Myskina Bails From WTA Sopot Event for Athens Olympics

Posted on August 14, 2004

Top-seeded Anastasia Myskina leads the play at Sopot Saturday, where they will attempt to make up for the rained-out Friday semifinals.

Or not.

Myskina was rumored to have left the Idea Prokom Open without explanation on Friday, possibly forfeiting her semifinal match against Klara "Kouky" Koukalova of the Czech Republic. Myskina will hold a news conference Saturday, the Polish news agency PAP said.

According to Sopot officials this morning: "The number one seed of the tournament, Anastazja Myskina had to pull out of the Idea Prokom Open 2004 due to a light shoulder injury confirmed by a physiotherapist and the WTA tournament supervisor. Since it was probable, that she would have to play two matches on Saturday, Myskina did not want to risk a serious injury a day or two before she is scheduled to participate in the Olympic Games. She is to play her first match on Sunday or Monday. Anastazja thanks everyone for welcoming her so warmly and promises to come to Sopot next year and compete in the IPO 2005."

In other words, due to the rain and possibly playing two matches Saturday in Sopot before potentially having to play her first round match the next day at the Olympics on Sunday, she said 'Ow, my shoulder hurts' and hopped on a plane to Athens. Could that possibly be as weak as it sounds?

Even better, the Associated Press then reports that Myskina said that rather than a shoulder injury, it was an "aggravated rib injury." So which is it? Both? Neither? Sounds like the injury was 'The Olympics are going on and I'm stuck here in freaking Sopot.'

Saturday's semifinals line up as (6)Pennetta vs. (WC)Domachowska, (1)Myskina vs. (8)Koukalova (walkover), and the doubles final of Llagostera Vives/Marrero vs. Jans/Rosolska.

France's Camille Pin continued her run at Vancouver Friday, following up her win over No. 1 seed Marion Bartoli with a win over 15-year-old qualifier Sesil "The Mouth" Karatantcheva 6-1 in the third.

Joining Pin in the semis were (3)Alina Jidkova (d. (6)Rita "Ain't It" Grande in three), (4)Laura Granville (d. American countrywoman (8)Lee-Waters in three), and 15-year-old Czech qualifier Nicole Vaidisova (d. (2)Sequera).

On tap for the Saturday semifinals in Vancouver are (3)Jidkova vs. (Q)Vaidisova, and Pin vs. (4)Granville.

ATP REVIEW/PREVIEW

The men's play Friday at Sopot was rained out, so today's line-up on the dirt remains the same in (6)Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal vs. (Q)Franco "The Squirrel" Squillari, M.Lopez vs. Juan "The Tax Haven" Monaco, (Q)Vanek vs. Acasuso, and (Q)Mantilla vs. Garcia.

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Apparently Russian coaches Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Shamil Tarpishchev, and Eduard Davydenko have been denied access to the Athens Olympics because they failed to provide the proper documentation: "I have turned to the President of the International Tennis Federation seeking to solve the problem and I think that Davydenko will eventually get it, but I see no reason for Kafelnikov and Leonyuk to go to Athens," Tarpishchev said. "It is not clear why members of our Olympic delegation had such problems, but we'll sort it out."...Thomas Muster will meet Boris Becker in the senior tour final at Graz after Muster beat Mats Wilander and Becker beat Mikael Pernfors. Guy Forget also beat Alex Antonitsch, and will now face Sergi Bruguera in a contest to decide third and fourth place.