"I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Sir Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill
I had been meaning to do a WIUW piece on Kuzzie for a while but I honestly kept thinking she'd get it together. And it looked like she had over the past two weeks, at least making it to finals before losing easily and rather spectacularly to players she should at least be able to take to three sets.
But then today she lost to Peppermint Patty in the second round of Stuttgart. How she can lose to Patty is beyond me. Sveta has the better serve, better return, better net work, more power, and is as athletic as anyone. But what's with that head of hers?
Well my procrastination has paid off becaues Steve Tignor laid out in really nice fashion the Spectacular Case of the Headcasey Headscratcher. It's a great read. In my very humble opinion, he nails the technical flaws in Kuzzie's game which I've always had a problem with: that whippy Spanish forehand and her abundance of athleticism. She, like Serena, is so darn athletic that she doesn't need to be all that technically sound to beat lower ranked players. But against the top girls, it just doesn't cut it and her failure in footwork is exposed.
My favorite tidbit:
The only Russian woman to reach No. 1 is Sharapova, but like I said she’s at least half-American, especially in the way she takes success as her right, as the product of her will. In fact, the only year-end WTA No. 1s from the Eastern bloc, Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles, are American citizens
Success as her right. I love that.
