See-saw in Miami-Dade

Jelena Jankovic is the Arantxa Sanchez of the current tennis generation. She perseveres in matches with solid stroking, agility, corner to corner retrieving – all the while driving greater players bananas.  Her 3-2 winning record over Serena coming into the match, including a straight set drubbing at this year’s Australian Open, is proof positive.

Payback was on Serena’s mind, but she knew that she had to be focused from the start.  She was.  Her shots were pinpoint accurate and measured with sufficient power to keep the ball out of her opponent’s reach. In under an hour, she was up 6-1 and two breaks in the second before Sanch….I mean, Jankovic got in her head.

Jankovic is a wily player with the best defensive game in women’s tennis, but Plan A was not working.  She knew she had to change tactics.  Realizing that Serena’s forehand was not letting up, she started playing more to the backhand wing. Inexplicably, Serena loses confidence on that side and cannot hit more than two or three backhands in any given rally.  Her game deteriorates even further; she looks awkward, even clumsy.  With this simple but effective change of play, Jelena claws her way back, and she is leading 6-5! Serena seals the deal with a nervous double fault set point down, and we’re going three.

(photo courtesy Sabah)

Jelena’s defensive ploys continue to frustrate and confound. Serena had quickly righted herself and won the first five games, but Jankovic takes the next three.

Finally, playtime was up when the see-saw finally tipped Serena’s way on her 8th championship point. She takes the match, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3. In winning, she ties Steffi for the winningest record in Miami with five title each.  Serena said after the match, “The Serena and Steffi Open. I love Steffi Graf. She’s a great champion and was my role model. To even be compared to her is awesome.”

Steffi titles:

1987, d. Chris Evert, 6-1, 6-2

1988, d. Chris Evert, 6-4, 6-4

1994, d. Natasha Zvereva, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2

1995, d. Kimiko Date, 6-1, 6-4

1996, d. Chanda Rubin, 6-1, 6-3

Serena triumphs:

2002, d. Jennifer Capriati, 7-5, 7-6

2003, d. Jennifer Capriati, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

2004, d. Elena Dementieva, 6-1, 6-1

2007, d. Justine Henin, 0-6, 7-5, 6-3

2008, d. Jelena Jankovic, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3

Hockey, anyone?

Sure, there’s plenty of tennis going on right now in Florida. Serena aiming for her 5th Title at the Sony Ericsson Open. Andy Roddick breaking his losing streak of 11 straight to the Swiss giant, Roger Federer. Lindsay Davenport taking out world no. 2 Ana Ivanovic for her biggest win in her comeback since becoming a mother.

But, check this out: it’s tennis, but you’d think this wound could’ve come straight out of a hockey game. I pen my concerns to the protagonist.

Dear Michael Youzhny:

Hey son, that’s graphite you’re cracking on your head.

I am most sincerely yours,

Chris

Monica Seles, Dancing Queen

Wow. Monica Seles debuted last nite on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. It was surreal. And horrible. And, by horrible, I mean amazing. How could you watch that and not end up a bigger fan??

Monica put herself out there and showed a vulnerability most tennis fans never get to see. Sure, Venus and Serena were punked on MTV, and ok, Mark Philippousis starred on the Age of Love. But Monica? Monica!

First of all, she looked gorgeous and showed a lot of emotion, albeit mostly trepidation and nerves. She fox trotted her way across the stage and did as well as she possibly could have. I mean, was it really plausible that Monica could transform herself into an elegant dancer when her m.o. on the tennis court was about as nuanced as a bazooka? Kristi Yamaguchi, sure. Monica Seles, not so much.

Monica ended up in last place at the end of the night and tied Penn (of Penn and Teller), who rounded out the bottom on the men’s side. At least we’ll get to see one more dance of her before America votes her off….

Kudos to you, girl, for giving it your best shot!

Update: Week 2

Monica improves by leaps and bounds and pulls off a sexy Mambo, but it’s not enough. First the first time in her career, she loses in the first round. Monica, you da bomb.

Lindsay’s back

Lindsay Davenport looked way out of sorts a few weeks ago at the Fed Cup in La Jolla, CA. She was slow, uncomfortable, and nervous in a losing effort to callow German opponent, Sabine Lisicki. I couldn’t help but wonder if the comeback bubble had bursted. Sure, she lost to Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open in the second round, but Maria hasn’t lost a match yet this year and looks poised to regain the number one ranking.

But this weekend in Memphis, Lindsay brought big game. She steamrolled all of her opponents (including avenging a loss to Lisicki) and picked up her 55th career title (in 95 finals) to tie Virginia Wade for 7th all-time in singles tourney wins. She already surpassed Steffi and became the winningest prize money earner in WTA history last fall at $21+ million.

(photo RMK Championships)

What a thrill it would be for Lindsay to come through this year with a Slam title or another gold medal at the Olympics to pair with her 1996 win in Atlanta. In a year with Henin on the downslide, the Williams sisters not on their game, and Serbians Ivanovic and Jankovic seemingly unable to compete when the pressure’s on, Lindsay might just get a chance. If karma can give her payback in this resurrected career, Lindsay is overdue for a good Slam draw. Her desire is enough to take her the rest of the way.

Roddick bullies Nishikori

(photo courtesy ESPN.com)

Andy Roddick ended the eight match win streak of Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals of SAP Open in San Jose. But, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, the top-ranked American resorted to some psychological gamesmanship to secure his 6-2, 6-4 win.

With both players at the net, Nishikori got a shot off directly at Roddick, who promptly mouthed out, “Back off that (bleep)!” He clarified after the match, “I told him to stick me with it the next time. I just let him know that he needs to finish it. I had no problem with it.”

He goes on to say, “Things were happening for him without him thinking so I wanted him to think about other stuff and not how well he’s playing. There was nothing personal in it. He’s probably not that happy with me for doing that. But I don’t need any young friends.”

I’m no Freud, but when the former world number 1 feels like he has to exploit a mental edge over a neophyte opponent rather than simply outplaying him, I’d say Roddick’s best days are behind him. It’s too bad because he has clearly made serious professional efforts to lift his game to his 2003 levels.

Frustration? Fear? Whatever the underlying motivation, it worked for Roddick. But I’m looking forward to Nishikori’s evolution as a player where he puts bratty Americans in their place.

Hail to the Queen

Monica Seles officially retired from the sport on February 14, 2008. Now, you’ll note that this site has been dedicated to her chief rival and I, as a die-hard Steffi fan, did not hold Monica in very high esteem during her heyday.

But, like the rest of the world, I was horrified and shocked at the news of her courtside attack on April 30, 2003 and have rooted for her comeback ever since. Today, I pay homage to this OG who made an indelible impact on the game. She was the epitome of class and was a unique champion.

I remember the first time I ever saw Monica play was in the fourth round at the 1989 US Open against Chris Evert. Monica was 15 years old, I was 13, and the women’s tour was sponsored by a cigarette company.

Earlier that year, Monica had taken down the veteran at Houston to capture the first of 53 career titles. In their rematch, Chris promptly beat down Monica in a virtuoso showing, 6-0, 6-2. While Chris lost her next match to Zina Garrison and immediately retired from the game, Monica would soar to the top and, with her unorthodox double-fisted groundstrokes off both wings, did it in a way never seen before.

I think Monica made everyone who was a fan of tennis try to hit a two-handed forehand. I had never even seen one let alone tried to hit one. (When I finally got off a good one, oh, so gratifying.) Footwork is essential and Monica was masterful. But what she will be remembered for most is her power shots and tenacity.

Monica invented the modern-day power game on the women’s side. She was relentless, ka-powing the ball with unadulterated force. She situated herself on top of the baseline in hopes of stealing even more time away from the woman across the net. Opponents couldn’t believe what they were facing, and before they knew what hit them, the match was over, double bagel.

To be sure, Monica often looked desperate on the court – throwing her entire body into her strokes. But she was a perfect foil to Steffi Graf, who carved you up with her slice, pummeled you with her forehand, but was able to do it almost artfully.

My favorite matchup was the 1992 French Open final. Can you believe it? The French were cheering for a German! Monica came out like a house of fire and took the first set, 6-2. Steffi regrouped and found the range on her forehand, especially her trademark inside-out shot from the backhand side of the court. The third set was one for the ages. Steffi could never come close enough for a match point, but the high-quality of play elicited much drama and flair on the terre battue. Monica won 10-8 in the final frame.

It was probably Monica’s hardest fought victory and most well-deserved.

When Monica stopped playing in 2003, she all but disappeared. Not clear whether she would return due to injuries, her departure was overshadowed by the amazing diversity at the top of the women’s game. Long gone are the days of the Martina (the first), Steffi, Monica-type utter domination of the game. Five years ago, Venus, Justine, Jennifer, Serena, Kim were the battling at the top and all were trading turns at number 1.

I hope that Monica’s announcement turns out some tributes at the upcoming French Open. She deserves nothing less than a champion’s salute for all that she had accomplished in the sport, but more so for what she endured because of it. We’ll miss you, Monica.

UPDATE 2/22/08

WTA Tour website creates a tribute video to Monica. (search for video added 2/22/08)

Air Kori

Kei Nishikori pulled off the upset of his career today in Delray Beach, Florida, beating back Sam Querrey in a thrilling third set tiebreaker. Querrey held four match points, but was denied by the brilliant shotmaking of his Japanese opponent. Coming into this tournament, the 18-year Nishikori had played only 8 tour level matches. He has since won 3 matches in qualifying and 4 in the main draw to earn a title round matchup against the top-seeded James Blake.

Nishikori is an exciting talent with a penchant for leaping into the air as he delivers his strokes. He is quick around the court and has a wide array of shots from which to choose. Querrey easily dominated when his serve was on, but most of the time found himself off-balance by the alternating spins, angles, and power shots of his vanquisher. Nishikori’s crosscourt backhand was especially potent and exploited the American’s lateral movement.

In published reports Nishikori said, “I didn’t think about anything and just played one point at a time.”

His mindfulness (or is it mindlessness?) paid off as he played from behind for most of the third set, including falling behind a break 1-3, but he immediately fought back to level the match.

Just 18 years old, Nishikori has already broken through to his first final, an accomplishment his American contemporaries Donald Young and Sam Querrey have yet to match. He’ll likely be fatigued going into tomorrow’s final against Blake, but with some luck, Japan may have it first ATP titlist since Shuzo Matsuoka in 1992.

UPDATE: 2/18/08

Kei beats Blake 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 and become the youngest ATP champion in 10 years!

Dubious dropshot

On Monday, Ana Ivanovic will officially become the world’s second best tennis player. But for one pivotal stroke in the final of the Australian Open, she might have had a chance to achieve something even greater – winning her country’s first grand slam title.

Leading 5-4, 15-30 on her opponent’s serve, Ivanovic was poised to capture the first set.

Maria Sharapova, showing her first signs of humanity in the entire fortnight, had just double faulted away the last two points on her prior service game. Ivanovic’s powerful returns slashed the corners and kept the Russo-American on her heels.

Suddenly, Ivanovic’s nerves got the best of her. In a split-second tactical misjudgment, she tamely delivered a drop shot into the bottom of the net.

Maria got the best of her for the rest of the match.

Ivanovic came to the court having learned key lessons from her recent grand slam endeavors. In the semifinals two days prior, she had lost the first 8 games of the match to a rejuvenated Daniela Hantuchova. Ana turned it around and proved her competitive mettle, but fell behind early due to a lack of mental intensity. In her last grand slam final at the 2007 French Open, she was utterly dominated because couldn’t shake off her nerves.

Today, Ivanovic was fighting from the first point. Perhaps against any other opponent, the Serbian’s miscalculation might not have proven so costly. But in shredding apart former # 1 Lindsay Davenport, current # 1 Justine Henin, and Russian nemesis, Elena Dementieva, Sharapova was unforgiving.

She came into the final losing only 24 games, the fewest since Monica Seles in 1993. Sharapova was also fighting to reestablish her reputation.

Injuries, lack of confidence, and technical difficulties made 2007 a forgettable year for the typically high-achieving Sharapova. At least year’s AO, she was humiliated by Serena Williams, 6-1, 6-2, in the title match. One year later to the day, she is on top of her game and demonstrated a desire stronger than ever.

Like Sharapova, Ivanovic will likely learn from her Aussie Open finals experience. She writes, “This experience will give me extra motivation to train even harder to make sure that next time I can go one step further. It also gives me more confidence.”

With a little more confidence and one less dubious shot, she may someday write herself into the Serbian history books by becoming her country’s first grand slam winner. (If Novak Djokovic doesn’t do it first in the men’s final tomorrow!)

Payback

Maria Sharapova was at her ballbashing finest today as she upended the world number 1, Justine Henin, in the Australian Open quarterfinals, 6-4, 6-0. The victory was as sweet as it was comprehensive. Henin had beaten Sharapova in their last match, a gripping final round encounter at the 2007 year end championships that lasted three and a half hours.

Henin, even without her serving woes of late, didn’t stand much of a chance against the unrelenting power game of her opponent. Factor in numerous double faults, lack of serving variety, a first serve percentage of 48% and Henin was a goner.

Her fortunes were told early in the first set. Serving into the ad court in her first serve game, Henin hit an ace out wide. Sharapova challenged the call and, on the replay, the serve was shown to land just outline the line. The ball was called a fault. Henin flubs the second serve. Instead of an ace, she double faults. Ouch. One hour later, she gets drubbed 6-0 for her first love set lost in a Slam since the 2002 French Open. Now that’s payback.

“Big babes” like Sharapova or Pierce or Davenport are often criticized for lacking a plan B. But when a power baseline player is on her game, it’s a wonder to watch. The winners just zip across the court – up the line, crosscourt, even falling backward and catching the ball two feet behind the hip. Somehow they all land in. Ironically enough, when a power player brings it from the backcourt, every other part of her game elevates as well. Sharapova served well, moved like a gazelle, and ventured to net 17 times, winning 14. She logged in 30 winners overall against tennis’ best defender. Henin didn’t beat herself today; she simply lost to a superior player.

Now that her toughest opponent is out of the way, watch her nab her first Australian Open championship on Saturday.

The little engine that couldn’t

Tamira Paszek is a 17-year old phenom making waves on the WTA Tour. Only in her third season as a professional, Paszek showed why her first round match against Jelena Jankovic was touted as a Day 1 headliner for the women. These two players dug deep and battled to 12-10 in the third set. But, at the end of the 3+ hour match, it wasn’t exactly for all the right reasons.

From the close of the first set, won handily by Paszek, the potential of a major upset was enthralling.

By the time the second hour of the third set rolled around, there were more than a dozen service breaks, injury timeouts, cramps, sloppy errors, and some wings on prayers. Paszek at one juncture had led 5-3, and held three match points. On two of her three, she pulled the trigger only to miss by inches. From that point, it was all downhill. Maybe tiebreaks aren’t so bad after all.

Paszek’s defeat was reminiscent of Mary Pierce’s Aussie Open tribulations back in 1993. They had similar playing styles: both commanded the rally from the baseline and could crack the rally wide open with down-the-line bombs. Both were also trying to score their first win over a top ten player (Pierce over Gabriela Sabatini). Mary held three match points against the Divine Argentine, but couldn’t capitalize.

Tamira, take heart. Mary came back to win in Australia two years later.