Wk.38- That Time of Year

After the U.S. Open, and before the year-ending Championships, youth tends to flourish on the WTA tour. It happened again last week.

In the 4th Quarter, with more events regularly on the schedule (three events last week, three more this week) -- most of them lesser-tiered ones -- and fewer big names in action to fill out the draws thanks to the upcoming end of the tiring long season (and the need for top players to be rested for the YEC), these final months have often turned into the proving ground for future stars. The last few seasons, young players have often managed to get their first tastes of success at this time of year.

A few recent highlights:

*2003*
...Maria Sharapova won her first two career titles

*2004*
...Nicole Vaidosova won title #2, and Na Li won her first

*2005*
...Vaidisova won back-to-back-to-back crowns, while Maria Kirilenko and Michaella Krajicek won their firsts

This weekend, 15-year old Austrian Tamira Paszek continued the tradition by winning her maiden championship in Portoroz, Slovenia just a few weeks after competing in (and losing, by the way) the U.S. Open Girls final. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, India, 18-year old Russian Olga Poutchkova reached her first tour final.

With the likes of Anna Chakvetadze and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (the girl who beat Paszek in the Open's Girls final, and the world junior #1) still seeking their first WTA crowns, who's to say they won't soon take part in this annual late-season ritual before 2006 closes out?

So keep an eye out. Shooting stars often shine for the first time just before the tour turns down its lights for another season.


*WEEK 38*

BEIJING, CHINA (II-HO)
S: Svetlana Kuznetsova d. Amelie Mauresmo 6-4/6-0
D: Ruano-Pascual/Suarez d. Chakvetadze/Vesnina

KOLKATA, INDIA (III-GSI)
S: Martina Hingis d. Olga Poutchkova 6-0/6-4
D: Huber/Mirza d. Beygelzimer/Fedak

PORTOROZ, SLOVENIA (IV-HO)
S: Tamira Paszek d. Maria Elena Camerin 7-5/6-1
D: Birnerova/Loit


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Svetlana Kuznetsova
...her second title in as many weeks gives the Contessova three for the season and eight for her career. Her victory in the rain-marred Beijing final over Amelie Mauresmo was her third win over the world #1 in 2006.
-----------------------------
RISERS: Shuai Peng & Sania Mirza

...Peng is still hovering just slightly above .500 for the season after her SF run in Beijing, but wins over Kirilenko and Ai Sugiyama are at least going to give her some hope that 2007 will finally see her pull together all that promise she showed in 2005. As for Mirza, '06 has been nothing like her '05, either. But her SF result in Kolkata was her best singles result of the season, and she picked up her second doubles title (last week and earkier in Bangalore, both with Liezel Huber) in this year's two tour events in India.
-----------------------------
SURPRISES: Maria Elena Camerin & Iroda Tulyaganova
...perhaps Italy's Camerin was inspired by her countrywomen's Fed Cup win? Her RU in Portoroz was her first trip to a WTA singles final since 2001 in Casablanca. Tulyaganova hasn't had much of a presence on tour the past few seasons after reaching the Top 20 in 2002. She entered last week ranked #342, but qualified and advanced all the way to the SF in Kolkata. It's her best tour result since 2003.
-----------------------------
VETERANS: Martina Hingis & Virginia Ruano-Pascual/Paola Suarez
...Hingis won her second title of the second in Kolkata, erasing at least some of the memory of her 2nd Round ouster from the US Open. A Tier IV crown is not exactly what she came out of retirement for, but points are points when it comes to qualifying for the YEC. She's got a shot at another Tier IV this week in Seoul. Now that Suarez is healthy again, the magic of VRP/Suarez is showing signs of being reignited. The duo's crown in Beijing was their second in the past few months, joining their Los Angeles title.
-----------------------------
FRESH FACES: Tamira Paszek & Olga Poutchkova

...Paszek was just glad that Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was nowhere to be seen. The 15-year old Austrian lost at both Roland Garros and the US Open to the Russian junior #1 in the Girls event in tight three-set matches. Safely tucked away on the actual women's tour, she got her first career title in Portoroz. As a qualifier, she entered the event ranked #259. Eight matches later, she became the third lowest-ranked women's player to win a WTA singles title, knocking off Iveta Benesova, Emilie Loit and Camerin along the way. Russian Poutchkova, 18, followed up her Bali QF with her first tour final in Kolkata. She lost rather quickly to Hingis, dropping the 1st set at love, but don't expect this to be her final opportunity to join the list of Hordettes with titles to their credit.
-----------------------------
DOWN: Amelie Mauresmo
...sure, Mauresmo defeated Lindsay Davenport in the Beijing QF and her RU result increased her lead in the rankings over #2 Henin-Hardenne (though with YEC title points to defend, that race might come down to the final week of the season, even with JHH out three weeks with her knee injury and maybe not getting back into action UNTIL the week of the WTA Championships), but the scoreline in her loss to Kuznetsova included yet another love set lost. What's the deal with this odd trend, anyway?
-----------------------------



1.Beij F - Kuznetsova d. Mauresmo
...6-4/6-0. Mauresmo has now been bageled in four sets by three different players (Kuznetsova, Sharapova & Serena) in her last two tournaments.
-----------------------------
2.Kol F - Hingis d. Poutchkova
...6-0/6-4. Eight different Russians have now advanced to WTA singles finals this season.
-----------------------------
3.Por F - Paszek d. Camerin
...7-5/6-1. A few weeks after losing a junior slam final, Austrian Paszek became the lowest-ranked qualifier to ever win a WTA singles title... and was the lowest-ranked female EVER to win a WTA event that wasn't held in her home nation.
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4.Por SF - Paszek d. Loit
...4-6/2-0 ret. Needless to say, Paszek made the most of her "second chance."
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5.Kol SF - Hingis d. Mirza
...6-1/6-0. An inglorious end -- at least in singles -- to one of the rare good weeks in '06 for the Indian Princess.
-----------------------------
6.Beij 2nd - Peng d. Kirilenko
...5-7/6-4/6-2. Peng is the first player this season to record two wins over defending tournament champions.
-----------------------------
7.Beij 2nd - Sugiyama d. Vaidisova
...6-4/1-6/6-3. The Dynamova really doesn't need a strong finish to validate her potential as she did at the end of '05. Still, even though the events were small, she's going to soon lose her points for those three titles she picked up in last season's closing weeks. A late-year swoon could cost her her Top 10 ranking.
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8.Beij 1st - Davenport d. Chakvetadze
...7-6/3-6/7-5. Another close loss to a top player for Chakvetadze. She might not have that first career title to prove it, but she's made great strides in '06. Hmmm... maybe the timing is just about right for her to take care of that.
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9.Kol 1st - Dellacqua d. Sprem
..2-6/7-6/6-2. Maybe the Aussies could have used Dellacqua in that Davis Cup SF, huh? Yeah, she wouldn't have won anything... but, then again, neither did any of the men in the 5-0 loss to Argentina.
-----------------------------


**YOUNGEST 2006 CHAMPIONS**
15...TAMIRA PASZEK (PORTOROZ, SEPTEMBER)
17...Michaella Krajicek (Hobart, January)
17...Nicole Vaidisova (Strasbourg, June)

**LOW-RANKED WTA SINGLES CHAMPION**
[all-time]
#579...Angelique Widjaja (2001 Bali) (WC)
#285...Fabiola Zuluaga (2002 Bogota) (WC)
#259...TAMIRA PASZEK (2006 PORTOROZ) (Q)

**MOST 2006 SINGLES TITLES**
5...Justine Henin-Hardenne
4...Amelie Mauresmo
4...Nadia Petrova
3...Maria Sharapova
3...SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA
3...Shahar Peer

**MOST 2006 WINS OVER TOURNAMENT #1 SEEDS**
3...Justine Henin-Hardenne
3...SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA
2...Maria Sharapova
2...Elena Dementieva
2...Jie Zheng

**MOST CONSECUTIVE 2006 TITLES**
3...Mauresmo (Jan-Feb, Australian-Paris-Antwerp)
3...Petrova (Apr-May, A.I.-Charleston-Berlin)
2...Henin-H. (June, R.G.-Eastbourne)
2...KUZNETSOVA (SEP, BALI-BEIJING)


...the season-long attempt to finally reach double-digits in champion picks continues, but at least the trek is one champion less thanks to Martina Hingis' title last week. Of course, being ever so grateful, I don't pick Hingis to win again this week.


KOCKELSCHEUER, LUXEMBOURG (II-HI)
05 FINAL: Clijsters d. Groenefeld
06 TOP: Dementieva/Petrova
-----------------------------
SF: Dementieva d. Schnyder; Petrova d. Safina
FINAL: Dementieva d. Petrova

...could Girl Friday regain her mojo by following up her '05 RU with something better here? At least it's not an outdoor hardcourt event, so maybe there's a shot.


GUANGZHOU, CHINA (III-HO)
05 FINAL: Yan d. Llagostera-Vives
06 TOP: Jankovic/N.Li
-----------------------------
SF: Chakvetadze d. Jankovic; N.Li d. Medina-Garrigues
FINAL: Chakvetadze d. N.Li

...Chakvetadze is due to pick up her first title, and I've heard that this IS the time of the year for such things, after all.


SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (IV-HO)
05 FINAL: Vaidisova d. Jankovic
06 TOP: Hingis/Kirilenko
-----------------------------
SF: Hingis d. Sugiyama; Zvonareva d. Bartoli
FINAL: Zvonareva d. Hingis

...why not make it three-for-three for the Hordettes? It's not like giving my picks a theme is going to render my '06 prediction record a disappointing mess... that boat sailed somewhere in Europe in the early spring.


All for now.

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

STILL TO COME: Maria Sharapova Quiz

Read more...

Wk.37- Down Goes Justine... again

As the 2006 season begins to wind down, it's time to sort out who's in the running for "Ms. Backspin"... err, I mean "Player of the Year"... honors.

There are really only three candidates for the top spot (hint: they won all the grand slams this year):

(1) Amelie Mauresmo
...when all is said and done, 2006 will be known as Mauresmo's year even if she doesn't win the most titles or finish at the top of the rankings. In a sport that ultimately judges its greats on the number of grand slam trophies on their mantle, the last nine months have seen Mauresmo solidify (create, actually) her legacy and cement her Hall of Fame credentials. Mademoiselle Backspin, I presume?
=============================
(2) Justine Henin-Hardenne
...hmmm, #2. That has a familiar ring to it, doesn't it? After this weekend's Fed Cup, which could have bumped her into a dead heat with Mauresmo, JHH is becoming the "best runner-up" in the world. Not exactly the epitaph she'd like for a dwindling 2006 season that has seen Henin-Hardenne accomplish so much. But more titles than anyone else and the year-end #1 ranking still might not be enough to outshine what she DIDN'T accomplish.
=============================
(3) Maria Sharapova
...first she went supernova in 2004, then she was exquisite in the city in 2006. But one gets the feeling that Sharapova might just be scratching the surface of what she's capable of doing. The women's tour is crowded at the top, and it'll be difficult for a single player to dominate. But a short-term (one season-plus?) period of superior distinction is possible, considering Mauresmo won two slam crowns in '06 and JHH appeared in all four finals. The Sharapova Scenario is still in the cards, and will be a talking point around here for 2007.

If only doubles teams could be "Players of the Year," then these two duos would be strong contenders:

(4) Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur & Zi Yan/Jie Zheng
...the year's two dominant pairs have been grabbing the lioness' share of slams and Tier I titles in '06. Raymond/Stosur are co-#1's in the rankings, but the Chinese are #3 & #4. There's still a few more big titles remaining in this battle to be the best doubles team in the world, so this one could go all the way the YEC.
=============================

The list actually ends there, but a few have distinguished themselves enough above all others they that at least deserved to be mentioned:

Nadia Petrova: she had a good, sometimes stunningly so, first five months. But then she's had a bad, sometimes atrociously so, last three.
-----------------------------
Svetlana Kuznetsova: not as good as in 2004, but she's regained her consistency, reached the Roland Garros final and is now in the Top 5.
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Nicole Vaidisova: the "It Girl" of '06. But she'll forever (or at least until '07) ponder the what-if's of that SF loss to Kuznetsova in Paris.
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Martina Hingis: she's flagged at times (her worst US Open ever), but if she and everyone had been told in January that she'd win a Tier I and return to the Top 10 by September it would have meant her comeback was going to be supremely -- though not "grandly" -- successful.
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Shahar Peer: the Israeli has displayed champion's attributes and a fighting spirit en route to winning her first three career WTA titles.
-----------------------------
The Serbs: Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic came of age on the North American hard courts. Now they'll have to deal with the increased expectations.
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The Italians: the Noodles began '06 by showing surprising strength all over the WTA tour schedule, and they're ending it as Fed Cup champions. Viva Italia!
-----------------------------
OTHERS: Kim Clijsters, Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina, Vera Zvonareva

*1Q TOP PLAYERS*
1.Amelie Mauresmo
2.Justine Henin-Hardenne
3.Maria Sharapova
4.Svetlana Kuznetsova
5.Elena Dementieva

*2Q/CLAY TOP PLAYERS*
1.Justine Henin-Hardenne
2.Nadia Petrova
3.Svetlana Kuznetsova
4.Martina Hingis
5.Nicole Vaidisova

*2Q/GRASS TOP PLAYERS*
1.Amelie Mauresmo
2.Justine Henin-Hardenne
3.Zi Yan & Jie Zheng
4.Kim Clijsters
5.Maria Sharapova

*3Q TOP PLAYERS*
1.Maria Sharapova
2.Justine Henin-Hardenne
3t.Jelana Jankovic
3t.Ana Ivanovic
5.Vera Zvonareva

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


**WEEK 37*

FED CUP FINAL [CHARLEROI, BELGIUM]
Italy def. Belgium 3-2

BALI, INDONESIA (III-HO)
S: Svetlana Kuznetsova d. Marion Bartoli 7-5/6-2
D: Davenport/Morariu d. Grandin/Musgrave


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Francesca Schiavone

...it wasn't easy, and Schiavone was fighting some of her demons all the way (resulting in a series of dumped volleys and double-faults on crucial points), but she pulled herself and Italy through to claim the Noodles' first ever Fed Cup title.
=============================
RISER: Mara Santangelo
...Santangelo made her Fed Cup singles debut for Italy in the pressure-packed fourth match against Kirsten Flipkens, with the Noodles' survival at stake. After dropping the 1st set, she seized control of the match and ultimately ran the 20-year old Belgian off the court with a 3rd set bagel.
=============================
SURPRISE: Melinda Czink
...in Bali, the Hungarian knocked Daniela Hantuchova down yet another peg and got a win over Angelique Widjaja in the Indonesian's home nation tournament.
=============================
VETERAN: Lindsay Davenport
...Davenport didn't defend her Bali title for her first crown of the year, but she did reach the SF (losing to eventual champion Kuznetsova in two tie-breaks) and won the doubles with Corina Morariu.
=============================
FRESH FACE: Olga Poutchkova

...another Russian teen on the prowl. This one's 18, and she upset Ana Ivanovic in the 1st Round in Bali.
=============================
DOWN: Justine Henin-Hardenne & Kirsten Flipkens
...Henin-Hardenne's retirement in the deciding doubles match of the Fed Cup final will surely provide more ammunition for all the Justine haters looking to take potshots. In truth, she probably should never have played in the match with a knee injury that had occurred just a few hours earlier in her singles win over Schiavone, but skipping out would have left the Belgian team pretty well high and dry against the deeper pool of Italian talent. Of course, if Flipkens had won one of her singles matches the final match would have been unnecessary. Flipkens gets a pass for losing to Schiavone, but not for when she got a break when Flavia Pennetta's wrist injury prevented her from playing Match #4. Replacement Santangelo is no pushover (she won a WTA title this year in Bangalore), but Flipkens had a set lead and the backing of the Belgium crowd and still fell apart down the stretch. In the end, some great matches were wasted with the anticlimactic ending precipitated by Henin-Hardenne's retirement.
=============================


1.FC Match #5 - Schiavone/Vinci(ITA) d. Flipkens/JHH(BEL)

...3-6/6-2/2-0 ret. I'm sure the "Everybody Hates Justine" campaign has printed up some new placards and pamphlets by now.
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2.FC Match #4 - Santangelo(ITA) d. Flipkens(BEL)
...6-7/6-3/6-0. Flipkens' failure to secure a win here despite grabbing the 1st set and having the home crowd in her corner set the table for the already injured JHH being forced into additional action.
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3.Bali F - Kuznetsova d. Bartoli
...7-5/6-2. In one of the more overlooked tour events of the season, Kuznetsova won her seventh career title with her third Bali crown in the last five years.
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4.Bali 1st - Poutchkova d. Ivanovic
...6-3/4-6/6-2. Hopefully, Ana's hotel room had a nice view of the city.
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5.FC Matches #2/#3 - JHH(BEL) d. Pennetta(ITA); JHH(BEL) d. Schiavone(ITA)
...6-4/7-5 (both matches). JHH battled to put away both of Italy's top singles players, but still couldn't carry the entire Belgium team on her slight shoulders.
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HM-FC Match #1 - Schiavone(ITA) d. Flipkens(BEL)
...6-1/6-3. Schiavone roared out (or Flipkens rolled over, take your pick) to a 6-1/5-0 lead before suffering some flashbacks to her US Open match with Shahar Peer. She recovered. Flipkens never really did.
-----------------------------


**MOST 2006 WTA FINALS**
9...Justine Henin-Hardenne (5-4)
5...Amelie Mauresmo (4-1)
5...Maria Sharapova (3-2)
4...Nadia Petrova (4-0)
4...Kim Clijsters (2-2)
4...SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA (2-2)

**MOST 2006 WTA SEMIFINALS**
11...Justine Henin-Hardenne (9-2)
10...Maria Sharapova (5-5)
10...SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA (4-6)
8....Amelie Mauresmo (5-3)
8....Kim Clijsters (3-5)


...two more picks, two more losses last week. Obviously, 2006 is one big joke for the ol' Backspin Picks section. I'm beginning to feel a little like Justine.


BEIJING, CHINA (II-HO)
05 FINAL: Kirilenko d. Groenefeld
06 TOP: Mauresmo/Kuznetsova
===========================
SF: Davenport d. Jankovic; Vaidisova d. Li
FINAL: Vaidisova d. Davenport

...The Dynamova, like the Supernova before her, often shines rather brightly in Asia.


KOLKATA, INDIA (III-GSI)
05 FINAL: Myskina d. Sprem
06 TOP: Hingis/Sprem
==========================
SF: Hingis d. Mirza; Sprem d. Poutchkova
FINAL: Hingis d. Sprem

...I originally had Anastasia Rodionova reaching the final here in the somewhat lacking bottom half of the draw. I changed it to Sprem, so I guess that means that Rodionova will end up playing on Sunday.


PORTOROZ, SLOVENIA (IV-HO)
05 FINAL: Zakopalova (Koukalova) d. Srebotnik
06 TOP: Srebotnik/Gajdosova
============================
SF: Srebotnik d. Azarenka; Oprandi d. Gajdosova
FINAL: Srebotnik d. Oprandi

...a win for Srebotnik's home country fans. Of course, Oprandi IS an Italian... and something might be in the air.


All for now.

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

COMING THIS WEEK: Maria Sharapova Quiz

Read more...

WTA Backspin 3Q Awards

This summer in North America, "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" was the belle of the hard court ball.



**TOP PLAYERS OF 3Q**
1. Maria Sharapova... the whispers can now officially be silenced for good
-----------------------------
2. Justine Henin-Hardenne... so close, but yet so far. In many ways, it's been a running theme for JHH this season. Still, though, she might end up with the #1 ranking at the end of the season.
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3t. Ana Ivanovic & Jelena Jankovic... the Serbian pair had the summers of their lives. Ivanovic won the U.S. Open Series, then Jankovic picked up where AnaIvo left off with a surprising SF result at the U.S. Open.
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5. Vera Zvonareva... she started the quarter with a singles title in Cincinnati, and ended it by winning the Doubles crown at the U.S. Open (her second slam doubles title this year, having won the Mixed at Wimbledon).
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6. Flavia Pennetta... she led the way for Italy as the Noodles advanced to their first Fed Cup final.
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7. Elena Dementieva... rather quietly picked up a title in Los Angeles, then reached the QF at the Open.
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8. Martina Navratilova... wrapped up her amazing career with a Tier I Doubles title in Montreal, then a Mixed championship (her 59th slam title) at the U.S. Open.
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9. Jie Zheng... her third career singles title in Stockholm gives her more than all the other Cookies combined.
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10. Kim Clijsters... she was going along fairly well until that game of Russian Roulette with her wrist blew up in her face in Montreal.
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*RISERS*
1t. Jelena Jankovic
1t. Ana Ivanovic
3. Vera Zvonareva
4. Flavia Pennetta
5. Tatiana Golovin
6. Dinara Safina
7. Jie Zheng
8. Na Li
9. Samantha Stosur
10. Katarina Srebotnik

*SURPRISES*
1. Stephanie Dubois
2. Aravane Rezai
3. Virginie Razzano
4. Karin Knapp
5. Melanie South
6. Sara Errani
7. Bethanie Mattek
8. Lauren Albanese
9. Youlia Fedossova
10. Varvara Lepchenko

*VETERANS*
1. Martina Navratilova
2. Meghann Shaughnessy
3. Anna Smashnova
4. Lindsay Davenport
5. Severine Bremond

*FRESH FACES*
1. Anna Chakvetadze
2. Nicole Vaidisova
3. Shahar Peer
4. Victoria Azarenka
5. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
6. Kirsten Flipkens
7. Jarmila Gajdosova
8. Agnieszka Radwanska
9. Tszvetana Pironkova
10. Vania King

*DOWN*
1. Nadia Petrova
2. Anna-Lena Groenefeld
3. Daniela Hantuchova
4. Shuai Peng
5. Martina Hingis (at U.S. Open)

=TOP PERFORMANCE (on & off-court)=
...Maria Sharapova was simply exquisite in the city, from her "I Feel Pretty" Nike ads to the little black dress, from the Roddick denials to her U.S. Open championship.

=TOP PERFORMANCE (collective=
...the Russians are coming! Again. Sharapova wasn't the only member of the Horde grabbing headlines this hard court summer. Zvonareva and Dementieva won singles crowns, Anastasia Myskina reached a final, Anna Chakvetadze had her best-ever run of results and 15-year old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won the U.S. Open Girls title (her second junior singles slam win in '06, to go along with her additional three junior doubles slam titles).

=BEST MATCH=
US Open SF - JHH d. Jankovic
...4-6/6-4/6-0. Behind 4-6/2-4 30/40, JHH took advantage of Jankovic's lapse in concentration and reeled off ten straight games to complete her four-for-four cycle in 2006 grand slam finals.

=BEST EXCHANGE THAT NEVER HAPPENED FACE-TO-FACE=
... in the US Open SF, JHH (here's another "shocker") was accused of gamesmanship for possibly "faking" an injury when she bent down in apparent pain one point from 2-5 in the 2nd set against Jankovic. After the match, Jankovic said, "For me that's not quite fair play." As for Henin-Hardenne... she said the ridiculousness of the accusation "makes her laugh." The beat goes on.

=DUMBEST CRITICISM=
...the overreaction of everyone running around like chickens with their heads cut off because Sharapova's coach and father signalled for her to take a drink and eat a banana during a match. As Sharapova said, "I believe, at the end of the day, personally, my life is not about a banana. It's not about what I wear. It's not about the friends that I have. My career right now is about winning a tennis match. And right now, I'm sitting here as a U.S. Open champion, and the last thing I think people need to worry about is a banana." Amen.

=WORST CHOKE=
US Open 3rd - Peer d. Schiavone
...6-3/6-7/7-6. Schiavone led 5-1 in the 3rd and blew 5 match points before finally losing in a tie-break.

=BIGGEST UPSET/DUMBEST DECISION=
Montreal 2nd - Dubois d. Clijsters
...1-6/3-2 ret. Sure, Clijsters' wrist injury ended this one prematurely, but that wasn't Dubois' fault. Clijsters, already with a chronic wrist problem, called for a trainer at 2-1 and 2-3 in the 2nd set, but continued to play after each break. Pushing her luck, she paid for it. She fell on her wrist after lunging for a Dubois passing shot. Goodbye, US Open title defense. So long, Fed Cup final.

=MOST DISAPPOINTING UPSET=
US Open 2nd - Razzano d. Hingis
...6-2/6-4. It was the Swiss Miss' worst Open result ever.

=CHANGING FORTUNES=
...not only did Sharapova win her second slam title at the U.S. Open, but she spent the summer reversing her career fortunes against some of the best players in the world. Her win in the San Diego final over #4 Clijsters was her first in five matches against the Belgium. The US Open SF win over Amelie Mauresmo made her 1-3 against the world #1, and the win in the final over JHH ended her four-match losing streak against the #2-ranked player.

=BIGGEST WIN=
...Italy's dominating Fed Cup SF win over Spain sent the Noodles into their first final and cemented the country's surprisingly rising fortunes in '06.

=MS. WILLIAMS, I presume?=
...no, Venus wasn't in action in the 3Q (except for a quick cameo in WTT play), but Serena WAS. She reached the SF in Cincinnati and Los Angeles, then pushed Mauresmo in a three-setter in the US Open Round of 16. Give her a few healthy months, and she might just be celebrating in Melbourne in January.

=ANNA SHOULD HAVE KNOWN=
...Anna Smashnova's bio says nothing about any phobias about the number thirteen, but after running her career WTA singles final record to 12-0 in Budapest, she witnessed the destruction of one of the more remarkable records in today's tennis that doesn't involve Roger Federer. In her thirteenth career final in Forest Hills, Smashnova lost to Meghann Shaughnessy 1-6/6-0/6-4. 12-1 is still very good, but it's just not the same.

=UNFAIRLY KICKING VENUS WHILE SHE'S DOWN=
...in Venus Williams' absence with a wrist injury, Brenda Schultz-McCarthy reclaimed the fastest recorded women's serve record.

and finally...

=STILL MAKING US COVER OUR EYES IN FASHION HORROR=
...apparently, Bethanie Mattek has found her calling. Sure, she had some good results in the 3Q, but she'll be most remembered for following up her past fashion "oh-no's" with another at the Open. This time, let's call it the "living room curtains and leg warmers" look.



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


**MOST 2006 WTA FINALS**
9...Justine Henin-Hardenne (5-4)
5...Amelie Mauresmo (4-1)
5...Maria Sharapova (3-2)
4...Nadia Petrova (4-0)
4...Kim Clijsters (2-2)

**2006 WEEKS IN SINGLES TOP 10**
[of 36 weeks]
36...Amelie Mauresmo*
36...Justine Henin-Hardenne*
36...Maria Sharapova*
36...Kim Clijsters*
36...Elena Dementieva*
36...Nadia Petrova*
36...Patty Schnyder*
32...Lindsay Davenport
30...Mary Pierce
24...Svetlana Kuznetsova*
12...Venus Williams
6....Nicole Vaidisova*
4....Martina Hingis*
--
(*)-currently in Top 10

**2006 WEEKS AS DOUBLES #1**
[solo #1]
22...Samantha Stosur
4....Cara Black
[co-#1's]
10...Samantha Stosur*/Lisa Raymond*
--
(*)-current #1's

----------



FED CUP FINAL
CHARLEROI, BELGIUM (HCI)
====================
Italy (Schiavone, Pennetta, Santangelo, Vinci) vs. Belgium (Henin-Hardenne, Flipkens, Maes, Butkiewicz)

...Clijsters is out, of course, so the pressure shifts to Henin-Hardenne to lead the Waffles to a championship over the Noodles (anyone else hungry?). Italy has the deeper team, but SF star Pennetta hasn't done much of consequence since then and Schiavone is coming off her US Open collapse against Peer (not that either means much here). But if Flipkens, who filled in for JHH in the SF, can manage to steal a singles win over either of the Italians' top two players, Belgium could win this far easier than it rightly should. Then again, if JHH is tired from her Open run and suffers an upset, the same could be said for Italy. In the end, I'll stick with Justine's experience (this is Italy's first FC final, remember), and go with Belgium in a 3-2 victory that could come down to the final doubles match (which wouldn't likely be left in the hands of Maes & Butkiewicz if the title hangs in the balance).


BALI, INDONESIA (III-HCO)
05 F: Davenport d. Schiavone
06 TOP: Kuznetsova/Schnyder
====================
...this one started on Monday, of course, but my pick is still alive as of this writing. Well, at least 50% of it is, as I picked Davenport over Ivanovic (who travelled all the way from New York to lose in the 1st Round... thank goodness for frequent flier miles, I guess) in the final.


All for now.

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

COMING SOON: Maria Sharapova Quiz, and "Player of the Year" update

Read more...

Exquisite in the City

What will the 2006 U.S. Open be most remembered for? Andre Agassi's farewell, Martina Navratilova's one final audacious spit in the eye of time, Roger Federer's continuation of his dominance over a resurgent Andy Roddick... or Maria Sharapova's exquisite night on the town?

If her career holds true to form, bet on the Supernova. For she continues to stay one step ahead of the expectation game.



The reason Sharapova has so far managed to continue to defy the high expectations that her Wimbledon title and marketing plan have generated is because she always manages to jump on top of them early. From the moment she shed her wrap to reveal the little black dress on Day 3, one could sense that something special could be in the making in New York... then she spent two weeks doing nothing to dissuade the possibility, culminating in her caving in the roof on Justine Henin-Hardenne in a 6-4/6-4 win in the final to claim her first U.S. Open title.

Sharapova's final match in Flushing Meadows highlighted her old power strokes and big-point prowess, but also provided tantalizing hints of what could be to come. The Open put the advancement of Sharapova's game on full display. Better movement. Good preparation and a semblance of a gameplan. A willingness to move toward the net and force the action (something that should come in handy at SW19), even if it meant beating a five-time slam champ at her own game. Again, the scenarios abound after something like this.

Swinging defiantly. Grunting with abandon. Clenching a fist in triumph. And, just as importantly, doing it with exquisite style. A supernovic star in full luminosity.

In many ways, Sharapova is a symbol of all that makes New York -- which she says is her favorite city -- New York. She has the style and grace to inspire notions of romance and grandeur, but enough heart and in-your-face confidence in herself and her abilities to never waver from her intended course. Some flash for the paparazzi, but enough substance to satisfy the rest of us.

Talk about a marriage made in sports heaven.

The Supernova has fashioned quite a story over the past two years, but could this maiden U.S. Open title signal the beginning of something even bigger? The "Sharapova Scenario" envisioned a moment like this but, true to form, the 19-year old may have made it happen about a year ahead of schedule.

Was this Open simply a titillating prelude, or has Sharapova's brief 12-18 month run of brilliance already begun? Needless to say, that will be the question du jour in these parts come Melbourne in January.

Her thirteenth career title will surely go down in tennis history as anything but unlucky, but is Sharapova in danger of attaining perfection?

Uh... naaah.

Forget for a moment about all the forehand and service winners that magically rocketed from her racket on Saturday, and remember that after the match Sharapova said that she had wanted to "do the opposite" and reverse her previous four-match losing streaking against Henin-Hardenne by completing a "360-degree flip" of all her previous actions in those matches. Of course, she meant to say "180-degrees," since a 360-flip would have brought her right back to where she started and this Backspin would have been lauding JHH's sixth grand slam title rather than Sharapova's second. Then, after her directional faux pas, Sharapova proceeded to knock the lid off the champion's cup when she held it up in girlish celebration.

(Hmmm, after the thing with the cell phone in '04, it looks like Maria needs to schedule some additional practice time to help her become more adept at working with props, doesn't it?)

Oh, well. Hey, the girl's not perfect. But she has time to work on that.



LOVE-LOVE... sure, Roger Federer's four-set win over Andy Roddick in the men's final went off without a hitch (especially in the first and last sets, where he put on two more of those grand slam final clinics that are almost scary, what with the precise accuracy of his surgical dissection of a world-class opponent), but did Roddick's two-week Connors-inspired Open journey provide enough evidence to think that the men's game could become something other than a Federer/Nadal two-man play? Well, yeah. Maybe. If this U.S. Open Series was Roddick just scratching the surface of what he's capable of, then 2007 could very well see a THREE-headed monster terrorizing the ATP tour. Of course, that possibility does nothing to change the fact that Federer and Nadal have combined to win the last seven grand slam titles (could the Navratilova/Evert 15-slam hegemony from 1981-85 be in danger of being challenged?) and that Federer's ninth slam title means he's just became the first man to concurrently win three straight Wimbledon and three straight U.S. Open championships.

Yeah, Roddick has his work more than cut out for him.
=============================
15-LOVE...

...fittingly, Martina Navratilova's career apparently went off into the proverbial sunset (actually, the sun went down quite a few hours earlier in the day) with -- what else? -- another doubles title to add to her ridiculously long resume. A month shy of her 50th birthday, Navratilova and Bob Bryan handled Kveta Peschke/Martin Damm (both from Martina's native Czech Republic, to make things all the more apt) 6-2/6-3 in the Mixed Final that occurred after the Women's Singles festivities had wrapped up on Saturday.

But is her monstrously remarkable career REALLY over? This was her 59th career slam title, just three shy of Margaret Court's record. Hmmm... sounds like something to shoot for (not to mention the temptation of finally besting Billie Jean King with one more Wimbledon crown), doesn't it?

Said Martina, after the late night finish of the Mixed Final, "This is the last match. This is definite. Not allegedly. This is a closed chapter. It's past midnight. It's past my bed time."

Always leave 'em wanting more, I guess... even thirty-three years after it all began.
=============================
30-LOVE... in the other Doubles finals, unseeded Nathalie Dechy & Vera Zvonareva defeated #8-seeds Dinara Safina & Katarina Srebotnik. It was Dechy's first slam title, and Zvonareva's third ('04 US & '06 Wimbledon Mixed).

In Men's Doubles, #6 Martin Damm/Leander Paes upset #2 Jonas Bjorkman/Max Mirnyi to claim Damm's first career slam trophy and Paes' ninth.
=============================
40-LOVE...

**LATE-RD. (SF+) AWARDS**
TOP PLAYER: Maria Sharapova (naturally)
RISERS: Safina/Srebotnik
SURPRISES: Dechy/Zvonareva
VETERAN: Martina Navratilova
FRESH FACE: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
DOWN: Amelie Mauresmo & Raymond/Stosur

=TOP LATE-ROUND MATCH=
SF - Henin-Hardenne d. Jankovic
...4-6/6-4/6-0. Jelena wasn't Maria. JHH looked ready to be sent home, with Jankovic up 6-4/4-2 and serving at 40/30. But a tiff with the chair umpire broke the Serbian's concentration. In the blink of an eye, her serve was broken, too. Jankovic never won another game. Even the easy going Jankovic (did her attempt to hide her smile when the crowd applauded the replay of her stretching leg split in the backcourt signal that she realized that she SHOULDN'T be laughing on the court during a U.S. Open SF match, although doing as such without an attack of conscious might be precisely the attitude that had helped turn around her results the last few weeks?) will have to struggle for a few days to forget about what she DIDN'T do in New York and instead focus on the great things she DID. Kind of like Justine, really. While she'll ultimately feel proud of having become the first player since Martina Hingis in 1997 to reach all four slam singles finals, who wants to wager that she'd rather have made just two if it meant she'd cached a pair of slam titles rather than the reality of the 1-3 slam final record that'll go into her '06 career bio. But down the stretch, as she grasps at the #1 ranking (she'd have overtaken Amelie Mauresmo had she won on Saturday) and "Player of the Year" honors, her current stretch of having made six straight singles finals (and 9-of-12 overall this season) will salve at least a few of her wounds... or maybe spur her on to attempt to reverse that 1-3 record in '07.

=BEST ENDING=
Martina Navratilova going out in grand slam style. Well, that is, if she STAYS retired this time... considering she DID say that she thought she could remain competitive on the court for another five years if she desired to make the effort.
=============================
40-15... Hordette Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (remember the name, as if you could ever forget it -- it's spelling it correctly that's the tough part) won her second Girls slam title of the year, adding the U.S. Open crown to her Australian Open title (she was also RU in Roland Garros) when she rallied to defeat Tamira Paszek 3-6/6-4/7-5 in the Girls Singles final.

In Doubles, Pavlyuchenkova was denied completing a Girls Doubles Grand Slam for '06 when she and Sharon Fichman were defeated in the final by the Romanian team of Mihaela Buzarnescu & Raluca Olaru. The Russian had won the Oz and Roland Garros titles with Fichman, and Wimbledon with Alisa Kleybanova.

Czech Dusan Lojda ended Canadian Peter Polansky's run in the Boys Singles, winning the final by a 7-6/6-4 score. Meanwhile, the American team of Jamie Hunt & Nathaniel Schnugg won the Boys Doubles over Americans Jarmere Jenkins & Austin Krajicek (no relation... I think). It was Schnugg's second Boys slam doubles crown of '06, having won Wimbledon (and been RU in Oz) with Kellen Damico.
=============================
40-30...

**2006 JUNIOR SLAM CHAMPIONS**

[Girls]
Australian: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)
Roland Garros: Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
Wimbledon: Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)
U.S. Open: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)

[Boys]
Australian: Alexandre Sidorenko (FRA)
Roland Garros: Martin Klizan (SVK)
Wimbledon: Theimo de Bakker (NED)
U.S. Open: Dusan Lojda (CZE)

=============================
GAME, "And as for the other bookkeeping statistics."

...your friendly neighborhood Backspinner closed the gap ever so slightly on Head Honcho Pierre in the '06 Battle Royale, but time and opportunities are getting short for a come-from-behind victory to be something to count on. The totals after the Open:

(US Open 3rd Round: tied 23-23)
Round of 16: Pierre 70-66 (US: Backspin 11-9)
QF: Backspin 50-45 (US: Backspin 4-3)
SF: Pierre 33-29 (US: tied 2-2)
F: Backspin 13-12 (US: tied 2-2)
W: Pierre 2-0 (US: 0-0)
=============================



All for now.

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

COMING UP: 3Q Awards, The Sharapova Quiz... and who's in the running to be 2006's "Ms. Backspin?"

Read more...

Day 12: Shock & Awesome

On Day 12 of the 2006 U.S. Open, Justine Henin-Hardenne and Maria Sharapova reminded everyone precisely how they originally introduced themselves on the grand slam stage just a few seasons ago.

Through a series of shock and awe moments on Friday, they forcibly pushed and shoved their way past their shell-shocked opponents into the Saturday night meeting that had always appeared to be the most likely final weekend match-up when this tournament began nearly two weeks ago.



Back in 2003, "Le Petit Taureau" was born in a season that saw Henin-Hardenne fight through debilitating leg cramps to defeat Lindsay Davenport in a 9-7 3rd set in an Australian Open SF, win her first slam crown in Roland Garros, then come to New York and survive back-to-back SF & Final matches against Jennifer Capriati (a three-hour contest where she was two points from defeat ten times, trailing 3-5 in the 2nd set and 2-5 in the 3rd) and, less than twenty-four hours later, Kim Clijsters despite being on the cusp (and teetering on the edge) of exhaustion.

A year later, a 17-year old Sharapova transformed herself from a player with great potential into a giant killer in front of everyone's eyes at Wimbledon. After a come-from-behind win over Davenport in the SF, she went "Supernova" as she shocked Serena Williams in the final, leaving the sports world in awe, and Madison Avenue banging down her door.

On Friday, Justine once again did what she did best... hold on against all odds and live to tell about it. Longshot semifinalist Jelena Jankovic was looking like anything but that in today's match. With Henin-Hardenne battling her own serve and the Serbian 21-year old hitting clean winners from all over the court, JHH fell behind 1-4 in the 1st set, ultimately losing it 6-4 after holding her serve just once in five attempts.

Later in the day, Maria blasted through world #1 Amelie Mauresmo, bageling the winner of two '06 grand slams in the 1st set. In a nip-and-tuck 2nd set, the Frenchwoman provided more evidence of her new-found resilience as she claimed the set 6-4 to force a deciding third stanza. If Sharapova was going to break her 0-for-5 slam SF streak, and reverse her 0-for-3 career mark against Mauresmo, she was going to have to reach back for the awe of '04.

Even while being able to break back to prevent a landslide loss, Henin-Hardenne still couldn't make up ground during the 2nd set of a match that saw her having tossed in eleven double-faults in a little more than a set and a half after having had just ten through the tournament's first five rounds. With Jankovic serving, JHH was down 4-6/2-4 30/40, and her shot to play in a fourth '06 slam final (something no woman had done since Martina Hingis in 1997) was about to disintigrate.

But then it happened.

Jankovic crazily got into an argument with the chair umpire for not being willing to overturn poor line calls (forcing her to use her replay challenges). Jankovic had had JHH cornered, but her own distraction gave "Le Petit Taureau" an opening... and it was all the Belgian needed to survive, and then thrive. After the argument, the Serbian immediately double-faulted on game point. Moments later, she'd been broken and her advantage erased.

Jankovic wouldn't win another game in the match.

With the crowd anticipating a heated 3rd set battle between Sharapova and Mauresmo, the shock that Sharapova created in the 1st set returned in full. After Amelie's leaping fist punch to celebrate her knotting of the match, she wouldn't win another game. The final set went just as the 1st as she was bageled by the 19-year old Russian once again in the 6-0/4-6/6-0 match.

Henin-Hardenne took the final ten games of the match, finding her form just in time and winning 4-6/6-4/6-0... leaving Jankovic as disappointed in herself as JHH had to be proud of her own ability to persevere as she had back in 2003. Thus, on Day 12, the astounding lack of appreciation for "Le Petit Taureau's" laudable fighter's instincts that was displayed by the pouncing critics after Melbourne was once again called out to be the odious (not to mention forgetful) attack it was. Not to say "I told you so," but... I told you so.

Meanwhile, Sharapova's first slam final since claiming a Wimbledon title at least a year ahead of optimistic prognostications should have a quieting effect on any of the critics who'd begun to mutter under their breaths about her not living up to the expectations generated by her SW19 exploits. She's still improving... so imagine where she'll be a year from now.

Questions asked have now been countered with emphatic answers by both Henin-Hardenne and Sharapova. Now, there's only one more left: Who's going to win on Saturday night?

Whichever one it turns out to be, it'll be a moment worth savoring by the winner's backers, and a poke in the eye to their detractors.

Shock and awe THAT, boys and girls. No, make that "shock and awesome."



LOVE-LOVE... seriously, were those two of the weirdest slam semifinals you've ever seen, or what?
=============================
15-LOVE... Martina Navratilova, if she indeed does ultimately never play again, has a chance to go out in style. Today, she and Bob Bryan advanced to the Mixed Doubles final with a walkover past Meghann Shaughnessy/Justin Gimelstob (hmmm... I'm smellin' that conspiracy again). Tomorrow, she'll close out her career with a shot at a final grand slam title (it'd be her 59th) if she and Bryan can defeat Kveta Peschke & Martin Damm. The appropriate stage is set, and the match will actually take place AFTER the Henin-Hardenne/Sharapova singles final on Ashe. Another like her will never venture this way (and for this long) again, so it's time to enjoy her one last time. Hopefully, Peschke/Damm won't see fit to play the Benjamin Becker role and spoil the party.
=============================
15-15... in a bit of trivia(l?) history, Jana Novotna defeated Nathalie Tauziat today in the 1st Round of Champions play by a 5-7/6-2/[10-5] score. It was Tauziat on the other side of the net when Novotna won her Wimbledon title in '98. Go, Jana! If Martina can play doubles at nearly 50, why can't you at a mere 37? (Yeah, maybe that's the old heart talking.)
=============================
15-30... not sure what it means, but do you realize that in Amelie Mauresmo's final five sets of play in Flushing Meadows against Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova -- which surrounded the QF win over Dinara Safina -- she produced two brilliantly played sets of tennis but three (THREE!) sets lost at love. Weird. In the 3rd set against Sharapova, her accuracy just disappeared. There was some wind going through the court, but it really wasn't strong enough to account for her winning just seven of the final thirty-one points and committing fourteen unforced errors. It wasn't a return of the "old Amelie," but it wasn't the "new" one, either.
=============================
30-30... a mixed bag for Canadian tennis on Day 12. Sharon Fichman lost in the Girls singles QF to Katerina Vankova, but she and Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (the #1 seeds) advanced to the Girls Doubles SF. Also, Peter Polansky defeated Roman Jebavy, and will now face American Donald Young in the Boys SF. Not bad, eh?

**GIRLS SINGLES SF**
#1 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs. Katerina Vankova (CZE)
Lauren Albanese (USA) vs. #11 Tamira Paszek (AUT)

**BOYS SINGLES SF**
Peter Polansky (CAN) vs. #4 Donald Young (USA)
#10 Dusan Lojda (CZE) vs. #9 Luka Belic

=============================
40-30... could Lauren Albanese be the top American teen to watch now? After a few years searching for the young player at the leading edge of the next group of American girls, 16-year old Floridian Albanese has stepped up in a big way at this Open. After getting a wild card into the main draw, she got a 1st Round win over Olga Savchuk. And now "Ms. Wolf" is into the Girls SF and possibly looking to begin to clean up the seeming mess (or has it simply produced late bloomers?) that has been the American junior development program over the past decade. Hurry, Lauren. Time is of the essence.
=============================
GAME, (everybody sing) "SHE FEELS PRETTY. OH, SO PRETTY. IT'S AMAZING HOW PRETTY SHE FEELS...but not nearly as pretty as she'll feel if she wins tomorrow night."
...will it have any magic left after two weeks of wear? (Well, not really... but she might have wrung every bit of good karma out of the garment in that Golovin match.) Yes, Sharapova's little black dress will make it's final appearance on Saturday night. And since I'm sticking with my pre-tournament pick that Justine will win, I'm hoping that Sharapova will be virtually naked out there on Saturday. (Hey... you KNOW what I mean. Geez... such dirty minds.) Of course, Henin-Hardenne can't expect her opponent to fold like a deck chair as Jankovic did today. She'll have to be ready to go from the start rather than wait a set and three-quarters of another before she stops finally serving as if she's Elena Dementieva's doppelganger. Of course, with Sharapova seemingly finally gotten use to her additional height since she won Wimbledon, and her game having nearly totally caught up with her growth spurt, it wouldn't be a shock if the New York crowd got an early preview of the "Sharapova Scenario" as if it was a fledgling Broadway production. But I'm not going to back off Le Petit Taureau right after she made another memorable appearance on Arthur Ashe. So... HENIN-HARDENNE IN THREE SETS.
=============================



All for Day 12.

Read more...

Day 11: Pick Your Poison

The moment of truth has arrived, as the final four women remaining in the final grand slam of the season must now sort out their differences.

In a rather slow day of play dominated by doubles and junior action, about the only thing to debate other than whether or not Martina Navratilova should retire is which matchup in the women's final would be better:

Henin-Hardenne vs. Sharapova... this has been the popular pick from Day 1, with these two the most experienced/healthy/in form pair heading into the Open. For the most part, things haven't changed. JHH is going for a fourth slam final in '06, while Sharapova hasn't gotten past the SF in a slam since winning Wimbledon two years ago. But the "secret weapon" with this match is that one of the Open's biggest stars -- the little black dress -- would get a final turn around the dance floor.

Mauresmo vs. Henin-Hardenne... will the '06 slam trilogy become a reality? Could Mauresmo REALLY be going for THREE slams in a single year, and could JHH REALLY lose three slam finals to the same person in less than eight months? As sexy as a JHH/Supernova match-up would appear to be, this one has so many more juicy subplots. Melbourne has been the axis on which both players' seasons have turned, for both good and bad, and what more fitting way for the slam season to end could be found than for the year's top two players/adversaries to meet in a battle for what'll likely be the #1 ranking and "Player of the Year" honors? After the season she's had, this is all icing on the cake for Mauresmo. JHH, though, still may think she has something to prove to all the critics who hounded her for the Australian retirement... and what she couldn't do at SW19 against Mauresmo she might have a better shot at doing in Flushing Meadows.

Jelena Jankovic vs. anyone... nothing against Jelena, but her story just has to end here, doesn't it? Otherwise, she'd be one of the most improbable slam finalists in recent memory. We're talking Iva Majoli territory here. Of course, Majoli beat Hingis in that Roland Garros final in '97, didn't she? Hmmm, maybe she WOULD be an interesting finalist... but she'd HAVE to WIN the whole shooting match to make it worthwhile. What are the chances of that?

So, pick your poison. Either way, center stage will be waiting for two women on Arthur Ashe come Saturday night. Now it's just a matter of who'll walk out from backstage when the curtain opens.



LOVE-LOVE... in junior matches of note on Day 11, the Canadians continued to rise. Peter Polansky defeated Marcin Gowran to reach the Boys QF, while Sharon Fichman advanced to the Girls' final eight with a win over #4-seed Mihaela Buzarnescu.
=============================
15-LOVE...

**JUNIOR SINGLES QUARTERFINALS**
[Girls]
#1 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) vs. #10 Raluca Olaru (ROM)
#13 Sharon Fichman (CAN) vs. Katerina Vankova (CZE)
Lauren Albanese (USA) vs. Petra Martic (CRO)
#11 Tamira Paszek (AUT) vs. Sacha Jones (NZL)

[Boys]
Peter Polansky (CAN) vs. #12 Roman Jebavy (CZE)
#4 Donald Young (USA) vs. #11 Pavel Chekhov (RUS)
#10 Dusan Lojda (CZE) vs. Artem Smirnov (UKR)
#9 Luka Belic (CRO) vs. #2 Jonathan Eysseric

=============================
30-LOVE... James Blake was close, but that doesn't even buy you a cigar wrapper when the opponent is Roger Federer. Their QF match-up featured Blake getting (and blowing) opportunities to claim the opening set, then getting smashed 6-0 in the 2nd. He finally rebounded in the final two sets, as Federer struggled to close out the match (nearly blowing a 5-1 lead in the 4th). But Roger being Roger, he DID ultimately do it.

What little juice remains on the men's side now must include a Federer-Roddick final... for an alternative all-Russian Davydenko-Youzhny affair on Sunday just might rekindle the Cold War.
=============================
40-LOVE... another top women's team was shot down in doubles as #7 Ruano-Pascual/Suarez lost to unseeded Dechy/Zvonareva. But the conspiracy theory died a quick death, too, as Martina Navratilova's career run in doubles ended when she and Nadia Petrova lost to top-seeded Raymond/Stosur 7-6/6-3.

**DOUBLES SEMIFINALS**
[Women's]
#1 Raymond/Stosur vs. #8 Safina/Srebotnik
Dechy/Zvonareva vs. #6 Peschke/Schiavone

[Men's]
Damm/Paes vs. #4 Hanley/Ullyett
Fisher/Phillips vs. #2 Bjorkman/Mirnyi

[Mixed]
Peschke/Damm vs. Pratt/Hanley
#5 Navratilova/B.Bryan vs. Shaughnessy/Gimelstob

=============================
GAME, "BUT SHE'S NOT DOWN FOR THE COUNT."
...Martina Navartilova may have lost her Doubles match during the day, but she and Bob Bryan advanced to the Mixed SF with a nighttime win over Groenefeld/Cermak. They'll next face Shaughnessy/Gimelstob, and Martina is already muttering about getting back at the male half of the American pair for hitting her with a shot a few months ago at Wimbledon. Ahh, we're gonna miss her.
=============================



All for Day 11.

Read more...

Day 10: You Do the Voodoo That You Do So Well

Maybe Tatiana Golovin should just try to avoid Maria Sharapova at all costs, since every time she gets on a roll she soon finds herself staring across the net at the Supernova... and the wheels fall off her smooth ride.



Playing the best tennis of her life in Miami early this year, she backed Sharapova into a corner in their SF match... then bent her ankle in a direction it just wasn't meant to go. On Wednesday night, experiencing the best slam of her career, Golovin's QF meeting with the Supernova had a taste of the same oddly dramatic sense of theater.

Down 0-3 in the 1st set tie-breaker, Golovin split open a blister on her foot and called for a trainer. As Sharapova waited and tried not to have her game go cold, she jumped around and practiced serving... while anyone who remembered Miami recalled how Sharapova took several bathroom breaks during the match that weren't exactly met with a warm reaction from the pro-Golovin crowd (the Frussian Pastry lives in Miami), and that the Supernova was ridiculously criticized after the match for never looking at the fallen Golovin and not showing enough concern for her (she stood near the wall, practicing her swing), despite the fact that she had no way of knowing the full extent of her opponent's injury at that particular moment in time, as Golovin even tried to play on.

This time, Sharapova could help but look at Golovin as she ran across in front of her to her chair next to the umpire... but the uneasiness of the situation was readily apparent.

In the end, Golovin didn't have to retire this time around. She was just forced to witness Sharapova's ability to play the big points oh so well in her 7-6/7-6 victory. The win puts the Russian teen into her sixth semifinal in her last eight slams.

So far, though, Sharapova's 0-5 in those SF matches... and will now face Amelie Mauresmo, who's rather stealthily rounded her game into shape in New York, a player the Supernova (0-3 so far) has never beaten.

Whatever voodoo hex Sharapova has had placed on Golovin, she'd better find the witch doctor who did it fast. It looks like she's going to need something more than a little black dress to finally break through her slam SF glass ceiling.

Can you say, Amelie vs. Justine... again?


LOVE-LOVE...

**LONG 2006 WTA WINNING STREAKS**
17...Henin-Hardenne (May-Jul)
16...Mauresmo (Jan-Feb)
15...Petrova (Apr-May)
11...Sharapova (March)
10...HENIN-HARDENNE (AUG-current)
10...Henin-Hardenne (Jan)
10...Hingis (May-Jun)

**MOST 2006 #1 WINS**
[defeats of current or former #1's]
10...JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE
8....Amelie Mauresmo
5....Svetlana Kuznetsova
4....Maria Sharapova

=============================
15-LOVE... Andre is gone, but Martina lives. At least for one more day. Navratilova has advanced to the quarterfinals in both Doubles (with Nadia Petrova) and Mixed (with Bob Bryan), and is scheduled to play both matches on Day 11. Navratilova/Petrova faces #1-seeded Raymond/Stubbs, while Navratilova/Byran will square off against Groenefeld/Cermak. It could be another great day for Martina, or the end of an era. Backspin is crossing fingers and toes for at least a few more days of the Greatest Player Who Ever Lived.
=============================
30-LOVE...

**MID-ROUND [3r-QF] AWARDS**

=TOP PLAYERS=
1.Justine Henin-Hardenne
2.Amelie Mauresmo
=RISERS=
1.Jelena Jankovic
2.Tatiana Golovin
=SURPRISES=
1.Kveta Peschke (doubles)
2.Aravane Rezai
=VETERANS=
1.Lindsay Davenport
2.Martina Navratilova (doubles)
=FRESH FACES-
1.Shahar Peer
2.Jade Curtis (juniors)
=DOWN=
1.Francesca Schiavone (singles)
2.Zi Yan & Jie Zheng (doubles)

=BEST MATCH=
4th - Amelie Mauresmo def. Serena Williams
...6-4/0-6/6-2. Proving (again) that the past eight months were no fluke, Mauresmo's nerves hold without a hint of instability.

=BEST COMEBACK/WORST CHOKE=
3rd - Shahar Peer def. Francesca Schiavone
...6-3/6-7/7-6. Schiavone led 5-1 in the 3rd set, and Peer saved five match points to advance to the Round of 16 (where she was destroyed by JHH, by the way).

=============================
30-15...

**MEN'S QUARTERFINALISTS - BY NATION**
2...Russia (Davydenko, Youzhny*)
2...USA (Blake, Roddick*)
1...Australia (Hewitt)
1...Germany (Haas)
1...Spain (Nadal)
1...Switzerland (Federer)

(*)-Roddick & Youzhny won QF matches on Day 10
=============================
40-15... there was yet another mini-boomlet moment for Canadian tennis on Wednesday, as Peter Polansky upset Boys #1 seed Martin Klizan in singles.

In other 2nd Round junior results of interest, American teen Madison Brengle defeated Dominika Cibulkova, while British 16-year old Jade Curtis upset Urszula Radwanska.
=============================
40-30... for once, no member of the Safin family outlasted the other in slam singles. Instead, both Marat and Dinara lost on Day 10 within an hour or so of each other. Hmmm, maybe that's actually a WORSE result than one of the siblings flaming out in the early rounds, hmmm?
=============================
DEUCE...

**WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF**
#1 Raymond/Stosur vs. #10 Navratilova/Petrova
#3 Black/Stubbs vs. #8 Safina/Srebotnik
#7 Ruano-Pascual/Suarez vs. Dechy/Zvonareva
#6 Peschke/Schiavone def. #2 Yan/Zheng

**MEN'S DOUBLES QF**
Friedl/Youzhny vs. Damm/Paes
#4 Hanley/Ullyett def. Santoro/Zimonjic
Fisher/Phillips vs. Goldstein/Thomas
#2 Bjorkman/Mirnyi def. Clement/Llodra

**MIXED DOUBLES QF**
Peschke/Damm def. Medina-Garrigues/Prieto
Pratt/Hanley def. Dechy/Santoro
Shaughnessy/Gimelstob vs. King/Spadea
#5 Navratilova/B.Bryan vs. Groenefeld/Cermak

=============================
AD... so much for that Roddick/Nadal semifinal, huh? Now I guess it's time to root for a Federer/Roddick final, if for nothing else to see just how far back Roddick really HAS come. One can make a case that, more than anything else, it was Federer's dominance over him that sent his career on the downward slope that didn't begin to take an upswing until the last few weeks.

Hmmm, why is it that Roddick's new-found swagger would be seen as a bit "jerky" if he'd developed it on his own, but it's kind of fun since Jimmy Connors has played a part? An odd occurence, but most definitely a truthful fact -- it IS a fun development.
=============================
DEUCE #2... speaking of Nadal's loss, how 'bout that Youzhny? First, he sets upon the answer-less Spaniard like a Russian winter during the day, then he helps treat the Bryan twins like Cold War casualties at night as he and Leos Friedl ended the Bryans' run of seven straight slam finals. Not a bad day.
=============================
AD...

**WOMEN'S SINGLES PICKS**
[SF]
#3 Sharapova def. #1 Mauresmo
#2 Henin-Hardenne def. #19 Jankovic

...I'm all with the JHH pick, but not really the Sharapova one. I've got a hunch that Mauresmo will run her career record vs. Sharapova to 4-0, but I'll stick with the Supernova because I DID pick a JHH/Sharapova final (as did Pierre, by the way) at the start, and it'd be a shame to start messing with something that isn't broken (yet, at least).

**MEN'S SINGLES PICKS**
[QF]
#1 Federer def. #5 Blake
#14 Haas def. #7 Davydenko
[SF]
#9 Roddick def. Youzhny

...ditto, because I picked a Federer-Roddick final at the start. But at least with this one I'm pretty confident, anyway.

=============================
GAME, "FAT, DRUNK AND STUPID IS NO WAY TO GO THROUGH LIFE, SON."

...and neither is scrawny, tired and unprepared if you're a professional tennis player. Andy Murray says he's not a morning person, but maybe he needs to start eating his Wheaties on the morning of a big match in the a.m., huh? At the net, Nikolay Davydenko looked almost sorry for Murray after he bageled him in the lightning-quick, blink-and-you'll-miss-it final set of their Round of 16 match. Victory over Roger Federer or not, Brad Gilbert has his work cut out for him with Murray. Thankfully, the clay is pretty good. Now it just needs to be molded into a reasonable facsimile of grand slam contender.
=============================



All for Day 10.

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Day 9: The One and Only

Jelena Jankovic used to be referred to around here as "the other Jelena."

No longer. Now, she's looking like the one and only.



It's been a strange trip from there to here for Jankovic.

Once Jelena Dokic was no longer listed as "Serbian," though that label was always an iffy proposition at best depending on her constantly changing familial state of mind, Jankovic got a leg up on coming into her own. Once Dokic continued to fade from the tennis landscape in '06, possibly never to return from her trip through the looking glass, Jankovic stood alone.

But a coaching change and that 1-10 start wrecked the beginning of her season's story. She had horrible timing, it seemed. But as things have played out as the season has worn on, Jankovic's timing has turned out to be quite exquisite.

In Los Angeles last month, she displayed a breezy attitude and a killer game as she upset eventual U.S. Open Series champion Ana Ivanovic and Serena Williams, only to lose to Elena Dementieva in a three-set final. Today in New York, after showing she had developed quite a finishing touch against Nicole Vaidisova and Svetlana Kuznetsova, she finally finished what she started in L.A..

In the only major singles match that was able to be completed on Tuesday, Jankovic wiped out Dementieva 6-2/6-1 (Punch Sober never once held her serve!) to reach her first grand slam semifinal (not to mention earn a little rest while the remaining players will have to scramble to make up for another virtual rain out in Flushing Meadows).

Thus, the one and only Jelena was the one and only player in the spotlight on Day 9. Talk about perfect timing.


=============================
LOVE-LOVE... #27-seed Tatiana Golovin still could trump her accomplishment when and if she beats Maria Sharapova in the QF, but #19 Jankovic's Open semifinal berth ranks her as one of the lowest-seeded players in the 2000's to reach a women's slam SF. Here's the list:

[unseeded]
2000 Wimbledon - Jelena Dokic
2000 U.S. Open - Elena Dementieva
2002 Roland Garros - Clarisa Fernandez
2003 Roland Garros - Nadia Petrova

[low seeds]
#32 Fabiola Zuluaga (2004 Australian)
#22 Patty Schnyder (2004 Australian)
#21 Mary Pierce (2005 Roland Garros)
#19 JELENA JANKOVIC (2006 U.S.)
#19 Nathalie Dechy (2005 Australian)
#16 Elena Likhovtseva (2005 Roland Garros)
#16 Nicole Vaidisova (2006 Roland Garros)

...of the ten previous semifinalists before Jankovic, only Pierce advanced to the final. She lost the '05 RG title to Justine Henin-Hardenne.
=============================
15-LOVE... Jankovic-Dementieva wasn't the ONLY match that actually managed to finish today. Five Boys and Girls singles winners were declared, and two Women's Doubles 2nd Round contests experienced converted match points. In those, Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur knocked out Shinobu Asagoe & Akiko Morigami and, in an upset, #2-seeded Zi Yan/Jie Zheng lost to Kveta Peschke/Francesca Schiavone, the latter of which someone managed to not blow a big lead and lose in the 7-5/6-4 match. Hmmm, another top Women's Doubles seed falls, while the team of Martina Navratilova & Nadia Petrova are still alive and kicking. I smell a "conspiracy."

Well, either that or all this rain is robbing me of my sanity.
=============================
30-LOVE...

**MEN'S ROUND OF 16 - BY NATION**
3...Russia (Davydenko, Safin, Youzhny*)
2...Czech Republic (Berdych, Novak)
2...France (Gasquet, Gicquel)
2...Germany (Haas, Becker)
2...Spain (Nadal*, Robredo)
2...USA (Blake, Roddick*)
1...Australia (Hewitt*)
1...Great Britain (Murray)
1...Switzerland (Federer)

...ah, a rare list where Federer is listed last.

(*)-already advanced to QF
=============================
30-15...

**MEN"S QUARTERFINAL PICKS**
[bottom half]
#9 Roddick d. #15 Hewitt
#2 Nadal d. Youzhny

=============================
GAME, by retirement...

Dear M.Nature,

Can we please get a little sunshine in New York? What did everyone do to deserve this treatment? Truly, your timing could not be worse.

Might you be open to a little under the table payment to make this happen? Just wondering.

Yours truly,
Backspin

P.S. - Be kind to Justine, if somehow possible. Thank you.
=============================



All for Day 9.

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Day 8: The Silent Majority

Beware the quiet ones.

While Maria Sharapova has made the headlines at this U.S. Open, Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport have stirred the hometown emotions, and even Jelena Jankovic has grabbed the spotlight with wins over some major power players, this tournament might end up being decided by two players who haven't really sought the spotlight nor been handed it through the first eight days.

Not that they need to say much... they've already collected all three of this year's previous slam titles. Obviously, talk is cheap.

Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne both posted wins on Monday to advance to the quarterfinals. Mauresmo outlasted a fitter (but not yet fit enough to fight until the bitter end in back-to-back matches) Serena Williams, while Henin-Hardenne positively blasted Shahar Peer into space while allowing her just one game in their match.

Of course, there's a reason why neither's name has been on the tip of everyone's tongue in New York. They don't court attention. And, anyway, Justine pretty much CAN'T say anything without being attacked for it from some corner, while Amelie has learned it's best to just go about her business at times likes this. It's worked pretty well so far for her in 2006.

A week ago, it seemed like a far-fetched bet to think that these two might meet in a third slam final this season, but as the draw has begun to clear out a bit the legitimate obstacles to such a trilogy are thinning considerably. Sharapova stands in Mauresmo's way in the top half, while Davenport is probably the sternest test left for Henin-Hardenne.

History tells us that those potential match-ups could go either way... but Amelie & Justine have seen fit to let their actions speak louder than any words so far this year (even in Melbourne... no matter how twisted the interpretation by others may have been).

If they don't deviate from that plan, it'd be difficult to argue against them having a pretty good shot at playing "Part III: The Battle to the Finish" on Saturday.


LOVE-LOVE... as the second week begins, the draw is breaking just right to reveal a few more award winners. With her upset of Svetlana Kuznetsova coming on the heels of her win over Nicole Vaidisova, Jelena Jankovic has grabbed hold of this slam's "It Girl" role. Meanwhile, "Miss Opportunity" Tatiana Golovin has more than taken advantage of her chances in New York to reach her first career slam QF. Finally back on track after her Miami ankle injury in early April, The Frussian Pastry will now be able to attempt to pick up her momentum where she left it off. In her next match, she'll face Maria Sharapova, her opponent in that fateful Miami SF that saw her crumpled in the corner of the court.
=============================
15-LOVE...

*2006 "Miss OPPORTUNITY" WINNERS*
Australian Open: Martina Hingis (QF)
Roland Garros: #8 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RU)
Wimbledon: (Q) Severine Bremond (QF)
U.S. Open: #27 Tatiana Golovin

*2006 "It GIRL" WINNERS*
Australian Open: Samantha Stosur (4th)
Roland Garros: #16 Nicole Vaidisova (SF)
Wimbledon: #27 Na Li (QF)
U.S. Open: #19 Jelena Jankovic

=============================
30-LOVE... with the QF set, I kept a slight edge over Pierre in the Battle Royale, clocking four correct picks to his three (thank you for being healthy enough to last this long, Lindsay).

**WOMEN'S QF BY NATION**
3...Russia (Sharapova, Dementieva, Safina)
2...France (Mauresmo, Golovin)
1...Belgium (Henin-Hardenne)
1...Serbia (Jankovic)
1...USA (Davenport)

=============================
30-15... Serena wasn't ready at this slam, but barring another injury or a wavering in her desire, is it too early to pencil her in as a potential winner in Melbourne about five months from now?
=============================
40-15...

**WOMEN'S QUARTERFINAL PICKS**
#1 Mauresmo d. #12 Safina
#3 Sharapova d. #27 Golovin
#19 Jankovic d. #4 Dementieva
#2 Henin-Hardenne d. #10 Davenport

**MEN'S ROUND OF 16 PICKS**
[top half]
#1 Federer d. Gicquel
#5 Blake d. #12 Berdych
Safin d. #14 Haas
#17 Murray d. #7 Davydenko

=============================
40-30... Andy Roddick still has to get past Lleyton Hewitt, who narrowly avoided blowing a two-set lead on Night 8 against a cramping Richard Gasquet (anyone for seeing Gasquet and Baghdatis' cramp-inspired hobbling set to some dance music?). But it's now time to cross the fingers and hope for that Roddick-Nadal semifinal for the right to (probably... well, okay, "certainly") face Roger Federer in the final. Roddick easily dispatched Agassi-killer Benjamin Becker on Monday, running his record with Jimmy Connors looking over his shoulder to 15-1. Ah... but can he beat Pong?
=============================
GAME, "Andre's not the only one ducking out the back door after this tournament is over"
... a few of the top doubles teams were upset in the 2nd Round on Day 8, as #4 Hantuchova/Sugiyama lost to Dechy/Zvonareva and #5 Groenefeld/Shaughnessy were knocked off by Ivanovic/Kirilenko. Which, of course, begs the question, are they subconsciously "stepping aside" to allow Martina Navratilova a clearer path to the final? And would Mary Carillo call them on it if they were? And would Roger Federer STILL be angry at her? Stay tuned.
=============================



All for Day 8.

Read more...

Day 7: The Shadowboxer

Who's that lurking in the shadows of Arthur Ashe Stadium? Who's that peeking around the umpire's chair on Louis Armstrong?



If it's who it appears to be, then the rest of the ladies had better hold onto their tennis skirts and grip their rackets tightly.

A fierce wind may be about to blow through this tournament.

I said before the Open that if Serena Williams got past Daniela Hantuchova and Ana Ivanovic to reach the Round of 16, then watch out.

Well... it's time to watch out for Serena.

Williams' 6-2/6-4 handling of the talented fireballing Ivanovic had to open quite a few eyes, and maybe even caused a little head shaking, too. For if Serena is playing herself into this tournament (she already looks far more fit than she did at the start of the North American tour), then no one is safe.

Not #1 Amelie Mauresmo, Serena's next opponent, who's already been pushed to three sets in New York by far lesser players than Williams. Not Maria Sharapova, a potential semifinal foe, either. It might be that Williams is really the only person capable of being a "Supernova Blocker" -- a force willfully strong enough to prevent Sharapova from storming into her first slam final since winning Wimbledon in 2004.

In fact, she may be the perfect storm.

Serena Williams with something to prove can be an act of nature quite difficult to restrain... if not impossible. She's been here before. She could do it again.


LOVE-LOVE... the streak of consecutive grand slam champions who saved match points during the tournament ended a while back, but there are now two potential candidates desiring to start it back up again. Shahar Peer saved five MP on Friday against Francesca Schiavone, and then Lindsay Davenport saved two against Katarina Srebotnik on Day 7 in a three-set victory that ended with a final set tie-breaker.
=============================
LOVE-15... Mary Pierce's "season-after" year of discontent went fully down in flames in New York on Sunday. After winning the 1st set at 6-4 against Na Li, she was double-bageled and sent packing in the final two sets. Ouch.
=============================
15-15... all hail the U.S. Open "Revelation Ladies." It's the Russians. Again. But this time it's not the Russians we've already come to know and love, it's the "other" members of the Horde. The second wave of slam contenders, if you will. At the Open, the likes of Dinara Safina and Anna Chakvetadze are still alive in the Round of 16, with legit shots to both claim quarterfinal berths. Safina plays Virginie Razzano in the 4th Round, while Chakvetadze faces Tatiana Golovin.

**2006 SLAM "REVELATION LADIES"
Australian Open: Italians
Roland Garros: French
Wimbledon: Serbians
U.S. Open: "other" Russians

=============================
30-15... speaking of the Round of 16 (of which I correctly predicted 11, while Pierre totaled 9). A breakdown:

[nations]
5...Russia (Sharapova, Dementieva, Kuznetsova, Safina, Chakvetadze)
4...France (Mauresmo, Golovin, Rezai, Razzano)
2...USA (Davenport, S.Williams)
1...Belgium (Henin-Hardenne)
1...China (Li)
1...Israel (Peer)
1...Serbia (Jankovic)
1...Switzerland (Schnyder)

[ranks]
#1 Amelie Mauresmo
#2 Justine Henin-Hardenne
#4 Maria Sharapova
#5 Elena Dementieva
#7 Svetlana Kuznetsova
#8 Patty Schnyder
#11 Lindsay Davenport
#13 Dinara Safina
#20 Jelena Jankovic
#21 Shahar Peer
#22 Na Li
#26 Tatiana Golovin
#29 Anna Chakvetadze
#91 Serena Williams
#96 Aravane Rezai
#112 Virginie Razzano

[ages]
30...Lindsay Davenport
27...Patty Schnyder
27...Amelie Mauresmo
24...Serena Williams
24...Elena Dementieva
24...Na Li
24...Justine Henin-Hardenne
23...Virginie Razzano
21...Jelena Jankovic
21...Svetlana Kuznetsova
20...Dinara Safina
19...Anna Chakvetadze
19...Aravane Rezai
19...Maria Sharapova
19...Shahar Peer
18...Tatiana Golovin

=============================
40-15...

**ROUND OF 16 PICKS**
[Women]
S.Williams d. #1 Mauresmo
#12 Safina d. Razzano
#3 Sharapova d. #24 Li
#23 Chakvetadze d. #27 Golovin
#19 Jankovic d. #6 Kuznetsova
#4 Dementieva d. Rezai
#10 Davenport d. #7 Schnyder
#2 Henin-Hardenne d. #21 Peer

[Men's Bottom Half]
#9 Roddick d. Becker
#15 Hewitt d. #25 Gasquet
Youzhny d. #6 Robredo
#2 Nadal d. Novak

=============================
GAME... "And in the cold, cruel world of sports it's time to move on."


...Andre Agassi bid adieu to his tennis career on Sunday after being upset by qualifier Benjamin Becker 7-5/6-7/6-4/7-5. Next came the tearful words for the fans at Arthur Ashe, the limp to the post-match press conference, and the standing ovation from the press corps. A grand career is over... and now it's time to focus on the present and future, not the past.

So, who's up next on Ashe, anyway?
=============================



All for Day 7.

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