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Krumm Pulls Off Comeback of the Ages

Posted: Sep 27th 2009 9:30PM by Greg Couch (author feed)
Filed under: WTA

For tennis players, things can hurt at 19, but the body heals in about 15 minutes. At 29, "Well, I'm probably going to groan when I get up out of this seat,'' said James Blake, describing it.

"You feel the knees a little more. You feel the back. I can't roll out of the car and hit anymore. I need to be in there stretching, be on the bike for five minutes, do all these things to warm up my body. It's not as much fun."

That's what makes it so amazing that Kimiko Date Krumm won the Korea Open Sunday, beating Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-3, 6-3.

Continue Reading Krumm Pulls Off Comeback of the Ages

Is Serena Bringing Down Venus' Legacy?

Posted: Jun 23rd 2009 12:10AM by Greg Couch (author feed)
Filed under: Wimbledon, WTA

24 COMMENTS

Venus is not Serena. They don't dress alike, sound alike, play alike or look alike. They stand out alike, yes, because they are a novelty together, they are great and they are sisters.

But we have combined them in every way for some obvious reasons, but frankly, that's not fair to Venus.

Venus Williams is a better champion than Serena Williams. More elegant, more gracious.

On Tuesday, Venus starts defense of her title at Wimbledon, where she has a royal feel. She is the queen. And in the most elegant place in tennis, Venus stands apart.

Venus Advances at Wimbledon | Scores: Men | Women

Continue Reading Is Serena Bringing Down Venus' Legacy?

Serena Should Be No. 1 and Much More

Posted: Apr 21st 2009 8:44PM by Greg Couch (author feed)
Filed under: WTA, WTA Rankings

10 COMMENTS

Blame the system if you want. It is all wrong. But Dinara Safina is now the No. 1 ranked women's tennis player, and no, she's not the best women's player.

Psycho. That's how Serena Williams, the best player, described it.

"I just ...'' she said. "I can't compute it.''

No, a computer does that. Tennis has its own little BCS-type controversy now, with computers trying to measure greatness. The difference is that the college football can't pick a champ without computers. Tennis does it with tournaments.

Continue Reading Serena Should Be No. 1 and Much More

Ana Ivanovic Wins French Open

Posted: Jun 7th 2008 11:01AM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: Tennis, Women's Sports

3 COMMENTS

Ana Ivanovic won the French Open women's singles title today, soundly defeating Dinara Safina, 6-4 6-3, and finishing a tremendous run at Roland Garros during which she never dropped a set.

It's the first Grand Slam title for Ivanovic, the Serbian star who will be the new world No. 1 beginning next week. In a classy move, Justine Henin, the four-time French Open champion who shocked the world when she retired last month, was on hand to present Ivanovic with the trophy.

Although this French Open served as a reminder of how fall American tennis has fallen, Ivanovic has just the kind of crossover appeal to become the star in this country that she already is in much of the world. This was the signature performance of her career.

Justine Henin Quits at 25: Youngest Athlete Ever to Retire on Top?

Posted: May 14th 2008 1:57PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: Tennis, Women's Sports

14 COMMENTS

Justine Henin, the No. 1 ranked women's tennis player in the world, announced her retirement today at age 25.

Henin made the announcement, which is effective immediately, just two weeks before she was expected to defend her title at the French Open. She won the French four times, the U.S. Open twice and the Australian Open once. She also won the gold medal in women's singles at the 2004 Olympics.

Henin walks away at such a young age that it raises the question of whether she's the youngest athlete ever to retire on top, in any sport. When we think of athletes who retire on top, we usually think of people like Jim Brown, who played his last NFL game at age 29, or Barry Sanders, who quit at 30.

But 25 years old? Henin says she simply feels fatigued. Here's hoping she finds something she loves to do, as she has many decades of retirement ahead of her.

Justine Henin Beats Venus Williams

Posted: Sep 7th 2007 6:45PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: Tennis, Women's Sports

69 COMMENTS

Justine Henin is amazing. She's not quite as dominant in women's tennis as Roger Federer is on the men's side, but Henin, who defeated Venus Williams in straight sets today to reach the final of the U.S. Open, is without a doubt the best female tennis player in the world, and she's one match away from the title at Flushing Meadows.

She'll face No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the title match Saturday night, and she's strongly favored to win, as she is 14-2 against Kuznetsova, including a victory in the 2006 French Open final.

Neither Henin nor Kuznetsova moves the needle very much in the United States, and it's hard to imagine many American sports fans watching tomorrow night when there's baseball and college football on. But Henin deserves notice as one of the world's elite athletes.

She's Our Venus, She's Our Fire, She's Our Desire

Posted: Jul 7th 2007 3:13PM by D-Wil (author feed)
Filed under: Tennis, Women's Sports

43 COMMENTS

Thirty-one, number one. Eighteen, number two. Ask 2007 Wimbledon champion, #31-seed Venus Williams; Just ask #18-seed and runner-up Marion Bartoli of .

Tennis is funny like that, then again, so is sports. When you want to win too much, you'll invariably lose. Just ask Roger Federer about that French Open final. After Wimbledon he tailored his season for the red clay of Roland Garros - and still lost to Rafael Nadal.

For Justine Henin, Wimbledon is the one Grand Slam tournament she hasn't won. Yesterday, after a 6-1 set against Marion Bartoli, Henin was but six games from a finals matchup against Venus Williams. The thought of "tomorrow" became an untenable weight in the world's #one's mind. After a second set struggle that she lost 7-5, the weight came in the form of a boulder that rolled right over Henin. Bartoli crushed Henin, 6-1 in the third and final set.

Today, the weight appeared not to be on Williams, but on Bartoli. After she absorbed a 6-4, 6-1 beating at the racket of the older Williams sister, Bartoli broke down and cried. That only happens when a player has a plan they feel is infallible if executed correctly. Either Bartoli's plan was wrong or her execution was weak.

Maybe Williams, today at least, proved she is just the better tennis player.

The first six games of the match see-sawed. Bartoli showed her nerves in losing the first three games. Williams showed she could take her foot off the gas, even in the finals of a Grand Slam, losing the next three games. However, Williams righted herself and played like the four-time Wimbledon champion she now is and won 12 of the next 14 games.

Though Bartoli played valiantly, her groundstrokes and her athletic ability were no match for Williams. In fact, the way Venus played after her first two Wimbledon matches - they were struggles - not even a healthy Serena could have beaten her older sister.

Thirty-one is number one - at least at Wimbledon.

---------------------------------

On the men's side of things, Roger Federer brushed aside Richard Gasquet (or "Dickie Gasket," as ex-pro, coach of Andy Murray, and announcer Brad Gilbert calls the Frenchman), 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. Club Fed will shoot for his fifth Wimbledon title in a row tomorrow against Rafael Nadal, who defeated an injured (back) Novak Djokovic, 3-6, 6-1, 4-1 (retired).

Is This Year Time for Wimbledon Upsets?

Posted: Jun 25th 2007 1:53AM by D-Wil (author feed)
Filed under: Tennis, Outdoor Sports

1 COMMENT

Wimbledon is upon us. As Roger Federer begins his quest for his fifth straight Wimbledon title, Justine Henin seeks her first.

Federer is an odds on favorite on the fast grass. Henin, on the other hand, must contend with women with powerful groundstrokes and big serves like Serena and Venus Williams, and Maria Sharapova.

Federer's first tough match will come in the third round against 6'4" Marat Safin. Though Safin has had an off year so far, he is always dangerous on the grass courts. Also down the road for Federer might be #13-ranked Tommy Haas or #9 James Blake.

World's #3 Andy Roddick is coming off a fourth straight victory at the Queen's Club, a warm up tournament for Wimbledon. Roddick's road to the quarterfinals appears easier than Federer's in that his main competition are player's whose games are more suited to clay than grass.

Rafael Nadal, #2-seed has an incredibly tough opening match against American Mardy Fish. Though Fish has been injured, this surface fits his serve-and-volley game to a tee. Should Fish return Nadal's serve and force his way to the net, an upset can happen. Should he get by Fish, in the third round Nadal is likely to face the huge-hitting Robin Soderling from Sweden. All-in-all I do not see Nadal reaching the final weekend this year.

On the women's side, Henin and Serena Williams appear to both have clear paths to a quarterfinal meeting. French Open finalist Jelena Jankovic must make her way through Israeli Shahar Peer or Martina Hingis, and possibly meet Anna Chakvetadze in the quarters. In Maria Sharapova's quarter of the draw it looks for all the world that she will face Venus Williams in a round-of-16 matchup worthy of the finals.

My predictions? It remains to be seen what the effect are of Federer losing to Nadal in the French Open finals. However, I feel Federer will pull through and win his fifth Winbledon. On the women's side I'm looking for Venus Williams to upset #2 Sharapova and Serena to defeat Henin in the quarterfinals. And I feel Serena takes the women's trophy.

Justine Henin and -------- Herpes?!

Posted: Jun 13th 2007 6:37PM by D-Wil (author feed)
Filed under: Tennis

8 COMMENTS

Justine Henin, in her French Open finals post-match press conference had this to say (question and answer):

Q. Weren't you afraid that the emotional side of things would have too much influence on that match?

JUSTINE HENIN: No, I didn't panic. I knew I was not starting that match well. I can tell you, I had a horrible night. My herpes came out again, and I said to my doctor, "Well, I see everything is fine, it's great."

So, really, I was a bit anxious. But also, I really wanted to do well. And very early in the match, the match turned over. And then I knew I was going to be able to keep it up until the end. (enphasis mine)

Henin is recently divorced. Is this part of the reason for the split with her husband?

I mean I'm just sayin'. And will this be an excuse for future losses? I can hear it now:

Q: Justine, in the second set your forehand just seemed to fail you, and you seemed to tire as the match went on. Is that true?

Henin: Well, my herpes began to act up and I wanted to get off the court before my sore began to show.

I'll be looking out for all of Henin's post-match interviews from here on out.

Serena Still Hurt From Four Years Ago, Loses to Henin

Posted: Jun 5th 2007 3:22PM by D-Wil (author feed)
Filed under: Tennis

11 COMMENTS

Justine Henin had won 29 straight sets at the French Open before today. Serena Williams, a 6-4, 6-3 loser to Henin, allowed the Belgian woman to make it 31.

For all the hype surrounding this match, it turned out to be a very routine win for the world's #1 woman player. The prevailing thought was that Serena would make the match physical, too physical for the slight (5' 6", 125 pounds) Henin. Physical in tennis means hard-hit, heavy shots and running a player with those shots from side to side; that's what wears down an opponent over a period of time. Williams, though, never seemed to find her way in the match because Henin smacked her off the court before Williams had the chance.

There is also a history between these two players that makes them mortal enemies. Four years ago at the French before a key point in their match then, Henin held up her hand just as Serena was about to serve. Williams, seeing this, half-heartedly hit her serve into the net. Williams rightfully expected to be able to hit that first serve again. The chair umpire, though, said she never saw Henin raise her hand to stop play. Henin, in a stunningly ruthless gamesmanship maneuver, refused to acknowledge that she held up her hand, essentially costing Williams her first serve. The French fans showed their bias and booed Williams (Henin is from the French portion of Belgium). Serena was shaken and never recovered from that point. She lost her serve that game and eventually the match.

So, here were these women four years later meeting at the French for the first time since that incident. When they entered the court, Henin was cheered wildly. Serena's entrance was met with lukewarm polite cheering. Any other, non-French player who outright cheated to win a point during a match would have been booed every time they walked on any court at the French Open (ask Maria Sharapova).

Continue Reading Serena Still Hurt From Four Years Ago, Loses to Henin