Foot on the Accelerator

So I would not be feeling so great right now if I were Ashley Harkleroad. Not so much because I am probably going to known better for doing that Playboy shoot than my actual tennis career, but because I got absolutely whaled on by Alicia Molik.

Everyone knows how skeptical I've been about the Molik comeback, even after it began. I mean, hello, she was on Dancing With The Stars. How much more of a career death knell do you need? Added to which she's not the youngest most sprightly of players these days, and there was that weird inner ear balance thing she had... you can see why I was doubtful, n'cest pas?

Well, no more doubts. I am now onboard the Molik bandwagon. While I don't think she's going to get back to #8 or wherever it is she was, I'm confident that she can get herself back inside the top 50 sometime soon.

Not just because she beat Harkleroad - I mean, hello, Harkleroad had a kid and is on the comeback trail herself. But this result compared with the one from Miami, where she made it to the third or fourth round courtesy of some absolutely crushing wins, is beginning to add up. She's fixed whatever that problem was in Melbourne that allowed Julie Coin to come back from the brink of defeat and win the match.

Alicia's not just winning. She's crushing her opponents. Sure, her opponents aren't the great superwomen of the WTA tour, but she's not just doing what she has to do to beat them. She's roaring past them. She's got her foot to the floor and she's roaring back towards the top of the game. There is some steel below the surface there... and it's weighing her foot down on the accelerator. (Yes, I went to that convoluted metaphor place. Don't judge).

Sorry I ever doubted you, Alicia. Sorry I was such a naysayer. Because right now, I pretty much think you're fierce.

In Short

I've been talking a lot about comebacks recently, what with Kim Clijsters' US Open triumph and the return of Henin and now Srichaphan and... that whole host of people who seem to be coming out of the woodwork after some time away.

But one that I have neglected - and very wrongly so - is Kimiko Date Krumm. 39 years old - which is getting on by anyone's standards in international sport - and back she comes, and what do you know? she's just gone and won a title.

Now that is a comeback. That is something pretty special.

I like Kimiko's style of play a lot - I do like those wiry, gutsy little players. And she's smart too, which is something I think a lot of the girls at the moment are struggling with. She's not the strongest player on tour, but she's definitely up there in terms of strategy. She is, in short (haha, the pun!) something a little bit special. She is something to be celebrated.

I just can't get over the fact that she's 39 years old. 39! Clijsters is what, 25? and coming back? It seems strange you can be coming out of retirement at that age... normal people are only just starting their careers, but the world of sport is different, I guess. It's so rare that you see players over 30 - women especially. The men seem to last a little longer, but the women are giving out in their late twenties, generally. 39. Thirty-freaking-nine.

The women is a wonder.


Today's Results

BCR Open Romania (Bucharest)

Albert Montanes def. Juan Monaco, 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (8-6)


Open de Moselle (Metz)

Gael Monfils def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 7-6 (7-1) 3-6 6-2


Hansol Korea Open (Seoul)

Kimiko Date Krumm def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-3 6-3


Tashkent Open (Tashkent)

Shahar Peer def. Akgul Amanmuradova, 6-3 6-4


Toray Pan Pacific Open (Tokyo)

Roberta Vinci def. Flavia Pennetta, 6-1 6-2
Lucie Safarova def. Ana Ivanovic, 6-4 7-6 (7-1)
Li Na def. Alize Cornet, 6-4 6-0
Elena Vesnina def. Maria Jose Martinez Sanches, 6-3 6-2
Sabine Lisicki def. Patty Schnyder, 6-4 6-0
Alisa Kleybanova def. Ayumi Morita, 6-1 6-4
Gisela Dulko def. Agnes Szavay, 6-3 6-0
Aravane Rezai def. Sara Errani, 6-2 6-2
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-1 7-6 (7-3)
Andrea Petkovic def. Sybille Bammer, 7-5 6-4
Chang Kai-Chen def. Kaia Kanepi, 6-3 6-3

Pim-Pim and Paradorn

Now here's something I didn't know - Paradorn Srichaphan is set to return to the tour next week at the Thailand Open. There you go.

Sure, it's only in the doubles, but I had pretty much given up hope on him altogether - he's been out since, what, 2006? 2007? A long time ago, anyway. During which time he married Miss Universe or some other beauty pageant type person, which became his new claim to fame. Here's hoping he can get back a bit more of that 'Thailand's favourite son' mojo and lose that 'tennis player married to super hot chick' thing he's been working of late. I like Paradorn. He's a bit of a character. It'll be nice to see him back.

Of course, here's hoping he stays back, instead of coming back sporadically, retiring again, playing a few Challengers and then fading into obscurity. I am definitely not thinking of Joachim 'Pim-Pim' Johansson here. Oh no. Not at all. Whatever happened to him, anyway? He made some kind of comeback late last year, didn't he? Or was it this year? Anyway, I haven't heard of or seen anything of him since. He could be playing satellite events or playing pool in his local pub for all I know. Definitely no Clijsters style comeback, that's for sure.

...okay, I just did a bit of a search on Pim-Pim, my curiosity being piqued, and he played a few Challengers in April and May, before seemingly fading into oblivion. His last match was a walkover - I can only conclude that he's out injured again. Or possibly retired. Who can tell.

Sebastien Grosjean has been in this position as well - he's been out for seemingly forever, before coming back briefly in the grass court season, withdrawing injured and then coming back this week in Metz, where he won a match before going down. Slightly better for a comeback. It's odd, these players that you totally forget about until their names pop up and you're like, 'that's right - you exist!' Marcos Baghdatis, there's another one. Where is he at these days?

So I drifted a little from my original intended subject, which was 'yay for Paradorn coming back!' Oops. Let me then conclude with 'yay for Paradorn coming back!' and a fervent wish that he fares better than poor Pim-Pim.


Today's Results

BCR Open Romania (Bucharest)

Juan Monaco def. Simon Greul, 6-4 6-3
Albert Montanes def. Santiago Ventura, 4-6 6-4 6-1


Open de Moselle (Metz)

Gael Monfils def. Richard Gasquet, 6-4 6-3
Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4


Hansol Korea Open (Seoul)

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 2-6 6-3 6-1
Kimiko Date Krumm def. Maria Kirilenko, 3-6 6-2 6-4


Tashkent Open (Tashkent)

Akgul Amanmuradova def. Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-4 7-6 (7-3)
Shahar Peer def. Olga Govortsova, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

The Return of Richou

In all this flurry of me doubting the Henin return, Henin returning and then the Davis Cup draw for next year happening, I quite forgot that there was some actual, you know, tennis going on. And one very interesting thing that happened was Richard Gasquet scoring his first win back after his suspension.

To be precise, it's two wins now, after he beat Christophe Rochus in his second round match in Metz, which puts him into the quarter finals. Fancy that. This is a good result for Richou - very good indeed.

But the fact of the matter is that the two players he's beaten are players he should beat, considering how amazingly talented he is. He's toughed out both matches - which, from his perspective, is a very good thing, considering what a nightmarish headcase he is. The first match he won was in a third set breaker, so that took some steel.

And that's what I want to see from Richou now. I want some steel. He's won another chance to come back to tennis - I don't want to see him fritter it away on choking and temper tantrums. He's got too much talent for that. He has the ability to be up at the top of the game, and I want to see that again. He once reached #7 in the world - maybe even #6, I can't actually remember. I don't expect him to do that again, not with the depth of talent in the ATP - but he should be able to win matches. Lots of matches. Have some good wins over tough players. He's got the talent to do it - I want him to deliver.

That was a bit of a long-winded ramble, but it's all true. I refuse to be impressed by Richou winning these two matches - even if he did tough them out - until he can play his hand well in a big match where the chips are down. That'll be a true test of character.

Oh, and welcome back to another Frenchman - who unfortunately lost today, but did manage to score a win earlier this week. Nice to see you back, Sebastien Grosjean. May you stay back.


Today's Results

BCR Open Romania (Bucharest)

Maximo Gonzalez def. Oscar Hernandez, 7-5 3-6 6-1
Simon Greul def. Daniel Koellerer, 6-1 6-4
Juan Monaco def. Pere Riba, 6-4 6-2
Pablo Cuevas def. Peter Luczak, 7-5 6-4


Open de Moselle (Metz)

Janko Tipsarevic def. Ivan Ljubicic, 6-4 7-6 (7-3)
Gael Monfils def. Sebastien Grosjean, 6-1 6-1
Philipp Petzschner def. Michael Llodra, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3
Richard Gasquet def. Christophe Rochus, 7-5 4-6 6-2


Hansol Korea Open (Seoul)

Daniela Hantuchova def. Chanelle Scheeper, 6-1 6-1
Maria Kirilenko def. Francesca Schiavone, 6-1 1-2 retired
Vera Dushevina def. Anastasija Sevastova, 7-5 6-1


Tashkent Open (Tashkent)

Akgul Amanmuradova def. Ekaterina Bychkova, 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4)
Olga Govortsova def. Vesna Manasieva, 6-2 6-3
Shahar Peer def. Kathrin Woerle, 6-2 604
Alexandra Panova def. Patricia Mayr, 7-5 6-1

JuJu Jumps Back In

Yeah, I was wrong. Justine Henin is coming back to tennis. Early next year, probably - Australian Open time.

But you know what? She can smile and say 'yay tennis!' as much as she wants... I still don't believe it.

Oh, I believe she's coming back. She said so, and she's nothing if not determined. But that is one of the main reasons I'm thinking that this comeback might not be so successful. When she retired, she was set. No more tennis. Tennis bad. No fire. No love. And I just don't know if a year is long enough to change that.

JuJu's greatest strength was never really that she loved tennis - as I said yesterday, I don't know if she ever did love tennis for itself - but that she loved competition. She loved tennis because she was good at it, and when her game started to fail her in the clay season last year, it was pull the plug, bye bye tennis. She didn't see the need to try and fight through it. She just pulled the plug.

It's really easy to make comparisons to Clijsters - the Belgians have been rivals for many a year - and if one is back, it stands to reason that the other won't be far behind. But I just can't see JuJu being quite as successful as Kim is - particularly because Kim's comeback started with such a bang. I know the WTA isn't exactly a place where the bar is set especially high at the moment, but I somehow can't see JuJu coming back and winning the Australian Open first go. And knowing that Kim managed to do that with the US Open... that's got to be galling.

And so that competitiveness might work against her. It's going to take a while to get back to where she was - even if the field isn't so hot, she can't expect just to slot right back into the top spot in the WTA and continue her domination. And that is something I think she'll find incredibly frustrating.

But you know what, JuJu? I want you to prove me wrong.


Today's Results

BCR Open Romania (Bucharest)

Oscar Hernandez def. Victor Hanescu, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4
Nicolas Almagro def. Simone Bolelli, 6-4 6-3
Juan Monaco def. Julio Silva, 6-2 6-4
Santiago Ventura def. Igor Andreev, 6-4 6-1
Albert Montanes def. Potito Starace, 6-4 6-2
Daniel Koellerer def. Filippo Volandri, 2-6 7-5 6-3
Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo def. Andreas Seppi, 6-4 6-4
Pere Riba def. Frederico Gil, 7-5 5-7 6-2
Marius Copil def. Victor Crivoi, 6-3 6-2
Alberto Martin def. Florent Serra, 4-6 6-0 6-4
Maximo Gonzalez def. Olivier Rochus, 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4
Fabio Fognini def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, 1-6 6-4 6-3


Open de Moselle (Metz)

Christophe Rochus def. Fabrice Santoro, 0-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3)
Evgeny Korolev def. Benjamin Becker, 6-2 6-3
Ivan Ljubicic def. Sebastien de Chaunac, 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-1)
Marc Gicquel def. Roman Valent, 6-3 6-1
Denis Istomin def. Andrey Golubev, 6-2 6-4
Thierry Ascione def. Adrian Mannarino, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4
Janko Tipsarevic def. Arnaud Clement, 6-4 6-4
Richard Gasquet def. Michael Berrer, 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7-5)


Hansol Korea Open (Seoul)

Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Andrea Petkovic, 6-3 6-4
Francesca Schiavone def. Yurika Sema, 6-1 6-4
Anna-Lena Groenefeld def. Sorana Cirstea, 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-3
Alisa Kleybanova def. Katarina Srebotnik, 6-2 6-3
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Angela Haynes, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2
Vera Dushevina def. Urszula Radwanska, 6-3 6-1
Sybille Bammer def. Ekaterina Makarova, 2-6 6-4 6-4
Magdalena Rybarikova def. Alberta Briani, 6-2 6-2
Maria Kirilenko def. Sophie Ferguson, 4-6 6-1 6-2
Anastasija Sevastova def. Mathilde Johansson, 6-2 7-5
Chan Yung-Jan def. Junri Namigata, 6-3 6-3
Chanelle Scheepers def. Kim So-Jung, 6-1 6-3
Meghann Shaughnessy def. Yoo Mi, 6-0 6-3
Chang Kai-Chen def. Viktoriya Kutuzova, 6-4 6-3


Tashkent Open (Tashkent)

Yaroslava Shvedova def. Maria Elena Camerin, 6-1 6-1
Ekaterina Bychkova def. Ioana Raluca Olaru, 7-5 7-5
Monica Niculescu def. Corinna Dentoni, 6-3 6-0
Patricia Mayr def. Ekaterina Dzehalevich, 7-5 6-4
Vesna Manasieva def. Aleksandra Kolesnichenko, 6-1 6-1
Akhul Amanmuradova def. Ksenia Lykina, 6-1 4-6 6-3
Evgeniya Rodina def. Kristina Kucova, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-1)
Kathrin Woerle def. Sabina Sharipova, 7-6 (7-0) 7-5
Darya Kustova def. Yuliana Fedak, 6-2 6-4
Ekaterina Ivanova def. Lenka Wienerova, 7-6 (7-5) 7-5
Alexandra Panova def. Sandra Zahlavova, 6-2 6-1
Nigina Abduraimova def. Lesya Tsurenko, 6-3 6-2

Where's The Love?

Maybe I'm the last sceptic left. Maybe tomorrow I'll be writing here, eating my words. Hell, maybe this fabled press conference has already taken place and I'm making myself look like a moron for not doing my research properly.

But I just don't believe Justine Henin is coming back to tennis.

Pretty much everything I've heard out of her mouth since she retired was about how much she hated tennis and how she would never, ever return. Hell, that's why she retired! No motivation! She was playing lacklustre tennis because she didn't want to play tennis.

Sure, some time away from the game might rekindle some love, as we saw with Kim Clijsters, but I'm just not convinced that JuJu's heart was ever really in it. She was never a passionate tennis player - which Kim was. Sure, JuJu was - and probably still is - exceptionally talented, but without the love? I just don't know.

I suppose if there is anything that would inspire her to come back, it would be Kim's comeback. If Kim can do it, why can't JuJu? I can see that logic. But Kim loves tennis. I'm not convinced that JuJu ever did, and as late as May this year she was ragging on the sport and vowing never to return.

So maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this press conference will be for JuJu to announce her return. But I won't believe it till I see it. And even if she does come back, without the love, I'm 100% sure she doesn't have a chance of emulating KimPossible.


Today's Results

BCR Open Romania (Bucharest)

Peter Luczak def. Karol Beck, 7-5 7-6 (8-6)
Marcel Granollers def. Petru-Alexandru Luncanu, 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-1


Open de Moselle (Metz)

Andreas Beck def. Yen-hsun Lu, 6-4 6-2
Bjorn Phau def. Rainer Schuettler, 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5)


Tashkent Open (Tashkent)

Stefanie Voegele def. Vitalia Diatchenko, 6-3 7-5
Galina Voskoboeva def. Neuza Silva, 6-4 3-6 6-4

Kim Possible

Okay, what has Kim Clijsters been doing while she's been away?

*

This is incredible. This is beyond a comeback now - this is sheer brilliance. First she beat Bartoli. Then Schnyder. And now -Kuznetsova?

*

These are all serious quality players - like serious quality. And Clijsters is eating them for breakfast.

*

Well, 'eating for breakfast' might be a little bit of an exaggeration. It did go to three against Kuznetsova - but then it was 6-2 in the third. Kim is sailing, my friends, sailing!

*

And I don't want to put the hoodoo on it... but what if she won the tournament?

*

There. I said it.

*

Both Williams sisters are out, and so the competition is now, I think, significantly lessened. I think Kim has a good a chance at winning this as anyone. What I really hope is that this is not beginner's luck - some major fluke at the start of her comeback which raises everyone's expectations before it's back down to first and second round losses.

*

But if Kim keeps playing at this level, well...

*

Oh yeah - that other comeback. Rafa's doing well. More on him soon.

*

*

Today's Results

*

Rogers Cup (Montreal)

*

Roger Federer def. Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-3 7-6 (7-5)

Rafael Nadal def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-3 6-2

Andy Murray def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-1 6-3

Novak Djokovic def. Mikhail Youzhny, 6-3 6-4

Andy Roddick def. Fernando Verdasco, 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 7-6 (7-5)

Juan Martin Del Potro def. Victor Hanescu, 3-6 6-3 6-4

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Gilles Simon, 6-3 6-3

Nikolay Davydenko def. Fernando Gonzalez, 7-6 (7-2) 7-5

*

*

Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open (Cincinatti)

*

Sybille Bammer def. Serena Williams, 7-5 6-4

Flavia Pennetta def. Venus Williams, 7-6 (7-2) 6-4

Elena Dementieva def. Sorana Cirstea, 6-4 6-4

Kim Clijsters def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-4 4-6 6-2

Daniela Hantuchova def. Vera Zvonareva, 7-6 (8-6) 0-6 7-6 (7-5)

Caroline Wozniacki def. Melinda Czink, 3-0 retired

Penultimate

I don't actually have very much to say today, but I've been blogging every day of the Australian tennis summer, so I'm not going to stop two days from the finish line. If I didn't have a job, maybe I could blog about the women's final, but unfortunately, for those of us in retail, Saturday afternoon is money time.

*

So surprise, surprise. Sharapova beat Ivanovic. Colour me stunned.

*

I know Ivanovic was seeded higher than Sharapova, but there was no way Sharapova wasn't going to win that match. When you compare the form Sharapova is in - ain't just anyone can bagel Justine Henin - to the form Ivanovic was in - bageled by Hantuchova in the semis before coming back.... foregone conclusion, really. I thought Ivanovic won in the dress stakes, but in the tennis stakes, Sharapova, throughout the tournament, was playing lightyears better.

*

I suppose I could talk about the men's final coming up tonight, but it's still a bit of a sore point for me. A final without Federer seems strange and unusual. All I can say is this: Jo-Wilfried, please, please, please pound Djokovic into the ground. Go Schwarzenegger on him again. Please. I mean, who does Djokovic think he is, saying that 'this is the Slam final everyone wanted to see?'

*

I mean, sure. It's nice to see young players coming up. But this is certainly not the Slam final I wanted to see. I want to see Roger Federer make history.

*

Well, I suppose I can't complain. By Roger's own admission, he didn't play his best tennis, even though he tried as hard as he could. But I'm just so sad for him. This year's chance at the Slam gone before it even began...

*

But I'm trying to be optimistic about it. Maybe this will be good for Roger. It might lift some pressure off him coming into the French. Last year, he said he felt pressure in Indian Wells and Miami because expectation was so great. Maybe a little less expectation will be a good thing. And because he won't be trying for four Slams in a row at the French, maybe that will make it a bit easier as well.

*

And maybe it will help him reevaluate a bit as well. I don't know what was up with him, but he didn't seem quite himself this tournament. He was a bit... well, stroppy, really. Somewhere between the Santoro match and the Tipsarevic match - I don't know if something happened, but it was like the off-switch got flicked and he wasn't quite all there. He has a break coming up now before the US hardcourt tournaments start. Maybe it will be good.

*

Because I have no doubt - no doubt WHATSOEVER - that Roger Federer will come back, bigger and better than ever. Because that is who he is.

*

*

Australian Open Results - Day 13

*

Women's Draw

*

Maria Sharapova def. Ana Ivanovic, 7-5 6-3