Serena Struggles, Venus Out at WTA San Diego

Posted on July 28, 2004

The WTA stop in San Diego almost lost both Williams sisters in the same day Tuesday when Venus pulled from the event with a wrist injury, and the top-seeded (but non-Top 10-ranked) Serena was forced to come back from a set down against the unheralded Jelena Jankovic, eventually prevailing 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-2.

"I didn't play very well. I made a lot of mistakes, but I guess when I needed the big point I came through," Serena said.

Serena has not won a title in six events, her longest drought in five and a half years. Last week she got worked in the LA final against countrywoman Lindsay Daveport in straight sets.

"There are things I need to work on," Serena said. "It's not finding the groove and hitting the ball around and just some technical things. In order to get ahead, sometimes you have to take a step back, and that's with things I'm trying to work on with my game."

Elder sister Venus withdrew with a sprained right wrist suffered Saturday after tying her shoe.

"I have been resting my wrist and receiving as much treatment as possible in order to give myself every possible chance to play," Venus said. "Unfortunately, there just wasn't time to recover."

Other seeds advancing were four Russians in (3)Anastasia Myskina (d. (WC)Schett), (5)Elena Dementieva (d. Brandi), (6)Maria "Grunt-o-rama" Sharapova (d. (Q)Osterloh), and (12)Vera "Warren" Zvonareva (d. Sanchez Lorenzo).

Un-seeds advancing were Spain's Conchita Martinez (d. Loit), Japan's Shinobu Asagoe (d. Shaughnessy 6-2, ret.), Czech Barbora Strycova (d. (WC)Ruano Pascual in three), Russian Elena Likhovtseva (d. countrywoman (10)Petrova in three), Amy "Joltin' Joe" Frazier (d. countrywoman Ashley "Anna 2.0" Harkleroad 6-2, 6-0), and Gisela "Sgt." Dulko (d. (LL)Tanasugarn).

On tap today in San Diego are Benesova vs. Martinez, Hantuchova vs. Kuznetsova, Molik vs. Mauresmo, Dulko vs. Pierce, Sprem vs. Davenport, Sugiyama vs. Asagoe in an all-Japanese, Strycova vs. Likhovtseva, Daniilidou vs. Bovina, Kostanic vs. Rubin, and Bartoli vs. Suarez.

ATP RESULTS/REVIEWS
Rain washed out almost the entire schedule Tuesday at the Masters Series-Canada, with world No. 1 Roger Federer getting the only live hit in, pocketing a set against Hicham Arazi before rain washed out the night session.

American Taylor Dent withdrew from the event with a strained right calf, replaced in the draw by lucky loser Thomas Johansson, who won the event in 1999.

On tap today in Toronto are (9)Hewitt vs. Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal, (2)Roddick vs. (Q)Julien "United Colors of" Benneteau, (15)Safin vs. Kiefer, (1)Federer vs. Arazi, (6)Nalbandian vs. Youzhny, (5)Henman vs. Zabaleta, D.Sanchez vs. (WC)Niemeyer, Spadea vs. (WC)Dancevic, (4)Moya vs. Verdasco in an all-Spanish, (3)Guillermo "El Fragile" Coria vs. Luis "Me So" Horna, Bjorkman vs. Novak, (8)Rainer "Shine" Schuettler vs. Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez, (11)Gaudio vs. (Q)Reid, (12)Grosjean vs. Carraz in an all-French, Dominik "The Dominator" Hrabty vs. Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer, (13)Massu vs. (LL)T.Johansson, (Q)Beck vs. Ljubicic, and Escude vs. Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez.

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Some three-dozen cafe and restaurant owners in Athens have been fined for price-gouging, after overcharging their customers by up to 500 percent, the Greek news agency ANA reported Wednesday. That's a nice Olympic welcome feeling..Sandwiches were being sold Monday on the opening day at the Masters Series-Canada at a whopping $9, later lowered to $7 after a near sandwich riot...At the new site for the Masters Series-Canada in Toronto, one of the outer courts is named the Daniel Nestor Grandstand. Yikes...Canuck Simon Larose after losing first round in Canada: "I dislocated one of my vertebrae in my back. So, I was out completely for three, four weeks without even moving nothing. I got lucky to even play here. Four days ago I started hitting. So, my legs are not there and my timing was not there and then blisters came because of that and the whole thing."...Highlights from TSN (Canada) commentator Peter Burwash Tuesday in the network's coverage of the MS-Canada included Burwash saying it's good for the game that Marcelo Rios has retired, and that Andre Agassi ranks in the Top 5 all-time greatest players, but that Pete Sampras does not. What are the TSN guys smoking in the booth during those rain delays?...ESPN commentator Mal Washington on the MS-Canada draw: "When Tennis Masters events roll around and I look at the draw, I feel like we're getting ready to see a major. Every player whose ranking allows him to get directly into a Tennis Masters event is required to play unless he is out due to injury. Consequently, you get a great field that has the intensity of a major."...The ITF announced Monday that only three cities: Moscow, Russia; Nice, France; and Garmisch, Germany, have submitted bids to host the Fed Cup finals later this year...From BBC Sports: "After announcing at Wimbledon that she is not a tennis star but a 'superstar,' Serena Williams has been jumping on her own bandwagon once more in her home country. The former world number one has had a 'bobblehead' doll (that's a doll with a head that bobbles) created in her image and responded in typical Serena style. 'It's amazing -- but I guess that happens when you become overly famous,' she said. 'Every week now, I get more famous.'"