Wk.38- Szummer & Fzall

Szplat!!



You knew it would happen, and it looks as if it finally did on Sunday in Beijing. The long, overplaying '07 trek of Jelena Jankovic finally led to her hitting the physical wall and wilting on the court. She led the final by a 7-6/5-1 score, even holding a match point, before going down in flames seemingly in the face of (finally!) fatigue.

But then again, how much of what happened was because of way too much match play (Jankovic is heading full bore to 100 matches), a neck injury that caused Jankovic's body to stiffen, or even easily-distracted Jelena herself (it's not like this was the first time the Serb blew a big lead, after all), is debatable. The hungry 18-year old Hungarian who admires Lance Armstrong had more than a little to do with things. It's no small detail that Jankovic's match point wasn't just erased on a careless error. In a move befitting a future big-time champion, it was eradicated by an ace from 18-year old Agnes Szavay.

Szavay has been the revelation of the second half of the 2007 season. She won a title in Palermo, then ruled the court in New Haven before a back injury forced her to retire from the final she was leading against Svetlana Kuznetsova. As if to prove she was NOT an automaton, Szavay lost the Contessova rematch at the US Open, szuccumbing to the pressure of the moment in the QF... but, hey, she reached the quarters as an unseeded player.

But in Beijing, Szavay proved to be more than just a szummer szensation, as she opened the fzall by taking title #2 in her third tour singles final since mid-July. As of Monday, she's a Top 20 player for the first time, reaching the stated goal in her WTA bio with quite a bit of time to spare. Considering how she's played the last couple of months, maybe Szavay's new ranking goal should be sliced to a single-digit number.

LiveSztrong, Agnes.


*WEEK 38 CHAMPIONS*

BEIJING, CHINA (II-Hard)
S: Agnes Szavay def. Jelena Jankovic 6-7/7-5/6-2
D: Chuang/Hsieh d. Han/Xu

KOLKATA, INDIA (III-Greenset Indoor)
S: Maria Kirilenko def. Mariya Koryttseva 6-0/6-2
D: King/Kudryavtseva d. Brianti/Koryttseva

PORTOROZ, SLOVENIA (IV-Hard)
S: Tatiana Golovin def. Katarina Srebotnik 2-6/6-4/6-4
D: Hradecka/Voracova d. Klepac/Likhovtseva


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Agnes Szavay
... Now, of course, if she goes through Venus to win in Seoul this week, the tone of the Hungarian's story would be ramped up a few notches.
=============================
RISERS: Maria Kirilenko & Tatiana Golovin

... occasionally, these two will put up results that remind us why their names were on everyone's lips just a short while ago... and that it had nothing to do with what they were wearing at the time. Two more of those moments occurred this weekend. In Kolkata, Kirilenko knocked out the likes of Flavia Pennetta and Daniela Hantuchova to reach her first final since she won her only title in Beijing in '05. Title #2 came with a dominating win over Mariya Koryttseva, as she became the eighth different Russian to win a tour singles title in 2007. Meanwhile, Golovin's good and bad '07 rollercoaster turned good in Portoroz. After taking out Vera Dushevina in the SF, she won a three-setter against Katarina Srebotnik in front of a Slovenian crowd. It was the Frussian Pastry's second title this season after having come into the year still looking for her career's first.
=============================
SURPRISES: Shuai Peng & Anne Keothavong
...Na Li aside, Peng (who entered the week at #49) has often appeared to have the most potential amongst the contending Cookies, but her off the court dramas always have overshadowed (and maybe stunted?) her on-court growth. Finally, in Beijing, she had some results that harkened back to her huge upset of Kim Clijsters during the Belgian's juggernaut North American hardcourt run in '05. Okay, so her wins over Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo maybe should be marked with an asterisk considering the physical conditions of the two former world-#1's, but anything that can get the 21-year old Peng back in the game is worth mentioning just a year before the Olympics take place in Beijing. In Kolkata, world #144, Britain's Anne Keothavong, reached her first career tour SF with wins over Sara Errani, Sunitha Rao and Tzipora Obziler.
=============================
VETERANS: Katarina Srebotnik & Lindsay Davenport
... Slovenia's Srebotnik, 26, reached her first singles final in over a year ('06 Cincinnati) in Portoroz, highlighted by wins over Meghann Shaughnessy and Gisela Dulko before her three-set loss to Golovin. Davenport didn't win another title, and lost the rematch with Jelena Jankovic in the Beijing SF, but easy wins over Eleni Daniilidou and Elena Dementieva still made for a successful second week of her comeback.
=============================
FRESH FACES: Mariya Koryttseva & Chia-Jung Chuang
...their's aren't the fresh faces of teenagers, but this pair of 22-year olds did manage to set themselves apart from the crowd last week for possibly the first time. Ukrainian Koryttseva (#164) reached her first tour final (Yay! I picked her to reach at least a first career SF back in January.) in Kolkata, taking out Vania King, Stephanie Foretz and Anne Keothavong along the way. She also reached the doubles final. Taiwan's Chuang, usually seemingly tied at the doubles hip with Yung-Jan Chan, gave herself a slight edge over her usual partner when she won her fourth title of the season (one more than Chan) in Beijing with Su-Wei Hsieh. The win moved her to a new career-high doubles ranking of #7, two spots ahead of Chan.
=============================
DOWN: Olga Poutchkova & Jelena Jankovic
... Poutchkova lost her eleventh straight match last week, and thirteenth in her last fourteen matches. She hasn't won a match since Roland Garros, and faces qualifier Julie Ditty in the 1st Round in Guangzhou. Jankovic knows all about horrendous losing streaks, having gone through a similar one of her own last season. She pulled out of it, but she's still prone to blow huge leads in matches. She did it again in the Beijing final, losing a 7-6/5-1 advantage during which she held a match point against Agnes Szavay, dropping six straight game to lose the 2nd set and twelve of the final fourteen to blow the match as her fatigue finally got the best of her. It's moments like this that make me question whether she'll ever win the grand slam so many predict for her. These types of losses are a bit too common for someone who'd have to win seven straight under intense pressure to take a slam. Still, I suppose she gets the benefit of the doubt for this one considering the opponent and the loooong season that Jankovic has put herself through over the first nine months of '07. Thing is, she doesn't like to practice, and some of her worst results have come after extended (well, by her norm) breaks as she struggled to regain her game's rhythm. 2008 is going to be an interesting test for her if she holds to that promise of cutting back her schedule.
=============================


1. Beij F - Szavay d. Jankovic
...6-7/7-5/6-2. Szavay led the tie-break 5-0, and lost it 9-7. Jankovic led the 2nd set 5-1, but lost it 7-5. The Hungarian won the rubber in the 3rd.
=============================
2. Beij SF - Jankovic d. Davenport
...6-3/7-5. Well, at least Davenport looks like she won't serve as a brick wall into which Jelena can ram her head every time they meet.
=============================
3. Kol F - Kirilenko d. Koryttseva
...6-0/6-2. In the Kolkata singles final, it was Kirilenko vs. Koryttseva. In the doubles final, it was King & Kudryavtseva over Koryttseva & Brianti. Obviously it was Brianti's fault... her named didn't start with the correct letter.
=============================
4. Port F - Golovin d. Srebotnik

...2-6/6-4/6-4. "Good Tatiana" didn't care if Srebotnik's Slovenian fans went home unfulfilled. "Good Tatiana" is fun.
=============================
5. Beij QF - Peng d. Mauresmo
...4-6/6-4/6-2. Amelie's back. Well, at least she's on the court.
=============================
HM- Lecce $25K F - Alisa Kleybanova d. Marta Marrero
...6-1/6-0. One of the "forgotten" young Russians, Kleybanova won her second ITF title of the season.
=============================


**2007 WTA TITLES**
7...Justine Henin / BEL
4...Jelena Jankovic / SRB
4...Anna Chakvetadze / RUS
2...Ana Ivanovic / SRB
2...Serena Williams / USA
2...Venus Williams / USA
2...TATIANA GOLOVIN / FRA
2...AGNES SZAVAY / HUN
2...Gisela Dulko / ARG

**2007 WTA FINALS**
8...Justine Henin (7-1)
8...JELENA JANKOVIC (4-4)
6...Svetlana Kuznetsova (1-5)
4...Anna Chakvetadze (4-0)
4...Ana Ivanovic (2-2)
4...Amelie Mauresmo (1-3)

**BEST FINAL WIN PCT IN 2007 - 2+**
1.000 ...Anna Chakvetadze (4-0)
1.000 ...Serena Williams (2-0)
1.000 ...Venus Williams (2-0)
1.000 ...TATIANA GOLOVIN (2-0)
0.875 ...Justine Henin (7-1)
0.667 ...AGNES SZAVAY (2-1)
0.667 ...Gisela Dulko (2-1)

**2007 DOUBLES TITLES - TEAMS**
6...Cara Black/Liezel Huber (RSA/USA)
5...Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur (USA/AUS)
3...Yung-Jan Chan/Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE/TPE)
2...LUCIE HRADECKA/RENATA VORACOVA (CZE/CZE)
2...Zi Yan/Jie Zheng (CHN/CHN)

**2007 WEEKS IN TOP 10**
[of 38 weeks]
38...Justine Henin *
38...Svetlana Kuznetsova *
38...Maria Sharapova *
36...Amelie Mauresmo
34...Jelena Jankovic *
33...Nadia Petrova *
24...Nicole Vaidisova
23...Anna Chakvetadze *
22...Martina Hingis
20...Ana Ivanovic *
19...Serena Williams *
18...Kim Clijsters
12...Elena Dementieva
8....Dinara Safina
6....Daniela Hantuchova *
3....Venus Williams *
3....Marion Bartoli
3....Patty Schnyder
=====
*- in Top 10 on Sept.24




KOCKELSCHEUER, LUXEMBOURG (II-HCI)
2006 FINAL: A.Bondarenko d. Schiavone
2007 TOP: Chakvetadze/Ivanovic
=============================

=SF=
Chakvetadze d. Hantuchova
Petrova d. Golovin
=FINAL=
Chakvetadze d. Petrova


GUANGZHOU, CHINA (III-HCO)
2006 FINAL: Chakvetadze d. Medina-Garrigues
2007 TOP: Medina-Garrigues/Razzano
=============================
=SF=
Medina-Garrigues d. Peng
Razzano d. Cibulkova
=FINAL=
Medina-Garrigues d. Razzano


SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (IV-HCO)
2006 FINAL: Daniilidou d. Sugiyama
2007 TOP: V.Williams/Szavay
=============================
=SF=
V.Williams d. Pennetta
Szavay d. Kirilenko
=FINAL=
V.Williams d. Szavay


All for now.

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Wk.37- 37 Down, 8 To Go

The 2007 season is quickly nearing the homestretch.

Lindsay Davenport is a champion again, while Russia has another Fed Cup title (even the Supernova was there to celebrate)... and with just two months to go before the WTA closes up shop until 2008, it's time to take a quick look at how things stand in the "Ms. Backspin" race.

*PAST "Ms. BACKSPIN" WINNERS*
2001 Jennifer Capriati / USA
2002 Serena Williams / USA
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne / BEL
2004 Maria Sharapova / RUS
2005 Kim Clijsters / BEL
2006 Amelie Mauresmo / FRA

Truthfully, though, we're not going to need a photo finish like the one we had last season to determine 2007's top player. In fact, the engraving for the trophy can begin right now. But, after that, there's quite a bit of wiggle room.

*TOP PLAYERS OF 2007... as of now*
1. Justine Henin, BEL
...the official naming of the first two-time "Ms. Backspin" winner is just a mere formality at this point.
=============================
2. Jelena Jankovic, SRB
... consistent, but she hasn't been EXCEPTIONAL as often in 2007 as you'd like for your #3-ranked player in the world
=============================
3. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
... the first Serb to a slam final, one gets the notion that she might be the first to win one, too. Well, unless Djokovic beats her to it.
=============================
4. Venus Williams, USA
... after sitting out the beginning of the season, she's actually played far more than you realize.
=============================
5. Serena Williams, USA
... after opening the season on such a high in Melbourne, she's ultimately played far less than we'd have hoped back in January.
=============================
6. Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
... she's putting a nice late-year shine on a season that's seen her rise to #2 in the world.
=============================
7. Anna Chakvetadze, RUS
... always overlooked, but no Russian has accomplished more over the past twelve months than the Doll.
=============================
8. Cara Black & Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
... the best doubles team in the world.
=============================
9. Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
... had a fast start, but Stosur's injury trouble has contributed to diminishing returns of late.
=============================
10. Marion Bartoli, FRA
... no matter what, she'll always have SW19... and Pierce Brosnan.
=============================
11. Yung-Jan Chan & Chia-Jung Chuang, TPE/TPE
... the doubles revelations of the year, but they missed out on that grand slam title in New York.
=============================
12. Maria Sharapova, RUS
... Oz runner-up. Roland Garros semifinalist. A Tier I winner in San Diego. But #12? The Supernova's current standing is the very definition of "wiggle room."
=============================
==IN THE CONVERSATION==
S.Peer/ISR (2008's big riser?)
A.Mauresmo/FRA (just because of Antwerp)
M.Santangelo/ITA (five doubles titles)
S.Bammer/AUT (though Lindsay is stealing her mother thunder)
G.Dulko/ARG (two titles)
N.Petrova/RUS (Hopman & Fed Cups, plus a title)
A.Radwanska/POL (the first-ever Polish champion)
D.Hantuchova/SVK (finally, another title)
A.Szavay/HUN (2008's "It" Girl?)

*WEEK 37 CHAMPIONS*

BALI, INDONESIA (III-Hard)
S: Lindsay Davenport d. Daniela Hantuchova 6-4/3-6/6-2
D: C.Ji/S.Sun d. Craybas/Grandin

FED CUP FINAL (Moscow, Russia)
Russia def. Italy 4-0



PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Lindsay Davenport
...a 31-year old mother ranked #234 in the world wins a title in her first singles action in nearly a year. If it was anyone other than a handful of players, it would be a stunning development... but the former world #1 is one of those players, so Davenport's Bali title doesn't necessarily floor anyone. But, still, getting three-set wins over Jelena Jankovic and Daniela Hantuchova probably isn't the road down which most would have thought her first comeback title would have strolled down. Just goes to show you how much of a role injuries have had in Davenport's title drought of nearly two years. As it is, she said this was the first tournament in about that long where she hasn't had some sort of lower-extremity injury to contend with between matches.
=============================
RISERS: Svetlana Kuznetsova & Tsvetana Pironkova
...the Contessova had a pretty hard-luck year (thanks to a string of big match losses) going up until a few weeks ago. Then, three retirements gave her a title in New Haven, and the quickly dissolving bottom half of the draw presented her with the chance to reach her second US Open final. With momentum going her way, she was the Russian MVP of the Fed Cup final, breezing through Mara Santangelo and then coming back from match point down against Francesca Schiavone to wrap up a shutout of the defending champion Italians. Meanwhile, with Sesil Karatantcheva coming back on tour in '08, fellow Bulgarian Pironkova is starting to make her way through the ranks after that brief, short-lived spark in '05. She just won a $100K ITF event in Bourdeaux, defeating Alize Cornet 6-2/6-3 in the final.
=============================
SURPRISES: Sara Errani & Chinmei Ji/Shengnan Sun

...Italy's Errani, 20, made it all the way to the Bali SF with wins over Akgul Amanmuradova, Anabel Medina-Garrigues and Aiko Nakamura. Meanwhile, yet another Chinese doubles team emerged less than a year away from the Beijing Olympics. This time it was Chinmei Ji & Shengnan Sun, ranked #93 and #68 in doubles heading into the tournament, who grabbed their first tour crowns with a title in Bali.
=============================
VETERAN: Jagger (and his mom Lindsay, too)

=============================
FRESH FACE: Sorana Cirstea

...three Romanian women have reached at least the SF stage of WTA events this season, but 17-year old Cirstea is the only one to reach a final (in Budapest back in April). She didn't do it again in Bali, but she did qualify and reach the SF with victories over Alina Jidkova, Patty Schnyder and Edina Gallovits (another of those rising Romanians).
=============================
DOWN: Jelena Jankovic
... Jelena played. Again. She's set to play this week. Again. In the Bali QF, she went out to Davenport in the returning mother's first match against a Top 10 player in nearly a year. With the Serb's 2007 match tally now over 90 matches, will a "Jelena's-About-to-Drop Watch" need to be instituted during the 4th Quarter?
=============================


1. Bali QF - Davenport d. Jankovic
...6-4/2-6/6-2. The very definition of a statement win, as a totally healthy Davenport proves she can still beat 'em all if her body is right. Think the Williams sisters, without the catty comments if she happens to lose.
=============================
2t. FC Final/Match 1 - Chakvetadze d. Schiavone
...6-4/4-6/6-4.
2t. FC Final/Match 3 - Kuznetsova d. Schiavone
...4-6/7-5/7-5. The Fed Cup gods giveth, and they taketh away. In the SF, Schiavone upset Mauresmo and Golovin, erasing a big 3rd set deficit against the latter, to send Italy to the final. In Moscow, she led 3-1 in the 3rd against Chakvetadze on Saturday, and then held a match point against Kuznetsova in their 2:45 meeting on Sunday.
=============================
3. Bali F - Davenport d. Hantuchova
...6-4/3-6/6-2. What does Lindsay do for an encore?
=============================
4. Bali 1st - Davenport d. Daniilidou
...6-2/6-2. Hello, world. Davenport ran off a string of twenty consecutive points in this match during one stretch.
=============================
5. Bali 2nd - Cirstea d. Schnyder
...6-2/5-7/7-5. Hmmm, did Sorana get any coaching from Rainer? Just checking.
=============================
HM- Lleida $10K F - Heidi El Tabakh d. Eva Fernandez-Brugues
...6-2/6-3. Hey, another Canadian champion!=============================


**ALL-TIME CAREER WTA TITLES**
167...Martina Navratilova
154...Chris Evert
107...Steffi Graf
92....Margaret Smith-Court
68....Evonne Goolagong
67....Billie Jean King
55....Virginia Wade
53....Monica Seles
52....LINDSAY DAVENPORT*
43....Martina Hingis*

**OLDEST 2007 SINGLES CHAMPIONS**
31...LINDSAY DAVENPORT
28...Greta Arn, Meghann Shaughnessy
27...Emilie Loit, Amelie Mauresmo, Akiko Morigami, Francesca Schiavone, Venus Williams

**LOW-RANKED FINALISTS IN 2007**
#325...Sorana Cirstea/ROU (April-Budapest, L)
#234...LINDSAY DAVENPORT/USA (SEPT-BALI, W)
#176...Greta Arn/GER (May-Estoril, W)
#143...Yaroslava Shvedova/RUS (Feb-Bangalore, W)
#114...Aleksandra Wozniak/CAN (May-Fes, L)
#104...Milagros Sequera/VEN (May-Fes, W)

**NATIONS - MOST DIFF. 2007 CHAMPIONS**
7...Russia (Chakvetadze, Dementieva, Kuznetsova, Petrova, Safina, Sharapova, Shvedova)
4...USA (Davenport, Shaughnessy, Williams, Williams)
3...France (Golovin, Loit, Mauresmo)
2...Belgium (Clijsters, Henin)
2...Italy (Schiavone, Italy)
2...Serbia (Ivanovic, Janknovic)

**2007 FINAL RECORDS - BY NATION**
10-13..Russia
8-2....Belgium
6-0....UNITED STATES
6-5....Serbia
3-8....France
2-1....Argentina
2-3....Italy
1-0....Austria, Poland, Spain, Venezuela
1-1....Hungary, Japan, SLOVAKIA
1-2....Germany, Switzerland
0-2....Romania
0-1....Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, India, Israel, Ukraine




BEIJING, CHINA (II-HCO)
2006 FINAL: Kuznetsova d. Mauresmo
2007 TOP: Kuznetsova/Jankovic
=============================
=FINAL=
Davenport d. Szavay

...Kuznetsova was the pick here. Then, of course, she pulled out after the 1st Round has been played. As a result, I'll go with Davenport, as she could pretty much go through this event playing the same people (Ditty, Daniilidou, Jankovic) she beat in Bali.


KOLKATA, INDIA (III-GSI)
2006 FINAL: Hingis d. Poutchkova
2007 TOP: Bartoli/Hantuchova
=============================
=SF=
Bartoli d. Errani
Kirilenko d. Hantuchova
=FINAL=
Kirilenko d. Bartoli

...it's become a tradition to pick Mirza to win a singles title at every tournament held in India, and then to watch her walk away with a doubles trophy instead. That was the plan this time around, too, but then a wrist injury forced a late withdrawal by the Princess (yep, that makes two-for-two in original picks pulling out of this week's tournaments). Now I'll go with Kirilenko, who usually raises her game in Asia.


PORTOROZ, SLOVENIA (IV-HCO)
2006 FINAL: Paszek d. Camerin
2007 TOP: Golovin/Bammer
=============================
=SF=
Zvonareva d. Golovin
Dulko d. Shaughnessy
=FINAL=
Zvonareva d. Dulko

...hey, at this point, when in doubt, pick a Russian. That is, unless they pull out of the tournament. So far, Vera is still around.


All for now.

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WTA Backspin 3Q Awards

Ah, a quarter chocked full of moments of greatness, stunning losses and embarrassing moments... but it wouldn't be fair to ONLY talk about the Williams sisters, now would it?

*TOP PLAYERS OF THE 3Q - WEEKS 28-36*
1. Justine Henin, BEL

...more hard work and dedication than the rest of the field will get you less-than-half-hearted congratulations for all your "luck." Guess that Player of the Year honor will have to be marked with as asterisk, too. A kiss-her-asterisk, maybe?
=============================
2. Anna Chakvetadze, RUS
...the only player who managed to stick around for the entire 3Q, opening it with a title and ending it with a career-first slam SF.
=============================
3. Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
... the best Hordette in the world. Well, at least according to the computer.
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4. Maria Sharapova, RUS
... San Diego and Los Angeles were enough to win the US Open Series, so they're enough to be #4 even after a 3rd Round exit in NYC.
=============================
5. Venus Williams, USA
... Venus had a pretty good quarter with her Fed Cup and US Open heroics, even if she didn't actually win anything. Must have been the breathing difficulties.
=============================
6. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
... a star turn in L.A., but "AnaIvo!" didn't open well in New York. Ivanovic may still be "off Broadway," but she's getting closer to primetime recognition.
=============================
7. Jelena Jankovic, SRB
... she played and played and played, but still didn't win any "big ones."
=============================
8. Agnes Szavay, HUN
...the Late Szummer of Szavay marked the arrival of a new factor in the women's game.
=============================
9. Francesca Schiavone, ITA
...her Fed Cup contact high finally led to that first career tour title.
=============================
10. Sania Mirza, IND
... billions and billions cheered as Sania served, and won most of the time.
=============================
HM- Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
... whether it came about more because of skill, mental acuity or sheer gall, A-Rad now has a presence in the international sports consciousness... even if most headlines simply call her that "Polish teen."
=============================

*RISERS*
1. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS)
2. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
3. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
4. Sania Mirza (IND)
5. Maria Kirilenko (RUS)
6. Yung-Jan Chan & Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE)
7. Agnes Szavay & Vladimira Uhlirova (HUN/CZE)
8. Shahar Peer (ISR)
9. Alona Bondarenko (UKR)
10. Gisela Dulko (ARG)
11. Julia Vakulenko (UKR)
12. Tiantian Sun (CHN)
HM- Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL)

*FRESH FACES*
1. Agnes Szavay (HUN)
2. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
3. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
4. Tamira Paszek (AUT)
5. Urszula Radwanska (POL)
6. Alize Cornet (FRA)
7. Vera Dushevina (RUS)
8. Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR)
9. Kristina Kucova (SVK)
10.Polona Hercog (SLO)
11. Petra Cetkovska (CZE)
12. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
HM- Ksenia Milevskaya (BLR)

*SURPRISES*
1. Virginie Razzano (FRA)
2. Zi Yan (CHN)
3. Karin Knapp (ITA)
4. Sara Errani (ITA)
5. Bethanie Mattek & Sania Mirza (USA/IND)
6. Nika Ozegovic (CRO)
7. Yvonne Meusburger (AUT)
8. Julia Goerges (GER)
9. Ahsha Rolle (USA)
10. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)
11. Oksana Kalashnikova (GEO)
12. Tatjana Malek (GER)
HM- Katarzyna Piter (POL)

*VETERANS*
1. Venus Williams (USA)
2. Francesca Schiavone (ITA)
3. Nadia Petrova (RUS)
4. Sybille Bammer (AUT)
5. Anabel Medina-Garrigues (ESP)
6. Akiko Morigami (JPN)
7. Nathalie Dechy (FRA)
8. Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) -WTT-
9. Cara Black & Liezel Huber (ZIM/USA)
10. Patty Schnyder (SUI)
11. Alina Jidkova (RUS)
12. Meghann Shaughnessy (USA)
HM- Elena Dementieva (RUS)

*DOWN*
1. Serena Williams (USA)
2. France Fed Cup team
3. Martina Hingis (SUI)
4. Maria Sharapova (RUS) -at US Open-
5. Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur (USA/AUS)
6. Cara Black & Liezel Huber (ZIM/USA) -at US Open-
7. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)
8. Tatiana Golovin (FRA)
9. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)
10. Olga Poutchkova (RUS)
11. Anastassia Rodionova (RUS)
12. Jie Zheng (CHN)
HM- Na Li (CHN)

*COMEBACK PLAYERS*
1. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) -from post-Fed Cup '06 slump-
2. Sania Mirza (IND)
3. Maria Kirilenko (RUS)
4. Vera Zvonareva (RUS) & Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) -from illness/injury at US Open-
5. Marion Bartoli (FRA) -from post-SW19 hangover-
HM- Sharon Fichman (CAN) & Lindsay Davenport (USA)

*ITF TOUR PLAYERS*
1. Anna Lapushchenkova (RUS)
2. Casey Dellacqua (AUS)
3. Olivia Sanchez (FRA)
4. Polona Hercog (SLO)
5. Petra Cetkovska (CZE)
6. Katerina Vankova (CZE)
7. Stephanie Gehrlein (GER)
8. Anna Floris (ITA)
9. Ling Zhang (HKG)
10. Stephanie Dubois (CAN)
HM- Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS)

TOP PERFORMANCE: Justine Henin becomes first to defeat both Serena & Venus Williams in a slam, then win the title (in this case, the US Open, the seventh major win of her career)

BEST STARRING ROLES: Maria Sharapova sends off San Diego tournament with a Supernovic title, while Ana Ivanovic blows away the competition in Los Angeles

BEST ENSEMBLE: the NEW Teen Brigade -- with members named Radwanska, Szavay, Azarenka & Paszek -- introduce themselves en masse at the US Open

BEST MATCHES
Fed Cup SF, Match #4 - Schiavone/ITA def. Golovin/FRA
...6-4/2-6/7-5. Golovin led 5-2 in the 3rd, then allowed the crowd and the moment to get to her.
L.A. SF - Ivanovic d. Jankovic
...4-6/6-3/7-5. Jankovic leads 4-1 in the 3rd, with a point for 5-1. But AnaIvo, her forehands blasting winners at will, saves two match points and goes on to win the title.
Toronto F - Henin d. Jankovic
...7-6/7-5. On her sixth match point, La Petit Taureau makes it 7-for-7 against the Serb.
US Open Girls F - Kucova d. U.Radwanska
...6-3/1-6/7-6. The unseeded 17-year old Slovak wraps up her first major title with wins over both the #1 (Pavlyuchenkova) and #2 (U-Rad) seeds.

*BIGGEST 3Q CHOKE*
...Sharapova and her serve go down with the ship (along with her title defense) in the 3rd Round in Flushing Meadows.

*CAREER HEAD-TO-HEADS OF NOTE*
...Henin is 15-2 vs. Kuznetsova
...Ivanovic is 4-1 vs. Jankovic
...Jankovic is 0-7 vs. Henin
...Henin is 2-7 vs. Venus, but 4-0 vs. the Williams sisters at '07 slams

BEST OFF-COURT COMEBACK: Bud Collins, unceremoniously let go by NBC earlier in the summer, was hired by ESPN and Tennis Channel for grand slam coverage before the arrival of autumn

*THE BEST QUOTES COME IN PAIRS*
Serena Williams, after losing to Justine Henin in US Open QF
..."She hit a lot of lucky shots."
Jelena Jankovic, after losing to Ana Ivanovic in the LA SF
..."I felt like I was playing against a guy."

*ATTACK OF THE DOUBLE TWO-HANDERS*
...first, it was Marion Bartoli reaching the Wimbledon final, and now it's Kristina Kucova winning the US Open Girls crown

*BIGGEST UPSETS*
Toronto 2nd - Yan d. Ivanovic
...6-3/6-1. Days after winning L.A., Ivanovic shows the importance of choosing the next role wisely.
US Open 1st - Rolle d. Golovin
...6-4/1-6/6-2. On Althea Gibson Tribute night, the American wild card brings out the Bad Tatiana in the Frussian Pastry.
US Open 3rd - A.Radwanska d. Sharapova
...6-4/1-6/6-2. A-Rad tore down Sharapova's seemingly impenetrable wall with a psychological beanball that landed right on target.

*MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW SISTERS IN TOWN*

...Agnieszka knocked out defending US Open champ Sharapova in New York, but that was only the latest accomplishment for the Polish Radwanska sisters in 2007. A-Rad has won her first tour singles title, becoming the first Polish player to do so. She's shared a tournament doubles title with sis Urszula, who also won the Wimbledon junior title and 3/4 of a junior grand slam with Girls Doubles titles in Paris, London and New York.

THREE TO TANGO...or something: after getting some coaching help from Patty Schnyder's husband Rainer Hoffman in Bad Gastein, Sania Mirza went on to defeat the Swiss veteran in straight sets in a QF matchup. "The White Mile" just became a little beige.

*MARTINA THE KIND?*
...Hingis' break-up with ex-fiance Radek Stepanek at least frees him up to have a long and successful career without the "Martina Curse" looming over his head.

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT:
...Svetlana Kuznetsova won the New Haven title with three consecutive matches ending with the retirement of her opponents, including the final in which she trailed Agnes Szavay one set to none.

*3Q VISION OF... well, not exactly "loveliness," but as good a place to end as any.*



All for now.

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A Second Cup of Fed?

Lindsay Davenport is back in Bali (with a dominating win over Eleni Daniilidou), and the Noodles are ready to grab a second heapin' helpin' of Fed Cup success... or are they?

With housekeeping arriving later in the week in the form of the 3Q Backspin Awards, how about a quick WTA fix with a peek at the first post-US Open action (plus a few predictions to disregard as quickly as possible)?



*FED CUP - 2007*
=1st Round=
USA def. Belgium 5-0
Russia def. Spain 5-0
France def. Japan 5-0
Italy def. China 5-0
=SEMIFINALS=
Russia def. USA 3-2
Italy def. France 3-2
=FINAL=
Russia vs. Italy

*RECENT FED CUP FINALS*
1997 France def. Netherlands
1998 Spain def. Switzerland
1999 USA def. Russia
2000 USA def. Spain
2001 Belgium def. Russia
2002 Slovakia def. Spain
2003 France def. USA
2004 Russia def. France
2005 Russia def. France
2006 Italy def. Belgium
2007 Russia vs. Italy

*FED CUP TITLES*
17...United States
7....Australia
5....Czechoslovakia (+1 Slovakia)
5....Spain
2....France
2....Germany/West Germany
2....Russia
1....Belgium
1....Italy
1....Slovakia (post-Czechoslovakia)
1....South Africa




BALI, INDONESIA (III-HCO)
2006 FINAL: Kuznetsova d. Bartoli
2007 TOP: Jankovic/Hantuchova
=============================

=SF=
Jankovic d. Tanasugarn
Schnyder d. Hantuchova
=FINAL=
Jankovic d. Schnyder

...well, Jelena might be planning to cut her schedule in '08, but '07 looks to be off limits. Less than a week after reaching the US Open QF, she's baaaaaaack. Oh, and so is Lindsay. The two could (and should) meet in the QF.


FED CUP FINAL (Moscow, Russia)
2006 FINAL: Italy def. Belgium
=============================

Russia def. Italy 4-1

...Kuznetsova, Chakvetadze, Petrova & Vesnina should be able to take out the Schiavone, Santangelo, Vinci & Pennetta team to end the Noodles' dream of a repeat. But the Russians played deep into the US Open, while the Italians have had more time to get themselves psyched up for this one. Still, the home court advantage should tip things in favor of the Hordettes in the end.



*BALI*
=SF=
Jankovic d. Medina-Garrigues
Schnyder d. Hantuchova
=FINAL=
Jankovic d. Schnyder

*FED CUP*
Russia def. Italy 4-1


All for now.

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The Reign of the Bodysnatcher

It's still the same old story. The fight for New York glory. A case of do or die. The fundamental things apply... as time goes by.

Career grand slam title #12 came like clockwork to Switzerland's Roger Federer at the US Open on Sunday, moving him to within two of matching Pete Sampras' all-time major title record.



Sampras had a way of snatching victory from the jaws of near-defeat against opponents seemingly poised for greatness. Not coincidentally, it's a trait he shares with the current world #1. But while Sampras would pull out a few monster serves and/or penetrating volleys to violently rip out HIS opponents' hearts, Federer simply turns into a virtual bodysnatcher.

Federer will play Andy Roddick, who possesses the best serve in the game... and then manage to out-ace him. Federer played Andre Agassi, maybe the best returner in the history of the game... and by the end of the match the bald guy was forced to guess the direction of the oncoming Federer serve just to keep even a portion of his foot in the match. Against Novak Djokovic on Ashe Stadium on Sunday, Federer faced all the vigor and blood-rushing excitement that the 20-year old had carried with him through his entertaining run to the US Open final... and after rendering it but a novelty, he slowly drained the sting from "Number 3's" game.

Time and time again in the final, Federer led Djokovic to the edge of his "moment of truth," only to take his soul and shove him over the precipice... but in that ever-so-polite way that the benevolent King Roger has perfected over the last few years, of course.

In the 1st set, Djokovic led 6-5 and served an ace to go up 40-love... only to see Federer save five set points, then win a 7-4 tie-break. Rather than a moment of truth, the Serb experienced a symbolic one after he angrily gestured with a water bottle in his hand during the changeover. The bottle's top came off and half the water spilled out onto the court, causing a short delay before the start of the next set as the mess had to be cleaned up (it was the only time the Flushing Meadows courts were wet over the entire two weeks of the tournament).

In the 2nd set, up 6-5 again, Djokovic had two set points at 15-40 on Federer's serve. Federer held to force another tie-break, which he promptly won 7-2. Then in the 3rd, at 2-2, Djokovic had three break points that were soon nothing but an afterthought. Hitting a barrage of lines, producing a string of ridiculously angled shots, and either forcing or accepting the increasing number of Djokovic errors, Federer saw his first match point after the Serb fired a double-fault. It was all over in an instant, 7-6/7-6/6-4.

Djokovic did nothing at this event, or even in this match, to dissuade those who harbor the belief that he will one day be a grand slam champion. He's the youngest US Open finalist since Sampras in 1990, after all. Yep, the kid is all right... even if he IS now eligible to be hit up by Andy Roddick for dues thanks to his new membership in the club reserved for all the players who'd have a slam trophy waiting for them at home if Federer hadn't one day appeared on the other side of the net.

It's a club for which there is no shame to belong. One day the OTHER club -- the one which includes all the slam champs not named Roger -- will begin accepting new members. But not yet, and maybe not for a while longer. Much like that of his friend Tiger Woods', Federer's march toward history continues unabated and only sporadically challenged as 2007 nears its conclusion. In fact, the real competition might just be the mano-a-mano, cross-sport numbers battle going on between Federer and Woods. Their only TRUE sporting equals might be each other. So, by virtue of the most recent major-winning activity, the "advantage" now rests on the Swiss Mister's racquet.

Play it again, Rog. And he surely will.



*ALL-TIME MEN'S SLAM SINGLES TITLES*
14...Pete Sampras
12...ROGER FEDERER
12...Roy Emerson
11...Bjorn Borg
11...Rod Laver
10...Bill Tilden

*ALL-TIME MEN'S US OPEN TITLES*
[Open Era]
5...Pete Sampras
5...Jimmy Connors
4...ROGER FEDERER
4...John McEnroe

*ALL-TIME MEN'S SINGLES TITLES*
109..Jimmy Connors
94...Ivan Lendl
77...John McEnroe
64...Pete Sampras
62...Bjorn Borg
62...Guillermo Vilas
60...Andre Agassi
57...Ilie Nastase
51...ROGER FEDERER



The potential Polish sweep of the US Open junior titles wasn't meant to be on Sunday, as both Urszula Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz lost in their respective singles finals. Slovakia's Kristina Kucova, 17, took out U-Rad in a 3rd set tie-break, while Janowicz fell to Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis.

Meanwhile, Nathalie Dechy & Dinara Safina defeated Yung-Jan Chan & Chia-Jung Chuang for the Women's Doubles title. It was Dechy's second consecutive US Open Doubles title (she won last year with Vera Zvonareva), and Safina's first career slam title of any kind.

*2007 "DOUBLES STAR" AWARD WINNERS*
AO: Liezel Huber / RSA (later USA)
RG: Katarina Srebotnik / SLO
WI: Cara Black / ZIM
US: Nathalie Dechy / FRA

*2007 WOMEN'S SLAM DOUBLES CHAMPIONS*
AO: Cara Black & Liezel Huber (ZIM/RSA)
RG: Alicia Molik & Mara Santangelo (AUS/ITA)
WI: Cara Black & Liezel Huber (ZIM/RSA)
US: Nathalie Dechy & Dinara Safina (FRA/RUS)



*2007 U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS ROLL CALL*
=============================
MEN'S SINGLES: Roger Federer / SUI
WOMEN'S SINGLES: Justine Henin / BEL
MEN'S DOUBLES: Simon Aspelin & Julian Knowle (SWE/AUT)
WOMEN'S DOUBLES: Nathalie Dechy & Dinara Safina (FRA/RUS)
MIXED DOUBLES: Victoria Azarenka & Max Mirnyi (BLR/BLR)
BOYS SINGLES: Ricardas Berankis / LTU
GIRLS SINGLES: Kristina Kucova / SVK
GIRLS DOUBLES: Ksenia Milevskaya & Urszula Radwanska (BLR/POL)
BOYS DOUBLES: Jonathan Eysseric & Jerome Inzerillo (FRA/FRA)



Previous 2007 grand slam final Backspins:

Ausralian Open: "Tranquility Base... Roger Has Landed"
Roland Garros: "Unbeaten, Untied and Unassailable"
Wimbledon: "Sweat & Tears"




TOP QUALIFIER: Alina Jidkova / RUS
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Justine Henin / BEL
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): Justine Henin / BEL
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #29 Samantha Stosur / AUS
UPSET QUEENS: Russians
REVELATION LADIES: Ukrainians
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: A.Cornet/FRA & E.Makarova/RUS (+WC A.Rolle/USA) to 3rd Rd.
IT GIRL: Agnieszka Radwanska / POL
MISS OPPORTUNITY: Svetlana Kuznetsova / RUS
COMEBACK PLAYER: Vera Zvonareva / RUS
DOUBLES STAR: Nathalie Dechy / FRA
SPECIAL: CRASH & BURN- Maria Sharapova / RUS
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Kristina Kucova / SVK




All for now.

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Eternal Sunshine of the Henin Mind

Justine Henin has wiped clean from her mind all the turmoil and petty discrepancies that many have sought to tie to her championship career over the years... or at least she's learned how to make it seem that way over the past eight months or so.



The Belgian's 6-1/6-3 win over Svetlana Kuznetsova in the US Open final on Saturday night put a fitting period at the end of the sentence that says a 2007 season that began with so much heartbreak has turned out to be the most important and revelatory year of her career, and arguably maybe even her entire 25 years.

"When I was a little girl, I was dreaming of winning just one grand slam in my career and I won seven. It's still hard to believe that I did that," Henin said.

For a player who nearly eighteen months ago was the target of much over-the-top criticism following her retirement in the Australian Open final, it's a transformation that is clearly visible to the naked eye.

The collapse of her marriage came first. Then, ironically, a sibling's serious accident offered Henin a lifeline at her time of most need. It was a moment which ultimately opened the door for a reconciliation with the family that she'd shut out of her life nearly a decade earlier due to personal issues and disagreements.

Fast forward five months and Henin was winning her fourth Roland Garros title, with her family in the stands watching for the first time. In Paris, she said she was finally "at peace."

Fast forward another three months. The Henin mood is even lighter, but still focused. She's called an "ultimate professional," and the poison-filled comments floating around after her matches are no longer directed at her, but instead are aimed at her "unlucky" opponents (hello, Serena).

Of all her slam titles, "this one is maybe the most important one," she said. "I had a lot of things to prove to myself -- not to anyone else, just to myself. And I did it."

Just how at ease is she? So much so that she even was able to laugh off Dick Enberg's faux pas of accidentally calling her "Henin-Hardenne" during the post-match trophy presentation. Whoops... but no harm, no foul. A spotless Henin mind is a wonderfully forgiving thing, I suppose.

Against Kuznetsova in the final, the match was a case of a classic story told in familiar fashion. A champion fighting for acceptance, if not from the world at large than of herself and the loved ones she's learning once again to rely upon and cherish. We knew going in that for the fifth straight year the US Open champion was either going to be a Belgian or a Russian... and we sort of had a feeling about WHO it was going to be, too. Kuznetsova just wasn't up to "ruining" this story. Not after Henin had gone through TWO Williams sisters to reach the final match (only the second time anyone's ever done that in a slam), and not after she'd altered so much about her life in order to find the "peace" that had alluded her while becoming a grand slam champion and the world's #1-ranked player in previous seasons.

Right out of the gate, Henin foreshadowed the final chapter of this New York story by breaking Kuznetsova in the first game of the match, just as she'd done against Serena and Venus in the previous two matches. After facing just one break point in the set, in a game in which she held with a SECOND SERVE ace (I know Justine enjoys jumping out of airplanes, but that's REAL risk-taking), Henin then waltzed to a 6-1 win.

Things were a little different in the 2nd set, as Kuznetsova's opportunities mounted. But Henin didn't budge, and instead pushed back with a break in a seven-deuce game to go up 3-1 after the Russian had once led 40-love in the game. After shrugging off two Contessova break points in the next game, Henin's biggest remaining hurdle was righting herself again to serve out the match after a "fan" yelled out during her service toss. After restarting her serve, she served back-to-back double faults, and threw in another later in the game to give Kuznetsova one final shot to get back into the set on a third break point of the game.

But it wasn't meant to be. It never was. Henin served out the set, and match, at 6-3 to put the finishing touch on what's turned into the "Year of the Taureau" even as so much discussion had centered around the rise of the Serbs and the resurgence of the Sisters leading into the Open.

New York City might not seem to fit Henin to a tee, but it's a pretty good match for La Petit Taureau. She was born there, after all, in that 2003 semifinal match against Jennifer Capriati, nurtured in the final the next day against Kim Clijsters, and given dramatic weight and a hard-won respect the last few days on Ashe as Henin became just the sixth woman in the Open Era to sweep through two slams in a single season without dropping a set in either.

**TWO SLAMS IN A YEAR, NO SETS LOST**
[OPEN ERA]
1972 Billie Jean King (RG/US)
1983 Martina Navratilova (Wimb/US)
1988 Steffi Graf (AO/RG)
1997 Martina Hingis (AO/US)
2002 Serena Williams (Wimb/US)
2007 Justine Henin (RG/US)

"I'm just feeling happy. And the fact that I have my family back in my life helps a lot," said Henin. "They give me a lot of support. I'm feeling at peace with myself and that's a very important feeling for me."

At 25, Henin has managed, when you factor in athletic expectations and the harsh realities of the players of the era, to construct the most successful women's tennis career since a teenager named Steffi Graf burst onto the scene in the mid-1980's.

Not the biggest. Not the strongest. Not the most popular, nor the most feared. But the best female tennis player in the world has a name... and it's "Justine Henin."

"It's more than a dream."

Indeed. And that's something that Justine won't be wiping from her mind anytime soon.



In the end, it's King Roger vs. the latest challenger for his throne, Novak Djokovic, in the Men's final. Once Rafa Nadal's body gave way, this was the only remaining matchup that would even give the appearance of a true contest on the final Sunday and, after a nice little run of good fortune that's lasted most of the last two seasons when it's come to grand slam finals, men's tennis has had another "dream" come true.

Of course, despite (or maybe because of?) his win over Federer in Montreal a few weeks ago, Djokovic might not exactly relish tomorrow. Not after he ticked off the Emperor by beating him the last time they met. Federer has a long memory, and it's hard to shake the thought that he might have been counting down the days to this final pairing even earlier and with more anticipation than Djokovic.

**2007 MEN'S SLAM FINALS**
AO: Roger Federer/SUI def. Fernando Gonzalez/CHI
RG: Rafael Nadal/ESP def. Roger Federer/SUI
WI: Roger Federer/SUI def. Rafael Nadal/ESP
US: Roger Federer/SUI vs. Novak Djokovic/SRB

**RECENT US OPEN MEN'S CHAMPIONS**
2000 Marat Safin/RUS def. Pete Sampras/USA
2001 Lleyton Hewitt/AUS def. Pete Sampras/USA
2002 Pete Sampras/USA def. Andre Agassi/USA
2003 Andy Roddick/USA def. Juan Carlos Ferrero/ESP
2004 Roger Federer/SUI def. Lleyton Hewitt/AUS
2005 Roger Federer/SUI def. Andre Agassi/USA
2006 Roger Federer/SUI def. Andy Roddick/USA
2007 Roger Federer/SUI vs. Novak Djokovic/SRB

As is always the case at this stage of a grand slam, it seems appropriate to run off the list of records and career numbers at play for Federer. Hmmm, well... this is Federer's tenth consecutive slam final (six more than any other man in the Open Era), and a victory would mean either he or Nadal will have claimed the last eleven slam singles titles. He's going for career slam #12, just two fewer than all-time record holder Pete Sampras. A fourth straight Wimbledon-US Open sweep is something that has never been done before, and a win would mean that Federer has won three slams in a season in three of the past four years. And I'm sure there are loads more, but we can't carry on like this forever, can we?

Ah, but "Novak the Entertainer" DOES have the game and confidence that might be able to turn all that history on its ear. One would think he'd NEVER dare to do a Federer impersonation on the court, but he could get away with such a thing if the impression was simply the act of holding up the US Open champion's cup as King Roger has done the past three seasons. It COULD happen, but, uhhh...

*FOR-WHAT-GOOD-IT'LL-DO FINAL PICK*
Federer def. Djokovic in 4 sets
...pressure doesn't seem to exist for the Serb, but he's never faced the king of tennis on the biggest stage in the sport, either. Federer seems destined to win this title, but there are enough turn-over-the-card-table genes inside Djokovic to make you wonder about the ultimate outcome of this match... at least a LITTLE bit.



Two junior titles were won on Saturday, and two more finals were set. And don't look now, but this US Open junior tournament has a decidedly Polish feel.

Poland's Urszula Radwanska won the doubles title with Belarus' Ksenia Milevskaya, and U-Rad also advanced to the Girls singles final (defeating Milevskaya in the SF) against unseeded Slovak Kristina Kucova, who claimed the "Junior Breakout" award after following up her upset of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a SF win over Oksana Kalashnikova. Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis will play in the Boys final against, again, another Polish player, Jerzy Janowicz.

Meanwhile, in a result with no Polish references, France's team of Jonathan Eysseric and Jerome Inzerillo claimed the Boys doubles title.

**2007 JUNIOR BREAKOUT WINNERS**
AUSTRALIAN: Madison Brengle / USA
ROLAND GARROS: Mariana Duque-Marino / COL
WIMBLEDON: Urszula Radwanska / POL
US OPEN: Kristina Kucova / SVK

**RECENT US OPEN JUNIOR CHAMPIONS**
[GIRLS]
2000 Maria-Emilia Salerni / ARG
2001 Marion Bartoli / FRA
2002 Maria Kirilenko / RUS
2003 Kirsten Flipkens / BEL
2004 Michaella Krajicek / NED
2005 Victoria Azarenka / BLR
2006 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova / RUS
[BOYS]
2000 Andy Roddick / USA
2001 Gilles Muller / LUX
2002 Richard Gasquet / FRA
2003 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga / FRA
2004 Andy Murray / GBR
2005 Ryan Sweeting / USA
2006 Dusan Lojda / CZE

2007 JUNIOR SINGLES CHAMPIONS**
[GIRLS]
AO: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova / RUS
RG: Alize Cornet / FRA
WI: Urszula Radwanska / POL
[BOYS]
AO: Brydan Klein / AUS
RG: Uladzimir Ignatik / BLR
WI: Donald Young / USA



*2007 SINGLES FINALS*
8...Justine Henin (7-1)
7...Jelena Jankovic (4-3)
6...Svetlana Kuznetsova (1-5)
4...Anna Chakvetadze (4-0)
4...Ana Ivanovic (2-2)
4...Amelie Mauresmo (1-3)

*US OPEN FINALS - ACTIVE*
4...Venus Williams (2-2)
3...Justine Henin (2-1)
3...Serena Williams (2-1)
3...Martina Hingis (1-2)
2...Lindsay Davenport (1-1)
2...Svetlana Kuznetsova (1-1)
1...Maria Sharapova (1-0)
1...Mary Pierce (0-1)
1...Elena Dementieva (0-1)

*CAREER SLAM FINALS - ACTIVE*
12...Venus Williams (6-6)
12...Martina Hingis (5-7)
11...Justine Henin (7-4)
10...Serena Williams (8-2)

*2007 WIN STREAKS*
[WTA + FC]
16...Justine Henin (May-July)
13...Serena Williams (January-March)
13...Justine Henin (February-March)
13...Anna Chakvetadze (July-August)
12...JUSTINE HENIN (Aug-current)*
12...Ana Ivanovic (May-June)
11...Jelena Jankovic (April-May)
10...Venus Williams (June-August)
10...Svetlana Kuznetsova (August-September)
10...Greta Arn (May)
---
*-active



Previous 2007 grand slam final Backspins:

Australian Open: "The Demolition Heard 'round the World"
Roland Garros: "The Pursuit of Happiness" Wimbledon: "Home is Where the Heart Is"




TOP QUALIFIER: Alina Jidkova / RUS
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Justine Henin / BEL
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): Justine Henin / BEL
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #29 Samantha Stosur / AUS
UPSET QUEENS: Russians
REVELATION LADIES: Ukrainians
LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: A.Cornet/FRA & E.Makarova/RUS (+WC A.Rolle/USA) to 3rd Rd.
IT GIRL: Agnieszka Radwanska / POL
MISS OPPORTUNITY: Svetlana Kuznetsova / RUS
COMEBACK PLAYER: Vera Zvonareva / RUS
DOUBLES STAR: (vacant)
SPECIAL: CRASH & BURN- Maria Sharapova / RUS
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Kristina Kucova / SVK




All for Day 13.

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