For Whom the Book Tolls, circa 2008

It's that time of the season again. The official 2008 WTA/ATP Guide to Professional Tennis is out, and the moment is here when we see which players are on the rise -- and which are on the decline -- in the "official" judgment of the WTA tour... I mean, if you can read the inclusion or exclusion of a player's bio in the new Guide as an indication, of course.

(Again, as is often the case, many of the photos used in the bios in the '08 Guide aren't the same ones that are on the player's official bio on the WTA website, so don't judge every "award-winning" book by it's internet cover... or something like that. This year, I have tried to include "homemade" versions of some of the new bio photos in question... so please forgive what may be the "lacking" quality of some of them.)

For the record, in 2006 there were 130 active WTA player bios in the Guide. In 2007, there were 132. But in 2008, we only get 114 (while the ATP number of full-page bios went from 153 to 128, and mini-bios from 80 to 0). Apparently, tennis is an incredibly shrinking sport.

Twenty-six WTA players are new additions, while forty-four were ejected either because of retirement, inactivity, career downturns or, for no good reason other than "lack of reduced space," it would appear. Here are the numbers, and a few observations and opinions (in addition to the stats from my Guide predictions at the end of '07):

**NEW 2008 BIO ADDITIONS**
* - 10 of my 11 predictions were right! Only Greta Arn wasn't included.
# - I listed in "Not Quite" category for '08
Akgul Amanmuradova, UZB (size matters, I guess)
Chuang Chia-Jung, TPE* (right next to Chan, just like on the court)

Dominika Cibulkova, SVK#
Sorana Cirstea, ROU*
Alize Cornet, FRA*
Casey Dellacqua, AUS (Guide was a step ahead on this one)
Julie Ditty, USA (Huh? She's this year's version of Alberta Brianti in '07)
Sara Errani, ITA*
Olga Govortsova, BLR*
Angelique Kerber, GER (or is it Chloe Sevigny?)

Karin Knapp, ITA*
Anne Kremer, LUX
Alla Kudryavtseva, RUS (even without beating Venus at SW19)
Tatjana Malek, GER
Yvonne Meusburger, AUT#
Ioana-Raluca Olaru, ROU*
Pauline Parmentier, FRA# (first title = inclusion, in this case)
Tamira Paszek, AUT* (won a title in '06, so it's a year late)
Tatiana Perebiynis, UKR
Andrea Petkovic, GER (a bit early, but a good flier)
Maria-Emilia Salerni, ARG
Yaroslava Shvedova, RUS*
Agnes Szavay, HUN* (lost first '08 matches to Fedak and Makarova... neither of whom are in the Guide)
Vladimira Uhlirova, CZE
Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
Klara Zakopalova, CZE
==MOST ADDITIONS==
3...Germany
2...Austria
2...Czech Republic
2...France
2...Italy
2...Romania
2...Russia
1...Argentina
1...Australia
1...Belarus
1...Denmark
1...Hungary
1...Luxembourg
1...Slovakia
1...Taiwan
1...Ukraine
1...USA@
1...Uzbekistan
--
[NOTE]
@...Liezel Huber, ex-RSA, became American

**2008 EJECTIONS**
[13 of my 17 picks correct]
Sofia Arvidsson, SWE
Vasilisa Bardina, RUS
Iveta Benesova, CZE
Eva Birnerova, CZE
Elena Bovina, RUS
Severine Bremond, FRA
Alberta Brianti, ITA
Ekaterina Bychkova, RUS
Catalina Castano, COL
Kim Clijsters, BEL
Melinda Czink, HUN
Marta Domachowska, POL
Lourdes Dominguez Lino, ESP
Yuliana Fedak, UKR
Clarisa Fernandez, ARG
Kirsten Flipkens, BEL
Stephanie Foretz, FRA
Emmanuelle Gagliardi, SUI
Jarmila Gajdosova, ex-SVK (now AUS)
Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
Martina Hingis, SUI
Vania King, USA
Sandra Kloesel, GER
Jelena Kostanic Tosic, CRO
Viktoriya Kutuzova, UKR
Emma Laine, FIN
Varvara Lepchenko, ex-RUS (now USA)
Li Ting, CHN
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, ESP
Bethanie Mattek, USA
Zuzana Ondraskova, CZE
Shenay Perry, USA
Laura Pous Tio, ESP
Julia Schruff, GER
Anna Smashnova, ISR
Karolina Sprem, CRO
Hana Sromova, CZE
Paola Suarez, ARG
Martina Sucha, SVK
Tamarine Tanasugarn, THA
Galina Voskoboeva, RUS
Aleksandra Wozniak, CAN
Anastasiya Yakimova, BLR
Yuan Meng, CHN
==MOST EJECTIONS==
4...Czech Republic
4...Russia@
3...Germany
3...Spain
3...USA
2...Argentina
2...Belgium
2...China
2...Croatia
2...France
2...Slovakia
2...Switzerland
2...Ukraine
1...Belarus
1...Canada
1...Colombia
1...Finland
1...Hungary
1...Israel
1...Italy
1...Poland
1...South Africa@
1...Sweden
1...Thailand
1...Uzbekistan
--
[NOTES]
@...Anastasia Rodionova listed as Russian, is now Australian
@...Liezel Huber, ex-RSA, became American

**2008 BIOS - BY NATION**
16...Russia@
14...USA
11...France
8....Italy
5....Australia@
5....China
5....Czech Republic
5....Ukraine
4....Germany
4....Spain
3...Austria
3...Belarus
3....Japan
3....Romania
2....Argentina
2....Israel
2....Serbia
2....Slovakia
2....Taiwan
1....Belgium
1....Bulgaria
1....Denmark
1....Estonia
1....Greece
1....Hungary
1....India
1....Luxembourg
1....Netherlands
1....Poland
1....Slovenia
1....Switzerland
1....Uzbekistan
1....Venezuela
1....Zimbabwe
--
[NOTE]
@...Anastasia Rodionova listed as Russian, is now Australian



*BEST '08 GUIDE BIO PHOTOS*

1. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2. Elena Vesnina, RUS
3. Li Na, CHN

*BEST SMILES*

Li Na, CHN
Agnieszka Radwanska, POL (though it has a certain Mona Lisa quality)

*BEST PHOTO CHANGES*

Aravane Rezai, FRA (smiles are nice)

Serena Williams, USA (Dress-Up Serena)

*WORST PHOTO CHANGE*

Olga Savchuk, UKR (or younger sister... older sister)

*GLAMOUR-SHOTS-R-US*

Anna Chakvetadze, RUS

*BEST "GIRL-NEXT-DOOR" PHOTOS*

Chan Yung-Jan, TPE
Yaroslava Shvedova, RUS

SHOULD BE BETTER, CONSIDERING THEIR PROPENSITY FOR PHOTO SHOOTS: Tatiana Golovin & Maria Kirilenko
FINALLY OUSTED: Elena Bovina, Alberta Brianti, Karolina Sprem & Marta Domachowska (whoops!)
RETIRED: Kim Clijsters, Anna Smashnova & Paola Suarez
TIMING IS EVERYTHING: Lindsay Davenport retired, had a baby and made a successful comeback... but never disappeared from the Guide
HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE: Jennifer Capriati (still)
HAVE A HEART, Mr.GUIDE: Anna-Lena Groenfeld is gone
MAYBE IF SHE'D DRESSED IN A LEOPARD PRINT TOP WITH "STYLISH" METALLIC-LOOKING HOT PANTS AND ELECTRIC PINK GO-GO BOOTS?: Bethanie Mattek was ejected, after having reached career highs in both singles and doubles last season
BUSINESS SCHOOL CHIC, or THE NETHERLANDS' BEST SECRETARY?: Michaella Krajicek

COMPLETED COMEBACKS: Anna Kremer, Tatiana Perebiynis & Klara Zakopalova are back
ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL FOR THE 2009 GUIDE: Sofia Arvidsson, Marta Domachowska, Julia Schruff, Tamarine Tanasugarn & Yuan Meng were all ejected... but qualified for the Australian Open
THE LION(ess) LOOK... or is it Bon Jovi, circa 1986?: Olga Poutchkova

THEY DIDN'T GET IN???: Aleksandra Wozniak & Vasilisa Bardina (who were in the '07 Guide, then made their first career finals last season and dropped out), Tamarine Tanasugarn, Vania King (a year after winning her first title)
BUT THEY DID???: Julie Ditty (she had one QF-or-better result on tour) & Jamea Jackson (she won zero MD tour matches in 2007, but gets the Bovina Injury Allowance spot)
2007 FINALISTS NOT IN GUIDE: Vasilisa Bardina, Kim Clijsters (retired), Martina Hingis (retired/banned), Mariya Koryttseva, Aleksandra Wozniak
HOPING TO MAKE A CASE FOR INCLUSION THROUGHOUT 2008: Alisa Kleybanova, Anna Lapushchenkova, Monica Niculescu & Urzsula Radwanska
2009 LAME DUCKS: Jennifer Capriati (???), Mary Pierce (???), Nicole Pratt (retired)
EARLY 2009 CANDIDATES: Jelena Dokic, Marta Domachowska, Marina Erakovic, Hsieh Su-Wei and... Sesil Karatantcheva, of course


All for now.



PREVIOUS GUIDE UPDATES: 2007

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2008 Dorothy Tour Awards

Maria Sharapova didn't need a heart, brain or courage... but Oz was precisely where she needed to go to find redemption.

But what about the rest of the Dorothy Tour attempts to find new (or continuing) success in Melbourne and its surrounding areas? How successful were they?


**TOP PLAYERS**
1. Maria Sharapova, RUS
...now THAT was the Supernova that the Scenario envisioned. If she can maintain her health, she might just give Henin a foe to butt heads with all season long.
2. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
...sported an improved physical self, which led to a more complete game. But the early signs of an improved big-match mental game might be the most important thing discovered about AnaIvo Down Under. It could be the key to her joining Novak Djokovic as a Serbian slam winner.
3. Justine Henin, BEL
...even though she experienced an earlier-than-usual exit, since she didn't play in Melbourne a year ago, La Petit Taureau left Oz with a larger lead on the computer than the one she had when she arrived.
4t. Jelena Jankovic, SRB
...it's a credit to Jankovic's spirit that she managed to reach another slam SF against long odds, but to her unforgiving detriment that she had to do so while nursing a handful of injuries that will only get better if she pulls back on the reckless scheduling & match day decisions. Again, her promises can't be believed until they are proven to be truthful.
4t. Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
...just when Wonder Girl looked to be ready to become a Wonder Woman, all the old problems resurfaced in the Oz SF. If she's really progressing on an emotional level, she won't let the disappointment linger until summertime.
5. Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR
...two sisters were better than one in Melbourne. The Battlin' Bondarenkos stunned the field with their Oz title... and probably surprised themselves a bit, too. Oh, to be a fly on the wall during their celebration.

**RISERS**
1. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2t. Jelena Jankovic, SRB
2t. Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
3. Alona Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR
4. Li Na, CHN
5. Yan Zi/Zheng Jie, CHN
HM- Maria Kirilenko, RUS

**SURPRISES**
1. Marta Domachowska, POL
2. Hsieh Su-Wei, TPE
3. Casey Dellacqua, AUS
4. Alona Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR
5. Sabine Lisicki, GER
HM- Marina Erakovic, NZL & Ashley Harkleroad, USA

**VETERANS**
1. Lindsay Davenport, USA
2. Sun Tiantian, CHN
3. Venus Williams, USA
4. Anebel Medina Garrigues/Virginia Ruano-Pascual, ESP
5. Eleni Daniilidou, GRE
HM- Elena Dementieva, RUS & Flavia Pennetta, ESP

**FRESH FACES**
1. Tamira Paszek, AUT
2. Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
3. Victoria Azarenka, BLR
4. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
5. Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
HM- Sorana Cirstea, ROU & Ioana-Raluca Olaru, ROU

**JUNIORS**
1. Arantxa Rus, NED
2. Simona Halep, ROU
3. Jessica Moore, AUS
HM- Zhou Yi-Miao, CHN

**DOWN**
1. Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
2. Agnes Szavay, HUN
3. Dinara Safina, RUS
4. Julia Vakulenko, UKR
5. Meghann Shaughnessy, USA
HM- Serena Williams/Venus Williams, USA

**COMEBACKS**
1. Sesil Karatantcheva, BUL
2. Marta Domachowska, POL
3. Yan Zi/Zheng Jie, CHN
HM- Jelena Dokic, AUS

**ITF PLAYERS OF THE MONTH**
1. Elena Kulikova, RUS
2. Sesil Karatantcheva, BUL
3. Anastasia Pivovarova, RUS
HM- Neuza Silva, POR

**TOP PERFORMANCE**
...Maria Sharapova claims career slam #3 in Melbourne, never dropping a set and knocking off Davenport early before taking out #1 Henin, #3 Jankovic and #4 Ivanovic (who would be #2 after the tournament) late.

**MEMORABLE MATCHES**
=MATCH OF THE MONTH=
Australian 1st - Jankovic def. Paszek - 2-6/6-2/12-10
...in 3:09, Jankovic teetered on the edge of oblivion as the Austrian teenager held three match points and served for the match FIVE TIMES in a 116-minute 3rd set. After fifteen breaks of serve in that deciding set, Jankovic lived to push her body to the limit for another week and a half.
=BEST PLAYED MATCH=
Australian QF - Sharapova def. Henin - 6-4/6-0
...yes, Sharapova was a good as the score would indicate. But Henin wasn't as "off" as it might appear, playing a series of long points against the Russian that ultimately didn't go her way. Sharapova threw everything at the Belgian, who fought off the Supernova for as long as she could. Hopefully, this is only the first chapter in a series of Henin-Sharapova battles in '08.
=MELTDOWN OF THE MONTH=
Australian 4th - A.Radwanska def. Petrova - 1-6/7-5/6-0
...Petrova led 6-1/3-0 with a potential SF berth in her sights. She ended up only winning four of the twenty-eight points in the 3rd set. Oh, Nadia.
=BIGGEST UPSET=
Australian 3rd - Dellacqua def. Mauresmo - 3-6/6-4/6-4
...Mauresmo still isn't really herself, but even Dellacqua's relatives probably didn't think she'd come out on top in this one.

*AND THEN THERE WAS...*
Lindsay Davenport winning a title in Auckland, and running her comeback record to 19-1 until Sharapova met her at the net in Melbourne.
=============================
Li Na kicking off Beijing's Olympic year with a title at Gold Coast, then getting bounced in the 3rd Round in Melbourne.
=============================
Evonne Goolagong Cawley becoming the 16th women's #1. Sure, it happened in 1976 and the "bookkeeping error" wasn't officially acknowledged until this past December. But, hey, better late than never, right?
=============================
Sania Mirza, stop me if you've heard this before, got into trouble with religious authorities. First, she was accused of trespassing on the grounds of a mosque without permission for a TV commercial, then threatened with jail time for disrespecting the Indian flag after a picture was taken during Hopman Cup play that made it appear as if she was placing her bare feet near a flag (she was actually only resting her feet on a seat several rows away... and how ridiculous is it that an explanation is even needed in this case?).
=============================
Nicole Vaidisova and Radek Stepanek got engaged... or did they?
=============================
Meghann Shaughnessy injured her knee in a 1st Round match against Francesca Schiavone at Gold Coast when leading 6-0/1-0. She was forced to retire and could miss up to six months.
=============================
Jelena Dokic lost in Australian Open qualifying, but remarkably didn't flee the country leaving a trail of burned bridges. Hey, at least it's a start, right?
=============================





FED CUP
07 FINAL: Russia def. Italy
==================
*1st Round*
Russia def. Israel 4-1
USA def. Germany 5-0
Italy def. Spain 3-2
China def. France 4-1 (redemption)
*GROUP II*
Ukraine def. Belgium 5-0
Croatia def. Japan 3-2
Australia def. Argentina 4-1
Czech Republic def. Slovakia 3-2

All for now.



NEXT: For Whom the Book Tolls 2008

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The Velvet Revolution

Rainer Schuettler. Martin Verkerk. Mariano Puerta. Gaston Gaudio.

We won't know for some time if Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's name will be added to the list of recent slam finalists who shined brightly for two weeks only to come up short most every week in the months that followed.

We do know that Novak Djokovic won't be anywhere near that list, though.


Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images

Try as one might, there was no getting past the face that THE moment of this Australian Open was the dual upsets of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the semifinals by Djokovic and Tsonga. Still, King Roger-conqueror Djokovic entered the final as the favorite, with Tsonga looking to recapture the remarkable form he'd shown against Rafa. The Frenchman had his moments, but the Serb had tread upon similar grand slam final ground before and knew precisely how to advance his cause.

Djokovic's 4-6/6-4/6-3/7-6 victory was hardly an easy battle won, but it did bear some resemblance to a fait accompli. After dropping the opening set with a final game break of serve by Tsonga, a defiant Djokovic stared down the stormy atmosphere that threatened to envelope him, breaking the 22-year old in the seventh game of the 2nd set and then steadily steering the match to his favored conclusion.

If Tsonga has been able to win the 4th set tie-break it would have resulted in the first Oz Men's final to go to five sets in twenty years, but Djokovic raced to a 5-1 lead to put to rest any thought of his ascent to a power position on the ATP tour being delayed any longer.

The Serb, with four consecutive SF-or-better slam results and back-to-back slam finals, thus becomes the first of his countrymen or women to lift a slam singles trophy with his victory over the masses... err, I mean Tsonga. No matter how talented Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic may be, this "first" arrived precisely in the order in which it was expected.

We often anticipate the "official" coronation of a new champion to be accompanied by fanfare and ticker tape parades (and the real thing may actually occur back in Serbia), replete with a classic struggle that ends with a burst of relief and jubilation. As it turned out, the inauguration of tennis' newest royalty was a somewhat methodical affair in which the crowd steadfastly stood largely against the Serbian Prince-Who-Would-Be-King who's been diligently planning his future reign since adolescence. Rather than cheers for the "new benevolent leader," the loudest voices were in support of the exciting upstart with the looks of a young Cassius Clay (even the Prince's family was hovered over by a row of face-painted French fans directly behind them).

Philistines. He'll make them pay one day.

The third-youngest Oz champ in the Open Era, has 20-year old Djokovic now started something that will only grow exponentially from here on out? Is this the first step in the Prince becoming the future King?

Well, I said at the start of the season that Djokovic would win his first slam in 2008, but I really thought it would come in New York. Actually, I still think that he's a good bet to win there, where he'll likely enjoy an atmosphere that will stand in stark contrast to his lack of support in Melbourne. Memories of Novak the Entertainer on Ashe Stadium court last September won't likely be fading anytime soon, after all. So could the Serb claim HALF the slams this season? Maybe.

It could be that Oz will be HIS in spirit next time out, too. An example of Djokovic's velvety transition into a position of power was evident in the way he smoothly diffused the crowd issue... telling everyone during the post-match ceremony not to worry, "I still love you."

He'll make them pay one day, all right... but he'll do it with a smile, charming them all the way to the throne.



Sania Mirza played with an injured leg, but she and partner Mahesh Bhupathi still managed to give Sun Tiantian & Nenad Zimonjic a good effort in the Mixed Doubles final. Sun & Zimonjic won the match 7-6/6-4, giving Serbia's Zimonjic his third career Mixed Doubles title and China's Sun her first ever slam championship of any kind.



*CAREER SLAM FINALS - ACTIVE*
14...Roger Federer (12-2)
5....Rafael Nadal (3-2)
4....Marat Safin (2-2)
4....Lleyton Hewitt (2-2)
4....Andy Roddick (1-3)
3....Juan Carlos Ferrero (1-2)
2....Novak Djokovic (1-1)
2....Carlos Moya (1-1)
2....Mark Philippoussis (0-2)
1....Thomas Johansson (1-0)
1....Gaston Gaudio (1-0)
1....Marcos Baghdatis (0-1)
1....Arnaud Clement (0-1)
1....Fernando Gonzalez (0-1)
1....Guillermo Coria (0-1)
1....David Nalbandian (0-1)
1....Rainer Schuettler (0-1)
1....Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (0-1)

*MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPS - 2000-08*
2000 Rennae Stubbs & Jared Palmer
2001 Corina Morariu & Ellis Ferreira
2002 Daniela Hantuchova & Kevin Ullyett
2003 Martina Navratilova & Leander Paes
2004 Elena Bovina & Nenad Zimonjic
2005 Samantha Stosur & Scott Draper
2006 Martina Hingis & Mahesh Bhupathi
2007 Elena Likhovtseva & Daniel Nestor
2008 Sun Tiantian & Nenad Zimonjic




*2008 CHAMPIONS*
WOMEN'S SINGLES:
Maria Sharapova, RUS
MEN'S SINGLES:
Novak Djokovic, SRB
WOMEN'S DOUBLES:
Alona Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR/UKR
MEN'S DOUBLES:
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram, ISR/ISR
MIXED DOUBLES:
Sun Tiantian/Nenad Zimonjic, CHN/SRB
GIRL'S SINGLES:
Arantxa Rus, NED
BOY'S SINGLES:
Bernard Tomic, AUS
GIRL'S DOUBLES:
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/Ksenia Lykina, RUS/RUS
BOY'S DOUBLES:
Hsieh Cheng-Peng/Yang Tsung-Hua, TPE/TPE




TOP QUALIFIER: Julia Schruff / GER
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st - Jankovic def. Paszek 2-6/6-2/12-10
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): QF - Sharapova def. Henin 6-4/6-0
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): SF - Ivanovic def. Hantuchova 0-6/6-3/6-4
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #32 Julia Vakulenko / UKR (1st Rd.-Vesnina)
UPSET QUEENS: The Russians
REVELATION LADIES: The Poles
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Marta Domachowska / POL & Hsieh Su-Wei / TPE (4th Rd.)
IT GIRL: Casey Dellacqua / AUS
MISS OPPORTUNITY: Daniela Hantuchova / SVK
COMEBACK PLAYER: Yan Zi & Zheng Jie / CHN-CHN
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Jelena Jankovic / SRB (1st Rd.- down 3 MP to Paszek)
CRASH & BURN: #2 Svetlana Kuznetsova / RUS (3rd Rd.- A.Radwanska)
DOUBLES STARS: Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko / UKR
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Jessica Moore / AUS & Arantxa Rus / NED


All for now.



NEXT: Dorothy Tour Awards
THIS WEEK: For Whom the Book Tolls 2008

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Day of the Supernova

The calendar might have said that Saturday was Australia Day in Melbourne, but at Rod Laver Arena it was the "Day of the Supernova," for an Australian Open that looked anything but at its beginning turned out to be Maria Sharapova's for the taking at its end.


Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images

Sharapova's 7-5/6-3 win in the final over Serbia's Ana Ivanovic completed a moment in the Russian's career that was as surprising as it was ironically "predictable."

After her own demolition in last year's Oz final at the hands of Serena Williams, Sharapova had her sights set on redemption in 2008 from Day 1. And with the cover provided her by a difficult draw, she found herself with less outside pressure to succeed until she actually began to cut a wide swathe through that draw by mowing down her accomplished opposition one by one. By the time she was declared the favorite to emerge as champion, it was already too late for anyone to prevent it from becoming a reality.

From her unexpected destruction of Lindsay Davenport to her textbook deconstruction of Justine Henin, with the absurdity of the latest Yuri "controversies" in between, this Australian Open revolved on a Supernovian axis on the women's side. As she has done in reaching her career's other high points, Sharapova's tale of Aussie atonement turned into one of domination, as she didn't drop a single set (the third slam winner to do so in the past year, following in Henin's footsteps in Paris and NYC) en route to claiming a third slam title at a third different tournament.

Against AnaIvo, Sharapova's ability to exert her greater big-match experience was both reticent and ever-present. She won her first twelve serve points in the 1st set, but then hesitated as Ivanovic's pulverizing returns clouded her thinking, momentarily shaking her focus and leading to back-to-back double-faults that broke her own serve to knot the set at 4-4. But down 4-5, 30/0, the tentativeness disappeared with a service hold... and preceded a string of events that saw the Serb crack just enough to turn the match in the Supernova's favor. Ivanovic was broken, then Sharapova held at love for a 7-5 win, claiming twelve of the final fourteen points to secure the set.

The momentum carried over into the 2nd stanza, as Sharapova lost just two points on serve (24/26) and closed out the latest triumphant chapter of her career... and life.

One of the great things about sports is being able to watch a player "grow up," as both an athlete and an individual. Tennis is unique in how we are able to quite literally do just that as players navigate their teen years on their way to adulthood and, in some cases, marriage and motherhood, in front of the eyes of the world. Viewed from a distance under such circumstances, tennis stars often become something "more" than simply a "player" in the eyes of their fans and are often identified by simply their first names. Chrissie, Martina (I or II), Steffi, Monica, Serena, Kim, Venus, Justine... and Maria, to name a few.

As Sharapova spoke during the post-final ceremony, about the death of the mother of one of the members of her tennis "family" and her own physical and emotional struggles of the season just past, one could rightfully witness the unwavering march of time.

Ivanovic is just 20, but even with her childhood in war-torn Serbia well known, she's still just at the beginning of her very public journey through the sport, while 20-year old Sharapova has seemingly been around forever. In hindsight, one now realizes just how much of a relative kid she was when she won Wimbledon in 2004. It was something easily passed over at the time because, quite frankly, such an accomplishment was something that was expected of a player with so much promise. That she reached such a height at 17 was noteworthy and eye-opening, but hardly mind-boggling.

Five years from now, her Melbourne '08 self will seem quite different than it does today, as well. But it's that filter of time that makes the collective memories of athletic achievement both special and eternal. It's why we keep coming back, watching individuals such as Sharapova grow on and off court, while others loom on the horizon, waiting for their turn to experience similar journeys of their own on the world's athletic stages.

Sharapova said that Billie Jean King called her before the match and offered the thought that "pressure is a privilege." For Sharapova, it's also a condition she and her family have worked to position her to face for most of her life, going back to before her and her father's pilgrimage from Siberia to Florida. Unlike some, she thrives in it in ways both similar to and differently from the likes of her contemporaries named Henin, Davenport or Williams.

Few players could have failed more brilliantly than Sharapova had her tennis gambit not produced the champion that it has. Comparisons to a previous Russian star, often unfairly cast as being less talented than she was simply because it fits the generally-accepted stereotype, could have proven prophetic, creating a lasting image of a pseudo-athlete more star than champion. It would have been an image she would not have relished no matter how many lucrative marketing deals she would have still banked had she never won any title of much significance.

But Sharapova has managed to outgrow those comparisons by a ridiculously-large margin. She was always going to become a star. Becoming a champion took commitment and focus, and the athletic achiever she's proven herself to be means that any future discussion of her career will never need to be weighed down by "what if" regrets and/or contrary addendums.

su*per*no*va* (soo'puhr-NOH-vuh) n. A rare celestial phenomenon in which a star explodes, resulting in an extremely bright, short-lived object.

The day will come when Sharapova is gone, having left behind days like this one in Melbourne when all the work, pain and expectations were at once worthwhile... as well as just a single episode in a life played out for all to scrutinize.

Roger Federer spoke the other day of a "monster" of expectation created by his own success. Sharapova, too, lives with some of the same obstacles/pressures to succeed. So far, the once and future Supernova has found a way to rise above it, answering the call of a career, a life and a sport.

Pressure IS a privilege... but it's one that is also earned. And Sharapova has done just that.

G'day, Maria.



Jonathan Erlich & Andy Ram defeated two-time Oz champions Arnaud Clement & Michael Llodra in the Men's Doubles final. It's the third slam title in Ram's career, and Erlich's first.



Dutch teen Arantxa Rus defeated Aussie Jessica Moore 6-3/6-4 in the Girls final, but the home country DID get one 2008 champion when Bernard Tomic knocked off Yang Tsung-Hua 4-6/7-6/6-0 to win the Boys title.




=LATE-ROUND (SF-F) AWARDS=
TOP PLAYER: Maria Sharapova / RUS
...has the Sharapova Scenario taken hold?
RISERS: Ana Ivanovic / SRB & Victoria Azarenka/Shahar Peer (BLR/ISR)
SURPRISES: Alona Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR-UKR) & Jessica Moore / AUS
VETERAN: Sun Tiantian / CHN
FRESH FACES: Arantxa Rus / NED & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/Ksenia Lykina (RUS/RUS)
DOWN: Jelena Jankovic / SRB
COMEBACK: Sania Mirza / IND



*CAREER SLAM TITLES - ACTIVE*
[Aust-RG-Wimb-US]
8...Serena Williams [3-1-2-2]
7...Justine Henin [1-3-0-2]
6...Venus Williams [0-0-4-2]
3...Maria Sharapova [1-0-1-1]
3...Lindsay Davenport [1-0-1-1]
2...Amelie Mauresmo [1-0-1-0]
2...Mary Pierce [1-1-0-0]
1...Svetlana Kuznetsova [0-0-0-1]
1...Anastasia Myskina [0-1-0-0]

*MOST CAREER WTA TITLES - RUSSIANS*
17...Maria Sharapova
10...Anastasia Myskina
9....Svetlana Kuznetsova
9....Olga Morozova
8....Elena Dementieva
7....Nadia Petrova
6....Anna Chakvetadze
5....Dinara Safina
5....Vera Zvonareva

*MEN'S DOUBLES CHAMPS - 2000-08*
2000 Ellis Ferreira & Rick Leach
2001 Jonas Bjorkman & Todd Woodbridge
2002 Mark Knowles & Daniel Nestor
2003 Arnaud Clement & Michael Llodra
2004 Arnaud Clement & Michael Llodra
2005 Wayne Black & Kevin Ullyett
2006 Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan
2007 Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan
2008 Jonathan Erlich & Andy Ram

*FINALS*
[WOMEN'S]
#5 Maria Sharapova/RUS def. #4 Ana Ivanovic/SRB - 7-5/6-3
[MEN'S]
#3 Novak Djokovic/SRB vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga/FRA
[WOMEN'S DOUBLES]
Alona Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR/UKR) def. #12 Victoria Azarenka/Shahar Peer (BLR/ISR) - 2-6/6-1/6-4
[MEN'S DOUBLES]
#8 Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR/ISR) def. #7 Arnaud Clement/Michael Llodra (FRA/FRA) - 7-5/7-6
[MIXED DOUBLES]
#5 Sun Tiantian/Nenad Zimonjic (CHN/SRB) vs. Sania Mirza/Mahesh Bhupathi (IND/IND)
[GIRL'S]
#14 Arantxa Rus/NED def. Jessica Moore/AUS - 6-3/6-4
[BOY'S]
#5 Bernard Tomic/AUS def. #10 Yang Tsung-Hua/TPE - 4-6/7-6/6-0
[GIRL'S DOUBLES]
#1 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/Ksenia Lykina (RUS/RUS) def. Elena Bogdan/Misaki Doi (ROU/JPN) - 6-0/6-4
[BOY'S DOUBLES]
Hsieh Cheng-Peng/Yang Tsung-Hua (TPE/TPE) def. #2 Vasek Pospisil/Cesar Ramirez (CAN/MEX) - 3-6/7-5/10-5



**BACKSPIN FLASHBACK - SHARAPOVA'S SLAM TRIUMPHS**
July 2004 - "The Passion of the Supernova" (Wimbledon)
September 2006 - "Exquisite in the City" (US Open)
January 2008 - "Day of the Supernova" (Australian Open)


**BACKSPIN HISTORY OF THE SCENARIO**
December 2005 - Intriguing Question #5
August 2006/Week 31-"The Scenarios Abound"
October 2006/Week 42-"The Supplemental Scenario"
January 2007 - Intriging Question #3
August 2007/Week 31- "Scenarios-a-Poppin'"




TOP QUALIFIER: Julia Schruff / GER
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st - Jankovic def. Paszek 2-6/6-2/12-10
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): QF - Sharapova def. Henin 6-4/6-0
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): SF - Ivanovic def. Hantuchova 0-6/6-3/6-4
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #32 Julia Vakulenko / UKR (1st Rd.-Vesnina)
UPSET QUEENS: The Russians
REVELATION LADIES: The Poles
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Marta Domachowska / POL & Hsieh Su-Wei / TPE (4th Rd.)
IT GIRL: Casey Dellacqua / AUS
MISS OPPORTUNITY: Daniela Hantuchova / SVK
COMEBACK PLAYER: Yan Zi & Zheng Jie / CHN-CHN
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Jelena Jankovic / SRB (1st Rd.- down 3 MP to Paszek)
CRASH & BURN: #2 Svetlana Kuznetsova / RUS (3rd Rd.- A.Radwanska)
DOUBLES STARS: Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko / UKR
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Jessica Moore / AUS & Arantxa Rus / NED



All for now.

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Day 12: Taming the Monster?

Has the course of Roger Federer's career changed forever, or is that just "the monster" talking?



Novak Djokovic defeated Federer in the Men's Singles semifinals on Day 12, 7-5/6-3/7-6. It was the world #1's first straight sets loss in a hard court slam since he was victimized by Max Mirnyi in the US Open Round of 16 in 2002... before Federer was even "Federer."

Surely, after such a deceptively quick start during the first two rounds of the 2008 Australian Open, this tournament was Federer's toughest since he rose to the top of the tennis world four years ago. From his narrow escape against Janko Tipsarevic in the 3rd Round that was followed by a pair of closer-than-expected wins, leading up to the end of his record ten consecutive slam finals streak, his road in Oz was anything but lined with yellow bricks.

But is this just a single-slam alteration of course, or a sign of things to come. Has the talented, younger field caught the King?

Djokovic has been in Federer's rear view mirror for the past year, and after squandering the opportunities given to him in New York in the US Open final last September, he seemed determined to not do the same thing again this time out. Instead, it was the Swiss Numero Uno who did the squandering.

After breaking the Serb for a 4-3 lead in the 1st set, then holding a 5-3, 30-love advantage on Djokovic's serve moments later, Federer blinked. As was the case against Djokovic's countryman Tipsarevic last week, Federer was unable to put away the big points that have defined his career. After letting Djokovic off the hook in a set in which the 20-year old wasn't particularly sharp, Federer gave away the set with a string of wildly errant groundstrokes that ended with his own serve being broken to close the match's first stanza.

From there on, zero-time slam champion Djokovic simply outplayed the twelve-time slam winner, running to a 5-1 lead in the 2nd and dominating Federer's service games. Federer offered up some resistance late, gaining a break and closing to within 5-3, but it was too late to salvage the 2nd set.

In the 3rd, with his 40-match hard court slam winning streak on the line, Federer again couldn't take advantage of the chances he managed to carve out of Djokovic's game. He failed to convert an early break point, then saw the Serb's big serve save two set points late. Federer took a 3-1 lead in the tie-break, but consecutive forehand errors knotted the score. Djokovic's service winner gave him a match point, then Federer's netted forehand halted tennis history.

But did it really?

Well, Federer WASN'T quite himself during the last week. It may have been the lingering aftereffects of the illness that struck him down prior to Melbourne, or even the slower Plexicushion surface. But the fact is that his own struggles to win big points at this Australian Open had as much to do with his opponents' lack of intimidation and fear as it did with Federer himself.

Still, even while a burgeoning men's tennis posse may be surrounding Federer at the moment, it'd be premature to assume we've now reached the stage in his career where he'll still be able to dominate at SW19, but be something less than the favorite at the Australian and US Opens.

Of course, even if that did turn out to be the case from here on out, think of all the potentially great matches we have to look forward to as the slams become ultra-competitive and not just a Rafa-or-Roger proposition (which it has been for the previous eleven grand slams, with the pair splitting up the titles 8-to-3).

Federer hasn't relinquished his position as the best player on earth. Nadal's loss in the SF to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga assures Federer of retaining his #1 ranking for now, but don't be surprised to see the upcoming clay season finally allow Rafa to rise to the top spot after a ridiculously long "apprenticeship." When Wimbledon rolls around, Federer might be ranked #2 in the world... setting the stage for him to attempt to reclaim his aura in London, Beijing (he's still never won a Gold Medal) and New York. By the end of the year, Melbourne could be a footnote as Pete Sampras' all-time career slam mark of fourteen could be tied.

But, make no mistake, the days of simply assuming we'll see a continuation of Federer's three-slams-in-a-season dominance might have died a natural death on Day 12. The superhuman expectations his brilliance has inspired -- a "monster" of his own making, he noted after the match -- will for the moment work against his reputation. But once the dust of Melbourne settles, the last four seasons will be viewed in context as the extended prime of a career that still has many chapters left to be written.



Djokovic's moment in the sun was coming, and he had to go through Federer to fully legitimize his inclusion in the discussion about who's the best player in the world. Of course, now, to back up THIS victory, he'll have to win another match against the #38-ranked Tsonga, fresh off his shockingly incanddescent performance against Nadal.

If the 22-year old Frenchman can capture his SF magic -- the mesmerizing mix of power, touch and athleticism -- in a bottle, well, then Djokovic might be left in the wake of ANOTHER rising star and Melbourne won't turn out to be the defining moment in his career that it appeared to be just a few hours ago.

Without Federer or Nadal, it'll be an odd match on Sunday, for sure. It won't even feel like a grand slam final. Roger's not going anywhere, and neither is Rafa... but tennis will go on without them in Melbourne.

And if both of the NextGen champions play up to their abilities, this could be one of the wildest, most entertaining finals on record.




The Bondarenkos Alona & Kateryna became the first champions of this Australian Open, overcoming a slow start against #12-seeds Victoria Azarenka & Shahar Peer to physically take over the match, until the Corporal's (too) late surge made them sweat just a little down the stretch. The Ukrainian sisters won their first career slam titles with a 2-6/6-1/6-4 victory.

Top-seeded Russians Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova & Ksenia Lykina won the Girls Doubles, while Taiwan's unseeded pair of Hsieh Cheng Peng & Yang Tsung-Hua won the Boys Doubles. Yang will try to sweep the junior competition in the singles against Aussie Bernard Tomic.

Meanwhile, a pair unlikely finalists have emerged as dual "Breakout Stars" on the Girls side. Unseeded Australian Jessica Moore upset Romania's Simona Halep, while Dutch #14-seed Arantxa Rus took out China's Zhou Yi-Miao in the SF.



*CAREER SLAM FINALS - ACTIVE*
12...Venus Williams (6-6)
11...Justine Henin (7-4)
10...Serena Williams (8-2)
7....Lindsay Davenport (3-4)
6....Mary Pierce (2-4)
4....MARIA SHARAPOVA (2-1)*
3....Amelie Mauresmo (2-1)
3....Svetlana Kuznetsova (1-2)
2....ANA IVANOVIC (0-1)*
2....Elena Dementieva (0-2)
1....Anastasia Myskina (1-0)
1....Marion Bartoli (0-1)

*AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINALS - ACTIVE*
3...Serena Williams (3-0)
2...Justine Henin (1-1)
2...Lindsay Davenport (1-1)
2...Mary Pierce (1-1)
2...Amelie Mauresmo (1-1)
2...MARIA SHARAPOVA (0-1)*
1...ANA IVANOVIC (0-0)*
1...Venus Williams (0-1)

*SHARAPOVA vs. IVANOVIC*
[tied 2-2]
2006 Linz QF (Hard) - Sharapova 7-6/7-5
2007 Tokyo SF (Carpet) - Ivanovic 6-1/0-1 ret.
2007 Roland Garros SF (Clay) - Ivanovic 6-2/6-1
2007 WTA Chsp QF - Sharapova (Hard) - Sharapova 6-1/6-2
2008 Australian Open Final

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES CHAMPS - 2000-08*
2000 Lisa Raymond & Rennae Stubbs
2001 Serena Williams & Venus Williams
2002 Martina Hingis & Anna Kournikova
2003 Serena Williams & Venus Williams
2004 Virginia Ruano-Pascual & Paola Suarez
2005 Svetlana Kuznetsova & Alicia Molik
2006 Yan Zi & Zheng Jie
2007 Cara Black & Liezel Huber
2008 Alona Bondarenko & Kateryna Bondarenko

*RECENT "JUNIOR BREAKOUT" WINNERS"*
=2007=
A: Madison Brengle, USA
R: Mariana Duque Marino, COL
W: Urszula Radwanska, POL
U: Kristina Kucova, SVK
=2008=
A: Jessica Moore, AUS & Arantxa Rus, NED

*FINALS*
[WOMEN'S]
#4 Ana Ivanovic/SRB vs. #5 Maria Sharapova/RUS
[MEN'S]
#3 Novak Djokovic/SRB vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga/FRA
[WOMEN'S DOUBLES]
Alona Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR/UKR) def. #12 Victoria Azarenka/Shahar Peer (BLR/ISR) 2-6/6-1/6-4
[MEN'S DOUBLES]
#7 Arnaud Clement/Michael Llodra (FRA/FRA) vs. #8 Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR/ISR)
[MIXED DOUBLES]
#5 Sun Tiantian/Nenad Zimonjic (CHN/SRB) vs. Sania Mirza/Mahesh Bhupathi (IND/IND)
[GIRL'S]
#14 Arantxa Rus/NED vs. Jessica Moore/AUS
[BOY'S]
#10 Yang Tsung-Hua/TPE vs. #5 Bernard Tomic/AUS
[GIRL'S DOUBLES]
#1 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova/Ksenia Lykina (RUS/RUS) def. Elena Bogdan/Misaki Doi (ROU/JPN) - 6-0/6-4
[BOY'S DOUBLES]
Hsieh Cheng-Peng/Yang Tsung-Hua (TPE/TPE) def. #2 Vasek Pospisil/Cesar Ramirez (CAN/MEX) - 3-6/7-5/10-5




[WOMEN'S]
Sharapova def. Ivanovic 6-4/6-4
[MEN'S]
Djokovic def. Tsonga 7-6/6-4/1-6/7-5




TOP QUALIFIER: Julia Schruff / GER
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Maria Sharapova / RUS
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): (vacant)
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st - Jankovic def. Paszek 2-6/6-2/12-10
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): QF - Sharapova def. Henin 6-4/6-0
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): (vacant)
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #32 Julia Vakulenko / UKR (1st Rd.-Vesnina)
UPSET QUEENS: The Russians
REVELATION LADIES: The Poles
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Marta Domachowska / POL & Hsieh Su-Wei / TPE (4th Rd.)
IT GIRL: Casey Dellacqua / AUS
MISS OPPORTUNITY: Daniela Hantuchova / SVK
COMEBACK PLAYER: Yan Zi & Zheng Jie / CHN-CHN
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Jelena Jankovic / SRB (1st Rd.- down 3 MP to Paszek)
CRASH & BURN: #2 Svetlana Kuznetsova / RUS (3rd Rd.- A.Radwanska)
DOUBLES STARS: Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko / UKR
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Jessica Moore / AUS & Arantxa Rus / NED



All for Day 12. More tomorrow.

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