Anne Marie Stark
JJ iand Maria didn't become fast friends.
One might think
that given their long history, that Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova
would be more friendly, but that’s not the case and when they face
off in the Tokyo final on Saturday, the world will get a further glimpse
at who really won all those Bollettieri Academy back court clashes.
On Friday in the Tokyo semis, Sharapova took a long and fruitful 6-3 2-6
6-4 win over Agnieszka Radwanska, while Jankovic ran over Li Na 6-4, 6-3.
Sharapova owns a 4-1 edge in their pro rivalry, having smoked her former
rival from Bollettieri’s the last time they met in the ’08
Aussie Open semis. Jankovic ‘s sole win came at 2007 Birmingham,
but who know ho may times they really faced off in South Florida. Both
say it was a lot, but neither wants to remember who won most of the time.
This much is clear though: Sharapova doesn’t like how Jankovic frequently
makes excuses when she loses and doesn’t given enough credit to
her foes. perhaps that traces back to Bollettieri’s, when it’s
possible that the older Jankovic(she’s two years older than Sharapova),
wouldn’t give the Russian credit for victories.
Here’s Sharapova responding to a question at the US Open, tongue
firmly in cheek and eyes rolling back in her head:
“After Melanie beat Jelena Jankovic in Wimbledon, Jelena Jankovic
said she doesn't have many weapons and she wasn't too impressed.”
“Shocking. Shocking that she said that,” replied Sharapova
after her defeat to Oudin.
Jankovic memories of growing up at Bollettieri are rich, except when it
comes to specific scores. She’s very much a diva and clearly doesn’t
like the amount of attention that Sharapova has received. Without question,
she respects her as a player, but since she moved to the United States
when she was 12 to train at Bollettieri’s, she’s been all
about proving her place in the world, which to her, should be at the very
top.
“We always wanted to be better than another .” she said. “
That’s why we are great competitors now when we got older. We want
to fight, play the matches, we love the challenges. I didn’t ant
to practice I wanted to compete and go play matches on the backcourts.
At Bollettieri’s there are like 150 courts and we played -- fat
kids, thin kids, 15-year-old, 20 years and we just played an it made it
better… We were fighting, competing against each other we were doing
anything to win. We were girls at an young age that had rivalries. It
should be like that on court but when you leave the court you should be
able to go out and have normal life.”
Sharapova’s memories are thin too, other than that as kids at the
academy, "we'd always be playing in the semis or finals, all the
time. Every week we'd be playing against each other. All I actually remember
was that was the time when computers had just come out, and we were so
fascinated by them. They had like a little computer room at the academy,
and the first thing we'd do after the match was just run to the computer
room. I remember us setting up e-mail addresses and stuff. I guess that
was the in thing to do.”
Here’s comment that riled Sharapova back in the summer of 2007,
when Jankovic said that Sharapova didn’t deserve the word No. 2
ranking having only won one tournament that year. Sharapova's response:
"I deserve it - I've won two Slams and the ranking is year-round."
The question for the Tokyo final is whether Sharapova’s surgically-
repaired shoulder will hold up after such a long match against Radwanska.
The former No. 1 ha competed well since her return, but has yet to win
a tournament, partly because she still getting her rhythm back, partly
because she has yet to figure out a service motion that she comfortable
with and partly because her arm tires after a lot of long matches. The
strategy for both women is clear: Sharapova has to attack Jankovic early
before the Serb gets her feet moving and JJ has to stay in points as long
as possible in order to wear her foe down.
"I expect a very tough match," Sharapova said. "Jelena
is a very solid player, a great mover, so it will be a very physical match.
I'll have to fight for every point."
Jankovic, who has had a sporadic year but who has been playing better
post Wimbledon, is pleased with her play. But whether she’s mentally
sound enough to fend off Sharapova is another question entirely.
"My tennis is coming back. It's been a very tough year but I believe
in myself. I haven't played Maria for a long time and I don't really know
how she's playing.”
A quick doubles update: Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama beat Gisela
Dulko and Nadia Petrova 7-6(4), 7-5, giving the Japanese a chance to win
a title in her final tournament. They’ll face Alisa
Kleybanova and Francesca Schiavone in the final.
The WTA’s new $4,500,000 premier event in Beijing begins Saturday,
with Flavia Pennetta playing Han Xinyun, Samantha Stosur up against Alize
Cornet, Vera Dushevina facing Venus Williams, Agnes Szavay against Alona
Bondarenko Yan Aravane Rezai against Aleksandra Wozniak…In the Beijing
qualifying, two US Fed Cup teammates faced off With Alexa latch besting
Melanie Oudin 2-6, 7-5, 6-3. Michelle Larcher de Brito and Sania Mirza
both failed to qualify, losing to Chinese wild cards. Talk about a long
way back for both women.
In Bangkok, top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga advanced to the semis with a 6-7,
6-3, 6-4 win over Marco Chiudinelli and will meet Viktor Troicki, who
bested John Isner 7-6, 6-2. Gilles Simon took a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory
over Evgeny Korolev and will play Juergen Melzer, who smoked Andreas Beck
6-4 6-2.
At the Malaysian Open, Robin Soderling trounced Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-2
and will face top seed Nikolay Davydenko, who wasted Gael Monfils 6-3,
6-3. “Every match is a new match,” said Soderling, who has
a 5-2 record against Davydenko. “I had tough matches with Nikolay.
He is in good form. I will have to play as well as I played today.”
Fernando Verdasco took out Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-4 and will play Fernando
Gonzalez, who buried Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-4.
