Safina Optimistic for Upcoming Season
Former world number one Dinara Safina says she’s recovered from a back injury that severely impacted her play in 2010. In a recent interview, Safina said, “I want to put 2010 in the past. It has passed and nothing has happened. This is a new season and I’m here, I’m playing, I’m healthy and I’m looking forward.”
Well-known for her three appearances in Grand Slam finals and her subsequent breakdowns in each, Safina has failed to advance past the fourth round since her semifinal showing in the 2009 Wimbledon. This year, she reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, made the first round at the French Open and the US Open, and skipped Wimbledon completely.
Now ranked 63rd in the world, Safina will need to prove to the tennis world quickly that she’s truly ready to take a top spot on the WTA circuit once more. Her coach Gaston Etlis, who she started working with eight months ago, may play a big role in helping her reach this goal. According to Safina, “I had a good pre-season practicing, I had two months of that.”
Watch the video below for Safina’s post-match interview after her meltdown in the 2009 French Open final against Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Dementieva Retires: Reflections on a Champion’s Career
Elena Dementieva’s impressive career came to a tearful and emotional close after her lose to Francesca Schiavone, this year’s French Open champion, at the end-of-the-year tournament in Doha recently. Dementieva, 29, lost 6-4, 6-2.
Having won two titles this year, Dementieva also did well at the majors in 2010. She reached the semifinals at the French Open and the fourth round of the US Open. Injury marred her season, however, causing her to pull out of Wimbledon. Dementieva’s retired as the ninth-ranked player in the world.
Regardless of this year’s results, Dementieva’s enjoyed a fantastic career. Most notably, she won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. To take home the revered gold, she fought her way through a tough field, including Serena Williams, Vera Zvonareva, and Dinara Safina.
Although unable to win a major title, she had her chances, especially in 2004. Then, she had a breakout season and made it to the finals at the French Open (she lost to Anastasia Myskina in the first all-Russian major final) and at the US Open (she lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova, another Russian).
Here are some other statistics about her career, according to a recent Associated Press article: “After turning pro in 1998, Dementieva won 16 titles, including Sydney in January with a win over Williams, and the Paris Indoors in February. She was in two more finals in Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo. Dementieva played 18 ties in Fed Cup, spearheading Russia to the 2005 title with all three points in the final. She has been ranked in the top 20 since April 2003, reaching a career-high of No. 3 last year. She was also a top-five doubles player. She finishes her career with a 576-273 win-loss record, and a place in the year-end top 10 for the seventh time in eight years.”
To be clear, I’m not holding her losses in Grand Slam finals against her. Yes, she deserved to win at least one in her career. However, given her streaky serving, it’s amazing that she was able to reach these later rounds at all. It just shows how mentally strong Dementieva has been throughout her career and speaks highly of her athletic ability. She’s been a true fighter until the end of her career during a time of talent and power on the WTA tour.
I grew up watching her, and it’s sad to see her leave. With focus and a desire that’s rare and a style of game that excites and impresses, Dementieva will be greatly missed.
Clijsters Wins Second Straight US Open Title
For the second time in two years and her third time overall, Kim Clijsters of Belgium won on tennis’ biggest stage: the US Open. She beat Vera Zvonareva handily in a 6-2-, 6-1 drubbing. In fact, the match didn’t even last an hour. Clijsters closed out the shaky Zvonareva in only 59 minutes.
Along with her $1.7 million in prize money for notching the victory, Clijsters took home an additional $500,000 for taking second place in the US Open Series, a tune-up for the year’s final major. During the series of tournaments, Clijsters defeated Maria Sharapova in Cincinnati.
On Clijsters’ way to the win, she breezed through a tough section of the draw, including defeating strong players as Wimbledon semifinalist Petra Kvitova and a resurgent Ana Ivanovic in straight sets. In the quarters, she faced a tougher challenge in the French Open finalist Sam Stosur, who she beat in three sets: 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. In the semifinals, she faced Venus Williams, also needing three close sets to advance: 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4.
Clijsters is a joy to watch with her powerful shot-making, her counter-punching defensive skills, which she switches so quickly in between points, her finesse, and famous splits. Plus, off-court, her manner shines just as brightly. Clijsters is a true champion, and it’s impressive how successful she’s been this past year.
Regarding Zvonareva, does anyone get the feeling that a comparison between her and the three-time Grand Slam finalist Dinara Safina might be in order? She’s done well to make to two consecutive finals, but if her mental game doesn’t raise another notch, she might find herself in the same position as her currently suffering compatriot.
Granted, she’s faced Serena Williams and Clijsters in her two final showings, but in both she was easily hit off the court. After beating the top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the semis 6-4, 6-3, it looked like the final would be more dramatic play-wise. Zvonareva, however, mentally checked out mid-match — she chucked her racket, got down on herself angry, and double-faulted away the final — in an ugly kind of drama.
And so, congratulations once again to Clijsters for an excellent tournament. It’ll be interesting to see how the world number three finishes the season, especially at the year-ending championships in Doha at the end of October.
Wozniacki Wins in Toronto; New Haven Tournament Begins
Caroline Wozniacki, the number two player in the world, needed to win two matches in one day to take the title in Toronto. She did, quite easily. In the morning, she outplayed a recently resurgent Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3. Just a few hours later, Wozniacki took to the courts again, ousting an error-prone and emotional Vera Zvonareva. The Dane’s crisp strokes proved too much for the Wimbledon finalist — she won 6-3, 6-2, putting an end to a tournament re-scheduled due to rain.
The question becomes this: Can Wozniacki, who’s going to be seeded first at the US Open with Serena Williams’ withdrawal, take advantage of the field to win her maiden major title? Last year, she made the finals. This year, she’s on fire, winning three titles already. With numerous others hampered by injury, including Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Venus Williams, and possibly last year’s champion Kim Clijsters, the field currently looks like hers for the taking.
In New Haven, the Pilot Pen tournament got underway with a strong effort by the struggling Dinara Safina on the WTA tour. Safina ousted this year’s French Open winner, the third-seeded Francesca Schiavone of Italy 1-6, 6-3, 6-1, as a wild card. Also victorious: Elena Dementieva over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and the lucky loser Dominika Cibulkova over fan favorite Melanie Oudin.
For the men, wild card James Blake, who’s been struggling on tour with injury this season, dominated Pere Riba 6-0, 6-1. Americans Donald Young and Taylor Dent also advanced: Young won with a 6-1, 6-2 drubbing of Stephane Robert, while Dent needed three sets to beat Eduardo Schwank.
Injury Timeout — How the Big Name Pros are Faring
The fourth major is almost upon us. And, fitting with the final few months of the season, players on the ATP and WTA tours feel the burn. For many, however, it’s not just a burn, but an injury, curbing their success on the tennis court. Here’s a partial list of who’s feeling the aches and pains preventing play, and who’s back trying to salvage the year.
- After suffering a foot injury just after her Wimbledon win, Serena Williams has been sidelined for the US Open Series. It’s still inconclusive whether or not the 13-time Grand Slam champion will play in the US Open. My call: She does, but doesn’t have the match experience to win.
- While her younger sister is out of action, Venus Williams has been doing schoolwork for her interior design classes. Oh, and she’s also missing from the tour with a nagging knee ailment. She skipped the tournaments in Cincinnati and Montreal to recover. Unlike her sister, she’s publicly committed to playing at the US Open. After losing in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and then having not picked up a racket since then, Venus isn’t a favorite for the title.
- Just as Maria Sharapova looked ready to crack into the top ten for the first time in a couple years, injury set in. This time, during the final of Cincinnati against Kim Clijsters. The Russian sustained pain in her heel, forcing her to go through the motions for the rest of the match. After holding match points, Sharapova lost in three. On her website, she wrote, “I felt some pain in my foot late in the second set which kind of scared me so I have been forced to pull out of Montreal. I am hoping I just need a few days of rest.” Here’s to that wish being realized! In my mind, she’s a big contender to win the US Open title if physically fit.
- Dinara Safina isn’t having a good year at all. Currently ranked 70 in the world, the former top-ranked woman and three-time Grand Slam finalist has suffered from a back injury on and off for most of the season. Now, however, she’s won a couple matches in Canada. The question: Can she keep it going, both physically and mentally?
- Justin Henin looked ready to punctuate her comeback with a major title at some point this year. After diving for a ball against Clijsters at Wimbledon, however, she hurt her elbow, damaging ligaments. Since then, she’s been out recovering. Henin recently announced that she won’t play for the rest of the reason.
- Ana Ivanovic’s health has been on and off for a while now. In Cincinnati, she made it all the way to the semifinals, before getting hurt once more. On her website, she wrote, “I had almost non-stop icing for two days, to prevent swelling. My ankle has reacted quite well to the treatment and I still hope to play in New Haven next week.” Hopefully, Ivanovic keeps up the high level of play that finally got her far in a tournament.
- James Blake, now ranked outside the top 100, cites injuries as the main reason for his poor play. He recently lost to Denis Istomin in Cincinnati 6-3, 6-0. The American, however, will be playing in New Haven and the US Open in an attempt to get back on track.
- John Isner is one of the latest big names to get hurt on tour. In the second round of Cincinatti, he retired against David Nalbandian with an ankle injury.
- Although he probably won’t defend his US Open title, Juan Martin Del Potro’s wrist seems to be recovering well. Since his wrist injury at the beginning of the season, Del Potro hasn’t played on tour. It’s a shame the Argentine won’t make it back to his best major result. He’ll drop out of the top ten as a result, too.
