Notes on a Drawsheet

The Myskina report: pressure confines Russian
Dani needs better conditioning; Farina to retire in 2003

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Courtesy of Sanex WTA Tour

FROM THE WTA HOME DEPOT CHAMPIONSHIPS –
Russian Anastasia Myskina came into the $3 million WTA Home Depot Championships as the new flavor of the fall season, partially due to her standout play in September and early October and somewhat due to her nude Lady Goodie pose on a horse for GQ.

Locally, she received more attention than any player outside of the top 10, because she works with legendary coach Robert Lansdorp, who is based in the Los Angeles. That earned Myskina a cover shot on the front of the L.A. Times sports section on Monday.

But like so many players do in their first big event under the microscope, she collapsed under the pressure, knocked out by Jelena Dokic 6-3 6-4. Dokic outmuscled Myskina from the ground and the Russian's mix of flat-out offense and cagey defensive via her high loopers never properly blended. Dokic did not have to play brilliantly.

Myskina, who came into the tournament with a career high ranking of No. 12, was devastated.

"It's the worse I've ever played in my life. I was too uptight," said Myskina, who added that she wouldn't pick up a racket again for two weeks. "I'm going to send my rackets straight to Russia and I'm going to go the opposite way."

Funny, but the Tolstoy lover did a better imitation of Anna Karenina on the train tracks that Anna Kournikova did against Anna Smashnova in the Shanghai final. Her second serve was a wreck, she couldn't keep in significant points and backed off the ball in key moments. Myskina has a terrific foundation, is a fine mover and has a good head for the game, but she doesn't have the stomach for big-time tennis just yet.

"She's always gets nervous in big matches," Dokic said. "I played enough to win, but could have played much better, She double faulted a lot and does that when she gets nervous. I played her six times this year and when it's the bigger occasions, she gets nervous.

Myskina agreed that the weight of the Staples Center fell on her shoulders.

"It's hard in your first championships," she said. "When everyone's expecting you to play well and are watching. It's even more pressure than a Grand Slam because you want to show people you're really in the best 16. You want to maybe play higher than you can."

Dani needs better condtioning

Courtesy of Sanex WTA Tour

Seventh-seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 7-5 loss to Maggie Maleeva was a clear indication that the teen has to get in better shape. She's only 19 and though it's understandable that she was a bit worn out from playing Fed Cup last weekend, she did have four days of rest, which should be plenty of time to recover and play respectable in at least one contest here.

Hantuchova hadn't arrived in Los Angeles until Monday night because she had lead her nation to its first Fed Cup title on Sunday on Gran Canaria in Spain. She looked sluggish most of the afternoon, unable find the range with her normally big first serve and frequently hitting her groundstrokes well long. Plus, Maleeva confounded her by consistently employing an effective drop shot.

"I can't afford to play like this against such an experienced player," said Hantuchova, who 36 unforced errors in the match compared to 21 from Maleeva. "She made me pay for it. A couple of days ago I was playing Fed Cup and I didn't have much time to adjust to the time or the surface. I wasn't sharp enough or moving as well as I should."

But she didn't, which means that her ambitions of maybe playing Capriati in the next round or Serena in the semis are dust. As Maleeva said, "Maybe she shouldn't have played every week before Spain. I was wondering why she had to play every week. Everybody is tired. You just deal with it."

Farina to retire in 2003
Silvia Farina Elia is likely playing in her last championships and the 30-year-old Italian has certainly flown under the radar screens in the English speaking world, mostly because her Grand Slam results have been less than stellar. She's says she going to retire after next year unless a miracle happens.

But you have to respect someone of her age who reached the championships when it was nearly ground in stone that the teens would rule the roost this year and her arsenal of slice backhands, looping forehands and sharp angles were passe.

"I've improved so many things physically and mentally," said Farina before her match against Jennifer Capriati. "It's not just experience that's helped me, but I also worked a lot on my fitness. I don't recover like I did when I was 20, but I feel I move just as well."

Farina says that she had no choice but to improve because the balls are coming so much faster these days, especially on the serves and returns. Like some other members of her generation, Farina says that the old champs would still be near or at the top if they were playing today, but added that the depth of the tour has improved remarkably.

Italian tennis will certainly miss Farina when she goes, because neither Rita Grande or Francesa Schiavone have shown that they have anywhere near enough of Farina's poise and fight. While she never earned the Gladiator headlines like Marcus Aurelius did, Farina has been Italian women's tennis most gallant performer in the Coliseum for the past decade.