Monthly BSA's 4: Germans and Pastries and Maria, Oh My!

In a month in which a Zakopalova became a Koukalova (again), a Tatishvili became a Bannerette (giving Mary Joe Fernandez another American to ignore come future Fed Cup ties), "Petra ♥ Radek" became a thing of the past and Dinara Safina readied to officially bring down the curtain on a career, there was more than enough worthy of additional discussion and reflection. Hmmm, let's see. Such as...

Over the past month, it became quite clear that it was good to be Maria Sharapova, especially in Stuttgart.



And, while Maria Sharapova was in Stuttgart, it was also quite nice to be Maria Sharapova's "significant other" in Bucharest (naturally, Grigor Dimitrov won a singles title in the same week). When it comes to hanging with Maria, that's how ya gotta roll.



It was also pretty sweet to win the doubles in Stuttgart the same week that Maria Sharapova won the singles. Just ask Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.



All right, so it WAS on the "smaller end" of the sweetness scale. Not everyone can have the exact same experiences as Maria, after all.



Yep. All in all, I'd say Sharapova will be just fine.



**PLAYERS OF THE MONTH - WK. 14-18**
1. Andrea Petkovic, GER

...her Charleston title run arguably will end up being the most well-received by any champion at any event this season, but that wasn't all Petko pulled off over the past month. She also put up her second successful Fed Cup weekend of 2014, winning another key match to help Germany reach the final for the first time since the Graf era. Needless to day, Andrea has been doing a lot of dancing.
=============================
2. Caroline Garcia, FRA
...the revelation of the past five weeks, Garcia finally made due -- and then some -- on the promise she showed in Paris in 2011. In Bogota, she grabbed her first tour titles by sweeping the singles and doubles, then turned around and led the French Fed Cup team in her FC debut, putting the entire effort on her back in the 3-2 win over the U.S. on American soil.
=============================
3. Angelique Kerber, GER & German Fed Cup Team
...Kerber may never climb above her career singles height as a slam semifinalist, but she's carving out quite a Fed Cup legacy for herself this season. She's undefeated in four FC matches against the Slovak Republic and Australia, including her semifinal wins last month over Casey Dellacqua and Sam Stosur to clinch Germany's trip to the final.
=============================
4. Maria Sharapova, RUS
...Sharapova has struggled to regain her form since her most recent shoulder issues late last season, but she proved in Stuttgart that she still has "it" on red clay. Winning her third straight title in what has become something of a "home tournament" for her -- what with her rather chummy relationship with event sponsor Porsche -- the Russian emphatically placed herself back into the Roland Garros conversation.
=============================
5. Czech Fed Cup Team
...defeating Italy in Fed Cup ties has proved to either be the final step, or a key stepping stone, to FC titles in recent years for the Czechs. The semifinal win over the defending champs last month means the Petra Kvitova era Czech team will get the chance to claim its third FC title come November.

=============================
6. Alize Cornet, FRA
...her Fed Cup participation was typically dramatic, though unsuccessful, against the U.S. squad, but her title run in Katowice finally gave the Pastry a singles title in a 2014 season which has seen her rise to or near the top of every Most Improved Player list you'll likely to find.
=============================
7. Donna Vekic, CRO
...with so many 19-year olds and young twentysomethings making big inroads on tour this season, Vekic struck a blow for the (even younger) NextGen crowd, reaching a tour singles final for the third straight season and getting her first title at just age 17. If the Croat can see her future from here, it would seem to be bright.

=============================
8. Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
...Radwanska has had difficulty closing out tournaments (and some matches) since her Wimbledon semifinal loss last summer, but she is THE Closer when it comes to the Polish Fed Cup team. Once again, it was Aga who did the heavy lifting against the Spaniards, playing in all three point-producing matches, including the deciding doubles victory alongside Alicja Rosolska, to lift the Poles into next year's World Group.
=============================
9. Romanian Fed Cup Team
...another step taken, as the Swarmettes defeated the 2012 runner-up Serbs as the nations passed like two ships in the Fed Cup night. Even better news for the Romanians, while Simona Halep didn't go undefeated on the rain-soaked weekend, she was picked up by teammate Sorana Cirstea, who'd knocked off Ana Ivanovic in Match #1 and downed Bojana Jovanovski in three sets in Match #4 to clinch the win. It proved what is obvious by a quick glance of the ROU roster -- there's enough depth there for the Swarmettes to seriously contend for a FC title in 2016-17.
=============================
10. French Fed Cup Team
...with Amelie Mauresmo putting together a versatile roster (quite unlike the counterpart U.S. team), and knowing just which buttons to push and Pastries to play (unlike, well, you know), the French met the Americans in St.Louis and tore out the U.S. team's already-questionable heart. with Garcia and Cornet leading the way, it could be the start of something big. Or at least not petit.
=============================
HM- Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, ESP & Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
...the Spaniards are coming! In back-to-back weeks, Spain produced its second and third first-time champions of the season in maiden finalist MTTF (Marrakech) and six-timer CSN (Oeiras).
=============================


*RISERS*
1. Andrea Petkovic, GER
2. Caroline Garcia, FRA
3. Angelique Kerber, GER
4. Alize Cornet, FRA
5. FRA Fed Cup Team
6. Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
7. Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
8. Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, ESP
9. Sorana Cirstea, ROU
10. Klara Koukalova & Monica Niculescu, CZE/ROU
11. Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
12. Kiki Bertens, NED
13. CAN Fed Cup Team
14. NED Fed Cup Team
15. Eugenie Bouchard, CAN
16. Elena Vesnina, RUS
17. SUI Fed Cup Team
18. POL Fed Cup Team

19. Dominika Cibulkova, SVK
20. Ayumi Morita, JPN
HM- Garbine Muguruza, ESP

*FRESH FACES*
1. Donna Vekic, CRO
2. ROU Fed Cup Team
3. Jana Cepelova, SVK
4. Belinda Bencic, SUI
5. Camila Giorgi, ITA
6. Madison Keys, USA
7. Elina Svitolina, UKR
8. Karolina Pliskova, CZE
9. Timea Babos, HUN
10. Kurumi Nara, JPN
11. Taylor Townsend, USA
12. Zarina Diyas, KAZ
13. Vicky Duval, USA
14. Ajla Tomljanovic, CRO
15. Kristyna Pliskova, CZE
HM- Julia Boserup, USA & Nicole Gibbs, USA

*SURPRISES*
1. Jovana Jaksic, SRB
2. Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
3. Stephanie Vogt, LIE
4. Sofia Shapatava, GEO
5. Cagla Buyukakcay, TUR
6. Chan Hao-Ching, TPE
7. Chan Yung-Jan, TPE
8. Teliana Pereira, BRA
9. Alicja Rosolska, POL
10. Darija Jurak & Meghan Moulton-Levy, CRO/USA
11. Jasina Tinjic, BIH
12. BIH Fed Cup Team
13. LIE Fed Cup Team
14. Antonia Lottner & Anna Zaja, GER/GER
15. Eva Hrdinova & Valeria Solovyeva, CZE/RUS
16. Beatriz Garcia Vidagany, ESP
17. Kristina Kucova, SVK
18. Gioia Barbieri, ITA
19. Alize Lim, FRA
20. Dalila Jakupovic, SLO
HM- Maria-Fernanda Alvarez-Teran, BOL & Andrea Koch-Benvenuto, CHI

*SPECIAL SURPRISE*
Caro the Caddie Putter


*VETERANS*
1. Andrea Petkovic, GER
2. Maria Sharapova, RUS
3. Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
4. Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
5. Ana Ivanovic, SRB
6. Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci, ITA/ITA
7. Anabel Medina-Garrigues & Yaroslava Shvedova, ESP/KAZ
8. Cara Black & Sania Mirza, ZIM/IND
9. Vania King, USA
10. Jelena Jankovic, SRB
11. Chanelle Scheepers, RSA
12. Kimiko Date-Krumm, JPN
13. Johanna Larsson, SWE
14. Sofia Arvidsson, SWE
15. SWE Fed Cup Team
HM- Alisa Kleybanova, RUS

*COMEBACKS*
1. Andrea Petkovic, GER
2. GER Fed Cup Team

3. Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
4. Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
5. Romina Oprandi, SUI
6. Aleksandra Wozniak, CAN
7. Petra Kvitova, CZE
8. Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
9. Alisa Kleybanova, RUS
10. Michaella Krajicek, NED
11. Shahar Peer, ISR
12. Roberta Vinci, ITA
13. Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
14. Arantxa Rus, NED
15. Emma Laine, FIN
HM- Jarmila Gajdosova, AUS

*SPECIAL COMEBACK*
"The (near) Bodysuit" - starring Camila Giorgi as "Anne White"


*JUNIOR STARS*
1. Jelena Ostapenko, LAT
2. Ivana Jorovic, SRB
3. CiCi Bellis, USA
4. Kristina Schmiedlova, SVK
5. Paula Badosa Gibert, ESP
6. Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov, ESP
7. Nina Stojanovic, SRB
8. Katie Boulter, GBR
9. Anhelina Kalinina, UKR
10. Francoise Abanda, CAN
HM- Seone Mendez, AUS

*ITF PLAYERS*
1. Taylor Townsend, USA
2. Denisa Allertova, CZE
3. Jelena Ostapenko, LAT
4. Michaella Krajicek, NED
5. Laura Siegemund, GER
6. Grace Min, USA
7. Misaki Doi, JPN
8. Naomi Broady, GBR
9. Veronica Cepede Royg, PAR
10. Lucie Hradecka, CZE
11. Gabriela Ce, BRA
12. Alice Balducci, ITA
13. Nadia Podoroska, ARG
14. Elena-Teodora Cadar, ROU
15. Maria Sakkari, GRE
HM- Conny Perrin, SUI

*DOWN*
1. SRB Fed Cup Team
2. SVK Fed Cup Team
3. Karin Knapp, ITA
4. Francesca Schiavone, ITA
5. AUS Fed Cup Team
6. USA Fed Cup Team
7. Casey Dellacqua, AUS
8. Roberta Vinci, ITA
9. Serena Williams, USA
10. Victoria Azarenka, BLR

*FED CUP*
1. Angelique Kerber, GER
2. Caroline Garcia, FRA
3. Agnieszka Radwanska, POL
4. Petra Kvitova, CZE
5. Sorana Cirstea, ROU
6. Andrea Petkovic, GER
7. Kiki Bertens, NED
8. Timea Bacsinszky, SUI
9. Ekaterina Makarova, RUS
10. Eugenie Bouchard, CAN
11. Lucie Safarova, CZE
12. Johanna Larsson, SWE
13. Sofia Shapatava, GEO
14. Stephanie Vogt, LIE
15. Alicja Rosolska, POL


**TOP PERFORMANCES**
#1 - In South Carolina, the U.S. state where her father once played college tennis, Andrea Petkovic wins the biggest title of her career in Charleston. Unfortunately, she didn't dance the ACTUAL Charleston in celebration. Oh, well... maybe next year?
=============================
#2 - Angelique Kerber personally leads the Germans past Australia, demolishing Casey Dellacqua and getting her first career win over Sam Stosur to send Germany to the Fed Cup final for the first time since 1992
=============================
#3 - Caroline Garcia sweeps the Bogota singles and doubles for her first career WTA titles, becoming the first woman to win both titles in an event since the '12 Olympics (Serena). Then...
=============================
#4 - Garcia follows up, in her FC debut, by having a hand in all three points in France's take down of the Americans in Fed Cup play in St.Louis
=============================
#5 - Alize Cornet defeats Aga Radwanska to reach the Katowice final, then saves match point there against Camila Giorgi en route to the title
=============================
#6 - Aga Radwanska loses a total of fifteen games as she accounts for all three of Poland's points against Spain to send the Poles to the World Group in 2015. With 41 career FC singles/doubles wins, A-Rad has now won 14 straight singles matches while playing for her country.
=============================
#7 - Maria Sharapova achieves the first "three-peat" of her career by once again defending her Stuttgart title, notching a tour singles title for the twelfth straight season.
=============================
#8 - Ana Ivanovic wins Monterrey (in the first-ever all-Serb WTA singles final vs. Jovana Jaksic), grabbing her second title in a single season quicker than she ever has in her career
=============================

#9 - Donna Vekic wins her first career title in Kuala Lumpur, coming back from a set down three times and getting her first career Top 10 win (def. Cibulkova) in the final. The Croat is the youngest singles champion on tour since 2006 (V.King).
=============================
#10 - In her sixth career final, Carla Suarez-Navarro finally wins her first tour singles final in Oeiras.
=============================
HM - Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor becomes the second 21-or-under Spaniard (Muguruza) to become a first-time champion in 2014, winning in Marrakech
=============================

[ITF]
Talk about a good, and long, day. Thanks to weather delays, Taylor Townsend's final Sunday at the $50K challenger in Indian Harbour Beach included two singles matches and two doubles matches. She saved two match points against Anett Kontaveit in the singles semis to clinch the USTA's wild card berth in the Roalnd Garros main draw (it'll be her slam MD debut), then went on to defeat Yulia Putintseva in the final to win her second career ITF singles crown one week after having grabbed her first. But she wasn't finished. Townsend and Asia Muhammad then combined to claim both semifinal and final match wins to also claim the second of back-to-back doubles titles, giving the Bannerette, in the span of eight days, her first four professional titles and a ticket to play to Paris.

[Doubles]
Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci win the doubles title in Stuttgart, claiming their first title on clay since winning Roland Garros in 2012

[Team]
The Czech Fed Cup team power over the Italians in the semifinals to reach the nation's third FC final in four years

[Team Captain]
French Fed Cup captain Amelie Mauresmo, for running circles around U.S. coach Mary Joe Fernandez even while having one and a half hands tied behind her back (2013 French #1 Bartoli is retired, Mladenovic was out injured and Cornet was hurt during her match on Day 1).

[Non-Winning]
Jana Cepelova, in Charleston without a coach or trainer and nursing shoulder and leg injuries, upsets Serena Williams and rides her fighting spirit all the way to her first career WTA singles final
=============================
In Kuala Lumpur, Cagla Buyukakcay becomes the first Turkish player in WTA history to reach a singles QF

[Most-admired Brit]
Elena Baltacha 1983-2014



*MEMORABLE MATCHES*
Stuttgart 1st Rd. - Maria Sharapova d. Lucie Safarova
...7-6(5)/6-7(5)/7-6(2). Sharapova's Stuttgart run almost never happened, as Safarova, as she did with Li Na in Melbourne, once again nearly got the upset, only to actually provide the fuel for an eventual champion's fire. Safarova erased Sharapova's 5-1 3rd set lead, saving three match points before sending the match to a deciding tie-break. The Russian won in 7-2, getting her footing on dirt in preparation for yet another spring EuroClay campaign.
=============================
Doha Charleston SF - Jana Cepelova d. Belinda Bencic
...6-4/5-7/7-6(7). A NextGen instant classic, as Bencic raced to a 5-1 2nd set lead, only to see Cepelova knot things at 5-5 and force the Swiss teen to take six set points to send things to a 3rd. There, Cepelova overcame an early break to hold a match point at 5-4. Bencic forced another tie-break, taking a 4-1 lead before the Slovak provided the final comeback of the 2:35 match by winning on her fourth match point.
=============================
Fed Cup World Group PO - Madison Keys/USA d. Alize Cornet/FRA
...6-7(4)/7-6(4)/6-3. Keys learned the lesson that never giving up sometimes pays off in the end. After putting up an unsuccessful fight in the hour-long 1st set (breaking Cornet when she served for the set) and dropping an equally frustrating battle against the Pastry in Game #4 of the 2nd (it ended with a 14-minute Cornet service hold for 3-1), Keys could have thrown in the towel. It she had, she'd have missed out on the always-dramatic Cornet slowing down while experiencing leg cramps that turned her service games into an adventure. Unable to push off, the Pastry threw in three DF to break herself for 3-3, yet still was able to right back enough to manage to keep the set even up until 4-4 in the 2nd set tie-break. Keys stayed with it and took the TB, then grabbed a two-break lead in the 3rd. Cornet twice cut the double-break advantage in half, but Keys held firm -- mentally and physically -- long enough to notch her first career FC singles win and keep the U.S. hopes alive at the end of Day 1.
=============================
Charleston SF - Andrea Petkovic d. Eugenie Bouchard
...1-6/6-3/7-5. The match before Petko's Sunday triumph turned in Game #6 of the 2nd set, with Bouchard looking to add a break advantage to her 6-1/3-2 lead. The German saved three break points and held for 3-3, then a game later grabbed a 40/love lead on the Canadian's serve, getting the break on her fourth BP of the game to end a 0-for-7 drought in the match. Petkovic finished off four straight games to take the 2nd set, then overcame a 4-2 3rd set deficit and got to match point at 5-4 on Bouchard's serve. Bouchard saved it and held, setting up a potential Petkovic last minute collapse. But it didn't happen. Petkovic held and then broke the Canadian a game later to reach the final.
=============================
Charleston 3rd Rd. - Eugenie Bouchard d. Venus Williams
...7-6(6)/2-6/6-4. In an multi-generational, multi-nation North American match-up in the U.S. South, Bouchard saved two set points in the 1st set tie-break after Venus had overcome an early 4-2 deficit. In the end, it turned out to be the most important moment of the match.
=============================
Kuala Lumpur Final - Donna Vekic d. Dominika Cibulkova
...5-7/7-5/7-6(4). Vekic fumbled her 4-2 lead and dropped the 1st set, then fell behind Cibulkova 7-5/5-4. But the Croat didn't go away quietly, taking the 2nd and then going up 4-0 and 5-1 in the 3rd. She held four MP at 5-2, but the Slovak pushed things to a tie-break, where Vekic won on MP #7, closing out the 2:51 match to claim her first career title.
=============================
Fed Cup World Group PO - Sorana Cirstea/ROU d. Bojana Jovanovski/SRB
...6-3/6-7(7)/6-3. With BoJo looking to force things to the deciding doubles, Cirstea led 6-3/5-2 and failed to put away three MP (double-faulting on one), then lost a 2nd set tie-break that saw the server lose thirteen of sixteen points. The two and a half hour match ended when Cirstea finally put away MP #6, clinching Romania's advancement and Serbia's fifth straight lost FC tie.
=============================
Fed Cup World Group II - Kiki Bertens/NED d. Kurumi Nara/JPN
...7-6(5)/4-6/9-7. In the 3:00 match, the second long FC match lost by Nara this season (a 3:39 defeat vs. Irigoyen in February), Bertens turned the tie in the Dutch team's favor in Match #3, overcoming a 3-1 3rd set deficit to win in 3:00 on her fifth MP.
=============================
Fed Cup SF - Angelique Kerber/GER d. Samantha Stosur/AUS
...4-6/6-0/6-4. Stosur was aggressive and on fire early, taking the 1st set. But Kerber rebounded with even more verve, bageling the Aussie in the 2nd and racing to her first victory in three tries against Stosur to clinch Germany's first FC final appearance since 1992.
=============================

[Memorable Idol-vs.-Fan Ending]
Charleston 1st Rd. - Belinda Bencic d. Maria Kirilenko
...6-1/7-5. In her first match of 2014, Kirilenko fell down 6-1/5-2, 40/love against the Swiss teen who admitted she'd grown up with a poster of the Russian on her wall. Perhaps not wanting to leave her fan with a bad impression of her, Kirilenko saved six match points to get to 5-5 and even held a break point to take the lead. Bencic still won in straights, but she's stretched the 2nd set out to 1:22. Whew... no fallen idols here.


*A WONDERFUL DAY FOR A COMEBACK*
Stuttgart Final - Maria Sharapova d. Ana Ivanovic
...3-6/6-4/6-1. AnaIvo led 6-3/3-1 and had a point for 4-1, only to give the break back. She even had a break point for 4-2 to immediately take the advantage back. But a Sharapova backhand winner saved it, then the Russian won eleven of the final thirteen games to notch her seventh straight win over the Serb and defend her Stuttgart crown yet again.
=============================
Katowice Final - Alize Cornet d. Camila Giorgi
...7-6(3)/5-7/7-5. Cornet nearly made quick work of the Italian, leading 7-6/3-0, and then 5-3. But Giorgi took things to a 3rd set, and even held a match point for her first career title at 5-4 before the Pastry surged back to win in 3:11.
=============================
Stuttgart 1st Rd. - Jelena Jankovic d. Mona Barthel
...2-6/7-6(8)/6-3. Barthel led 6-2/3-1, but lost the lead and saw Jankovic get to 5-4. Barthel saved six set points, finally breaking JJ on the fourth BP of the game, then took a 6-2 lead in the 2nd set tie-break. Jankovic saved the four match points, then took the 3rd set to send the German packing.
=============================
Oeiras Final - Carla Suarez-Navarro d. Svetlana Kuznetsova
...6-4/3-6/6-3. No one said winning a title would be easy. In her sixth career final, CSN had to come back from 4-1 down in the final set before finally getting to lift her maiden singles trophy.
=============================
Monterrey 2nd Rd. - Jovana Jaksic d. Luksika Kumkhum
...3-6/7-6(5)/7-6(2). En route to her first WTA final, Jaksic saved three match points at 5-4 in the 2nd.
=============================

[Peng Taketh, and Peng Giveth Away]
Charleston 2nd Rd. - Peng Shuai d. Madison Keys 6-1/6-7(3)/7-6(4)
Charleston 3rd Rd. - Sara Errani d. Peng Shuai 7-6(6)/7-6(5)
...Peng survived vs. Keys despite giving up a 6-1/5-1 lead, then losing a 4-1 advantage in the 3rd, as well. But, have no fear, the most hard-luck singles player on tour (a WTA-worst 0-6 in career finals), Peng failed to take a set in her next match vs. Errani although she held set points at 6-5 in both the 1st and 2nd sets.

[Special Fed Cup Mention]
On the road in St.Louis, the French Fed Cup team erases a 2-1 deficit against the U.S. as Caroline Garcia nets two points on Sunday, one in singles and the other in the deciding doubles (w/ very nervous vet Virginie Razzano) when the American team had no established doubles players on the roster to call upon if the tie came down to a final match. Another good call, MJF.


*"A CHOKE BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD SMELL AS BADLY*
Katowice SF - Alize Cornet d. Agnieszka Radwanska
...0-6/6-2/6-4. Aga had gone 6-for-6 in sets vs. Cornet before this match, then took the 1st set at love. She led 3-0 in the 3rd, too, and was a point away from 4-0. Still, she lost, and still has yet to reach a tour final in Poland.
=============================
Fed Cup World Group PO - Aleksandra Wozniak/CAN d. Jana Cepelova/SVK 4-6/7-5/7-5
Fed Cup World Group: Eugenie Bouchard/CAN d. Jana Cepelova/SVK 7-6(6)/6-3
...with Cibulkova and Hantuchova absent, Charleston finalist Cepelova was forced to assume the lead role for the Slovaks. She put up an early fight in both her matches, only to crumble badly down the stretch. Against Wozniak, she led 6-4/5-2 and served at 5-3, then led 3-1 and served at 5-3 in the 3rd. Against Bouchard, she led 5-3 in the 1st and had a set point at 6-5. Still, she went 0-2 for the weekend.
=============================
Oeiras QF - Elena Vesnina d. Roberta Vinci
...7-6(5)/4-6/7-5 Even at the end of her best week of results all season, Vinci went down badly, leading 5-2 in the 3rd and twice serving for the match in this 2:40 loss.
=============================

[Special Dishonorable Mention]
With a second 2014 loss (this one to Romania), the Serbian Fed Cup team has now lost five straight ties since reaching the 2012 final. The nation will find itself back in zone play to start 2015. In such a case, it might be wise to carry along a "Serbian Good Luck Charm. I'm just sayin'.



*UPSETTING MOMENTS IN TIME AND SPACE*
Charleston 2nd Rd. - Jana Cepelova d. Serena Williams
...6-4/6-4. Falling behind 5-0, and playing with a wrapped thigh, Serena wasn't quite up to par. But "The Lone Slovak" surely was. The 20-year old gathered up the momentum gained here and reached her first career final.
=============================
Fed Cup WG II PO - Sorana Cirstea/ROU d. Ana Ivanovic/SRB
...3-6/6-1/6-2. Best friends or not, Cirstea put down AnaIvo in the opening match of the ROU/SRB tie, setting the tone for Serbia's fifth consecutive lost FC tie as well as Romania's 2015 attempt to reach the World Group by this time next year.
=============================
Monterrey 1st Rd. - Kimiko Date-Krumm d. Flavia Pennetta
...7-5/6-2. Just weeks after Pennetta's Indian Wells triumph, KDK gets her eleventh Top 20 victory since her 2008 comeback.
=============================
Monterrey 1st Rd. - Jovana Jaksic d. Karin Knapp
...6-3/6-4. Knapp has fallen down the rabbit hole since her February FC heroics. Meanwhile, this "JJ" -- not the other one -- ended up being one half of the first-ever all-Serbian WTA singles final. Hello, historical footnote.
=============================

Well, and with that it's about that time. For that other JJ to crack open a good (color-coordinated) book...



For some Poles to make a call...



and some Czechs to answer one, or two or three (any from Radek?).



For Germans to get to bed (or pose for a pajamas catalog, whichever comes first)...



Or, in the light of day at Augusta National, for a pink-haired Danish caddie and her Irish golfer to go for a nice, long walk.




All for now.