Sharapova and Ivanovic join Clijsters and Wickmayer
Six of the top thirteen seeds fell in Cincinnati on Thursday but two Belgians and two other former world number ones survived the day to play in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Six of the top thirteen seeds fell in Cincinnati on Thursday but two Belgians and two other former world number ones survived the day to play in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Elena Dementieva has had to endure the label so many tennis players and golfers dread: the best player never to win a major. Spain’s Sergio Garcia is widely regarded as the male golfer who ought to have won a prestigious championship by now, but hasn’t. In men’s tennis, Andy Murray and Nikolay Davydenko are battling for that double-edged distinction, which carries with it both a compliment and a deficiency.
Remember what was said yesterday about the elusiveness of consistency in women’s tennis? Saturday’s play at the All England Club only affirmed the theme. Shortly after sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic got taken out by no-name American Melanie Oudin, fifth-rated Svetlana Kuznetsova–the reigning French Open champion–succumbed to the firepower of Germany’s Sabine Lisicki. Unseeded but quite dangerous, [...]
Did anyone outside Melanie Oudin‘s family members, close friends, and coaches know about a 17-year-old from the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, Georgia, before the 2009 Wimbledon Championships began? Didn’t think so. But now, this uncommonly resourceful teenager is on the minds of every pundit, scribe and broadcaster at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet [...]
There were no major surprises this year as the All England Club released the seeds for the 2009 Wimbledon tournament. Both the men’s and women’s lists almost mirror the top 16 ATP world rankings as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray top the men’s seeds respectively. There were suggestions that 5 times winner Federer [...]
Less than three years ago, the career arc of Jelena Jankovic appeared to be headed for the highest heavens. After a miserable Monday in Paris, a struggling Serbian finds herself at a crossroads, her plans for Roland Garros reduced to rubble. Jankovic, the No. 5 seed at the French Open, lost her women’s singles fourth-round [...]
The spring portion of the 2009 hardcourt season is over, as the tennis world now shifts to the clay of Europe. Before turning our attention to the red dirt of Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid, and Paris, it’s worth taking a final look at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. The two singles finals in South [...]