Evening, TWibe! I hope my fellow Yanks enjoyed the long holiday weekend. What are folks' plans this weekend? Will you be checking out the conclusion of the Davis Cup final? As most of you know by now, Amelie Mauresmo announced her retirement from tennis in a press conference yesterday. As she was loved by many here in TW (myself included), I'd like us to use this space to share our fondest Amelie memories. What will you remember most about her? What do you think was her greatest achievement? (My answer to both of those questions is really just her style of play. What a multidimensional, versatile game ... and such flair! I'm not ready to say goodbye.) I really appreciated all of your recollections and tributes to Marat Safin here in the Deuce Club following his retirement a few weeks back, so I look forward to more of the same today.
Something else we'll need to bid adieu to? The 2009 ATP season, which has ostensibly come to a close. (Yes, I recognize we still have Davis Cup. But for most, the season ends once the year-ending championship is decided.) Thus, as promised about a month ago when we honored the ladies, it's now time to hand out our ATP awards!
Below are the categories you're already familiar with, and tacked on at the end are a couple of the new ones I introduced with the WTA awards post. Tell us who should win what (and why, if you're feeling verbose), and feel free to create some of your own categories. I'll share my picks with you next week.
ATP Awards:
Most Valuable Player
Most Improved Player
Breakout Player
Most Disappointing Player
Best Rivalry
Match of the Year (Best of 5)
Match of the Year (Best of 3)
Most Inspiring OR Shocking OR Funny Moment (pick one)
Best/Worst Dressed
Most WTF? Performance
Have a wonderful weekend, TWibe!
[[Note: I'm still collecting submissions for our TW Awards! If you missed last week's post, please read the following ...
Take a moment and think of some creative awards, including which TWibers should win them, and send me your ideas here. I'll be collecting your submissions over the next few weeks, then Pete and I will look through 'em and make a final call on the awards list, to be posted hopefully before the end of the year. If you're in need of some inspiration, check out last year's award ceremony here. (Some examples of last year's awards are The I'm Trying to be Reasonable, but it Takes Some Effort award, The I can't help it, the exclamation point key is stuck! award, and Poster most likely to elicit an LOL.) Any questions, just holler. Thanks, everyone!]]
Hi everyone. My apologies for the late appearance of today's post - I've been having internet access problems, and until a short while ago had missed out on a crucial piece of correspondence with Pete. Thus, I didn't realise I was due to be posting today. I have a few pictures to upload for you from last week's ATP World Tour Finals, so without further ado I'll work on those and add the links here when that's done. You can, of course, talk here about tennis, or anything else given that we're in a lull before our next dose of competitive action. 9 p.m. EST update: My previously unpublished pictures from last Wednesday at the O2 Arena can be found on this link. As usual click on any picture to enlarge, and use the arrows to page through.
An upfront warning: this set is primarily of interest to Nadal fans. That said, while there truly wasn't some kind of photographic competition going on to take the unhappiest possible picture of Rafa, I might have been in the running for a major prize if there had been. View at your peril; the more sensitive Nadal obsessives among the TWibe will probably feel much happier if they have a stiff drink, skip over the match photos and head straight for the soothing sequence from the press conference at the end. Never have I felt so cruel behind a lens as I did during this match. Of course, if you're the kind of player who is expressive on court, usually you can't choose to hide your feelings if they are not what you want to show the world. Most players have plenty of practice in not looking straight at photographers if they don't want to give away more than they need to, but those feelings tend to leak out visually all the same.
It’s true — I’m a (data) junkie. Give me a list of facts and figures, and chances are I’ll dump it into Excel and have a gala time. Seeing as I’m a tennis junkie too, give me a list of tennis players and prize money and. . . well what would you do if you hit the jackpot? Lay on the beach with a pina colada in your hand and a cabana boy at your side? Sure, I’d do that… and then I’d pop open my laptop and have at the data like any self-respecting numbers geek. And that’s just what I did (minus the pina colada and cabana boy, unfortunately) with a WTA website list of female tennis singles players ranked in the top 100 as of November 16.
The Six Million Dollar Woman
Let’s start with Serena Williams, because how can we not? This year you can’t say much about women’s tennis — and hardly anything about money in women’s tennis — without uttering her name.
She broke the career prize money record held by Lindsay Davenport, earning a career total of more than $28.5 million. The figure transcends tennis; a WTA press release says she’s “the first professional female athlete to earn more than $23 million in a single professional sports league”. Then she broke the single-season prize money record set by Justine Henin two years ago by earning $6,545,586 this year. Not bad for a year’s work.
Mine the Data, Mind the Gap
Now if you’re following news on Iraq and healthcare reform, a figure in the millions may not register. You may need to hear the B word (billion) to listen and the T word (trillion) to really care. But since we’re folks who stare at GOATs, consider that, as of November 16, that was more than the prize money earned by Roger Federer (and every other male tennis player). Also consider Serena’s prize money in the context of the top 100 players.
Serena earned more prize money than the bottom third of players — combined.
If we were talking about GDP Serena would be the European Union, while many other players would be Kiribati, Vanuatu and various island nations we’ve never heard of and can’t pronounce. There’s no reason to blab about this to Anna Chakvetadze, Kimiko Date Krumm, Klara Zakopalova and the 30 other women on the unhappy end of that stat, but it’s true.
For top 100 players aspiring below the Serena stratosphere, even a cool mill isn’t a given. Only a dozen women earned more than $1 million in total prize money.
* Serena Williams – $6,545,586 * Dinara Safina – $4,310,218 * Svetlana Kuznetsova – $3,658,841 * Venus Williams – $3,126,894 * Jelena Jankovic – $2,491,514 * Caroline Wozniacki – $2,371,550 * Elena Dementieva – $2,343,481 * Victoria Azarenka – $2,115,536 * Vera Zvonareva – $1,642,145 * Kim Clijsters – $1,632,560 * Agnieszka Radwanska – $1,614,464 * Samantha Stosur – $1,179,681
These women represent the top 10 and two others. One is 13th-ranked Samantha Stosur, who surprisingly won only her first singles title this year. (Oh, and feel free to call her ‘Samoid’, which the WTA website lists as a nickname.) The other is 18th-ranked Kim Clijsters, who decided to test the tennis comeback waters the usual way, by winning a Grand Slam.
Of Moolah and Math
This year not only did Clijsters become just the third player ever to beat Serena in a Grand Slam semifinal (the others are Venus Williams and a certain compatriot of Clijsters), she also outdid Serena in at least one money stat — average singles prize money earned per tournament played. Clijsters played only four tournaments — Amelie Mauresmo, who played the lowest number after Clijsters, played 14 — but one of the tournaments just happened to be a Grand Slam, and you know the rest.
Only a half dozen players earned more than six figures in average singles prize money per tournament played:
* Kim Clijsters – $407,538 * Serena Williams – $310,247 * Dinara Safina – $189,543 * Svetlana Kuznetsova – $172,677 * Venus Williams – $131,809 * Victoria Azarenka – $107,516
The list contains names you expect. There are Grand Slam winners, former Number 1s. . .and Victoria Azarenka. Surprised about that last part? As whimsical as it may seem, this stat conveys quantitatively and forcefully what many of us sense when we see Azarenka play her best tennis, controlling points and especially her emotions: She’s destined for big things, and in tennis that means Grand Slams (ask Serena Williams) and rankings (ask Jelena Jankovic).
Perhaps also unexpected is the absence of top five players Caroline Wozniacki and Elena Dementieva. You have to think Wozniacki will make this list next year if she continues to play great defense, continues to improve her offense and plays fewer tournaments, which she’ll have to do as a top 10 player. It would be nice to see Dementieva make the list too — I admit I have a soft spot for her. She has the fitness level and ferocious ground strokes plus some; what she doesn’t have is the amount of time teenage Wozniacki has. (Next year Wozniacki will be in the first year of her 20s, and Dementieva will be in the last year of hers.)
This is just one measure, and evaluating players by money may sound crass. If they don’t approach the top of this list though it means, for one thing, that they didn’t do well enough when it mattered — at the Grand Slams. (Note that all three of this year’s Grand Slam winners are on here.) Money talks, and this is what it says.
Double Down
Of the top 100 singles players, the Williams sisters top the list for doubles prize money earnings. Could that have anything to do with them winning three Grand Slams this year? Hmmm...
They’re followed on the list by more traditional doubles players — Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Anabel Medina Garrigues and Samoid Stosur. The only other top 10 player close to the top of the doubles prize money list? Victoria Azarenka.
Just sayin’. . .
It would be surprising if Wozniacki didn’t also make it near the top next year, partly because she’ll be partnering with Medina Garrigues.
Interestingly, all but four of the top 100 singles players earned some prize money for women’s and/or mixed doubles. Those who didn’t are Marion Bartoli, Na Li, Karolina Sprem and a player who won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with Jamie Murray two years ago — Jelena Jankovic. Leave it to JJ to always keep us guessing.
Hey there, TWibe! Are you guys enjoying the WTFs? I know I am, considering almost all of the matches have been closely contested. And while I'm not a big fan of the round robin format, I'll say that it does provide for some major excitement, as it did last night. I'm hoping we see some barnburners this weekend, as well.
Rosangel has provided fantastic reports and photos of her time at the O2, and I'd love for the other TWibers in attendance to do the same. If you've been able to witness some of the WTF action live, please feel free to share stories in the Comments - or send them to me to include in next week's Deuce Club. You'll also notice that SilentP has added some photos from the event to our Facebook group, TennisWorld > Real World. Make sure to take a look!
Though I'm a day late, I wanted to wish those of you in the States a happy Thanksgiving. How did y'all celebrate the holiday? Did you stuff yourselves silly? Watch football? And what about today - have you already taken advantage of the Black Friday sales?
My Thanksgiving was lovely, as usual. My family was actually around this year - recall that last year I spent the holiday with my co-worker and her parents - so the day felt blessed from the start. We prepared a scrumptious feast, with everything you'd expect to see in a traditional Thanksgiving spread. Minus the turkey, of course (we're vegetarians, as you probably know). Stuffing, potatoes, veggies, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie ... who needs a bird when you've got all that going on?
The rest of the day was spent bonding with my sister Elizabeth and reflecting on all that I'm thankful for. I try to do the latter regularly but it's easy to forget, what with work and daily stressors usurping my time and brain space, so I was happy to make it a priority yesterday.
In giving my thanks, I thought about tennis andTennisWorld almost immediately. It was such a significant part of my life this past year that it was only natural to make a list of tennis-related happenings I was thankful for:
Federer finally winning that French Open title. Made all the more gratifying after a frustrating hard court season and incessant "He's through!" talk.
Another historic and dramatic Wimbledon men's final, just one year after the Greatest Match of All Time (whodathunkit?!). The quality of tennis wasn't comparable, perhaps, but I was at the edge of my seat - and of sanity - the entire time. That's how you want to feel watching a Slam final, right?
Clijsters's remarkable comeback. A former champ making a much-touted return only to fall flat on his/her face isn't my idea of fun, so I'd hoped we'd witness the opposite ... but certainly didn't expect it. Yet that's just what we got! What an incredible feel-good story. (And while I'm on it, I'm thankful for Henin announcing her return, too. If she can shake things up like Clijsters did, we're in for a wild 2010 season.)
Being able to attend three tournaments this year - Indian Wells, Cincinnati, and the U.S. Open - and sharing all of the experiences with you here in the DC. Which goes hand in hand with ...
Meeting loads of TWibers at all of these events. The trips wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable had I been on my own or even with my "real life" friends; there's something about being around TW folks in a tennis context that makes one feel ... safe. You guys just get it. It's ironic, really, considering we're essentially strangers to one another. But maybe it's that inscrutability that makes this coming together so rewarding - and so memorable.
Pete for continuing to trust me with this DC space! I count my lucky stars that I get to be a member of this illustrious TW crew.
Most of all, I'm thankful that I belong to the TW community and have the chance to get to know such interesting, clever, thoughtful, and supportive people. Truly, you guys rock.
Now it's time for you to tell us what you're thankful for as it related to tennis and/or TW. If you'd rather just list those things you're thankful for in general, that's fine, too!
One last thing:
We plan on handing out TW Awards again this year. For those of you who haven't been around for very long, this is when we award our fellow TWibers with a variety of honors. Here's how it'll work: Please take a moment and think of some creative awards, including which TWibers should win them, and send me your ideashere.
I'll be collecting your submissions over the next few weeks, then Pete
and I will look through 'em and make a final call on the awards list,
to be posted hopefully before the end of the year. If you're in need of some inspiration, check out last year's award ceremony here. (Some examples of last year's awards are The I'm Trying to be Reasonable, but it Takes Some Effort award, The I can't help it, the exclamation point key is stuck! award, and Poster most likely to elicit an LOL.) Any questions, just holler. Thanks, everyone!
Hi everyone. I'm sorry that today's post is going up a little late. That's what happens to someone in my shoes when press conferences happen late and go on for a long time. Regardless, photos still need to be sorted and uploaded, so there simply aren't enough hours in the day. On this linkyou'll find the pictures from yesterday's first match, but I haven't had time to finish sorting those from the evening match yet. However, there are a few thrown in for depressed Nadal fans at the end, from the press conference. I'm sorry I was unable to stay for Kolya - if I had done I wouldn't have made it home. For anyone who missed seeing Roger Federer receive the trophy for the ATP's year-end number one, there's my own "classic" sepia-toned picture thrown in for good measure.
In many ways my most fruitful photographic subject yesterday was Novak Djokovic, and unfortunately not for a good reason. There are few players who do droopy and disconsolate as well as Nole. After his serve was broken in the second set, his body language said it all - the picture above was taken when he got back to his seat after it happened. Other pictures have him looking down at his feet, or just plain distraught and dying to get off the court. He even got a few jeers from members of the crowd at the end. In his amazingly brief early press conference (I wondered afterwards whether he'd dashed upstairs as fast as he could to get it over with before most members of the media arrived), on being asked "Do you believe you can pick yourself up and be ready for your Nadal match?" he replied: "I don't know. We will see." Yet he still has the chance to qualify for the semifinals, and defend his title from last year.
Of Robin Soderling he said: "I think he's the best player so far in the tournament". He may well be right (scoring a point for honesty, then), but to the extent that tennis is about putting on a show for the fans upon whom its success as a sport depends, I'm sorry to say he failed miserably yesterday, however good his opponent was.
The second singles match went 6-1, 7-6, reversing the set scoreline of the first, but at least there was no doubt that the loser, Rafael Nadal, was doing his best to put on a show, regardless of the difficulties he was having with his game (and that of his determined opponent). He came back from being down a break twice in in the second set, and his trademark fistpumps seemed in good fettle regardless of the unforced error count. He seemed in a good mood during the post-match press conference, and came into the room smiling, with his head held high. Of his tournament he said: "I fight a lot. Both matches I fighted. I tried my best all the time, but it wasn't enough to win these matches. That's it, no? I I still working. You know, today I think mentally I was better. I played a terrible game at 5-all in the second set. But the rest, I tried to do different things during all the match, trying to play more aggressive with the forehand. That's important thing that I am improved a little bit today. So just trying every day. Every day trying a little bit more."
Every player can have a bad day - I can't think of one who hasn't - but for me the contrast between the attitudes and body language of the two losers yesterday couldn't have been much starker.
Hi everyone. I'm here for the Wednesday action in North Greenwich. First up in singles are Monday's winners, Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling, and in the evening the losers, Rafael Nadal and Nikolay Davydenko, take the court. Please use this post to discuss the day's tennis, including the doubles.
To begin, here is yesterday's selection of pictures from the event. As always click on any picture to enlarge, and use the arrows to page through. There was a fair amount of 'roaring' going on yesterday evening, which is of course de rigeur for ATP players these days; Messrs Federer and Murray both do particularly good open-mouthed aggression (as well as the picture to the right, also check out the one of Andy Murray on page 7 of the gallery). Perhaps the ATP's next campaign promoting up-and-coming players should be called Young Lions? From what I saw of the juniors at Wimbledon this year, players begin work on their tonsil-flashing technique quite early on.
As a number of people have already remarked, there's something extremely blue about this event, and I'm not referring to the mood of fans of Fernando Verdasco, Rafael Nadal or Nikolay Davydenko, each of whom has yet to record a victory this week (OK, Group B have only played one match each so far, but one of Monday's losers will be a double loser tonight). The lighting in the O2 Arena isn't just blue - at times it's virtually indigo. The lighting falling on the crowd makes the mass of people come up in pictures like a massive canvas soaked in blue-black ink. As I have sorted through my images of the past two days, they're full of shadows across the players' faces, often making it difficult to discern expressions. I've told myself some of them might look quite artistic, even though it began by being totally unintentional on my part, and have processed some of them by emphasising the lines and shadows. Yesterday, after reviewing Monday's pictures, I started seeking out the shadows. It's a rare week when the players wearing dark colours are the easiest to photograph, but this week it's definitely the case for me, even though skin tones mostly look quite vampiric unless I do a little fiddling with the colours.
One very good thing about the event, however, is that it's full of people, and from the conversations I've overheard, both inside and on the way to the venue, quite a few of them are knowledgeable and passionate fans. The atmosphere for last night's evening match was electric, and not everyone was supporting Murray, either.
I may not have time to sit in on this afternoon's press conferences for the TWibe, because I'm hoping to meet up with one of TW's long-term friends, poster (and tennis coach) skip1515. He's not the only friend here - yesterday I was delighted to see another friend (and TW contributor) Miguel Seabra in the media centre. However, I will try to sit in and log comments here about the press conferences after the evening singles, unless I'm about to miss the last train home. I'm not sure whether that might help Nadal or Davydenko supporters to feel less blue, but I'll do my best to make it there.
Morning, all. I'm on my way out to The Dome again for the third day of the Barclays World Tour Finals, so I'll make this brief for now; later today I will take some additional time to give you some impressions from yesterday in this space. I'll also do my best to do again what I did yesterday - to provide some live feedback in the comments section while the players' post-match press conferences are under way.
I have a few pictures to share from yesterday - some pictures from the first singles match (hint: none of them are of the winner, as I didn't take any that I was content to publish) and also several here from the second singles match featuring Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko. As usual click on any picture to enlarge.
Morning all. I'm about to head out to make my way to London's O2 Arena, aka The Dome, to bring you all some photo coverage of the little event that's taking place there today. I'll be there for the new few days, and will be writing about it as well. Please talk here about today's play, and I'll catch up with you all later.
Here in Calgary we're getting ready for Sunday brunch (I have tennis doubles later on). In London, Juan Martin Del Potro pushed Andy Murray to a third set, but the Scot was the steadier player and deserved his 6-3 3-6 6-2 win.
At 3:45pm TW time, Fernando Verdasco and Roger Federer take the court, which appears at first sight to be a mid-slow indoor surface. Enjoy today's tennis - OT conversation is welcome when the day's play is done.
