Tennis Chatter

I am not sure if Nike has a new fashion statement. When Maria Sharapova waved to fans after her interview with Jim Courier the underarm part of her white Nike jacket showed a gaping hole! I was afraid I would see the swoosh trademark but no need for that when it was all over the whole ensemble, right?

How prepared is Jim Courier in his after-match interviews with winning players? Not much. He ran out of questions with Andy Roddick. With Maria Sharapova (also rumored as Roddick’s sweetheart), his improvisation and cajoling skills were embarrassing! He quizzed Sharapova about her Costa Rican vacation during the off-season when such trivia has been all over the sports pages and internet sites since her third round match two days ago! Credit to Maria for sparing the audience a boring repetition of her post-match press conference revelation replicated ad infinitum.

His questions may be casual but they were so forgettable. What gives, Jim?

Noticeable was Sharapova’s muteness when Vera Zvonareva broke her serve to scrap 5-4 in the second set — an indication of Sharapova tightening. I observe this each moment she is threatened in any part of the match. The shrieks (yes, shrieks, not grunts!) were replaced by worried and questioning looks. Luck must be a lady Monday night for she was at Maria’s side.

Vera Zvonareva’s self-destruction was anything but a professional frustration. It was not even close to it. It was depressing to watch. For what is to be gained when you throw your racket on the floor several times and display an expression that seems to convey “Oh, somebody! Am gonna lose the match! Lose the match! Lose the match! Hu hu hu!”? The least she could have done for wasting her chances in the first set was to put up a dignified face.

Sharapova’s solid elephantine serve pulled her through coupled with well-chosen angles mostly from her forehand. Zvonareva could have matched Sharapova’s baseline rallies. But Vera was quite inconsistent. After a close first set her face showed a whining expression which did not help lift her fighting spirit and her concentration. She even forgot the protocol of holding up the new balls first for her opponent to see. Indeed, the match was also largely about body language. Despite breaking Sharapova’s serve in the second set, Zvonareva still looked dejected, not a good sign of a future champion.

Sharapova shouted her obligatory “vamos” and appeared much relieved. It was actually closer than the score shows 7-5 6-4. She will next tackle fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze.

A friendly caveat: Prepare to switch channels once Jim Courier approaches the winner for the interview.