WTA Backspin

TENNISRULZ.com - April 2003/Week 17

   It seems like I was just here the other day, painting the March mural.  So, in order to avoid a case of carpel tunnel syndrome, I'll keep things short for April.


**PLAYERS OF THE MONTH**
1.Justine Henin-Hardenne (9-1)
2.Magui Serna (11-0)
3.Elena Dementieva (10-2)
4.Anastasia Myskina (7-1)
5.Alicia Molik (11-3)
6.Rita Grande (5-1)
7.Lindsay Davenport (7-2)
8.Ashley Harkleroad (4-1)
9.Ludmila Cervanova (8-4)
10.Julia Schruff (7-1)

RISER: Magui Serna
SURPRISE: Ludmila Cervanova
VETERAN: Rita Grande
FRESH FACE: Ashley Harkleroad
DOWN: Daniela Hantuchova

MATCH OF THE MONTH: Charleston Final -
Justine Henin-Hardenne def. Serena Williams

CHOKE OF THE MONTH: Amelia Island QF -
Daniela Hantuchova loses to Elena Dementieva 1-6,0-6


AND A FEW MORE...

HOW DO YOU WIN TWO TITLES AND GO 11-0 IN APRIL AND STILL AREN'T "PLAYER OF THE MONTH?":  when Henin-Hardenne defeats Serena, who's 27-1 in her last 28 matches.  Sorry, Magui.


BEST FACE SAVING (and maybe career-turning?) PERFORMANCE:  Elena Dementieva in Amelia Island, who made the transition from Punch-Drunk to Punch-Sober.


AS JELENA'S WORLD TURNS... back to Australia?


BEST BREAKTHROUGH:  Ashley Harkleroad in Charleston, as she put the "W" (quite a few, actually) in "American Anna."


TIME AFTER TIME: Martina Navratilova, a grand slam singles champion at age 21 in 1978, a 3-time WTA doubles champion at age 46 in 2003.


ORIGINAL ANNA UPDATE: She still has more withdrawls than wins in 2003.


16 WAS THE CHARM:  After failing to qualify for a WTA event in 15 attempts, German Julia Schruff finally did it on her 16th try -- then went on to make the Estoril final.  On Monday in Bol, she qualified for her second straight event.  Are 14 more successful tries next?


   I'll update everyone on Head Honcho Cantin's attempts to thwart my artistic ambitions next month.  For now, let's talk about the game.


 

--FED CUP 1st Round--
Slovena def. Argentina  3-2
USA def. Czech Republic  5-0
Italy def. Sweden  3-2
Belgium def. Austria  5-0
Slovak Republic def. Germany  3-2
Russia def. Croatia  4-1
Spain def. Australia  3-2
France def. Colombia  5-0
--GROUP PLAYOFFS TO REACH WORLD GROUP PLAYOFFS--
Switzerland def. Netherlands  2-1
Israel def. Belarus  2-1
South Africa def. Serbia-Montenegro  2-0
Hungary def. Ukraine  2-1
Japan def. Thailand  3-0
Indonesia def. China P.R.  2-1
Brazil def. Mexico  2-0
Canada def. El Salvador  2-0

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Venus Williams
....many of the top players who participated in Fed Cup action went undefeated, but none were quite as dominant as Venus (not even Serena).  Her singles scores were 6-1,6-0 and 6-3,6-2; while her doubles victory with her sister sang a 6-0,6-1 tune.

RISERS: Emmanuelle Gagliardi & Angelique Widjaja
....Gagliardi led Switzerland into the World Group playoffs with a 3-0 slate that was highlighted by a 3-hour match during which she survived six match points before emerging victorious.  Widjaja went 5-1 in singles as she put the Indonesian team on her back and carried it almost single-handedly into the World Group Playoffs.

SURPRISE: Flavia Pennetta
....Pennetta hadn't played a match since her April Fool's Day withdrawl in Sarasota, so who'd think she'd be able to shine so brightly for her Italian team last week?  As it turned out, the team's survival depended on her 2-0 singles (and 1-0 doubles) record in a 3-2 win over Sweden.  Said Pennetta of her tie-clinching win, "It's the most important victory of my career."

VETERAN: Amanda Coetzer
....the 31-year old went 4-0 in dragging South Africa to the World Group playoffs, barely edging Ai Sugiyama's 3-0 effort in doing the same for Japan to claim this week's award.

FRESH FACES: Hanna Nooni & Natalia Gussoni
....the Swedish 19-year old Nooni, ranked #443, overcame a 0-6 1st set and cramps so bad they brought her to her knees (at 2-4 in the 3rd).  She still ended up defeating Antonella Serra-Zanetti 6-4 in that decisive set.  Meanwhile, Argentina lost a 2-3 tie to Slovenia, but #201-ranked Gussoni's singles (over Maja Matevzic) and doubles work providing both points were a bright spot.

DOWN: Iva Majoli & Antonella Serra-Zanetti
....Majoli's spring descent continued as she provided little in Croatia's 1-4 loss to Russia;  while Serra-Zanetti's follow-up to her Casablanca final continues to be disappointing.  She's just 1-4 since, including her 0-2 record against Sweden.  Thankfully for the Italians, Pennetta's fine work save the team from an early 2003 elimination.

 

1.Switzerland/Belarus (Europe/Africa Group)
--Gagliardi def. Nedejda Ostrovskaya--
....it took three hours, she saved 6 match points, she survived Ostrovskaya serving for the match on three separate occasions, and Gagliardi STILL managed to win the 3rd set 12-10.
-----------------------------------------
2.Germany/Slovak Republic (1r)
--The Wonders of Wonder Girl--
....Daniela Hantuchova has been struggling lately, and she did so again in Fed Cup play.  But, after losing the 1st set in both her singles matches (against Marlene Weingartner and Anca Barna), she still found a way to go 2-0 and lead the Slovak Republic to a 3-2 victory.
------------------------------------------
3.Spain/Australia (1r)
--Serna def. Molik--
....same matchup as the Budapest final.  Same result, too.
-----------------------------------------
4.Sweden/Italy (1r)
--Hanna Nooni d. Antonella Serra-Zanetti--
....the 19-year old experienced severe leg cramps when down 2-4 in the 3rd.  She still found a way to win the match's final four games.
----------------------------------------
5.Sweden/Italy (1r)
--Sofia Arvidsson d. Antonella Serra-Zanetti--
....in a 2:56 match, the Swedish teen blew 2 MPs in the 2nd set before finally winning in 3 sets.
-----------------------------------------
HM-Russia/Croatia (1r)
--Elena Dementieva def. Iva Majoli--
....a week after her first career win, Dementieva held firm.  Sure, she nearly blew a 5-2 lead in the 2nd set.  But she didn't.  So far, Punch-Drunk is still Punch-Sober.


==========================================

**2003 POINTS RACE**
(Top 8 advance to WTA Championships)
1.Serena Williams.........2130
2.Kim Clijsters...........1881
3.Justine Henin-Hardenne..1663
4.Lindsay Davenport.......1509
5.Venus Williams..........1086
6.Meghannn Shaughnessy......911
7.Elena Dementieva.........797
7.Amanda Coetzer...........797
9.Chanda Rubin.............775
10.Jennifer Capriati.......760


**2003 DOUBLES TEAMS RACE**
(top 4 teams advance to WTA Chsp.)
1.Davenport/Raymond...........1429
2.Clijsters/Sugiyama..........1243
3.Ruano-Pascual/Suarez........1187
4.Williams/Williams............836
5.Black/Likhovtseva............811
6.Kuznetsova/Navratilova.......695
7.Gagliardi/Mandula............503
8.Dechy/Loit...................492
9.Bovina/Stubbs................491
10.Asagoe/Miyagi...............446


 

WARSAW, POLAND (TIER II-RED CLAY)
--2002: Bovina def. Nagyova--
SF: Venus d. Hantuchova; Mauresmo d. Dokic
FINAL: Mauresmo def. V.Williams
....Venus on clay.  Mauresmo on clay.  The Frenchwoman would seem to have the edge.  Magui Serna is taking her 11-match winning streak into Poland, but this is her fourth straight week of action and she might be ripe for a tired, early exit.


BOL, CROATIA (TIER III-RED CLAY)
--2002: Svensson def. Majoli--
SF: Zvonareva d. Pennetta; Sanchez Lorenzo d. Martinez-Granados
FINAL: Sanchez Lorenzo def. Zvonareva
....a Tier III early in the clay season many times means an unexpected champion.  Patty Schnyder is the #1 seed, but her play has been spotty in 2003 (though it has picked up lately).  Zvonareva will get her first title soon (probably sometime this season), but I'm thinking it probably won't come here.!    

Visit the Justine Henin-Hardenne page here

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