Foiled Again
in Fed Cup: Italy Shuts Out US, While
Djokovic Upends Federer
& Murray, Rezai Win Titles
Lum photoThe
Italians took title No. 2.Fed
Cup Woes, Ricci Bitti Weighs in On Belgians, Serena Suspension
SATURDAY, NOV. 7 - While Venus Williams was discussing snack food on Twitter
and her sister Serena was going ga-ga about meeting the band members of
GreenDay, young Americans Alexa Glatch and Melanie Oudin went out to play
for their nation in the Fed Cup final in Reggio Calabria, Italy and were
waxed, when Flavia Pennetta crushed Glatch 6-3, 6-1 and
Francesca Schiavone defeated Melanie Oudin 7-6(2), 6-2.
Neither American has learned to play on clay yet and having to compete
against two dirtball veterans away is too much to ask of them, but it
wasn’t too much to ask of 2002 Roland Garros champion Serena, who
has for all intents and purposes has abandoned Fed Cup play during her
career. Oudin will face Pennetta on Sunday before Glatch goes up against
Schiavone, and a shutout is probable. For some live coverage by Sandy
Harwitt, click here. For
live coverage by Erin Bruehl, click here.
In Bali, two opinionated French women will meet in the final when Marion
Bartoli, who thrashed Kimiko Date Krumm 6-1, 6-3, will play Aravane
Rezai, who thumped Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-2, 6-3. They’ve
met twice before, with Bartoli winning at Roland Garros in 2007 and recently
in Tokyo. “It will be great that a Frenchwoman will win the title,”
said Bartoli, who really means that it will be great if a Switzerland-residing
Frenchwoman wins the title.
In Basel, Novak Djokovic saved three match points and
bested Radek Stepanek 6-7, 7-5, 6-2. He’ll face Roger Federer,
who took him down at the US Open. "I served quite badly throughout
the match and on this surface its crucial to serve well," said Djokovic,
who did return well. Federer beat countryman Marco Chiudinelli 7-6(7),
6-3.
The International Tennis Federation announced that it agreed with the
length of the one-years suspensions handed to Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier
Malisse due to violations of the Anti-Doping Wherebaouts Rule.
Here’s what ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti told
the AP in Italy: "This reminds me of the cases of Italian players
involved in betting a little while ago," Ricci Bitti said. "These
players need to be aware of their responsibilities. If they don't know,
this is the result. These cases create discussion because they're not
reliant on positive tests, but there are rules to respect…These
kids need to wake up. They're professionals and they earn a lot of money.
They don't need to merely know the rules, they should also respect them."
Ricci Bitti also tipped the Grand Slam Committee’s hand on Serena’s
US Open implosion, saying that a suspension is unlikely, but a large fine
is probable. A decision will be announced next week. As has been written
in this space before, none of the Grand Slam nations want to lose the
ticket and TV revenue that would surely arrive with a Williams suspension,
but the fact of the matter is that Serena isn’t going to be taught
a significant lesson if something of value isn’t taken away from
her. If the fine doesn’t cross the $1 million mark, she’s
not going to care, regardless of what she said. Serena will likely end
the year with more than $15 million in total earnings, on court and off.
"I don't think [an Australian Open ban] would make much sense, because
it would penalize the people handing out the punishment," Ricci Bitti
said. "For the Grand Slam committee to exclude her from a Grand
Slam doesn't seem likely. A significant financial penalty makes much
more sense. But it has to be significant enough for the fans [to appreciate]
it. Of course it may not be significant for Serena Williams, who earns
tens of millions."
Belgians Wickmayer, Malisse Hammered With
Anti-Doping Regulations FRIDAY, NOVEMEBER 6 - What an odd fall season
it’s become. In a bit of stunning news, Belgium's Yanina
Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse were suspended
for a year by the Flemish Doping Tribunal after not paying attention enough
to the whereabouts rule, where players must notify their national doping
agency where they can be reached on a daily basis.
Wickmayer, who reached the semis at this year’s US Open, couldn’t
be found on three occasions while Malisse, a former Wimbledon semifinalist
now ranked 95th, twice failed to say where he could be reached and missed
a test.
The 19-year-old Wickmayer may appeal to the Court of Arbitration for
Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, but it could prove costly and she’ll
be out at least a few months. Her coach said she was hysterical when
she found out.
Wickmayer left Bali's B-level Tournament of Champions after receiving
the ban. Malisse said he thought the suspension would end his career.
"It is very hard to come back. In a year's time I will be 30 and
a half. I will then have to play Challengers and Futures again. That
is something I can't really see myself doing. It is hard to get a one-year
suspension if you never used doping."
The draw for the US v. Italy Fed Cup final has been released. On Saturday,
Melanie Oudin will face Flavia Pennetta
followed by Alexa Glatch against Francesca Schiavone.
The kids have a big task ahead.
In Bali, Samantha Stosur broke Venus Williams service
speed record of 207.6 kph with a 208-kph ace but fell 7-6, 7-5 to Maria
Jose Martinez Sanchez that eliminated the Australian from the
competition. Martinez Sanchez will face Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai,
while Marion Bartoli of France will play Japan’s Kimiko Date Krumm, Bartoli bested Shahar Peer 6-3 6-2
and Date Krumm benefited from the withdrawal of Wickmayer.
In Basel, Roger Federer crushed Evgeny Korolev 6-3, 6-2,
but Novak Djokovic took out Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka
3-6, 7-6, 6-2. Federer will face unseeded Swiss Marco Chiudinelli,
a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Richard Gasquet. Djokovic will play Radek
Stepanek, who beat Marin Cilic 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Cilic looks like
he’s out of the ATP Finals in London.
In Valencia, London hopeful Fernando Verdasco blew out
Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-2 and will face Andy Murray, who
eased past Albert Montanes 6-4 6-2. It’s Murray’s first tournament
back since the US Open and his sore wrist seems to be healing. "My
wrist is still giving me some pain but I am feeling better every day,"
he said.
Second seed Nikolay Davydenko, another London hopeful,
beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 7-6 and will play Mikhail Youzhny.
Andy Roddick has pulled out of next week's Masters Series
Paris and has to be considered questionable for London.
Leaning Toward London,
Maria's New Friend, Bali Picks TUESDAY. NOV. 3 - There’s only two spots
left in the ATP World Finals and this week’s play means a great
deal. Nikolay Davydenko is in Valencia and is the frontrunner
to qualify, followed closely by Fernando Verdasco, who
could make a huge push this week by winning the title. The problem is
that Andy Murray is in the field and appears to be super
motivated after seven weeks off or so. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
is also in the draw and essentially has to win it and then defend his
Paris crown. Given his physical fragility, that looks doubtful. In Valencia,
Murray took 6-3m 6-1 win over Daniel Gimeno-Traver, while Gilles Simon,
David Ferrer, Gael Monfils, Juan Monaco also won, but Pablo Cuevas upended
Juan Carlos Ferrero 2-6, 7-6, 6-3.
Fernando Gonzalez is playing the Roger Federer Open in
Basel and really needs to win the tournament or at least reach the final
to have a shot at London. Robin Soderling won’t
play until next week at the Masters Series Paris and is a long shot for
London. Marin Cilic pretty much needs to win Basel and
do very well in Paris. Tuesday winners in Basel were Novak Djokovic, Viktor
Troicki. Evgeny Korolev and Jan Hernych.
Maria Sharapova is dating LA Lakers shooting guard Sasha Vujacic, who
nicknamed himself, “The Machine.” Sharapova will soon
be off to Chile and Brazil to play exos against Gisela Dulko,
but their Argentina stop has been cancelled…Poor Tommy Haas has
been diagnosed with swine flu…. Serena has broken the WTA record
or prize money earned in a single season, taking in $6,545,586…
Some quick picks from the four RR groups in at the WTA B Championships
Bali: Marion Bartoli in Group A, Sam Stosur
in Group B, Yanina Wickmayer in Group C, and Sabine
Lisicki in Group D.
Wednesday’s matches are: Lisicki vs. Aravane Rezai; Wickmayer vs.
Kimiko Date Krumm; Bartoli vs. Magdalena Rybarikova and Stosur vs. Agnes
Szavay.
