Photo: JP/Ricky Yudhistira
The WTA’s final tournament of the year is this week in Bali at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. The $600,000 tournament is a kind of consolation year ending championships, open to the top players who have won at least one International Series level event in 2009 and who didn’t make Doha. Sabine [...]

The WTA has a new feature on its website called “Something Completely Different,” which includes players’ answers to “random” press conference questions. The first in the series is: “Who is your favorite male tennis player?” Roger Federer is on the top of many a WTA player’s list – and no, Marion Bartoli isn’t even included!
I [...]

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 [...]

There are two story lines to any tournament – what you experience as a fan and what actually happens on court. For example, these are the experiences that stick in my mind after attending Day 3 of the US Open on Wednesday:
1.   Witnessing a lady puking near the big fountain at about 11:30 a.m. (Hope [...]

Kim Clijsters played her first WTA singles match in over two years on Monday night in Cincinnati, beating World No. 13 and Stanford Champ Marion Bartoli in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. Guess Kimmie came ready to play.
I kind of feel sorry for Marion Bartoli, being tied to the tracks as the Clijsters Comeback Express rolled [...]

Venus Williams hit 54 winners in the final of Stanford’s Bank of the West Classic on Sunday and still lost the match. And no, it wasn’t to her sister, who went out to Sam Stosur in the quarters. Venus Williams lost to the quirky Frenchwoman, Marion Bartoli: 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Bartoli credited her success to improved [...]

The drama’s building at Roland Garros, with a Day 5 filled with tears, triumphs and flop sweat.
Roger Federer’s four set victory over Jose Acasuso was an epic drama in itself. Roger pulled a Houdini, admitting afterwards that “(Acasuso) should have won a few sets.” I’m pretty sure that means Jose would have won the match, [...]

It’s always fun to hear what the players have to say, especially in the pressure cooker of a Grand Slam tournament like Roland Garros. Here are some of my favorite quotes so far:
Marat Safin, on being booted out of his last Roland Garros:

MARAT SAFIN: Well, as you can see, I didn’t draw the heart, and [...]

ROME MASTERS:
I have to say, I’m thrilled we have some qualifiers in the last eight this weekend in Rome. I’m getting a little tired of the same old top guys making it. That said, five of the six top seeds are playing the quarters on Friday.
Here’s the quarterfinal run down (stats from the ATP)
Rafael Nadal [...]

It was Elena Dementieva (No. 1 seed) vs. Caroline Wozniacki and Marion Bartoli vs. Sabine Lisicki in Saturday’s semi finals at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston. Youth won out, with the 18-year-old Wozniacki and 19-year-old Lisicki making it to the final.
It should be a good one. Sabine’s impressed me this week – I [...]