Henin, Venus, Capriati the Walking Wounded at WTA Dubai

Posted on February 25, 2004

World No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne is back from injury this week, as are Americans Venus Williams and Jennifer Capriati in Dubai. Henin-Hardenne, the defending champ, took the opportunity to voice many of the players' opinion that there should be a longer off-season.

"It's a long season, and we need more time to rest and have a holiday," Henin-Hardenne said Monday. "We need at least six weeks to be prepared for the next season."

Italy's Francesca Schiavone led off for the seeds during the opening day in Dubai Monday, with the No. 7 seed promptly dismissed in straight sets by Russian teen Svetlana Kuznetsova. Only two other main draw matches were played on the day, with Aussie hope Alicia Molik (d. Vento-Kabchi) and Germany's Anca Barna (d. Maleeva in three) into the second round. Four more players moved into the main draw with the completion of the qualifying in Vera Douchevina (RUS), Mervana Jugic-Jalkic (BIH), Jie Zheng (CHN), and Maria Elena Camerin (ITA).

On court Tuesday in Dubai are Sugiyama vs. Krasnoroutskaya, Tanasugarn vs. Sfar, Mandula vs. Dokic, Douchevina vs. Serna, Pisnik vs. Daniilidou, Jugic-Salkic vs. Martinez, Camerin vs. Likhovtseva, Pratt vs. Zheng, and Shaughnessy vs. Kapros. The top four seeds get byes, so wake us for the semifinals.

Only three main draw matches at the WTA stop on the dirt in Bogota Monday, with winners including (6)Ludmilla Cervanova (d. 16-year-old Frenchwoman-girl Garbin in three), Conchita "Not That Conchita" Martinez Granados (d. Birnerova), and American wildcard Megan Falcon (d. Leon Garcia). Singles qualifying was also completed, with Alyona Bondarenko (UKR), Marie-Eve Pelletier (CAN), Lana Popadic (CRO), and Maria Fernanda Alves (BRA) into the main draw. On tap today on the dirt are Ant.Serra Zanetti vs. Sequera, Castano vs. Pennetta, Dominguez Lino vs. Alves, Reeves vs. Medina Garrigues, Llagostera Vives vs. Bondarenko, Czink vs. Pelletier, Ad.Serra Zanetti vs. Kurhajcova, Schruff vs. Schwartz, and Parra vs. Popadic.

ATP REVIEW/PREVIEW
Only two main draw matches in Marseille Monday, with winners Olivier "Roach Brother" Rochus (d. Keck 6-1 in the third) and veteran Swede and 2003 runner-up Jonas Bjorkman (d. "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter) advancing. The final round of qualifying was also finished, with four moving into the main draw in Nicolas Mahut (FRA), the three-time Marseille champ Marc Rosset (SUI), Florian Mayer (GER), and Julian Knowle (AUT). "I know I am a better player than my ranking says," said the 33-year-old Rosset, who also doubles as the Swiss Davis Cup coach. "My goal is to play ATP events this year even if it means having to qualify. The qualifying events are really tough because you have to win three matches just to get into the draw and everybody is so hungry and everybody is a good player."

On court Tuesday are Sargsian vs. Santoro, (3)Srichaphan vs. A.Martin, Nieminen vs. Escude, Kucera vs. Gonzalez, and in the night slot (8)Safin vs. (Q)Mayer, and Ivanisevic vs. (7)Clement (Frenchman leads meetings 3-2, with the last in 2001).

Two of the three seeds in action bombed during the opening day at Costa Do Sauipe (Brazil), including (5)Mariano "New Backhand Please" Zabaleta (l. to Montanes) and (6)Felix "The Aging Cat" Mantilla (l. to Volandri), both in blow-outs. "It was a surprising match. I played very solid but I did not expect Zabaleta to miss so many balls," said Montanes in a blow-out explanation "That's why the result was four and one." So, many missed balls = blow-out, thanks for framing that. No. 7 seed Gaston Gaudio upheld his seeding (d. (WC)Mello), and unseeded Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (d. Levy) also moved into the second round.

Monday sees a full slate of matches, including two French Open champs and former No. 1s, in (Q)Monaco vs. (2)Massu, (8)Chela vs. Saretta, (1)Moya vs. Behrend (German leads meetings 1-0), (3)Kuerten vs. O.Hernandez, Gasquet vs. (WC)F.Ferreiro, (WC)Braga vs. Luis "Me So" Horna, Al "The Dropshot Dragon" Portas vs. (4)Calleri, Ferrer vs. N.Lapentti, Canas vs. (Q)Verdasco, (Q)Franco "The Squirrel" Squillari vs. (Q)Lisnard, C.Rochus vs. Acasuso, and Sanchez vs. "Julio &" Galo Blanco in an all-Spanish meeting.

TENNIS-X WEEKLY "HOT LIST"
Week of Feb. 23, 2003:

1. Joachim Johansson's serve
2. World No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne, 10-0
3. Aussie Open champs Michael Llodra/Fabrice Santoro, 6-0
4. Venus, Jen-Jen back from injury
5T. Kim Clijsters, 14-1
5T. Lleyton Hewitt, 14-1
7. World No. 1 Roger Federer, 11-1
8. Lindsay Davenport, 10-1
9. Bryan brothers 5 straight doubles finals
10. Virginia Ruano Pascual/Paola Suarez, 9-1

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Former French Open champ Iva Majoli, who has struggled since shoulder surgery in 1999, is playing a USTA circuit minor-league event this week in Missouri. "Recovery was much longer than I expected," said the 26-year-old, No. 150-ranked Majoli. "I feel I have some in me left. This is the next page in my life and my career. I hope I can still play a couple more good years...This is my last chance, I think. I am really working hard now, and I am going to try and show it on the court."...Emerging Swedish star Joachim Johansson played college tennis at Nicholls State in Louisiana...Insiders say look for the Greg Rusedski hammer to come down this week -- roll the career highlights film, then "fini" in French-Canadian...Lleyton Hewitt is back in the Top 10 at No. 9 on the ATP Entry Rankings after the title last week at Rotterdam...At Memphis last week, Joachim Johansson won Sweden's first ATP title since June 2002...Jennifer Capriati on the back injury: "It was kind of serious there for a while. I thought a couple of times maybe if it's not getting any better, what if I can't come back and play? That thought scared me, but it's a good thing to feel that way, that I still wanted it. I want to decide when it's going to be over, and I wasn't ready for that. For the first month after the Championships I didn't do anything. I'd injured myself pretty good there. I think it was the wear and tear of the past couple of years. It was physically and mentally draining, and I needed a good break and just wanted to stay home. But afterwards, you're so used to traveling that you start to get a bit bored because you've been doing it your whole life. The following month I started to get back into it, but there was no way I was going to rush it. I missed being able to play in Australia, but I figured it's a long year and I'm not going to make every single tournament."...Venus Williams is on the serious tip this week in Dubai: "I've been able to practice only sporadically since the Australian Open. I don't want any outside distractions. No shopping for me. No beach for me. No. It will be practice, hotel, concentrate."...SI.com's Jon Wertheim thinks the first gay men's player to come out on tour won't be met with a negative backlash? SI.com's Jon Wertheim hasn't spent a lot of time in the homophobic men's locker rooms on tour. Perhaps not a negative media backlash, but don't give the locker room meatheads too much credit.