Wk.30- The Return of Killer Kim and Unassailable Anna

Hmmmm... there's something oddly familiar about Kim Clijsters and Anna Smashnova winning titles this weekend.



Of course, if you thought winning the 2005 U.S. Open title would bolster Kim Clijsters' confidence for the 2006 season then you've been severely disappointed for most of the past seven months. This season, Clijsters has appeared to drift in and out of focus, planning her wedding here and talking about retirement there... that is, when she wasn't pondering how little a chance she had to win Roland Garros or some other such tournament. She's certainly been nothing like Amelie Mauresmo, whose taken her career's biggest wins and managed to convince herself they mean that she's capable of winning EVEN MORE.

There's been little thought in these parts that Clijsters was going to be a slam threat in '06. But Stanford, while not completely obliterating it, at least gives that line of thinking a slight pause. Back in North America, Clijsters at times resembled the "Killer Kim" that buzzed through the U.S. Open Series field last summer. Has she finally remembered what she should never have forgotten in the first place? She's probably the best hard court player out there, and if she believes she can win -- no, make that KNOWS she can win -- another Open title then she just might be able to do it. Surely, Patty Schnyder didn't have much doubt about the outcome of their final match on Sunday, but will Clijsters herself feel the same way once play begins in Flushing a month from now?

A year ago, a title in Stanford began the string of three championships that led into Clijsters' U.S. Open victory. One week into the '06 Series, things are looking mighty familiar.... just like the results that occur when Smashnova reaches a WTA singles final.

The 30-year old Israeli vet is still moving forward with one of the more perplexing careers in recent memory. Her win over Lourdes Dominguez-Lino in the Budapest final ran her career record to 12-0 in championship matches. Thing is, you'd think a player with such ability to play her best in important matches might be able to translate it into at least some minor grand slam success since her major debut thirteen years ago.

But, as I noted a few weeks ago, Smashnova might just be the worst slam player ever considering her career-long success elsewhere on tour. As it stands, she's the only player in WTA history with at least ten singles titles who's never once advanced to a slam quarterfinal.

And with her Tier IV clay court win under her belt, Smashnova promptly withdrew from the Tier I hard court event in San Diego this week. Hmmm... maybe things are becoming a little more clear as far as Smashnova's intended career path, huh?

Clijsters, while not the most driven Top 10 player (and certainly not the most single-minded one from Belgium), at least TRIES to grab the big prize. Now, whether she's just started down the path toward her second one... THAT is another story.


**WEEK 30 CHAMPIONS**

STANFORD, CALIFORNIA USA (II-Hard)
S: Kim Clijsters d. Patty Schnyder 6-4/6-2
D: Groenefeld/Peer d. Camerin/Dulko

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (IV-Red Clay)
S: Anna Smashnova d. Lourdes Dominguez-Lino 6-1/6-3
D: Husarova/Krajicek d. Hradecka/Voracova

WTT FINAL
Philadelphia Freedoms def. Newport Beach Breakers 21-14


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kim Clijsters
...Clijsters' 32nd career title moves her to within one of Venus Williams' career total, and her fourth Stanford title in the last six years didn't come as a result of defeating a bunch of slouches, either. Jelena Jankovic, Vera Zvonareva, Nicole Vaidisova and Patty Schnyder were amongst her victims.
=============================
RISERS: Patty Schnyder & Tatiana Golovin
...you never know which Patty you're going to get, but Stanford got the good version last week (well, at least up until the final). The difference between the Schnyder who overcame a game Golovin in the SF and the one who barely mustered much threat at all against Clijsters in the final can't be completely explained away by the change in the level of opponent. Speaking of Golovin, her quest to get back her pre-Miami ankle injury form is continuing on schedule. She defeated Ai Sugiyama and Anna-Lena Groenefeld in Stanford, and had Schnyder's back against the wall for a set and a half before the Swiss vet fought her way back to a victory in the SF.
=============================
SURPRISES: Sara Errani & Janette Husarova/Michaella Krajicek.

...19-year old, #177-ranked Errani is another Italian Noodle. In Budapest, she upset Agnes Szavay and Yuliana Fedak on her way to the QF. Husarova & Krajicek, while they didn't double-bagel their opponents like they did in a final last week, won their second straight doubles title of the month in Budapest.
=============================
VETERANS: Anna Smashnova & Lisa Raymond
...Smashnova, ranked #63, defended her Budapest title with wins over Eleni Daniilidou, Catalina Castano (who she defeated in the '05 final) and Dominguez-Lino for her 12th career title. That's one more than Sharapova (of cousre, the Supernova's still eleven years younger than Smashnova). Raymond's become the queen of the team titles in '06. She won the Hopman Cup with Taylor Dent back in January, and led the Philadelphia Freedoms to the WTT title on Sunday in a 21-14 victory over Newport Beach. She won both her singles and doubles (with former partner Rennae Stubbs, by the way) matches in the contest.
=============================
FRESH FACES: Jarmila Gajdosova & Victoria Azarenka

...Gajdosova recently won her fourth ITF singles title, a tour best in '06. This week, the Slovakian 19-year old reached a career-high singles ranking of #85. Azarenka was named "Rookie of the Year" for the WTT season, where she won 23 of her 38 games played for the Springfield Lasers, the second-best female winning percentage in the league (behind teammate Anastasia Myskina) this year.
=============================
DOWN: Daniela Hantuchova
...Wonder Girl goes bust again, this time in the 1st Round in Stanford, by a 2-6/6-0/3-6 score to Shenay Perry. Hard to believe she's STILL only won one singles title in her career... or maybe it isn't so difficult anymore.
=============================


1.Bud F - Smashnova d. Dominguez-Lino
...6-1/6-3. Counting Shahar Peer's 3-0 record in finals this year, Israeli players are a sterling 4-for-4 in '06 singles finals.
=============================
2.Stan F - Clijsters d. Schnyder
...6-4/6-2. Did Schnyder EVER feel that she had a shot to win this match? She sure didn't look like she did. Proof of Clijsters' lackluster '06 campaign up till now comes in the fact that this is just her second title of the year, with the other coming all the way back in February.
=============================
3.Stan QF - Clijsters d. Zvonareva
...6-2/3-6/6-1. Vera has nothing to feel bad about here. She gave Clijsters a good run... and she didn't test positive for testosterone, either. Therefore, Le Tour de Zvonareva continues.
=============================
HM- WTT Final - Philadelphia d. Newport Beach
...21-14. Of course, how Newport Beach (and Pete Sampras) legitimately managed to play in a QF Wild Card match with a 6-8 record that was worse than three other non-playoff teams is anyone's guess. Still, Newport won the match, and in the semifinals to advance to the final... where Sampras didn't play. Nothing against Lisa Raymond, but when she's the biggest name in the WTT final then someone's been sold a bill of goods.
=============================



**JULY AWARDS**

=TOP PLAYER=
1.Kim Clijsters
2.Vera Zvonareva
3.Flavia Pennetta
4.Anabel Medina-Garrigues
5.Anna Smashnova

=RISERS=
1.Vera Zvonareva
2.Flavia Pennetta
3.Anabel Medina-Garrigues
4.Tatiana Golovin
5.Na Li
HM-Samantha Stosur

=FRESH FACES=
1.Kirsten Flipkens
2.Jarmila Gajdosova
3.Aleksandra Wozniak
4.Nicole Vaidisova
5.Victoria Azarenka
HM-Romina Oprandi

=SURPRISES=
1.Serena Williams
2.Karin Knapp
3.Sara Errani

=VETERANS=
1.Anna Smashnova
2.Patty Schnyder
3.Severine Bremond

=DOWN=
1.Lucie Safarova (FC)
2.Gisela Dulko
3.Daniela Hantuchova

=TOP PERFORMANCE=
...Flavia Pennetta leads Italy past Spain, and into the Fed Cup final

=TOP MATCH=
Vaidisova d. Golovin
...6-1/3-6/11-9. In the Fed Cup World Group Playoff between the Czech Republic and France, Vaidisova gutted out a win to put the Maidens into the lead. Unfortunately...

=BIGGEST CHOKE=
...Lucie Safarova lost a 9-7 in the 3rd set match to Nathalie Dechy immediately after the Vaidisova win, then got blitzed in a second singles match by Golovin. Despite Vaidisova's performance, the Czechs failed to qualify for the '07 World Group when Bremond/Golovin knocked out Benesova/Peschke in the deciding doubles match.

=BIGGEST COMEBACK=
...Serena Williams played her first match since losing in the 3rd Round in Melbourne, upsetting Anastasia Myskina 6-2/6-2 in the 1st Round in Cincinnati en route to a semifinal result. Of course, she then withdrew from her next event, citing a continued knee problem.

=BREAKOUTS OF THE MONTH=
...stepping out of the shadows of their more influential countrywomen, Russian Vera Zvonareva and Belgian Kirsten Flipkens made their presences known in July. Zvonareva continued her recent good form by winning the Cincinnati title without dropping a set (including in her SF match with Serena), while Flipkens stepped in for Justine Henin-Hardenne in the Fed Cup SF and promptly won both her singles matches as the Belgians returned to the FC final.

=BIGGEST WIN=
...the Chinese big red tennis machine, behind the play of Na Li, rolled over another of its goals, wiping out Germany 4-1 in the World Group Playoff to advance to Group I for the 2007 competition.

=HELLO/GOODBYE/WE'LL SEE YOU LATER... maybe=
...Justine Henin-Hardennen pulled out of the Fed Cup SF, citing exhaustion after her Wimbledon final run. After Belgium advanced to the final, it was reported that she wouldn't participate in the final, either. Then, it was reported that she would. Of course, with the final set to take place a week after the U.S. Open concludes, if JHH makes it four-for-four in slam finals in '06, don't be surprised to see her bow out again... and no doubt bear the brunt of anti-Justine/selfish Justine rants once again. Funny how Clijsters got a pass when she refused to play on the Belgian Olympic team a while back because she was going to have to wear a uniform that wasn't provided by her regular sponsor. Hmmm...

=IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, YOU MIGHT NOT THE SECOND TIME, EITHER=
...Katarina Srebotnik lost to Vera Zvonareva in straight sets in the Cincinnati final, then faced the Russian yet again just a few days later in the 1st Round in Stanford. She lost in straight sets again.

=SOME 2006 WTT RESULTS OF NOTE...maybe=
...Viktoriya Kutuzova beat both Venus Williams and Anna-Lena Groenefeld in WTT action this month. Too bad it was only in sets to five games. But maybe she'll gain some confidence from it anyway, right?

=SOMETHING IN THE AIR?=
...in the four WTA events held in July, three of them saw the defending champion retain her title. Anabel Medina-Garrigues three-peated in Palmero, while Kim Clijsters (Stanford) and Anna Smashnova (Budapest) extended their title streaks to two years.

=JUST LIKE RIDING A BIKE?=
...Brenda Schultz-McCarthy used to hold the WTA record for fastest clocked serve. Since those days, Venus Williams took the honor and BSM retired. Well, the vet is back, and so is her record. She reclaimed the fastest serve mark in an opening round of qualifying match in Cincinnati, despite losing the match to Julia Cohen.

=THE WAITING GAME=
...the WTA approved limited on-court coaching for events in New Haven and Montreal. Hopefully, the Czarina will show up and take advantage of the rule... Myskina in an animated face-to-face discussion with her coach (rather than the usual ones across a crowded stadium) could be a reality show all its own. Backspin can't wait.


...with two wins in the four events played so far in the 3Q, hopefully I've got a little mojo working with the Royale stepping to the plate again in San Diego.




SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA USA (I-Hard)
05 FINAL: Pierce d. Sugiyama
06 TOP: Clijsters/Sharapova
=============================
*ROUND OF 16*
Clijsters d. Jankovic
Hingis d. Jackson
Golovin d. Petrova
Vaidisova d. Hantuchova
Schnyder d. Suarez
Dementieva d. Mirza
Groenefeld d. Safarova
Sharapova d. Zvonareva
*QF*
Clijsters d. Hingis
Vaidisova d. Golovin
Schnyder d. Dementieva
Sharapova d. Groenefeld
*SF*
Clijsters d. Vaidisova
Sharapova d. Schnyder
*F*
Clijsters d. Sharapova

...I'll stick will Clijsters, hoping she maintains her killer instinct at least for one more week.


*ROUND OF 16*
Clijsters d. Jankovic
Hingis d. Pennetta
Petrova d. Golovin
Vaidisova d. Hantuchova
Schnyder d. Suarez
Dementieva d. Bartoli
Pierce d. Groenefeld
Sharapova d. Zvonareva
*QF*
Clijsters d. Hingis
Vaidisova d. Petrova
Schnyder d. Dementieva
Sharapova d. Pierce
*SF*
Clijsters d. Vaidisova
Sharapova d. Schnyder
*F*
Clijsters d. Sharapova


All for now.

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Wk.29- Le Tour de Zvonareva

You think Floyd Landis accomplished something big on Sunday in Paris by winning the Tour de France while overcoming a deteriorating hip and a seemingly impossible time deficit? You think Tiger Woods deserves a pat on the back for taking the British Open in Liverpool while overcoming the lingering grief resulting from the death of his father?

Well, then what's to be made of what Vera Zvonareva did in Cincinnati? She had to overcome herself in order to take what might be the biggest stand in her still-young career, and it might just change everything.

Zvonareva has always been exceptionally talented, but she's often been an emotional wreck. too... with the latter trait most times overwhelming the former, to the detriment of the Russian's career. Over the past few years, she's become so identified with her easy on-court tears that even that cliche-ridden list of nicknames that the U.S. Open Series threw out a year ago couldn't ignore it, dubbing her "The Drama Queen." In "The Rivals," Ted Tinling noted that the emotional Martina Navratilova went "from arrogance to panic with nothing in between," often from point-to-point during a match. Zvonareva perfected the art of simply zooming to Step Two in that equation, never bothering with the arrogance part.

Thing is, during the sunny Russian summer of 2004, Zvonareva was right in the thick of her nation's tennis revolution. She climbed into the Top 10 in August and looked as if she might be the next Hordette to join the slam winner's brigade. Two years can make quite a difference. Last season was interrupted by several injuries, but her overall 21-21 record spoke volumes about Zvonareva's inconsistency on levels not confined to simply her health. While she's managed to eek out at least one singles title every year since 2003, Zvonareva's only reached the QF of a slam once (RG '03) and has yet to notch a single slam match win in 2006 (she's 0-3).

Barely a month ago, Zvonareva's ranking had fallen all the way to #78 after a string of ten tournaments saw her lose five straight 1st Round matches, then follow that streak up by exiting the next five events in the 2nd Round. But her results sparked up right before Wimbledon when she won her first grass court title in Birmingham. A bad draw at SW19 led to her opening round ouster at the hands of Kim Clijsters, but Zvonareva doesn't seem to have taken the easy way out this time around. Her pre-Wimbledon course has remained true after leaving the All-England Club.

In Cincinnati, she didn't lose a set on her way to the title, all the way through her less-than-an-hour, 6-2/6-4 win over Katarina Srebotnik in the final. But her most important victory last week might have come a day earlier, where Zvonareva put an abrupt end to the tournament's biggest story -- the comeback of Serena Williams. The easy 6-2/6-3 win, even though coming in a Tier III semifinal, might end up being one of the biggest -- if not THE biggest -- in her career if the rest of the hard court season plays out in her favor. True, Williams was likely tired at the end of her first week of action in six months, but the emotional wreck that has often been the 21-year old Russian in big matches in the past very easily could have resurfaced in the match. It didn't, and that could be a significant moment in Zvonareva's career.

**MOST CAREER WTA TITLES**
[active Russians]
11...Maria Sharapova
10...Anastasia Myskina
6....Svetlana Kuznetsova
5....Elena Dementieva
5....Nadia Petrova
5....VERA ZVONAREVA
4....Dinara Safina

Even with her disappointing results over much of the past two years, Zvonareva's career resume STILL stacks up pretty well against her Russian counterparts, save for any ever-important grand slam breakthrough, of course. That's why Cincinnati could be so very important. While the rest of the Horde members appear to be in various states of rest or rehab, she has a chance to shine. Maybe her sustained level of performance, from Birmingham to Cincinnati, and through Serena, will finally allow Zvonareva's confidence level to match her potential over the next month, and pay even bigger dividends at the end of the 3rd Quarter. She missed the U.S. Open a year ago with an ankle injury (the first slam absence of her career), so why not make her return to New York worthy of a ticker tape parade? Remember, Svetlana Kuznetsova came of age on the North American hard courts two years ago. Why can't Zvonareva do it now? Will she take advantage of her opportunity? We'll know by the time the tour hits New York.

If she does, most will say "good for her." Others will say that "it's about time" she had a breakthrough. Either way, Zvonareva is suddenly a Russian to keep a close eye on again. Finally.

Maybe next time, the tears can be ones of joy.


**WEEK 29 CHAMPIONS**

CINCINNATI, OHIO USA (III-Hard)
S: Vera Zvonareva d. Katarina Srebotnik 6-2/6-4
D: Camerin/Dulko d. Domachowska/Mirza

PALERMO, ITALY (IV-Red Clay)
S: Anabel Medina-Garrigues d. Tathiana Garbin 6-4/6-4
D: Husarova/Krajicek d. Canepa/Gabba


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Vera Zvonareva
...in 2006, she's won more events than fellow Russians Sharapova, Kuznetsova, Myskina, Dementieva and Safina... and picked up a Mixed Doubles crown at Wimbledon, as well. With this one title in Cincy, Zvonareva's ranking jumped from #50 to #37.
=============================
RISERS: Vera Zvonareva & Anabel Medina-Garrigues

...Cincinnati wins over Tatiana Golovin, Jelena Jankovic and Serena have put Zvonareva on serve for what could turn out to be the most important month of her career if she plays her cards right. Meanwhile, the perpetually underrated Medina-Garrigues, 24, rebounded rather nicely from her Fed Cup SF disappointment, winning Palermo for a third straight year to run her career WTA title total to six.
=============================
SURPRISES: Serena Williams & Karin Knapp
...sure, it's a bit of a cheat to say that Serena was a "surprise" when NOTHING she does ever really shocks anyone (including wearing a catsuit on court, or had she won Cincinnati in her return to action for the first time since losing in the 3rd Round in Melbourne). Still, the ease with which she dispatched Myskina, Bethanie Mattek and Amy Frazier en route to her SF result after such a long layoff means that if her health holds up she'll be a force again in Flushing. For the record, TRUE surprise Palermo quarterfinalist Karin Knapp, who upset Klara Koukalova along the way, is another from the heaping plate of Noodles that's perked up the tour in '06 -- she's a 19-year old Italian now ranked #200 in the world.
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VETERAN: Amy Frazier
...the 34-year old American reached the Cincy QF, losing to Serena, but her wins over Jessica Kirkland and Gisela Dulko says something about the woman who'll play in her 20th straight US Open next month. When she made her Open debut in 1987, Kirkland hadn't yet been born and Dulko was experiencing the "terrible two's."
=============================
FRESH FACES: Sania Mirza & Aravane Rezai

...the North American hardcourt season is here, and 19-year old Sania might finally be ready to fight her way out of the shell in which she's been residing throughout most of 2006. An impressive, if inconsistent 6-1/0-6/6-1 win over Emma Laine, a nail-biting QF against defending champ Patty Schnyder and a trip to the doubles final highlighted Mirza's (hopefully) reinvigorating week in Cincy. 18-year old Pastry Rezai, still somewhat fresh off pushing Nicole Vaidisova to three sets in Roland Garros, knocked off Ekaterina Bychkova and Michaella Krajicek in Palermo to reach a WTA career-best QF.
=============================
DOWN: Flavia Pennetta & Tatiana Golovin
...what happened to these two is precisely what happens to many Fed Cup heroines the week after they lead their countries to impressive victories -- they lost their first matches the next time out. For Pennetta, it was a Palermo 1st Rounder to Julia Schruff. For Golovin, a humbling 3-6/0-6 crushing by Zvonareva in Cincinnati.
=============================


1.Cin 1st - S.Williams d. Myskina
...6-2/6-2. You didn't have to listen very closely to hear the collective "uh-oh" that came from the entire WTA field after this result was posted.
-----------------------------
2.Cin SF - Zvonareva d. S.Williams
...6-2/6-3. Might this be Zvonareva's biggest win since she upset Sharapova in Montreal a few months after she'd won Wimbledon in '04?
-----------------------------
3.Cin F - Zvonareva d. Srebotnik
...6-2/6-4. Oh, and Vera won the FINAL, as well. A bit anticlimactic, though, wasn't it? By the way, no one won more games in a set off Zvonareva last week than the four Srebotnik managed to pry away from her in the 2nd set here.
-----------------------------
4.Pal F - Medina-Garrigues d. Garbin
...6-4/6-4. AMG is the only current three-time defending champ on tour, and no one has ever won as many titles in Palermo (four) as she has during her career.
-----------------------------
5.Cin QF - Schnyder d. Mirza
...7-6/7-5. It was a loss, but it ended an encouraging week that might have signalled a return to significance for the Indian Princess in '06.
-----------------------------
6.Pal SF - Medina-Garrigues d. Safarova
...6-4/6-4. Ditto for Lucie Safarova, after quite a few discouraging months of her own leading into her Fed Cup nadir of a week prior.
-----------------------------
7.Cin Doub.F - Husarova/Krajicek d. Canepa/Gabba
...6-0/6-0. You don't see double-bagels in WTA finals very often, not even in a Tier IV event against a pair of qualifiers such as Noodles Alice Canepa & Guilia Gabba.
-----------------------------
8.Darmstedt $25K QF - Hlavackova d. Dokic
...7-6/6-1. Why is this result here? Well, just so that I could mention that qualifier Dokic reached the QF of a sanctioned event (excluding the internal Aussie Open wild card playoff last December) for the first time since reaching the Tokyo SF in February 2004. Small steps.
-----------------------------
9.WTT - Kutuzova (NYB) d. V.Williams (PHI)
...5-2. Sure, it was in the shortened version of a WTT set, but Vaidisova beat Sharapova in Team Tennis play before making her own huge strides on the WTA tour.
-----------------------------
10.Cin Q1 - Cohen d. Schultz-McCarthy
...6-2/6-4. The story here was the 35-year old Schultz-McCarthy taking back the fastest-serve record from Venus Williams with a 130-mph screamer.
-----------------------------


**MOST 2006 WTA TITLES**
4...Amelie Mauresmo
4...Justine Henin-Hardenne
4...Nadia Petrova
3...Shahar Peer
3...ANABEL MEDINA-GARRIGUES
2...Michaella Krajicek
2...VERA ZVONAREVA

**CURRENT TITLE-DEFENSE STREAKS**
3...MEDINA-GARRIGUES (PALERMO, 2004-06)
2...Mauresmo (Antwerp, 2005-06)
2...Henin-Hardenne (Roland Garros 2005-06)
---
(ALSO: Davenport - Filderstadt, 2004-05... tournament in Stuttgart in '06)

**2006 WTA SEMIFINALISTS**
[by nation]
36...Russia
15...Belgium
12...France
10...Italy
9....USA
8....Switzerland
7....Czech Republic
7....Spain
6....China



...all hail Anabel Medina-Garrigues! She finally ended Backspin's long 2006 nightmare. The streak of twenty-three tournaments in a row without a champion is history!!


STANFORD, CALIFORNIA USA (II-Hard)
05 FINAL: Clijsters d. V.Williams
06 TOP: Clijsters/Schnyder
=============================
SF: Clijsters d. Vaidisova; Groenefeld d. Hantuchova
FINAL: Clijsters d. Groenefeld


BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (IV-Red Clay)
05 FINAL: Smashnova d. Castano
06 TOP: Castano/Krajicek
=============================
SF: Castano d. Sucha; Dominguez-Lino d. Krajicek
FINAL: Castano d. Dominguez-Lino


WORLD TEAM TENNIS SEMIFINALS/FINAL
...the teams participating won't be known until the end of the week. A year ago, Martina Hingis led the N.Y. Sportimes to the title.


All for now.

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Wk.28- Noodle-rific!

The menu wasn't exactly full this weekend. Justine was sitting things out. So was Amelie. And Serena was still waiting in the wings.

But, have no fear, the Noodles were terrific.



**WEEK 28**

=SEMIFINALS=
Belgium def. USA 4-1
Italy def. Spain 3-1

=WORLD GROUP PLAYOFFS=
Japan def. Austria 5-0
France def. Czech Republic 3-2
China def. Germany 4-1
Russia def. Croatia 3-2

=GROUP II PLAYOFFS=
Slovak Republic def. Thailand 5-0
Canada def. Argentina 3-2
Australia def. Switzerland 5-0
Israel def. Indonesia - walkover

**BACKSPIN FED CUP MVPs**
=SF=
Belgium: Kim Clijsters
Italy: Flavia Pennetta

=World Group PO=
Japan: Akiko Morigami
France: Tatiana Golovin
China: Na Li
Russia: Elena Dementieva

=Group II PO=
Slovak Republic: Daniela Hantuchova
Canada: Aleksandra Wozniak
Australia: Samantha Stosur

FED CUP FINAL (Sept.16-17): Italy at Belgium


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Flavia Pennetta
...it was Francesca Schiavone who guided the Italians past the French in the Fed Cup QF, but it was Pennetta who stepped all over the Spaniards in the SF. Her two dominating wins over Medina-Garrigues and Dominguez-Lino set the the tone for the dominating weekend for the Noodles, the true revelations of 2006 who now fittingly find themselves in their first ever Fed Cup final.
=============================
RISERS: Na Li & Tatiana Golovin
...one of China's big goals was to reach the Fed Cup World Group. Well, mission accomplished. After China's crushing of the Groenefeld-less Germans, led by Li's 2-0 singles mark, the Chinese will take part in the FC 1st Round in 2007. Golovin lost a titanic battle of an opening match against Vaidisova (11-9 in the 3rd), but the Frussian Pastry's bounce back win over Safarova and her successful doubles pairing with Bremond in the deciding France/Czech Republic match made her comeback from that nasty ankle injury in Miami complete just in time for the hard court season.
=============================
SURPRISE: Samantha Stosur & Alicia Molik
...the Sheilas' easy 5-0 win over the Hingis & Schnyder-less Swiss in the Group II playoffs wasn't a surprise, but Slingin' Sammy's dominant 2-0 singles play is a good sign for her late-season prospects, and considering her best results usually come about in January THAT would be a rather pleasant surprise, I'd say. Stosur was so good, even the Steamer (currently ranked #201, but making progress in her comeback) got a shot at both a singles and doubles match against the Swiss, going 2-0. Considering Molik's condition at the end of last season, that she's already this far along is a nice little surprise of it's own.
=============================
VETERAN: Severine Bremond
...fresh off her QF run in singles at Wimbledon, Bremond didn't play in the France/Czech World Group Playoff until the deciding doubles match. She and Golovin took care of Benesova/Peschke, and The Counselor was a Pastry heroine once again.
=============================
FRESH FACES: Kirsten Flipkens & Aleksandra Wozniak

...with JHH out after her heavy schedule over the past month, Flipkens stepped into the #2 singles role for the Waffles against the Americans in the FC semis. Her survival in the opening match against Craybas, 5-7/6-2/6-4, took a little pressure off Kim Clijsters (who quickly put it back on herself, dropping her opening set vs. Jamea Jackson), and showed that she's capable withstanding a little pressure herself. Meanwhile, 18-year old Canadian Wozniak led the way in the surprisingly easy win over Argentina in the Group II Playoffs, getting wins over Dulko and Diaz Oliva.
=============================
DOWN: Lucie Safarova
...Vaidisova outlasted Golovin in an 11-9 1st set in the opening match of France/Czech Republic, but Safarova failed to do so in Match #2 against Dechy (losing 9-7 in the 3rd). With the Maidens up 2-1, Safarova was wiped out by Golovin 2 & 1. France eventually won 3-2 to return to the World Group in 2007. Safarova won a singles title in Week 1 of this year, but things have largely been a struggle ever since. This weekend was just another disappointing example.
=============================


1.FRA/CZE(1) - Vaidisova d. Golovin
...6-1/3-6/11-9. It was all for nothing, though.
-----------------------------
2.FRA/CZE(5) - Bremond/Golovin d. Benesova/Peschke
...6-4/7-6. This was the only Match #5 deciding doubles clash of the weekend. And even without Safarova involved, the Maidens still lost.
-----------------------------
3.ITA/ESP(1) - Pennetta d. Garrigues
...6-3/6-0. It set the tone of weekend despair for the Spaniards.
-----------------------------
4.BEL/USA(2) - Clijsters d. Jackson
...4-6/6-2/6-1. Jackson didn't get the big upset, but she put a little scare in Clijsters.
-----------------------------
5.FRA/CZE(2) - Dechy d. Safarova
...5-7/6-3/9-7. Maybe if Safarova had pulled this one out, things would have been very different the rest of the weekend.
-----------------------------
HM- WTT - Rolle(HOU) d. Rubin(PHI) 5-2
...Chanda's return to action. It could have been worse... just ask Pete Sampras.
-----------------------------


...well, so far, so good with 3Q picks after the Fed Cup weekend. Now, back to "The Nightmare of '06," I suspect.


CINCINNATI, OHIO (II-Hard)
05 F: Schnyder d. Morigami
06 TOP: Schnyder/Myskina
==========================
SF: Schnyder d. Srebotnik; Golovin d. Myskina
FINAL: Schnyder d. Golovin


PALERMO, ITALY (IV-Red Clay)
05 F: Medina-Garrigues d. Koukalova
06 TOP: Pennetta/Medina-Garrigues
=============================
SF: Krajicek d. Pennetta; Garrigues d. Muller
FINAL: Garrigues d. Krajicek

OF NOTE: this Thursday, July 20, marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Martina Navratilova becoming an American citizen in 1981 following her defection from Czechoslovakia in 1975. Happy Silver, Martina.

All for now.

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

ALSO THIS WEEK: The Blessed and the Cursed (2Q Edition), The Federer/Nadal Quiz, and the ATP Grass Court Awards

Read more...

The Blessed and the Cursed (2Q Edition)

With 3Q tour action starting this week in Cincinnati and Palermo, it's time to take the temperature for "Player of the Year" (so far), and to remember what Pierre and I THOUGHT was going to happen back in January.

Here are some of the highs and lows of our pre-season predictions, looked upon in light of what occurred during the 2nd Quarter. First, the highlights:

**BACKSPIN said...**

...that Samantha Stosur would be the #1-ranked doubles player. After taking over the position during the 1st Quarter, she's still there (though she now shares the top ranking with partner Lisa Raymond).

...that Nicole Vaidisova would qualify for the YEC (as of now, she's #12 in the points race, about 400 behind #8 Elena Dementieva), reach the Top 10 (she's #12, a little more than 100 points behind #10 Lindsay Davenport), and reach a slam final (she made the Roland Garros SF, and blew a sure-fire lead to Svetlana Kuznetsova). On balance, not too shabby.

...Anna-Lena Groenefeld would reach a slam QF (bingo -- in Paris!), reach the Top 10 in singles (she's currently #16, but just 300 points behind #10 Davenport), and win three titles (one so far). Right now, Girl Friday needs to forget about her stumbles in Eastbourne and Wimbledon and focus on the North American hard court season, where her game could thrive.

...Nadia Petrova would have a breakthrough year in 2006 and at some point be the top-ranked Russian. She was the dominant player during the pre-Roland Garros clay season, and briefly moved ahead of Maria Sharapova to top all the Russians in the rankings.

...Ai Sugiyama would have a late-career resurgence. The Japanese vet just recently moved back into the singles Top 20.

...Kim Clijsters wouldn't win a slam title in 2006. Three-quarters of the way there (thanks to JHH).

...an American under the age of 25 would win a WTA singles title. None have done so to date, but 19-year old Jamea Jackson nearly did in Birmingham and is worth keeping an eye on the rest of the season.

...two British women would reach the Wimbledon 3rd Round. Yeah, I said it'd be Elena Baltacha and Anne Keothavong, and it was Sarah Borwell and Melanie South. But still.

...there'd be at least twenty-five Russian singles finalists (there's been 18 so far), and ten different women would win titles (five through the 2nd Quarter), but Maria Sharapova wouldn't win a slam (yep). I thought Elena Dementieva would win a Tier I (she did that in the 1Q), but would have a poor season in the slams (she's reached a QF, but also lost in the 1st and 3rd Rounds).


**Pierre said...**

...that Vera Zvonareva would return to the winner's circle (she won Birmingham, over Jackson in the final). Just two weeks after her fourth career singles title, she won the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title with Andy Ram.

...Nicole Vaidisova would reach the Top 10 and make a deep run at a slam.

...Martina Hingis' ranking would climb into the Top 20 (she's #13).

...that Henin-Hardenne and Clijsters would team up on the Belgian Fed Cup team (they did so in the QF) in 2006, and that the Waffles would win their first Fed Cup title since 2001. On September 16-17, the Belgians play the Italians with the winner claiming this year's FC crown.

...Amelie Mauresmo would reach a slam QF and two SF, and win her first ever slam championship. We both thought he was reaching high on this one but, as it's turned out, he actually UNDERestimated Mauresmo since she's already won the Australian Open and Wimbledon. But that's about as close as anyone could have gotten with a pre-Melbourne Mauresmo prediction.


And now the lowlights...

**BACKSPIN said...**

...the nadir of my prediction season probably didn't occur before play began in Week 1, it's occurred pretty much every week since, especially when Justine Henin-Hardenne and Nadia Petrova are involved. I stand more consistently behind these players than any others, but somehow I didn't pick them to win any of the eight titles they've won between them this season. Not only that, I've gone 0-for-6 when I DID pick them to win titles in '06, including three times when I picked one (JHH in Charleston, Petrova in Berlin and Roland Garros) only to see the other holding up the trophy on the weekend. Sheesh.

...Sania Mirza would win two singles titles. So far, the Indian Princess has been more of a pauper in 2006. But the hard court season is beginning, and she needs to have a good one to avoid all the "year-after" talk.

...that Venus Williams would win Wimbledon, not only before the tournament but way back in January. I should have known.

...that Lindsay Davenport and Mary Pierce would finish back-to-back in the Top 10 rankings. That's where they stand right now, but I predicted them to be #1 and #2, not their current #9 and #10.

...and last, but not least, I said that Amelie Mauresmo wouldn't reach a slam final this year. She's won two of them. (Even so, it was still a legit pick seven months ago... just a very inaccurate one.)


**Pierre said...**

...Kim Clijsters would dominate the rankings, play more matches than any other Top 10 player and finish #1 at season's end. Well, she's holding onto the #2 ranking, but probably not for much longer with all the North American hard court points she has to defend the rest of the summer. She won nine titles in 2005, but has only one so far this year. As the 3Q begins, seven Top 10ers have played more matches than Clijsters. Still, if she catches fire again on hard courts, she might just turn around her season yet.

...four Americans would reside in the Top 50. As of today, only Venus and the absent Davenport meet the criteria, with Shenay Perry at #51. But with Jamea Jackson standing at #67, and Serena Williams (#139 - Pierre had her finishing #4) returning to action this week, Pierre might move this prediction up to the "highlights" section by the end of the 3rd Quarter.

...the Chinese, though, would have a hard time reaching and staying in the Top 50. Right now, the Cookies are continuing to rise, with three solidly in the Top 50 and three more in the Top 100.

...Maria Sharapova would win Wimbledon. Pierre stuck with this one when the tournament began, too. Could be he was just a year early, right?


IN THE END, SO FAR IN 2006...

==THE BLESSED==
Belgian Fed Cup Team (Pierre)
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Backspin)
Martina Hingis (Pierre)
Amelie Mauresmo (Pierre)
Nadia Petrova (Backspin)
Samantha Stosur (Backspin)
Ai Sugiyama (Backspin)
Nicole Vaidisova (Backspin/Pierre)

==and THE CURSED==
Kim Clijsters (Pierre)
Lindsay Davenport (Backspin)
Jelena Dokic (Pierre)
Sania Mirza (Backspin)
Mary Pierce (Backspin)
Maria Sharapova (Pierre)
Serena Williams (Pierre)
Venus Williams (Backspin)

Thankfully, we both kept a respectful distance from Svetlana Kuznetsova after learning our lesson in 2005. Worked pretty well for the Contessova, as she's back up to #7.

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

**PLAYER OF THE YEAR UPDATE**
1.Amelie Mauresmo...she's had a bad stretch bookended by brilliance Down Under and at SW19. Still, JHH is hot on her tail and Mauresmo might need to make the U.S. Open final or defend her YEC title to assure herself of finishing the season at #1. In truth, as impressive as her All-England Club run was, winning in the raucous environs of New York might be an even more impressive feat. It won't likely happen. But after Wimbledon, who knows?
=============================
2.Justine Henin-Hardenne...after winning Wimbledon, Mauresmo finally went public with her displeasure about how things went down in Melbourne in January, with JHH's retirement not being "a champion's behavior." Like JHH and her drive to win or not, I think it's interesting to note a quote from famed coach Robert Lansdorp from page 142 of "The Rivals." He said, "Diva, diva... I do not know this word 'diva' -- but I know the word "bitch." Well... so be it. And I'm telling you, it's almost the bigger the bitches (they are), the better they play." JHH has had the steadier season compared to Mauresmo, but been trumped twice by her in slam finals. With Clijsters likely losing many points from her '05 hard court run, Henin-Hardenne should soon be #2 in the world behind Mauresmo. Hopefully, Federer-Nadal won't be the only match-up successfully rooted for down the stretch of this season.
=============================
3.Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur... they've had great consistency, but the co-#1's in the doubles rankings have claimed just one of the three slams this season.
=============================
4.Zi Yan/Jie Zheng
...the Chinese team, though, has claimed two slams in '06. While Raymond and Stosur are co-#1's, Yan and Zheng are ranked #3 and #4.
=============================
5.Nadia Petrova... things were moving along so well for Scarlett. She was the hottest on the tour on the clay and had become the Russian #1. Then she was injured, bombed out of Paris and skipped London. Thankfully, there's still a large chunk of the season left to get back some of what she's lost over the past month and a half.
=============================
6.Svetlana Kuznetsova... the Contessova is on her way back to reclaiming her '04 form. She reached the RG final, then was a disappointment at Wimbledon. But the North American hard court season is where she made her name two years ago. Can she do it again?
=============================
7.Kim Clijsters... she's only won one title (after taking nine in '05), and had two less-than-sterling slam SF losses to JHH. Can she boost her confidence enough to think she can win in New York again? If not, maybe she should just go ahead and walk away now rather than waiting another year.
=============================
8.Martina Hingis... the Swiss Miss has had a greater amount of success than one would have expected at this point in her comeback, and did win a Tier I title. But after her QF in Melbourne, her slam results haven't lived up to the expectations she set so high.
=============================
9.Maria Sharapova... ditto for the Supernova, who only has one title in '06 and SF losses in four of the last five slams. With so much "almost there" frustration, the next twelve months should prove to be very important for Sharapova. Going back to a note from "The Rivals" again, it's interesting to remember that Navratilova had only won two slam titles by age 24, and in 1981 went into the WTA Championships with a shot at year-end #1. She failed to take the title, and finished #3 behind Tracy Austin and Chris Evert instead. Said Navratilova, "I was mad, not sad." Angry enough to dedicate herself more than ever. Over the next five years, she went 427-14, won twelve slams and finished #1 every season. Sharapova's not going to do THAT, but she can do better than what she has. If losing yet another slam SF at Wimbledon isn't the impetus for a career revolution, then maybe losing another in New York will be.
=============================
10.The combination of youngsters coming of age fills out the final slot in this list after two quarters. Amongst the group: Nicole Vaidisova (RG SF), Anna-Lena Groenefeld (1st title, RG QF), Shahar Peer (first three titles), Dinara Safina (finally emerging) and Michaella Krajicek (titles on hard court and grass).


**WEEKS IN 2006 TOP 20**
[through end of 2Q - 27 weeks]

[27]
Mauresmo(#1), Clijsters(#2), Henin-Hardenne(#3), Sharapova(#4), Petrova(#5), Dementieva(#6), Kuznetsova(#7), Schnyder(#8), Pierce(#9), Davenport(#10), Myskina(#11), Vaidisova(#12), Schiavone(#14), Hantuchova(#17), Pennetta(#18)
-----------------------------
26...V.Williams (#23)
25...Safina (#15)
22...Likhovtseva (#30)
20...Groenefeld (#16)
17...Ivanovic (#20)
9....Dechy (#28)
8....Hingis (#13)
4....Kirilenko (#21)
3....S.Williams (#139)
1....Sugiyama (#19)
-----------------------------
(current rank in parenthesis)


All for now.

Read more...

2006 Grass Court Awards

Amelie Mauresmo came to London, saw her opportunity and conquered her infamous nerves to forever change the perception of her career. Years from now, when she steps up to the microphone during her induction ceremony at the tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, this Wimbledon title will be the one that will be first referenced when we're reminded why she's there.



But what else happened on the grass this season?


**TOP PLAYERS**
1.Amelie Mauresmo... now, things REALLY will never be the same.
-----------------------------
2.Justine Henin-Hardenne... close doens't count for Le Petit Taureau.
-----------------------------
3.Zi Yan & Jie Zheng... whoa! Hold up on that annointing of Lisa Raymond & Sam Stosur as the best doubles team in the world.
-----------------------------
4.Kim Clijsters... it's not something that can be said with total certainty until after the U.S. Open, but if Clijsters can't return to New York "the year after" with an authentic belief that she can win THAT tournament then she's going to retire with just a single grand slam title to her credit.
-----------------------------
5.Maria Sharapova... the Supernova is the most consistent of all the top players, but that consistency isn't supposed to include consistently losing in grand slam semifinals. She needs to have reached a second major final by this time next year.
-----------------------------

**RISERS**
1.Zi Yan & Jie Zheng
2.Na Li
3.Jelena Jankovic
4.Vera Zvonareva
5.Shuai Peng
6.Daniela Hantuchova
7.Ana Ivanovic
8.Dinara Safina
9.Flavia Pennetta
10.Romina Oprandi
HM- Nathalie Dechy

**FRESH FACES**
1.Jamea Jackson
2.Michaella Krajicek
3.Caroline Wozniacki
4.Agnieszka Radwanska
5.Magdalena Rybarikova
6.Urszula Radwanska
7.Tamira Paszek
8.Shenay Perry
9.Tszvetana Pironkova
10.Vasilisa Bardina
HM-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova & Yun-Jan Chan

**SURPRISES**
1.Severine Bremond
2.Jamea Jackson
3.Tszvetana Pironkova
4.Urszula Radwanska
5.Melanie South & Sarah Borwell
H-Sybille Bammer

**VETERANS**
1.Virginia Ruano-Pascual & Paola Suarez
2.Ai Sugiyama
3.Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
4.Nicole Pratt
5.Tamarine Tanasugarn
HM-Meilen Tu

**DOWN**
1.Venus Williams
2.Maria Sharapova
3.Kim Clijsters
4.Jelena Dokic
5.Anna-Lena Groenefeld
HM-Francesca Schiavone & Patty Schnyder

**TOP PERFORMANCE**
...Amelie Mauresmo at Wimbledon, without all the demons

**GREAT SWING, BAD FOLLOW THROUGH**
...Justine Henin-Hardenne won ten grass court matches in a row heading into the Wimbledon final, but the most important match was the one she lost

**NOW WE KNOW WHAT WE MISSED**
...a year ago, the Chinese Tennis Federation kept all its players out of SW19 in order to participate in the Asian Games. The Cookies arrived en masse in '06, with three reaching the 3rd Round, Na Li becoming the first Chinese player to reach a slam QF, and Zi Yan & Jie Zheng winning their second slam doubles title of the season.

**BEST MATCH**
Eastbourne Final - Henin-Hardenne d. Myskina
...4-6/6-1/7-6. The Czarina, after having been up a break twice earlier in the 3rd set, was forced to save three match points at 5-4, 0/40 a few moments later. She pushed the match to a deciding tie-break, then finally fell to JHH on a fourth MP.

**BIGGEST COMEBACK**
Wimbledon 2nd - V.Williams d. Raymond
...6-7/7-5/6-2. Venus trailed 6-7/2-5 and was two points from defeat before flipping the switch and leaving Raymond behind like roadkill. For what good it did, though, since Venus just lost in the next round instead.

**TOP UPSET**
Birmingham SF - Jackson d. Sharapova
...6-4/6-4. As it turned out, it WAS a sign that this year's Wimbledon was not going to be the Supernova's cup of tea.

**THE QUEEN OF MEANINGLESS RESULTS**
...in Eastbourne, Nathalie Dechy upset Amelie Mauresmo 3-6/6-2/6-3 in the 2nd Round. Dechy went on to lose in the 1st Round at Wimbledon, while Mauresmo, well, you know...

**AN EXPERIENCE OF MILLENNIAL DIMENSION**
...when Venus lost to Jelena Jankovic in the 3rd Round, it meant that for the first time since 1999 neither of the Williams sisters would be in the women's singles final.

**BIGGEST CHOKE**
Eastbourne QF - Kuznetsova d. Groenefeld
...5-7/7-5/7-6. Girl Friday simply ran off into a ditch in this one. She led 4-2 in the 2nd, but lost it. She led 4-2 in the 3rd, and served at 5-4 40/15 with three match points. She double-faulted and threw in some bad errors... and then it all slipped away. She didn't respond very well in her next match, either, as she was upset in the 1st Round of Wimbledon by Pironkova. Speaking of...

**TWO SLAMS ARE BETTER THAN ONE**
Wimbledon 1st - Pironkova d. Groenefeld
...3-6/6-3/6-1. ALG's big serve produced just two aces, but seven double-faults, in the three-setter. Not that it's a huge shock that Pironkova would pull off a big slam upset, since she did it to Venus in Melbourne in January, too.

**SMARTEST FASHION SENSE**
...Bethanie Mattek managed to out-headline Venus, fashion-wise, in their Wimbledon meeting, thanks to her soccer-meets-1970's-rollerskater costume. Of course...



**WORST FASHION SENSE**
...that doesn't mean the get-up actually LOOKED good, though.

**SHE'S IN VIRGINIE'S NIGHTMARES, TOO, I BET**
...at Roland Garros, Virginie Pichet beat Kirsten Flipkens in the final round of qualifying, only to have the Belgian make the main draw as a lucky loser. In their 1st Round meeting in Paris, Flipkens won. The two met again in the opening round of Wimbledon qualifying. Yep, Flipkens won again.

**IT MUST BE SOMETHING ABOUT BELGIANS**
...Flipkens wasn't the only Belgian in a series of Roland Garros/Wimbledon matchups, as the two main Waffles -- Justine Henin-Hardenne & Kim Clijsters -- met twice in slam SF. Needless to day, Clijsters is the one having the bad dreams about those meetings.

**IT MUST BE SOMETHING ABOUT RUSSIANS, TOO**
...Mashona Washington managed to avoid upsetting Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros despite leading 5-2 in the 3rd set. At Wimbledon, Washington blew a set and a break lead against another Russian, Dinara Safina, and again lost in three sets.

**IT'S NOT FEDERER/NADAL, BUT IT HAS ITS MOMENTS**
...Mauresmo vs. Henin-Hardenne, 5-5 overall and 2-1 Mauresmo (2-0 in slams) in '06, has developed into quite an interesting little series this season, especially since it looks like the two are destined to finish the year ranked #1 and #2. Who it is that'll end up on top of the rankings, though, might just come down to part three of a grand slam trilogy between the two in New York.

**IT'S NOT "RogerSlam," BUT IT'S SOMETHING**
...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has won a share of all three of this year's junior girls doubles titles.

**IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY**
...Michaella Krajicek, little sister of '96 Wimbledon champ Richard, won the grass court tune-up event in the Netherlands.

**DITTO**
...Dinara Safina, sister of so-good-yet-so-frustrating Marat, reached the same final in the Netherlands. She lost it, then narrowly escaped defeat in her first two Wimbledon matches against Jill Craybas and Mashona Washington. After living to play another day, she then lost to Ana Ivanovic in the 3rd Round.

**OF COURSE...**
...Safina DID last longer than Krajicek at Wimbledon. Michaella lost in the 1st Round to Samantha Stosur.

**SMARTEST MOVE (FINALLY)**
...after no Americans reached the Wimbledon QF for the first time since 1911, the USTA announced that the national headquarters would soon move to the Chris Evert Academy in Boca Raton, Florida. Dormatory-style housing will be provided for twenty players ages 14 to 18 on the grounds, which includes fourteen clay courts and nine hard courts. Meanwhile, some small points of light ARE breaking through with the "Americanas," as Jamea Jackson was the biggest surprise of the 2nd Quarter, Shenay Perry reached the women's Round of 16 at Wimbledon, and 16-year old Alexa Glatch won her first ITF singles title after returning to action following a scooter accident that broke bones in her arm late last year.

**MISSED OPPORTUNITY**
...Venus Williams' failure to reach the women's singles final prevented her from making a plea for equal pay for the women at SW19 in front of everyone that mattered on the final Saturday.

**FAILED FISH STORY... err, I MEAN OPPORTUNITY**
...Sesil Karatantcheva, who upset Venus at Roland Garros last year, failed to get her two-year drug ban overturned when a panel didn't believe her positive result came about because she was pregnant-and-16 at the time of the test.

**NO WILLIAMES, BUT RADWANSKAS?**
...are the Radwanska sisters trying to step into the Williams breach at Wimbledon? Last year, Agnieszka won the Girls title. This year, she reached the main draw Round of 16, while unseeded Urszula made the Girls SF.

**BETTER LATE THAN EARLY?**
...Severine Bremond, at 26, became the first qualifier to reach the Wimbledon QF since 1999. Back then, Jelena Dokic (16) and Alexandra Stevenson (18) did it... then gradually become WTA nonentities over time. Bremond's doing it all in reverse, and maybe that's the best way to go. This year, Stevenson defeated Dokic again... in the first round of Wimbledon qualifying.

**THE HARSHER SIDE OF TENNIS LIFE**
...Indonesia officially forfeited the Fed Cup match with Israel, not wanting to travel there

**THE LIGHTER SIDE OF TENNIS LIFE**


...but Sharapova didn't look. Honest. At least that's what she said.

**AND, AS ALWAYS (BUT NO LONGER)...**
...Martina Navratilova, at 49, said that this will be her last Wimbledon as a player. It's been 33 years since she debuted at the All-Enland Club in 1973. She leaves with 20 career Wimbledon titles, tied with Billie Jean King for the most ever. What will we do without her next year? Marvel at the career longevity of Nicole Pratt? Yeah, it doesn't quite have the same zip to it, does it?

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



...Fed Cup action consumes the upcoming weekend. Here are some picks (hopefully, I'll get the 3Q off to a decent start.)

**SEMIFINALS**
Italy def. Spain, 3-2
...in penalty-kicks, with Anabel Medina-Garrigues head-butting Francesca Schiavone.

Belgium def. USA, 4-1
...there'll be no American Miracle this time around. Late in the week, Justine Henin-Hardenne was replaced on the Belgian roster by Leslie Butkiewicz. I'll still stick with the same result, but I'll make it 3-2. It all depends on Kim Clijsters now... the same Clijsters who nearly punted the QF meeting with Russia before JHH righted the ship.

**WORLD GROUP PLAYOFFS**
Japan def. Austria, 4-1
...it's Barbara Schwartz vs. the entire Japanese tennis federation

Czech Republic def. France, 3-2
...is Mauresmo REALLY going to play in this? (On second thought, make it Nathalie Dechy head-butting Nicole Vaidisova.)

China def. Germany, 4-1
...the Cookies dunk the Germans.

Russia def. Croatia, 5-0
...Hordettes taking out their frustration.


All for now.

Read more...

Day 13: Don't Tug on Roger's Cape

So Federer/Nadal VIII wasn't exactly a repeat of their remarkable five-set final in Rome, but there was STILL a great deal on display that was thoroughly enjoyable.

We got one set of brilliance (6-0!! It was like Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks.) from Roger Federer, followed by a "great escape" by the world #1 when Rafael Nadal had a rare lapse and missed a huge opportunity when serving for the 2nd set at 5-4. A few double-faults there, then a couple loose points in the tie-break and King Roger was up two sets to love.

But it didn't end there, as Nadal refused to fold, grabbing the 3rd set in another tie-break (making one wonder what might have been had he been able to win the 2nd). Then, in the final Act of this play, Federer proved to be as unwilling to give up his Wimbledon throne in the 4th set as Nadal was not quite ready to take it from him... not yet, anyway. Federer is SW19 champion for a fourth straight year, but we saw enough at this tournament to think that Nadal could be ready to win this thing as early as next year.

Ah, now the U.S. Open is on the horizon, with Federer having re-established himself as the best in the world, as a player of his stature simply HAD to do today. Thing is, what happened at Centre Court on Day 13 will only give Nadal something more to inspire him to reach for. Remember, when he lost that two-set lead against Federer in Miami last year, all he followed it up with were five straight wins over him and a powerful two weeks at the All-England Club.

What will Nadal do with the memory of this near-miss? How will Federer react to finally getting the 20-year old out of his psyche, if only for one match? I know I can't wait to find out. Unlike "rivalries" such as the perpetually disappointing Venus vs. Serena, Federer/Nadal never lets us down. Even if the match ends in straight sets, the result immediately sets the conditions for the next match-up, then the one after that, and so on and so on and so on.

Federer was just kidding when he mentioned to Sue Barker that Bjorn Borg retired at age 25... the same age he'll turn in August. He's enjoying the challenge that Nadal has presented him with -- the opportunity to be the "best player who ever lived," but STILL having to strive to become even "more perfect" every year in order to maintain his lofty position (if only Steffi Graf had had such a long-term challenge). For a man who truly DOES want to be the best who ever lived, that's about as good as a career can get.

We can get REAL used to seeing this series play out for the rest of this decade... that IS as good as it gets.

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

**FEDERER vs. NADAL**
[Nadal leads 6-2]
04 Miami 3rd - Nadal 6-3/6-3
05 Miami F - Federer 2-6/6-7/7-6/6-3/6-1
05 RG SF - Nadal 6-3/4-6/6-4/6-3
06 Dubai F - Nadal 2-6/6-4/6-4
06 Monte Carlo F - Nadal 6-2/6-7/6-3/7-6
06 Rome F - Nadal 6-7/7-6/6-4/2-6/7-6
06 RG F - Nadal 1-6/6-1/6-4/7-6
06 Wimbledon F - Federer 6-0/7-6/6-7/6-3

**MOST WIMBLEDON TITLES**
7...Pete Sampras
7...William Renshaw
5...Bjorn Borg
5...Lawrence Doherty
4...ROGER FEDERER
4...Rod Laver
4...Tony Wilding
4...Reggie Doherty

**MOST CONSECUTIVE WIMBLEDON TITLES**
6...William Renshaw, 1881-86
5...Bjorn Borg, 1976-80
5...Lawrence Doherty, 1902-06
4...Pete Sampras, 1997-00
4...ROGER FEDERER, 2003-CURRENT
4...Tony Wilding, 1910-13
4...Reggie Doherty, 1897-00

**MOST SLAM TITLES - CAREER**
14...Pete Sampras
12...Roy Emerson
11...Bjorn Borg
11...Rod Laver
10...Bill Tilden
8....ROGER FEDERER
8....Andre Agassi
8....Jimmy Connors
8....Ivan Lendl
8....Fred Perry
8....Ken Rosewall

**MEN'S SLAM WINNERS - 2004-06**
2004
A: Roger Federer
R: Gaston Gaudio
W: Roger Federer
U: Roger Federer
2005
A: Marat Safin
R: Rafael Nadal
W: Roger Federer
U: Roger Federer
2006
A: Roger Federer
R: Rafael Nadal
W: Roger Federer

**MOST SLAM FINALS - ACTIVE**
15...Andre Agassi (8-7)
9....ROGER FEDERER (8-1)
4....Lleyton Hewitt (2-2)
4....Marat Safin (2-2)

**GRASS COURT WINNING STREAKS**
48...ROGER FEDERER, 2003-CURRENT
41...Bjorn Borg, 1976-81
23...John McEnroe, 1980-82
23...Pete Sampras, 1994-96
23...Pete Sampras, 1998-00

**MOST WEEKS AT #1**
286...Pete Sampras
270...Ivan Lendl
268...Jimmy Connors
170...John McEnroe
127...ROGER FEDERER (CURRENT)
109...Bjorn Borg
101...Andre Agassi

**MEN'S DOUBLES CAREER SLAM**
[Open Era]
Jacco Eltingh & Paul Haarhuis
Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde
Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan


Love/Love...

**LATE-ROUND WOMEN'S AWARDS**
TOP PLAYER: Amelie Mauresmo, of course
RISERS: Zi Yan/Jie Zheng & Vera Zvonareva
SURPRISE: Urszula Radwanska
VETERANS: Virginia Ruano-Pascual/Paola Suarez
FRESH FACE: Caroline Wozniacki
DOWN: Maria Sharapova & Kim Clijsters

=============================
Love/15... Americans rule the men's doubles!! (For what it's worth, it IS a fact at Wimbledon.) The Bryan twins became the third team in the Open Era to complete a Men's Doubles career Grand Slam, and today the all-American duo of Kellen Damico & Nathaniel Schnugg (the Boys Doubles RU in Melbourne) won the SW19 Boys Doubles title. Wonder if that'll get them a couple of rooms at the Evert Academy in the USTA's new let's-right-this-sinking-ship setup there?
=============================
15/15... Virginia Ruano-Pascual & Paola Suarez failed in their bid to get THEIR career Doubles slam, losing to Zi Yan & Jie Zheng, who picked up a second slam title for China to go along with their Australian Open Doubles title.

**MOST 2006 WTA DOUBLES TITLES - TEAMS**
6...Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur
5...ZI YAN/JIE ZHENG
2...Ting Li/Tiantian Sun
2...Daniela Hantuchova/Ai Sugiyama

=============================
15/30... meanwhile, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is three quarters of the way to a junior doubles grand slam for 2006. After winning in Melbourne and Paris with Sharon Fichman, who won the Wimbledon Girls Doubles with fellow Hordette Alisa Kleybanova today.
=============================
15/40...


...yay, Jana! (That's her on the right, looking as bright-eyed as ever, I'd say.) Backspin's all-time fave, Hall of Famer, and 1998 Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna claimed her third straight crown in the Wimbledon 35-and-over competition, winning with Rosalyn Fairbank-Nideffer over Tracy Austin (who Novotna won with a year ago) and Nathalie Tauziat (the woman Jana beat in the '98 singles final). "The Woodies" -- Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, a five-time Wimbledon Doubles champion team -- won the men's 35-and-over.
=============================
30/40...

**2006 WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONS**
MS: Roger Federer
WS: Amelie Mauresmo
MD: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan
WD: Zi Yan & Jie Zheng
MX: Vera Zvonareva & Andy Ram
BS: Theimo de Bakker
WS: Caroline Wozniacki
BD: Kellen Damico & Nathaniel Schnuff
GD: Alisa Kleybanova & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
35's-M: Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde
35's-W: Jana Novotna & Rosalyn Fairbank-Nideffer
============================
Game, "A LITTLE TASTE."

The full Grass Court Awards will be coming soon, but here's Backspin's lists for Top Player:

[WOMEN]
1.Amelie Mauresmo
2.Justine Henin-Hardenne
3.Zi Yan & Jie Zheng
4.Kim Clijsters
5.Maria Sharapova
HM-Vera Zvonareva and Michaella Krajicek

[MEN]
1.Roger Federer
2.Rafael Nadal
3.Bob & Mike Bryan
4.Lleyton Hewitt
5.Jonas Bjorkman
HM-Mario Ancic, Marcos Baghdatis, Andy Ram & Richard Gasquet
=============================




All for Day 13. WTA Grass Court Awards tomorrow.

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

COMING: ATP Grass Court Awards, 2Q Backspin Quiz (Federer/Nadal), and "The Blessed and the Cursed, 2Q Edition"

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Day 12: She is Risen

We began this year's Wimbledon talking about the role that history would play in determining the 2006 champion. Who knew that it'd be Suzanne Lenglen's title in 1925, eighty-one years ago, that would end up being the historical reference point for what happened in the women's final?



You see, Lenglen was the last Frenchwoman to win Wimbledon... until Amelie Mauresmo claimed her first SW19 title in a convincing tearing down of Justine Henin-Hardenne's defenses over the course of 2-6/6-3/6-4 victory today. Eight years after her main draw debut at the All-England Club ended with a 2nd Round loss to Yayuk Basuki, Mauresmo's wait to grasp the big plate -- and earn respect that'll last from here to eternity -- ended on Saturday.

Both Mauresmo and Henin-Hardenne already had a history at Wimbledon. In 2001, JHH made her first slam final there, losing to Venus Williams. In 1996, Mauresmo won the Championships' Girls title. Henin-Hardenne wanted Centre Court to be where she completed her career Grand Slam today, but it was Mauresmo who made the fabled grounds her own, officially wiping away her Nervous Amelie rep for good. The Belgian could have cemented her tennis legacy at age 24, but it ended up being the Frenchwoman who put down a solid foundation for her own at age 27.

It didn't look as if was going to go that way early on, as Henin-Hardenne sideswiped Mauresmo from the outset, taking the world #1's rush-the-net game as her own and maintaining the aggressive demeanor throughout the 1st set while putting on a display of clever shotmaking.

Ever since her blazing start to the season, where she claimed three titles by the end of February, Mauresmo has perfected the role of "tennis drifter." She uncharacteristically dropped the ball for the French team in Fed Cup play, didn't utter a peep during the clay season and was eliminated from Roland Garros before the second week of action had barely begun. She came to London having followed up her slam-winning turn in Melbourne with more than four months of uninspiring results that made it appear as if she might be slipping back into her old patterns.

In a way, it might have been the best thing that could have happened to her to sink back into the woodwork of the women's draw. Even while being the #1-ranked player in the world and the #1 seed at SW19, she was barely a minor topic of conversation two weeks ago in spite of her three straight Wimbledon SF results. (Example: neither I nor Pierre had her reaching the SF, having Dinara Safina defeating her in the 4th Round. SI.com's Jon Wertheim didn't, either. And ESPN's Brad Gilbert thought she might lose in the 2nd Round to Michaella Krajicek.)

I know I've said for a while now that a Wimbledon title would be more likely to fall into Mauresmo's lap out of nowhere at at time when she was generally disregarded and overlooked as a contender. Without the pressure to live up to expectations, just weeks after having so many in Paris, she would be able to better take advantage of the surface that best fits her graceful groundstrokes and volley expertise. If it would come to her, it would do so quietly and unexpectedly, I figured. (Of course, I never thought it'd ACTUALLY HAPPEN.) But that didn't mean it wouldn't be an emphatic championship... and that's just what it was today, too.

Mauresmo opened the 2nd set by winning twelve of fifteen points, but Henin-Hardenne fought to keep her within arm's reach, saving two serve games (one with five deuces, another where Mauresmo held a break point) that could have blown the set apart. At 5-3, the moment of truth arrived. Mauresmo saved three break points, when losing one might have started the avalanche that ultimately resulted in one of her patented grand slam crumbles. But much like she did against Maria Sharapova in the SF, Mauresmo caught herself before she could fall on her face.

Mauresmo held to win the 2nd set, got an early break in the 3rd, then put her head down and bulled forward toward the finish line, reclaiming the net from JHH and controlling the pace of play for the remainder of the match. This time, Mauresmo didn't have the title "given" to her at the net, she took it for herself.

No if's, and's or but's... Amelie Mauresmo is the best player in the world at the moment, with her mind, body and (most importantly) nerves all working in unison. For Justine, her quest for a career Grand Slam will continue in twelve months. But for Amelie, the quest for fulfillment is over.

Now, if these two meet up again in New York in early September to complete their '06 slam trilogy, all the ancillary issues concerning this match-up will have been long since set aside by both... and won't that be a great thing?

Advantage, Amelie. To be continued.


**2006 WTA SINGLES TITLES**
4...AMELIE MAURESMO
4...Justine Henin-Hardenne
4...Nadia Petrova
3...Shahar Peer
2...Michaella Krajicek

**MOST WTA TITLES - 2005-06**
10...Kim Clijsters [9/1]
8....AMELIE MAURESMO [4/4]
8....Justine Henin-Hardenne [4/4]
6....Lindsay Davenport [6/0]
5....Nadia Petrova [1/4]
4....Maria Sharapova [3/1]
4....Nicole Vaidisova [3/1]

**2006 WINS OVER FORMER/CURRENT #1's**
8...Justine Henin-Hardenne
7...AMELIE MAURESMO
5...Svetlana Kuznetsova
3...Martina Hingis
3...Maria Sharapova

**2006 SLAM JR. GIRLS FINALS**
AO: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova(RUS) d. Caroline Wozniacki(DEN)
-----------------------------
RG: Agnieszka Radwanska(POL) d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova(RUS)
-----------------------------
W: Caroline Wozniacki(DEN) d. Magdalena Rybarikova(SVK)
-----------------------------


Love/Love... Danish gal Caroline Wozniacki, the Girls RU in Melbourne, claimed the junior title with a win over Magdalena Rybarikova by a 3-6/6-1/6-3 score.

*LAST 5 SW19 GIRLS FINALS*
2002 Vera Dushevina d. Maria Sharapova
2003 Kirsten Flipkens d. Anna Chakvetadze
2004 Kateryna Bondarenko d. Ana Ivanovic
2005 Agnieszka Radwanska d. Tamira Paszek
2006 Caroline Wozniacki d. Magdalena Rybarikova
=============================
Love/15... top-seeded Theimo de Bakker defeated Marcin Gawron 6-2/7-6. Interestingly, of the six slam boys finalists this season, the Dutch teen was the first of them to be seeded.

*2006 BOYS SLAM FINALS*
AO: Alexandre Sidorenko d. Nick Lindahl
RG: Martin Klizan d. Philip Bester
W: Theimo de Bakker d. Marcin Gawron
=============================
15/15...

*JUNIOR DOUBLES FINALS*
[girls]
#1 Kristina Antoniychuk/Alexandra Dulgheru vs. #2 Alisa Kleybanova/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
[boys]
#2 Martin Klizan/Andrei Martin vs. Kellen Damico/Nathaniel Schnugg

...Pavlyuchenkova is trying to win her third junior doubles slam title of the year, having claimed the girls crowns at both the Australian and Roland Garros with Canada's Sharon Fichman.
=============================
15/30... Vera Zvonareva and Andy Ram won the Mixed Doubles title. It's Zvonareva's second slam Mixed trophy, having won the 2004 U.S. Open title with Bob Bryan. Ironically, it was Bryan and Venus Williams who were on the losing side in the final. Speaking of...
=============================
15/40... Henin-Hardenne failed to get her career slam, but Bob & Mike Bryan got their's with a win in the final over Fabrice Santoro & Nenad Zimonjic. They're the first team of brothers to win the Wimbledon Doubles since Reggie & Laurie Doherty in 1905. On Sunday, Virginia Ruano-Pascual & Paola Suarez go for their career slam in the Women's Doubles.
=============================
30/40... apropos of nothing, but is there another player who's game is more perfectly built for those slow-mo TV replays than Mauresmo's? (I mean, anyone not named Federer, of course.) It's like watching a how-to video on perfect form. Actually, it's also similar to the old-time 1920's video of the balletic Suzanne Lenglen.



Hmmm... Lenglen, Mauresmo. Both French. Both Wimbledon champions eight decades apart. Coincidence?
=============================
Game, "AND NOW FOR OUR FEATURE PRESENTATION." Roger the Great is going for his 48th straight grass win and fourth Wimbledon title in a row, while Rafa Nadal is trying to become the first man in 26 years to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back (Bjorn Borg pulled off the feat three years running from 1978-80, but that's a remarkable discussion for another day.) and the first Spanish man to win SW19 since Manuel Santana in 1966. Classic possibilities for a quickly-becoming-a-classic rivalry, but will the match be as classic as the build-up? Well, if Federer really is the all-time great champion that he's supposed to be, he MUST win this match. Lose it to Nadal on grass, and the Spaniard will be called "the best player in the world," not Federer. PICK: Winner take all, FEDERER IN FOUR SETS... and bring on Federer/Nadal IX as soon as possible.



All for Day 12. More tomorrow.

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