Fun In the Sand and Sun

by Savannah

I have to admit that I saw little to no tennis this past week. If it wasn't for Twitter I wouldn't have a clue about who won what or how they did it. Yes I'm resisting going on Australian time which is probably not a good idea but with me decluttering and painting my apartment I really won't have a chance to until the end of the week. It's gonna be fun ain't it?

Anyway there were a couple of significant wins this past week.


Kaia Kanepi won the WTA Premier title at Brisbane and added her name to the contenders list for 2012. She's been on the verge for awhile now.

Andy Murray pleased new coach Ivan Lendl and took the mens trophy.

Daniel Nestor continued his superb doubles play winning the men's doubles at Brisbane with Max Mirnyi.

Nuria Llagostera Vives paired with Arantxa Parra Santonja to take the women's doubles crown.


Milos Raonic fought his way to a victory over Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic at Chennai.

Tipsarevic smartly paired up with Leander Paes and got to take home the doubles trophy.


Zheng Jie rain plagued Auckland after Flavia Pennetta retired due to injury.

The Czech team of Hlavackova and Hradecka won the doubles.

Speaking of Czech teams Tomas Berdych and Petra Kvitova won the Hopman Cup for their country. They're seen here with Lucy Hopman who is 90 years young.


Despite it's being an ATP 250 event all eyes were on Doha. The last man standing was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who faced countryman Gael Monfils for the championship. The subtexts to this match were huge. Not only were there two men of African descent playing for a main tour title but they were two French men. As everyone knows there was a lot of trash talked by French players during the "off" season about alleged doping by other countries. I guess that was a way to take some of the pressure off of their top players, Tsonga and Monfils. I don't think all the wishful thinking in the world would put Richard Gasquet in that category at this point.

Anyway the match needed to be a high quality one and it looked like it was off to a flying start when Monfils broke Tsonga to open the match. Tsonga had been complaining about the mist and fog that made the lines slippery and after that first game he got his way and play was suspended. I had running around to do so I left home at that point. On the way back I checked the scores and found out that Tsonga won in straight sets. I can't say anything because all I saw was one game.


Apparently some couldn't restrain themselves and posted comments online that were insulting to Gael. I was also too through with one of the commentators who couldn't refrain from making "jokes" about Gael's return to locks. I mean this is the 21st century. If you don't like locks and you work in sports I think you should know enough to keep your ignorance to yourself. I'm thinking it was the same commentator who kept referring to Roger Federer as the "greatest player ever" and no matter what was happening in the match constantly referred to his "beauty of movement" and "superior" play. I'm sorry but that's not commentary that's fanboyism. It has no place in the booth.

As for the other comments made by a member of the tennis media elite I'm not going to say a word. He's probably bringing enough hits to his site without me adding to the total.

Sigh. And the year is just beginning.