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.

Read more...

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

Read more...

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.

Read more...

Wk.18-.now for All (The 2nd Annual Backwards Backspin)

.now for All

==FINAL==
Henin-Hardenne d. Petrova
==SEMIFINAL==
Petrova d. Groenefeld
Henin-Hardenne d. Mauresmo
==QUARTERFINALS==
Petrova d. Safina
Groenefeld d. Schnyder
Henin-Hardenne d. Kuznetsova
Mauresmo d. Hingis

**BACKSPIN PICKS**


Final:
Mauresmo def Schnyder

Semis:
Mauresmo def Kuznetsova
Schnyder def Petrova

Quarters:
Mauresmo def Dementieva
Kuznetsova def Henin-Hardenne
Schnyder def Groenefeld
Petrova def Hantuchova

**PIERRE'S PICKS**

=============================
06 TOP: Mauresmo/Petrova
05 FINAL: JHH d. Petrova
BERLIN, GERMANY (I-Red Clay)



...because of the slight delay in posting this week's column, I've already missed on my Prague prediction before I even officially made it, what with Safarova going out to Magadalena Ryberikova (She's Slovakian, but other than that she was a total "mystery" woman going in.) in the 1st Round. Unofficially, I'll go with Bondarenko now to (hopefully) check off one of those pre-season first title predictions.

FINAL: Safarova d. A.Bondarenko
SF: A.Bondarenko d. Camerin; Safarova d. Sprem
=============================
06 TOP: Bartoli/Safarova
05 FINAL: Safina d. Ondraskova
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (IV-Red Clay)



...This week in Berlin, the Battle Royale picks up once again between Tennisrulz head honcho Pierre Cantin and Backspin, as I try to escape the pathetic 0-for-11 streak I'm currently mired in in this space. Maybe I'm the one who's cursed this year. How else do you explain that last week I actually predicted three of the four Warsaw & Estoril finalists, but still somehow ended up without a correct winner? (By the way, that makes it seven straight events with either my pick or the eventual champion matching up with my finalists predictions... all without the stars aligning and giving me a "win.") Needless to say, that means I'm going back to my old stand-bys for this week's picks -- Queen Justine and a Czech.

**WEEK 19 - BATTLE ROYALE, and my growing discontent**

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


**2006 TITLISTS**
(consecutive years with WTA titles)
8 years...Amelie Mauresmo (1999-06)
8 years...KIM CLIJSTERS (1999-06)
6 years...Justine Henin-Hardenne (2001-06)
4 years...Maria Sharapova (2003-06)
3 years...Anabel Medina-Garrigues (2004-06)
2 years...Michaella Krajicek (2005-06)
2 years...Nadia Petrova (2005-06)
2 years...Lucie Safarova (2005-06)
2 years...JIE ZHENG (2005-06)

**2006 SEMIFINALISTS BY NATION**
23...Russia
10...France
8....Belgium
8....Italy

**CHINESE - MOST CAREER TITLES**
2...JIE ZHENG (2005-06)
1...Na Li (2004)
1...Zi Yan (2005)

**CAREER WTA TITLES - ACTIVE SINGLES**
51...Lindsay Davenport
40...Martina Hingis
33...Venus Williams
31...KIM CLIJSTERS
26...Serena Williams
25...Justine Henin-Hardenne
22...Amelie Mauresmo

==WTA LISTS==


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

HM--War QF - Kuznetsova d. V.Williams
...6-4/6-2. Venus won the Warsaw title in 2004. But why quibble? At least one sister is actually playing tennis again.
-----------------------------
5.Est.Doubles F - T.Li/Sun d. Dulko/Sanchez Lorenzo
...6-2/6-2. When the Chinese win, they don't skimp on the titles.
-----------------------------
4.War 2nd - V.Williams d. Hingis
...4-6/7-5/6-4. Some things never change, huh? Martina must think so, considering this first matchup with Venus since Hamburg '02 turned out like so many of their matches before the end of Hingis I.
-----------------------------
3.Est F - Zheng d. N.Li

...6-7/7-5 ret. When Li faces her fellow Cookies in big matches it seems like it's always something. Almost a year ago in the Rabat SF, Li retired against Zheng with a nasty ankle injury. This time around, it was heat illness that ended the battle to become the first Chinese woman to win a second career WTA singles title. On a side note, Li advanced past Ana Ivanovic in the Berlin 1st Round today when the Serbian teen retired after winning the opening set at 6-1. (The tennis gods have quite the sense of humor, don't they?)
-----------------------------
2.War F - Clijsters d. Kuznetsova
...7-5/6-2. A few weeks ago, Kuznetsova was looking like she could be THE force during the EuroClay season. Of course, that was before she sort of became the #2 Russian contender behind Nadia Petrova. Now, Clijsters moves ahead of her. And probably Henin-Hardenne, as well. Then there's Amelie Mauresmo, too. Still, remember that Kuznetsova has held match point against the last two Roland Garros champions. But she didn't win either of those matches against Myskina or JHH in Paris, did she? Hmmm.
-----------------------------
1.War 1st - A.Radwanska d. Myskina
...6-4/4-6/6-4. No result sent a mini-shockwave through scoreline watchers more than the Polish 17-year old's upset of the '04 RG champ in her WTA main draw debut. Of course, the Myskina of '06 isn't the Czarina of '04. Still, impressive.

==MATCHES==


DOWN: Jelena Jankovic
...Jankovic's '06 swoon continued with a 1st Round Warsaw loss to Anna Chakvetadze. It puts her season won/lost record at 1-9 (1-10 with her loss to Srebotnik in Berlin). It used to be that JJ was overshadowed by that other Jelena. Now, though, no matter how many opening round losses she has, Jankovic can take solace in the fact that she's NOT that other Jelena, whose troubles she wouldn't wish on a monkey on a rock (thank you to David Letterman for that one).
=============================
FRESH FACES: Anna Chakvetadze & Romina Oprandi

...the latest Muscovite to shake things up in '06 is Chakvetadze, 19, who knocked out Jankovic, Hantuchova and Ivanovic en route to the Warsaw SF, where she was thoroughly outclassed by a lady from St.Petersburg, Svetlana Kuznetsova. 20-year old Oprandi continued her ITF mastery, winning her third title of the season, defeating Petra Cetkovska in the $25K Antalya-Manavgat and taking the doubles title, too. Technically, #145 Oprandi continues the Italian surge, even if she is Swiss-born and didn't officially represent Italia until 2003.
=============================
VETERAN: Elena Likhovtseva
...yet another Russian, as the oldest of the Hordettes got a clay win over Medina-Garrigues in Warsaw, and took the doubles title with Myskina.
=============================
SURPRISE: Agnieszka Radwanska
...the '05 Wimbledon junior champion made her WTA main draw debut as a 17-year old wild card, and all she did was upset Myskina and Koukalova before going out in the Warsaw QF to Elena Dementieva. Her current #207 ranking will surely be a temporary one.
=============================
RISERS: Jie Zheng & Ting Li/Tiantian Sun

...finally, the Chinese stormed the WTA border last week in Estoril. It was a long time coming, considering before the all-Cookie Zheng vs. Li final not a single '06 singles semifinalist had come from behind the Great Wall. The always overlooked Zheng became the first two-time WTA titlist with her win and, after such a horrid start to her season, left Portugal with a 9-1 mark in her last ten matches (and she just "upset" Nathalie Dechy in Berlin, too). Ting Li (Sr.) and Tiantian Sun, often overlooked themselves in favor of Yan/Zheng since that Chinese pair won the Australian Open in January, managed to beat their countrywomen to a second '06 doubles title.
=============================
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kim Clijsters
...is Clijsters' 2006 slumber over? Warsaw was her first title of the season. But after Flushing Meadows, a Tier II doesn't quite mean as much anymore, does it? Still, 31 career titles is nothing to sneeze at.

==PLAYER AWARDS==


D: T.Li/Sun d. Dulko/Sanchez Lorenzo
S: Jie Zheng d. Na Li 6-7/7-5 ret.
ESTORIL, PORTUGAL (IV-Red Clay)


D: Likhovtseva/Myskina d. Medina-Garrigues/Srebotnik
S: Kim Clijsters d. Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5/6-2
WARSAW, POLAND (II-Red Clay)

**WEEK 18 CHAMPIONS**



Maybe it's the May doldrums? It's been almost a year to the day since the first "Backwards Backspin," and yet another week has arrived without a truly compelling storyline to center this latest column around (thus, making it perfectly suited for a gimmicky David Blaine-esque trick in order to push through a thoroughly uninspiring week of results with minimal boredom). Enjoy, or at least survive it with me.

===============================
Wk.18-.now for All (The 2nd Annual Backwards Backspin)
TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2006

Read more...

$70,067... and the Backspin Awards for April

April is history. Nadia Petrova is #4 in the world. Jelena Dokic is $67 richer. And Zina Garrison looks like a genius.

**APRIL (WEEKS 14-17) AWARDS**

==PLAYERS OF THE MONTH==
1.Nadia Petrova...the best Russian in 2006? She's up to #4, and the red clay will likely be kinder to her than to Sharapova.
------------------------------
2.Francesca Schiavone...still hasn't won a title, but led Italians to huge Fed Cup upset of France.
------------------------------
3.Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur...more dominant than Federer. They have no Nadal to worry about.
------------------------------
4.Justine Henin-Hardenne...was Fed Cup success a prelude to another big fortnight in Paris?
------------------------------
5.Patty Schnyder...always a threat, but always seems to come up just a tad short in the biggest moments, too.
------------------------------

==RISERS==
1.Nadia Petrova
2.Francesca Schiavone
3.Anna-Lena Groenefeld

==SURPRISES==
1.Jamea Jackson
2.Maria Elena Camerin
3.Kateryna Bondarenko

==VETERANS==
1.Patty Schnyder
2.Lisa Raymond
3.Jill Craybas

==FRESH FACES==
1.Lucie Safarova
2.Shahar Peer
3.Aiko Nakamura

==DOWN==
1.Amelie Mauresmo
2.Jelena Jankovic
3.Nathalie Dechy


==PERFORMANCES OF THE MONTH==
1.Petrova sweeps Amelia Island & Charleston
----------------------------
2.Raymond/Stosur win fourth straight Tier I title in Charleston
----------------------------
3.Italy defeats France in Fed Cup 1st Round
----------------------------
4.Henin-Hardenne leads Belgium past defending champion Russia in Fed Cup
----------------------------
5.Jackson upsets Groenefeld in Fed Cup, leading way for USA's win over Germany
----------------------------

==MATCH OF THE MONTH==
Ameila Island Doubles 1st Rd. - Pratt/Stewart def. Stubbs/Morariu
...7-6(5)/7-6(20). The 22-20 2nd set TB was the longest in WTA history.

==CHOKE OF THE MONTH?==
Amelie Mauresmo, after winning the Australian Open in January, doesn't play up to her normally sterling Fed Cup form in April

==COMEBACK OF THE MONTH==
Charleston Final - Petrova d. Schnyder
...6-3/4-6/6-1. Petrova overcomes Schnyder and the intense heat that nearly wiped out the Russian in the 2nd set.

==UPSETS OF THE MONTH==
1.Fed Cup 1st - Italy def. France 4-1
2.Fed Cup 1st - Jackson d. Groenefeld 6-2/3-6/7-5
3.Fed Cup 1st - Schiavone d. Mauresmo 6-4/6-7/6-4

==BIGGEST WIN==
In Charleston, Petrova makes it four straight Russian Tier I champions in 2006, as well four straight champions (5-of-6, actually) in WTA tour events.

==HELLO/GOODBYE==
Conchita Martinez retired... Molik didn't play Fed Cup for Australia after all... Daniela Hantuchova returned for Slovakia, though... as did Henin-Hardenne and Clijsters, who successfully pooled their efforts for the Belgian team for the first time in three years.

==GOOD NEWS==
For a week, at least, the American tennis fortunes didn't look so bad, as Zina Garrison assembled a "backup" team of Jill Craybas, Jamea Jackson, Shenay Perry and Vania King that knocked out the Germans in Fed Cup play.

==SAME OLD NEWS==
Serena and Venus were absent from action, but Serena DID make a guest appearance (as herself) on "The Bernie Mac Show"... the Indonesian government has balked at allowing the largely Muslim country's Fed Cup team to travel to Israel in July... Katerina Bohmova and her mother were arrested on suspicion of shoplifting... Jelena Dokic earned a grand total of $67 for her "action" in April (a 1st Round qualifying loss in Biarritz)... Wimbledon, the lone grand slam holdout, refused to offer equal prize money for the woman for 2006 (coming up $70,000 short in an ultimate "we'll-show-them" move).

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

**WEEK 18**


WARSAW, POLAND (II-Red Clay)
05 F: JHH d. Kuznetsova
06 TOP: Clijsters/Schnyder
-----------------------------
SF: Clijsters d. Dementieva; Kuznetsova d. Schnyder
FINAL: Kuznetsova d. Schnyder

...after a little bit of rest, can the Contessova regather her head of steam?



ESTORIL, PORTUGAL (IV-Red Clay)
05 F: Safarova d. Li
06 TOP: Pennetta/Dulko
----------------------------
SF: Pennetta d. Zheng; Li d. Dominguez-Lino
FINAL: Li d. Pennetta

...why not go for both 2005 RU's finding a little redemption a year later?


All for now.

Read more...

Wk.16-Viva Italia!

Pretty soon, the rise of the WTA's Italians isn't going to be so much of a secret anymore. In fact, their "incognito time" under the tennis radar might have officially come to a spectacular end this weekend.



2006's first Fed Cup weekend produced a few noteworthy results. One, courtesy of a stack of spiked Waffles in Belgium, will prevent the Russians from a three-peat championship in September. But that outcome wasn't nearly as surprising as what happened on the French red clay. In Nancy, the Italians noodled a way to keep the 2003 FC champion (and 2004-05 RU) French squad from a fourth straight appearance in the final.

Apparently, sometimes the "between-the-cracks" happenings of the early WTA season do mean something. Even before this weekend's coming out party, the success of the Italians on tour this season has been one of the more surprising occurrences. While time was spent wondering how well the Chinese or Czechs might do, the Italians have stolen their thunder time and time again in 2006. Noodle #1 Francesca Schiavone (currently ranked #11, leading the four-pack of Italians in the Top 50) still hasn't won her first career title, but the strides the group has made as a whole in one-quarter of a season have more than made up for that. After Italian players reached seven tour singles finals (winning two titles) in all of 2005, they've already reached six (winning one) this year, placing them right in the productivity mix with the sport's powerhouse contingents.

**2006 FINALISTS BY COUNTRY**
10...Russia (6 titles)
6....France (4)
6....ITALY (1)
4....Belgium (2)

**2006 SEMIFINALISTS BY COUNTRY**
20...Russia
9....France
7....Italy
7....Belgium

As the season goes on, with a healthy pair of Belgians in action, the Italians will likely slip in the standings (and don't count out the Czechs down the stretch, either). But sixteen weeks of success isn't a fluke. This weekend proved that.

Viva Italia!


====
*GROUP I - 1st Round*
Belgium def. Russia 3-2
USA def. Germany 3-2
Italy def. France 4-1
Spain def. Austria 5-0

*GROUP II*
Japan def. Switzerland 4-1
Croatia def. Argentina 3-2
Czech Republic def. Thailand 4-1
China def. Indonesia 4-0


==JULY==
Semifinals: Belgium vs. USA, Italy vs. Spain

Group I Playoffs: Austria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Russia

Group II Playoffs: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Israel, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Thailand

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


==PLAYER AWARDS==

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Francesca Schiavone & Justine Henin-Hardenne
...knocking off Nathalie Dechy (at least in her current form) wasn't exactly monumental, but taking out historically one of the best Fed Cup players around in Amelie Mauresmo sure was. It's onto the semifinals for Italy, with Schiavone leading the way. Now, there's still that pesky thing about winning a tour title... but that detail can be shelved, at least for now. Meanwhile, JHH finally transformed into Le Petit Taureau again in the nick of time, grabbing the Belgian team's fate by the scruff of the neck and pulling it to safety (via a long three-set win over Nadia Petrova) after Kim Clijsters was knocked over by Elena Dementieva in the opening Russia/Belgium match.
==========================
RISERS: Na Li & Anabel Medina-Garrigues
...taking the lead for China, Na Li's 2-0 singles record spearheaded a not-so-easy (the first two matches went to three sets, with Cookies prevailing in both) Group II win over Indonesia. Now, the Chinese are just a July playoff win away from reaching Group I 1st Round play for 2007. In the least competitive of the major Fed Cup matchups (5-0!), Medina-Garrigues went 2-0 while wielding the lead sledgehammer in Spain's bonecrushing win over Austria in 1st Round play.
==========================
SURPRISE: Jamea Jackson

...with a Hall of Fame roster of Americans being no-shows, 19-year old Jackson (#75) made her Fed Cup debut one she won't soon forget. Right out of the box, she upset Anna-Lena Groenefeld on Saturday to rock the German boat. On Sunday, she officially capsized it with an easy victory over Martina Muller to clinch the U.S.'s not-really-that-stunning (really, the Germans had only one competition-hearty player in ALG) advancement to the semis.
==========================
VETERAN: Jill Craybas
...of all the underrated "backup" American team members who've been putting up career-best results in recent weeks, 31-year old Craybas has probably been the least likely to succeed. But, with the absence of the Big Guns, she's put together a string of "last American standing" outings. Against Germany, likely inspired by Jackson's upset of ALG in the previous match, Craybas took out Julia Schruff to make it 2-0, solidifying an American advantage that was never relinquished.
==========================
FRESH FACES: Nicole Vaidisova & Aiko Nakamura
...Vaidisova's been a bit down on her luck in recent weeks, but she (at least temporarily) righted her ship with a 2-0 mark against Thailand in Group II play, with the first victory saving the Maidens from falling down 0-2 after Iveta Benesova's upset loss to Suchanan Viratprasert in the opening match. Meanwhile, 22-year old Nakamura was the youngest member of the Japanese team to face off against the Patty & Martina-less Swiss, but her 2-0 singles record provided most of the protein in the 4-1 victory.
===========================
DOWN: Amelie Mauresmo & Anna-Lena Groenefeld
...in previous years, Mauresmo seemed to use Fed Cup to work out her frustrations over not having won a slam title. She was almost always great. This time, with a slam crown in hand, it was her loss to Schiavone that pretty well ended France's chances to reach a fourth straight FC final. As for ALG. Well, she put the German team on her back in '05 and carried it into Group I play almost single-handedly. A year later, with a team full of decent-but-unreliable big-match players, she was going to have to put up another spotless 3-0 record to get Germany past the underrated American team. Instead, she lost the opening match to the debuting Jackson (7-5 in the 3rd set), inspiring the band of U.S. Fed Cup neophytes. She went 2-0 in her remaining matches, but it was too little too late.
==========================

==MATCHES==

1.1st Round - USA/GER - Jackson d. Groenefeld
...6-2/3-6/7-5. The German boat sprung a leak right at the start, and no amount of bailing of water could save it from sinking. Guess no one will ever accuse Jackson of not knowing how to make an entrance, huh?
---------------------------
2.1st Round - ITA/FRA - Schiavone d. Mauresmo
...6-4/6-7/6-4. Schiavone softened up the French with this paralyzing shot to the midsection, then Flavia Pennetta put them away in the next match with a roundhouse win over Dechy.
---------------------------
3.1st Round - BEL/RUS - JHH d. Petrova
...6-7/6-4/6-3. In 2:39, Henin-Hardenne saved the Belgians from a dangerous 0-2 hole. Could this be a preview of the Queen Justine we'll see during the EuroClay season?
---------------------------
4.Zone Playoffs - ISR/SCG - Peer d. Ivanovic
..6-2/4-6/6-4. With Anna Smashnova getting knocked from pillar to post (she lost to the likes of Gojnea, Kanepi & Timotic), it was up to Peer to carry the Israelis to the Group II playoffs come July. Maybe her most important win was this one over Ivanovic -- Ana's only loss in four matches -- in Israel's 2-1 victory.
---------------------------
5.Zone Playoffs - AUS/IND - Stosur d. Mirza
...6-4/6-2. No Molik. No Dokic. But Sammy was around -- in singles -- to propel the Aussies into the Group II playoffs.
---------------------------
6.Zone Round Robin - SVK/NED - Hantuchova d. Krajicek
...4-6/7-6/6-2. Once upon a time, in 2002, Hantuchova led the Slovaks to a Fed Cup title. Without Wonder Girl the last two years, the Slovak FC fortunes have drifted away. But she has returned, and the long road back has begun. Slovakia next plays in the Group II playoffs, meaning a return trip to a FC final can't happen until 2008 at the earliest.
---------------------------
7.Group II - CRO/ARG - Mezak/Sprem d. Argeni/Diaz Oliva
...6-3/6-3. The only Group I or II tie to be decided by the final doubles match went to Mezak and Sprem (who ended with a hand in all three points in the 3-2 Croatian victory).
---------------------------


**FED CUP MVP's**
==GROUP I==
ITALY: Francesca Schiavone
SPAIN: Anabel Medina-Garrigues
USA: Jamea Jackson
BELGIUM: Justine Henin-Hardenne
==GROUP II==
JAPAN: Aiko Nakamura
CROATIA: Karolina Sprem
CZECH REPUBLIC: Nicole Vaidisova
CHINA: Na Li
==ZONE PLAY==
Shahar Peer (Israel)
Daniela Hantuchova (Slovak Republic)

**FED CUP FINALS - 2000-05**
2000 USA def. Spain
2001 Belgium def. Russia
2002 Slovak Republic def. Spain
2003 France def. USA
2004 Russia def. France
2005 Russia def. France


All for now.

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

NEXT WEEK: April Awards

Read more...

Wk.15-Scarlett Fever

As the WTA Tour, after a brief break for Fed Cup play and a little rest, readies to head off to Europe for the red clay season, 2006's top stories are coming into sharper focus.

First out of the gates was Amelie Mauresmo's title-winning run in Melbourne, along with Justine Henin-Hardenne's retirement in the final (whether that one merits being called a "story" or not). Then, the comeback of Martina Hingis consumed most of the headlines, along with the opinions about the absences and careers of the Williams sisters. Right now, though, the big story is Nadia Petrova.

She applied yet another layer of icing to her season's cake last week in Charleston, running off with another title (her third of the season, and fourth in the last six months), her biggest yet. Her first Tier I crown was the fourth claimed by a Russian in 2006.

**CURRENT TOP 5**
1.Amelie Mauresmo (3511)
2.Kim Clijsters (2941)
3.Maria Sharapova (2753)
4.Justine Henin-Hardenne (2693)
5.NADIA PETROVA (2530)

**MOST 2006 SINGLES TITLES**
3...Amelie Mauresmo
3...NADIA PETROVA
2...Justine Henin-Hardenne

The second of Petrova's back-to-back American claycourt titles made her just the sixth player to accomplish the Amelia Island-South Carolina (now in Charleston, but formerly in Hilton Head) sweep -- the previous five have combined for a total of 60 slam singles crowns -- and further secured her role as a true Roland Garros contender in a few months time.

**INDIAN WELLS/SOUTH CAROLINA SWEEPS**
1981...Chris Evert
1986...Steffi Graf
1987...Steffi Graf
1988...Martina Navratilova
1991...Gabriela Sabatini
1992...Gabriela Sabatini
1995...Conchita Martinez
2006...NADIA PETROVA

**MOST SINGLES TITLES - LAST 6 MONTHS**
5...Amelie Mauresmo
4...NADIA PETROVA
2...Justine Henin-Hardenne
2...Lindsay Davenport
2...Nicole Vaidisova
2...Michaella Krajicek

**MOST 2006 MATCH WINS**
28-6...NADIA PETROVA
23-4...Amelie Mauresmo
21-4...Justine Henin-Hardenne
21-4...Maria Sharapova
21-6...Svetlana Kuznetsova
21-8...Martina Hingis

With a 17-1 record in her last eighteen matches, a string that's included three titles and a win over #1 Mauresmo (in the Doha final), Petrova is putting on a real push for Player of the Year To Date. Of course, with the Frenchwoman's Oz title sticking out like a sore thumb against Petrova's campaign, it's now apparent what Scarlett's next hurdle must be. The quest to become a champion and Tier I winner has become quite successful. A Top 5 ranking is a reality, too. Being the top-ranked Russian could be something that comes to her soon, as well. But the fourth Russian slam winner? That's still floating around in the WTA ether, with Elena Dementieva the other countrywoman vying with Petrova for the honor. Hmmm, how long before Roland Garros starts? (One day sooner than normal, with the new Sunday start of play this season, by the way.)

With a 10-0 start, the clay season couldn't have begun any better for Scarlett. Now, she joins forces with Dementieva in the Fed Cup battle against Belgium this weekend... in Belgium (uh-oh).

Did I say things couldn't get any better? Well, another successful weekend and her new coach will have to tie a rope around Petrova's leg to keep her from floating much farther above the cloud she already finds herself walking on in these early days of spring.


==WEEK 15 CHAMPIONS==

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA USA (I-Green Clay)
S: Nadia Petrova d. Patty Schnyder 6-3/4-6/6-1
D: Raymond/Stosur d. Ruano-Pascual/Shaughnessy
============================

==PLAYER AWARDS==

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nadia Petrova

...Petrova beat the likes of Safarova, Groenefeld and Schnyder on the court, not to mention the searing heat that threatened to put in jeopardy the continuation of her steady, and sometimes stellar, April run. With her coach sitting in the stands wondering if she'd retire from the match, Petrova handled herself well, conserving energy but not sacrificing her game in the process. Even while physically wavering, she made Schnyder work to win a 6-4 2nd set, then got a second wind and a dose of confidence early in the 3rd (you could tell she was feeling a bit better when she headed an errant tennis ball over the net after one point... something she wouldn't have wasted the energy to do just a half hour earlier). Petrova ended up winning the deciding set at 6-1, pushing her ranking to a career-best #5 and becoming the first player since Conchita Martinez eleven years ago to pull off the Amelia Island-Charleston/Hilton Head sweep to start the clay season. Mauresmo is still the 2006 Player of the Year (so far), but Petrova is a big two weeks in Paris from nudging her aside.
============================
RISERS: Lisa Raymond/Samantha Stosur & Anna-Lena Groenefeld

...hey, look -- Sammy's got a new WTA website bio pic! With every passing week, those missed match points in the Australian Open Doubles final are becoming more and more of an anomaly for the Raymond/Stosur team. They won their fifth title of the season in Charleston, and have swept all four Tier I's. Meanwhile, ALG continued her upward progression by upsetting Svetlana Kuznetsova and reaching her first Tier I SF. She's now at another career-best #14 singles ranking... and is #7 in doubles, too, making her the only WTA player in the Top 15 in both (the closest others are Daniela Hantuchova at #16/#13 and Elena Likhovtseva at #19/#9).
============================
SURPRISE: Catalina Castano
...the 25-year old from Colombia upset Nicole Vaidisova and Marion Bartoli en route to an impressive Tier I QF result.
============================
VETERANS: Patty Schnyder & Conchita Martinez
...Schnyder reached her second career Charleston final (2002), and outlasted Henin-Hardenne in the SF for her first win in seven tries against the Belgian. But she couldn't find a way to put away a stressed Petrova, giving her entire week a "what could have been" quality. Within 24 hours of Petrova becoming the first to sweep the two American clay court events since Martinez did it in '95, the 34-year old (her birthday was on Sunday) Spaniard called it quits for an eventual Hall of Fame career. The 1994 Wimbledon champ ends with 739 wins (sixth all-time), 33 singles titles, 13 doubles titles and 3 Olympic medals (two silvers and a bronze). Adios, Conchita.
============================
FRESH FACE: Vasilisa Bardina
...the 18-year old from Russia won the Jackson $25K event, giving her back-to-back ITF titles.
============================
DOWN: Nicole Vaidisova & Shuai Peng
...whether it's the clay or a nagging injury, Vaidisova has been in a bit of a downturn of late. Her opening match loss to Castano in Charleston only highlighted it. Maybe playing Fed Cup this week will kick-start things. Peng lost in the 1st Round, as well. That itself wouldn't qualifying as a "Down" moment, though, if it wasn't also the fifth time in six events this season that she's been bounced from the draw without notching a victory.
============================

==MATCHES==

1.Chas F - Petrova d. Schnyder
...6-3/4-6/6-1. It was good seasoning for Petrova to have to show some character in gutting out a win against Schnyder's many spins (and drop shots... which Patty went to so much that the Russian thankfully learned to anticipate them before she was inspired to toss her racket out of the stadium in frustration) and the South Carolina heat. Further toughening up like that is just what she'll need in Paris. For now, though... watch your back, Supernova. You've got company.
----------------------------
2.Chas Doub.F - Raymond/Stosur d. Ruano-Pascual/Shaughnessy
...3-6/6-1/6-1. Simply, the best in the biz right now.
----------------------------
3.Chas QF - Groenefeld d. Kuznetsova
...6-3/7-6. ALG's serve -- for good, as well as bad -- ruled the day. Kuznetsova just couldn't get on top of the German's power, and setting up behind the baseline (and never forcing the action) ultimately made the final result an elementary one.
----------------------------
4.Chas 1st - Castano d. Vaidisova
...7-5/6-2. Do you smell a curse?
----------------------------
5.Chas SF - Schnyder d. Henin-Hardenne
...2-6/6-3/6-2. JHH tires down the stretch again, the second time in her two three-setters since Melbourne. Thankfully, for her, Europe's weather might be a little less brutal as the Belgian tries to copy her '05 claycourt dominance.
----------------------------
HM- Chas SF - Petrova d. Groenefeld
...6-1/6-3. These two formed a "Backspin Dream Team" doubles combo in Charleston, too (they reached the SF).
----------------------------


==WTA LISTS==

**2006 MATCH WINNING STREAKS**
16...Amelie Mauresmo (Jan-Feb)
11...Maria Sharapova (March)
10...Justine Henin-Hardenne (Jan)
10...NADIA PETROVA (Apr-current)

**MOST CAREER RUSSIAN TITLES**
11...Maria Sharapova
10...Anastasia Myskina
9....Olga Morozova
6....Svetlana Kuznetsova
5....Elena Dementieva
4....NADIA PETROVA
4....Dinara Safina

**MOST WTA SINGLES FINALS**
4...Amelie Mauresmo (3-1)
3...NADIA PETROVA (3-0)
3...Justine Henin-Hardenne (2-1)
3...Maria Sharapova (1-2)
3...Flavia Pennetta (0-3)

**2006 TIER I SINGLES FINALS**
Tokyo - Dementieva (RUS) d. Hingis (SUI)
I.W. - Sharapova (RUS) d. Dementieva (RUS)
Miami - Kuznetsova (RUS) d. Sharapova (RUS)
Charleston - Petrova (RUS) d. Schnyder (SUI)

**ALL-TIME WTA MATCH WINS**
1442...Martina Navratilova
1304...Chris Evert
900....Steffi Graf
839....Virginia Wade
759....Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
739....CONCHITA MARTINEZ
704....Evonne Goolagong
703....Lindsay Davenport

**ALL-TIME WTA MATCHES**
1661...Martina Navratilova
1448...Chris Evert
1168...Virginia Wade
1054...Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1036...CONCHITA MARTINEZ
1015...Steffi Graf


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

==WEEK 16 - FED CUP==

A two-week break in the WTA schedule begins this week, with the Fed Cup filling the void this first "off" weekend.



Of course, the big headline-grabber will be the Russia-Belgium tie, with Henin-Hardenne and Clijsters showing up against Petrova & Dementieva (but not Myskina and, of course, Sharapova) and the rest of the two-time defending Fed Cup champion band of Russians. It should be an intense affair, but don't be surprised if it's not as close as everyone is hoping with so much firepower on home soil going the Belgians' way.



=FED CUP 1st Round Picks=
France d. Italy 3-2
Spain d. Austria 4-1
Germany d. USA 3-2 (but the Americans could pull an upset)
Belgium d. Russia 4-1

=Group II Picks=
Japan d. Switzerland 4-1
Croatia d. Argentia 5-0
Czech Republic d. Thailand 5-0
China d. Indonesia 4-1


All for now.

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Wk.14-Squeaky Scarlett & the Justice League of Mother Russia

DATELINE: 9 April 2006

AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA-- With her fellow superheroines previously engaged, Scarlett (secret identity: Nadia Petrova) was called in by the forces of tennis order to save the day. And on the Isle of Amelia, she did just that.

Her Russian colleagues (from the Supernova to Punch-Sober and the Czarina, and on down the line of succession) were mostly scattered throughout the world, but the delightfully squeaky-voiced 23-year old Muscovite was present to carry forth the reputation of the entire Justice League of Mother Russia solely on her back once the Contessova (who'd performed the duty a week earlier in Miami) physically broke down in the next-to-last battle of the weekend. And after a straight sets win over the (still) title-impaired Francesca Schiavone on Sunday, Scarlett now has her eyes set on much bigger prizes.

Often overlooked for her flashier cohorts (they all have flowing capes and cool utility belts, don't you know), Scarlett is brimming with confidence and ready to tackle the clay season with a new vigor after completing her third solo save-the-day mission over the last six months, after having previously gone her entire Justice League career without a single unassisted victory. Armed with a more consistent and calm set of nerves, unlike her final opponent in Amelia Island, the thought that her upcoming European jaunt could end with her at the top of the Justice League heap isn't so far fetched a notion after all.

Alas, a superheroine doesn't have time to rest, as now it's off to the Town of Charles, where Scarlett will likely once again face off against the "forces of evil" (as well as Queen Justine, of course) as the League's sole standard-bearer (what with the Contessova still limping along after her unfortunate weekend, her full-battle participation can't be guaranteed).

So, as this space has been a long-time advocate for this particular Russian's cause, let it be asked loudly and clearly: Have you caught Scarlett Fever?

Well, what are you waiting for?

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

**WEEK 14 CHAMPIONS**

=============================
AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA USA (II-Green Clay)
S: Nadia Petrova d. Francesca Schiavone 6-4/6-4
D: Asagoe/Srebotnik d. Huber/Mirza
=============================

==PLAYER AWARDS==

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nadia Petrova

...Petrova's getting a lot of practice at raising trophies lately, picking up three Tier II's in six months has made all that heavy lifting somewhat habit-forming. Having unlocked the WTA's title-winning chamber of secrets, she's a very real threat to overtake Maria Sharapova as the top-ranked Russian by the time Wimbledon rolls around. Currently, at #7 and seemingly mere weeks from a near-certain rise into the Top 5, she's just 448 points behind her #4-ranked fellow Russian... and Petrova's contesting once again in this week's Tier I in Charleston, while Sharapova (who's not quite as proficient on clay, anyhow) isn't. At 23-6 on the year (in a tie with Amelie Mauresmo for the most match wins on tour in '06), things are most definitely looking up for Backspin's fave Russian. That great week in Linz last October is turning out to be just as much of a breakthrough as anyone could have hoped.
============================
RISERS: Francesca Schiavone & Anna-Lena Groenefeld
...count 'em up, that's seven trips to singles finals in Schiavone's career. And she's got a 0-7 record to show for it. Ouch. She may have yet to conquer those last match demons, but wins over Groenefeld and Kuznetsova (more on that in a moment) pushed her ranking to a career-best #11. Groenefeld's up to a best-ever #15 (whoops, there goes one of Pierre's predictions down in flames) after a QF result in A.I. and wins over Zvonareva and Safina.
============================
SURPRISE: Maria Elena Camerin

...another of the phalanx of Italians assaulting the WTA scene this year, 24-year old Camerin continues to surprise. In Amelia Island, she notched a few more impressive wins over Marta Domachowska and Katerina Srebotnik.
============================
VETERANS: Jill Craybas & Virginia Ruano-Pascual
...what has gotten into Craybas, anyway? Jankovic and Sprem were amongst her A.I. victims as she surged to another last-American-standing QF result last week. VRP qualified, then downed Nathalie Dechy and Elena Vesnina in singles and also reached the doubles SF.
============================
FRESH FACE: Lucie Safarova
...so far, Safarova is winning the '06 Maiden race with Nicole Vaidisova (but, remember, it's a long year), gaining Amelia's Isle wins over Michaella Krajicek, Mara Santangelo, Craybas and (yes, her) Vaidisova en route to the SF.
============================
DOWN: Jelena Dokic
...the Debutante emerged from her shadowy hiding place in Biarritz to participate in a $25K challenger. She lost... in the first round of qualifying... in straight sets... to the world #709. Sometimes the facts say it all, don't they?
============================

==MATCHES==

1.AI Doub.1st - Pratt/Stewart d. Stubbs/Morariu
...7-6(5)/7-6(20). Yes, it was 22-20 in the 2nd set tie-break. And, yes, it was the longest TB in WTA history (breaking the 21-19 marathon of Snyder vs. Gagliardi in 1999 in Madrid). Pratt/Stewart had 15 match points (12 of them in the TB!), while Stubbs/Morariu failed to convert three set points.
-----------------------------
2.AI SF - Schiavone d. Kuznetsova
...7-6/3-2 ret. Here we go again. As soon as I saw Schiavone have the "outright temerity" to be excited and celebrate her advancement to the final after Kuznetsova's retirement with an abductor injury, I figured the inevitable was about to happen -- there'd be the usual whining and bitching about "sportsmanship" and etiquette and blah-blah-blah. And guess what, that's what happened. First, it should be noted that Schiavone was playing Kuznetsova well in the 1st set before the injury and, second, that Kuznetsova continued to play (and play decently) afterward for half a set... so it wasn't as if she snapped her fibula and bled out on the court. Seriously, the whine and cry brigade should remember that, unless I'm mistaken, conditioning and health are part of the game... so Schiavone needn't act as if she'd just attended a funeral immediately after she's advanced to one of the bigger finals of her career. This is really starting to get ridiculous. Unless players set out a full tea service for their opponent after a match, they get called on the carpet for not acting like a "lady." Grow up, and get over it... you know you can't tell a fiery Italian that she can't be festive after a win. (And, yes, I'm aware of a tinge of hypocrisy here considering at least one previous Backspin soapbox moment... and because of that I vow to even leave the Sisters alone in the future -- if they ever actually play, that is -- when it comes to post-match "antics". Ummm... well, at least I will unless it's simply too easy to exploit it for hopefully comic purposes, that is.)
-----------------------------
3.AI 3rd - Safarova d. Vaidisova
...6-1/4-6/6-4. Maybe Nicole does have a bit of the curse in her.
-----------------------------
4.AI Final - Petrova d. Schiavone
...6-4/6-4. Nadia's been let in on the formula for WTA success, as Russians have won the last three WTA tour events. But has she gotten the codes necessary to run the Russian 2006 Tier I streak to four in Charleston?
-----------------------------
5.Biarritz $25K Q1 - Eleonora Punzo d. Dokic
...7-5/7-5. Who?
-----------------------------

==WTA LISTS==

**2006 WTA TITLES**
3...Mauresmo (Australian,Paris,Antwerp)
2...Henin-Hardenne (Sydney,Dubai)
2...Petrova (Doha,Amelia Island)

**MULTIPLE 2006 FINALS - NO WINS**
0-3...Flavia Pennetta
0-2...Jelena Kostanic
0-2...Francesca Schiavone

**2006 FINALISTS BY NATION**
9...Russia (5 titles)
6...France (4)
6...Italy (1)
4...Belgium (2)

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

**ROYALE RETURN**

...the Battle Royale picks up again in Charleston, as Pierre and I face off in 2006's season-long competition.


CHARLESTON, S.C. USA (I-Green Clay)
05 F: Henin-Hardenne d. Dementieva
06 TOP: Henin-Hardenne/Petrova
==============================

BACKSPIN's PICKS:

-QF-
Henin-Hardenne d. Safina
Schnyder d. Srebotnik
Groenefeld d. Shaughnessy
Petrova d. Vaidisova
-SF-
Henin-Hardenne d. Schnyder
Petrova d. Groenefeld
-FINAL-
Henin-Hardenne d. Petrova

...I'm banking on Kuznetsova pulling an injury-related disappearing act.


PIERRE's PICKS:

=QF=
Henin-Hardenne d. Safina
Schnyder d. Sucha
Kuznetsova d. Medina-Garrigues
Petrova d. Vaidisova
=SF=
Henin-Hardenne d. Schnyder
Kuznetsova d. Petrova
=FINAL=
Kuznetsova d. Henin-Hardenne


All for now.

Read more...