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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

With the WTA’s Year Ending Championships in Doha this week, it seems a fine time to take a look at how the tour’s hyped-up “Roadmap” is working out. If you remember, the Roadmap was implemented by ex-WTA CEO Larry Scott at the beginning of this season to address the rampant injury problems and tournament pull-outs [...]

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 [...]

We’re only 5 days away from the start of the WTA Year End Championships a.k.a. the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Qatar. And with Jelena Jenkovic progressing to the quarterfinals of the Kremlin Cup this week (and Vera Zvonareva being upset in the second round), the Serbian’s secured the 8th and final spot in the [...]

Maria Sharapova won the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this weekend. It’s her first title since coming back from shoulder surgery this May, after a nearly ten month long injury layoff. Her last title came at Amelia Island in April, 2008.
It was her opponent, Jelena Jankovic, who suffered from shoulder problems, retiring at 2-5 [...]

Will the thought of Justine Henin back on the court – sporting her no-nonsense Adidas kit and a stick-straight ponytail – strike fear into the hearts of her WTA colleagues? Will the threat of her steely resolve, butterfly feet and whipping forehand cut beach holidays short? Will the words of Carlos Rodriguez make the blood [...]

I know there are more important stories from Day 4 at the US Open than this, but I just had to start the wrap with this quote from Dinara Safina:
Q. Who is more popular in Russia now, you or your brother?
DINARA SAFINA: My brother. By the girls so far. I mean, how many girls [...]

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 [...]

Okay, not everyone is shirtless while they practice for the US Open. But Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is! As is David Ferrer – who I’m hoping is recovering nicely from his knee tendinitis. Andy Roddick might as well be shirtless, due to his over-sweating. Whoo hoo! (Sorry, WTA fans, all I got is a shirt-wearing Jelena Jankovic.) [...]

Well, after all the hubbub of Nadal and Federer playing in Montreal and Kim Clijsters making her comeback in Cincy, we have two weekend winners: Jelena Jankovic and the new World No. 2, Andy Murray.
J.J. took out Dinara Safina in the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open in Cincinnati: 6-4, 6-2. It’s only her [...]