena reciting a Shakespearean soliloquy to Venus after being questioned by reporters about her acting ambitions.

A few highlights: Venus states her dislike of yoga, and shoots her trainer a harsh look when the instructor on a videotape begins to chant something that Williams is certain is at odds with her Christian upbringing... while Serena naps under a bedspread. Venus jogs on the beach in her bikini... while Serena and other members of the contingent chase her in a golf cart. But, as it turns out, the "stars" of "For Real" weren't even Venus & Serena. The real stars were named named Lyndrea, Isha and Jackie.

Williams sister Lyndrea is a menace on four wheels, and in Episode 1 she nearly drives the aforementioned golf cart into oncoming traffic (Danica Patrick she most certainly is not). Later, fellow sister Isha sits courtside while Serena plays in Amelia Island in April, but is more interested (between yawns, that is) in why the spectator sitting next to her has to build his chicken salad sandwich by hand rather than buying it "pre-assembled." Yeah, the Williams clan is always a stickler for the details.

But Isha can't lay a hand (or paw) on Jackie, whose moment in the sun comes the same night that Serena injures her ankle (yes, it's true that Serena couldn't get through the first episode without injuring herself -- insert your own smart ass comment here). Serena & Co. return to their hotel room and find that the little Jack Russell terrier has eaten the turkey that was meant for dinner. A limping Serena chases him around the room, orders him into her duffel bag for punishment, then finds the remains of the turkey carcass stuffed between the cushions on the couch. After making Jackie look at the mess he's created, and giving him an appropriate "tough love" scolding, the little dog makes another (more liquid) mess on the couch.

"Sharrrrrooooonnnnnn!!!!!" (Oops, wrong show. My mistake.)

Don't worry, though. The Serena/Jackie dynamic wasn't damaged for long. He "apologized" to her the next morning, while Serena was getting therapy on the injured ankle (the same one that caused her to pull out of yet another tournament this week).

Ah, they're crazy, and they're kooky. The Williams fam-ily.

Next week: Serena models...and Venus loses.

**LINK OF THE WEEK**
...for more on the state of Williams "reality," go to the show's official webpage.

Now, on to something else. A year ago, when the U.S. Open Series was announced, I noted how much the idea of a hardcourt series was similar to Backspin's quarterly breakdowns that fold the season into condensed "seasons." Well, in what's becoming an annual ritual, I bring up the U.S. Open Series once again as it begins this week in Stanford. This time I do so to note the USTA's adoption of a series of nicknames for some players to give the whole thing some "character" and storyline. You know... kind of like the Backspin monikers that have been employed here for a few years now. Well, sort of.

Looking at the list of "less than creative" nicknames, they leave a lot to be desired:

Amelie Mauresmo: "The Artiste"
Svetlana Kuznetsova: "The Contender"
Serena Williams: "The Diva"
Maria Sharapova: "The It Girl"
Elena Dementieva: "The Femme Fatale"
Justine Henin-H.: "The Comeback Kid"
Venus Williams: "The Goddess"
Kim Clijsters: "Miss Congeniality"
Lindsay Davenport: "Top Gun"

A little bland ("The Comeback Kid?"...zzzzzzz) and corporate, if you ask me, not to mention a few of them being a reach (how exactly can Kuznetsova be dubbed "The Contender" when she WON the U.S. Open a year ago?). Not surprising, though, considering the same USTA marketing "gurus" who came up with the nicknames also thought it'd be a good idea to play up the Series' new blue courts because they'd make people more interested in watching tennis, rather than realizing that making a big deal about something so inane would actually reveal the action to be the rather pathetic attempt to "spruce up" the sport in the eyes of American sports fans that it is. I know I'm more interested in who wins the Bank of the West Classic now that it'll be contested on that spiffy blue surface, aren't you?

I'll take the sometimes appropriately over-the-top ("The Supernova"), cynical ("The Petulant One") and lovingly applied ("Le Petit Taureau") Backspin nicknames any day. But, then again, I'm a little biased.

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==WEEK 29==

CINCINNATI, OHIO USA (III-hard)
S: Patty Schnyder d. Akiko Morigami 6-4/6-0
D: Granville/Spears d. Peschke/Salerni
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PALERMO, ITALY (IV-red clay)
S: Anabel Medina-Garrigues d. Klara Koukalova 6-4/6-0
D: Casoni/Koryttseva d. Jens/Rodolska
-----------------------------------

**PLAYER AWARDS**

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Patty Schnyder
...Allez! The Swiss Headhunter (if your name is Justine) finally got her first title inside U.S. borders in Cincinnati, her tenth career WTA crown. Schnyder's having a sneaky good season, with two titles, a Tier I RU and 2 Tier I SF. Her 38 singles victories are behind only Sharapova's 41 for the most by Top 10ers in 2005.
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RISERS: Anabel Medina-Garrigues & Akiko Morigami
...AMG defended her Palermo title (which she also won in '01), closing out Klara Koukalova with a love set in the final. Morigami followed up her Fed Cup heroics with wins over Zvonareva & Hantuchova en route to the Cincinnati final.
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SURPRISES: Bethanie Mattek & Tzvetana Pironkova
...American Mattek, a 20-year old qualifier, upset Bartoli, Pin and Jankovic on her way to her career-best Cincy SF. Bulgaria's Pironkova, 17, outlasted Farina Elia and knocked off Modena champ Smashnova in Palermo, advancing to her second SF of the season (the other was in Istanbul).
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VETERAN: Martina Navratilova
...the 48-year old was surprisingly included on the Boston Lobsters' playing roster for last week's action. The unexpected move worked, as she won two singles sets and went 5-1 in doubles to lead Boston to the WTT playoffs in September.
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FRESH FACES: Viktoria Azarenka & Raluca Olaru
...Belarussian Azarenka, 15 (sweet 16 on Sunday!), won her first ITF singles title in Petange, Luxembourg with a win in the final over Viktoriya Kutuzova. The world's top junior, Azarenka won the Australian Open girls crown back in January. 16-year old Romanian Olaru, Roland Garros girls RU, won a $10K title in Bucharest, taking out another Russian Anna (Bastrikova) in the final.
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DOWN: Jennifer Capriati
...a comeback during the hardcourt season was indeed too optimistic after shoulder surgery. After pulling out of New Haven, The Petulant One's presence is Flushing Meadows will be nil, as well, it was announced last week. 2006, anyone?

==MATCHES==

1.Cin F - Schnyder d. Morigami
...6-4/6-0. Schnyder had to break Morigami three times in the 1st set to make up for her own serving problems. From the looks of post-match reports, though, Morigami did nothing to warrent Patty hitting any balls at her head.
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2.Pal F - Medina-Garrigues d. Koukalova
...6-4/6-0. No one has won Palermo as many times as AMG (thrice).
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3.Louisville $50K F - Harkleroad d. Beltrame
...4-6/7-5/6-0. Okay, so this is a week late. But Harkleroad's first title in three years is still worth mentioning, especially since it's part three of American Splendor's summer trilogy, in which she's gone from College Park challenger RU to Wimbledon qualifier to... yes, singles champion. Maybe the Debutante should give Ashley a call to learn how it's supposed to be done.
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4.Cin 1r - Mirza d. Groenefeld
...6-4/6-3. Has the Backspin Curse been shifted to ALG? On the other hand, this was a great result for the Indian Princess.
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5.Cin 2r - Morigami d. Zvonareva
...6-3/6-2. Vera the Almost was the RU in Cincy last year.
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HM--WTT--Vaidisova(Sacramento) d. V.Williams(Delaware)
...5-2. Ah, Darth Vaidisova gets revenge for the Sith. Uh, I mean her Istanbul final loss to Venus.
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HM--WTT--Sharapova(Newport Beach) d. Jackson(St.Louis)
...5-0. The Supernova's Newport Beach team made the WTT playoffs, and will face Sacramento (maybe with both Kournikova & Vaidisova?) in the SF. They'll be selling digital cameras outside the stadium... hmmm, I wonder if they'll be made by Canon?

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==WTA LISTS==

=UNDEFEATED IN 2005 FINALS=
[2+ finals]
4-0...Henin-Hardenne
3-0...Clijsters
2-0...Medina-Garrigues
2-0...Pennetta
2-0...Safina

=MOST SF=
8...Sharapova (4-4)
6...Davenport (6-0)
6...Mauresmo (3-3)
6...Schnyder (3-3)

=DEFENDED TITLES IN 2005=
Memphis - Vera Zvonareva
Amelia Island - Lindsay Davenport
Rome - Amelie Mauresmo
Birmingham - Maria Sharapova
Palermo - Anabel Medina-Garrigues

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

=WEEK 30 ACTS OF FUTILITY?=

...Battle Royale 2 isn't really heating up (maybe we should make our predictions in blue?). Pierre leads 5-4 in semifinalists. I lead 2-0 in finalists. We've picked zero (??) champions so far. Okay, who did we tick off?

STANFORD, CAL USA (II-Hard)-US Open Series
04 F: Davenport d. V.Williams
05 TOP: Davenport/V.Williams
=============================
SF: Clijsters d. Davenport; Schnyder d. V.Williams
FINAL: Clijsters d. Schnyder

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (IV-Red Clay)
04 F: Jankovic d. Sucha
05 TOP: Smashnova/Srebotnik
============================
SF: Sanchez-Lorenzo d. Ondraskova; Srebotnik d. Martinez-Granados
FINAL: Srebotnik d. Sanchez-Lorenzo

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

PIERRE'S PICKS:

=STANFORD=
SF: Clijsters d. Davenport; V.Williams d. Schnyder
FINAL: Clijsters d. V.Williams

=BUDAPEST=
SF: Kostanic d. Ondraskova; Diaz-Oliva d. Castano
FINAL: Kostanic d. Diaz-Oliva

Hmmm... make one mistake and it's ok, but repeat it a few months later? Well, I'm once again taking Kim Clijsters to take on Lindsay Davenport. Let's hope it will be enough to take me over Todd (hoping he did not pick the same!!).

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All for now.

Read more...

Wk.28 - The Calm Before the "Real" Show

Snooooooorrrrrrrreeeeeeeee... ugh-hnksxx! Sorry, I dozed off there for a minute. Can you blame me? I mean, it's not as if a great deal was happening on the tour last week.

Oh, sure, there WAS a new tournament in Modena. But you usually get what you should expect from a Tier IV on red clay that takes place two weeks after the grass court season, sandwiched between Fed Cup and the start of the hard court circuit. It's sort of fitting, in a cruel way, that the final ended in a retirement due to heat illness before the 1st set was completed.

Thank goodness for Steffi Graf, though, who made her World Team Tennis debut last week. Six years after her retirement, it was comforting to see all her on-court mannerisms intact. That familiar, single-minded bouncing of the ball before her sky-high service toss. Her way of removing the perspiration from her jaw with a single swipe of her index finger. That famous forehand, with accompanying leap, and the sight of her hair momentarily defying gravity as she floats gently back down to the surface of the court. After all these years, they were all still there where she (and we) left them.

The competitive fire was still evident, too. She was supposed to play just two doubles matches for her Houston Wranglers team, but ended up playing singles, as well... and she held up pretty well in a set against the world #16 (and Roland Garros semifinalist just a few weeks ago), even if on occasion Steffi did resemble the 36-year old mom
of two that she is these days when she had to run around a tad too much during a single point.

Graf has an even more likable air on court now than she did after she lost a little of her luster in those few pre-Seles stabbing years when her former strangle-hold on the women's game loosened and finally turned her into something just shy of a mortal underdog... even before her '99 Roland Garros triumph put such a nice capper on a remarkable career (oh, and for all those Amelie's and Kim's out there looking for a single slam title, it should be noted that Steffi's last was her 22nd... ponder that number for a moment, boys and girls). Maybe it's because, thanks to the Las Vegas image-conscious boy turned wise elder statesman, Graf has never really gone away. She's turned into the neighbor you always wave at when she passes by, but never seem to talk to. From the tennis-made marriage and kids (whether either can ever someday beat Taylor Dent or not) to all those ever-present TV commercials, we see more of Steffi than a lot of the current players these days (Wonder Girl & the Debutante, are you blushing?). She's built up loads of good will without actually playing a single point.

So much so, that it's endearing when she momentarily forgets that in the WTT she's supposed to actually play a let serve rather than flick it aside with her racquet, as she did once (and almost twice) last week. Maybe it's because we know, if only for an instant in her mind, Steffi's focus was akin to being back battling Martina Hingis at Roland Garros again. And that's nice, in an odd way... it's kind of like she's finally doing a little more than waving as she goes by. Now, she's flashing a smile and wink.

And, who knows, maybe we'll even see "Graf vs. Hingis" again in the WTT. Come on, who wouldn't like to see the ol' Wranglers vs. Sportimes matchup as the "Game of the Week?"

But, really, even Steffi was just a prelude to the "real" story. You know, the anticipation of the big event coming up this week... the flash... the striking of poses (and tennis balls).

No, not the U.S. hardcourt season -- the Venus & Serena reality show!

"Venus & Serena: For Real" premieres this week on ABC Family. Are you on the edge of your seat like I am? Are you waiting with bated breath, wondering what deep dark secrets the cameras will expose? From the looks of the clips, the show will allow us into the "inner sanctum" of the Williams clan. The girls play ping pong (and Venus celebrates by jumping up and down... humph, imagine that). Serena hugs a little dog. The girls in bikinis... and by "girls" I mean Serena AND Venus, not just Serena.

Hmmm, now that I think about it, maybe it will be worth a look-see after all. You know, you can almost view Venus' Wimbledon title as part of a unique promotional campaign for the show, designed to give it a much-needed boost. Maybe all those classes and business-building skills are working even better for Venus than even she realized. Hmmm, maybe this explains serena's plight at Wimbledon, too. Nah, that's even too far out for the Williams clan... at least I think so.

Seriously, though, expect a report next week on what'll surely be an "Emmy-worthy" first episode. For real.

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

-WEEK 28 CHAMPIONS-
MODENA, ITALY (IV-Red Clay)
S: Anna Smashnova d. Tathiana Garbin 6-6 ret.
D: Beygelzimer/Jugic-Salkic d. G.Navratilova/Pastikova

-PLAYER AWARDS-

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Anna Smashnova
...the Israeli turned 29 on Saturday, then won her tenth career title in her tenth career WTA final on Sunday. Not a bad weekend in Modena.
----------------------------------
RISERS: Martina Hingis & Anna Kournikova
...ah, the Spice Girls are back. Well, not together. But still. Truly, Hingis is a WTT goddess. After last week's action, she's 6-1 in singles and 13-0 in doubles (including two mixed matches with none other than John McEnroe as her partner). Kournikova, for her part, was supposed to play a "supporting" role in the doubles match that served as Graf's WTT debut. But she turned out to be the star of the set, reminding everyone why she was once the #1-ranked doubles player in the world in a 5-2 win.
----------------------------------
SURPRISES: Tathiana Garbin & Alexandra Stevenson
...Italy's own Garbin, 28, reached her first WTA final in Modena, but didn't get to enjoy it, retiring with heat illness at 6-6 in the 1st set against Smashnova. Still, it was her best week since upsetting Henin-Hardenne at Roland Garros in 2004. Stevenson, now 24 and ranked #835, finally made her way back to the court this weekend following her September shoulder surgery, getting a win the opening round of qualifying in Cincinnati. It's only one win, you say? What's so surprising about that? Well, considering Stevenson made her mark at the 1999 Wimbledon, where she reached the semifinals as a qualifier and shared the spotlight with fellow surprises Jelena Dokic and Mirjana Lucic, ANY win IS a big deal. When was the last time Dokic or Lucic could claim as much "progress?"
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VETERAN: Elena Likhovtseva
...the Russian vet, 29, was actually 2-0 against Graf last week, defeating her in singles (5-4, after a 5-3 TB) and, along with Kournikova, in doubles (vs. Graf w/ Ansley Cargill). Sure, it's only WTT play. But Likhovtseva was 0-3 against Graf on tour, and since she's got that great 2004 hardcourt season (a title, a Tier I RU and four straight Top 20 wins) to follow up in a few weeks she'll need all the confidence she can get. Who knows, maybe she can pick up enough steam to even push her way into the Top 10 from her current #16 position.
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FRESH FACE: Agnes Szavay
...the 16-year old Hungarian qualifier raced all the way to her first tour SF in Modena, upsetting Zuzana Ondraskova and #1 seed Francesca Schiavone. Considering Szavay was the junior Australian RU, Roland Garros champ and Wimbledon semifinalist, looks like she's another youngster who bears watching.
----------------------------------
DOWN: Francesca Schiavone
...it took a little longer than usual for her Fed Cup hangover to kick in (after her bageling of Marta Marrero, of course), but it did happen. She was the #1 seed in Modena, but fell in the QF to 16-year old junior Szavay. Ah, more evidence to add to the growing theory on why Schiavone's still searching for her first WTA title.

-MATCHES-

1.WTT - Likhovtseva (SAC) d. Graf (HOU)
...5-4(5-3). A last minute replacement in singles for Ansley Cargill, Graf nearly gave Hingis' WTT exploits a run for their money against the #16-ranked Russian. Of course, a Likhovtseva loss could never have been as eyebrow-raising as was Mark Philippoussis' to John McEnroe in WTT play last week.
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2.WTT - Graf/Fish(HOU) d. Kournikova/Knowles(SAC)
...5-3. The end of Graf's long, three-set -- but just one win -- night.
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3.Modena F - Smashnova d. Garbin
...6-6, ret. You'd win a few bets challenging someone to guess who has the better career record in finals, Smashnova or Sharapova. Anna's 10-0 mark just can't be beaten by anyone not named Federer.
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4.Modena QF - Szavay d. Schiavone
...6-2/6-4. It's not so much the victory that's surprising as the relative ease of the win that the scoreline seems to indicate.
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5.WTT - Hingis/McEnroe(NYS) d. Philippoussis/Sequera(HART)
...5-2. The Martina and Mac Attack is born! Hey, maybe McEnroe can talk Hingis into playing doubles with him at a slam, to make up for missing out on that slam title with Graf when Steffi pulled out of their SF match a ways back (and gave Johnny Mac a half-decade's worth of fodder for in-match commentary small talk).
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HM--WTT - Likhovtseva/Kournikova(SAC) d. Graf/Cargill(HOU)
...5-2. Graf at her "worst" (as a doubles player). Anna at her best (ditto).

**LINK OF THE WEEK**

Sony-Ericsson

...check it out

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=WTA LISTS=

**OLDEST 2005 CHAMPIONS**
Conchita Martinez (32, Pattaya)
Anna Smashnova (29, Modena)
Lindsay Davenport (28, Amelia Island)

**CONSECUTIVE YEARS WITH WTA TITLE**
[current streaks]
8 years...Venus Williams (1998-05)
7 years...Serena Williams (1999-05)
7 years...Amelie Mauresmo (1999-05)
7 years...Kim Clijsters (1999-05)
5 years...Justine Henin-H. (2001-05)
4 years...Anna Smashnova (2002-05)

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==BATTLE ROYALE II...THE HARDER THE COURT, THE HARDER THE PREDICTION?==

...how could Pierre and I NOT have picked Agnes Szavay to reach the SF at Modena last week? I mean, wasn't that just the "lock" of the season? Now, which "obvious" pick will we refuse to go public with this week? Let's see (or not see, as the case may be):

CINCINNATI, OHIO USA (III-Hard)
04 F: Davenport d. Zvonareva
05 TOP: Schnyder/Zvonareva
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SF: Schnyder d. Bartoli; Groenefeld d. Granville
FINAL: Groenefeld d. Schnyder

...since I said two weeks ago that Groenefeld was one of the players to watch the rest of the season, I figure I'll go ahead and put the hex on her right now by hanging some expectations on her again. Come on, Anna-Lena... prove you're no Contessova!

PALERMO, ITALY (IV-Red Clay)
04 F: Medina-Garrigues d. Pennetta
05 TOP: Farina Elia/Pennetta
==================================
SF: Medina-Garrigues d. Smashnova; Pennetta d. Safarova
FINAL: Pennetta d. Medina-Garrigues

...a rematch of the '04 final, but with a different result.

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As for Webmaster Cantin:

CINCINNATI, OHIO:
SF: Jankovic d. Schnyder; Hantuchova d. Groenefeld
FINAL: Jankovic d. Hantuchova

PALERMO, ITALY:
SF: Smashnova d. Medina-Garrigues; Pennetta d. A.Bondarenko
FINAL: Pennetta d. Smashnova

...A second week, and this time it's true, the hard court season begins, and I'm confident it will be the start of something good for me. And, yeah, there is clay, too. I certainly did not forget as I predict the unthinkable to happen -- for Anna Smashnova to lose a first singles final.

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All for now.

Read more...

Wk.27 - Mid-Season Musings

...as the WTA season reaches its (arbitrary) half-way point, a few short thoughts on the upcoming 3rd quarter, and the remainder of 2005:

**FIVE MOST INTRIGUING PLAYERS TO WATCH**

1.Venus Williams... will it continue to be the "summer of Venus?" We'll soon find out how much Williams wants her rediscovered success, and whether she missed it enough to do all she'll have to in order to maintain it. Her first post-Wimbledon effort in the Fed Cup semis left a great deal to be desired, but it's the North American hardcourt circuit that'll be her true proving ground, not a red clay court in Russia. Venus has traveled this road before, sweeping both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2000 and 2001. Last year, only Lindsay Davenport kept her from a truly big-time hardcourt season of her own (two tough losses to the '05 Wimbledon RU paved the way for Davenport's great success). With Davenport not likely to match her four-title hardcourt success again, the door might be ajar for Venus to step through yet again.
================================
2.Lindsay Davenport... speaking of the world #1, she'll have a great deal to live up to after her dream hardcourt season of 2004. A year later, the reigning US Open Series champ will also be dealing with a back injury that she hopes doesn't linger through the summer. A slip could cost her #1, but it's the Open that she has her sights set on after another near-miss at a slam (coming within a match point of taking the Wimbledon crown). She surely won't defend all four of her '04 hardcourt titles, but after possibly peaking too soon a year ago (she made the SF at Flushing Meadows) she might get the timing just right this time around.
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3.Maria Sharapova... what's this? Is it really "quiet" on the Supernova front? Surely, Sharapova isn't as busy at this time of the year as she was a season ago. So, hold on tight, tennis will likely receive more of her focus. With Davenport's back against the wall, Sharapova will play more (and better) leading into the US Open and might just be able to make another run at the #1 ranking.
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4.Anastasia Myskina... the Czarina has been beset by poor play, family worries and just a general disinterest in the game for most of this season. But there are signs of a reawakening taking place. Her Wimbledon comebacks, coupled with her team-leading Fed Cup play (a win over Venus!) this weekend, might signal that the 2003 US Open quarterfinalist's prospects are trending up for a surprising hardcourt season. Keep an eye on her.
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5.Svetlana Kuznetsova... the Contessova's had a down year since winning the US Open. From the year starting with the story of a failed drug test to her continued difficulties with defeating other Top 10 players (even holding, and failing to convert, a match point against the eventual Roland Garros champ -- for the second straight year), Kuznetsova has yet to follow up her grand slam breakthrough with another big-time run. Could good memories cause it to finally happen at the scene of the crime in Flushing Meadows?

**OH, AND DON'T FORGET...**

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE & KIM CLIJSTERS... for the first time since 2003, the Belgians will have a healthy, full-time presence on the hardcourts. It goes without saying that the Queen will likely be a force in North America, having won two Tier I's and the US Open (with that classic win over Capriati in the SF) in 2003, and then the Athens Gold a year ago. Clijsters, too, was a dominant force in '03, winning two titles in the 3Q and making the '03 Open final.

SERENA WILLIAMS... of course, Serena might be a non-factor. But if she's physically able, it'll be interesting to see the effect on her of Venus' Wimbledon win. She does have a flair for the dramatic, after all. Plus, everyone will be waiting with bated breath to see what fashion monstrosity she'll hoist upon Flushing Meadows this year (unless she follows the unadorned Venus' lead from the Wimbledon final, that is).

**2nd HALF SPRINGBOARDS FOR 2006**

ANA IVANOVIC... everything's up, up, up for AnaIvo, who'll be looking to build a late-season foundation on which to build her campaign to rise into the Top 10 next year.

AMELIE MAURESMO... in 2004, Mauresmo skipped France's Fed Cup final appearance in favor of preparing to make a run at a slam title in Melbourne. How'd that go, Amelie? Oh, I see. Suffice to say, with France back in the FC final, she'll probably be taking a different route to end 2005.

ALICIA MOLIK... 2005 held such great promise for the Aussie Steamer. A Top 10 ranking and QF run in Melbourne had things looking only up, then a balance-corrupting inner ear infection wrecked everything. She's played just 23 matches on the season, just one more than the perpetually-injured Serena. Molik's brief return on the grass was just that. Now, simply being able to consistently return to the court at all will allow her to keep a hopeful eye toward another Melbourne run come January.

ANNA-LENA GROENEFELD... a 20-year old with powerful and aggressive groundstrokes. A doubles partner of Martina Navratilova. Sound familiar? Just like Kuznetsova, ALG (who's three inches taller than the Contessova) is being groomed for something greater. Ranked #36 and having made her first WTA singles final earlier this season, Groenefeld has twice led the German team through Fed Cup rounds in '05. She might be the long-awaited, post-Graf German threat.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI... she'd hoped to make it back from shoulder surgery in time for the US Open, but now that's in question. Maybe she'll just have to start 2006 with a totally fresh slate.

**JUST BECAUSE**

ANGELA HAYNES... that Wimbledon 1st Round match against Serena has whetted the appetite for more substantial Angela sightings.

ELENA BOVINA... has any of the Russians (even Vera Zvonareva) been any more invisible than Bovina in 2005? Hampered by injuries all season, she's yet to even make a SF. Last hardcourt season, she picked up her biggest career title the week before the US Open in New Haven.

JELENA DOKIC... don't expect to see the Debutante in Oz come January. In fact, don't expect to see too much of her at all, certainly not in WTA events. Not when the former Top 5 player is being bounced out of challenger events in the 1st Round.

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA... she's still looking for her first doubles title of the season (and another record for "oldest" WTA titlist, of course).

MARTINA HINGIS... is her World Team Tennis participation just a fun lark, or a prelude to another comeback try?

==BACKSPIN MID-YEAR PLAYERS-OF-THE-YEAR==
1.Justine Henin-Hardenne
2.Maria Sharapova
3.Venus Williams
4.Lindsay Davenport
5.Kim Clijsters
6.Amelie Mauresmo
7.Ana Ivanovic
8.Ruano-Pascual/Suarez
9.Serena Williams
10.Flavia Pennetta
HM-Mary Pierce & Black/Huber

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

*FED CUP SEMIFINALS*
Russia def. USA 4-1
France def. Spain 3-1

FINAL: Russia vs. France (at Paris, Sept.17-18)

**BACKSPIN FED CUP TEAM MVP AWARDS**
==SEMIFINALS==
Russia: Anastasia Myskina
France: Amelie Mauresmo
==GROUP I PLAYOFFS==
Austria: Tamira Paszek
Belgium: Kim Cijsters
Germany: Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Italy: Francesca Schiavone
==GROUP II PLAYOFFS==
China: Na Li
Indonesia: Wynne Prakusya
Japan: Akiko Morigami
Thailand: Suchanan Viratprasert

==WEEK 27 PLAYER AWARDS==

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Anastasia Myskina
...she reassumed the leadership role of the Russian team, defeating Venus Williams in the opening match, and sending the Horde back to the Fed Cup final. Waiting there for the defending champions will be '04 RU France.
---------------------------------
RISERS: Anna-Lena Groenefeld & Akiko Morigami
...ALG, 20, won two singles matches over Karolina Sprem and Jelena Kostanic, and one in doubles, to power the Germans past Croatia in the Group I Playoffs. In the Group II Playoffs, Japan's Morigami took care of Bulgaria's Sesil Karatantcheva and Maggie Maleeva in a 4-1 win for the Rising-Sunners.
---------------------------------
SURPRISE: Sandra Kloesel
...a last minute replacement for Julia Schruff, Kloesel played her first-ever singles match in Fed Cup competition. She made it count, with her win over Kostanic providing the clinching point for Germany over Croatia.
---------------------------------
VETERANS: Martina Hingis & Els Callens
...even though she's just 24, ex-Golden Child Hingis counts as a veteran. She made her WTT debut last week, going 4-1 in singles sets (5-0 in doubles) with wins over Martina Navratilova and Jamea Jackson. Her loss came against Meghann Shaughnessy, who, incidentally, played a singles set against the ATP's Brian Valhaly (she lost 5-1). Next week, Steffi Graf makes her WTT debut. Meanwhile, Callens joined with Clijsters in the deciding doubles match (a win over Diaz Oliva/Dulko) in the 3-2 Group I Playoff between Belgium & Argentina.
---------------------------------
FRESH FACE: Tamira Paszek
...the 14-year old, Wimbledon junior RU just a week ago, put the Austrian team on her back in the Group I Playoffs against Switzerland with two singles wins, Her bag might have said "AUT," but Paszek's a worldly soul. She was born in Tanzania to an Austrian mother and African father. She grew up in Kenya and Canada, then finally moved to Austria. To be continued...
---------------------------------
DOWN: Venus Williams & Jelena Kostanic
...the Fed Cup website said that Venus reverted to "the inconsistency of the previous two years," spraying balls often in her opening match loss against Myskina. After the match, Venus actually said that the Czarina played well. What is this? A "new" Venus? No, wait. She also said, "The change of surface was tougher than I expected. It's a tough court to play on, hard to find your footing, and the balls dig in. They did their own grave." Ah, there's the Venus we know. In her second match, Williams defeated Elena Dementieva... but with Davenport and Serena out with injuries, it was the opening loss that sealed the fate of the American team. In the Group I Playoffs, Kostanic, after carrying the Croatian team last time out, went 0-2 versus Germany to balance things out this time.

**LINK OF THE WEEK**
...in case you missed it, the Backspin 2nd Quarter Quiz is finally a reality. You can test yourself HERE.

**MATCHES**

1.Fed Cup SF - Myskina (RUS) d. V.Williams (USA)
...5-7/6-4/6-2. The Czarina's got this comeback thing down to a formula right now.
---------------------------------
2.WTT - Hingis (NYS) d. Navratilova (BOS)
...5-0. They never played each other in singles as pros. Hard to believe that that's a little surprising, considering Hingis is 24 and her namesake Navratilova is 48. Better late than never.
---------------------------------
3.Fed Cup Group II PO - Morigami (JAP) d. Karatantcheva (BUL)
...2-6/7-6/6-0. Sesil had never lost a Fed Cup match during her 2004-05 participation before this. After this heartbreaker, the opening match of the Japan/Bulgaria matchup, she lost another to Aiko Nakamura.
---------------------------------
4.Fed Cup Group I PO - Clijsters/Callens (BUL) d. Diaz Oliva/Dulko (ARG)
...6-4/3-6/7-5. Whew! That was a close one for the Waffles.
---------------------------------
5.Fed Cup Group I PO - Schiavone/Vinci (ITA) d. Vaidisova/Peschke (CZE)
...6-4/6-4. The other deciding doubles match of the weekend, as Italy edged the Maidens 3-2.

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

==LISTS==

**TOP 10 PLAYERS - 2005 W/L**
41-7...Maria Sharapova
36-6...Lindsay Davenport
33-13..Patty Schnyder
32-9...Amelie Mauresmo
32-13..Nadia Petrova
27-2...Justine Henin-Hardenne
26-7...Venus Williams
25-11..Svetlana Kuznetsova
23-9...Elena Dementieva
17-5...Serena Williams
17-12..Vera Zvonareva
16-7...Alicia Molik
14-12..Anastasia Myskina
0-0....Jennifer Capriati

**WEEKS IN TOP 10**
[of 27]
27...Lindsay Davenport(*)
27...Maria Sharapova(*)
27...Amelie Mauresmo(*)
27...Svetlana Kuzntsova(*)
27...Elena Dementieva(*)
27...Serena Williams(*)
27...Anastasia Myskina(*)
22...Alicia Molik
18...Venus Williams(*)
13...Jennifer Capriati
10...Nadia Petrova(*)
9....Justine Henin-H.(*)
6....Vera Zvonareva
3....Patty Schnyder
-
(*)-current Top 10

**2004 U.S. OPEN SERIES**
1.Lindsay Davenport
2.Amelie Mauresmo
3.Elena Likhovtseva
4.Elena Bovina
5.Venus Williams

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

**BATTLE ROYALE II COMMENCES**

...the ol' Holy Webmaster is up for another battle to try to even things up. So, here we go:

MODENA, ITALY (IV-Red Clay)
--new event--
TOP SEEDS: Schiavone/Pennetta
=============================
SF: Ondraskova d. Kostanic; Pennetta d. Parra
FINAL: Pennetta d. Ondraskova

...hey, I thought this was supposed to be hardcourt season. Oh, well. Schiavone is the #1 seed, but she usually dips a bit coming off the high of playing Fed Cup. So, I'll go with Pennetta to win title #3 on the season. Of course, Pennetta just finished joining Schiavone in that Italian win over the Czechs. But Schiavone's never won a WTA title... Pennetta has three (so far). There has to be a reason, right?

=================================
Pierre Cantin:
MODENA:
SF: Schiavone d. Kostanic; Pennetta d. Loit
FINAL: Pennetta d. Schiavone

...Well, this is a new beginning for me. I have to admit, I really got kicked around badly in the grass season, but I'm now ready to take on Todd. And while hard court season only starts one week from now, this will be enough to give a serious warning of what to expect for this summer... poor Todd. He has no idea what consequences re-inviting me here will have.

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

Interesting. All for now.

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Wk.26 - If Only...

Well, that was a bit of a shock, wasn't it?

It's been a few days since Venus Williams' "instant classic" triumph over Lindsay Davenport in the Wimbledon final, and I'm still trying to determine how I truly feel about it. Oh, I know how I SHOULD feel, if all the screaming headlines and tennis commentators' opinions are to be taken as gospel (a scary prospect on any occasion, whether those in question wear ornate clothes and big hats... or simply enjoy watching athletes whack a fuzzy yellow ball back and forth over a net). Apparently, from what I've read and heard, the actual sight of a focused Venus was such a stunning (and, in recent years, rare) occurrence that people just can't stop falling over themselves expressing how Williams has turned back the clock. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was 2001.

"Venus is back." "She's not finished winning major titles." "The rumors of her demise were greatly exaggerated -- in fact, her game never REALLY dipped at all." (All right, I made up that last one -- I was just theorizing how the White House might make some Orwellian attempt to convince everyone that we really didn't see Venus going through the motions so often during the past few seasons, no matter how many times we THINK we can remember seeing her doing just that. Must have been our collective imagination.)

"Venus envy" is all fine and good... but let's confine it to this week, for now, all right? What Williams accomplished over the past fortnight was indeed remarkable, and far more of a surprise than Maria Sharapova's SW19 win a year ago. Surely, when I previewed the tournament and wondered whether another "astral occurrence" might be about to take place, I didn't consider a planetary alignment with anything -- or anyone -- named "Venus" in the equation. For that, Williams deserves congratulations for rising to the occasion when no one felt she was up to the task.

In the end, the Wimbledon website's pre-tournament kiss-up article (still there) was indeed prophetic. Ah, if only this Backspin could be like all those post-tournament Venusian Adoration Society pieces, too. Kiss-up articles can be fun (the JHH-inspired ones that show up in this space are labors of love, for sure), and I'd LIKE to be happy for Venus. But I come here prepared not to praise her noteworthy string of performances at the All-England Club, nor to bury her (it'd be tough at this point, no matter how hard I tried), but to wonder why I can't succumb to all the excitement. For, the seemingly simple act of "welcoming back" Venus is too sticky a situation for that.

If only I didn't see Venus' endless jumping around in the glow of her victory, as she did on Saturday after defeating an opponent battling an injury in the 3rd set, and wonder how she'd react if her conqueror had reacted in the same fashion (remember the whining fits that occurred when Sharapova "dared" to celebrate her win over an injured Serena in the final of last year's WTA Championships?).

If only I didn't wonder if Venus, placed in the same situation as Davenport, would have offered her the same respect that the world #1 did her by refusing to use her back injury as an excuse for the loss (it wouldn't have held water, since Davenport squandered opportunities before getting hurt -- serving for the match at 6-5 in the 2nd, holding points for 5-2 in the 3rd, and failing to convert a match point at 5-4). For most of the past year, Williams has put quite a bit of effort into explaining away every loss by creating a laundry list of reasons why she couldn't overcome an opponent, running the gamut from fatigue to a blister on her palm.

If only I didn't immediately wonder whether Richard Williams would have blamed the media and/or fans had Venus put in one of the feeble efforts that she's been prone to pulling out of the bag in recent seasons. Last week, he tossed out a whopper of an excuse for Venus' struggles -- conveniently, offering it up when she was finally playing well -- by saying it was the criticism from media/fans that she and Serena's dominance had made the game "boring" that caused her results (she hadn't advanced past a slam QF for two years) to slip.

If only I could stop myself from nastily wondering whether Davenport might have "won easily" had she played "5% better," as Venus stated earlier this season after another loss to a player she used to be expected to put away with little trouble. At least Serena admitted last week, following her loss to Jill Craybas, that she's "never been a very good loser." We already knew that, of course, but it was good that she actually acknowledged it herself. She didn't promise to improve the "flaw"... but, hey, you take progress wherever you can get it.

"I always felt like a champion in my heart because every single time I walked out on the court, I always gave my best," Venus said on Saturday. "Whatever it was at the time, I gave 100%."

Oh, really? Remember that match against Sesil Karatantcheva at Roland Garros (and I only pick that one because it's the most recent example)? Still holding to that preposterous line of revisionist history, V? To be fair, Venus WAS in fine form that day... after the match. You know, when she casually tossed off the little nugget that she'd never seen or even heard of Karatantcheva before the match, despite her being one of the top rising youngsters on tour.

But it's no secret that Venus has often existed in her own little world. Just like Richard does at times (it's a family thing, I guess). Thank goodness for Oracene Price, who at least provides some measure of composure and doesn't seem to have the ever-present need (publicly, at least) to prove to everyone that the Williamses were right and everyone else is crazy, or hates them because they're just so unbelievably jealous, or prejudiced. No matter how many times Richard has been right about his daughters' tennis fortunes (and he has been... many times), or how many titles they've won (and will win), it doesn't excuse some of the outrageous comments and poor sportsmanship that always lingers in the air after a bad Williams loss, or even a "rebuttal" victory like the one on Saturday. Hard-earned respect is lost when success is met with a string of "I told you so's," while losses are "someone else's fault."

One thing IS clear, though... having Venus (with or without Serena) in the mix again would make the already ultra-competitive WTA tour (the last six slams have crowned six different champions!) even more so during the upcoming North American hardcourt season -- remember, a year ago Venus was arguably the "second-best" player during the period when Davenport dominated the tour prior to the U.S. Open. That is, if Wimbledon wasn't just a "flashback" to her past glory for Williams. It'll only be a true "comeback" if she's able to effectively follow it up.

It's been interesting over the past week hearing about the rise of Venus and the "fall" of Serena. One is almost challenged to remember that the latter won the Australian Open less than six months ago. Yet, there she was, strugging to win at all, then losing to Craybas in the 3rd Round. On the WTA Tour, things can change very quickly... and even more so if the player in question is named Williams.

"I feel great to have accomplished this, but I feel like I want to do a lot more," Venus said.

We'll see. If she does it, maybe it'd be easier to feel almost as happy for her as she seemed to be for herself during her post-match giggling & jumping fit which, under closer inspection, was tantamount to her publicly dancing on Davenport's Wimbledon grave (only in this case, the "dearly-departed" was there to stoicly witness it all).

If she does it, maybe it'd be easier to use BOTH hands to pat her on the back. If only.

Oh, well... there's always Flushing Meadows, right?

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

**WIMBLEDON 2005**

S: Venus Williams d. Lindsay Davenport 4-6/7-6/9-7
D: Black/Huber d. Kuznetsova/Mauresmo
M: Pierce/Bhupathi d. Perebiynis/Hanley
GS: Agnieszka Radwanska d. Tamira Paszek 6-3/6-4
GD: Azarenka/Szavay d. Erakovic/Niculescu
35+ Doubles: Jana Novotna/Tracy Austin

=PLAYER AWARDS (2nd Week)=

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Venus Williams
...as the #14-seed, the lowest to ever win the title (besting #13 Sharapova last year), Venus wins her third Wimbledon, and fifth career slam.
--------------------------------
RISERS: Nadia Petrova & Cara Black/Liezel Huber
...Petrova was the only woman to advance to the QF who either hadn't already won a slam title, or been ranked #1. Black/Huber won the doubles title and moved into the #1 spot in the 2005 Points Race. It was Huber's first slam title, while Black managed to defend her '04 crown (won w/ Rennae Stubbs) for her fifth slam doubles/mixed crown. Interestingly, Black has now won Wimbledon titles in Doubles, Mixed Doubles (2004), Girls Singles (1997) and Girls Doubles (1997). Hope she's not holding out for that missing Singles title, though.
-------------------------------
SURPRISE: Venus Williams
...Wimbledon's "Miss Opportunity" resurrected herself while Serena faltered. But what will she do next?
-------------------------------
VETERAN: Mary Pierce
...she nearly pushed Venus to a 3rd set in the singles, then won the Mixed title with Mahesh Bhupathi.
-------------------------------
FRESH FACE: Agnieszka Radwanska
...the unseeded 16-year old from Poland knocked off #2-seed Agnes Szavay (Junior RG champ & Oz RU) in the SF, then defeated unseeded Tamira Paszek in the Wimbledon Girls Singles final.
-------------------------------
DOWN: Jelena Dokic
...Amelie Mauresmo could certainly fall into this category, for blowing a set and a break (twice, actually) lead in the SF for the second straight year. But I'll give it to a player who wasn't even at Wimbledon. Former SW19 semifinalist Dokic ended her seven-week sabbatical by playing in a $75K challenger in Fano, Italy... only to lose in the 1st Round to Eva Birnerova. She then followed that up with another 1st Round challenger loss to Conchita Martinez-Granados in Cuneo on Tuesday. It's been almost two full years since Dokic won a grand slam match, but it feels like about ten. If her downfall continues at this breakneck speed, the Debutante might officially take up residence in the "lost cause" category... if she's not there, already, that is.

**LINK OF THE WEEK**
...you only get to have your favorite player inducted into the Hall of Fame once, and so is the case with Backspin's all-timer Jana Novotna this week at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. The very picture of perseverance after years of close calls (and outright chokes -- even if Jana wouldn't ever admit to it), the Czech serve-and-volleyer finally won the Wimbledon title in 1998... a win which was essential to her being elevated to such an honor this week. Here'sHere's her Hall of Fame bio (and check out the whole site while you're at it).

Here's her existing WTA Tour bio, as well.

Oh, and Novotna and Tracy Austin actually won the Wimbledon 35+ Women's championship last week (Novotna will be playing in a doubles exhibition, along with fellow inductee Jim Courier, in Newport on Sunday), so here's the Wimbledon site page with pics, match reports and articles about that:

Jana looks fit and happy. Which begs the question... at 36, isn't she young enough to compete in the REAL action? She's a former doubles #1 (and singles #2) with an affinity for the Wimbledon grass... sounds like a familiar recipe for a comeback, doesn't it? Maybe that's just hope talking, though.

**MATCHES**
1.Final - V.Williams d. Davenport
...4-6/7-6/9-7. The longest ever Wimbledon final -- at 2:45 -- with the longest final set in the Open era, this match also made Venus the first SW19 champ to survive a match point since 1933.
-------------------------------
2.SF - V.Williams d. Sharapova
...7-6/6-1. Closer (and louder) than the score would indicate. And there's to be no knocking Sharapova for failing to defend -- even without holding up the plate again, she satisfactorily backed up her '04 title.
-------------------------------
3.4th - Myskina d. Dementieva
...1-6/7-6/7-5. The Czarina's final bit of survival came after trailing 1-6/1-3, and seeing Punch-Sober serve at 5-4. Myskina won the 2nd set TB 11-9, overcame two match points, and catapulted herself in the hardcourt season with something to build upon.
-------------------------------
4.4th - Davenport d. Clijsters
...6-3/6-7/6-3. Paris is solidified. Now, about the 2012 Olympics...
-------------------------------
5.SF - Davenport d. Mauresmo
...6-7/7-6/6-4. Didn't you know she'd find a way to NOT win?
-------------------------------

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

**BACKSPIN GRASSCOURT AWARDS**

=TOP PLAYERS=
1.Venus Williams
2.Lindsay Davenport
3.Maria Sharapova
4.Kim Clijsters
5.Amelie Mauresmo
6.Mary Pierce
7.Anastasia Myskina
8.Svetlana Kuznetsova
9.Eleni Daniilidou
10.Cara Black & Liezel Huber

=RISERS=
1.Eleni Daniilidou
2.Nadia Petrova
3.Flavia Pennetta
4.Klara Koukalova
5.Jelena Jankovic

=SURPRISES=
(other than Venus Williams)
1.Roberta Vinci
2.Jill Craybas
3.Alyona Bondarenko
4.Ashley Harkleroad
5.Sabine Klaschka

=VETERANS=
1.Lindsay Davenport
2.Mary Pierce
3.Jill Craybas
4.Elena Likhovtseva
5.Kveta Peschke

=FRESH FACES=
1.Angela Haynes
2.Ana Ivanovic
3.Vera Douchevina
4.Lucie Safarova
5.Anna Chakvetadze
6.Jamea Jackson
7.Nicole Vaidisova
8.Shenay Perry
9.Agnieszka Radwanska
10.Agnes Szavay & Viktoria Azarenka

=DOWN=
1.Serena Williams
2.Justine Henin-Hardenne
3.Karolina Sprem
4.Tatiana Golovin
5.Alicia Molik

BEST PERFORMANCE: Venus Williams at Wimbledon, naturally
-------------------------------
BEST MATCH: Wimbledon F - V.Williams d. Davenport 4-6/7-6/9-7
...Venus is the third straight 2005 slam champion to overcome a match point during the tournament (Serena vs. Sharapova in Melbourne, and JHH vs. Kuznetsova in Paris).
-------------------------------
CHOKE/COMEBACK: Wimbledon 3rd - Myskina d. Jankovic 6-0/5-7/10-8
...Myskina led 6-0/5-3 and held a match point, then Jankovic led 5-1 in the 3rd. In 2:43, after converting 9-of-33 break point chances, Myskina outlasted the Serb.
-------------------------------
BIGGEST UPSETS: Wimbledon 1st - Daniilidou d. JHH 7-6/2-6/7-5; 3rd - Craybas d. Serena 6-3/7-6
..."favorites?"
-------------------------------

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

**LISTS**

==SINGLES TOP 10==
[as of July 4]
1.Lindsay Davenport
2.Maria Sharapova
3.Amelie Mauresmo
4.Svetlana Kuznetsova
5.Elena Dementieva
6.Serena Williams
7.Justine Henin-Hardenne
8.Venus Williams
9.Nadia Petrova
10.Anastasia Myskina

==LAST SIX SLAM CHAMPIONS==
2004 Roland Garros - Myskina
2004 Wimbledon - Sharapova
2004 U.S. - Kuznetsova
2005 Australian - S.Williams
2005 Roland Garros - Henin-H.
2005 Wimbledon - V.Williams

==VENUS IN SLAM FINALS==
1-5...vs. Serena
4-1...vs. others
0-1...Australian
0-1...Roland Garros
3-2...Wimbledon
2-2...U.S.

==SLAM TITLES - active==
7...Serena Williams
5...Venus Williams
4...Justine Henin-Hardenne
3...Lindsay Davenport
3...Jennifer Capriati
-
(9-Seles)

==AVERAGE SLAM CHAMPION'S SEED==
#10...Last 6 slam champions
#2....Previous 12 slam champions

==MOST WTA FINALS==
6...Davenport (2-4)
4...Henin-Hardenne (4-0)
4...Sharapova (3-1)
3...Clijsters (3-0)
3...V.Williams (2-1)
3...Mauresmo (2-1)

==RUSSIAN BEST AT 2005 SLAMS==
Australian - SF (Sharapova)
R.Garros - SF (Petrova/Likhovtseva)
Wimbledon - SF (Sharapova)

==2005 BACKSPIN SLAM AWARDS==
-"MISS OPPORTUNITY"-
Australian: #19 Dechy (SF)
R.Garros: #21 Pierce (RU)
Wimbledon: #14 V.Williams (W)

==2005 TOP 10 2nd QUARTER W/L==
24-1...Henin-Hardenne (0-1 grass)
20-7...Petrova (5-2)
19-4...Sharapova (10-1)
17-3...Davenport (6-1)
16-3...V.Williams (7-0)
15-7...Schnyder (0-1)
14-4...Mauresmo (5-2)
14-6...Kuznetsova (6-2)
10-5...Dementieva (3-2)
9-8....Zvonareva (2-2)
6-6....Myskina (5-2)
4-3....S.Williams (2-1)
0-2....Molik (0-1)
0-0....Capriati

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

**BATTLE ROYALE RECAP**

...final Battle Royale stats give the win to Backspin over the ol' Holy Webmaster:

Slam 4th Round: Cantin 31-22
Slam QF: Backspin 14-13
SF: Cantin 22-21
Finalists: Backspin 11-7
Champions: Backspin 7-5

Hmmm, now what? Maybe a Battle Royale II? In the meantime, here's a quick warm-up with some Fed Cup predictions:

=SEMIFINALS=
USA def. Russia 3-2
...make it 3-2 for the Horde if the Americans make a lineup change (Davenport & Venus are "scheduled" to play). The U.S. is 4-0 in Fed Cup play vs. Russia, but they haven't met since 1999.

France def. Spain 4-1
...Mauresmo's in her comfort zone here.

=WORLD GROUP I PLAYOFFS=
Austria d. Switzerland 3-2
Belgium d. Argentina 4-1
Croatia d. Germany 3-2
Czech Republic d. Italy 3-2

=WORLD GROUP II PLAYOFFS=
Puerto Rico d. Indonesia 4-1
Bulgaria d. Japan 4-1
Slovak Republic d. Thailand 3-2
China d. Slovenia 4-1

Later this week: The 2nd Quarter Quiz... Next week: Mid-Season Musings & Fed Cup recap

All for now.

Read more...