Roland Garros 2011: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

by Mad Professah, contributing writer

Here are my predictions for the women's quarterfinals at Roland Garros this year. Last year, I was correct in 2 of 4 2010 French Open women's quarterfinal predictions.

Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (13) vs. Marion Bartoli FRA (11). The 2007 Wimbledon finalist has reached her first quarterfinal at her country's major tournament for the first time. She will face Kuznetsova, one of only two women left in the tournament who have won the entire event (the other, of course is Francesca Schiavone who won last year). In fact, Kuznetsova lost the final in 2006 and won the final in 2009. While Bartoli won her match when Gisela Dulko retired in the second set, Kuznetsova won a hard-fought 3-set affair with Daniela Hantuchova who had easily dismissed World #1 and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki the round before. This could be a very ugly affair, with both players trying to lose the match, I believe that Kutnetsova's prodigious talent will be the deciding factor. PREDICTION: Kuznetsova in 3 sets.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS (14) vs. Francesca Schiavone ITA (5).  The 2010 French Open defending champion made it through to this quarterfinal by winning a marathon 2 hour, 40-minute battle with 3-time French Open semifinalist (and former World #1)  Jelena Jankovic which featured over 30 breakpoints combined. The passionate Italian faces the talented Russian youngster who took out the last remaining top seed in World #3 Vera Zvonareva to reach her first career major quarterfinal. Pavlyuchenkova hits the ball hard and flat on both wings, while Schiavone rarely hits the ball the same way twice, and actually wants to move forward to show off her sterling net play. Plus Schiavone has the benefit of knowing that her style of play can be rewarded on the red clay courts of Paris from last year.   PREDICTION: Schiavone in 2 sets.

Petra Kvitova CZE (9) Na Li CHN (6) vs. Victoria Azarenka BLR (4). The hard-hitting lefty Petra Kvitova was my call to win the entire tournament before it began. But, 2011 Australian Open finalist Li is also one of my favorite players. Kvitova was up 3-0 in the deciding set but then collapsed completely to lose 6 consecutive games and the match. Li continues to make history, becoming the first Chinese player, male or female, to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open. Azarenka is one of the hottest players on the women's tour, and despite never having won a quarterfinal at any major is the betting favorite to win the tournament, primarily due to her position as the top remaining seed in the draw at #4. Head-to-head Li actually leads Azarenka 3-1, including a straight set beating in the Round of 16 in Melbourne this year, but the two have never met on clay. Azarenka should use this opportunity to make her breakthrough at a major, but will the pressure of being the favorite get to her head? Li has the advantage of already making her breakthrough in a grand slam earlier this year. This match should be decided by who wants it more and should be a high quality affair. PREDICTION: Li in 3 sets.

Maria Sharapova RUS (7) vs. Andrea Petkovic GER (15). Could this really be Sharapova's year to win the French Open? If so, she needs to get through matches like this next one. In Petkovic she is playing a player who beat her in the previous major played this year and is unafraid of the 3-time major champion's firepower. Sharapova was able to get revenge a few months later in Miami and leads their career head-to-head 2-1, all played on hard courts. The two have never played on hard courts, but this match will be played on clay which us Sharapova's worst surface. Both players have won clay court titles this year. I have seen all of Sharapova's matches played at Roland Garros this year but none of Petkovic's. I suspect that the fact that Sharapova is in her 14th major quarterfinal (only her 2nd in the last two years) while Petkovic is in her second quarterfinal of her career despite the two being born in the same year will be the ultimate deciding factor. PREDICTION: Sharapova in 3 sets.

Petra Kvitova Pummels Kim Clijsters To Win Paris Indoors

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Shortly after the Australian Open, I read a journalist say something to the effect that all he could see in Petra Kvitova was a good swinging serve and not much else. In that writer's defense, Petra exited Melbourne with an erratic lackluster performance against Vera Zvonareva. Consistency is not Petra's forte. Not yet, anyway.


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But after saving a match point in the second round, the young Czech with the Bette Davis eyes blasted her way into the finals of the Open GDF Suez where she waxed Monday's new world No. 1 in straight sets. Beat her like she stole something. Now I see why Petra considers Paris Indoors her favorite tournament. The No. 4 seed struck 10 aces and at least 17 winners off the ground in a 6-4, 6-3 drubbing. An all-court display of power tennis that left the defending one subdued.

Wonder what that writer sees in her now.

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Elsewhere, No. 4 seed Daniela Hantuchova beat No. 8 seed Sara Errani to win the Pattaya Open. Guess it was a good day to be the No. 4 seed on the WTA.

Fed Cup Photos

AP

Petra Kvitova, left, from Czech Republic is embraced by the team's captain Petr Pala, right, as she celebrates after defeating Daniela Hantuchova from Slovakia in their world group first round tennis match in Bratislava, Slovakia, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. Kvitova won the match 6-4, 6-2 and gave Czech Republic a decisive 3-0 lead.

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Aleksandra Krunic (L) and Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia celebrate after beating Sharon Fichman and Marie-Eve Pelletier of Canada during their Fed Cup doubles tennis match on February 6, 2011, in Novi Sad, Serbia. Serbia won the tie.


Reuters

US player Bethanie Mattek-Sands returns the ball against Belgian Kim Clijsters during the Fed Cup first round match on February 6, 2011 in Antwerp. Belgium won the tie.



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Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (L) is congatulated by her former teammate Anastasia Myskina (R) as they celebrate a victory over the French duo of Alize Cornet and Julie Coin during their doubles match of the Fed Cup tennis match in Moscow on February 6, 2011. Russia won the tie.

Faces Of The Day

Reuters

Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia returns the ball to Jelena Jankovic of Serbia during their match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament May 12, 2009.

Singles - Second Round
(4) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 75 62
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) d. (5) Venus Williams (USA) 63 36 75
(9) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (Q) Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 63 61
Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) d. (15) Zheng Jie (CHN) 62 75
Agnes Szavay (HUN) d. (Q) Aravane Rezai (FRA) 26 75 62
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 64 62
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. Anne Keothavong (GBR) 61 75
(Q) Vera Dushevina (RUS) d. (Q) Roberta Vinci (ITA) 46 61 64

Doubles - Second Round
(1) Black/Huber (ZIM/USA) d. Mattek-Sands/Petrova (USA/RUS) 36 64 10-4
Hsieh/Husarova (TPE/SVK) d. Jans/Rosolska (POL/POL) 63 36 106
Azarenka/Vesnina (BLR/RUS) d. Kudryavtseva/Makarova (RUS/RUS) 61 61

Doubles - First Round
(WC) Safina/Szavay (RUS/HUN) d. (WC) Dominguez Lino/Parra Santonja (ESP/ESP) 60 62

::


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Tommy Robredo of Spain celebrates winning a point against Mardy Fish of the U.S. during their second round match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament May 12, 2009.

Singles - Second Round
[2] R Federer (SUI) d R Soderling (SWE) 61 75
[4] A Murray (GBR) d S Bolelli (ITA) 76(9) 64
[7] F Verdasco (ESP) d [WC] J Ferrero (ESP) 63 62
[WC] I Ljubicic (CRO) d [9] J Tsonga (FRA) 64 75
[16] T Robredo (ESP) d M Fish (USA) 36 76(5) 62

Singles - First Round
[10] N Davydenko (RUS) d V Troicki (SRB) 62 62
[13] M Cilic (CRO) d M Granollers (ESP) 62 67(4) 61
[14] J Blake (USA) d V Hanescu (ROU) 62 64
A Seppi (ITA) d [Q] E Schwank (ARG) 75 64
[Q] F Fognini (ITA) d P Mathieu (FRA) 67(5) 64 30 ret. (throat)
J Chardy (FRA) d J Acasuso (ARG) 63 62
T Berdych (CZE) d [LL] G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 60 76(5)
J Melzer (AUT) d A Montanes (ESP) 46 75 63
I Karlovic (CRO) d J Benneteau (FRA) 36 76(5) 64

Doubles - First Round
[WC] M Lopez (ESP) / R Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) d C Kas (GER) / R Wassen (NED) 76(4) 16 11-9 - saved 1 M.P.
J Del Potro (ARG) / M Fish (USA) d N Almagro (ESP) / D Ferrer (ESP) 62 63
M Granollers (ESP) / T Robredo (ESP) d F Lopez (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) 76(3) 61
S Aspelin (SWE) / W Moodie (RSA) d *[ALT] M Gonzalez (ARG / J Monaco (ARG) 64 75

*[ALT] M Gonzalez (ARG / J Monaco (ARG) replaced T Berdych (CZE) / N Kiefer (GER) - Kiefer (hip)

WIMBLEDON 2008: Women's Top 10 Seeds PREVIEW

BY Mad Professah

The Wimbledon Women's Singles draw is now available. Here are my prediction's for the Top 10 Seeded players.

1. Ana IVANOVIC (SRB). The reigning Roland Garros champion is now the World No. 1 player and is playing her first major tournament as the No. 1 seed. Last year she had the misfortune to be in the path of Venus Williams' rampage to the title although she did play a stirring match against Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinal the round before her thumping loss to Venus. Happily, this year Ivanovic's draw insures an almost clear path to a semi-final clash with 2-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams. Different Williams sister, same result. PREDICTION: Semifinalist.

2. Jelena JANKOVIC (SRB). Last year, the less successful of the Serbian duo had her string of major semi-finals snapped by shock Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli in a tough 3-set 4th round match. It was that match that made many a fan of "Maid Marion" although in the past year the Frenchwoman has not been able to repeat her success, she has managed to stay very close to the Top 10. Wimbledon has been Jankovic's least successful slam, never getting past the 4th round here. But this year Jankovic enters the grass court tournament having taken an unusual hiatus (for her) since the Roland Garros heartbreaker she lost to Ivanovic. Thanks to her improved seeding Jankovic shouldn't face another Top 10 seed until she meets Venus in the quarter-final, if Venus gets that far. PREDICTION: Quarterfinalist.

3. Maria SHARAPOVA (RUS). As usual, the draw is pretty kind to the WTA's "It Girl." Sharapova has potential match-ups with Sybille Bammer or Dinara Safina/Lindsay Davenport/Elena Dementieva/Lucia Safarova before a blockbuster semifinal against Venus. Sharapova likes grass and will be looking for revenge against whomever makes it out of the top half of her quarter. Personally I hope that it is Lindsay, but I think it will be Safina. And that's probably good news for Sharapova. PREDICTION: Semifinalist.

4. Svetlana KUZNETSOVA (RUS). This year Sveta has a very nice draw and should have few problems getting to a quarterfinal against Serena. Unfortunately, Sveta appears to only play well every other year at Wimbledon and 2008 is scheduled to be an off year. As long as no-one tells her this, she should be able to match her best result at Wimbledon, otherwise Aggie Radwanska or one of the Bondarenko sisters could take her out in one of the early rounds. Losing early in a Wimbledon warm-up shouldn't increase her confidence. PREDICTION: Quarterfinalist (at best).

5. Elena DEMENTIEVA (RUS). If she survives a 3rd round match-up with Lindsay Davenport, the quietest of the Russians will face Safina who just beat her at the 2008 French Open and then Sharapova after that. That is a gauntlet few players would survive and Dementieva has never played her best at Wimbledon, preferring the hard courts of America. PREDICTION: 3rd Round.

6. Serena WILLIAMS (USA). Serena has already expressed "sadness" about Justine Henin's recent departure from competitive tennis and if you believe that I have a great bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. Her draw is definitely tricky, with a potential 3rd round match with fading Amelie Mauresmo and a 4th round match with quirky Marion Bartoli. After that she could face a quarterfinal against Kuznetsova and a semifinal against Ivanovic. All of these are matches the 8-time Grand Slam champ could win with about half of them being matches she should win. I'll put my money on another all-Williams final. PREDICTION: Finalist.

7. Venus WILLIAMS (USA). The "best grass court player of her generation" (as commentator Mary Carillo calls her) is the defending Wimbledon champion. In typical Williams fashion, Venus has not played a single grass court match since her Cinderella run to the final in 2008. However, she has a pretty good draw, with only Sania Mirza, Daniela Hantuchova and Jankovic standing in her way of a potential semifinal showdown with Maria Sharapova (or possibly Lindsay Davenport). The question is, will Venus circa 2007 show up or will it be Venus circa 2004? Not having seen her play recently, I still give her great odds to get to her seventh Wimbledon final in 9 years. PREDICTION: Finalist.

8. Anna CHAKVETADZE (RUS). (Un)fortunately for Chakvetadze, she is in newly minted World #1's quarter of the draw which is relatively free of dangerous players. But it only takes one to take you out of the tournament and Ivanovic will happily do the job. PREDICTION: Quarterfinalist.

9. Dinara SAFINA (RUS). The 2008 French Open finalist has put the physical side of her game together and is starting to maximize her considerable tennis talent. Now comes the harder question of whether she can make the parallel improvements to her mental fortitude. A quarterfinal run at Wimbledon will indicate she is well on her way to doing just that. PREDICTION: Quarterfinalist.

10. Daniela HANTUCHOVA (SVK). The only player in the Top 10 who is not from Russia, United States or Serbia, the Slovak is an excellent grass court player, and if she is healthy should do well at Wimbledon this year. After last year's operatic loss to Serena Williams in the Round of 16, Hantuchova can't be too happy that this time it's Venus that she could meet in this year's Round of 16. PREDICTION: 4th Round.

10 Things We Learned From The 2008 Australian Open

Has there been a wackier Slam in recent memory? It all began on Day 1 with a great women's match, the rarest of rarities. A match that deteriorated into a never-ending farce when Tamira Paszek served for the match against Jelena Jankovic. Five times. Wasted three match points before the Serbian backboard outlasted the trembling teen to advance to the second round. Days later, the backboard upset a lethargic and seemingly uninterested defending champion to make her first semifinal Down Under, only to succumb, finally, to a slew of injuries(?) and a relentless onslaught by the eventual champion. Surely, the One-Flew-Over-the Cuckoo's-Nest match set the tone for the fortnight. As I go through Slam withdrawal, a few lessons from Melbourne are making themselves known.

1. Maria Sharapova is streaky. For all of the commentators' opinions that Maria has added to her game and that she's moving better than she ever has, I simply point to the 2006 US Open final. Her demolition of Justine Henin wasn't as close as the 6-4, 6-4 score suggests. Maria defended well, transitioned well, volleyed well and never game Justine a chance to dictate from anywhere on the court. Fastforward to Melbourne 2008, and it's a virtual repeat. (We were reminded that Justine can still be hit off the court. ) As it is, Maria won the third Slam of 2004, the last Slam of 2006, and the first Slam of 2008. If her streakiness continues on schedule, she's set to win the second Slam of 2010. That would be Roland Garros where she would complete the career Slam. And then I woke up.

2. Novak Djokovic is the new Bad Boy of tennis. And he loves it. I suppose I ought to have learned that already, but it became more clear in his round of 16 match against Lleyton Hewitt when he mimicked the Aussie's lawn mower celebrations and even the "C'mon!" with the hand pointed toward the forehead. So much for Lleyton's trademark. Djoke (and his family) feeds off the me-against-the-world mindset. If he can antagonize the crowd, all the better. He relishes mocking them with a scowl after saving a break point. Winning a crucial game. All of it a big FU to those who would cheer for somebody else. How dare they. Add that to his phantom injury timeouts, his bush-league set tanks, his abject narcissism and his overbearing parents and he makes other bad boys look like angels.

3. Serena Williams plays Slam-winning tennis when she's unfit and unprepared. At least in the past three years. Or maybe she just can't stand the pressure of defending a Slam title. In her eight trips to the winner's circle, she's only defended a title once: Wimbledon 2003. But wait, this was an even year. With her Melbourne titles coming in 2003, 2005, and 2007, only a fool woulda thunk she'd take it 2008. Foolish me.

4. The King is dead. If you believe Djoke's big-mouthed mother, that is. But as I said before the event began, change is in the air. The closer Raja gets to Slam 14, the more difficult winning will become. When did he start having so much trouble closing out sets? He failed to serve out a set against Janko Tipsarevic and lost it. Had to go overtime in the fifth. He failed to serve out a set against Djoke and lost the match in straights. Raja didn't use his illness and lack of preparation as an excuse. And after having his way with Fabrice Santoro, many of his fans foresaw another run to the title. I was most surprised by Raja's lack of fight in the face of defeat against an opponent he doesn't like. (Does he like anyone? Really?) It was eerily reminiscent to Serena's lack of fight against another Serb.

5. Ana Ivanovic has become Lleyton Hewitt. I know they call her Aussie Ana and all that, but still. Forget about Squeakyshoegate, which came to a head in her semifinal against Daniela Hantuchova. (Yup. That's right. Daniela Hantuchova, Grand Slam semifinalist! Jon Wertheim's out-of-the-box pick finally delivered.) Reflect on the "C'mons!", the fist pumps in her opponents' faces, especially on their errors, and the protracted theatrics after winning the big points. Hell, after winning any point. What's with the Serbs and Lleyton? Speaking of which...

6. Lleyton Hewitt is done. No matter how fit he is, no matter how legendary his coach, Rusty's biggest weapon just doesn't cut it anymore. What is speed without a knock-out punch? Nothing at all. Not in the men's game anyway. I'd like to say he could find more Davis Cup glory, but then I got real and realized he has no team to back him up. Oh well. Perhaps he might want to consider that sports management company he thought about this time last year.

7. Amélie Mauresmo is done. I wish it weren't so. I love her. But it is what it is. There simply is no excuse for a two-time Slam champion to succumb to her nerves the way she did this fortnight. She wasn't defending a title or even a runner-up result. But the Amélie of old has returned to competition and it ain't pretty. If she crashes out of Wimbledon again...

8. Andy Roddick is done. He doesn't have to be, but since he keeps his sharpest knives in the drawer.... Oh, I'll remain a fan. And I'll hope that I'm wrong. That he can still achieve all his career goals and nab a Wimbledon title. If he does, it will be a Goran Ivanisevic-type run, years from now, after he's fallen out of the top 100. He'll get a wildcard, blast his way through the draw, and defeat another player who covets a Wimbledon trophy above all others in a Monday final that goes triple overtime in the fifth. Till then, A-Rod is A-WOL (thanks, Drop-shot) and that's that.

9. France picked the wrong guy. Richard Gasquet was the phenom with the ferocious backhand. He was anointed the Next Big Thing and became the hope of a nation. But Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the unheralded, has more guts. Not to mention a bigger game. A more complete game. Not by much, of course, given how the French learn tennis. But Tsonga became the first Frenchman to make a Slam singles final in seven years, and he beat the anointed one along the way. If Jo-W can remain fit and injury free, I see no reason why he can't win Wimbledon. And the US Open. And the Australian Open. And Roland Garros. Quiet as it's kept, you can blow people away on clay. Just because we haven't seen it in awhile, doesn't mean it can't happen. Speaking of France, with all the focus on Serbia, did anyone notice France also had three players in the finals? Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra lost the men's doubles final, but there they were, losing the men's doubles final. Allez!

10. Martina Navratilova is the best American commentator. By several country miles. Virginia Wade is my favorite, but Martina exhibits the best of Wade: impartiality, insight, and wisdom. When a commentator can focus on the players' tennis, keeping their back-stories on the back burner, a viewer can actually learn something worthwhile. Can actually see why and how a player changed tactics to turnaround a losing effort. Thanks to Tennis Channel's inaugural Australian Open coverage, I got to hear Martina call a complete match for the first time. How refreshing.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2008: Women's Final Preview

by Mad Professah

Maria Sharapova RUS (5) versus Ana Ivanovic SRB (4).

After being humiliated by Serena Williams at the 2007 Australian Open women's final and failing to win more than a single title all year (Acura Classic) Maria Sharapova clearly showed up in Melbourne with a mission to win her first Australian Open title. Despite having a relatively difficult draw (dangerous floater Lindsay Davenport in round 2, No. 11 seed Elena Dementieva, No. 3 seed Jelena Jankovic and No. 1 seed Justine Henin) Sharapova has reached the final for the second consecutive year without losing a set.

Ana Ivanovic confirmed her status as the (higher ranked and) superior of the "Serbian sisters" by achieving her second Grand Slam final before her compatriot Jankovic has been in a single one. Even in their interesting quarterfinal match-ups of the Williams sisters versus Serbia, Ivanovic won her match more convincingly over much stiffer resistance. And then came Ivanovic's disastrous start of her semifinal match against Daniela Hantuchova where she lost the first 8 games in 45 minutes but somehow managed to reverse the momentum and win the match 0-6 6-3 6-4.

However, Ivanovic will need to not only be better than Jankovic, she will need to be playing at the level to beat a Williams sister in order to deny Maria Sharapova's her 3rd major title. It's unlikely, but not unthinkable that this coulld happen, but at least it would make for some delightful tennis to watch, which is what I really expect to see happen.

PREDICTION: Sharapova, in 3 sets.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2008: Women's Semifinals

by Mad Professah

The 2008 Australian Open Women's semifinals are now set. Unfortunately, Mad Professah incorrectly predicted 3 of the 4 women's quarterfinal match results. This was mainly due to two shockingly disappointing performances by Venus and Serena Williams. The following post serves as both a women's quarterfinal review and women's semifinals preview.



Maria Sharapova RUS (5) vs. Jelena Jankovic SRB (3) Serena Williams USA (7). Although I did not predict this result I am not disappointed to see it. You can put me in the "Anybody but Henin" crowd. However, I hope that Jankovic doesn't think that it was defending champion Serena Williams that she beat in the quarterfinal on Tuesday. The imposter who called herself Serena couldn't get her serve over 100 mph for most of the match, was clearly limping and not reacting to the ball's location or movement. Regardless, Jankovic did well to win the match and possesses formidable skills of her own. Sharapova's dismantling of the current world No. 1 player in the world, which included a bagel stuffed down the throat of the powerful, diminutive Belgian was a delight to behold. Only an in-form Williams Sister could have handled and probably overcome that onslaught, but sadly neither is left in the tournament, and it's doubtful either showed up to play in Melbourne this year. Interestingly, Sharapova and Jankovic have only played four times in their career, but only once in 2007, which is the only match of the four that Jankovic has won, a close 3-setter on grass. Instead of the fourth consecutive grudgefest at a major tournament between Justine Henin and Serena Williams that I predicted would occur, this top half of the draw produces a sparkling opportunity for an excellent match-up between power and finesse. Typically, in such a match-up I tend to go with power (which is why I am a fan of and predict wins for, the Williams Sisters). However, Jankovic is a great mover and thinker on the court; she will not be overwhelmed by her second major Grand Slam semifinal. Jankovic has the game and the weapons to make it close, but if the Sharapova who beat Henin shows up to play then the results will not be in Jelena's hands. PREDICTION: Sharapova in 3 sets.

Venus Williams USA (12) Ana Ivanovic SRB (4) vs. Daniela Hantuchova SVK (9). The bottom half of the draw was left tantalizingly wide-open with the early exit of the mentally fragile Svetlana Kuznetsova. Especially since she was playing someone who she had never lost to in her quartfinal, Venus Williams looked like a shoo-in to her second Australian Open final. Unfortunately, the Ana Ivanovic she met was not the same player Venus beat in two consecutive Grand Slam tournaments last year. This Ivanovic had no fear of the net, was blasting winners from every part of the court, deep into the corner and with extreme pace. And she demonstrated excellent defensive retrieving skills. There was really not much Venus could have done, even if she had been playing at 100%, which she clearly wasn't. Hantuchova easily dispatched Aggie Radwanska and will be playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal. Last year Hantuchova and Ivanovic played 3 times last year on 3 different surfaces, with the Slovak winning on grass, while the Serbian won the next two matches on carpet and indoor hardcourts. Ivanovic has clearly now reached the top of women's tennis and is comfortable with her position.

Hantuchova on the other hand took 5 years to win her second WTA Tour title after winning her first as a precocious teenager over Hingis in 2002. She is well-known as an excellent ball-striker and part of the vanguard of "Big Babe" tennis so famously coined by ESPN commentator Mary Carillo. Although, it's really hard to describe Hantuchova as "big" she's mostly lanky. She is also known as an extremely emotional, nervous player. It is very likely she will be overwhelmed by the occasion of finally reaching her first major semifinal and if the new Ana Ivanovic is here to stay, then there will be at least one Serbian in the Australian Open final on Saturday. PREDICTION: Ivanovic in 2 sets.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2008: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

by Mad Professah

The 2008 Australian Open Women's Quarterfinals are now set. While I missed most of the first two rounds due to my trip to Northern Italy I have seen many of the important matches since.

Justine Henin BEL (1) vs. Maria Sharapova RUS (5). This marquee quarter-final match-up is a reprise of the final match of the WTA Tour last year, which I regarded as one of the best women's tennis matches of 2007. That the last two U.S. Open champions and Australian Open finalists are meeting in a quarter-final is a testament to the depth of the field in the women's game at the first grand slam of the year. Henin has won seven major titles to Sharapova's two and leads their lifetime head-to-head rivalry 6-2. But, Sharapova hates to lose and will not go down without a fight. Henin has every shot in the book and better mobility. Hopefully this match-up will live up to the hype none of the much heralded Grand Slam showdowns between Serena Williams and Henin failed to do on three separate occasions last year. Frankly, I don't like either of these players but I would like to see someone start beating Henin with regularity. Unfortunately, I think I'll have to keep on waiting. PREDICTION: Henin in 3 sets.

Jelena Jankovic SRB (3) vs. Serena Williams USA (7). Surprisingly, Serena and Jelena have only played each other four times in the past four years and they have a split score of 2 wins each. However, last year Serena was able to beat the Serbian player when the American was still playing her way into her best tennis and Jankovic was higher ranked and playing better tennis than she has shown so far in 2008. With the American's ranking now back in the top 10 and Jankovic's falling, Serena will have no problem booking her semifinal berth against her nemesis, Justine Henin. PREDICTION: S. Williams in 2 sets.



Venus Williams USA (8) vs. Ana Ivanovic SRB (4). This matchup is a repeat of the 2007 U.S. Open quarterfinal where Venus played her best tennis of the event and demolished the 2007 French open finalist and brand new #3 player in the world in two short, scintillating sets. It is doubtful that Ivanovic will be dominated so easily again but the fact remains that Venus has never lost to the pulchritudinous heir apparent to Sharapova's "It Girl" tiara in four meetings and it is doubtful that trend will be reversed in Melbourne this year. However, the fifth time may be the charm for Ivanovic to get her first win over the reigning Wimbledon champion. PREDICTION: V. Williams in 3 sets.

Daniela Hantuchova SVK (9) vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (2) Agnieszka Radwanska POL (29).
For the second slam in a row, Polish youngster Aggie Radwanska knocked out the #2 seed in the third round (Sharapova at the 2007 US Open, Kuznetsova at the 2008 Australian Open). This was always the weakest quarter of the draw and it was a dream path for Sveta to make her first big splash in Melbourne. Unfortunately for her, she made a huge splash crashing out to the wily counterpuncher in straight sets. Taking advantage of her opportunity is the hard-hitting Slovak waif who is now a tour veteran at age 24. Hantuchova has been to three Grand Slam quarter-finals about five years ago but never won any. Radwanska's never been remotely this far in a slam. Although widely considered mentally fragile, it is very likely Hntuchova will be the one more mentally prepared to take advantage of Kuznetsova's early exit to earn a major semifinal slot. PREDICTION: Hantuchova in 2 sets.

Hantuchova Wins Linz; Qualifies for Madrid

Daniela Hantuchova defeated Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-2 to take the Generali Ladies Linz title, her first title outside of Indian Wells and only her third career title.

The victory ties her with Maria Sharapova for second place in the Race to the Championships. If Pova withdraws, she'll get directly in. If not, it's up to the discretion of the tournmanet organizers who will play. I'll go out on a limb and say they'll pick Pova if she's ready to face the music in Madrid.

Either way, it's a great end to the season for Dani and she'll be hoping to take this ride into next year.