Oz Open Day 3: Serena & Maria & Laver! Oh My!

It's never too early to start looking ahead, especially after a Day 3 with few headline-grabbing moments. So...

Serena & Maria & Laver! Oh my!
Serena & Maria & Laver! Oh my!
Serena & Maria & Laver! Oh my!

Unless either Daniela Hantuchova or Jelena Kostanic spoil the party on Thursday, we're about to be treated to a wonderful Round of 16 match this weekend. Serena vs. The Supernova, Part V. A rematch of the 2005 Oz semifinal that saw Sharapova fail to convert on three match points, and Williams ride that hard won victory to her seventh grand slam title two days later.

Both Williams and Sharapova entered Melbourne with all sorts of questions swirling around their Australian Open chances, from injuries (Serena's ankle/knee, Maria's chest muscle) to off-court distractions to a curious inability to pull off the truly big-match victory since everyone last convened to close out last year's Dorothy Tour.

On Wednesday, Serena wasn't spectacular against Camille Pin, but she marched through without seeing her title defense flash before her eyes. Sharapova, meanwhile, had to overcome a short lapse late in the 2nd set against Ashley Harkleroad, but it turned out to be only a blip on the radar. Two rounds in, both their courses are true.

In a few days of 3rd & 4th Round matches that could provide a handful of unusually intriguing meetings -- including Pierce/Hingis, Davenport/Kuznetsova and Mauresmo/Vaidisova -- the potential Serena vs. Supernova rematch would be the "crack a fat" matchup of them all... maybe even of the entire tournament. Of course, not to be looking ahead or anything. But still, let the (theoretical) countdown begin.

Look out Rod Laver Arena... here they (probably) come.


==DAY 3 PLAYER AWARDS==
DOROTHYS OF THE DAY: Serena Williams & Maria Sharapova
...as great as an early match-up between the two would be, it also would mean that only one would still be around for the big-doings of the second week. Oh, well. Such is life.
========================
SHEILA: Mara Santangelo

...the 24-year old from Italy made the semifinals in Hobart, and has used the momentum to become the only remaining survivor from the batch of Day One upsets. Of the six conquerors of seeded players on Monday, only Santangelo (who upset Tatiana Golovin in the 1st Round) followed her victory up with another on Wednesday, this time over unseeded Katarina Srebotnik.
========================
GOBSMACKER: Olga Savchuk
...the 18-year old from Ukraine, ranked #188, is one of only two remaining women's qualifiers in the draw (the other, Meng Yuan, plays Kim Clijsters on Wednesday). Savchuk took out #23-seed Jelena Jankovic 6-3/6-4 in Round 2.
========================
AUNTIE EM: Virginia Ruano-Pascual
...Elena Likhovtseva got past one 32-year old (Lisa Raymond) in the 1st Round, but she couldn't get past another in the 2nd Round as veteran VRP upset the #18-seeded Russian by a 6-4/6-4 score.
========================
MUNCHKIN: Elena Vesnina
...the 19-year old Hordette is currently ranked #100, and she looks to be ready to add her name to the long list of Russian teenagers on the rise. She knocked off Dementieva vanquisher Julia Schruff in the 2nd Round, 6-0/7-5, to set up a 3rd Round match with qualifier Olga Savchuk for the honor of the winner advancing to her first slam Round of 16.
========================
WALKABOUT: Tszvetana Pironkova
...so much for that. It's always interesting to see how a young player who pulls off a big upset in a slam follows it up, and Pironkova just wasn't able to do it against American veteran Laura Granville, a player whom the Bulgarian teen admitted on Tuesday to knowing absolutely nothing about. She won't be able to say that next time.
========================

==DAY 3 MATCHES==
1.Granville d. Pironkova
...7-5/6-2. The win over Venus won't be the last big victory that Pironkova has in 2006.
------------------------
2.#1 Davenport d. Sprem
...7-6/6-3. It wasn't a breeze, though. Sprem led 3-1 in the tie-break before Davenport finally took control.
------------------------
3.#4 Sharapova d. Harkleroad
...6-1/7-5. The former "American Anna" at least showed some moxie late in the 2nd set against the former "Next Anna."
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4.#8 Henin-Hardenne d. Sromova
...7-6/6-1. It might have been interesting had Sromova not turned her ankle at a time when JHH wasn't exactly burning up the court with her "brilliance." If this is the Queen's one semi-close call in the early going, then so be it.
------------------------
5.Camerin d. Bychkova
...4-6/7-6/6-2. With sometimes-giant killing Bychkova gone, only Camerin and Savchuk/Vesnina stand between Nadia Petrova and a Quarterfinal matchup with the potentially-spent winner of the Serena/Sharapova clash. The Last Russian Standing might come from this little corner of the draw.
------------------------
HM- #14 Kuznetsova d. Parra-Santonja
...6-2/6-7/6-2. Kuznetsova has Davenport in her short-range sights now.
------------------------

==DAY 3 ODDS & ENDS==

**DAY 1 UPSET/UPSETTING DAY 3**
Julia Schruff (def. #9 Dementieva, loses to Vesnina)
Tszvetana Pironkova (def. #10 V.Williams, loses to Granville)
Conchita Martinez-Granados (def. #26 Sugiyama, loses to Razzano)
Zuzana Ondraskova (def. #28 Medina-Garrigues, loses to Kostanic)
Ekaterina Bychkova (def. #29 Koukalova, loses to Camerin)

**DAY 3 QUESTION**
What's with Sharapova's blue tennis dress? Was it modeled after a teddy? (And would Andy Roddick be able to answer that question? Hmmmm.)

**HISTORY - SERENA vs. THE SUPERNOVA**
2004 Miami 4th - Williams 6-4/6-3
2004 Wimbledon Final - Sharapova 6-1/6-4
2004 WTA Chsp. Final - Sharapova 4-6/6-2/6-4
2005 Australian SF - Williams 2-6/7-5/8-6

**DAY 4 MATCH-UP TO WATCH*
...hmmm, quite a few good ones on tap for Wednesday. Vaidisova vs. Chakvetadze in a Maiden/Hordette teenaged clash. Mirza vs. Krajicek, too. Just as good. But I'll go with the one that could be really fun:

Ana Ivanovic v. Samantha Stosur
...AnaIvo is 0-2 this year vs. Kuznetsova, 5-0 against everyone else (including a win over Mauresmo last week). Slingin' Sammy is 4-1, with only a bad luck of the draw match against Vaidisova in Sydney tarnishing her record. Stosur is at her best at this time of the year, and will certainly have the Aussie crowd on her side as the last remaining Sheila in the draw.


All for now. More tomorrow.

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Oz Open Day 2: Martina...Grinning Like a Shot Fox

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.



Taking a page from her superior Australian Open history book (39-3 from 1997-02), Martina Hingis ruled the court in Melbourne once again on Monday, frustrating the easily-distracted #30-seed Vera Zvonareva just like it was the late 1990's all over again. 6-1/6-2... lickety-split. That was that.

Thanks for showing up, Vera. Your check will be waiting for you in the lockerroom... how do you spell your last name again?

In the end, Zvonareva was likely the perfect opening round opponent for the Swiss Miss in this return to Melbourne after three years away in the land of retirement: just good enough to test Hingis' mental mettle and instill some added confidence with a win, but not really good or powerful enough to truly put the "new" Hingis to a real test against the types of players she had trouble defeating from 2000-02. That exam could come by the weekend, though, as the reinvigorated Mary Pierce could be waiting in the 3rd Round for a rematch of the 1997 Oz final, which Hingis won 6-2/6-2.

Venus proved on Monday that 2006 is not 2001. It's not likely 1997, either.


==DAY 2 PLAYER AWARDS==
DOROTHY OF THE DAY: Martina Hingis
...Martina was a walloper against Zvonareva, testing the Russian's emotions and teasing her guile just as she often famously toyed with opponents in her heyday. A seventh straight Australian final is beyond the black stump, but -- bloody oath! -- the comeback has already proven to be worth it, hasn't it?
========================
SHEILA: Zi Yan
...the Cookies have been leading the field in near-miss big upsets over seeds in Melbourne (Na Li vs. Serena, Tiantian Sun vs. Mauresmo), but last year's surprise Guangzhou champion Yan finally pulled off a decent-sized one against #11 Nathalie Dechy, winning 6-7/6-2/6-3.
========================
GOBSMACKER: Tiantian Sun
...Sun got an (injury-assisted) win over Serena Williams in Beijing last year, and she almost got an (Amelie-assisted) win over world #3 Mauresmo on Tuesday. The Cookie took the 1st set, but Mauresmo finally found her head and closed out the match 4-6/6-2/6-2. Of course, the chances that the Frenchwoman will be able to keep herself from irreversibly misplacing that noggin again over the next two weeks are pretty slim.
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AUNTIE EM: Mary Pierce
...finally, Prideful Mary makes her first 2006 appearance. It went pretty well, too, as she destroyed Nicole Pratt 6-1/6-1.
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MUNCHKIN: Anna-Lena Groenefeld
...ahh, Girl Friday finally got the "curse-buster" win she'd been looking for. Not that it was easy for her to avoid starting her season 0-5, as she teetered on the edge against Laura Pous Tio before finally winning 2-6/6-4/7-5. Will this be her overdue '06 wake-up call?
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WALKABOUT: Vera Zvonareva
...seems Vera is always mad as a cut snake these days, doesn't it? She was up a gum tree against Hingis, venting frustration from every pour and barely putting up a fight in the process. (Don't ya just love the Aussie slang?)
========================


**DAY 2 MATCHES**
1.Hingis d. #30 Zvonareva
...6-1/6-2. Was Auckland just a mirage for Zvonareva?
========================
2.#3 Mauresmo d. T.Sun
...4-6/6-2/6-2. Opinion: Mauresmo's YEC title effectively ends any hopes she has of ever winning a slam because she -- and many others -- believed after L.A. that she could win one, which puts even more pressure on her to do it, which isn't exactly conducive to her doing anything good on a tennis court. FACT: She'll still have a great year and routinely climb out of the type of on-court pit she found herself in on Tuesday.
========================
3.#2 Clijsters d. Cho
...6-3/6-0. She played and won easily, but we may not have heard the last of Killer Kim's hip injury.
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4.#32 Mirza d. Azarenka
...7-6/6-2. Princess Sania finally gets her first victory of 2006 over Fellow Rising Teen #1. Next up is a very intriguing 2nd Round match with Fellow Rising Teen #2, Michaella Krajicek.
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5.Chakvetadze d. Zheng
...5-7/6-2/6-4. Another near miss by a Cookie. I guess Zi Yan (and maybe Meng Yuan, who defeated Melinda Czink) will now get some extra attention from the Chinese federation.
========================
HM- Sanchez-Lorenzo d. Safarova
...6-4/6-3. A disappointing trip to Melbourne for Maiden #1b. Or maybe it's back to Maiden #2, now?
========================


==DAY 2 ODDS & ENDS==

**UNCOMMON UPSETS - TUESDAY SEEDS THAT FELL**
#11 Nathalie Dechy (lost to Yan)
#30 Vera Zvonareva (lost to Hingis)

**FIVE COOKIES CRUMBLED in the 1st...**
Na Li (lost to #13 S.Williams)
Ting Li (lost to Vesnina)
Shuai Peng (lost to Harkleroad)
Tiantian Sun (lost to #3 Mauresmo)
Jie Zheng (lost to Chakvetadze)

**...TWO COOKIES DIDN'T**
Zi Yan (def. #11 Dechy)
Meng Yuan (def. Czink)

**RUSSIAN WHO ISN'T...**
Castano d. Dushevina
...5-7/6-3/6-1. Vera D. just hasn't been able to figure out a way to keep up with the rest of the Hordettes. Not yet, anyway.

**THE POTENTIAL UPSET THAT WASN'T**
#7 Schnyder d. Daniilidou
...6-4/6-3.

**THE POTENTIAL UPSET THAT WAS**
Sucha d. Smashnova
...3-6/6-3/6-4. If Smashnova's going out in the 1st Round, it MUST be a slam. Yep, it is. In her 42 career slam appearances, Smashnova has lost in the 1st Round 24 times (and has 10 losses in the 2nd Round).

**BULGARIAN QUOTEBOOK**
Just because Sesil is...umm, "away"... it doesn't mean that a Bulgarian teenager's delightfully twisted English is also M.I.A. from Melbourne. Venus conqueror Tszvetana Pironkova said that when she entered the lockerroom after her big win, she was congratulated by the other players. "They said, 'Well job, good done,'" Pironkova reported yesterday. How can you not love that? Hmmm, must be the puberty's fault.

**DAY 3 MATCH-UP SPOTLIGHT**

Sharapova vs. Harkleroad
...there always seems to be one of these "glamour girl" matchups per slam. This is this AO's, I suppose.


All for now. More tomorrow.

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Oz Open Day 1: The House Falls on Venus

Well, since Australia does sometimes get tagged with the affectionate tag of "Oz," certain roles have to be assigned as "The Daily Backspin: Australian Open Edition" gets underway.

The first one has already been locked up. Thus, playing the part of the player having her tennis house immediately fall directly on her head (drumroll)... Venus Williams.

Venus might not have been crushed into nonexistence by 18-year old Bulgarian Tszvetana Pironkova on the opening day of play in Melbourne (Venus more than lent a helping hand, courtesy of 65 unforced errors), but it certainly puts a damper on the beginning of her season, doesn't it? She hasn't lost in the 1st Round of a slam since the 2001 Roland Garros, to Barbara Schett.

Interestingly, that year, Venus went on to win both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and to reach the final of six of the next seven slams. Maybe a shock to the system like this is exactly what Venus needed?

Of course, this is 2006, not 2001. The difference between the two played out before our eyes on Vodafone on Monday.


==DAY 1 PLAYER AWARDS==

DOROTHY OF THE DAY: Tszvetana Pironkova
...there's just something about Bulgarians and Venus at slams. Last year in Paris, it was Sesil Karatantcheva, this year in Melbourne it's the #94-ranked Pironkova. Unlike last year, though, Venus has likely heard of this teenager, having beaten her in Istanbul in 2005. She might rather forget her now. Unbelievably, this was the grand slam debut of the lanky Pironkova, a two-time WTA semifinalist last year in Istanbul and Palermo. She didn't look nervous, though, hitting her groundstrokes like she was Elena Dementieva (at least someone was...more on that in a moment) and just waiting for Venus to make a mistake. Which she did, often.
========================
SHEILAS: Julia Schruff & Ashley Harkleroad
...Schruff already had wins over Elena Likhovtseva and Jelena Dokic (okay, I know, so what? Like I said, this isn't 2001) in '06, and on Monday she added #9-seed Elena Dementieva to her hit list. In straight sets, too. Guess that late '05 win over Kim Clijsters and Hong Kong exhibition victory over Serena still haven't worked any wonders for Punch-Sober. Qualifier Harkleroad opened up her '06 Comeback Tour with a nice 6-4/6-1 straight sets win over Shuai Peng. Could American Splendor have a Melbourne breakthrough in her? Well, her next match is against Maria Sharapova... so you make the call.
========================
GOBSMACKERS: Zuzana Ondraskova & Mara Santangelo
...Czech Maiden Ondraskova took out last week's Canberra winner, #28-seed Anabel Medina-Garrigues, 6-3/6-4. Italy's Santangelo upset The Frussian Pastry, #24-seed Tatiana Golovin in three close sets, 6-4/4-6/6-4.
========================
AUNTIE EM: Lindsay Davenport
...top-seeded Davenport was assigned the first match of the tournament on Rod Laver, and she responded with the first victory of the day, an easy win over the improving, but still overmatched, Aussie Casey Dellacqua.
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MUNCHKIN: Ekaterina Bychkova
...at her last slam, the Russian with the best name of the lot, upended defending U.S. Open champ Svetlana Kuznetsova. In Melbourne, Bychkova knocked off #29-seed Klara Koukalova, 6-1/5-7/6-2. Koukalova wasn't defending anything, but it's a nice big win nonetheless for the Hordette who might just make the biggest move up the rankings in '06.
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WALKABOUT: Venus Williams
...ding dong, Venus is out. Hmmm, since another Bulgarian proved to be her undoing, I wonder if Sesil is smiling? Then again, she's got a few other things to concern herself with, doesn't she?
========================

**DAY 1 MATCHES**

1.Pironkova d. #10 V.Williams
...2-6/6-0/9-7. Venus served for the match at 6-5 in the 3rd, but Pironkova dug in her ruby-slippered heels and survived. Venus fought, but ultimately couldn't overcome herself or the nervy Bulgarian. Appropriately, the match ended on Venus' 65th unforced error. I guess not playing a match that matters since September is bound to catch up with a gal at some point.
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2.Razzano d. Dokic
...3-6/7-6/6-1. The Debutante's comeback on the Dorothy Tour didn't last very long. But, in typical Dokic style, there were dramatics. At 6-5 in the 2nd, on one of two match points, Dokic hit a shot that she thought had won her the match. She raised her hands and began to celebrate, only to have the umpire overrule the call and say Dokic's shot was out. Down once again Down Under, Dokic lost an 8-6 tie-break, then barely registered in the 3rd set.
========================
3.#13 S.Williams d. N.Li
...6-3/6-7/6-2. Serena was a little shaky after serving at 6-3/5-4, but her talent untimately won out. Afterward, she said she wanted to put hook up her iPOD and dance around. Sounds like a good TV commercial.
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4.Schruff d. #9 Dementieva
...7-5/6-2. It's either feast or famine for Dementieva in slams: she's either the LAST seed out (in the final), or the FIRST one (which she was in Melbourne).
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5.Ondraskova d. #28 Medina-Garrigues
...6-3/6-4. Hmmm, maybe losses like this are why AMG remains an undiscovered gem, huh? She's REALLY undiscovered this week.
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HM- #25 Kirilenko d. Linetskaya
...6-1/3-1 ret. Another one bites the dust.
========================

**DAY 1 ODDS & ENDS**

==DAY 1 - SEEDS WHO MELTED LIKE THE WICKED WITCH==
#9 Elena Dementieva (lost to Schruff)
#10 Venus Williams (lost to Pironkova)
#24 Tatiana Golovin (lost to Santangelo)
#26 Ai Sugiyama (lost to Martinez-Granados)
#28 Anabel Medina-Garrigues (lost to Ondraskova)
#29 Klara Koukalova (lost to Bychkova)

==CLOSEST MATCH==
#18 Elena Likhovtseva d. Lisa Raymond
...7-6/7-6. The vets didn't want to play that tie break-less 3rd set.

==DAY 2 MATCH TO WATCH==
#30 Vera Zvonareva vs. Martina Hingis
...Martina hasn't lost in any round but the final in Melbourne since (yikes!) 1996. Zvonareva was 12 at the time... "years old," not "in the world."


The Daily Backspin continues on Day 2.

All for now.

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Waltzing Mathilda Australian Open Preview

Grab some Tim Tams! Get out a spreadin' knife and some Vegemite! The Aussie Open is almost here!

The Australian Open has always been situated in an odd position on the WTA schedule. In the old days (before 1987), it was the fourth slam of the year, taking place in December. It was often overlooked, and some players decided against making the long trip at the end of a tiring season. The move to January alleviated much of that problem, since an elusive "Grand Slam" couldn't occur without a player first getting the Aussie Open under their belt.

But the move has brought a whole new set of difficulties when it comes to forecasting what will happen over the tournament's two weeks. Taking place at the start of the season after a likely too short offseason, it's still a feat for a player to be well-rested and on their game quickly enough to perform at a top level in the sometimes debilitating heat of Melbourne. Some players play several tuneups to get ready. Some play none. What works will change from year to year. It's a crap shoot, really (which makes Martina Hingis' six-year run of finals from 1997-02 all the more impressive).

2006 is no different. Already, the likes of Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters are nursing injuries as play begins Monday. Meanwhile, two players who've experience health problems over the past few years -- Justine Henin-Hardenne and Mary Pierce -- might enter Oz as among the most healthy.

Go figure...

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**2006 AUSSIE QUALIFYING RECAP**
==PLAYER AWARDS==
"DOROTHY" OF THE WEEK: Ashley Harkleroad
...the 20-year old American continues her road back to respectability in Oz. Plus, husband Alex Bogolomov Jr. qualified, as well.
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SHEILA (RISER): Cara Black
...the 26-year doubles #1 from Zimbabwe, ranked #202 (the lowest of the qualifiers), made it into the singles draw with a dominating third match win over Kateryna Bondarenko.
------------------------
GOBSMACKER (SURPRISE): Meng Yuan
...one of the youngest of the Cookies, the 19-year from China defeated Elena Baltacha and Bethanie Mattek en route to the main draw.
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AUNTIE EM (VETERAN): Tzipora Obziler
...the 32-year old Israeli vet already had wins over Jamea Jackson and Katarina Srebotnik before qualifying for Melbourne.
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MUNCHKIN (FRESH FACE): Victoria Azarenka
...the 16-year old Belarussian, the '05 Aussie Open Girls champ, knocked off Aleksandra Wozniak in the third round of qualifying.
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WALKABOUT (DOWN): Clarisa Fernandez
...it's been ages since the Argentine made the 2002 Roland Garros SF. She went down to Obziler in the first round of qualifying last week.
------------------------

==2006 QUALIFIERS==
[by age]
16...Victoria Azarenka (Belarus, #155)
18...Olga Savchuk (Ukraine, #191)
18...Jarmila Gajdosova (Slovakia, #129)
19...Meng Yuan (China, #152)
19...Anastasia Bohmova (Belarus, #115)
20...Ashley Harkleroad (USA, #155)
21...Kathrin Woerle (Germany, #172)
22...Yvonne Meusburger (Austria, #135)
26...Cara Black (Zimbabwe, #202)
26...Ting Li (China, #197)
28...Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand, #128)
32...Tzipora Obziler (Israel, #118)

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

...it's hard to gauge how much what happens on the "Dorothy Tour" will mean anything as the season goes on. Remember, a year ago Serena Williams survived some struggles and ultimately won in Melbourne, then pretty much melted like butter in a skillet over the next ten months due to ankle and knee injuries.

Who'll be the season-long phantoms that only come to life over the next few weeks in 2006? Maybe Pierce, whose history makes one wonder if she'll be able to stay healthy all year. This might be her best slam chance this season.

A breakthrough youngster, maybe? Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo have had career breakthroughs at the Australian in the past. Last year, Alicia Molik steamed into the QF. Could the likes of a Nicole Vaidisova, Dinara Safina or some other teen do it this time around?

Maybe Svetlana Kuznetsova's good early season results will mean she'll belatedly live up to the 2004 U.S. Open title. And what of the sideshows, the Oz returns of Hingis and Jelena Dokic? Neither might last long, as Hingis faces Vera Zvonareva in the 1st Round, and Dokic goes up against Virginie Razzano...

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

**FIRST SEEDS OUT???**
=MONDAY=
#29 Klara Koukalova (vs. Ekaterina Bychkova)
#25 Maria Kirilenko (vs. Evgenia Linetskaya)
#18 Elena Likhovtseva (vs. Lisa Raymond)
#19 Elena Dementieva (vs. Julia Schruff)
#13 Serena Williams (vs. Na Li)
=TUESDAY=
#20 Vera Zvonareva (vs. Martina Hingis)
#7 Patty Schnyder (vs. Eleni Daniilidou)
#32 Sania Mirza (vs. Victoria Azarenka)
#11 Nathalie Dechy (vs. Zi Yan)

**MISS OPPORTUNITY???**
(five possibilities)
Dinara Safina
Lucie Safarova
Nadia Petrova
Samantha Stosur
Svetlana Kuznetsova

**AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINALS 1997-05**
1997 Hingis def. Pierce
1998 Hingis def. Martinez
1999 Hingis def. Mauresmo
2000 Davenport def. Hingis
2001 Capriati def. Hingis
2002 Capriati def. Hingis
2003 S.Williams def. V.Williams
2004 Henin-Hardenne def. Clijsters
2005 S.Williams def. Davenport

**AUSTRALIAN OPEN GIRLS FINALS**
2001 Jelena Jankovic d. Sofia Arvidsson
2002 Barbora Strycova d. Maria Sharapova
2003 Barbora Strycova d. Viktoriya Kutuzova
2004 Shahar Peer d. Nicole Vaidisova
2005 Victoria Azarenka d. Agnes Szavay

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

...2nd week predictions:

=4th Round=
#1 Davenport d. #14 Kuznetsova
#8 Henin-Hardenne d. #10 V.Williams
#4 Sharapova d. #13 S.Williams
#6 Petrova d. #9 Dementieva
#19 Safina d. Peer
#16 Vaidisova d. #3 Mauresmo
#5 Pierce d. Stosur
#2 Clijsters d. Safarova

=Quarterfinals=
#8 Henin-Hardenne d. #1 Davenport
#4 Sharapova d. #6 Petrova
#16 Vaidisova d. #19 Safina
#5 Pierce d. #2 Clijsters

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

There have been some odd happenings in slams the last few years. Ever since Serena Williams won four straight slams in 2002-03, followed up by Justine Henin-Hardenne's 3-of-4 run, there have been seven different slam winners in the past seven slams, and only one of the seven was seeded in the top four:

2004 Roland Garros: #6 Anastasia Myskina
2004 Wimbledon: #13 Maria Sharapova
2004 U.S. Open: #9 Svetlana Kuznetsova
2005 Australian: #7 Serena Williams
2005 Roland Garros: #10 Justine Henin-Hardenne
2005 Wimbledon: #14 Venus Williams
2005 U.S. Open: #4 Kim Clijsters

So what does that say for the chances of this year's top three seeds -- Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters and Amelie Mauresmo? Tennisrulz head honcho Pierre Cantin predicted eight different finalists in the eight slam finals slots this year. Certainly, two lower-seeded finalists in Melbourne would go a long way towards making that oddity possible. The last time it happened? In 1977, when there were actually 10 different slam finalists, since two versions of the Australian Open were held in both January, as well as December.

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

**AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL HISTORY**
[players in 2006 draw]
3-3...Martina Hingis
2-0...Serena Williams
1-0...Justine Henin-Hardenne
1-1...Lindsay Davenport
1-1...Mary Pierce
0-1...Kim Clijsters
0-1...Venus Williams
0-1...Amelie Mauresmo

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

**FINAL FOUR PREDICTIONS**

=SEMIFINALS=
#8 Henin-Hardenne d. #4 Sharapova
#5 Pierce d. #16 Vaidisova

...JHH the healthiest top player? Wonders never cease. When was the last time we said that? Oh, yeah -- last year's Roland Garros. Even with possibly Venus, Davenport and Sharapova in her path, it's hard to go against her. Pierce, for her part, ended 2005 with four straight finals. We haven't seen her play yet in 2006, but that means she's had time to prepare and might be able to carry over her momentum. She could be the biggest beneficiery if Clijsters' hip injury hampers her movement.

=FINAL=


#8 Henin-Hardenne d. #5 Pierce

...as I said after Sydney, I won't make the mistake of underestimating JHH again. Another slam in Melbourne wouldn't mean 2006 will be another dream season for Le Petit Taureau, but when she's healthy you go against her at your own peril. I'm just not prepared to do that, so I'll say that it'll be Queen Justine who'll be the last Mathilda waltzing in Melbourne.

All for now.

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

ALSO: Men's draw picks at ATP Backspin

AND: "The Daily Backspin" makes its return after Day 1's action

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Wk.2-Court Royale

Did anyone else just hear the distinct sound of a shudder taking place? Hmmm... hopefully I'll figure out what that was before long. Anyway, on with Week 2...

Proving once again that everything old is sometimes new again, Daniel Craig was recently announced as the new James Bond for the upcoming "Casino Royale" film, infusing life once again into a character that never really goes away. Don't look now, but something similar might have just occurred on the WTA tour.

"Court Royale" was in Sydney this week, as a former #1 player emerged from her offseason cocoon, seemingly healthy in mind, body and spirit. Her name isn't Kim, Venus, Serena, Martina or Maria, either. It's Justine. Queen Justine, to be more precise.

Yes, Justine Henin-Hardenne has risen from the training table (after having escaped an earlier sick bed), picked up her scepter and is now eyeing the throne on which she sat not that long ago. If we've learned anything the past few years, it's that JHH is very difficult -- if not downright impossible (remember the 24-0 record on the European clay last spring?) -- to beat when she's healthy. She hasn't been in that state much the last two seasons, but she's still put up a 73-9 record, won two slams and an Olympic Gold Medal. Not bad for a "part-time" player.

(There was that sound again! Did you hear it?)

Currently, she sits at #8 (not #6... "thanks," quality points-less rankings) in the world, but judging from what happened in Sydney this week, Le Petit Taureau might be going to Melbourne this weekend, not simply Madame Henin-Hardenne. That's enough to elicit a collective "uh-oh" from the rest of the field.

(Be careful, gals. She might hear you. And if she knows you're worried, she could have all of you right where she wants you two weeks from now.)

Be afraid. Be very afraid. The Queen appears to be healthy again... and the world of women's tennis just shuddered.

(Aha!! I thought I heard something.)

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**WEEK 2 CHAMPIONS**

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (II-HO)
S: Justine Henin-Hardenne d. Francesca Schiavone 4-6/7-5/7-5
D: Morariu/Stubbs d. Ruano-Pascual/Suarez
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HOBART, AUSTRALIA (IV-HO)
S: Michaella Krajicek d. Iveta Benesova 6-2/6-1
D: Loit/Pratt d. Craybas/Kostanic
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CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (IV-HO)
S: Anabel Medina-Garrigues d. Yoon-Jeong Cho 6-4/0-6/6-4
D: Domachowska/Vinci d. Curran/Dekmeijere
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**PLAYER AWARDS**
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Justine Henin-Hardenne
...this was JHH's 24th career title, making 2006 her sixth straight season with at least one singles crown. This was her second Sydney title. Just in case you're wondering, the other one came in 2004. Two weeks later, the Queen won the Australian Open. Something to think about.
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RISERS: Anabel Medina-Garrigues
& Francesca Schiavone
...Medina-Garrigues is, quite simply, the most underrated player on tour. The 23-year old (who's far more than just a stereotypical clay specialist) from Spain claimed her 5th career title by winning the final against Yoon-Jeong Cho (after having battled Shahar Peer 3:40 in the SF). Schiavone, 25, had a good week, knocking off Ai Sugiyama and even Nicole Vaidisova, but her tight loss in the Sydney decider against JHH drops the Italian to 0-6 in career WTA singles finals.
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SURPRISES: Yoon-Jeong Cho & Svetlana Kuznetsova
...Cho, 25, strung together wins over the likes of Emma Laine, Melinda Czink ('05 RU) and Catalina Castano en route to the Canberra final. It was the Korean's first WTA final since Auckland in 2003. As for Kuznetsova, could the Contessova be back? After a nice opening week in Perth, she took out Ana Ivanovic (that's two wins over AnaIvo already in '06) and outlasted a retiring Dinara Safina (not a good week for the Safin clan) in reaching the Sydney semis. One more week like this and she'll no longer be a "surprise."
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VETERANS: Amy Frazier & Rennae Stubbs
...33-year old Frazier didn't have a very nice 2005, until the very end. An ITF and last-regular-tournament-of-the-season WTA title in Quebec City gave her season a deceptively shinier polish, though. The American's 21st year (yes, that's right) on tour has begun a little better. She lost her first match in Week 1, but reached the Hobart QF and pushed eventual RU Iveta Benesova to two tie-break sets there. Stubbs, just three months from turning 35, won the Sydney doubles title with Corina Morariu. She'll likely be the tour's oldest titlist this season (unless Martina Navratilova wins again, of course).
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FRESH FACES: Michaelle Krajicek
& Nicole Vaidisova
...17-year old Krajicek won her second career title (Tashkent '05) in Hobart, beating Benesova in the final to continue the best opening weeks of any of the rising teens in '06. Yes, Krajicek won a Tier IV title, but Vaidisova's Tier II semifinal, and big wins over Samantha Stosur and Daniela Hantuchova were good stepping stones to the greater things that await her this season.
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DOWN: Hmmm... who to pick here. Amelie Mauresmo for losing her season-opening match? No. Nadia Petrova for pulling up lame in her second straight event of '06? No, but it was close. Kim Clijsters, out with an injured hip in Sydney and something of a question mark for Melbourne? Nope. Come on, of course it's gotta be Sesil Karatantcheva, banned two years (she's says she'll appeal) after two failed drug tests last spring. She's saying the reason for the positive test was that she was pregnant at the time, at 15. Guess she wasn't kidding when she said last year that no one could resist her, huh?
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**MATCHES**

1.Syd 1st - JHH d. Hingis
...6-3/6-3. Martina said that "you can't hide" from Top 10 players. She didn't this week, and the result wasn't all that pretty. Before this, Hingis was 2-0 vs. JHH, having beaten her twice in 2000 when the Queen was still a teenager.
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2.Syd 2nd - Ivanovic d. Mauresmo
...6-3/7-5. A year ago, AnaIvo lost to Mauresmo in the 3rd Round in Melbourne. After losing two more times to her in '05, she knocked off Mauresmo in the 3rd Round at Roland Garros. This gives her two straight wins over the world #3 (not that she gets any "extra" points for such a big win anymore).
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3.Syd F - JHH d. Schiavone
...4-6/7-5/7-5. JHH trailed 6-4/4-1, then 5-3 in the 3rd. It didn't matter, as she still calmly walked away with the 3-hour match. Looks like Le Petit Taureau is match tough, too. Uh-oh.
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4.Can F - Medina-Garrigues d. Cho
...6-4/0-6/6-4. Maybe it'll take a nice slam QF run (and a major upset) to get people to notice AMG.
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5.Hob F - Krajicek d. Benesova
...6-2/6-1. Michaella turned 17 on Monday. This was her belated birthday gift.
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6.Syd 1st - Dushevina d. Zvonareva
...6-4/3-6/6-1. Well, I guess that "resurgence" didn't last very long, did it?
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7.Syd 1st - Safina d. Groenefeld
...6-2/6-1. ALG is 0-4 so far in 2006. Don't tell me she's the one who's been cursed this time.
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8.Syd QF - Kuznetsova d. Ivanovic
...7-6/6-3. Can the Contessova play AnaIvo every week?
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9.Syd QF - Vaidisova d. Hantuchova
...6-3/3-1 ret. Vaidisova (so far) is following along on the path that Hantuchova wanted to travel the last few years.
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10.Syd 1st - Hantuchova d. Mirza
...6-4/2-6/6-2. Sania now gets ready to return to the scene in Melbourne where she registed her first "first Indian woman to..." accomplishment last year.
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HM- Syd 1st - Vaidisova d. Stosur
...6-4/4-6/6-1. Sammy, next time maybe you should skip the Hopman.
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HM- Can SF - Medina-Garrigues d. Peer
...6-7/7-5/6-4. At 3:40, it was the ninth-longest match in WTA history.
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**WTA LISTS**

==MOST 2006 WTA SEMIFINALISTS==
[by nation]
4...Russia
3...Czech Rebublic
3...Italy
2...Spain


**PREDICTION CORNER**

...ahh, a comforting 2-for-3 record last week (so, I'm already well ahead of last year's early "pace"), but it could have been 3-for-3 had I not gone against my usual pattern and picked Clijsters over JHH in the Sydney final. Of course Clijsters drops out of the QF with a hip injury, then Henin-Hardenne wins the title. I should have known. Serves me right. I won't make the mistake again.


All for now.

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TOMORROW: Waltzing Mathilda Australian Open Preview

THE NEXT TWO WEEKS: "The Daily Backspin: Australian Open Edition" revs up with daily awards and reviews of each day's action

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2006 Intriguing Question #1

The girl has star power.

If that line sounds vaguely familiar, it's because it should. It's the same way the Intriguing Question #1 began at the start of the 2004 season. That turned out to be a prophetic Backspin moment, for seven months later the WTA Tour would be changed dramatically at the All-England Club when a 17-year old Russian went Supernova.

Two years later, does anyone else feel a sense of deja vu coming on? Now, a 16-year old Czech has assumed the lead role in her country's ever-more-captivating tennis future, and as she and her fellow horde of racket-wielding Maidens charge into 2006 could we literally be on the eve of another major moment that'll be heard 'round the world?

There was a sense that something special might be brewing in Vancouver in late 2004, as Nicole Vaidisova became the sixth youngest tour champion in WTA history. Then, a year later that hunch was verging on becoming a certainty. Thus, the question lingers with an air of heady expectation...

1.JUST WHAT IS IT THAT NICOLE VAIDISOVA IS ON THE VERGE OF?

The top Czech Maiden has some great things ahead of her, but in the tennis world of 2006 to be a true "star" means not only being a terrifically talented player (just ask Svetlana Kuznetsova, who barely registered on the international radar even after winning the '04 U.S. Open), but also having a big personality and an ability to casually jump from the court to a photo shoot and back again. One doesn't have to be an aspiring movie star like Serena Williams, or a perfume peddler like Maria Sharapova, but having an "it" factor that transcends the sport, the sports pages and places her name at or near the top of internet search lists? That's a must.



Okay, so Vaidisova appears to have the ability to get that area of stardom under control, too. But this girl is more than just the next teen pinup athlete coming to a cell phone ad near you. And, like Sharapova before her, she knows it.

There's a literally fine line between the virtual gulf that separates the likes of Sharapova, who's traversed the potentially damaging minefield (see Daniela Hantuchova) as well anyone before her, and Anna Kournikova, whose tennis accomplishments were minimal in comparison, though hardly nonexistent (she was a former slam semi-finalist and a doubles #1)... but the flash-heavy road she chose to travel caused her tennis abilities to be deemed incidental by many of the new fans she attracted, if not completely overlooked. Even with all her endorsements and advertising campaigns, Sharapova is still thought of as a tennis champion first and foremost.

Sharapova never intended to follow Kournikova's lopsided path, and it doesn't appear that Vaidisova will, either. Thanks to the Supernova, she has a new blueprint to follow. Her will to win will win her a lot of tournaments. She's already one of just six women in tennis history to claim five WTA singles titles by the time she turned 17.

**5 TITLES BEFORE 17**
Tracy Austin
Andrea Jaeger
Monica Seles
Jennifer Capriati
Martina Hingis
Nicole Vaidisova

You'll notice, all but Jaeger (a two-time slam finalist) won slam titles and/or were ranked #1 in the world. Vaidisova won't become an exception here. But the opponents for her aren't on that list, nor are they found in the great Czech tennis heritage that she's trying to resurrect.

**MOST CZECH CAREER WTA TITLES**
51 Martina Navratilova (1974-81)#
27 Hana Mandlikova (1978-87)
24 Jana Novotna (1988-99)
10 Helena Sukova (1982-92)
10 Regina Mariskova (1976-81)
5 Nicole Vaidisova (2004-05)
--
#-also won 116 as American citizen (1981-94)

Vaidisova not only has the chance to be mentioned along with the best players in the game, but also to have her name on everyone's lips... even if they're only tennis fans by coincidence, osmosis, or maybe simply because of Vaidisova herself. That's a very potent power for a player on the WTA Tour to possess. In fact, with a partner in crime, we could see Vaidisova play a role in something very special -- a rivalry for the ages that comes about because of the actual accomplishments of both parties, not because of accidents of birth. Her equal partner, of course, must be Sharapova.

Opposites make for great sports matchups. At first glance, a pair of tall, photogenic blondes would seem to be more similar than different. And in the ways of their games -- they're both big serve, big point players with Bollettieri Academy-fashioned groundstrokes -- they are. Their will to win is the same, too, but it's that similarity that is their greatest asset that reveals their intriguing difference. While Sharapova maintains a hard-charging demeanor, she does so with a slick, controlled sense of style and decor (as long as you're not offended by all the grunting, that is); while Vaidisova is still a little rough around the edges.

Remember last year's U.S. Open? There, Vaidisova blew a lead against Nadia Petrova in the 4th Round and virtually exploded. She smashed a ball, threw a water bottle and essentially acted like an immature teenager. But, often, such emotion -- and channeling it -- is just as important an ingredient in becoming more than just a "good" player (see Jelena Dokic) as crisp groundstrokes and a strong court sense.

After losing to Petrova, when questioned about her outburst, Vaidisova said, "Anyone who doesn't get upset when they lose has not won very much." But maybe more important than her words was what she did on the court immediately afterward. After Flushing Meadows, she went from Vesuvius to turning everyone she faced into something akin to the denizens of Pompeii. She won three straight tournaments and 18 consecutive matches (only Clijsters and Henin-Hardenne fashioned better runs in '05). The titles came in small events, but learning to win small leads to winning big (just ask Kournikova, who never did the former and thus never was able to do the latter, either).

By the time the 2006 slam season closes in New York (which Vaidisova says is her favorite city... hmmm, THAT could be interesting down the line), the previous eight-plus months will have seen the Czech-born, self-professed Madonna fan "Causing a Commotion." No one will be asking, "Who's That Girl?" "Like a Prayer," she'll cross over the "Borderline," traversing the well-travelled path from Player to Watch to S-T-A-R. Her name won't be whispered, it'll be shouted.

Just like Sharapova's was in 2004. Strike a pose, Nicole.




But for how far will Vaidisova's shoes travel in Sharapova's 2004 footsteps? After all, their birthdays ARE only four days apart. Sharapova turned 17 on April 19, 2004 and won Wimbledon soon after. Vaidisova will turn 17 on April 23, 2006. Hmmm... interesting. She couldn't, right? Yeah, maybe not quite yet.

But how deep this Sharapova-Vaidisova link goes in '06 won't be nearly as far as it might in '07 and beyond. But it IS the future that this season will set up that should give everyone goosebumps. Imagine... live amidst the bright-lights, big-city atmosphere of Arthur Ashe Stadium... Sharapova vs. Vaidisova for the U.S. Open title. The crowd goes wild. It could put a Hollywood red carpet premiere to shame. We WILL see it. One day. And so will the rest of the world.. tennis, sporting or otherwise. Sharapova-Vaidisova has the ability to transcend the confines of tennis.

Without familial ties and/or questionable backbones to get in the way, Sharapova-Vaidisova could be a special rivalry about to happen. Women's tennis really hasn't seen a great longstanding rivalry for quite a while, since the Navratilova-Evert days in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Graf/Sabatini never panned out. One addled lathe operator prevented Graf/Seles from becoming historical. And family bonds held back Williams/Williams from ever reaching its desired heights.

Vaidisova, barring unforeseen circumstances, will reach the stage that will allow her to fulfill her role in the drama. And Sharapova will be there waiting for her, as the sport will bow to a great rivalry that will begin to be born as soon as Vaidisova makes her "breakthrough" (and when it happens, it'll be so big that absolutely no one will miss it). They've only met once at this point, in World Team Tennis action soon after Sharapova won Wimbledon in July 2004. Vaidisova, barely 15 at the time, beat the just-christened Supernova. Obviously, the girl had no sense of decorum even then. Isn't it great?

So sit back and wait for the upcoming epic "Battle of the Ova's." May the best one win... but really it'll be us and the sport that'll be flying higher than either of them.

What's Vaidisova on the verge of? Whatever she wants.

**BACKSPIN PREDICTIONS**
1.By the end of 2006, Vaidisova will be the most popular (and searched for) teen on tour not named Maria and Sania. In fact, she might even be ahead of both of them.
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2.She'll become the first Top 10 Czech since Novotna, winning at least 5 singles titles, including at least a Tier II (and making a Tier I final).
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3.She'll get a "real" win over Sharapova, too.
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4.Vaidisova will play in the YEC, and reach the first of what will be many slam finals.
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5.She'll be the first Czech to reach the #1 ranking since Navratilova first attained the top spot in 1978. It won't happen in 2006, but it will occur within the next two years.
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All for now.

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BACKSPIN SPECIAL: Pierre's 2006 Prediction Blowout

by Pierre Cantin

Here are my 25 predictions...I wish I could have put more time on this but it came in the middle of lots of things, among others getting ready for Australia!:)

1-Nicole Vaidisova will have many ups and downs, but overall she'll be the big breakthrough of 2006 with a Top 10 ranking and a big run in a slam
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2-Kim Clijsters will dominate the rankings and play more matches than any other Top 10 player
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3-At the end of 2006, 4 Americans will be in the top 50, one more than in 2005
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4-Lindsay Davenport will concentrate on grand slams and thus slip a bit in the rankings
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5-Elena Dementieva will get her serve together somewhat and win a first career Tier 1 event
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6-Martina Hingis will surprise doubters as she moves towards the Top 20. However, she will struggle with the top players who can be consistent and more powerful.
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7-Martina will however win a first slam title in years, as she will win a doubles title.
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8-Jennifer Capriati will not return until the clay court season, at which point she will not be able to get her game into gear until the US hardcourts season this summer. A Top 30 finish for Capriati.
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9-Sania Mirza will struggle with consistency again, she will have a few good wins but never move past the 3rd round in slams. A Top 30 finish however!
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10-The WTA tour will have 8 different finalists in 2006 in the 4 slam finals.
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11-Jelena Dokic will slowly but surely improve her prospects and once she has expired her maximum number of wild cards, she'll return to ITF events with moderate success and will finish the year just slightly in the Top 100.
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12-Russians will continue to be the main story but with Czechs, Belgians and others taking an increasing part. Russia will have only 3 Top 10 players but 8 players will compose the Top 20.
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13-Fed Cup will finally have a boost in popularity with at one point the Waffles joining forces to provide Belgium a first Fed Cup title! (how nice would that be!)
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14-Amelie Mauresmo will be the most consistent slam player in 2006, with 1 quarter, 2 semis and one TITLE...yes you read that right.
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15-China and Czech Republic will start to crowd the Top 100 a bit more but unlike Czech Republic, China will realise the big step between the Top 100 and Top 50 is a bit too much too handle
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16-Germany will finally have a top 20 player, although Anna-Lena Groenefeld will not break the Top 15 and will not win any titles.
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17-Vera Zvonareva will profit from little attention as she moves back in the Top 20, but will crumble against Top 10 players.
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18-Mary Pierce will continue to impress and while she will not maintain her #5 ranking, she will win 2 titles and finish in the Top 10
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19-Maria Sharapova will be the most dominant Russian thanks to an improved return game as well as a solid more "spinned" 2nd serve. She will win 4 titles including a 2nd Wimbledon!
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20-Serena Williams will struggle with injuries but she will make a few big runs and will win 4 titles including 1 slam!
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21-Venus will have an interesting year, the highlight however being that loss to Sharapova in the Wimbledon final! She will win 4 titles but 3 of those will be smaller events.
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22-Justine will make a return to the top of the game and while she will not play as much as Kim Clijsters, she will have much success and will win her only slam final, the 2006 US Open!
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23-Despite her desire to go out with a slam, Lindsay will announce her retirement following a tough loss in the US Open final, she will end the season and will win the YEC.
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24-Viktoriya Kutuzova will make lots of stories and will enter the Top 40 before she turns 18.
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25-Poland will finally get a Top 50 player in Marta Domachowska, who will continue to improve as she wins a first career title in 2006.
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Wk.1-Act 1, Scene 1 (2006)

In the opening scenes of the 2006 season, there were already several subplots playing out that will bear watching.

While a group of "big guns" were firing off shots in an exhibition tournament in Hong Kong (where the usual -- Clijsters won, Davenport lost in a final, and the Williams sisters were injured -- took place), there were some headline-grabbing moments taking place in Australasia during the first week of "Dorothy Tour" action (Hingis won...and won...and won as she raised eyebrows; while Dokic lost, re-injured herself, lost her coach, and pulled out of an event to cause more eyes to roll than George W. Bush's Iraq policy).

In the end, though, the week was about a Maiden and a Pastry.


**WEEK 1 CHAMPIONS**
=============================

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA (III-HO)
S: Lucie Safarova def. Flavia Pennetta 6-3/6-4
D: Safina/Shaughnessy d. Black/Stubbs

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (IV-HO)
S:Marion Bartoli def. Vera Zvonareva 6-2/6-2
D: Likhovtseva/Zvonareva d. Loit/Strycova

HONG KONG, CHINA (Exhib.-HO)
S: Kim Clijsters def. Lindsay Davenport 6-3/7-5

HOPMAN CUP; Perth, Aus. (Exhib.-HI)
F: USA (Raymond/Dent) def. Netherlands (Krajicek/Wessels) 2-1
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==PLAYER AWARDS==

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Lucie Safarova
...the nearly 19-year old arrived in Gold Coast as "Maiden #2," the other teen Czech, but she left it as "#1b" to Nicole Vaidisova's "#1a"... for now, at least. This was Safarova's third career title, and she went through a fine group of players to get it, including #1 seed and defending champ Patty Schnyder, Dinara Safina and Flavia Pennetta.
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RISERS: Marion Bartoli & Flavia Pennetta
...French Pastry Bartoli was just as impressive in Auckland, going though the likes of Emilie Loit and Vera Zvonareva, while outlasting a retiring Nadia Petrova in the SF, to gain her first career WTA singles crown. After closing '05 by winning an ITF title, the 21-year old's now on an 11-match winning streak. Maybe Marion should think about changing her name to "Dorothy" (or maybe "Kiwi," to be more precise), considering all the success she's experienced in and around Oz. This was Bartoli's first career final, and of her six other career WTA SF results, half ('03 Canberra SF, '04-05 Auckland SF) have also come in the season's opening month. Meanwhile, Pennetta took out Na Li (who she'll meet again in the 1st Round in Sydney this week), Tatiana Golovin and Martina Hingis en route to the Gold Coast final. She was a pretty good actress, too, considering when asked before the SF match against Hingis if she thought she could win, she matter-of-factly said, "No."
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SURPRISES: Vera Zvonareva & Svetlana Kuznetsova
...the Horde rides back into town? Zvonareva, despite winning an early title, had a miserable 2005. But she opened 2006 in New Zealand with beat-them-down wins over Maria Kirilenko and Daniela Hantuchova as she made the singles final, and won the doubles title with Elena Likhovtseva. Kuznetsova's '05 was maybe even more miserable, but she was 3-0 in Hopman Cup play last week, getting a big win over Ana Ivanovic.
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VETERAN: Martina Hingis
...the Swiss Miss just missed out on pulling a coup in her first event back at Gold Coast. She got her first WTA win since 2002 over Maria Vento-Kabchi in the 1st Round, but her most impressive victory was her straight sets destruction of Maiden Klara Koukalova. She was a game away from taking out Pennetta in straights, but was caught and passed. Still, a good start.
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FRESH FACES: Lucie Safarova & Michaella Krajicek
...one more title and Safarova will start to elbow Vaidisova to the edge of the Maiden spotlight (temporarily). 17-year old (as of January 9) Krajicek didn't help the Netherlands win the Hopman Cup, but she and Peter Wessels won a playoff over China to get into the event, then made it to the final and took it to a deciding doubles match. Overall, Krajicek was 3-2 in singles, with wins over Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Gisela Dulko.
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DOWN: Jelena Dokic & Venus/Serena Williams
...stop me if you've heard this before:

1)Dokic lost her 1st Round match
2)Dokic re-injured her groin
3)Dokic decided to drop Leslie Bowrey as her coach in Australia because she wouldn't/couldn't pay her
4)Dokic pulled out of Canberra
5)Dokic is now a big question mark...again
6)Serena got hurt in her first match in Hong Kong, and didn't play again
7)Venus got her in her first match in Hong Kong, but played another match anyway
8)not in form, Venus lost it to Davenport
9)Serena's ankle is still acting up
10)Venus' exact injury is still a question, but something "isn't right"
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==MATCHES==
1.Gold SF - Pennetta d. Hingis
...1-6/7-6/6-2. If she can stay healthy, Hingis will do fine against most of the tour. But she didn't really play any of the big girls last week. Playing in events like this, Hingis might benefit greatly from the excising of quality points from the WTA's rankings.
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2.HK exhib. F - Clijsters d. Davenport
...6-3/7-5. Technically, this was a #1 vs. #2 matchup -- something which never happened on tour in '05. But, unfortunately, this match "doesn't count."
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3.Auck F - Bartoli d. Zvonareva
...6-2/6-2. I think Marion deserves a piece of her mother's apple pie.
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4.Gold F - Safarova d. Pennetta
...6-3/6-4. Tag Nicole. You're it.
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5.Hopman F - Raymond/Dent(USA) d. Krajicek/Wessels(NED)
...4-6/6-2/7-6. Raymond went 0-4 in singles, but got a title anyway. If 2006 is going to be like this, then look out.
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6.Auck QF - Zvonareva d. Kirilenko 6-2/6-0; SF-Zvonareva d. Hantuchova 6-2/6-2
...the scorelines say it all.
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7.Hopman Group Play - Stosur(AUS) d. Groenefeld(GER)
...6-3/7-5. ALG went 0-3 in Hopman play, nearly getting bageled by Dulko. Ouch. Stosur, though, went 3-0 with wins over Groenefeld, Krajicek and Dulko. Maybe Slingin' Sammy should have been playing a tour event last week -- she might have won it. Her first "real" match will be against Vaidisova in Sydney.
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8.Auck 1st - Schruff d. Dokic
...5-7/7-6/6-1. Dokic had 28 DF's, including 6 in a row. Now she's wandering the Outback without a coach. Yeah, because going forward without proper direction has worked out so well for her in the past.
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9.Hopman Group Play - Kuznetsova d. Ivanovic
...6-1/6-4. Curse? What Curse?
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10.Auck 1st - Azarenka d. Frazier
...6-2/5-7/6-2. Frazier is 33. Azarenka is 16.
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HM-Gold 1st - Hingis d. Vento-Kabchi
...6-2/6-1. October 2002 was so long ago.
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HM-Auck SF - Bartoli d. Petrova
...3-6/6-4/2-1 ret. Oh, Nadia. Not again.
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**LISTS**

==TEEN WTA CHAMPIONS - 2005-06==
[by nation]
6...Russia
6...Czech Republic
1...Netherlands
1...India
1...Serbia & Montenegro

==CZECH WTA TITLES - CAREER==
51...Martina Navratilova (1974-81)#
27...Hana Mandlikova (1978-87)
24...Jana Novotna (1988-99)
10...Helena Sukova (1982-92)
10...Regina Mariskova (1976-81)
5....Nicole Vaidisova (2004-05)
3....Lucie Safarova (2005-06)
3....Radka Zrubakova (1989-92)
3....Renata Tomanova (1975-76)
--
#-Navratilova won 116 more as American citizen, 1981-94

==2005 JUNIOR GIRLS TOP 10==
1.Victoria Azarenka, Belarus
2.Agnes Szavay, Hungary
3.Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland
4.Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark
5.Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia
6.Raluca-Ioana Olaru, Romania
7.Alexandra Dulgheru, Romania
8.Alexa Glatch, USA
9.Yung-Jan Chan, Taipei
10.Mihaela Buzarnescu, Romania

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==WEEK 2...and already crossing my fingers==

...sheesh! Here we go again. After an 0/4 start in 2005, I start 0/4 again (with two picks going out after various degrees of injury). Oh, well. I certainly can't replicate that 0/9 or 1/16 slump from a year ago. Right? My picks rebounded very well after that awful 1st Quarter, but I sure hope I don't have my back against the wall all over again going into Melbourne. The Curse isn't on me now... is it?


SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (II-HO)
05 F: Molik d. Stosur
06 TOP: Clijsters/Mauresmo
--------------------------
SF: Clijsters d. Vaidisova; Henin-Hardenne d. Kuznetsova
FINAL: Clijsters d. Henin-Hardenne

...JHH is scheduled to face Hingis in the 1st Round.


HOBART, AUSTRALIA (IV-HO)
05 F: Zheng d. Dulko
06 TOP: Srebotnik(w/d)/Koukalova
---------------------------
SF: Krajicek d. Smashnova; Koukalova d. Benesova
FINAL: Krajicek d. Koukalova

...does the Hopman mean anything in Week 2?


CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (IV-HO)
05 F: Ivanovic d. Czink
06 TOP: Medina-Garrigues/Bartoli (w/d)
-----------------------------
SF: Medina-Garrigues d. Peer; Safarova d. Kutuzova
FINAL: Safarova d. Medina-Garrigues

...Maiden #1b? Last year, the final here pitted a qualifier (Ivanovic) vs. a lucky loser (Czink) she'd already beaten once in qualifying.

UPDATE: Week 1 champ Safarova joined fellow champ Bartoli by pulling out of this event. Both were in the bottom half of the draw, so it's opened wide for someone now. I'll amend my picks by moving Julia Scruff into Safarova's SF/F slot just for the purposes of a prediction, though I suspect the beneficiery here might be Virginie Razzano, who moved into Bartoli's #2-seed position at the bottom of the draw. I'll make AMG my champion pick.


ALSO: Australian Open Qualifying


All for now.

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