Tennis Channel's Cari Champion's interview with Alisa Kleybanova became must see television when a day or two before it aired it was revealed that Alisa, one of the up and coming Russian players, has been diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma. She is undergoing treatment in Italy. The most important thing for Alisa right now is to get well. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say all of our thoughts and prayers go out to her and that hopefully we'll see her mucking up draws on a tennis court real soon.
Weekend Winners
Spain has had a very productive couple of weeks. First came the not so surprising surprise win over the United States in Davis Cup play. The hero of Davis Cup for Spain, David Ferrer, honored his committment and flew to Bastad, Sweden where he was scheduled to compete. David made it to the final where he lost to Robin Soderling.
That he made it that far is amazing.
Meanwhile the oft ignored female tennis players from the same country were making their contribution to their country's tennis history by winning two tournaments.
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez showed her fitness by holding the trophy from Bad Gastein.
Her compatriot Anabel Medina Garrigues had a much easier time showing off her trophy after winning in Palermo.
Not to be left out Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has been battling his way back after illness and injury fought his way to the championship at Stuttgart. I saw his match against Federico Del Bonis and have to say if you like hard hitting this Del Bonis kid, from Argentina, is someone to keep an eye on. It took all of Ferrero's skill and craft to overcome the challenge the young man threw down. Of course the test is whether Del Bonis will be able to keep up during the American Summer Hard Court season.
I don't usually talk about Challenger tournaments unless for some reason or another I'm on a tear about something but the joint event in Bogota, Colombia was on my radar screen all week. I don't know if you remember but right after Indian Wells Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic flew to Bogota for an exhibition match before heading to Miami. This week another of Spain's Davis Cup heroes Feliciano Lopez was in Bogota to play a $100K challenger event.
Looks like he did all right huh?
I was also paying attention to the women's event in Bogota because a young girl I've been following ever since I started this blog, Sachia Vickery, was playing.
As you can see she's not a little girl anymore. She also did very well making it to the semifinals.
I don't want to leave the doubles winners out.
The team of Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner won in Stuttgart.
Meanwhile in Bastad the top seeded team of Lindstedt and Tecau won the top prize.
Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci made Italy proud winning the doubles championship at Palermo.
At Bad Gastein the Czech team of Birnerova and Hradecka were doubles winners.
Idle Chit Chat
Pakistan's Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi became engaged to Faha Akmal Makhdum in an elaborate ceremony in Pakistan.
In more wedding news Elena Dementieva married her long time man Maxim Afinogenov in a ceremony held on top of the Ritz Carlton in Moscow near Red Square.
Almost everyone was there.
Dinara
Elena Vesnina
Vera Zvonareva and Svetlana Kuznetsova
Maria Kirilenko and Igor Andreev
Alla Kudryavtseva (who Tweeted many of the pictures) and I think Ekaterina Makarova
Vera Dushevina caught the bouquet (Alla hints it was quite a scrum)
And oh yeah, these people
Elena Dementieva
Elena and Maxim
1 comment:
Wow so happy for Elena and her future looks bright. I think she wanted children.
Very sad for Alisa. I'm sorry I made fun of her when she was wringing out her hair a couple of years back. I am wishing her a speedy recovery.
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