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Waffles anyone ?
 TENNISRULZ.com
WTA REPORT - WEEK 43
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WAFFLES, ANYONE?
by Todd Spiker
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It was a Belgian Waffle Sunday as, for the
first time ever, both Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters emerged with two different
singles titles in the same week. Who says there are no WTA stories without the
Sisters?
2002 hasn't exactly been kind to the Waffles, with injuries causing several
setbacks for both. But as most of the rest of the Top 10 limps toward this
season's finish line, Henin and Clijsters are surging toward dual Top 5
rankings. Henin, in fact, has already risen to a career-high #4, and Clijsters
is right behind her at #6.
Hmmm, could L.A. be shaping up to be a battle of the Williams family vs. the
Belgians? Could we be so lucky to see that story begin to develop a week from
now? Stay tuned.
LINZ (TIER II)
S: Justine Henin d. Alexandra Stevenson
D: Dokic/Petrova d. Fujuwara/Sugiyama
LUXEMBOURG (TIER III)
S: Kim Clijsters d. Maggie Maleeva
D: Clijsters/Husarova d. Hrdlickova/Rittner
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: The Waffles
...In the midst of their dual rises up the WTA rankings, Kim Clijsters and
Justine Henin have never both won singles titles on the same weekend. That's
now changed. But Clijsters gets the slight edge here since she took the
Luxembourg doubles, as well.
RISER: Alexandra Stevenson
...Could the promise finally be coming into focus? Recent wins over Capriati
and Dokic could have swelled Stevenson's head (again) and set her back just when
she seemed ready to make a move (again). But, instead, she went to Linz and
knocked off #3 Capriati (again), Myskina AND Hantuchova en route to her second
final of the year. She lost there, again... 0-6 in the 2nd set. But she's at a
career-high #18 and that it looks like she'll just miss out on a Championships
berth could spur her to a more consistent season in 2003.
SURPRISE: Virginie Razzano
...Razzano lost in Luxembourg qualifying, but made the main draw anyway as a
Lucky Loser. She made the most of it, advancing to her 2nd career SF.
VETERAN: Maggie Maleeva
...Winning Moscow just wasn't enough, she had to reach another final in
Luxembourg, too. She lost to Clijsters, but getting there was enough to qualify
her for the Championships in L.A..
NEW FACE: Stephanie Cohen Aloro
...The Frenchwomen made it through Luxembourg qualifying, defeating Molik and
Merrero along the way, then pushed Amanda Coetzer (4-6,6-7) in the 1r of the
main draw.
DOWN: Jennifer Capriati & Anastasia Myskina
...Capriati went out early again, with her third loss to Stevenson in 2002;
while Myskina's late-season rut short-circuited a shot at a Top 10 ranking and
will likely lead to an early exit in Los Angeles.
1.Season-lifting Finals -
...The Belgians are rising again. After rollercoaster seasons for both, Henin
and Clijsters are hitting their strides as the season winds down. Henin's win
over Stevenson in Linz shot her to a career-best #4; while Clijsters working
over of Maleeva to defend her 2001 Luxembourg title leaves her a potential
Championships Final run away from possibly joining her fellow Waffle in the
season-ending Top 5.
2.Alexandra's Proving Ground -
...The doubters (myself included) are having to eat their words as 2002 comes to
an end. In Linz, Stevenson took out C.Martinez in the 1r, Myskina in the 2nd,
crushed Capriati 6-1,6-1 in the QF (for her 3rd victory over JC this season),
and won a tight 6-4,7-6(6) SF over Hantuchova. If only the season lasted
another month, she might have been able to ride his momentum to something even
greater. Now she'll face the challenge of carrying this over into the early
Australian tour in January.
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SINGLES TOP 20
1.Serena Williams...6099
2.Venus Williams...4844
3.Jennifer Capriati...3640
4.Justine Henin...3194
5.Amelie Mauresmo...3121
6.Kim Clijsters...3040
7.Monica Seles...2796
8.Daniela Hantuchova...2640.75
9.Jelena Dokic...2482
10.Martina Hingis...2348
11.Lindsay Davenport...2129
12.Anastasia Myskina...1874
13.Patty Schnyder...1701
14.Chanda Rubin...1685
15.Maggie Maleeva...1591
16.Silvia Farina Elia...1583
17.Anna Smashnova...1551.50
18.Alexandra Stevenson...1444
19.Elena Dementieva...1413
20.Nathalie Dechy...1295
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DOUBLES TOP 15
1.Paola Suarez...3895
2.Virginia Ruano-Pascual...3871
3.Lisa Raymond...3602
4.Rennae Stubbs...3546
5.Janette Husarova...2712
6.Elena Dementieva...2291
7.Arantxa Sanchez Vicario...2256
8.Daniela Hantuchova...2226
9.Cara Black...2018
10.Anna Kournikova...1992
11.Elena Likhovtseva...1976
12.Ai Sugiyama...1699
13.Jelena Dokic...1615
14.Martina Hingis...1504
15.Rika Fujiwara...1467.50
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**WTA POINTS RACE**
--SINGLES (top 16 berths)--
1.S.Williams...5596
2.V.Williams...4844
3.J.Capriati...3520
4.J.Henin...3139
5.A.Mauresmo...3068
6.K.Clijsters...2841
7.M.Seles...2796
8.D.Hantuchova...2718
9.J.Dokic...2564
10.M.Hingis...2348 (injured)
11.A.Myskina...2012
12.L.Davenport...1728
13.S.Farina Elia...1690
14.C.Rubin...1685
15.P.Schnyder...1586
16.A.Smashnova...1565
17.M.Maleeva...1546
18.E.Dementieva...1459
19.A.Stevenson...1439
--DOUBLES TEAMS (top 8 berths)--
1.Ruano-Pascual/Suarez...4115
2.Raymond/Stubbs...3446
3.Dementieva/Husarova...2403
4.Black/Likhovtseva...1917
5.Hantuchova/Sanchez Vicario...1778
6.Hingis/Kournikova...1241 (injured)
7.Arendt/Horn Huber...1118
8.Fujiwara/Sugiyama...1055
9.Lee/Prakusya...1041
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**2002 WTA SINGLES TITLES**
8...Serena Williams
7...Venus Williams
4...Anna Smashnova
3...Kim Clijsters
**2002 WTA SINGLES FINALS**
11...Venus Williams (7-4)
9...Serena Williams (8-1)
6...Justine Henin (2-4)
5...Kim Clijsters (3-2)
5...Jelena Dokic (2-3)
**2002 WTA SINGLES SF**
13...Venus Williams (11-2)
11...Jelena Dokic (5-6)
10...Serena Williams (9-1)
10...Justine Henin (6-4)
9...Kim Clijsters (5-4)
9...Monica Seles (3-6)
**MOST SINGLES TITLES - 2001-2**
13...Venus Williams (6/7)
11...Serena Williams (3/8)
7...Lindsay Davenport (7/0)
6...Kim Clijsters (3/3)
6...Monica Seles (4/2)
6...Amelie Mauresmo (4/2)
5...Jelena Dokic (3/2)
5...Justine Henin (3/2)
5...Martina Hingis (3/2)
**2002 TEENAGE SINGLES CHAMPIONS**
3...Kim Clijsters, 19
2...Jelena Dokic, 19
2...Elena Bovina, 19
2...Svetlana Kuznetsova, 17
**SINGLES/DOUBLES TITLE IN SAME EVENT**
April - Jelena Dokic (Sarasota)
July - Serena Williams (Wimbledon)
July - Patricia Wartusch (Casablanca)
August - Svetlana Kuznetsova (Helsinki)
Sept - Serena Williams (Leipzig)
October - Maja Matevzic (Bratislava)
October - Kim Clijsters (Luxembourg)
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FED CUP Final Round
SF: Austria d. Spain; Slovakia d. Italy
...Barbara Schwartz, at 4-0, has been THE FC star of 2002 as she's almost
single-handedly dragged Austria this far; Daniela Hantuchova has been THE rising
star of the regular tour.
FINAL: Slovakia d. Austria
...Hantuchova's doubles prowess pulls out the title.
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WEEK 45
WTA Championships (L.A.)
Pattaya City (Tier V)
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=====================================
*TDS COMBINED SINGLES/DOUBLES TOP 10**
1.Serena Williams...297
2.Venus Williams...255
3.Jennifer Capriati...165
4.Justine Henin...151
5.Monica Seles...140
6.Jelena Dokic...132
7.Kim Clijsters...125.5
8.Amelie Mauresmo...120.5
9.Martina Hingis...113.5
10.Daniela Hantuchova...112
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*UPCOMING TENNISRULZ COLUMNS*
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Week 44...Fed Cup Finals
Week 45...The Championships/2002 Stats
November...2002 Top 10 Intriguing Questions Recap
November...2002 WTA Tennisrulz Awards
December...WTA Christmas Wish List
December...2003 Top 10 Intriguing Questions
January...The 2003 season begins!
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