Wk.17- Cup Capitalization & Capitulation

Even before the first ball was struck, this weekend's Fed Cup semifinals looked to be uncompetitive affairs. The assumption turned out to be true... with an unexpected twist.



When the dust had settled in Moscow, Team Russia had capitalized on the United States' team of "B" (or would "C" be more accurate?) players, as had been expected. American teenager Vania King put up a bit of a fight in two singles matches, but the Hordettes still raced to a 3-0 lead in singles play to advance to a fourth FC final in the past five years. Once the win was clinched, the hounds were kindly called off by coach Shamil Tarpischev, effectively allowing the U.S.'s "fresh faces" to grab a pair of misleading wins to wrap up the scoring in Russia's 3-2 victory.

What happened in Beijing was another story, or China was slow out of the box against Spain... then proceeded to fold up like a cheap tent in front of the home crowd.

Fed Cup competition has not been kind to Team China. A year ago, the federation's misinterpretation of the FC and Olympic eligibility rules caused it to needlessly sit China's two top-ranked players, resulting in a 5-0 1st Round loss to the Italians. With the rules and regulations squared away, the Cookies managed to rebound earlier this year, advancing to these SF and being in position to play host. So, when the clay court-loving Spaniards announced that a team of "second-stringers" would head to Beijing to do battle on a hard court surface rather than the usual array of seasoned FC veterans, the Chinese looked as if they would have an easy road to a maiden Fed Cup final (even without injured top-ranked Cookie Li Na on hand).

As it turned out, Spain only needed one veteran -- 27-year old Nuria Llagostera-Vives) -- to turn the tide in the favor of Espana.

Newcomer Carla Suarez-Navarro opened the tie with a win over Peng Shuai, then Llagostera-Vives took out both Zheng and Peng in straight sets to salt away an eyebrow-raising 4-1 victory that sends Team Spain to a tenth FC final.

As things stand, Chinese tennis watchers have every reason to feel a bit shaky about the Cookies' Olympic prospects come August. Unless Li manages to pull through with a great tournament a little more than three months from now, undue pressure will be placed on the top Cookie doubles teams to prevent a medal shutout.

Considering the Chinese federation was largely funded because of 2008's Olympic stage, this could turn out to be a case of being careful what you wish for.

*WEEK 17 - FED CUP SF WEEKEND*


=FED CUP MVPs=
(SEMIFINALS)
RUS d. USA 3-2
ESP d. CHN 4-1

Nuria Llagostera-Vives, ESP: There was no calling off of any hounds in the ESP/CHN battle. To add further insult to insult, after sweeping through both Peng and Zheng and singles, Llagostera-Vives got a third victory in doubles along with Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, too. After winning her first WTA singles title since 2005 earlier this season in Bogota, the veteran has staked her claim for Comeback Player of the Year, not to mention added some much needed depth to the Spanish team, which could come in handy in the FC final.

Anna Chakvetadze, RUS: it'd be easy to go with Vera Zvonareva as the Russian MVP since her tie-clinching victory over Vania King provided the final point in the Hordettes' victory. But King took Zvonareva to three sets, while Chakvetadze dispatched the American in a tight straight sets in match #1, squelching any potential dreams of a Goliathian achievement being possible by the Americans.

(WORLD GROUP PLAYOFFS)
ITA d. UKR 3-2
FRA d. JPN 4-1
ARG d. GER 3-2
CZE d. ISR 3-2

Francesca Schiavone, ITA: two years ago, Schiavone led Italy to its first Fed Cup title, and she has a history of seizing-victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat when playing for her country. Well, she did it again in a wild one against Ukraine's Mariya Koryttseva (making her FC debut) in match #1 of the ITA/UKR tie. Down three match points, two in the 2nd set and another in the 3rd, the veteran Italian somehow managed to fight back to claim a victory. Koryttseva served for the match at 5-3 in the 2nd, only to see Schiavone knot the set at 5-5 and win twelve consecutive points (including a 7-0 tie-break). In the 3rd, Schiavone raced to a 4-1 lead, only to see the Ukrainian battle back and serve for the match at 5-4. Back to the wall again, Schiavone came out fighting. In the end, she won the final three games (losing just one point in the final two) to claim the point. On Sunday, she handled Alona Bondarenko in straight sets.

Amelie Mauresmo, FRA: Is the Amelie of old finally back? Even before she had her grand slam breakthrough in 2006, Mauresmo had shined in Fed Cup play. Recently, her tour results have begun to tick upward... and now she's back in top FC form, as well. Against Japan, she allowed youngster Ayumi Morita a total of just two games, and veteran Ai Sugiyama managed to claim a paltry five.

Gisela Dulko, ARG: At least for one brief shining moment, Dulko was better than Lindsay Davenport. She handled Germany's Sabine Lisicki, who upset the American in FC play earlier this season, in quick 6-2/6-2 fashion in match #1 of ARG/GER. While the Germans must have wished that the Americans had field their "B" team a round earlier, they found out what a difference a round can make. One thing that remained the same? The Germans lost BOTH ties.

Iveta Benesova, CZE: CZE/ISR was the most competitive of the WG Playoffs. Israel's Tzipora Obziler single-handedly kept her team alive with wins over Lucie Safarova and Petra Kvitova, but fresh-off-her-Estoril-RU Benesova grabbed a win over a star-crossed Shahar Peer to knot the tie at 2-2. In the deciding doubles match, Benesova and Kveta Peschke took out Obziler/Peer in straights to claim the victory.

(WORLD GROUP II PLAYOFFS)
SUI d. AUT 3-2
BEL d. COL 5-0
SVK d. UZB 5-0
SRB d. CRO 3-2

Stefanie Vogele, SUI: The least know player involved in singles play in the SUI/AUT tie turned out to be the most important. #200-ranked, 18-year old Swiss Miss Vogele (not countrywoman Patty Schnyder or Emmanuelle Gagliardi) was called upon to defend Switzerland's honor against Tamira Paszek in match #4 with the Austrians just one win away from clinching a victory. The 17-year got extremely close to accomplishing her goal, too, saving match points and knotting the 3rd set at 5-5. But Vogele buckled down to claim the final two games and hand things off to Gagliardi/Schnyder in the deciding doubles match. The veteran pair lost just one game, but if not for their younger teammate's well-earned moment of glory, it wouldn't have mattered.

Kirsten Flipkens, BEL: Flipkens has had her FC troubles in the past, but she notched wins over Catalina Castano and Mariana Duque Marino in the Waffles' shutout of the Colombians.

Dominika Cibulkova, SVK: With Daniela Hantuchova out, the Slovaks were led by Amelia Island RU Cibulkova, whose close straight set wins over vets Iroda Tulyaganova and Akgul Amanmuradova assured her debut performance in this new #1 role would be a successful one.

Ana Jovanovic, SRB: Yes, both Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic notched wins in Serbia's win over Croatia, which (as happened in RUS/USA) "transformed" a dominant 3-0 lead into a not-as-close-as-it-looks 3-2 win once the "B" team came in to mop things up in the later stages. But it was little noticed 23-year old Jovanovic's match #1 win over Jelena Kostanic Tosic that was the biggest of the three... largely because it was anything but a sure "W" for the Serbs before play began.

(FRESH FACES)

Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP: The 19-year old, a surprise semifinalist as a qualifier in Bogota a few weeks back, opened SF play (in her FC singles debut!) with the win over Peng that set the tone for the entire tie.

Vania King & Ahsha Rolle, USA: The U.S.'s "fresh faces" only garnered one singles win (Rolle over Elena Vesnina, once the Russians had clinched), but the pair did themselves proud under adverse conditions in Moscow. King, especially, sparked with a close (4-6/5-7) loss to Chakvetadze, and a three-set defeat at the hands of Zvonareva.

Petra Kvitova, CZE: The 18-year old's game has been popping all over the place in '08, and it did again in FC play when she opened up the CZE/ISR tie by bageling Peer in the 3rd set of their match.

Yanina Wickmayer, BEL: Wickmayer is quickly becoming a seasoned FC performer, though she's never played a truly BIG match. She was 2-0 against Colombia.

Sara Errani, ITA: She was only given a light workload against Ukraine, but it was her win over Kateryna Bondarenko in match #4 that clinched the tie for Italy.

(VETERAN)
Tzipora Obziler, ISR: Peer may have let down the Israeli team, but Obziler most certainly did not. The newly-turned 35-year old did all she could to keep the team's collective head above water, getting wins over Safarova and Kvitova, but it wasn't enough to prevent a Czech triumph.

(DOWN)
Peng Shuai & Team China: Still waiting for that Chinese Revolution to show a few snarling teeth.. Fed Cup disappointment came once again in Beijing, and Peng's failure to be part of even one victory in three attempts in the tie makes one wonder if her post-Michael Chang backslide is now something that cannot be stopped.

Shahar Peer, ISR: The Corporal was AWOL over the weekend. Bageled in the 3rd by Kvitova. Dropped in three sets by Benesova. Then, with a fortunate victory still attainable, going 0-for-3 as part of a doubles pair with Obziler in the deciding match. Coming off such a downer, she'll need all her will to swim rather than sink this week in Prague.

Tamira Paszek, AUT: It's hard to get get too down on a (barely) 17-year old failing to put away an opponent to clinch a win for her team in FC play, but with great talent comes great expectations... especially when the opponent that needs to be taken down is another teenager with a less-heralded reputation to live up to.

(ITF PLAYER OF THE WEEK)
Bethanie Mattek, USA
...while the other Americans were losing in the FC SF, Mattek won a $75K in Dothan, Alabama with wins over countrywomen Ashley Weinhold, Asia Muhammad, Alexa Glatch, Jamea Jackson and newly-minted American Varvara Lepchenko in the final. Maybe Bethanie should have been included on that FC roster... if only to see what fashion choices she'd make in an attempt to "accessorize" a Fed Cup uni.


**FED CUP FINALS - 2000-08 SEMIFINALS**
2000 USA def. Spain
2001 Belgium def. Russia
2002 Slovakia def. Spain
2003 France def. USA
2004 Russia def. France
2005 Russia def. France
2006 Italy def. Belgium
2007 Russia def. Italy
2008 RUSSIA vs. SPAIN

**TEAM RUSSIA - BEST FC RESULTS**
CHAMPIONS (3): 2004, 2005, 2007
RUNNERS-UP (2): 1999, 2001
RUNNERS-UP (2, as USSR): 1988, 1990

**TEAM SPAIN - BEST FC RESULTS**
CHAMPIONS (5): 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998
RUNNERS-UP (4): 1989, 1992, 1996, 2000




PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (IV-RCO)
2007 FINAL: Morigami d. Bartoli
2008 TOP: Zvonareva/Peer
=============================
SF: Zvonareva def. Srebotnik;
Zakopalova def. Kvitova
FINAL: Zvonareva def. Zakopalova

...though I worry about Fed Cup hangover.


FES, MOROCCO (IV-RCO)
2007 FINAL: Sequera d. Wozniak
2008 TOP: Medina-Garrigues/Dulko
=============================
SF: Medina-Garrigues d. Garbin; Cirstea d. Rezai
FINAL: Medina-Garrigues def. Cirstea

...though I'd love to be able to talk about one of the young Romanians finally coming through with a title a week from now.


All for now.

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Wk.16- Shake It Up (Scrambled Backspin & Eggs)

**2008 SINGLES FINAL**
3...Maria Sharapova (3-0)
3...SERENA WILLIAMS (3-0)
3...VERA ZVONAREVA (0-2 + L)
3...Svetlana Kuznetsova (0-3)

**MOST SINGLES TITLES - last 2 seasons**
(2007/2008)
12...Justine Henin (10/2)
5...SERENA WILLIAMS (2/3)
5...Anna Chakvetadze (4/1)
4...Maria Sharapova (1/3)
4...Ana Ivanovic (3/1)
4...Lindsay Davenport (2/2)
4...Jelena Jankovic (4/0)

**2008 TIER I CHAMPIONS**
Doha - Maria Sharapova, Peschke/Stubbs
Indian Wells - Ana Ivanovic, Safina/Vesnina
Miami - Serena Williams, Srebotnik/Sugiyama
Charleston - Serena Williams, Srebotnik/Sugiyama

**DEFEATED TOP SEED/DEFENDING CHAMPION, BUT DIDN'T WIN TITLE**
Memphis - Petra Kvitova (1r-V.Williams), 2nd
Dubai - Francesca Schiavone (QF-Henin), SF
Charleston - Vera Zvonareva (QF-Jankovic), RU

**THREE CAREER WTA SINGLES TITLES - active**
(most recent)
Marion Bartoli, FRA (2006)
Elena Bovina, RUS (2004)
Daniela Hantuchova, SVK (2007)
MARIA KIRILENKO, RUS (2008)
Michaella Krajicek, NED (2006)
Elena Likhovtseva, RUS (2004)
Emilie Loit, FRA (2007)
Shahar Peer, ISR (2006)
Virginia Ruano-Pascual, ESP (2003)
Lucie Safarova, CZE (2006)
Iroda Tulyaganova, UZB (2001)
Zheng Jie, CHN (2006)

**SERENA vs. SHARAPOVA**
2004 Mia 4th - Williams 6-4/6-3
2004 Wimb F - Sharapova 6-1/6-4
2004 WTA Chsp F - Sharapova 4-6/6-2/6-4
2005 Aust SF - Williams 2-6/7-5/8-6
2007 Aust F - Williams 6-1/6-2
2007 Mia 4th - Williams 6-1/6-1
2008 Charleston QF - Williams 7-5/4-6/6-1





==SF==
Russia def. USA 5-0
China def. Spain 5-0
=World Group Playoffs=
Italy def. Ukraine 3-2
France def. Japan 4-1
Argentina def. Germany 3-2
Czech Republic def. Israel 3-2
=World Group II Playoffs=
Belgium def. Colombia 4-1
Austria def. Switzerland 3-2
Slovakia def. Uzbekistan 4-1
Serbia def. Croatia 5-0



All for now.


AP PHOTO/ALICE KEENEY

"I'm not even reaching my peak yet. I think if I am healthy and I'm playing at my best, it's hard to beat me." - Serena Williams

Sometimes a quote simply hits the truth right square on the head, you know?




1. Chas QF - S.Williams def. Sharapova
....7-5/4-6/6-1. Sharapova failed to convert a set point in the 1st, and lived to regret it. Serena has a way of doing that to opponents..
=============================
2. Chas F - S.Williams d. Zvonareva
....6-4/3-6/6-3. Hopefully, the mental cracks that Zvonareva showed in the 3rd set won't develop into a deadly crevasse that will jeopardize her clay season, and she'll build on this result instead. We don't need to read stories about giant pieces of the Zvonareva glacier breaking off and drifting away this spring and summer.
=============================
3. Est F - Kirilenko d. Benesova
....6-4/6-2. It's weeks like this -- as was the case late last fall during her extended run of great results in Asia -- that make what Kirilenko accomplishes (or fails to accomplish, to be more accurate) the rest of the season all the more perplexing.
=============================
4. Chas 1st - A.Radwanska d. Domachowska
....6-4/4-6/6-3. Ah, the Battle of Poland that we've waited for the last couple of seasons. But it says much about Domachowska's oft-spotty results that it came in the 1st Round rather than in the tour's first all-Polish final.
=============================
5. Chas 2nd - Cirstea d. Chakvetadze
....6-2/1-6/6-2. Since winning in Paris in Week 6, The Doll has produced one QF result along with three 2nd Round and two 3rd Round exits.
=============================
6. Chas 3rd - S.Williams d. Srebotnik
....4-6/6-4/6-3. The Slovenian has mastered the art of pushing top players to the edge in '08. First it was Henin a while back in Dubai, and this time it was Williams, who injured her ankle during the match. Unfortunately, Srebotnik hasn't yet figured out a way to put away one of those matches.
=============================
7. Est 2nd - Benesova d. Pennetta
....6-2/6-2. Does anyone lose more early round match in low-tiered events in which she's the top seed than Pennetta?
=============================
8. Palm Beach Gardens $25K F - Soledad Esperson d. Sesil Karatantcheva
....6-4/6-1. Esperson gets her second ITF title in recent weeks, and Sesil loses in yet another final.
=============================
9. Chas Doub F - Srebotnik/Sugiyama d. Gallovits/Govortsova
....6-2/6-2. Srebotnik/Sugiyama add another Tier I crown to their Miami title.
=============================
10. Chas 3rd - Schnyder d. A.Radwanska
....6-3/6-2. This is the type of match between two frustrating players with oddball stylings that will make your brain hurt just thinking about it.



Editing Note: Yes, this edition is another Backspin "gimmick" meant to make a single week on the WTA schedule stand out for all the wrong reasons. Not wanting to repeat last year's "Scrambled Backspin" edition, "Scrambled Backspin & Eggs" seemed to strike the fancy at the last moment. Sheesh. Alas, I'm sorry to say I doubt that this will be the last three-ring circus hoisted upon everyone by Your Friendly Neighborhood Backspinner.



*WEEK 16 CHAMPIONS*

CHARLESTON, SC USA (I-GCO)
S: Serena Williams def. Vera Zvonareva 6-4/3-6/6-3
D: Srebotnik/Sugiyama d. Gallovits/Govortsova

ESTORIL, PORTUGAL (IV-RCO)
S: Maria Kirilenko def. Iveta Benesova 6-4/6-2
D: Kirilenko/Pennetta d. Jugic-Salkic/Senoglu




PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Serena Williams, USA
.... Serena's first clay court title since 2002 gives her fifteen straight wins during her three-for-three sweep through her last three tour events. In Charleston, she coped with an injured ankle and frustration with her own play at times, but also pulled out a 128 mph serve, claimed a second Tier I on the season and became the first player to win three titles in 2008. Make no mistake, her actions in recent weeks surely look like those of a player ready to do some great things by the end of the summer. Of course, being that it's Serena, we'll have to wait and see.
=============================
RISERS: Vera Zvonareva, RUS & Agnes Szavay, HUN
....Zvonareva's hoped-for spring/summer climb officially began in Charleston with a run to the final that included wins over Marion Bartoli, defending champ Jelena Jankovic and Elena Dementieva. Her second '08 Tier I RU highlights a string of results that have been consistent (2 RU, 1 SF, 2 QF), but not spectacular. But will her own mental makeup allow her to bust down that final door on her way to the Top 10? Meanwhile, Szavay's spring scramble (get it? Scramble? Nevermind.) is well underway. Building off her Amelia Island QF, the Valkyrie's revenge-soaked QF run in Charleston resulted in wins over two players (Yuliana Fedak & Ai Sugiyama) who'd beaten her earlier this season and another (Dinara Safina) who hadn't. Up to #13, Szavay is finally beginning to build something of a protective walls against all the points she's going to have to defend in North American in the late summer.
=============================
SURPRISES: Maria Kirilenko, RUS & Iveta Benesova, CZE

AFP/JOAO CORTESAO
....Kirilenko strutted her stuff ON the court in Estoril, sweeping the singles and doubles and notching wins over Tathiana Garbin, Klara Zakopalova and Benesova along the way. Before she won this her third career title, she'd failed to advance past the 2nd in any of her seven events other than the Australian Open (4th Round) and was just 6-7 on the year. Young Maidens Vaidisova and Safarova haven't made great strides in '08, but the same can't be said for veteran Czech Benesova. She hasn't won a tour title since '04, but her recent ITF success carried over to Estoril as the world #132 became the lowest-ranked WTA finalist thus far this season after wins over Flavia Pennetta, Camille Pin and Maret Ani.
=============================
VETERANS: Katarina Srebotnik/Ai Sugiyama, SLO/JPN & Elena Dementieva, RUS

.....if might not be long before Srebotnik/Sugiyama supplant Black/Huber as the world's #1 doubles team. The #2 & #3-ranked doubles players made it back-to-back Tier I crowns this weekend in Charleston just two weeks after claiming Miami. Meanwhile, Punch-Sober simply will not go down for the count. She popped back up this past week with a SF run in Charleston and wins over Victoria Azarenka and Patty Schnyder.
=============================
FRESH FACES: Alize Cornet, FRA & The Romanians (Sorana Cirstea & Edina Gallovits)
....so far, Cornet has been the Pastry with the most in '08. Her Charleston SF gives her three SF-or-better results in the last four events, and wins over the likes of Michaella Krajicek, Sara Errani, Sorana Cirstea and Agnes Szavay (not to mention her extending of Serena to a 7-5 1st in the SF) speaks well for her chances on the upcoming EuroClay section of the schedule. And, as predicted, the Romanians are already making noise on the clay. Cirstea knocked out both Vania King and Anna Chakvetadze in Charleston, while Gallovits eliminated Meghann Shaughnessy and pushed Agnieszka Radwanksa to 7-5 in the 3rd set. Then, in doubles, Gallovits and last minute partner Olga Govortsova (she's from Belarus, so don't get ahead of yourself) managed to knock out two of the top three seeded teams before losing to Srebotnik/Sugiyama in the final.
=============================
DOWN: USA Fed Cup Team (why wait a week when it's already a foregone conclusion now?)
....No Venus (medical absence). No Serena (taking care of Serena business). No Lindsay (injured, or sick... or who really knows for sure?). Not even any surprise 1st round heroine Ashley (injured). So for this coming weekend's FC semifinals, the USA puts up Liezel Huber, Vania King, Madison Brengle and Ahsha Rolle. Oh, if only Huber could convince the organizers to let every match be doubles... then the USA might be able to scrape out one point in the "battle" with Russia. Alas, the Hordette team of Kuznetsova, Chakvetadze, Safina and Vesnina will likely wipe the court with the "fresh faces," as coach Zina Garrison called the team. This is sort of like starting the rookie QB in the Super Bowl to get him some playing time. Barring an upset of monumental proportions, an actual forfeit (rather than this simulated one) might have been a bit prettier.
=============================
ITF PLAYER: Stephanie Cohen Aloro, FRA
....Cornet aside, the Pastries might not be burning up the WTA tour at the moment. But SCA managed to grab a $100K event in Saint Malo this weekend with wins over Renata Voracova, Yulia Fedossova and (in the final) Jelena Kostanic-Tosic.

Tous pour maintenant. (Psst...blame the rainy spring doldrums for all this.)

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BV: Second Thoughts, Pt.II

Not wanting to be left out, Tennisrulz.com Head Honcho Pierre Cantin weighs in with his own set of second thoughts to go along with mine:

*RE-PICKED TOP 10*
( ) - preseason prediction
1. Maria Sharapoav(1)... no reason to change, things going as planned as long as she remains healthy.
--------------------------------------
2. Justine Henin(2)... again, it's been as expected. :)
--------------------------------------
3. Ana Ivanovic(6)... wow, I've underestimated Ana's progress... she should make it to #3.
--------------------------------------
4. Jelena Jankovic(10)... Jelena has been keeping up the pace pretty well.
--------------------------------------
5. Svetlana Kuznetsova(4)... consistent but not taking an extra step.
--------------------------------------
6. Serena Williams(5)... I knew she would not play a full season... but come on?
--------------------------------------
7. Vera Zvonareva(-)... Vera is still very much under the radar but gaining points.
--------------------------------------
8. Nicole Vaidisova(7)... wow, such a disapointment. No idea what's happening. She changed her coach, could it help?
--------------------------------------
9. Elena Dementieva(-)... steady even with pretty much no serve.
--------------------------------------
10. Agnieszka Radwanska(-)... very steady progression although lately her wins are not as convincing.



*RE-IMAGINED MAJOR FINALS*
=WTA=
RG: Henin d. Kuznetsova
W: Sharapova d. S.Williams
O: Henin d. Dementieva
US: Sharapova d. Henin
YEC: Henin d. Ivanovic



2008 Volleys: #1-5, #6-10

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Wk.15- A Little Less Green

It's never easy being green. Just ask Maria Sharapova.


(AP Photo/PHIL COALE)

You wouldn't think that after three slam championships, eighteen singles titles, fourteen weeks at #1, a bazillion print ads, TV commercials and sponsor fests, not to mention the pressure of likely being the most famous tennis player in the world, Sharapova wouldn't still be chasing too many "firsts" in her career. But heading into last week's tournament in Amelia Island, that's just what she was doing.

After being the top player during the 2008 1st Quarter, Sharapova began her clay season with essentially little at stake since her failure to ever reach a clay court final lessened the urgency she might otherwise be compelled to feel while preparing to contend for the next grand slam on the calendar. But after winning her first career clay title this weekend with a 7-6/6-3 win over Slovakian teenager Dominika Cibulkova, that script might be in the process of being rewritten.

Sharapova didn't blaze through the field in Florida, but what she DID do might have been even more impressive, considering her lack of experience on the clay. She gritted her teeth and battled past game opponents in long matches on a somewhat unfamiliar surface that she is experiencing a bit earlier in the year than is normally the case, since injuries have often forced her to being her clay campaign a bit later in the schedule in recent years.

If practice makes perfect, Amelia Island could prove to be very good for the Supernova. The toughness displayed by her opponents last week ultimately managed to give her more match play than she could have ever imagined would be coming her way before the first ball was struck. Her best training ground? A three-and-a-half-hour nail biter over veteran Anabel Medina-Garrigues in the 3rd Round.

For all her hard work, Sharapova was "rewarded" with a walkover from an ill Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals, eliminating the potential peril of what would have been the first career clay meeting between the Russian and three-time Amelia Island champion American. Cibulkova put up a fight for a while in the final, but anything other than a Sharapova title coming on the back end of the match-up with the first-time WTA finalist would have been a major surprise.

Sharapova is still learning to play on the surface, even though her Roland Garros SF a year ago was a sure sign that it need not be an impossible obstacle. Even with a title in hand, she's still fairly green in terms of clay experience. Her un-Clijstersian movement and the slower nature of the clay will always prevent Sharapova from being the prototype for a clay court champion, but she's slowly (but not as slowly as she was a week ago) but surely proving that her game is good-and-getting-better-enough to compensate for her clay shortcomings.

So, with career title #19 in hand, and another week on the green stuff before she heads off to do battle on the European red dirt, Sharapova's clay outlook for '08 may have already changed. Oh, she's not looking to supplant Justine Henin as the Queen of Clay, but she doesn't need to do that.

With three of the four slams represented in her trophy case, Sharapova only needs to win Roland Garros once to complete the career slam... and she's only turning 21 this coming Saturday. At 22-1 on the season, with Henin's play and physical condition still not quite up to its usual snuff, maybe 2008 could be that year. Stranger scenarios have taken place, for sure. And if Sharapova can stake out a large portion of the clay season as a personal playground, foes will be hard-pressed to prevent her from ending the year at #1.

It's not easy being green, but it might be easier than being a little less green, what with all the added pressure it could entail in Paris for Sharapova. But, then again, the Supernova knows pressure... and it hasn't exactly beaten her down just yet.

*WEEK 15 CHAMPIONS*

AMELIA ISLAND, FLA USA (II-Green Clay)
S: Maria Sharapova d. Dominika Cibulkova 7-6/6-3
D: Mattek/Uhlirova d. Azarenka/Vesnina


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Maria Sharapova, RUS
... sure, it would have been nice to see Sharapova face Davenport after being pushed earlier in the tournament by AMG and Alona Bondarenko, and have to face Cibulkova with less rest. But the SF stroke of luck (and, no, there are no rumors about Yuri and/or spiked Davenport dinners... unless you want to start one right now, that is) is emblematic of how 2008 has mostly gone for the Supernova to this point.
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RISERS: Agnes Szavay, HUN & Alona Bondarenko, UKR
... Szavay must be smiling now that the 1Q is over. Her darkly disappointing '08 start turned brighter when she got immediate AI revenge for her Melbourne loss (defeat #2 in '08 for Szavay) to Ekaterina Makarova, then finally was able to string some wins together for only the second tournament this season. A win over Katarina Srebotnik and a close two-set defeat at the hands of Davenport in the QF was enough to raise the Valkyrie's ranking to #13 and hopefully spur her on to a successful 2Q. Bondarenko knocked off Caroline Wozniacki and Dinara Safina, then pushed Sharapova in the QF to move into the Top 20 (#19) in singles for the first time in her career.
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SURPRISES: Karolina Sprem, CRO & Chayenne Ewijk, NED
... Sprem used to be considered a future star. In 2004, she reached the Wimbledon QF and ended the season ranked #18. But several years of poor results and injuries had pretty much turned her into an afterthought (her year-end rankings went from #65 to #88 to #209) until her blast from the past week in Amelia Island, After qualifying, the now 23-year old Croat notched wins over Ai Sugiyama and Daniela Hantuchova before falling to Davenport. Sprem is currently ranked #236. Meanwhile, Michaella Krajicek has had a disappointing season so far, but Dutch 19-year old Ewijk has been doing their country proud on the ITF circuit. She won her second challenger title of the season (and grabbed a doubles crown, as well) this weekend in the Telde, Spain $10k event.
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VETERAN: Amelie Mauresmo
... could Amelie finally be stirring? It certainly appeared so in Amelia Island, where she knocked off youngsters Sorana Cirstea and Agnieszka Radwanska (in an impressive two-and-a-half hour battle). She ultimately lost in the QF to Cibulkova, but it was a nice way to start the clay court season.
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FRESH FACES: Dominika Cibulkova, SVK & Alize Cornet, FRA

... this week's star-making performance most definitely came from 18-year old Cibulkova. She garnered attention earlier this year with a win over Venus Williams, but her run to her first-ever WTA singles final in Amelia Island was likely the first time many people have ever heard of her. After knocking down the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Anna Chakvetadze, Mauresmo and Cornet, the little 5'3" Slovak won't have the security blanket of anonymity for much longer. Before losing to Cibulkova in the AI SF and just missing out on her second WTA final in '08, Pastry Cornet defeated Krajicek, Sybille Bammer, Elena Vesnina and Virginie Razzano.
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DOWN: Daniela Hantuchova, SVK & Lindsay Davenport's body, USA
... Wonder Girl Hantuchova doesn't have any Indian Wells momentum to carry her into the 2Q this season, and it's showing. After reaching her first career slam SF in Melbourne in January, Hantuchova hasn't been able to follow up with another big result. Her 2nd Round loss in AI to Sprem was her second straight early-round loss following her 3rd Round defeat by Ai Sugiyama in Miami. Since Oz, she's gone just 3-4 aside from her QF run in Indian Wells, Hantuchova's own version of the Emerald City. Meanwhile, Davenport's body seems to be fighting her comeback... and it's won twice in recent weeks. Davenport retired from Indian Wells with a back injury the week before defeating Ivanovic in Miami, then reached the Amelia Island SF but gave Sharapova a walkover ("walkova?") when she awoke on Saturday too ill to play. Lindsay's body's ability to withstand the rigors of her return to the tour has always been the biggest "yeah, but" factor hovering over the possibility of truly "great" results in Davenport II, and these recent incidents are only going to raise those questions all over again..
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ITF PLAYER: Petra Kvitova, CZE

... six-foot Maiden Kvitova, 18, continues to make a name for herself. Earlier this year, she shocked Venus. This weekend, she claimed a $75k event in Monzon, Spain with wins over Marina Erakovic and Maret Ani before defeating Yanina Wickmeyer in the final.
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1. AI 3rd - Sharapova d. Medina Garrigues
...7-6/5-7/7-6. Sharapova survived this three-and-a-half-hour marathon, but the Spaniard might get another 3rd Round shot at the Supernova in Charleston.
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2. AI 3rd - Mauresmo d. A.Radwanska
...3-6/7-5/7-6. For maybe the first time since her appendectomy, there's true light at the end of the tunnel for Mauresmo. If she can return to form, the top tier of the WTA field is REALLY going to get crowded by the end of the summer.
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3. AI Final - Sharapova d. Cibulkova
...7-6/6-3. Apparently, they make 'em big (nearly 6-foot Wonder Girl) AND small (barely over 5-foot Cibulkova) in Slovakia.
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4. AI 2nd - Sprem d. Hantuchova
...6-3/1-6/6-3. But neither Slovak could walk away with a title last week in Florida.
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5. AI 3rd - Cibulkova d. Chakvetadze
...6-2/3-6/6-1. Anna must have felt like she was... nah, STILL too soon.
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HM- AI 2nd - Szavay d. Makarova
...6-4/6-1. Makarova was the second player to defeat Agnes in 2008. Check. Yuliana Fedak was the first. Check (after Szavay's Charleston 1st Round win over the Ukrainian today). Ai Sugiyama was #5, and Szavay will play the Japanese vet in the 2nd Round this week. #3 was Chakvetadze, who she might face in the QF. If Szavay makes it through this Vengeance Obstacle Course, Alisa Kleybanova (loss #4) had better start looking over her shoulder.
=============================


*2008 SINGLES TITLES*
3...MARIA SHARAPOVA
2...Justine Henin
2...Serena Williams
2...Flavia Pennetta
2...Lindsay Davenport

*2008 WTA SEMIFINALS*
4...Svetlana Kuznetsova (3-1)
4...MARIA SHARAPOVA (2-1 + W)
4...Jelena Jankovic (1-3)
3...LINDSAY DAVENPORT (2-0 + L)
3...Ana Ivanovic (2-1)
3...Vera Zvonareva (2-1)
3...Flavia Pennetta (2-1)
3...Li Na (1-2)

*2008 CHAMPIONS BY SEED*
8...#1 seed (Sharapova-Amelia Island)
3...unseeded
2...#4 seed
2...#8 seed
1...#3 seed
1..#5 seed
1...qualifer

*FIRST-TIME FINALISTS in 2008*
Feb - Karin Knapp, ITA/20 - Antwerp (L)
Feb - Maria-Emilia Salerni, ARG/24 - Bogota (L)
Feb - Olga Govortsova, BLR/19 - Memphis (L)
Feb - Alize Cornet, FRA/18 - Acapulco (L)
APR - DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA, SVK/18 - A.ISLAND (L)





ESTORIL, PORTUGAL (IV-Red Clay)
07 FINAL: Arn d. Azarenka
08 TOP: Pennetta/Kirilenko
=============================
SF: Pennetta d. Safarova; Larcher de Brito d. Knapp
FINAL: Pennetta d. Larcher de Brito

...why not pick The Kid back in her native Portugal? Why not pick Pennetta in a small event on clay?


CHARLESTON, SC USA (I -Green Clay)
07 FINAL: Jankovic d. Safina
08 TOP: Jankovic/Sharapova
=============================

=Round of 16=
Jankovic d. Cibulkova
Zvonareva d. Dellacqua
Azarenka d. Dementieva
A.Radwanska d. Schnyder
Szavay d. Safina
Chakvetadze d. Cornet
S.Williams d. Srebotnik
Sharapova d. Medina-Garrigues (Part Two)
=QF=
Jankovic d. Zvonareva
Azarenka d. A.Radwanska
Szavay d. Chakvetadze
S.Williams d. Sharapova (How big a match would this be! And how much would inevitably be read into the final result? Serena tends up get super-charged for certain opponents, and Maria is one of them.)
=SF=
Jankovic d. A.Radwanska
S.Williams d. Szavay
=FINAL=
S.Williams d. Jankovic

...but if Sharapova wins again? Boy, then the ballgame REALLY changes.


All for now.

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BV: Second Thoughts, Pt.I

It's never too late (or early) to have second thoughts, so the time for my and Tennisrulz.com Head Honcho Pierre Cantin's annual tradition of trying to right what we put wrong (a WHOLE three months ago!) has arrived with limited fanfare. Why call undue attention to the opinions that we'd already like to forget, I say! This time, our forecasts will most certainly be visions of perfection.

Or not.

Either way, a slight course correction is often necessary whether you're captaining the Titanic or the Spirit of St.Louis. Hopefully, this will be a case similar to the latter.

Or not. Sigh.

Here are my 2008 second thoughts:

*RE-PICKED TOP 10*
( ) - preseason prediction
1. Justine Henin(1)... Roland Garros is her's to win, even if she hasn't exactly looked like the same old La Petit Taureau so far in '08. And speaking of second thoughts, if she had trouble breathing in the Miami heat then maybe she SHOULD seriously think about foregoing the Olympics in polluted Beijing.
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2. Maria Sharapova(3)... so far, so good. Anything she accomplishes during the clay season is icing on the cake since her season's success will be determined by the events AFTER Paris. 2008 could play early host to the Scenario, after all.
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3. Ana Ivanovic(4)... more activity might put her up to #2 if Sharapova were to fail to add another slam, Olympic or YEC title this season. AnaIvo's inability to follow up Indian Wells with a good Miami result makes one wonder, though.
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4. Svetlana Kuznetsova(5)... she HAS to win a final one of these days, right? Right?
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5. Jelena Jankovic(6)... she'll play until she drops, but until that happens she'll maintain a pretty high ranking.
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6. Serena Williams(-)... the All-England Club might be host to a familial showdown for the right to "take the lead" in the eyes of history.
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7. Venus Williams(2)... Wimbledon and Beijing are her "home base" events. If she shows up there, post-"hiatus"/"medical issue," nothing else really matters. Venus stopped playing for rankings long, long ago.
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8. Anna Chakvetadze(-)... does the quietest Russian have a slam final run in her? That's her next logical step, which means she might have found her limits.
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9. Lindsay Davenport(8)... she finally got her first major comeback win in Miami over AnaIvo, then promptly dropped her next match to Dinara Safina and didn't play the Amelia Island SF against Sharapova due to illness. Thus, she's still looking for her first major event breakthrough in Davenport II. Maybe SW19?
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10a. Vera Zvonareva(-)... if she can just stay healthy.
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10b. Elena Dementieva(-)... is something of a renaissance in store for Punch-Sober?
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10c. Agnieszka Radwanska(-)... her movement up the rankings continues, but does the nature of her mental game mean the big hitters will allow her to get only so far?



*RE-IMAGINED MAJOR FINALS*
=WTA=
RG: Henin d. Ivanovic
W: Williams vs. Williams
O: Ivanovic d. Sharapova
US: Sharapova d. Henin
YEC: Sharapova d. Henin
=ATP=
RG: Nadal d. Djokovic
W: Federer d. Nadal
O: Djokovic d. Nadal
US: Djokovic d. Federer
CUP: Federer d. Roddick

=5 BIG OPINIONS=
1. Even with Venus and Serena not playing in the Fed Cup SF for the US this month, an in-form Davenport could cause the Supernova-less Russians to fall.
2. Don't be shocked if Jankovic doesn't win an actual singles title in '08, even though she won't likely lose her Top 10 status barring a major injury and will continually be looking over the champions' shoulders.
3. Henin will likely still end the season at #1, but she won't be 2008's "Player of the Year." That'll be either Sharapova, Ivanovic or possibly Serena Williams (if she can stay healthy, of course).
4. I want to see a Tamira Paszek vs. Michelle Larcher de Brito match, if only to risk a potential O.D. on teen potential. Living dangerously can be fun.
5. By the end of the summer, the young Romanians will be starting to cause a noticeable stir. Just ask Ivanovic how many headaches the little trouble-makers can cause.
ATP: Being no clay workhorse ala Nadal, there's a good chance that Roger Federer will head into the grass season without a 2008 title under his belt.

=5 BIG PREDICTIONS=
1. Henin will win Roland Garros again, but she'll struggle to do so this time.
2. A Williams will win Wimbledon (but I'm not ready to get behind a specific sister just yet).
3. Team China will completely rebound from the '07 Fed Cup screw-up and reach the 2008 final (and no monks will be injured nor human rights violated in the process).
4. Pastries Bartoli, Golovin and Mauresmo will combine for no more than one singles title the rest of 2008.
5. The Paszek-Wozniacki-Azarenka trio will account for at least two QF results in the remaining three slams.
ATP: Rafael Nadal will overtake Roger Federer for the #1 ranking after Roland Garros (if not before). He won't hold onto it for long, though.



=2Q CLAY FORECASTS=
The clay season means different things to different players:

MOST IMPORTANT: Vera Zvonareva
...the under-the-radar Russian missed most of the clay season last year, spoiling a quarter that began with so much promise with a SF in Charleston. Her best slam result came at Roland Garros (a QF in '03), but she's been nothing short of a disappointment in grand slam play over the last four years. If she can stay healthy and work up a head of steam going into Paris, maybe 2008 in the year she finally breaks through. At 23, the time is right if it's ever going to happen.

(Also: Jelena Jankovic)
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LEAST IMPORTANT: Maria Sharapova
...yeah, she reached the RG SF last year, but she'd never reached a clay final in her career until Davenport gave her a walkover in the Amelia Island SF this weekend. Thus, her clay season is already an unqualified success no matter what happens between now and the start of grass court season.

(Also: Lindsay Davenport & the Williams sisters)
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POISED FOR GREATNESS?: Ana Ivanovic
...AnaIvo won Berlin and was a surprise RG finalist a year ago. Now she sports a better game and fitness level. With Jankovic's slam stumbles still present, THIS Serb might sport the best chance in years to threaten Henin's Paris dominance. Still, it probably won't happen.

(Also: Jelena Jankovic, who's always THIS CLOSE to taking a monumental leap... though she usually discovers a way to avoid it becoming a reality)
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READY TO TURN HEADS: Tamira Paszek
...it was at Roland Garros last year that the Austrian teen served some notice by erasing a 5-0 Henin lead to tie her at 5-5 in the opening set of their 2nd Round match.

(Also: Mariana Duque Marino & the young Romanians Olaru/Gallovits/Cirstea -- and don't look now, but there's another wave of Romanian juniors coming as three of the Top 16 girls are natives, including two sisters named Bogdan)
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LURCHING TOWARD DISASTER?: Nicole Vaidisova
...Stepanek engagement reports. TV commercials. Big match stalls (the most recent her failure to close out a there-for-the-taking match against Kuznetsova in Melbourne). Recent early-round exits (including being served off the court by Alisa Kleybanova in Miami). Vaidisova has reached the SF and QF in her last two Roland Garros appearances, but we are perilously close to the hype officially overwhelming the reality unless the Czech makes an AnaIvo-style breakthrough soon.

(Also: Nadia Petrova, who's still chasing her missed '06 clay season opportunity and finds herself injured yet again, & Amelie Mauresmo, who still hasn't fully recovered from her post-slam champion/post-appendectomy/post-hurried return/on the back side of a career cycle... though her play in A.I. was enough to make one think she's close to doing so)
-------------------------------------

All for now.



2008 Volleys: #1-5, #6-10

STILL TO COME: Pierre's Second Thoughts

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