In the top half of the draw, world number one Wozniacki coasted into the round of 16.   Despite difficult challenges from Gisela Dulko and Dominika Cibulkova, the Dane has yet to drop a set.  Wozniacki will battle Latvian talent 20 year old Anastasija Sevastova  who stunned Yanina Wickmayer in the second round.

On the other hand, Henin, a finalist last year, was dismissed in the third round by Svetlana Kuznetsova.  The 2009 French Open champion who appears to be fitter than ever will face reigning French Open victor Francesca Schiavone in the fourth round.  The latter needed three sets in each of her first two rounds.

There will be no Williams hoisting the prize this year.  Venus was forced to retire one game into her third round match with Andrea Petkovic due to a pelvic muscle injury.  Consequently, Petkovic will clash with Maria Sharapova in the round of 16. Sharapova scraped by Julia Goerges in the previous round.  With Sharapova’s serve a continual sore spot, Petkovic has a golden opportunity to reach her first quarterfinal at a major.

Both Li Na and Victoria Azarenka have been unforgiving thus far with straight sets victories to get to the round of 16.  These two will now collide for a place in the quarterfinals.

In the bottom half of the draw, two big names are absent.  In the second round, Jelena Jankovic, the seventh seed, was ousted by Shuai Peng.  With a fourth round showing, this is Peng’s best performance at a major to date. The Chinese woman battles Agnieszka Radwanska next.  Radwanska overcame a tough first round tussle with Kimiko Date-Krumm.  For Radwanska and Peng, this will be a rematch of their 2010 U.S. Open second round where the latter was the winner.

The second player to make a shocking exit in that section was Samantha Stosur.  The Aussie who appeared unstoppable in her first two rounds was taken out by Petra Kvitova.  Kvitova will subsequently compete against Flavia Pennetta for a slot in the quarterfinals.

Despite being tested, world number two Vera Zvonareva remains in the hunt for her first major.  In the round of 16, Zvonareva will play veteran Iveta Benesova who downed teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenckova in the prior round.

After serving a bagel to former world number one Dinara Safina, Clijsters sailed through her second round encounter.  In the third round, Clijsters overcame resistance from Alize Cornet, pulling out a two sets win despite 13 winners and 41 errors.  In the round of 16, Clijsters should be back in cruise control as she squares off against Ekaterina Makarova who terminated Ana Ivanovic’s Australian Open hopes in the first round.

In spite of the mentioned third round lull, Clijsters is the favorite.  Wozniacki is a certain contender and has a good chance of seizing the big prize.  Two other candidates to strongly consider as possible trophy holders are Kuznetsova and Azarenka.  The dispute for the quarterfinal spots start tonight.

Whilst rain had been forecasted in Miami at the Sony Ericsson Open on Friday, what was unexpected was Novak Djokovic’s second round departure.  Olivier Rochus ousted the world number two 6-2,6-7,6-4.  Simultaneously on court 1, Caroline Wozniacki, the women’s number two, was on the verge of an early exit herself.  However, Wozniacki survived against Tsvetana Pironkova 3-6,6-3,6-4.

Rochus broke in the opening game.  After consolidating, Olivier placed a beautiful backhand down the line winner to set up triple break point.  Rochus converted a second break when Djokovic’s backhand sailed long.  After erasing a break point and extending his lead to 5-1, Rochus closed out the set his next time out.

In the second set, Rochus again obtained triple break point and with a backhand down the line winner took a 3-2 lead.  But, Djokovic got back on even terms promptly breaking the next game.  The set went to a tiebreaker where Rochus got ahead early on.  Yet, Djokovic weathered the storm and stole the set.

The decisive set, after holding serve, Rochus was gifted a double fault by Djokovic and broke for 2-1.  Then, by donating to his opponent a couple of errors, Rochus lost his edge. Soon though, Rochus worked his way to double break point and capitalized when Djokovic’s forehand traveled long. Later on, Rochus fought off a break point and stretched his advantage to 4-1.  After failing to secure the insurance break, serving at 5-3, Rochus committed a string of errors allowing Djokovic to stay in the match.  Still, with miscues by Djokovic, Rochus manufactured break point/match point.  Olivier pocketed the match when another Novak forehand went astray.

After the match, MiamiTennisNews inquired:
Q.  Were you having problems breathing on the court?  Looked like the conditions were a little bit heavy out there.
DJOKOVIC:  Yeah, it was a bit humid, but, you know, he was making me run a lot so points were really long.  That was exhausting.

Q.  You’ve been playing a lot of tennis.  Are you thinking of maybe rescheduling for the clay season?
DJOKOVIC:  I don’t know.  I will have more time now I guess to rest and prepare well for clay.

On to the ladies, after dropping the first set to Pironkova, Wozniacki was behind in the second set.  The world number two battled back and captured the break for 5-3.  Subsequently, Wozniacki held to push the match to a third set.

In the ultimate set, Pironkova got a break early on and consolidated for 3-0.  After finally getting on the board, Wozniacki earned triple break point and converted.  Later at 3 all, Wozniacki took a go ahead break for 4-3.  However, Pironkova fought back to 4 a piece.  But, a resilient Wozniacki manufactured another break point and put herself in front 5-4 when Pironkova’s forehand up the line sailed long.  Then, on her third match point, as a forehand from Pironkova landed wide, Wozniacki punched her ticket into the third round.

With the rain backlog, Kim Clijsters’ match originally scheduled on stadium court was bounced to an outer court.  Regardless, for Clijsters, it turned out to be a practice session with a 6-1,6-1 thumping of Petra Kvitova.  Like Clijsters, Vera Zvonareva put on a clinic against Melanie Oudin 6-1, 6-2. Maria Kirilenko crawled out of a 5-2 deficit in the third set against Melinda Czink to pilfer the match in the tiebreaker.  After losing the first set, Lucie Safarova seized the second set tiebreaker then rolled over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 4-6.7-6,6-2.  Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 22nd seed, continues to impress; the youngster beat Tamira Paszek  7-6,4-6,6-3 for a third round berth.   Before the rain came, Victoria Azarenka, the defending champion, had a 6-3,6-2 victory over Alexandra Dulgheru. Jelena Jankovic, Dominika Cibulkova, Elena Vesnina and Shahar Peer were straight sets winners.  Samatha Stosur was pushed to a third set by Carla Suarez Navarro and made it through.

Elena Dementieva, the 5th seed, suffered her 11th defeat to Justine Henin 6-3,6-2. Alisa Kleybanova, the 24th seed, fell to Sara Errani 6-4,7-5 while Jie Zheng, seeded 20th, was upset by Virginie Razzano in straight sets.  For Alize Cornet, it was another disappointing tournament with an early ousting, this time by Francesca Schiavone.  Schiavone prevailed 6-3,6-2.  After being on the road six weeks and some heartbreaking losses, Cornet’s 2010 record is now 6-9.

MiamiTennisNews wanted to know about Cornet’s state of mind:

Q. You look physically tired, are you also mentally tired?
CORNET:  Maybe a little, it’s already many weeks that I’m away from home.  I have not cut back in terms of training and I am someone who trains a lot usually. I rarely give myself time off, days of rest. I am becoming cognizant that I should take resting a little more seriously and from time to time award myself a day off. However, I think it’s difficult with long stretches of tournaments as such.

Djokovic was followed on stadium court by Rafael Nadal.  In no time, Nadal dispatched Taylor Dent 6-4,6-3.  Andy Roddick and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had a no drama night with straight set wins over their opponents Igor Andreev and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez respectively.  Ivan Ljubicic, the champion at Indian Wells last week, was forced to retire against Benjamin Becker after carrying the first set and the first game in the second due to a back injury.  It was a tough day for the American males with Sam Querrey and James Blake going down after winning their first sets to Jeremy Chardy and Thomas Bellucci respectively. But, John Isner avoided the upset with a 7-6,2-6,7-6 victory over Michael Russell.  David Nalbandian, Ivo Karlovic, Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo, Nicolas Almagro and Phillip Kohlschreiber advanced.

Except for the 2003 final in which France prevailed, the U.S. have owned France in Federation Cup competition. Their twelfth meeting occurred in Lievin, France on clay. The Americans dominated in the first round by winning three successive rubbers to clinch a semifinal spot.

On Saturday, in the first rubber after Bethanie Mattek-Sands jumped to a 2-0 lead, France’s Alize Cornet rolled off five straight games to build a 5-2 edge.  After Mattek-Sands crawled out of a triple break point hole and got to 3-5, she altered her tactics by coming more to the net.  It paid off.   Mattek-Sands broke Cornet as she served for the set.  But, following Mattek-Sands breaking for 6-5, she surrendered the lead at love sending the set to a tiebreaker.  A seesaw tiebreaker was ultimately captured by Mattek-Sands.

In the second set, after Cornet broke in the first game, with a sleuth of errors, she allowed Mattek-Sands to level the set. Then, after neither woman relinquished serve, at 5-6, the errors got the better of Cornet. This resulted in Mattek-Sands carrying the initial rubber 7-6,7-5.  Cornet’s record now stands at 0-6 in Fed Cup play.

The second match featured Melanie Oudin against Pauline Parmentier.  Oudin drew first blood in taking a 3-2 lead.  Subsequent to Oudin easily consolidating, Parmentier had 0-30 on Oudin’s serve on various occasions, however, each time the American halted the Frenchwoman.  Oudin took the first set 6-4.

In the second set, Oudin finally capitalized on a couple break point opportunities and went ahead 2-1.  Yet, on double break point, Oudin double faulted squaring the set at 2 all. After netting a forehand, Oudin faced triple break point.  Still, the teenager delivered to arrive at 3 all.  Then, with Parmentier serving at 4 all and 40-0, Oudin applied pressure on the second serve and got to deuce.  Subsequently, with a forehand return winner, Oudin had a second break point.  Oudin converted when Parmentier misfired on a backhand crosscourt.  Afterwards, Oudin kept her composure despite a tough game and closed out the match 6-4,6-4.

Today with the U.S. in front 2-0, Oudin battled Julie Coin in the opening match.  With an aggressive crosscourt forehand return winner, Coin broke Oudin in the first game.  After Oudin let double break point get away, Coin had a 3-1 lead.  But, with a lax game by Coin which included a double fault, Oudin knotted the set at 4.  With Oudin unable to break after obtaining a set point with Coin serving at 4-5, the set went to a tiebreaker.  With a double fault, Coin obtained a mini-break for 3-2.  But, with a forehand error, Coin gave up the lead.  Next, with Coin dumping a forehand into the net and by producing a forehand winner, Oudin took control at 6-3.  Oudin closed out the set with a forehand up the line winner.

In the second set, after dodging a couple of break points, Oudin broke for a 3-2 edge.  After consolidating, at 4-3, Oudin blundered on a forehand down the line to give Coin break point.  Once again, Oudin came up with the shots to keep her nose in front 5-3.  Later, with three consecutive forehand winners, Oudin arrived at double match point.  When Coin shanked a forehand long, Oudin wrapped up the semifinal berth for the U.S. 6-4,6-4.

In the fourth rubber, captain Mary Joe Fernandez played teenager Christina McHale against Parmentier.  While McHale performed well, Parmentier prevailed 6-4,6-4.  In the last dead rubber which was the doubles, Liezel Huber and Mattek-Sands battled Stephanie Cohen-Aloro and Cornet.  The Americans carried the last match 6-2,6-3.

The U.S will clash with Russia in the semifinals.  Russia collided with Serbia on the latter’s home turf.  On Saturday, Ana Ivanovic was blown off the court by Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-4 in the initial rubber.  However, teammate Jelena Jankovic gave Serbia new life.  Jankovic overcame a 4-6,1-4 and 15-40 deficit to steal the second match from Alisa Kleybanova.  Today, after Jankovic defeated Kuznetsova 6-3,4-6,6-3 to put Serbia ahead 2-1.  Ivanovic failed to seal the deal.  Kleybanova beat her 6-2,6-3.  Thus, the tie was severed by the doubles match.  Kleybanova and Kuznetsova secured Russia’s participation in the next round by shutting down Jankovic and Ivanovic 6-1,6-4.

After reigning champion Italy dropped its first match against Ukraine yesterday, Flavia Pennetta won in straight sets to equalize the tournament.  Today, in the opening rubber, Pennetta stopped Alona Bondarenko 7-5,7-6 to place Italy ahead.  Then, after dropping the opening set to Kateryna Bondarenko, Francesca Schiavone rebounded 2-6,6-1,6-1 to place Italy in the semifinals.

After Saturday’s matches, the Czech Republic was in a dead heat with Germany. Today, Lucie Hradecka defeated Andrea Petkovic 6-1,7-6 in the first match giving the Czechs a 2-1 lead.  Still, Anna-Lena Groenefeld kept Germany alive with a 4-6, 6-3,6-2 triumph over Petra Kvitova.  Therefore, a live doubles rubber was played. The Czech Republic advanced by Kveta Peschke and Hradecka besting Tatjana Malek and Groenefeld 6-1,6-3. The Czechs will take on the Italians in the semifinals.

Hours after the Wimbledon committee revealed the singles’ draws, turmoil ripped through the men and women side demonstrating that no player is a shoe in for the championship.

After losing his second exhibition match, Rafael Nadal, the top seed and reigning champion, withdrew due to knee tendonitis. That afternoon, female number one and top seed, Dinara Safina’s recovery after her meltdown in Paris was dealt a major setback. Safina was ousted in the semifinals by Tamarine Tanasugarn ranked 47th in a grass court warm-up tournament. Last year, Tanasurgan defeated Safina in the finals at this event.

Now, fifth ranked Juan Martin Del Potro replaced Nadal at the top half of the draw. Although Del Potro has been improving rapidly, more seasoned grass players such as Radek Stepanek, Lleyton Hewitt or first round opponent Arnaud Clement could be an obstruction. In addition, Del Potro could face Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals. The extent of Roddick’s ankle injury will determine how much of a factor he will be. With a manageable draw, the prospect of Andy Murray becoming the first Brit since 1936 to raise the Wimbledon trophy looks promising. But, Murray may see Roddick or Del Potro in the semifinals. Despite Roger Federer’s multiple championships at the All England Club, with such a competitive field, other than experience, Federer has no distinct advantage. In the bottom section, Federer may need to go through the same stubborn rivals he battled in Paris to get to the quarterfinals. There, Federer could square off against Fernando Verdasco or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, both hungry competitors. Similarly to Murray, Novak Djokovic, Federer’s potential match-up in the semifinals, appears to have an easy path on paper. Yet, Tommy Haas who beat Djokovic in the finals at Halle could represent a roadblock.

Safina’s chance at redemption against Svetlana Kuznetsova may take place in the quarterfinals. Although with defending champion Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic as possible semifinals opponents, Safina could be in the midst of a perpetuating nightmare. Venus’ performance the first couple of matches will determine whether she can prevail for a sixth time at Wimbledon. Serena Williams’ chance to avenge her Sony Ericsson lost to Victoria Azarenka could come in the quarters. However, Azarenka may need to knock off former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova in the round of 16 before getting to Serena. With Vera Zvonareva slowly getting back from injury and Elena Dementieva’s dismal play the last few months, for players such as Dominika Cibulkova, Aleksandra Wozniak or Alize Cornet, the door is wide open to reach at least the quarters.

The Williams sisters will do double duty at a major again. Defending champion and seeded fourth, Venus and Serena will attempt to win their fourth Wimbledon doubles title. 2008 men’s doubles champion Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic, the second seed, will attempt to repeat and wrestle the number one spot away from Mike and Bob Bryan.

Ambiguity reigns at Wimbledon this year. On both the female and male side, it is truly anybody’s trophy. First serve comes this Monday.

Written on May 2, 2008

Since 2000, schedule permitting, I have been a faithful and fervent attendee at my hometown tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida. Yet, as a devout tennis fanatic, my wish has always been to make a pilgrimage to one of the shrines of the sport, a major.

In my mind, there has always been the perception that I was being deprived of an ecclesiastical experience by not going to New York, London, Paris or Melbourne. As luck would have it, in 2006 and 2007, I ascended from the category of lowly television viewer to that of obscured spectator when I was finally able to drink in the atmosphere at the U.S Open. After spending five days at the opening round matches in New York the last couple of years and a week at this year’s Sony Ericsson, I began to view the latter through a new lens. As I surveyed the familiar vista at Crandon Park, the prism through which I evaluated the tournament was suddenly lifted. Moreover, I arrived at the realization that the Sony Ericsson Open is truly a jewel in my own backyard.

Manhattan’s bright lights and vibrant streets are comparable to an impish, unruly child with the magnetic powers to draw one in with a cunning smile. A similar attraction lures one in at the U.S. Open. On the subway, I was overcome by a wave of exhilaration from the chatter of the passengers whose destination, just as mine, was the major’s site. As the train approached the tennis center and the Arthur Ashe stadium came into view, a touch of awe and anxiety intermingled as I became conscious of the magnitude of the place. These sentiments were further accentuated as the grounds crew greeted me with their megaphones shouting instructions such as, “no backpacks allowed into the stadium”. Or as I filed through the long security lines that stretch for miles and saw my precious can of juice seized since opaque containers were prohibited entry. The shear volume of people, over 700,000 attended the tournament in 2007, and the additional security measures implemented after the catastrophic incident at the Twin Towers signify that one has to be willing to tolerate these inconveniences in order to experience the U.S. Open.

Nevertheless, my dedication was such that one day I spent twelve hours on the grounds at Flushing Meadows taking in the action oblivious of the scorching heat as I literally roasted to a crisp. Still thirsty for more, I returned the following day, while my father, my tennis buddy, decided to take a respite from the intense temperature. With a cornucopia of top ranked players to watch, I felt obfuscated at times in having to choose from such a palatable menu. Occasionally, the choice was made by a coin toss since it came down to deciding between matches from my nose bleed seat in the main stadium versus a prime location on the outside courts where I could see a lesser ranked player who might be the sports’ future star.

One afternoon, perched from my assigned seat in the main stadium, I had an epiphany. Although I was thoroughly enjoying the matches, unless, I was willing to pay top dollar for a closer seat, I would never have the opportunity to get a decent photograph of Federer, Nadal, Henin or Serena. With the excessive amount I had already allocated to this venture, I would have to conform myself with what I was getting. After attending the Ericsson Open a few weeks ago, I finally realized the element that was lacking from my New York experience, intimacy.

Entering Crandon Park, there was not the same perception of being lost, overwhelmed with too much sensory information, as was the case, as I made my way inside the U.S. Open facilities. Instead of nerves of steel, nerves of aluminum were sufficient in dealing with the proceedings in Miami. The main drawback at the Sony was the distance between the parking grounds and the stadium. Since at times I was unwilling to cough up the extra bucks to park closer, I was forced to ride the shuttle buses, thus, resulting in a little wasted time. But, once that unpleasant detail was disposed of, the short walk to the stadium was swift, the lines at the ticket counter manageable and the security measures bearable. After going through the gate, the tough task started in terms of which initiative to take: sit down to view a match, stroll the premises or make a beeline to the practice grounds. As I crossed the threshold of the entrance, my dilemma became greater since within a few steps, I stumbled upon the player’s eating area which itself was a feast for the eyes. Player watching became a new past time because it was not uncommon to spot Lindsay Davenport having lunch with friends or accidentally trip over someone, as it happened with Arnaud Clement who was gracious enough to pose for a picture. Miami’s relaxed setting perhaps gave the athletes a homelike feeling because countless competitors were seen roaming the grounds without an entourage. As they sought the sanctuary of the players’ area, a group of fans simply stopped Andy Murray and John Isner for autographs and photos, they politely obliged them. I ran into doubles specialist Mark Knowles who was kind enough to chat with admirers as they picked his brain about the game.

The primary bonus that the Sony offered was the access to the players’ practice sessions. Although I could not get choice seats inside the big stadium, on the side courts, I was front and center observing the best players in the world fine-tuning their game for upcoming matches. Indeed, when Jelena Jankovic says that she does not like to practice and would rather play, she means it. Jelena spent less than one hour on the court before ceding the space to Roger Federer and Kevin Anderson who were scheduled next to practice. Few places will provide the opportunity to witness Federer at work within arm’s length. Amazingly, even after hours of practice, Federer looked as if he had just rolled out of the shower, not a bead of perspiration in spite of the thermometer registering 85 F and the humidity being off the scales. It was well worth the price of admission to see Roger’s dad carrying his gear back to the player’s section. While Roger himself, with tinted shades looking like a rock star was escorted back by a couple of policemen in an attempt to control the mob of adoring spectators. Indeed, another unique moment was when I became an unplanned participant at the running of bulls Miami style, as Rafael Nadal strove to maneuver pass the herd of doting fans still requesting photos and autographs, after he had already spent a considerable amount of time appeasing their request.  Occasions at other events are sparse where I, as a spectator, would find myself within steps of a player such as Gael Monfils, as he sauntered in with iPod in hand to check out the match of compatriot Alize Cornet.

At the US Open, the top competitors always played in the bigger stadiums out of reach of my measly camera. Yet at the Ericsson, on the side courts, I had a perfect seat to see Venus Williams, David Nalbandian, Daniela Hantuchova, and Justine Henin take on their opponents. Outside the majors, the Sony Ericsson Open trophy is the most coveted in the sport. In fact, tennis connoisseurs and aficionados consider it the fifth major. Other than the bye accorded to the 32 seeded players and the first two days dedicated to the qualifying rounds, this tournament is identical to the majors with the fifth biggest purse. Attendance peaked at over 297,000 this year at Crandon Park. Thus, the ‘smallness’ of the event is its grandest attribute. It can best be described as having the allure of a major with a hometown ambience.

If all these outlined virtues do not convince one of the invaluable worth of the Sony Ericsson, perhaps, this will. With the budget I expended in going to the U.S. Open, I could have attended Miami’s tournament in style with excellent seating and with maybe a little money left over.

In conclusion, would I trade off my U.S. Open experience for anything in the world? Not a chance! Am I willing to go through the hassle and fork over the expense given the opportunity again? One can bet the bank on that. But, going to a major is analogous to venturing to the Vatican. Although your chances of observing mass celebrated by the Pope are great, it is highly unlikely that you will be invited for an audience with him. While the Sony Ericsson is akin to your local parish or cathedral, by going to the services, the possibilities of conversing with your priest or bishop are infinitely better.

For the second time, Serena Williams, world number two, unmercifully disposed of a Russian in the Australian Open final. On this occasion, the hapless victim of Williams’ wrath was third rank Dinara Safina. Serena required just 58 minutes to defeat Dinara 6-0, 6-3, adding a fourth Australian singles title to her majors’ trophy case for a total of ten.

Williams started the match by hitting a backhand winner up the line and holding comfortably. On the other hand, Safina’s nightmare began with her first service game. After an ace for 15 all, Dinara threw in a double fault for 15-30. After a couple of forehand winners gave her the upper hand, Safina produced a second double fault for deuce. Subsequently, Williams crushed a forehand for a crosscourt service winner to get her first break point which she converted when Safina committed her third double fault. Then, Serena consolidated the break with a love game. Williams maintained the pressure and with a forehand winner up the line had double break point; she capitalized by putting away a short ball. Up 4-0, Serena again held at love and with four consecutive unforced errors by Dinara took the set 6-0.

Serena briefly loosen her chokehold on the match in the second set. After Williams sent a backhand into the net and missed another down the line, Safina had her initial break point. With a sweet crosscourt backhand winner, Safina took the lead for the first time. The last few months, Dinara had demonstrated that she could deal with adversity. Thus, this seemed perhaps a turning point in the match. Yet, after Dinara missed the mark on two backhands, Serena arrived at double break point and leveled the set when another of her rival’s backhand sailed long. The serve was the story for Safina and it did not improve as the night progressed. Serving at 1-2, Dinara opened with a double fault. After a backhand crosscourt winner gave her game point, another found the net for deuce. Thereafter, Serena punished a crosscourt forehand return winner for break point and cashed it in when Dinara made another double fault. With a love game, Williams raced to a 4-1 lead. Frustrated, on the verge of bursting into tears and despite difficulties, Safina won her service games. Yet, this was to no avail as Serena continued to force the errors from her competitor with her brutal serves. With her fifth love game, Serena put Dinara out of her agony and claimed the title.

Both women had their Houdini moment in the round of 16. For Serena, it came against Victoria Azarenka who retired up a set but down a break in the second due to dizziness. Safina recovered from a set down and a double break deficit in the third to prevail against Alize Cornet. Moreover, Williams had a close call in the quarterfinals. Serena broke Svetlana Kuznetsova who was serving for the match to stay alive. With Jelena Jankovic losing in the round of 16 to Marion Bartoli, Serena now regains the number one ranking. In addition, since 2002-03, it’s the first time Williams has won consecutive majors. Superstition aside, Serena seems to have her best results down under on uneven years. If that pattern remains consistent, the crown may be hers next in 2011.

As another season concludes on the WTA, its is only fitting to reflect on the moments that branded it and look forward to what might be in store for 2009.

The Russian onslaught continues with half of the players ranked in the top ten coming from that nation. One of the pack’s standouts, Maria Sharapova, bulldozed over her opponents to win the year’s first major in Australia. However, after an impressive winning streak, Sharapova went on forced sabbatical due to an old shoulder injury resurfacing. Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva finally lived up to their promise, as these two had a phenomenal run in 2008. Sporting new coaches, these two women known for their volatile outburst on court, bottled their tempers which translated into great results. Safina’s newfound mental solidity carried her all the way to the French Open final. For her part, Zvonareva was a finalist at the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships where she lost a heartbreaking match to Venus Williams. Moreover, this powerhouse of tennis swept the medals at the Olympics with Elena Dementieva taking gold, Safina silver, and Zvonareva bronze. In team play, the Russians were also supreme, crushing Spain to grab another Federation cup.

The Serbians also became more firmly entrenched in the sport. After her defeat in the Australian final, Ana Ivanovic claimed her first major in Paris. Compatriot Jelena Jankovic made her first majors’ final appearance at the U.S. Open, but lost a tough three setter. As a result of the French Open title, Ivanovic captured the number one ranking. But with a niggling thumb injury, Ivanovic struggled the remainder of the year. On the other hand, Jankovic overflowing with confidence after her great U. S. Open showing, won three straight tournaments and finished the year at number one. Jelena is the third player after Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis to hold that honor despite failing to earn a major trophy.

The Williams sisters persist as the beacon of light of American tennis with Venus shining on her best surface, the grass at Wimbledon. Venus seized her fifth title at sister Serena’s expense. But the latter’s tears were short-lived as the siblings took the Wimbledon doubles title and repeated with doubles gold in Beijing. Moreover, Venus showed that at 28, she still could keep up with her younger peers by winning both in Zurich and at the prestigious year-end championships. While Serena, no spring chicken herself, prevailed for the third time at the U.S. Open.

The number one ranking bounced around this year with the unforeseen bombshell dropped by Belgian Justine Henin mid season. Only two weeks from defending her French Open title, Henin, the world’s number one, announced her immediate retirement. This was a jaw dropping moment considering Justine’s extraordinary performance in 2007. Fans will miss that acclaimed one-handed backhand. With Henin’s sudden departure, a colossal vacuum was left leading to a rotation at number one beginning with Sharapova, followed by Ivanovic, then Serena and Jankovic. It’s anyone’s guess how long the current holder, Jankovic, will hang on.

Doubles partners, American Liezel Huber and Zimbabwean Cara Black claimed their first U.S. Open trophy. Furthermore, they defended their year-end championship title. It will be interesting to see if that team can win in Paris in 2009 to complete the career grand slam. Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual secured their first major title at the French and took Olympic silver. Another sister combination, Ukrainians Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko, captured the initial doubles major in Australia.

Several teenagers served notice of their plan to shake up the status quo. Pole Agnieszka Radwanska, who first made her mark in 2007 by beating Sharapova in the fourth round at U.S. Open, capitalized on her success with quarterfinal results at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, she is now ranked 10th. While the sun may be setting on former Wimbledon and Australian champion Amelie Mauresmo’s career, the French torch is being passed on to 18-year-old Alize Cornet. Currently ranked number 16, the teenager won her first WTA title this year. Dane Caroline Wozniacki is another youngster who made tremendous strides, climbing to number 12 and getting a couple of titles under her belt. With Henin retiring, Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova may be the new standard bearer for the petite crowd. Cibulkova was a finalist at the tier I Rogers Cup and Amelia Island. Belarusian Victoria Azarenka is another player whose game steadily improved with a number 15 ranking to boot. Azarenka won the mixed doubles trophy in Roland Garros with Bob Bryan. Expect great things from the 19 year old the upcoming year.

This tour cycle, some veterans’ careers went through a revival. Italian Flavia Pennetta was a thorn in Venus’ side at a few tournaments, for instance stopping the American at the French Open. Pennetta made it to the quarters at the U.S. Open and posted her best career ranking at 13. Garrigues’ achievement in doubles boosted her singles play. The Spaniard finished the year ranked just outside the top twenty. Russian Nadia Petrova had a resurgence, with a new attitude and coach competing became more enjoyable which resulted in a quarterfinal appearance at the All England Club her best outcome in a major since 2006. American Lindsay Davenport seems to be in the twilight of her career. After a much-anticipated return, her results were disappointing. The American handicapped by injury had little impact on the majors; retirement may not be far behind.

China gave us a lot to talk about in 2008. Not only did it stage the Olympics, Jie Zheng, one of its brightest stars, staged a comeback after an ankle problem caused her to miss a chunk of the previous season. As a wildcard Zheng reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, beating Ivanovic along the way and won Olympic bronze with Zi Yan. China has been investing a huge amount of funds in the development programs. Will 2009 be the payoff by way of a majors’ trophy?

In 2009, a new system the so-called “roadmap” will be debuted. The question will be whether it will live up to one of its key intents: reducing player injuries. With Henin’s exit, the top six players are not far apart. This presumed parity is perhaps erroneous since injury has had a say in the ranking. Undoubtedly, Jankovic is primarily a defensive player. Therefore, the question is whether she can broaden her game enough to justify her current number one ranking, which she can solely do by winning a major. The smart money in 2009 may be on recycling. Meaning if the new schedule works as proposed and Serena, Venus, or Maria stays healthy, one of these women is likely to emerge as the undisputed frontrunner. With the calendar opening January 4^th , answers will soon be forthcoming.

In Stuggart Germany, a clay court event, 19-year-old Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro beat second seed Richard Gasquet 6-4, 7-5 in the finals at Mercedes Cup in order to win his first ATP title. Along with a nice paycheck, Del Potro received a spanking new Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 convertible. Ah tennis, nice work if you can get it! Top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament because of a right knee problem suffered during his grueling fortnight at Wimbledon.

Two other tournaments were taking place in Europe, also on clay. At the Allianz Suisse Open in Gstaad, Romanian Victor Hanescu defeated Russian Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-4 in the finals. Hanescu prevailed over top seed and favorite son Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka in the semifinals. In Sweden, Spaniard Tommy Robredo disposed of Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-1 to claim the title at the Catella Swedish Open in Bastad; Tommy’s first trophy this year. Robredo eliminated defending champion and number one seed David Ferrer in the semifinals.

Grass was the surface in play at the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island. Second seed Fabrice Santoro vanquished over wildcard finalist Prakash Amritraj 6-3, 7-5 to win his second consecutive title. Americans Mardy Fish and John Isner took the doubles prize.

For the women, it was back to the clay and a week of first for the eventual winners. At the Gaz de France, a tier III tournament in Budapest Hungary, France’s Alize Cornet, seeded second, defeated Slovenia’s Andreja Klepac 7-6, 6-3 to seize her first WTA title. Klepac ousted local sensation and number one seed, Agnes Szavay, in the second round on her way to the finals. Later in the day, Cornet along with partner Janette Husarova of Slovakia went on to take the doubles title. At the Internazionali Femminili Di Tennis in Palermo Italy, a tier IV event, Italian Sara Errani became a first time titlist on the WTA tour. Errani advanced after countrywoman and top seed Flavia Pennetta retired in the semifinals. In the finals, Errani squashed Ukrainian Mariya Koryttseva 6-2, 6-3. Like Cornet, Errani also captured the doubles trophy with teammate Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain.

The women’s final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia was played between Serbian Jelena Jankovic, world number 4, and Alize Cornet, an 18 year old French qualifier.

At the outset of the match, Cornet, who reached her first Tier I final, showed that she had come to play. With Jelena serving, the young French woman had double break point, but she failed to take advantage. After exchanging breaks in the next couple of games, the complexity of the match changed whereby unforced errors began to permeate Cornet’s game giving Jankovic a 5-1 advantage. With some fights still remaining, Cornet broke the Serbian as she served for the first set. But, Jankovic returned the favor in the next game to take the set.

After a running start with a break in the second set, Jankovic briefly relinquished the advantage. Yet, Cornet again gave it right back with a game peppered with errors, 1-4. With a temporary intermission in play with Jelena needing a medical timeout, the distraught French youngster asked to speak to her coach. Disappointed with her poor play and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment, Cornet burst into tears during the consultation. After this emotional release, Cornet finally held her serve for the first time in the match. Nonetheless, by that time it was too late. Jankovic was in complete control and went on to win the set.

Despite the final outcome, this was an incredible week for the French teenager who eliminated the number 3 seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova, in the third round after being down a set and a 3-0 in the second. Cornet received a gift from Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, with Serena unable to play due to a back problem. Also, Alize came back from a set down against number 6 seed, Anna Chakvetadze to prevail in the semifinals. With her success this week, Cornet’s ranking catapulted from 34 to 20. Jelena advanced to the finals when Maria Sharapova withdrew from their semifinal match due to a calf strain. In the quarterfinals, Jankovic beat Venus Williams after dominating in the second and third sets. Cornet has had great success on the clay this year with semifinal finishes at Amelia Island and Charleston. As the juniors champion at Roland Garros in 2007, Cornet is well familiar with the red dust. It appears that this year, more than ever, the French spectators will feel that they possibly have a future champion to cheer.