As Roland Garros Play Rolls On, Schnyder Ends Distinguished Career
As the world’s top players on the WTA tour continue to battle it out on the red clay of Roland Garros, one woman who graced the tour with her tricky play will return to the Grand Slam no longer. A personal favorite, the 32-year old Patty Schnyder announced the end of her career on Saturday during a special press conference.
A perennial top-ten player in the world, Schnyder will be missed for her sheer talent and impressive results on tour. But accomplishments aside, there was something about her game that always intrigued me profoundly; I’m talking style and finesse. The spin that Schnyder used no longer exists to the same degree, especially with her left-handedness. That display of tactics made me appreciate the beauty of spin and the aesthetics of the game as Fabrice Santoro did for me on the men’s side. As the women around her seemingly pound the ball as hard as possible, Schnyder symbolized a true diamond in the rough with a game like no other.
Adding to what personally enamored me besides her game (and similar last names aside) was one specific interaction I had wither. At the US Open a couple years ago, I had the opportunity to approach Schnyder after a doubles loss. Gathering my courage, and almost too late for she was briskly walking to the player’s lounge, I asked for an autograph. Schnyder agreed. Sure, she wasn’t in the best of moods, but she showed true poise in allowing a young fan her signature despite such recent adversity.
Giving her a yellow hat I received at the Grand Slam event the previous year, I fumbled with the marker. She took it, and there was my first signed item from a professional tennis player.
I’ll never forget that moment because I finally interacted with a player — an idol — on a personal level. No longer did these individuals remains just exceptional athletes relegated to on-screen entertainment, or even seem diminished as simply a display of talent. Instead, they became people, not Herculean celebrities. Here was a woman fighting her heart out to advance to the next round in the doubles competition, losing, and still having the decency to sign a nervous kid’s autograph.
I profusely thanked her and whispered good luck in singles. She nodded, left, and on walked away one of my all-time favorite tennis players.
Congratulations to Patty for an excellent career and good luck to her in any future endeavors.
For more on her myriad accomplishments, check out this bittersweet WTA article here.
Schnyder Signals Potential Retirement for 2011
Veteran Patty Schnyder discussed the possibility of retirement this year after losing her Australian Open first round match to Lesya Tsurenko. Suffering from bronchitis, the former top ten player, now ranked 44th, did not win a set. She lost 6-3, 6-2 to the 157th-ranked qualifier from Hungary.
Schnyder recently told reporters — probably in her post-match interview — that “I haven’t made any commitments beyond the next one or two months. I’ll play Fed Cup against Israel and then Doha and Dubai. After that I don’t know.”
Schnyder, whose best major result came at the 2004 Aussie Open when she reached the semifinals, has had a difficult couple years at the biggest events. After making it to the quarterfinals at both the French Open and US Open in 2008, she has failed to get past the third round since.
In 2010, she did not play the Australian Open for the first time in 13 consecutive appearance. After losing in the first round at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Schnyder got to the third round at the US Open. There, she was a heartbeat away from advancing to the fourth round against Yanina Wickmayer, having held match points. In the end, however, Schnyder lost 7-6(5) 3-6 7-6(6).
With these recent, relatively lackluster results at majors, she has seen a dip in the rankings. Having ended the year in 2005 and 2006 in the top ten, Schnyder finished 2010 ranked 41st.
Regardless, she did enjoy two runner-up performances last year in the smaller tournaments at Budapest and Linz. Schnyder lost to Agnes Szavay and Ana Ivanovic, respectively, in those finals.
Fun to watch with her loopy, left-handed shots and ability to hit beautifully-placed winners at tricky angles, it would be sad to see her hang up the racket. In a sport that now places so much emphasis on power, especially on the WTA tour these days, Schnyder will be missed if she does decide to retire. At age 32, she’s been a professional for over 17 years.
Watch below for a fun video of Schnyder and Daniela Hantuchova playing some “street tennis” in Linz last year.
Ivanovic Stuns Schnyder to Win First Title in Two Years
Ana Ivanovic is back.
While it wasn’t at the largest of tournaments, her 6-1, 6-2 win against Patty Schnyder at the Generali Ladies proves she regaining the confidence and the game that took her to number one just a couple of years ago. Interestingly enough, the Generali Ladies title was her last victory in 2008 before the French Open champion started faltering. This time, Ivanovic looked dominant for the first time in awhile, failing to lose a set throughout the tournament.
At the same time, praise should be given to the veteran Schnyder, who has had a strong season. She made it to a final earlier in the year and has proven that her technical game still holds up well to many of the more physical players on tour. Schnyder has also had success at the Generali Ladies tournament in the past, advancing to the finals twice before in 2005 and 2007.
Schnyder simply couldn’t handle Ivanovic’s spot on execution. She failed to hold serve until the second set when Ivanovic led 5-0. “Respect for Ana, there was nothing in it for me. She took the balls so early and placed them so well,” said Schnyder of Ivanovic’s play.
With the win, Ivanovic also sees a boost in her ranking to 26th in the world, up three spots from the previous week. Schnyder, meanwhile, finds herself at 43rd, up from 47th.
If Ivanovic and Schnyder can keep up the form in 2011, they should be interesting additions to a field that’s getting stronger by the month. That is, if everyone can keep their injuries in check. Most notably: Serena and Venus Williams. That, however, is another story for another time.
Schnyder Saves Match Points, Meets Ivanovic in Final
Patty Schnyder saved two match points in her match against Andrea Petkovic to make it to her second final this year. She advanced in a tough 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 battle after “serving at 4-5, 15-40 down in the deciding set against Petkovic,” according to a recent Associated Press article. Schnyder has made it to the finals at the Generali Ladies tournament twice before in 2005 and 2007. Both times, however, she failed to win the tournament. This time around, it’ll be just as difficult as Ana Ivanovic routed Roberta Vinci 6-3, 7-5 to make her first final in 19 months.
In fact, Ivanovic’s last WTA tour title came at the Linz tournament in 2008. Will she prove to everyone that she’s truly back with a win against Schnyder in the final? A lot seems to be pointing to just that result. First, Schnyder had a much more difficult time in her semifinal match. Therefore, she’ll be the more tired of the two and less physically fit. Second, while the career head-to-head between Schnyder and Ivanovic is locked at 4-all, Ivanovic has won the last four meetings in dominating fashion. Therefore, Ivanovic has the confidence (and the record) to win.
Regardless, I’m not so sure that the match will be decided in such a lopsided manner this time around. Schnyder’s season has been stronger and before the semifinals, she ousted her opponents in a decisive manner.
In short, I predict that Ivanovic claims her first title of the year in three sets.
US Open Qualifying: Day Three
The skies opened up, and a beautiful day of tennis ensued at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. On my second visit to the home of the year’s final major, I made my way through throngs of fans to find some of the most promising American talent.
After arriving in the early afternoon — missing Jesse Levine’s heartbreaking loss to Brazil’s Caio Zampieri due to retirement — I arrived at Court 7. The match featured the 21st seed Maria Elena Camerin of Italy against the 15-year old Madison Keys of Florida. Keys began her Grand Slam debut firing away to capture an early break against Camerin. Nerves, however, set in with the players trading breaks until Keys pulled away to take the first set 6-3.
The young American, who trains at the Chris Evert Academy in Boca Raton, hit crisp backhands, while sporting a powerful serve and a strong mental game. Errors started to creep in Keys’ game as Camerin found her form — although never her serve. While the young American lost in the next two sets, bowing out against her 28-year old opponent3-6, 6-3, 6-4, expect success from her in the future once she finds increased consistency.
Also noteworthy about the match and the US Open atmosphere in general: after the first couple games finished, I looked up to see Keys’ mother enter the stands. Another arrival: Tom Gullikson, the brother of Tim Gullikson, who was Pete Sampras’ former coach. I suspect Tom works with Keys in Florida, the state in which he resides. Sightings like this happened for most of the day, once again highlighting the wonderful atmosphere for which the qualifying tournament shines.
With that match over, I went to Louis Armstrong stadium, catching Gael Monfils hitting. In the nearby court, the Australian Open finalist and world number four Andy Murray was practicing with the 25th-ranked Feliciano Lopez of Spain. Talk about a fan-friendly experience — for free!
On the way to see the men practicing, I ran into Melanie Oudin — my second sighting of the Georgia teenager at the qualifying event. In fact, over the course of the day, I saw Oudin a number of times, supporting her compatriot Sloane Stephens and other Americans, among others.
I caught most of the 17-year old Stephens’ match, and I can safely say that she’s another one to watch. Currently ranked inside the top 300 in the world, Stephens enjoyed a good run at the BNP Paribas Open during which she advanced to the second round after qualifying. Although she fell in the second round the US Open Qualifying for the second straight year — this time to veteran Zuzana Ondraskova 6-3, 7-5 — Stephens hits hard and with passion. She’s still streaky, especially on the forehand side, but with Venus and Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters as self-proclaimed idols, a good volleying technique and a powerful backhand, the Florida-native looks poised to one day get into the top 100.
Once finished, I went to Court Four, which is notable for its easy-viewing access to the practice courts. There, I yet again saw Oudin along with Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova, Donald Young, and personal favorite Patty Schnyder.
I next scanned the courts for another match to view, making it in time to see Serbia’s Ilija Bozoljac close out the first set against Guillermo Alcaide. Bozoljac, known for taking a set from Roger Federer in the second round of this year’s Wimbledon, is an exciting player to watch. He hits a big serve, rips backhand winners, and surprises with his tricky slice and two-handed forehand. After winning 6-3 6-2, a person in the audience — presumably a friend — mentioned his match against Federer to which he replied, “One set and one point.” Meaning: he only needed to win one more set and one more point against the greatest of all time to win the match and move on to the third round. Bozoljac will remember that fact for the rest of his life.
I ended the day by watching parts of Sania Mirza’s match against Elena Bovina. The former top 30 Mirza looked sharp, hitting winners and powerful groundstrokes to win 6-3, 6-3. I also caught Wimbledon junior winner Kristyna Pliskova — identical sister to this year’s Australian Open junior winner Karolina Pliskova and — beat the 18th seed Aranxta Rus. Are the Pliskova sisters the next Williams sisters? It’s too soon to say, but it will be interesting to see how the sisters’ games develop in the coming years.
My second trip to the qualifying tournament ended by viewing Ryan Harrison versus 10th-seeded Rui Machado. The young American advanced in a riveting 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3 match filled with heavy support from the home crowd under the blazing lights of the US Open.
Why 2010 Has Been Ridiculously Good for Doubles
This year makes the mark on a multitude of levels — the longest match in history happened, Roger Federer faded a little in majors (if a win and two quarterfinals can be called such), Serena Williams looks sharp as ever with her two titles, Venus Williams faltered at Wimbledon (the quarterfinal curse?), and a well-loved Spaniard with a disappointing 2009 cemented his lead in the rankings, collecting the French Open — Wimbledon titles, and securing the top ranking. That Spaniard is Rafael Nadal (in case you were wondering).
And that’s just in singles.
But this year, doubles captures just as much of the excitement and accomplishment as it’s lonelier (get it?) counterpart. Here’s how.
First, the Williams sisters team dominated the last four of five majors — they didn’t quite make it at Wimbledon where they lost in…the quarterfinals. Regardless, this year will be remembered for their holding the last consecutive four titles in process. They call it the “Williams Slam,” a good name for a historic effort by the duo. At the time of hoisting the French Open title, Serena and Venus were ranked number one and two, respectively.
On the men’s side, this powerful combination will soon be a reality, too. At the majors? Probably not for a long time. But, anyway, here’s what a post on the Facebook page for the Rogers Cup tournament in Montreal read: “Huge news straight from Rogers Cup Tournament Director Karl Hale: Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic will play doubles together in Toronto!”
That’s a huge step for the sport, and definitely deserving of that exclamation point. To have the top players invested in doubles means more attention is paid, there’s more excitement, more energy, more people watching, and, therefore, a greater overall appreciation for it. While it’s too early to say how the Nadal – Djokovic combination will fare — both on and off court — it’s a step in the right direction. I can only hope that more guys inside the top twenty will follow suite, and soon.
At the head of the ATP doubles circuit are, of course, the Bryan brothers, who recently scored their 62nd title — and 100th tour-level final — to overtake the record set by Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde of Australia. The American twins are going strong, and I have no doubt that they will soon surpass the record 11 major titles that the “Woodies” won. Currently, the Bryans have eight to their name. Nine should be theirs once the US Open comes to a close. Number ten — their beloved Australian Open. At the Sunny Slam, they’ve won the last two titles with four overall.
Other noteworthy news: Lindsay Davenport is back in the mix, partnering with Liezel Huber, albeit briefly. Sandra Klemenschits made some appearances in the last couple tournaments. She played with veteran Patty Schnyder as the number three seed in Istanbul.
Even Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova are making headlines with their play at the senior’s event at Wimbledon. Hingis isn’t ruling out making a comeback on tour, maybe partnering with Davenport. It’d be great to see these fine players continue their games in the coming months. I’ll follow their compelling stories as the season winds down. You should, too.
All these results point to one thing — doubles matters, and it’s relevant in today’s world of tennis. Very relevant. There needs to be more involvement from the top tier of players, and more overlap between the singles and doubles tours. In the words of Sarah Unke, Tennis.com’s editor, “Now if only Roger Federer and Andy Murray would team up.”
Schnyder Teams with Klemenschits in Istanbul
Patty Schnyder and Sandra Klemenschits make for a compelling story as the third-seeded pair at the Istanbul Cup. Schnyder, who’s potentially retiring after this year, is out of the singles, but looked strong with Klemnschits in their first round match. The duo won over Johanna Larsson — the player that defeated Schnyder in singles — and Tatjana Malek in two sets, advancing 6-3, 6-4.
Klemenschits made news not necessarily for her doubles play, although she did win 20 titles on the ITF circuit, but more so for the cancer that took the life of her doubles partner and twin sister Daniela in 2008.
Seeing both players come together in doubles must be a special thing to watch. I hope they go far in the tournament.
Here’s a recap of some of the highlights on the WTA tour at both the Istanbul Cup and in the US Open Series tournmanet at Stanford:
- Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova continues to be a rollercoaster ride on tour after her amazing run. She lost to Anastasia Rodionova 6-1, 3-6, 6-2.
- The Latvian teenager Anastasija Sevastova, who beat Petra Kvitova in the first round, was ousted from Istanbul with a three-set loss to Vera Dushevina, 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-2.
- At the Stanford tournament, Sam Stosur reached a career-high ranking of 5 in the world after beating American qualifier Christina McHale in two sets. Stosur advanced with her 6-1, 7-5 win.
- Agnieszka Radwanska and Yanina Wickmayer both needed two sets to advance. Melanie Oudin, however, needed a tough three-setter to close out Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada. The teenage Oudin eked through 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-3.
