2014 WTA Yearbook

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

=2014=
Hmmm... the new "official" motto for Backspin?

And away we go...



Our Beloved Backspin Academy
Heavy wears the Presidential crown.

Wow, the past term's Backspin Academy Student Council election campaign was quite the wild contest. Over the years, the BSA government has been the place for great political power experimentation. We've entertained and adopted the notion of power-sharing set-ups, in-name-only leaders serving at the behest of more "legitimate" power brokers lurking in the shadows of the Rectangular Office in Henin Hall, and even seeming dictatorships in which swift justice was served out against anyone who dared to challenge the reigning President's comfortability in the big chair.

This year, we saw a more Schizophrenic governing situation develop.

As things turned out, the Academy's incumbent student council President held onto power from the first day of the term until the last, but her campaign was hardly a masterpiece. In fact, by her long-held standards, it was quite disappointing in the arenas where she's traditionally shined the brightest. While she took care of the office's day-to-day duties until late summer, making the sure the buses ran on time and the potholes were filled, the council members who -- even if only in their political dreams -- were jockeying to replace her performed daring feats at the biggest campaign rallies of the year held in Melbourne, Paris and London. In contrast, the President consistently flamed out at those very same important events. While her presidential title remained securely in place throughout, some might have said that she appeared to be more a "figure-head" than a full-fledged leader ready to shepherd a student body seeking to change the world.

But, of course, those people failed to remember just who the Academy's student President actually IS, and how her history of drifting into and out of absolute power meant that she was capable of once again seizing total control at any moment.

And that's what she did in New York, winning the last huge debate of the campaign and, in turn, picking up enough confidence-inspired momentum, support and votes to carry her through until the end of the term, even if she did potentially need an inadvertent helping hand from a fairly new big-stage political operative hailing from Romania, whose admirable refusal to step aside and not participate in an otherwise "meaningless" squabble in Singapore provided just enough wiggle room for the President to complete her successful re-election bid.

Flaws and all, it was quite the historical victory. Until this campaign, Academy election results have unofficially adhered to a model that embraced term limits of the one-year variety. Winning back-to-back elections is no easy feat, as the attempt is a trail traditionally littered with injury, fatigue and, sometimes, lingering cases of ennui that make long-term governance by a sole individual a rarely-seen phenomenon. Madam President surely suffered from most, if not all, of those maladies over the course of this election cycle. Thus, her fourth, but first consecutive, term in the office won't likely be equaled for a very long time.

*HONOR ROLL OF BELOVED CLASS PRESIDENTS*
2001 Jennifer Capriati
2002 Serena Williams
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne
2004 Lindsay Davenport
2005 Kim Clijsters
2006 Amelie Mauresmo
2007 Justine Henin
2008 Serena Williams
2009 Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani & Roberta VInci
2010 Caroline Wozniacki
2011 Petra Kvitova
2012 Victoria Azarenka
2013 Serena Williams
2014 Serena Williams

In the latter stages of her current term, the President was seen around and off campus with a very familiar face. A former Class President, in fact.



The very public Best Friends Forever display has led to rumors that the President might be seeking to groom her replacement, hoping to retain a little influence down the line even if she herself fails to, a year from now or later, fashion a fifth presidential election victory of her own. The Danish former class leader wasn't especially viewed as a Council leader with great power and aggression in her previous stint in the top spot, so she surely could learn a great deal from our respected Madam President. Only time will tell.

Future generations will surely be entertained by the tale, but we'll have to wait a while to see the truth with our own eyes. Who knows? Maybe the former class President who returns to power in 2015 won't even be the one from Denmark... but someone who hails from a different European nation.

Hmmm.

=STUDENT COUNCIL=
CLASS PRESIDENT: Serena Williams

CO-PRESIDENTS OF THE COURT OF HISTORICAL OPINION (four is Grand): Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci

VICE PRESIDENT: Maria Sharapova (not-totally-loyal #2 for a full decade)

CO-PRESIDENTS PRO TEMPORE: Petra Kvitova & the Czech Fed Cup team

FORMER CO-PRESIDENTS PRO TEMPORE WHO VACATED THEIR POSITION: Hsieh Su-Wei & Peng Shuai
CO-VALEDICTORIANS: Jordanne Whiley & Yui Kamiji

Co-SALUTATORIANS: Dominika Cibulkova, Simona Halep, Eugenie Bouchard & Caroline Wozniacki
CLASS TREASURER: Eugenie Bou-... hmmm, let's hold off on that appointment for now

HOLDOVER CLASS TREASURER: Marion Bartoli (our 2013 office holder has graciously decided to work on a part-time basis until someone else learns the ropes)

CLASS TREASURER-IN-TRAINING (with cake, or without): Belinda Bencic

FUTURE CLASS TREASURER... on second thought, scratch that: Sloane Stephens
SCHOOL ESPRIT COORDINATORS: Alize Cornet, Carolina Garcia, Kristina Mladenovic, Virginie Razzano & Amelie Mauresmo
SCHOOL SPIRIT COORDINATOR (PJ Party Wednesdays Rule!!!): Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic, Julia Goerges & Anna-Lena Groenefeld

STUDENT/WORLD'S OLDEST PROFESSIONAL LIAISONS?: Aga & Ula (umm, first names only, to protect the innocent??)

The Yearbook staff is only joking, of course.
Personae Non Gratae AT STUDENT COUNTIL MEETINGS (but on the road back to a full-force return): Victoria Azarenka

BELATEDLY WELCOMED BACK TO CAMPUS (after a LOOOOOONG trip abroad): Ana Ivanovic

INSPIRATIONAL ADVISOR: Li Na

"I just follow my heart." - Li Na

"When I think of power I think of Serena. When I think of focus I think of Sharapova. When I think of heart and guts I think of Azarenka." - Chris Evert

Backspin Academy's humble and hardworking staff occasionally undergoes some upheaval, but the student body (which sometimes includes a few of our instructors, who pull double duty in order to show how much they care) is generally pleased with those entrusted with molding their impressionable minds like the blocks of clay that they are.

First off, we are happy to report that, after quite a few terms after which we recounted how many of the Academy's friends gently (and sometimes not so gently) urged one member of our staff to allow his pupil/daughter/student assistant to work with another professor without him personally lingering in the background, Mr. P-Woz and his offspring Caro did indeed test the waters of alternative education in an attempt to allow her to spread her wings. After stints under the tutelage of visiting Professors Sanchez, Johansson and Hogstedt, as well as great personal change away from her studies, young Caro returned to her roots at BSA with a greater knowledge and perspective gained from her time on her own.

We are happy to report that Caro's grades improved markedly upon her return, as well as her work habits, techniques and standing within the BSA community (after it had been slightly damaged since her successful early days on campus). In fact, she is quite possibly our best all-around, most versatile student (no one has more extracurricular activities on her Academy resume!) on campus. It has all produced a moment of great redemption for both the Professor and his daughter, though some argue that the REAL reason for her resurgence has been the shedding of an unnecessary and ultimately damaging appendage that caused young Caro to lose her focus for quite a few terms, as her drop in grade point average perhaps-not-so-coincidentally coincided with the affair in question.

On the bright side, the Dane's "borrowed" clubs were returned to the Academy golf team.



Of course, one change often begets another, and the case holds true here, as well. Professor Hogstedt is now free to serve as a consultant during part of the upcoming term for an enterprising young student from Romania, who herself has chosen to exit the year-long program hosted by Professor Fissette in order to learn from one of BSA's newest instructors, Victor Ionita, who just so happens to hail from her native country.

Meanwhile, several other young students have moved on from their past instructors, as well, including one of our stand-outs this term, Miss Bouchard (formerly Professor Saviano's steadfast, though often feisty, charge); while Miss Keys has seen fit to spend a little time being mentored by one of BSA's past stars (and former Class President!), Mrs. Davenport (as well as Professor Fissette). We're all hoping that it provides young Madison with a strong base from which to improve her work even more next year. We have great optimism for her future.

For the second straight year, BSA has seen the exit of one of our most well-liked, and recently epicly successful graduate students. A year after Mademoiselle Bartoli walked through the Academy's front gate, the wonderful Li Na did the same. We are all better for having known her, but poorer for seeing her go.




We are all sure that we will see Na again, though in a somewhat different capacity, but we'll still long for her humorous asides and winning personality. Of course, now we're all wondering on whom she'll try out all her fabulous jokes about her husband Dennis! From top to bottom, we've all been a wonderful audience over the years. Oh, well. Hopefully, Na will see fit to drop in once in a while, just to show how easily she can still make us smile.



While we reveled in the return of past Academy stars Vaidisova, K.Bondarenko and Cavaday, as well as the additional workload picked up by a pair of Russian students, both Ms. Rodina and Diatchenko, of course, at the close of many academic sessions, we're always forced to bid adieu to some of our longstanding campus personalities. It's just a way of life at BSA. Amongst the heartfelt goodbye moments this year were send-offs for the aforementioned Li, as well as long-time students named Arn, Barrois, Burdette, Castano, Dubois, Haynes, Kremer, Jones, Jugic-Salkic, Melzer (formerly Benesova), Meusburger (though she'll return for one more class in Melbourne), Safina (yes, she's been living off-campus for a while now, but she finally made her permanent departure official this past term), Martinez-Sanchez and Shaughnessy. We still hope that each and every one return to our warm embrace some wonderful day in the future, just as will be the case in the coming term when we welcome back student Duval with open arms after her brief -- and thankfully successful! -- medical leave.

Unfortunately, the same will not be said for our beloved former student Baltacha. Or, as we all came to know her, our "Bally." The Brit passed away after being trapped in the clutches of a dastardly illness this past term, moving us all and, quite simply, breaking our hearts. We may never fully recover from the loss. But won't forget her, either.





Meanwhile, naturally, Professor Date-Krumm continues to amaze us with her longevity and creative energy. Somehow, everyone figures that she'll outlast us all. Well, excluding long-time Traveling Dean Emeritus Navratilova, that is.

"A lot of things that happen throughout the year, and some things are super frustrating that I don't want to deal with half the time. But you have to be patient; otherwise things will not happen." - Sloane Stephens

=FACULTY, STAFF, DEPARTMENT HEADS & APPOINTEES=
ACADEMY DEAN EMERITUS (celebrating her 41st year of living the dream): Billie Jean King (with Freedoms-loving Vika Azarenka, of course)

TRAVELING Co-DEANS EMERITUS: Martina Navratilova & Chris Evert (with our Class President!)

LEGENDARY Co-DEAN ON ADMINISTRATIVE SUSPENSION FOR CONDUCT DETRIMENTAL TO THE ACADEMY: Shamil Tarpischev

EXPERT GUIDANCE COUNSELOR (for everyone willing to listen): Amelie Mauresmo

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR (breaking long-overdue ground): Gala Leon Garcia

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR (the "We." in "Me. Mine. Alone. Myself. I. One. Solo. Unaccompanied."): Patrick Mouratoglou
GUIDANCE COUNSELOR ("Ahhh, this porridge is just right."): Sven Groeneveld

LOYAL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR (still proving that it CAN all work out fine in the long run with an equally loyal Petra): David Kotyza
SLINGIN' GUIDANCE COUNSELOR: David Taylor Miles McLagen Simon Rea
FORMER GUIDANCE COUNSELOR (who fulfilled the promise of one more big grand slam close-up for his only post-La Petit Taureau advisee): Carlos Rodriguez

"It's not like a surprise to me. I expect good results like this. So for me, it was like, 'Okay, good. It's a step in the right direction. I get to play in the (Wimbledon) final.'" - Genie Bouchard

SUDDENLY & UNEXPECTEDLY FORMER GUIDANCE COUNSELOR: Nick Saviano
FORMER/CURRENT GUIDANCE COUNSELOR/MAN OF 1000 FACES: Piotr Wozniacki/Victor Krasan/Victor Wozniacki

FORMER & CURRENT GUIDANCE COUNSELOR (looking for lightning to strike twice): Melanie Molitor

BACK FROM VOLUNTARY SABBATICAL: Nicole Vaidisova
BACK FROM FORCED SABBATICAL (and better than ever): Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova
AUSSIE ON INDEFINITE LEAVE: Ashleigh Barty
AUSSIE HOPEFULLY SOON TO BE SEEN AROUND CAMPUS AGAIN: Jelena Dokic (maybe, pretty please?)
AUSSIE RUSSIAN HOPEFULLY SOON TO BE SEEN AROUND CAMPUS AGAIN: (Oh) Nadia Petrova
ANOTHER FORMER STUDENT STRIVING TO PASS ON HER KNOWLEDGE TO THE NextGen: new '14 Russian Fed Cup captain Anastasia Myskina & assistant coach Anna Chakvetadze
24-HOUR MEDICAL STAFF: anyone in Jamie Hampton's shadow
THANKFULLY BACK: The Shorts

THANKFULLY HISTORY: The Wrist Brace

THANKFULLY (finally) HER-STORY (and in the Top 100): Aleksandra "The Serbian Good Luck Charm/The Bracelet" Krunic

SIMONA THEN and NOW:

YEARBOOK PHOTO EDITOR/PAPARAZZI ("past"): Caroline Wozniacki

YEARBOOK PHOTO EDITOR/PAPARAZZI ("present, and future?"): Caroline Wozniacki (or maybe they're just "good friends")

Are Redskins LB Ryan Kerrigan and Caroline Wozniacki dating? (via @SI_ExtraMustard) http://t.co/J3jUX36Ilo pic.twitter.com/3Upl4mDVm6

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 2, 2014

MARCELA ZACARIUS, XIMENA HERMOSO, VICTORIA RODRIGUEZ & RENATA ZARAZUA INTRODUCE...: Ana-Sofia Sanchez, Alejandra Cisneros, Camila Fuentes & Carolina Betancourt
ACADEMY HISTORIAN: Bud Collins (always and forever)
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR/"Selfie Queen": Eugenie Bouchard

Possibly the best selfie of my entire life @Pontifex pic.twitter.com/Rs9Jp9MxQz

— Eugenie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) May 14, 2014

ETIQUETTE SCHOOL DIRECTOR: Alize Cornet [position temporarily vacant - BSA Etiquette School Director was suspended for delayed Centre Court etiquette]

LUNCH LADY (Cheesecake Factory style): Aga Radwanska

LUNCH DOUGHNUT LADY: Aga Radwanska

(DELIGHTFULLY BLUNT) COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR: Sania Mirza
CO-GROUP COMMUNICATION DIRECTORS: The Czechs & The Poles


(EYE-ROLLING AND SIGH-INDUCING) COMMUNICATIVE ESPN COMMENTATOR: L.Z. Granderson

(MAYBE A BIT OVERLY) COMMUNICATIVE TENNIS CHANNEL COMMENTATOR: Rennae Stubbs
INTRICATELY-COMMUNICATIVE ESPN COMMENTATOR: Pam Shriver

"She speaks the way she plays right now -- with great clarity. She knows what she's about. She's very comfortable, even though she doesn't have much experience in life terms. She's the real deal, isn't she?" - Pam Shriver, on Genie Bouchard

WONDERFULLY COMMUNICATIVE HUMAN (FORMERLY???) WITH AN EVIL ENTITY AS AN ALTER EGO: Agnieszka Radwanska

"OTHER" FED CUP STARS OF THE YEAR: Andrea Hlavackova & Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova (the Czechs who made November happen... in February)

SUBSTITUTE FED CUPPER OF THE YEAR: Andrea "The Wonderfully Off-Center Tone Setter" Petkovic

(STILL THE) BEST FED CUP CROWD SURFER: Aga Radwanska

SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: The eleven students representing eleven different nations in the term-ending Best Grade Point Average list... the Academy is so proud of its diversity
SCHOOL OF (MISSED IT BY ONE VOTE) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Andy Murray
SCHOOL OF RADWANSKIAN MASSACRES ON INTERNATIONAL STAGES - ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY: The Rad, on June 26 at Wimbledon


SCHOOL OF CONTINUING TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR: Alisa Kleybanova
SCHOOL OF LEARNING TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR: Vicky Duval & Catalina Castano

"Sometimes I turn into kind of a beast. My evil twin comes on court." - Jelena Jankovic

SCHOOL OF LIVING WITHOUT FEAR (and being Jankovician): JJ, of course


SCHOOL OF INNOCENT, POTENTIALLY CONTROVERSIAL -- and now forgotten -- COMEDY REVOLVING AROUND YOUR BFF: Caroline Wozniacki in Brazil, as "Serena"

(Wince-inducing) SING-ALONG LEADER: Victoria Azarenka (maybe Gael can celebrate his birthday alone)



"I think it's very French. I love it."Jelena Jankovic, on her Roland Garros dress

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & DESIGN: Serena Williams Signature Fashion show

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & SWEETS: Maria Sharapova

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, BRITS & SWEETS: SugarRobsonPova

ON MEDICAL LEAVE (but soon better able to shoot from the hip again... hopefully): Jamie Hampton
ADVANCED SCHOOL OF EXTREME METEOROLOGY: Maria Sharapova

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL OF METEOROLOGY: Tornado Alicia Black & Hurricane Black
REMEDIAL SCHOOL OF ENTOMOLOGY: Kimiko Date-Krumm (unwilling star "Attack of the Killer Bees")

SCHOOL OF IMPERSONATION-IS-THE-MOST-SINCERE-FORM-OF-FLATTERY?: Maria Sharapova & Eugenie Bouchard



SCHOOL OF IMPERSONATION-IS-THE-MOST-SINCERE-FORM-OF-FLATTERY... or maybe something else?: Maria Sharapova & Eugenie Bouchard


SCHOOL OF MIXED MESSAGES IN MONTREAL: Maria Sharapova and Maria Genie Maria & Genie fan

"Best friend on tour? I don’t have one. I don’t think the tennis tour is the place to have friends. For me, it’s all competition. And I think it’s important to just remember that we’re going to play against each other. It’s not like we’re teammates. To me, it’s kind of more competitive." - Genie Bouchard

*ACTING DEPARTMENT HEADS & SELECTED CLASS INSTRUCTORS*
UNORTHODOX RUSSIAN: Svetlana "Four Year Droughts Be Damned" Kuznetsova
CONVERSATIONAL SERBIAN: Ana Ivanovic

CONVERSATIONAL MANDARIN (class closed next term): Li Na

CONVERSATIONAL MANDARIN (new class!): Peng Shuai (professor cancelled - medical) Wang Qiang (another Gold Medalist added to the BSA faculty!)

"You cannot lose a match like this. I'm really an idiot." - Flavia Pennetta

(Situational) ITALIAN LEADERSHIP: Karin Knapp
ITALIAN PSYCHOLOGY: Camila Giorgi
ITALIAN/ANNE WHITE FASHION FUSION: Camila Giorgi

(OH SO) FRENCH-101: Alize Cornet

GERMAN-131: Sabine Lisicki

GERMAN TOURISM: Andrea Petkovic [South Carolina course - ask office for syllabus]

RUSSIAN TOURISM: Maria Kirilenko (required reading: "Welcome to Sochi")

GOOD CZECH, BAD CZECH, GREAT CZECH: Petra Kvitova
CONVERSATIONAL (NATIVE-BORN) KAZAKH: Zarina Diyas

SIGN LANGUAGE: The Genie Army

SIGN (OF-AFFECTION) LANGUAGE: Aga Radwanska & Aleksandra Krunic


WHEN IN ROME (or Tashkent)...: Katerina Siniakova & Aleksandra Krunic

INTRODUCTION TO MONTENEGRIN: Danka Kovinic
INTRODUCTION TO NEW BRITISH HISTORY (from the inside): Amelie Mauresmo (the hottest course this term -- even Professor Murray signed up!)
(Future) AMERICAN FED CUP HISTORY?: Fed Cup Captain Kathy Rinaldi? (we're crossing our fingers)

THE FUTURE OF NORTH AMERICA-101: Sloane Stephens Eugenie Bouchard
THE FUTURE OF NORTH AMERICA-102: Madison Keys
THE FUTURE OF NORTH AMERICA-103??: CiCi Bellis
THE FUTURE OF NORTH AMERICA CANADA: Francoise Abanda

WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN INDIA (and the world): Sania Mirza
TURKISH HISTORY: Ipek Soylu

LATVIAN HISTORY: Jelena Ostapenko
THAI ARCHEOLOGY: Tamarine Tanasugarn
MODERN ANCIENT JAPAN: Kimiko Date-Krumm
THE FUTURE OF CHINA: Xu Shilin
TRAVELING THE WORLD (and heading Down Under): Ajla Tomljanovic
BELGIAN BARBIE SELFIES: Kim Clijsters

LEGENDARY BARBIE (and even-more-legendary friend): Martina Navratilova & Kim Clijsters

NON-BARBIE POST-MOTHERHOOD SUCCESS (with few fewer pats on the back): Cara Black, Kateryna Bondarenko & Evgeniya Rodina
THE COLOR OF MONEY: Serena Williams

DRIVER'S EDUCATION (also a prerequisite for Circus Clown Training-101): Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci

CRICKET-101: Ana Ivanovic

CRICKET-102: Serena & Venus Williams

AEROBICS ("Sweatin' to the Oldies" cassette required): Maria Sharapova

PRINCIPLES OF TABLE HOCKEY: Aga Radwanska

INTRODUCTION TO POLICE FORCE TACTICS: Victoria Azarenka

BAND CAMP: Petra Kvitova

LI(ght) READING: Petra Kvitova

NAME-DROPPING: Petra Kvitova

MEDIA RELATIONS: Maria Sharapova

POLE DANCING-1 on 1: Aga Radwanska

THE ART OF INTERRUPTION: Victoria Azarenka

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! @kennacolbs turkey leg in my face literally 😂😂😂

A video posted by Victoria Azarenka (@vichka35) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:02pm PST

"SO YOU WANT TO ATTEND A BALL?": The Radwanskas

"SO YOU WANT TO BE A MEDIC?": Maria Sharapova

CHARM SCHOOL DIRECTOR: Li Na (lifetime appointment)

THE ART OF TEAMWORK: The Czech Maidens

"For three years I've been playing in Strasbourg. They just don't like me there. I don't know how it can be possible, but apparently, they just don't like me." - Alize Cornet

Our students always tell us that they truly enjoy our award-winning lecture series. Here's a preliminary look at our upcoming jam-packed schedule:

*GUEST LECTURERS*
"Dealing with Expectations That Scrape the Sky, Part 4: RedemptionJay": Petra Kvitova, hungry to win more games at the AELTC

"Dealing with Expectations Personal Aspirations That Scrape the Sky": Eugenie Bouchard
"Preventative Medicine, Smart Body Management & You": Victoria Azarenka Replacement Speaker: Andrea Petkovic (shhh... don't publicize it TOO much, though)
"Better Late Than Never": Peng Shuai Carla Suarez-Navarro

"I'm not looking for anyone to believe in me or anything like that. You have to believe in yourself these days. I have nothing to prove, nothing to hide, nothing to lose." - Venus Williams

"A Williams' Work is Never Done: The Story Continues": Venus Williams

"What Do You Do Next When, in What Might Your Best-Ever Chance for Greatness, You Just Miss?": Lucie Safarova, with a "My Wonderful Summer Trip to London" postscript
"Convincing Yourself is STILL the Hardest Part": Samantha Stosur [Note: speaker will not present speech in Osaka]

"How to Resurrect a Formerly Promising Career": Mirjana Lucic-Baroni

"Fire a Another Coach, Lose a Fiance, Win a Title, Gain a BFF, Reach a Big Final, Run a Marathon, Do a Triathlon and Regain Lost Ground in Record Time: The Story of My Year": Caroline Wozniacki
"27 (in a row) is the Loneliest Number: The Quest for the Summer of BrengleFly": Madison Brengle
"All Right... Next!": Radek Stepanek (still lurking looking for his next production, following his previous one-man shows: "Martina & Me," "Nicole & Me" & "Petra & Me"), with a follow-up by Taylor Swift, "It wasn't you, it was me. Psych!"
"It's Not as Easy as You'd Think... just ask me": Camila Giorgi
"My Day in Acapulco with Grigor": Genie Bouchard

"What's Yours COULD Be Mine... one day": Genie Bouchard

"Keeping Your Friends Close, But Your Enemies Closer": Maria Sharapova

"Promising Yourself that Second-Best is Never Enough (no matter how often the Tennis Gods try to convince you otherwise)": Angelique Kerber

"My first few months I don’t think has been great at all." "I have a couple words to describe it, but I think that would be really inappropriate, so I’m going to leave it at that." - Serena Williams

"All the Words That Aren't Fit to Print": Serena Williams
"No, We Aren't Long-Lost Siblings": Alize Lim & Kristen Kreuk (co-speakers)

"Dangling Your Meat on a Hook": Jelena Jankovic

"Pride in Being Picky (in the name of Romania)": Simona Halep

"The Success of the 'Bring Back the Shorts!' Campaign (though a little more tangible success would be nice, too)": Diane Dees

"(Untitled)": Mystery speaker (either Maria Sharapova or Naomi Broady)

"Embracing the Drama": Alize Cornet & Jelena Jankovic (back after a five-year absence!)
"Embracing the Dane, version 2.0": Todd Spiker
"Embracing the Entity": Aga Radwanska (only scheduled when Vika Azarenka is in attendance)

"Embracing the Golden Age of the Hordettes": Anastasia Myskina, Maria Sharapova & Svetlana Kuznetsova

"(Untitled)": Maria Sharapova & Naomi Broady

"Telling Everyone It Doesn't Matter Because You've Got Time (then grabbing a racket and proving the former): An Oral Essay": Sloane Stephens (with a supportive introduction by Caroline Wozniacki)
"An Indoor Room with a View": Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
"When You Least Expect It, Expect It": Tsvetana Pironkova (audience must turn back to podium before speaker will begin)
"Back to the Beginning": Klara Koukalova Zakopalova Koukalova
"Nothing Lasts Forever": Hsieh Su-Wei & Peng Shuai

"Argo's Got Nothing on Arnon: How I Married a Hollywood Tycoon, Israeli Spy & Arms Dealer": Amanda Coetzer

"How the Sports Media Views Women's Tennis": Stacey Allaster

"How Women's Tennis Actually Is": Stacey Allaster

"The Tale of the Spanish Giant": Garbine Muguruza

"Before I felt very small, but today I thought, 'I’m not going to feel very small.'" - Garbine Muguruza

"Signs of a Tennis Apocalypse & Us: A First-Person Account": L.Z. Granderson & Hannah Storm (speakers will appear together at podium only when every other possible speaker has finished, gone home, gone to bed, passed out or decided to "take a weekend" in North Korea)

"I think everyone in general plays the match of their lives against me. So every time I step on the court, I have to always be a hundred times better. If I'm not, then I'm in trouble. If I'm not playing a great, great match, these girls when they play me, they play as if they're on the ATP Tour, and then they play other girls completely different. It's never easy being in my shoes." - Serena Williams

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

=CLUB HEADS=
(She Comes By It Naturally) DRAMA CLUB: Alize Cornet (shockingly deposing JJ in a tight vote)
(Expected Coaching) DRAMA CLUB: Ana Ivanovic
(Russian) DRAMA CLUB: Russian Tennis Federation (revolving chairs and club members, both active, protesting and/or suspended)
(Relationship) DRAMA CLUB: Caroline Wozniacki
DOG PARK CLUB: Serena Williams & Dominika Cibulkova


DOG SLED CLUB: Genie Bouchard

ARTFUL NUDE MODELING CLUB: Venus Williams

COMMERCIAL FAUX NUDE MODELING CLUB: Li Na

SHEER BODYSUIT MODELING CLUB: Elena Vesnina

BACK TO THE FUTURE CLUB: Sloane Stephens, remembering ye olden days when she performed better in the "big tournaments" than Simona "small tournaments" Halep

FOODIE CLUB: Aga Radwanska & Genie Bouchard


LIVING WITH ANGLOPHILES IN AMERICA CLUB: Jocelyn Rae & Anna Smith
CAROLINA PANTHERS FAN CLUB: Laura Robson

ZOMBIE CLUB: Flavia Pennetta & Kirsten Flipkens

GLEE CLUB: Victoria Azarenka, self-appointed club leader (club has since been disbanded)
HERPETOLOGY CLUB: Gabriela Dabrowski

LEPIDOPTERY CLUB: Aga Radwanska

PALEONTOLOGY CLUB: Caroline Wozniacki

FLORICULTURE CLUB: Venus Williams & Aga Radwanska

MAGAZINE CLUB: Li Na, Elena Vesnina, Genie Bouchard & The Radwanskas

CHEESECAKE QUEEN CLUB: Aga Radwanska

FLUSHIES, CHARACTERS & MASCOTS CLUB: Sorana Cirstea & Victoria Azarenka



MOMS & DAUGHTERS CLUB: Vicitoria Azarenka & mother Alla (awwwwl)

COSPLAY CLUB: Genie Bouchard

ROAD TRIP CLUB: Taylor Townsend & Jelena Jankovic

SIGHTSEEING CLUB: Donna Vekic

BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB: Martina Navratilova & Kim Clijsters, characters in the Robert B. Parker novel, Silent Night
ANTI-SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY CLUB: U.S. Fed Cup coach un-extraoidanaire Mary Joe Fernandez
SHAKESPEARE JANKOVICIAN CLUB: Jelena Jankovic

SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING RED CARPET CLUB: Aga & Ula Radwanska, and Kristyna & Karolina Pliskova


TIME TRAVEL CLUB: "Future Sloane" Stephens: Future Top 50er?
IMPROMPTU SPEECHMAKING CLUB, MASTER CLASS: Li Na

"Make me rich." - Li Na, to her agent
"You're a good guy. And lucky...because found me." - Li Na, to her husband

[Yearbook note: when the Russian Chess Club was in danger of being disbanded due to a lack of recent interest from the Hordettes two years ago, the Bannerettes agreed to step in to provide a little international competition. Last year, the Canadians decided they wanted part of the action, too. The Russians and Americans have since decided to pare the club roster down to ONLY members from their two nations... we're not certain if this is a sign of poor relations down the road, but we're keep an eye out.]

=RUSSIAN/AMERICAN CHESS CLUB=
Co-CHAIRWOMEN: Maria Sharapova & Serena Williams (though Maria hasn't defeated Serena in a chess match in over a decade now)
Co-ASSISTANTS TO THE CHAIRWOMEN: Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina

THE NEXT BIG THINGS?: Madison Keys, Taylor Townsend & CiCi Bellis
STAR-CROSSED: (oh) Nadia Petrova and Melanie Oudin
RESURRECTED FROM LENIN & GRANT's TOMBS: Svetlana Kuznetsova (in D.C.), Vitalia Diatchenko & Evgeniya Rodina

NEW CHESS MASTER STRATEGIST: Anastasia Myskina
EMERGING FROM THE MIST: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
EMERGING FROM THE HAZE, THEN RECEDING SLIGHTLY BACK INTO IT: Maria Kirilenko

FULL OF LIFE: Venus Williams

UNDERRATED BACK BENCHER: Alison Riske
UTILITY PLAYERS: Raquel Kops-Jones & Abigail Spears

POCKET HORDETTE: Valeria Solovyeva
POCKET BANNERETTE: Lauren Davis
HARDLY-CAVALIER U-Va. CAVALIER: Danielle Collins

FAITHFUL AND ENGROSSED GIRLFRIEND/FAN: Maria Sharapova

FAITHFUL BFF (and popcorn provider): Serena Williams

BACK, BUT SUDDENLY FINDING EVEN LESS ROOM ON THE ALL-CANADA TEAM: Aleksandra Wozniak
BACK, AND HOPING FOR A BETTER TERM in 2015: Vera Zvonareva & Bethanie Mattek-Sands
SECRET WEAPONS: Alla Kudryavtseva & Shelby Rogers
MISSED MOST: Jamie Hampton
MOST OFFICIALLY WELCOMED: Anna Tatishvili
TOWERING ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN PRESENTING: Maria Sharapova (with Floyd Mayweather)

FOR NextGen HONOR AND COUNTRY: U.S. Junior Fed Cup Team & Russian ITF World Junior Championship Team
CLASSICALLY FOR HONOR AND COUNTRY... at the last minute: Elena Vesnina & Ekaterina Makarova

BEST FORMER PARTNERS: Alla Kudryavtseva & (former Hordette) Anastasia Rodionova
NCAA PHENOM: Jamie Loeb
BLACK HAT: Shamil Tarpischev
MIXED DOUBLES: Maria Sharapova & Grigor Dimitrov (on loan from Bulgaria)

NextGen: Tornado Black, Elizaveta Kulichkova, Darya Kasatkina, Katerina Stewart, Michaela Gordon, Caroline Dolehide & Varvara Flink
CAPTURING GREATNESS IN A BOTTLE...not: U.S. Fed Cup Team
MAKING IT OFFICIAL IN '14: Dinara Safina

WELCOMED BACK WITH OPEN ARMS IN '15: Vicky Duval

"I think the sport brings so many opportunities to women. It's brought me so many things in my life and my career. I don't regret any step I have taken. On one hand, sometimes I wake up and think, 'Well, I don't wish this on my kids!' But then when I'm playing the matches, I'm in front of thousands of people and the experience that the sport brings, I think, 'Of course I want my kids to do this." - Maria Sharapova

Our list of past Prom Queens (& one temporary King) is quite star-studded:

2004 Maria Sharapova
2005 Nicole Vaidisova
2006 Nicole Vaidisova
2007 Agnes Szavay
2008 Caroline Wozniacki
2009 Melanie Oudin
2010 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
2011 Caroline Wozniacki
2012 "WoziRoy"
2013 Eugenie Bouchard

=JUNIOR/SENIOR PROM COMMITTEE & HONOREES=
PROM QUEEN: Belinda Bencic

QUEEN'S COURT: Annika Beck, Jana Cepelova, Zarina Diyas, Caroline Garcia, Madison Keys, Barbora Krejcikova, Vicky Duval, Ana Konjuh, Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova, Monica Puig, Shelby Rogers, Anna Schmiedlova, Katerina Siniakova, Elina Svitolina, Taylor Townsend, Donna Vekic
LADIES-IN-WAITING & THEIR JUNIOR QUEENS COURT: Ana Konjuh & CiCi Bellis

JUNIOR LADIES-IN-WAITING: Francoise Abanda, Tornado Black, Marie Bouzkova, Jana Fett, Varvara Flink, Dalma Galfi, Paula Badosa Gibert, Barbara Haas, Ivana Jorovic, Anhelina Kalinina, Darya Kasatkina, Jelena Ostapenko, Kristina Schmiedlova, Iryna Shymanovich, Xu Shilin, Ipek Soylu, Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov

PARTY-CRASHERS: Danielle Collins, Jamie Loeb, Julia Elbaba, Jennifer Brady, Robin Anderson, Lynn Chi, Kristie Ahn, Hayley Carter

LONG-AWAITED, BUT BELATED RETURN: The Spanish
BACK FOR MORE: (former Prom Queen & recent Prom Advisor) Nicole Vaidisova

BEST DANCE PARTNER: Kristina Mladenovic
SENIOR-LEVEL DANCE PARTNERS: Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik
FORMER SENIOR-LEVEL DANCE PARTNERS: Sania Mirza & Cara Black (with our Traveling Dean Emeritus)

REUNITED SENIOR-LEVEL DANCE PARTNERS: Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka
FORMER DANCE PARTNERS: Caroline Wozniacki & Rory McIlroy, Victoria Azarenka & Redfoo, Petra Kvitova & Radek Stepanek, Maria Kirilenko & Alex Ovechkin
NEWLY-INTENDED DANCE PARTNERS: Michaella Krajicek & Martin Emmrich

OH, NOOOOOOOOO! NOT AGAIN!!!: Lucie Safaraova and... Radek Stepanek!

DANCE PARTNERS (FOR INTERNATIONAL TEAM COMPETITIONS): Eugenie Bouchard & Milos Raonic

DANCE PARTNERS (FOR ENDORSED COMPETITIONS ONLY): Jerzy Janowicz & Aga Radwanska

DANCE PARTNERS ("DANCING WITH THE POLISH STARS" DISCO COMPETITIONS ONLY): Marta Domachowska & Jerzy Janowicz

DANCE PARTNERS (FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS DIVISION): Roger Federer & Victoria Azarenka

DANCE PARTNERS (WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONS PARTY): Novak Djokovic & Petra Kvitova

OFFICIAL DANCE PARTNERS: Iveta Melzer & Jurgen Melzer
HOPEFULLY-NEVER-SEEN DANCE PARTNERS: Eugenie Bouchard & Justin Bieber
PLATONIC/PROFESSIONAL DANCE PARTNERS: Kristina Mladenovic & Daniel Nestor
DANCE PARTNERS (SOLO/DUET FUSION): Maria Sharapova & Maria Sharapova

SENIOR-LEVEL (DANCE) MARATHONER: Caroline Wozniacki
COLLEGE DANCE-OFF WINNER (TAG-TEAM DIVISION): UCLA Bruins
LUCK-LESS WALLFLOWERS: Serbian Fed Cup Team
SCHEDULED PROM ADVISORS: Marion Bartoli & Li Na
CHAPERONS: Martina Hingis, Donald Young, Nenad Zimonjic & Daniel Nestor
HOPING TO MAKE A CAMEO APPEARANCE: VesnaRoo! (ALL couples are welcome at BSA's activities)

"You know, he's kind of been in trouble recently." "I'm not associated with that at the moment. But, you know, if he cleans up his image." - Genie Bouchard, on Justin Bieber

"Me.Mine.Alone.Myself.I.One.Solo.Unaccompanied." - Serena Williams, on Twitter

=CLASS FAVORITES=
MOST WELL-LIKED: Li Na
STILL THE FUNKIEST & MOST WELL-LIKED, at Backspin HQ: Vika "Still the Face of Backspin" Azarenka
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED, age 20+: Eugenie Bouchard
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED, under age 20: Madison Keys
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED, age 18 and under: Belinda Bencic
POWER DUO ONCE MORE: Hsieh Su-Wei & Peng Shuai (in Paris in '14)

POWER DUO NO MORE: Hsieh Su-Wei & Peng Shuai (everywhere else in '15)
ORIGINAL SWISS MISS: Martina Hingis
NEW SWISS MISS: Belinda Bencic
UNDETERRED SWISS MISS: Timea Bacsinszky
LEAST PUBLICIZED SWISS MISS: Stefanie Voegele
JUNIOR SWISS MISS: Jil Belen Teichmann

NEW NADIA: Nadia Podoroska
NEW SERBIAN JJ: Jovana Jaksic
"IN" SISTERS: Karolina & Kristyna Pliskova

"OUT???" SISTERS: Ula & Aga Radwanska

UNDERRATED SISTERS: Chan Hao-Ching & Yung-Jan

LATEST UKRAINIAN SISTERS: Lyudmyla & Nadiia Kichenok

ALWAYS CLASSIC SISTERS: Venus & Serena Williams

PERSONALITY PLUS, circa 2012: "Future Sloane" Stephens
PERSONALITY MINUS, circa 2013: "Current Sloane" Stephens
PERSONALITY PLUS, early 2014: Eugenie Bouchard
PERSONALITY NEUTRAL, late 2014: Eugenie Bouchard
PERSONALITY PLUS, always: Jelena Jankovic & Andrea Petkovic
BEST VICTORY LEAP: Serena Williams

BEST VICTORY CLIMB: Casey Dellacqua
BEST VICTORY COLLAPSE: Petra Kvitova

GOOD MOVE: moving Fed Cup final weekend back a week
BAD MOVE: the Fed Cup final weekend coincides with the early matches of the ATP World Tour Finals, leading to apocalyptic FC final "coverage" on Tennis Channel
GOOD MOVE: the Tournament of Champions event is eliminated for 2015...
BAD MOVE: ...only to be replaced by a similar "Elite Trophy" event for players ranked #9-19 and various doubles teams (well, at least the event won't be laughed at for not always including actual "champions" in the field)
GOOD MOVE: the IPTL finding a way to make the sport fun and entertaining, for players as well as fans

OBVIOUS FACT: you'd be smiling, too, if you were being paid six to seven figures to play in matches in which it doesn't matter whether or not you actually win
BAD MOVE: anyone thinking the IPTL mindset will carry over to actual matches with meaning. That sort of mindset in a professional player usually results in a career very similar to that of Gael Monfils... fun to watch, but ultimately meaningless and filled with empty calories
GOOD BIRTHDAY: Aga Radwanska

BAD HAIR DAY: Aga Radwanska

GOOD BALL RETRIEVER: Gladys Knight

EVEN WORSE HAIR DAY: Caroline Wozniacki

GOOD BIRTHDAY: Genie Bouchard

BAD HOMECOMING: Genie Bouchard in Montreal

NATION-HOPPERS: Ajla Tomljanovic & Sesil Karatantcheva
ITALIAN STILL ENDEARING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS (especially in Indian Wells): Flavia Pennetta

ITALIANS GIVING GOOD GOOFY FACE: Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci

BEST REAL WORLD MANEUVERING: Amelie Mauresmo

QUIETEST TOP 20/20 HONOR ROLL STUDENTS: Carla Suarez-Navarro & Garbine Muguruza
FORMER #1 STUDENT FINALLY THINKING LIKE A TOP 5 PLAYER AGAIN: Ana Ivanovic
FORMER #1 STUDENT FINALLY THINKING LIKE A #1 AGAIN: Caroline Wozniacki
QUIETEST FED CUP ACHIEVERS: Kiki Bertens & Amy Bowtell
LATE BLOOMERS: Alison Riske & Maria-Teresa Soler-Espinosa
LATE BLOOMING FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Ana "Would You Like a Bag of Cocktail Peanuts?" Ivanovic


(NEW) TOP-RANKED CHINESE: Peng Shuai
MOST LIKELY TO CONTEND FOR SOUTH AMERICAN SUPREMACY: Argentina vs. Brazil
NextGen CZECH MAIDENS FIGHTING FOR A '15 BREAKOUT: Katerina Siniakova & Barbora Krejcikova
NextGen CZECH MAIDENS FIGHTING FOR A '16 BREAKOUT: Tereza Smitkova & Denisa Allertova
NextGen JUNIOR CZECH MAIDENS FIGHTING FOR A '17-'18 BREAKOUT: Marie Bouzkova & Marketa Vondrousova
FAVORITE NAME (but only if you say it three times fast): Reka-Luca Jani! Reka-Luca Jani! Reka-Luca Jani!
FAVORITE HEROINE: "Citizen Anna" is the new black

MOST BELOVED CHARACTER: ol' QC... the end is still the beginning, and the beginning is still the end
FAVORITE UNSEEN CAVE KIDS: "Carlo" and "Carlita" ("Carl & Carla" wanted to keep the kids out of the public eye while they were little... but Carl IS a doting cave-dad)

STILL A HORROR FOR THE WORLD?:

HOPE FOR THE WORLD?:

MOST HOPEFUL -- or scariest? -- REALIZATION: Serena Williams lost in Melbourne, Paris and London to Ana Ivanovic, Garbine Muguruza and Alize Cornet... A.G.A. Oh.Our.Gods.
TOGETHER AGAIN FOR ANOTHER ROUND: Serena Williams & Jelena Jankovic

"You can take more time, it's yours." - Jelena Jankovic, to Serena Williams in Dubai, who'd held up the Serb's serve for a moment
"Do you really want to do this again, Jelena?" - Serena Williams, referencing previous "issues" between the two in Rome (2010) and Charleston (2013)

MAYBE NOT SO LOST A CAUSE, AFTER ALL: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

STILL ON THE FENCE: Dominika Cibulkova & Nicole Vaidisova 2.0

STOSUR ON A ROLL: Sam Stosur

DREAM TEAM: Caro, Aga & Serena

DREAM TEAM (CANADIAN EDITION): Roger, Genie & Rafa

CZECH via ELLE: Petra Kvitova

BELARUSIAN via GROENING: Petra Kvitova

"STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS" WTA TIE-IN:

BEST (Future?) TOURNAMENT TIE-IN: "The Sugarpova Open"

BEST CELEBRITY WIMBLEDON FAN (Bouchard Division): Jim Parsons


BEST CELEBRITY WIMBLEDON FANS (runners-up): David Beckham & Shaquille O'Neal


BEST MARATHON FINISH LINE GREETER: Serena Williams

MOST CROPPED IMAGE:


POLLY WANT A VIKA?:

INTERNATIONAL TENNIS IN DRESS CLOTHES AND HEELS LEAGUE (ITDCHL) SIGN-UPS: Ipek Soylu & Emily Webley-Smith

WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE...?: Aravane Rezai & Jelena Dokic
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS...?: Victoria Azarenka... oh, there she is

NEW/OLD KIDS: Venus Williams & Martina Hingis

MOST GLAM LI: Li Na

KIDS: Laura Robson, Petra Kvitova, Li Na, Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova & Aga Radwanska

SHORT-LIVED FASHION DO: Aga Radwanska at the U.S. Open

SHORT-LIVED REALITY TV DON'T: Serena Williams keeping up with Kim Kardashian

STILL THE UNINVITED GUEST: Victoria Azarenka in Melbourne
GETTING A WARMER RECEPTION: Victoria Azarenka in New York, as long as she never serenades everyone again

PLAYER-UMPIRE DON'T: Caroline Wozniacki, for believing that she could ever win an argument with Eva Asderaki; and Asderaki, for not trying hard enough to look like she's sincerely concerned about what the Dane is saying

"She's loyal and is fun to hang around. That's something that I think is very important in a friend." - Caroline Wozniacki, on Serena Williams

*BACKSPIN ACADEMY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS FEATURE PRODUCTIONS*
...our plucky performers are always tirelessly working to entertain the student body and faculty throughout the calendar year, with the long-running "The Many Faces of Caroline" the most lauded production since the establishment of our performing arts curriculum. After a one year break two terms ago, our signature show returned in 2013 for a limited test run.

Well, we are proud to report that "The Faces of Caro" -- as most of our students call it -- was fully revived, with a reinvigorated cast , in 2014 and enjoyed the same sort of rave reviews it received during its original run. Or, dare we say it, even better ones. The star was more focused and aggressive in her artistic decisions this year... and some believe her performance could very well continue to improve in the next term! Needless to say, we are all positioned on the edge of our seats in anticipation.

Filling some of the void over the last two seasons for the oft-absent "TMFoC" was its sister show, "The Many Faces of Vika." The people in the know on campus just loved it, and we were all expecting something great once again this term. But after the star of the production was forced to take several medical leaves during the theatre season, the production was shuttered. We hope that it will return in the near future.

Of course, not all our "replacement" or "short-run" shows can be immediately successful. Some were highly anticipated, but either quickly lost their original steam, or failed to grip the audience as everyone had hoped.



Hey, no one is perfect.

But while we'll be on the look-out for new and terrific ideas to grace our stage in the future, we're just tickled pink, blue and gold to have Caro -- and all her faces -- back. And we're happy to announce the show is already booked for a year-long run in 2015 at the newly-named WTA Tour Theatre!



A few highlights from the past term's production:









Coming in 2015...

Maybe. Well... it COULD happen. Possibly. Or not.



Yeah, probably not.



*ATHLETICS*
...we love our sports at Backspin Academy, and some say we love our awards even more. So, here are a few of the highlights and lowlights from the past season of competition:

=BACKSPIN ACADEMY ALL-STAR TEAMS=
*ALL-BEAUTIFUL*
Aleksandra Krunic earns U.S. Open fame, a WTA doubles titles, Top 100 ranking and contract from Octagon

.@OctagonTennis has signed Aleksandra Krunic (@KrunicAlex) http://t.co/gAVqI8mkna pic.twitter.com/b1RsuB64Ah

— Octagon (@Octagon) November 19, 2014

=============================
THAT Petra

=============================
The United Colors of Robson

=============================
Serena vs. Vika in Brisbane

=============================
Sara Errani's eyes, Year 3

=============================
Agnieszka Radwanska's brain
=============================
Maria Sharapova's competitiveness

=============================
Jana Cepelova's competitiveness in Charleston
=============================
Czechs at Wimbledon
=============================
In-Form AnaIvo

=============================
More Bouchard sisters than you can shake a racket at

Even...
=============================
Vika's BIG racket

=============================
The Logo: Jerry West (NBA) and Maria Sharapova (WTA...one day?)


=============================
Marion Bartoli's Schwings

=============================
Kristina Barrois' fairy tale career ending in Luxembourg
=============================
Words of Wisdom

=============================
Old Country Maria

=============================
Peng Shuai's trip to the U.S. Open semifinals

=============================
Classic Simona

=============================
Vika

=============================
Vika-in-slow motion

It's Sunday! Enjoy urself 😁 and do what u like 😍😍😍

Video, jonka Victoria Azarenka (@vichka35) julkaisi Marras 11, 2014 at 12:08 PST

=============================
Sharapova vs. Halep
=============================
Vika def. Sloane

=============================
La Trufflette's Return to SW19


=============================
The New Annual Tradition of Rooftop Pool Selfies in Singapore

=============================
The Pride of Romania in Singapore
=============================
The Dane of Odense in Singapore
=============================
Petko in Charleston
=============================
Patience being a virtue. Maybe.


=============================
The Czarina, back at the Parisian scene of the crime (10-year anniversary)

=============================
Sharapova in Sochi

=============================
The Return of Martina: Here, There & Everywhere



=============================
Turkish "It" Girl Ipek Soylu

=============================
"Sabineldon"

=============================
Yui Kamiji

=============================
The Magic of Li

=============================
Casual press conference attire

=============================
Alize

=============================
Amelie.
=============================

"It's great sometimes to get knocked down because you have to get back up. I love getting back up. I love the challenge." - Serena Williams

*ALL-UGLY*
Peng Shuai's exit from the U.S. Open semifinals

=============================
U.S. Fed Cup coaching decisions
=============================
Serena's pre-U.S. Open slam year
=============================
Elle magazine confuses Bouchard with Sharapova in photos in issue containing an interview with the Canadian

=============================
The Aussie Extreme Heat
=============================
The lack of a roof on any U.S. Open courts... for a little while longer
=============================
Genie Bouchard's finish in Singapore, and the bad aftertaste it left

=============================
Serena vs. Sharapova (10-year anniversary)
=============================
The Serbian, Slovak & Chinese Fed Cup teams
=============================
Jamie Hampton's ailing (insert currently appropriate body part)
=============================
Serena's exit from the Wimbledon doubles



=============================
Sloane Stephens vs. Caroline Wozniacki ("Current" lost 6-1/6-0, and scored just five points in the 2nd set)
=============================
Jelena Ostapenko vs. Varvara Flink in the December '13 Eddie Herr semifinals
=============================
Azarenka's chances to win "Belarusian Idol" after, well, you know
=============================



And, finally, while the coast appeared to be relatively clear in '14, there are still pockets of Rad paranoia around campus. While some point to the lack of a closing punch from the entity's human (sometime-)host during most of the now-concluded term...



...still others wonder if the past year might have been a "set up" season during which we all let down our guard, leaving us susceptible to another lethal surprise attack like the one we saw at the All-England Club in 2013. Some groups have even used the aforementioned "A.G.A." -- the combined first name initials of Serena's conquerors in Melbourne, Paris and London this past term -- as "a secret sign" that foretells future doom.



But, of course, we don't really believe in that sort of thing. Ummm. No, we don't believe in it at all. But, well, just in case, we thought it'd be wise to refresh our memories about the layout of Radwanska Abbey. You know, just in case Citizen Anna needs our help down the line.



Of course, that's how things were a couple of years ago. They may have changed since then. Gulp. Oh, how we all wish that SOMEONE would just say something to make us forget the past and truly believe that things will be okay in the future.



Well, I guess that's about as much assurance as we need.

Thanks again, Na.



Whew! If you made it this far, congratulations. Hopefully, there was something here for everyone. If not, well, it wasn't for a lack of trying.

All right, it's finally time to go. So, from Backspin HQ, located on the top floor of Henin Hall, to be continued...


Res Ipsa Loquitur.

All for now.