What they wore: Victoria Azarenka.

If you took Wimbledon as the half way point and divided Vika’s year in half, you probably wouldn’t recognise the first half from the second, both in terms of the quality of tennis and her image. 
We started the year in Brisbane, looking youthful, fresh and oh-so-pretty, oh and winning the title too, by the way. [...]

Doha: Fortune favours the glamour girls.

If you had asked me to pick the semifinalists at the beginning of the week, I would not have picked Venus, Serena, Wozniacki and JJ.
You see – the Tennis Gods aren’t usually this kind to me, but somehow, they’ve given me my dream match-ups. I officially fear for karma next week in Basel. 
 

 
With Caroline Wozniacki [...]

Doha: Not with a bang but a whimper.

 
So it ends like this. There will be no final shootout for the top spot between Serena and Safina. Dina made life easier for all of us by quitting her opening match against JJ after 13 minutes, citing a a lower back injury.
“My body just gave up, and I couldn’t handle the pain anymore.”
Back pains are a [...]

Doha: The Bland and the Beautiful.

Weary players, half empty stadiums – must be the WTA year-end championships. 
I’m starting to worry about Venus Williams. How many times this year have we seen her win the first set, braincramp in the second, and completely lose control over her game in the third?
And the annoying part is, she could – and should – [...]

Picspam: Catwoman and the Reject Bridesmaids of the WTA

Is it time for Doha already? The WTA year-end championships gets underway this week over in Woop Woop, as the players glammed for the draw ceremony. 
By “glammed up”, I mean they all went through their gloryboxes and practiced the aisle walk.
 

 

 
In times like these, I miss having Maria Sharapova in the top 8. She can [...]

Beijing: Heh? Did someone give Melanie Oudin growth hormones?

 
Sharapova took out Baby Sharapova, otherwise known as Victoria Azarenka, 63 67 75.
What can I say? It was fierce. Masha Fierce. It was Big Babe tennis at its most hilarious best. It was filled with double faults, operatic grunts, and scorching groundstrokes.
And drama, did I mention drama?
Is a 2-5 0-30 comeback in the third set gripping [...]

Tokyo: Knowledge and Hope.

It goes without saying, but there’s a difference between knowing you can win and hoping you can win. 
Masha Fierce is a player who knows that she can win. Iveta Benesova merely hopes to win. 
Down a break in each set, Sharapova pulls herself together, takes the freebies she gets and whams the snot of the ball [...]

USO Day 5: Stirred by not shaken.

Who woulda thought that Andy Murray would be the first top 10 seed to lose a set this tournament en route to his 6-2, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 win over Capdeville? 
Rafael Nadal also had a minor hiccup against Kiefer, dropping the second set to win 6-0 3-6 6-3 6-4. Apart from a slight concentration lapse in [...]

LA Tidbits: Original is Better

 
Firstly: WHY WASN’T THIS BROADCASTED?
Does it get any bigger, louder or more fierce on the WTA than Sharapova v Azarenka? Maria came out the victor, 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2.
 
Must admit – I didn’t see this coming. Don’t know why I would ever pick against Maria Sharapova, but I did: Azarenka’s form has been steadily rising this [...]

LA Tidbits: Please tell me they have a roof with on-court mics in LA?

It’s only appropriate, considering the Gruntfest Spectacular we have in store for us next round – Maria Sharapova v Victoria Azarenka. Shrieker v Banshee. 
It’ll be music to me sadistic ears!
 

NINJAAA! Getty Images/Jeff Groth
 
This is a weird thing to say, considering I actually like Vika, but I really, really don’t want to see Sharapova lose to [...]