ITF Backspin (Wk.47)- There's No Place Like Home

Hmmm, why is the #12 player in the world playing in a challenger event two weeks after the end of the WTA season?

Why, it's elementary. There's no place like home.


ITF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Caroline Wozniacki/DEN

...C-Woz added one more week of action to her breakthrough '08 season by playing in and winning a $100K in her hometown of Odense, Denmark. Wins over Julia Schruff, Stephanie Foretz and Sofia Arvidsson thus serves as a tune up for the beginning of her run for the Top 10 in '09, and gives her a glimpse of the extended season that she'll likely encounter next year when she takes part in the SEC or the new "missed-it-by-that-much" event for the top players who didn't qualify for the year-end bash. Hmmm, and seeing Caroline's new WTA website bio pic, one must be tempted to say something about hoping that she manages to focus on her tennis and not fall victim to off-the-court opportunities that are likely to come her way. As Daniela Hantuchova learned, photoshoots are nice but they don't help a player earn a sense of accomplishment.
=============================
RISERS: Anastasia Yakimova/BLR & Maria Fernanda Alvarez-Teran/BOL
...Yakimova, 22, won a $25K in Phoenix (Mauritius, not Arizona) with wins over Cindy Chala, Michelle Gerards, Surina De Beer and Mauritius' own Marinne Giraud. Alvarez-Teran, 19, won her second of back-to-back ITF events in the Puebla, Mexico $25K (her third consecutive final). She notched wins over Soledad Esperon and Valerie Tetrault.
=============================
SURPRISES: Zarina Diyas/KAZ & Ayu-Fani Damayanti/INA
...Kazakhstan has a growing list of "name" players, but most of them (Yaroslava Shvedova & Galina Voskoboeva) made their's under the Russian flag. Not so with barely-15 year old Diyas. In front of a home country crowd in Astana, Diyas managed to win a $25K title in her first appearance in a main draw of an ITF event (she failed to qualify twice before). World #673 Damayanti, 19, swept the singles and doubles in the Manila $10K, defeating top-seeded Sacha Jones in the final.
=============================
VETERAN: Stephanie Foretz/FRA
...the 27-year old Pastry was in the field of the Odense $100K and reached the SF with wins over youngster Lenka Jurikova, up-and-comer Andreja Klepac and fellow vet Maria Elena Camerin.
=============================
FRESH FACES: Arantxa Rus/NED & Ayumi Morita/JPN
...17-year old Dutch junior star Rus won a $25K in Opole, defeating Katarzyna Piter and Ana Jovanovic. Morita, 18, won the Kolkata $50K by getting victories over Bojana Jovanovski and Elora Dabija in the final.
=============================


1. $25K Puebla Final - Alvarez-Teran d. Moulton-Levy
...6-4/3-6/6-4. 23-year old American Megan Moulton-Levy also reached the doubles final, winning the title with Audra Cohen.
=============================
2. $50K Kolkata Final - Morita d. Dabija

...6-3/6-1. Dabija, 17, has won two ITF titles this season, placing her in the contending swarm of hard-charging Romanians in '08.
=============================


**2008 WINNERS OF BOTH WTA/ITF TITLES**
Tamarine Tanasugarn = 's-Herto.(III) & $50K Gifu
Nuria Llagostera-Vives = Bogota(III) & $100K Sofia
Caroline Wozniacki = 3 WTA & $100K Odense
[RECENT TOTAL WTA/ITF WINNERS]
2003: 2
2004: 5
2005: 2
2006: 2
2007: 5
2008: 3


All for now.



THIS WEEK: ATP Yearbook
COMING IN DECEMBER: 2009 Preview Series

Read more...

2008 WTA Year in Review

The time has come. (As always, thoughts and words brought to you free of charge.)

2008: TO TAUREAU OR NOT TO TAUREAU, that is the question

"Because Justine isn't here anymore." - Elena Dementieva, earlier this year, when asked why players hadn't been able to hold onto the #1 ranking for very long in 2008

The Student Council election campaign was quite heated this year,with the polls constantly showing a different candidate leading the field. Those in the running for the top post were quite civil, but some outside observers were often heard to make discouraging comments about the merits of a few of those contending for Class President. As expected, we all persevered and in the end, in a close contest, the voting produced a winner. Still, the debate rages on.

=STUDENT COUNCIL=
CLASS PRESIDENT (with ongoing recount): Serena Williams
RESIGNED PRESIDENCY, PROMPTING NEW ELECTIONS: Justine Henin

"I decided to stop fooling myself and accept it."

VICE PRESIDENT: Venus Williams
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE: Dinara Safina
VALEDICTORIAN: Jelena Jankovic (waiting for her Serbian flag-draped Porsche to arrive... though we told her numerous times that she's mistaken about that being her "prize" for this honor)

SALUTATORIAN: Ana Ivanovic (second-highest rated Serb, but with more post-graduation job offers)
CLASS TREASURER: Maria Sharapova
SCHOOL SPIRIT COORDINATORS: Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva, Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina
SCHOOL SPIRIT COORDINATORS (ON CLASS TRIP TO BEIJING): Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva & Vera Zvonareva


STUDENT/FACULTY LIAISON: Chelsey Gullickson (on the University of Georgia campus only)
PERMANENT DETENTION MONITOR (apparently): Martina Hingis

"I'm not even reaching my peak yet. I think if I am healthy and I'm playing my best, it's hard to beat me." - Serena Williams, in May

Backspin Academy's humble and hardworking staff experiences widespread change on a yearly basis, but the student body (of which some of our instructors are also included) is generally pleased with the hirings we make. Although we have had a few complaints about Mr. Sanchez and his ever-present stopwatch.

=FACULTY, STAFF, DEPARTMENT HEADS & APPOINTEES=
PRINCIPAL/VICE PRINCIPAL: Cara Black & LIezel Huber (in a symbolic duty-sharing setup)
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR: Zeljko Krajan (Dinara Safina's personal adviser, specializing in talking students off proverbial ledges)
CRAZY TEACHER THAT SPLITS THE STUDENTS' LOYALTY WHO THE SCHOOL BOARD WISHES IT COULD FIRE, BUT FEARS A HOTLY-CONTESTED LAWSUIT IF IT DID SO: Ricardo Sanchez (who finds an apple on his desk from Ms. Jankovic every morning
GYM/ATHLETIC TRAINER: Pat Etcheverry (he receives an apple from Jelena every day, too... we're still not sure where she gets them all)
MEDICAL SCHOOL DIRECTORS: Student Sharapova's personal doctors (POSITION NOW VACANT... apply for job at Tennisrulz)
TENURED PROFESSOR: Nick Bollettieri
ACADEMY HISTORIAN: Bud Collins
(GARBLED) COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR: Corina Morariu (we think Justin Gimelstob may have rubbed off on her a little too much)
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & MARKETING: Anna Kournikova (in absentia)
PILOT SCHOOL HEAD INSTRUCTOR: Jelena Jankovic (specializing in short helicopter trips)

*RECENTLY-APPOINTED LANGUAGE ARTS DEPT. HEADS*
UNORTHODOX RUSSIAN: Vera Zvonareva
CHINESE DEMOCRACY: Zheng Jie
FRENCH-101: Alize Cornet
GERMAN-102: Anna-Lena Groenefeld
INTRODUCTION TO ROMANIAN: Sorana Cirstea
ANCIENT JAPANESE: Kimiko Date-Krumm (back from her 12-year sabbatical)
CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH: Anabel Medina-Garrigues & Virginia Ruano-Pascual

POLISH PHYSICS: Agnieszka Radwanska
ADVANCED ITALIAN-to-SPANISH MATHEMATICS: Flavia Pennetta (2 minus 1 = a better Pennetta, and the same old Moya)
SLOVAKIAN HISTORY, vesion 2.0: Daniela Hantuchova, replaced by Dominika Cibulkova mid-lecture
LONG-OVERDUE RETIREMENT PARTY HONOREE: Monica Seles (gift registration for the Davenport, Capriati and Pierce parties are underway as I speak)
FACULTY/STUDENT (ROMANTIC) LIAISONS: Amber Liu's coach/fiance Michael Chang, and Ashley Harkleroad's coach/baby daddy Chuck Adams

"I thought maybe my last name was Williamsowski or something." - Venus Williams, on her surprisingly solid Polish fan support

"I've got tickets for X-Factor, and my mum said I couldn't have them if I banged my racket or something." - Wimbledon junior Girls champ Laura Robson, after her first WTA tour match

Our student body is a lively crop, and always on the look-out for extracurricular activities to fill up their valuable time.

=CLUB HEADS=
DRAMA CLUB: Jelena Jankovic (risking her career during rehearsals for the big school production)
WELL-PLANNED PARENTHOOD: Lindsay Davenport (first student in line on the first day of school: Ashley Harkleroad)
CHOIR: Vania King
FASHION/DESIGNING: Venus Williams
PSYCHOLOGY CLUB: Ana Ivanovic (she's not the only member at meetings, but sometimes she feels that way)
DEBATE CLUB/IMPROMPTU SPEECHMAKING: Laura Robson (her application to begin the Marat Safin Appreciation Club is still pending, but all who wish to join are instructed to meet in the cafeteria after the final bell on Monday)
FASHION-DOES-NOT-DEFINE-ME CLUB: Bethanie Mattek
CAR CLUB: Jelena Jankovic (her plate is always full, as is her tank of gas... well, until December)
PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB (clothes optional and/or unnecessary): Ashley Harkleroad


*HENIN CLUB*
IN CHARGE OF SMALL SIZE/BIG WIN RATIOS: Dominika Cibulkova
BELGIAN TOUR LEADER: Yanina Wickmayer
BELGIAN JUNIOR LEADER: Tamaryn Hendler
IN CHARGE OF NEW ONE-HANDED BACKHANDERS: Carla Suarez-Navarro
MULTI-SLAM COLLECTOR: (position still vacant)
UNQUESTIONED #1: priceless (and unknown)

"Women in general, we like fashion. It's a huge industry for the athletic companies. In the past, Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals, they wore wonderful things that brought a lot of attention to women's tennis, and that's what they needed at that time. I don't think in any way that it subtracts from the competition level or how well we're playing. The fact of the matter is someone has got to win and someone has got to lose." - Venus Williams

=RUSSIAN CHESS CLUB=
CHAIRWOMAN: Dinara Safina
ASSISTANT TO THE CHAIRWOMAN: Elena Dementieva (though she assumes Chairwoman duties during meetings held in Beijing)
THE NEXT BIG THING: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
STAR-CROSSED: Anna Chakvetadze
RESURRECTED FROM LENIN'S TOMB: Elena Bovina
FULL OF LIFE (again): Nadia Petrova
ON A FACT-FINDING MISSION (or photoshoot, we're not sure which... but we'll be sure to ask when she texts us back): Maria Sharapova
TEAM LEADER: Svetlana Kuznetsova (there is no "i" in team... but there are two in "singles titles," which Svetlana never wins anymore)
NextGEN HORDETTES: Alisa Kleybanova, Evgeniya Rodina, Alla Kudryavtseva, Ekaterina Makarova, Anastasia Pivovarova, Ksenia Lykina, Elena Kulikova & Ksenia Pervak

"I don't like her outfit." - Alla Kudryavtseva, trying to jokingly answer a question about why she was able and determined to hand Maria Sharapova her worst slam loss since 2003 in the 2nd Round of Wimbledon

=JUNIOR/SENIOR PROM COMMITTEE=
PROM QUEEN: Caroline Wozniacki

LADY-IN-WAITING (still): Victoria Azarenka
JUNIOR QUEEN: Michelle Larcher de Brito
QUEEN'S COURT: Aleksandra Wozniak, Carla Suarez-Navarro, Sabine Lisicki, Casey Dellacqua, Sorana Cirstea, Petra Kvitova, Marina Erakovic, Urszula Radwanska and Olga Govortsova
JUNIOR QUEEN'S COURT: Laura Robson, Coco Vandeweghe, Kristie Haerim Ahn, Arantxa Rus, Melanie Oudin, Ksenia Lyskina, Ana Bogdan, Elena Bogdan, Simona Halep, Noppawan Lertcheewakarn and Chelsey Gullickson
PARTY-CRASHERS, circa 2026: mini-Clijsters Jada and mini-Czarina Myskina Zhenya
ON EVERYONE'S DANCE CARD, BUT SLEEPING THROUGH CLASS: Nicole Vaidisova
SUDDEN WALLFLOWER: Tamira Paszek
CLEAN(ed)-UP CREW: USA Fed Cup semifinal team (hint: no one was named Serena, Venus, Lindsay, Bethanie or Ashley)

"I just love coats. And I don't know why, because I live in Florida, so it doesn't really add up. It's definitely not athletic attire. But it's ladylike, and I'm very ladylike... it's just delectable." - Serena Williams, about her semi-trench coat look at Wimbledon

=CLASS FAVORITES=
MOST WELL-LIKED: Ana Ivanovic
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
POWER COUPLE: Chris Evert and Greg Norman
MOST COOLED-OFF RUSSIAN: Olga Puchkova (and Olga POUCHkova, too)
PERSONALITY PLUS: Jelena Jankovic
MOST LIKELY TO MAKE THE MOST OF A BAD SITUATION: Angela Haynes
QUIETEST: Sara Errani (w/ back-to-back titles)
QUIETEST VETERAN:Eleni Daniilidou (she won a title in '08... remember??? Yeah, we didn't, either.)
QUIETLY (still) ANONYMOUS:Pauline Parmentier (the lowest-ranked player to win at least one title in both 2007 and 2008)
PERPETUAL HEARTBREAKER: Julia Vakulenko
MOST HEART: Jelena Jankovic
MOST ADMIRED: Liezel Huber
LATE BLOOMER: Julie Coin
MAYBE NOT SO LOST A CAUSE, AFTER ALL: Jelena Dokic
HOPING TO PROVE SECOND ACTS ARE RUSSIAN, TOO: Olga Morozova
NEW/OLD KID: Sesil Karatantcheva
SMARTEST: Agnieszka Radwanska
MOST MISSED (due to injury): Tatiana Golovin
MOST MISSED (by Backspin, due to, well... life): Justine Henin
MOST MISSED (due to "other"): Nicole Vaidisova
ENDANGERED: Maria Sharapova's doctors, Anna Chakvetadze's invisible security, Svetlana Kuznetsova's trophy case supplier, Lindsay Davenport's babysitter, Anna-Lena Groenefeld's overworked lawyer, Dinara Safina's #2 position in the family tennis heriarchy, Sesil Karatantcheva's boredom and Jelena Dokic's depression
MOST UNSTOPPABLE WATCH AD: Nicole Vaidisova
LEAST UNSTOPPABLE "CAN'T MISS KID": Nicole Vaidisova
MOST TALKED-ABOUT FASHION STATEMENTS: Serena Williams' semi- trench coat, Maria Sharapova's white tuxedo and shorts, Venus Williams' EleVen line and Jelena Jankovic's understated Big (Yellow) Apple attire

BEST SYMMETRY: Venus Williams wins Hong Kong exhibition to start season, then season-ending Championships to end it
WORST SYMMETRY: Maria Sharapova wins eighteen straight matches to start season, then misses the final three months with a rotator cuff injury
MOST PROPHETIC TITLE RUN: Jelena Jankovic winning in Rome, the first tour event held in the wake of Justine Henin's retirement
MOST BITTERSWEET MOMENT: In post-match ceremony, Ana Ivanovic receives trophy for winning Roland Garros... from Justine Henin Of course, it'd been even more intriguing had it been Jankovic picking up the hardware.

*LEGACY IS...*
BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION: Amelie Mauresmo (playing on, without apologies or second thoughts)
CHANGABLE: Kimiko Date-Krumm
HOPEFULLY NOT RUINED: Martina Hingis
FINALLY EMBRACED BY ALL, a little too late: Justine Henin
EVER BETTER THAN YOU THOUGHT: Evonne Goolagong (#1 thirty-one years after the fact)

"I never thought something like this would happen to me. It was like something I had seen during the movies." - Anna Chakvetadze, on her violent home invasion experience in Moscow last December

Not everything is subjective, though. G.P.A.'s and S.A.T. scores are important, too.

=HONOR SOCIETY ROLL CALL=
HARD COURT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Serena Williams
CLAY COURT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dinara Safina (though AnaIvo scored the highest on the S.A.T.
GRASS COURT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Venus Williams
INDOOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jelena Jankovic
FED CUP PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Svetlana Kuznetsova (even though she failed all her finals in every subject)

"I learnt I should always use condoms." - Sesil Karatantcheva, on what she learned from her two-year suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, which she maintains occurred because she was pregnant

"For some reason, I feel tired." - Jelena Jankovic, in February, after having played nearly every week of the season to that point despite being injured in her first event

=BACKSPIN ALL-STAR TEAMS=
*ALL-BEAUTIFUL*
Queen Chaos winning friends and influencing people, no matter how hard they fight against it

=============================
Venus at the All-England Club
=============================
The U.S. Open on ESPN in 2009 (to be continued)
=============================
A happy Gal Friday. Carry on, Anna-Lena.
=============================
Monica Seles on "Dancing with the Stars" (to be continued)
=============================
The Summer of Safina
=============================
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's future
=============================
Zheng Jie finally getting her overdue respect after becoming the first-ever Chinese grand slam singles semifinalist
=============================
Meghann Shaughnessy filling in admirably for Serena Williams at the Hopman Cup (to be continued)
=============================
Vera Zvonareva believing in herself... and reaching new career heights
=============================
Four Venus-vs.-Serena matches in a single season
=============================
The Kiss of Life

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

"I took out two Canadians. Maybe the people will start to hate me now." - Jelena Jankovic, after defeating Aleksandra Wozniak and Stephanie Dubois in Montreal

*ALL-UGLY*
The U.S. Open on ESPN in 2009?
=============================
Ana Ivanovic after the "Kiss of Life"
=============================
Svetlana Kuznetsova's 0-5 record in singles finals
=============================
An injured Tatiana Golovin
=============================
Maria Sharapova's shoulder problems
=============================
The Chinese Fed Cup team's inability to defend home court advantage
=============================
Monica Seles' actual dancing on "Dancing with the Stars," unfortunately
=============================
Agnes Szavay in the 1st Round
=============================
FSN's coverage of the Miami and Indian Wells events, when even the players weren't able to find regularly-scheduled local coverage of the matches of their upcoming opponents
=============================
Jelena Jankovic's 0-9 career record vs. Justine Henin... unless La Petit Taureau changes her mind
=============================
Meghann Shaughnessy watching Serena Williams go on to win the Hopman Cup with Mardy Fish, then injuring her knee soon afterward and missing the rest of the season
=============================
Lindsay Davenport's breaking-down body
=============================
Nicole Vaidisova's waning desire...
=============================
...especially when it occurred during the same season that Alicia Molik's career met an undeserved early demise
=============================



=ALL BACKSPIN WANTS BY CHRISTMAS 2009=
For Nadia Petrova to begin 2009 with the same verve with which she ended 2008.
=============================
FINALLY... that long-awaited Sharapova vs Vaidisova match.

Yeah, forget about that one. At some point, we all have to grow up and stop wishing for make-believe things... (insert own Sarah Palin/George W. Bush intelligence joke here).
=============================
For Anna-Lena Groenefeld to reclaim her rightful place in the Top 20, which she held until she was so rudely interrupted.
=============================
For success for players with names like Coco, Asia, Noppawan, Apollonia and whichever other great ones comes along.
=============================
For Anna Chakvetadze's bad '08 karma to flip the other way in '09.
=============================
For a season free of trespassing, phony feet/flag controversy and injuries for Sania Mirza.
=============================
For a prononciation key to be provided to ESPN tennis announcers, and for SportsCenter to just drop the act and not show tennis highlights at all if the talking heads are just going to behave like preschool children trying to read a college textbook whenever they have to say the names of match winners.
=============================
For the nine $2 million dollar Premier-level events on the WTA's 2009 schedule to be renamed so that they can effectively replace the old "Tier I" class in the eyes of the public. Otherwise, the casual fan is just going to be too confused to bother telling the difference in importance between the twenty events dubbed "Premier" and the nearly thirty "International" tournaments on the new "Road Map" schedule.
=============================
For the U.S. Open Series to either matter MORE, or matter LESS. I'm not sure how EXACTLY I feel about it. You know, like the top players who usually only put in a token appearance in the Series that's meant to promote the sport and the Open in the U.S.
=============================
For the Road Map to be worth the effort in the long run.
=============================
For less Johnny-come-lately "praise" for Jelena Jankovic, and more guilt-less appreciation for all she IS rather than what she ISN'T. Was Lindsay Davenport constantly disregarded when she finished year-end #1 three times in seasons in which she didn't win a slam? Oh, that's right... she's American, so there wasn't an issue with sports fans not knowing her name because networks were afraid to show a "foreign" player for fear of losing viewers.
=============================
For Queen Chaos to put the issue to rest and come up HUGE on a GRAND stage in 2009.
=============================

"Winning a Grand Slam is being the best for two weeks. Being the No. 1 in the world and finishing No. 1 in the world means that you have been the best player for the whole year. That is a huge, huge difference." - Jelena Jankovic's favorable take on being year-end #1, compared to winning a grand slam title

Somehow, one gets the feeling that her thoughts might "evolve" just a bit were she to actually WIN a slam. To be continued in 2009...


Res Ipsa Loquitur. All for now.



PAST YEARBOOKS: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

2008 SEASON REVIEW EDITIONS OF WTA BACKSPIN:
...Revolving Doors - WTA '09 Guide Preview
...Intriguing Answers, Pt.1
...Intriguing Answers, Pt.2
...The Best of Jankovic 2008
...Regional Honors
...Backspin Awards
...Ms. Backspin
...WTA Yearbook

Read more...

ITF Backspin (Wk.46)- Swarming in San Diego

The season's WTA schedule is in the books, but the ITF circuit plays on. So, for the rest of the year, an abbreviated "ITF Backspin" will appear in this space to highlight the players who are literally working overtime to sure up their games even as the 2009 season gets closer and closer.


ITF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Edina Gallovits/ROU

...a "charter member"of the Romanian swarm that mostly consists of players younger than her twenty-three years, Gallovits is showing the kids how to do it. She claimed her fourteenth career ITF title in winning the $50K San Diego event with wins over Alina Jidkova, Alexa Glatch and Julie Ditty. It's her second $50K championship in two weeks.
=============================
RISERS: Alisa Kleybanova/RUS & Maria Fernanda Alvarez-Teran/BOL
...while all eyes will be on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in '09, Kleybanova might be another Hordette joining her countrywoman as they both move up the rankings. Already #32, thirteen spots ahead of Pavlyuchenkova, 19-year old Kleybanova made a further case for herself by sweeping the singles and doubles in the Minsk $50K. She got wins over Andrea Hlavackova, Tatiana Poutchek and Eva Hrdinova to lock away her tenth career ITF crown. Alvarez-Teran, 19, is one of the few South American teens having success. Bolivia's only player ranked on the WTA computer won the $10K win in Queretaro, Mexico. It was her first title since May, but the fourth of her career.
=============================
SURPRISES: Sandra Soler-Sola/ESP & Tatiana Bua/ARG
...more and more Spanish woman have made headlines over the past year on the WTA tour, and it happened on the ITF circuit this week when 18-year old Soler-Sola (SSS, with a name that Henry Higgins would be proud to use in his teachings) won her second career title (both since September) by taking a $10K in Mallorca. Young Argentine champs are hard to find, but 18-year old Bua became one on Sunday with her first career title in the Santiago $10K.
=============================
VETERAN: Julie Ditty/USA
...the American didn't add to her total of USTA titles in the San Diego $50K, but she reached the singles final against Gallovits after defeating Madison Brengle in the SF.
=============================
FRESH FACES: Katarzyna Piter/POL & Lu Jingjing/CHN
...following in the footsteps of the Radwanskas, 17-year old Piter won a $10K event in Jersey, Great Britain. Meanwhile, 19-year old Lu won her first career ITF crown in a Pune, India $25K tournament, defeating a string of youngsters that included Jade Curtis, Bojana Jovanovski and Melanie South.
=============================


1. San Diego $50K SF - Ditty d. Brengle 6-2/6-3; Gallovits d. Glatch 6-4/6-1
...sure, it would have been a nice boon for the USTA to have an all-American final. But two teenagers in the semis, plus quarterfinals that included Varvara Lepchenko, Angela Haynes and Christina McHale is yet another encouraging sign.
=============================


**2008 TITLES - ROMANIANS**
[ITF]
4...Irina-Camelia Begu
3...Simona Halep
2...Mihaela Buzarnescu
2...Elora Dabija
2...EDINA GALLOVITS
1...Diana Enache
1...Ioana-Raluca Olaru
[WTA]
1...Sorana Cirstea (Tashkent)
[Junior Slams]
1...Simona Halep (Roland Garros)

**MOST CAREER WTA TITLES - ROMANIANS**
12...Virginia Ruzici (1975-85)
4...Irina Spirlea (1994-98)
4...Ruxandra Dragomir (1996-97)


All for now.



THIS WEEK: WTA Yearbook
COMING IN DECEMBER: 2009 Preview Series

Read more...

Ms. Backspin '08: Two of a Kind

Forty-five weeks of tennis action and it's come to this... and, no, I didn't blink at the last moment.

After pondering whether or not it'd be a cop-out to name a duo as 2008's "Ms. Backspin" winners, I ultimately decided that I couldn't do anything but just that. Hey, we get the first African-American President-elect, and now we get a doubles team as players-of-the-year. It's a natural combo, right?

Yeah, maybe not. But I did it anyway.

The truth is that while there are multiple blueprints for determining which individual player's season was best, it's difficult not to squint when calling any of the contenders THE "Player of the Year" for 2008. Four different women won slams. Five were ranked #1. Another won Olympic Gold in singles. The one truly "dominant" player during any stretch of the year did so during the 1st Quarter, then missed the final four months of the season, while the player who put together the best muti-month stretch reached a slam final, but didn't win it. Yet even with all this "parity," the season-ending #1 player holds a huge 844-point lead on #2.

Go figure.

Anyway, at the conclusion of the most difficult-to-judge Race for Ms. Backspin ever (any of the top seven on the list could be put in a hat and pulled out and placed in another spot in the pecking order), here's how I ended up ranking the nominees:



1. Cara Black & Liezel Huber, ZIM/USA

Oh, for the lack of question of 2007, when Justine Henin ran away with the crown. In a season that was highlighted by a LACK of domination, Black & Huber were unquestionably the best doubles team in the women's game. Their ten titles as a duo more than doubled the second-best tour total, the co-#1's lead the next highest-ranked doubles player by 1820 points on the WTA computer, and Black managed to pick up a Mixed championship at the U.S. Open, as well. Their defense of their SEC title this past weekend was a nice period at the end of the sentence, while my Ms. Backspin runner-up's early exit from the WTA Championships Round Robin only served to strengthen Black & Huber's candidacy.

2. Serena Williams, USA
3. Jelena Jankovic, SRB

Even while Venus Williams' late surge moved her up the Ms. Backspin list, you really can't get past these two as the top singles players of 2008. Serena was just 1-2 after winning the U.S. Open, but her no-sets-lost triumph in New York was a shining light of the season (and was something the rest of the field couldn't prevent from becoming reality even after Williams' "look out world" visage after losing the Wimbledon final telegraphed her intentions months in advance). Jankovic, the year-end #1, was the most entertaining and consistent player on tour (again), but her lack of a slam, Olympic or SEC title constructed something of a glass ceiling for her when it came to Ms. Backspin honors. Plus, there's always the hope that 2009 will be her career year, not 2008. The U.S. Open runner-up, even after back-to-back-seasons in the Top 3, still has room to improve.

4. Maria Sharapova, RUS
5. Venus Williams, USA
6. Dinara Safina, RUS

Since it occurred so long ago now, it's easy to forget how dominant Sharapova was at the start of this season. The 18-match winning streak, Australian Open title and first-ever clay court crown was probably the most impressive run by any player all season long, and it needs to be commemorated... even if her shoulder injury prevented her from a final Act to her season. The Summer of Safina might have overtaken Sharapova's as the most dominating run by a player if she'd been able to win a slam, or even the Gold in Beijing (she took Silver). In the end, she ran out of gas in the season's final months, just as Venus caught her second wind. Venus' season was pretty much non-existent, as is often the case, until she won Wimbledon for the fifth time. Olympic doubles Gold and a great Doha charge to take her first SEC title gave her her best season-ending ranking (#6) since 2002 -- and moved her up two or three spots on this list.

7. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
8. Russian Fed Cup Team
9. Elena Dementieva, RUS

In 2009, we'll find out how much AnaIvo learned throughout 2008, which saw her reach #1 and win Roland Garros, but end her season looking for encouragement by winning a Tier II in October after having dropped to #5 in the rankings. The Serb wasn't yet ready to be the top-ranked woman in the sport, and countrywoman Jankovic's ramped-up confidence and professionalism in the intense spotlight stood in stark contrast to Ivanovic's total lack of should-have-been-well-earned boldness under similar circumstances. The Russians won a fourth Fed Cup title in five years, and provided Svetlana Kuznetsova with her one moment of seized opportunity. Dementieva finished a best-ever season-ending #4, with her Olympic Gold Medal-winning moment in Beijing carving out a place as the greatest moment her career will likely ever see.

10. Vera Zvonareva, RUS
11. Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
12. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
HM- Flavia Pennetta, ITA

Zvonareva's run to the SEC final might have finally called her breakout season to the attention of many who'd overlooked it the previous ten-plus months. No player advanced to more finals than Zvonareva's eight, and her Bronze in Beijing might be only scratching the surface of what she could do if she only continues to allow herself to believe that she CAN. A-Rad won three titles on three different surfaces and finished in the Top 10 for the first time, while Wozniacki finally found her groove and won three titles of her own. After making the one year leap from #64 to #12, C-Woz's next stop should be the Top 10 and a deep-into-the-second-week run at a slam. If not... well, she's still the youngest player in the Top 20. Pennetta's extended comeback enabled her to attain a career-high rank, reach her biggest final yet and prove she can beat top players (Venus) multiple times. She'll be looking to become the first-ever Italian Top 10 woman in 2009.

=OTHER NOMINEES=
Spanish Fed Cup Team
Srebotnik/Sugiyama (SLO/JPN)
Ruano-Pascual/Medina-Garrigues (ESP/ESP)
Bondarenko/Bondarenko (UKR/UKR)
Nuria Llagostera-Vives (ESP)
Williams/Williams (USA/USA)
Svetlana Kuznetsova's Fed Cup play (RUS)
Maria Kirilenko (RUS)
Sara Errani (ITA)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
Alize Cornet (FRA)
Anabel Medina-Garrigues (ESP)
Peschke/Stubbs (CZE/AUS)
Lindsay Davenport (USA)
Justine Henin (BEL)

*"Ms. BACKSPIN" WINNERS*
2001 Jennifer Capriati / USA
2002 Serena Williams / USA
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne / BEL
2004 Maria Sharapova / RUS
2005 Kim Clijsters / BEL
2006 Amelie Mauresmo / FRA
2007 Justine Henin / BEL
2008 Cara Black & Liezel Huber / ZIM-USA

2008 Grand Slam Final Backspins:
Australian Open: Day of the Supernova
Roland Garros: Affirmation Ana
Wimbledon: The Mark of Venus
U..S. Open: Destiny's Child



*PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR*

1. Venus Williams wins her fifth Wimbledon title without dropping a set, defeating sister Serena in the final.
=============================
2. Maria Sharapova wins her first Australian Open title without losing a set. Part of Sharapova's eighteen-match winning streak, her Melbourne run included her ending of Justine Henin's own thirty-two match string of victories.
=============================
3. Dinara Safina defeats Justine Henin and Serena Williams in back-to-back matches en route to winning the Tier I in Berlin.
=============================
4. Serena Williams wins her ninth career slam title at the U.S. Open, not dropping a set and knocking off Venus in the QF.
=============================
5. Ana Ivanovic seizes her opportunity at the Henin-less Roland Garros, winning her first slam and moving into the #1 ranking.
=============================
6. Venus Williams defeats four of the Top 5 players in the world (and all the year-end Top 4) to win her first career WTA Championships title.
=============================
7. Elena Dementieva wins Olympic singles Gold in Beijing, leading a Russian sweep of the Medal stand.
=============================
8. Russia wins a fourth Fed Cup title in the last five years.
=============================
9. Dinara Safina is the first woman to ever defeat three different reigning singles #1's (Henin, Sharapova & Jankovic) in the same season.
=============================
10. Jelena Jankovic wins three straight titles in the season's closing weeks, securing the year-end #1 ranking (becoming the first Serbian to ever do so).
=============================
11. Maria Sharapova tears down a career barrier, winning her first-ever clay court title at Amelia Island.
=============================
12. Nuria Llagostera-Vives leads the Spanish Fed Cup team to an upset win over heavily-favored China in Beijing in the FC semifinals.
=============================
13. Dinara Safina wins back-to-back titles and claims the U.S. Open Series.
=============================
14. Justine Henin wins in Antwerp, claiming her first title in her home country since she won her WTA debut at age 16 there in 1999. It turns out to be her last title, as she retired three months later.
=============================
15. Cara Black sweeps the Doubles and Mixed Doubles titles at the U.S. Open.
=============================
HM- Julie Ditty sets all-time USTA event title (singles & doubles) record.
=============================

*MATCHES OF THE YEAR*
1. U.S. Open QF - S.Williams d. V.Williams
...7-6(6)/7-6(7). In a season that produced no TRUE epic match -- especially in a year that saw Nadal vs. Federer at Wimbledon on the men's side -- the top contest turned out to be a case of a very intriguing match that never got to live up to its unlimited potential because it didn't go three sets. Still, the sisters' tense, late-night tangle on Ashe saw Serena outlast Venus, who failed to convert eight set points over the course of two sets.
=============================
2. Roland Garros SF - Ivanovic d. Jankovic
...6-4/3-6/6-4. With the #1 ranking and a spot in the final at stake, AnaIvo won a match that saw momentum swing wildly in all directions. In retrospect, one wonders if the ultimate result would have been the same had Ivanovic known the #1 ranking was on the line. But, in the end, both came out on top. Ivanovic won RG, while Jankovic finished as the year-end #1.
=============================

3. Wimbledon 2nd Rd. - Ivanovic d. Dechy
...6-7/7-6/10-8. The "Kiss of Life." Odd, that a player who let the pressure get to her down the stretch came out on top in two of the best matches of the season. Truth is, though, this match was a warning sign that Ivanovic's facade was cracked and about to crumble. Here she overcame two match points, one on a dribbled net cord shot, in a 3:24 match that should have given her confidence that she could pull out a tough match when she wasn't at her best. The opposite proved to be the case.
=============================
4. Bangalore SF - S.Williams d. V.Williams
...6-3/3-6/7-6. It was the sisters' first meeting since the 2005 U.S. Open, and the tightness of the contest set the stage for their later battles in London and New York.
=============================
5. Australian Open 1st Rd. - Jankovic d. Paszek
...2-6/6-2/12-10. Classic Jankovic, right off the bat. The 3:09 battle was "highlighted" by a 116-minute 3rd set that produced fifteen breaks of serve, injury timeouts for both players and saw Paszek serve for the match five times and hold a match point. If anyone thought Queen Chaos was anything other than a never-say-die battler after this one, they just weren't paying attention.
=============================
6. U.S. Open Final - S.Williams d. Jankovic
...6-4/7-5. Another would-be classic that came up one set short. While many assumed that Serena would breeze to another slam title, Jankovic made her work through quite a bit of rough to earn it. Fulfilling her destiny once again, Serena rose to #1 for the first time since 2003 after the match.
=============================
7. Dubai 2nd Round - Henin d. Srebotnik
...7-5/6-7/6-3. Lest we forget, La Petit Taureau DID create some moments to remember in 2008 before her May retirement. This mini-classic against Srebotnik took three hours and probably goes down as her last best performance.
=============================
8. Stuttgart SF - Jankovic d. V.Williams
...6-7/7-5/6-2. This one had it all. Ricardo Sanchez timing Venus with a stopwatch, a near-collision during a changeover, a missing Snezana, a huge break converted while doing the splits from the baseline and Jankovic daydreaming about a red car to match her shoes. She got the car, along with the #1 ranking.
=============================
9. Roland Garros 1st Rd. - Sharapova d. Rodina
...6-1/3-6/8-6. Not a lot was heard from Rodina the rest of the season, but the Russian made her slam debut a memorable one with a near upset of Sharapova. In windy conditions, Rodina got within two points of making the Supernova the first #1 seed dumped in the 1st Round of RG in forty years. Sharapova survived, until...
=============================
10. Roland Garros 4th Rd. - Safina d. Sharapova
...6-7/7-6/6-2. Sharapova led 7-6/5-2 and held two match points, but Safina began her stunning back-from-the-edge roll to the RG final by fighting back and knocking her countrywoman out of the event for the second straight year.
=============================
11. Wimbledon Final - V.Williams d. S.Williams
...7-5/6-4. SW19 crown #5 came by defeating Serena in a slam final for the first time since the 2001 U.S. Open. The sisters' first Wimbledon Ladies Final meeting in five years turned out to be a table-setter for the rest of the season, as the pair shared the Beijing Doubles Gold, Serena won the Open and Venus took the SEC.
=============================
12. Fed Cup World Group Playoffs - Schiavone (ITA) d. Koryttseva (UKR)
...3-6/7-6/7-5. Schiavone stared down three match points in the Ukrainian's debut Fed Cup appearance, and won by coming up big down the stretch as Koryttseva twice served for the match in the final set. Schiavone won all but a single point the final two games.
=============================
HM- Wimbledon 1st Rd. - Goerges d. Srebotnik
...4-6/7-6/16-14. At 3:40, it was the second-longest women's match ever at Wimbledon.
=============================
HM- Wimbledon 3rd Rd. - Peer d. Safina
...7-6/6-7/8-6. One of the few times Safina was bested during the summer, she still managed to save two match points in the 2nd set. But after going up 5-3 in the 3rd, the Russian Cat finally ran out of lives in the 3:25 match. She ended the match with a double fault, but rebounded well by winning the U.S. Open Series two months later.
=============================



**TEN RANKINGS NOTES OF NOTE**
Maria Sharapova may have finished fourth in the Ms. Backspin rankings, but she ended the year as the fifth highest-ranked Russian. Of course, it should be noted that she managed to end the year at #9 after playing just eleven events. Only three players -- #36 Lindsay Davenport, #238 Shenay Perry and #251 Tatiana Golovin, all with nine -- ranked in the season-ending Top 273 by playing fewer events.
=============================
No South Americans finished in the Top 50.
=============================
Nicole Vaidisova fell out of the Top 40, while Sania Mirza barely missed falling out of the Top 100.
=============================
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 17, is the youngest player in the Top 100 and, at #45, has already cracked the Russian Top 10.
=============================
#124 Michelle Larcher de Brito, 15, is the youngest in the Top 200, while 38-year old Kimiko Date-Krumm (#198) is the oldest.
=============================
2008 is the second consecutive season in which #15 Victoria Azarenka is the highest-ranked player on the WTA computer without a tour singles title to her credit.
=============================
Finally a light at the end of the tunnel? There are three under-20 Americans ranked in the Top 200: #129 Vania King, #165 Alexa Glatch and #177 Melanie Oudin.
=============================
Good, but...? Lucie Safarova won her first singles title since January 2006, but ended up falling thirty-one spots in the year-end rankings. Maria-Emilia Salerni made her first tour final, but her ranking dropped 149 spots over the course of the season. And Karin Knapp also reached her first singles final, but has dropped 29 spots since the end of '07.
=============================
The Rich Stay Rich. In 2007, there were fifteen Russians in the Top 100. At the end of 2008, there are still fifteen... but all of them aren't the same.
=============================
PROGRESS: Eleven players in the Top 20 played more events than Jelena Jankovic's 22. 27 of the Top 50 were active more often.
CONSISTENCY: Jankovic's 18th-best (not counted in the 17 best events tablulated for singles rankings) point total for the season was a 110-pointer. Of all the other players on the WTA computer, only Vera Zvonareva's 70-pointer for her 18th-best result comes close to Jankovic's "not good enough" result. No other player's 18th-best event was worth more than 40 points.
=============================




[based on November 10 end-of-season WTA rankings]

*TOP 20 BY AGE*
[at of end of 2008]
30...Patty Schnyder
28...Venus Williams
27...Katarina Srebotnik
27...Serena Williams
27...Elena Dementieva
26...Flavia Pennetta
26...Nadia Petrova
24...Vera Zvonareva
23...Jelena Jankovic
23...Svetlana Kuznetsova
23...Marion Bartoli
22...Dinara Safina
21...Anna Chakvetadze
21...Maria Sharapova
21...Ana Ivanovic
19...Agnieszka Radwanska
19...Dominika Cibulkova
19...Victoria Azarenka
18...Alize Cornet
18...Caroline Wozniacki

*TOP 20 BY NATION*
7...Russia (Safina, Dementieva, Zvonareva, Kuznetsova, Sharapova, Petrova, Chakvetadze)
2...France (Bartoli, Cornet)
2...Serbia (Jankovic, Ivanovic)
2...United States (Williams,Williams)
1...Belarus (Azarenka)
1...Denmark (Wozniacki)
1...Italy (Pennetta)
1...Poland (Radwanska)
1...Slovakia (Cibulkova)
1...Slovenia (Srebotnik)
1...Switzeralnd (Schnyder)

*TOP 20 BY CAREER TITLES*
39...Venus Williams
32..Serena Williams
19...Maria Sharapova
11...Elena Dementieva
11...Patty Schnyder
9...Jelena Jankovic
9...Dinara Safina
9...Svetlana Kuznetsova
9...Nadia Petrova
8...Ana Ivanovic
7...Vera Zvonareva
7...Anna Chakvetadze
6...Flavia Pennetta
4...Agnieszka Radwanska
4...Katarina Srebotnik
3...Caroline Wozniacki
3...Marion Bartoli
1...Alize Cornet
0...Victoria Azarenka
0...Dominika Cibulkova

*TOP 100 FACTS*
HIGHEST-RANKED PLAYER WITHOUT CAREER TITLE: #15 Victoria Azarenka
-----------------------------
NEXT FIVE HIGHEST-RANKED WITHOUT TITLES: #19 Dominika Cibulkova, #27 Kaia Kanepi, #33 Alisa Kleybanova, #39 Bethanie Mattek, #40 Peng Shuai
-----------------------------
NEW PLAYERS IN THE TOP 100 (since end of '07 season): 34 (there were 33 newbies in 2007)
-----------------------------
FIVE HIGHEST-RANKED NEWBIES: #25 Zheng Jie, #33 Alisa Kleybanova, #34 Aleksandra Wozniak, #35 Tamarine Tanasugarn, #37 Sorana Cirstea
-----------------------------
*SMALLEST 2007-to-2008 RANKINGS CHANGES IN TOP 100*
0...Olga Govortsova (49/49)
1...Ana Ivanovic (4/5)
1...Chan Yung-Jan (67/68)
2...Jelena Jankovic (3/1)
2...Venus Williams (8/6)
2...Patty Schnyder (16/14)
2...Maria Kirilenko (31/29)
2...Yaroslava Shvedova (89/91)
-----------------------------
*COMEBACK RANKINGS OF NOTE*
#77 Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
#150 Sesil Karatantcheva, BUL
#175 Karolina Sprem, CRO
#178 Jelena Dokic, AUS
#186 Elena Bovina, RUS
#198 Kimiko Date-Krumm, JPN
#274 Jamea Jackson, USA
-----------------------------
*NextGen RANKINGS OF NOTE*
#125 Michelle Larcher de Brito, POR
#127 Urszula Radwanska, POL
#140 Jessica Moore, AUS
#165 Alexa Glatch, USA
#177 Melanie Oudin, USA
#188 Arantxa Rus, NED
#203 Lauren Albanese, USA
#225 Madison Brengle, USA
#294 Zhou Yi-Miao, CHN
#350 Tamaryn Hendler, BEL
#352 Simona Halep, ROU
#354 Lenka Jurikova, SVK
#384 Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, THA
#402 Asia Muhammad, USA
#404 Gabriela Paz, VEN
#405 Coco Vandeweghe, USA
#431 Chelsey Gullickson, USA
#443 Kristie Haerim Ahn, USA
#559 Laura Robson, GBR
-----------------------------
*SISTERS*
#2 Serena Williams, #6 Venus Williams
#10 Agnieszka Radwanska, #127 Urszula Radwanska
#32 Alona Bondarenko, #63 Kataryna Bondarenko
#97 Anastasia Rodionova, #285 Arina Rodionova
#155 Carly Gullickson, #431 Chelsey Gullickson
-----------------------------

*TOP 100 BY NATION*
(w/ # in 2007)
15...Russia (15)
11...France (10)
7...Czech Republic (3)
6...Italy (8)
5...Spain (3)
5...United States (10)
4...Slovakia (2)
4...Ukraine (5)
3...Austria (3)
3...China (3)
3...Germany (4)
3...Romania (2)
2...Australia (4)
2...Belarus (3)
2...Kazakhstan (0)
2...Poland (1)
2...Serbia (2)
2..Switzerland (2)
2...Taiwan (1)
1...Argentina (2)
1...Belgium (1)
1...Bulgaria (1)
1...Canada (0)
1...Denmark (1)
1...Estonia (1)
1...Great Britain (0)
1...Hungary (1)
1...India (1)
1...Israel (2)
1...Japan (3)
1...New Zealand (0)
1...Paraguay (0)
1...Slovenia (1)
1...Sweden (0)
1...Thailand (0)
1..Uzbekistan (1)
--
2007 TOP 100, NONE in 2008: Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Venezuela

*REGIONAL RANKINGS*
==RUSSIA==
#3 Dinara Safina
#4 Elena Dementieva
#7 Vera Zvonareva
#8 Svetlana Kuznetsova
#9 Maria Sharapova
#11 Nadia Petrova
#18 Anna Chakvetadze
#29 Maria Kirilenko
#33 Alisa Kleybanova
#45 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
==NON-RUSSIAN EUROPE==
#1 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
#5 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
#10 Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
#12 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
#13 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
#14 Patty Schnyder, SUI
#15 Victoria Azarenka, BLR
#16 Alize Cornet, FRA
#17 Marion Bartoli, FRA
#19 Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
==ASIA/PACIFIC==
#23 Li Na, CHN
#25 Zheng Jie, CHN
#31 Ai Sugiyama, JPN
#35 Tamarine Tanasugarn, THA
#40 Peng Shuai, CHN
#52 Samantha Stosur, AUS
#55 Casey Dellacqua, AUS
#60 Marina Erakovic, NZL
#68 Chan Yung-Jan, TPE
#79 Hsieh Su-Wei, TPE
==SOUTH AMERICA==
#51 Gisela Dulko, ARG
#95 Rossana de los Rios, PAR
#110 Mariana Duque-Marino, COL
#145 Betina Jozani, ARG
#147 Catalina Castano, COL
#171 Soledad Esperon, ARG
#183 Jorgelina Cravero, ARG
#207 Milagros Sequera, VEN
#240 Maria-Emilia Salerni, ARG
#245 Agustina Lepore, ARG
==NORTH AMERICA==
#2 Serena Williams, USA
#6 Venus Williams, USA
#34 Aleksandra Wozniak, CAN
#36 Lindsay Davenport, USA
#39 Bethanie Mattek, USA
#66 Jill Craybas, USA
#120 Julie Ditty, USA
#121 Ashley Harkleroad, USA
#122 Stephanie Dubois, CAN
#125 Varvara Lepchenko, USA
[Mexico #1 - #283 Melissa Torres Sandoval]
==AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST==
#38 Shahar Peer, ISR
#172 Chanelle Scheepers, RSA
#176 Tzipora Obziler, ISR
#235 Natalie Grandin, RSA
#288 Marinne Giraud, MRI
#355 Julia Glushko, ISR
#473 Surina De Beer, RSA
#528 Chen Astrugo, ISR
#539 Keren Shlomo, ISR
#637 Kelly Anderson, RSA

*REVOLUTION CHECKS*
==CHINA==
#23 Li Na
#25 Zheng Jie
#40 Peng Shuai
#117 Yuan Meng
#128 Yan Zi
#212 Zhang Shuai
#247 Lu Jingjing
#260 Han Xinyun
#282 Sun Tiantian
#294 Zhou Yi-Miao
==ROMANIA==
#37 Sorana Cirstea
#47 Monica Niculescu
#84 Edina Gallovits
#126 Ioana Raluca Olaru
#200 Agnes Szatmari
#223 Liana Ungur
#231 Irina Begu
#352 Simona Halep
#385 Alexandra Dulgheru
#386 Mihaela Buzarnescu

*RUSSIAN RESULTS ON THE WTA TOUR*
2001....0 titles, 3 RU, 6 SF
2002....6 titles, 8 RU, 11 SF
2003...11 titles, 4 RU, 20 SF
2004...15 titles, 18 RU, 30 SF
2005....9 titles, 8 RU, 36 SF
2006...19 titles, 15 RU, 30 SF
2007...12 titles, 15 RU, 26 SF
2008...18 titles, 20 RU, 21 SF

*BIGGEST RISES IN THE RANKINGS*
=end of '07 to end of '08=
[in 2008 Top 25]
+138...Zheng Jie (#163 to #25)
+52...Caroline Wozniacki (#64 to #12)
+41...Alize Cornet (#57 to #16)
+33...Dominika Cibulkova (#52 to #19)
+27...Flavia Pennetta (#40 to #13)
+16...Agnieszka Radwanska (#26 to #10)
+16...Vera Zvonareva (#23 to #7)
+15...Victoria Azarenka (#30 to #15)
[2008 Top 26-50]
+236...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (#281 to #45)
+132...Monica Niculescu (#179 to #47)
+119...Carla Suarez-Navarro (#169 to #50)
+117...Alisa Kleybanova (#150 to #33)
+113...Petra Kvitova (#157 to #44)
+96...Aleksandra Wozniak (#130 to #34)
+89...Tamarine Tanasugarn (#124 to #35)
+76...Iveta Benesova (#119 to #43)
[2008 Top 51-100]
+221...Magdalena Rybarikova (#279 to #58)
+183...Sabine Lisicki (#237 to #54)
+152...Yanina Wickmayer (#221 to #69)
+128...Anna-Lena Groenefeld (#205 to #77)
+124...Marta Domachowska (#180 to #56)
+105...Kristina Barrois (#192 to #87)
+104...Julie Coin (#200 to #96)
+101...Marina Erakovic (#161 to #60)

*BIGGEST FALLS IN THE RANKINGS*
=end of '07 to end of '08=
[2007 Top 25]
RETIRED: Justine Henin (#1)
RETIRED: Martina Hingis (#19)
-238...Tatiana Golovin (#13 to #251)
-29...Nicole Vaidisova (#12 to #41)
-21...Shahar Peer (#17 to #38)
-12...Daniela Hantuchova (#9 to #21)
-12...Anna Chakvetadze (#6 to #18)
-10...Alona Bondarenko (#22 to #32)
[2007 Top 26-50]
-587...Meilen Tu (#48 to #635)
-324...Julia Vakulenko (#33 to #357)
-200...Akiko Morigami (#50 to #250)
-185...Michaella Krajicek (#34 to #219)
-106...Eleni Daniilidou (#43 to #149)
-99...Mara Santangelo (#36 to #135)
-93...Emilie Loit (#45 to #138)
-67...Sania Mirza (#32 to #99)
[2007 Top 51-100]
-980...Elena Likhovtseva (#66 to #1046)
-974...Nicole Pratt (#71 to #1045) (ret.-singles)
-785...Meghann Shaughnessy (#53 to #838)
-349...Anne Kremer (#85 to #264)
-309...Laura Granville (#65 to #374)
-253...Alicia Molik (#58 to #311) (ret.)
-215...Andrea Petkovic (#100 to #315)
-184...Tatjana Malek (#88 to #272)
-149...Maria-Emilia Salerni (#91 to #240)
-133...Milagros Sequera (#74 to #207)
-131...Martina Muller (#54 to #185)
-111...Lilia Osterloh (#94 to #205)

*SINGLES & DOUBLES*
(singles/doubles ranks)
=TOP 25 IN BOTH (8)=
Victoria Azarenka (#15/#12)
Anabel Medina-Garrigues (#22/#3)
Flavia Pennetta (#13/#22)
Nadia Petrova (#11/#20)
Dinara Safina (#3/#25)
Katarina Srebotnik (#20/#4)
Venus Williams (#6/#23)
Zheng Jie (#25/#15)
=TOP 50 IN BOTH (+13)=
Iveta Benesova (#43/#35)
Alona Bondarenko (#32/#11)
Sorana Cirstea (#37/#46)
Maria Kirilenko (#29/#24)
Bethanie Mattek (#39/#26)
Monica Niculescu (#47/#36)
Shahar Peer (#38/#19)
Peng Shuai (#40/#27)
Francesca Schiavone (#30/#32)
Ai Sugiyama (#31/#6)
Tamarine Tanasugarn (#35/#47)
Serena Williams (#2/#28)
Vera Zvonareva (#7/#48)

*NATIONS WITH TOP 100 DOUBLES PLAYER, BUT NOT SINGLES*
BOSNIA/HERZEGOVINA: #70 Mervana Jugic-Salkic
LATVIA: #75 Liga Dekmeijere
SOUTH AFRICA: #82 Natalie Grandin
TUNISIA: #69 Selima Sfar
TURKEY: #90 Ipek Senoglu
ZIMBABWE: #1 Cara Black


And, hopefully, I didn't flub up any numbers or figures after all that transcribing.

(crosses fingers)

NEXT WEEK: WTA Yearbook

All for now.



2008 SEASON REVIEW EDITIONS OF WTA BACKSPIN:
...Revolving Doors - WTA '09 Guide Preview
...Intriguing Answers, Pt.1
...Intriguing Answers, Pt.2
...The Best of Jankovic 2008
...Regional Honors
...Backspin Awards
...Ms. Backspin
...WTA Yearbook (next week)

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Wk.45- Finally a "Championships" Kind of Gal

Venus Williams is a five-time winner of "The Championships" at Wimbledon, but before this weekend she'd not only never won a WTA Championships title... but she'd never even reached the season-ending final.

On Sunday in Doha, she took care of that section of her career resume... and then some.

Of course, one of the reasons that Williams had never won a season-ending Championships (SEC) title was because she'd rarely been physically able to play by the time November rolled around. Before this year, she'd pulled out of the event five of the seven times she'd qualified. In 2008, Serena held up the family tradition -- pulling out after two of her three scheduled matches, and a throttling from Venus in the final two sets of their Round Robin meeting -- while Venus carved out a little more for herself.

Venus nearly pulled off the eye-popping feat of knocking off the top four ranked players in the world as she went 5-0 for the week (only Elena Dementieva's #5 ranking, which was bumped up to #4 after the tournament, prevented it). Of course, unlike her Wimbledon ride this summer when she didn't drop a single set, Venus had to work through a bit more troubled waters in Qatar.

In her first match she had to come back from set points down to knock off #2 Dinara Safina, then she had to go three sets four straight times to win the title with victories, in order, over #5 Dementieva, #3 Serena, #1 Jelena Jankovic and then #9 Vera Zvonareva in a 6-7/6-0/6-2 final. After a last half of a season that saw her win Wimbledon, an Olympic Gold and now a SEC title, a little extra work to prove her point will, in retrospect, make the accomplishment even more rewarding, I'd say.

This time around, Venus, on a ten-match winning streak to end her season, ran across the finish line Usain Bolt style (well, almost), rather than limping, stumbling and pulling up lame (you know, John McCain style).

Even at 28, her career looks like it might have quite a few big, bold moments left to savor... and maybe not just at the All-England Club.

*WEEK 45 CHAMPIONS*

DOHA, QATAR (SEC-HO)
S: Venus Williams def. Vera Zvonareva 6-7/6-0/6-2
D: Black/Huber def. Peschke/Stubbs


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Venus Williams/USA
...even though her play was spotty up until the summertime, Venus ended the season with three titles and a year-end ranking of #6, her best since finishing #2 in 2002.
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RISER: Vera Zvonareva/RUS
...I'm not sure how many would have predicted Zvonareva making it all the way to the SEC final a week ago, but there's no question that it was a fitting conclusion to a true breakout year that promises still more for her down the line. Four consecutive wins, including one over recent nemesis Jankovic, put her in her fourth singles final of the 4Q (she advanced to a tour-best eight finals in '08), and second consecutive.
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SURPRISE: Anne Keothavong/GBR
...Laura Robson (more on her in a sec) wasn't the only Brit making tennis news over the weekend. Keothavong, 25, won the biggest title of her career in taking the $100K Krakow event with wins over Vesna Manasieva, Evgeniya Rodina, Maria Elena Camerin and Monica Niculescu.
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VETERANS: Cara Black & Liezel Huber/ZIM-USA
...the world's best doubles team defended their 2007 SEC title, claiming a tenth '08 title as a duo. No players were more dominant in their field than these two were this season.
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FRESH FACE: Edina Gallovits/ROU
...Gallovits has been around a little longer than most of her Romanian countrywomen, so the 23-year old is a charter member of the Swarm. She won a $50K in Auburn with a nice string of wins over Alina Jidkova, Madison Brengle, Irina-Camilia Begu, Varvara Lepchenko and Julie Ditty in a three-set final.
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DOWN: Svetlana Kuznetsova/RUS & Dinara Safina/RUS
...it's been a long (and very successful, at least in Safina's case) season for both, and they met fatigued and unsurprising ends in Doha. Neither won a match, going 0-3 and dropping six of six sets. Even worse for Kuznetsova, it's the second straight SEC she's gone 0-3, stretching her losing streak in the event to eight matches over the last three years.
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ITF PLAYER: Laura Robson/GBR

...look out, here she comes... maybe not as fast as Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, but still impressive. The 14-year old Brit won her first career ITF title in a $10K in Sunderland, making good on her Wimbledon junior title promise. She defeated Samantha Vickers 6-3/6-2 in the final.
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1. SEC SF - V.Williams d. Jankovic
...6-2/2-6/6-3. It met an earlier end than she might have wished, but 2008 will always be a season to cherish for JJ. Well, at least until maybe 2009.
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2. SEC RR Match 8 - V.Williams d. S.Williams
...5-7/6-1/6-0. I guess it's a good thing Venus doesn't take it personally when Serena (1-2 since the U.S. Open) loses and then talks about how she didn't even play like a Top 400 player, huh? Anyway, this one makes the loser of the 1st set in the eighteen-match Williams-vs.-Williams series (tied 9-9) now 2-16.
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3. SEC Doubles F - Black/Huber d. Peschke/Stubbs
...6-1/7-5. And to the victors go the spoils (hint, hint).
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4. SEC Final - V.Williams d. Zvonareva
...6-7/6-0/6-2. Hopefully, Vera won't spend too much time in the offseason dwelling on the final two sets, and will instead focus on her sterling Doha play prior to that (including erasing Venus' 1st set lead and 5-1 bulge in the opening set tie-break).
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5. SEC RR Match 3 - V.Williams d. Safina
...7-5/6-3. Venus opened up by overcoming a 5-2 deficit and set points, setting the tone for the week for both players.
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6. SEC RR Match 2 - Jankovic d. Ivanovic
...6-3/6-4. AnaIvo was 6-1 vs. Jankovic before this match.
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7. SEC RR Match 4 - Zvonareva d. Ivanovic
...6-3/6-7/6-4. AnaIvo was 3-0 vs. Zvonareva before this match. After losing and having breathing difficulties during the match, she ended her season without playing her third Round Robin contest.
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8. SEC RR Match 10 - Zvonareva d. Jankovic
...2-6/6-3/6-4. How important was this match? Well, it kept Zvonareva from having to play Venus in the SF.
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9. SEC RR Match 12 - A.Radwanska d. Kuznetsova
...6-2/7-5. To add insult to injury, Kuznetsova's third loss was to a player who was an alternate and wasn't even supposed to be playing at all. Good for A-Rad, though.
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10. SEC RR Match 11 - Dementieva d. Petrova
...6-4/4-6/6-4 Nadia ended up getting an encore match to her Quebec City title when she was a last minute sub for Serena. She almost pulled another one out of her tennis bag, too. She HAS to be itching to begin the 2009 season.
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**MOST CONSECUTIVE 2008 TITLES**
3...Serena Williams (March-April)
3...Jelena Jankovic (September-October)
2...Maria Sharapova (January-February)
2...Sara Errani (July)
2...Dinara Safina (July/August)
2...VENUS WILLIAMS (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER)

*VENUS vs. SERENA*
[series tied 9-9; Serena 1 walkover win]
98 Aust.Open 2nd - Venus 7-6,6-1
98 Rome QF - Venus 6-4,6-2
99 Miami F - Venus 6-1,4-6,6-4
99 Grand Slam Cup F - Serena 6-1,3-6,6-4
00 Wimbledon SF - Venus 6-2,7-6
01 Ind.Wells SF - Serena walkover
01 US Open F - Venus 6-2,6-4
02 Miami SF - Serena 6-2,6-2
02 R.Garros F - Serena 7-5,6-3
02 Wimbledon F - Serena 7-6,6-3
02 US Open F - Serena 6-3,6-4
03 Aust.Open F - Serena 7-6,3-6,6-4
03 Wimbledon F - Serena 4-6,6-4,6-2
05 Miami QF - Venus 6-1,7-6
05 US Open 4th - Venus 7-6,6-2
08 Bangalore SF - Serena 6-3,3-6,7-6
08 Wimbledon F - Venus 7-5,6-4
08 US Open QF - Serena 7-6,7-6
08 WTA Chsp. RR - Venus 5-7/6-1/6-0

*IVANOVIC vs. JANKOVIC*
[Ivanovic leads 6-2; Ivanovic 1 walkover win]
05 Zurich 3rd - Ivanovic 6-2/6-1
06 L.A. QF - Jankovic 6-4/7-6
06 Montreal 3rd - Ivanovic walkover
07 Tokyo QF - Ivanovic 3-6/6-4/6-2
07 A.Island QF - Ivanovic 7-5/6-3
07 L.A. SF - Ivanovic 4-6/6-3/7-5 (JJ had 2 MP)
08 Ind.Wells SF - Ivanovic 7-6/6-3
08 Roland Garros SF - Ivanovic 6-4/3-6/6-4
08 WTA Chsp. RR - Jankovic 6-3/6-4

**ALL-TIME WTA SINGLES TITLES**
167...Martina Navratilova
154...Chris Evert
107...Steffi Graf
92...Margaret Smith-Court
68...Evonne Goolagong-Cawley
67...Billie Jean King
55...Lindsay Davenport
55...Virginia Wade
53...Monica Seles
43...Martina Hingis
41...Justine Henin
39...VENUS WILLIAMS

**MOST 2008 WTA FINALS**
8...VERA ZVONAREVA (2-5 +L)
7...Dinara Safina (4-3)
6...Jelena Jankovic (4-2)

**UNDEFEATED - MULTIPLE '08 FINALS**
3-0...VENUS WILLIAMS
3-0...Maria Sharapova
3-0...Agnieszka Radwanska
3-0...Maria Kirilenko
2-0...Sara Errani
2-0...Lindsay Davenport
2-0...Justine Henin

**MOST 2008 WTA SF**
12...JELENA JANKOVIC (5-6 +W)
12...ELENA DEMENTIEVA (5-7)
11...VERA ZVONAREVA (8-3)
9...Dinara Safina (7-2)

**SEASON-ENDING #1's - SEASON RECORDS**
[since 2001]
2001...Lindsay Davenport (62-9)
2002...Serena Williams (56-5)
2003...Justine Henin-Hardenne (75-11)
2004...Lindsay Davenport (63-9)
2005...Lindsay Davenport (60-10)
2006...Justine Henin-Hardenne (60-8)
2007...Justine Henin (63-4)
2008...JELENA JANKOVIC (65-19)

**2008 WINS OVER #1 PLAYER**
JAN - #5 Sharapova d. Henin (Aust. QF)
FEB - #24 Schiavone d. Henin (Dubai QF)
APR - #8 S.Williams d. Henin (Miami QF)
MAY - #17 Safina d. Henin (Berlin 3rd)
JUN - #14 Safina d. Sharapova (RG 4th)
JUN - #133 Zheng d. Ivanovic (Wimb 3rd)
JUL - #94 Paszek d. Ivanovic (Montreal 3rd)
AUG - #6 Safina d. Jankovic (Olympics QF)
AUG - #188 Coin d. Ivanovic (US 2nd)
OCT - #30 Li d. S.Williams (Stuttgart 2nd)
OCT - #17 Pennetta d. Jankovic (Zurich 2nd)
NOV - #9 Zvonareva d. Jankovic (SEC rr)
NOV - #8 V.Williams d. Jankovic (SEC rr)




**WEEKLY CHAMPION PICKS STATS**
2001...15/49 (.306)
2002...17/67 (.254)
2003...25/64 (.391)
2004...27/64 (.422)
2005...22/67 (.328)
2006...14/64 (.219)
2007...20/64 (.313)
2008...21/67 (.313)

**2008 BATTLE ROYALE STATS**
Round of16: Pierre Cantin 81-77
QF: Backspin 80-76
SF: Backspin 46-45
F: Backspin 20-19
W: Backspin 11-6

...aha, I get revenge on Pierre for his thorough pasting of me in the Royale last season. Royale 2009 awaits!


TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY: Ms. Backspin (with "Top Performance," "Match of the Year," and rankings lists)

NEXT WEEK: WTA Yearbook


All for now.



2008 SEASON REVIEW EDITIONS OF WTA BACKSPIN:
...Revolving Doors - WTA '09 Guide Preview
...Intriguing Answers, Pt.1
...Intriguing Answers, Pt.2
...The Best of Jankovic 2008
...Regional Honors
...Backspin Awards
...Ms. Backspin (this week)
...WTA Yearbook (next week)

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