AUSSIE OPEN, DAY 8

WTA depth debate arises after Lindsay stomps Vera Z.
Agassi, Andy fly, only to face Seb & Safin; Lindsay, Justine to relive ’03 classic

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Siggi Bucher

Davenport's trouncing of Zvonareva didn't look good for the tour.

Perhaps the longest on-going item of debate around the pressroom is whether the WTA Tour really has gotten deeper over the past decade, or if the tour is merely spinning its results. Most folks recognize that the WTA has deepened outside of the Top 5, but few will venture that it is anywhere close to producing the ATP Tour’s weekly rash of upsets.

What’s truly frustrating for close observers of women’s tennis is how many times analysts have thought that an up-and-comer or Top 30 player might really threaten an elite performer at a Slam and then watch them flame out like a junior who goes to her dentist’s office without her head gear on.

Such was the case on Sunday, when Lindsay Davenport found herself defending her tour after the women’s fourth round results didn’t produce even one set one for the underdogs.

Of course no underdog was victorious on the men’s side either, but three of the matches were quite competitive, highlighted by The Comeback Headcase Marat Safin’s 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory over James Blake; Andre Agassi’s entertaining, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-4 win over Paradorn Srichaphan and Sebastien Grosjean’s 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 schooling of Robby Ginepri. Andy Roddick was having Navratilova-type dominatrix dreams when he whipped Sjeng Schalken 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.

It was actually Davenport’s 6-1, 6-3 devastation of No. 11 Vera Zvonareva that sparked the debate again. Zvonareva is the same Russian teen who upended Venus at last year’s Roland Garros and at least for a few months last summer, showed the competitive nature and technical prowess of an elite player.

But like so many women hopefuls before her, she fizzled on the big stage against a great player, but one who is certainly on the downside of her career. Without question, Davenport is a Hall of Famer and can win this tournament, but there is no reason why Vera should not have been able to win a set in this match, other than that she didn’t believe she had a snowball’s chance in hell going into the match. Where is the Vera who never gave up on a ball and knew how to work a one-minute point? She should have been able to stretch Lindsay out much more than she did. We are sensing another predictable sophomore-junior slump from a promising Russian here.

On the ATP Tour, most guys do give themselves at least a puncher's chance to win against the elite and do on occasion pull of major upsets at Slams. On the women’s side, its rare to see the top players going down early or even being seriously pushed unless they are injured. Witness the success of the Belgians and the Williamses in the past five Slams. The only one of the four to lose a match to a player other than another member of this elite group was Venus to Vera in Paris (when Venus was dealing with an abdominal pull) and Venus again this week, when she was stunned by Lisa Raymond after not having played a tournament for seven months.

BIG STARS HAVE MINOR STRUGGLES

Siggi Bucher

Justine had to battle in tight second set versus Santangelo.

Interestingly on Sunday Down Under, Justine Henin-Hardenne did have some trouble against Italian Mara Santangelo, but prevailed 6-1, 7-6 (5). No. 4 Amelie Mauresmo also didn’t have an easy time with Alicia Molik, but won 7-5, 7-5. The feeling in the pressroom was, despite three close sets in those contests, the result was never in doubt. Few were paying attention to No. 32 Fabiola Zuluaga’s 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Aniko Kapros, but the match played to form anyway.

Here’s what Davenport had to say: "We always get such a bad rap, 'Oh, the same players get through' and the men's tennis, 'Oh, anyone can get through'. Now some (women) players get through and it's a problem in our tennis when everyone's been waiting for that to happen."

Davenport was referring to Raymond and 15-year-old Tatiana Golovin of France, who will play each other in Monday’s quarters. But as promising as Golovin is, she has yet to beat a standout player, unless you consider Tier 3 queen Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi an elite performer. If you do, you are far too big of a fan of minor league ball.

"I think rarely it's a coincidence when they're that young," Davenport said of Golovin. "I think girls that normally break through at that young of age are always pretty solid technically and pretty solid in their games so I don't think it's gonna be a fluke. I say that never having seen her hit a ball but I would be surprised if she wasn't doing well the next few years and improving."

That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Then Davenport went on to say that it’s unlikely anyone outside the Top 3 or 4 would win this year's Australian Open (herself, the Belgians and Mauresmo). She then contradicted herself and said that’s is not a commendation of the depth in women's tennis.

"I think it's actually in a very good state when all players are healthy. There is a lot of momentum building with Venus and Serena but also Justine and Kim breaking through at the French Open. I think if everyone can get healthy and compete at the same time we'd be at our best stage ever, but it hasn't happened in the past 10 months or so."

Siggi Bucher

Note to Bill Clinton: Don't attend the Agassi-Grosjean rematch.

With the frequency of injuries on the WTA Tour, the chances of everyone’s staying healthy is a pipe dream.

What would really prove the depth of the WTA tour is if someone like Zuluaga, Golovin, Raymond or even a Myskina actually won the tournament.

Lindsay, Justine to relive ’03 classic
At least now we are sure to get a dramatic match in the quarters when Davenport and Henin-Hardenne relive their 2003 classic here: a cramping, 9-7 in the third set win for Henin. Mauresmo should also have to fight very hard to topple Zuluaga. Shouldn’t she?

Agassi, Andy fly, only to face Seb & Safin;
Now back to the men’s side, which fortunately for ticket sellers and television, isn’t showing off too much depth at closing time. The tournament has shaped up beautifully, with all the notable stars still hanging around.

No one is playing better than Roddick, who wasn't even nudged an inch by Schalken. "I feel solid out there. It's all right," the 21-year-old said. "I thought I returned really well, from the back of the court, that's as well as I've played this tournament."

He’ll face former No. 1 Marat Safin, who pulled off another difficult win in Melbourne, this time over Blake. This quarterfinal between two of the tour’s most intimidating competitors will be one by the man who keeps his first serve percentage up. Safin has already proved he’s back in contention for this tournament but whether he can sustain it over the long haul is an open question. With the way Roddick is playing, he must have had some kind of productive off-season.

Agassi and Grosjean will match up again and this contest between the speedy, colorful French counter-puncher and the determined American strategist is always worth watching. Just as former president Bill Clinton, who disrupted their French Open match.

In the three Slams since his run to the title here last year, Agassi has been impressive in the first week, but not quite as brilliant in the second week. The veteran’s tournament begins now and it likely will take the best tennis of his career to pull off the title, as none of the last three men who he will face will be intimidated by him as Rainer Schuettler was last year.