The WTA makes its stop in San Diego this week which is usually tons of fun. But injuries have taken out all the marquee players, save Navratilova in doubles. This is a HUGE opportunity week for someone to walk away with a Tier 1 title.
Could Sesil Karantantcheva overcome the unmarketability of her last name and live up to the smack talk she has delivered?
Could Mashona Washington put that potential to work?
Will Shaughnessey or Hantuchova string enough wins together?
Maybe a veteran top 20 player will win one last title here.
Draws are here.
Full Version: Acura Classic: San Diego as the Land of Opportunity
I don't know that it's all that wide open. I realize Davenport is gone, but isn't Kim Clijsters still playing? Even if she's not, I really doubt someone like Mashona Washington can win out over players like Kuznetsova, Dementieva and Petrova. There's also Patty Schnyder and Mary Pierce who are both in very good form this year.
Yeah, I think Kimmie is there ... and if she's not too tired then she should win yet another hard court title this year. But let's root a little for Sesil. Sure, she's a trash talker, but Gaby Sabatini was her idol. So I like her by association.
I haven't heard yet, but I think Lindsay will not be number one after this week. Screamin' Maria is so close in points, and with Lindsay not playing this week...
Let's see if we hear all the talk we did about Kim, Amelie, Lindsay about how they didn't deserve to be number one since they didn't have any (current) grand slam titles.
Long live Lindsay! (I sound like a crazed stalker.)
Let's see if we hear all the talk we did about Kim, Amelie, Lindsay about how they didn't deserve to be number one since they didn't have any (current) grand slam titles.
Long live Lindsay! (I sound like a crazed stalker.)
Maria's not playing either, so Lindsay will still have a 23-point lead. Elena Dementieva could get to #4 if she wins and the Kooz loses early. Petrova can pass the Williams Sisters and maybe even Dementieva if she can grab her first title.
QUOTE
Long live Lindsay! (I sound like a crazed stalker.)
Don't worry about it. People find it endearing. Or at least that's what they tell me ...I'm always impressed with JC's knowledge of the rankings and points at stake. It adds to the drama of a tourney and I couldn't figure it out if I tried!
Sorry to burst your impression of my vast knowledge, but I just looked up the projected rankings on www.tenniscorner.net .
eek!
The world as I know it just came crashing down around me.
The world as I know it just came crashing down around me.
Dentieva is already out (she lost to Peng).
Shaughnessy retired against Sugiyama, while Schiavone, Dechy and Jankovic won their first round matches.
Shaughnessy retired against Sugiyama, while Schiavone, Dechy and Jankovic won their first round matches.
Interesting results from yesterday, including Sania Mirza demolishing Nadia Petrova, 6-2, 6-1. Mashona Washington also scored an upset over Zvonereva. Washington now plays Sesil Karatantcheva.
Clijsters and Pierce also had easy wins to move into the third round.
Clijsters and Pierce also had easy wins to move into the third round.
I'm not sure Zvonareva losing to anybody counts as an upset any more. A nice win for Sania Mirza, though.
I thought Groenefeld would have put up more of a fight against Mary. Im hoping that Mary will get back into the Top 10 soon......
Zvonereva's losses have to be upsets. That's why she cries so much. 
Trash talkin' Karantcheva kicked the day off by wiping the court with Mashona Washington, 6-2, 6-1.
Another upset, too ... Likhotseva lost to Chakvetadze pretty easily.
Another upset, too ... Likhotseva lost to Chakvetadze pretty easily.
I've never seen Chakvetadze play, but she seems to give a lot of good players problems.
what an aptly named thread. With Sesil, Anna and Shuai advancing to the quarterfinals, this really has become the tournament of up-and-comer teens..and also the tournament where the top Russians fell back to Earth after taking the tour by storm last year. It looks like Sania Mirza has a good chance to take out Morigami too.
It's been a while since i've been able to root for Sugiyama! Don't know how much more we'll get to see her on tour after the year she's had.
Yah, Clijsters is still in the draw and the clear favorite, but what an opportunity week for someone. Usually a lower ranked player would have to take out multiple top 10 players to win a Tier 1 event. Kimmie's really the only obstacle. And anybody can come up with one big upset in a tourney. We'll see.
Yah, Clijsters is still in the draw and the clear favorite, but what an opportunity week for someone. Usually a lower ranked player would have to take out multiple top 10 players to win a Tier 1 event. Kimmie's really the only obstacle. And anybody can come up with one big upset in a tourney. We'll see.
Kim could be tired, at least in theory, considering that she won last week as well. But I have to say that Kim looks great these days. Really fit. And she was really fit before!
Don't discout Patty Schnyder. Crazy lady is having a very nice season and should have beaten Venus last week. If she continues to play that well, she can knock off Mary Pierce today.
Very nice win for Sugiyama over the Kooz.
Don't discout Patty Schnyder. Crazy lady is having a very nice season and should have beaten Venus last week. If she continues to play that well, she can knock off Mary Pierce today.
Very nice win for Sugiyama over the Kooz.
Gaga, why do you call Schnyder, "crazy lady"?
Because she's crazy. 
Patty Schnyder is sort of notorious ... she broke onto the scene in the late 90s, upset Steffi Graf at the US Open, and burst into the top ten. Then she got involved with some crazy guru who had her on an orange-juice only diet or something nutty like that and her ranking plummeted. It was actually very scary. She stopped talking to her family and her career was in freefall. She finally got free of him and has come back as a presence on the tour, but sometimes she lives up to her talent and other times she might as well not be on the court at all. There have been odd incidents - she tanked against Kournikova once and then was very public in the interview with her dislike for Anna; also, she went nutty in a match against Conchita Martinez, another player she dislikes. Conchie likes to serve with the same ball if she won a point with it and, at one point, Patty asked for the winning ball from a ball kid when Conchita was serving and hid it in her skirt. It was ugly stuff and she was real nasty to Conchita at the net.
So, in a nutshell, crazy.
Patty Schnyder is sort of notorious ... she broke onto the scene in the late 90s, upset Steffi Graf at the US Open, and burst into the top ten. Then she got involved with some crazy guru who had her on an orange-juice only diet or something nutty like that and her ranking plummeted. It was actually very scary. She stopped talking to her family and her career was in freefall. She finally got free of him and has come back as a presence on the tour, but sometimes she lives up to her talent and other times she might as well not be on the court at all. There have been odd incidents - she tanked against Kournikova once and then was very public in the interview with her dislike for Anna; also, she went nutty in a match against Conchita Martinez, another player she dislikes. Conchie likes to serve with the same ball if she won a point with it and, at one point, Patty asked for the winning ball from a ball kid when Conchita was serving and hid it in her skirt. It was ugly stuff and she was real nasty to Conchita at the net.
So, in a nutshell, crazy.
QUOTE
Gaga4Gaby:
Kim could be tired, at least in theory, considering that she won last week as well. But I have to say that Kim looks great these days. Really fit. And she was really fit before!
She does look very fit. And fitness was never a weakness with her before. Should help her confidence as long as the pain doesn't return. Love how her hustle discourages her opponents. Even Venus, who can do that so well herself and is used to it from Serena, seemed to get a little frustrated when shots came back last week. There are many ways to win a match...it's fun watching the contest develop.Kim could be tired, at least in theory, considering that she won last week as well. But I have to say that Kim looks great these days. Really fit. And she was really fit before!
Speaking of fit, G, are you getting in shape for the Open? Hitting the gym like you said, doing the offcourt prep, like the pros? We've been pulling for ya, babe.
Some of the shots Kim was able to get back from Venus last week were stunning. She's got the best defense in the game, easily.
As for me, yeah, still hitting the gym. Thanks for the support. I don't think I'll be ready for the Open, though. There's always next year.
As for me, yeah, still hitting the gym. Thanks for the support. I don't think I'll be ready for the Open, though. There's always next year.
QUOTE
Gaga4Gaby:
Because she's crazy.
Patty Schnyder is sort of notorious ... she broke onto the scene in the late 90s, upset Steffi Graf at the US Open, and burst into the top ten. Then she got involved with some crazy guru who had her on an orange-juice only diet or something nutty like that and her ranking plummeted. It was actually very scary. She stopped talking to her family and her career was in freefall. She finally got free of him and has come back as a presence on the tour, but sometimes she lives up to her talent and other times she might as well not be on the court at all. There have been odd incidents - she tanked against Kournikova once and then was very public in the interview with her dislike for Anna; also, she went nutty in a match against Conchita Martinez, another player she dislikes. Conchie likes to serve with the same ball if she won a point with it and, at one point, Patty asked for the winning ball from a ball kid when Conchita was serving and hid it in her skirt. It was ugly stuff and she was real nasty to Conchita at the net.
So, in a nutshell, crazy.
I remember when Schnyder all but disappeared because of that "coach." It was too bad, she did storm the tour in the late 90's, looking like a force to deal with. Mary Jo Fernandez came right out and said once that she believed Schnyder was brainwashed by said "guru," something many people believed.Because she's crazy.
Patty Schnyder is sort of notorious ... she broke onto the scene in the late 90s, upset Steffi Graf at the US Open, and burst into the top ten. Then she got involved with some crazy guru who had her on an orange-juice only diet or something nutty like that and her ranking plummeted. It was actually very scary. She stopped talking to her family and her career was in freefall. She finally got free of him and has come back as a presence on the tour, but sometimes she lives up to her talent and other times she might as well not be on the court at all. There have been odd incidents - she tanked against Kournikova once and then was very public in the interview with her dislike for Anna; also, she went nutty in a match against Conchita Martinez, another player she dislikes. Conchie likes to serve with the same ball if she won a point with it and, at one point, Patty asked for the winning ball from a ball kid when Conchita was serving and hid it in her skirt. It was ugly stuff and she was real nasty to Conchita at the net.
So, in a nutshell, crazy.
I think if ever there's a "melt-down" queen on the tour, it's Zvonerava. The young lady has real talent, and in the past has had some great matches, but lately, her emotions are bigger than her and her game. How many times have we seen her reduced to tears? Even when she had great matches in the past, in the later rounds, she'd be up a set or a break, and would just fall apart?
Vera gets so overwhelmed so early. I've seen people cry after tough losses or when they see the end of something big, win or lose, but Zvonera falls apart at odd moments in ordinary matches.
Meanwhile, Sugiyama has won the first set from Karantcheva easily, 6-1. Looks like Ai is finally finding her form after a tough year.
Meanwhile, Sugiyama has won the first set from Karantcheva easily, 6-1. Looks like Ai is finally finding her form after a tough year.
My Ai is into the semis! She nearly served up breadsticks to Sesil. 6-1, 6-2. Not bad. I wonder if Sugiyama just frustrated Sesil by keeping the ball in play.
She could face countrywoman Morigami for a spot in the finals. Sugiyama has had trouble playing her fellow asians, for whatever reason.
lol... Schnyder IS crazy. And Zvonereva is mental. Poor kids.
She could face countrywoman Morigami for a spot in the finals. Sugiyama has had trouble playing her fellow asians, for whatever reason.
lol... Schnyder IS crazy. And Zvonereva is mental. Poor kids.
Zvonareva's inability to handle ordinary adversity (like getting her serve broken because she makes a couple of dumb unforced errors when she's up a break in the third set of a match) is utterly baffling. I find it hard to understand how anyone could reach a high level of professional tennis and still be that bothered by small setbacks.
Schnyder's a head case of an entirely different stripe. Still, a very talented player. Pierce and Schnyder played a very tight match at the French and I'd expect another good match in the QF here. Still, Clijsters has to be a heavy favorite against anybody in the field. She's very rarely upset by second tier players. However, if somebody's going to do it, Patty is one of those players who really can beat anybody when she's in top form, though usually she scores her big wins on clay.
It's suprising to see Ai suddenly in good form after such dreadful results over the past year and a half. She has beaten Clijsters in the past.
Schnyder's a head case of an entirely different stripe. Still, a very talented player. Pierce and Schnyder played a very tight match at the French and I'd expect another good match in the QF here. Still, Clijsters has to be a heavy favorite against anybody in the field. She's very rarely upset by second tier players. However, if somebody's going to do it, Patty is one of those players who really can beat anybody when she's in top form, though usually she scores her big wins on clay.
It's suprising to see Ai suddenly in good form after such dreadful results over the past year and a half. She has beaten Clijsters in the past.
I have the obvious solution for Zvonareva's emotional problems.It is quite simple really. She needs a well put together 6'3" hunk, who happens to be a sex addict.Each evening he would take away all the tension, nervousness,anger and fear that seem to envelope her personna. In no time she will be smiling,relaxed, happy and winning Grand Slams.
If by chance she prefers a woman the above should read:
"5'8" hot chick with great hands at the net"
If by chance she prefers a woman the above should read:
"5'8" hot chick with great hands at the net"
Wow, Shuai Peng played an amazing match. She was firing from everywhere on the court. Beating Clijsters is no easy task, but she was clearly dictating play. Her driving groundies and angles were Seles-esque.
The one stat I couldn't get over was the fact she only lost one point on her 2nd serve in the first set. That's incredible to me.
I hope she can keep this up, that was some beautiful tennis.
The one stat I couldn't get over was the fact she only lost one point on her 2nd serve in the first set. That's incredible to me.
I hope she can keep this up, that was some beautiful tennis.
I know I was stunned this morning when I read the results in the paper. Was Kim playing that badly, or was Peng playing that brilliantly?
Holy Cow! Well, I got to hand it to you, curtj, you had the feel of this tournament right from the start. I never saw that coming.
QUOTE
I know I was stunned this morning when I read the results in the paper. Was Kim playing that badly, or was Peng playing that brilliantly?
Peng played incredibly well. Kim definitely did not give the match to her. Peng dictated play throughout the match. I must say that I was shocked while watching the match. I've seen Peng play before and wasn't necessarily that impressed, but she came out firing last night. Even with Kim's great defense, she couldn't chase down Peng's winners. Kim even said after the match that Peng is one of the best players she has played in a long time and felt she had top 3 potential. That's some seriously high praise.
It's interesting that the semis here have two players who hit two-handed on both sides. I wonder if the style is substantially more common in Asia, perhaps because Monica has always played there a lot and is very popular.
Wow, Pierce was fierce today! Peng was obviously a bit exhausted from her efforts last night but Mary just jumped on her and never let up relentlessly firing winners and hitting deep...Mary actually played the kind of tennis that on any given day could beat anyone, but she was smart as well because she only went for as much as she had to meaning she didn't go for the lines, she just went for hard deep shots as quickly as she could - first strike tennis!
Good to see Ai hitting well again...
Patty did have her crazy period but I must say when she's playing well, she's a real joy to watch and an incredibly talented player. She should have beat Venus and is certainly capable of doing so...
Where's our Monica?
Good to see Ai hitting well again...
Patty did have her crazy period but I must say when she's playing well, she's a real joy to watch and an incredibly talented player. She should have beat Venus and is certainly capable of doing so...
Where's our Monica?
Well, for Curt's sake, I hope Ai can pull off a miracle because I like her a lot and don't like Pierce (ADMIT ALREADY THAT YOU'RE AMERICAN AND NOT FRENCH!!!), but Pierce has been blowing people off the court and Ai is going to have to really retrieve well and junk it up! She did it in the Australian Open Fourth Round in 2000 before JCAP blew her off the court!
Go Ai!!!
Go Ai!!!
I love the two-handed forehand! Morigami's seemed particularly good. Too bad she pulled up injured.
I am pulling for Ai! As much as I am happy for Mary's resurgance, she seems as flakey as ever. Enough with the damn routine!
Go Ai!!!
I am pulling for Ai! As much as I am happy for Mary's resurgance, she seems as flakey as ever. Enough with the damn routine!
Go Ai!!!
QUOTE
I am pulling for Ai! As much as I am happy for Mary's resurgance, she seems as flakey as ever. Enough with the damn routine!
If you've watched Mary from the early 90's you'll see that she has actually calmed down the routine quite a bit. Scary huh! This was before the time violations rule, and believe me she took about 45 seconds between points to, as Mary Carillo would say, re-BABE. I must say I'm pulling for Mary. I always loved her game. She just sets up and hits the living !@#$ out of the ball.
GO MARY!! The girl was definitely in the zone today - at least for the first set. She had some hickups in the last set, but overall, it was a very decisive win for the title. I wish I could wack the ball like she does. Geez.
Looks like she'll be a contender at the U.S. Open.
Looks like she'll be a contender at the U.S. Open.
So a savvy tour veteran has won the title. But I'm having trouble imagining it's her last if Mary continues to play like this. She may have a couple trophies left. What a year for Pierce!
Great week for a few others too. Maybe this is the week Peng needed to get the confidence to play top players week after week. Maybe Sugiyama will be able to end the year on a positive note. She's 30, kids, but she was emphatic in the press this week that she wasn't ready to retire. Don't know if Sesil will look at this as a good week or a week of missed opportunity. We know the kid wants it. She's a work in progress with lots of time to develop.
Ai still has the doubles final to play with Daniela against Conchita and Ruano Pascual. Conchita actually lives in Encinitas which is about a 15 minute drive from the tourney site. She's got heaps of local fans. Could be a fun doubles final.
Great week for a few others too. Maybe this is the week Peng needed to get the confidence to play top players week after week. Maybe Sugiyama will be able to end the year on a positive note. She's 30, kids, but she was emphatic in the press this week that she wasn't ready to retire. Don't know if Sesil will look at this as a good week or a week of missed opportunity. We know the kid wants it. She's a work in progress with lots of time to develop.
Ai still has the doubles final to play with Daniela against Conchita and Ruano Pascual. Conchita actually lives in Encinitas which is about a 15 minute drive from the tourney site. She's got heaps of local fans. Could be a fun doubles final.
Okay, I only saw the last three points of the match, but really, to call Mary a contender for the US Open title is a stretch. She can't move and she had trouble closing out a match--put that sort of play on the court against anyone in the top 20 and it could spell serious trouble. Yeah, she was wacking the ball, and looked a little like Monica there with her two-handed strokes, but her mobility is lacking seriously and her mind--well, hope it's there for the Open.
Mary has always been sort of an enigma to me. She has played some of the most devastating tennis I've ever seen, but is never very consistent with it. Her French Open semi vs Graf in 94 was amazing. Steffi had absolutely no answers. I also remember her beating Seles and Sanchez-Vicario back to back and dropping about 3 games between them. Unfortunately, she can go years without reaching that level again. She is obviously having a good run of things again, but I just don't trust she can keep it up through the US Open. She really has underperformed there, only making it to the quarters twice. Of course she may surprise us. She's not the best mover out there, but I think that when she has time to set up she hits the ball harder than anyone else. If she plays like she did in the semis and in the first set of today's final, she could beat anyone.
[ August 07, 2005, 11:45 PM: Message edited by: Puddy ]
[ August 07, 2005, 11:45 PM: Message edited by: Puddy ]
Puddy, I share your thoughts about Pierce. Can't quite figure her out. Personally, she is not a favorite of mine, for no particular reason. She is talented, but I question whether she has what it takes to win say a U.S. Open title. Did anyone notice yesterday after points were played she would make weird hand gestures, like waving her hand up and down. Like what was that all about??? :confused:
I don't think Mary's gonna be the favorite at the US Open, unless of course she runs the warm-up table in the next couple of weeks, but she could lose in the first round of every tourney between now and the Open and I'd still say she's absolutely a contender with the type of tennis she's shown in winning the Acura Classic. It doesn't matter who you're playing when you can serve 111 mph out wide and hit hard, flat, cross-court angled returns that the opponent cannot even touch. Particularly in the semifinal, she was playing first-strike tennis at its finest.
Mary is also one of the few completely healthy, completely fit women heading into the open. She likes to win Slam titles every five years, so if she's going to win the US Open, it's now or never.
And nobody's gonna want Shuai Peng in their section of the draw.
Mary is also one of the few completely healthy, completely fit women heading into the open. She likes to win Slam titles every five years, so if she's going to win the US Open, it's now or never.
And nobody's gonna want Shuai Peng in their section of the draw.
Mary was definitely on and crazy as ever. I'm afraid her fragile mental state could never hold up against a top player these days (i.e. Justine in the FO final). But I was happy for her that she got some more play out there and always like to see the older ones do well. I can't help but think that Mary would have been a different player if it was Kim on the other side of the net, even discounting the difference in ability between Kim and Ai. But still, Mary got there and Kim didn't, so that pretty much says it. Good for her.
Watching Kim lose to Peng and watching Pierce play that semi, I honestly thought to myself that it didn't matter that Kim was upset. I think Pierce would have won against Clijsters also. Pierce actually did to Peng what Peng did to Clijsters!
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.