Gone In A Cloud Of Clay

A WTA event bites the dust.

LONDON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The German Open women’s tournament in Berlin has been cancelled, the WTA said on Wednesday.

“The tournament won’t be on the 2009 calendar but the tournament being scrapped has nothing to do with the global credit crunch,” a WTA spokeswoman said.

“The Qatar Tennis Federation, owner of the Berlin tournament membership, has made the decision that they no longer wish to operate the German Open in Berlin and to sell the membership back to the Tour.”

The claycourt event usually takes place in May and has been one of the traditional warm-up tournaments for the French Open.

I've always hated this event. Not because it's played on clay, but because it's too cold in Germany in May and players are prone to injury.

That the spokeswoman invoked the global financial crisis and plummeting oil prices leads me to believe that the economy does, in fact, have something to do with the event's cancellation.

Making Her Mother Proud

She did it. Rallying from a set down yet again, Dinara Safina dismissed compatriot Elena Dementieva 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to win the German Open.

It's her first Tier 1 title. And having beaten Justine Henin and Serena Williams back-to-back in the earlier rounds, it's certainly well-deserved.

Her mother, her first coach if memory serves, must be smiling ear-to-ear.

Dinara Safina, Giant Killer

Haven't seen the match yet, but Dinara Safina, the feisty little sister of the feisty Marat Safin, followed up her upset win over Justine Henin with an even more impressive come-from-behind victory 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(5) over Serena Williams at the German Open.

While Justine has struggled this season, Serena was coming off three victories in a row, including consecutive Tier 1 titles, and a 17-match winning streak. While her form has been fabulous, her faith in herself has been suspect. I'm reminded of her inability to close out matches back in 2001 and 2002 before she started winning more Slams. How cyclical a career can be.

As for Dinara, she's always had the talent, but her lack of mobility and her frail mentality have kept her from living up to her potential. Clay, ironically, is her best surface because she can get to more shots. To defeat two multiple Slam champions in a row, not to mention outlasting Serena in a third-set tiebreak, shows that she has worked hard on her mental toughness and it has paid dividends at a big event.

Let's she if she can take this all the way to Sunday.

Roddick and Blake, Roma Quarterfinalists

Andy Roddick and James Blake advanced to the quarterfinals at the Foro Italico today in Roma.

How can it be that these two Americans are both in the last eight of the same clay court Masters series event? In my recollection, this hasn't happened since 2002 when Roddick and Blake joinedAndre Agassi in the quartefinals. Roddick and Agassi both advanced to the semifinals, while Blake lost to Jiri Novak in three tight sets. Agassi went on to defeat Tommy Haas in the finals that year.

Roddick dispatched homeboy Simone Bolelli 7-6(5), 6-3. It was a tough match. Bolelli is a claycourt specialist, so he knows all about the geometry of the court. But Roddick fought from a break down in the first set to capture the tiebreak in a set that seemed to last forever. I was most impressed that Andy was able to win 50% of his second serve points against a man who hit deeper, wider and with more spin.

Blake had the tougher row to hoe against Spaniard Fernando Verdsasco. I saw none of that match, but a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 victory is impressive stuff for a man who tends to mentally check out of claycourt matches when the going gets rough.

Meanwhile in Berlin, Serena Williams blitzed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals where she'll face Dinara Safina who upset Justine Henin.

Good day for American tennis.

Justine Loses in Berlin

Who saw the match and can tell us what happened? Justine Henin, clay court queen, upset by Dinara Safina? Was it a bagel or a bread stick in the third set?

Let us know.

German Open Open Thread

See above.

UPDATE: Highlights from Berlin. (Thanks, karen!)