I thought this was started already, but I couldn't find it.

Chanda's back! CHANDA'S BACK!

She gets Amy Frazier in the first round out west.

Please don't let me get my hopes up about Chanda. I couldn't bear it. BTW she actually plays Jill Craybas, not Amy, tonight.

Amazingly, the best first round match could well be ... Katarina Srebotnik v. Vera Zvonareva! Love when that happens. Hey did anyone know that Katarina makes her home in Dubai?

I knew it was one of those old ladies! Sorry for the mistake.

How funny that they drew each other. Finals one week, first round the next.

I guess Kim's got a great shot at winning this event.

Nice to see Chanda back in action. I'm still waiting for Elena Bovina to return from her disturbingly long shoulder injury (don't think she's played a match since RG '05) that I can't seem to find any information about... if anyone knows anything on that subject, do let me know. I notice that she's been entered into tournaments for quite a bit of the year and then listed as; "withdrawal: shoulder injury" on the draw sheet; not sure whether this is a formality or whether she has genuinely been attempting to return. The former seems more likely, but either way, would be nice to see her return.

As for Stanford... looks rather like it is Kim's to lose, but you never know... Vaidisova should be dangerous and Zvonareva looks pretty sharp in present form... although perhaps not yet confident enough to challenge the top girls again.

B

Chanda lost last night, but Shenay Perry d. Hantuchova tonight! Very solid win for the young American, who is consolidating her Top 50 ranking and position as the #3 American player right now pretty nicely. Decent draws at the majors haven't hurt, but she still had to win her matches... Up next, the woman who took out Chanda -- Jill Craybas. Should be an interesting match.

(Note, Perry barely made it through qualifying, winning her second round match there 6-4 in the third against ... Alexandra Stevenson!)

Alexandra Stevenson...if I never had to hear about her again, I'd be fine. At least when we do hear about her, she's losing!

Of the up and coming Americans, I wouldn't have picked Perry to be in the top 50 first, if at all. I thought Jamea would be there first, but good for Perry, and nice win last night. I don't particularly like her game. That forehand, with that horrible glitch in the middle of the swing, drives me crazy.

Sania Mirza lost first round yesterday too. WTFIUW her?

Has anyone seen any definitive word on whether Lindsay will play any of the summer hardcourt events? If not, does that mean she won't be at the Open, either?

Also, what about Crazy Mary Pierce? Any update on her injuries and schedule?

There hasn't been anything out about Lindsay, and I for one, am starting to get a bit nervous. I hope she gets out there for some events this summer, at least Toronto and the Open. Who knows.

Haven't heard anything about Mary Pierce either. I'm sure God is guiding her recovery nicely though.

Thanks for a morning chuckle. And I share your sentiments about Stevenson too.

Too sleepy to double check, but fairly sure that Lindsay is listed as being entered to a certain tier I event in California... haven't heard anything other than that though, so it may just be some wta thing that she has to be entered to fulfil some obligation or other but openly has no intention of competing and will just take the fine or whatever it is they do. I don't know their internal system well enough to know what proceedures they follow in any great detail, so excuse any technical or factual inaccuracy in my ponderings!

Pierce? No clue about her whereabouts... not much of a fan at all, she rather irks me to be honest, although her hitting is gorgeously clean when it is firing. If I was a god, I'd make my followers play considerately on court! Hmm, that's probably sacreligious (and probably mispelled, at this hour) harhar, etc.

B

Mary Pierce rocks! And she did nothing wrong in that Dementieva match, she took an injury timeout....it was not gamesmanship. Mary dont play that. Well, in my opinion anyway....but doesnt that go without saying anyway?

Mary Pierce is supposed to be back at the
Acura Classic. (But Kuznetsova has withdrawn.
Wah. She's coming to Carson instead, but silly
girl, she did not check with my work schedule
first...)

Mary

Vera Zvonareva won again, this time against Dechy. She's got a big test tomorrow against top seed Clijsters. Interesting to note: since the French Open, VZ is 14-2. Her only two losses? A retirement to Kimmie in the second round of Eastbourne and a 7-5 6-3 loss to Clijsters in the first round of Wimbledon.

No predictions here but my sense is that it could be tight down until the end...

It's just like Federer-Nadal

Will definitely be an interesting test for both Vera and Kim... Zvonareva has found her hardcourt game pretty fast, whereas Kim was a little slow out of the gates against Jankovic in her opening match at the tourney. Still, betting has to heavily favour Clijsters, although if Zvonareva is playing as cleanly as she has been, it has some upset potential.

B

This is a tough one. When Vera plays the way she has been lately, she's top five or six. Kim hovers in the top three, deservingly...I'm calling this one even odds though with the only discernible advantage going to Kimmie for her winning record against Vera, and that this is her best surface.

All that remains to be seen is who Kimmie beats in the final. She took out Vaidosova in straight sets. Odd though that she only had something like five winners for the match? Nicole had eleven double faults...not the way to win on the hard courts.

I just saw this silliness. Like her or not, you must admit her "timeout" was rather extended. I guess if I was in her position last year I would have done anyting I could have to pull out the win too, but it was outside the rules, and the chair ump should have held her accountable for sure. I lay the blame with him/her. Well excuse your opinion this time. You can't always be right and like the right people like Lindsey and Sveta.

She is a bit weird though with all the blinking and OCD stuff. That and the chest thumping. Oh that Celine wannabe stuff drives me crazy.

That said, I do want her to beat Maria today. I would love to see that upset.

Chakvetadve is up a set and a break on Vaidisova. So far, she's put together a pretty good week. Hopefully she can pull through here and win. She really is a dangerous floater, someone none of the women want to see her in their early parts of the draw at the Open.

[ August 04, 2006, 11:17 AM: Message edited by: shep71 ]

Did we all disappear for a few days?

Kimmie is apparently wiped out from all her play, commenting after her match that her legs were very heavy and tired. She'll need to be top form against Hingis who's gaining confidence every match. We'll see.

I like the players with OCD (except maybe Kiefer). I'm surprised playing in front of tons of people doesn't bring out more weird habits, and Pierce's re-babe routine is funny. Nick Bolletieri found it annoying when he coached her.

But I think she crossed the line against Elena D. A regular injury break or a bathroom break, ok, but she did everything but order delivery between the first and second set.

That said, I wish I could see her and Sharapova throw hammers today. Living in the Bay Area, it's a drag that the Bank of the West tournament draws few top players while the Acura Classic is packed. A friend who I hit with is in San Diego this week and she's going to see Hingis vs. Clijsters tonight. Hingis is going to have to serve better to have a chance, she was shaky against Pennetta.

Sharapova clobbered Pierce (2,3). I don't really care for either of them, but have to say that I find Pierce particularly annoying. I can understand politicians flaunting their God-obsession at every opportunity, but who really needs to hear it from athletes?

I just want to know if it was God who told her to wear that horrifying black, backless dress during a tournament, years back. I mean Mary is hard enough on the eyes when she's dressed in all-white camouflage. That costume was downright terrifying.

Hey all, Im new to posting but have been reading for awhile. Where is all the witty commentary from WWCD?

Any predictions for today's matchups- I think Sharapova and Kim will win, but Im pulling for crazy Patty. Also rooting for an all Russian mens final-with the hot pairing of former dubs team of Safin and Tursonov.

Also, Ill be in LA for the Labor day tourn, anyone else?

Amen to the comments about Mary Pierce. wink

The only thing positive I can say about her is that she got rid of her abusive father, and she has kept playing into her 30s.

I like Schnyder more and more, she's a real character. Here's to her pulling off an upset today.

I too like Schynder even though she seems content to get only so far in Grand Slams. When on form its wonderful to see her mixture of angles and pace. I remember seeing her beat Davenport years ago in a long 3 setter and she was terrific to watch.

Nice match today for Patty. She fought so much better than last week. But she needs to play the important points with more fire like Sharapova did today. She played like a top tenner today. Like her game alot and if Hingis gives her her backhand, watch out.

I think ESPN/USTA are rooting for Vaidosova so maybe they can lure in the straight channel changers with 2 tall pretty blondes grunting it out.

Strongwall, you said it about Patty -- she just doesn't bring the heat or killer instinct on the clutch points, or clutch shots within a rally. But what a great, eccentric style of game she has.

The commentary about Sharapova today really made me wanna hurl. I'm not strong pro- or anti- about her, but the way that the ESPN brigade SELLS her is so annoying.

[ August 06, 2006, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: Two-hander ]

Completely agree about the marketing of Sharapova. It's not just ESPN -- it's probably even worse on SI's website, and just as bad on every other sports site. Those guys need to know only one thing about tennis: sex sells.

Had a horrid week with toothache - and subsequent molar removal by incompetent student dentist (don't ask) - so not paid as much attention to the tennis as usual...

Was nice to see Chakvetadze playing well and upsetting Petrova and Ivanovic, then coming pretty close to doing the same to Vaidisova. Anna C is an interesting player, I like her fight and her graft, and the fact she's seems like a sorta DIY player... ie, she doesn't have the pedigree of top coaching and much in the way of shiny endorsements and whatnot like some of her peers. She's a likeable underdog, and I think she could still have a fair bit of mileage to improve. Although she'll probably grab a low seeding for the US open, she will be a dangerous early round opponent for a lot of players.

Kim v Maria in the final... Maria could throw up some intrigue by winning that one and making herself more of a candidate for the US open... Kim's the favourite though.

B

I kinda like the On-The-Line interviews even if the questions are cheesy and the answers seam rehearse. The best question was
Mary Jo to Kim "White or Off-white" (referring to her upcoming wedding dress). Kim had an uncomfortable pause before saying offwhite. It may not have been intended but it was kinda rude to ask if Kim was still a virgin. It is hard to imagine that these athletes are regular people who have periods, sex, etc.

Very important win for Sharapova today, who has to prove she's competitive with the Belgians and MoMo. She's still just 2-11 against those three players.

I agree, Strongwall, those things are kinda weird, like wondering how often the guys, or Andy Roddick to choose one, get off, etc.-guess I'm weird! Anyway, just some food for thought. Maybe Kim paused because she didn't understand it right away. Her English is excellent but it's still not her native language.

Side note: I always thought Arnaud Clement was cute but, after this Washington D.C. tournament, he's officially HOT! Now he just needs to get Lasik so we can see that beautiful face hidden behind those shades! Sweet dimples! Allez!

Some weekend observations:

1) I like Maria. She's pretty.

1a) Maria's game seems to have really improved. Much more consistent, especially on the forehand. And I'm not sure if I was hallucinating, but I think I saw her hit a drop volley winner.

2) Kim left me rolling my eyes again. It's like you could feel her tension on the break points and I found myself waiting for her unforced error. Pam had it right..."How could she not feel confident!?!" Her insecurity is getting boring.

3) I liked the way ESPN was showcasing both the men's and women's tournaments together, rather than as two completely separate broadcasts. Very effective and US Open-like.

4) I'm not sure how many times they did this, but at least in the final, they want back to Patrick's "Keys to the Match" and showed statistically how each player was doing based on those keys. Second serve returns, approaches to the net, etc. I loved it.

5) I could swear I saw Clement in person last year QUALIFYING to play the US Open. Can this be??

6) I missed you all.

Welcome back, WWCD. For me the funniest moment when they returned to McEnroe's 'Keys to the Match' was in the Clement-Safin semi. One of Safin's Keys was "Don't lose it," and the update to it was that he'd gotten a warning already.

I agree with you that Maria has improved her game, especially against Clijsters. In that match she was hitting angles I hadn't seen her manage since her Wimbledon final. The negativity about the match from the commentators bugged me because I thought there were some excellent stretches, and the unforced errors tend to come after long hard rallies.

That one point that Clijsters won when Sharapova was serving at set point, 5-3 in the first -- by far the best point on the women's side I've seen all year. Amazing stuff.

Ah, Mary Pierce. I'll forgive her for being Christian because her groundstrokes are so evil!

She's such a kook. Her bible-thumping seems more like a way to try to keep herself grounded than right-wing righteousness, to me anyway.

In that weird segment they have now where Pam asks random questions to the players, Mary's response to her most valued possession: her Bible. YIKES.

Petrova goes down early again. So either she's not recovered from her injury, or this is support for my theory that her spectacular stretch this spring was simply a fluke.

Larry you are a bit tough.....I would not call her early year form a fluke, more she hit a good consistant patch of form,she was in good shape and confident.

Good to see Davenport in the draw. I just did not think she would be back this year, with a bulging disc.I am hoping Stosur can bring off an upset only because she is an Aussie and we dont have much to cheer about these days

Serena defeated Kirilenko 6-2,6-1 at the JP Morgan Chase Open in LA last night.

Based on online stats, she looked good and played a solid match.

However, I don't know if I like her outfit. The colors just don't work for me.

Well I know if I like her outfit or not and I don't!! That looks like a hot mess sandwich. Those colors are awful. All that brown?!! Serena...hon...what are you thinking. The white skirt and yellow top were much nicer. Good grief. It looks like she's wearing a sloppy joe tribute outfit.

If Petrova had had more (any?) of those patches in the past, I wouldn't have used the word "fluke."

I'm also delighted to see Davenport back. I just hope her health lets her come on full bore at the U.S. Open -- this may be her last hurrah. And though I normally route for the Aussies too (I like both Molik and Stosur), now is not the time for Stosur to have a breakthrough!!

That was funny. But the good news, is she now seems to be wearing the sloppy joes on her outfit, rather than inside her outfit (which is how it looked earlier in the year).

Mauresmo will not be part of the Montreal tournament. I hope this is not the start of other top players announcing they withdraw.

I will not say that Serena is not a talented tennis player, but my gawd, she is huge. Can't help but wonder how good she would be if she didn't carry that butt. When she receives serve, major cleavage all over the place. Geez. I hope she overcomes the addiction to Dunkin Donuts soon. I'd like to see her move like she used to.
eek!

I caught part of her match yesterday, and she looked like she has a fair amount of extra "padding."

Even when Serena was in tip top shape she still had the boobs and the booty. Regardless of how much weight she loses she is still gonna have those. She's just built like that. Being a gay man, I don't usually have much interest in the female body, but watching Serena's body in motion is strangely mesmerizing.

I haven't seen her yet in action but one of the best things about Serena is her ability to fight until the end. She's had two three set matches against girls she should definitely beat and she's toughed it out in the heat...for the rest of the field, this is not good news. A hungry and match tough Serena is the absolute definition of "dangerous floater." She's got nothing to lose. If she divebombs early in NY then it's because she's not fully back yet. But...She's already withstood very hot conditions and come out with big wins. She's definitely a factor. Will she get past Jankovic and play Maria? Who knows? She won't beat Sharopova this week, but in about two and half weeks? Who knows?

I imagine the top players are all shaking in their sneakers thinking about facing an unseeded Serena early on. She certainly looks a bit rusty, but it seems the commitment level is there. Those were two pretty tough 3 setters she played the last two rounds. I could see an uncommited Serena bagging it after she turned her ankle vs Hantuchova, but she toughed it out and looks pretty good out there. I'd love to see a Sharpie-Serena final. That would certainly let us know where she is in her comeback, and I wouldn't count Serena out.

I can't believe Dumentieva beat Shreekapova. I hope they show it on tv. I thought there was going to be a Sireena v. Shreekapova final.

Elena beat Maria 7-5, 6-2...
Get this: Elena was 7 for 22 on break points! 22 break point chances! She broke Maria's serve seven times! What's up with that? Maria had 8 double faults. I didn't see the match, just checked the stats...Those are some bizarre numbers. You cannot win the US Open with serve stats like that.
Impressive for Elena to get to the final. I have a feeling Jankovic may just beat a not 100% Serena though...she's due for her breakthrough.

[ August 12, 2006, 03:00 PM: Message edited by: Bryan ]

22 break points is very weird, considering Maria has been serving bombs consistently for the past 2 weeks. I wonder what happened to her. And I wonder if Elena ever got the balloons off of her second serves. Yeah it would be nice if it was on tv. The men again today... :confused: