Just So We're Clear

by Savannah



The picture of the gif shown above is the only visible proof of what fans felt about the actions of WTA #1 Victoria Azarenka. I watched the match and that banner never appeared once on the feed I was watching. Of course the picture on the side is obviously a photo manipulation. I found it on a WTA fan site.

It seems I wasn't clear enough about reactions to Azarenka's taking advantage of the rules to calm herself down after blowing five match points to close out her match against American Sloane Stephens. I'm going to go a bit off topic here to mention that Stephens should beware of taking victory tours when she hasn't really won a "victory" yet. The USTA is desperate to have someone, especially an African American woman, to point to with pride and say "we did that". The American tennis establishment has never accepted Venus Williams or Serena Williams as one of their own since their parents had the sense to keep them out of the clutches of the people who wanted to claim the Williams success as their own. And let's not forget the media riot surrounding the USTA's treatment of Taylor Townsend this past summer. That the USTA wants to celebrate Stephens victory over an injured Serena Williams speaks volumes about how they feel about Serena.

It's interesting how Azarenka's fans have reacted to the furor. Their defense of their favorite boils down to the following:

1. Victoria misunderstood the question.
2. She was really injured.
3. Sloane wasn't going to win anyway.
4. Everybody does it.

Three and four can be dismissed out of hand. No one expected Stephens to win - she'd played a long hard match against a player who even while injured was playing to win and still had a chance to do so. A day's rest would've made a hell of a lot of difference in Stephens ability to play toe to toe with Azarenka who had struggled all tournament. I'm not saying she would've won but it would've been a more competitive match.

I think this is said to divert attention from Azarenka blowing those five match points which led to the MTO and the controversy.

Everybody does it is pure bull. Usually people drag out references to Rafael Nadal's alleged sketchy MTO's. There is one that I remember and Toni told him to cut the shit. If you want to go into phony MTO's the person who should be cited is Novak Djokovic but ironically the people using this argument never do so. I wonder why.

The first point, the one that was used AFTER the furor arose, is also fiction. Azarenka has lived in the United States for years and speaks English quite well, well enough to understand nuance.

The second point, that she was really injured, is wishful thinking. As Randy Burgess points out in his response to someone making that argument Azarenka herself said that she almost committed the "choke of the century" and that she felt "overwhelmed" and that she "had to win". She understood the question and answered truthfully.



By the time she was interviewed after leaving the court there's no doubt that her PR people had been hard at work. Unfortunately there were lots of people in RLA and millions watching. And lets not forget social media. The bought and paid for tennis media couldn't hide what had happened as they would've done in the past. That is why the four points of view have been floating around trying to explain the unexplainable and indefensible.

Finally I want to address the issue of sexism in both fan and press reaction to Victoria Azarenka as a player.

I watched tennis during the era of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. Their antics were met with a wink and nod from the then mostly male sports writers and used to prove how masculine tennis was. They routinely exploded on court causing both cringing and cheering among tennis fans. Even today everyone knows McEnroe's "you can not be serious" line whether you're a tennis fan or not.

It should be pointed out that

Such behavior has never been condoned in a female tennis player. This article in Yahoo Eurosport mentions the long standing antipathy to Azarenka down under.

I guess it gets down to whether the behavior of McEnroe and Connors would be tolerated in any player, male or female, today. I don't think it would. Today's fans want good competition and eruptions of emotion or bad sportsmanship don't sit go over well today. Celebrate a well crafted point, a good rally, argue with the chair but throwing things at on court officials (See THIS ) is not a way to get the fans behind you.



After a run of Slamless #1's women's tennis has a #1 who can win Slams. This doesn't mean that everything she does is protected by The Almighty. Azarenka is deserving of the top ranking at this point. She plays a relatively full schedule and makes Grand Slam semi finals and finals. Her behavior is not what she, or the WTA want for the sport at this time. The era of prim ladies in long white skirts has gone the way of the dinosaur. The fans accept women who play in your face tennis with a side order of grace, and good sportsmanship.


End Notes

Davis Cup play starts today. The only member of the Top 4 playing is Novak Djokovic.

Bernard Tomic was caught going 78 KM/H in a 60 KM/H zone. Driving a bright yellow Ferrari with 'SINCITY' plates. The police officer didn't want his autograph. His license has been suspended. Good thing young Aussies made a good showing in Melbourne.

WTA players are out and about - in pictures


Daniela Hantuchova and Maria Kirilenko


Berry Gordy, Victoria Azarenka and Stefan Gordy



Serena Williams and Patrick Mouratoglou out and about in Melbourne. Loving the Air Jordan trainers and the short red dress.

But for some of us all of the legs shown above don't make us as happy as the sight of these legs do.



Welcome back Rafa!

Sunday's Winners

by Savannah

Victoria Azarenka won the women's championship and holds her second Sony Ericsson Open trophy.

Novak Djokovic continued his undefeated 2011 by winning in Miami.

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are the men's doubles champions.

The team of Daniela Hantuchova and Agnieszka Radwanska won the women's doubles crown.

The Patty Schnyder Story

Patty Schnyder has played professional tennis for a number of years. Her winnings total about $10 million. But reports surfaced this week that Swiss authorities are looking for the player and her husband because of outstanding debts totaling CHF 379'260 .86. The creditors include banks, credit card companies, debt collection company, a trust company and tax authorities - even the Billag wants money according to the Swiss tabloid Blick. It's rumored that the police investigation began when Schnyder's husband was unable to come up with eight Porsche's he'd promised to a group of investors. How this will affect her at Charleston this week remains to be seen. As many know Rainer Hofmann, Patty's husband, has been implicated in fraud before. No charges were pressed.

For details of Hofmann's past this article gives the details.

Patty had been talking about retiring from tennis.

Weekend Update 2/13/2011

by Savannah

"What I know is that I deserved to be the world number on in 2010, obviously, my results clearly show it. I mean, I've been the one who won more matches and more tournmaents on the WTA Tour than anybody else."

"I think that in every slam, I miss a little bit of luck and experience. It's not a big secret to play well seven matches in a row to win the title. And I learnt through my career that it's not that easy at all. But I'll do everything I can this year to work it out"

Caroline Wozniacki in Dubai as reported by French Eurosport. Fan translation by "MiiMo".

The French Open Will Remain in Paris

The USTA made $90 million at the gate for the 2010 US Open. Ninety million smackers just on ticket sales. That's not counting the overpriced and dreadful food, programs and other crap that's on sale during the US Open. What national tennis organization wouldn't see those figures and salivate?

That was the idea behind moving the French Open from it's present site near the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. Bigger site. More modern site. More people. More money.

Today the victory went to the traditionalists as the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT) voted to keep their Grand Slam in Paris and update the site.

While many of us outside of France see this as a victory many French don't seem to think it is. They look at the money the USTA makes on the US Open and want to cram more people into their tournament.

The French Open and Wimbledon remain the most fan friendly of the Slams in terms of how tickets are sold and providing fans with a venue made for watching tennis. I've ranted about the horrors of the stadium named for the late great Arthur Ashe in the New York City borough of Queens in the past so I won't go into them now. Let's just say that the FFT made the right decision.

The Weekends Winners

I think we can safely say it's time to pay serious attention to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. She got on a lot of people's watch lists last year but being as she's part of the WTA that means nothing in the wider scheme of things. Blondes with long braids are a dime a dozen in the WTA and they've mostly turned out to be flashes in the pan.

That all changed today. Playing against a hostile French crowd - I know there's no other kind but it still has to be said - Kvitova held her nerves together and didn't allow the newly anointed WTA #1 Kim Clijsters to get into a rhythm and dominate the pace of the match. Clijsters had no answers for Kvitova's serve and groundstrokes and since Petra was not about to beat herself Kim once again showed that she is not much more than a glorified pusher. As I've said before she's just better at it than Wozniacki.

I watched the match online on Eurosport2 and the British commentary was full of St Kim adulation and pictures of her husband and daughter. I don't know if eating crow is done in Europe but I hope it was cooked to their liking.

Despite all the pomp and ceremony in Paris Clijsters can be passed by the Deserving One (see above) if she reaches the semifinals in Dubai. It's still the WTA kids. But watch out for Ms Petra Kvitova.

Flanked by Bahian priestesses Nicolas Almagro (r) and Aleksandr Dolgopolov pose with their trophies. Almagro won the crown at Costa do Sauipe.

Robin Soderling successfully defended his crown in Rotterdam. He defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Rotterdam doubles champions Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner flank Tournament Director Richard Krajicek.

It seemed as if Daniela Hantuchova was tuning up to sing her swan song. After all her game seemed anachronistic and she'd always been considered physically fragile. Besides she hadn't won a title of any kind in four years. That drought has ended as she defeated Sara Errani of Italy in Thailand. Some found fault with her commenting that the semi final against Vera Zvonareva was a "mini final" but truth be told it was. I can't speak for everyone but I didn't expect her to win that match. I understand that Vera got very upset about a call and that was it for her.

That leads me to wonder why there are still tournaments - some majors as we saw in Paris this week and during Fed Cup play last week - being played on courts without HawkEye. It's expensive but it makes for much cleaner matches and less conspiracy theories from people like me. Oh well. Guess I'm shoveling shit against the tide again.

End Note

The highly anticipated match between Milos Raonic and Fernando Verdasco at the SAP Open will be played later today. Raonic got a walkover from an injured Gael Monfils into the final while Verdasco routined Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4 for the chance to defend his title. Needless to say I hope to be watching and Tweeting about that match and posting about it later. I can't wait for Brad Gilbert to pronounce the young Canadian's name. On second thought I can.

Be Careful What You Ask For

by Savannah

I apologize to all of you. I've been bitching and moaning about the almost total blackout of women's tennis these last few days/weeks and I was glad that finally tennis was going to be shown not only on TennisTV but on broadcast television as well. So who were we going to see? The woman who knocked Elena Demetieva out of the tournament, Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic against the veteran player Daniela Hantuchova. Somewhere the tennis gods are laughing in their green beer. Ms Cetkovska is an attractive young woman and many male tennis fans loved watching her. Unfortunately Ms Hantuchova, another attractive woman, was on the other side of the net.

I have seen Daniela play before. I've seen her play relatively quickly. Last night I wanted to stick pins in my eyes. I have to say I am rarely bored by a tennis match. If I'm not interested in who is playing I can find other things to occupy my mind until a better match comes on. Unfortunately last night there was no other game in town. If it wasn't for the music of the Buena Vista Social Club and an unintentionally funny video from "Phantom of the Opera" I would've been in lala land and totally missed the men's match that came afterwards.
More on that later. I sincerely hope that match was not some poor unfortunates introduction to women's tennis. The match should've taken less than an hour. Instead it ending up lasting about two hours. Now when I mention the worst tennis match ever I have to use the plural. The first was the moonball match between Conchita Martinez and Amanda Coetzer. This match last night is number two on my list. Simply horrid. I would like to see Cetkovska play again as long as it's not against Hantuchova.

Let me say now that the WTA coverage from Miami will be the same as it was at Indian Wells. The sisters Williams will be playing. And you will not hear one peep from me about the unfairness of it all.

It was hard to regain my focus when the women's match was finally over. I have rarely seen an entire match of Igor Andreev's and I was looking forward to it. He was playing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who as we all know brings the fire when he's on court.

Like all Frenchmen he plays with both skill and flair. He is in constant motion and a fan favorite. There are times though when the flair gets in the way of the skill and last night was one of those nights.

Jo was trying to get points over quickly. Igor wasn't. It was obvious before the end of the first set that Jo was not going to beat Andreev. Because of the length of the women's match there weren't many fans left - it was a work night - and maybe that's what Jo missed. I don't want to make excuses. Igor totally outplayed Jo last night. Tsonga's camp was glum from the beginning of the match. Was there a problem with his back? At any rate Andreev, with an upset win, moves on and will play Ivan Ljubicic who has to be happy about his win over Gilles Simon.

Fernando Gonzalez of Chile totally destroyed James Blake. Fernando never allowed Blake into the match playing the best tennis I've seen from him in awhile. He's gone back to his hard hitting but incorporated what he learned from Larry Stefanki. The commentators were talking up a grudge match between the two after what happened in the Olympics but if anyone proved anything yesterday it was Gonzalez. Blake, out of the top ten for the first time in a long time, has to be wondering if that's all there is.

Meanwhile the other Fernando, surnamed Verdasco, from Spain, made mincemeat out of France's Richard Gasquet. Gasquet seemed to be out there as the foil for a newly energized and confident Verdasco who proved his showing in Melbourne was no fluke. At times Gasquet looked as if he was wondering where he was as Verdasco chewed him up and spit him out.

It was not a good day for French tennis.

Meanwhile these two men played doubles and seem to have quietly settled a feud that had tennisheads enthralled. If you don't frequent fan boards (or are a newcomer to this blog) you may not know about the telenovella that had dominated Argentine tennis for the last few months. Let's just say David Nalbandian and Juan Martin del Potro weren't playing golf together. On the way to California it just so happened both men and their entourages were on the same flight and it was decided that it was time to bury the hatchet and reconcile the warring factions. I'm sure the Argentine press ate this up. I wish we could've seen some of the play here. The only doubles news that was deemed worthy of coverage in the States was the meeting between Bob and Mike Bryan and what would've been the Swiss doubles team of Yves Allegro and Roger Federer. Do I have to tell you the results? I didn't think so. The Bryans moved on in the draw.
By the way Nalbandian and Del Potro knocked out the number four seeds Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes 7-6(6) and 7-6(5). They will face the team of Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish next.

Winners All! 10/28/2007

Mike(L) and Bob Bryan Doubles Champions Basel 2007
The first team to score 10 titles in one year since '96. Congratulations!

Daniela Hantuchova Champion Linz 2007

Andy Murray Champion St Petersburg 2007

Sebastian Grosjean Champion Lyon 2007

Roger Federer Champion Basel 2007

Doubles Champions Linz 2007
Cara Black and Liezel Huber

Wimbledon- Some Final Thoughts

It’s over. The Grand Slam considered the most prestigious and hallowed of them all has crowned it’s 2007 King and Queen. Tonight Roger Federer will dance with Venus Williams at the post event ball along with all the men and women, boys and girls who are part of their court.

After all the controversy about schedules and the weather I’m sure the AELTC will congratulate itself for staging both the Women’s and Men’s finals on their appointed days. Already you hear the glossing over of the protests from both players and fans as they hype machine goes into overdrive to convince the critics of this years event that their protests were just tempests in a teapot, that in the end the tradition was upheld and all is right with the world.

So what is this bad taste in my mouth? Why do I feel that the real winner of this years Wimbledon Men’s final says he’s on his way to Stuttgart for a clay court event while, dare I say it, the preordained winner will dance and drink champagne tonight? I say preordained for a reason. Even the most faithful apologists for the random draw admit that Rafael Nadal came into this final despite all the pitfalls and snares laid in his way. Due to the weather, which of course is an act of the Deity and therefore unable to be changed, Rafa played a total of seven days straight. He had to start and stop several times before putting away his third round opponent. Was there rest in between? No. To his credit he walked onto Centre Court seemingly ready to take the championship that has so far eluded him. Last year he was obviously not ready despite making the Final. This year he was ready and match tough.

But not even an athlete of Rafa’s abilities can withstand back to back to back to back to back to back to back play. The human body needs to rest. With the build up of toxins in his body the mind may have been willing but the flesh had become weak. An old injury flared up, patella tendonitis, and while in his post match interview he says that he had his chances but failed the bitter disappointment showed on his face. Would one day of rest, playing the Final on Monday, have made a difference? That’s a moot point now isn’t it?



I said in an earlier post that the winner of this Wimbledon will have an asterisk next to his name. I didn’t mean the one about five straight. I mean the one where an exception should be noted about the how of the win. So many have said that Roger is a great ambassador for the sport of tennis. He does wonderful charitable work in his mother’s native South Africa. I don’t begrudge him that part of his life. But then he made the following statement:

Q. What do you make of the level of criticism that the club has taken from some other players about scheduling, not playing Sunday?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, you know, I hear a lot about it. I read it.

I don't think it's really the right way to go after the tournament. You know, I mean, it rains a lot here sometimes, so we do have that problem. But Wimbledon is doing so many great things next to it.

They've risen prize money. They're building a new roof over Centre Court. They built the millennium building in 2000. Then we're not upset when they do those things.

When it rains once, we have a scheduling problem, I don't think we should start going after the club right away. I disagree with the players, what they said.

Federer Post Match Interview

If he, like Richard Gasquet, his semi final opponent, had played a five set match and then been set to play at noon the next day I wonder if he would’ve been singing the same song.

My criticism is not only aimed at Roger Federer and the AELTC. The women had similar, if sometimes more subtle, problems on their side.

The last person many people wanted to see on Centre Court on Saturday was anyone with the surname of Williams. That there was a chance that both of those women could appear on that sacred grass was something to be prevented at all costs. Richard Williams had already predicted that his daughter Venus would win the Ladie’s Championship. Fool they called him behind his back.

Meanwhile Serena Williams seemed to be blazing her own path to Championship Saturday until she was felled by injury. Forget the images showing the muscle of her calf in a knot. That she managed to get up and not only finish but win her match against her Slovakian opponent put her on the front pages of sports sections around the country. But Daniela Hantuchova, her opponent, said during her presser after the match that in her eyes nothing was wrong in the third set, that Serena was moving fine in her opinion. The next time she’s scheduled to play Serena comes on court with a heavily bandaged calf, one tightly bandaged ankle, and a wrist taped almost motionless. Yet some, picking up on Hantuchova’s jealous words, said she was play acting. That she lost to Justine Henin by one break of serve in the third set made the haters more upset it seems. All of a sudden there were stage whispers about her not being injured at all. Richard said it was a slight tear and that his daughter should go home or at least not play but what does that old man know they implied. Yes they played the video of her falling over and over and I for one didn’t mind them doing so. The whispers had gotten so loud visual evidence had to be supplied to show that there were obviously other issues and agenda's behind their talk.

The woman across the net from Venus on Saturday, Marion Bartoli, deserves a little bit of a shout out. Her father, a doctor, has not trained her in the way France or any traditional tennis academies do. Mary Carillo jokingly recounted some of his training techniques making her peers laugh. But Maid Marion as she has been called for over a year on TAT delivered a beat down to Justine Henin and walked onto Centre Court carrying a bouquet along with Venus Williams. Neither woman is a media darling and while there had always been the outside chance that Venus would make it Marion, the “big girl” with the heart of a lioness was definitely never seen as being a Wimbledon finalist. Venus survived the jinx court twice, low seeding, and back to back to back play in order to walk onto Centre Court with Marion. All of the Williams family was there to support Venus. Dr. Walter Bartoli sat alone, his wife at home too nervous to watch her daughter play.

When it was over the most touching event of the tournament took place. Richard Williams and Walter Bartoli exchanged high fives and talked for a few minutes after exchanging a hug. Then Dr. Bartoli broke down in tears finally letting all the pressure and emotion out. His consoler was Richard Williams. How ironic that these two men who have bucked the system in their respective countries should share that moment.

That is the lasting memory I take from this tournament. The sportsmanship shown between Marion and Venus during and after the awards presentation is what sport is all about. Of course Marion was disappointed. She’s an athlete and she plays to win not come in second. Rafa in his post Final press conference refused to be suckered into bitterness and rancor by the reporters. He said he will be fine.



And so will tennis. The Hard Road to New York as Kirkus
of Talk About Tennis has named it - The US Open Series as it is officially called has begun. There are serious questions for American tennis that need to be aired and discussed openly and that won't be solved by trying to stack the deck against the European players who dominate at this time. Does Andy Roddick have another slam in him or has his time passed? After Venus and Serena retire who will carry the torch for American women in the WTA?
Is it time to review the basic premise of American tennis - hit it hard and if that doesn't work hit it harder - and find a solution that allows for many different approaches that will allow our young up and comers a chance to compete on the international stage? Is it also time to stop undermining our best players because they don't fit a particular mold?

I said the issues need to be aired, not solved over the remaining months of this year. I'm an outsider, a fan of over twenty years, looking in at this sport I love. Do I have all the answers? Not by any means. As I said I'm on the outside looking in.

But when the behind the scenes machinations get so bad the victims of it start to publicly protest something is very rotten in Denmark as the Bard once wrote. Yes Wimbledon is over. But the issues raised over this fort night will not be swept under the rug.

Serena

Not much more needs to be said after her match against Daniela Hantuchova is there? When the woman known in some circles as Terror Fabulous puts tennis on ESPN's front page (not the tennis page folks. When you logged into the main site you saw Serena celebrating her win) a sports legend has been made.

ESPN wisely let Bonnie DeSimone pen their front page article.

Calf injury can't slow Serena's comeback season

By Bonnie DeSimone
Special to ESPN.com

WIMBLEDON, England -- It was a jarring sight, like seeing a lioness on the prowl abruptly declawed in midstride.
Serena Williams has showed flashes of emotional vulnerability in this comeback season, admitting how low she sank following the murder of her half sister and a competitive lull, recently describing herself as having been "at the bottom of the barrel" during some dark months last year.

But never has Williams -- who usually embodies power and intimidation -- seemed so physically exposed as she did late in the second set of her fourth-round match Monday against Daniela Hantuchova.

Tied 5-all after winning the first set, Williams had just lost a point on Hantuchova's serve when she winced and pounded her racket on the visibly bulging muscle in her left calf as if she were smacking a balky soda machine. But it didn't work.

Williams crumpled in pain on Centre Court with what was later diagnosed as acute muscle spasms. She howled in agony and reflexively pushed trainer Amber Donaldson away at one point as Donaldson tried to massage the knot out. A few minutes later, Williams had to use her racket to prop herself up and hobble to her chair, where she remained standing as Donaldson used a numbing spray and tape to try to stabilize her.

Her parents, Oracene and Richard, were also standing in their courtside seats, their faces mirror images of concern. Sister Venus looked stricken. Hantuchova made a brief visit, bundled in a sweater and towel.

Serena wiped her eyes as she limped back to the baseline. From there, the match turned into Wimbledon's version of "Wild Kingdom," the old television show that repeatedly demonstrated there are two kinds of creatures on the planet: predators and lunch.

Bonnie DeSimone

You can say what you want about who the stars are in women's tennis. You can feel pretty or revel in your reputation as a pit bull. But when all is said and done the woman everyone wrote off is still the star. With Venus win over a tenacious Akiko Morigami yesterday it was all about the Williams sisters. And the drama did not have to be manufactured.

Rafael Nadal Pacific Life Open Men's Champion 2007

(HECTOR MATA/AFP/Getty Images)

Congratulations, Rafa!

Daniela Hantuchova: 2007 Pacific Life Open Women's Champion


(HECTOR MATA/AFP/Getty Images)

Congratulations, Dani!

The Mothership Has Landed

What is going on here? To read the tennis fan boards one would think the Apocalypse was upon us. As one regular poster at TAT put it, the Mothership seems to have landed. Roger Federer gets beaten by a man just back from the desert of a drug suspension. Maria Sharapova doesn’t even get to live up to her pejorative nick name “SemiPova” losing to someone the tennis Powers That Be and press would have you think should be groveling at her feet. The much more mellow Martina Hingis goes out earlier than expected. There are still top names on the ATP side but the quarter finals for the women feature names like Li, Hantuchova, Peer and Zvonareva. Not quite what the new owners had in mind. The ATP seems to have stemmed the bleeding and since they fielded a stronger group to begin with there are still marquee matches in store for the fans. The women on the other hand fielded a draw worthy of a Tier II event and with Sharapova unable to hold on to her Number One ranking some would argue that the “B” list players are finally getting a chance to show what they can do. Peer is on the way up and a good showing here would raise her profile significantly. Players like Svetlana Kuznetsova have a chance to reverse their slumping fortunes and play the way fans of women’s tennis know they can play. Daniela Hantuchova who up to now has been known more for a suspected eating disorder than her tennis has stepped up in the last few weeks and is poised for a very good showing.

So why all the fan unrest and prognostications of doom from some quarters? Why is everyone upset because the draw did what it was supposed to do – provide the top players with challenges that didn’t fit into their comfort zone and make them have to think their way into the next round. Both Guillermo Canas and Vera Zvonareva did what worthy opponents are supposed to do. Canas somewhat predictably lost his match the next day to Carlos Moya, a veteran and former number one who has been playing very well lately. Zvonareva is playing today against Li Na. Both women have a lot to prove and tennisheads will be paying close attention.

I think part of the problem is that the early round play was carried by The Tennis Channel. The Tennis Channel is not carried by many cable providers in the United States or abroad so the only access to live tennis was via live feed from Asia. Very few fans got to see how Guillermo Canas dismantled Roger Federer and forced him to play a style Roger is not comfortable with. Experience kept the first set close. Frustration on Roger’s part made the second set score representative of what took place.

I have no similar perspective for what happened to Maria Sharapova. For some reason not one WTA match was carried on the Tennis Channel. The live feeds, which were using the Tennis Channel feed, showed only ATP matches. There are fan sites where you can get live fan recaps, www.wtaworld.com is one of them, but even that was limited since TTC feed was the only one in use. Perhaps Larry Scott is so focused on Roadkill that he forgot to negotiate this for fans of his product. ESPN picks up today and I’m sure jaws are tight over there since the media darling is gone.

But I don’t want to bash Maria or Roger. What happened is that both of them ran into a real draw, one that did not play to their predilections and serve up players that would barely cause them to break a sweat. Instead Federer was faced with a man who had beaten him once before (it was emphasized that that had been a long time ago by TTC announcers) and Sharapova was faced with a focused and ready to take names Vera Zvonareva. Fans who keep up with the sport know Maria has had her problems of late but Vera beat her and has now moved into the next round. Maria is on her way to Miami.

I’ve been watching tennis long enough to appreciate what has happened over the last few days. This is what things used to look like before the image makers took over and decided the fans wanted to see certain players on court as opposed to other less worthy athletes.

I’m not a fan of this event. I still remember the crowd’s , and tournament officials actions (or lack there of) towards Serena Williams and personally would like the event to just fold up its tent and go away. It won't for many reasons but that is not the subject of this piece. I think this year this event is a triumph for the players. Bethanie Mattek has publicly complained that the WTA only promotes one player. The events in Las Vegas are still resonating with fans and players. The anointed have departed leaving the rest of the tour to show what it’s got. I think we’re going to see some good tennis. And I for one will be glued to the screen watching.

The Dubai Drama Continues

by Savannah

When I wrote my piece on Dubai yesterday highlighting the women who had dropped out, the top eight seeds by default included Anna-Lena Groenefeld, a woman who in the past had been on many people's player-to-watch lists but has shown up at her last few matches in a condition that would not be described as match fit. Many fans were quite vocal in expressing their horror of her being a top seed at this event.

When I woke up this morning I found out that Amelie Mauresmo, the woman who did not want to play Antwerp and has just advanced to the finals, will also play Dubai.

This was not an act of altruism on her part. If the right balance of top ten players is not provided to an event, the WTA must pay a fine - compensate the tournament for revenue lost. This is not the first time this has happened. Both Venus Williams and Jennifer Capriati were drafted to play in the Kremlin Cup some years ago under similar circumstances.

I'm also sure Amelie was nicely compensated for her inconvenience by the tournament officials.

The official announcement of Mauresmo joining the field provided coverage of "glamour girl" Daniela Hantuchova. While many men consider her beautiful she has never before to my knowledge been used to sell seats to a tournament. One fan called the press release a sign that tournament officials were "desperate."

When the situation in women's tennis has reached the point where machinations normally kept out of public view are now discussed on fanboards I think Larry Scott, to quote Ricky Ricardo, has some "splainin' to do not only to his professional constituency but to women's tennis fans as well.