I was over in the U.S. a few weeks back and saw this really interesting and impressive documentary on HBO.

In "The Black List"  22 prominet Afro-Americans tell their own story and reveal insights into the struggles, triumphs and joys of black life in the United States. Each of them speaks for approx. 4-5 minutes and is filmed in front of a simple grey screen.

Video: HBO - "The Black List - Making of" - 2:36 min

Renowned portrait photographer and filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, directed, and award winning journalist Elvis Mitchell interviewed the following complete list of people and put the piece together:

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball legend
• Sean Combs, musician
• Mahlon Duckett, Negro Leagues baseball star
• Thelma Golden, museum curator
• Lou Gossett, Jr., actor
• Bill T. Jones, choreographer
• Vernon Jordan, attorney
• Marc Morial, former New Orleans mayor
• Toni Morrison, author
• Suzan-Lori Parks, playwright
• Richard Parsons, executive
• Colin Powell, former Secretary of State
• Susan Rice, political strategist
• Chris Rock, comedian
• Al Sharpton, activist
• Lorna Simpson, artist
• Slash, musician
• Dawn Staley, basketball star
• Faye Wattleton, former Planned Parenthood president
• Keenen Ivory Wayans, actor
• Serena Williams, tennis star
• Zane, author

If you click on the links they will take you to some of the video pieces. In addition here is the trailer.

Video: HBO - "The Black List - Trailer" - 0:57 min

The documentary also is the hub of the "The Black List Project":

"The project celebrates the diverse experiences of being black in America and maximizes the power of these stories through a range of activities, including: a traveling museum exhibition of photographic portraits, organized by The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; an upcoming book of photographs and interviews, published by Atria, a division of Simon & Schuster, New York; and a national interactive, curriculum-based educational program. “The Black List Project” is produced by Freemind Ventures, a New York-based media collective, and is the pilot program to the larger Freemind initiative “One Million Stories.”

I really like this documentary as it covers members of the Afro-American community from so many different lines of work. From what I understand HBO is working on a Volume two that will have more political and also social leaders in it. Looking forward to that!

Check out: http://www.blacklistproject.com/

(Source: HBO.com)

Kelly who's sold as many solo albums as we have, and Serena who might be the baddest chick ever to swing a racket, were both spotted enjoying Miami Beach. It's good to see Kelly actually kickin' it here in the States. We know Kelly's prayers probably go something like this at night "God, it's me Kelly, you know the skinny girl from D.C.? Why did you make Beyonce Beyonce? Why didn't you make me Beyonce? Why couldn't my parents have been the managers of the group and owned the label? Why couldn't Jay have liked me? Why does my career suck ballz? Just let me know why God, oh and bless everyone EXCEPT Beyonce, I hope her album goes str8t to HELL with that blond wig! Thanks God, please hear my prayer."

Así pasó la pasada tarde del viernes Serena, en la playa con las amigas. Y poca cosas se pueden decir al ver estas fotos. Un cuerpo tremendo es lo mínimo que se me ocurre...

The very sexy and talented Alicia Keys was spotted leaving the Gucci Store in NYC on Tuesday afternoon. Are you feeling Alicia's little get-up? For more candids

We snatched these photos from Concreteloop.

I left my home city Berlin at 4 am to arrive in Stuttgart on time when the gates were opened. Before the matches started I followed some training sessions of players like Nadia Petrova, Vera Zvonareva and Dinara Safina (pictures will come the next days).

The first match of the day was Victoria Azarenka vs. Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva. And it became a great match with long rallies and some nice shots. The match lasted nearly three hours until Azarenka won 7-6(6) 3-6 6-1 to become the first player who reached the semis.

After a short break Nadia Petrova and Na Li, who defeated Serena Williams the round before, entered the center court. But it was the most uninteresting match of the whole weekend. Li made many errors and Petrova played very constant. In the end Petrova won 6-2 6-3.

The third match of the day was Venus Williams vs. the player of the year Dinara Safina. Venus played wonderful and powerful tennis. It was a good match but Dinara seemed tired after losing the first set. So Williams won 6-4 6-2.

Then the match of the day came when Jelena Jankovic & Vera Zvonareva played great and thrilling match. After Jankovic won the first set in a tiebreaker Zvonareva led with a break in the second set when Jankovic got injured at her toe nail. But Jankovic continued and turned the paper to win 7-6(8) 7-6(5).

After that match I left the Porsche Arena after a long long day so I missed the last doubles quarterfinal...

All pictures of the four singles quarterfinals.

If you want to go directly to your favourite player go through the player list.

The next days the pictures from semifinals and final will follow. I also have a lot of practicing pics and videos. So stay tuned!

        "I was experiencing knee problems since the US Open and now I need a break to regain my top form," Williams told organizers of the joint ATP and WTA event on Friday.      

       She added: "I played a lot of events this year and now I need a break to recover. My aim this year is to regain the world's top ranking. I played in the final here last year and will now lose a lot of points.      

       "But for now my only wish is to have some rest to recover and to be in my top form at Doha."      

       Jelena Jankovic of Serbia will replace Williams, a second round casualty at last week's Stuttgart WTA event, on top of the WTA rankings to be released today.       

       Serena's sister Venus Williams was beaten by Jankovic in Saturday's semi-final match at Stuttgart following a three hour battle in which Jankovic needed two pain-killing injections to endure.

       "When I saw the needles they were going to use ten minutes before the game started, I went white - I hate needles," said Jankovic. "I was screaming when the doctor put the needle in and I had to hold onto one of the physios, but I had to do it to get through the game."

Former NBTA student Jelena Jankovic won her second title in as many weeks in Stuttgart and now has a 213 point lead over Serena Williams in the rankings. She defeated Venus Williams in the semis 6-7(8), 7-5, 6-2 and then best Nadia Petrova in the finals 6-4, 6-3 to capture the Tier II title. Since falling in the finals of the US Open to Serena, Jankovic is 9-1 and has won two titles.

She is playing this week in Moscow, Russia at the Tier I Kremlin Cup and will face either Vera Dushevina or another NBTA alum, Nicole Vaidisova, in the second round.

Los cambios en la cima de la Asociación de Mujeres Tenistas Profesionales (WTA, por sus siglas en ingles) es igual a los de las estaciones del año: en promedio, una cada tres meses en los últimos cuatro años.

La derrota que sufrió la estadounidense Serena Williams ante la china Li Na permitió que en el escalafón se registre un cambio más de la numero uno del mundo, el sexto del 2008, y el regreso de Jelena Jankovic a encabezar la tabla.

Desde la alemana Justine Henin colgó las raquetas en mayo de este año, se han registrado, en promedio, un cambio de la líder del ranking cada 22 dias. Sin embargo, si hacemos la comparacion por el lado de los caballeros, desde que Federer tomó el primer lugar en 2004, en las damas se han registrado 16 cambios, es decir, con una media de una cada tres meses, aunque esos cambios han recaído en ocho jugadoras. En los varones sólo ha habido un cambio de estafeta. Pero el cambio constante en las damas no se entiende, ya que sus sistema de repartición de puntos para la lista es muy similar al de los varones, que va de mil en los GrandSlam a los 6 en los eventos Futures.

En estos meses, la serbia Ana Ivanovic ha sido la que mas tiempo ha permanecido en la punta del escalafón, con un total de nueve semanas, para perderlo durante siete dias ante su compatriota Jankovic, recuperandolo y permanecer tres semanas mas.

La menor de las Williams ya había probado la cima del ranking durante 57 semanas en el 2002 y 2003. La estadounidense Chris Everet fue la primera en estrenar la clasificación femenina a partir del 3 de noviembre de 1975. Desde ese entonces, se han registrado 76 cambios en total, sin contar el de Jelena, que asumirá el sitio de honor a partir del lunes.

Las número uno

• Justine Henin(Bel) 10/11/03 - 12/09/04 para 44 semanas
• Amélie Mauresmo(Fra) 13/09/04 - 17/10/04 para 5 semanas
• Lindsay Davemport(EU) 18/10/04 - 21/08/05 para 44 semanas
• María Sharapova(Rus) 22/08/05 - 28/08/05 para 1 semana
• Lindsay Davemport(EU) 24/10/05 - 29/01/06 para 14 semanas
• Kim Clijsters(Bel) 30/01/06 - 19/03/06 para 7 semanas
• Amélie Mauresmo(Fra) 20/03/06 - 12/11/06 para 34 semanas
• Justine Henin(Bel) 13/11/06 - 28/01/07 para 11 semanas
• María Sharapova 29/01/07 - 18/03/07 para 7 semanas
• Justine Henin(Bel) 19/03/07 - 18/05/08 para 61 semanas
• María Sharapova 19/05/08 - 08/06/08 para 3 semanas
• Ana Ivanovic(Srb) 09/06/08 - 10/08/08 para 9 semanas
• Jelena Jankovic(Srb) 11/08/08 - 17/08/08 para 1 semana
• Ana Ivanovic(Srb) 18/08/08 - 07/09/08 para 3 semanas
• Serena Williams(EU) 08/09/08 - 05/10/08 para 5 semanas
• Jelena Jankovic(Srb)* 06/10/08  - ? para ?

*A partir del próximo lunes

Del 10/11/03 haciendo la suma, tenemos en la cima a:

1. Justine Henin(Bel) 116 semanas
2. Lindsay Davemport(EU) 58 semanas
3. Amélie Mauresmo(Fra) 39 semanas
4. Ana Ivanovic(Srb) 12 semanas
5. María Sharapova(Rus) 11 semanas
6. Kim Clijsters(Bel) 7 semanas
7. Serena Williams(EU) 5 semanas
8. Jelena Jankovic(Srb) 1 semanas *

*Mas lo que logre sumar a partir del lunes

      After overwhelming Na in the first set, Williams said her game slowly began to unravel.

       "I just started to make a lot of errors," she admitted afterwards. "I pretty much gave it to her, it was like I said: 'Here you go, you have a win today'."      

       "Maybe I started to doubt myself, I made a lot of mistakes which helps her cause," she added. "She played really well, especially in the third set where she just fought for everything. I am disappointed I lost today, especially so soon in the tournament."      

       With the loss, Williams' number one ranking may go to nearest challenger Jelena Jankovic.

       "To be quite honest I don't deserve it playing like that," said Williams. "But I guarantee I will get it back."

      In the Olympics, Li Na lost to Russia's Dinara Safina in the semi-finals after having beaten Serena's sister Venus in the quarter-finals.

Born Wayne Williams in London, UK, in the midst of adversity and a world of meager odds, Wayne learned to skillfully paint the world as he saw it on the powerful canvas of music.  Over time, Wayne realized the epic themes of trial and triumph that he spoke of in his music were an encouragement to others.  Soon after, Wayne relocated to Atlanta, GA and embarked on his solo career as Sorrows Child.  Sorrows Child is Wayne’s story of triumph over adversity as evidence that there is genius in all of us waiting to be discovered.  Finessing the game with a style similar to the likes of James Bond, Sorrows Child exemplifies a European Don, charismatic and fearless, well traveled and impeccably tailored, with a mission to put British talent back on the map.  Sorrows Child teamed with his long-time London friend and creative partner, internationally renowned DJ S.O. Beats to create a new fusion of musical sounds.  Together, these “London Blokes” have chartered a new course in music.

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Congrats to Jelena on getting back to the top, and also I am sure we haven't seen the last of Serena beating #1.

Interesting to see Rodriguez pick Vaidisova as the next talent. I like Nicole's game, but she's turned into a bit of an imploder this year. If she's going to turn herself into a major contender, she needs to step up mentally big time.

Meanwhile, Justine Henin's also double/triple/quardriple confirmed she will NOT be coming back =(

“No, no competition is over for me. For me, it’s definitely over. When I took my decision I knew it was forever. So I don’t say I will never be back for an exhibition or for another event in the future. But for me (playing) on the Tour? Yeah, it’s in the past and I won’t come back. I made the right decision and I stick to my decision. I will never change my mind about that decision.”

Boohoo Justine! Someone knock some sense into that woman before we descend from mediocrity to utter fugliness. 

Yes, Sharapova appears to be dating Charlie Erbersol. Good to see she's making good use of her early offseason.

In other news, Roger's confirmed his attendance for Kooyong, so has Stan the Man, Ernests Gulbis, Marcos Baghdatis, Fernando Gonzalez, Marat Safin and James Blake. Awesome, since I'll most likely be going next year. Nadal, as I understand will not be participating for fear of fatigue. I think now that he's got Wimbledon in the bag, he's really looking to win a hard court slam, and he's more likely to get the job done at the Australian than at the US Open. 

Rewatching the Henin v Sharapova AO 08 QF, what a match! 

Anyway, here's the whole article:

***

If Belgian and seven-time grand Slam champion Justine Henin had not unexpectedly retired in May at the relatively young age of 26, this topic might not be ripe for discussion. But with Henin joining other former Slam champs under the age of 29 like Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters and Anastasia Myskina in early retirement, it's worth noting.

"That's the face of tennis today, with a player who is reaching No.1 without winning a Grand Slam," Henin's coach Carlos Rodriguez told FOXsports.com of Jankovic, who was 0-9 against Henin. 

"It's a sign. She's a good player, but when you see Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters, they not only win Grand Slams, but they have the charisma. They give something extra, not only hitting balls. There's more behind them."
An intense and thoughtful man who took Henin out the juniors to tennis fame, Rodriguez and Henin just opened a branch of their 6th Sense Tennis Academy at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. They both see an opportunity in the U.S., where many parents of juniors are looking for intelligent coaches with proven track records who understand that teaching children to be champions is more than just about stroke production.

 
Rodriguez says that one of the reasons that Henin is retired is that she's looking to prove to herself that she can do more than just "hitting the ball" and will only likely consider a comeback once she has taken a very necessary mental break.

But what Henin left after she retired from her most dominant season ever in 2007 is a tour with three legitimate Hall of Fame players and a bunch of developing competitors who really couldn't hold her worn out pair of socks. (Amen to that)

"I have a lot of respect for the other players, but outside of the Willamses and Sharapova, the rest are still really poor," Rodriguez said.

It's not like the Argentine doesn't like the potential of some of the kids — it's just that they are so wildly inconsistent. Take Roland Garros champion Ana Ivanovic, who is just 5-5 since winning her first Slam crown in Paris. Sven Groenefeld, whom Rodriguez considers the best coach on tour today, coaches the Serbian, but the 20-year-old is struggling mightily.

"I think Ana can do big things, but she needs more maturity," Rodriguez said. "It's very difficult for a player to learn what to do when she's in trouble. Ivanovic is not able to have a Plan B or C to solve the situations, and she loses complete control. The coach can help with this, but in the end, it's up to the player to find for herself what possibilities will work. The coach can only help you to a certain point."

Rodriguez spent a little time this past summer working with former world No. 4 Anna Chakvetadze but couldn't make it work with the Russian, who has spiraled downward to No. 12. On the outside, Chakvetadze appears to have all the ingredients that Rodriguez would like: foot speed, soft hands, the ability to take the ball on the rise and smarts. But he couldn't get through to the 21-year-old.

Anna seems like she wants to work, but I told her, at the end of the day, deep inside of you, you don't want to try to go further and to push yourself more to succeed," he said. "I cannot help you if you don't have the will to do something, even if I'm the best or worst coach in the world. She has the talent. But she's really confused as to what she needs to do to succeed to do to become a No. 1 or No. 2 player in the world. She's not ready to make the sacrifices it takes to go to the top, there's not question about it. A champion is one inside and outside the court, and when you take Anna outside the court, she's really a disaster."

 
Somewhat incredibly, Rodriguez tabbed Nicole Vaidisova as the young player with the most potential. The Czech has the height, power and ball-striking capabilities to do major damage and has reached two Grand Slam semifinals, but the 19-year-old has had a depressing year, falling to No. 22 in the rankings. Vaidisova doesn't always play smart or look motivated.

"She's amazing," Rodriguez said. "It comes back to the entourage she has around her. It's so important. When you are talking mental, these girls are very strong, but when you are talking emotional, it's very hard. The emotional takes over the mental and she completely loses the way. It's a pity. I hope someone can take care of her because she's charismatic and is a really good player, but her emotional (state) and the intelligence is not that good." - LOL

Outside of the Williams sisters and Sharapova, there are no players on tour who can consistently win ugly when the chips are down, their bodies are aching and their foes are zoning on them. That's part of the make-up that Henin had, her innate ability to fight like an alley cat even when being attacked by every mangy dog in the alley. 

"You can't teach that," Rodriguez said. "You can learn a lot of things, but you cannot change the natural personality of a player. With Serena, Venus, Justine and Jennifer Capriati, they have the personality that even when they weren't enjoying it, they could go through. There's no question that Maria, Serena and Venus are far and away from the other players. Their quality is too good."

Henin put a hurt on all of those players, who also got back at the Belgian in some of the finest matches the tour has seen this century. They may not miss losing to her, but Serena and Sharapova have admitted to missing the thrill of the battle against Henin, trying to figure out which strategy would work against the cagey all-courter's high-variety game.

But Henin isn't coming back anytime soon, if at all, so now it's up one of three other elite players to see if they can dominate like the Belgian did in 2007.

Sharapova just shut down her season due to her inability to recover a tear in her right rotator cuff, and when she returns to defend her Australian Open title in January, she will have more than likely have fallen out of the top 10 and will have missed the vast majority of the second part of the season. Whether the three-time Grand Slam champion can ever truly dominate is an open question.
 

"She showed that she's able to dominate, but it's not a question of once in a while, it's a question of regularity and the only way she can do it is to concentrate 100 percent on her tennis," Rodriguez said. "If Maria doesn't do that, she's never going to find the consistency throughout the year. In tennis, to be a champion, you have to choose to do everything you have to succeed in your sport. I think today Maria is unable to do so."

Crossover celebrity Sharapova has always stressed that her tennis comes first, and it's hard to argue with her resume. But it's also clear that carrying a $26-million off-court portfolio every year can be demanding. Rodriguez doesn't think that it's only her injuries that are holding her back. "She has to concentrate, practice and live for her tennis — no endorsements, publicity and wasting time outside of the court with other things that distract you from No. 1," he said. "Once and for all, in front of the mirror, she has to ask herself, 'What do I want to achieve in my career?' I have all the possibilities to be No. 1 and stay there for a long time, but this is the price I have to pay."

 
Then there's Serena, she of nine Grand Slam titles and with the ambition to go well into the double digits. Now 27-years-old, Serena appears to be on a one Grand Slam per year pace. She's capable of doing better, but time is running short, and there's little room for the party circuit if she's ever going to dominate again.

She, Venus and Jankovic will tee it up in Stuttgart this week. If Serena wants to stay at No. 1, she's going to have to keep her mind focused on the next six weeks — not an easy task after a hard year and when the offseason beckons.
 

"Serena has the quality, and everything she needs mentally and physically to do it she has," Rodriguez said. "But is she going take care of herself and prepare to go into action? If she does that, I think Serena has another two or three great years left."

So who expected this Thursday to be so dramatic?

When Serena won the US Open and along with it the no 1 spot, I breathed a sigh of relief for the WTA. It's been almost five months since Henin's departure and the dust still hasn't settled. Sharapova's shoulders died on her as soon as she got the top spot. Ivanovic's had a string of early round exits since her French Open win. Jelena Jankovic basically had the no 1 spot fall into her lap because the top girl couldn't hold on to it. Even then, she couldn't won and cemented the top spot at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, LA, Montreal, US Open or Tokyo, but didn't win any of these tournaments. In other words, the no 1 spot is simply a joke. Serena Williams however is someone who can actually hold up the top spot, and has the metalware to prove it. 

But alas, it's the curse of the post-Justine no 1, after 3 weeks of being at the top, Serena lost in Stuttgart to China's Li Na (and I mean, lost it as opposed to Li Na winning it), along with the match, she lost the top spot to Jankovic as well. I really hope Jankovic wins Stuttgart this week to give some credibility to her no 1 position, because this is turning into a total farce. I miss Justine. 

Mentioning Li Na, Chinese tennis is at a very interesting stage right now (at least for the women's game) - Li Na, Zheng Jie, Peng Shuai and Yanzi have all got the game to upset the top seeds on any given day (recall Yanzi earlier this year against Venus, Li Na in Beijing against Venus, Zheng Jie against Ivanovic part 1 and 2 etc). But the problem is exactly that. They are dark horses, but can they ever transform themselves from being dark horses to contenders? We're going to have to see. But I'm totally digging Zheng Jie and Li Na.

And the second drama of the day...

Roger announced today that he will not be participating in the Stockholm Open which starts next Monday. 

"2008 has been a tough year for me as I was always playing catch up after being diagnosed with mononucleosis at the beginning of the year. I feel fortunate to be healthy again, but I want to remain at the top of the game for many more years to come and go after the #1 ranking again. In order to do that, I need to get a proper rest and get strong again so that I am 100% fit for the remainder of the year or next year. At this point, I am not sure when I will be ready to play again, but I hope to be back at some point before the end of the year. I apologize to the tennis fans in Sweden as I was looking forward to playing in Stockholm again. The country has produced so many incredible tennis players and the tournament has such a great history.  I hope to be able to come back at some point in the future." 

I remember looking at his schedule months ago and thinking 'why the hell did this man sign up to play four tournaments in four weeks? Is he out of his MIND?' But ever the diehard fan, I wasn't going to complain about the "extra-Roger" I was getting. But even coming into this week, I half expected to hear news of a withdrawal, and when it actually came, I still couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Guess who won't be following Stockholm next week (c'mon the defending champion is Ivo "Serve-outta-ya-tree" Karlovic).  

In the long run, I do think this is a wise choice. This year's been a bit of a sadistic roller coaster for Roger and his fans: Australian Open/early hard court season - confusion at first, but then it all started to make sense when he was diagnosed with the mononucleosis; clay season - pretty good actually, but got treed by Stepanek in Rome, French Open - brutal, utter dismantling, Wimbledon - bittersweet, I've never seen him play a match with more heart and perhaps that was what made the loss so hard to swallow. The video of him choking up with JMac said it all, "it hurt". American hard court season - totally unravelling, didn't get much of a chance to recover from Wimbledon D-Day before he was plunged into a struggle to hold onto the top spot. The Beijing Doubles gold was a welcomed win which broke the losing streak and gave him just enough momentum to carry through the US Open and secure the last grand slam.

On top of all that, he's played extra matches this year at Estoril, Halle, DC and Beijing, so if he's a little jaded, a little burnt out at this time of the year, I'm not surprised, who wouldn't be? At the end of the day, I'd rather he get some well-deserved rest, train and practice (something which I understand he wasn't able to do during the offseason because of his illness), maybe work a little more with Higueras (I'm honestly not seeing much come out of this collaboration), and get his timing back. The last thing I want is for him to play minor tournaments for the ranking points. If he's not feeling up to it, I'd rather him not play than lose half way (maybe someone should tell this to Novak Djokovic, his body language in the Thailand Open final did not bode well). The same for Rafael Nadal, nice to see he's resting and .. err ... skinny dipping because he looked a little jaded during the US Open semi as well. The schedule this year has been a little more demanding than usual.

Speculations:

1) Madrid, Basel, Paris, TMC - which ones will Roger play, if any at all? I'll be REALLY disappointed if he doesn't play Shanghai, but I'm hoping he'll at least plays one of the other three. Something tells me he's not going to skip Basel, but maybe he'll try and win at least one TMS tournament this year.

2) the no 2 spot - Djokovic doesn't have much to defend for the rest of the year, I'm not a mathematically minded person, but my understanding is that he does have a shot at it. But then again, who cares? It's no 2, even if Roger loses it, a few good wins early next year should right the wrong. In any case, unless Djokovic gets an extra tank of energy out of nowhere, given his current form, getting to no 2 is a little far-fetched. He looks like he's the one who taking a break.

3) exos - are they still going ahead? I hope not, unless Roger's feeling restless and 120%, he should not be wasting his energy playing with retirees. I admire his efforts to promote tennis in Asia, but Nadal is the no 1 now, he should be taking on that responsibility.

4) Is there something more to this? My gut tells me 'no'. It told me during my self-imposed tennis ban after Federer lost to Blake to check doubles results. It told me that despite everything, the US Open might just turn out to be okay. It told me during the US Open that we ain't gonna get that "grapple in the apple" Fed/dal final in New York. In short - my gut is clairvoyant. Right now, it's telling me that this is a bit like when Federer withdrew from Halle last year - precautionary conservation. 

But when all's been said, damn! I was looking forward to four weeks of uninterrupted Federeralism.

***

As always, a small post ends up as a thesis. I have a lot of thoughts on the year, but I guess I'll save them til the YECs have been fought and won heh?

Serena Williams fell to Li Na earlier at Stuttgart 0-6 6-1 6-4 and will lose her top spot on the SEWTA rankings. Jelena Jankovic will take over once again and hopefully stays there for more than a second. Seriously ladies, is it really that difficult up there?

Image via AP.

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"Below are some of my favorite".

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10/09/08

"Tennis is in an exciting place right now", said Roger. And I wholeheartedly agree. The two hard court majors this year (AO and USO) have been by far the most exciting. Whereas the French Open and Wimbledon were about the inevitable final between the biggest rivals in tennis since McEnroe and Borg (or if you like, Graf and Seles), the hard court majors proved to be more like their host countries - the most democratic. The Dominant Two were less dominant, the up-and-comers at their most dangerous, upsets happen left, right and centre. Non-top-10ers show that they are ready to make the break. The US Open has made me feel excited about tennis in 2009 and the year isn't even over yet. 

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Juan Martin del Potro, the new tennis machine that conquered 4 titles within a space of one month this summer, with an arm span that reminds me a little of Michael Phelps. Of course del Potro is nowhere near the Phelps of tennis (Federer or Nadal, take your pick), but it would surprise no one if he ends the year in the top 10, and upsets a few of the big guns next year. Bandwagon - yes. Adoration - no. Let's just say that I'm a tennis-purists, who likes her Federers, Murrays and Gasquet's.

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Marin Cilic, who I always classified as a more refined version of Ivo-Karlovic-serve-out-of-ya-tree, turned out to have good movement, good returns and a generally enjoyable game. 

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And mentioning enjoyable, one of the most enjoyable young players to come up in recent years - Kei Nishikori - has flair reminiscent of the Magician Santoro, is steady mentally (recall 5 setter against Ferrer) and an excellent returner. 

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And Ernests Gulbis, absolutely stunning set and a half against Andy Roddick, then succumbed to inexperience. Read his presscons, he also happens to be one of the most articulate (despite English not being his first language) players when it comes to talking about tactics or recounting the match. Just heard that he lost first round in Romania this week, so keep your fingers crossed that he doesn't turn out to be a Gasquet (mentally), because the boy has style. 

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Mentioning Richard Gasquet, isn't it sad that one of the best shot makers (and single handed backhands) in the game also happens to be one of the biggest imploders? Losing in 5 sets to Tommy Haas in round 1 was just an example, losing to Murray after being up 2 sets and a break is also equally unacceptable. Mon dieu Richaarrrrdd.....

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Caroline Wozniacki, tough loss to Jankovic, but she'll be in the top 10 next year. Just wait and see. 

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Alves, Federer's round 2 opponent, said he was proud of his achievement even though he lost, because he lost to the man who will be holding the trophy in a week's time, 'just wait and see' he said. Awww, thanks for the show of faith, wish I could say the same thing about Mats Wilander,  who proclaimed the King dead, finished, over, no more grand slams for Roger Federer. Equally unpleasant to see that he's changed his tunes the minute after USO was over, claiming that Federer will win 'many more grand slams', and will 100% beat the Sampras record. And I thought I was a bandwagoner.

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Murray "King of the Scots", you blew me away in that semifinal against Nadal, and made me pray for Roger's forehand, backhand and footwork to turn up on Monday (which they did). But what an exquisite player - the way he returned Rafa's serves standing way behind the baseline, the spins he put on his balls, his net play, groundstrokes, volleys, his mixing up the pace on the ball - giving his opponent a softball, then pounding it into an opening for a winner - wow. Just wow. You may have fallen at the finish line, but there'll be plenty more finals to come. Chin up boy!

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Rafael Nadal seemed unstoppable, coming into this tournament with FO, Wimby and an Olympics Gold under his belt. Patrick McEnroe called him 'an absolute favourite', most of the analysts and so-called sports writers picked him as the winner, until Andy Murray blew him off the court in their semi-final. On the one hand, Rafa was clearly half a step slow the entire match, and was unable to impose his game on the crafty Scot, but on the other hand, his loss made me appreciate how hard it's been for Federer to win 3 grand slams a year for 3 years, and in most years, a Tennis Masters Cup to finish off his season. Federer might need some Rafa advice on the clay courts, but Rafa needs to find out from Federer how he sustains his level throughout the entire season, almost 4 years without any significant injuries, and still manages to look fresh every year at the US Open and year end championships. 

But I still remember the days when I was on the Rafa bandwagon instead of the Fed Express. Don't worry Rafa, a phenomenal year for you, Melbourne will be yours one day, New York will be yours one day, a career slam will be yours ultimately. But Federer, Djokovic, Murray (and all the youngsters I've mentioned) stand in your way. 

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Jelena Jankovic may still be the best player to have never won a grand slam, but she won my heart, that's for sure. What a character! Love the drama, love the smile, love the humour and love the splits. Would love for her to win a grand slam (starting with the Australian Open next year). You go girl!

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And all hail Serena, the Queen of Queens, who won her 9th grand slam, and got back to the no 1 spot (with some groovy celebration along the way). Now we finally have a no 1 player who's capable of backing up the ranking with quality tennis. I dare you to find anyone on the WTA tour who's capable of player tennis like her and Venus. There's simply match for the talent of the Williams's. 

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And a shout-out to Venus too. Someone had to win that match, and the draw gods were not kind, putting her and Serena in the same quarter. Better luck next time. And the fact that she's ranked no 7 is an absolute travesty of the highest order. 

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I've heard some complaints about the coverage of the USO, both in the US and in Great Britain, but seriously, that's because they haven't heard the commentary in Australia. Even I could spot the statistical/historical errors the commentators were making. One of them said the no 1 ranking was on the line in the final for Federer (errr... what?), another commended Djokovic for a successful Wimbledon (clearly senile, thought he was still in 2007). Channel 9 should relinquish the rights to Channel 7 or SBS, or get better commentators. I had more fun watching French streaming than listening to those morons. 

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Novak Djokovic... forget it, not worth a thought, gamesman and hypochondriac of the highest order. Andy Roddick, who's growing on me at last, showed humour, class and took all the controversies like a man. Nothing to be ashamed off. A tough shoulder injury to deal with during the course of this season, but I look forward to his gradual resurgence after this.

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And lastly Roger Federer. I thought about his win so much that I'm oddly out of things to say about it. But really, he made my day, he made my year, he made tennis fun, and breathtakingly beautiful. I like this new Smiley-Federer, the Federer that pumped his fists during the Andreev five-setter, made sounds that I've only heard come out of the vocal chords of Rafael Nadal, and told the crowd that he enjoyed it.  

Even I wrote him off, worried about his mentality this year, claiming that he may be experiencing some kind of existential crisis. Watching him against Andreev, Djokovic, Stepanek and Murray yesterday, I was happy to eat my humblepie, and shush the Brad-Gilbert within. 

Some people called it redemption, but for Federer, there was nothing to redeem. A semifinal (with an illness), 2 finals and a title, I know about 98 players on the tour that would sign up for a year like that. 

Mats Wilander, despite his ridiculous bandwagoning, got one thing right: if he continues to play with such passion, he'll win many more grand slams. Thumbs down to the commentators, press, and tennis bloggers (casts some evil glares) for conducting Federer mass-burials left right and centre, and then resurrecting him once they proven as wrong as the guy who thought the earth was flat (Thomas Friedman?). 

But thumbs up for all the players that rallied behind him and told the press that Roger's not doing so badly as they were making him out to be (i.e. Sampras, Roddick, Blake, Tursonov, Alves, Rafa, Hrbaty, Henman etc.)

Thumbs up to the music guy at Arthur Ashe for playing 'Still the One' after every match. That, he got right.  

USO verdict: a win for tennis, a FAIL for Contract law and Constitutional Law. Talk about getting no work done. Off to go play catch up now. 

Wat up Mr. Carter! Comments anyone?

Let's take a look back at her year. She began 2008 ranked #15 in the world and having never been past the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam. She didn't come out of the gates red hot, as she fell in the first round of the Australian Open and didn't get to the quarters of any tournament until Miami (late March). It was at Berlin in mid-May where she made her mark. Oddly enough she beat Justine Henin in the third round, in what turned out to be the last match of her career, then defeated Serena Williams Victoria Azarenka, and Elena Dementieva to claim the title.

She used that momentum to catapult herself into the finals of the French Open. Despite the loss, she didn't let that deter her. She won two out of the next four tournaments she played in, went to the finals of the Olympics, the semis of the US Open, and then won the aforementioned tourney in Tokyo. Beginning with the tournament in Berlin she has an amazing 42-5 record.

So, will she overtake Jelena and Serena in the top spot? Svetlana Kuznetsova, who lost to Safina in the finals at Tokyo seems to think so. She said that Dinara has bigger strokes than Jelena and plays more than Serena which will help her garner more points. To me, it comes down to her mental preparation. Like her elder brother Marat, she is known to get a little mad and that can really throw her off her game. If she can remain focused like she has in the past couple of months I see no reason why she can't challenge those girls for the top spot.

I will say that when Serena is on there is no one better, and when Jelena is moving at her best no one can play defense like her. Safina certainly has her work cut out for her, but I could see her moving into the poll position by the end of 2008.

What do you think?

CREDIT CRUNCH- Mmmm...so tasty and sooo good for you!  LOL