Doha 2010 - Day 1

by Savannah

Billie Jean King on the state of her baby the WTA,.

Billie Jean King, who co-founded the Women's Tennis Association and remains among the sport's more forceful advocates, concedes that women's tennis "is not in a great place right now." But King argues that the sport always goes in cycles; this particular down cycle, she said, is due more to freak injuries and bad luck. She also suspects it's exaggerated by media, whom she believes delight in pointing out injury or frailty (real or perceived) among female athletes.

"I just want everybody to be healthy at the same time because we really have depth if we can get them all playing," King said. "We've had a very bad year. But it's not going to be like that forever."

SOURCE

Doha - A Dismal Start

Jelena Jankovic did not have a great second half of the year. Still most people, well me, expected her to suck it up and bring her "A" game to Doha. The opening match between JJ and Vera Zvonareva should have been competitive. Instead JJ dropped the first set 6-3 and disappeared for the second set losing it 6-0. She is still saying she is ill.

For some reason I didn't expect much from the Caroline Wozniacki/Elena Dementieva match and I got even less. The final score was 6-1, 6-1 Wozniacki and it wasn't even that close. Elena is obviously injured but she did play the entire match.

There was one match worthy of the name and that was not between two new school WTA'ers. Francesca Schiavone and Samantha Stosur, neither of whom have official WTA sanctioned nick names both came to play.

I'm sure Franny will be talking to herself after blowing a 4-0 second set lead and losing the set and the match 6-4.

The win has to be a confidence booster for Stosur who tightened up her game winning six games in a row.

There is a lot of speculation that both Elena Dementieva and Jelena Jankovic will withdraw from the tournament. Li Na and Shahar Peer are the alternates. It was announced today that Li is a confirmed player in Bali, an event she said she didn't want to play. We should know more tomorrow.

Wednesday Order of Play - Doha

Khalifa Tennis Complex (from 17.00hrs - 10a Eastern US Time)

1. Vera Zvonareva vs. Victoria Azarenka

2. Kim Clijsters vs. Jelena Jankovic

3. Caroline Wozniacki vs. Samantha Stosur

Venus Defends Dubai

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But I don't.

Look. I couldn't bring myself to watch a single point. Won't watch one next week either. As Venus Williams might say, I'm not trying to be down with Dubai. Shahar Pe'er gets her previously denied visa to enter the country and perform, but even when she plays the defending champ -- the defending champ, the kind of defending champ that gives this kind of event serious stature in tennis -- she's relegated to an outer court? Which means the stature-giving defending champ is relegated to an outer court also.

That's some straight-up bullshit.

Hey, Venus. Why you still so down with Dubai?

I don't care how much the players on both tours like the event, it simply shouldn't exist and I wish it didn't.

But it does, so....

I give it lip when it crowns a champion.

Oy.

Australian Open 2010 Women's Preview

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Serena Williams USA (1) v Urszula Radwanska POL
Petra Kvitova CZE v Jill Craybas USA
Renata Voracova CZE (Q) v Andrea Petkovic GER
Ayumi Morita JPN v Carla Suarez Navarro ESP (32)

Sabine Lisicki GER (21) v Petra Martic CRO
Varvara Lepchenko USA v Alberta Brianti ITA
Kristina Barrois GER v Akgul Amanmuradova UZB
Xinyun Han CHN (Q) v Samantha Stosur AUS (13)

Vera Zvonareva RUS (9) v Kristina Kucova SVK
Kai-Chen Chang TPE v Iveta Benesova CZE
Zuzana Kucova SVK (Q) v Gisela Dulko ARG
Shenay Perry USA (Q) v Ana Ivanovic SRB (20)

Elena Vesnina RUS (28) v Tathiana Garbin ITA
Kimiko Date Krumm JPN v Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ
Stefanie Voegele SUI v Melinda Czink HUN
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA v Victoria Azarenka BLR (7)

Good to see American Shenay Perry back in a main draw, though her first task will be to slay the former finalist. As poorly as Ana Ivanovic has been playing of late, it won't happen. But I won't be surprised if it does.

Melinda Czink has a good chance to muffle the shriek of the No. 7 seed in the second round, but first Victoria Azarenka will hae to hit past the tricky Frenchwoman in the first round.

Who said that there are little land mines littered about the draw for most of the contenders and top players? Whoever it was, I'd have to agree. Serena Williams hasn't defended a Slam title since 2003 nor has she ever lost in the first round of a major. I don't see her breaking either streak this year in Melbourne, but if she must, then she defends her title. The hard-hitting lefty Petra Kvitova represents danger in round 2. If Serena gets past that, this quarter is hers for the taking.

Darkhorse: Kamiko Date Krumm

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Caroline Wozniacki DEN (4) v Aleksandra Wozniak CAN
Tamira Paszek AUT v Julia Goerges GER
Galina Voskoboeva KAZ v Tsvetana Pironkova BUL
Lucie Hradecka CZE v Shahar Peer ISR (29)

Daniela Hantuchova SVK (22) v Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR
Jarmila Groth AUS v Sofia Arvidsson SWE (Q)
Stephanie Dubois CAN v Agnes Szavay HUN
Marina Erakovic NZL v Na Li CHN (16)

Agnieszka Radwanska POL (10) v Tatjana Malek GER
Melanie Oudin USA v Alla Kudryavtseva RUS
Julie Coin FRAv Alicia Molik AUS
Alize Cornet FRA v Francesca Schiavone ITA (17)

Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP (25) v Karolina Sprem CRO
Anastasiya Yakimova BLR v Casey Dellacqua AUS
Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP v Sybille Bammer AUT
Lucie Safarova CZE v Venus Williams USA (6)

Land mines all over this quarter for the top seeds. The hard-hitting lefty Lucie Safarova might dismiss Venus out of the gate. The Wozniack without the i could topple the one with it. If those upsets happen, this quarter is wide open. Even if they don't, this quarter is wide open. Look for homegirls Alicia Molik and Jarmila Groth to do some damage, but I can't see either physically able to withstand more than a few wins.

Tucked away in this quarter is Miss Melanie Oudin. I believe she'll have to deal with her sophomore slump this year but taking on the hard-hitting Russian in the first round should suit her just fine. She'll drop a set, win the match, and then bow out to the older Radwanska in round 2.

On the strength of her Hobart run and the fact that she's gone deep in this even before, I'll give Shahar Pe'er the nod to make her first Slam semifinal.

Darkhorse: Lucie Safarova

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Elena Dementieva RUS (5) v Vera Dushevina RUS
Kirsten Flipkens BEL v Justine Henin BEL
Sorana Cirstea ROU v Olivia Rogowska AUS
Jelena Dokic AUS v Alisa Kleybanova RUS (27)

Virginie Razzano FRA (18) v Ekaterina Makarova RUS
Klara Zakopalova CZE v Sara Errani ITA
Yanina Wickmayer BEL (Q) v Alexandra Dulgheru ROU
Anna Chakvetadze RUS v Flavia Pennetta ITA (12)

Kim Clijsters BEL (15) v Valerie Tetreault CAN (Q)
Sesil Karatantcheva KAZ v Tamarine Tanasugarn THA
Yung-Jan Chan TPE v Kaia Kanepi EST
Edina Gallovits ROU v Nadia Petrova RUS (19)

Aravane Rezai FRA (26) v Sania Mirza IND
Olga Govortsova BLR v Angelique Kerber GER (Q)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS v Anastasija Sevastova LAT
Anastasia Rodionova AUS v Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (3)

Toughest quarter of the draw. The Sydney champion will face the Brisbane runner-up in round 2. And both of them will be there as neither of their compatriots will be able to challenge much in round 1. Alisa Kleybanova will face a re-match against Jelena Dokic to reprise their fourth round barnburner from last year. Dokic took that match, but barely. It will be on both their minds from the first point.

Check Yanina Wickmayer's scores in qualifying. She's confident, she's ready, and she's been given a second chance. I'm not sure I'd want to play her if I'm one of the women in that section.

The reigning US Open champion will cruise through her first four matches, but the woman most are predicting to win the whole thing won't get out of the quarterfinals. She'll bow on the big stage one more time to the Diminutive One.

Other first-round matches to watch: Aravane Rezai v. Sania Mirza; Sesil Karatantcheva v. Tamarine Tanasugarn; Sorana Cirstea v. Olgo Rogowska

Darkhorse: Jelena Dokic

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Jelena Jankovic SRB (8) v Monica Niculescu ROU
Patricia Mayr AUT v Katie O'Brien GBR
Yuliana Fedak UKR (Q) v Polona Hercog SLO
Kathrin Woerle GER (Q) v Alona Bondarenko UKR (31)

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP (24) v Evgeniya Rodina RUS
Jie Zheng CHN v Shuai Peng CHN
Coco Vandeweghe USA v Sandra Zahlavova CZE
Rossana De Los Rios PAR v Marion Bartoli FRA (11)

Maria Sharapova RUS (14) v Maria Kirilenko RUS
Yvonne Meusburger AUT (Q) v Timea Bacsinszky SUI
Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER v Roberta Vinci ITA
Vania King USA v Dominika Cibulkova SVK (23)

Kateryna Bondarenko UKR (30) v Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU
Pauline Parmentier FRA v Elena Baltacha GBR
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE v Regina Kulikova RUS (Q)
Magdalena Rybarikova SVK v Dinara Safina RUS (2)

There isn't a whole lot going on down here. Dinara Safina may see her earliest exit at a Slam in years if Magdalena Rybarikova is ready for her closeup. Jelena Jankovic will win a few rounds, but I'm not so sure she'll get past Alona Bondarenko, Hobart champion, in round 3.

Look for Marion Bartoli to make a little noise, but, brace yourselves and don't ask me why, but I'm picking Maria Sharapova to win this quarter. That is, if she can get past Dominika Cibulkova.

Darkhorse: Vania King

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The Men

Quote For The Day

“I think it was a shame [Yanina Wickmayer] got the ban and I’m happy she could come back. I sent her an e-mail to support her and I said I hoped she was fine. I think they went too far with the penalty, which she did not deserve.” --Shahar Pe'er, on playing her next opponent in the ASB Classic semifinals

Ouote For The Day

“The tour has received written confirmation from the UAE Ministry of Interior that [Shahar Pe'er] will be able to enter and participate in the event without incident. One of the conditions that Dubai had to meet was that this year there would have to be a written confirmation that she would be able to play because last year there were just verbal assurances.” --Katie Scott, WTA spokeswoman

Autumnal Champions

AP

Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan holds winner's trophy after she defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain in the women's singles final, during a ceremony at the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009.

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As Matt informed us, she is the second oldest player (Billie Jean King was the oldest) to ever win a title on the WTA. She'll be 39 tomorrow. Nice work if you can get it. And she got it after being off the tour for 12 years. 12 years.

“Yeah, of course, very happy. I realized one more time after this game that we don’t know about tennis unless we actually play it.

“Above all, my husband’s love was a big help for my win.

“I think I won’t have any problem in my physical strength over the next five years. But I’m married … have to have kids and have a lot of things to do. I think I can play tennis for the next two years.”

Hers is quite a story.

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Spain's Albert Montanes celebrates with the trophy after defeating Argentine's Juan Monaco in the ATP Romania Open tennis, on September 27, 2009 in Bucharest. Montanes won the final 7-6, 7-6.

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AP

Wearing a traditional Uzbek costume, Israel's Shahar Pe'er smiles during an awards ceremony after beating Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova in the Tashkent Open final, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. Peer won her second straight WTA Tour title, beating local favorite Amanmuradova 6-3, 6-4 in the Tashkent Open final.

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Raise your hand if you saw back-to-back titles coming for a woman who's struggled most of the year?

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Gael Monfils ended a four-year title drought by winning the Open de Moselle in Metz over Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-2.

Weekend Wrap Up

Savannah's got it. I haven't even had a chance to read a tennis headline anywhere else.

I should be back to my regularly scheduled programming within a few days.

Have a great week everyone!

Venus Receives ADL Honor

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has honored tennis star Venus Williams for her "principled stand" after Shahar Pe'er was excluded from participating in a Dubai tennis tournament earlier this year.

In February 2009, the United Arab Emirates refused a visa to Pe'er, preventing her from participating in the Dubai Tennis Championship. Williams publicly spoke out against the decision and called for equal treatment for all players.

In recognition of her comments Williams received the ADL Americanism Award during a ceremony at the League's national headquarters in Manhattan on Wednesday.

"What Venus Williams did in Dubai must be acknowledged and celebrated," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL national director, in presenting the award.

"When Shahar Pe'er was denied a visa to compete in the tournament, Venus knew that it was wrong and she knew that someone had to say so. And she did.

"Words have consequences, but not always for the good. However, Venus' words were for the good. They were supportive, they put the Dubai Tennis Championship on notice and, while it was too late for Shahar to compete, Andy Rom's visa, first delayed, was granted."

In accepting the award, Williams spoke of the importance of treating all people equally and speaking out against injustice.

"I feel like I did the minimum, just to speak and to say something," Williams said. "It shows that whatever little things you can do to make a difference really will help. I want to thank Shahar for her courage, and I share this award with her."

Read the rest...

(Thanks, b)

Quote For The Day

“I felt like I had to talk about [Shahar Pe'er]. I thought it was brave of her to come here and try and play despite knowing that it is not going to be easy for her. My dad grew up in an area where if you spoke too much, it was your life. So I felt I had a small opportunity to say something where everyone will listen. I am not here to rock any boat or upset people, I am just here to do things that are right. And I think right things are already happening next week and right things will happen next year. Obviously, Andy Ram got his visa, so I’ll be happy to come and defend next year. If everyone is not given the equal opportunity to play, I’d rethink. But I love this tournament. They really care about the players.”--Venus Williams

Andy Roddick Speaks Out

AP

That's my guy:

Andy Roddick won't defend his title in Dubai next week because he doesn't agree with the decision to deny Israeli Shahar Peer a visa to play in a women's tournament.

"There were a lot of factors why I should probably go, and obviously having played well there doesn't make it any easier," Roddick said after beating fellow American Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the semifinals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.

The mixing of politics and sports was a big part of Roddick's decision to pull out of Dubai where he won his second of three titles in 2008. Roddick said he has enjoyed himself when visiting the United Arab Emirates but was disappointed to see the government make a decision that reflects poorly on a great tournament.

"I don't think you make political statements through sports," Roddick said.

That wasn't so difficult, now was it? As far as I'm aware, Andy is the only Jewish player in the top rung of men's tennis and he's always been outspoken, so this doesn't come as a great surprise. But it seems like such a courageous stand given the deafening silence of the other top players.

And he gets Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals? Talk about an ancient rivarly.

Comment Of The Week

HoiHa said...

Graf Sampras - I get where you are comming from (I may not agree but I understand it).

However, I have a problem with the way Dubai handled this. If they had wanted to make a political and/or human rights statement, so be it. But, IMHO, the essence of making such a decision is to do so while ACCEPTING the consequences of standing up for that principle.

While what happened in Gaza occurred after they had agreed to host the event, there nonetheless was sufficient time following Gaza for Dubai to stand up and say they would not be allowing Israeli players' visas. Had they done that, then the onus would have been on the WTA and the ATP to make the decision as to whether to move the event out of Dubai or to take some other action.

The problem is Dubai did not do this - they tried to have their cake and to eat it too, if you will. This is not principled action IMHO. When Ghandi and Martin Luther King acted, they did so having accepted the fact that their actions for the greater good would mean they would have to accept the consequences of those actions which, for them and many of their followers, meant jail and imprisonment.

That is principle. That is standing up for what you believe at any cost.

Dubai further undermined it's position by granting Ram a visa - for if they were standing on principle and were really uniting behind the "Hamas" cause, then they would have been willing to accept the consequences that they would have faced from the ATP tour.

Sorry if that offends but it's really how I see it. We are entitled to stand up for rights we believe in but we lose credibility when we are not willing to accept the consequences that taking such an action entails.

Sat Feb 21, 02:45:00 AM

Post: The Final Verdict

The Final Verdict

SONY ERICSSON WTA TOUR LEVIES LARGEST EVER FINANCIAL PENALTIES AND SETS CONDITIONS FOR FUTURE OF DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, USA – Following a special meeting of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Board conducted earlier today in connection with the decision by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this past week to deny the visa application of Israeli Tour player Shahar Peer, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced that effective immediately it is taking the actions described below.

Commenting on today’s actions, Larry Scott, Chairman & CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour stated: “The actions taken today are intended to redress the wrongs suffered by Shahar Peer, who was victimized by an unjust policy of discrimination by the UAE. These actions are also intended to send a clear message that our Tour will not tolerate discrimination of any kind and that we will never allow this situation to happen again, in UAE or elsewhere. Thanks to the courage of Shahar, and all those individuals and organizations – including her fellow players – that supported her, the UAE has changed their policy and another barrier of discrimination has fallen.”

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Actions in re Shahar Peer, Anna Lena Groenefeld and Dubai Tournament:

· Shahar Peer Ranking Points - The awarding of 130 ranking points to Shahar Peer – an amount equal to the points that she earned during the same week in 2008 (week of Memphis) that she was unable to defend this past week in Dubai as a result of the denial of her entry visa by UAE. Such points will remain on Ms. Peer’s ranking until such time as she has had an opportunity to earn equivalent points at the next tournament offering ranking points equal to the Dubai tournament.

· Shahar Peer Prize Money – The awarding of US$44,250 to Shahar Peer – an amount equal to the average prize money that she earned per tournament (singles and doubles) in 2008, grossed up to take account for the increased prize money on offer at 2009 tournaments.

· Anna Lena Groenefeld Prize Money – The awarding of US$7,950 to Anna Lena Groenefeld, who was to be Shahar Peer’s doubles partner in Dubai and who was unable to compete in doubles with Ms. Peer as a result of the denial of Ms. Peer’s entry visa by UAE. This amount is equal to the average prize money that she earned per tournament in doubles in 2008, grossed up to take account for the increased prize money on offer at 2009 tournaments.

· Dubai Tennis Championships Financial Penalty – The fining of the Dubai tournament US$300,000 for breach of Tour Rules, By-Laws and conditions of membership related to the denial of entry to Shahar Peer. This fine amount represents the highest fine ever levied against a Tour member. Proceeds from the fine shall be used to compensate each of Ms. Peer and Ms. Groenefeld, with the balance to be donated to a charity or charities, to be determined by the Tour in consultation with Ms. Peer.

· Dubai Tennis Championships Financial Performance Guarantee – The posting by the Dubai tournament of a US$2 million financial performance guarantee by July 1, 2009 that the conditions described below will be satisfied.

· Dubai Tennis Championships Conditions for Continued Membership – The establishment of a series of conditions to be met by the Dubai tournament in order to maintain its membership and be included on the Tour’s 2010 calendar, including: (i) confirmation of the written assurances already received that all players who qualify for the tournament shall, regardless of nationality, or any other reason, be allowed to play in the Dubai event and shall be issued entry visas or permits, (ii) proof of approved UAE entry permit to enter the UAE for any Israeli player a minimum of eight (8) weeks prior to the start of the 2010 Dubai tournament, and (iii) guarantee that Ms. Peer shall be offered a wildcard to play the Dubai tournament in 2010 in the event that she does not qualify by ranking.

Face Of The Day

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A picture taken on February 20, 2008 shows Israel's Shahar Pe'er during her tennis match against France's Virginie Razzano on the third day of the Qatar Open WTA tournament in Doha. The future of the Dubai Open may be at risk after Peer was prevented from competing in the event which started on February 15, 2009. The world number 48 from Israel has been denied a visa into the Gulf state, bringing a strongly worded statement from the Women's Tennis Association. The blocking is a surprise because Pe'er was given a visa to play in the Qatar Open last year, a visit which was a considerable success both in tennis and diplomatic terms.

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In her own words:

I welcome the decision just announced by the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai tournament to reverse a stance that until now has prevented Israeli athletes from competing in the UAE. This is a great victory for the principle that all athletes should be treated equally and without discrimination, regardless of gender, religion, race or nationality. It is also a victory for sport as a whole, and the power of sport to bring people together.

It is still very unfortunate that due to the decision of the Dubai tournament and the UAE, I could not participate in the tournament this year. This has hurt me significantly both personally and professionally. However I am very happy for Andy Ram, who will be able to compete next week in Dubai. I hope and believe that from this day forward, athletes from all over the world will be able to compete in the UAE and anywhere else in the world without discrimination of any kind. I personally look forward to competing in Dubai next year.

This has been a very difficult period for me, and I want to thank the many thousands of fans and organizations all over the world that made this breakthrough possible, including the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and my fellow players. All of them have supported me these past days, weeks and months. It is truly humbling and also inspiring to know how many of us feel strongly and are willing to do all that we can to break down barriers of discrimination.

Wall Street Journal Drops Dubai

Here we go:

The Wall Street Journal Europe has revoked its sponsorship of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships due to the decision of the United Arab Emirates to deny a visa to Israeli player Shahar Peer, preventing her the opportunity to participate in the tournament.

The Wall Street Journal's editorial philosophy is free markets and free people, and this action runs counter to the Journal's editorial direction.

(Thanks, dearg.)

To (Not) Preserve The Union

by MMT

A lot's been said about the UAE denying Shahar Pe'er a visa to play in the WTA event in Dubai, and more importantly, the inaction, acquiescence and disunity exhibited by the WTA and its players. I would love to see the "leaders" of the WTA (and by leaders, I mean its most prominent players) boycott the event. If they were really a player's association (of course it isn't) they would, but it isn't, so they won't, and what a shame that is. Long lost are the days when this was viewed as a players union.

When was the last time anyone in tennis took a stand in support of a player who'd been screwed? Guillermo Vilas was suspended for 12 months for taking an appearance fee in March of 1983 at the Rotterdam tournament - the very same tournament that Andy Murray just won this weekend. While many spoke out in support of him, not a single player on tour protested by boycotting anything in support of Vilas, even though they were all doing the same thing.

This is right about the time when money in tennis began to explode, with players easily eclipsing six-digits in prize money for the most lucrative titles.

The last time anybody on the ATP put up a fight on anyone's behalf was 1973 when Niki Pilic (former German Davis Cup captain and an early coach of Novak Djokovic) was banned from Wimbledon after his refusing to play Davis Cup for Yugoslavia. 81 of the top 128 players in the world boycotted Wimbledon that year, including the defending champion Stan Smith, who's probably about the nicest guy ever to play tennis (maybe him and Barry McKay) and who probably cost himself a second Wimbledon title. Some pretty good players joined him, including Arthur Ashe, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe and Roy Emerson just to name a few. It could be argued that they did it for selfish reasons as well - I mean if Yugoslavia could do it to Pilic, who's to say Tennis Australia or the USTA couldn't have done it to them as well? But somehow, after all those years playing professionally, or playing for daily allowances, I doubt their reasons were entirely ego-centric - not 81 players anyway.

Now that was a union.

And there were some ignominious absentees from the band of brothers who apparently didn't see it the way the aforementioned stalwarts did. Ilie Nastase, who probably needed the money for current or future alimony, an 18-year old Bjorn Borg who probably didn't give a hoot, and a 21-year Jimmy Connors, who definitely didn't give a hoot, all played that year - and perhaps poetically all lost. In any case, aside from Emerson, there's probably never been a player who has been so lowly regarded for winning Wimbledon as Jan Kodeš. A good player who never won another Slam in his career, Kodes, it's worth pointing out, probably couldn't have boycotted if he wanted; just 5 years removed from Russian tanks rolling through Prague and an oppressive regime tapping their phone lines and harassing them for their prize-money (and by harassing, I mean threatening their family members).


Kodeš holds his Wimbledon trophy aloft in the year of The Strike

Irony of ironies: Vijay Armitraj, one of the most successful Indian tennis players in history, played Wimbledon that year. He was just 20 years old, was an up-and-coming player, and lost in the quarterfinal to the eventual champion Kodeš, who was seeded 2nd - his highest ever seeding.

A year later, in 1974, as India was on the verge of its first and only Davis Cup final victory, against South Africa, their tennis federation forfeited the final in protest against apartheid. It remains the only time in the history of the cup that the final has been forfeited.

Armitraj was so upset with the federation that he threatened to quit Davis Cup altogether. He didn't, and had to wait another 13 years before he participated in another Davis Cup final. By then, long past his prime, he lost 1 live rubber to Anders Jarryd and one dead rubber to Mats Wilander. Karma? Who knows...

By 1988 Armitraj had refused several opportunities to play exhibitions in South Africa for political reasons, so it just goes to show you that sometimes, even a man with every reason to take a stand, who has to be dragged kicking and screaming to do so, can eventually come around. So while it may be stupefyingly naive of me to wish that tennis millionaires today would be willing to do the right thing and boycott Dubai, it is not without precedent.

Apparently the wealthy athletes of today, like many wealthy people in society, have no interest in preserving any union.

The Gray Lady Sounds Off

That's right. The backlash against Dubai for denying Shahar Pe'er a visa to participate in this week's events has found its way into the New York Times. Money quote:

But the women should collectively recognize how dangerous a precedent it would be to finesse this issue, compromise in the interests of maintaining a prize revenue stream, even in the face of global recession.

For one thing, tennis does big business in American markets — think New York, Los Angeles and Miami — with large Jewish populations. The men, who follow the women to Dubai next week, may want to remember that, too, along with the companies that sponsor these events.

Quote For The Day

"We are deeply disappointed by the decision of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) denying Shahar Peer a Visa that would permit her to enter the country to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships. Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right. Following various consultations, the Tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week, pending further review by the Tour’s Board of Directors. Ms. Peer and her family are obviously extremely upset and disappointed by the decision of the UAE and its impact on her personally and professionally, and the Tour is reviewing appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer and also will review appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour believes very strongly, and has a clear rule and policy, that no host country should deny a player the right to compete at a tournament for which she has qualified by ranking."--Larry Scott

Something tells me Scott isn't going to do jack. Like he's going to mess with all that money.

Quote For The Day II

“I have nothing to do with this. I’m Shahar Peer. I came here to play tennis. I know I’m from Israel and I’m proud of my country and that playing tennis is what I’m going to do tomorrow,” -- Shahar Pe'er, on resisting protesters calls to pull out of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

Heard Around - Middle Sunday

by Savannah



So the Brits, hidebound and hemmed in by tradition, schedule no play this Sunday. This helps maintain the fiction that the tournament is thirteen days - Monday is officially Day 7- for who knows what reason. I'm sure some of us could get into a debate about the relationship between Wimbledon and the Summer Solstice but this is a tennis blog.

Moving on the chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), one Mr. Roger Draper, has backtracked on the stated goal of LTA president Stuart Smith original goal of Britain having five players in the top 100 of the sport by 2008. That goal has now been pushed back to 2010. Sometimes people make interesting statements when their backs are against the wall. Consider this one from Mr. Draper.

Continue reading...

All About Race

Yes, it's Black History Month, but the issues Savannah writes about with clarity and insight in her latest Heard Around aren't contained to one month of the calendar. Here's but one example:

A widely read American tennis blogger Peter Bodo posted a column comparing what is characterized as the calm cool demeanor and play of Northern European Roger Federer to what he classifies as the thoughtless, animalistic play of Rafael Nadal. Nadal is described as not using too much strategy when on court while Federer is described as a clinician, someone who is always thinking. Guess this guy doesn’t know much about clay court play where Nadal is a genius at constructing points, something American players seem to not be able to do too well. Someone who has made two Wimbledon finals, the latest after a three peat at the clay majors leading up to it, made the semi’s of Australia and won Indian Wells last year is simply an instinctual player according to this blogger.

(...)

When a respected blogger posts about a players “animalistic” demeanor on court isn’t he responsible for an alleged tennis fan posting that said player is a “wild animal”?

Read the rest and have your say.