I'm convinced that any bad behavior on Sharapova's part stems entirely from the bad influence of her rediculous father. I can't stand him--he certainly needs to attend tennis parent charm school.

Anyone else think Mauresmo might win the YEC? It would salvage a tough year.

[ October 31, 2005, 08:18 AM: Message edited by: Neptune ]

Serena was injured, but Maria still had to fight like hell to win that match. I think that's why she was so excited. It would have been nice of her to think about circumstances beyond herself, but she's young. I didn't find that particular instance to be too bad.

I'd love for MoMo to win the year-end championships, but I don't see her beating Clijsters or Davenport indoors.

If Mauresmo were to win the YEC, wouldn't that put a ton of pressure on her to win a slam? How many YEC winners have never won a slam before? Alternatively, one could say that winning the YEC means Mauresmo is on her way to winning a slam next year.

It seems like Mauresmo performs at her best when expectations are at their lowest. I thought her best year in the slams was 2002, when she made the semis of both Wimbledon and U.S. Open, and had a great chance of taking out Venus to get to the final of the latter. After that year I thought for sure she would win a slam the next year.

Well, just off the top of my head, Clijsters won the YEC twice before winning a slam, and Sabatini won the Virginia Slims before winning a slam. So it wouldn't be unprecedented. However, I don't see it happening--Clijsters has got to be viewed as a very strong favorite, and if she doesn't win, Davenport likely will.

Sorry...as long as Davenport is in the picture it is Lindsay's to lose. Remember, Lindsay was injured most of the summer, never having to face Kim, and Kim was much happier to see Mary Pierce in the final of the US Open and not Lindsay. Kim lost to Lindsay at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and so I still think that with as much success Kim has had this year, Lindsay can really take it to her because she's consistent, hits deep, and Kim still plays too defensively.

I'd say it's a toss up between Lindsay and Kim.

As far as I know, there is only one woman who's won the Slims/YEC that didn't own a Slam or go on to win a Slam ... Sylvia Hanika. I think that's her name. She won in like '82 or something.

I googled past champions for the YEC. It wasn't easy to find, surpringly.


Chris Evert - 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977

Evonne Goolagong - 1974, 1976

Martina Navratilova - 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 - TWICE!

Tracy Austin - 1980

Sylvia Hanika - 1982

Steffi Graf - 1987, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996

Gabriela Sabatini - 1988, 1994

Monica Seles - 1990, 1991, 1992

Jana Novotna - 1997

Martina Hingis - 1998, 2000

Lindsay Davenport - 1999

Serena Williams - 2001

Kim Clijsters - 2002, 2003

Maria Sharapova - 2004

[ October 31, 2005, 10:31 AM: Message edited by: Gaga4Gaby ]

Anyone near Philadelphia this week should go to the Advanta tournament in Villanova. It's very intimate, great access. It was here that I saw Davenport beat up on Monica about five years ago, with me in the nearby stands trying to give Monica pointers like "move forward", and "change the pace of the ball"--good options wiht Lindsay but not Monica's game. Later I saw Graf beat up on someone too. It was a great night. Also in years past I've seen Venus, Hingis, Kournakova. I haven't looked up the draw to see who's there this year, but go if you can.

Justine has now pulled out of the YEC. Not a huge surprise, but it does open one more spot.

According to the WTA website, Schnyder and Petrova are in the field. Since Venus pulled out of Philly and Dementieva is in, it looks likely to be Elena. She needs only 98 points. Making it to the semis should be sufficient and there's nobody really dangerous in the way--Sesil Karatancheva is probably the biggest threat.

Somewhat surprisingly, Sharapova is also playing. It will be interesting to see if she's healthy and what sort of form she's in. She will be challenged by Vaidisova in the quarters if she gets that far.

While I know it's a bit premature to look beyond the YEC to 2006, does anyone think any of the lost Russians will make a comeback--Myskina, Bovina, and the Kooze come to mind.

I hate to admit it, but I secretly like Myskina's game.

Dare I admit eek! , I was actually AT that final between Hanika and Martina (in my baby stroller, of course!) The real reason I remember was because Martina made a once-in-a-lifetime "shot" that I've never seen before or since...

Hanika had just won a point at net and was walking back to the baseline...in mock anger, Martina launched a ball up into the rafters of Madison Square Garden; it hit a beam near the ceiling and came back down with some force...and landed squarely on top of Hanika's head, where it bounced up about 6 feet and back over the net (I half expected Martina to volley it back cross-court!)...

The crowd gasped, Martina froze and Sylvia slowly turned around...Martina was totally embarrassed and was practically on her knees explaining and aplogizing; to her credit, Sylvia (no delicate flower, she) let out a hearty laugh, waved to the crowd and got a nice round of applause. Crisis averted, I took my bottle back from my nanny and contentedly watched the rest of the match :cool: ... I believe Hanika made a couple of Grand Slam finals after that, but that victory over Martina was by far her biggest win...

That's a great story. (And as someone who had just graduated college before the time of that match -- I can reassure you that there's no reason to apologize for your youth and inexperience).

As for the "lost Russians..." I'd say Kuznetsova will (and certainly should) do the best of those three in 2006. Mabye she should team up again with Martina in doubles, and get a good whack on the head with a ball to get her mind back on track.

That was a great story. Thanks, New Balls.

Patty Schnyder has pulled out of Philly with a wrist injury ...

Well now Sharapova and Davenport have pulled out of the Advanta Championships. Davenport with the flu and Maria with a right thumb sprain from off-court training. This leaves Mauresmo and Dementieva as the top seeds.

I've been watching some of the Paris ATP tournament this week. On TV of course, unfortunately;)

Dent just crumbled in the final stages of the third set against Roddick, after failing to convert on numerous -- something like 8 -- break point opportunities earlier in the set. Psychology really counts for so much because Roddick always carried himself like he was going to win, and I can't say the same for Dent.

Can't say commando Roddick was exactly impressive (besides that great ass), but demeanor-wise he seemed more thoughtful and less rushed than at the US Open. That said, his backhand practically looks like a golf stroke. The match was similar to Ljubicic's quicker straight-set victory over Blake yesterday -- Blake had more break point opportunities than Ljubicic, but converted exactly none of them. It would have been great to see James get some results like at Stockholm, but Ljubicic's serve is hard to overcome, especially when standing so close to the baseline.

Since Nadal and Federer have won all the other Masters titles this year and both are out this week, we'll have a different winner. Players such as Ljubicic are fighting to qualify for Shanghai. Everyone is looking jet-lagged, but maybe it's that unflattering indoor lighting. I did like that Blake wore his Halloween colors last night.

Congrats to Petrova on her first big tournament victory this past weekend over wild-woman Schnyder, whose clan of the cave bear hair is as wild as those loopy forehands. Schnyder can really be fun to watch, but Petrova is relentless and it's good that she's finally a gotten a title after so many losses in finals.

I like Taylor Dent - and I like his willingness to live and die by his old school tennis game - but he's a consistent disappointment in close matches with top players. I'm not sure if it's mental, the demands of serve-and-volley play in today's game, or that he's not in good enough shape to last until late in the third/fifth set. I think he loses a step or two due to fatigue and then he faces too many awkward positions at the net.

G4G you're right on all three counts regarding Dent. He's in better shape now than at the US Open, but still doesn't move so fast. I was really struck by his inability to beat Roddick when it really mattered though -- point for point, Dent might have won the match, he just didn't win the points that really counted. It definitely seems like he has some kind of block.

Here are the results from Paris today.

Andy Roddick(1) def. Dominik Hrbaty(16), 6-1, 6-2

Nikolay Davydenko(3) def. Dmitry Tursunov, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

Ivan Ljubicic(6) def. Thomas Johansson (9), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)

Gaston Gaudio(7) def. Robby Ginepri(12) , 6-4, 6-1

Radek Stepanek(8) def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 7-5, 6-4

David Ferrer(10) def. Tommy Haas , 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3

Tomas Berdych def. Juan Carlos Ferrero(13), 7-5, 6-7 (7-9), 6-4

Tommy Robredo(14) def. Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 6-3

Not really any surprising results. Tomas Berdych is a very talented up and comer. I expected Gaudio to beat Ginepri but I didn't think it would be so one sided. I also didn't expect Roddick's match to be so one sided either. I don't think he's whipped on anyone like that in awhile. Hrbaty must have been in a little funk.

I'm a little surprised to see Gaudio take out Ginepri on a hard court, although I guess Ginepri is not playing as well as he was in the summer.

Yep the score was a surprise but it must have been hard to get motivated, for both men, playing in that vast area in front of 121 people.

Andy Roddick escaped a very good challenge from David Ferrer today, winning 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(8). Ferrer served for the match at 5-3 and had 2 match points in the tiebreak that Andy fought off. Good showing by Ferrer. Andy escaped by the skin of his teeth. I think this is simply the level Andy will remain at. I mean can he get any better? Can he hit serves any harder? No. Can he improve his grounstrokes? At this point I think this is as good as its gonna get. I am no longer holding out hope Andy will turn around his head to head with Federer.

Some surfaces, like clay, amplify Andy's problems, since his serve is less of a weapon and he's forced to enter into longer rallies that test his groundstrokes. But he has a great record at Wimbledon for a non-winner and I wouldn't be surprised if he wins a slam there before his career is over, even if no part of his game substatially improves.

I don't think anyone will get the upper hand against Federer anytime soon, except maybe Nadal (a big maybe). It doesn't speak poorly of Roddick for not being able to improve his head-to-head with Federer, but rather is a testament to how damn good the Federer Express is playing now. Even when his game is off, he's still better than 90% of the tour. I used to get frustrated watching the Agassi-Sampras rivalry in the 1990s, until I realized that Andre can't help the fact that he's playing in the same era as one of the greatest players ever.

Lucky trainer, massaging that ass!

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/photo?slug=meu..._meu110&prov=ap

Once again Roddick sneaks by after having his back up against the wall. And once again, psychology counts for something, because his opponent usually outplayed him, but just couldn't close things out.

Ferrer had the match in his hands at 5-3 in the third set and his first serve went out the window -- if he had served like he proceeded to at 5-5 (two aces) it would have been over, but instead he started with a double fault and didn't get a first serve in the whole game. He served on matchpoint once in the tiebreak too, but that time Roddick hit a great passing shot.

I like Ferrer's game -- he's sort of a mini-Nadal, with that loopy forehand topspin power and the terrific speedy ability to turn a dashing backhand save into a winner. And his pudgier-faced Gael Garcia Bernal looks (maybe its his eyes that are similar) are nice. Shame he couldn't hold it together today; he didn't seem too fond of Roddick when they shook hands, but maybe it was just that the loss was so painful.

Still I have to hand it to Roddick for fighting back against the odds. It's his serve more than his overall game that tends to drag him out of these holes, so I'm more on the side that wonders if he'll ever get another slam. But he's certainly on his way to deserving a tournament win here, just for having gotten this far. Ljubicic and Berdych will be tough though, and Stepanek is looking ruthless right now too.

Where can I get a job doing this? I think Andy likes it!

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/photo?slug=afp...ve86z3&prov=afp

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/photo?slug=meu..._meu114&prov=ap

By the way, I like Andy with short, buzzed hair and not this longer look he has going on! Hopefully he'll shave it in the off season! (The head, not the chest or legs)!

So, Ljubicic (yawn) beat Berdych in the (yawn) Paris final. Proof that the best players aren't always the most fun to watch. Roddick's quarterfinal nailbiter against Ferrer was a lot more exciting.

Roddick's back was bothering him, but his semifinal loss to Ljubicic doesn't bode well for his chances in Shanghai or beyond. Of course, Ljubicic took the first two sets from nadal before losing to him in Madrid a few weeks back.

Who amongst the top 8 do you think or do you know will pull out? Safin? I keep waiting for his return (not to mention for him to cut his hair and care about grooming again).

Didn't Berdych win? :confused:

[ November 07, 2005, 12:09 PM: Message edited by: Gaga4Gaby ]

I went to TennisWeek.com to check the results again and see if I had misread them ...

I guess it really WAS a boring final. ha ha. wink

Safin is not in the top 8, so he wouldn't be in unless he gets an automatic qualification for the Australian win (do they still do that?). In any event he's not listed. Thus far, nobody else has pulled out. I'm rather surprised to see Hewitt still on the list since he hasn't played in months and his baby is due this month. Federer has arrived in Shanghai and is apparently ready to play (bet that's a relief for the organizers!). Roddick is still questionable. AFAIK, Agassi is expected, so the field is:

Federer
Nadal
Roddick
Hewitt
Agassi
Coria
Davydenko
Ljubicic

Next on the list (if we have pullouts):
Gaudio, Safin, Nalbandian

Yikes -- I saw the final I swear!

I'd claim Monday morning fatigue as an excuse...except it's Monday afternoon.

Actually, Berdych's game is interesting, but the matchup of two big servers always makes me drowsy.

Ha ha.

The last time I checked the ATP site (last week), Safin was listed as an automatic entry; so, if he's no longer listed, he must have - not surpringly - pulled out. But they do still do automatic entry for a Slam winner ranked in the top twenty.

There is an article on Tennisweek.com today that confirms that Safin has officially withdrawn from Shanghai. The article is actually about Lleyton Hewitt, though, who has also withdrawn due to his impending fatherhood.

So, no Safin and no Hewitt. Gaudio has now qualified for the field with Hewitt's withdrawal.

The men's championship is looking as much a mess as the ladies. Roddick is still iffy. If Federer isn't in shape, I wouldn't be surprised to Ljubicic take home the title.

here

Assuming Federer and Agassi are healthy and ready to play, my guess is Federer and Ljubicic advance from the red group, Nadal and Agassi from the gold. If not, Nalbandian or Davydenko have a shot at the semis. Gaudio's not strong on hard courts. Coria is somewhat better, but doesn't appear to be in very good form.

RoboRod is out of Shanghai. Guess his back can't handle it.

Pity Roddick not playing. It may have been a chance for him to take out Fedderer, resuming from injury time out. I emphasize "may".

I don't know why there was the continual speculation about whether Safin and Hewitt would play. Safin has had knee surgery and there is a question even about his participation in the Australian Open and Hewitt injured his groin at the US Open, had surgery on his foot, his wife swallowed a pumpkin seed and he has not been on court since September. Neither of them were ever going to be in Shanghai.

I would have been beyond surprised to see Roddick take out Federer. Based on the way the two of them have been playing in recent months, Federer would have had to come out on court with crutches. Federer has had Nalbandian's (Roddick's replacement) number for some time now, though Nalbandian used to beat him early on.

Nadal just got a haircut. His uncle gave an interview talking about Nadal's secret hometown girlfriend. Sounds a bit like a Photoplay story on Rock Hudson or Tab Hunter, but...

Miracle of all miracles...one of my sports predictions actually came true! What an awesome win for Mauresmo.

I could predict that Mauresmo will win the Australian Open in '06, but I better not press my luck.

I thought of your post yesterday after she won, actually!

But, yeah, keep those Aussie Open picks on the DL.

Serena was pretty good on ER tonight. Thats my girl but she is a drama queen and the theme of tonight's episode surely made her a good fit for the kind of role she had to play. Good job Princess Serena!

I thought she did an okay job too, except I couldn't understand alot of her very first lines. I was able to figure out what was going on, but I didn't actually understand what she was saying ... there was a lot of background noise in that scene.

I also thought she looked great.