Wk.16-Viva Italia!

Pretty soon, the rise of the WTA's Italians isn't going to be so much of a secret anymore. In fact, their "incognito time" under the tennis radar might have officially come to a spectacular end this weekend.



2006's first Fed Cup weekend produced a few noteworthy results. One, courtesy of a stack of spiked Waffles in Belgium, will prevent the Russians from a three-peat championship in September. But that outcome wasn't nearly as surprising as what happened on the French red clay. In Nancy, the Italians noodled a way to keep the 2003 FC champion (and 2004-05 RU) French squad from a fourth straight appearance in the final.

Apparently, sometimes the "between-the-cracks" happenings of the early WTA season do mean something. Even before this weekend's coming out party, the success of the Italians on tour this season has been one of the more surprising occurrences. While time was spent wondering how well the Chinese or Czechs might do, the Italians have stolen their thunder time and time again in 2006. Noodle #1 Francesca Schiavone (currently ranked #11, leading the four-pack of Italians in the Top 50) still hasn't won her first career title, but the strides the group has made as a whole in one-quarter of a season have more than made up for that. After Italian players reached seven tour singles finals (winning two titles) in all of 2005, they've already reached six (winning one) this year, placing them right in the productivity mix with the sport's powerhouse contingents.

**2006 FINALISTS BY COUNTRY**
10...Russia (6 titles)
6....France (4)
6....ITALY (1)
4....Belgium (2)

**2006 SEMIFINALISTS BY COUNTRY**
20...Russia
9....France
7....Italy
7....Belgium

As the season goes on, with a healthy pair of Belgians in action, the Italians will likely slip in the standings (and don't count out the Czechs down the stretch, either). But sixteen weeks of success isn't a fluke. This weekend proved that.

Viva Italia!


====
*GROUP I - 1st Round*
Belgium def. Russia 3-2
USA def. Germany 3-2
Italy def. France 4-1
Spain def. Austria 5-0

*GROUP II*
Japan def. Switzerland 4-1
Croatia def. Argentina 3-2
Czech Republic def. Thailand 4-1
China def. Indonesia 4-0


==JULY==
Semifinals: Belgium vs. USA, Italy vs. Spain

Group I Playoffs: Austria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Russia

Group II Playoffs: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Israel, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Thailand

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


==PLAYER AWARDS==

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Francesca Schiavone & Justine Henin-Hardenne
...knocking off Nathalie Dechy (at least in her current form) wasn't exactly monumental, but taking out historically one of the best Fed Cup players around in Amelie Mauresmo sure was. It's onto the semifinals for Italy, with Schiavone leading the way. Now, there's still that pesky thing about winning a tour title... but that detail can be shelved, at least for now. Meanwhile, JHH finally transformed into Le Petit Taureau again in the nick of time, grabbing the Belgian team's fate by the scruff of the neck and pulling it to safety (via a long three-set win over Nadia Petrova) after Kim Clijsters was knocked over by Elena Dementieva in the opening Russia/Belgium match.
==========================
RISERS: Na Li & Anabel Medina-Garrigues
...taking the lead for China, Na Li's 2-0 singles record spearheaded a not-so-easy (the first two matches went to three sets, with Cookies prevailing in both) Group II win over Indonesia. Now, the Chinese are just a July playoff win away from reaching Group I 1st Round play for 2007. In the least competitive of the major Fed Cup matchups (5-0!), Medina-Garrigues went 2-0 while wielding the lead sledgehammer in Spain's bonecrushing win over Austria in 1st Round play.
==========================
SURPRISE: Jamea Jackson

...with a Hall of Fame roster of Americans being no-shows, 19-year old Jackson (#75) made her Fed Cup debut one she won't soon forget. Right out of the box, she upset Anna-Lena Groenefeld on Saturday to rock the German boat. On Sunday, she officially capsized it with an easy victory over Martina Muller to clinch the U.S.'s not-really-that-stunning (really, the Germans had only one competition-hearty player in ALG) advancement to the semis.
==========================
VETERAN: Jill Craybas
...of all the underrated "backup" American team members who've been putting up career-best results in recent weeks, 31-year old Craybas has probably been the least likely to succeed. But, with the absence of the Big Guns, she's put together a string of "last American standing" outings. Against Germany, likely inspired by Jackson's upset of ALG in the previous match, Craybas took out Julia Schruff to make it 2-0, solidifying an American advantage that was never relinquished.
==========================
FRESH FACES: Nicole Vaidisova & Aiko Nakamura
...Vaidisova's been a bit down on her luck in recent weeks, but she (at least temporarily) righted her ship with a 2-0 mark against Thailand in Group II play, with the first victory saving the Maidens from falling down 0-2 after Iveta Benesova's upset loss to Suchanan Viratprasert in the opening match. Meanwhile, 22-year old Nakamura was the youngest member of the Japanese team to face off against the Patty & Martina-less Swiss, but her 2-0 singles record provided most of the protein in the 4-1 victory.
===========================
DOWN: Amelie Mauresmo & Anna-Lena Groenefeld
...in previous years, Mauresmo seemed to use Fed Cup to work out her frustrations over not having won a slam title. She was almost always great. This time, with a slam crown in hand, it was her loss to Schiavone that pretty well ended France's chances to reach a fourth straight FC final. As for ALG. Well, she put the German team on her back in '05 and carried it into Group I play almost single-handedly. A year later, with a team full of decent-but-unreliable big-match players, she was going to have to put up another spotless 3-0 record to get Germany past the underrated American team. Instead, she lost the opening match to the debuting Jackson (7-5 in the 3rd set), inspiring the band of U.S. Fed Cup neophytes. She went 2-0 in her remaining matches, but it was too little too late.
==========================

==MATCHES==

1.1st Round - USA/GER - Jackson d. Groenefeld
...6-2/3-6/7-5. The German boat sprung a leak right at the start, and no amount of bailing of water could save it from sinking. Guess no one will ever accuse Jackson of not knowing how to make an entrance, huh?
---------------------------
2.1st Round - ITA/FRA - Schiavone d. Mauresmo
...6-4/6-7/6-4. Schiavone softened up the French with this paralyzing shot to the midsection, then Flavia Pennetta put them away in the next match with a roundhouse win over Dechy.
---------------------------
3.1st Round - BEL/RUS - JHH d. Petrova
...6-7/6-4/6-3. In 2:39, Henin-Hardenne saved the Belgians from a dangerous 0-2 hole. Could this be a preview of the Queen Justine we'll see during the EuroClay season?
---------------------------
4.Zone Playoffs - ISR/SCG - Peer d. Ivanovic
..6-2/4-6/6-4. With Anna Smashnova getting knocked from pillar to post (she lost to the likes of Gojnea, Kanepi & Timotic), it was up to Peer to carry the Israelis to the Group II playoffs come July. Maybe her most important win was this one over Ivanovic -- Ana's only loss in four matches -- in Israel's 2-1 victory.
---------------------------
5.Zone Playoffs - AUS/IND - Stosur d. Mirza
...6-4/6-2. No Molik. No Dokic. But Sammy was around -- in singles -- to propel the Aussies into the Group II playoffs.
---------------------------
6.Zone Round Robin - SVK/NED - Hantuchova d. Krajicek
...4-6/7-6/6-2. Once upon a time, in 2002, Hantuchova led the Slovaks to a Fed Cup title. Without Wonder Girl the last two years, the Slovak FC fortunes have drifted away. But she has returned, and the long road back has begun. Slovakia next plays in the Group II playoffs, meaning a return trip to a FC final can't happen until 2008 at the earliest.
---------------------------
7.Group II - CRO/ARG - Mezak/Sprem d. Argeni/Diaz Oliva
...6-3/6-3. The only Group I or II tie to be decided by the final doubles match went to Mezak and Sprem (who ended with a hand in all three points in the 3-2 Croatian victory).
---------------------------


**FED CUP MVP's**
==GROUP I==
ITALY: Francesca Schiavone
SPAIN: Anabel Medina-Garrigues
USA: Jamea Jackson
BELGIUM: Justine Henin-Hardenne
==GROUP II==
JAPAN: Aiko Nakamura
CROATIA: Karolina Sprem
CZECH REPUBLIC: Nicole Vaidisova
CHINA: Na Li
==ZONE PLAY==
Shahar Peer (Israel)
Daniela Hantuchova (Slovak Republic)

**FED CUP FINALS - 2000-05**
2000 USA def. Spain
2001 Belgium def. Russia
2002 Slovak Republic def. Spain
2003 France def. USA
2004 Russia def. France
2005 Russia def. France


All for now.

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

NEXT WEEK: April Awards

Read more...

Wk.15-Scarlett Fever

As the WTA Tour, after a brief break for Fed Cup play and a little rest, readies to head off to Europe for the red clay season, 2006's top stories are coming into sharper focus.

First out of the gates was Amelie Mauresmo's title-winning run in Melbourne, along with Justine Henin-Hardenne's retirement in the final (whether that one merits being called a "story" or not). Then, the comeback of Martina Hingis consumed most of the headlines, along with the opinions about the absences and careers of the Williams sisters. Right now, though, the big story is Nadia Petrova.

She applied yet another layer of icing to her season's cake last week in Charleston, running off with another title (her third of the season, and fourth in the last six months), her biggest yet. Her first Tier I crown was the fourth claimed by a Russian in 2006.

**CURRENT TOP 5**
1.Amelie Mauresmo (3511)
2.Kim Clijsters (2941)
3.Maria Sharapova (2753)
4.Justine Henin-Hardenne (2693)
5.NADIA PETROVA (2530)

**MOST 2006 SINGLES TITLES**
3...Amelie Mauresmo
3...NADIA PETROVA
2...Justine Henin-Hardenne

The second of Petrova's back-to-back American claycourt titles made her just the sixth player to accomplish the Amelia Island-South Carolina (now in Charleston, but formerly in Hilton Head) sweep -- the previous five have combined for a total of 60 slam singles crowns -- and further secured her role as a true Roland Garros contender in a few months time.

**INDIAN WELLS/SOUTH CAROLINA SWEEPS**
1981...Chris Evert
1986...Steffi Graf
1987...Steffi Graf
1988...Martina Navratilova
1991...Gabriela Sabatini
1992...Gabriela Sabatini
1995...Conchita Martinez
2006...NADIA PETROVA

**MOST SINGLES TITLES - LAST 6 MONTHS**
5...Amelie Mauresmo
4...NADIA PETROVA
2...Justine Henin-Hardenne
2...Lindsay Davenport
2...Nicole Vaidisova
2...Michaella Krajicek

**MOST 2006 MATCH WINS**
28-6...NADIA PETROVA
23-4...Amelie Mauresmo
21-4...Justine Henin-Hardenne
21-4...Maria Sharapova
21-6...Svetlana Kuznetsova
21-8...Martina Hingis

With a 17-1 record in her last eighteen matches, a string that's included three titles and a win over #1 Mauresmo (in the Doha final), Petrova is putting on a real push for Player of the Year To Date. Of course, with the Frenchwoman's Oz title sticking out like a sore thumb against Petrova's campaign, it's now apparent what Scarlett's next hurdle must be. The quest to become a champion and Tier I winner has become quite successful. A Top 5 ranking is a reality, too. Being the top-ranked Russian could be something that comes to her soon, as well. But the fourth Russian slam winner? That's still floating around in the WTA ether, with Elena Dementieva the other countrywoman vying with Petrova for the honor. Hmmm, how long before Roland Garros starts? (One day sooner than normal, with the new Sunday start of play this season, by the way.)

With a 10-0 start, the clay season couldn't have begun any better for Scarlett. Now, she joins forces with Dementieva in the Fed Cup battle against Belgium this weekend... in Belgium (uh-oh).

Did I say things couldn't get any better? Well, another successful weekend and her new coach will have to tie a rope around Petrova's leg to keep her from floating much farther above the cloud she already finds herself walking on in these early days of spring.


==WEEK 15 CHAMPIONS==

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA USA (I-Green Clay)
S: Nadia Petrova d. Patty Schnyder 6-3/4-6/6-1
D: Raymond/Stosur d. Ruano-Pascual/Shaughnessy
============================

==PLAYER AWARDS==

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nadia Petrova

...Petrova beat the likes of Safarova, Groenefeld and Schnyder on the court, not to mention the searing heat that threatened to put in jeopardy the continuation of her steady, and sometimes stellar, April run. With her coach sitting in the stands wondering if she'd retire from the match, Petrova handled herself well, conserving energy but not sacrificing her game in the process. Even while physically wavering, she made Schnyder work to win a 6-4 2nd set, then got a second wind and a dose of confidence early in the 3rd (you could tell she was feeling a bit better when she headed an errant tennis ball over the net after one point... something she wouldn't have wasted the energy to do just a half hour earlier). Petrova ended up winning the deciding set at 6-1, pushing her ranking to a career-best #5 and becoming the first player since Conchita Martinez eleven years ago to pull off the Amelia Island-Charleston/Hilton Head sweep to start the clay season. Mauresmo is still the 2006 Player of the Year (so far), but Petrova is a big two weeks in Paris from nudging her aside.
============================
RISERS: Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur & Anna-Lena Groenefeld

...hey, look -- Sammy's got a new WTA website bio pic! With every passing week, those missed match points in the Australian Open Doubles final are becoming more and more of an anomaly for the Raymond/Stosur team. They won their fifth title of the season in Charleston, and have swept all four Tier I's. Meanwhile, ALG continued her upward progression by upsetting Svetlana Kuznetsova and reaching her first Tier I SF. She's now at another career-best #14 singles ranking... and is #7 in doubles, too, making her the only WTA player in the Top 15 in both (the closest others are Daniela Hantuchova at #16/#13 and Elena Likhovtseva at #19/#9).
============================
SURPRISE: Catalina Castano
...the 25-year old from Colombia upset Nicole Vaidisova and Marion Bartoli en route to an impressive Tier I QF result.
============================
VETERANS: Patty Schnyder & Conchita Martinez
...Schnyder reached her second career Charleston final (2002), and outlasted Henin-Hardenne in the SF for her first win in seven tries against the Belgian. But she couldn't find a way to put away a stressed Petrova, giving her entire week a "what could have been" quality. Within 24 hours of Petrova becoming the first to sweep the two American clay court events since Martinez did it in '95, the 34-year old (her birthday was on Sunday) Spaniard called it quits for an eventual Hall of Fame career. The 1994 Wimbledon champ ends with 739 wins (sixth all-time), 33 singles titles, 13 doubles titles and 3 Olympic medals (two silvers and a bronze). Adios, Conchita.
============================
FRESH FACE: Vasilisa Bardina
...the 18-year old from Russia won the Jackson $25K event, giving her back-to-back ITF titles.
============================
DOWN: Nicole Vaidisova & Shuai Peng
...whether it's the clay or a nagging injury, Vaidisova has been in a bit of a downturn of late. Her opening match loss to Castano in Charleston only highlighted it. Maybe playing Fed Cup this week will kick-start things. Peng lost in the 1st Round, as well. That itself wouldn't qualifying as a "Down" moment, though, if it wasn't also the fifth time in six events this season that she's been bounced from the draw without notching a victory.
============================

==MATCHES==

1.Chas F - Petrova d. Schnyder
...6-3/4-6/6-1. It was good seasoning for Petrova to have to show some character in gutting out a win against Schnyder's many spins (and drop shots... which Patty went to so much that the Russian thankfully learned to anticipate them before she was inspired to toss her racket out of the stadium in frustration) and the South Carolina heat. Further toughening up like that is just what she'll need in Paris. For now, though... watch your back, Supernova. You've got company.
----------------------------
2.Chas Doub.F - Raymond/Stosur d. Ruano-Pascual/Shaughnessy
...3-6/6-1/6-1. Simply, the best in the biz right now.
----------------------------
3.Chas QF - Groenefeld d. Kuznetsova
...6-3/7-6. ALG's serve -- for good, as well as bad -- ruled the day. Kuznetsova just couldn't get on top of the German's power, and setting up behind the baseline (and never forcing the action) ultimately made the final result an elementary one.
----------------------------
4.Chas 1st - Castano d. Vaidisova
...7-5/6-2. Do you smell a curse?
----------------------------
5.Chas SF - Schnyder d. Henin-Hardenne
...2-6/6-3/6-2. JHH tires down the stretch again, the second time in her two three-setters since Melbourne. Thankfully, for her, Europe's weather might be a little less brutal as the Belgian tries to copy her '05 claycourt dominance.
----------------------------
HM- Chas SF - Petrova d. Groenefeld
...6-1/6-3. These two formed a "Backspin Dream Team" doubles combo in Charleston, too (they reached the SF).
----------------------------


==WTA LISTS==

**2006 MATCH WINNING STREAKS**
16...Amelie Mauresmo (Jan-Feb)
11...Maria Sharapova (March)
10...Justine Henin-Hardenne (Jan)
10...NADIA PETROVA (Apr-current)

**MOST CAREER RUSSIAN TITLES**
11...Maria Sharapova
10...Anastasia Myskina
9....Olga Morozova
6....Svetlana Kuznetsova
5....Elena Dementieva
4....NADIA PETROVA
4....Dinara Safina

**MOST WTA SINGLES FINALS**
4...Amelie Mauresmo (3-1)
3...NADIA PETROVA (3-0)
3...Justine Henin-Hardenne (2-1)
3...Maria Sharapova (1-2)
3...Flavia Pennetta (0-3)

**2006 TIER I SINGLES FINALS**
Tokyo - Dementieva (RUS) d. Hingis (SUI)
I.W. - Sharapova (RUS) d. Dementieva (RUS)
Miami - Kuznetsova (RUS) d. Sharapova (RUS)
Charleston - Petrova (RUS) d. Schnyder (SUI)

**ALL-TIME WTA MATCH WINS**
1442...Martina Navratilova
1304...Chris Evert
900....Steffi Graf
839....Virginia Wade
759....Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
739....CONCHITA MARTINEZ
704....Evonne Goolagong
703....Lindsay Davenport

**ALL-TIME WTA MATCHES**
1661...Martina Navratilova
1448...Chris Evert
1168...Virginia Wade
1054...Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1036...CONCHITA MARTINEZ
1015...Steffi Graf


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

==WEEK 16 - FED CUP==

A two-week break in the WTA schedule begins this week, with the Fed Cup filling the void this first "off" weekend.



Of course, the big headline-grabber will be the Russia-Belgium tie, with Henin-Hardenne and Clijsters showing up against Petrova & Dementieva (but not Myskina and, of course, Sharapova) and the rest of the two-time defending Fed Cup champion band of Russians. It should be an intense affair, but don't be surprised if it's not as close as everyone is hoping with so much firepower on home soil going the Belgians' way.



=FED CUP 1st Round Picks=
France d. Italy 3-2
Spain d. Austria 4-1
Germany d. USA 3-2 (but the Americans could pull an upset)
Belgium d. Russia 4-1

=Group II Picks=
Japan d. Switzerland 4-1
Croatia d. Argentia 5-0
Czech Republic d. Thailand 5-0
China d. Indonesia 4-1


All for now.

Read more...

Wk.14-Squeaky Scarlett & the Justice League of Mother Russia

DATELINE: 9 April 2006

AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA-- With her fellow superheroines previously engaged, Scarlett (secret identity: Nadia Petrova) was called in by the forces of tennis order to save the day. And on the Isle of Amelia, she did just that.

Her Russian colleagues (from the Supernova to Punch-Sober and the Czarina, and on down the line of succession) were mostly scattered throughout the world, but the delightfully squeaky-voiced 23-year old Muscovite was present to carry forth the reputation of the entire Justice League of Mother Russia solely on her back once the Contessova (who'd performed the duty a week earlier in Miami) physically broke down in the next-to-last battle of the weekend. And after a straight sets win over the (still) title-impaired Francesca Schiavone on Sunday, Scarlett now has her eyes set on much bigger prizes.

Often overlooked for her flashier cohorts (they all have flowing capes and cool utility belts, don't you know), Scarlett is brimming with confidence and ready to tackle the clay season with a new vigor after completing her third solo save-the-day mission over the last six months, after having previously gone her entire Justice League career without a single unassisted victory. Armed with a more consistent and calm set of nerves, unlike her final opponent in Amelia Island, the thought that her upcoming European jaunt could end with her at the top of the Justice League heap isn't so far fetched a notion after all.

Alas, a superheroine doesn't have time to rest, as now it's off to the Town of Charles, where Scarlett will likely once again face off against the "forces of evil" (as well as Queen Justine, of course) as the League's sole standard-bearer (what with the Contessova still limping along after her unfortunate weekend, her full-battle participation can't be guaranteed).

So, as this space has been a long-time advocate for this particular Russian's cause, let it be asked loudly and clearly: Have you caught Scarlett Fever?

Well, what are you waiting for?

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

**WEEK 14 CHAMPIONS**

=============================
AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA USA (II-Green Clay)
S: Nadia Petrova d. Francesca Schiavone 6-4/6-4
D: Asagoe/Srebotnik d. Huber/Mirza
=============================

==PLAYER AWARDS==

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nadia Petrova

...Petrova's getting a lot of practice at raising trophies lately, picking up three Tier II's in six months has made all that heavy lifting somewhat habit-forming. Having unlocked the WTA's title-winning chamber of secrets, she's a very real threat to overtake Maria Sharapova as the top-ranked Russian by the time Wimbledon rolls around. Currently, at #7 and seemingly mere weeks from a near-certain rise into the Top 5, she's just 448 points behind her #4-ranked fellow Russian... and Petrova's contesting once again in this week's Tier I in Charleston, while Sharapova (who's not quite as proficient on clay, anyhow) isn't. At 23-6 on the year (in a tie with Amelie Mauresmo for the most match wins on tour in '06), things are most definitely looking up for Backspin's fave Russian. That great week in Linz last October is turning out to be just as much of a breakthrough as anyone could have hoped.
============================
RISERS: Francesca Schiavone & Anna-Lena Groenefeld
...count 'em up, that's seven trips to singles finals in Schiavone's career. And she's got a 0-7 record to show for it. Ouch. She may have yet to conquer those last match demons, but wins over Groenefeld and Kuznetsova (more on that in a moment) pushed her ranking to a career-best #11. Groenefeld's up to a best-ever #15 (whoops, there goes one of Pierre's predictions down in flames) after a QF result in A.I. and wins over Zvonareva and Safina.
============================
SURPRISE: Maria Elena Camerin

...another of the phalanx of Italians assaulting the WTA scene this year, 24-year old Camerin continues to surprise. In Amelia Island, she notched a few more impressive wins over Marta Domachowska and Katerina Srebotnik.
============================
VETERANS: Jill Craybas & Virginia Ruano-Pascual
...what has gotten into Craybas, anyway? Jankovic and Sprem were amongst her A.I. victims as she surged to another last-American-standing QF result last week. VRP qualified, then downed Nathalie Dechy and Elena Vesnina in singles and also reached the doubles SF.
============================
FRESH FACE: Lucie Safarova
...so far, Safarova is winning the '06 Maiden race with Nicole Vaidisova (but, remember, it's a long year), gaining Amelia's Isle wins over Michaella Krajicek, Mara Santangelo, Craybas and (yes, her) Vaidisova en route to the SF.
============================
DOWN: Jelena Dokic
...the Debutante emerged from her shadowy hiding place in Biarritz to participate in a $25K challenger. She lost... in the first round of qualifying... in straight sets... to the world #709. Sometimes the facts say it all, don't they?
============================

==MATCHES==

1.AI Doub.1st - Pratt/Stewart d. Stubbs/Morariu
...7-6(5)/7-6(20). Yes, it was 22-20 in the 2nd set tie-break. And, yes, it was the longest TB in WTA history (breaking the 21-19 marathon of Snyder vs. Gagliardi in 1999 in Madrid). Pratt/Stewart had 15 match points (12 of them in the TB!), while Stubbs/Morariu failed to convert three set points.
-----------------------------
2.AI SF - Schiavone d. Kuznetsova
...7-6/3-2 ret. Here we go again. As soon as I saw Schiavone have the "outright temerity" to be excited and celebrate her advancement to the final after Kuznetsova's retirement with an abductor injury, I figured the inevitable was about to happen -- there'd be the usual whining and bitching about "sportsmanship" and etiquette and blah-blah-blah. And guess what, that's what happened. First, it should be noted that Schiavone was playing Kuznetsova well in the 1st set before the injury and, second, that Kuznetsova continued to play (and play decently) afterward for half a set... so it wasn't as if she snapped her fibula and bled out on the court. Seriously, the whine and cry brigade should remember that, unless I'm mistaken, conditioning and health are part of the game... so Schiavone needn't act as if she'd just attended a funeral immediately after she's advanced to one of the bigger finals of her career. This is really starting to get ridiculous. Unless players set out a full tea service for their opponent after a match, they get called on the carpet for not acting like a "lady." Grow up, and get over it... you know you can't tell a fiery Italian that she can't be festive after a win. (And, yes, I'm aware of a tinge of hypocrisy here considering at least one previous Backspin soapbox moment... and because of that I vow to even leave the Sisters alone in the future -- if they ever actually play, that is -- when it comes to post-match "antics". Ummm... well, at least I will unless it's simply too easy to exploit it for hopefully comic purposes, that is.)
-----------------------------
3.AI 3rd - Safarova d. Vaidisova
...6-1/4-6/6-4. Maybe Nicole does have a bit of the curse in her.
-----------------------------
4.AI Final - Petrova d. Schiavone
...6-4/6-4. Nadia's been let in on the formula for WTA success, as Russians have won the last three WTA tour events. But has she gotten the codes necessary to run the Russian 2006 Tier I streak to four in Charleston?
-----------------------------
5.Biarritz $25K Q1 - Eleonora Punzo d. Dokic
...7-5/7-5. Who?
-----------------------------

==WTA LISTS==

**2006 WTA TITLES**
3...Mauresmo (Australian,Paris,Antwerp)
2...Henin-Hardenne (Sydney,Dubai)
2...Petrova (Doha,Amelia Island)

**MULTIPLE 2006 FINALS - NO WINS**
0-3...Flavia Pennetta
0-2...Jelena Kostanic
0-2...Francesca Schiavone

**2006 FINALISTS BY NATION**
9...Russia (5 titles)
6...France (4)
6...Italy (1)
4...Belgium (2)

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

**ROYALE RETURN**

...the Battle Royale picks up again in Charleston, as Pierre and I face off in 2006's season-long competition.


CHARLESTON, S.C. USA (I-Green Clay)
05 F: Henin-Hardenne d. Dementieva
06 TOP: Henin-Hardenne/Petrova
==============================

BACKSPIN's PICKS:

-QF-
Henin-Hardenne d. Safina
Schnyder d. Srebotnik
Groenefeld d. Shaughnessy
Petrova d. Vaidisova
-SF-
Henin-Hardenne d. Schnyder
Petrova d. Groenefeld
-FINAL-
Henin-Hardenne d. Petrova

...I'm banking on Kuznetsova pulling an injury-related disappearing act.


PIERRE's PICKS:

=QF=
Henin-Hardenne d. Safina
Schnyder d. Sucha
Kuznetsova d. Medina-Garrigues
Petrova d. Vaidisova
=SF=
Henin-Hardenne d. Schnyder
Kuznetsova d. Petrova
=FINAL=
Kuznetsova d. Henin-Hardenne


All for now.

Read more...

1st Quarter Wrap-Up

You can now read the ATP Backspin 1st Quarter Awards and test your knowledge with the 1st Quarter edition the first-ever combined ATP/WTA Quiz!

And, of course, come back here this week to see the first edition of WTA Backspin covering the 2nd Quarter!

Read more...

WTA Backspin 1Q Awards

Where did all the time go? The 2006 season is already a quarter over?

Amelie Mauresmo has a slam title, while Venus Williams still doesn't have a single victory. Svetlana Kuznetsova is back. Jennifer Capriati is not. Jelena Dokic is hiding behind a heavy mist of (self?) doubt, while Sesil Karatantcheva is in the WTA equivalent of judicial purgatory (and may stay there for two years). Shuai Peng and the Chinese tennis establishment are looking at each other with arched eyebrows, at the same time when the Swiss Miss has been raising eyebrows.

There are STILL so many weeks to play? The 2006 season is ONLY a quarter over?

Guess it just depends on how you look at things, huh?

And now for the awards and recollections from Weeks 1-13...

**PLAYER OF THE 1Q**

1.Amelie Mauresmo...really no contest. After taking the pressure off herself to finally win a slam, she actually won one. Go figure.
==========================
2.Justine Henin-Hardenne...agree with it or not (not!), many will continue to hold her Oz retirement against her. At least they will until she wins enough additional slams to force them to overlook it.
==========================
3.Maria Sharapova...getting close a lot (still), and occasionally winning a big one (like Indian Wells), the Supernova is still something of a work in progress. Should I bring up the "Sharapova Scenario" again?
==========================
4.Svetlana Kuznetsova...she outlasts curses, not to mention #1-ranked players. Miami signalled the official return of the Contessova, and a powerful and in form Sveta could be a bear to face in Paris and SW19, not to mention Flushing Meadows.
==========================
5.Elena Dementieva...somehow, ol' Punch-Drunk tends to get overlooked in favor of other Russians. First in favor of Sharapova, then Myskina, and then Kuznetsova. And Nadia Petrova is ranked ahead of her. But she's developed quite a reservior of on-court guts over the years (having to contend with that serve, how could she not?), and maybe a third trip to a slam final will be her deserved charm.
==========================
6.Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur...this doubles pair came within a few tight Aussie Open match points from pulling a Federer-esque accomplishment of seizing three Tier I's AND a slam title in the season's 1st Quarter. They aren't the two top-ranked doubles players in the world for nothing.
==========================
7.Martina Hingis...seems like she never left now, doesn't it? Has anyone so seamlessly returned to a sport after a three-year absence? She still has problems against the powerful Top 10ers that were often her downfall during Swiss Miss I, but Hingis now has the maturity to accept her physical limitations... and try to figure out ways around them.
==========================
8.Nadia Petrova...her long-overdue first singles title late last season was bound to either enbolden or satiate our Scarlett. With delight, I say the former seems to be the reality. A big slam run might even give her a shot to end the year as the top-ranked Russian.
==========================
9.Zi Yan & Jie Zheng...the pair of Cookies became the first Chinese slam champs when they took the Australian doubles title, overcoming five match points along the way... and putting an early stopper on a Raymond/Stosur big event sweep.
==========================
10.Kim Clijsters...before her Melbourne injury, Clijsters was at least looking like she'd be in the mix for '06 supremacy following her maiden slam title in Flushing. Since then, she's barely played. When push comes to shove, will she still have the same desire down the season's stretch run that she had during her comeback last year?
==========================

**RISERS**
1.Elena Dementieva
2.Samantha Stosur
3.Nadia Petrova
4.Anna-Lena Groenefeld
5.Tatiana Golovin
6.Dinara Safina
7.Sofia Arvidsson
8.Marta Domachowska
9.Marion Bartoli
10.Na Li

**SURPRISES**
1.Tszvetana Pironkova
2.Jelena Kostanic
3.Mara Santangelo
4.Maria Elena Camerin
5.Maret Ani
6.Anna Tatishvili
7.Lourdes Dominguez-Lino
8.Sybille Bammer
9.Aleksandra Wozniak
10.Shenay Perry

**VETERANS**
1.Martina Hingis
2.Lisa Raymond
3.Ai Sugiyama
4.Jill Craybas
5.Eleni Daniilidou

**FRESH FACES**
1.Michaella Krajicek
2.Lucie Safarova
3.Shahar Peer
4.Victoria Azarenka
5.Maria Kirilenko
6.Jarmila Gajdosova
7.Vania King
8.Emma Laine
9.Elena Vesnina
10.Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

**DOWN**
1.Venus & Serena Williams
2.Sesil Karatantcheva
3.Jelena Dokic
4.Sania Mirza
5.Lindsay Davenport

**BEST PERFORMANCE (in theory)**
Martina Hingis going 20-8 (18-2 vs. players outside the Top 10) after three years aways from the game, and reaching a Tier I final in Tokyo

**BEST PERFORMANCE (in reality)**
Svetlana Kuznetsova eliminates three #1-ranked players (Hingis, Mauresmo & Sharapova) in Miami en route to her first Tier I title, and first singles crown of any kind in eighteen months

**BEST MATCH**
Australian Open SF - Henin-Hardenne d. Sharapova
...4-6/6-1/6-4. Le Petit Taureau will most likely like to remember this typically hard-nosed effort under pressure than what happened in the proceding match

**WORST CHOKE (SINGLES)**
Indian Wells SF - Dementieva d. Henin-Hardenne
...JHH uncharacteristically fumbles away a 6-2/5-2 lead against Dementieva, who characteristically took her good sweet time getting into the match. But once she did, the Russian's groundstrokes never allowed the Belgian to wrestle control back from her.

**WORST CHOKE (DOUBLES)**
Australian Open Final - Yan/Zheng d. Raymond/Stosur
...a very special 1st Quarter was lost when the world's best doubles team blew a 3-1 2nd set lead and two match points (after the Chinese pair had saved three other match points in the QF, as well). Of course, maybe this loss inspired Raymond/Stosur to take the three Tier I's that followed?

**BIGGEST UPSET**
Australian Open 1st Round - Pironkova d. V.Williams
...2-6/6-0/9-7. You would have sworn it was Dementieva out there blasting forehands past Venus from all sorts of angles. You never would have sworn it was the same Williams on the court in Melbourne who'd won Wimbledon last year... and you would have been right on that count. As Venus said, "Obviously, she benefitted from my largesse."

**HELLO...GOODBYE...JUST WAITING**
Martina Hingis, Jelena Dokic and Brenda Schultz-McCarthy returned to action. Dally Randriantefy and Daja Bedanova retired. Dokic went AWOL after her 1st Round loss in Melbourne, while once-and-currently-so-again fellow Aussie Alicia Molik's sabbatical from the tour was softened by a stint on the Australian version of "Dancing with the Stars" (and will soon be temporarily suspended for a cameo on the Aussie Fed Cup team).



**SPEAKING OF FED CUP...**
Will there by any more anticipated Fed Cup tie all season than the prospective Russia vs. Belgium meeting that could include both Henin-Hardenne AND Clijsters against... well, whichever of the slew of Hordettes is present?

**BIGGEST WIN**
Zi Yan and Jie Zheng's doubles title in the Australian, the first slam title by any Chinese player. Surviving five match points along the way was just an overly dramatic bonus.

**FALSE START**
Jelena Dokic returned to Australia for the first time in five years, then won the all-Australian mini-tournament for a wild card berth in the Oz main draw. But after prematurely celebrating on a match point against Virginie Razzano in the 1st Round in Melbourne, she lost a tight tie-break then was bageled in the 3rd set. She's pretty much been the Invisible Girl (again) ever since.

**TOO MUCH ADO ABOUT VIRTUALLY NOTHING**
The "Day After Tomorrow"-like handwringing and angry denouncing of Henin-Hardenne's retirement due to a stomach ulcer in the Australian Open final against Amelie Mauresmo. After creating so many memorable moments while playing through pain, pressure and exhaustion in the past, JHH deserved better than for one decision (whether one agreed with it or not) to be threatened to be held over her head for the rest of her career. There's criticism, and there's shameful browbeating... and Henin-Hardenne didn't deserve it.

**IN 2026, NO ONE WILL REMEMBER THE DETAILS**
Amelie Mauresmo won her first career slam in Melbourne in January 2006. In time, that she had three of her seven matches ended by an opponent's retirement will become nothing but an obscure footnote.

**FIRST-TIME WTA SINGLES CHAMPS**
Sofia Arvidsson
Marion Bartoli
Lourdes Dominguez-Lino
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Shahar Peer
Mara Santangelo

**RUSSIAN DOMINANCE, LEVEL 2**
All three 2006 Tier I events have been won by Russians: Elena Dementieva (Tokyo), Maria Sharapova (Indian Wells), and Svetlana Kuznetsova (Miami)

**THE SERIES THAT ALMOST NEVER HAPPENED**
Remember when Tyson-Holyfield looked like it'd forever be a sports "What If?" Well, time eventually cured that ill (if not Holyfield's ear), just as it did any possible Sharapova vs. Hingis discussions. The pair met three times in the 1st Quarter, with Sharapova winning the final two matches.

**MOST DESPERATE PLEA TO BE LIKED**
In Antwerp, Kim Clijsters returned early from her ankle injury and made a very public "gift" of 11,000 bottles of champagne to the fans in attendence at her first match.

**LEAST DESPERATE PLEA TO BE LIKED**
You guessed it. JHH in Melbourne. As Justine said later, "Some understand and some don't. You can't make people like you." Kim might disagree.

**STILL WAITING**
Jennifer Capriati
Monica Seles

**STILL WINNING**
Martina Navratilova, at the tender age of 49 (the big 5-oh comes this October), reached the Miami Tier I doubles final with partner Liezel Huber

**FAVORITE QUOTE**
Tszvetana Pironkova, on what her fellow players said to her in the lockerroom after her Melbourne upset of Venus Williams: "Well job. Good done." (Hmmm... well, I'm sure that's how Tszvetana heard it, at least.)

**FRIENDLY PERSUASION**
Tennis magazine publisher Chris Evert publicly called for/pleaded with Serena Williams (currently ranked in the #60's) to rededicate herself to the sport

**NOODLE-RIFIC**
There were more WTA singles finalists from Italy in the 1st Quarter than from Belgium, the Czech Republic or Spain.


And finally...

**A WAY WAS FOUND TO SHUT SESIL KARATANTCHEVA'S MOUTH**
Who knew? All it took was a failed drug test. Hmmm... if her pregnancy claim is true, maybe this entry should have been titled "A Way Was Found to Close Sesil Karatantcheva's Legs" instead. Yeah, maybe not.


All for now.

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Wk.12/13-Springtime for Sveta

Let the curse be officially laid to rest, at least as far as the Contessova is concerned.




Svetlana Kuznetsova ascended to the WTA mountain top in Flushing Meadows some... wow, it's already EIGHTEEN months ago. Oh, she won a title in Bali a week later, but then soon learned how quickly expectation could turn into disappointment. Since then, she hadn't felt the exileration of lifting a singles trophy since that day in Indonesia... until Saturday in Miami.

A 2005 season followed that began with rumors of a failed drug test and then only proceeded to get worse (with a 1st Round U.S. Open loss only one of the more notable crash-outs). By the end of the year, Kuznetsova's one-time #4 post-U.S. Open title ranking had morphed into one barely inside the Top 20 (#18). Having missed any chance to become the top Russian last year, Kuznetsova was faced with a treacherous climb back just to remain in the conversation, let alone mounting another assault on the peak.

But after showing consequential progress toward that goal through the first eleven weeks of the 2006 season (including notching a win over Amelie Mauresmo, ending the Aussie Open champ's season-best 16-match winning streak), the last two in south Florida finally secured a foothold for Kuznetsova's objective. Key Biscayne wins over not one (Martina Hingis), not two (Mauresmo again), but three (Maria Sharapova in the final, where Kuznetsova ended the Supernova's 11-match string, the season's SECOND-longest streak, with powerful strokes that sometimes literally pushed the Russian teenager around and even off the court) current/former #1-ranked players, claiming her sixth WTA singles title and first Tier I crown. Kuznetsova now heads into the clay season with a locomotive-like head of steam, where (unlike Sharapova) her post-Moscow Spanish roots might come in handy.

Kuznetsova's victory speaks not only of the rehabilitation of her own game, but also the re-animation the 2004 Russian hegemony as far as big-time titles are concerned... albeit on a smaller scale. Rather than the 4-for-4 slam (plus WTA Championship & Fed Cup) style of dominance of two seasons ago, the 2006 band of Russians who missed out in Melbourne have won all three Tier I titles this season, and filled five of the six finalist slots in those events. Kuznetsova's victory put her back in the Top 10, joining her three countrywomen (Sharapova, Nadia Petrova & Elena Dementieva) there. Is the Russian redistribution of WTA wealth about to begin anew? Well, it's at least a start.

A new Russian spring might not quite be a tour reality just yet but, after Miami, it's certainly "Springtime for Sveta."

Could it be "curses" for the rest of the field?


**MIAMI CHAMPIONS**

S: Svetlana Kuznetsova d. Maria Sharapova 6-4/6-3
D: Raymond/Stosur d. Huber/Navratilova

**PLAYER AWARDS**
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Svetlana Kuznetsova
...welcome back, Contessova. Hey, maybe Pierre and I were just a year early.
==========================
RISERS: Tatiana Golovin & Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur
...the Frussian Pastry had one of those "Yeah, But" weeks. Having recently relocated to Miami, Golovin suddenly had a homecourt advantage (rare for a player born in Russia, but representing France, after virtually growing up in America), and she took advantage of it. She thrashed Indian Wells RU Elena Dementieva, and won a tough one over Jie Zheng. In the SF against Sharapova, she overcame a 6-3/5-1 deficit and FOUR match points to push Sharapova to the wall in the 3rd set... then "pulled a Groenefeld" and severely turned her ankle (yes, it was quite ugly) and had to retire from the match. Now she'll be out for over a month with two torn ligaments. Somehow, Golovin will have to put aside the injury and focus on her great and gutsy play from the past two weeks that reminded everyone why there so much buzz about her future two years ago. Just call Raymond & Stosur the "Federers" of the WTA Doubles tour. The pair's Miami title was their third Tier I of the season, further distancing themselves from the pack as the #1 (Stosur) and #2 (Raymond) ranked doubles players. Ahh, if only they hadn't blown two match points in the Melbourne doubles final.
==========================
SURPRISES: Anna Tatishvili & Jie Zheng
...Georgia (the republic, not the home state of Atlanta) native Tatishvili, 16, came to Miami with a wild card and a #1144 ranking. All she did to back it up was upset Sania Mirza in the 1st Round. Meanwhile, Zheng had gone 0-5 in WTA singles matches before she came to Florida... then went 4-1 (with big wins over Nathalie Dechy, Anna-Lena Groenefeld & Jill Craybas, then pushed Golovin in the QF, as well) in a better season-resurrecting moment than she could have ever hoped to accomplish.
==========================
VETERANS: Eleni Daniilidou & Jill Craybas
...Daniilidou continued her resurgent season by qualifying in Miami, then getting main draw wins over Shenay Perry, Dinara Safina and Daniela Hantuchova. One would have thought Craybas' Wimbledon upset of Serena Williams last year would never have competition for "best career moment." It didn't, until she knocked out Kim Clijsters in three sets in KC's short-lived attempt to defend her Miami title.
==========================
FRESH FACES: Anna Chakvetadze & Maria Kirilenko
...the Russian teen set had a good week in Miami, as well. Chakvetadze reached the 4th Round with victories over Karolina Sprem, Shahar Peer and Virginie Razzano. Kirilenko also reached the Round of 16, knocking out fellow teens Vania King and Viktoriya Kutuzova before pushing her friend -- you know, Miss Sharapova -- to three sets.
==========================
DOWN: Venus & Serena Williams
...it says something about the fate of the Williams sisters in the 1st Quarter when they twice made headlines during Miami without striking a single ball. First, Venus pulled out of the event with an elbow injury, then when Chris Evert publicly pleaded (in Tennis magazine, of which Chrissie is the publisher) with the currently #60-ish ranked Serena to re-dedicate herself to the game.


**MATCHES**
1.Mia SF - Sharapova d. Golovin
...6-3/6-7/4-3 ret. With Anna Kournikova watching from the stands, Sharapova led 6-3/5-1, blew 4 match points, took two oddly-timed (or not?) bathroom breaks just as things got tight, and soon found herself down break point at 1-2 in the 3rd. Then, her fortunes changed. After missing forehands more often than not all week, she blew one down the line to save the game, then broke Golovin in the next. Minutes later, Golovin tumbled into the corner of the court on a gruesome-looking turned ankle. One point later it was all over.
---------------------------
2.Mia Doub.F - Raymond/Stosur d. Huber/Navratilova
...6-4/7-5. Martina's back in form. Raymond/Stosur have rarely been anything but all season.
---------------------------
3.Mia F - Kuznetsova d. Sharapova
...6-4/6-3. So much for the Supernova's mastery of her fellow Russians. And I won't even go into her 0-for-11 streak in replay challenges.
---------------------------
4.Mia 3rd - Kuznetsova d. Hingis
...3-6/6-1/7-6. Much like the Sharapova vs. Hingis series, the second meeting was the charm for Kuznetsova against the Swiss Miss... but she had to save a match point to pull it off.
---------------------------
5.Mia SF - Kuznetsova d. Mauresmo
...6-1/6-4. Mauresmo's been dominating the tour for most of the season, but Kuznetsova's beaten her twice in '06.
---------------------------
6.Mia 1st - Jackson d. Harkleroad
...7-5/6-7/7-5. The first replay match in this "new era." Jackson's initial challenge resulted in Hawk-Eye saying "no-no" to an overrule. But things will never quite be the same, will they?
---------------------------
7.Mia 2nd - Shaughnessy d. Henin-Hardenne
...7-5/6-4. Hmmm, after JHH suffered that injury in Indian Wells, one wonders if this was at least partly the result of Miami participation being mandated by the tour.
---------------------------
8.Mia 2nd - Craybas d. Clijsters
...7-5/3-6/7-5. With Clijsters likely not over her ankle injury... well, just read what I said about Henin-Hardenne's loss.
---------------------------
9.Mia 1st - Tatishvili d. Mirza
....7-6/1-6/7-6. Whew! Sania, I hope you got the name of that #1144-ranked truck.
---------------------------
10.Mia 4th - Sharapova d. Kirilenko
...3-6/6-4/6-1. When the Marias meet does Sharapova let their friendship distract her? This isn't the first three-setter they've played against each other.
---------------------------

==WTA LISTS=

*TIER I EVENTS in 2006**
[SINGLES FINALS]
Tokyo - Dementieva d. Hingis
Indian Wells - Sharapova d. Dementieva
Miami - Kuznetsova d. Sharapova

*2006 TOP 10ers - WTA W/L*
23-4...Amelie Mauresmo
21-4...Maria Sharapova
18-3...Justine Henin-Hardenne
18-6...Nadia Petrova
16-4...Svetlana Kuznetsova
16-5...Elena Dementieva
11-5...Patty Schnyder
9-3....Kim Clijsters
8-3....Lindsay Davenport
4-2....Mary Pierce
0-1....Venus Williams

*2006 WINS OVER CURRENT/FORMER #1's*
4...Justine Henin-Hardenne
4...Svetlana Kuznetsova
4...Amelie Mauresmo
3...Maria Sharapova
2...Elena Dementieva
2...Martina Hingis

*MOST WTA FINALS*
4...Amelie Mauresmo (3-1)
3...Justine Henin-Hardenne (2-1)
3...Maria Sharapova (1-2)
3...Flavia Pennetta (0-3)

*MOST WTA SF*
5...Amelie Mauresmo (4-1)
5...Maria Sharapova (3-2)
4...Justine Henin-Hardenne (3-1)
4...Martina Hingis (1-3)

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

***MARCH AWARDS***

--PLAYER OF THE MONTH--
1.Svetlana Kuznetsova
2.Maria Sharapova
3.Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur
4.Nadia Petrova
5.Anna-Lena Groenefeld
HM-Elena Dementieva

RISER: Nadia Petrova
SURPRISE: Maret Ani
VETERAN: Martina Hingis
FRESH FACE: Jarmila Gajdosova
DOWN: Justine Henin-Hardenne

--PERFORMANCE OF THE MONTH--
Kuznetsova wins Miami, taking her first Tier I after three wins over current/former #1 players

--MATCH OF THE MONTH--
Indian Wells SF - Dementieva d. Henin-Hardenne... 2-6/7-5/7-5. Punch-Sober overcomes 6-2/5-2 hole to down JHH.

--COMEBACKS OF THE MONTH--
After woeful starts to their seasons, Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Acapulco singles & doubles champ) and Jie Zheng (Miami QF) turn things around with some well-timed inspired play

--UPSET OF THE MONTH--
Miami 1st - Anna Tatishvili d. Sania Mirza
...7-6/1-6/7-6. Sania...#1144?

--UPSET OF THE MONTH (II)--
Miami 1st - Jill Craybas d. Kim Clijsters
...7-5/3-6/7-5. Clijsters puts up 10 double-faults and 80 errors.

--HELLO/GOODBYE--
Dally Randriantefy retired. Brenda Schultz-McCarthy returned.

--MOSCOW REDUX?--
Just like Anna-Lena Groenefeld late last season in Moscow, Tatiana Golovin saw a potentially montumental win over Maria Sharapova go by the wayside thanks to a severely turned ankle.

--ITF PRINCESS--
Jarmila Gajdosova won 17 straight matches and three titles.

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

**PREDICTION CORNER**

...after three outings in "Battle Royale 2006" -- Melbourne, Indian Wells and Miami -- the standings are:

4th Rounders: tied 19-19
Quarterfinalists: Backspin 13-11
Semifinalists: Pierre Cantin 8-5
Finalists: tied 2-2
Champions: tied 0-0 (ouch!)

The Royale continues in Charleston, Berlin, Rome and Roland Garros.

As for Week 14...


AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA USA (II-Green Clay)
05 F: Davenport d. Farina Elia
06 TOP: Petrova/Schnyder
==========================

SF: Petrova d. Sprem; Kuznetsova d. Groenefeld
FINAL: Kuznetsova d. Petrova

...why not?

All for now.

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

ALSO THIS WEEK: A complete wrap-up of the 2006 1st Quarter with the "WTA Backspin 1Q Awards," "ATP Backspin 1Q Awards" and the "Backspin 1Q Quiz"

Read more...