Keeping On Keeping On

I haven't been paying too much attention to women's tennis lately - naughty me - so I think it's time I rectified that a little. I haven't even really been checking the scores, so I was really very pleasantly surprised to see a new favourite of mine winning her second round match in Portoroz.

That new favourite is Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland and I really think she's going to grow up awesome. And no, I don't just like her because she's Swiss. She played Serena tight and fierce in the first round of Roland Garros this year and she seriously had some game going on - both in her game and in her head. Seriously, the girl's got a serious tennis brain on her shoulders.

I haven't seen too much of her play besides that one match, but if she continues to play like she did in that one match, she is going to be something. And she had a good solid win over the very talented (albeit underachieving) Tamira Paszek. Here's hoping she keeps on keeping on!

Anna Chakvetadze also had a very convincing win over Sara Errani, who was seeded #4. Chakvetadze is a headcase on an Ivanovician (though not quite a Vaidisovan) level. I'm not going to be all 'comeback' or anything, but I guess it's a reminder that headcases stay in the game by pure talent, and sometimes this can happen. There you go.

And another new favourite of mine, Anastasija Sevastova, had a win in Bad Gastein over promising youngster Simona Halep. I really want to see her play Anastasia Pivovarova, who is also still in the draw over there. Can't imagine how the commentators would handle that one...

A Trainwreck Named Ana

Oh, Ana.

I don't know how much more there is to say about this girl. It started off as a slump. Then it turned into a bad season, a bad year. Now it's just a disaster. I feel it's not inaccurate to say that Ana Ivanovic's 'real' career ended with a bang, and that bang was her victory at Roland Garros 2008. Everything afterwards...? It just does not bear speaking of.

Is it - and it's difficult to say this - game over for Ana?

I think there could definitely be worse things for her than just taking some solid time out of the game - maybe even a Justine and Kim style sabbatical. I mean, with her loss to Sevastova today she's out of the top fifty, so much worse can it get? First it was the top ten, then the top twenty, then the top fifty... those milestones are only going to keep coming until she does something serious about her game. And trying to play through it... that's a whole year and a half of stuff not working.

Go away, Ana. I don't want to see your face again before you've fixed what is wrong. I don't even know what is wrong any more. It's probably not just one thing. It's many things. Fix them all - or at least some key ones. Because what you're doing at the moment...? Not helping. You might get a few wildcards on account of how you are Ana Ivanovic, but really? you're going to have to start playing qualies sooner rather than later and that is not going to help at all. Not when you start losing - because at the rate you're going, you will - to people who will never sniff the Grand Slam glory that you once tasted.

Go away and fix your issues. That is the only advice I can offer now.

On the upside, though, how awesome is Anastasija Sevastova? I'm really digging her at the moment - I'd like to see her string some great results together!

I Don't Care What It Says On Your Shoes

You know who is a disappointing player? Michelle Larcher de Brito. Seriously, why does she get talked about so much? I don't understand it at all. Maybe it's just that she's young and hasn't grown into her game or something and wiser people than me have seen some kind of Ultimate Tennis Potential in her, but she does absolutely nothing for me. Nothing at all. Exhibit A: she got crushed today by Alexandra Dulgheru. Like, crushy mcrushed with a side of orange crush. Not good.

I'm almost positive the reason she gets discussed so much is because of her shriek. She's freaking loud. Anyway care to gainsay me?

And this is so not trendy to say, because she is the next big thing and all, but you know who else does nothing for me? Melanie Oudin. Yes, I know she'll probably grow up awesome and she made the quarters of the US Open last year and she's the best thing since the Williamses and sliced bread for American tennis and she has 'believe' on her shoes and whatnot, but I just don't feel her. I saw her play at Hopman Cup - she was playing Sorana Cirstea in a dead rubber, if I remember correctly - and even though she won, I really could have cared less. She was great at Hopman Cup for comedy value when she stood next to John Isner, but that was pretty much it.

Anyway, I'm not quite sure Oudin is going to be quite as great as everyone seems to think she is. I'm quite willing to be proved wrong on this, but I just do not feel her. No matter what her shoes say, I do not believe. And results like getting beaten 6-0 in the third by Roberta Vinci? Not helping.

...on a more positive note, you know who I really am feeling? Anastasija Sevastova. She beat Nuria Llagostera Vives in three today and I liked it. But maybe I just have a weakness for those Latvians...