ITF Backspin (Wk.52)- And a Pinch for Good Luck

What's that sound? Why it's the 2009 WTA season knocking on the door.

But there was one final Czech to cash in India before wrapping up the 2008 campaign.


ITF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sandra Zahlavova/CZE
...the 23-year old Czech Maiden was crowned the final champion of 2008 with her taking of the final ITF event of the year, a $50K event in New Dehli. Zahlavova's first '08 title, and fifth of her career, came with a victory in the final over Serbian teen Bojana Jovanovski. Zahlavova is now comfortably ranked inside the Top 200.
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FRESH FACE: Bojana Jovanovski/SRB
...while Jelena and Ana make noise at the top of the rankings, recent junior Jovanovski continues to make strides further down the line. She'll only turn 17 on December 31st, but Jovanovski had already grabbed three ITF singles crowns in '08 before this past week in New Dehli, where she upset top seeded Masa Zec-Peskiric on her way to a spot in the final. In her first partial season on the WTA tour, the Serb has already gotten her ranking into the Top 300 (and has actually jumped about 200 spots thanks to her ITF work since the WTA season came to a close with her season-ending ranking at #561).
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VETERANS: Kimiko Date-Krumm/JPN & Mirjana Lucic/CRO

...it'll be like old home week in Auckland in Week 1, as both these veterans will continue their comebacks with appearances in the main draw. It'll be 38-year old Date-Krumm's first action outside of Japan since she returned to the court after a dozen years away in '08, and the awarding of a wild card to former star Lucic means the one-time Wimbledon semifinalist (1999... when she and Alexandra Stevenson were in the SF, and Jelena Dokic reached the QF -- obviously, something was in the Barley water that year) will continue to try to recapture some of the potential magic her career once held (she won in her WTA debut in Bol in '97) before everything was derailed by rather serious familial discord a while back. Lucic was 26-21 in 2008, but hasn't played a main draw slam match since 2002.
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1. New Dehli $50K Final - Zahlavova d. Jovanovski
...6-4/6-3. One final 2008 champion. Now, let the 2009 games begin!
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**2008 CZECH CHAMPIONS**
[WTA]
1...Lucie Safarova (Forest Hills)
[ITF]
3...Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova
2...Petra Cetkovska
1...Iveta Benesova
1...Simona Dobra
1...Tereza Hladikova
1...Lucie Hradecka
1...Katerina Kramperova
1...Lucie Kriegsmannova
1...Petra Kvitova
1...Zuzana Ondraskova
1...Karolina Pliskova
1...Darina Sedenkova
1...Katerina Vankova
1...Sandra Zahlavova

All for now.

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BV '09 (#5-7): Splitting Hairs... and picks

At our last meeting, Pierre went with some new Top 10 young blood, while I went with more well-worn options in our #7-10 picks for the 2009 season.

Oh, and we agreed that Vera Zvonareva would settle somewhere in that area, too (which probaby means she'll either do far better, or far worse, than that, of course.)

In Part Two, we enter the area of the predictions where potential slam champions/finalists start to emerge, but maybe not necessarily players we think might contend for #1.

Now, while I have my own picks, I also tend to try to figure out Pierre's picks before I see them. That being the case, looking at the players we mentioned last time (and our early slam final picks in the "Prediction Blowout") I'm thinking we might have the same three players in this section of our Top 10's, or at least two of the three. (Hmmm... I'm not sure predicting predictions is a good thing to do -- but I'm feeling it on this one.)

Let's see if I'm right.



Todd = gold
Pierre = green

TODD SPIKER: Well, since I'VE already sent Nadia Petrova's season down the wrong path, let's see on whom YOU can inflict some early pain this time around, okay?

PIERRE CANTIN: Don't try to throw the blame. I think that bringing up Nadia's name is not a good argument for you. I'm certainly not the one who's been cursing her, right?

TS: I'll remember that when it comes to placing "blame" when we BOTH put the hex on a player. Well, I went first last time, so you walk the plank... err, I mean present your picks first this time. Let's see if you've got the same three players at #5-7 as I do.

5. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
6. Dinara Safina, RUS
7. Venus Williams, USA

TS: That's a little scary. I was actually RIGHT. Those ARE the same three -- in a different order -- that I have, too. So I'll go ahead and get my picks out of the way.

5. Dinara Safina, RUS
6. Venus Williams, USA
7. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN

TS: Weird, huh?

PC: Hmmm, that cannot be a good sign, no doubt. And yes, it's scary that we have the same players, very scary. But that you actually predicted it... that is crazy, really.

TS: I thought MAYBE you'd have Safina a little higher, but you held back on her, too. So, C-Woz is your highest newcomer.

PC: Yes, Caroline is one of the most talented players to jump in for a very long time. She had a fabulous 2008 season even with her bad draws. She earned every one of her big performances and I think a lot more will come in 2009.

If you'd told me that you had Caroline at #5 or better, I'd been shocked, in dismay and very disapointed. She is my "surprise" pick of the year, and I think she will continue to improve at an incredible pace this season.

TS: If she'd done a little better against the top players last year, I might have bumped her up a spot or two, I guess.

PC: She did not have great draws in 2008 because of her ranking but if you look at her losses from mid-May, in Tier 1's and slams, her losses came to Sharapova, Ivanovic, Jankovic (2 times), Dementieva(Olympics) and Petrova... not really what you'd expect and she did not make much of a story. But as her ranking improves, I think she has tremendous potential.

TS: While her fellow "in-waiting" Star of the Future Victoria Azarenka hasn't proven she can string together victories and win titles, Wozniacki finally did it last season (three times, actually). It was only two seasons ago that she won a junior Wimbledon title and was girls RU at Australia, and I think if any player is going to produce a bombshell, out of "nowhere" slam run in '09 it might just be C-Woz. Maybe even next month in Melbourne, when many of the top players might not quite be in top form yet.

PC: Yeah, you see I would give her more of a shot at the US Open. I see your argument, but I think she'll be improving with every event and that will mean trouble when the summer comes around.

TS: She's still looking for that first major event victory over a "big name" that will kick-start the next phase of her career and ramp up expectations, not to mention bring on the media spotlight and the role of the "next blond teenager" who'll be watched like a hawk. Nicole Vaidisova hasn't faired too well in that neighborhood. Hopefully, C-Woz will be different. Maybe growing up in Denmark with a very athletic family background, rather than doing so mostly in Florida, will be a good thing when it comes to not letting things go to her head.

PC: Yeah, she seems to be very strong mentally and maybe not on as much of a roller coaster as a lot of the others (Zvonareva being the prime example, but there are many others).

TS: Again, as with Zvonareva, Dementieva and Petrova last time, I've got the Russian ranked higher than you. Though not by much.

PC: Wow. Dinara, I think she was the best player in the world for a good portion of the summer in 2008 and did not slow up much even in the later months of the season. She is solid on all surfaces and certainly could do A LOT of damage in 2009. I guess this is a prediction based on beliefs and while I think she will continue to play well and cause many upsets, there are just a few of those matches that she will not be able to pull in, and she will come up short.

TS: Yeah, while she played so well from the clay season on, she was within a few points from never having those runs happen. Now, growing confidence will probably make those back-from-match-point-down victories less necessary, but it's hard to TOTALLY overlook the Safin family genes and think that she won't have at least a few fits of disbelief and frustration over the course of a full season. That said, I could see her winning the Australian Open next month. If she did it, it'd be hard to NOT see her getting to #1 at some point before Roland Garros.

PC: Wow, you see, while that is possible, I had not even considered it a possibility when doing my picks. Quote me on this, I'll say you are a genius if it happens and she becomes #1. ;) (Even though it's not your "official prediction.)

TS: Ha. Still, at this point, I'm not picking her to win a slam in '09. Maybe 2010.

PC: Don't see why she would do it more in 2010 than 2009. I'd say now or never for Dinara.

TS: I'd like to see her get a FULL season of consistent results and an "emotional medium" before I'd say she was "destined" to win a slam. Then again, being a Safin, maybe a quick flash would be her best shot. But she might have already experienced that last season in Paris, and came up short.

And now we arrive at the first Williams chapter in our story. As usual, it's usually more fun to just sit back and watch it all rather than try to predict what'll happen. Except for Venus at Wimbledon, it's usually a loser's bet.

PC: Venus and Serena are always the toughest players to predict in my opinion. Generally I have been putting Serena in front simply because she seems to play better all around, but all of those Wimbledon points have been making me wrong over the years and I really considered picking Venus higher up but finally decided to put a wild bet on a "more healthy" season by Serena.

TS: I felt pretty good about Venus last year. I had her at #2, and she did end up with her best ranking since 2002. (Of course, I predicted Serena quite a bit lower and she finished #2.) She'll be the favorite at Wimbledon anyway, but her first career SEC title might be a sign that she could still win a big title somewhere other than London. Though, interestingly enough, she hasn't reached a non-SW19 slam final since 2003.

PC: Venus will have her great moments but will not be playing much again and will have a tougher time on clay than her sister. She could very much do a lot better and even #1 is within reach..... but I just do not see how I could predict that happening.

TS: Did you realize that Venus was only #1 for eleven weeks in her career, and not since 2002? Jankovic has been ranked #1 longer in her career than Williams. Even when Venus was at the very top, she never held the top ranking for longer than one month. I guess she's always been built for 100m, but not marathons.

PC: Very interesting stat. You always get that impression but would not have thought it was that obvious from stats.

TS: Of course, maybe that's why it looks like her body and focus is going to allow her to outlast her sister in the long run. I'm liking the scenario of that "What If" I did last year more and more all the time. Bring on 2015! Ha.

PC: Hahaha. That is way too long term for me at this point. ;) Who knows if one of them will even have interest a few years from now. :)

TS: Well, at least Venus has said she wants to play at the next Olympics (the tennis is at the All-England Club), and maybe the 2016 Games, too. At this point, I'll take her word for it.

Hmmm, let's see. This means we both have another Williams, two Serbs and a Russian that we haven't picked yet. I have a feeling we're going to end another player's season before it begins by both picking her #1. Since I'm taking "credit" for Nadia, you'll have to bear the brunt of that one.

PC: I'm still trying to believe we will have different picks at the top, but maybe I'm just bad at predicting predictions?

TS: Maybe I should just put all our Top 10ers' names in a hat and pick them out in order to get an "alternate" Top 10. In fact, I'll do that and see how it compares to our "well thought out" predictions next time.

PC: Haha, yeah. I'm not sure I want to see that result. Kind of afraid we could both be taken out by the random Top 10. :)

TS: Or it'll have the same #1 that we both do, and we'll have somone (something?) else to blame when things go wrong. After all, we'll have to come up with SOME explanation when the time comes, and the tennis authorities are knocking on the door, demanding to know the REAL truth, right?

All for now.



2009 PREVIEW SERIES:
...All-Decade Nominations
...Most Intriguing Question
...ATP Top 10 Picks
...Prediction Blowout
...Volley #8-10
...Volley #5-7
...Intriguing 75: Region-by-Region
...Volley #1-4
...What If?
...1st Qtr. Preview
...Week 1 Picks

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ITF Backspin (Wk.51)- The Early Bird Gets the Wild Card

The calendar says it's still 2008, but 2009 actually started lasted week in Australia.


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jelena Dokic/AUS
...the 25-year old Ex-Debutante got her '09 season off to a good start by winning Tennis Australia's wild card playoff tournament to earn a place in next month's Australian Open main draw. It's the second time she's won the tournament in the last four years (she also won the playoff for the '06 Australian), but hopefully this time it'll help provide a solid base for the continuation of her comeback. Winning five of her six matches during the week, Dokic avenged her Round Round loss to teenager Monika Wejnert by coming back from a set down in the tournament final to defeat her to claim the spot. Dokic worked her way back into the Top 200 this past season with some good work on the challenger circuit. In 2009, she'll be looking to find at least a portion of her old WTA tour success and break back into the Top 100 or 50. If she can stay healthy and maintain her composure (she SOUNDS more mature, but she's always sounded that way during her career, only to often slide back down the proverbial maturity mountain once the you-know-what starts to hit the fan), she might just be a good bet to do it. As always with the Original Jelena, it's best to have low expectations... and hope to be pleasantly surprised.
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RISERS: Vitalia Diatchenko/RUS & Urszula Radwanska/POL

U-Rad (l) and Diatchenko (r)
...going into the $75K Dubai ITF event last week, the pre-tournament headliners were 2008 circuit title-leader Masa Zec-Peskiric and Urszula Radwanska. As it turned out, 18-year old Russian Diatchenko, went through BOTH of them to win the tournament. With a victory that made her the latest Hordette to reach the Top 200 (#196), Diatchenko wiped out Zec-Peskiric 6-0/7-6 in the 1st Round, then proceeded to upset Anika Kapros, Kira Nagy and Kristina Kucova (in three sets) before going the distance with Radwanska in a 7-5/2-6/7-5 final. It's her second career ITF title. U-Rad didn't win, but one would think that this will be a good result to help gain some momentum for the start of the '09 season.
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SURPRISES: The Australian Teenagers
...veteran Dokic won the AO wild card playoff, but the new crop of teenaged Sheila's had a very good week. Brittany Sheed, 17, notched wins over Jessica Moore and Olivia Rogowska en route to the QF. Meanwhile, the semifinals included Emelyn Starr, 19, and Isabella Holland, 16. But the biggest star of the bunch was...
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FRESH FACE: Monika Wejnert/AUS
...not a bad few months for the 16-year old. Since September, Wejnert's gone 10-1 in ITF action, winning her first career circuit singles title in Perth. Then, in the AO wild card playoff, she handed Dokic her only loss (in the Round Robin) and battled all the way to the tournament final, where she took the first set from Dokic in their rematch before the veteran's experience finally won out in the end. While Dokic now finds herself on the opposite end of the age equation than the one she did back when she broke onto the scene in the late 1990's/early 2000's, Wejnert is at the beginning of something that might bear some watching.
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VETERAN: Lindsay Davenport/USA
...no, she didn't play. And she won't be doing so for a while, if ever again on tour. But Davenport, who'd only just shown her "ummm, maybe I'm NOT retiring, after all" hand a week early by entering next month's Australian Open, pulled out after announcing that she was pregnant with her second little rug rat... err, I mean child. If this is how her career ends, then farewell LD and thanks for the memories. Hmmm, but why do I wonder if we've REALLY seen the last of her?
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1. Australian Open Wild Card Playoff Final (AUS) - Jelena Dokic d. Monika Wejnert
...6-7/7-5/6-3. Has Dokic finally found the right formula for putting her past behind her?
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2. Australian Open Wild Card Playoff Final (USA) - Christina McHale d. Gail Brodsky

juniortennis.com
...6-1/6-0. The 16-year old won the American contest for the main draw wild card for Oz, building on her junior Orange Bowl success.
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**2008 GIRLS TOP 20**
1. Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, THA
2. Arantxa Rus, NED
3. Simona Halep, ROU
4. Elena Bogdan, ROU
5. Laura Robson, GBR
6. Ana Bogdan, ROU
7. Kurumi Nara, JPN
8. Melanie Oudin, USA
9. Bojana Jovanovski, SRB
10. Lauren Embree, USA
11. Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
12. Jessy Rompies, INA
13. Sandra Roma, SWE
14. Aki Yamasoto, JPN
15. Lesley Kerkhove, NED
16. Ajila Tomljanovic, CRO
17. Cindy Chala, FRA
18. Viktoria Kamenskaya, RUS
19. Polona Hercog, SLO
20. Timea Babos, HUN


All for now.

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BV '09 (#8-10): Of Warhorses and New Blood

Well, here we go again.

As we so recently were reminded, every season is different. But as Tennisrulz Head Honcho Pierre Cantin and I begin a three-part Volley in which we predict the year-end Top 10 for the upcoming 2009 season, some overly familiar things are sure to come about:

1) Pierre will chide me for adhering to the "half-full" rather than "half-empty" glass theory when it comes to one Nadia Petrova.

2) Pierre will pick another Russian -- not Nadia, but at least one of the other Hordettes -- higher than me, at which point I will see fit to make a sly reference to his "Russian bias" living on, even with Czarina Myskina safely nestled in retirement.

3) and, at some stage, we'll actually agree on something, an occurence which will cause red flags to fly and loud buzzers to go off everywhere around the HQ's of both T-rulz and Backspin, alerting us to the rock-solid fact that whatever we agreed upon will most definitely NOT happen in 2009. In fact, something awful will more than likely befall the player in question. (I mean, Svetlana is still feeling the effects of the original "Kuznetsova Curse" fuse that we accidentally lit back in 2005.)

So, a year after we brilliantly surmised that Jelena Jankovic would finish #10 (Pierre) and Agnes Szavay would surge into the Top 10 (me), we march forward with blinders in place. (Being fair, we did combine to predict all four slam winners and Fed Cup champions for '08 last pre-season, so we do SOMETIMES know what we're talking about.)

Will we end another player's potentially successful season before it even begins? Or should I say, WHICH player will be the unlucky one who garners both our support? I don't know who Pierre is planning on choosing as his 2009 #1, but I've got a little voice in the back of my head telling me that we're going to pick the same person. Of course, maybe I'm just being paranoid and am preparing for the worst.

Well, it's time to begin the process of finding out:



Todd = gold
Pierre = green

TODD SPIKER: Well, we're back to cause havoc and chaos for a few of the best players on the WTA tour once again. (And no, I'm not making an under-the-radar Jankovic reference when I mention "chaos.') Are you already feeling guilty?

PIERRE CANTIN: Hmmm, I'm actually predicting that this time around, you will be alone in giving that "unlucky" touch. I'm feeling very good about my picks and think that you will struggle to match me in 2009... but we'll see, right?

TS: So you're predicting that your predictions will be better. Isn't that a big no-no, like a double negative or something? Oh, well. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Looks like I'm going first.

8. Vera Zvonareva, RUS
9. Elena Dementieva, RUS
10. Nadia Petrova, RUS

TS: I guess I'd call this the "Russian grab bag" portion of my predictions. These are the three I chose to round out the Top 10, but they could just as easily be changed out with countrywomen Anna Chakvetadze or Svetlana Kuznetsova... and, if you wanted to walk way out on the limb, maybe even Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who'll play her first full pro season in '09 after following up the most dominating junior career since that of Martina Hingis with a very impressive back half of the season in '08 (hey, Caroline Wozniacki went from #64 to #12 last season, and Anastasia is only #45... so it COULD happen).

PC: Vera has seen moments of brilliance and will probably see some more in 2009, so you'll soon see that she barely makes my Top 10. Overall I think Vera will have a good year, but the competition is very fierce for the top 10 in 2009.

TS: Of course, Zvonareva could be even higher than #8, but like so many players she could go either way. It'll depend on how much she learned from her career season and whether she might allow any early-season disappointments to derail all the progress she's made over the past year or so. Her expectations will surely be higher than ever, so she could get even more frustrated than in the past should she get off to a bad start. The way she reacted (literally crumbling to the court at strange times) while losing the SEC final to Venus Williams made me worry, if only a little.

I always enter the season thinking that THIS will be the year that Dementieva finally "pulls a Schnyder" and settles in the #11-18 range for the rest of her career. But she always manages to have two or three spectacular weeks spread out over the course of the year that help her maintain a Top 10 ranking. Last year, she won the Olympics and finished way up at #4 as several of her fellow Russians suffered setbacks and slipped behind her. I kept her in the Top 10 this time, but I do wonder if she might have a bit of a letdown after winning Beijing, since it'll probably end up being her career-best moment.

PC: I agree with your statement about Dementieva but I think the step to the Top 10 will just be higher this year so those few great moments of Dementieva will not be enough.

TS: All right, go ahead and make a comment about my #10 pick, then I'll explain.

PC: Todd, you will never learn, will you? Year after year you have been predicting Nadia Petrova's stride to the top of the game, and after finally learning your lesson in 2008, you make the mistake again. The assumptions are just too improbable in my opinion. You are putting her there based on her talent, but with Nadia so much more comes into it.

TS: Yep, Petrova is back in my Top 10, with a bit of a wink. She's the ol' Backspin prediction warhorse, although even I let go last year and didn't pick Nadia to finish so high. She eventually pulled out of her funk in '08, turned around her game and attitude and finished #11, though. So I'm giving her my #10 spot, maybe or maybe not for old times sake, hedging my bets that she'll be able to get through another season relatively injury-free (even if I'm highly doubtful she'll stay off the trainer's table).

[Editor's Note: Petrova has contracted viral meningitis and will miss the start of the season, possibly including the Australian Open]

PC: Hmmm, well she was in a hospital and already withdrew from a first week event, but at least she seems to be recovering well, and I'd certainly never wish her any bad luck even though it makes my predictions more on the spot every time..

TS: Yeah, well, thankfully, she got off to a slow start last year so missing time at the beginning of '09 shouldn't hurt her too much, as long as symtoms don't linger and she's fatigued all season.

We usually only have about six of the Top 10 right, so I figured I'd use one spot as a "personal plea." I'll feel good for having faith if she doesn't pull it off, and elated if she does. It's a no-lose situation. For me, anyway. Ha.

I don' t think you'd pick her in your Top 10 even if you really thought she'd finish there, would you? Be honest, now. :)

PC: It's easy since I don't think she will... but yes, I would have a hard time. Of course, by the time that would happen, you'd probably see her as the next #1... so I could still get on you.

TS: For Nadia, modest success is as good as golden at this point.

All right then, let's see your stabs in the dark... err, I mean your predictions.

PC: Stabs in the dark, hey? Will you let me quote you on that in the next few months? Haha.

TS: Sure, as long as I can "remind" you of your overconfidence. You know, like the kind you displayed with your "Davenport as #3 in the world" prediction last year.

8. Victoria Azarenka, BLR
9. Alize Cornet, FRA
10. Vera Zvonareva, RUS

TS: Ah, some new Top 10 blood.

PC: It's oh so difficult to know what will be happening to Vera and god knows I could easily predict she will be in the Top 5 or even potentially outside of the Top 10. As you mentioned, her SEC performance in Doha was a good example of the best and the worst of Vera. Of course, the worst came in the final, after a very impressive performance, but history has shown that Vera is capable of such breakdowns in any match, making it very difficult for her to get into big winning streaks to win a major for example.

TS: Of course, we both might have said the same thing about Jankovic a year ago.

PC: Yes, absolutely but I think if we had known the injuries and problems of the top players, we could have maybe seen it a bit more coming. She is probably the most consistent top player and plays more than anyone else... not sure I'd consider Vera consistent no matter how you are rating that criteria.

TS: Yeah, if we'd known that Henin would retire two weeks before Roland Garros, a WHOLE LOT of opinions on the season would have been different. Who knows what the "landscape changer" will be in '09?

I see you're looking for a big leap from the Pastry, who showed some real fighting spirit at times last year.

PC: One of my favourite players, Alize Cornet gives her all each time she steps on the court but has been a bit inconsistent. But given her age, it's still possible to blame inexperience for that. Of course, she is small, lacks a bit of power and does not have huge weapons. But I think she will challenge for the top this year and will make 1 or 2 grand slam quarterfinals!

TS: Hmmm... you're sort of taking up my '08 role this season. A year ago, I put some new young players at the bottom of my Top 10, then saw Agnes Szavay and Shahar Peer's rankings take a nosedive. I'm playing it a little safer this season, but you're taking bigger chances. Hope you're not subjecting them to the "you-know-what."

PC: Yes, for sure it is a risk and I thought long and hard about putting her name in there. It might be as much that I like her game and a vote of confidence than anything else, but she has such a fighting spirit, I think she can make it happen.

TS: Cornet has to improve her results in non-clay events, while Azarenka needs to figure out a way to win a title. I'm sure both will do just that in 2009, but everyone else is improving, too. I know you've been predicting big things for Azarenka at slams for the last couple of season. It'll surely happen at some point, and maybe even this season.

PC: Azarenka has it all: power, consistency, a solid return. She has a bit of a weakness on her serve, but even more of a problem is her mental inconsistency. Less of a problem than Zvonareva, but it's still a bit similar in that she can almost lose her focus entirely during a match... but she's been improving very very fast and will continue her road towards the top of the game.

TS: Yeah, I think we've all been waiting for a few seasons for both C-Woz and Azarenka to make the big move. Wozniacki learned how to win in '08, and now it's Azarenka's turn. Just because it's sometimes difficult for a young player to get over that hump, I didn't pick her in my Top 10. She was my last player dropped, I'd say.

PC: I think you'll regret making that pick. I can easily imagine someone you could have taken off your list to give her a spot (hint: NP)

TS: Since she still hasn't won a singles title, I found an excuse. Chakvetadze at #10 might have been a "safer" selection on my part (she was right there with Azarenka on my list).

Hmmm, so far there aren't any really BIG surprises in our picks. Although, the way Zvonareva ended the season in such good form, it's sort of interesting that we both put her at or near the bottom of our Top 10's. I actually thought you'd have her higher. You know, with the "bias" and all. Ha.

PC: Haha, I guess we both like to think we see things in such different ways, but maybe not as much as we'd think, hey?

TS: That might end up being bad news for someone, too.

Well, things should begin to get interesting next time when we pick our #5-7 players. Surely some big names will show up there.

PC: And some big surprises, as there have been in most years (remember when I did not include Kim Clijsters in my Top 10?).

TS: Wasn't that the season she ended up retiring and disappearing from the rankings, too? I'm still not sure if that was good prognostication on your part, or pure luck. Ha.

PC: Good prognostication, of course.

TS: Before we go, let's take a quick look at our "Second 10" players who just missed out on our Top 10's, as well as the other players we had under consideration.



=TODD's Second 10=
Victoria Azarenka
Anna Chakvetadze
Dominika Cibulkova
Alize Cornet
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Daniela Hantuchova
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Flavia Pennetta
Agnieszka Radwanska

TS: There are all sorts of what if's and maybe's here. A calm offseason might propel Chakvetadze back up the rankings, while Kuznetsova's new coaching setup MUST help her re-learn how to close out tournaments or she's going to go down as the biggest post-slam title disappointment in recent memory. Pennetta will likely become the first Italian Top 10er early in '09, but I doubt if she can maintain it over a long season, even with the new schedule. A-Rad has to be feeling the breath of Wozniacki and others who are hot on the heels of her current #10 ranking, and she's going to need put just a little more punch in her game if she's to keep ahead of ALL of them. I'd like to put Groenefeld in the Top 10, but she still needs to prove her '08 comeback wasn't just a flash and that her serve really IS back to where she can pick up where she left off a few seasons ago. Hantuchova, as always, is an enigma. And I already mentioned Pavlyuchenkova, with whom I'm wondering if I might regret not taking the plunge a few months into the season. Ditto for Cibulkova.

=Also Considered=
Marion Bartoli
Alona Bondarenko
Sara Errani
Petra Kvitova
Li Na
Ekaterina Makarova
Amelie Mauresmo
Anabel Medina-Garrigues
Tamira Paszek
Shahar Peer
Patty Schnyder
Katarina Srebotnik
Carla Suarez-Navarro
Agnes Szavay
Nicole Vaidisova
Zheng Jie

TS: What kind of a season are you looking for from Pavlyuchenkova? She finished 2008 in the Top 50 after a pretty nifty finish.

PC: You know, it's so tough. I've seen her play live a few times and honestly been impressed in juniors but have been very disapointed in WTA matches, so I'm having a hard time getting why that is. Inconsistency would be normal and losing some strange matches as well, but the way she loses? I'd hope she can improve in all aspects, especially movement to get closer to 20-25.

TS: Yeah, I think her tour results for most of last year were pretty discouraging. But she turned things up late and had some pretty good results. I guess whether she continues to ride that momentum in '09 or, as occurs with some young players, has to take a step back before moving forward again will give a good indication whether or not she's going to have a "special" career.

=PIERRE's "Second 10"=
11-Nadia Petrova
12-Agnieszka Radwanska
13-Marion Bartoli
14-Elena Dementieva
15-Svetlana Kuznetsova
16-Jie Zheng
17-Flavia Pennetta
18-Anna Chakvetadze
19-Daniela Hantuchova
20-Dominika Cibulkova

PC: Among the players that I though about putting in the Top 10 but ended up not were talents like Nadia Petrova (you won't be surprised -- I just don't think she can play Top 10 tennis enough). Agnieszka Radwanska, who is very solid and could continue to improve, but lacks those weapons as well. Elena Dementieva, one of the big talents, but who has been getting fewer and fewer big performances every year. Jie Zheng and Flavia Pennetta have shown great things but I don't see them getting to the Top 10, either.

TS: It looks like you don't think that Chakvetadze and Kuznetsova will be able to fight their way back, either. Is the "bias" over? Of course, you can still pick a Russian #1 and the Hordettes to win another Fed Cup. :)

PC: Haha, yeah Kuznetsova had such a tough 2008 season and did not have much postive come out of it. Chakvetadze had a nightmare year and will rebound, but just not enough to make the Top 10.

TS: Olga Morozova has her work cut out for her with Kuznetsova, but the talent is surely there to work with.

=Also Considered=
Na Li
Agnes Szavay
Sorana Cirstea
Katarina Srebotnik
Anabel Medina-Guarrigues
Nicole Vaidisova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Tamira Paszek
Mathilde Johansson
Amelie Mauresmo

TS: Hmmm, Mathilde Johansson. That's a different one. I'm wondering if we might both be sleeping on Paszek, too, after her step back a season ago.

PC: Yeah, I'd think that Paszek has the most upside in all of those players with Mauresmo and Vaidisova for 2009... but it's a tough call, and while she had some great performances, I don't see her becomming consistent overnight for sure.

TS: Okay, I think I see a red light flashing. Guilt-free or not, that mean it's time to go. All for now.



2009 PREVIEW SERIES:
...All-Decade Nominations
...Most Intriguing Question
...ATP Top 10 Picks
...Prediction Blowout
...Volley #8-10
...Intriguing 75: Region-by-Region
...Volley #5-7
...Volley #1-4
...What If?
...1st Qtr. Preview
...Week 1 Picks

Read more...

ITF Backspin (Wk.50)- The Star-Spangled Bannerettes Yet Wave

The 2009 preview has started, but the young Americans are just revving up in 2008.

And they don't have to duck flying shoes, either.




ITF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tereza Hladikova/CZE
...the 20-year old Czech Maiden, ranked #221, won her first ITF singles titles in the week's biggest event, a $25K in Prevov, Czech Republic. In fact, she swept both the singles AND doubles, notching wins over Anna Floris and Andrea Hlavackova.
=============================
SURPRISE: Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor/ESP
...the 16-year old Spaniard won her first career ITF title in Benicario, Spain's $10K event. Ranked #1020 in the world, Torro-Flor defeated 19-year old American Ashley Weinhold in the final. Speaking of Americans...
=============================
FRESH FACES: The Young Americans

Orange Bowl champ Julia Boserup
...more and more often, American teenagers are making tennis headlines again. Last week, Lauren Embree won the Eddie Herr junior event. This week, it was 17-year old Julia Boserup winning the 18s in the junior Orange Bowl tournament, defeating fellow Boca Raton camper American Christina McHale, 16, in a very competitive 6-4/2-6/6-3 final. It was Boserup's first ITF junior title. Five of the final eight girls were Americans, and all four semifinalists (including Embree and Sloane Stephens, who destroyed #1-seed Ana Bogdan 6-0/6-0 in the QF). Meanwhile, Embree and Asia Muhammad took the doubles over Brooke Bolender and Beatrice Capra in another all-American final. The search for "The Next One" continues, but the pool appears to be far wider and deeper than it has been in years. Colette Lewis has her usual great junior recap of the Orange Bowl action at Zoo Tennis.
=============================


1. Australian Open Wild Card Playoff 1st Rd. - Brittany Sheed d. Jessica Moore
...6-2/6-3. The 17-year old Aussie thereby places her name in the upcoming young Sheilas discussion.
=============================
2. Australian Open Wild Card Playoff 1st Rd. - Jelena Dokic d. Sophie Letcher
...6-3/6-0. Fitter and saying all the right things (so far), Dokic begins her most recent comeback... err, I meean continues it... or is it begins? It's hard to keep it straight after all this time.
=============================

There's only one ITF event this coming week, but it's a fairly well-attended $75K in Dubai that includes the likes of Urszula Radwanska and 2008 circuit title-leader Masa Zec-Peskiric.


All for now.

Read more...

2009 Blowout: 20 Questions

It's time to play "20 Questions" with the upcoming 2009 season. Feel free to play along.



1. Which combo will win more tour titles in 2009, the two Serbs or the Williams sisters?
TS: Serbs
PC: Serbs

2. Which group will appear in the fewest slam finals in the upcoming season, the two Serbs, Williams sisters or Russians?
TS: Russians
PC: Serbs

3. Which teenager(s) currently outside the Top 20 are most likely to end the '09 season there?
TS: Nicole Vaidisova & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
PC: Sorana Cirstea

4. Will there be any American teenagers in the year-end Top 100?
TS: yes
PC: no

5. At the end of 2009, Sania Mirza will be ranked in which range, #1-20, #21-50, #51-75, #76-100, outside the Top 100?
TS: #21-50
PC: #51-75

6. Of this list, which player(s) will play WTA singles matches in 2009?
Kim Clijsters
Lindsay Davenport
Tatiana Golovin
Ashley Harkleroad
Justine Henin
Mary Pierce

TS: Lindsay Davenport & Tatiana Golovin
PC: Lindsay Davenport & Tatiana Golovin

7. Of these players, which will have the higher-ranked "comeback?"
Anna Chakvetadze
Shahar Peer
Agnes Szavay
Nicole Vaidisova

TS: Anna Chakvetadze
PC: Anna Chakvetadze

8. Who'll be a junior slam champion in 2009?
TS: Ana Bogdan
PC: Laura Robson

9. Which nation will win the Fed Cup?
TS: Russia
PC: Russia

10. How many of the siblings in the three major pairs of sisters -- Williams, Bondarenko & Radwanska -- will win tour singles tiltes in 2009?
TS: five
PC: four

11. Who'll be two "Surprise" players this season?
TS: Carla Suarez-Navarro & Ekaterina Makarova
PC: Tamira Paszek & Sorana Cirstea

12. How many wins over a #1-ranked player will Dinara Safina have in 2009?
TS: two
PC: two

13. In order, how will the following group finish in the rankings next season?
Elena Bovina
Jelena Dokic
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Sesil Karatantcheva

TS: Groenefeld, Karatantcheva, Dokic, Bovina
PC: Groenefeld, Dokic, Bovina, Karatantcheva

14. For two seasons running, Victoria Azarenka has been the higher-ranked player without a career WTA singles title (#30 in 2007, and #15 in 2008). Who'll be 2009's highest-ranked player without a career title?
TS: Tsvetana Pironkova
PC: Dominika Cibulkova

15. Who'll be the two youngest Top 100 players at season's end?
TS: Michelle Larcher de Brito (Jan.29, 1993) & Melanie Oudin (Sept.23, 1991)
PC: Michelle Larcher de Brito (Jan.29, 1993) & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (July 3, 1991)

16. Who'll be first-time singles champions this season (up to a dozen possibilities)?
TS (11): Victoria Azarenka, Dominika Cibulkova, Karin Knapp, Mariya Koryttseva, Petra Kvitova, Sabine Lisicki, Bethanie Mattek, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Peng Shuai, Samantha Stosur, Yanina Wickmayer
PC (6): Victoria Azarenka, Kaia Kanepi, Petra Kvitova, Bethanie Mattek, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Peng Shuai

17. What are your early predictions for the four slam finals and SEC, along with an alternate choice?
TS:
AO: S.Williams d. Safina (Jankovic)
RG: Jankovic d. Ivanovic (Safina)
W: V.Williams d. S.Williams (Sharapova)
US: Sharapova d. Jankovic (healthiest Williams)
SEC: Sharapova d. S.Williams (Ivanovic)
PC:
AO: Sharapova d. Ivanovic
RG: Ivanovic d. Safina
W: Sharapova d. V.Williams
US: Jankovic d. S.Williams
SEC: Sharapova d. Safina

18. Who are potential "breakout" stars (SF or better) for each of the '09 slams?
TS:
AO: Wozniacki
RG: Cornet
W: A.Radwanska
US: Cibulkova or Azarenka (highest-ranked at time)
PC:
AO: Cornet
RG: Cirstea
W: Mattek
US: Larcher de Brito

19. What are your picks for the year-end ATP Top 10?
TS:
1-Roger Federer
2-Rafael Nadal
3-Andy Murray
4-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
5-Novak Djokovic
6-Gilles Simon
7-Nikolay Davydenko
8-Juan Martin del Potro
9-Stanislas Wawrinka
10-Andy Roddick
PC:
1-Roger Federer
2-Andy Murray
3-Novak Djokovic
4-Rafael Nadal
5-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
6-Juan Martin del Potro
7-Nikolay Davydenko
8-Andy Roddick
9-Gilles Simon
10-Gael Monfils

20. What are your early predictions for the four men's slam finals and Masters Cup, along with two alternate choice?
TS:
AO: Murray d. Federer (Tsonga/Simon & Djokovic)
RG: Nadal d. Djokovic (Monfils & Federer)
W: Federer d. Nadal (Murray & Djokovic)
US: Federer d. Tsonga (Djokovic & Simon)
MC: Murray d. Djokovic (Federer & Tsonga)
PC:
AO: Federer d. Djokovic
RG: Nadal (that's all)
W: Federer d. Nadal
US: Murray d. Federer
MC: Federer d. Djokovic


All for now.



2009 PREVIEW SERIES:
...All-Decade Nominations
...Most Intriguing Question
...ATP Top 10 Picks
...Prediction Blowout
...Volley #8-10
...Intriguing 75: Region-by-Region
...Volley #5-7
...Volley #1-4
...What If?
...1st Qtr. Preview
...Week 1 Picks

Read more...

2009's I.Q.: Will (Queen) Chaos Truly Reign?

Does this woman know something we don't?

What's that crawling out of the primordial tennis ooze, growing legs and suddenly walking upright? Oh my! Could it be Jelena Jankovic? Look, she's sprouting wings and crouching, as if she's readying to take flight.

And why not? After a season accented by a very Jankovician brand of anarchy that managed to land her in the season-ending #1 ranking catbird seat, the spotlight-loving , sly-like-a-fox, walking and talking Serbian question mark, exclamation point, asterisk, medical oddity, smiley face and all-around most entertaining player in the sport is due a proper encore in 2009, seeing as even though she's been around for a few years a large portion of the sporting public only received a proper introduction to her uniquely fascinating, theatrical, exasperating, irritating, humorous, infuriating, wonderful, horrible, fun and maybe even one day emotionally fulfilling game just last season.

(Whew! Time to take a breath.)

As is often the case with Jankovic, exaggeration is unusually easy, but very rarely unreasonable. What else would you expect from a player who's known for almost quitting the sport two years ago after an extended bad stretch of results, but whose renowned knack for over-dramatizing nearly everything makes the entire story feel akin to an Alfred Hitchcock "MacGuffin."

The WTA computer SAYS that she's #1 in the world, by a considerable margin, but even those of us who appreciate the whirling Serbian dervish for what she IS would more than likely concede that Jankovic probably isn't the "most talented" player on tour. (Heck, even SHE would probably admit it.) But her ability to win people over IS growing. After fighting against Queen Chaos' lure all season, by the end of '08 some "converts" stopped pooh-poohing her for what she ISN'T (like say, a grand slam champ) and began to commend her heart, smarts and tour-leading consistency... even if they seemed to be doing so through gritted teeth and a phony smile meant to mask their desire for a more "substantial" figurehead at the top of the sport. Oh, well. I guess if everyone can't have the #1 they want, they'll learn to live with the #1 they've got. Or something like that.

Ah, but maybe that's what 2009 will bring us. Could the coming season make us re-think the notion about whether Jankovic truly is the "best?" Will it be the year that the theory of tennis evolution is proven in a way that silences all doubts and doubters?

Well, I know that I, for one, didn't realize that Jankovic was as good as she's managed to become. That's not damning her with faint praise, either. A year ago, I'd have said that the best she'd ever likely do at a slam was get "close," but she'd never win one. A year later, there's a sense that she HAS to become a slam champion in due order. Why? What's happened to foster such a change of opinion?

Well, frankly, Justine Henin retired. But more on the specifics of that theory in a moment.

Personally, I never thought that Jankovic was made of "grand slam timber" because, beyond good defense and a nice backhand down the line, I didn't see the one lethal component that most full-fledged #1's have that make opponents sweat bullets nor, most importantly, the character necessary to rise to the big occasion. Her 0-9 record against then-#1 Henin seemed to bear it out, too, with her 2006 U.S. Open semifinal mental meltdown against the Belgian representing the most telling lowlight of the series for Jankovic. To win a slam, she'd have to go through Henin, and that was the one thing she seemed hopelessly incapable of doing.

But then a most fortuitous thing happened. Henin retired and, perhaps not coincidentally, Jankovic began to bloom in the vacuum her exit produced.. The Serb won the first WTA tour event -- in Rome -- contested in the wake of Henin's abrupt departure. Two weeks later, she reached the Roland Garros semis and played countrywoman Ana Ivanovic for the #1 ranking. She failed to seize it then, as well as a few other times, before finally backdooring the top ranking by rising into the spot during the tour "bye" week leading into the Olympics in August. She only held the ranking for seven days, but her appetite was sufficiently whetted.

Unlike Ivanovic, who seemed to wilt in the pressure-filled spotlight that accompanied the #1 ranking, Jankovic enjoyed and craved the added attention. Her work with trainer Pat Etcheberry to become fitter ultimately enabled her athleticism to flourish and her scrappy, I-can-outlast-anyone-not-named-Justine mentality in a marathon match to prevail over her previously flimsy constitution in the clutch. Working with coach Ricardo Sanchez helped produce an improved, though still not particularly dangerous, serve that helped kick off the sorts of long rallies that work to an in-tune Jankovic's advantage. She even managed, after a rocky start, to cut back her jam-packed schedule (eleven in the Top 20 played more events than her twenty-two, and two of them were fellow Top 10ers), if only a bit, and was rewarded with enough gas left in the tank to produce a strong final kick that made the final quarter of her season her best.

But even while her game was tightened, there was still something missing. The amusing novelty of a player who in the past had often seemed to subsist on early-morning epiphanies, the tour workhorse who usually resembled a medical calamity waiting to happen (see Perth last January), was still seen by many as a mirage partial to makeup, face glitter and injury time-outs. More court jesteress than genuine queen.

But late last summer in New York, where she'd previously blown her most golden slam opportunity, something about Jankovic was fundamentally transformed. Maybe it was the taste of "the good life" of being #1 she'd enjoyed, or simply the deliberate result of a great deal of work and sweat that did it. Whatever it was, Jankovic came to NYC not in top shape after missing training time following a Wimbledon knee injury, with her game a bit ragged. But after gutting out a few tight early matches, "New York Jelena" started to believe... and continued to win, all the way to her first slam final. There, against Serena Williams, even in defeat, she put up such a grand, aggressive fight that a "light" seemed to go off in her head. After having turned pro in 2000, she'd finally grown up and realized she COULD win a grand slam.

After that, everything changed.



Her Open adventure certified Jankovic's big stage pedigree and nerve. In the final months of the 2008 season, the experience served her well. There, the chaotic sister from another planet started walking, talking and acting like a true #1 player. Dare I say it, there was something more "professional" about her entire process and approach, on and off court. Oh, the loopy side stories were still there (like openly wishing to win a red Porsche because it would match one of her pairs of shoes), but they didn't distract HER... only others. THIS Jankovic, while still maintaining her quirky appeal, had a different mindset. THIS Jankovic said in Moscow that she'd heard whispers from others players that she'd developed something of an "intimidation factor" while running off three straight titles in a three-week stretch (a run that finally included her first victory over a Top 5 player in fifteen months), and no one rolled their eyes when she uttered the words.

She had all the things she'd had before: the defense, the scrambling, the never-give-up disposition, the backhand down the line and that more accurate serve propped up by a honed fitness and well-earned confidence. But, as the season drew to a close, Jankovic not only wanted the #1 ranking, but realized that she could, and maybe SHOULD, have it, as well. After previously rising to #1 by traveling around the bend, under a bridge, through a chicken coop, across a lily pad-strewn pond and over a sky-full of puffy clouds, she seized it with great force in October, taking a direct route to the top spot and finishing with a massive 844-point bulge over world-#2 Williams.

Of course, none of it could have happened without the retirement of Henin.

Though the Belgian's absence was often wielded by many as an axe to cut down Jankovic's accomplishments in '08 down to size, the "cup is half full" outlook also can make a case for the Serb being fortified by the subtraction of Henin as much as the WTA field was "lessened" without the dominant #1 sitting atop the women's game. The fact is, the "vacuum" had as much to do with Ivanovic and Serena's ascensions to #1 as it did with Jankovic's (AnaIvo probably wouldn't have won RG with Henin around, and remember that Henin had Williams' number in the '07 slams, too), but it was she who was continually held up as example of the "mediocrity" of the game in the post-Henin era through the final months of the '08 season.

For more than any other player, a WTA tour without "La Petit Taureau" meant the birth of HOPE for Jankovic. Having never beaten her, the former #1 presented an astonishing mental block that potentially stood in her path down the road at nearly every major tournament Jankovic entered. The '06 Open match was just the most vivid example of the dynamic. Without Henin, there was no reason for Jankovic to believe that she couldn't outlast anyone put in front of her (an in-form Serena -- though not necessarily Venus, against whom Jankovic has been quite successful -- possibly being a notable exception, which hardly makes Jankovic unique in the WTA field). What we got was a less-constricted Jelena... and, as difficult as it might be to believe, the globe didn't reverse its spin.

In the end, Jankovic shares some of Henin's traits. Like the Belgian, she's not going to out-hit the biggest hitters, nor serve the best servers off the court. But she CAN outwork them. With no Henin around, no player can put her nose to the grindstone and grit out a victory better than her... and she manages to do it with an occasional smile to break the tension, too. That's quite a mental weapon to conceal in your back pocket.

While Jankovic's #1 credentials were strengthened with her late-season upswing, there's still a huge hole in her career resume. For all that the Divine Miss J did in 2008, she still needs to win a grand slam title to convince many that she's truly earned her position rather than simply inherited it by default. To fully assume a place in the history of her sport, it's essential she pick up some hardware to prove her worth to a sometimes-skeptical public that prefers it's #1's either American, blond or fully-sponsored. Even Henin, so heralded after she was gone, was often ignored by large chunks of the media during her reign. For Jankovic to leave her mark, she'll have to try even harder.

Thus, for the player whose smile launched a thousand stories, and a few sneers, 2009 is all about R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

But can the clown princess REALLY rule the courts? After all, with so much to prove, Jankovic will never be faced with as much pressure of expectation as she will in the upcoming season. Never has a woman been able to be both the sport's jesteress AND it's queen, but maybe Jelena can. An ever-improving serve, more in-point aggression against top-level competition and a welcome ability to construct a point, all of which she utilized so well in '08, will certainly further help her sharpen her game's teeth, as long as she stays focused and healthy. Her offseason training schedule in Mexico, designed to better prepare her for the long season ahead, proves that there's no rest for the wacky... or the newly determined.

Is she an all-time great? Well, no. But a case can be made that neither is Maria Sharapova, who's limited on one surface and whose grass court "prowess" is still being overwhelmingly propped up by a single Wimbledon result from nearly five years ago. But maybe no player has been more important to the women's game than the Russian since she burst onto the scene. Jankovic, too, could prove to be an invaluable asset to the tour for the next few seasons.



A natural ham and entertainer of the masses, with just enough of an edge behind the smile to make her interesting, Queen Chaos could be the female version of Jimmy Connors. She won't be forced to wear the "black hat" that Henin often did, but it won't be "pearl white," either. Of course, it's hard to see the Serb in any shade of gray. It might clash with her shade of eye shadow. (How about a nice fusia?) Most fans are going to either love her antics or loathe them. But that's just what the sport needs -- someone who bears watching for whatever reason, every time she hits the court. The Jankovic Zone is fun for the whole family.

Will Jankovic win a slam in 2009? I truly think so, but you never know. We are talking about Jelena, after all. Surely, at worst, the journey will be Oscar-worthy. Even if she doesn't win in either Melbourne, Paris or New York (a London title would be a surprise, but it's an odd enough possibility to not put it past her -- she did beat Venus there in '06, after all), it wouldn't make her any less precious a resource. Jelena being Jelena -- and no player on earth enjoys being herself on the court more than this particular Serb -- is worth the price of admission on its own unique merit.

Snezana's daughter is almost there. Living in the moment. Striving, per chance to dream. And win... bigger than ever. Grinning all the way to the winner's circle. Clicking the heels of her red shoes, proving that a dervish does indeed whirl. By the end of 2009, we'll know the truth about tennis evolution.

Well, maybe not REALLY. But in true Jankovician style, why not highlight drama for the sake of drama? Queen Chaos wouldn't have it any other way.

All for now.



2009 PREVIEW SERIES:
...All-Decade Nominations
...Most Intriguing Question
...Volley #8-10
...Prediction Blowout
...ATP Top 10 Picks
...Volley #5-7
...The Intriguing 75: Region-by-Region
...Volley #1-4
...What If?
...1st Qtr. Preview
...Week 1 Picks

Read more...

Players of the 2000's: Nomination List

Well, as difficult as it is to believe, the first decade of the 21st century is nearly over. The upcoming season will be the tenth since we ushered in the year 2000. Where does the time go, huh?

Why, it seems like only yesterday that Martina Hingis was looking to four-peat in Melbourne. Hmmm, that was less than a year after she was upset by Jelena Dokic in London, which was WAY back when. It surely wasn't THAT long ago that Venus Williams not only hadn't yet won her first Wimbledon, but was still slam-less for her career. Ummm, and had just watched Serena win her FIRST slam in New York. Geez, looking back, 2000 was also a full year BEFORE Jennifer Capriati completed her comeback by winning the first two slams of 2001.

I guess, in retrospect, maybe it HAS been a long time. Sometimes nine years can seem to go by in a veritable blink of an eye, and at others it can feel like a lifetime ago. Or both.

To kick-off the series that will appear periodically in this space throughout 2009, I thought it'd be best to put together a "nomination list" that includes all the WTA players who deserve to be under consideration for Backspin's "Players of the Decade." Well, it's more of an "honor roll," really, since the vast majority of the women mentioned below have no chance to rank very highly on the final list. But their individual achievements during the span DO deserve to be highlighted, even if only for a brief moment (which will occur when they're "officially" eliminated from contention).

So, how did these nominations come about? It was actually quite easy. I started with all the players who've won grand slam singles titles during the decade (only twelve), then worked down the list from there. Thus far, 104 players have met the "criteria" for inclusion on the master list, but more could pick up their Honor Roll "prerequisites" before the end of the upcoming season to make the final cut.

The first pruning of the list will occur around the Australian Open, after which I'll also compile a Top 10 list to highlight the players who most brought their "A" games to Melbourne over the most recent 10-year span. I'll do the same for each of the four slams as the season progresses, then count down the Top 20 players of the 2000's after the U.S. Open until the final weeks of the 2009 season.

Without further ado and explanation, here are all the nominated players to date, placed in the highest of their "qualifying categories," which are listed in descending order of criteria "importance" (or at least something resembling it).

*GRAND SLAM SINGLES CHAMPION* (12)
Jennifer Capriati
Kim Clijsters
Lindsay Davenport
Justine Henin
Ana Ivanovic
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Amelie Mauresmo
Anastasia Myskina
Mary Pierce
Maria Sharapova
Serena Williams
Venus Williams

...four Americans, three Russians, two Belgians, two Pastries and one Serb (so far).

*GRAND SLAM SINGLES RUNNER-UP* (+6)
Marion Bartoli
Elena Dementieva
Martina Hingis
Jelena Jankovic
Conchita Martinez
Dinara Safina

...at least one, and maybe two, might take their qualifying level up a notch by the end of '09.

*GRAND SLAM SINGLES SEMIFINALIST* (+14)
Anna Chakvetadze
Nathalie Dechy
Jelena Dokic
Clarisa Fernandez
Daniela Hantuchova
Elena Likhovtseva
Nadia Petrova
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario
Patty Schnyder
Monica Seles
Paola Suarez
Nicole Vaidisova
Zheng Jie
Fabiola Zuluaga

...a few surprises here. Not for being slam semifinalists, but for having done so in SINGLES.

*GRAND SLAM SINGLES QUARTERFINALIST* (+38)
Shinobu Asagoe
Sybille Bammer
Daja Bedanova
Elena Bovina
Severine Bremond
Amanda Coetzer
Silvia Farina-Elia
Tatiana Golovin
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Julie Halard-Decugis
Anke Huber
Kaia Kanepi
Sesil Karatantcheva
Anna Kournikova
Michaella Krajicek
Lina Krasnoroutskaya
Li Na
Petra Mandula
Marta Marrero
Alicia Molik
Shahar Peer
Flavia Pennetta
Agnieszka Radwanska
Lisa Raymond
Virginia Ruano-Pascual
Chanda Rubin
Lucie Safarova
Francesca Schiavone
Magui Serna
Adriana Serra-Zanetti
Meghann Shaughnessy
Karolina Sprem
Carla Suarez-Navarro
Ai Sugiyama
Agnes Szavay
Tamarine Tanasugarn
Nathalie Tauziat
Vera Zvonareva

...Vera would surely like to do a bit better than a slam QF in '09. Yep, both Kournikova and Sesil both reached slam QF this decade.

*YEAR-END TOP 10* (0)
--

*EIGHT-OR-MORE WTA SINGLES TITLES* (+2)
Anabel Medina-Garrigues
Anna Smashnova

...I didn't realize AMG was so close to joining Smashnova as the only players in WTA history with ten-or-more singles titles but ZERO slam singles QF appearances. Medina-Garrigues has eight career titles at the moment.

*DOUBLES/MIXED SLAM CHAMPION* (+15)
Victoria Azarenka
Cara Black
Alona Bondarenko
Kateryna Bondarenko
Mariaan de Swardt
Liezel Huber
Corina Morariu
Martina Navratilova
Kimberly Po-Messerli
Mara Santangelo
Katarina Srebotnik
Samantha Stosur
Rennae Stubbs
Sun Tiantian
Yan Zi

...Navratilova wouldn't just qualify for the 2000's, but the 70's, 80's and 90's, too.

*YEAR-END DOUBLES TOP 10* (+5)
Nicole Arendt
Chan Yung-Jan
Chuang Chia-Jung
Janette Husarova
Kveta Peschke

...I was a little surprised that Peschke has never won a slam doubles title. For some reason, I thought she had.

*OLYMPIC SINGLES QF-OR-BETTER* (+2)
Barbara Schett
Dominique van Roost

...anyone else have fond memories of van Roost, the face of Belgian tennis BEFORE Justine & Kim?

*OLYMPIC DOUBLES MEDALIST* (+5)
Kristie Boogert
Els Callens
Li Ting
Mariam Oremans
Patricia Tarabini

...Callens, another (mostly) pre-Waffles Belgian name of note.

*SLAM DOUBLES/MIXED RUNNER-UP* (+5)
Eleni Daniilidou
Casey Dellacqua
Sania Mirza
Tatiana Perebiynis
Anastasia Rodionova

...just under the wire. I'm glad Daniilidou at least reached a Mixed final, because her ability to qualify otherwise would likely be nil (unless I lowered the qualifications to five singles titles) and she really SHOULD be on this list.



*POTENTIAL 2009 QUALIFIERS?*

The Honor Roll is at 104, but will surely grow before the end of the 2009 season. Aside from the players who might emerge from the woodwork with their first slam QF or slam doubles final, who are the top "established" players who've yet to meet the requirements for inclusion in the "Players of the Decade" race, but are THIS CLOSE to doing so?

Here are a few, with their most likely avenue for qualification:

Maria Kirilenko: with five titles, three more in '09 would qualify her

Caroline Wozniacki: she needs five more titles to reach eight in the decade, but has a better shot at ending the season in the Top 10 (she currently stands at #12). She might have a good chance to qualify as a first-time slam quarterfinalist, as well.

Alize Cornet: she's #16 in the rankings (so the Top 10 isn't TOO far off), and is looking for her first slam QF.

Dominika Cibulkova: #19 in the rankings, but will most likely be banking on her first run in a slam to make the Honor Roll.

Elena Vesnina: at #18, she's the highest-ranked doubles player who hasn't qualified.

I'll update the list whenever someone new "makes the grade." Until next time...

All for now.



2009 PREVIEW SERIES:
...All-Decade Nominations
...Most Intriguing Question
...Volley #8-10
...Prediction Blowout
...ATP Top 10 Picks
...Volley #5-7
...Intriguing 75: Region-by-Region
...Volley #1-4
...What If?
...1st Qtr. Preview
...Week 1 Picks

Read more...

ITF Backspin (Wk.49)- Blame It on Rio

The season's 49th week was all about the Brazilians.

Well, not really. But of the six ITF events held this past week, three of them were won by players representing Brazil. (Of course, it'd been a TRUE shocker if a Brazilian HADN'T won in Fortaleza... but more on that later.)


ITF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Olivia Rogowska/AUS
...no, it's not an error. A young player actually BORN IN AUSTRALIA (Melbourne, to be exact) really did win her first career ITF event over the weekend. Just kidding, of course. But 17-year old Rogowska, ranked #501, DID claim the week's biggest event in Sorrento, AUS ($25K), with wins over Arina Rodionova and Chiaki Okadaue in the final.
=============================
RISER: Conny Perrin/SUI
...Perrin, 17, won her second ITF of the year by taking the $10K in Vinaros, ESP. Her biggest win came in the 2nd Round against Valentina Sulpizio. Consider it an early birthday present for the young Swiss Miss, who'll celebrate her 18th on Christmas Day (man, that has to severely cut down on the number of presents, huh?).
=============================
SURPRISES: Kim Hae-Sung/KOR & Ana-Clara Duarte/BRA
...a week after losing to her in the final of Week 48's Islamabad $10k event, world #829 Kim, 21, defeated Poojashree Venkatesha in a semifinal rematch in Week 49. She went on to sweep both the singles and doubles titles. Meanwhile, 19-year old Duarte started the year in a 6-17 slump, but has gone 23-7 since, topping things off with a $10K title in La Habana, Cuba over the weekend.
=============================
VETERAN: Teliana Pereira/BRA
...okay, so a 20-year old doesn't really count as a "veteran," but Pereira IS the most accomplished of this week's champions, so I'm going with it. She just won a $10K in Buenos Aires, giving her nine career ITF singles crowns.
=============================
FRESH FACE: Lauren Embree/USA

...the Eddie Herr junior championships were contested in Bradenton, Florida this past week, and for the second straight year an American girl won the 18s competition. Future Florida Gator Embree, 17, swept through the singles without dropping a set, taking out Brit Heather Watson 6-0/6-1 in the final. Looking back at the other Herr 18s champs (see below) this decade, this win puts Embree is pretty nice company, I'd say.
=============================


1. $10K Fortaleza 2nd Rd. - Aleksandrina Naydenova (BUL) def. Carolina-Magalhaes Malheiros (BRA)
...6-2/6-3. Why this match? Well, because in the Brazil-hosted Fortaleza event, Naydanova was the only non-Brazilian to actually win a match. In fact, this was her second match victory, which put the Bulgarian in the QF with seven players from Brazil. In the 30-player main draw, only four women didn't represent the home country. As it turned out, Natalia Guitler was the Last Brazilian Standing, as she won both singles and doubles titles.
=============================


**RECENT EDDIE HERR 18s CHAMPIONS**
2000 Edina Gallovits, ROU
2001 Jelena Jankovic, SRB
2002 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2003 Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR
2004 Monica Niculescu, ROU
2005 Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
2006 Urszula Radwanska, POL
2007 Melanie Oudin, USA
2008 Lauren Embree, USA


All for now.



STARTING DECEMBER 12th: The 2009 Preview Series. First up, the "All-Decade Honor Roll Nominations"

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ITF Backspin (Wk.48)- Rising Like the Sun

Nope, the ITF calendar is STILL not complete (there are actually a few more weeks to go)... and Ayumi Morita is using that fact to her great advantage.


ITF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ayumi Morita/JPN

...by winning the $75K Tokyo challenger, the 18-year old won her third straight title and extended her victory streak to fifteen matches. Her biggest wins came against Tomoko Yonemura and Ksenia Lykina in the final.
=============================
RISER: Patricia Mayr/AUT
...Mayr, 22, added the $25K Saint Denis-La Reunion Island title to her season's haul, giving her a fifth title to tie for the '08 circuit lead. She did it with wins over Lisa Sabino, Tamaryn Hendler and Arantxa Parra-Santonja.
=============================
SURPRISES: Ema Burgic/BIH & Monika Wejnert/AUS
...a pair of 16-year old first-time champions. Bosnia-Herzegovina's Burgic, ranked #878, qualified and won a $10K in Vallduxo; while Aussie Wejnert took the $25K Perth event in just her third main draw appearance on the circuit. She defeated Arina Rodionova and, in the final, Japan's Yurika Sema.
=============================
VETERAN: Kimiko Date-Krumm/JPN
...not because she had a particularly good week (she lost in the 2nd Round), but because her surprise comeback season more than likely came to an end last week since the ITF's supply of '08 events in Japan ended with the Tokyo $75K. Of course, the 38-year old DID win that non-ITF sanctioned All-Japan event two weeks ago, sixteen years after her last appearance in the final, making her the second-oldest winner in the post-war era... so maybe she'll find some other events to keep her busy. For the record, Date-Krumm's "official" record in her "hey, remember me?" campaign was an impressive 34-9, with three ITF titles.
=============================
FRESH FACE: Ksenia Lykina/RUS
...recently, Sports Illustrated hinted about the potentially-drying-up pool of young Russian players, mentioning that no Hordettes appeared in the most recent Top 10 juniors. What was ignored, though, was that earlier in the season there were several Russians with high placements in the Girls rankings (four in the Top 20 as late as April), including former #1 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, maybe THE young player to watch on tour in 2009, and 18-year old Lykina, who was #4 earlier this year. Lykina didn't win the $75K Tokyo title (she grabbed her first ITF title, so far, in September), but she reached the final and notched wins over Date-Krumm, Melanie South and Aiko Nakamura. She's currently #336 on the WTA computer.
=============================


1. $10K Islamabad Final - Poojashree Venkatesha d. Kim Hae-Sung
...7-6/6-4. Hmmm, considering recent events in her home nation, one wonders if India's Venkatesha, 18, would have played this event in Pakistan had it occurred either this or next week.
=============================


**MOST 2008 ITF TITLES**
5...PATRICIA MAYR, AUT
5...Masa Zec-Peskiric, SLO
4...Irina Begu, ROU
4...Jarmila Gajdosova, SVK
4...Michelle Gerards, NED
4...Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
4...Anne Keothavong, GBR
4...Elena Kulikova, RUS
4...Marlot Meddens, NED
4...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
4...Lisa Sabino, ITA


All for now.



LATER THIS MONTH: 2009 Preview Series

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