WTA News and Gossip 2014

[MargaretMcAleer]

Tarpischev may appeal suspension for remarks about the Williams sisters.

Russian tennis federation Shamil Tarpischev says he may appeal his suspension by the WTA for making a derogratory remakrs about the Williams sisters .

Appearing on a Russian talk show,Tarpischev referred to Serena and Venus Williams as the "Williams brothers".He received a $25,000 fine and a one year suspension from involvement in WTA tournaments.The ITF has recognized the suspension given to Tarpischev,who is also the Russian Fed Cup Captain,and the International Olympic Committee has also investigated the issue.

"I am looking at the possibility of filing a lawsuit,"Tarpischev was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS, a Russian news agency."If I am going to make such a move it will be in the U.S. court,where I will be able to find out on what basis the sanctions were applied."

Tarpischev said he would have to look at who to make the claim against,saying he had his remarks analyzed by language experts who did not rule them to be offensive."I translated the findings into English and sent them to the WTA but they did not accept them,"he said.The International Tennis Federation and International Olympic Committee also said they would not look into the issue."

Tarpischev sent a letter of apology to the Williamses,following a WTA request to do so.However,he also criticized the response to his remarks,describing them an extreme reaction.

Report from Kamakshi Tandon December 15th.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Serena Williams Serves Up Some Ambitious Goals For 2015-interview by Chris Evert December 16th.

This year,Serena Williams won yet another singles major,giving her career and making her a cinch for espnW's Impact and ESPN The Magazine's Interview Issue,where she sat down with fellow 18th-slam winner Chris Evert.

Evert: How have you managed to develop such a great friendship with Caroline Wozniacki? Martina Navratilova and I are good friends now,but when we were No 1 and No 2 in the world,we really werent that close.

Williams: I have a love for Caroline from the day I met her.And when times were tough for her and for me,we were always there for one each other.Then it began tweeting once and then twice,and now we just tweet all day,every day.It's just really fun to get to know someone that you are on tour with and travel with and knows what your going through,both on the court and off the court.We talk about how things are different for different players growing up.For me and Venus not playing junior tennis was good for us.I asked her 'What was it like to play the juniors?."I never knew junior Wimbledon existed until I was a few years on tour,I'm embarrassed to say.I didn't realize that there was actually a junior event.

Evert: Your dad (also Williams former coach) didn't guide you into junior tennis.Was that something people raised their eyebrows about?

Williams: Yes.And now I think if I had to play junior Wimbledon and junior French Open and all the tournaments,either I would have been really tired or kind of jaded after a certain amount of years.I would have been like."Well,I've been doing this for so long."Maybe it's one of the reasons I'm able to play a lot longer,because I started differently.

Evert: Do you love to win or hate to lose?

Williams: The feeling of winning isn't the same for me as the feeling of losing a match,emotionally.And I think that's one of the reasons why I still play,because if I didn't desire to be out there,I wouldn't.I hate to lose a lot.

Evert: After a devastating first-round exit in the 2012 French open,you turned to Patrick Mouratoglou for some coaching,then had a dynamite year in 2013.What did he see in your game?

Williams: It wasn't what he saw,it was just what he did.He didn't make me feel like I was changing anything.I think my foundation was strong enough that we just added to it.I was recently watching my old matches on YouTube.I found matches in 2009,2010,and I definitely have to say I think I'm a better player that I was before then.I'm smooth.I move better on the court.I'm lighter on the court.My game looks a lot easier,like I'm not trying as hard.It's a lot more effortless.

Evert: Going into last year,you said your goal was to make fewer errors.What do you want to change about your game in 2015?

Williams: Well,I want to move a lot faster on the court.I want to be more dynamic and just completely awesome out there,And I need to bring back my serve.My serve in 2014 was a little disappointing for me.I want my 2013 serve back,but a better version of that for 2015.I had so many double faults this year I was hitting,like,seven in a match,and it was driving me insane.When I'm missing,I'm thinking,"Get it in,"which is not the right way to think.I am way to much of a perfectionist.I will practice on the court and three hours later I'm doing the same shot without taking a water break.And I'm like,"Serena please quit" in my head.And then another part of my brain is like,"You've got to get it right."But I made some changes this summer,and in Cincinnati (in August at the Western and Southern Open,which Williams won).I did a ton better.Patrick gave me some great hints,especially on my second serve.

Evert: Your 33 now.Do you have days when you wake up and it's like,"Oh I just want to stay in bed?

Williams: For sure I do.but I think that's normal.We play so many matches a year,I'm not going to be ready to play all of them.One or two of those matches.I'm going to be like,"I don't want to go." But for me,the long term picture is "I don't want to go to that particular match," but I definitely want to go to the end of the road.And that's what keeps me going,I'm not ready for it to end.

Evert: You are the most famous female athlete in the world right now.And I know you're a private person.Is there a price to pay?

Williams: I'm so used to it.And now I embrace it and appreciate it more.When I go out,I'm ready.I remember when everyone wanted your autograph.Now everyone wants a picture.The camera phone is the best thing and the worst thing ever invented.Now I have it down I wear sleeves because of my arms.That's when I realized gets recognized the fastest,so I always wear something long-sleeved,something really loose and a nice hat.

Evert: Interesting,I'll be looking for you with that long shirt.

Williams: You won't spot me.My assistant was trying to find me in New York once.And I'm like,"I'm outside.".He didn't see me,and he walked right past me.I was just laughing.

Evert: Eighteen Grand Slams now.You're in the club.How much further can you go?

Williams: Well,it's no secret I'm going for the gusto.I'm going to try to catch up with Steffi (Graf,who won 22 Grand Slam titles).But right now I'm really focused on 19,which will begin in Australia.Whether I get there or not,I don't know.But I know if I get to 19,the second it happens I will be thinking of 20.

Evert: One time in my life I would love to hit a ball with you.

Williams: It would be different to play someone who's won 18 Grand Slams.I don't know how I would feel.Do you want to play,Chrissie?.Let's play this weekend so I can feel how it feels.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Craig Gabriel on Twitter,

the international tennis federation@ITF_Tennnis have named @serenawilliams and@DjokerNole as world champions for 2014.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Hantuchova to be coached by Carlos Rodriguez.Report from Kamakshi Tandon 19th December.

Daniela Hantuchova has announced that Carlos Rpdriguez,the former coach of Justine Henin and Li Na will be her new coach.The Slovakian had been working with Peter Lundgren this season.

"I'm very happy to announce my working relationship with Carlos Rodriguez,whose work I have admired for many,many years and what an incredible job he has done with Justine Henin and Li Na.It's my privilege to have Carlos by my side and I'm very thankful for this opportunity," she said.

Rodriguez stopped working with the now retired Li after Wimbledon,say that the Chinese academy with which he had a contract wanted him to return to coaching locally.

The 31 year-old Hantuchova,who had regularly been in the Top 30 and who has been ranked as high as No 5,has fallen to No 63 following a subpar season.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Petkovic returning to father as coach. Report from Kamakshi Tandon 21st December.

Andrea Petkovic is no longer working with Eric Van Harpen and will instead be coached by her father.
The 27-year-old German,who started with Harpen this season and reached the French Open semifinals,will only have her father with her at some tournaments.

"He will not go the full 40 weeks of tournaments during the year with me.But he just knows me well and I know what I have to do,so I play my best tennis," she said.

Petkovic eventually plans to appoint another coach.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Fort Lauderdale,FL,USA-It was December 21,1954-a Tuesday-when one of the greatest legends of women's tennis,and the WTA's first world No 1,incidentally,was coming into the world.

Chris Evert's playing career was historic.Not only was she No 1 on the very first WTA Rankings,which were published the week of November 3,1975,but now,almost 40 years later,she's still tied for second place in the Open Era for most Grand Slam titles with 18-two Australian Open,seven French Open,three Wimbledon and six U.S.Open.Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams also have 18 Grand Slam titles-Steffi Graf is the Open Era leader with 22 Grand Slam titles to her name.

But there's a lot more to her legacy-she reached the semi finals or better at 52 of the 56 Grand Slams she ever played,she won a total of 157 titles,she won three Grand Slam doubles titles,her famous 125 match clay court winning streak between 1974 and 1979-the list goes on.

Earlier this year,longtime tennis writer Joel Drucker spoke with Evert's contemporaries to find out what made her such a tough competitor-they gave us a glimpse at what it was like to play her.

"With Chris you were certain it was going to be a long day at the office," Tracy Austin said.

Pam Shriver echoed that "You'd be in just about every point,and win five games in two sets."

Since retiring from the sport in 1989 Evert has stayed heavily involved she founded Chris Evert Charities in 1989,raising almost $25 million since then to fight drug abuse and to assist neglected,drug-exposed and abused children,in 1996 she opened the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton,and she's been a part of the award-winning tennis commentary team at ESPN since signing on in 2011.

This year she was also a Legend Ambassador at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global,the season-ending event she won four times in her career in 1972,1973,1975 and 1979.

So,happy 60th to one of the WTA's Greatest Treasures!

From the WTA website-December 21st.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Daria Gavrilova originally from Russia but making the transition to full Australian status on the WTA,has conquered the third and final AO wild card play-off event,winning on the very same Melbourne Park courts the main event will soon be played on.

The No3 seeded Gavrilova didn't lose a set all week,including a 6-1 6-3 win over No 1 seed Olivia Rogowska in the semi final and a 6-4 6-2 over No 4 seed Arina Rodionova in the final.

The victory was even sweeter given a year ago she was watching the action at Melbourne Park on crutches-she tore her ACL playing the WTA 125K Series event in Taipei in November 2013.

Though she is still representing Russia on the WTA,Gavrilova is now a permanent resident of Australia and will represent the home country at the upcoming Australian Open.It will be her second Grand Slam representing Australia-she also did it at the U.S.Open this past year,where she fell in the qualies.

The 20 year-old Gavrilova,a former junior world No 1,will be playing the main draw of a Grand Slam for the second time in her career-she was main draw at the Australian Open in 2013 as a qualifier,eventually making the second round before falling to fellow qualifier Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.

The other two players who earned wild cards into the Happy Slam were Irina Falconi,who won the wild card play off event in the US, and Chang Kai-Chen,who won the play off event in China.

Report from the WTA website December 21st

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

If the last six months are anything to go by,Caroline Wozniacki is going to be one of the biggest threats at the Australian Open,which kicks off in exactly four weeks.And during a recent interview with Self magazine,the former No 1 declared the Happy Slam is on her radar.

"I want to win a Grand Slam," Wozniacki told Self Magazine,an American magazine for women that specializes in health,fitness,nutrition,beauty and happiness.

Wozniacki will go into the Australian Open as one of the favourites,too.After the tour switched from grass to hard after Wimbledon,Woznicacki went 28-8,reaching the semifinals or better six times in nine events.highlighted by her second Grand Slam final at the U.S.Open.And with Serena Williams out of the equation that's a 28-4 record-including 6-2 against Top 10 players other than Williams.

And it's just in the stars that Wozniacki will eventually join the roster of WTA greats who have captured Grand Slam titles.Statistically,she's the best player never to win a Grand Slam title-not only are her 22 WTA titles the most ever for a player without a Grand Slam,but her 67 weeks at World No1 are by far the most,Dinara Safina's 26 weeks at the top the closet challenger for career weeks at No 1.

But above all that is her record form.If it hadn't been for Williams,she might have achieved the feat in Flushing Meadows this year-and in her other three losses to the World No1 this year,she was just points away from victory every time,pushing her to close three setters in all of their encounters.

The close rivalry is paired with a close friendship,though Woznicacki also spoke to Self magazine about that,as well as some of her secrets to staying in such great shape,she is one of the fittest players on the tour.

From the WTA website 22nd December.

 

[Calvy]

"she was just points away from victory every, pushing her to close three setters in all of their encounters."

The U.S. Open final was a straight set victory for Serena.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

^ Thanks,WTA needs to check their facts at times,indeed it was a straight set victory for Serena

 

[Hoergren]

Nothing to do with tennis (shame on you Hoergren) but I hope I'm forgiven:

On this festive season night
Where Christmas snow is falling white.
Christmas snow how and where?
Here it comes at the moment only as water here and there!
Dear Santa Claus, have mercy on this poor Dane
standing in the kitchen dressed in gloves insane
Why you ask puzzled and surprised.
Because I need to have my cutlery and glassware washed by hand very nice
- I have almost forgotten but i tried
when the old dishwasher lost the spirit and died.

Well there is enough time for pork, Christmas and cosiness
for him, the old thick Scandinavian nisse after the mess.
My thoughts go in these moments when the rains fall soft
to close and distant friends who hopefully fun and time have got.
A wish from here to be with you all
not be more than gay when the snow finally fall.
Take care of yourselves and each other,
even to a distant friend or brother
so you can enjoy the New Year when it will come
now that this year will soon be over and done.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all from the old Nisse

Leif Hoergren

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

^ Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year to you Leif Hoergren!

 

[rubydo]

Just want to wish all the great people at Tennis Frontier a joyous Christmas, hoping Santa is good to you, and may the New Year be filled with happiness and many aces. Look forward to sharing with you some of the stories I will cover here and pictures on Bagel Chat. Will again be at Eastbourne, and hoping to cover either the Rogers Cup in Toronto or the Bank West Classic in Stanford too, plus if time permits the Odlum Brown tournament in Vancouver. There are also a number of local tournaments I try to cover here in Cowichan Valley too, mixing all this in with my advertising duties. Keep up the great information you provide, it is immensely helpful and greatly appreciated.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Well it is Christmas Eve here in Sydney,
To everyone at Tennis Frontier have a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year!