Forty Deuce

The Battle For #1

 
Well, this has shaped up nicely.

What really pleased me tonight was the quality of play in both matches.  Let's start with the first semifinal.  Serena and Lena came out a little nervy in the first few games, but by 4-all in their shoulders opened up and they really started hitting the ball and moving well.  In the end the match was decided at the service line.  Lena doublefaulted at key points in the match, and Serena was Serena, blasting serves and playing very contained tennis.  It was a really mature match from Serena.  This is her third straight Grand Slam final (and this woman's not #1 yet?).

It's a tough loss for Lena.  She came in with a three match win streak against Serena (including the absolute spanking in Sydney just two week ago), undefeated for the year, and the in form player of the tournament.  She had a really great chance to pick up her first major here.  But high pressure situations reveal a player's strengths and flaws, and Lena's serve just sputtered a bit when she needed it most, allowing Serena to get offensive from the first strike and run Lena ragged.

 
All that being said, this was a great showcase for Serena.  It wasn't impressive in a "holy crap she killed that ball" kind of way, but it was scary composed.  And you get the feeling that she still has at least 2 more gears she could kick it in if needed.  She's looking really good to make this odd year a Serena year.

And then there's Baby Sister, who finally stepped up her game and played a dominating match.  All credit to Bepa, she somehow stayed in the match, aided by 41 UFEs off Dina's racquet.  But those errors were more indicative of Dina's aggressiveness than Bepa's play.  Dina was absolutely crushing the ball with purpose, moving poor Bepa around the court at will.  Her shots were deep, heavy, and just punishing.  Bepa couldn't handle the pace and left balls shorter and shorter, and Dina kept cracking.  It was impressive.

BTW -- I'm just throwing this out there.  Dina's having an awfully Ana 2007-08 run, no?  Wins Berlin, loses the RG final, loses a bunch of weight in the off-season, and now into the AO final.  Hopefully for her it ends better than Ana's AO.

So the winner will be the new #1.  Could it be that order is slowly being restored in the WTA?  I don't know what I'm going to do with myself if that's the case.

Casper Books It

Shhhh...Don't scare the ghost...

Bepa the Baker destroyed Mono, winning 63 60 in about an hour.  She looked sharp, that's for sure.

She'll play the winner of tonight's Dokic/Dinara match.

Shhh....Someone's Still In...

[whispers]She beat Nads.  She's playing REALLY well.  She plays Mono next.  Don't tell Pierce Brosnan.[/whispers] 

Shhh....Don't Tell Anyone

Bepa the Baker has been quietly destroying the field, leaving baked good wherever she goes.  She beat Sara Errani today 64 61.  She'll face Nads in the next round and is on a collision course with JJ.

But seriously, keep it on the down low.  No need to scare the Ghost.

Noah's Bagels Called. They'd Like To Work Out a Deal.

Please, Bepa, don't hurt 'em.  Double bagel in your second round match?  That's a statement.  Hopefully JJ's paying attention.

Caro and Nads are also through easily.  Caro took out Ruano Pascal, 3 and 3, and Nads ousted Sania (sad face), 3 and 2.  Doesn't look like she's suffering any ill effects of the viral menge.  Good for her.

 

The Cone also through easily, dishing out a baguette and bagel to Petkovic.  And Dani had to fight a bit, but finally took it in three over the weird serving Johansson, 63 46 63. 

It's so amazing with Dani how obviously mental her game is.  Good memories bring good results for her.  How can you explain her two wins at Indian Wells and now, at the tourney where she reached the semis, she's actually progressing through her draw.  This from a woman who we're used to seeing lose before the third round at Tier II tournaments.  Good for her.  Hopefully this is a signal of things to come for her season.

Shocker: Fed T-Shirt is Very Nice and Classy. My Apathy Continues

Listen up, Fed Fans.  Get em while they're hot.  Nike Dri Fit t-shirts with your lovely Fed subtely emblazoned (if that's possible) on the chest.  $30 at Midwest Sports.

But why'd they have to make it so boring?  I mean, is there a more nondescript, apathetic, Swiss color than charcoal?  One Ball Armstrong gets bright yellow and Fed gets grey?

And then there's the picture.  I would so buy one of these had they used a better picture. 

To wit:

Say it with me people.  UPGRADE.

But if this Nike shirt is starting a trend, may I perhaps make some humble suggestions to Nike,  Adidas and K Swiss regarding some other players?

 

  

Pic This: Holy Crap! Everyone Looks Good!

Pics from the Sydney Medibank Player's Party.

 
 




But the winner, and still Heavyweight Champion of the World:

Hummuna hummuna hummuna.

There Must Be Some Toros In The Atmosphere

The JB Group Classic exhibition in Hong Kong officially got underway today, and Team Russia fired the first shot.  Bepa beat Zheng 76(3) 64 and Chakky beat Sania 64 64.  Bepa's match was appanrently a break-a-thon, with 13 breaks of service.

In the doubles match, Team Europe beat Team America 64 75.

I think it's hilarious that JJ makes the Burrito look like a midget.  On, and JJ?  Just because you leave the stencil off doesn't mean we don't know it's still a Prince.  Nice to see her back in the shorts though.  She's one of the few that can pull off the on-court shorts look.

World War III. Of Course JJ's Involved.

Uh...where's Venus?

The JB Group Classic exhibition is set to officially kick off on Wednesday with Team Russia vs. Team Asia/Pacific and Team Americas vs. Team Europe.

But before the official start of the exo, the "Stars of Tomorrow" (no pressure) played two exhibition matches.  Coco Vandeweghe beat the Burrito in three sets, 36 63 64, and Zhang Lin beat Alexandra Panova, 57 63 10-8.  Nice win for CoCo.

More pics from the players' gathering:

Note to JJ.  Never EVER turn your back on Chakky.  She will cut you.  And then seduce the PI she hires to investigate your murder.


I kinda want to see a knife fight between these two. 

Zheng Jie is adorable.  I just want to pick her up and put her in my pocket.  I do not want to do the same with JJ.  If I did put her in my pocket she would probably disintegrate into a handful of glitter.  And that shit is a pain to clean out of your pockets.

Future stars?  Pavlova looks like Nads' cuter kid sister.

Since When Does Agi Have An "Ever Present Smile"?

Matt Cronin previews 2009 for the ladies:

1. Jelena Jankovic: Let's begin with the positives: Jankovic became the first Serbian in history to end the year at No. 1 and really went hard after the top ranking following Wimbledon. Even though she frequently complains about nagging injuries, she shows up week after week and punches the time clock, mostly with a positive attitude. She is by no means a standout No. 1, but she's a terrific defensive player who can capably mix in high-octane offense. Jankovic does have the tools to win her first major and could do so in 2009, but she cannot afford to play scared at crunch time like she did in Paris and New York.


2. Serena Williams: For those who have closely followed the younger Williams' career, 2008 is the season where she deserved the heartiest pats on the back, as she drove herself harder than she ever has in order to snare another major title. After eight months of fits and starts and some extremely tough losses, all her hard work paid off when she won her third U.S. Open title. Williams all but packed it in after that, but with a continued commitment she should win her 10th Slam in '09. If she does, she will all but have sewed up the unofficial title of being the best player of an extremely good generation.
   
   
3. Dinara Safina: A tremendous four-month stretch that included runs to the French Open and Olympic finals and titles in Berlin, Los Angeles, Montreal showed that in tip-top shape, the tall Russian is capable of great things. But while she picked up her chin at some of the year's biggest events, she also fell short, which indicates that she's not bubbling with self-belief yet. Without question, she has the on-court tools to go a step further in 2009. Now it's up to Safina to take a page from her Slam-winning brother Marat's book and close the deal.
   
   
4. Elena Dementieva:  She finally achieved one of her biggest goals by winning the Olympic gold medal, but at the age of 27, the fleet Russian likely doesn't have more than two years to meet her other two goals, reaching No. 1 and winning a Slam. Dementieva showed in Beijing that she is capable of both accomplishments, but she has to put her nose and mind to the grindstone for an extended period next year if she doesn't want to retire a barely decorated competitor.
   
   
5. Ana Ivanovic:  The sweet-as-pie Serbian roared out of the 2008 gates, reaching the Aussie Open final, winning Indian Wells and then her first major at the French Open. Then, it appeared that she had finally reached her potential and would become a more consistent player. But after sustaining a thumb injury prior to Wimbledon, she collapsed mentally and wasn't really heard from until the end of the year, and even then, she did little to impress. There is no doubt that by improving her serve and coming to net more that Ivanovic could be a primetime contender at every Slam, but as bright as she is off court, she doesn't play smart nearly enough. Ivanovic must open her mind to new strategic possibilities in 2009.
   
   
6. Venus Williams:  It's a virtual toss-up between Venus and her sister Serena for Player of the Year honors, but by winning her fifth Wimbledon title at the season-ending WTA Championships in Doha, Venus grabbed two of the year's six biggest crowns, which no other player was able to do. Week to week, the 28-year-old is no longer a dominant player, but when she's healthy and employing her spiced-up net attack, she's as good, if not better, than any player on the planet. But it would be nice to see her win another hard-court Slam, a feat that has eluded her since 2001.
   
   
7. Vera Zvonareva:  One of five Russians in the top 10, Zvonareva rediscovered her love of competition and fought as hard as she ever has in her career in 2008. Somewhat introverted, she has no love of the biggest stages, but she's a ferocious inside-the-baseliner and can take down any elite competitor when she's not being touted as the favorite. Next year will tell the tale as to whether she can withstand the pressure of being an elite player again.
   
   
8. Svetlana Kuznetsova:  A truly disappointing year for the 2004 U.S. Open champ, who ended the year without a title and then waved goodbye to her longtime coaches at Spain's Sanchez-Casal academy. Now she has gone back to her Russian roots by returning home in the offseason and hiring Olga Morozova to coach her. Hopefully, Morozova will be able to pull the self-confidence that Kuznetsova has been sorely lacking out of her student's stubborn head.
   
   
9. Maria Sharapova:  A season which began brilliantly with her third Grand Slam title at the Aussie Open, an astounding first appearance on the Russian Fed Cup team and her first clay-court title in Amelia Island ended miserably when Sharapova suffered a tear in her right rotator cuff and was unable to compete past the first week of August. The only positive that might arrive from being unable to serve during much of the fall is that she'll be forced to improve her all-around game. But if the world's most endorsable women's athlete doesn't come back at full strength or very near to it and is unable dominate in her service games, she'll be hard-pressed to snare the No. 1 ranking, or even win another major. She's an incredible fighter and manages the court better than she used, but she's for all intents and purposes a power player and given that she's not particularly fast or durable, it's hard to see Sharapova remaining a super-elite player by contesting long, exhausting rallies from the baseline. But if her shoulder does heal, grant her another Slam title in 2009.
   
   
10. Agnieszka Radwanska:  The only teenager in the top 10, this creative and scrappy Pole is much tougher inside than her ever-present smile would indicate. She doesn't have huge overall weapons, but Radwanska plays smart, is very steady and understands her weaponry. At this point it doesn't look like she's Slam-winning material, but if she can grow in confidence and hit out on key shots, a visit to the top five isn't out of the question in 2009.

Will Russia Roll In Hong Kong?

Here are the details for the JB Group Classic, which is set to take place in Hong Kong on January 7-10:

Global Team Event headed up by Stars – Jankovic, Sharapova, Williams & Zheng Jie

(Hong Kong, November 27th, 2008) Organisers announced today a star-studded line up to take part in the J B • GROUP Classic 2009, a World Team Challenge.
 
The Hong Kong Tennis Patrons’ Association (HKTPA) recently created a new concept for their January Event. The J B • GROUP Classic will feature teams from four regions of the globe, Team Europe, Team Russia, Team Americas and Team Asia Pacific. There are 3 players to each team and full details of each team and the format were announced today.
 
Team Europe
Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) – World No. 1
Agnes Szavay (Hungary) – China Open Champion 2007
Michelle Larcher De Brito (Portugal) – Portuguese No. 1

Team Russia
Maria Sharapova (Russia) – Australian Open Champion 2008
Vera Zvonareva (Russia) – World No. 7
Alexandra Panova (Russia) – Star of the Future

Team Americas
Venus Williams (USA) – Wimbledon Champion 2008
Gisela Dulko (Argentina) – South American No. 1
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) – US Open Junior Champion 2008
    
Team Asia Pacific
Zheng Jie (China) – Wimbledon Semi finalist 2008
Sania Mirza (India) –Indian No. 1
Zhang Ling (Hong Kong) – Hong Kong No. 1

The Hong Kong Tennis Patrons’ Association released details of the Tournament Format and Draw for the J B • GROUP Classic 2009 World Team Challenge.
 
The Semi Finals
Team Russia play Team Asia Pacific 
AND
Team Americas play Team Europe
 
Each semi final will consist of 2 singles matches and 1 doubles match. Winners of the two semi finals go into the J B Gold Group Final and Losers go into the J B Silver Group Final where they will play to determine the Champions of both groups.
 
In the J B Gold Group, the winners of the J B • GROUP Classic 2009 will be determined by a round of 5 matches consisting of 4 singles matches and a doubles match, just like the Davis or Federation Cups.

That's a damn strong Russian team.  They should steamroll Asia into the final.

The most intriguing match-up?  Venus/Coco vs. JJ/Burrito.  That should be a fun one to watch if only for JJ's reaction upon hearing Burrito's epic squeal/grunt/scream.  I can hear her in my head saying "Oh my God.  You gotta be kidding me.  What the hell is that?"

The Queen Lives On

I don't always root for Venus Williams, though I find myself doing it more and more as she (and I) get older.  But then I see pics like this and with that smile and that genuine display of grace and power, I always chide myself for not rooting for her.  She's so great.

In what was, at times, an exciting, tense, breathtaking, and unwatchable match, Venus survived some bad luck in the first set to eventually dust Bepa, 67(5) 60 61, to capture her first YEC title.

What?  Unwatchable?  Whatever could I mean?




"I see your true colors shining through.  I see your true colors and that's why I love you, so don't be afraid to let it show."

Oh Bepa.  To your credit you kept it together for four matches.  But it all came spiraling out of control in the fifth and most iomportant one against the most difficult opponent.  I hope to all heck she has a good team around her that can tell her, in between handing her boxes of tissue and dodging coasters and pens, that she has no reason to hide under that ratty-ass Abercrombie visor of hers.  She proved the critics wrong and she showed the top players that she can play.  She should bring some good momentum into Australia in 2009.

But the day, and the huge winner's check, belongs to Venus.  What a great tournament by her, beating Dinara, Elena, Serena, JJ, and Bepa on her way to the title.  Thanks for making the POY discussion even tougher, Venus. 

There's Gonna Be A Lot Of Leftover Guac To Eat.

Pics from the Pajama Party/End of the Year Player Party. 
 

Where is everybody?  Oh, hail no.  First Lady Dinara went through a lot of effort to put this party together and not even Lena or JJ show up?  Y'all made a big mistake.  Dinara's so gonna pull a Kelly Kapoor on you next year. 

Watch your backs.

There's A Reason We Call Her The Queen

Coincidence or not, it's still pretty funny.

Well JJ continues to perplex everyone.  Lindsay picked her to win, they spent a good amount of time talking about how great her game is today, and then she goes and loses to Venus.  Now, as we all know, a loss to Venus is typically a "good loss".  But JJ will be kicking herself about this one because she had multiple chances to get that break back in the third set, but she just couldn't convert and Venus went on to win 6-2 2-6 6-3.

This match pretty much boiled down to the fifth game in the third set, which lasted for over 20 minutes and saw JJ fail to convert on any of her five break chances.  When Venus held and went up 4-2, she just tightened up her game and fought off the ever so peristent JJ, who to her credit, never gave up.

Meanwhile, The Destiny Train steams into the finals.

Bepa outgutted and outlasted Lena D., and booked herself a spot in to the YEC final after a three set headcasey nail-biter, winning 7-6 3-6 6-3.  There was much screaming, collapsing, head bashing, and almost rending of garments, but in the third set, Vera buckled down and held her nerve.  Well, held her nerve compared to Lena.  It's all relative.

And so it'll be Venus vs. Bepa, the final YEC qualifiers.  You have to put your money on Venus, but my heart will stick with Bepa. 

Introducing Bepa The Serb Slayer. You Have Been Warned.

In.  Tree.  Ging.

I'll be honest.  With Serena's loss yesterday I had already booked JJ into the finals.  But then Bepa the Serb Slayer showed up and somehow worked JJ over for a three set win, 26 63 64.  Now I know that some people might say,  "JJ was saving her energy and this was a dead rubber anyway."  But you have to think JJ's team knew that a loss meant playing Venus in the semifinals.  Though, given the fact that JJ beat Venus just a few weeks ago, maybe her camp is thinking that it would be better to play Venus in the semis than Serena (remember, word of Serena's withdrawal hadn't hit yet).  Maybe that's a good strategy.  But then again, if it was, JJ would have just lost in straight sets like Masha did a few years ago, in order to conserve her energy for the semifinals.

Once again though, congrats to Bepa, who is showing more and more mental fortitude with each match.  I've always liked the Bepster, so this is great.  Her reward?  A very winnable match against Lena D for a spot in the finals.

Note to Ana: Not All Streaks Are Good

Has someone given Tracy Austin the memo that Vera Zvonareva is probably going to qualify for the semis in Doha?  Or did someone tell Vera that Tracy thought she had no chance of winning this thing?  Either way, Bepa's here, has no fear, get used to it.  She beat Ana today, 63 67(5) 64.

I missed the first two sets but it looks like Bepa simply outgutted Baby E for this match.  Ana had numerous chances in this match, but she looked sluggish, her footwork wasn't there, and she went for too much at the wrong times.  She really should have had that third set, but a missed forehand swing volley here, and a missed forehand return there, pretty much showed everyone that she's still lacking confidence.  That she's thinking too much out there. 

And all credit to Vera.  I really thought she would self-destruct.  And Casper definitely toed the line.  But she regrouped and held it together and is looking like she's on her way to quailfy for the semis.

As for Ana, she ended her three match winning streak against Bepa and now has a two match losing streak of her own to deal with.  She's got Kuznetsova on Friday, in what will be a match for pride both players.  Here's hoping she can end her season on a win and not a loss.

Oh yeah, Dick in a Box was in the crowd again today and thankfully, he left his phone at the hotel.  Tomorrow's AI's 21st birthday.  Maybe he can take her mind of things.

Doha: Wednesday OOP and H2H Stats

Play starts at 9am EST

1.  Ana vs. Bepa

2.  Elena vs. Venus

3.  Serena vs. Dinara

 

What The Hail Did They Do To Sveta?

What is the WTA's thought process here?

• Let's put Ana in a toga
• Let's get a crack whore off the street to stand in for Sveta
• Let's hide Serena behind said crack whore
• Let's annoy the crap out of JJ by putting Ana in the middle again
• Let's wrap Elena D. in a towel
• Let's hide Dinara's face so no one can recognize her

Check.  Check.  Check.  Check.  Check.  Check.

Doha: Tuesday Head to Head Stats

                               
   

                   

                          

Upon Further Review There Is Some Serious Monet Action Going On In Doha

Ok, Dinara you're looking good.  At least today you dressed appropriately and covered up your ridiculous tan lines.  I do feel like you're rocking the heroin chic look (can't you just hear Fiona Apple's "Criminal" playing in the background?) but whatever, it's cute.

But WHAT IS UP WITH THE COON EYES???  You really shouldn't have let JJ do your eye make-up at the Pajama Party. 

That was a rookie mistake.  Just because she's #1 in tennis doesn't mean she's #1 in eye makeup advice.  Also, I'm still really disturbed by the fact that JJ didn't look great at these pressers.  Her hair is all frizzed out, her makeup looks horrible, she's brushed her bangs into her eyes, and her cheeks look swollen.  She has one of the best bodies on the tour yet she dressed in a yellow potato sack yesterday and then today she's all bundled up in a trench coat.  WTF?

This was supposed to be your coming out party, JJ!  You have not acquitted yourself well.  Fail.

Speaking of "Fail", what the eff is going on with Kuzzie's brows? 

I know there's a "carpet matching the drapes" joke in here but I'm much to classy and sophisticated to make it.  Yup, too classy to go there. 

And as for Serena?  Let's just say she's had a rough few days on this blog:

She's knows Halloween is over, right?  So then why is she doing her makeup like the Joker?  Here's a tip: Lipstick goes ON THE LIPS, not around them.

The only girls that look good up close are Ana, Elena, Venus, and Bepa.  And that's because they're not wearing that much makeup at all.

 

The Ladies Clean Up For Doha Presser

Well apparently Larry Scott did circulate a memo this time as all the Doha ladies put their track suits away and actually attended a presser all glammed up.  You wonder why the WTA doesn't make them do this all the time?  Because they all looked pretty good (well...almost all).

 

UPDATED: JJ, Lena, and Bepa Land in Doha (WILLIAMSES TOO)

And from Baby E's site, she's been training in nearby Dubai (seriously, she's just copying Roger to a tee, huh?) and will head to Doha tonight.  Still no word on when the Williamses will be touching down.

UPDATED:

Venus and Serena are in Doha.  Ana will be the last to arrive.

Baby E vs. Bepa: Match Highlights

You it's going to be a bad day when Ana's cracking her backhand like this.

Pic This: Too. Many. Jokes. Can't. Pick. One.

"Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters!"

 
Two very different roads to the finals, but hey, a final it is.  Bepa manhandled a very exhausted Mono, 60 62.  Bepa is playing with such confidence and conviction, it's really great to see.  For whatever reason, I've always had a soft spot for her, so I'm psyched she's officially qualified for Doha. 

As for Ana, it was a typical Ana.  Absolutely on fire in the first set, let down in the second set, and a grind out third set.  She served horribly throughout the match (37% in the first set!) but when it counted in the third set and she absolutely had to hold, she didn't miss a first serve.  No doubt she's going to need to pick it up against Bepa.  Agi also deserves some props.  This is the best I've seen her play since Eastbourne.  Hopefully she uses the off season to work on her fitness.  She needs to get stronger.

One more note about the Ana/Agi match.  Why, oh why, can Ana not play aggressively ALL THE TIME.  There were flashes of that killer/angry instinct and then something would go wrong and she'd get distracted and have a let down.  Also, Ana had some great net play in the first and second set, but then she got tenative and stayed on the baseline in the third.  I have a feeling that of all the top players, Ana will benefit the most from on-court coaching next year. 

Linzy Ladies

There are three intriguing storylines going into the Generali Ladies Linz Tourney:

1. Can Ana Ivanovic continue her improved quality and win the tournament?
2. Can A-Rad keep her hopes alive for the YECs by winning this tourney PLUS Quebec City?
3. If A-Rad can't qualify, will Bepa and Venus be seeded 7th and 8th, or 8th and 7th?

Considering the quality that Baby E displayed in Zurich, you have to think this is her tournament to win.  If she plays the way she played against Venus, it's in the bag.  But the good people of Linz haven't made it easy for her, as the draw is surprisingly unbalanced. 

In Ana's half of the draw: Mama Bammer, Tranny, Domi, Agnes, Flav, A-Rad, Kanepi, Srebotnik, and Nads.  In Bepa's half: Stosur, MaKiri, Zheng, Cornet, Schnyder, Paszek, Airon Woman, and Mono.  But hey, like I always say, you want to be considered the best?  Then you gotta beat whoever is in your way.  Go Ana?

As for A-Rad, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that she's not going to qualify for the YEC, which is suprising in many ways.  But she hasn't had the greatest season in light of the promise she displayed last year.  Here's hoping it's just a matter of growing up, maturing, and getting into the physical shape she needs to compete with the big girls.  There's no reason she can't be the next JJ.

Even though Bepa and Venus will almost assuredly qualify, this week's results could still affect the YECs, particulary in how the pools will set up.  The way the YECs work is that the eight players get divided into two groups and those groups engage in round robin play, with the top two players in each group continuing to the semifinals.  The pools are determined not by random draw (which would be interesting) but by your actual ranking (not your Race ranking).

So as of right now, the pools break up like this:
Group A: JJ, Serena, Elena, and the #7 player (currently Venus)
Group B: Dinara, Ana, Sveta, and the #8 player (currently Bepa)

UPDATE: Thanks to Kiki for her awesome research skills.  The groups are actually determined by random draw after the first two seeds are placed in opposite groups:

(i) Seeds 3 and 4 (place 1st drawn seed in Group A and remaining seed in Group B).
(ii) Seeds 5 and 6 (place 1st drawn seed in Group A and remaining seed in Group B).
(iii) Seeds 7 and 8 (place 1st drawn seed in Group A and remaining seed in Group B)

So since the seeds are already decided, this means while we don't know how the groups will shake out, we do know that certain players won't be in the same group:  JJ and Dinara, Serena and Ana, Lena and Sveta, and Vera and Venus.

If Bepa makes it into the final at Linz, she will overtake Venus and become the #7 player.  Now, if Bepa's coach wanted to get cheeky, he'd tell her not to get past the semis.  I mean, come on, do you really want to be in the group with JJ and Serena?

Boy, the YECs are gonna be FUN. 

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Why?  Why would you do that?  Do you kick puppies, too?

There is no joy in Mudville.

Bepa beat our hero Dinara in straight sets 62 76(5) to reach her first Kremlin Cup final.  I'm so sad.  I mean, I like Bepa, I feel for our headcasey little Casper, and this is a great result for what has been, overall, a fantastic year for her.  But there's no way she has the skills, firepower, or wherewithall to beat JJ.

Who won in three sets with a scoreline that can only occur in a match between the Drama Queen and the Demented one.  Check it out: 06 61 60.

What.  The.  Fudge. 

I guess I can't completely write off Casper.  She did push JJ to the brink last week with two very close hotly contested tiebreak sets.  But it'll be a pretty big task to stop the Glitter Train.  She is in the zone.  Well, as in the zone as one can be when you're constantly being pushed to three sets. 

Russian Roulette

Got a bagel for that finger?  CrazySexyCool keeps it interesting, that's for sure.  He beat Julian Benneteau 64 06 62.  What happened there, dude?  Fall asleep for 20 minutes?  Sheesh.

Other scores:
[1] N Davydenko (RUS) d G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 61 61
[4] P Mathieu (FRA) d D Sela (ISR) 67(3) 75 76(0)
[7] M Safin (RUS) d J Benneteau (FRA) 64 06 62
V Troicki (SRB) d [8] J Tipsarevic (SRB) 63 64
M Zverev (GER) d T Gabashvili (RUS) 62 26 61
I Kunitsyn (RUS) d R Ginepri (USA) 64 63

As for the ladies, it was a good day to be a headcase.  Casper took a whippin' stick to SuperGirl, beating her 61 60 in 51 minutes.  Though that's what happens when you're hitting shots like this: 

Does anyone else find it interesting that the Russians play so darn well at the Kremlin Cup?  I would think that it would be too much pressure for these headcasey players to take, but they absolutely dominate it.  It's a peculiar phenomenon.

As for the rest of the ladies, JJ had a nervy one but won in three sets, Ski Boots had to retire in the second set to Nads, 6-4, 3-2, due to an upper respiratory illness, and Flava Flav continued her march to the quarterfinals.

OOP for Friday:

Centre Court (from 11.00hrs)
1. Dementieva vs. Petrova
2. ATP: Zverev vs. Troicki (NB 13.00hrs)
3. Jankovic vs. Pennetta (NB 15.00hrs)
4. Kuznetsova vs. Safina (NB 16.30hrs)
5. ATP: Davydenko vs. Safin (NB 18.00hrs)
6. ATP: Kunitsyn vs. Chardy

Court 1 (from 13.00hrs)
1. Zvonareva vs. Cibulkova
2. ATP: Santoro vs. Mathieu

Three Big All-Russian matches tomorrow: Lena/Nads, Kuz/Dinara, Kolya/Marat.  Poor Bepa.  You get relegated to Court 1 along with two Frenchies.  Indeed, you are invisible.

Moscow Player Party Pics -- Who died?

What's with all the black, ladies?  And seriously, a little bronzer on the feet never hurt nobody.  Y'all need to try it.

(Pics from Tennis Forum and Mens Tennis Forum)

UPDATED: Spanish Dudes LOVE Ana Ivanovic.

Disco Tommy, Rafa, and now Tabasco?  At this point it's just comical. 

Hee.  This collage of pictures just makes me giggle.  All power to ya, Fernando.  Oh, and Sveta, take a hint.  Third wheel, much?

UPDATED: Seriously, Nando was spitting some SERIOUS game. 

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Dude!  Baby Elephant's just trying to grub.  Leave the girl alone!

But really, how was he supposed to resist this delicate non-asian flower?

UPDATED: Don't you love how Ana runs away from boys and JJ just strips around them?

The Serbian Sisters in a nutshell.

 

More pictures from the "Opening Ceremonies" of the China Open, which was decidedly less fireworky, gymnasticy, and lip syncy than the actual Opening Ceremonies.  But it does look like the participants had way more fun (UPDATED with more pics):

And I normally don't post watermarked pictures on this site, but I just couldn't help it.  This one just warms my heart:

Trophy Sunday: Russians Rule Asia. Again.

 
Winning sure is boring the bejeezus out of Baby Beluga.  That's like, the most effusive picture I could find.  Of course, it's hard to get super excited when you destroy your compatriot 61 63 in the Tokyo final to now bring your win stats to 41 of your last 46 matches.  Tennis Channel isn't airing the final until 2pm PST, but I'm just going to guess that her serve was on fire again.

For Sveta it's all about perspective.  Glass half full: First final since Indian Wells, and had to beat JJ to get there.  Glass half empty: Yet another final that she has lost.  She is now 0 for 4 for the year and 1 for 9 in finals over the last two years, with her one win coming from retirement.

And in Guangzhou, Bepa continued her fine form, taking the title over Shuai Peng, 67(4) 60 62.  So for the second month in a row, the Russians stake their claim to Asia.  Let's see what happens next week in Beijing.

 

"Hasta La Vista, Baby."

Team Russia rolled today, jumping to a 2-0 lead behind decisive victories by Bepa and Sveta.  The Lady Spaniards tried their best but at the end of the day they were simply overpowered by the Russians.  A win in any of the three matches tomorrow will secure the title for the defending champs, which seems about right seeing as how they are the most powerful nation in women's tennis right now.

The Russians are coming, the Russians are comi.....oh no wait. They're here.

Congratulations to Mother Russia on the sweep of the Ladies' Singles medals.  Lena and Dinara weren't surprises (though most probably thought their medals would be switched), but big ups to Bepa, who was a last minute addition to the Russian team when Masha pulled out with a shoulder injury.  She also benefited from being in Baby Panda's quarter of the draw, which was obviously weakened signficantly when she withdrew.  But all credit to her for keeping her composure (most of the time) and fighting her way to the bronze.  I really thought she was going to collapse against hometown favorite Li Na.  She came close (she won 60 75), but she pulled through. 

She definitely owes Masha a $5 Starbucks card.

Davai Russia!

It was a battle of Russians in one semifinal that saw Lena D. dispatch Casper the Crying Ghost.

This semifinal was of very high quality with great hitting from both players.  Good on Lena, though.  She's had a very solid year so far and now she'll get a chance to avenge her RG collapse against ...

What a nervy match.  Neither Dinara or Li Na played particularly well.  Dinara threw in DF after DF and every time you thought Li would would stop up and take advantage she crumbled, throwing in UFE after UFE.  To be honest, it was a hard match to watch, which was unfortunate. 

That being said, it was understandable.  Because the Dinara/JJ match was postponed a day, Li had a full day and a half to think about her incredible win over Venus.  As for Dinara, she may have to take the mantle of "Iron Woman" from Ai Sugiyama.  She was on court yesterday for over 2 hours against JJ, then had to turn around 3 hours later to play her doubles match, which saw her on court until 3am local time.  A little over 12 hours later she had to take the court for this SF.  So kudos to her for getting through.

But a great tournament from Li, who took out Kuzzie and Venus on her way to the SF.  For her to take the gold she would have had to go through the top 3 Russians anyway.  A tall task for a player that's just now finding her form after injury.

Anyway, no shocker here.  I'm rooting for Safina.  But whoever wins it'll be a feel good story.  Lena deserves some redemption and with her play the second half of this season she deserves a title (she's been derailed twice now by Safina, at Berlin and RG).  And Safina deserves the gold for her play over the past three months.  No one can argue about that.

Dinara in 3.  And for the record, I am rooting for a Russian sweep.  So go Casper!

Olympics Update: Bepa replaces Maria in Beijing. Rounds out Russian Crazy Train.

Vera Zvonereva will take Maria's spot on the four woman Russian team at the Olympics.  Between Kuzzie, Dementieva, Safina, and Bepa, that's a whole lot of crazy.

Also, the draw will be conducted this Thursday.

There's a reason why Masha and Ana made the Forbes top 10 list.

Girls be cleanin' up good. 

Some pictures from the Montreal players party below.  If you have about 15 minutes to kill, click here and you can watch all the players arrive.  Boy, WTA players come in all shapes and sizes.  Alisa Kleybanova is a big girl, Nikki V. looked liked she was going to prom, and it was very cute that Sybille Bammer brought her daughter.  And in the video you can tell that compared to Maria, Ana is a rookie.  You can physically feel her shyness through the camera.

Anyhoo, on to the pictures.

Masha looks fantastic.  She wasn't kidding when she said she loved menswear.  I could do without the leggings, but the blazer does look great.  So chic!  She looks like she works at an ad agency.

Ana looks great.  Doesn't she look like she works for Lucky or Teen Vogue or something?  I love her new haircut.  Makes her look more sophisticated while the dress still plays to  her "I'm so young and cute!" demographic.

Sveta, Elena D, and Elena Vesnina yukkin' it up in Russian.  Lena D looks ready for a night on the town.  Sveta looks like she's going to a Feist concert.  You can't see it in the picture but she's wearing some dirty white Cons.

Ana's potential QF opponent, Vera Zvonereva.  I have the number for a good tailor, honey.  Call me.

And Canada's Girl of the Month, Alexandra Wozniak, who, in an act so punk that Joey Ramone would bow down, refused to put bronzer on her ridiculous white feet.  You go, girl.

Pics courtesy of WTA Tennis Forums.

Bepa to K Swiss?

I'm sitting here, laptop on lap, Corgi on legs, watching the women's doubles final from Stanford and I just realized that Vera Zvonereva isn't wearing her usual Under Armour gear.  She's rocking some K Swiss duds and I must say, SHE LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER. The skirt is pleated and short, and she's rocking a simple white polo shirt and visor.  A quick Google images search leads me to believe that she switched right before the French Open. 

Here's hoping that K Swiss' Dri-Fit equivalent is specially designed to absorb an abundance of saline.