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Azarenka Takes Hold of WTA; Federer as Strong as Ever — The Friday Five

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By Maud Watson

Answering the Call

Victoria Azarenka wins the BNP Paribas Open

After the 2011 WTA season saw a slew of different winners (including three first-time Grand Slam champions), there was a real question as to whether or not there was a candidate who could muster some staying power at the top of the game.  It would appear that at the start of 2012, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka has emphatically answered that query in the affirmative.  She left Indian Wells with her perfect record intact, and what a run she had in the desert.  After nearly being bounced out in her opening match, she went on a tear.  She allowed only two games to Aggie Radwanska in the quarters, weathered nasty conditions better than Kerber in the semis, and trounced Sharapova in the final.  Her improved abilities to retrieve and improvise, as well as her skill to just outright outwit the opposition on the court have all paid dividends in her success.  Not bad for a player who almost walked away from the sport early last season.  The powers-at-be are surely grateful that she opted to stick it out, as irrespective of what many may think of her controversial shrieking, she is exactly what the WTA has so desperately needed.

Still in the Mix

The newer and arguably more exciting rivalry in men’s tennis may now be that of Djokovic vs. Nadal, but only a fool would discount Federer’s chances of upsetting the apple cart and wrestling big titles from those two.  The Maestro proved as much with his victory at Indian Wells.  It may not have been a major, and he didn’t have to go through both 1 and 2 to hoist the trophy, but this was a huge win for Federer.  He became the first man to win Indian Wells four times, and he tied Nadal for most Masters 1000 titles at nineteen.  But perhaps the most important aspect for the Swiss was that he defeated Nadal en route to the title.  The terrible weather conditions take nothing from the significance of his victory over the Spaniard either.  It is an experience he will look to draw on should they meet again at a slam.  Interestingly, Federer’s run puts him less than a 1000 points behind Nadal.  It’s still a long way to go, and even further to reach the summit of the rankings, but with less to defend than either Djokovic or Nadal, Federer may just find a way to defy the odds, reclaim the top ranking, and add yet another enthralling chapter to his storybook career.

Serving Notice

John Isner may have fallen short at the final hurdle twice this past Sunday, but the towering American served notice to spectators and his fellow competitors that he is going to be a tough customer for anyone on tour.  Isner has shown promise in the past, such as his five-set loss to Nadal in the opening round of Roland Garros last year and his shock defeat of Federer this past February in Davis Cup.  But his definitive breakthrough came when he played the best match of his career to knock out Djokovic in the semis of the BNP Paribas Open last week.  Unfortunately for Isner, his serving wasn’t as stellar in the final against Federer, but it doesn’t diminish what he accomplished.  For his efforts in reaching the final, he earned a spot in the Top 10 for the first time in his career, and with little to defend in the coming months, he’s poised to climb even higher.  Does he have what it takes to win a major?  That’s debatable.  The high level he sustained against Djokovic is most likely the exception rather than the norm, but if he finds himself in the zone and gets some help from the draw, it could happen.  With that serve, nobody should count him out.

A Good Break

Tennis players are always looking to get a break, and the British Government is giving them one.  It comes in the form of a tax amendment amidst several complaints from international sports superstars.  Under the law, foreign athletes are taxed on prize money, appearance fees and their endorsement earnings.  It was enough to convince some to seek their match play elsewhere before competing at Wimbledon.  The British Government has since altered the current rule to include training days, meaning a smaller portion of an athlete’s endorsement earnings would be taxable.  Hopefully this latest move will sway some players back to competing in the British Wimbledon warm-ups once again.

Hello, Goodbye

Miami and the tennis world said welcome back to both Venus Williams and Alisa Kleybanova.  Williams showed no mercy and no rust from a seven-month layoff against Date-Krumm, while Kleybanova had to battle to overcome Larsson in three.  It was great to see them back out and competing once again and an added bonus that they both advanced to the second round.  Unfortunately, tennis fans had to say good-bye to the popular Fernando Gonzalez, who will now go into retirement after his opening round loss to Nicolas Mahut.  The Chilean put forth a valiant effort, saving three match points before ultimately falling in a third set tiebreak.  He was a joy to watch, he will be missed, and here’s to hoping he stays involved with the game.

Comebacks, Smiles and Wins: Tuesday at the Sony Ericsson Open

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Day one of any tennis tournament can be overwhelming. But multiply that by 3 and add two 128-player draw for both the WTA and ATP and you have yourself a full-blown tennis party at this year’s Sony Ericsson Open held in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Although the women’s first round just began today and the men’s will begin tomorrow, there was still plenty of tennis around the grounds for fans to enjoy. From matches, to intense player practices, to fun off-court promotions, there was something in store for every age. The temperature was steady and warm, but the sun made it feel balmier than the 80 degrees that it registered.
Walking the grounds during the first couple of days of a tournament as large as this, you may be surprised to find the atmosphere calm, but therein lies the beauty. In order to see the elite practice, it’s best to come at the very beginning when there aren’t as many restrictions around the site and you have easy access to players.
Having never been to Crandon Park before while the Sony Ericsson Open was in session, the nature and palm trees nearly persuaded me into a vacation attitude. But I had work to do. I entered the media center and situated myself with my laptop, camera, chargers, schedule and personal flatscreen tv — all just steps away from stadium court. As I looked out over the stadium, top Serb Novak Djokovic was basking in the mid-day sun as he practiced against Xavier Malisse. Djokovic’s morning session took a more serious tone while his afternoon session near dusk was more light-hearted in order to please the fans that had converged to watch – which were numerous!
Also spotted were Maria Sharapova working on baseline shots extensively, and countless shirtless men sweating and playing to their hearts’ content on the practice courts. Needless to say, there were also many matches in progress, but the interest by fans was spread evenly between the practice sessions and the matches.

Highlights of the day

Venus Williams: In what turned out to be an emotional day on the WTA tour with the return of both Venus and Alisa (below), the former is back on court and practicing! Need I say more? Well, yes, actually. As wonderful and courageous as she has been, her Sjogren’s is something she will need to manage for the rest of her life. As good as she looks, she was visibly frustrated during her practice session, consistently hitting balls at wrong angles and sending them flying into neighboring courts. One thing is for sure though: she knows when to be fierce on court and when to smile once the work is done.
Alisa Kleybanova: In what has become the story of the day, Kleybanova came back after 10 months of being off the tour due to treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and basically rocked the tennis world off its axis. If you want to talk about a fighter and a strong woman, just use her as the example. She fought off world #64 Johanna Larsson in three mighty sets and afterward couldn’t stop smiling and hugging friends and coaches, and chatting up fans. If you ever needed a feel-good story in tennis, there you have it.
Milos Raonic and Jurgen Melzer: The Canadian in person looks even larger than his 6’5” frame would have you believe. The towering “Missile” is mostly legs though, as his normal-sized Lacoste shorts constantly ride up on his long legs. His left knee though is still alarmingly taped up. This is the same knee that was feared to be a serious injury which forced him to pull out of the Davis Cup. However, I hope the tape job is just precautionary. Melzer, on the other hand, looked great and invoked the same strategy in the practice set as he had used to beat Raonic in Memphis: pull Raonic to the net wide as quickly as possible and pass him into the open court with Raonic on the wrong foot to recover. Worked like a charm.
Bernard Tomic: Where do I begin? Here we have a 19-year-old boy who gets speeding tickets yet has no problem being the only player of a group to stop, bend over to a young fan and sign autographs. One who is constantly bombarded by the media as having a rude or offensive demeanor, yet none of this was seen today. Instead, the focus of why Tomic might be viewed the way he is should fall on his father John (Ivica) who is originally from Croatia. Having myself been born there, I’ve stayed fluent with the language and so had the privilege of watching Tomic’s afternoon practice session on a side court and actually understanding what was being said. And boy, did it not disappoint. John hounded his son nearly the entire time from the chair on court – yelling, pointing, talking, or simply swearing in Croatian at his son’s inabilities. It was quite honestly disturbing and somewhat saddening. Tomic is one of the brightest youngsters on the tour, but to see the background he comes from makes me question how far he will really go before he cracks emotionally. Take away: get yourself a non-relative coach, Bernard.
Sloane Stephens: The young American continues to prove her place in the upper echelons of tennis as today she defeated former top-30 player Sania Mirza in two easy sets, 6-2, 6-4. At the conclusion of the match, fans busted out in a fun rendition of “Happy Birthday!” in honor of Stephens turning nineteen today. She instantly got shy and covered her immensely smiling face. A few minutes later she joked, “Why didn’t you bring me any gifts?!” Touche, Stephens.
Practice Courts C & D: Another personal highlight of mine was these two practice courts. To me, there was no better tennis for your buck than watching the practice sessions that took place there. At any one time, four ATP players and two WTA players would take the court and hit at the same time. Whether it was Marcos Baghdatis and Ivo Karlovic on the same side or Ryan Harrison and Viktor Troicki during another hour, these courts were not short on talent – or laughs! Don’t believe me? Check out the great candid shots of Baghdatis below!
Shirtless Men: Last, but definitely not least, the hot weather tends to bring out shirtless male players. Namely, Janko Tipsarevic, Gilles Simon and Philipp Kohlschreiber. I can’t complain.
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The Meaning of a Last Name in Tennis; Berdych as His Own Worst Enemy — The Friday Five

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by Maud Watson

Pushing the Limits

Marko Djokovic (left) and Malek Jaziri (right)

In the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Severus Snape once said, “Well, it may have escaped your notice, but life isn’t fair.” Of course, Professor Snape was saying that to the Boy Who Lived, but it pretty much sums up what Dubai tournament officials told No. 1 Arab player Malek Jaziri (ranked No. 104) and the press, as they attempted to justify giving a disputed wildcard to Marko Djokovic (younger brother of Novak and ranked 869) instead. The uproar caused by the decision is only partially justifiable, and it’s most likely strictly due to the fact it involved the younger brother of the current No. 1. The Djokovic family did nothing wrong, having submitted the wildcard request at least a month ago. And as for Novak’s part in getting his brother the wildcard, he’s not the first star player to use his leverage. Many top tier players use their elite status to rake in huge appearance fees, and some, such as Hewitt and Clijsters, have also used leverage to garner wildcards for younger siblings. It’s also not uncommon for tournaments to weigh other factors over actual merit when doling out wildcards. How many French, American, and Australian players have benefited from the reciprocal major wildcard agreement between their home governing bodies that competitors from non-Slam nations can only dream of? And don’t get me started on the number of undeserving British players that have been handed a free pass to play on the most hallowed grounds in the sport. The real fault lies in how poorly tournament officials handled the situation. They previously told Jaziri he wouldn’t have to play the qualifying event only to pull the rug out from under him in the 11th hour by giving the wildcard to the younger Djokovic. Had it been handled more professionally, Jaziri may not have been as disgruntled. And yes, the extremely low ranking of Marko Djokovic does suggest officials were pushing the limits. Then again, had it been awarded to a local Arab player of the same ranking, would this even be a topic of discussion? I think not.

New Day, New Clay

Come April, France will look to do what Switzerland could not – defeat the United States Davis Cup team on clay. This time it will be an outdoor clay court set in picturesque Monte Carlo. But while the venue will serve as a beautiful locale, it’s still a surprising decision. French No. 1 Tsonga has already stated clay is not his best surface. A quicker hard court would help shorten the long rallies in which Monfils frequently finds himself entangled, not to mention better suit Llodra’s attacking style. The long short of it is that, barring injuries, these are going to be two evenly matched teams no matter what the surface, and the French need to avoid falling into a false sense of security. Playing the U.S. on the red dirt doesn’t mean what it did a decade or so ago.

Own Worst Enemy

Be it counting backwards from 10, taking a few deep breaths, or taking a page out of Frank Costanza’s book and yelling “Serenity now!” (risking insanity later), Tomas Berdych needs to find some way of letting the little things go. On a breakpoint for Berdych to extend the second set into a tiebreak, a Murray serve was initially called out, only to have Hawkeye reverse the call. Mohamed Lahyani then awarded the point to Murray rather than replaying it, infuriating Berdych in the process. It’s understandable that Berdych would rue letting the break point go, especially since he’d already saved multiple match points. But while he got his racquet on the serve, Lahyani was correct in his ruling. The initial out call in no way affected Berdych’s play on it, and yet, the Czech was still ranting about it in his press conference. But this isn’t the first time Berdych has failed to understand the rules and etiquette of the game, and sadly it probably won’t be the last. He needs to learn to stop sweating the small stuff. It doesn’t help his game any, and it certainly won’t win him any fans. With a game as big as his – a game that is capable of earning him a major – it would just be a waste to see it not come to full fruition simply because he can’t get out of his own way.

True Winner

She won’t get a ton of press, because she doesn’t have multiple majors to her name, nor is she known outside tennis circles. All of that aside, the undisputed feel-good story of the week is Alisa Kleybanova’s planned return to WTA competition. The young Russian announced last July that she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and would be undergoing treatment in Italy. She now says she’s finished her cancer treatment, the doctors are pleased with her health, and she’s anxious to return to action. Stories like this really drive home the point that tennis is just a game, and hopefully she’ll be an inspiration to others. One thing is for certain – win or lose when she returns to the court in Miami later this month, it will go down as a victory.

Leftfield

The worlds of sports and entertainment are never lacking for surprises, and this week was no exception. Who can honestly say that they saw the announcement that Martina Navratilova would be joining the Season 14 cast of Dancing with the Stars coming? There are players I’d love to see take to the dance floor, and others that I can see wanting to join the cast. Somehow the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion didn’t fit either mold. It’s hard to imagine her in a frilly ball gown. But she may just be full of surprises. She’s fit, and she also possesses the work ethic and commitment necessary for success. But it will be interesting to see how easily she takes direction from one of the show’s regular pros, Tony Dovolani, as well as criticism from the judges. Hopefully she proves adept at both. It’s just a fun TV show, but after the Seles debacle a few seasons ago, tennis could do with posting a respectable finish.

Welcome Back Alisa Kleybanova

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Alisa Kleybanova, who has not played a match since May 2011, has been granted a wildcard into the 2012 Sony Ericson Open in Miami.

There is great news in the tennis world.
The WTA announced on it’s website that former top-20 player Alisa Kleybanova, who has been battling cancer, has resumed her training and will play in the Sony Ericson Open main draw as a wildcard. The tournament, located in Miami, begins on March 19th.
The 22-year-old Russian announced she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last July and has been undergoing successful treatments that finished in December. In her personal statement posted by the WTA, Kleybanova states that her doctors “are happy with [her] health” and that she is “feeling great!”
Read the full statement below:

Hi to all my friends and fans!

It has been a long time since my last message… and now I really want to get back in touch with you and share all the great things and emotions I have!

I finished my treatments in December and a couple of weeks ago I did my last tests in Italy. The treatments were successful, my doctors are happy with my health and I’m feeling great!

I would like to thank the Hospital Gemelli in Rome (Prof. Giuseppe Leone, Dott. Stefan Hohaus and their Team), and the Hospital Silvestrini in Perugia (Prof. Brunangelo Falini, Dott. Flavio Falcinelli and their Team). From the bottom of my heart I want to thank my coach Iulian Vespan, my boyfriend Giacomo, my family and my close friends that were next to me all this time. I will never forget it…

I have started to train and right now I’m in Florida playing tennis again!!! It was physically really hard in the beginning, but it was so emotional that I didn’t want to get off the court 🙂 This is just amazing, I’m working out every day now and enjoying it so much more than before!

More than anything, I’ve missed the competition. For me tennis is not just going on the court and hitting the ball – it’s testing yourself, seeing how good you are, trying new things, trying to improve, trying to win… For me the best part of tennis is the competition and I’m really looking forward to my comeback!

By the way, I just got confirmed my main draw wildcard into the Miami tournament, so I will see you guys really soon!!!

I don’t think I have ever been more excited :)))

Alisa

Kleybanova has won two WTA Tour titles, at Kuala Lumpur in 2010 and in Seoul in 2008, and was ranked a career-high No. 20 in the world almost exactly a year ago. With her powerful build and groundstrokes, Kleybanova also reached the fourth round at a Grand Slam twice, at the 2008 Wimbledon and 2009 Australian Open.
Kleybanova’s current ranking is No. 167, but she can use injury protected ranking as she returns to the competition she loves. Hopefully this is just the beginning of her success story.
From all of us tennis fans, welcome back Alisa.
(Photos by Getty Images.)

US Open Day 3: Jelena Jankovic Struggles To Reach The Next

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NEW YORK – One has been number one in the world. The other has a Grand Slam tournament title. On Wednesday, the two Serbians posted three-set victories on the hard courts of the US Open.
Despite twisting an ankle during his first-round match, Novak Djokovic had little problem disposing of Frenchman Arnaud Clement in straight sets, 6-3 6-3 6-4.
The same wasn’t true for Jelena Jankovic, who not only struggled in her battle with Sofia Arvidsson, but after racing in unsuccessfully to catch up with a drop shop, Jankovic dropped to the court and stayed there for about 30 seconds.
“I was just tired and I couldn’t get up,” Jankovic said. “I was so exhausted at that moment. I was breathing hard and I didn’t have the energy to get up.”
Pushed to the limit, the admittedly out-of-shape Jankovic eventually outlasted her Swedish opponent and captured the 2-hour, 44-minute marathon 6-3 6-7 (5) 7-5.
“I would have loved to, you know, take a nap on court, because I was really exhausted,” said Jankovic. “But, you know, the rules are the rules. I had to keep going.”
Djokovic, ranked third in the world behind Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, had more problems with the court than with his opponent. There were moments of anxiety when he hyper extended his left ankle in the fourth game of the final set.
“It’s OK,” Djokovic said. “It’s going to be good in two days, I’m sure. After that happened, I was thinking more of it than I was really actually feeling the pain, so it’s not really a big deal.
“But in that certain moment, I felt big pain, so I just had to tape the ankle.”
This was the first match the 21-year-old Serb has played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center since losing to Roger Federer in the championship match a year ago.
“Last year’s final was remarkable and unexplainable,” Djokovic said. “The moment we got onto the court, 23,000 people stood up. Some moments in your life you can’t forget. … That was kind of a turning point in my career.”
He won his first Grand Slam tournament title in January, the Australian Open, and is one of the favorites to end Federer’s bid for a fifth consecutive US Open title. If he and Federer do meet this year, it will be in the semifinals since both are in the bottom half of the draw.
“I started believing after the finals that I really can win,” Djokovic said. “I knew it was a matter of time. I just needed to work and really dedicate myself to it, so that’s what I did … and it paid off.”
In her match, Jankovic several times hunched over and leaned on her racket, trying to catch her breath. She has been battling injuries this summer, including hurting her knee at Wimbledon, and is not in the best shape.
Twice she served for the match in the second set before Arvidsson rallied to level the match at set apiece, erasing a 3-0 lead in the tiebreak by her highly ranked foe.
Jankovic also won the first three games to begin the final set, only to continue her barrage of errors – she finished with 54 unforced errors, seven more than her opponent, to go along with 48 winners, eight more than Arvidsson. Then it was a series of service breaks until Jankovic finally held to gain a spot in the third round.
Her next opponent will be Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie, who advanced Wednesday with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain. Zheng whipped through the first set, then had trouble finding the court with her ground strokes as she fell behind 1-4 in the second set. But the Chinese right-hander reeled off the next five games to move into the next round.
Svetlana Kuznetsova, one of the six Russian ranked in the top ten in the world, also had some tense moments before prevailing in her second-round match. After a shaky start, the 2004 US Open winner defeated Sorana Cirstea of Romania 7-6 (3) 6-1.
Tatiana Perebiynis of the Ukraine pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament so far, eliminating eighth-seeded Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-3. The Russian committed 30 unforced errors and never was able to compete with Perebiynis, who has reached the third round of a major for the first time since Wimbledon four years ago.
Another former champion, Lindsay Davenport, posted a 7-5 6-3 win over Russian Alisa Kleybanova.
“I didn’t play quite as well as I did the other day,” said Davenport, who won America’s premier tennis tournament in 1998. “I didn’t find my rhythm, but sometimes you just have to get through these matches.
“I’m ecstatic to be in the third round.”