Quote For The Day

"We lived through a decade of Carlos Rodriguez coaching Justine Henin after every single point and nobody called it on them."

--Lindsay Davenport, Tennis Channel commentary during the Maria Sharapova, Samantha Stosur match on Monday, March 28, 2011.

Apparently, Sharapova was called out for on-court coaching from the stands during a previous match in Miami. Davenport seemed to be underscoring a double standard. Or maybe she was simply stating her perception of a widely known "fact."

I put fact in quotations for I remember Carlos and Maria being called out once. But only once. Back in 2004 during Justine's quarterfinal against Svetlana Kuznetsova in Indian Wells. I remember being surprised by the call out, but not by the coaching, which only the blind couldn't see. Those in denial wouldn't admit. Carlos was telling his charge to charge the net more in order to turn around the second set. Sveta was leading 5-4 or 5-3, according to my memory. Justine took her coaching advice and won the last 3 or 4 games to take the match in straights.

USA Wins Sixth Hopman Cup

by Craig Hickman



I couldn't stay awake after Sister Beth gave Justine the first set.

THE United States remains well and truly the most successful Hyundai Hopman Cup nation with the team of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner claiming their sixth victory inside Perth's Burswood Dome in front of a crowd of 8564 people.

The USA team came into Hyundai Hopman Cup XXIII unseeded but played outstanding tennis all week dominating Group B beating France's Kristina Mladenovic and Nicolas Mahut 3-0, Italy's Francesca Schiavone and Potito Starace 2-1 and Great Britain's Laura Robson and Andy Murray 3-0 [sic].

Mattek-Sands and Isner took on the Belgium team of Justine Henin and Ruben Bemelmans in the Final after they replaced the Serbian team of Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic when Ivanovic suffered a slight stomach tear.

Belgium had put together a strong week in their own right, though, bouncing back from losing to Australia's Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt to beat Kazakhstan's Sesil Karatantcheva and Andrey Golubev 3-0 and then Serbia 2-1.

Henin, a winner of seven Grand Slam titles, gave Belgium a winning start by beating Mattek-Sands 7-6 (6), 6-3. Isner bounced back to even the Final at one rubber apiece after he downed Bemelmans 6-3, 6-4.

It was then the deciding mixed doubles to determine the Hyundai Hopman Cup XXIII winner and the USA dominated winning 6-3, 6-4. Mattek-Sands and Isner now join five other representatives for the United States to have won at the Hopman Cup.

The first victory came in 1997 with Chanda Rubin and Justin Gimelstob opening America's account. It took until 2003 for the next win when Serena Williams and James Blake were successful with Blake back the following year to win with Lindsay Davenport.

Lisa Raymond and Taylor Dent then teamed to win in 2006 and the fifth title came in 2008 when Williams returned to be victorious alongside Mardy Fish.

Mattek-Sands and Isner now join them after an outstanding week that has seen a total attendance figure of 78,242 attend. It is the biggest figure since the Cup has been an 11 Session event. Mattek-Sands was delighted in how the week in Perth unfolded.

''It’s been an amazing week. It’s my first time in Perth and I've really enjoyed myself. It’s funny, I saw this (diamond tennis ball trophy) actually when I first got here and I thought it was the best trophy in sports,'' Mattek-Sands said.

''This is one of the best run events of the WTA Tour of the year. It’s fantastic. There was a really strong field this year, there was great players; Ana, Justine, Djokovic, Hewitt. I hope everyone enjoyed watching some great tennis this week.''

Isner made his debut at last year's Hopman Cup and was delighted to return, and to partner Mattek-Sands to form a winning team. He was also happy to bounce back from a tough loss to Murray.

''I’ve got to thank Bethanie; her back’s got to be hurting from carrying me all week. She was rock solid all week long,'' Isner said.

''I kind of got a whooping yesterday (against Murray), but I regrouped and played very well today which is really, really encouraging. Also I want to say congrats to the Belgium team. It’s a great team we beat today.''

Read the rest....

Her Big Break

by Craig Hickman


Getty

The look of a broken player.

Serving down a break at 2-4 in the second set, Petra Kvitova faced break point. She swung her huge lefty serve into her opponent's backhand, and seemed surprised the ball came back. After all, for much of the match, her opponent wasn't handling that serve well at all. The surprising return led to an exchange that I described as the point of the tournament. The Wimbledon semifinal ingenue prevailed with a stinging volley winner.

Both players were whipped. Chests heaving, both let the crowd's extended applause wash over them. The longer it lasted, the better.

Petra fired another great second serve that came back with interest. The warriors were at it again. This time, Petra tried to end the point with a backhand crosscourt acute angle winner that landed half a foot wide.

She barked.

Despite her deceptively efficient movement and excellent anticipation, she doesn't yet appear fit enough for the long haul. Still fatigued from saving that break point, she tossed in a double fault.

It took the better part of two tight sets with enthralling tennis sans melodrama for Serena Williams to finally break the will of her opponent. After the changeover, the defending champion would serve for the match.

Soon as her second serve hit the tape, Petra dropped her racquet, her shattered determination captured in the photo above.

What a match.

Best thing I heard by any commentator during it came from Lindsay Davenport.

"Serena doesn't get enough credit for her strategy," said the Wimbledon champion and former world No. 1. "She's definitely a thinking player out there."

And so when Serena stopped attempting outright winners on her service returns and started striking them high and deep, she pushed Petra back, forcing errors instead of giving away points.

An adjustment that made all the difference.

Petra had no deep-Slam experience to rely upon, but her exquisite serve, raw talent and gutsy fight are a breath of fresh air on a tour populated with serveless top-10 players who fold at the first hint of success.

Petra did no such thing. She had to rally from a set down and save match points just to get here. No. Serena had to break her will in order to win. She broke it with her tennis.

Her name alone wasn't going to be nearly enough.

Getty

Australian Open 2010: Women's Final Preview

Justine Henin BEL v. Serena Williams USA (1)

BY Mad Professah

One of the most exciting major tournaments in recent tennis history, and the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the new decade, is hurtling to a conclusion with a mouthwatering final where the competitors have a combined 18 Grand Slam titles between them, which is far more than we have seen since the legendary Steffi Graf was still competing in finals more than a decade ago.

Craig Hickman has done his typically excellent job of summarizing the background as well as the liabilities and strengths of both Serena Williams and Justine Henin coming into tonight's final (which will be on at 12:30am PST, 3:30am EST Saturday).

Briefly, Serena leads their overall head-to-head 7-6, (4-1 on hard courts) but trails 2-4 in major tournaments, the majority of which came in a string of 3 losses to the Belgian in 3 consecutive grand slam quarterfinals in 2007. Their last meeting was a devastating 6-2 6-0 demolition of Henin by Serena in Miami in March the following year; 6 weeks later Henin announced her retirement from competitive tennis.

Despite winning the doubles title with her sister for the second consecutive year, Serena's physical frailty is apparent. In her tense semi-final win over Li Na, Serena at times was barely moving. Her serve has kept her in the tournament and has been impeccable. Henin has been serving atrociously but her overall game is still as impressive as it was before her hiatus; she possesses every shot in tennis, combined with surprising power and superior movement. She has displayed mental frailty like in her Brisbane loss to Clijsters and in her win against Elena Dementieva, but she has the support of her coach Carlos Rodriguez to draw upon.

Serena has the sharpest competitive spirit of any player on tour, and particularly in Australia Serena has often played some of her best tennis on her way to winning four Australian Open titles (in 2003 over Venus in what some commentators call the most competitive match between the sisters; in 2005 over Lindsay Davenport after trailing a set and a break she won 9 games in a row to win the title--this after saving two match points against Maria Sharapova the round before; and in 2007 over Sharapova she displayed her most impressive level of play, ever only allowing her opponent a mere 3 games).

Although I have correctly predicted the outcomes of 3 of the last 6 matches in the tournament, I want to change my method for prognostication and try and use probabilities (I am a math professor after all!) There are four possible occurrences: Serena in 2 sets, Serena in 3 sets, Henin in 3 sets and Henin in 2 sets). I evaluate the probabilities of these events at 54%, 40%, 60% and46%, respectively. (Of course these probabilities are simply estimates, with the 2-set probability coming directly from their overall head-to-head record and the 3-set probability coming from my assessment of Serena's stamina). Crunching the numbers that gives Henin an overall 53% chance of winning, which is significantly better than a coin toss.

MadProfessah's pick: Henin (Williams in 2 sets, Henin in 3 sets).

Pregnant Pause

Lindsay Davenport has another bun in the oven.

"I am thrilled that Jon, Jagger and I will be welcoming a new addition to our family this coming year," said Davenport. "Of course this unexpected but exciting surprise now means I will be putting tennis on hold for the foreseeable future."

WIMBLEDON 2008: Women's Final Preview

Serena Williams USA (6) vs. Venus Williams USA (7)

For the third time this decade the most prestigious title in tennis will be contested between two sisters: Venus and Serena Williams. Serena and Venus have played 6 major championship finals against each other. Venus won the first (2001 US Open) and Serena has won every single one since, ending with the 2003 Wimbledon championships. Serena leads the sisters' head-to-head by a scant 8-7 and earlier this year won a tight 3rd set tiebreak over her sister in the semifinals of Bangalore in a match which was never broadcast in the United States. Serena has won 8 Grand Slam titles, 2 more than Venus.

However, at Wimbledon Venus has been in every Ladies' final played this century except for the 2004 final (which Serena lost to Maria Sharapova) and the 2006 final in which Amelie Mauresmo defeated Justine Henin. Venus has won four Wimbledon championships, but lost two (to Serena).

Now, for the first time in 5 years the two sisters are playing each other again in a Wimbledon final (as well as playing with each other in the Wimbledon Ladies Doubles Final for the third time).

Many commentators are giving the edge to Serena, due to her impressive serve (14 aces in her semifinal win compared to a mere 4 for Venus and a 48-44 lead in total aces for the tournament, although Venus has the fastest serve ever struck at Wimbledon by a woman, at 127 mph).

However, in their post-2004 phase of their careers Venus has won two major finals (2005 and 2007) while Serena has only won one (2007 Australian Open).

Serena is the more intense of the two and has always seemed to be hungrier for tennis success. It will be a fascinating match, possibly of the quality of the amazing 2005 Lindsay Davenport-Venus Williams final (won by Venus 9-7 in the 3rd after saving match points) which many observers call the best woman's tennis match of the decade. I think Venus will use that tenacity to finally defeat her little sister on the tennis world's biggest stage.

Mad Professah's pick: Venus in 3 sets.

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.

Vintage Davenport Dismantles Ivanovic

In a display of clean, powerful ball striking - the stuff of Lindsay Davenport's A-game - the American comeback mother crushed Indian Wells champion Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2.

And it wasn't as close as the scoreline.

Since her rise to the top echelon of women's tennis, Ivanovic has had trouble with the Big Babes of tennis. She's also been compared to Davenport in ball striking and style of play, but after yesterday's rout, that's questionable.

Before the match, Lindsay said she looked forward to playing a current top player that she hadn't played before. When I saw the glint in her eye, I knew it would be trouble for the Serbian princess.

Lindsay overcame sluggishness in her first match and moved as well as she needed in her second. Her returns were so deep and accurate, that Ana started almost every point on her back foot. Had Lindsay not lost her focus, the score might have been 6-1, 6-2. At no point in the match did it look as though Ana could win and that is a testament to the Tower of Power's precise power game.



Serena Williams had to overcome tentativeness, unforced errors, three blown set points in the first set, a second-set break deficit, a rain delay and a feisty Flavia Pennetta to advance 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 to the third round.

The Italian had sistergirl cringing after almost every error. Flavia also seemed to have more crowd support. Because Serena was playing so poorly, Flavia didn't have to do much in the way of ball striking to get a set and a break lead. She served well on a few big points, but really just had to keep the ball in play until the defending champion self destructed. But Serena's legendary fight allowed her to hang around until Flavia lost her way and Serena pounced. After the match, the feisty women had a good laugh.



On the men's side, I watched some of James Blake's defeat of Fabrice Santoro. It was hot and Blake had stomach issues, but he refused to be bamboozled by Santoro's unconvential and artistic game. Blake won 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4. It was another good fight from Blake, something that's become more common in him of late.



In the night match, Guillermo Cañas took out Fernando González in two tight, exquisite sets 7-6(6), 7-5. There was some drama at the end of the first set tiebrak when a fan yelled out on Gonzo's serve. But it reflected the Davis Cup atmosphere that characterizes matches in Key Biscayne that feature South American stars.

2007 WTA Tour Player Awards

Player of the Year – Justine Henin (Fine)

Doubles Team of the Year – Cara Black and Liezel Huber (Of Course)

Most Improved Player – Ana Ivanovic (Understandable)

Comeback Player of the Year – Lindsay Davenport (I Like Lindsay But That's Just Wrong)

Newcomer of the Year – Agnes Szavay (Yup)

Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award – Ana Ivanovic (Spread The Wealth, Will Ya?)

Player Service Award – Liezel Huber (See Above)

Lucky Loser Wins First ATP Final in Croatia

Sergiy Stakhovsky, PBZ Zagreb Indoors Champion
"I definitely surprised myself with my mental side that I could stand over to win the matches," said Stakhovsky. "It wasn't easy, to go when you serve for the match against against Karlovic, or Tipsarevic or any other player, in the far stages of the tournament such as the quarterfinals, semifinals or final. It's really not easy. I am just surprised the way I handled this."

The 22-year-old Ukrainian becomes the first lucky loser to win an ATP title since Christian Miniussi at Sao Paulo in 1991, and is only the fourth player to accomplish the achievement.



Elena Dementieva, Barclays Dubai Tennis Champion
"I think I was playing wrong tactically in the first set; I was hitting the ball too short. I realized I had to move her around more and not just stay back and hit crosscourt, and I had to step in more and go for my forehand winners. I became more aggressive and it worked. It was a great match and I was playing really well, probably my best match in a long time."



Nicolas Almagro, Abierto Mexicano TELCEL Champion
“When you can’t defeat someone’s tennis, you have to win on attitude. I went out swinging from the first point, based my attack on my serve, on my aggressive game and that has been one of the keys that made the difference.”



Flavia Pennetta, Abierto Mexicano TELCEL Champion
“I love Acapulco. This is one of my favorite tournaments. I always play my best tennis here. I don’t know what to say, I’m too happy.”



Steve Darcis, Regions Morgan Keenan Champion
Two ATP finals, two titles. The 23-year-old Belgian was the only player to break Robin Soderling's serve this week. “For my part, I tried to serve today very good and tried to put a lot of rhythm in,” Darcis said. “But he was serving pretty good in the second. In the tiebreaker, I tried not to miss. … It was going the right way today.”



Lindsay Davenport, The Cellular South Cup Champion
"I've never been one to look at the records but obviously it's great. It all seems surreal to me. To be up there with some of the greatest players who have ever played; I still can't believe I passed Monica [in career singles titles], she was my idol for such a long time. It's something I'll probably think about when I stop playing."

Savannah saw a lot of the women's matches this week. See what she has to say.

Who Cares About Fed Cup?

Lindsay Davenport does. Which is why her listless and erratic performance against Sabine Lisicki in the first rubber of the USA v. Germany tie today, a match she was certainly favored to win, was difficult to watch.

But that's Fed Cup. Where anything can happen and anything did. Lindsay lost 1-6, 5-7.

For her part, the 18-year-old German making her Fed Cup debut played a great match. She followed up her third-round outing at the Australian Open, complete with an upset over Dinara Safina in the first round, with a great performance on American soil. Her first serve was tough to read, her groundstrokes precise, her attitude on full display. One fan called her a cheerleader. I called her a drill team sergeant. She had Lindsay, who'd never played her before, miffed and on her back foot throughout the entire match.

The teen's biggest weakness was her second serve. She offered up 11 double faults, 4 in the fifth game of the second set when she gave up her only break of the match. But like a drill team sergeant with attitude, she rebounded to win the last five games of the match and leave the veteran American with a bit of egg on her face as she lost her first Fed Cup match in, well... forever.

Ashley Harkleroad cares about Fed Cup, too. After captain Zina Garrison emailed her to tell her she was on the team, she was honored and called her parents right away to tell them of her good fortune.

And she carried herself on-court as if she had no care in the world. In her own Fed Cup debut, she was fearless, poised, composed and precise, picking apart the awkward game of Tatjana Malek with a 6-1, 6-3 rout.

Pebbles, a nickname given her from her Flintstone, Georgia roots, moves so well that even against power players (not that Malek is a power player) she gives herself a chance. But she doesn't just rely on defense. She knows how to construct points and end them. Even at the net if called for. What she lacks in power she makes up for in craft. I've always liked her. And I was reminded today of her few great performances on big stages before her retirement in 2004. Indian Wells was the first place she made her mark, and that tournament rapidly approaches.

But till then, she can remind tennis enthusiasts who she is if she can compete well tomorrow in reverse singles and make Lisicki feel the pressure that Lindsay, almost shockingly, could not.

Maria Sharapova cares about Fed Cup as well. I think. She's never managed to bring herself to play it before, but with the Olympics just around the corner...

Tennis Channel, which is where I was able to watch the USA tie, also aired the Israel vs. Russia tie live in the wee hours of the morning. I never saw anything quite like it.

The tennis itself was unbearable. Against Dinara Safina, Shahar Pe'er lost the first 6 games of the first rubber and won the last 6. Maria Sharapova routed Tzipi Obziler 6-0, 6-4.

But the crowd provided all the drama. Really. They were roudy and clapped and whistled and cheered and booed at all the wrong times. On first serve faults and even while the ball was in play. And they went after Maria like she had robbed their mothers.

But I must say, the Australian Open champion brought it on herself. Yup. She pulled a Justine Henin, circa Australian Open 2004. If you remember the final in which she made an out call on a break point deep in the decisive set against Kim Clijsters and Sandra de Jenken gave her the call on an overall. If you don't remember, well... here it is.



Yes. Maria had her Justine moment. In the second set, fully in control of the match, but beginning to crack a bit as the finish line approached, Maria faced her first break point. After an extended rally, a Sharapova forehand clipped the net cord and landed short in the court. Obziler chased it down and bunted a forehand volley that clipped the back of the line. The Israeli pumped her fist. The crowd erupted.

But Maria made an appeal, index finger up, just like Justine, to the chair umpire, the infamous Mariana Alves of the Serena Williams US Open 2004 quarterfinal debacle. True to form, the disgraceful umpire overruled the call in the midst of all the noise. Deuce. When the crowd figured out what happened, it took a minute, it booed for several more. During the next three points, every time Maria struck a groundstroke, the crowd, in unison, shrieked right along with Maria.

I'd never seen anything like it. And I couldn't stop laughing. Not even after the Isreali captain took the umpire's microphone and told them to cut it out. I mean really. To hear Maria's shriek amplified by the crowd's chorus was one of those unexpected moments I'll never forget.

Some say the crowd was wrong. Perhaps. But it's Fed Cup, so it's to be expected. I've seen worse behavior from crowds in Flushing Meadows and Madrid, but that's a whole other story and we aren't going there right now.

In this situation, I think the crowd wasn't going to give Maria a pass for what it obviously perceived as cheating. Whether it was or not is beside the point. The crowd seemed to think it was and they went after Maria for it.

But Maria didn't care. Don't let the blond hair and blue eyes and femme glamor fool you. She's as butch as a lumberjack and she will cut you. Even eat your babies. Pick and suck her teeth afterwards right to your face. On this day, she pumped her fists, yelled her "C'mons!", never stopped her shrieking and won the match in spite of her "tactics" and the disdain of the fans.

People who make their beds know how to lie in them. Comfortably.

Tomorrow's rubbers ought to be interesting.

Scoreboard

ISRAEL level with RUSSIA 1-1
Venue: Canada Stadium, Ramat Hasharon, Israel (hard - outdoors)

Shahar Peer (ISR) d. Dinara Safina (RUS) 06 62 62
Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. Tzipi Obziler (ISR) 60 64
Shahar Peer (ISR) v Maria Sharapova (RUS)
Tzipi Obziler (ISR) v Dinara Safina (RUS)
Tzipi Obziler/Shahar Peer (ISR) v Anna Chakvetadze/Elena Vesnina (RUS)

USA level with GERMANY 1-1
Venue: La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, La Jolla, CA, USA (hard - outdoors)

Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. Lindsay Davenport (USA) 61 75
Ashley Harkleroad (USA) d. Tatjana Malek (GER) 61 63
Lindsay Davenport (USA) v Tatjana Malek (GER)
Ashley Harkleroad (USA) v Sabine Lisicki (GER)
Lisa Raymond/Lindsay Davenport (USA) v Anna-Lena Groenefeld/Julia Georges (GER)

CHINA, P.R. leads FRANCE 2-0
Venue: Beijing International Tennis Centre, Beijing, China, P.R. (hard – indoors)

Na Li (CHN) d. Alize Cornet (FRA) 63 61
Shuai Peng (CHN) d. Virginie Razzano (FRA) 46 63 64
Na Li (CHN) v Virginie Razzano (FRA)
Shuai Peng (CHN) v Alize Cornet (FRA)
Zi Yan/Jie Zheng (CHN) v Nathalie Dechy/Virginie Razzano (FRA)

SPAIN leads ITALY 2-0
Venue: PalaVesuvio, Naples, Italy (hard - indoors)

Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) d. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 76(4) 36 62
Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) d. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 62 63
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) v Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP)
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) v Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)
Sara Errani/Tathiana Garbin (ITA) v Lourdes Dominguez-Lino/Carla Suarez-Navarro (ESP)


WORLD GROUP II FIRST ROUND

UKRAINE level with BELGIUM 1-1
Venue: Palace of Sports "Lokomotiv", Kharkov, Ukraine (clay - indoors)

Alona Bondarenko (UKR) d. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 61 62
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Katerina Bondarenko (UKR) 76(5) 61
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) v Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
Katerina Bondarenko (UKR) v Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)
Mariya Koryttseva/Tetyana Perebiynis (UKR) v Tamaryn Hendler/Caroline Maes (BEL)

JAPAN level with CROATIA 1-1
Venue: Beans Dome, Mikishi, Japan (hard - indoors)

Akiko Morigami (JPN) d. Nika Ozegovic (CRO) 26 75 61
Jelena Kostanic Tosic (CRO) d. Aiko Nakamura (JPN) 63 36 63
Akiko Morigami (JPN) v Jelena Kostanic Tosic (CRO)
Aiko Nakamura (JPN) v Nika Ozegovic (CRO)
Rika Fujiwara/Ayumi Morita (JPN) v Jelena Kostanic Tosic/Ana Vrljic (CRO)

CZECH REPUBLIC level with SLOVAK REPUBLIC 1-1
Venue: Brno Exhibition Centre, Brno, Czech Republic (carpet - indoors)

Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) d. Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 75 63
Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) d. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 75 64
Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) v Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
Petra Cetkovska (CZE) v Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)
Iveta Benesova/Kveta Peschke (CZE) v Dominika Cibulkova/Janette Husarova (SVK)

ARGENTINA level with AUSTRIA 1-1
Venue: Estadio Parque Roca, Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay - outdoors)

Jorgelina Cravero (ARG) d. Yvonne Meusberger (AUT) 76(4) 63
Melanie Klaffner (AUT) d. Maria Emilia Salerni (ARG) 26 63 75
Maria Emilia Salerni (ARG) v Yvonne Meusberger (AUT)
Jorgelina Cravero (ARG) v Melanie Klaffner (AUT)
Maria Irigoyen/Betina Jozami (ARG) v Patricia Mayr/Barbara Schwartz (AUT)

For full coverage, go to the Fed Cup official website.

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.

Observations From Down Under

Last year, John in Melbourne sent me an email report of his experiences at the Australian Open. He did the same this year, wondering if I had forgotten him. Not a chance.

Highly unlikely that you will remember, but I dropped you a line around this time last year to let you know that I really liked your tennis blog. I have dipped in quite a bit this year, usually around the Slams, and would like to say thanks again for being informative, entertaining and for expressing opinions that I often agree with! Not always, though - I just can't "get" Andy. I particularly liked your Davis Cup posts.

You may (or not) be interested in my thoughts about the last few days at the tennis. Unfortunately I am back to work tomorrow, so had to come home to prepare for an early meeting. I was hoping to stay for the Davenport/Sharapova match or even the Richie/Lopez match, never having seen the pretty boy in person. Everyone I spoke to wants Davenport to win tonight, as Maria does not have many fans here, even though the media are always trying to hype her up.

The fans have really taken to Tsonga. I was watching his doubles match with Grosjean on an outer court today, and one could not move, what with the crowd, photographers... He looked a bit tired, and Sebastian was doing most of the work, like Dad watching out for his son. I like Tsonga's big serve, as you don't see that as much now. I will be interested to see how he plays at Wimbledon.

Everyone is saying the new courts are playing a bit slower than the old ones, but not being an expert I can't see much difference. The players definitely seem to slide around a lot more, which should be good for avoiding the injuries that Reebound Ace apparantly caused.

There has been a bit of talk about weight, particularly after Alicia's opponent (can't remember her name) in Round 1. It seems to me that, apart from the top few, the females are generally not very fit, whether they be plump or thin (saw Hantuchova - still like a stick). Whereas the standard of fitness in the males seems to have improved. Even my old favourite Stefan Koubek has toned up! I wonder how many of the females are motivated to get to number 1, when you can still earn big money otherwise.

The night match has just started on TV , and yes - Maria's dress is a shocker!

Day 3: Don't Believe The Hype

Why do the marquee matches rarely live up to the hype? I just have one thing to say about last night's showdown: Maria was ready; Lindsay was not. Next.

Red White and Blue



Serena Williams stepped it up to fend off a fierce attack from Meng Yuan. Mardy Fish exacted revenge on Tommy Robredo with a composed beatdown in the sun. Andy Roddick hardly lit up the night with a rinky dink moonball special which turned Michael Berrer into a club player and made Jimmy Connors red with laughter. Jesse Levine got cheated by officials left and right and, despite serving for two sets but winning none against Jarkko Nieminen, lost his way into the third round. Sam Warburg had few answers for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, even though he made the Frenchman sing for his supper.

Blue White and Red



Speaking of the Frenchies. A nervous Amélie Mauresmo needed 10 matchpoints to book her spot on Day 5. She'll be joined by Richard Gasquet, Aravane Rezai, who upset compatriot and No. 13 seed Tatiana Golovin in three sets, Virginnie Razzano, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Marc Gicquel, and Tsonga. Not a bad showing for a half of each draw.

Daily Discovery



Serena sure knows how to find them. This is the Grand Slam of the Asia Pacific and Yuan who hails from China had loud supporters. She played Serena like she knew she could beat her. She stared her down, pumped her fist, and rifled winner after winner off both wings. I don't believe I've ever seen a player from Asia hit a forehand with so much topspin. If only other players who are supposed to lose to the game's elite would show half the fight she did, the sport would be much better.

Upset Specials



Not a big surprise, really, but the Aussies certainly had something to celebrate with lefy Casey Dellacqua took out lefty Patty Schnyder, the No. 15 seed, with a confident display of power and finesse. If Mauresmo remains frightened of winning, she'll get another scalp on Day 5.



And Yuan wasn't the only Asian woman who put on a show. Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei must've put on quite the show to take out No. 19 seed Sybille Bammer in straight sets with a loss of a mere two games. Wish I could've seen that one.

Hope For Day 4

Here's hoping Fabrice Santoro vs. Roger Federer and Marat Safin vs. Marcos Baghdatis live up to expectations, that any women's match becomes a surprise classic, and that there are less bagels in the bolier, less breadsticks in the oven.

The Mother vs. The It Girl

Second Round Showdown Who Will Win? Lindsay Maria Current Results

2008 Australian Open Women's Preview

(1) Justine Henin BEL vs Aiko Nakamura JPN
Monique Adamczak AUS vs Olga Poutchkova RUS
Maret Ani EST vs Angelique Kerber GER
Emilie Loit FRA vs Francesca Schiavone ITA (25)

(19) Sybille Bammer AUT vs (Q) Tamarine Tanasugarn THA
(Q) Su-Wei Hsieh TPE vs Klara Zakopalova CZE
Kateryna Bondarenko UKR vs Aravane Rezai FRA
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA vs Tatiana Golovin FRA (13)

(11) Elena Dementieva RUS vs Tzipora Obziler ISR
Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP vs Petra Cetkovska CZE
(WC) Jessica Moore AUS vs Julie Ditty USA
Renata Voracova CZE vs Shahar Pe'er ISR (17)

(32) Julia Vakulenko UKR vs Elena Vesnina RUS
Jill Craybas USA vs Yung-Jan Chan TPE
Lindsay Davenport USA vs Sara Errani ITA
Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO vs Maria Sharapova RUS (5)

Henin doesn't usually get easy Slam draws. Well, her first four rounds at the US Open last summer were cupcakes, but she always draws a challenge in the quarters and semis. This year, she could get a challenge in the third round from Schiavone, who seems to be resurging once more and who pushed her to the limit a few years ago in Sydney. She might also face Golovin in the 16s. Tati made her breakthrough in Melbourne in 2004 when she made the second week. And she gave Justine a fight in the finals in Stuttgart last fall. Henin's serve is always attackable, but her opponents tend to let her get away with large numbers of double faults. This quarter also features a potential second-round battle royale between Maria and Lindsay. Some say that the winner of that match will make the finals. I wouldn't go that far. But both have the serves and returns to punish Justine if she doesn't shore up her delivery before the quarterfinals. But don't count out armywoman Pe'er who has the chutzpah to face off against anybody. Who can forget how she kept Serena on the ropes in last year's epic quarterfinal?

Unseeded Players to Watch: The younger Bondarenko, Rezai, Medina Garrigues, Chan, and of course Mamaport.

First Round Matches of Note: Loit vs. Schiavone, Bondarenko vs. Rezai, Vakulenko vs. Vesnina.

Upset Special: Can't see one, unless Vesnina prevails.
__________________________________________________

(3) Jelena Jankovic SRB vs Tamira Paszek AUT
Stephanie Dubois CAN vs Edina Gallovits ROU
Flavia Pennetta ITA vs Dominika Cibulkova SVK
Ashley Harkleroad USA vs Virginie Razzano FRA (30)

(18) Amelie Mauresmo FRA vs Tatiana Poutchek BLR
Yaroslava Shvedova RUS vs Tatjana Malek GER
(WC) Casey Dellacqua AUS vs Karin Knapp ITA
Lilia Osterloh USA vs Patty Schnyder SUI (15)

(12) Nicole Vaidisova CZE vs Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU
Kaia Kanepi EST vs (WC) Alicia Molik AUS
(WC) Madison Brengle USA vs Tatiana Perebiynis UKR
Ai Sugiyama JPN vs Vera Zvonareva RUS (23)

(26) Victoria Azarenka BLR vs Akgul Amanmuradova UZB
(Q) Sandra Kloesel GER vs (Q) Julia Schruff GER
(Q) Ekaterina Ivanova RUS vs (Q) Meng Yuan CHN
(WC) Jarmila Gajdosova AUS vs Serena Williams USA (7)

This is Jelena's quarter but it belongs to Serena. Fit, focused, and fun-having, she is determined to defend her title. Melbourne is where she makes it happen. She loves the heat and if she can run she's hard to beat. She's never defended a title Down Under and in even years, she's been injured or "supersized" (I just read that description of her in a great book and couldn't wait to use it), but since change is in the air... Azarenka will have to wait till next time, Zvonareva may withdraw with an ankle injury, and Vaidisova will play up to her seeding. Which Schnyder will show up? Has Mauresmo fully recovered from her abductor strain? If so, another quarterfinal with Serena is likely.

Unseeded Players to Watch: Paszek, Pennetta, Harkleroad, Molik, Bringle. Don't look too far past Alica. The homegirl plays well in front of her people. A showdown with Serena in the 16s could be tight.

First Round Match of Note: Jelena vs Tamira could be a barnburner. The Serbian Diva has struggled with her body already this year and Tamira hits a mean ball. If JJ isn't able to retrieve....

Upset Special: ...then the Serb will be finished before she starts.

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

Venus Williams USA (8) vs Zi Yan CHN
Camille Pin FRA vs (Q) Monica Niculescu ROU
(WC) Sophie Ferguson AUS vs (Q) Timea Bacscinszky SUI
Iroda Tulyaganova UZB vs Sania Mirza IND (31)

(24) Na Li CHN vs Severine Bremond FRA
Maria Elena Camerin ITA vs (WC) Christina Wheeler AUS
Mathilde Johansson FRA vs (Q) Marta Domachowska POL
Sofia Arvidsson SWE vs Marion Bartoli FRA (10)

(16) Dinara Safina RUS vs (Q) Sabine Lasicki GER
Ma Emilia Salerni ARG vs Mariya Koryttseva UKR
Caroline Wozniacki DEN vs Gisela Dulko ARG
Alla Kudryavtseva RUS vs Alona Bondarenko UKR (21)

Katarina Srebotnik SLO (28) vs Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP
Angelika Bachmann GER vs Anastasia Rodionova AUS
Tathiana Garbin ITA vs Eleni Daniilidou GRE
Sorana Cirstea ROU vs Ana Ivanovic SRB (4)

This is Ana's quarter but it belongs to Venus. (Is there an echo in here?) However, I say that with a caveat. Other than her run to the 2003 finals, Venus tends to start strong in Melbourne and then fade by the fourth round. But she sure as hell can't complain about her draw. If she's on, no one in this quarter will touch her, including Ivanovic who just can't handle Venus' serve and retrieval skills. If for some reason Venus falters before the quarterfinals, I'd be surprised if Ana doesn't get out of here, newly buff legs intact. The match I'd most like to see is the potential third rounder between Li and Maid Marion.

Unseeded Players to Watch: Danillidou always plays well in Melbourne amidst cheers from a large Greek fanbase.

First Round Matches of Note: Nada

Upset Special: Zilch

___________________________________________________

(6) Anna Chakvetadze RUS vs Andrea Petkovic GER
Shuai Peng CHN vs (Q)Alisa Kleybanova RUS
Akiko Morigami JPN vs Michaella Krajicek NED
Meilen Tu USA vs Maria Kirilenko RUS (27)

(22) Lucie Safarova CZE vs Catalina Castano COL
Roberta Vinci ITA vs Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP
Alize Cornet FRA vs Clarisa Fernandez ARG
Vania King USA vs Daniela Hantuchova SVK (9)

(14) Nadia Petrova RUS vs Nicole Pratt AUS
Evgenia Linetskaya ISR vs Anne Kremer LUX
Laura Granville USA vs Yvonne Meusburger AUT
Ekaterina Makarova RUS vs Agnes Szavay HUN (20)

(29) Agnieszka Radwanska POL vs Olga Savchuk UKR
Martina Muller GER vs (WC) Pauline Parmentier FRA
Olga Govortsova BLR vs Tsvetana Pironkova BUL
Nathalie Dechy FRA vs Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (2)

This is the quarter of headcases with potential. Of all the headcases with all that potential, including the return of Evgenia Linetskaya, Sveta is the only one with experience in the latest stages of a major. And she's in good form. Of course she's also consistently inconsistent. But if she can keep up the level she brought to the Sydney final when she had chance after chance after chance.... she can book her place in the semifinals against Venus. Their career record is tied at 3 apiece. This isn't Wimbledon. A Melbourne matchup could be a classic.

Unseeded Players to Watch: None really. Dechy? Maybe. Pironkova? Meh.

First Round Matches of Note: King vs. Hantuchova, Govortsova vs. Pironkova

Upset Special: If Petrova's woes continue, Pratt will run her outta here.

USA Wins Fifth Hopman Cup

Final - USA 2 d Serbia 1

* Serena Williams d Jelena Jankovic 6-0, 6-0 walkover
* Mardy Fish lost to Novak Djokovic 2-6, 7-6(7/4), 6-7(4/7)
* Williams/Fish d Jankovic/Djokovic 7-6(7/4), 6-2

Serbia put up a brave fight, but Serena Williams and Mardy Fish have powered the United States to its fifth Hyundai Hopman Cup victory to continue its dominance in the 20-year-old ITF mixed teams championship at Perth’s Burswood Dome.

The USA didn’t win until the ninth staging of the tournament, but has now won five times, including four in the past six years. Williams previously was victorious in 2003 with James Blake, while it was Fish’s first win in his second appearance.

Credit must be given to the top seeds Serbia, who continued to fight despite Jankovic being restricted due to a strained muscle at the top of her right hamstring.

Djokovic had an outstanding week in Perth, needing to make up for Jankovic being unable to finish three of her singles matches. Djokovic ended up undefeated in his singles, with the final the only loss in the mixed doubles for the pair of world No. 3s.

The USA was handed the advantage when Jankovic was unable to play the women’s singles, but Djokovic ensured the mixed doubles would decide the winner by beating Fish in a gruelling three-set battle.

After a fast start, Serbia couldn’t match it with two accomplished doubles players, with the Americans wrapping up the win 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Already exhausted from his mammoth performance the previous two days, Djokovic had to endure a two and a half hour marathon with Fish to send the final into a deciding mixed doubles rubber. Djokovic won 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4).

Djokovic had succeeded in the past two ties winning his singles and being dominant in the doubles to see Serbia into the final after Jankovic withdrew through injury in her match on each occasion.

He again started tremendously in the men’s singles that unusually kicked off final proceedings against Fish.

The American had been dominant on serve all week, but Djokovic broke his opening service again, and once more in the opening set to claim it 6-2.

Fish was able to break Djokovic’s serve twice in the second set, but on both occasions the Serb broke straight back to keep things even.

However, Djokovic had a chance to break Fish again with the score at 5-4 and win the match, but couldn’t and the set went to a tie-break.

Fish was right on top and had no trouble sending the match into a third set by winning the tie-break seven points to four.

Djokovic was showing understandable signs of fatigue during the second and third sets, but he managed to hang in against a much fresher Fish and force the third to a deciding tie-break.

Djokovic managed to power through despite appearing exhausted, winning seven points to four to keep his country alive and a chance to win its first Hyundai Hopman Cup.

The Serbians made a brilliant start to the mixed doubles and looked capable of upsetting Williams and Fish by racing to a 4-1 lead. The USA then won the next three games to level the set, though, and it went to a tie-break.

Williams and Fish claimed it seven points to five to win the set in 52 minutes and hold a crucial advantage over Serbia with Jankovic on one leg.

The Americans quickly wrapped up the second set 6-2 and Williams and Fish were ecstatic to be crowned Hyundai Hopman Cup XX champions.

Source

I was only able to see a few snippets of the men's singles match while waiting in the airport en route to Malibu, California, for my sister's wedding tomorrow.

Looks like it's a great day to be a fan of American tennis. Not only do we now hold both the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup, but Lindsay Davenport aka Mamaport captured another title in her comeback, taking out Aravane Rezai 6-2, 6-2 to win the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

Players To Watch In 2008

The off-season is simply not long enough. It seems like just yesterday I penned my 2007 review and it's already time to look ahead to the 2008 season.

Someone recently asked me if I do any overall predictions for the year. Not exactly. I guess you could say I do anti-predictions such as the no brainer that no one will win the Golden Slam on either tour in 2008. But that's about as far as I'll go. There are simply too many unknowns and variables to try with any solid reasoning to predict the winners of, say, the US Open. Roger Federer, of course, would be good money, but he's got to lose it sooner or later, no? And one would think that with the Olympics in the mix, he'd much rather take an Olympic Gold than his fifth US Open title, if he had to choose between the two, and with them being so close together, that's exactly what he might have to do. Which is all a long, drawn-out way of saying that my preview of next calendar's tennis will focus solely on a select list of players to watch. Without further ado:

ATP

Ernests Gulbis made noise at the US Open last summer with his straight-set demolition of Tommy Robredo in the third round. His smooth game, excellent court craft and pinpoint strokes off both sides would appear to make him someone who could compete on every surface. He's young, though, and his head isn't always screwed on. Let's see if he can continue to make waves after putting Latvia on the tennis map.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was my pick for Outstanding Newcomer on the ATP in 2007. Sure, he's in his early 20s already, but his young career has been halted by injuries. If he can remain healthy in 2008, I think he'll make a deep run at Wmbledon and/or the US Open.

Richard Gasquet seems to believe, finally, that he belongs in the top of men's tennis, thanks in large part to his epic come-from-behind win against Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year. But can his fragile constitution see him through to his first Slam semifinal in 2008? Stay tuned.

David Ferrer had one of the hottest streaks to end 2007. Simply put: can he keep it up? With the plexicushion playing even slower than Rebound Ace, he needs to carry his momentum straight into Melbourne and let the world know he's not satisfied with his new status in the Top 5.

Novak Djokovic could experience the most pressure of any Top 10 player next year. He has to defend a truckload of points, and since he still believes his own hype, the pressure to deliver on it will rise like the mercury Down Under. As it is, he's skipping his title defense in Adelaide to play Hopman Cup, and while the Next Generation International isn't a big enough event to lose him a ton of points, he won't have a tour title heading into Melbourne. On the other hand, he ought to be better rested to contend on the cushy stuff.

David Nalbandian didn't exactly come out of nowhere to end 2007 with his first two regular Masters Series shields, beating the top dogs to take them both. He's always played well in Australia, so if he continues his form, I expect his entire 2008 campaign include contending at all four Slams and maybe, just maybe, even winning his first.

Donald Young is the youngest player in the Top 100 and his all-court game has improved by leaps and bounds over the last 12 months. If he can believe in himself, as his coach and mother tell him he's gotta do, he can have a breakthrough year.

John Isner has been already dismissed as overhyped because of his lackluster performances on the challenger circuit. Lest we forget, however, he won several matches over the summer 7-6 in the third and won a tiebreak set against Raja at the US Open. Perhaps the challenger circuit just isn't high-stakes enough for America's answer to Ivo Karlovic. And he's six years younger. I say we give him a chance before writing him off as too much hype.

Nicolas Kiefer came back strong from injury to remind us why he was once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world. Another player who produces Down Under, the first quarter of 2008 will be crucial. If he stays healthy, I expect him to cause a surprise or two at Wimbledon.

Juan Monaco took Most Improved Gonads for 2007. A great athlete with a warrior attitude, the Argentine could start the year strong in Melbourne and follow that up with a deep run at Roland Garros.

WTA

Li Na was poised for a solid campaign to enter the Top 10 when she had to leave the tour with a rib injury. But she'll be back in January with a new lease on life. Always my favorite Chinese up-and-comer, probably because I find her story so fascinating, Li may take awhile to get back into the second week of a Slam, but her storyline will be worth watching.

Agnes Szavay has a fluid game, the heart of a champion, and a bad back. Which will prevail in 2008?

Tamira Paszek needs a better serve. If she found one during the off-season, she could win her first WTA title and make another second-week appearance in a Slam.

Amelie Mauresmo came back too soon from abdominal surgery last year. Has she fully recovered? Will she return to the winner's circle or regress to choker extraordinaire? Will she finally shake her demons in front of her home crowd?

Serena Williams couldn't get her body to stop betraying her will for the last three quarters of 2007. If she can run, she can beat all comers. Will she be able to run ragged her opponents in 2008 or will her flesh be weak?

Linday Davenport has committed to playing a full schedule through the US Open. Who knows, she may even play in Paris again. Wouldn't it be lovely to see a another mother win a Slam?

Monica Seles claims she'll play at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne. Nuff said.

Anna Chakvetadze is either going to solidify her Top 10 status or crash and burn. How insightful, no? But for real, though. If she can avoid Maria Sharapova at big events, she should do well. Of course this assumes that she can put the trauma of being tied up in a home robbery behind her and get off to a solid start in Melbourne where she's a defending quarterfinalist.

Marion Bartoli is controversial, talented, and targeted. She would certainly prefer more tournaments on grass. After finishing the year in the Top 10 for the first time in her career, she'll have to recover from a year-end double bagel at the hands of the woman she shocked in the Wimbledon semifinals. I don't think she's going to fall off as much as many others, but that might just be because I like her.

Ahsha Rolle appearing on this list will probably make you raise an eyebrow. Or two. Simply put: I like the variety in the American's game, the fire in her eyes, the way she handled her business at the US Open this past summer. Nobody expected her to beat Tatiana Golovin in the first round. Perhaps 2008 will bring a few more surprises for this player under the radar.

Winners to Errors, 1st Set

Winners
Mary Jo Fernandez has been named the Fed Cup captain beginning in 2009. Yahoo! Sports

And speaking of Fed Cup, Lindsay Davenport has been named to the team for the USA vs. Germany tie in La Jolla, California. Sporting Life

Andy Roddick Foundation is building a tennis center in Texas to give at-risk youth a chance to hone their tennis games. Austin Business Journal

Rowan, a tennis fan from Auckland, New Zealand, will be blogging from the ASB Classic and Heineken Open in his hometown. There's nothing like fan reports of tennis events. Yellowballin'


Errors
Anna Chakvetadze's family home was robbed by armed robbers who tied up her parents. The burglars got away with more than $200,000 of belongings. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. Russian News & Information Agency

For all his efforts to try to return to competitive tennis, even playing in the local wildcard play-off, Mark Philippoussis will miss yet another Australian Open to undergo another knee surgery. Safe to say, his career is now over. Herald Sun

We've heard of her pending nuptials with Greg Norman. But did you hear that Chris Evert's name may come off the children's hospital at Broward General Medical Center? The drama of it all. (I'm being sarcastic) South Florida Sun-Sentinal

Comment of the Week: Appreciate Her

This week's winner comes from Make It Like It Was:

Vicki said...

I've been a Lindsay Davenport fan for years and I know this is just a tier three event. Instead of saying that the tour is in bad shape because Lindsay won why can't we say that Lindsay had great week, played well and leave at that?

I only read match reports most of the week and saw the semi final and final. Lindsay is a former world number 1 and won 51 career titles before Bail so it [is] not like Lindsay didn't have the track record.

The scary thing about it is Lindsay [is] only going to get better as her comeback moves along and we are lucky to have her back at all so we should appreciate her while she [is] still around.