The WTA Championships Qualifiers at a Glance; Lopez Gets Nod over Costa for Davis Cup

Posted on November 5, 2003

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
The season-ending WTA Championships begin Wednesday in L.A. at the Staples Center, where WTA employees will be setting up cardboard cut-outs of people in the stands to make it look like there are actually more than the predicted 500 people in attendance. Among the marketing tacts the WTA will be taking are putting a giant banner outside the Staples Center so passersby realize there is tennis being played, and putting on a competing lower-Tier WTA event in Thailand to confuse the media ("The championships are being held, but there is another event going on? Is that the "Bottom 8" championships in Pattaya City? Wha?"). Here are the groupings and the schedule of play for the opening day:

Red Group:
(1)Kim Clijsters
(6)Amelie Mauresmo
(9)Elena Dementieva
(10)Chanda Rubin

Black Group:
(2)Justine Henin-Hardenne
(5)Jennifer Capriati
(8)Anastasia Myskina
(11)Ai Sugiyama

* Players withdrawing with injury were (3)Serena Williams, (4)Lindsay Davenport, and (7)Venus Williams.

Wednesday Schedule (Red Group):
Mauresmo vs. Rubin
Capriati vs. Sugiyama
Clijsters vs. Dementieva

Here is a glance at the eight qualifiers:

Kim Clijsters (BEL)
Former Championships Qualifications: 3 (7-2 win-loss, won in 2002)
2003 Titles (8): Sydney, Indian Wells, Italian Open, 's-Hertogenbosch, Stanford, Los Angeles, Filderstadt, Luxembourg
2003 Highlight(s): Reached No. 1 for first time in August, had a better year than boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt; runner-up at Roland Garros and US Open to countrywoman Justine Henin-Hardenne; Father Leo bad-mouthed H-H, roundaboutly accusing her of using performance-enhancing drugs, after it became apparent she was the better Belgian

Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL)
Former Championships Qualifications: 2 (2-2 win-loss)
2003 Titles (8): Dubai, Charleston, German Open, Roland Garros, San Diego, Canadian Open, US Open, Zurich
2003 Highlight(s): Reached No. 1 for the first time in October, beat Serena at Roland Garros, won first two slams at Roland Garros and US Open; beefed up with renowned physical trainer Pat Etchberry in 2003, then was accused of doping by Clijsters' father

Jennifer Capriati (USA)
Former Championships Qualifications: 6 (5-6 win-loss, SF in 2002)
2003 Title (1): New Haven
2003 Highlight(s): Insisted on wearing midriff-bearing shirts much of the year to the dismay of television viewers; ended a title drought stretching back to the 2002 Australian Open; threw in a memorable choke against eventual winner Justine Henin-Hardenne at the US Open; still coached by father Stefano, still on the outs with U.S. Fed Cup Captain Billie Jean King

Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)
Former Championships Qualifications: 4 (0-2 win-loss, did not play in 2000, 2002)
2003 Titles (2): Warsaw, Philadelphia
2003 Highlight(s): Not a spectacular season on court for the Frenchwoman, but appeared on Paris Match cover (May), received Sanex's Prix du Public Award during 2003 Roland Garros, an award selected by public vote, and had a life-size wax figure on display at the famed Grevin Wax Museum in Paris (May); remains the tour's premier outspoken lesbian (an up-and-comer after legend Martina Navratilova); rebounded from early-year knee injury, returning to the tour in 2003 after nearly 14 months off, then injured a rib mid-year

Elena Dementieva (RUS)
Former Championships Qualifications: 3 (2-3 win-loss, SF in 2000)
2003 Titles (3): Amelia Island, Bali and Shanghai
2003 Highlight(s): Won first three career titles, further established herself as another hot blonde Russian with a yet-to-emerge personality.

Anastasia Myskina (RUS)
Former Championships Qualifications: 1 (0-1 win-loss)
2003 Titles (4): Doha, Sarasota, Leipzig, Moscow
2003 Highlight(s): First season winning two or more titles, greeted on court by former Russian president Boris Yeltsin after Moscow win (first Russian to win Moscow title); voted the hottest of the up-and-comers by Russian journalists

Ai Sugiyama (JPN)
Former Championships Qualifications: 0 (4 in doubles)
2003 Titles (2): Scottsdale, Linz
2003 Highlight(s): Won two singles titles for second consecutive year, beat doubles partner Kim Clijsters in the Scottsdale final; still coached by mother, Fusako, still looking for full-on singles respect.

Chanda Rubin (USA)
Former Championships Qualifications: 3 (0-3 win-loss)
2003 Titles (2): Madrid, Eastbourne
2003 Highlight(s): Problems with shoulder tendonitis late in the year, made the cut when Venus Williams pulled out with injury, won two titles for the second consecutive year, continues to do a great deal of charity work

Only two matches Monday at the Pattaya City, Thailand event, with Fedak beating Prakusya, and Nagyova upsetting (5)Cervanova in an all-Slovak match-up. "It's always tough to play a player from your country because we know each other well," Nagyova said. The last round of qualifying was also completed, with four into the main draw in Fuda (JPN), Gers (NZL), Bondarenko (UKR), and Domachowska (POL). Five bucks to anyone who has heard of any of these players before (besides the Slovaks). Hey WTA, way to hold a Tier XIX event during the same week as the WTA Championships, which marketing wizard signed off on that?

On court today in Pattaya City today are Kostanic vs. Douchevina, Vakulenko vs. Obata, Tanasugarn vs. Gers, Abramovic vs. Arai, Fuda vs. Talaja, the unfortunately-named Klemenschits vs. Barna, Rodionova vs. Pennetta, Tamaela vs. Beltrame, and Kurhajcova vs. Bondarenko. How hard was this tournament to get in to? Where is Anna? This in her perfect opportunity for a first title. We tried to get a Tennis-X intern to shave his legs, put on a wig and play the qualifying for $100, but it was a no-go.

NOTES, QUOTES, AND BARBS
Spain has officially dissed Al Costa for their upcoming Davis Cup final against Australia, replacing him with the in-form lefty Feliciano Lopez, who will likely partner Alex Corretja in the doubles: "Given it's a grass-court tie, a big-serving leftie who's done well at Wimbledon is not a bad option is it?" Aussie captain Wally Masur told AAP. "I don't know how flexible the Spanish are -- whether if he fired on the practice court, whether they'd include him (as a singles player) but who knows? But I'd say they'd be just looking at picking him for the doubles at this stage."...Andy Roddick officially debuted at No. 1 yesterday on the ATP Rankings, but will have to perform starting next week at the Masters Cup in Houston to secure the coveted year-end No. 1...Accoding to the Boca Raton News, Roddick will also do some modeling for fashion designer Arnold Brandt this Thursday evening at the Saks in Boca Raton...Serena Williams says her first tournament back in 2004 will be the Hopman Cup exhibition beginning Jan. 3, while Venus says her first event will be the Australian Open...Lleyton Hewitt's ranking has slipped to No. 18...Boris Becker's autobiography will be published later this month, here are some tasty excerpts courtesy of Reuters: "Sleeping pills were my problem...Against the lack of sleep there was Planum, against the pain there were a few other pills. Against loneliness, women and whisky helped...For years I lived with it. Towards the end of it I woke up in the middle of the night because the effect only lasted three or four hours. I then had to take two pills -- a double dose...It was during a cool October night that I asked my wife to shoot me. I was standing almost naked on the terrace of our Munich home and I could not stand this roller-coaster going on in my head. In the evening I had gone to the Oktoberfest (beer festival) and I had beer and schnapps." Never mix the beer and the schnapps Boris...Justine Henin-Hardenne will finish year-end No. 1 by reaching the semifinals at the WTA Championships or if Kim Clijsters doesn't successfully defend her title...Andre Agassi has reportedly already landed in Houston.