Hewitt Pulls From Masters Cup, ITF Drug Program to Track Players
Posted on November 8, 2005
Sharapova, Walking Wounded Kick Off WTA ChampionshipsKim Clijsters and Mary Pierce will reenact this year's US Open final when play begins today at the WTA Championships in Los Angeles.
Former No. 1 Maria Sharapova will be second match on against Swiss Patty Schnyder, while current world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport faces Russian Nadia Petrova in the nightcap.
Schnyder, Petrova and Elena Dementieva are the also-rans under pressure to prove they are in attendance in L.A. for reasons other than injuries to former No. 1s Justine Henin-Hardenne and sisters Serena and Venus Williams, who otherwise would have qualified among the Top 8. Dementieva was 0-3 last year in L.A., and 1-2 in 2003 in round robin play. For Petrova and Schnyder it is their first post-season appearance in the round robin format.
Clijsters is only 59 points ahead of Davenport on the WTA's 2005-only point standings, setting up a scenario where the player who gets a round further than the other takes home the year-end No. 1.
Both players downplayed the No. 1 race in their typical laid-back complimentary styles.
"It's a great goal to have and it's a great kind of incentive this week," Davenport said. "If it doesn't happen, it's not something that is going to worry me all that much. Kim totally deserves it."
Clijsters appeared just happy to be in L.A. after missing last year's event with a wrist injury.
"It would just make the year even more special, but it's not like it's on my mind now," Clijsters said. "If it happens, great. If it doesn't, that's not going to make my year worse."
Nice. Two nice young ladies. Can someone at least talk a little smack?
CAGE MATCH -- EIGHT PLAYERS ENTER, FOUR LEAVE
Clijsters and Amelie Mauresmo are the favorites to emerge into the semifinals from the Black Group, which also includes Mary Pierce (4-10 career against her group mates) and Dementieva (9-15 against her group). Clijsters is the only Black Group member with a winning record (18-4) against her group mates, while Mauresmo holds winning records against Pierce and Dementieva but is 13-15 against the group.
Punters would be advised to take Mauresmo to emerge into the semifinals with Clijsters rather than Pierce due to Mary's shaky injury problems since the US Open, and the toll they will have taken on her confidence. Mauresmo on the other hand if just coming off the Philly title, and holds the edge over her countrywoman in their head-to-head.
Davenport and Sharapova are clear favorites in the Green Group against Schnyder and Petrova, who are 7-12 and 3-13 respectively against their group mates. The defending champion Sharapova is truly the green one in the group, playing only eight matches (6-2) against her fellow group members, while the veteran Davenport is an impressive 15-4 against the three.
Sharapova, who needs to be 100 percent to emerge into the semis, says the pec and thumb injuries are better but round robin play will bring out the hard truth for many players this week.
Those players with career shut-out records vs. fellow competitors at this year's Championships are Clijsters 3-0 over Pierce, Sharapova 3-0 over Petrova, and Davenport 6-0 over Petrova in lifetime tour meetings. Petrova, if you haven't figured it out, is the doormat of this year's championships and will likely go 0-3 if she competes at all due to injury.
Injury or illness worries dog half the field, with problems over the last two weeks causing tournament withdrawals by Sharapova (chest muscle, thumb), Petrova (heel), Davenport (flu), and Pierce (leg). Schnyder also has a cut on her hand from a racquet-bouncing accident.
When you're missing three of your four slam champions at the end of the year due to injuries, you'd think someone at the WTA would be concerned, but the governing organization's stance remains 'These injuries are just a cra-dazy coincidence! Here, have a scantily-clad Maria Sharapova bobblehead doll!'
Last year's final was also an injury-laden affair, with Serena Williams gamely fighting through shoulder pain in a three-set loss to Sharapova.
If history is a guide, look for an incident-filled week in L.A. featuring plentiful chokes from the French brigade, injury pull-outs from the Russians, psychotic crowd-chastising from the Swiss, painful-looking splits from the Belgian, and a good deal of cheering (from the seats that aren't empty) for the lone American in L.A.
Former champs in the field are Sharapova (2004), Clijsters (2003-02), and Davenport (1999).
Richard Vach is a senior writer for Tennis-X.com.
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