Wk.39- Snezana's Daughter Can Get There From Here

Sometimes, against all laws of nature and excited expectation, a watched Dervish does indeed whirl.

In the post-La Petit Taureau era, the journey of the Divine Miss J has become Backspin's preoccupying diversion. Week 39 was no different as, more than a month after she briefly rose to #1 while waiting for Olympic play to begin in Beijing, Jelena Jankovic returned to the city
to become the latest player to shut down Svetlana Kuznetsova in a singles final. In chilly weather that forced her to wear black tights under her New York Jelena outfit throughout the match, JJ managed to pull off the potential fashion disaster with Jankovician aplomb. Oh, and win the match by a 6-3/6-2 score.


PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images

Thus, Queen Chaos finally did what she hasn't been able to do since leaving Rome in May -- win a title. Of course, her accomplishment didn't return her to the top ranking in women's tennis. Defending runner-up points in the tournament from 2007, the best she could manage was to get within just twenty-one points of Serena Williams (she'd been 206 back last week). This week, all the participants in the Race for #1 meet up in Stuttgart (JJ, Serena and Dinara Safina, who's just 344 points behind) with the shot to make yet another big move.

In August, Jankovic rose to #1 without having reached a grand slam final (she finally did that just weeks later) or beaten a Top 5 player in a year (she still hasn't, with wins over #6 and #7 her best so far). She battled to a measure of previously unprecedented respect in NYC at the start of September, though didn't join fellow Serbs Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic as a grand slam champion. Of course, that doesn't mean the third-highest level (for now) Fantastovic member can't beat them to the punch and become the first Serbian season-ending #1, now does it?

*MOST WTA TITLES - 2007/08*
12...Justine Henin (10/2)
6...Serena Williams (2/4)
6...JELENA JANKOVIC (4/2)
5...Dinara Safina (1/4)
5...Ana Ivanovic (3/2)
5...Anna Chakvetadze (4/1)

Speaking of AnaIvo, Beijing Jelena needed only to look at the opposite end of the draw in China to be reminded how the pressure of expectation and a niggling injury can alter the perception of a grand season in just a few months time. (What might have happened since early June to the two female Serbs -- and maybe even Safina -- had Ivanovic KNOWN she was playing for #1 in that semifinal back in Paris could almost fill a "What If" column at this point.) After another loss in China that could only serve to remind Ivanovic of the stuck-in-reverse mode her results have been trapped in since she won Roland Garros, Jankovic is surely the Serb smiling the most as the 2008 finish line comes into view.


AP Photo/Ng Han Guan

Because of the smile that's launched a thousand stories, there's no such thing as the loneliness of the long-distance Dervish. Jankovic will likely get another shot to pull off the win-and-she's-#1 feat (maybe by the end of the week?), as her Stuttgart SF from a year ago is her last big defending result of the season (she's qualified for the SEC, where she went 0-3 a year ago).

For the time being, JJ will have to be content with the knowledge that she's CLOSE. She's STILL #2, but she's closer to #1... even if she IS looking over her shoulder at a hard-charging #3. With six weeks to play, she's answering more questions than she's raising. Surely, that's proof that the Jankobot-5200 is swiftly outgrowing its original programming.

What comes next is certainly not to be missed.

(Whew! That was exhausting, but I THINK I got just about all of Jelena's many '08 nicknames in there.)

*WEEK 39 CHAMPIONS*

BEIJING, CHINA (II-HCO)
S: Jelena Jankovic d. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3/6-2
D: Medina-Garrigues/Wozniacki d. Han/Xu

SEOUL, KOREA (IV-HCO)
S: Maria Kirilenko d. Samantha Stosur 2-6/6-1/6-4
D: Chuang/Hsieh d. Dushevina/Kirilenko


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jelena Jankovic/SRB
...Jankovic notched three Top 15 wins (Hantuchova, Zvonareva and Kuznetsova) and one over a recent title-winner (Wozniak) en route to the Beijing win. Oh, and Mama Snezana... are you sure Jelena was born on February 28, and not the 29th? I mean, it would explain a lot.
=============================
RISERS: Maria Kirilenko/RUS & Zheng Jie/CHN

AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon
...Kirilenko's Asian Magic continued in Seoul, where she grabbed her fourth tour title in the past fifty-three weeks with wins over Lucie Safarova, Pauline Parmentier, Kaia Kanepi and Sam Stosur. She also reached the doubles final with fellow Hordette Vera Dushevina. Meanwhile, Zheng proved that her Wimbledon upset over Ivanovic was hardly an isolated incident, as she did it again in three sets in Beijing, where she reached the QF with additional wins over Ai Sugiyama and (easily) Agnieszka Radwanksa. She's at a career-best #26 in the rankings.
=============================
SURPRISES: Kaia Kanepi/EST & Samantha Stosur/AUS
...well, the results of these two weren't really a SURPRISE, per se. But they qualify enough to be included here (plus, I don't want to overload the other categories). Kanepi reached the QF at Roland Garros, but she's still searching for her first tour title. She's getting closer. In Seoul, she reached the SF, where she lost to Kirilenko in a 6-4 3rd set. In the same tournament, similarly WTA singles title-less Stosur lost to Kirilenko in a three-setter, as well. Only she did it in the final, after getting wins over youngsters (Erakovic, Lisicki & Makarova) and a veteran (Craybas). This was her first singles final since finally overcoming health problems to return to the tour earlier this season.
=============================
VETERANS: Anabel Medina-Garrigues/ESP & Jill Craybas/USA
...AMG was a dual threat in Beijing, reaching the QF in singles, defeating doubles partner Caroline Wozniacki and Agnes Szavay, and winning the doubles with C-Woz. She's now up to a career-best #5 in the doubles rankings. Craybas got a win over the disappointing Shahar Peer and advanced to her third singles SF of the season.
=============================
FRESH FACES: Dominika Cibulkova/SVK & Ekaterina Makarova/RUS
...after polishing off Amelie Mauresmo for a second straight week, Cibulkova also got a win over Anna Chakvetadze in Beijing. Makarova, who's been making inroads all season long, reached the Seoul QF with wins over Tamira Paszek and Klara Zakopalova.
=============================
DOWN: Ana Ivanovic/SRB
...AnaIvo was a little better in Beijing, but not enough. She got a win over Alize Cornet, but was forced to re-live her crushing Wimbledon experience when Zheng Jie knocked her off yet again in the QF. The former world #1 slipped one more spot on Monday, to #5 on the WTA computer.
=============================
ITF PLAYER: Roberta Vinci/ITA
...the Italian vet won the $75K in Shrewsbury, knocking off Alberta Brianti, Kristina Barrois and Maret Ani in the British event.
=============================


1. Beij QF - Zheng d. Ivanovic
...7-6/2-6/6-4. At least Ivanovic managed to stay in this one for nearly three hours. I suppose that's progress.
=============================
2. Beij Final - Jankovic d. Kuznetsova

Photo by Guang Niu/Getty Images
...6-3/6-2. Please, someone buy Svetlana some new sweats... no player should have to look like a couch potato DURING a match. Of course, since it was a final, Kuznetsova couldn't help but look out of place. She's now 0-5 in 2008, and has lost ten of her last eleven finals. Jankovic committed just eight unforced errors to Kuznetsova's twenty-eight in the match.
=============================
3. Seoul Final - Kirilenko d. Stosur
...2-6/6-1/6-4. India. Check. China. Check. Korea. Check. This week, Maria tries to take care of Japan on her career-long Asian Title Tour.
=============================
4. Seoul 1st - Makarova d. Paszek
...6-1/6-2. It recently appeared that THAT Paszek was finally gone. But she's baaaaack!
=============================
5. Beij 1st - Szavay d. Shvedova
...6-4/6-3. At least Agnes didn't go one-and-out again. Instead, she went two-and-out.
=============================
6. Beij 2nd - Cibulkova d. Chakvetadze
...6-3/6-2. Wake Anna when 2008 is over and feed her an apple pie. (Elvis reference.)
=============================
7. Shrewsbury $75K 2nd - Robson d. U.Radwanska
...6-3/6-3. In her second pro event, Robson also got a win over Tzipora Obziler. She eventually lost in the SF.
=============================
8. Beij 1st - Zheng d. Radwanska
...6-2/6-3. Is the long season finally catching up to A-Rad?
=============================


**2008 BACKSPIN PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK WINS**
4...Dinara Safina, RUS
4...Serena Williams, USA
3...Maria Sharapova, RUS
2...JELENA JANKOVIC, SRB
2...Elena Dementieva, RUS
2...Justine Henin, BEL
2...Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2...Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
1...Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR
1...Anna Chakvetadze, RUS
1...Alize Cornet, FRA
1...Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
1...Li Na, CHN
1...Venus Williams, USA
1...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
1...Aleksandra Wozniak, CAN
1...Vera Zvonareva, RUS

**MOST 2008 WTA TITLES**
4...Serena Williams
4...Dinara Safina
3...Maria Sharapova
3...Agnieszka Radwanska
3...MARIA KIRILENKO

**2008 WTA FINALS**
7...Dinara Safina (4-3)
5...Serena Williams (4-1)
5...Vera Zvonareva (2-2 + L)
5...SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA (0-5)
4...JELENA JANKOVIC (2-2)
4...Elena Dementieva (2-2)

**UNDEFEATED IN MULTIPLE 2008 FINALS**
3-0...Maria Sharapova
3-0...Agnieszka Radwanska
3-0...MARIA KIRILENKO
2-0...Sara Errani
2-0...Lindsay Davenport
2-0...Caroline Wozniacki
2-0...Justine Henin

**2008 DOUBLES TITLES**
[doubles/mixed]
9...Cara Black [8/1]
8...Liezel Huber [8/0]
4...ANABEL MEDINA-GARRIGUES [4/0]
4...CHUANG CHIA-JUNG [4/0]

**CAREER WTA TITLES - ACTIVE**
[SEVEN]
Anna Chakvetadze, RUS (2008: 1)
Kimiko Date-Krumm, JPN (last: 1996)
Ana Ivanovic, SRB (2008: 2)
JELENA JANKOVIC, SRB (2008: 2)
Vera Zvonareva, RUS (2008: 2)
[FIVE]
Eleni Daniilidou, GRE (2008: 1)
Jelena Dokic, AUS (last: 2002)
MARIA KIRILENKO, RUS (2008: 3)





STUTTGART, GERMANY (II-Hard Indoor)
07 FINAL: Henin def. Golovin
08 TOP: S.Williams/Jankovic
=============================
=SF=
S.Williams d. Dementieva
Safina d. Jankovic
=FINAL=
Safina d. S.Williams

...Safina has had a week off, while Serena (and Venus, too) hasn't played since the U.S. Open. Queen Chaos is there, as well. If this final DID play out this way, it would give Safina wins over four different reigning #1's during the season, two more than any other woman in any other season in WTA history


TOKYO, JAPAN (III - Hard Outdoor)
07 FINAL: Razzano def. V.Williams
08 TOP: Wozniacki/Medina-Garrigues
=============================
=SF=
Kirilenko d. Wozniacki
Kanepi d. Stosur
=FINAL=
Kirilenko d. Kanepi

...it'd be a rematch of this weekend's Seoul SF, and Kirilenko would tie for the tour lead with four titles (unless Serena or Safina wins in Stuttgart).


TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN (IV - Hard Outdoor)
07 FINAL: Parmentier def. Azarenka
08 TOP: Peng/Govortsova
=============================
=SF=
Amanmuradova d. Peng
Larcher de Brito d. Olaru
=FINAL=
Larcher de Brito d. Amanmuradova

...yeah, it's a bit of a wild stab in the dark to go with the The Kid to win her first tour title, but isn't that what late-season Tier IV tournaments in Uzbekistan are for?


All for now.



NEXT WEEK: Post-U.S. Open Monthly Awards

2008 SEASON REVIEW EDITIONS OF WTA BACKSPIN COMING SOON:
...Revolving Doors - WTA '09 Guide Preview (this week)
...Intriguing Answers (Top 20 & More)
...Backspin Awards
...Ms. Backspin
...WTA Yearbook

Read more...

Wk.38- The Beat Goes On... and Jelena is still #2

The beat goes on... the beat goes on.


Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images

No, I'm not talking about Jelena Jankovic, though I could be after Queen Chaos' latest star-crossed attempt to claim the #1 ranking in anything other than a bye week after a particularly odd WTA computer ranking computation error. But we ARE talking Whirling Dervish here, so...

No, I'm referring to the Hordettes. Again. Yep, a week after claiming a fourth Fed Cup title in five years, the Russian state continued to maintain hegemony over the sport this weekend by producing two WTA singles titlists, a RU, a doubles champ and three ITF tournament victors for good measure.

*2008 WTA TITLES - RUSSIANS*
4...Dinara Safina
3...Maria Sharapova
2...Elena Dementieva
2...Vera Zvonareva
2...Maria Kirilenko
1...Anna Chakvetadze
1...Nadia Petrova
*2008 ALL-RUSSIAN FINALS*
Doha - Sharapova d. Zvonareva
Dubai - Dementieva d. Kuznetsova
Berlin - Safina d. Dementieva
Olympics - Dementieva d. Safina
Tokyo - Safina d. Kuznetsova
*2008 ITF TITLE LEADERS - RUSSIA*
4...Elena Kulikova
2...Nina Bratchikova
2...Elena Chalova
2...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
2...Ksenia Pervak
2...Natalia Ryzhonkova

China has proven to be a good stomping ground for Vera Zvonareva of late. Hot off winning the Bronze in Beijing, she won her second '08 title in Guangzhou on Sunday. In Tokyo, Dinara Safina continued her summer march (on the #1 ranking?) by grabbing another title on the final weekend before the beginning of Autumn. On the ITF circuit, Elena Kulikova, Ekaterina Ivanova and Marina Melnikova put a fitting finishing touch on Russia's championship tennis weekend (the men couldn't keep up the pace in the Davis Cup SF, but whatever) with singles crowns of their own.

Of course, for every Russian yin there must be a yang, as well.

Safina's victim in the Tokyo final was none other than Svetlana Kuznetsova, who dropped to 0-4 in singles finals in 2008. Ever since she won back-to-back titles in Bali and Beijing in September '06, the Contessova is 1-9 in singles finals, with the one win coming when Agnes Szavay retired in the '07 New Haven final after losing a lead as she battled against her injury. So, this week marks the second anniversary of the last time Kuznetsova actually won a title by converting a match point. And this is a player who nearly became #1 a few weeks ago? I'm not sure if that says more about Kuznetsova's consistency or the tour's jumbled upper echelon.

Oh, and what about Jelena? Well, after losing to Kuznetsova in the Tokyo QF, she's back in action in Beijing this week... the same place where she managed to reach #1 for that single seven-day stretch after the tour's pre-Olympic bye week last month. She reached the final in Beijing a year ago, too.

Hmm, could this week bring the re-appearance of "Beijing Jelena?"

Of course, who knows if that's a good thing or bad, considering Jankovic lost that Beijing final a year ago, and was dropped in the Olympics in the QF (by Safina) as the reigning #1-ranked player, one match before the Medal round. Why... why... that's just so very...

(wait for it, here it comes)

...Jankovician, isn't it?

There. I guess that takes care of my Queen Chaos fix for the week (well, almost).

*WEEK 38 CHAMPIONS*

TOKYO, JAPAN (I-HCO)
S: Dinara Safina def. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1/6-3
D: King/Petrova d. Raymond/Stosur

GUANGZHOU, CHINA (III-HCO)
S: Vera Zvonareva def. Peng Shuai 6-7/6-0/6-2
D: Koryttseva/Poutchek d. Sun/Yan


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Dinara Safina/RUS
...Safina didn't have to bother with any death-defying moments in Tokyo that would use up what remains of her '08 Cat lives. Instead, she buzzed through the draw -- especially in the SF & Final vs. Petrova and Kuznetsova, where she put up a 24-5 advantage in games -- in Tokyo to claim her fourth title of the season, and third Tier I since the start of the summer. I was going to say that her '08 run reminds me of the one that Jelena Dokic pulled off in 2001, when she emerged to win two Tier I titles, reach the final of another and finish with the best year-end ranking of her career. But with seven finals in her last nine events, a new #3 ranking and a real shot at the year-end #1 spot, Safina has outdistanced the Still-Trying-to-be-the-Debutante's season... and might end up putting together the best non-slam-winning back half of a season in women's tennis history when all is said and done.
=============================
RISERS: Vera Zvonareva/RUS & Peng Shuai/CHN
...considering it was a case of a Top 10 player claiming a Tier III in Guangzhou in the same week that a Tier I was being contested, maybe this was a case of Zvonareva's abilities exceeding her own personal expectations. Then again, one COULD say that Zvonareva made a few Chinese fans by playing there rather than in Japan... of course, defeating Zheng Jie in the semis and Peng in the final just a month after knocking off Li Na in the Olympic Bronze Medal match in Beijing could make it all a wash, at best. Speaking of Peng, she reached her second final in her last four events, taking out Mara Santangelo, Jill Craybas and Camille Pin before losing to Zvonareva.
=============================
SURPRISE: Camille Pin/FRA
...Patty Schnyder was the original #2 seed in the Guangzhou draw., but she withdrew after winning in Bali. She was replaced by Marta Domachowska, who also pulled out. Enter Camille Pin, who assumed the draw of a #2 seed and rode it all the way to the SF after wins over Alla Kudryavtseva and Arantxa Rus.
=============================
VETERANS: Katarina Srebotnik/SLO & Nadia Petrova/RUS
...after amazingly having to qualify to get into the Tokyo draw, Srebotnik had quite a week. She notched wins over Caroline Wozniacki, Francesca Schiavone and Elena Dementieva (giving her four Top 10 wins in '08) to reach the SF. She could get a shot at Top 10 win #5 this week in Beijing against Jankovic, if she manages to win her 1st Round match and get a Top 20 victory over Daniela Hantuchova, as well. Meanwhile, Petrova is trying to pack as many good results as she can into what remains of the season. She reached the Tokyo singles SF with wins over Ana Ivanovic and Agnieszka Radwanska. In doubles, she and Vania King upset top-seeded Srebotnik/Sugiyama early on, then won the title with a win in the final over Raymond/Stosur. In the twelve grand slam or Tier I doubles championships played so far this season, this makes the ninth different team to walk away with a title.
=============================
FRESH FACES: Dominika Cibulkova/SVK & Arantxa Rus/NED

...Cibulkova hasn't yet advanced past the 2nd Round in her two most recent events, but the two wins she HAS gotten over the past week were quite dramatic, tightrope-walking affairs. Just ask Amelie Mauresmo, the victim of back-to-back 1st Round comebacks by the Slovak. In Tokyo, Mauresmo was up a set and a break and held four match points, only to see Cibulkova charge back to win. She lost in her next match to Safina. Today in Beijing, Cibulkova and Mauresmo met again. Mauresmo led 6-3/4-3 on a blustery day that saw serving become an ordeal for both players. Mauresmo double-faulted to lose the 2nd set, then continued to falter in the 3rd after taking a 3-1 lead there. By the end, she'd thrown in thirteen double-faults and Cibulkova had survived yet another three-setter at the veteran's expense. She'll either face Anna Chakvetadze or Iveta Benesova next. In Guangzhou, Dutch teen Rus showed that maybe her early exit in the U.S. Open juniors was partly due to disinterest. After qualifying for the Tier III event, she upset Yanina Wickmayer and Gisela Dulko to reach her first tour QF. Welcome to the big league... or at least the "minor" league.
=============================
DOWN: Ana Ivanovic/SRB & Agnes Szavay/HUN
...whatever has been ailing AnaIvo the most since Paris, she's yet to conquer it. With a tough draw in Tokyo, a deep run wasn't really expected. And it didn't happen, either, as once again she couldn't find a way to pull ahead for good in a long match, losing a three-setter to Nadia Petrova in her first match back since being bounced by Julie Coin in New York. Meanwhile, Szavay continued to put together her own personal "who's who" list of opponents she's lost to in '08. Big, small, well-regarded, little-known, seen-her-best-days, someone-to-watch. Agnes has lost to 'em all this season in her twenty-one defeats. In the 1st Round in Tokyo, it was youngster Ayumi Morita who did the deed in three very close sets. It was the ninth time the Hungarian has gone one-match-and-out in tournaments this season. Next up? Yaroslava Shvedova in Beijing. Anyone for ten?
=============================
ITF PLAYER: Nuria Llagostera-Vives/ESP
...by winning a $100K event in Sofia, the 28-year old Spaniard joined Tamarine Tanasugarn as the only two players who've won singles titles on both the ITF and WTA tours this season. Actually, one could make a legit case that the competition in this one wasn't much less than the tour event in Guangzhou, as Llagostera-Vives got wins over Yuliana Fedak, Sorana Cirstea, Mathilde Johansson and Tsvetana Pironkova.
=============================


1. Tokyo 1st Rd - Cibulkova d. Mauresmo
0-6/6-1/7-6.
Beijing 1st Rd - Cibulkova d. Mauresmo
...3-6/6-4/6-3. If Amelie were a different person she might want to punch Dominika right about now. As it is, she's probably wanting to punch herself. Still, Cibulkova is THIS CLOSE to cementing her presence in the Top 20 for a good long while, and getting a win in either of these matches would have been viewed as a very good result for Mauresmo. At least she's close to being consistently competitive with top (or close to it) players again, which she wasn't at all just a few months ago.
=============================
2. Tokyo Final - Safina d. Kuznetsova
...6-1/6-3. This wasn't a good ending to a very good week for Kuznetsova. It began with a Fed Cup-winning afterglow nudging her to victories over Li, Jankovic and Srebotnik. Safina is now tied with Kuznetsova with nine career singles titles.
=============================
3. Tokyo 2nd Rd - Petrova d. Ivanovic
...6-1/1-6/6-2. The many moods of AnaIvo's game at the moment are pretty evident in the scoreline. The former #1 is now down to #4.
=============================
4. Tokyo 1st Rd - Kuznetsova d. Li
...6-2/1-6/6-3. At least the Contessova got a little Olympic revenge.
=============================
5. Guangzhou Final - Zvonareva d. Peng
...6-7/6-0/6-2. Zvonareva (as did Kuznetsova, for a while) defied the Fed Cup Hangover conventional wisdom with this one. Meanwhile, Peng is one of those players who's managing to carve out some encouraging results at the end of a season that's been fairly lean when it comes to singles highs.
=============================
6. Tokyo 2nd Rd - Jankovic d. Pennetta
...6-2/6-1. Things seemed so rosy for Jelena early on last week. After this match, Pennetta pulled out of the doubles with plantar fasciitis.
=============================
7. Tokyo 1st - Morita d. Szavay
...6-7/7-5/6-4. Hmmm, "M" for Morita. The 2008 Szavay Index is getting crowded. She's down to #26 after spending the first thirty-seven weeks of the season in the Top 20.
=============================
8. Tokyo QF - Kuznetsova d. Jankovic
...2-6/7-5/7-5. "New York Jelena" would have won this one. Of course, "Final Svetlana" would have lost this one, as well. Maybe, for just a moment, NYJ's head was back in that delightful little SoHo boutique... and that was enough to let this one -- and yet another shot to become #1 with a winning statement -- slip away.
=============================
9. Tokyo SF - Safina d. Petrova
...6-1/6-0. Sheesh, Dinara.
=============================
10. Karshi $25K Final - Elena Kulikova d. Nikola Hofmanova
...2-6/6-3/6-4. One of the ITF-winning Hordettes, 17-year old Kulikova has won four circuit titles in 2008.
=============================


**WTA TITLES - 2007-08**
12...Justine Henin (10/2)
6...Serena Williams (2/4)
5...DINARA SAFINA (1/4)
5...Jelena Jankovic (4/1)
5...Ana Ivanovic (3/2)
5...Anna Chakvetadze (4/1)

**MOST 2008 WTA TITLES**
4...Serena Williams (GS - 2 Tier I - Tier II)
4...DINARA SAFINA (3 Tier I - Tier II)
3...Maria Sharapova (GS - Tier I - Tier II)
3...Agnieszka Radwanska (Tier II - Tier III - Tier IV)

**2008 WTA FINALS**
7...DINARA SAFINA (4-3)
5...Serena Williams (4-1)
5...VERA ZVONAREVA (2-2 + L)
4...Elena Dementieva (2-2)
4...SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA (0-4)

**2008 WTA SF**
9...Elena Dementieva (4-5)
8...DINARA SAFINA (7-1)
8...Jelena Jankovic (2-5 + W)
7...VERA ZVONAREVA (5-2)

**2008 TIER I FINALISTS**
==BY NATION==
9...RUSSIA
3...Serbia
2...United States
1...France
1...Slovakia

**2008 TIER I FINALS**
CAPS: Russians
Doha SHARAPOVA def. ZVONAREVA
Indian Wells - Ivanovic def. KUZNETSOVA
Miami - S.Williams def. Jankovic
Charleston - S.Williams def. ZVONAREVA
Berlin - SAFINA def. DEMENTIEVA
Rome - Jankovic def. Cornet
Montreal - SAFINA def. Cibulkova
Tokyo - SAFINA def. KUZNETSOVA

**CAREER TIER I TITLES - ACTIVE**
11...Lindsay Davenport
10...Serena Williams
6...Maria Sharapova
6...Amelie Mauresmo
6...Venus Williams
3...Jelena Jankovic
3...Ana Ivanovic
3...DINARA SAFINA

**WINLESS IN MULTIPLE 2008 FINALS**
0-4...SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA
0-2...Victoria Azarenka
0-2...Dominika Cibulkova
0-2...PENG SHUAI

**MOST BROTHER/SISTER TITLES**
48...Sanchez = Arantxa-Emilio-Javier
32...Richey = Nancy-Cliff
31...Austin = Tracy-Jeff
24...Safin(a) = Marat-DINARA





BEIJING, CHINA (II-Hard Outdoor)
07 FINAL: Szavay def. Jankovic
08 TOP: Jankovic/Ivanovic
=============================
=SF=
Jankovic d. Li
Ivanovic d. Kuznetsova
=FINAL=
Jankovic d. Ivanovic

...picking JJ to win is loaded with danger (for everyone), but here it goes again.


SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (IV - Hard Outdoor)
07 FINAL: V.Williams def. Kirilenko
08 TOP: Kirilenko/Peer
=============================
=SF=
Kirilenko d. Kanepi
Paszek d. Peer
=FINAL=
Kirilenko d. Paszek

...Paszek is setting herself up to get a running start in '09, while Kirilenko looks to add Korea to her list of Asian countries (also China and India) where she's won tour titles.


All for now.

Read more...

Wk.37- Four of a Kind

Autumn is almost officially here, and now what could be claimed to be the fourth (and final) chapter of this summer's grand "putting things in order" novela has occurred.


PEDRO ARMESTRE/AFP/Getty Images

In a season of change on both the women's and men's tours, the last few months have displayed a definite fondness for "age-old wisdom." First, the "greatest female grass court player alive" won her fifth Wimbledon. Then, "the most talented female player" won the U.S. Open for her ninth career slam crown and returned to #1, and possibly the "Greatest of All Time" won his thirteen slam title in New York, as well. In between, the "deepest talent pool" in women's tennis swept the medal stand in Beijing.

This weekend, Russia once again flaunted the nation's throng of female stars, winning a fourth Fed Cup title in five years with yet another team lineup, sweeping through the Spaniards in Madrid on their chosen red clay court.

*BACKSPIN's 2008 RUSSIAN FED CUP MVPs*
1st Round vs. Israel: Maria Sharapova
Semifinal vs. United States: Anna Chakvetadze
Final vs. Spain: Svetlana Kuznetsova

Even with only one grand slam winner (now out for the rest of her season with injury) hailing from Russia in '08, and the first-ever in '04 announcing she'd never return to the sport (preferring to say what's on her Mind on Russian TV), there's no disputing the stranglehold the remaining Hordettes still have on the overall landscape of the sport: Five are in the Top 9, seven in the Top 20, nine in the Top 50, fifteen in the Top 100 and twenty-seven in the Top 200.

This season, seven different Russian women have won thirteen tour singles titles from a group of twenty-seven finalists and forty-three semifinalists (all tour best totals, nearly doubling or tripling the nearest nation's accomplishments). Only once in the past five seasons, since the breakthrough year of '04 when Russians won three slams, the SEC and a first Fed Cup title, has the country not led the tour outright in season titles and finalists (tying with the U.S. with seventeen finalists in '05).

*MOST 2008 CHAMPIONS*
13...Russia
7...United States
*DIFFERENT SINGLES CHAMPIONS*
7...Russia
3...United States
*FINALISTS*
27...Russia
9...United States
*SEMIFINALISTS*
43...Russia
18...France

Years ago, the Russian revolution was an idea with the promise of a long, multifaceted future. Now, it's almost taken for granted. Today, granted it's in a country that pretty much ignores the sport after the U.S. Open ends, I know I had to search with a fine-tooth comb to even find a mention of the Fed Cup final in the USA TODAY and local Washington/Baltimore newspapers. There was probably more press about Anna Kournikova appearing on the cover of Maxim for the umpteenth time a few months ago.

As it is, Maria Sharapova won't be seen on the court again until 2009, and even if this summer's most spectacular Russian were to put on a 4Q run that took her to #1 I wonder if it'd get little more than a cursory note in the major American sports media coverage... and, even then, the first line would invariably refer to the player in question as "the sister of" before listing any of her individual achievements.

Oh, well. At least people who KNOW know. The rest will pay attention again when the Supernova is healthy.

*WEEK 37 CHAMPIONS*

FED CUP FINAL (Madrid - RCO)
Russia def. Spain 4-0

BALI, INDONESIA (III-HCO)
S: Patty Schnyder def. Tamira Paszek 6-3/6-0
D: Hsieh/Peng d. Domachowska/Petrova


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Svetlana Kuznetsova/RUS
...Kuznetsova took her turn as the lead player on Team Russia, defeating both of Spain's top two singles players in their own backyard. In what was the clinching match, she dropped the 1st set against Anabel Medina-Garrigues then proceeded to do precisely what she hasn't been able to do as an individual singles player for nearly two years -- close out a player in a deciding match. Maybe her new coaching arrangement with Olga Morozova, who had a hand in guiding Elena Dementieva from "Punch-Drunk" to "Punch-Sober" a few seasons ago, will get her back to a place her talent says she rightfully should be.
=============================
RISER: Vera Zvonareva/RUS
...Zvonareva led off the Fed Cup final with her match against AMG, winning in straight sets and thereby never allowing the Spanish crowd to get a toe-hold inside either her or Kuznetsova's mind.
=============================
SURPRISE: Marta Domachowska/POL
...after a bit of a reawakening at the Austrialian Open (Round of 16), Domachowska finally found some follow-up success in Bali,, where she got a win over Jill Craybas to reach the QF. She also reached the doubles final with Nadia Petrova.
=============================
VETERANS: Patty Schnyder/SUI & Nadia Petrova/RUS
...for the first time since the summer of 2005, Schnyder won a singles title. After dropping seven straight finals (often in fairly high-tiered events), Sneaky used the momentum gathered from wins over the likes of Yuan Meng, Domachowska and Petrova to handle Tamira Paszek in the Bali decider. Always an enigma, on and off court, the now nearly 30-year old Schnyder has managed to never fall far enough off the radar to NOT be a potential "surprise" winner at any event outside of the slams. With her affinity for strong closes when much of the action moves indoors next month, we might not have heard the last of her in '08, either. Meanwhile, Petrova didn't reach the Bali final, but her SF result got her back into the Top 20, and her doubles RU with Domachowska was a nice added bonus. She might get a shot at AnaIvo this week in Tokyo.
=============================
FRESH FACES: Tamira Paszek/AUT & Irina-Camelia Begu/ROU
...while 2008 has been a disappointment for Paszek, who's been THIS CLOSE to some big wins this season (think 12-10 vs. Jankovic in Melbourne, then 10-8 vs. Schiavone in London SW19), she's occasionally been able to overcome her inexperience and not-quite-right form and remind everyone why even Justine Henin once said she was a future Top 5 player. Last week in Bali was one of those times. The 17-year old notched big wins over Anna-Lena Groenefeld, Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta and Daniela Hantuchova before finally running out of gas in the final against Schnyder. Still, Paszek hadn't gone as deep in a tournament since a SF in Week 1 of this year, and this single result lifted her ranking from #85 to #63. On the ITF circuit, another Romanian teen, 18-year old Begu swept the singles and doubles in a $10K in Budapest for her second consecutive challenger title.
=============================
DOWN: Aleksandra Wozniak/CAN
...last week was sort of a mixed bag for Wozniak. After losing in the 1st Round in Bali to Jill Craybas, her record since she won the Stanford title fell to 3-5. But by the end of Monday, she found herself in the Tokyo Tier I draw after making in through qualifying with wins over Vania King and Kimiko Date-Krumm.
=============================
ITF PLAYER: Masa Zec-Peskiric/SLO
...the 21-year old grabbed her third straight ITF crown -- tying for the circuit lead with her fourth on the season -- with a win over Klaudia Boczova in the $25K Sarajevo final.
=============================


1. FC Match #3 - Kuznetsova d. Medina-Garrigues
...5-7/6-3/6-4. The Contessova can carry a team on her back, but her own career expectations have been a little more troublesome.
=============================
2. Bali Final - Schnyder d. Paszek
...6-3/6-0. Sneaky Patty has nearly slipped through the Top 10 back door. She's up to #11.
=============================
3. Bali SF - Paszek d. Hantuchova
...6-2/5-7/6-4. This was Hantuchova's first SF since reaching the Australian Open final four in the first month of the season. Paszek probably would have found a way to lose this one earlier in the year.
=============================
4. Fed Cup Match #1 - Zvonareva d. Medina-Garrigues
...6-3/6-4. In the tough lead-off position. Zvonareva didn't allow the home crowd to get behind AMG. If she'd lost, the Fed Cup might have come down to the doubles match.
=============================
5. Athens $100K F - Dominguez-Lino d. Cirstea
...6-4/6-4. LDL had a better week than Team España, winning here with additional victories over Bychkova, Voskoboeva and Rybarikova.
=============================
6. Tokyo Q2 - Date-Krumm d. Dellacqua
3-6/6-3/6-3.
Tokyo Q3 - Wozniak d. Date-Krumm
...6-1/6-1. It was a tough qualifying tournament (Srebotnik had to go through it), but Date-Krumm accounted pretty well for herself. With a less-loaded field at the lower-tiered tour-level Tokyo event in a few weeks, maybe she'd have a better chance for a huge result.
=============================
7. Rousse $25K F - Lenka Wienerova d. Ksenia Pervak
...6-4/6-4. The 20-year old Slovak won her third ITF title of the season.
=============================



**2008 OLDEST CHAMPIONS**
31y,8m,3w - Lindsay Davenport (Memphis)
31y,7m - Lindsay Davenport (Auckland)
31y,2m - Tamarine Tanasugarn ('s-Hertogenbosch)
29y,9m - PATTY SCHNYDER (BALI)
28y,3w - Venus Williams (Wimbledon)

**LONGEST SINCE LAST TITLE**
5y,4m,2w - Tamarine Tanasugarn - 's-Hert. (Feb. 03 - Hyderabad)
3y,4m - Li Na - Gold Coast (Sept. '04 - Guangzhou)
3y,1m,3w - PATTY SCHNYDER - BALI (JUL '05 - CINCINNATI)

**CAREER WTA TITLES - ACTIVE**
55...Lindsay Davenport (2 in 2008)
37...Venus Williams (1)
32...Serena Williams (4)
24...Amelie Mauresmo (last in '07)
19...Maria Sharapova (3)
11...PATTY SCHNYDER (1)
10...Elena Dementieva (2)
9...Svetlana Kuznetsova (last in '07)





TOKYO, JAPAN (I-Hard Outdoor)
07 FINAL: Hingis d. Ivanovic
08 TOP: Jankovic/Ivanovic
=============================
=QF=
Jankovic d. Kuznetsova
Dementieva d. Srebotnik(Q)
Safina d. Sugiyama
Petrova d. Kirilenko
=SF=
Jankovic d. Dementieva
Safina d. Petrova
=FINAL=
Jankovic d. Safina

...the first test to see if New York Jelena translates well in Asia, and whether "The Trouble with Ana" still persists after a drop to #3 in the rankings. I'm taking a Jelena-centric view this week, with Ivanovic stumbling one more time (losing early, to either Petrova, Kirilenko or A-Rad) before finally climbing to her feet.


GUANGZHOU, CHINA (III - Hard Outdoor)
07 FINAL: Razzano/Obziler
08 TOP: Zvonareva/Schnyder(w/d)
=============================
=SF=
Zheng d. Zvonareva
Peng d. Domachowska
=FINAL=
Zheng d. Peng

...it would at least get the Chinese fans excited. Obviously, Zvonareva would be the favorite here, but I'm banking on the usual Fed Cup Hangover.


**TOKYO**
=QF=
Jankovic d. Kuznetsova
Wozniacki d. Cornet
Safina d. Sugiyama
Ivanovic d. A.Radwanska
=SF=
Jankovic d. Wozniacki
Safina d. Ivanovic
=FINAL=
Jankovic d. Safina


All for now.

Read more...

WTA Backspin 3Q Awards

And down the stretch they come!

**3Q (Week 28-36) Awards**
**TOP PLAYERS**
1. Serena Williams/USA
...but will there be an upcoming encore to Serena's latest sold-out show?
2. Elena Dementieva/RUS
...her trip to Beijing was Golden.
3. Dinara Safina/RUS
...she ultimately fell victim to Jelena Syndrome (exhaustion) -- and Serena, of course -- in New York, but she's still the first player in WTA history to notch wins over three different reigning #1-ranked players in a single season.
4. Cara Black & Liezel Huber/ZIM-USA
...the only totally dominant #1's in the professional tennis computer rankings, now with an '08 slam title to flaunt.
5. Jelena Jankovic/SRB
...she didn't win the Open, but if New York Jelena spans the globe she could be a grand slam champion by the time she arrives back in town next year.
6. Sara Errani/ITA
...she finally reached the winner's circle at the start of the 3Q... twice.
7. Caroline Wozniacki/DEN
...C-Woz is just about ready for her close-up.
8. Alize Cornet/FRA
...she's conquered the clay, next comes hard court.
9. Aleksandra Wozniak/CAN
...finally A-Woz sees a Canadian tennis champion... and it's her!
10. Nadia Petrova/RUS
...quietly overseeing a moderately successful rehab of her season.
H.M.- Vera Zvonareva/RUS, Dominika Cibulkova/SVK

**RISERS**
1. Dinara Safina, RUS
2. Jelena Jankovic, SRB
3. Vera Zvonareva, RUS
4. Flavia Pennetta, ITA
5. Marion Bartoli, FRA
6. Li Na, CHN
7. Katarina Srebotnik, SLO
8. Pauline Parmentier, FRA
9. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
10. Lucie Safarova, CZE
11. Vera Dushevina, RUS
12. Yaroslava Shvedova, KAZ
13. Agnes Szavay, HUN
14. Bethanie Mattek, USA
15. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, CZE
HM- Hsieh Su-Wei, TPE

**FRESH FACES**
1. Sara Errani, ITA
2. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
3. Alize Cornet, FRA
4. Aleksandra Wozniak, CAN
5. Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
6. Victoria Azarenka, BLR
7. Julia Goerges, GER
8. Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR
9. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
10. Stefanie Vogele, SUI
11. Kristie Haerim Ahn, USA
12. Zhang Shuai, CHN
13. Tamira Paszek, AUT
14. Sorana Cirstea, ROU
15. Ioana Raluca Olaru, ROU
HM- Alexa Glatch, USA & Anastasia Pivovarova, RUS

**JUNIORS**
1. Coco Vandeweghe, USA
2. Melanie Oudin, USA
3. Gabriela Paz, VEN
4. Elena Bogdan, ROU
5. Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
6. Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, THA
7. Gail Brodsky, USA
8. Tamaryn Hendler, BEL
9. Quirine Lemoine, NED
10. Victoria Kamelskaya, RUS
HM- Christina McHale, USA

**SURPRISES**
1. Aleksandra Wozniak, CAN
2. Julie Coin, FRA
3. Mariya Koryttseva, UKR
4. Andreja Klepac, SLO
5. Anne Keothavong, GBR
6. Lucie Hradecka, CZE
7. Severine Bremond, FRA
8. Hana Sromova, CZE
9. Shenay Perry, USA
10. Gabriela Paz, VEN
HM- Sloane Stephens, USA

**VETERANS**
1. Elena Dementieva, RUS
2. Cara Black & Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
3. Nadia Petrova, RUS
4. Venus Williams, USA
5. Anabel Medina-Garrigues & Virginia Ruano-Pascual, ESP/ESP
6. Kimiko Date-Krumm, JPN
7. Ai Sugiyama, JPN
8. Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
9. Lisa Raymond, USA
10. Severine Bremond, FRA
HM- Rennae Stubbs, AUS

**COMEBACKS**
1. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
2. Kimiko Date-Krumm, JPN
3. Elena Bovina, RUS
4. Jelena Dokic, AUS
5. Jamea Jackson, USA
HM- Karolina Sprem, CRO & Romina Oprandi, ITA

**DOWN**
1. Maria Sharapova, RUS
2. Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
3. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
4. Nicole Vaidisova, CZE
5. Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
HM- Tatiana Golovin, FRA & Sania Mirza, IND

**ITF STARS**
[Week 28-36]
1. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
2. Kimiko Date-Krumm, JPN
3. Elena Bovina, RUS
4. Ioana Raluca Olaru, ROU
5. Melanie Oudin, USA
6. Yaroslava Shvedova, KAZ
7. Bojana Jovanovski, SRB
8. Jelena Dokic, AUS
9. Mara Santangelo, ITA
10. Ksenia Milevskaya, BLR
11. Patricia Mayr, AUT
12. Lenka Wienerova, SVK
13. Petra Martic, CRO
14. Mariana Duque-Marino, COL
15. Neuza Silva, POR
HM- Romana Tabakova, SVK & Urszula Radwanska, POL

**TOP PERFORMANCES**
Serena Williams claims the U.S. Open title without dropping a set, grabbing her ninth career slam title and returning to #1 for the first time in five years
Russia sweeps the Beijing medal stand with Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva keeping every other nation's flags locked away for safe keeping during the medal ceremony
Cara Black wins both the Women's Doubles (with Liezel Huber) and Mixed Doubles (with Leander Paes) titles at the U.S. Open

**TOP MATCHES**
U.S. Open QF - S.Williams def.. V.Williams 7-6/7-6
...imagine if they'd played a third set in what would have likely been the longest women's match in Open history (as it turned out, this year's 3:05 Round of 16 tilt between Sybille Bammer and Marion Bartoli stands atop the heap).
U.S. Open Final - S.Williams def. Jankovic 6-4/7-5
...a near-classic that might have flirted with high drama had it gone three. Still, it was the closest Open final since 1995.

"Because Justine isn't here anymore." - Elena Dementieva, when asked why no one has been able to hold onto the #1 ranking for very long in 2008

=BIGGEST COMEBACK=
Stanford QF - Sugiyama def. Cibulkova 6-7/7-6/5-3 ret.
...Cibulkova led 7-6/5-2 and held a match point, but the veteran Sugiyama held on and eventually saw the teenager succumb to cramps in the 3rd set.
=BIGGEST UPSET=
U.S. Open 2nd Rd. - Coin d. Ivanovic 6-3/4-6/6-3
...at #188, qualifier Coin's defeat of the world #1 was the biggest upset (as far as rankings are concerned) in U.S. Open history. For AnaIvo, it was more of the same sort of thing she's encountered since winning in Paris and ascending to the top spot. Now, she's #3.

*BIGGEST SURPRISE*
Aleksandra Wozniak qualifies in Stanford, then wins the tournament to become the first Canadian singles champion on tour since 1988. A-Woz was literally in diapers when Helen Kelesi won that title.
*BIGGEST NON-SURPRISE*
In Los Angeles, just as she'd done so often in Paris, Dinara Safina survived a match point against Alla Kudryavtseva in their 2nd Round match and went on to win the title and claim the U.S. Open Series crown. Apparently, the Russian Cat still has a few lives to spare.

"I thought maybe my last name was Williamsowski or something." - Venus Williams, about her surprise upon realizing that she had so many fans in Poland

**WHAT WE LEARNED THIS QUARTER... maybe**
Jelena Jankovic showed that she's ready to win a grand slam
Ana Ivanovic showed that she's not yet ready to be #1
Come 2009, if Dinara Safina can be just a little LESS like her brother she might BE #1 rather than defeating #1's
Michelle Larcher de Brito, so far, looks to be as good as advertised
Ashley Harkleroad can not only pose for Playboy, but get pregnant soon afterward, too. (Hmmm, coincidence?) What's next, a spot on the Republican party presidential ticket in 2012?
With Coco Vandeweghe's becoming the first U.S. Open Girls champ from America since 1995, and three other American girls reaching the junior QF, maybe this new wave of U.S. teens ARE worth keeping a close eye on.
Anna-Lena Groenefeld and her 128-mph serve showed just how quickly a player can make a comeback if she's blessed with at least one superior weapon
Four additional years of development saw China's Olympic tennis haul go from a Doubles Gold to a Doubles Bronze
Mommy Myskina is alive and well... on Russian TV. Oh my, the Mind of Myskina on LIVE TV?
The ITF is where Comebacks are born: Groenefeld, Elena Bovina, Jelena Dokic, Romina Oprandi and Kimiko Date-Krumm were all crowned champions in the 3Q.
Serena proved that history CAN be repeated. Hmmm, I wonder which Williams history -- good or bad -- will be repeated next?
Millions of dollars, athletic success and world-wide superstardom gets you... doctors who misdiagnose shoulder injuries that cost you a third of your season in a year when everything is up for grabs. Whoops, talk about a glitch in the program. 2008 started so well for Miss Sharapova, but it's ending with quite a thud.
When you think about it, it's oddly fitting that while Jankovic was briefly the #1-ranked player in 2008, Evonne Goolagong has actually "been #1" for a longer period of time (two weeks) over the past year... and she hasn't played a match in twenty-five years.

Ah, it could only happen to Queen Chaos.

**LONG-RANGE PLANS?**
Hmmm... what does the always cloudy crystal ball foresee in the future? Or, at least, what are the immediate hunches for the winners of the biggest tournaments over the next twelve months (hey, immediate hunches played out pretty well at this year's Wimbledon and U.S. Open, so who knows):

SEC: S.Williams d. Dementieva (Alternate: Safina, Long Shot: Jankovic)
Australian Open: Safina d. S.Williams, or vice versa (Alternate: Jankovic, Long Shot: Davenport)
Roland Garros: Jankovic d. Ivanovic (Alternate: Safina, Long Shot: S.Williams)
Wimbledon: V.Williams d. S.Williams (Alternate: Sharapova, Long Shot: Radwanska)
U.S. Open: S.Williams d. Sharapova (Alternate: Jankovic, Long Shot: Safina)

Of course, so much can change in so little time. Just look at the 2008 season... and it's not even over yet.


All for now.

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Odds & Ends Between New York & Doha

Finally depressurized after the long Open, it's time for a gauge on where things stand three-quarters of the way into 2008, as well as look ahead at the season's closing weeks.

**Ms. BACKSPIN '08 UPDATE*
1. Serena Williams/USA
...back at #1 for the first time in five years, and with a tour-leading four titles on the season, Williams is the only past SEC winner who has a shot to play in Doha in what could be a win-it-and-you're-the-year-end-#1 situation.
2. Cara Black & Liezel Huber/ZIM-USA
...finally with that elusive '08 slam under their belt, Black & Huber can fully embrace their role as tennis' Dominant Duo version of Walsh & May-Treanor. They're one title away from tripling their nearest competitors for season crowns, and the dual-#1's lead the #3-ranked doubles player by 2125 points (and their nearest competitors by 2660 in the team race). If Serena falters down the stretch, in this year of multiple singles #1's, Black/Huber could end up being the first doubles team to share the "Ms. Backspin" honor.
3. Ana Ivanovic/SRB
...holding onto the #3 spot by her fingernails, thanks to a grand slam title and runner-up, as well as twelve weeks in the #1 position, more than anyone else since Henin's retirement.
4. Dinara Safina/RUS
...as great as her summer was, she wasn't able to grab the Gold or slam title that would have made her a serious Ms. Backspin/POY contender.
5. Jelena Jankovic/SRB
...Queen Chaos added some substance to go with her entertaining style in New York. Just 126 points behind Serena, she could still manage to climb her way into the season-ending #1 position with a good finish.
6. Maria Sharapova/RUS
...even with all the runs put on by multiple players in '08, no one's has been as dominant as Sharapova's almost-forgotten streak at the start of the season, which included a brilliantly-played two weeks in Melbourne. But her shoulder dooms her to also-ran status at year's end.
7. Venus Williams/USA
...everyone remembers her Wimbledon championship, but it's easy to forget that that's the only singles final Venus has reached all season. As long as she keeps collecting plates from the All-England Club, though, it's all good.
8. Elena Dementieva/RUS
...one more Tier I or SEC title away from being in the Ms. Backspin Top 5, whether Punch-Sober will be satisfied with her Beijing Gold or inspired for a 4Q push will be interesting to see. The momentum carried over to the Open, to a point.
9. Agnieszka Radwanska/POL
...A-Rad's results have slowed down a bit of late, but her three titles still put her in the running for the tour lead in '08.
10. Russian Fed Cup Team
...all right, this is going on the assumption that the Hordettes win the team's fourth title in the last five years this weekend in Madrid. If not, then Spain slips into the mix at #10.



=4Q PREVIEW=

...the final quarter of the season is something of a mish-mash. Mostly, the tour shifts to Asia... except for when it goes for little jaunts in Europe and North America before wrapping up in the Middle East. It begins outdoors, then moves indoors... then goes back outdoors again for the season's final event in Doha. No matter the venues or continents, the overriding plotlines will involve the continually evolving race for the #1 position, and whether or not current or former top players will use the schedule's closing weeks as a way to "save" their seasons or give them enough momentum to propel them to early success Down Under in January.

MOST IMPORTANT: Ana Ivanovic/SRB
...what does it say about AnaIvo that the thought-flighty Jankovic seemed more comfortable with the pressure of the expectations heaped upon her than Ivanovic did? Ivanovic needn't go on a 4Q tear, but a few good wins over high-ranked players (especially after losing in slams to players with three-digit rankings) could help her regain a little of her confidence in time to hit 2009 running.

ALSO: Any of the players who "need" good finishes to tip the scales of their seasons to the positive side with at least a somewhat encouraging finish -- such as Lindsay Davenport, Nicole Vaidisova, Nadia Petrova, Svetlana Kuznetsova or Daniela Hantuchova.
-------------------------------------
LEAST IMPORTANT: Venus Williams/USA
...aside from the grass court season, Venus could be listed in this category every quarter of every season. Throw in the Olympic Doubles Gold she just won and THIS 4Q might have even less importance than usual. Though, one could argue that Serena's Open title could push Venus to try to counter with something good over the next couple of months to keep the family business thriving. Plus, she did reach finals in Tokyo and Seoul at this time last season.

ALSO: Anna Chakvetadze/RUS -- The Doll could be in the "Also" listing for "Most Important," as well. But after bombing out of the Open, she's probably looking forward to the season ending more than any other player. Then again, that little tournament in Moscow might fancy her attention.
-------------------------------------
POISED FOR GREATNESS?: Jelena Jankovic/SRB
...well, at least poised to provide more entertainment. But after looking the part of a future slam winner in New York, with her fitness seemingly restored, confidence likely stoked and game in pretty good shape, Jankovic might just be in position to strike over the next few months and cause all the rankings-debaters to begin a new round of "Does She Deserve to Be #1? questions. Hey, at least now she HAS reached a slam final.

ALSO: Dinara Safina/RUS - she missed out in Paris, London, Beijing and New York. But a title in Doha to close out the season would be huge.
-------------------------------------
READY TO TURN HEADS?: Tamira Paszek/AUT
...this is the time of year that a young player can learn to string back-to-back good results together and send herself into offseason training with a full head of steam. After an oddly trying year that could have turned in her favor with just a game here or there, maybe it'll be Paszek. She's off to a good start in Bali.

ALSO: Maria Kirilenko/RUS - like that other Maria, she's always had good results in Asia.
-------------------------------------
LURCHING TOWARD THE END OF A DISASTER: Tatiana Golovin/FRA
...hmmm, maybe Chakvetadze has a fellow when-will-it-be-over? friend in Golovin, whose season has been maybe the most disappointing on tour this season. She's only played eight tour matches. By November, her 2008 will look ever worse since she won a title and reached another final last 4Q, which means her current #36 ranking will go bye-bye, too.

ALSO: Nicole Vaidisova/CZE -- she could be right there with Chakvetadze and Golovin when it comes to looking for an exit after a horrendous season that actually began quite well with a SF in Sydney.




*PAST "MS. BACKSPIN" WINNERS*
2001 Jennifer Capriati
2002 Serena Williams
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne
2004 Maria Sharapova
2005 Kim Clijsters
2006 Amelie Mauresmo
2007 Justine Henin

*WEEKS IN TOP 10*
[of 36]
36...JELENA JANKOVIC
36...ANA IVANOVIC
36...MARIA SHARAPOVA
36...SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA
36...VENUS WILLIAMS
35...SERENA WILLIAMS
34...Anna Chakvetadze
24...ELENA DEMENTIEVA
23...Daniela Hantuchova
19...Justine Henin
17...Marion Bartoli
14...DINARA SAFINA
8...AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA
4...VERA ZVONAREVA

*MOST DIFFERENT #1's IN A SEASON*
5...2008 (Henin-Sharapova-Ivanovic-Jankovic-S.Williams)
4...2002 (Davenport-Capriati-V.Williams-S.Williams)
4...2006 (Davenport-Clijsters-Mauresmo-Henin)

*MOST EXCHANGES OF #1 RANKING IN A SEASON*
8...2002 (between 4 different players)
8...1995 (between 3 different players)
5...2008 (between 5 different players)

*FED CUP FINALS*
1999 United States def. Russia
2000 United States def. Spain
2001 Belgium def. Russia
2002 Slovakia def. Spain
2003 France def. United States
2004 Russia def. France
2005 Russia def. France
2006 Italy def. Belgium
2007 Russia def. Italy
2008 RUSSIA VS. SPAIN

*SEASON-ENDING CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS*
2000 Martina Hingis def. Monica Seles
2001 Serena Williams def. Lindsay Davenport
2002 Kim Clijsters def. Serena Williams
2003 Kim Clijsters def. Amelie Mauresmo
2004 Maria Sharapova def. Serena Williams
2005 Amelie Mauresmo def. Mary Pierce
2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne def. Amelie Mauresmo
2007 Justine Henin def. Maria Sharapova

*MOST SEC TITLES*
8...Martina Navratilova
5...Steffi Graf
4...Chris Evert
3...Monica Seles
[active]
1...Lindsay Davenport
1...Amelie Mauresmo
1...Maria Sharapova
1...Serena Williams

*SEASON-ENDING #1-RANKED PLAYER*
2001 Lindsay Davenport
2002 Serena Williams
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne
2004 Lindsay Davenport
2005 Lindsay Davenport
2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne
2007 Justine Henin


All for now.



NEXT: 3Q Awards

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Deja Vu All Over Again

Apparently, the reports of the death of Roger Federer's aura were greatly exaggerated.

Just ask Andy Murray.


Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Federer came into this U.S. Open with one final chance in 2008 to turn back the clock to 2005-07, reclaim the form that made him the world's best player for four years running and saw him nipping at the heels of the all-time greats in the record books while (conservatively) being placed shoulder-to-shoulder with Rod Laver in the mythical "Greatest of All Time" power pyramid. He had some rough going at times in New York, being forced to five sets by Igor Andreev and even being tested by qualifier Gilles Muller. But he moved past both with a noticeable upping of his on-court emotion quotient making up for the occasional lapses in his game.

Along the way, the recently-deposed King Roger became the crowd favorite. So much so, he even said he felt like he was a "real New Yorker." In Monday's rain-delayed final against Murray, Federer put out of its misery a season of "almosts" and "near-misses" with a thorough dissection of the overmatched and tired Scot, winning 6-2/7-5/6-2 to claim his fifth straight U.S. Open crown, and thirteenth career slam singles title, one behind Pete Sampras' all-time men's record.

Wilted by a third straight day of play (Federer last played in the early afternoon on Saturday), Murray put up little resistance once the fates turned against him, save for a brief uprising after falling down 5-0 in the 3rd when he broke Federer's serve and threatened to force the four-time defending champ to attempt to serve out the match a second time. On the final point of the match, Murray's scrambles forced Federer to hit two overhead smashes before finally crumbling to the court in celebration... or was it relief that he had avoided doing the unthinkable -- going an entire season without winning a slam title?

Finally, Federer's name is once again tied to history. His fifth straight Open title is second to only Bill Tilden's six in the 1920's, and he's the first man to ever win two different slams (also Wimbledon) five consecutive times. In a minor footnote, his five straight finals in New York have come against five different men, none of which have been named Nadal (Tilden faced just two different men in the final during his run).

Murray could have become the first man from Great Britain since Fred Perry in 1936 (and the first Brit since Virginia Wade in 1978) to claim a slam singles championship. The new world #4 wasn't able to do it, but off-court work should only continue to pay dividends in future seasons. It's pretty clear, that he's got quite a good chance to succeed on the big stages where Tim Henman always managed to ultimately fail.

Just as Federer's mastery in this match produced a severe case of deja vu, so did Murray's comments following the match. Calling Federer "the best player who ever lived," one could almost hear the little voice in the Swiss Mister's head reassuring him, "See, Roger... I TOLD you that the days of your opponents saying such things weren't over."

With an Olympic Gold and continued Open domination serving as encouraging signs as 2008 hits its home stretch, maybe we WILL find out in 2009 that this season's "troubles" were largely a result of the lingering effects of Federer's battle with mono at the start of this season. Of course, only Federer could have a season with a slam title, two slam runners-up and one SF result, a co-starring role in "The Greatest Match Ever Played" and the #2 ranking in the world be considered a "disappointment."

If this is the beginning of "The Comeback," next season is going to be one for the ages.



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

*CAREER MEN'S SLAM TITLES - ACTIVE*
13...ROGER FEDERER
11..Bob Bryan
10...Mahesh Bhupathi
10...Leander Paes
9...Jonas Bjorkman
8...Mike Bryan

*RECENT U.S. OPEN MEN'S FINALS*
2003 Andy Roddick d. Juan Carlos Ferrero
2004 Roger Federer d. Lleyton Hewitt
2005 Roger Federer d. Andre Agassi
2006 Roger Federer d. Andy Roddick
2007 Roger Federer d. Novak Djokovic
2008 Roger Federer d. Andy Murray

*MOST CONSECUTIVE TITLES AT A SLAM - OPEN ERA*
5...Bjorn Borg, Wimbledon 1976-80
5...Roger Federer, Wimbledon 2003-07
5...ROGER FEDERER, US OPEN 2004-08
4...Bjorn Borg, Roland Garros 1978-81
4...Pete Sampras, Wimbledon 1997-00
4...Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros 2005-08

*MOST CONSECUTIVE U.S. OPEN TITLES*
[since 1912]
6...Bill Tilden, 1920-25
5...ROGER FEDERER, 2004-08
3...Ivan Lendl, 1985-87
3...John McEnroe, 1979-81




All for now.



THIS WEEK: Odds & Ends Between New York & Doha, Ms. Backspin Update and 3Q Awards

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Destiny's Child

After all these years, order has finally been restored to the tennis world.



The last decade of women's tennis has seen several interludes when the Belgians, Russians and Serbs became the focus of conversation. But, all along, at its core, the WTA tour has been about the Williams sisters, as much as when they've been at the top of their games as when the biggest question bouncing around the sport was they no longer were.

Nine years ago, a seventeen-year old Serena Williams shook up the original perception that her sister Venus was "the one." The sight of the younger sibling celebrating the family's first slam title after winning the U.S. Open, while the older was but a bystander in the crowd, was as unforeseen as it was awkward... to everyone but father Richard. He'd always told everyone to "watch out for Serena."

He was right. Then, he almost wasn't. But he may be again.

On Sunday night, Serena reclaimed her position atop the tennis world. What seemed like her destiny two months ago after she lost the Wimbledon final to Venus and pointed her determined stare toward North America, turned out to be just that, as Serena won her third U.S. Open title, but her first in six years, with a 6-4/7-5 victory over Jelena Jankovic in the women's final.

The match stopped just short of being a "classic," but Williams was made by Jankovic to earn her return to official prominence. The Serb refused to back down and relegate herself to mere footnote status in the final, and for over two hours the drama-loving Jankovic danced with the devil in the pale moon light. But, in the end, the chaotic sister from another planet could not hold back the tide of history that flowed in the favor of the Sister from Compton.

Over the years, as displayed ever so clearly during "Serena Slam," it's been rightly said that there's no stopping a focused and in-form Serena. At this Open, it was made clear once more. Even while not acting as a steamroller over her opponents in EVERY round, Williams managed to avoid dropping a single set coming into the final, weathering her most furious storm when Venus had seemed to manage to trap her in an inescapable corner in the quarterfinals. In the final, Jankovic was often close to pushing Serena to the limit once again but, try as the Serb might, she could only hold back the tide for so long.

In the 1st set, Jankovic broke Williams for a 2-1 lead and, as Serena's errors mounted, strung together eight straight points. Up 40/love on her own serve, Jankovic was about to solidify her early break, only to see Serena burst to life after swatting a forehand behind the Serb for her first point of the game. Four points later, Williams has secured her own break, then another to go up 4-2. She seemed to be slowly physically assuming control of the match with her power and athleticism.

But only she didn't.

Serving at 5-3, Williams fell down love/40 as Jankovic refused to concede. An error gave Jankovic the break... but the tide again proved to be too strong. Serena broke back to take the set 6-4.

The 2nd set was characterized by Williams taking leads, but Jankovic standing firm and threatening to turn the final into a... well, typically Jankovician affair. Twice, in the second and sixth games of the set, Serena held two break points on the Serb's serve, only to see Jankovic's defensive scrambles and impressive shot-making allow her to hold.

Throughout, the usual Queen Chaos fun and entertainment playfully skimmed across the surface of what was turning out to be a rather serious match between two players battling for the #1 ranking as well as the Open championship. Once, Jankovic was caught admiring her own winning lob on the Ashe Stadium replay board... and breaking into a wild smile before serving when she saw herself, entranced, staring back at her on the screen above. During changeovers, she delighted in the quick scoreboard shots of all the celebrities in the stands who were watching her take the greatest player of her generation to the edge of danger in her home country's most spectacular event.

But while Jankovic was having fun on the big stage, Williams was buckling down to once again grab her rightful share of grand slam glory. With Jankovic up 5-3, Serena saved three break points that would have forced the match to a third set. At 5-4, it took Williams six attempts to finally break Jankovic and level the match. So what if she was only 1-for-10 in break points in the set at that point, her game-winning forehand pass after having brought the backcourt-loving Jankovic close to the net with a short shot signaled that the end was near. Serena held serve to go ahead 6-5.

Jankovic saved one match point, but Williams could be restrained no longer. Serena blasted a backhand across the court... and she exploded. She flung her racket to the stars and seamlessly transitioned into a jubilant series of trampoline-like leaps that somewhat resembled the similarly gleeful uncontrolled bounding about that Venus dissolved into after winning Wimbledon in 2005.

Speaking of Venus, she was watching from the stands once again. This time, though, her smile didn't have any tinge of somewhat bittersweet happiness for her little sister. She needn't worry any longer about her legacy, what with a trophy case full of Wimbledon hardware at home and an off-court life as full as any dozen athletes combined.


Chris McGrath/Getty Images

As Serena celebrated with Richard the winning of her ninth slam singles title nine years after her first, the feeling that the tennis world had been moved backward and forward simultaneously was evident, and oh so fitting. One never knows what the future holds for the sisters, but what we've come to understand is that we should appreciate the great moments they create, whenever and wherever they occur. And this, along with the occurrences at Wimbledon and in Beijing alike this summer, was certainly one of them.

Meanwhile, the yellow-and-white clad Serbian comet that streaked across the New York skyline the past two weeks now heads to parts unknown, still slam-less but with a fortified big stage pedigree and nerve that should serve her well in the future. If Sunday night was any indication, we won't have to wait a generation for the Jelena Phenomenon to come back around again at a slam.

At the start of the post-match ceremony, Jankovic appeared quite down when she discussed her loss with interviewer Mary Carillo. But it only took her a minute to understand the allure of a live microphone being at her disposal in front of tens of thousands of fans. Practically thieving the moment from an amused Carillo, Jankovic just let her Whirling Dervish-ness spin and seemingly would have talked for an hour if Serena hadn't needed to pick up her trophy before the clock struck midnight... and the Men's final be played tomorrow afternoon.

Of course, once Carillo gave Williams her winner's check and announced how much Serena had won, Jankovic couldn't help herself. "How much did I get?," Jankovic interjected, as only she could (and probably would).

Ah, "Queen Chaos" to the end. Yep, the Divine Miss J will be fine... and maybe even better after all this.


Chris McGrath/Getty Images

But, for now, Serena Williams is the #1-ranked player in the world. Again. But for the first time since 2003. Once again, all is right with the tennis world... for a while, at least.

But why think about tomorrow when tonight is so fulfilling?



Oh, just because I like it too much to not use it in some fashion, I just wanted to mention what would have been the title and the first line of this Backspin had Jankovic actually won the final.

TITLE: "Chaos Reigns"
FIRST LINE: "To whirl is divine."

I feel better now.

...Andy Murray defeated Rafael Nadal in the unfinished Men's SF earlier in the afternoon, losing the 3rd set but closing out the world #1 in the 4th. Against Roger Federer in the final, he'll try to become the first British male to win a grand slam singles title since Fred Perry in 1936. No matter the outcome, it's become quite apparent that Murray "is no Tim."

And that's a good thing as far as the fans of British tennis are concerned. Hmmm... the All-England Club should open up Murray Mount for the occasion during the match, don't you think?

...AWARD UPDATES: Coco Vandeweghe's 7-6/6-1 win over Gabriela Paz in the Girls Singles final gives the American this Open's "It Girl" title, while Venezuela's Paz gets the "Junior Breakout" crown.

...in the Boys final, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov defeated American Devin Britton 6-4/6-3. During the CBS coverage today, John McEnroe said that his brother Patrick thinks that Dimitrov might be "another Federer."

...in the Women's Doubles, Cara Black & Liezel Huber, the world's #1 doubles team, finally got that elusive 2008 slam title, defeating Lisa Raymond & Sam Stosur 6-3/7-6 in the final to complete the tournament without dropping a set. It's the duo's eighth title this season, and Black's second at this Open after winning the Mixed Doubles with Leander Paes.

...and, finally, the Men's singles final will be contested Monday afternoon in New York, as Roger Federer attempts to win his fifth straight Open title by defeating his fifth DIFFERENT player (but none of them have been named Nadal) in the final in Murray.



*RECENT U.S. OPEN FINALS*
1999 Serena Williams d. Martina Hingis
2000 Venus Williams d. Lindsay Davenport
2001 Venus Williams d. Serena Williams
2002 Serena Williams d. Venus Williams
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne d. Kim Clijsters
2004 Svetlana Kuznetsova d. Elena Dementieva
2005 Kim Clijsters d. Mary Pierce
2006 Maria Sharapova d. Justine Henin-Hardenne
2007 Justine Henin d. Svetlana Kuznetsova
2008 Serena Williams d. Jelena Jankovic

*RECENT AMERICAN U.S. OPEN GIRLS CHAMPS*
1981 Zina Garrison
1989 Jennifer Capriati
1992 Lindsay Davenport
1994 Meilen Tu
1995 Tara Snyder
2008 Coco Vandeweghe

*CAREER GRAND SLAM TITLES - ACTIVE*
18...SERENA WILLIAMS
16...Venus Williams
10...Virginia Ruano-Pascual
9...Lisa Raymond
8...CARA BLACK
6...Lindsay Davenport
6...Rennae Stubbs
4...Daniela Hantuchova
4...LIEZEL HUBER
4...Samantha Stosur
4...Ai Sugiyama

*RECENT U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S DOUBLES CHAMPS*
1999 Serena Williams/Venus Williams
2000 Julie Halard-Decugis/Ai Sugiyama
2001 Lisa Raymond/Rennae Stubbs
2002 Virginia Ruano-Pascual/Paola Suarez
2003 Virginia Ruano-Pascual/Paola Suarez
2004 Virginia Ruano-Pascual/Paola Suarez
2005 Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur
2006 Nathalie Dechy/Vera Zvonareva
2007 Nathalie Dechy/Dinara Safina
2008 Cara Black/Liezel Huber

*2008 WTA SINGLES TITLES*
4...SERENA WILLIAMS
3...Maria Sharapova
3...Dinara Safina
3...Agnieszka Radwanska

*MOST WEEKS AS WOMEN'S #1*
(as of September 8)
377...Steffi Graf
331...Martina Navratilova
260...Chris Evert
209...Martina Hingis
178...Monica Seles
117...Justine Henin
98...Lindsay Davenport
58...SERENA WILLIAMS



=LATE-ROUND (SF-F) AWARDS=
TOP PLAYER: Serena Williams/USA
RISER: Jelena Jankovic/SRB
SURPRISE: Gabriela Paz Franco/VEN
VETERANS: Cara Black/Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA
FRESH FACE: Coco Vandeweghe/USA
COMEBACK: Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur, USA/AUS
MATCH: Women's Final - S.Williams d. Jankovic 6-4/7-5
...a rare big-stage instance where both players exit with their reputations enhanced.



*WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
#4 Serena Williams/USA def. #2 Jelena Jankovic/SRB 6-4/7-5

*MEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
#6 Andy Murray/GBR vs. #2 Roger Federer/SUI

*WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#1 Black/Huber (ZIM/USA) def. #10 Raymond/Stosur (USA/AUS) 6-3/7-6

*MEN'S DOUBLES FINAL*
#2 Bryan/Bryan (USA/USA) def. #7 Dlouhy/Paes (CZE/IND) 7-6/7-6

*MIXED DOUBLES FINAL*
#5 Black/Paes (ZIM/IND) def. Huber/J.Murray (USA/GBR) 7-6/6-4

*GIRLS SINGLES FINAL*
Coco Vandeweghe/USA def. Gabriela Paz/VEN 7-6/6-1

*BOYS SINGLES FINAL*
#3 Grigor Dimitrov/BUL def. Devin Britton/USA 6-4/6-3

*GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL*
#3 Noppawan Lertcheewakarn/Sandra Roma (THA/SWE) def. Mallory Burdette/Sloane Stephens (USA/USA) 6-0/6-2

*BOYS DOUBLES FINAL*
Nikolaus Moser/Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (AUT/GER) def. #2 Henri Kontinen/Christopher Rungkat (FIN/INA) 7-6/3-6/10-8





BALI, INDONESIA (III-Hard Outdoor)
07 FINAL: Davenport def. Hantuchova
08 TOP: Hantuchova/Schnyder
=============================
=SF=
Peng d. Groenefeld
Petrova d. Schnyder
=FINAL=
Petrova d. Peng

...I had picked Li Na here but, of course, she's pulled out of the event. Groenefeld lost her tough 1st Round match with Paszek, too. But I left her in the prediction. With my options now limited, I guess I'll roll the dice, and go with Nadia.


FED CUP FINAL (RCO-Madrid)
07 FINAL: Russia def. Italy
=============================
Russia (Kuznetsova, Zvonareva, Makarova & Vesnina) def. Spain (Medina-Garrigues, Suarez-Navarro, Llagostera-Vives, Ruano-Pascual)

...even with the home court advantage, it's hard to pick against the Russians. I'll say either 3-2 or 4-1, with the final doubles match possibly being an afterthought after a quick 3-0 or 3-1 Hordette lead early on.




TOP QUALIFIERS: Yaroslava Shvedova/KAZ & Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova/CZE
TOP EARLY ROUND (1r-2r): Venus Williams/USA
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): Serena Williams/USA
TOP LATE ROUND (SF-F): Serena Williams/USA
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q3: #15 Olaru/ROU def. #22 Larcher de Brito/POR 6-2/6-3
TOP EARLY RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 2nd Rd. - #2 Jankovic/SRB def. Arvidsson/SWE 6-3/6-7/7-5
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): QF - #4 S.Williams/USA def. #7 V.Williams/USA 7-6/7-6
TOP LATE RD. MATCH (SF-F): Final - #4 S.Williams/USA def. #2 Jankovic/SRB 6-4/7-5
=============================
FIRST SEED OUT: #24 Shahar Peer/ISR (1st Rd.-Li Na)
UPSET QUEENS: Chinese
REVELATION LADIES: Slovaks
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Anna-Lena Groenefeld/GER (4th Rd.)
IT GIRL: Coco Vandeweghe/USA
MS. OPPORTUNITY: Jelena Jankovic/SRB
COMEBACK PLAYER: Anna-Lena Groenefeld/GER
CRASH & BURN: #1 Ana Ivanovic/SRB (lost 2nd Rd to #188 Coin)
ZOMBIE QUEEN: Jelena Jankovic/SRB (7:36 on court in first four matches)
LAST AMERICAN STANDING: Serena Williams/USA (W)
DOUBLES STAR Cara Black/ZIM
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: Gabriela Paz/VEN




All for now. More tomorrow.



THIS WEEK: Odds & Ends Between New York & Doha, Ms. Backspin Update and 3Q Awards

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