The Daily Backspin, RG 3: If a Russian Loses on the Terre Battue and There is Nobody Around To Hear Her Fall, Does She Still Make a Sound?

Hey, did ya hear about Andy Roddick losing? He did, you know. On Suzanne Lenglen, the former U.S. Open champion couldn't even finish his 1st Round match against Albert Martin.

(silence)

Oh, and Berlin champion Nadia Petrova lost on Court 2, too.

Now, onto bigger things.

(What, I can't get that past you?)

Allllll riiiiight... Petrova fell flat on her face during her first appearance in the tournament that was supposed to be her big-time coming out party. The only thing missing was a doom-laden visit from those damn pigeons. Yeah, she played with a leg injury (painful enough to forego sitting down during some changeovers... but if it was impossible for Scarlett to play a full match with it then she should have pulled her name out of the draw), and against an opponent in Japan's Akiko Morigami who was not to be overlooked despite her mediocre ranking, but a clunker is a clunker. And this was most definitely one for Petrova, who saw her fifteen-match WTA clay winning streak come to an unceremonious halt with a 6-2/6-2 defeat.

At least Akiko was happy after the match.



So, after dominating the clay circuit for the past two months, Petrova's worst Roland Garros result since her main draw debut in 2000 will likely be the prevailing memory of the period. Sort of the equivalent to a great, extended grass court exhibition put on by Jana Novotna going down in flames with a few glaringly sprayed shots on Centre Court (how fitting, considering previous discussions here at Backspin about the Novotna-esque quality of Petrova's slowly-building career... and here's to hoping a future "ultimate" victory will make character-building days like this one somewhat worthwhile in the end for Scarlett, too).

But, this time around, Nadia's gone. Yet Barbaro still lives. Is there no justice?



He still has three good legs, though. Petrova has only one.




So, Emily Westacott is safe... or at least the place next to her at history's dinner table will have to be set up with a different name card. "N.Petrova" won't be attending the party.

She has miles and miles to go before she sleeps... 'cus, alas, that Roland Garros title ain't comin' in 2006.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Well, while there may be no j-u-s-t-i-c-e, there is still J-u-s-t-i-n-e.

JHH returned to the site of her '05 slam title and made quick work of Maret Ani, taking the first step toward removing all that nasty "tarnish" she put on Amelie Mauresmo's championship in Melbourne (seriously, isn't it well past the time that a stake was put through the heart of that non-story? Apparently not, if you're ESPN... which only remembers any tennis moment if it can be shown in full in the ten seconds that can be spared for the sport in a normal edition of "SportsCenter"). With no inherent conflict of interest involved in that never-will-be JHH/Petrova quarterfinal matchup, Backspin is now free to get behind an old favorite without the slightest hint of guilt.

Of course, don't expect any loud shouts from here about it. I wouldn't want to draw any pigeons Le Petit Taureau's way.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Well, Slingin' Sammy Stosur had her singles ass handed to her on a plate by Ana Ivanovic today, 6-0/6-3. Thankfully for her, her doubles rump is still safely intact.

Some extended 3rd set action today, as Gisela Dulko (one of the more disappointing players on tour this year) finally had something go her way in an 11-9 decider win over qualifer Yulia Beygelzimer, and Anabel Medina-Garrigues outlasted 16-year Victoria Azarenka 9-7.

In the projected "Match of the Day," Jie Zheng continued the Chinese clay court ascension in Paris, taking out Tatiana Golovin 6-3/7-6 in the Frussian Pastry's return to action from that ankle injury in Miami. As of now, the Cookies might be the Roland Garros "Revelation Ladies" of the early rounds, going 4-2 with Zheng advancing along with Na Li, Shuai Peng and Tiantian Sun.

The other contenders for that title might just be the "forgotten" Americans, with Jamea Jackson (who now faces Anna-Lena Groenefeld in a rematch of that big Fed Cup upset), Shenay Perry and Ashley Harkleroad still breathing Parisian air, and Mashona Washington nearly taking out Maria Sharapova on Sunday. If the Chinese win the "Revelation Ladies" award, the Americans will likely be the "Upset Queens" even without the pigeons working their magic on Washington. Plus, Venus Williams is still lurking down the line in Mauresmo's path.

LAST QUALIFIERS STANDING: Julia Vakulenko, Aravane Rezai and Anda Perianu, with "lucky loser" Kirsten Flipkens holding on, as well.

JHH is the last of 2005's semifinalists left, with Petrova and Elena Likhovtseva losing, and Mary Pierce out injured.

All the women's 1st Round matches are now complete, save the Virginia Ruano-Pascual, 32, vs. Alize Cornet, 16, match that will be completed tomorrow.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Goodbye, Andys. Both of you.

While Mr. Roddick's exit is no surprise, there was at least some thought that Andy Murray (a winner over Gael Monfils a few weeks ago) might survive his second match this month with the French teenager. It didn't happen, though. In the end, their five-set 6-4/6-7/1-6/6-2/6-1 match was fit for a porno fan... not of great quality, but at least it was long.

UNSURPRISING MATCH RESULT OF THE DAY: Ivo Karlovic def. Olivier Patience 7-6(6)/7-6(1)/7-6(10). Does Ivo ever do it any other way? He had 24 aces to 0 double faults today, while winning just 24% of the points while receiving serve. But that was a good stat in comparison to Patience, who won just 22% on Ivo's serve.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

DAY 4: Wednesday, May 31


**MATCH OF THE DAY**

...let's see.

There's Sharapova/Benesova, where the Czech Maiden had better remember that birdseed. Mauresmo/Dushevina, which probably won't be as good a matchup as one might hope. And Schnyder/Gajdosova, where Sneaky will try to avoid pulling a Petrova. If not, I advise Jarmila to duck if she sees a ball flying toward her head.

But for novelty's sake, I'll go with:


HUBER/M.NAVRATILOVA vs. G.NAVRATILOVA/PASTIKOVA

...I think I'll take the Navratilova team to win. Hmmm, is it just me, or does Gabriela Navratilova's photo almost look like it could be a mugshot of Martina?

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Hmmm, I see on the RG website that Petrova's leg injury occurred during practice. So, of course, it has to be asked. Were there any pigeons in the vicinity? Seriously, if anyone saw a winged creature resembling the one in the photo below hovering around the outskirts of Nadia's practice court, please report it to the Roland Garros authorities.



Hey, what else do I have to focus on when my Roland Garros pick goes out in the 1st Round?

(go justine.)

All for Day 3.

Read more...

The Daily Backspin, RG 2: The Pusillanimous Pigeons of Peril

Ah, now I know what I missed by not being able to see Sunday's Maria Sharapova/Mashona Washington match live:



No, not actress/composer/wife of David Mamet, Rebecca Pidgeon... I'm talking about the pusillanimous pigeons of peril (or, if you prefer, the dastardly avian deliverers of doom) that landed inside the service box on Sharapova's side of the net just as Washington was about to serve while leading 5-3 in the final set.



Washington lost the point, the second of her three match points, and, ultimately, the match. Did the pigeons' arrival portend the American's doom, flying off with her chances as the ball kids chased them away? Would things have gone in Mashona's favor had the winged creatures landed on HER side of the court rather than Maria's?

Just the questions that pop into your head on an otherwise fairly uneventul Day 2 on the women's side of the draw at Roland Garros, where the best viewing was the (better late than never) ESPN replay of the last set-plus of the match that should have been aired on Sunday.

Maybe Sharapova's Round 2 opponent, Iveta Benesova, should walk on court with a pocket full of birdseed, eh?

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

"Match of the Day" UPDATE: the intriguing Pichet vs. Flipkens rematch didn't quite have the punch of the qualifying match-up that ended with an 8-6 3rd set win by the 23-year old Frenchwoman. This time, the "lucky loser" Waffle had it over the Pastry, by an easy 6-2/6-3 score. Does this make Pichet an "unlucky winner?"

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

The first slam category winner was crowned in disappointing fashion on Day 2, as #18-seed Elena Likhovtseva (a surprise semifinalist a year ago) fell in her opening match to Karolina Sprem, thereby gaining the dubious distinction of being the first seed to be dumped out of the tournament, even beating men's top-guy-out, #16 Jarkko Nieminen.

#28 Lucie Safarova soon followed Likhovtseva's lead, wrapping up her downbeat clay court season with a straight sets loss to Romanian qualifier/one time Oklahoma University star, Anda Perianu, sending up a warning flare for the forthcoming Romanian contingent (which includes Raluca Olaru and Monica Niculescu) on the cusp of making some noise on the big tour.



Elsewhere, Alicia Molik got the first win of her comeback from that inner ear condition, a 7-5/7-6 victory over Antonella Serra-Zanetti; and qualifier Julia Vakulenko, Backspin's hopeful pick for "Last Qualifier Standing," defeated Meng Yuan.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***



As expected, a win over Robin Soderling allowed Rafael Nadal to break a tie with the 1977 record of 53 consecutive clay wins held by Guillermo Vilas (pictured above, today with Nadal).... Evgeny Korolev, cousin of Anna Kournikova, advanced to 2nd Round with a win over Andreas Seppi... and in the longest-yet final set of the draw, Nicolas Massu took out "Rubberband Emotions Man" Xavier Malisse 11-9 in the 5th.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

DAY 3: Tuesday, May 30


"MATCH OF THE DAY" WATCH:

Petrova/Morigami, maybe? But I'm afraid that might jinx Scarlett against a potentially tricky opponent

Hmmm, there are a few others to choose from, though:

1) Monfils/Murray...an exciting prospect on the men's side, but it might be a better match on hardcourts or grass.
----------------------------
2) Gonzalez/Safin...you never know what will happen with Dinara's brother.
----------------------------
3) Myskina/Mirza...both have seen better days, though.
----------------------------
4) Medina-Garrigues/Azarenka...the winner might eventually play Clijsters. AMG is more accomplished, but 16-year old Azarenka (the second-youngest in the women's draw, after France's Alize Cornet) is very intriguing.
----------------------------
5) Hantuchova/Dominguez-Lino...Wonder Girl could take another step back here.
----------------------------

But I'll go with:

TATIANA GOLOVIN vs. JIE ZHENG

...like Sharapova, Golovin hasn't played since Miami. Golovin's ankle injury there, though, was quite a bit more substantial than the one Sharapova was nursing coming into Paris. The Supernova barely survived the 1st Round, and the Cookies have already put three (Na Li, Shuai Peng and Tiantian Sun) of four main draw players (Meng Yuan lost) into the 2nd Round, with two more (Zheng & Yan) yet to play. The crowd was with The Frussian Pastry in Miami, and she might need the support just as much tomorrow in Paris.


All for Day 2.

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The Daily Backspin, RG 1: Serving Up Empty Calories

This is where I was during much of the historic early third Sunday of play at Roland Garros:



It's not Chatrier or Lenglen, but it'll do. (Full disclosure: these are the tennis courts of local Martinsburg High School, alma mater of Kevin Pittsnogle for any NCAA basketball fans out there.) It at least allowed me to work on my "lethal" serve:



All in all, the early start is a good idea, and one that'll probably eventually be picked up on by the folks in Melbourne and New York (but not SW19, especially since the news of this "groundbreaking" idea will surely arrive late at the All England Club, what with the carrier pigeon mode of communication that's perfectly in tune with some of the "archaic" thoughts still bouncing around the greatest of the slam events... tis a pity.). Of course, it would have been nice to be able to ENJOY the extra day of "coverage." But in ESPN land that was an impossibility.

Now, don't get me wrong, the constant harping about bad television coverage for tennis can fray anyone's nerves, but hear me out for a moment. Wouldn't you think that on the Sunday morning of a HOLIDAY WEEKEND the "worldwide leader in sports" might have seen fit to show at least a few seconds of live coverage in a five-hour time window? Consider this strike two for ESPN's '06 Roland Garros coverage, with the first coming after national print ads for the tournament promoted four players: Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams and James Blake. Total RG titles amongst them? Zippo. No mention of world #1 and Oz champ Amelie Mauresmo, or '05 titlist Justine Henin-Hardenne? Not even Rafael Nadal, blossoming into Federer's one true rival and a clay court master on a 53-match winning streak on the stuff? Come now. (James Blake, on clay?) On the bright side, Andy Roddick's face was nowhere to be seen.

Anyway, the five hours of "soul-less" coverage consisted of full, taped (though "live on tape," whatever that means) straight-sets wins by Federer and Mauresmo. That's all, even though major doings were going on as the audience was treated to the rough-and-tumble games of Diego Hartfield and Meghann Shaughnessy. Worse yet, as ESPN signed off, it was announced that the length of the two matches (again, they were finished in STRAIGHT sets, so there were no marathons in evidence) precluded showing any action from the Maria Sharapova-Mashona Washington match. But, as the announcers said at the time of the taping, Sharapova was up a set and was sure to "breeze through" to the next round. The credits ran without a single mention of what REALLY happened.



Apparently, if you look up "breeze" in the tennis dictionary it includes an ankle injury that hampered the Supernova in her first action in nearly two months, a 5-2 3rd set deficit, three saved match points and an ultimate 7-5 final set win. Yeah, a "breeze." Not for Sharapova and, in the end, not for Washington, either, with the 6-2/5-7/7-5 final scoreline.



With Iveta Benesova up in Round 2, Sharapova might have a lot of extra time to go shopping in Paris.

Supposedly, ESPN's coverage will be live the rest of the way, starting at 5am Monday morning. But that's no excuse for today. I just wish the network would kiss its viewers because, you know, some people like to be kissed when they're being (expletive deleted).

All this, and Barbaro still lives, too. Go figure. Oh, well, at least I got some extra work on my forehand:



*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

So, is it time to set up a steel cage match between Federer and Nadal (with uncle Toni giving pointers from the corner -- "Poke him in the eye, Rafa!!")? I guess a meeting in the final will do, though... Speaking of Federer, should we read anything into his tighter-than-expected 7-5/7-5/6-2 win over Diego Hartfield?

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Some Backspin housecleaning, as the May awards will be somewhat pointless once the Clay Court Awards arrive after Roland Garros:

==MAY (Week 18-21)==

=TOP PLAYERS=
1.Nadia Petrova
2.Shahar Peer
3.Martina Hingis
4.Jie Zheng
5.Kim Clijsters

RISER: Dinara Safina
SURPRISE: Jelena Jankovic
VETERAN: Martina Hingis
FRESH FACE: Romina Oprandi
DOWN: Justine Henin-Hardenne

=TOP PERFORMANCE=
Petrova wins Berlin

=TOP PERFORMANCE (in a loss)=
Safina defeats three Top 10 players, finishes RU in Rome

=TOP MATCH=
Berin F - Petrova d. JHH
...4-6/6-4/7-5. Coming of age for Scarlett? We'll know in two weeks.

=COMEBACKS=
...Molik returns to WTA tour...Martina Navratilova returns to the Czech Republic

=UPSETS=
Rome 3rd - Safina d. Clijsters
Warsaw 1st - A.Radwanska d. Myskina

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

DAY 2: Monday, May 29


...hmmm, Match of the Day? Well, Alicia Molik returns to slam action against Antonella Serra-Zanetti. Nadal goes for 54 straight on clay against Robin Soderling. But I'll go with:


VIRGINIE PICHET vs. KIRSTEN FLIPKENS

...a rematch of their third round of qualifying tilt that saw French Pastry Pichet win 8-6 in the 3rd set. Have fun, girls.


All for Day 1.

Read more...

Roland Garros Preview: History 101, circa 1939

Move over, Ms. Westacott, you may soon have some unexpected company.



In 1939, Westacott won the Australian Open singles title, and became the last in a line of nine different women's champions over a span of nine grand slam tournaments. In two weeks, another woman could very well join her in the history books.

**1937-39**
'37 Australian: Nancye Wynne
'37 Roland Garros: Hilde Sperling
'37 Wimbledon: Dorothy Round
'37 U.S.: Anita Lizane
'38 Australian: Dorothy Bundy
'38 Roland Garros: Simone Mathieu
'38 Wimbledon: Helen Wills-Moody
'38 U.S. Alice Marble
'39 Australian: Emily Westacott

**2004-06**
'04 Roland Garros: Anastasia Myskina
'04 Wimbledon: Maria Sharapova
'04 U.S.: Svetlana Kuznetsova
'05 Australian: Serena Williams
'05 Roland Garros: Justine Henin-Hardenne
'05 Wimbledon: Venus Williams
'05 U.S.: Kim Clijsters
'06 Australian: Amelie Mauresmo
'06 Roland Garros: ??

It could be that the second ninth champion will be "Scarlett" herself, the player who lists "Gone With the Wind," the tale of the fictional Southerm American heroine, as her favorite novel (hence, the Backspin nickname). In a recent interview, the erstwhile star of this year's Paris production described the novel as "a great history of a woman and what she went through and how hard she fought."

In 2006, Nadia Petrova has shown that she knows all about fighting hard to get what is her's. Tara doesn't border Amelia Island, Charleston or Berlin, but maybe Nadia simply senses that she and Miss O'Hara have something in common... and it could lead her to feel a delightful shiver down her spine two weeks from now, one that signals that she shares something with Ms. Westacott, as well.

You know, the movie version of "Gone With the Wind" was released in 1939...



...the same year that Westacott completed the nine-in-nine run. Coincidence? Maybe not. Destiny COULD be at work here, though, right?

Who knows if Petrova is truly destiny's darling. But, when in doubt, go with history, I always say. And as God is her witness, Nadia will never go hungry again.


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

==ROLAND GARROS LISTS==

**YOUNGEST RG 2006 QUALIFIERS**
16...Victoria Azarenka, Belarus
19...Aravane Rezai, France

**OLDEST RG 2006 QUALIFIERS**
26...Alberta Brianti, Italy
26...Sandra Kloesel, Germany

**2005 FINAL FOUR**
#10 Justine Henin-Hardenne (W)
#21 Mary Pierce (RU)
#7 Nadia Petrova (SF)
#16 Elena Likhovtseva (SF)

**POTENTIAL FIRST SEEDS OUT in 1st Rd.**
[Section 1]
#7 Schnyder vs. Krajicek
#16 Vaidisova vs. Domachowska
#18 Likhovtseva vs. Sprem
#22 Sugiyama vs. Daniilidou
#29 Arvidsson vs. Vento-Kabchi
[Section 2]
#9 Schiavone vs. A.Bondarenko
#14 Safina vs. Zvonareva
[Section 3]
#30 Koukalova vs. Garbin
#32 Dulko vs. Beygelzimer
[Section 4]
#21 Dechy vs. Foretz
#23 Golovin vs. Zheng

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

BACKSPIN PREDICTIONS:

**4th Round**


#1 Mauresmo d. #16 Vaidisova
#11 V.Williams d. Vakulenko
#14 Safina d. #4 Sharapova
#8 Kuznetsova d. #17 Pennetta
#5 Henin-Hardenne d. #19 Ivanovic
#3 Petrova d. #13 Groenefeld
#12 Hingis d. #6 Dementieva
#2 Clijsters d. Castano

...Vaidisova gets a second chance in a 2006 slam 4th Round against Mauresmo. The result won't likely be much different from Melbourne, but what an introduction to the big time an upset would be here... Vakulenko? Yes, I'm going with the qualifier (she did take out Romina Oprandi, who nearly upset Kuznetsova in Rome, in the Q's) over Patty Schnyder in this spot. Sneaky has just been too much of a disappointment on the clay in '06, and her best RG result is only a QF all the way back in '98. Dicey pick, still (and I'm not even mentioning Venus, who lost to Karatantcheva in the 3rd Round here a year ago)... Sharapova hasn't played since April 1, and is hoping she won't be the fool against Safina... Kuznetsova has held match points in the 4th Round against the last two (Myskina & JHH) eventual RG champions. Pennetta won't likely make in three... Petrova vs. Groenefeld again? Sorry, Anna-Lena ('03 RG Jr. champ, by the way), Backspin has bigger fish to fry here. I'm just holding my breath that Petrova doesn't get caught by Akiko Morigami in the 1st Round while looking ahead as a favorite. Morigami nearly upset Clijsters on clay in Rome... meanwhile, Hingis motors along.

**QUARTERFINALS**


#1 Mauresmo d. #11 V.Williams
#8 Kuznetsova d. #14 Safina
#3 Petrova d. #5 Henin-Hardenne
#12 Hingis d. #2 Clijsters

...I'm sooo tempted to pick Venus here, but try as I might I just can't do it (which, of course, means Williams will probably win)... Petrova vs. JHH would have been my final if the draw has cooperated, but now I have to go against Queen Justine on the clay. Still, JHH hasn't exactly been the clay workhorse coming into Paris that she was a year ago, has she? Petrova has, though... Clijsters seems a bit adrift on the clay. Plus, the last #2-seed to win in Paris was Graf in 1995.

**SEMIFINALS**


#8 Kuznetsova d. #1 Mauresmo
#3 Petrova d. #12 Hingis

...could Kuznetsova's match point string go to three against Mauresmo, who's never made the Roland Garros final? No #1 seed has won in Paris since Graf in 1996... Petrova might be one too many Top 10ers for Hingis to contend with to break The Martina Code.

**FINAL**


#3 Petrova d. #8 Kuznetsova

Scarlett over the Contessova in another all-Russian slam final, but the first since the '04 U.S. Open. I've invested too much time in Petrova the last few months to blink now.

Read Tennisrulz head honcho Pierre Cantin's full Roland Garros preview here. Hint, hint... our picks aren't that different, but he has far more confidence in Schnyder, and far less in Petrova (not so surprising, really).

Hopefully, Scarlett will continue to prove me right about her. So far, 2006 has been quite the validation. Nadia gives a damn, and Ms. Westacott might be about to be linked with her in history forever.

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

DAY 1 on the show courts:

Sunday, May 28

**CHATRIER** 11:00 Start

Women's Singles - 1st Rnd.
Vera Zvonareva (RUS) vs. Dinara Safina (RUS)[14]

followed by
Men's Singles - 1st Rnd.
Roger Federer (SUI)[1] vs. Arnaud Clement (FRA)

Women's Singles - 1st Rnd.
Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)[1] vs. Meghann Shaughnessy (USA)

Men's Singles - 1st Rnd.
Jose Acasuso (ARG)[26] vs. Fabrice Santoro (FRA)

**LENGLEN** 11:00 Start

Men's Singles - 1st Rnd.
Tomas Zib (CZE) vs. Tommy Robredo (ESP)[7]

followed by
Women's Singles - 1st Rnd.
Aurelie Vedy (FRA) vs. Marion Bartoli (FRA)[25]

Men's Singles - 1st Rnd.
David Nalbandian (ARG)[3] vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)

Women's Singles - 1st Rnd.
Maria Sharapova (RUS)[4] vs. Mashona Washington (USA)


All for now. The Daily Backspin begins on Sunday.

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

ALSO: Men's RG picks on ATP Backspin.

Read more...

Wk.21-She Lives, After All

Contrary to the evidence presented through most of the first twenty weeks of the 2006 season, Nicole Vaidisova apparently IS still a player going places on the WTA Tour.



Injury, inconsistency and (to varying degrees) youth served to waylay the early season goals of the 17-year old Czech, but she never lost her Top 20 ranking despite a mediocre 10-7 record (and no appearances in finals) up until last week. But will the title-winning sojourn to Strasbourg turn out to be the turning point in Vaidisova's season?

Well, if nothing else, career title number six at least allowed the hoped-for Supernova-in-training to stake out some new ground. It was her first clay title, and the first WTA tour crown she's ever won in the first half of the season. So 2006 didn't get off to that hoped-for quick start, but Vaidisova is still ahead of her previous seasons' pace.

**VAIDISOVA'S TITLE-WINNING MONTHS**
May: 1
August: 1
October: 4

Who knows, maybe the girl still has a slam run in her for this year, after all. She could face #1-ranked Amelie Mauresmo in the Round of 16 in a rematch of Vaidisova's 4th Round no-show in Melbourne this past January.

If the meeting comes off, will things be any different this time around? Maybe not, but at least Vaidisova finally has something to hold up as evidence of her potential after quite a few months of (expected, though not necessarily uncalled for) raised eyebrows from her critics. Strasbourg isn't exactly the type of "prize-winning pelt" that Vaidisova is looking for, but it'll do.

For May 27, anyway.


**WEEK 21 CHAMPIONS**

STRASBOURG, FRANCE (III-Red Clay)
S: Nicole Vaidisova d. Shuai Peng 7-6/6-3
D: Huber/M.Navratilova d. Muller/Vanc


ISTANBUL, TURKEY (III-Red Clay)
S: Shahar Peer d. Anastasia Myskina 1-6/6-3/7-6
D: A.Bondarenko/Yakimova d. Mirza/Molik


ROLAND GARROS QUALIFIERS:
Victoria Azarenka, Yulia Beygelzimer, Eva Birnerova, Alberta Brianti, Clarisa Fernandez, Su-Wei Hsieh, Sandra Kloesel, Anda Perianu, Virginia Pichet, Aravane Rezai, Julia Vakulenko, Galina Voskoboeva (qualifying loser into draw: Kirsten Flipkens)

**PLAYER AWARDS**
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Shahar Peer
...the 19-year old Israeli won her third title of the season (and second this month) in Istanbul, defeating top-seeded Anastasia Myskina in a 3rd set tie-break in the final.
=============================
RISERS: Shuai Peng & Jelena Jankovic
...Peng continued the Chinese onslaught this clay season, reaching the Strasbourg final and getting wins over Gisela Dulko and Anabel Medina-Garrigues. Jankovic's rebound from her previous 10-match losing streak continued with a SF result in Strasbourg, as wins over Na Li and Anna Smashnova puts her record at 6-2 in her last eight.
=============================
SURPRISES: Alicia Molik & Clarisa Fernandez

...Molik's return to the tour is going along fairly smoothly, even if it's not exactly following the Hingis pattern of success. She's still 0-2 in singles, but pushed Tamira Paszek to three tight sets in the 1st Round in Istanbul, and reached the doubles final with Sania Mirza. Not bad for a player who was expecting to sit out the entire season less than six months ago. 2002 Roland Garros semifinalist Clarisa Fernandez, 24, is still trying to reclaim her past glory (she's just 5-10 in main draw slam matches outside of that one year in Paris), and she'll get another shot next week after making it through qualifying.
=============================
VETERAN: Martina Navratilova
...less than five months from her 50th birthday, Navratilova won her 176th career doubles title (with Liezel Huber) in Strasbourg. Needless to say, she once again broke her own WTA age record (last set in Toronto with Anna-Lena Groenefeld).
=============================
FRESH FACES: Nicole Vaidisova & Victoria Azarenka

...Vaidisova's title-winning run included wins over Jie Zheng, Jelena Jankovic and Shuai Peng. Meanwhile, 16-year old Belarussian Azarenka qualified for Roland Garros, becoming the only female or male to make it through the qualifying draws for both the Australian Open and RG this season.
=============================
DOWN: Patty Schnyder
...Schnyder's curiously bad spring on the red clay continued in Strasbourg, as she lost in the 2nd Round to Martina Muller.
=============================

**MATCHES**
1.Stras Doub.F - Huber/Navratilova d. Muller/Vanc
...6-2/7-6. This was Martina's 176th career doubles title, but do you know when her first one came? (Get ready for this.) It was in Dallas, in 1974. Yes... 32 years ago.
=============================
2.Istan F - Peer d. Myskina
...1-6/6-3/7-6. Not a bad result for the Czarina, but a Tier III RU is a far cry from her Roland Garros title just two years ago (or, in more stark terms, 30 years after Martina's first doubles title).
=============================
3.Stras F - Vaidisova d. Peng
...7-6/6-3. With Safarova's results dipping a bit on the clay, is Vaidisova looking to re-assume her Best Young Czech title?
=============================
4.Istan 1st - Paszek d. Molik
...5-7/6-4/6-4. Step by step.
=============================
5.RG Q3 - Anda Perianu d. Edina Gallovits
...3-6/6-1/6-4. The Romanian 25-year old, and former Oklahoma University star, hits the main draw, hoping to make a name for the burgeoning Romanian contingent ready to make a mark on the big tour. Her victim here was Gallovits, another Romanian.
=============================
HM-RG Q3 - Virginie Pichet d. Kirsten Flipkens
...5-7/6-2/8-6. This match was so good that they'll essentially play a "do-over" in the 1st Round of the main draw. So much for the home country looking out for your best interests, huh, Virginie?
=============================


==WTA LISTS==

**MULTIPLE 2006 WTA TITLES**
4...Nadia Petrova
3...Amelie Mauresmo
3...SHAHAR PEER
2...Justine Henin-Hardenne

**BEST FINAL WINNING PCT.**
(3+ finals)
1.000...Nadia Petrova (4-0)
1.000...SHAHAR PEER (3-0)
0.750...Amelie Mauresmo (3-1)

**YOUNGEST 2006 CHAMPIONS**
17...Michaella Krajicek (Hobart)
17...NICOLE VAIDISOVA (Stasbourg)
18...Shahar Peer (Pattaya)
18...Lucie Safarova (Gold Coast)
18...Maria Sharapova (Indian Wells)

**MOST ALL-TIME DOUBLES TITLES**
176...MARTINA NAVRATILOVA
112...Rosie Casals
106...Pam Shriver

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

All for now. Roland Garros preview coming soon. The Daily Backspin begins after play in Paris on Sunday.

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Wk.20-The Martina Code

After Rome, where does the truth lie? With her first WTA singles title since 2002 -- a Tier I, no less -- now in hand, has Martina Hingis cracked the code required for her to be able to belatedly win her first Roland Garros crown? Or has the landscape simply been prettied-up with an impressive piece of sterling silver for the Swiss Miss' trophy case, and we really didn't learn anything from Italy that we didn't already know?

Just what is "The Martina Code" for Paris?



As with the likes of Sampras, McEnroe, Becker and (so far) Federer, decoding Roland Garros has been an impossible task for Hingis, although the seemingly complementary surface serves to neutralize the power of her more physically-imposing opponents. Even during her teenaged salad days Hingis wasn't able to leave Paris with a smile as sincere as her clever shotmaking. In 1997, at 16, she was #1 in the world and won three slam titles, but a fall from a horse in April robbed her of most of her EuroClay tuneup season, then she lost in the RG final to one-hit wonder Iva Majoli. In 1999, her infamously immature outbursts during her losing effort in the final against Steffi Graf helped send the German vet into retirement with one last superior result on her resume, and altered Hingis' "golden girl" image forever... well, at least until recently. Needless to say, Paris has not been kind to the now 25-year old (and new) #14-ranked player in the world. After that '99 final, Hingis never won another slam title, going 0-4 in slam finals in the three-plus intervening years between that memorable afternoon and her '02 retirement.

2006 has provided a wonderful stage for Hingis' successful comeback, but did this past weekend's results in Rome change any of the perceptions of Hingis that have developed over the course of the season? Quite honestly, no. We already knew that she could handle players outside the Top 10 (going 28-3 in '06) with relative ease, but was far less successful (3-7) against those residing within the Top 10. In Rome, Hingis never faced a Top 10er, and semifinal opponent #12-ranked Venus Williams is still making her way back from an extended layoff (and clay isn't exactly her best surface anyway). Even in the Williams match, that 0-6 1st set defeat perfectly illustrated the wild momentum swing that occurred during the contest.

Nothing against what Hingis accomplished in Rome, but last week only really served to prove what we already knew. She'll be a factor in Paris, a sure thing to reach the Round of 16, and will cross her fingers for a draw that helps her avoid as many elite players as possible. She could reach the SF, or even the final... but then she'd have to discover some code-breaking expertise that's eluded her during her career's first stanza, as well as during Hingis II.

Could she do it? Sure. But, ala Barbaro, her chances are probably 50-50, at best, to find the "Martina Code" key that would finally put an end to Hingis' string of exits from Paris with a smile as ironic as the Mona Lisa's is enigmatic.

The secrets will begin to unravel on Sunday.


**WEEK 20 CHAMPIONS**

ROME, ITALY (I-Red Clay)
S: Martina Hingis d. Dinara Safina 6-2/7-5
D: Hantuchova/Sugiyama d. Peschke/Schiavone
=============================

RABAT, MOROCCO (IV-Red Clay)
S: Meghann Shaughnessy d. Martina Sucha 6-2/3-6/6-3
D: Yan/Zheng d. Harkleroad/Mattek
=============================

**PLAYER AWARDS**
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Martina Hingis
...career title #41 was the first since Tokyo in February '02, and came during the same week Hingis won her 500th career match (officially, she's now at 502).
=============================
RISER: Dinara Safina

...Safina wasn't able to make it six straight Russian Tier I winners, but her Roman Holiday included three Top 10 wins over Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova and (most importantly) Kim Clijsters. She's now at a career-best #15.
=============================
SURPRISES: Jelena Jankovic & Alicia Molik
...Jankovic had suffered through 10 consecutive losses before her QF run in Italy. Wins over Maria Sanchez-Lorenzo and Katerina Srebotnik, far from clay court hacks, helped soothe over her eventual loss to Venus. Molik didn't get a win, losing in two quick sets to Srebotnik, but it was enough of a surprise to see her return to the court. In Istanbul, she pushed Tamira Paszek to three tight sets. Progress comes in many forms, and the Aussie Steamer's is simple and direct at the moment.
=============================
VETERANS: Hingis & Meghann Shaughnessy

...Hingis didn't have to defeat a Top 10 player, but she did mow through five from the Top 20 in Safina, Venus, Pennetta, Schiavone and Vaidisova. Shaughnessy, 27, won in Morocco for her first WTA title since January '03 in Canberra, and (both surprisingly and, really, not-so-surprisingly) was the first American to reach a WTA singles final this year. It was the Shillelagh's fourth career crown.
=============================
FRESH FACE: Romina Oprandi

...being in Rome, and with a Swiss woman taking the title, wouldn't you know that a Swiss-born Italian such as 20-year old Oprandi would make a name for herself. She's been popping up on Backspin in this category this season (and last) as one of the queens of the ITF, but this run to a Tier I QF was even more impressive. Oprandi knocked off Samantha Stosur and Vera Zvonareva before pushing Kuznetsova to a 7-6 3rd set.
=============================
DOWN: Marion Bartoli
...Italian Bartoli wasn't in Rome, but she was the #1 seed in Rabat (as she was in Prague a week earlier). And for the second straight week, Bartoli's top seed didn't prevent her from losing in the 1st Round. Conspicuously absent here, of course, is Kim Clijsters, who was dropped by Safina in the 3rd Round in Rome. The reason? I suppose I'm saving her for when she fails to win Roland Garros.
=============================

**MATCHES**
1.Rome F - Hingis d. Safina
...6-2/7-5. Tier I finals have almost been exclusively Russian (8 finalists) and/or Swiss (3) affairs in 2006, save for the appearance of a single Belgian RU (JHH in Berlin). Hingis was RU in Tokyo to Dementieva in February.
-----------------------------
2.Rome 3rd - Safina d. Clijsters
...6-4/7-6. Paris isn't here yet, and Wimbledon and the U.S. Open are still months away, but I'll stand by my early prediction that Clijsters won't win a slam in '06. She's satisfied with her one from last September.
-----------------------------
3.Rome SF - Hingis d. V.Williams
...0-6/6-3/6-3. This was Hingis' first win over Venus since the Australian Open SF in 2001.
-----------------------------
4.Rome SF - Safina d. Kuznetsova
...3-6/6-4/7-5. Maybe the Contessova will spruce up at Roland Garros, but she's been passed over by fellow Russians on the "potential favorites" list seemingly on a weekly basis of late. She led here 6-3/4-3, but lost in 2:33.
-----------------------------
5.Rab F - Shaughnessy d. Sucha
...6-2/3-6/6-3. TWO champions named Martina simply weren't in the cards for Week 20.
-----------------------------
HM-Rome Doubles 2nd - Dulko/Kirilenko d. Raymond/Stosur
...6-3/7-5. Finally, this duo loses in a Tier I in '06.
-----------------------------


==WTA LISTS==

**TIER I TITLES - ACTIVE**
16...MARTINA HINGIS
11...Lindsay Davenport
8....Justine Henin-Hardenne
7....Serena Williams
6....Amelie Mauresmo
6....Venus Williams
5....Kim Clijsters
5....Mary Pierce

**2006 DOUBLES TITLES**
5...Raymond/Stosur
3...YAN/ZHENG
2...T.Li/Sun

**2006 LOW-RANKED TITLISTS**
#89...Lourdes Dominguez-Lino (Bogota)
#87...MEGHANN SHAUGHESSY (Rabat)
#60...Michaella Krajicek (Hobart)

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

**WEEK 21 - FUTILE CHAMPION PICKS**

...okay, I'll give it yet another try, for what it's worth. Which, up to this point in the season, isn't very much.


STRASBOURG, FRANCE (III-Red Clay)
05 F: Medina-Garrigues d. Domachowska
06 TOP: Schnyder/Vaidisova
-----------------------------
SF: Schnyder d. Garrigues; Vaidisova d. N.Li
FINAL: Schnyder d. Vaidisova


ISTANBUL, TURKEY (III-Red Clay)
05 F: V.Williams d. Vaidisova
06 TOP: Myskina/Groenefeld
-----------------------------
SF: Castano d. Krajicek; Groenefeld d. Peer
FINAL: Groenefeld d. Castano

ALSO...ROLAND GARROS QUALIFYING ROUNDS



All for now.

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

THIS WEEKEND: Roland Garros Preview, and "The Daily Backspin" begins on Sunday

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Wk.19-And Miles to Go...

...before she sleeps, or wins Roland Garros. Whichever comes first.



Whatever the unofficial "signpost" is that Nadia Petrova needs to motor past this spring in order to be considered a -- if not THE -- favorite next month in Paris, she has to be in its general vicinity right about now, doesn't she?

You want consistency? Well, there's the four 2006 singles titles (five in total since late October), more than any other player this season. You want an unparalleled period of dominance? Well, she's won three straight titles and left Berlin with fifteen consecutive WTA match wins on clay (she's no Rafael Nadal, of course, but it should be noted that Justine Henin-Hardenne's '05 clay superiority included a 17-match streak heading into what would be her victorious turn at Roland Garros). You say she's not even the best Russian player? Well, she's now #3 in the world -- ahead of Maria Sharapova -- and certainly is more adept on the slower surface of the season's second grand slam, and the Supernova hasn't played in nearly two months. After whipping up on what some might have considered "less than elite" players en route to her other '06 titles, Petrova knocked off none other than the clay queen JHH herself in three tough sets in the Berlin final on Sunday. Enough evidence yet?

"I don't know what to say," said Petrova, "My legs were tired, my back began to hurt in the second set and I had problems serving. All I could do is fight."

And she did, and won. Just as she did in the heat of Charleston against Patty Schnyder last month. In fact, it's hard to name a more match tough player on tour this season, both mentally and physically. At this point, only the previous slam success of the likes of JHH, Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova would prevent an unbiased gent from placing Petrova at the top of the Roland Garros favorite list.

(And since I admit to not exactly belonging in that category when it comes to our fair Scarlett, barring any unforeseen circumstances between now and May 28, my Roland Garros pick is pretty much set in stone... or I should say "set in terre battue?")

Of course, Amelie Mauresmo wasn't really considered a slam-worthy player until she actually won one. No matter how many Tier I titles Petrova picks up before Paris (two after Berlin, meaning all five Tier I titles have gone to Russians this season), it doens't necessarily mean the party will continue on the final Saturday at Suzanne Lenglen. Just ask the Amelie Mauresmo of twelve months ago.

Sleep tight, Nadia. You have some hard work in front of you.


**WEEK 19 CHAMPIONS**

BERLIN, GERMANY (I-Red Clay)
S: Nadia Petrova d. Justine Henin-H. 4-6/6-4/7-5
D: Yan/Zheng d. Dementieva/Pennetta


PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (IV-Red Clay)
S: Shahar Peer d. Samantha Stosur 4-6/6-2/6-1
D: Bartoli/Peer d. Harkleroad/Mattek

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

**PLAYER AWARDS**

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Nadia Petrova & Shahar Peer
...Petrova knocked out two Russians, two Chinese and a Belgian. Not a bad week of international relations for the tour's hottest player. In some ways, Petrova's late withdrawal from Rome might be more conducive to a title-winning result in Paris than either winning another title (meaning she'd have had to pull off a 27-match streak to win her first slam title) or losing there (which would have given her some extra rest, but when is losing really good, especially when it could sow seeds of doubt at just the wrong time?) would have. 19-year old Peer won her second title of the season in Prague, sweeping both the singles and doubles (and setting herself up for what would be a quick exit in Rabat).
-----------------------------
RISERS: Zi Yan/Jie Zheng & Na Li
,..suddenly, the Cookies are pouring over the wall. Last week, Li reached a Tier I SF in Berlin and got her first Top 10 win (over Patty Schnyder). Meanwhile, the Aussie Open-winning doubles team of Yan/Zheng took the Berlin title (both moved into the doubles Top 10 on Monday), while Zheng reached the 3rd Round in singles a week after winning in Estoril. Also, Shuai Peng reached the Prague SF. Combined, the last two weeks, the Li-Zheng-Peng trio have gone 18-4.
-----------------------------
SURPRISES: Magdalena Rybarikova & Kaia Kanepi
...17-year old Slovakian wild card, ranked #285, Rybarikova opened up the week in Prague with a big upset of Czech Lucie Safarova en route to the QF. Estonia's Kanepi took out #1-seeded Marion Bartoli on her way to the Prague SF, matching a career-best ('05 Kolkata) result.
-----------------------------
VETERAN: Martina Hingis
...in Berlin, the Swiss Miss got another Top 10 win (over Elena Dementieva), and might have gotten another over Amelie Mauresmo in the QF if the match hadn't been extended into a second day, enabling the world #1 to take the 3rd set on Saturday.
-----------------------------
FRESH FACES: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova & Raluca Olaru
...in January, 15-year old Russian Pavlyuchenkova won the Australian Open junior title after beating 17-year old Romanian Olaru in the SF. Last week, Pavlyuchenkova won her first ITF title in a $10K event in Casale, while Olaru won the $10K in Rabat to complete a back-to-back ITF title run (she won in Bucharest previously).
-----------------------------
DOWN: Justine Henin-Hardenne
...JHH won Berlin in 2002-03 & '05, but her dominance was thwarted by Petrova this time around. She's here this week not because of the loss, but because of the pattern she's starting to develop in '06. While Petrova has won while battling physical ailments and fought through bad patches, JHH rarely has. She's either great (case in point, her thrashing of Mauresmo in the SF) or loses in three sets. Not something to ponder for most players, but a point to note for a player who made her name while managing to win big matches even when her game wasn't at its best and/or she was physically compromised. It could be a key to her attempt to defend (or not) her Roland Garros title next month.
-----------------------------

**MATCHES**

1.Ber F - Petrova d. JHH
...4-6/6-4/7-5. Petrova was 1-8 vs. JHH before this match.
============================
2.Ber SF - JHH d. Mauresmo
...6-1/6-2. In their first meeting since the Melbourne final, JHH showed Mauresmo what she can do when she's feeling well (and after Mauresmo had to complete her QF match with Hingis earlier in the day). Of course, the next day Mauresmo pulled out of Rome citing exhaustion.
============================
3.Prag F - Peer d. Stosur
...4-6/6-2/6-1. Who would have thought Stosur might have gotten her first singles title on clay? Well, as it turned out, it didn't matter anyway.
============================
4.Ber Doub.F - Yan/Zheng d. Dementieva/Pennetta
...6-2/6-3. Raymond/Stosur didn't show up at this Tier I.
============================
5.Ber 1st - N.Li d. Ivanovic
...1-6, ret. Days after being forced to retire in the Estoril final herself, Li got some love from the tennis gods.
============================
HM-Prag Doub.1st - Navratilova/Strycova d. Blahtova/Rolle
...6-2/6-3. Martina's first action in her former homeland (and maybe future home?) in 20 years resulted in a win, and a standing ovation. The winning stopped in the 2nd Round, but the applause didn't.
============================


==WTA LISTS==

*2006 SINGLES TITLES*
4...NADIA PETROVA
3...Amelie Mauresmo
2...Justine Henin-Hardenne
2...SHAHAR PEER

*MOST CONSECUTIVE WTA TITLES*
3...Amelie Mauresmo (Jan-Feb)
3...NADIA PETROVA (APR-CURRENT)

*LONG 2006 WTA WINNING STREAKS*
16...Amelie Mauresmo (Jan-Feb)
15...NADIA PETROVA (APR-CURRENT)
11...Maria Sharapova (March)
10...Justine Henin-Hardenne (January)

*2006 WINS OVER WORLD #1*
--WTA EVENTS--
Australian QF - #6 JHH d. #1 Davenport
Antwerp F - #2 Mauresmo d. #1 Clijsters
Miami SF - #14 Kuznetsova d. #1 Mauresmo
BERLIN SF - #7 JHH d. #1 MAURESMO
--FED CUP--
1st Rd - #11 Schiavone d. #1 Mauresmo
--EXHIBITION--
Hong Kong - #2 Clijsters d. #1 Davenport

*2006 SINGLES/DOUBLES TITLE SWEEPS*
Anna-Lena Groenefeld - Acapulco
SHAHAR PEER - PRAGUE

*2006 SINGLES FINALS*
4...NADIA PETROVA (4-0)
4...Amelie Mauresmo (3-1)
4...JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE (2-2)
3...Maria Sharapova (1-2)
3...Flavia Pennetta (0-3)

*2006 RUSSIAN WTA TITLES*
4...NADIA PETROVA
1...Elena Dementieva
1...Svetlana Kuznetsova
1...Maria Sharapova

*2006 DOUBLES TITLES*
5...Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur
2...Ting Li/Tiantian Sun
2...ZI YAN/JIE ZHENG


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

**WEEK 20 - BATTLE ROYALE CONTINUES**

...of course, I correctly predicted both finalists (again) in Berlin but (again) STILL couldn't notch a correct champion pick. What else is new. Hey, at least I've gotten a bit of a lead on Tennisrulz head honcho Pierre Cantin in the Royale:

[4th Rd. ...tied 19-19]
QF...Backspin leads 25-20
SF...Pierre leads 13-12
F...Backspin leads 5-2
W...tied 0-0

(seriously, how can NEITHER of us have picked a champion yet?)


ROME, ITALY (I-Red Clay)
05 F: Mauresmo d. Schnyder
06 TOP: #2 Clijsters (#1 Mauresmo, #3 Sharapova & #4 Petrova w/d)
=============================

--Backspin's Picks--

QUARTERFINALS
Hingis d. Medina-Garrigues
V.Williams d. Srebotnik
Kuznetsova d. Hantuchova (Wonder Girl is already out, but she WAS my pick)
Clijsters d. Dementieva
SEMIFINALS
Hingis d. V.Williams
Clijsters d. Kuznetsova
FINAL
Clijsters d. Hingis

--Pierre's Picks--

QF:
Hingis def Pennetta
VWilliams def Srebotnik
Kuznetsova def Hantuchova
Clijsters def Dementieva

SF:
Hingis def VWilliams
Clijsters def Kuznetsova

F:
Clijsters def Hingis



RABAT, MOROCCO (IV-Red Clay)
05 F: Llagostera-Vives d. Zheng
06 TOP: Bartoli/Zheng
============================

FINAL: Zheng def. A.Bondarenko


All for now.

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