The French Keep On Winning

I have accused the French players of lacking a strong winner's appetite so many times now, that it seems like it finally got to them. After the recent wins of Marion Bartoli in Osaka and Gael Monfils in Stockholm, it was Tsonga's turn to shine again. On Sunday, he won the Vienna crown, keeping the winning momentum of his country rolling.
The top seeded Frenchman was far from convincing in the early rounds though and after a first round bye, he embarked on a ‘playing catch-up’ journey. In his first match, he got himself out of trouble when his injured opponent, Fin Jarkko Nieminen, retired trailing 1-3 in the decider. He continued to live on the edge, barely escaping the rejuvenated Belgian Xavier Malisse in the quarterfinals. After losing the first set 4-6, Tsonga dug deep to take the second one in a tie-break, before sealing a 6-4 final set victory. After two tiring encounters, he got the needed breath of fresh air in the semis, as his lower ranked opponent, qualifier Daniel Brands, couldn't do much to deny him an easy straight sets win.
However, it seemed like his luck was about to change, as next up he was faced with a difficult mission: in order to claim the title, Jo had to defy the odds. In the final showdown, he went head-to-head with big server Juan Martin del Potro, the Argentinean to whom he lost all three previous battles. As the final unfolded, none of players gave in, holding on to their serve. It was Juan Martin who stepped up the gear in the tie-break to take the first set 7-6. Having succumbed four break points at 5-5 and double-faulting at 5-5 in the tie-break, the Frenchman began rueing his missed opportunities. Thus, he allowed del Potro to claim the first break of serve, leading 2-1 in the second set. This marked an awakening call for Tsonga who broke back immediately and ensured a streak of 4 successive games to level the match at one set a piece. In the decider, the two went with serve until the 7 game, when Jo unleashed the fatal blow to the Argentinean’s serve. It proved the key moment of the dispute, as the Frenchman delivered two solid serving game with which he closed out a remarkable win against one of his toughest foes. It was again another impressive display from the exuberant Tsonga who, provided some consistency to his tennis, can definitely challenge the likes of Djokovic, Federer or Nadal in their quest for Grand Slam glory.
This triumph, second of 2011, strengthens his chances of qualifying for the Season’s Ending Championships.

photos (top-down / left-right): GETTY IMAGES, AP (x2),  GETTY IMAGES

It's The 'Purple Rain' Fashion Scoop

With the 2011 season nearing to its end, the players were keen to showcase their fall apparel. With a pretty homogenous view from the courts, it looks like the designers reached a consensus, making purple the star colour of the autumn. It doesn't matter if we are talking about violet, cyclamen, purple, red violet or magenta, but these last months brought about a genuine Purple Rain on both the women's and the men's tour.

It terms of rivalry, the battle of the titans was once again won by Adidas. Nike produced a rather disappointing collection, allowing their stiff rival to stand out once more. However, there is one Nike garment that tops the bill, as Victoria Azarenka stole the show in her red violet - black ensemble. The Belorussian proved worthy of her fashion credentials, consolidating her status as one of the best dressed tennis player. The other Nike ladies though look dull, boring and most worryingly, ill fitted. The tight purple top does not serve the Wimbledon champion well at all, as it reveals her unsexy belly. On the men's side, it looks like Rafael Nadal, who lost his on-court supremacy, has found his fashion mojo. Although a bit too wintery, I liked his snow flake violet T-shirt.

In the Adidas camp, fashion queens Ana Ivanovic and Sorana Cirstea look at their utmost best in playful, joyful and youthful AdiZero clothing. The Serb wore a magenta version of her Wimbledon gown, while the Romanian opted for a magenta top and a colourful magenta-orange skirt. The colour pallette does wonders in combination with their dark skin tone and their dark hair. The same can be said about Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who complements his exuberant on court persona with matchy attire from the same AdiZero collection.

Fashionista wannabe Jelena Jankovic was quick to adapt to the autumn trends. For her last tournament of the year she selected a plain violet ANTA dress, proving once more that you cannot prefabricate fashion sense if there's none. From the boring violet, to the common shape and the lack of glam, the dress marks another miss in Jankovic's long list of ill-thought looks.

Victoria Azarenka - NIKE (A+)

Petra Kvitova - NIKE (D)

Julia Goerges - NIKE (C)

Na Li - NIKE (D)

 Lucie Safarova - NIKE (B-)

Rafael Nadal - NIKE Rafa Ace (B) 

Ana Ivanovic - AdiZero (A-)

Sorana Cirstea - AdiZero (A-)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - AdiZero (B)

Jelena Jankovic - ANTA (B-)

photos: GETTY IMAGES

The Battle of the Lionesses

Since the start of this year's WTA Championships, there were two players that stood out. The utterly aggressive duo of Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova cruised through the Istanbul field in imperious form. Consequently, the pair is set to take court today to battle it out for the Season's Ending trophy, as well as for the world number 2 spot. 

The Belorussian reigned supreme in the White Group, where she thrashed the French Open winner Na Li, as well as the US Open champion, Samantha Stosur, with the same scoreline 6-2,6-2. Having won her first two matches she was guaranteed a semifinal spot as the group's leader, independent on her result against tournament alternative Marion Bartoli (who replaced an injured Maria Sharapova). Lacking motivation and focus, Azarenka looked out of sorts and distracted throughout the encounter, allowing her opponent a first on court win in 9 matches (i.e. Marion's other 'win' came via retirement). She regrouped in time for her semifinal clash though, stepping it up again when it mattered most to beat Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-2,6-3. This result is a clear indication of her tremendous growth, both physically and mentally. Being able to recover after a bad day at the office and managing to found her range against a tricky player like Vera is a great achievement. Entering the final though, she doesn't have the odds on her side. Her head-to-head record over Kvitova is not great, as she succumbed in their last three meetings. Nevertheless, she is surely up for a fierce battle. It would take her utmost best to overcome the Czech, but if she can reproduce the kind of tennis she displayed during the second set against Serena at the US Open, Vika might very well be in for the most important success of her career.

Petra on the other side is again playing sensational tennis. After her Wimbledon triumph she took the foot off the gas, losing in early rounds at various events she entered. Since her win in Linz though, she appears to have got back on track and her strong performance this week is a pure reflection of this. She won all three round robin matches, topping the Red Group with defeats over Vera Zvonareva, Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska. The first set against the Pole is probably the best indication of what she is capable of doing. Being down 1-5, Kvitova fought her way back to win the set 7-5 as a stunned Radwanska found no solution to her opponent's surreal shots. Although less major in magnitude, her comeback during her semifinal match with Sam Stosur was equally impressive. Having lost a topsy-turvy first set, the Czech came back firing to beat the Aussie 5-7,6-3,6-3. She is now the first player since Sharapova in 2004, who qualifies for the final at her WTA Championships debut. The stakes are high for Petra. Besides the prestige, the acknowledgement and the no.2 ranking, she is after the $1.75 million jackpot awarded to the player who leaves Istanbul undefeated. And judging by how well she is playing, it looks like it's all up to her. Even though I want Azarenka to win, I must admit that Kvitova's best tops Vika's best. While the latter must do wonders, Petra needs to put in a solid performance and the title is hers.

photos: AP

Tennis Moods Style: The 2011 Istanbul Fashion Week

Every year, the WTA elite gathers for the prestigious Season-Ending Championships, where the world's best eight performers go head-to-head in search for ultimate glory. The tournament was moved from Doha to Istanbul this year and the Draw Ceremony on Sunday provided the perfect setting for a true fashion showdown.
Although most of the players were clearly inspirited by the historic location, the rich heritage of the Turkish culture was best brought to life by Agnieszka Radwanska and Vera Zvonareva. The duo displayed superb examples of red and green embroidery, while Kvitova and Stosur offered a glimpse of the Turkish extravaganza with their silk golden evening gowns. On the other hand though, world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki set herself aside by opting for a purple mini dress, which bore no resemblance to the theme. Sharapova was wiser with her choice, finding a sort of a middle ground, as she wore a sheer yellow see-through dress to which she accessorized a golden encrusted pair of sandals and matching necklace.

Maria Sharapova (B)

The Russian lived up to her fashionista status once again. Although she wore something that does not immediately strike as Turkish, Sharapova played with the accessories, creating an overall garment that is closely aligned to the venue's specificity. Compared to other players who were overdressed, Maria remained faithful to the saying "less is more" (especially if we are talking about the Turkish fashion), managing to put together a clean, modern look. However, I am worried that the overall look lacks a bit of the red carpet glamour. Even though her campaign ended sooner than expected, Sharapova withdrawing after the loss of her first two matches, she scored another big fashion victory, being the only one to endorse a new on-court apparel.

Caroline Wozniacki (A-)

Caroline Wozniacki is not afraid of standing out from the crowd. While debates about her legitimacy as world No.1 have heated up following Kvitova's sensational season, the young Dane continues to look utterly confident in defending her status. She probably wanted to make a bold fashion statement too, as she wore a fitted minidress. Although I like the design, I think she has the same issue as Maria. I am not convinced her look is appropriate for the red carpet.
She turned the tables with her on-court attire though, the yellow version of the see-through Stella McCartney dress she showcased at Flushing Meadows shining through this rather uncompetitive fashion field.

Agnieszka Radwanska (B)

I am not a Lotto fan, but during this Championships, Aga Radwanska looked pretty impressive in the red dress produced by the Italian manufacturer. Although it's probably a one hit wonder, the success provided a pleasant surprise.

Na Li (B)

The Chinese kept close to her roots when selecting an Asian inspired deux-piece.The voluminous layered bottom actually worked great against her tiny figure, as Li looked imperious on the red carpet.

Vera Zvonareva (B-)

Samantha Stosur (C-)

Petra Kvitova (C)

The Czech's star shone brightly on the courts of Istanbul, but unfortunately she didn't boost her fashion credentials. This look is too flat for my taste.

photos (top-down / left-right): GETTY IMAGES (x3), AP, GETTY IMAGES (x13)

Monfils Shows Winner's Stamina

Gael Monfils probably wouldn’t be my first pick when it comes to winning a final. It’s always a gamble with him, as he is often the front runner and the showdown match should be a walk in the park for him. Nevertheless, his rather poor performance in decisive matches proved that the Frenchman is likely to succumb, independent on the opponent. Recently he lost the Washington final in straight sets to Czech Radek Stepanek, a player against whom he held a favourable head-to-head prior to the dispute.
Hoping to increase his chance of qualifying for the Masters Cup in London, Gael entered the ATP 250 event in Stockholm as the top seed. His campaign got off to a challenging start, as he bumped into teen sensation Bernard Tomic in his first match. Tomic put in quite a fight, making the Frenchman go the extra mile to ensure a 6-4,6-7,6-4 win. He continued to live on the edge, conquering the powerful serve of South-African Kevin Anderson once per set in his way to a 7-5,7-5 victory. The toughest nut to crack came in the semifinals when he managed to dig himself out of deep trouble, recovering from a set and 1-3 down to overcome the stiff resistance of another hopeful teenager, Canadian Milos Raonic.
Playing his second final of 2011, Monfils hoped to beat the odds and grab the trophy. Faith gave him a helping hand in Jarko Nieminen, a player who is also known for failing to deliver in key moments, losing 10 of the 11 finals he contested. To Gael’s fortune, it third time lucky for the Fin, i.e. he was runner-up in 2001 and 2006, as the Frenchman prevailed in a close three setter. This success takes his tally to four ATP crowns. However, it does not impact significantly his O2 prospective, as he still maintains an outside chance of qualifying.
It’s good to see a turn of fortunes for the exuberant Frenchman. Winning a small tournament might not seem like a major accomplishment for someone with his standards, but the feat actually marks a major step for Monfils. Like many of his countrymen, Gael cannot win titles. Last week he proved that backed up by circumstances, he could find a cure to his ‘disease’.

photo: Reuters

Marion's Still Standing

With her form decreasing drastically after reaching the Stanford final, Marion Bartoli needed a boost of confidence to get back to her winning ways. After a disappointing second round defeat at Flushing Meadow and a rather poor performance during the Asian swing, Marion saw her chances of qualifying for the Season's Ending Championships practically vanished. She was pegged back by Radwasnska's incredible run, as the Pole is now pose to grab the last vacant seat for Istanbul.

Faced with a nearly impossible task, Bartoli needed the Osaka crown to stay in contention. She lived up to the occasion, bringing her A game and cruising through the first rounds. Among her victims, she destroyed Vania King 6-1,6-2, avenging a loss to the American in the last head-to-head a couple of weeks before in Seoul. Actually, the Frenchwoman was in imperious form throughout the week. Her toughest test came in the semifinals, where the recent US Open semifinalist, German Angelique Kerber pushed a second set tiebreak. Marion closed it out to 5 and booked a final date with the US Open champion, Samantha Stosur. Bartoli was once again at her utmost best, dispatching the Australian handily 6-3,6-1. The Osaka crowd adds to an already spectacular year. After the 2010 hiatus, she has two titles under her sleeves this season. Additionally, it keeps her in race for Turkey. Having completed the first part of her mission, she must now win the title in Moscow and count on Lucie Safarova to beat Radwanska in their inaugural clash in the Russian capital.

Even if she doesn't make it to Istanbul, Marion should take time and reflect on an amazing 2011, one of her best seasons of her career. It's great to see Marion finding her mojo back. She possess such an entertaining game with her two-handed groundstrokes and she's such a terrible fighter, that seeing her succeed is just great. Being such an atypical player, she's add colour and diversity to the dull WTA tour. She pours her heart and soul into every match, thus every achievement ought to be lived to the fullest. If she can keep the beat going, she stands a pretty good chance of picking up the missing Grand Slam triumph that would establish her as a genuine greatness.

Marion capped a sensational week with a dominant 6-3,6-1 victory over recent US Open champion, Samantha Stosur, to claim her second title of the season in Osaka.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

In My Sister's Shoes

A rather odd thing happened last week, as Marat Safin announced the retirement of his younger sister who is sidelined by persistent back problems. The Russian former number 1 is currently taking time off, trying to recover from an injury that is threatening to end her proffesional career. As strange as the fact that Dinara let her brother do the talking might have seemed, what stroke most was that she posted an official statement contradicting Marat and making it clear that she is not retiring.

It's pretty unfortunate how things have unfolded for her. Her star was shining brightly in 2009. She fough her way to the top of the ranking, she was playing great tennis and, although she lost three Grand Slam finals, it seemed only a matter of time before she would grab that ultimate success. As Simon Reed pointed out, there weren't many players with Safina's desire and ambition. She longed for a Grand Slam trophy so badly, that it started working against her. On those big occasions though, her nerves got the better of her and she blew all her chances. It was the defeat to Kuznetsova in the 2009 Roland Garros final that led to a mental breakdown. Her game completely fell apart after that, her ranking dropped and after months of struggling to cope with an ailing back, she finally decided she cannot continue like this.

Not that she was a joyful person to start with, but lost all glimpses of joy on the court. Watching her play was like seeing a terrifying Hollywood drama in which although the leading character is pouring her heart into completing the task, you know she will probably not last until the end. "If you live with this pain for a year and a half, it's not fun anymore. Whenever I start to think I'm going to have this back pain again, it's just frustrating. So for me, I just want to have a normal life", she admitted  in a recent interview.

We don't know what led to this miscommunication between the two siblings, but Safina is rock solid on her position. When asked how long she plans to continue playing on the WTA Tour, she was quick in replying: "Until I die".

It seems that the Russian's stubborness surfaced once more. Judging by how much she wants that elusive Grand Slam title, it's clear that she has no plans of giving it up. "I will continue to use therapy to try to treat my back injury and hope to return to competition eventually." Hope everything works out in the end for her, as she is epitome of a fighter who would go through Hell to see her dream come true.

photo: GETTY IMAGES

She Didn't Know Her Own Strengths

In a time when tennis had become a rather unpredictable sport, with top ranked players being dispatched in early rounds and experienced ones being granted another opportunity of fulfilling long-term career goals, Agnieszka's recent run of stunning form shouldn't come as a surprise. It does nevertheless, as the Pole was never one to shine on the big occasions. She won a handful of titles whilst a teenager, but faded quickly after. Her defensive game and craftsmanship made her seem obsolete, thus limiting her prospects and narrowing her chances of becoming the next big thing. Gone are the days when the serve and volley display of Navratilova or Novotna made the delight of the Wimbledon crowds. Or when brainy Hingis fooled around with her rivals and won title after title. Or more recently, when the one hand backhand of Justine Henin made her the undisputed queen of the courts. Tennis has evolved now. Nowadays, those who are powerful, who rely on big serves and huge forehand, have a better shot at winning the big prizes. There are dozens of examples to support this claim, starting with the Williams sisters and ending with Ana Ivanovic, Dinara Safina or Petra Kvitova. An all-rounder like Radwanska would struggle to cope with the physical superiority of her opponents. This was indeed the case for several seasons now, with the Pole failing to make headlines since 2008, her best year to date.

Struggling to find her way back after a series of injuries, Agnieszka's game underwent some changes in 2011. They were first noticeable during the summer hardcourts, when the Pole won the title in Carlsbad defeating Andrea Petkovic and Vera Zvonareva en route to her first Premier crown. After a disappointing loss to Angelique Kerber at the US Open, Agnieszka regrouped, got her mojo back and shone once more. Again at a Premier event, in Tokyo. By turning her solid defensive game into atack, she managed to beat Jelena Jankovic, Victoria Azarenka and ultimately Vera Zvonareva to cap a great week. She kept the winning streak running next week in Beijing when she took full advantage of the favourites misfortune, getting past Flavia Pennetta in the semifinals and Petkovic in the final to ensure another dream week and add another trophy to her resume.

With three Premier victories under her belt, she is one of the stand-outs on the women's tour. Following her incredible run of form, she now stands a good chance of qualifying for the season's ending championships in Istanbul, a performance that seemed farfetched at the beginning of the year.

It will be interesting to see how things will unfold for the Pole. In a way, she a similar game as current world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki, the difference being that the Dane's is probably more efficient. The latter also has consistency on her side, although recent results seem to contradict this claim. Nevertheless, the kind of performance she produced during the Beijing final was just stunning. If she plays like that for a fortnight, Agnieszka can potentially win a Grand Slam. 

Aga Radwanska came to life this season winning several Premier events. In Tokyo, she beat Jelena Jankovic, benefited from Azarenka's withdrawal, then overcame Zvonareva in the final.

Radwanska carried her excellent form to Beijing where she won her second consecutive Premier title beating Andrea Petkovic in the final. The two really enjoyed themselves during the match and ended up celebrating the occasion with the now famous, 'Petko Dance.'

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BIG in Japan

With the 2011 season nearing its end, Andy Murray seems to have caught fire. With title wins at Cincinnati and Bangkok and a semifinal showing at US Open, Andy is building up a great end to a rather disappointing year. Of course, the stakes are always high for the Brit, with his country's lone hope of Grand Slam glory pressing heavily on his shoulders.

Aiming for a top 3 season-ending ranking, Andy entered the Tokyo event trying to acquire some much needed points. The field, highlighted by defending champion Rafael Nadal, proved challenging for Murray, who had to dig deep from his inaugural round. Faced with a tricky opponent, he relied upon all his weapons to dispose of Cypriot Marcus Baghdatis, 7-6,2-6,6-4. Having breezed past American Alex Bogomolov Jr., Andy required again all his strengths in order to get past David Nalbandian 6-4,7-5 in the quarterfinals. Maintaining his immaculate record over David Ferrer on hardcourts, the Brit managed a two sets win which gave him another shot at revenge over his Grand Slam nemesis, Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard easily beat Andy in their semifinal clashes at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and most recently, at Flushing Meadows, leaving him in a state of profound misery. Nevertheless, this time around Murray was ready for the big occasion. After a shaky start, he unleashed his entire armoury, leaving Nadal stunned by an amazing display. Recovering from the loss of the first set, 3-6, he went on to win 14 of the next 12 games, administering Nadal an embarrassing 3-6,6-2,6-0 defeat. Although it didn't come in a Slam, this win could provide a boost of confidence for the Brit, who proved once more that on a good day, he can beat the best players in the world.

Things could only get better for Andy, who took the court again a couple of hours later when he and his brother Jamie disputed the doubles final. The duo was in impetuous form, disposing of Frantisek Cermak and Filip Polasek in a rather straightforward encounter. Courtesy of the win, Murray became the only double winner on the ATP tour so far this year. 

As his next stop, i.e. the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, is lacking some of its big names, i.e. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Andy looks set to challenge Nadal once more and keep his winning streak going.

Andy Murray got his revenge over his Grand Slam nemesis, Rafael Nadal, administering the Spaniard an embarrassing 3-6,6-2,6-0 defeat to win the Tokyo crown.

Brotherly love: Andy Murray teamed up with brother Jamie to win the doubles title. The Scotsman completed a stunning double in Tokyo.

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