In article <ndGdnfPKZ-WXPuLfRVn-sA@rogers.com>, spam@spam.com (Random Guy) wrote:
WOMEN'S SINGLE> First Round> Elena Bovina (RUS) d. Mashona Washington (USA) 62 62> Catalina Castano (COL) d. Tathiana Perebynis (UKR) 63 62> Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) d. Lubomira Kurhajcova (SVK) 63 36 61> Maria Elena CAMERIN (ITA) d. Nathalie Dechy (FRA) 46 61 64
This one is surprising.
Paola Suarez (ARG) d. Karolina Sprem (CRO) 63 60
Not really a bad loss for Sprem -- not good, of ocurse, but at least Suarez is a good clay court player.
Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Yuliana Fedak (UKR) 63 63
I wonder if Fedak will ever play as well again as she did against VW in Philly last year.
Francesca SCHIAVONE (ITA) d. Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) 75 60
Was expecting that.
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) d. Antonella SERRA ZANETTI (ITA) 61 62> Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) d. Alina Jidkova (RUS) 64 61> Silvia FARINA ELIA (ITA) d. Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 64 61> Jelena Jankovic (SCG) d. Daily Radiantrefy (MAD) 67(3) 62 61
Good for JJ, considering she's only had two days since her sf against Petrova. Not surprised to see SFE winning that one. (Although Sharapova, who predicted Kirilenko was going to be a star, might be.)
WOMEN'S DOUBLE> First Round> Gisela Dulko/Maria Vento Kabchi (ARG/VEN) d. Lisa McShea/Abigail Spears > (AUS/USA) 64 60> Jennifer Russell/Mara SANTANGELO (USA/ITA) d. Els Callens/Tina Krizan > (BEL/SLO) 64 75> Daniela Hantuchova/Ai Sugiyama (SVK/JPN) d. Sandrine Testud/Roberta > VINCI (FRA/ITA) 61 60
Not a surprising win here, but I didn't know Testud was playing this year.
On Mon, 09 May 2005 13:47:58 -0500, wendyg@cix.compulink.co.uk wrote:
Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Yuliana Fedak (UKR) 63 63>
I wonder if Fedak will ever play as well again as she did against VW in >Philly last year.
You have been telling me Fedak is like Dominique. Now I saw her last week against Kim. I think she won one game. Maybe some physical similarities to Dominique, but her game didn't look at all impressive. Tough opponent of course, but I suppose she should do a little better against top players, if she is a real deal. A lot of people look good against Venus these days...
In article <fqjv715oonc4ucrq886irrk1h83q6a8o45@4ax.com>, sakari.lund@welho.com (Sakari Lund) wrote:
You have been telling me Fedak is like Dominique. Now I saw her last> week against Kim. I think she won one game. Maybe some physical> similarities to Dominique, but her game didn't look at all impressive.> Tough opponent of course, but I suppose she should do a little better> against top players, if she is a real deal. A lot of people look good> against Venus these days...
Yes. That match against VW may have been the match of Fedak's life. She hasn't backed it up with anything.
She reminded me a bit of DMVR, yes, mostly because of her size and bearing. Of course, one heard very little of DMVR before she got married. Perhaps...
Sprem sure hasn't done much since her big win over Venus at Wimbledon. a lot of people thought that was a huge breakthru for her. apparently it hasn't helped her much at all.
In article <29786-4280A558-509@storefull-3117.bay.webtv.net>, seles-fan@webtv.net () wrote:
Sprem sure hasn't done much since her big win over Venus at Wimbledon. a> lot of people thought that was a huge breakthru for her. apparently it> hasn't helped her much at all.>
Well, that wasn't the only reason people were impressed with Sprem. She spent two years rising steadily -- she won a bunch of challengers in a row, compiling a match-winning streak as long as SW's at the beginning of 2003. 2004 was her first year at the top level, and she did respectably well, and recently it's all gone down hill. Maybe it's just sophomore slump. But people here have been blaming her coach.
Well, that wasn't the only reason people were impressed with Sprem. She> spent two years rising steadily -- she won a bunch of challengers in a> row, compiling a match-winning streak as long as SW's at the beginning of> 2003. 2004 was her first year at the top level, and she did respectably> well, and recently it's all gone down hill. Maybe it's just sophomore> slump. But people here have been blaming her coach.>
aside from you and robert b. waltz (and possibly a few others), i don't think that many people put much significance on sprem's winning streak in challenger events. she did seem to play at a top 25 level in wta events last year.
In article <1115786358.546502.311830@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, nicksalzberg@gmail.com () wrote:
for the briefest of moments though-. from around the paris indoors,> through to wimbledon. then a bad loss to davenport in the QF and> nothing since
Well, one of the things we saw from her Challengers run was that Sprem is most effective on traditional surfaces -- clay and grass -- and less comfortable on hard courts. So that seemed consistent. This year she just seems to be coming apart.
Well, one of the things we saw from her Challengers run was that> Sprem is> > most effective on traditional surfaces -- clay and grass -- and less> > comfortable on hard courts. So that seemed consistent. This year she> just> > seems to be coming apart.> >
shades of hantuchova. though without the big title like DH's 2002> indian wells. or to a lesser extent, stevenson and lucic. big girls> with big game, but really no staying power and brittle minds. sprem's> game was very big and very clean, i do hope she pulls it together, but> it's hard to say. makes you wonder about today's flavours of the month> like golovin, safina, vaidisova and ivanovic. any of the four of them> could well end up in the scrapheap in 6 months' time. remains to be> seen which one will really hit their stripes in a permanent way.
I have to nitpick this. To compare Safina with Ivanovic is ridiculous. Safina has been playing Tour level events for two and a half years; Roland Garros will be her tenth Slam. She is a known commodity: A fruitcake, just like her brother. She's also rather older, at 19 (still young, but remember, we're comparing her to 17-year-olds).
Ivanovic has been playing at the Tour level for only about half a year. And she has already been ranked as high as Safina at her highest, and been much more consistent.
That's not to say she might not flame out. That's always a concern. But to compare her with Safina is really not very apt. Her "peer group" is Vaidisova and Karatancheva and maybe Chakvetadze -- plus, no doubt, others we haven't heard of.
-- When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one's case is subverted -- does the Lord not see it? -- Lamentations 3:34-36
On Wed, 11 May 2005 10:03:27 -0500, "Robert B. Waltz" <waltzmn@skypoint.com> wrote:
nicksalzberg@gmail.com wrote:>
Well, one of the things we saw from her Challengers run was that>> Sprem is>> > most effective on traditional surfaces -- clay and grass -- and less>> > comfortable on hard courts. So that seemed consistent. This year she>> just>> > seems to be coming apart.>> >
shades of hantuchova. though without the big title like DH's 2002>> indian wells. or to a lesser extent, stevenson and lucic. big girls>> with big game, but really no staying power and brittle minds. sprem's>> game was very big and very clean, i do hope she pulls it together, but>> it's hard to say. makes you wonder about today's flavours of the month>> like golovin, safina, vaidisova and ivanovic. any of the four of them>> could well end up in the scrapheap in 6 months' time. remains to be>> seen which one will really hit their stripes in a permanent way.>
I have to nitpick this. To compare Safina with Ivanovic is>ridiculous. Safina has been playing Tour level events for>two and a half years; Roland Garros will be her tenth>Slam. She is a known commodity: A fruitcake, just like her>brother. She's also rather older, at 19 (still young, but>remember, we're comparing her to 17-year-olds).>
Ivanovic has been playing at the Tour level for only about>half a year. And she has already been ranked as high as>Safina at her highest, and been much more consistent.>
That's not to say she might not flame out. That's always>a concern. But to compare her with Safina is really not>very apt. Her "peer group" is Vaidisova and Karatancheva>and maybe Chakvetadze -- plus, no doubt, others we haven't>heard of.
But Vaidisova and Karatancheva are clearly younger than Ivanovic. Golovin is close to her age - and Sharapova...
It looks like Ivanovic is going to be a top player. But you never know what happens. When Hantuchova was #5, I was certain she will be around there for years.
That's not to say she might not flame out. That's always> >a concern. But to compare her with Safina is really not> >very apt. Her "peer group" is Vaidisova and Karatancheva> >and maybe Chakvetadze -- plus, no doubt, others we haven't> >heard of.>
But Vaidisova and Karatancheva are clearly younger than Ivanovic.> Golovin is close to her age - and Sharapova...
But not Safina.
You are correct in one sense; Ivanovic is only half a year younger than Sharapova, and is older than Vaidisova and Karatancheva. But age isn't really the way to compare players. The way to compare is when they start playing seriously. In that regard, Ivanovic is "younger" than Vaidisova or Karatancheva. Compare the dates of first WTA matches:
Vaidisova: Acapulco 2004 Karatancheva: Indian Wells 2004 Ivanovic: Vienna 2004
They really did start at almost the same time. I suppose Ivanovic might gain some benefit from being older, but there are plenty of girls who have their full physical skills at 15 and 16. What they lack is experience.
It looks like Ivanovic is going to be a top player. But you never know> what happens. When Hantuchova was #5, I was certain she will be around> there for years.
And I said she might flame out. And someone might cure Safina. But that's the point: Someone might *cure* Safina. But there is no evidence that Ivanovic needs to be cured. If something goes wrong, it will have to go wrong.
-- When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one's case is subverted -- does the Lord not see it? -- Lamentations 3:34-36
It looks like Ivanovic is going to be a top player. But you never know> what happens. When Hantuchova was #5, I was certain she will be around> there for years.>
I thought she'd be lucky to win another tournament....
On Wed, 11 May 2005 16:17:38 -0500, "Robert B. Waltz" <waltzmn@skypoint.com> wrote:
And I said she might flame out. And someone might cure Safina.>But that's the point: Someone might *cure* Safina. But there>is no evidence that Ivanovic needs to be cured. If something>goes wrong, it will have to go wrong.
To contradict a little what I said yesterday, I am not quite as convinced about Ivanovic now than I was at the end of last year and early this year. Eurosport shows her a lot these days, and she has been really erratic. Like in a match against Schnyder which just finished. And this was not the first time. I thought she played better earlier.
