Tennis Chatter

Long after the nearly four-hour heroic match between Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Great Britain’s Andy Murray in the fourth round of the Australian Open, scribes had a feast writing superlatives. Curiously, headlines flashed that Nadal “grinds” to win the match, descriptive of the impressive jolt that the contest had on the audience. For Nadal is often described as a ferocious fighter with an otherworldly physical stamina but seldom called a grinder. He dictates his show especially on clay if only because he can outlast them all.

For one, the commentator of the night opened with a sweeper announcing to viewers that it would be a “swift” match. I’ll make it swifter. No comment.

I am very very excited for Andy Murray (is that obvious enough?). The floodgates of opportunity just flung widely open after the match that only good things can happen from now on if he can manage his affairs well. I am not emphasizing the material side of his sport. Being a multi-millionaire is just a corner turn for him.

Physically, I can see the fruits of his off-season efforts paying off handsomely. If he sweated during the match I did not notice. The improved physical conditioning is an important manifestation because it relates to me personally. There are times I think the words ‘great effort’ is overrated. Questions like: Really, how much is “great effort� to get some decent results? How many hundreds of strokes should I do to bring the ball to that bloody corner? How many candles should I burn every night to digest the lessons right?

This is why I love sports because it is one domain where my two Ps — the Positive and the Possible — conspicuously emerge colorfully. When the players step into the tennis court one can observe the kinetics of the two Ps.

Going back to 19-year old Andy, there was no shame at all in losing to the world No. 2 in 6-7(3-7) 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-1. Both players displayed a lot of heart and guts. Somebody wrote before that Andy is the sloth type. I did not see any indication of that during the match. Instead I noted superb court sense and instinct which I see only in the very consistent Roger Federer. Andy showed them all why it was worth making the LTA pay for Brad Gilbert’s coaching. He unleashed his fruit salad of shots served with eclat and Rafael almost had an indigestion from figuring out his game plan. I was afraid he would twist his ankle being wrong-footed by Andy a number of times.

Kudos to Rafael! This young man was totally dauntless and relentless…again! I wanted the match to reach a fifth-set not to possibly see Andy vomit again but just to check what was left in Nadal’s pocket. Yes, Nadal always has his legs to rely on. His breathing and heart rate were probably still the same all throughout the match. He is a machine that just gets stronger as the pressure increases. He fought tooth and nail for every point as can only be expected from a great champion. As usual he was able to retrieve the irretrievable. According to a court associate of mine, either you have it or you don’t. Point well taken. Long-term scenario, however, dictates that Nadal’s very physical type of play will follow the law on diminishing returns.

Andy’s fighting spirit did not wane but his body language betrays the negativity that is not impossible to tame. Sure he talks loudly to himself on the court, shouts at himself in frustration, but why do I see it as just normal for this perfectionist lad? He painfully missed his chances in the fifth set. He knew he could have done so much better.

Andy Murray’s intelligent brand of tennis has been announced on the big stage but rest assured this is not tennis’ ephemeral commodity. He just segued from being merely a promising player to a possible Grand Slam contender in the near future…or a winner at that. He will not be brooding Murray for long. He will persist on improving (Brad Gilbert vowed on that). Soon Merry Murray will take his turn in the wheel of tennis. He will conquer himself. That is the most one can ask from one’s self.

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.

When asked about the outcome of the Federer-Djokovic match, some court associates of mine replied kindly:

“Huh? You have the nerve to ask?”

“Do not waste my time.”

“Never, never ask something that you already know.”

“Is this a bad joke?”

“Ask me again one more time and I will put down the phone.”

“The joke fell flat.”

Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic is the better known half of a low-profile relationship with girlfriend Lucie Safarova. Not anymore.

Safarova just created the most talked-about upset of this year’s Australian Open. She ousted defending champion Amelie Mauresmo of France in straight sets 6-4 6-3 to take her place in the quarterfinals. At about the same time of her victory, Berdych also finished his demolition job of Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-2 6-1 6-1 to reach the fourth round.

The 19-year old Safarova subverted Mauresmo’s confidence with her passing shots, unforgiving forehand down the line winners, and big lefty serves. Mauresmo could only loudly admonish herself.

Safarova won only one match in her six Grand Slam tournaments and it was her first time at the Rod Laver Arena. She has three Sony Ericsson WTA Tour titles under her belt so far.

The 70th-ranked player appeared to have the nerves on the second set when she produced errors for Mauresmo to save two match points. Despite the intimidating environment and a taped right leg, credit goes to Safarova for generally keeping her composure throughout the match. She will next face fellow Czech Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals.

Oh yes, before I forget, her 21-year old talented boyfriend with a charming shy smile, Tomas Berdych, who has yet to drop a set in Melbourne Park, will next face No. 3 seed Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

She has been written off almost entirely. But she is hungry to reclaim her spot. So with nothing to lose, she charged into the Open with no reservations.

Serena Williams has so far defied critics and seeded players Mara Santangelo (Italy), Nadia Petrova (Russia) and, just today, the impressive Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 6-3 6-2 to secure a quarterfinal berth.

Her movement is still sluggish compared to her old form but Serena has shown ferocity in her powerful shots (and shouts) during the week it was almost scary. Every one of her gesture showed boldness (including the earrings). Jankovic made her cover both flanks of the court, going for the lines, and that would be quite the key for Serena’s next opponent, Israel’s Shahar Peer, since her current physique now limits her agility. Of course, that did not matter in the end against Jankovic who now has a head-to-head record of 2-2 against the American.

Nothing but frustration painted the Serbian’s countenance when Williams reigned over the first set. Jankovic tried to step things up but her valiant efforts were not enough to stop the train that was Williams from running her over.

However it will turn out for Serena Williams, she already made a categorical point. She is back in the game.

Sticking to the positive and the possible, I would like to believe that Serbia’s Novak Djokovic already has an important tool in place to hold his own when he treads Federerdom at his own risk this evening at the Rod Laver Arena.

The 19-year old is on a mission with a 50-50 chance of making it. He has the confidence of a president despite coming from a tiny country. He will face Federer to win and not just to play his best tennis, he said. This young man is not ready to play a supportive role to the protagonist. He wanted a huge stage of his own. Co-existence is not in his current goal, it seems.

Last year, he was a joke in the circuit due to his range of “injuries” from breathing to eye problems during matches. This was the young man who lost two sets before he retired with a back injury during the quarterfinals against world no. 2 Rafael Nadal in Roland Garros. At the post-match press conference he had the temerity to analyze that he “dominated” the match. Hopefully we will not see any of his antics in this anticipated meeting. This will also be Roger’s significant test despite having a 2-0 record against the 14th-ranked Djokovic. After all, he once anointed this man to be the future number one in the world.

I do not brand the Serbian’s confidence as too lofty or delusional. In fact, I truly admire his self-belief. Self-belief is something that most people ought to have in their pursuit of excellence may it be in sports or in daily life.

Against the entrancing Roger Federer though, he has to show some enormous fortitude to avoid being decimated.

Oh, Marat! What is tennis without your audacity to challenge authority every now and then?

Last week’s most anticipated dogfight between American Andy Roddick and Russian Marat Safin did not disappoint. The public love the former number ones and there was an air of excitement on just who will emerge victorious. Well, there can only be one.

Andy Roddick, as he continues to write his story in this Open, came out the stronger…and calmer player. Hey, Marat is not Marat without the occasional entertainment and hyena yells. Yes, that is a staple but the match showed more.

No one gave in at first and Roddick had to work hard to claim the first set on a tie break 7-2. As expected from the 2005 Australian Open champion, Safin snatched the second set with four breaks of serve. The third set saw Roddick with a late break. He continued to impose himself in the fourth set tie break, again 7-2 in front of his youthful coach Jimmy Connors.

Prior to the start of the fourth set, rain fell and the Rod Laver Arena had to be closed and the surface dried manually. However, Safin refused to start the set because he claimed it was still wet and he would not risk his limbs on it. And did the argument continue indeed! Safin appeared too stubborn and wanted the match suspended. He glued himself to his seat like a petulant child. The tournament referee had to come out and put a lid on the lengthening discussion. After another shot at the umpire, Safin was given the expected warning on the way to his side of the court to resume play.

While the scuffle was going on, I feared for the Russian because his veins seemed about to pop out while reasoning his point. At the same time, I admire his temperament because he is one of those rare breed who can create a storm but still can almost always get away with it. His anger is generally harmless, not exactly the kind that offends the senses unless one possesses an onion skin sensitivity. In fact, his rebelliousness is almost comical which in some ways hampers the seriousness of his cause at the moment.

Nonetheless, the point has to end somehow and the match continued after he made his usual arm gesture of brushing a useless argument aside. People, if you refuse to see my obvious point, say so! — he seemed to indicate. Yes, the yada yada yada kind.

In the crucial fourth set, it was evident that the linesmen were either closing their eyes or just plain anti-Safin. A succession of bad calls against the man lovingly called “Safinator” by his fans only ignited his self-destruction. Each time Safin got back to his seat, he let the umpire (who almost never overruled a bad call against Safin but wrongly overruled one in the fourth set…what a job, don’t you think?) had a taste of his charming sarcasm. All Roddick had to do was wait calmly. I mean, why douse more gas?

Thus, it was no wonder Safin scathingly called the officials pathetic during the post-match conference. The linesmen during that match should be fired and never be given another job at a tournament again. A disgrace to the Open, indeed. Since we are on the subject of firing, why not include the umpire as well? Or at least, banish the unnecessary umpire in courts where Hawk-Eye is at work.

Although the match was characterized by ripping strokes, zinging aces, well-constructed drop shots, and mammoth serves, it was Roddick who excelled at the baseline rallies. He attacked Safin’s second serve well. Probably hampered by his chronic knee injury, Safin was less agile by the middle of the fourth set. Fatigue may have factored in since his previous matches against Germany’s Benjamin Becker and Israel’s Dudi Sela went all the way to five sets. He also injured his pinkie during the third set. Safin lost to Roddick 7-6 2-6 6-4 7-6.

The aggressive Roddick deserved the win but Safin did not deserve the linesmen and the umpire.

In tennis a player faces two battles: inside and out. He battles himself, his nerves, his mind. It does not help that there in the stadium where he enters to wide applause, awaits another player seemingly ready to pound on him…to wide applause. He battles his mind, his nerves, his body. Yes, that temple of the spirit which like any structure could break down under the flaming Melbourne sun.

World no. 15 Andy Murray knows what “unfitâ€? means with his eyes closed — and this is not talking about his tennis abilities. In the 2005 U.S. Open, he practically almost scattered his insides around the court during the fifth set against Andrei Pavel although at the end he courageously pocketed the match. The heart was much willing but the weak tummy and cramping legs were not especially when he was on the verge of reaching a fifth set. Short of panting, “I’ll take the fifth…on hold,â€? Murray was a promising player who desperately needed a good trainer to pump his muscles. He literally wilted in five-setters despite his obvious gift.

Compromise, like equanimity, is not the Scot’s (please, he is not English!) strongest virtue. Soon after coach Mark Petchey’s term ended, he made known his own standards for his next coach. He better be someone he himself will respect. After much speculation and scrutiny, he found that in Brad Gilbert with oodles of financial help from the Lawn Tennis Association, of course. Since July last year, Gilbert’s influence over Andy Murray has been slowly manifesting from his controlled on-court demeanor (slowly, this is happening slowly, folks) to his current speed and stamina in the Australian Open. To address the fitness problem, Murray trained with Gilbert’s neighbor Olympic ace U.S. sprinter Michael Johnson last winter. It is safe to assume that Murray had a very warm winter season blazing the tracks, indeed.

In his first Grand Slam event in this long season, he showed no mercy to Spain’s Alberto Martin 6-0 6-0 6-1 (the 1 game was for Martin’s effort). He clawed his way to the last 32 by being plainly belligerent against his opponent and the frying heat, dispatching Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 7-6 7-5 6-4. He will next face Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela, his slayer in the first round last year at Melbourne Park.

Murray could possibly break into the world’s top ten if he reaches the semi-finals in the AO. If he could carry his composure for the long ride, use his guns smartly, this Grand Slam event, the highest that he is seeded in his young career, will somehow write a big story all over his chiseled rubicund face.

A strong wind fanned the Rod Laver Arena on Day 3 of the Australian Open.

Last year’s finalist Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, yes, the one who pushed eventual champion Roger Federer to four sets, the one with rowdy loyalists in every match, the one with infectious smile just exited in the second round of the Australian Open. The executioner? Twenty-year old unseeded Frenchman Gael Monfils.

Monfils has been touted as one of the young guns rising in men’s tennis. He is currently training at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida and it greatly seemed to pay off with his excellent display of athleticism. He is outrageously expressive (see right photo and memorize that expression because it will be replicated for years) and lanky! One is afraid for him to break each time he slides. He looks like … like a marionette!…only with brains. His footwork has improved and he seemed like Plastic Man with his endless arms retrieving those balls.

Eleventh seed Marcos Baghdatis on the other hand had little to smile about since he could not seem to solve the French puzzle in front of him. Monfils called a trainer for an injured foot before the fourth set after Baghdatis bagged the third. All that meant nothing because Monfils just came back firing with the same level of confidence shutting out The Bagh in the fourth set to claim the match 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 2-6 6-0 and the best moment of his tennis life.

The most awaited match so far is a possible fourth round meeting between the fourteenth seed, very confident, talented young gun Serbian Novak Djokovic and the Swiss maestro Roger Federer. That would be quite a study in contrast. Let’s hope Djokovic, who defeated Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, would not invoke the right to be injured the exact moment he is cornered. The Swiss, who easily disposed of Jonas Bjorkman, will be tested on this match so it is worth the wait.

I have always been quizzical about Maria Sharapova’s family motto in action. You know, whatever you do, just win. Or that famous “It’s never enough. Bring on the money. There’s no limit to how much you can make.” Sounds like IMG with an idiot board.

During their match on Day 2 of the Australian Open, Camille Pin was serving at 30-15 when Sharapova changed her racket. After the banana incident at the U.S. Open, she has been sharpening her skills at gamesmanship (a glamorous word for cheating in sports). After a ball dropped clearly by accident from Camille Pin’s skirt she let out an expletive (due to the f______ heat, maybe). Still commentators butter up over the so-called Golden Girl. Hey, they could not call her the Fairness Girl, can they? I’ll be damn if her matches will be scheduled at night while others are not. This is a traditional politician’s way: while in power siphon all privileges as much as possible. I will bet the Sharapovs will demand a preference.

She is not a quitter, she said. What? Quit when you just endorsed and energy drink and launched a hydration program in Australia? That would be a slap to the company!

Speaking of fairness, when fines were issued left and right two of tennis’ glamorous players, Roddick and Sharapova, escaped fines for verbal abuse. That would have been easy to do. In the end, organizers kowtow to the dough-providers. Hey, that’s commercial life.

Sharapova should not be hyped as a teenager anymore since she has learned the ways of the world and pretty much adapting to it long after Wimbledon while being polished with glamour and sassiness. She is the future, they say. There is no doubt at all about her “working her butt off.� Who does not want to reap the rewards of that?

But not all that glitters is gold.

Who on earth can bloody play his or her best under 35 degrees of heat?!!!!! Had it reached 40 degrees the heat waves could have even penetrated Maria Sharapova’s strong constitution and melted it to tidbits at the Rod Laver Arena.

A free lunch is not Sharapova’s style of play as she goes out to wage war on the court every single time. She committed 24 errors in the first seven games alone as it became probably difficult to focus on the ball let alone decide with lucidity where to hit it on the other court. Hey where is the net?! Or the shade?! It was pure Roman torture only that the lions turn out to be the despising sun rays eating everyone alive in front of the spectators (not exactly cheering for the athlete’s demise).

Is it not obvious that this is not your ordinary summer? It is global warming! That’s Al Gore’s inconvenient truth for you. Australian Open officials may have to revise the rules a tad bit, say, close the roof before skin cancer grows in front of you.

To refocus, Sharapova also had to overcome stomach cramps (too much sunny side ups, maybe) and called for the trainer. I assume she lost her shriek due to a parched throat. Where was that energy drink she is endorsing anyway? With her signature tenacity and family motto (whatever you do, just win) and despite losing the second set, she kicked it up a notch and dug so deep from her reservoir of experience and resolve to eventually perform a David Copperfield to eliminate the pricking world number 61 Camille Pin of France 6-3 4-6 9-7 in a hard-fought match.

And it is only the second day!

He never went so far away down but he certainly had his own plummet. He knows his valleys and maybe has reached his personal abyss in self-belief. But Andy Roddick knows now what it takes to regain that self-belief…and the bravado that once was evident with it.

I admit that his pronouncement about the narrowing gap between him and Federer sounds like a joke (The official head-to-head is 1-12. The exhibition win in Kooyong last week does not count but the inspiration could.) Human as I am, I have seen some jokes backfired so as a personal resolution for this year I prefer to take the side of the positive and the possible no matter how delusional it may sound.

It is obvious that Roddick’s newfound confidence has the Connors hue in it. If there is someone who knows how to use aggressiveness to one’s advantage in court and how to prove all people wrong, it is Jimmy Connors. So far, the Connors seed is slowly growing in Andy (did I just write that?).

Against world number 212 French wildcard Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roddick lost the first set with a historic 38-point tiebreak and almost gifted the second set to his 21-year old opponent had not probably the memory of his first round U.S. Open exit in 2005 knocked him out of his senses to dig into his arsenal. He finally prevailed at 6-7(18), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-3.

After spending time in Disappointment Village, Andy is starting not to fight his own shadow anymore. Instead, he rechannels his frustrations to better himself as a player.

If that is not inspiring to some, I do not know what is. This is the Australian Open and life displays in full living color, in action, through the stories that tennis will bring in the unfolding two weeks. Too early to say but Andy Roddick’s story might just be one of its highlights.

This year’s defending champion, Amelie Mauresmo of France has some credibility fixing to do. After Belgium’s Justine Henin-Hardenne withdrew from their match to hand her the championship last year, Amelie had her share of doubting Thomases until Wimbledon shut them all up. Can she defend her title to put a permanent lid to that horrible memory of a match? Does she have to prove anything at all?

The name Nicole stands for triumph. Like Jelena Jankovic, Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic, has a temper. She is hungry for a breakout but often hammers her own foot in tight matches. She was a surprise last year at Roland Garros when she created upsets against Amelie Mauresmo and Venus Williams. Her powerful strokes is often compared to Maria Sharapova. This and her other descriptions: leggy, blondie, plunging necklines, and yes, branded.

Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic needs to have the experience of big arenas to be able to unleash her booming forehand and display her serve and volley skills against the top players. Australia might prove special to her since she won her first career singles title in Canberra in 2005. She beat Martina Hingis in the final last year at the Montreal WTA tournament. She has the most classic face in the women’s tour — the type you would love to stare again and again without getting bored.

Her comeback seems like a long time ago so people should get over it by now. Martina Hingis reached the final at the Gold Coast two weeks ago. She fell on the first round at Sydney International last week. This champion has not lost her trademark court smarts but to dig deep into a Grand Slam tournament, Australian Open at that, endurance is a basic tool. The lesson from her heat-sapping classic match against Jennifer Capriati in 2002 should come handy now.

Does temper go with the struggle for perfection? Maybe or it may just be an expression of tension in tight situations. Russian Dinara Safina is short of temper but definitely not of skills. She avenged her defeat in Rome last against Martina Hingis in Gold Coast weeks ago. Consistency is still a question but if she can put her demon in its cage for a fortnight she may see her hard work pay off big time.

Another Russian who has the strokes that could match the big hitters is Elena Dementieva. Her weak serve is a public joke. But hey, this is a grand slam event and anything, anything can happen. So every match should be like a prayer for Elena to be able to go further and hopefully earn a Grand Slam trophy she so beautifully deserves for all the dedication she gives to her game.

So what if the Russians are charging towards the Australian Open with their full battle gear? So what if American women players are short of invisible? It takes only one to rock Rod Laver Arena. In two syllables, Li Na, just might be the one. She was the first woman from China to be seeded and to reach a quarterfinal at a Grand Slam tournament (Wimbledon). She may just perform some firsts in this tournament so let us not take her for granted.

The Australian Open will be kicking off this Monday. As a rule, ladies first so let us devote today’s post to the women players who, by the mixed line-up, can surely heighten our coming week. Already withdrawals of top names are causing quite a racket. Foremost among them is the tournament’s 2004 champion and 2006 runner-up Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne who announced her withdrawal last week due to personal reasons. Venus Williams is officially sidelined with a persistent wrist injury. During the build up for the Australian Open, ominous withdrawals sprouted here and there. Anastasia Myskina of Russia hurt her toe in Auckland last week and is currently recuperating. From the Sydney International tournament, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova had to quit due to a respiratory virus. Russian underachiever Nadia Petrova pulled out as well due to abdominal strain. So far, no official word on whether they will skip the AO.

Top-seed Maria Sharapova looks poised to continue her good form although she lost to the inspired Kim Clijsters in Hongkong last week. Did you notice Sharapova’s sincere smile despite the loss (she usually takes it seriously)? Maybe the seven-figure appearance fee she gained gave her a much bigger bottomline figure gap than Clijsters prize-money, eh? Oh well…if you have it…

I correctly predicted her U.S. Open victory simply because she has never looked more physically strong than now. She successfully relegated everyone at the baseline where her game works best. Why they did not resist her strongly enough I could not figure.

She is currently sweating it out at the Rod Laver Arena sustained by that energy drink she has recently chosen to endorse. Being hyped as leading the Russian women players into the Australian Open only empowers her more which adds to her being a legitimate contender for the trophy.

What I wish in this tournament is a breakthrough from the upcoming talents. If they will not be intimidated by Maria’s towering figure and her underestimating stare one of them will steal the spotlight. Heaven knows we need a new face preferably with the model attitude.

Meanwhile, here are my personal selected contenders in random order.

The in-form and fierce (yes, she’s the only face that comes to mind whenever I meet the word) Kim Clijsters can inspire herself (if she cannot, who can?) to another trophy to add to her mantle full of those muted things. It may not talk back to her as she rationalized the trophies’ personal value to her in the past but she can console herself many years later that it is a reminder that she retired with the sunshine reflecting her victorious smile on it in the Land Down Under.

Jelena Jankovic has, as of this writing, claimed victories over Martina Hingis, Samantha Stosur, Amelie Mauresmo, and Nicole Vaidisova at the Medibank International in Sydney. She will be facing Kim Clijsters in the final. This woman is maturing fast and my hope is that she will be kind to herself and to others under pressure. She can implode to the silent delight of her opponent and if she has learned her costly mistake in the 2006 U.S. Open, she will be dangerous and can potentially power her way through. She is set to break her 10-straight losing streak last year. She is currently on her eighth victory.

Former world number one Serena Williams’s self-belief is good on paper for now at the very least. She lost to Austrian Sybille Bammer in the quarterfinals at the Hobart International tournament this week. She has been struggling to regain her fitness after months of laying-off doing whatever she can get her creative hands into and suffering from knee injury. She has been missed on the tour but her blending back in has been far from her glory days. She needs to up the ante some more if she were to live up to her statement that it will only be a matter of time before she gets back on top. Or else…she just might get another letter from Chris Evert.

TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW…

More than three years of patiently coaching Lleyton Hewitt might have taught Roger Rasheed the value of earplugs. But even the earplugs gave up its job last Thursday when a reported locker room argument which started from the court between coach and player produced unforgiving words no decent human being can withstand.

Hewitt lost his round robin match to unknown (until now) world number 94 Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-4 6-7 (7-4) 4-6 at the Adelaide International that night. Alright, his calf injury fueled the outburst or maybe the other way around. One never knows how far the mind affects the body.

Hewitt’s volcanic temperament is public knowledge in tennis. South American players seem to detest this guy particularly David Nalbandian (like poles do repel). Hewitt likes to be treated with respect obviously but his manner of asking it is a tad short of thundering. He is no Zeus and since he left his number one spot players do not anymore cringe in fear whenever he is on the other side of the court counterpunching the life of him.

The lava of his language must have burned Roger Rasheed enough to storm out and announce his departure as Hewitt’s coach twenty-four hours later. Previously, Hewitt had been coached by Darren Cahill (fired) and Jason Stoltenberg (resigned).

Why is this man so angry? This goes to show that fortune alone cannot happiness give.

To his credit, Hewitt certainly knows how to make news. No doubt his Australian Open preparation is in an uncomfortable and questionable plane. His idol, Pat Rafter (he literally lived under Pat’s shadow during his heydays in the pro circuit), politely turned down an offer to coach him so he picked former Davis Cup team mate and until recently professional golfer Scott Draper as coach in the interim.

That could be a blessing in disguise for Draper. History suggests that with Hewitt, familiarity breeds contempt.