I just can’t get closure on a tournament until I see the player party video, can you? Here’s the party in Doha. I love Wozniacki’s “brainless ball basher” vs. “pusher” analysis of her match vs. Azarenka!

Also, I didn’t realize Jelena Jankovic was a budding fashion designer. I propose that Serena and J.J. design the evening wear for the next player parties – they could have a design-off!

One last appeal to the WTA -  with all the injuries at the YEC last week, shouldn’t high-heels be banned?

Dinara Safina’s retirement against Jelena Jankovic and subsequent withdrawal from the year ending championships was Wednesday’s big news out of Doha.  She tapped out in the third game of the match, leaving the court after a series of gut wrenching sobs no doubt caused by both pain and disappointment. In what was supposed to be the final stage of battle for the year end No. 1, Dinara Safina shot herself in the foot.

Safina explained afterwards that one of the discs in her lower back was “starting to fracture,” and that the doctors recommend at least 6 weeks of rest and a long rehabilitation process. She could miss the Australian Open: “When I speak with the doctors, it doesn’t sound so good,” Safina said. “It is possible I may have to skip it.” (via Fox Sports)

Uh, where were these doctors a few weeks ago?

She’s apparently been suffering from this injury for about three months and she says she had hoped a short break between the US Open and Tokyo would be enough to recuperate. But from her comment below, it sounds like the desire to end the year at No. 1 may have pushed her too far:

“I’ve been playing on the pain, on anti-inflammatory, on everything, already for about three months,” Safina said. “It was one of the reasons I had to take a break after the US Open. It was advised. But I thought like, as I was chasing this No. 1 ranking, so I was fighting with my body. God knows, maybe I had to stop after US Open.

“But for two tournaments, Beijing and Tokyo, it was quiet, it didn’t bother me that much. So I was still hoping. Then my body just gave up. I did everything possible to play here, but I could not handle any more this pain.” (via The Times)

I applaud Dinara for her determination and grit – however ill-advised – and hope that she uses this enforced break to rehab both her mind and body. For all the smack talk about her mental failings, Safina can be extremely stoic – too stoic. Call her the anti-J.J.: she hardly ever calls the trainer, never complains of injury after a loss and very rarely retires from a match (anybody remember the last time?) Even the smack-talking Serena Williams – who with her win over her sister today has secured the No. 1 ranking – mentioned this, saying: “Dinara must be hurt because she never gives up – it would have been a really great tournament had she been able to get through to the final.”

It would have been “really great,” indeed, but unfortunately Safina safizzled and Serena won the war by default. Something tells me these two women will be fighting very different battles next season, and not against one another. Oh well, it was kinda, sorta fun while it lasted.

Vera Zvonareva will sub in for Dinara. Considering that chaos reigns in the White Group, I see no reason why she couldn’t make it to the semis and even beyond.

In other Doha Day 2 news, Caroline Wozniacki battled through her own injury problems (her upper leg was wrapped tighter than a tourniquet) to beat Victoria Azarenka in an impressive come-from-behind victory: 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. This was an entertaining match for many reasons:  the 14-deuce fifth game in the second set, the match point that Wozniacki saved, and Azarenka’s  ball-smacking, racquet smashing breakdown towards the end of the match, which earned her a point penalty that cost her a crucial service game. Wozniacki seems to be supremely well-adjusted and capable of dealing with the pressure of the moment. The same thing can’t be said of Vika, who I continue to root for despite her banshee screech and tantrums. Maybe it’s the headband.

Thursday’s line up in Doha:

1. Vera Zvonareva vs. Caroline Wozniacki
2. Serena Williams vs. Elena Dementieva
3. Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Venus Williams

Click here for the TV schedule.

Photo via www.sonyericsson-championships.com

The best thing about the year ending championships is the format – from the very first day you have the best players playing against each other and the promise of seeing them again soon, win or lose.

The first match was an interesting one. YEC rookie, Victoria Azarenka, trounced former world number one Jelena Jankovic in straights: 6-2, 6-3. J.J. had to play last week’s Kremlin Cup to earn her spot in Doha, and she looked to be burnt out and grouchy from the effort. Azarenka, on the other hand, went on court with eyes as big as saucers, ready to eat up her first-ever YEC match like a kid with a hot fudge sundae. She’s also well rested, taking last week off to prepare. This will give her the advantage tomorrow, when she plays her good buddy Caroline Wozniacki, who is reportedly still struggling with the hamstring injury that took her out in Luxembourg last week.

And check out this reporter-facilitated exchange between Vika and J.J. after the match – it sounds there was some telephone being played in the press room (via Monsters&Critics):

‘I basically gave her (Azarenka) everything,’ said Jankovic. ‘I beat myself. I was just a shadow of myself. Sometimes you want to play your best, but it just doesn’t happen. I just hope I can play better tomorrow, and I’ll keep trying my best in this whole competition.’

Azarenka was having none of the head games: ‘I’m glad she wasn’t in the mood. It worked out fine for me. I haven’t played in a tournament for a while,’ said the second-round loser a fortnight ago in Beijing. ‘I felt pretty good out there.’

Venus vs. Dementieva was more dramatic on the court – there was even a surprise ending. At first, it looked to be the the same old story: Venus was up a set and a break against the Russian, who hadn’t beaten her since 2004. But somewhere during the second set tiebreak Venus’s game drove off a cliff. She lost the third set 2-6 and finished the match with 52 unforced errors. Great news for Dementieva, but not the way Venus wanted to go into tomorrow’s match against her sister.

Photo via www.sonyericsson-championships.com

Tom Perrotta at ESPN.com has an interesting take on Venus’s extended slump:

More and more, Williams looks like a player who needs a change, whether it’s a new voice on her coaching team, a new strategy (volley more?), or a new approach to training. As James Blake recently discovered, change for the sake of change can be positive, even if it reveals that you ought to stick with what you were doing in the first place (at least then you can continue down the same path with confidence). Williams has the athleticism to play top-level tennis into her 30s and accomplish a lot more (on the short list: win her first Australian Open and her first U.S. Open since 2001). She doesn’t have much time, though, to figure out how she’s going to do it.

Assuming she doesn’t defend the title in Doha, Venus may be disappointed enough in her season to make some changes. Or maybe she’ll continue to be a grass court specialist and hope that Justine Henin takes out Serena before the Wimby final next year.

Serena Williams beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in a tight two setter: 7-6(6), 7-5. The round robin format is an interesting one for Serena, because it doesn’t allow her the luxury of easing into a tournament like she’s wont to do. But she looked ready to go today, not only sending a message to her friend Sveta but to the rest of the field: Serena’s in it to win it.

I have to mention Serena’s bizarre pre-match interview with Tracy Austin. These interviews are usually duds, but this one was downright testy. When Austin asked Serena if she was playing to be World Number One this week, Serena let out a sarcastic chuckle and said: “Yeah, in doubles.” (She and Venus are playing in the doubles in Doha, too.) Serena then walked away, leaving Austin to say, with the perfect degree of faux sweetness: “Good luck, Serena.” Serena ignored her. Awkward! I look forward to seeing how Serena’s attitude plays out this week. I sense she’s a little on edge – which could be a good thing. It’s worth noting that the one time she won the YEC in 2001 (yep, only once!), she also finished the year at No. 1. (UPDATE – Actually, I’m wrong. Serena won the YEC in 2001 but didn’t end the year at No. 1 until 2002.)

By the way – Serena Williams will join Melanie Oudin, Liezel Huber and Alexa Glatch in next week’s Fed Cup final vs. Italy. Yay! I hope all the taping I saw today on her ankles, wrist, and upper leg is just preventative.

Wednesday’s line up in Doha:

Azarenka vs. Wozniacki

Safina vs. Jankovic

Serena vs. Venus

Serena and Venus Williams, Dinara Safina and the rest of the WTA’s top eight gathered at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar on Sunday to take part in the Sony Ericsson Year End Championships draw ceremony. Here’s the lowdown on the draw via tennis.com:

WHITE GROUP:

• Dinara Safina
• Caroline Wozniacki
• Victoria Azarenka
• Jelena Jankovic

MAROON GROUP:

• Serena Williams
• Svetlana Kuznetsova
• Elena Dementieva
• Venus Williams

The top two finishers in each round robin group advance to the semifinals, where each first-placed player will face the second-placed player from the other group. (Meaning that Venus and Serena could meet in the final, even though they’re in the same group.)

Of course, no WTA event would be complete without the ballgown competition.

As usual, J.J.’s the one to beat:

Elena Dementieva’s wax figure:

I don’t know who this is:

Caroline Wozniacki was sweeping a chimney before this was taken:

Kuzy has a new sponsorship with David’s Bridal:

Serena channels Chaka Kahn.

Vika rocks her prom:

And Venus defies explanation:

The Championships start on Tuesday. Click here to visit the WTA’s Doha website.

The big news out of the US Open this Friday? Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal both needed four sets to get through to the third round. They both lost their second sets – Murray beating Paul Capdeville: 6-2, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 and Nadal beating Nicolas Keifer: 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Capdeville is currently ranked 82 in the world, and before Friday, Rafa hadn’t lost a set to Kiefer in any of their four previous matches. Are these stumbles by the top seeds minor mishaps or major blows?

I like Murray’s take: “I played three, you know, very good sets and one poor one. But you’re allowed to play a bad set sometimes.“

Speaking of Andy Murray, this was the first headline that came up on my Roger Federer Google search on Friday evening: “Roger Federer admits Andy Murray is a US Open threat.” (from the Daily Mirror)

I was ready to read some big revelation, until I scanned the article and found Roger’s money quote: “Not everybody can pick me, so it’s fine (if some pick Murray to win).” HA!

Roger plays Lleyton Hewitt on Saturday at 11am Eastern. The match will be shown live on CBS in the States – if the match is delayed (ugh!) in non-Eastern timezones, click here for some live streaming options. Hopefully one will actually work!

18th seeded David Ferrer was taken out on Friday by Jose Acasuso, but most everyone else who was supposed to get through did on the men’s side. Juan Carlos Ferrero (24) and Marin Cilic (16) each needed five sets, but both found a way to win. And big props to Taylor Dent for beating Spaniard Ivan Navarro 11-9 in the fifth set tiebreak!

The women’s side lost another top seed on Friday – when Victoria Azarenka (seeded No. lost to Francesca Schiavone (seeded No. 26) in three sets. I was lucky enough to watch this match from a toasty-warm seat in the Grandstand stadium, and was taken by how enthusiastically the crowd supported Schiavone. Do NYC fans really love the underdog or really don’t like Azarenka? Or were they just won over by the Italian’s feisty, throwback game, complete with loops, lobs, sneaky volleys, and a slice-a-licious one-handed backhand?

Schiavone’s countrywoman, Flavia Pennetta, continued her impressive form on Friday with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Aleksandra Wozniak. Part of me wondered if Schiavone’s victory over Azarenka came from the need to represent for Italy. Perhaps her younger compatriot’s historic success (becoming the first Italian woman ever to make it into the Top 10) has inspired the 29 year-old Schiavone to join her? Francesca shot down my theory in her post-match presser:

Q. Do you take inspiration from the way Flavia is playing?

FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE: No, but is good to have good rival at this. I learn from her, she learn from me. That’s good.

Serena Williams avoided seed-itis, advancing to the fourth round after being tested by serve-and-volley fanatic (and French Open cheater) Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. For those who complain that Serena is not always gracious towards her opponents, here’s a quote from her press conference: “She (Maria) was serving really well, and I think especially in the second set, and especially in that game she started serving really, really well.”

And here’s another one:

“Can’t spell dynasty without nasty.” Hmmmm. . .

Venus Williams did the dy-nasty proud with a third round victory over Magdalena Rybarikova. But that  mummy-wrapped knee of hers is looking more Cleopatra than Williams.

On a kind-of side note, after Daniela Hantuchova beat Vania King on Friday: 6-2, 6-2, she was asked about her recent sponsorship switch from Nike to Adidas. She confirmed that part of the deal involves going to tennis camp in Las Vegas with Darren Cahill & Co.

Q. Are you practicing with Adidas player development?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Yes, also that’s part of the deal, which I’m very, very excited, obviously. The names they’ve got on there, it’s pretty overwhelming. So, you know, just having that kind of support behind me I think definitely gives me so much more confidence. Just the advantage that I can use them any time I need to and use the knowledge that those guys have. I mean, it’s just pretty amazing, so I’m very proud to be part of that team, as well.

Q. You’re working with Cahill and Sven, Gil?
DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Yeah, all those guys. You know, when you just talk to somebody like that that’s he’s been coaching Andre for many years. He’s been a great player, as well. It’s amazing, and I’m very, very proud to have this opportunity.

Yes, this may give Daniela the extra boost she needs to overcome her mental fragility and fulfill her considerable potential. But what about the prospect of her becoming Fernando Verdaso’s next Adidas girlfriend? We bloggers will need a good story to follow for the off season.

It was a treat to meet my fellow blogger, Van, from Tennis Talk, Anyone? on the grounds on Friday. He proved as charming and knowledgeable in person as he is on his blog. His US Open title picks: Serena and Roger. Click here to chat with Van about all things tennis.

Our last day in NYC was fairly productive – with the highlight being a three set match between Azarenka and Schiavone. Victoria joins the crew of top 20 seeds who have been booted out of the singles draw on the women’s side.

Enjoy these photos of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin Del Potro (who advanced), and Maria Kirilenko and Victoria Azarenka (who didn’t) along with some other great players.

 

We enjoyed a very busy (and photogenic) Day 4 at the US Open on Thursday, catching the Venus and Serena playing doubles, Shahar Peer beating down Carla Suarez Navarro, Sabine Lisicki rolling an ankle after losing her match, and Dinara Safina battling though as always. Here are some of the photos we took along the way.

*fellow bloggers are more than welcome to use our photos, please link us if you do.

 

It’s not a full line-up of the Day 3 roster, but we thought we’d share some photos we snapped of Marat Safin, Kim Clijsters, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Victoria Azarenka, a semi-shirtless David Ferrer and others from Wednesday at the US Open.

 

The attractive woman you might not recognize is Polona Hercog - an eighteen year old Slovenian player who partnered up with Roberta Vinci in doubles (they lost on Wednesday to Glatch/Gullickson.) She was in the singles draw, but lost to another American, Christina McHale, in the first round. Basically, FreakyFritters just thought she was cute. . .

Practice makes perfect and the ladies were looking pretty dang good at the official US Open Practice Day on Sunday. Kuznetsova, Dementieva, Jankovic, Sharapova, Safina, Azarenka and Mauresmo were all sweating up the courts. Based on the effort level out there, it looks like each and every one of them expects to make it to the final weekend.  Good luck, gals!

Oh, and it was cool to see Dinara Safina practicing with Carla Suarez Navarro and Daniela Hantuchova hitting with Anna Chakvetadze – I love it when the girls hit with other girls instead of male practice partners. Roar!!!

Here are some of our photos

 

Big thanks to GTT reader and big-time tennis fan, Judy Salas, for her report and candid photos of Rafa, Serena and others from Wednesday’s GAME. SET. NYC. event in Manhattan. She came for Roger, but stayed for Rafa – and boy, is she glad she did! Here’s her story:

I spent most of my day at the Nike GAME. SET. NYC. event and it was pretty cool, though it was sunny and hot! They built a small court, with some bleachers, a player tent and a little store on the side and it was all on the wide sidewalk right next to the iconic Flatiron Building at Broadway and 23rd Street, with views of the Empire State Building. Fantastic setting!

Nike’s tennis stars were out throughout the day, starting with Roger Federer and John McEnroe, then Gael Monfils, then Li Na and Victoria Azarenka and finally, Johnny Mac again with stars Serena and Rafa. It was pretty well organized and included the participation of local kids groups, like the NY Junior Tennis League and the City Parks Foundation. They were the lucky ones who got to hit with the pros. Part of the event raised money for those organizations. The players had fun chatting with the kids and the spectators and hitting some balls. All the tennis stars were debuting their US Open outfits. I liked all of the clothing, especially Roger’s, he was looking sharp. Rafa’s suited him as well.

I actually came to the event thinking it would just be Roger and John and stuck around once I knew there were more players. Unfortunately there were so many people in the morning that I couldn’t get anywhere near Rog to get a decent photo (and I have a great Nikon zoom lens). The set up of the court, with half or more blocked, limited the viewing and the press would sometimes be in the way. Plus security made me (and other people) move from our pretty good spot.

Back to Rog… after spending some time talking to Johnny Mac and playing with the kids, Rog left and sneaked out the back. I wish he walked near where I was, but oh well. I got a pic of his Mom, Lynette, and agent Tony. Ha! Severin was there too. No Mirka or twins of course. I think Roger didn’t leave out the front path because it would have been pandemonium.

Monfils was great with the kids and signed autographs for them inside the court. I really like Vika Azarenka and Li Na is pretty cool, so they were fun to see. I am not a big Serena fan, but I was still glad to see her because she is such a tough competitor and grand slam champ. I found it funny that Serena walked in (with the biggest entourage) talking on her cell phone and did not make eye contact with the crowd of us standing outside the court.… as opposed to John and Rafa who looked and smiled at the crowd outside the court.

I came to see Roger, but I was super glad to see Rafa. He was smiling the entire time and it was nice to see him enjoying. When he was done and he left the player’s tent, security was guiding him out, towards his car pick up and instead he made it a point to come over to where I happened to be, along with other fans. I didn’t get a picture because I was by myself, trying not to get pushed and I was busy holding out a tennis ball for him to sign, which he did! Highlight of my day! I was right in front of Rafa and he was so great with the fans, despite getting absolutely mobbed. He was the only player to do this all day and it was a great thing to see! I think he stopped traffic too.

Thanks again, Judy!