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2009 Year End Review
The Women, No. 1-10:
Serena, the Russians, & the Kids MORE
The Women, No. 11-20:
Bartoli, Sharapova, Clijsters & the Rest MORE


Lum photoThe
Women, No. 21-30 and Other Notables
Thus begins a review of the women’s and
men’s Top 30s, plus other notables. The women are being reviewed
first as their season is over, while the men have yet to play their year-end
championships. MORE

THE TR NEWSLETTER: SUNDAY, NOV. 8, NO. 349
Foiled Again in Fed Cup
Italy Shuts Out US, While Djokovic Upends Federer
& Murray,
Rezai Win Titles MORE
The Hit List, Nov. 4, 2009
The Agassis, Oudin & Fed Cup,
French Wins and Losses
MORE


Lum photo THE
TR NEWSLETTER: MONDAY, Nov. 2, NO. 348
Looking into the Open: Analyzing Agassi's Book
Legend's history of lying clouds the tales
told in new autobiography
By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net
At first glance, Andre Agassi's new autobiography, Open, is a
fascinating account of a boy morphing from a psychologically beaten-down
prodigy of an emotionally disturbed ex-boxer of a father into an intelligent,
big-hearted sporting guru, until one gets into the meat of what the eight-time
major champion is attempting to portray about his life. MORE


Lum photoSony Ericsson Championships FINAL
Serena Superior, Ending Chaotic Year Defeats sister to punctuate dominant year By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net
After facing down her elder sister Venus 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the final of the Sony Ericsson Championships on Sunday, Serena Williams offered a coy smile before revealing the significance of an issue that has been bugging her much of the season:
"I (finally) won a tournament that wasn't a Slam so ha-ha," she said. "Now my losing streak in tournaments that aren't Grand Slams is over." MORE

ARCHIVED STORIES
Sony
Ericsson Championships Day 1 Analysis MORE
Sony Ericsson WTA Championships Breakdown MORE
Jankovic Takes Last Spot as Zvonareva Flames MORE
Decidedly Davydenko MORE
The Hit List, October 12, '09 MORE
Henin to the Rescue in a Hurry MORE
Jankovic, Sharapova to Revive Heated Junior Rivalry in Tokyo MORE
Clijsters-Henin Clash is Women's Best
Rivalry MORE
Spain's 21st Century Davis Cup Dynasty MORE
US Open Title Over Federer Lifts del Potro MORE
Comeback Queen Mom: Amazing Clijsters Downs Wozniacki
to Win US Open MORE
Angry Serena Tossed in Bizarre US Open Semi MORE
Breaking Down the Players Amidst the Downpour MORE
Wozniacki Looks to Become New "It Girl" MORE
Serena and Comeback Mom Clijsters to Clash in USO Semis MORE
Federer Pumps Up the Volume MORE
A Mother of a Win: Clijsters Vexes Venus
MORE
Dawg Day Afternoon MORE
Russia: An Enigma Rapped in a Puzzle MORE
American Revival May Be in Offing MORE
It's Serena, Venus and ... Oudin MORE
Del Potro Destroys Rafa, to Face Federer in
US Open Final MORE
Cilic Stuns Murray in Breakthrough Win MORE
Del Potro Foils Ferrero and Looks Like
Potential Finalist MORE
Swearing Game Bandage Tearing Zvonareva
Melts Down MORE
Nadal's Injury Acts Up, to Face Monfils
MORE
LA Women's Tournament Sold and Will Move
to San Diego MORE
Pavel, Safin & Santoro: Retirement Trio Exits USO MORE
Clijsters Major Semifinal Threat
MORE
Bury My Forehand on Venus' Wounded Knee
MORE
Clijsters Craving Big Matches MORE
Isner, Young Head in Different Directions MORE
Will Federer Celebrate Sweet 16 in NYC? MORE
Drama Queens: Safina Survives, Ivanovic's Slam Season Ends in Tears MORE
Potential Early Blockbusters MORE
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ATP World Finals Preview: Who Can Win and
Why? MORE
Injured Roddick Out of London, Soderling In
TUESDAY, NOV. 17 - It’s official: Andy Roddick and
his bum knee won't be able to make it to the ATP World Finals next week
and he'll be replaced by Robin Soderling, who will make
his debut. It’s the first time since 1986 that no American male
has taken part in the season-ending tournament and now Wimbledon finalist
Roddick has zero chance to end the year in the top 5.
With Soderling’s elevation, Jo Tsonga becomes the
first-alternate. The rest of the eight man field includes Roger Federer,
Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, Nikolay
Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco.
The doubles field comprises Nestor/Zimonjic, Bryan/Bryan, Bhupathi/Knowles,
Dlouhy/Paes, Kubot/Marach, Mirnyi/Ram, Cermak/Mertinak and Fyrstenberg/Matkowski.
Djokovic Looks Like London Favorite After
Gutsy Title Win Over Monfils
SUNDAY, NOV. 15 - If he can manage to recover in the next week, Serbia's
Novak Djokovic has to be called the favorite at the season-ending
Nov. 22-29 ATP World Tour Finals in London.
In yet another outstanding performance by the 2008 Aussie Open champ,
Djokovic won his first Masters shield of the year by out-gutting, out-thinking
and out-stroking crowd favorite Gael Monfils 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (3) at Bercy
on Sunday.
The more aggressive and competent Djokovic has had quite a last two weeks,
besting Roger Federer for the Basel title and then thrashing Rafael Nadal
in the Paris semis and facing down a raucous crowd against Monfils. While
the young Frenchman fought bravely, it was the Serbians’ ability
to mix it up in the third set tiebreaker that won him the match. Not only
is hitting his forehand harder, but he appears much more secure around
the net now.
"It was incredibly tough," said Djokovic, who nailed 33 winners
to 25 from Monfils and converted 20 of 29 net approaches. "Gael is
very unpredictable. He was hitting the ball well and he's got a strong
serve. I had to [dig deep], because in the last four finals that I've
played this year in 1000 events I lost, so it was kind of in my head.
I was thinking about it, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling, especially
when I saw Gael getting into the rhythm more. Of course [the] big support
of the crowd gave him even more motivation and more energy towards the
end of the match. So I was kind of fighting him and fighting the big pressure
of the crowd. I was trying to hold all my nerves. At the end of the match,
I threw all my emotions out and was happy."
Monfils was playing his first Masters final and acquitted himself nicely,
but still needs to be a bit more creative and focused when the big points
come. "I managed to fight my way back into it and I nearly made it,"
he said. "It's a pity, really.”
The third ranked Djokovic will head to London with 7,910 points, well
ahead of Andy Murray, who has 6 830 and will likely have to win the title
to regain the No. 3 spot.
"I'm very happy that I managed to win a big tournament just two tournaments
before the end of the season," said Djokovic. "Now I'm coming
with a lot of confidence in London, and the only question is if I'm able
to physically rest and get energy for that event."
Djokovic Crushes Rafa, to Meet Monfils
SATURDAY, NOV. 14 - It’s been a good year
and a half since Novak Djokovic looked like he could
seriously threaten for No.1, but after scalding Roger Federer for the
Basel title and then wasting Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3 for a place in the
Bercy Masters final, the Serbian appears to be a primetime contender once
again.
Although he’s had a mediocre year at the Slams, the 22-year-old
advanced to his fifth ATP final of the year with a 77-minute victory over
Nadal. He leads the tour for match wins in 2009, with a 75-18 and has
a 4-5 record in title matches. Some credit must go to his part-time coach
Todd Martin, as Djokovic’s level and confidence
has really improved since they began working together in the summer.
"There's not much to say about today's performance, except it was
perfect," said Djokovic, who nailed 31 winners. "[It was] exactly
the way I wanted it. I have done, tactically-wise, everything that I imagined
to do and planned to do before the match. I was very aggressive. I was
hitting winners from all over the court and really trying to keep that
momentum going throughout the whole match. I didn't give him many chances
to come back into the match."
Djokovic will face French favortite Gael
Monfils, who took a delicious 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over Radek Stepanek.
Monfils could put a sizeable cherry on his year by winning the title.
Djokovic is now 6-14 against Nadal, but doesn’t shy away from the
Spaniard on hardcourts. Nadal has not won a title since May at Rome and
is 945 points behind Roger Federer in the battle to be crowned year-end
No. 1, meaning that he’ll likely have to win London. "He played
very well," said Nadal. "He played unbelievable, in my opinion.
I didn't play bad. That's the truth. But with this level of Novak’s,
[it] is very difficult to play at this level, especially [on] this surface.”
Verdadco Qualifies for London as Tsonga,
Soderling Fall; Rafa v. Djokovic
FRIDAY, NOV. 13 - Fernando Verdasco couldn’t have
asked for two more competent players than Rafael Nadal
and Novak Djokovic to secure him the final spot in the
ATP World Tour Finals in London, Nov. 22-29.
On Friday at the Bercy Masters, Nadal played his most impressive match
of the fall in knocking out local and defending champ Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
7-5, 7-5 by winning 12 out of the last 13 points of the second set.
Prior to that, Djokovic survived Soderling’s inside the baseline
blitz with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory. Combined with Fernando Gonzalez’s
retirement to Juan Martin Del Potro on Thursday night,
Verdasco now joins the eight-player field that includes Roger Federer,
Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray, del Potro, Andy Roddick and Nikolay Davydenko.
However, Roddick, who has been troubled by a knee injury and just began
light jogging a few days ago and can’t be considered definitive
for the competition, which means that Soderling, who is in ninth place
in the points race, and Tsonga, who finished 10th, still have a chance
to compete as they will head to London as alternates.
Nadal, who still has an outside chance of finishing the year as No. 1,
broke the on-rushing Tsonga to win the match in a beautiful return game.
While Tsonga competed hard this year, he really didn’t show much
improvement overall.
"I played a lot better today," said Nadal, who struggled in
his previous two long matches. "I was really focused all the time
and played well at important moments. This is positive and gives me a
lot of confidence." Nadal will play a tired Djokovic in the semis.
The Serbian took out Federer at Basel last week.
Wrap: Week of Nov. 9-15 MORE
Wrap: Week of Nov. 2-8 MORE
WRAP: WEEKS OF OCT. 26-NOV. 1
MORE
WRAP: WEEKS OF OCT. 18-25
MORE
WRAP: WEEKS OF OCT. 11-17
MORE
WRAP: WEEK OF OCT. 5-11
MORE
WRAP: WEEK OF OCT. 3
MORE
WRAP: WEEK OF SEPT. 26
MORE
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