We’ve been treated to some riveting tennis so far at the WTA’s year ending championships in Doha.

Was today’s meeting between Vera Zvonareva and Caroline Wozniacki a tennis match or medieval torture porn? The blood poured (literally) in the second set, when Vera Zvonareva took a 5 minute medical timeout to treat a bloody nose. The Russian, who is subbing for her injured countrywoman Dinara Safina, continued the match with a wad of gauze stuffed in one nostril.

AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth via Daylife

Wozniacki seemed firmly in control. At 6-0, 5-2, she was in the reverse situation from her come-from-behind win against Victoria Azarenka yesterday. But today it was Vera who found a second (first?) wind, fighting past two match points and winning the second set tiebreak. In the third set, it was Wozniacki calling for the trainer (twice) to work on her cramping legs.

The drama hit a fever pitch in the last game of the match. Serving at 30-15, Wozniacki collapsed onto the court sobbing and writhing in pain. With shades of Shuzo Matsuoka, Wozniacki wasn’t able to call the trainer (having used the maximum time-outs allowed in a set for one medical condition) and the chair umpire warned her for taking too much time. Rather than default, Wozniacki hobbled to her feet and asked the ball kids for the balls.

A couple rallies later, the tears of pain were mixed with tears of relief. Wozniacki won the match: 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-4.

“I have absolutely no idea how I pulled it through, but I’m very happy about it.” Caroline said afterwards. (via Metro News.)

If you missed it, here’s some video of Wozniacki’s collapse:

And match point:

In other Doha Day 3 action, Serena Williams beat Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-4.  Today’s win cements Serena’s spot in the semifinals and gives her sister a chance to advance if she beats Kuznetsova in today’s last match (they’re tied at a set each, currently.)

Tomorrow’s line up in Doha:

1. Caroline Wozniacki vs. Jelena Jankovic
2. Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Elena Dementieva
3. Vera Zvonareva vs. Victoria Azarenka

Click here for the Doha 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.

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

 

The ESPN network, which is showing 100 hours of live US Open tennis on ESPN2 (and 400 online at ESPN360.com), hosted a conference call recently with two familiar voices from the commentary booth: Cliff Drysdale and Pam Shriver. Both had some interesting things to say on the biggest, fattest and meatiest stories going into the US Open.  Here’s some food for thought:

Will Roger Federer continue to be a lean, mean, Major-winning machine?

Cliff Drysdale isn’t sure:

My general question about Roger Federer is: What keeps him motivated at this point? He’s now the daddy of twins and he’s accomplished just about everything he has to accomplish. Does this lead to him being fat and satisfied and happy or does it motivate him to continue to win? I don’t know the answer to that question.  I think that’s something that will be answered in the next couple of weeks.

Pam Shriver says Federer won’t be popping bonbons anytime soon – he’s still too hungry for tennis:

I think we already know the answer. I think Federer’s hungry as ever. Whether it’s Navratilova or Graf or Evert or McEnroe or Connors, to me that’s what sets the greatest of champions apart:  It’s never enough. They’re always hungry for more. They’re greedy beings and that’s what makes them great champions.

Rafael Nadal’s health is still weighing on everyone’s mind going into the Open. Pam Shriver proposed this surprising/shocking solution to Nadal’s knee problems:

I think Nadal should look at Andy Roddick and the 10 to 15 pounds he’s lost. Even though Nadal is one of the fittest players of all time – when you have knee problems any 2, 3, 5, 8, 10 pounds you can become leaner takes a ton of stress off (the body.) I think after the US Open he’s got to look at – without losing strength – perhaps losing some weight.

Cliff acknowledged that Nadal’s “workhorse” ways were wearing him down, physically, but said the knees were only the half of Rafa’s worries:

There’s one other issue that we need to look at. Nadal’s getting better – I understand that. But there are more players that are improving, as well. For example: Andy Roddick is better, Djokovic is still improving, Del Potro is without a doubt improving and Andy Murray clearly is. And these are all players who play with a kind of game that can take a Nadal down: Flat ball hitters and very aggressive, strong guys.

As for the ATP’s own Valerie Bertinelli, Andy Roddick’s new physique has boosted his aura as well as his game.  A year ago, I doubt Pam Shriver would have said this: “I feel like if Roddick stays on course – which he has every indication of doin – he’ll slip in another major or 2 before he’s retired.”

Chew on that!

On the women’s side of the tournament, Serena and Venus remain the favorites in what Shriver called the “bottom heavy” side of the draw. In the top half, it’s shaping up to be a battle of the Russians with Sharapova, Safina and Dementieva as the top contenders.

Cliff Drysdale gives Dementieva “a 35% chance” of winning the entire tournament, calling her “the best groundstroker in women’s tennis” with a serve that’s “unrecognizably” improved.

Pam Shriver says it’s do or die time for Dinara Safina, who she thinks has been “terribly bruised” from her flame outs in majors this season:

For the No. 1 player in the world she’s shown tremendous vulnerability. And I think having a good US Open and playing some big matches well is going to be really important for the rest of her career in the majors. She’s obviously proven herself at the regular tour level. She’s one of the hardest hitters if not the hardest hitter on the tour. But you can’t be that mentally frail and break down emotionally and expect to win majors.

You’ve heard what the talking heads have to say– now how do you weigh in?

Yes, Venus and Serena Williams are on the same side of the draw. And Safina is still the Slamless No. 1 player in the world. But these old stories don’t interest me anymore. Like a late-summer blockbuster, the US Open women’s draw is packed with plot twists, crazy characters (many with eastern European accents and Bond Girl looks) and the potential for a lot of explosions along the way. Yippie-ki-yay!

WOMEN’S QUARTERFINALS (on paper):
Safina vs. Jankovic
Dementieva vs. Kuznetsova
Venus vs. Azarenka
Serena vs. Zvonareva

THE TWISTS:
Kim Clijsters has a very winnable 2nd round against 14th seed Marion Bartoli. And she’s the in-form player against Venus Williams in the 4th round.
Speaking of Venus – Victoria Azarenka could also upstage her in the quarters.
Maria Sharapova will be seeking revenge against Elena Dementieva in their potential 3rd round match. Maria will benefit greatly from the day off between matches, a luxury she didn’t have during the rest of the US Open Series.
Caroline Wozniacki is ready to do something big – and she’s in Kuznetsova’s section and the Williams-less half
Sam Stosur will not be intimidated by Serena Williams if they meet in the 4th round.
Flavia Pennetta, the first Italian woman in the Top 10, is also in Serena Williams’s quarter.
And if this was the kind of movie with one of those jaw-dropping, first reel shockers, US Fed Cup hero, Alexa Glatch, would knock out Serena in the first round. Get your popcorn popping!

THE PLOT: Who will make it to the final scene?

Dinara Safina - Rocky. . .but will she win in the end?
1st Rd: Rogowska
2nd Rd: U. Radwanska
3rd Rd: Kleybanova
4th Rd: Razzano
Quarters: Jankovic (Ivanovic could surprise)
Semis: Dementieva, Sharapova, Wozniacki, Kuznetsova
Final: Battle of the Real No. 1s!!!! Or not.

Elena Dementieva: From Russia without much love
1st Rd: Miss A. Qualifier
2nd Rd: Pavlyuchenkova
3rd Rd: Sharapova
4th Rd: Petrova (maybe Zheng)
Quarters: Wozniacki, Kuznetsova
Semis: Safina, maybe Jankovic
Final: Venus, Serena, Azarenka, Clijsters as the long shot

Venus Williams: The Robert Altman section of the draw
1st Rd: Dushevina
2nd Rd: Mattek-Sands
3rd Rd: Kanepi
4th Rd: Bartoli or Clijsters
Quarters: Azarenka
Semis: Serena!
Final: Safina, Dementieva, Jankovic

Serena Williams: Go ahead, make her day
1st Rd: Glatch
2nd Rd: Czink
3rd Rd: Bammer or Martinez “cheater” Sanchez
4th Rd: Stosur
Quarters: Zvonareva or Pennetta
Semis: Venus, Azarenka, Clijsters
Final: Safina, Dementieva, Jankovic

Elena Dementieva beat Maria Sharapova in the finals of the Rogers Cup Toronto on Sunday: 6-4, 6-3. It’s her 14th career WTA tour title and her third this year. She took out Ai Sugiyama, Shahar Peer, Sam Stosur, and Serena Williams (in straights!) along the way.

The 27 year-old Russian has enjoyed an accomplished career – including making the finals of the US Open and the French and semifinals appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. She’s won two Olympic Medals – the Gold in Beijing and the Silver in Sydney, and has led her country to Fed Cup glory (she has the best record of any Russian Fed Cupper.)

So when is Elena Dementieva going to win a Major?

Perhaps this Rogers Cup win will help – and not just by boosting her confidence. Recent history shows that the odds of her winning the US Open are very good. Get this: The last three women to win in Toronto – Justine Henin in 2003, Kim Clijsters in 2005 and Henin in 2007 – have gone on to win the US Open. (via the BBC.)

Will Elena continue the Toronto Trend?

To celebrate the start of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open in Cincinnati this week, Elena Dementieva and Kim “call it a comeback” Clijsters were marooned in the middle of an amusement park’s fountain. Good times!

I love the WTA’s breathless description:

“Rising high above the ground, a special tennis court was placed on a platform in the middle of the fountain set against the “Eiffel Tower” at the Kings Island entrance. They rallied against each other while literally chasing tennis balls through the fountain, giving onlookers a show of a lifetime. With “Fountain Tennis”, Sony Ericsson was once again able to take the sport from the confines of the tennis court to a new audience and unexplored environment.”

Really, this is why the players need their own union – so they can stop being treated like circus acrobats.

“Wow, girls, that was the show of a lifetime! Now sign the damn balls.”

And a video:

Kim Clijsters plays Marion Bartoli on Monday evening in Cincy. Click here for the tournament website.

That would be the Dementieva vs. Williams match, wouldn’t it? My goodness, that was fun.

Serena and Elena battled it out in a riveting semifinal match today, with Serena eventually coming back from match point down in the third: 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6.

Elena enjoyed the experience, even though she squandered that match point opportunity:

Q. Do you think this is the best match ever you have played on grass?

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Yeah, definitely, I think that was the best match on grass court. And that was the best match we ever played against each other. It was a real fight from the beginning till the end. You know, I just feel like, you know, finally I played some good tennis here.

Just, you know, was not easy to fight against her. She’s a great champion. She was, you know, serving very well today. You know, I wasn’t sure if it’s Serena or Andy Roddick on the other side, 125 all the time. You know, it was a huge percentage of the first serve.

You know, even with that I was able to break her a couple of times and I was in the lead in the third set. Like I said, she’s a fighter. Me, too. So was a good match.

Elena Dementieva is my favorite Russian (outside the sunny Siberian, Maria Sharapova.) Even back when her serve was more hustle than flow, she found a way to get to two Grand Slam finals. More than Safina, she’s the Russian that I think “deserves” a Major at this point. Glad to hear she has her eyes on the prize, too:

ELENA DEMENTIEVA: Well, I think only by playing these kind of matches you can improve, you know, because this is the players that I want to beat, to win a Grand Slam. And, you know, you have this experience playing very close match against Serena, I think it’s very positive.

So I’m gonna watch this match again. I’m gonna take some positive, you know, things from it and go forward.

Let’s go, Elena! I’ll be rooting for you at the US Open. Even though I’m jealous that you can look this good after sweating for three hours.

On Serena’s side of the net, she admitted to being pushed to the limits, saying: “I definitely had to dig deep, because I was playing a player that didn’t give me an inch, didn’t make too many errors, was playing a hundred percent.”

Serena, being the perfectionist/egotist that we all know and love, didn’t rank her own performance as an A++, however. Here are the money quotes from her presser:

Q. You seemed to be coming off your forehand the whole first set. You weren’t hitting through it.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think that was for the whole match. My forehand didn’t show up today. I think he went to Hawaii. (Laughter).

But I’ve called him and asked her, I should say, to come back for the final. Hopefully she’ll be back.

Q. You did get it back occasionally.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Very occasionally. Maybe once or twice. I didn’t hit my best today.

But, you know, it’s always good to win when one of your stroke’s on vacation.

And now onto The Worst Match of the day, if not the tournament, if not the entire season. Venus Williams destroyed, obliterated, dismantled and humiliated Dinara Safina in the other semifinal: 6-1, 6-0.

Here’s a mind bender for you: The actual No. 1 seed won only one game against the real No. 1 seed.

I hate to take anything away from Venus’s amazing performance, but watching Dinara play is starting to make me sick to my stomach. Or am I being to hard on her, forgetting Roger Federer’s abysmal 1-6, 3-6, 0-6 loss to Nadal in last year’s French Open final? (My answer: once Dinara has 12 slams, she can start getting bageled in finals.)

At least we have a great final coming up! Williams vs. William XXI! I’ll have more on that later. For now, I’m still recovering from that match point Dementieva lost.

I’m still catching up on today’s fantastic ladies’ Wimbledon semi-finals (you know there’s a good match waiting on the DVR when non-tennis fans are leaving “Wow!” emails in your inbox.) Elena Dementieva has always had great ground strokes and a solid return game, but suddenly the gal’s got serve. She was averaging a higher second serve speed than Serena Williams was. Say what?

Check out this fun video for proof that Dementieva has found her serving mojo:

Here’s hoping Elena keeps up her fantastic form into the US Open – it’s great to see her contending at the highest levels.

And then there’s Venus - who is just showing off:

Looking forward to seeing which Williams does more damage on her serve in Saturday’s Wimbledon final! Go V!