WTA News and Gossip 2015

[sk310]

It will be really interesting to see the dynamic of Serena vs. Vika matches now. While Serena certainly seems ok with it, I can't imagine that she won't want to send a message period next meeting between the two. It certainly explains the lack of talk and support from Sascha since last year if he was planning to jump ship so to speak. I can see Serena using this as a motivating factor to stay ahead of the game.

Apparently you've missed Serena's tweets to Sasah and Vika.

It's willful ignorance. They see actual evidence from Serena herself and still believe in her heart of hearts she's bitter. It's endless speculation about how the world is against her.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I don't think she is bitter. I just find it interesting. I didn't say on Serena's end there was anything odd, clearly Serena moves on quickly. Where did I say Serena was bitter? I said the match up should be interesting. Clearly, Serena will want to send a message that says you can work with my old hitting partner, but that still won't help you beat me. There is nothing convoluted in that logic.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I am more interested in watching Serena and how the crowd will react to her when she plays her first match on Friday and also how Serena will react after not playing at IW for all these years quite frankly.
Sascha has moved on,we will never know the real reason why he decided to do this.I dont take much notice of comments on Twitter,regarding this,remember people only say things at times we want to hear,not the complete truth.

 

[sk310]

I don't think she is bitter. I just find it interesting. I didn't say on Serena's end there was anything odd, clearly Serena moves on quickly. Where did I say Serena was bitter? I said the match up should be interesting. Clearly, Serena will want to send a message that says you can work with my old hitting partner, but that still won't help you beat me. There is nothing convoluted in that logic.

It's called subtext.
You wrote that right after a string of crazy comments by rabid Serena fans. You suggested a lack of support from Sasha because he was "planning to jump ship." Thats complete speculation. You have 0 idea why a hitting partner does or does not travel to certain tournaments.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Not once have I suggested this parting is a negative thing or that either has bitter feelings about it. Clearly, they both thought it for the best. I know why he wasn't in Australia as he and Serena made it clear he was injured. I also did suggest by saying if he was planning to jump ship which doesn't say for certain that I knew he was going to leave Serena's camp. For me anyway, it does potentially explain his being quiet and not as supportive if he was planning his next move. It is only natural if a change happens to remain quiet until it is certain.

 

[tossip]

Not once have I suggested this parting is a negative thing or that either has bitter feelings about it. Clearly, they both thought it for the best. I know why he wasn't in Australia as he and Serena made it clear he was injured. I also did suggest by saying if he was planning to jump ship which doesn't say for certain that I knew he was going to leave Serena's camp. For me anyway, it does potentially explain his being quiet and not as supportive if he was planning his next move. It is only natural if a change happens to remain quiet until it is certain.

if they were not getting along then its best that he is gone...he likes social media a lotnow he can flirt with Vika all day long:snicker

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Two time major champion Amelie Mauresmo was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Monday.Mauresmo won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006.She was No.1 for 39 weeks in her career,becoming the first Frenchwoman to reach the top of the computer rankings since they were introduced in the 1970s.

Nancy Jeffett was elected in the contributor category.She helped establish the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and was one of the first promoters of women's pro tennis.

The introduction ceremony is July 18th in Newport,Rhode Island.

Report from AP,March 9th.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Marion Bartoli has set the record straight,insisting she is not coming back to tennis,despite a cryptic tweet she posted last week asking her followers if she could return to tennis.Speaking on Wednesday,Bartoli explained the reasoning behind her post on Twitter.
"I really wanted to have the opinion of my fan base.I asked the question to my fans and the people who are following me," Bartoli told Sport 360 ahead of her exhibition match on Thursday with Jana Novotna at the Emirates Palace."And then I don't know what happened with the whole tennis journalists who got the idea that I was coming back."

"I was just asking the question to my fans whether they think I should come back or not."

"My life is now about designing my own jewelry collection,which is about to launch.I have a lot more projects and I want to do a sports collection as well.I want to do a shoe collection,an underwear collection,and I have my frozen yoghurt that will be launched at Wimbledon."

Report from Sport 360,Wednesday March 11th.

 

[Fefe26]

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — With Serena Williams making her return to Indian Wells after a 14-year boycott, her longtime hitting partner, Sascha Bajin, came to the tournament for the first time this week.

But under an intense midday sun Monday, Bajin stood across the net not from Williams, but from his new employer: Victoria Azarenka.

Bajin’s move from the Williams camp to the Azarenka team was the latest turn in the dizzying coaching carousel at the top of women’s tennis in recent months. Azarenka’s longtime coach, Sam Sumyk, went to work with Eugenie Bouchard; Bouchard’s previous coach, Nick Saviano, began working with Sloane Stephens; Stephens’s past coach, Thomas Hogstedt, spent time with Simona Halep; and Halep’s former coach, Wim Fissette, is now alongside Bajin with Azarenka.

Azarenka, who is friendly with Williams, first suggested adding Bajin to her team on her way to the final in Doha in February, and Fissette agreed.
“I believed in the importance of a good hitting partner,” Fissette said. “It’s not easy to find a good hitting partner, and I think Sascha is maybe the best hitting partner on tour. He plays the ball exactly how you want, he’s strong from every side. And he has the experience with Serena. He knows what it is to be in a Grand Slam semifinal or final. I think it’s good he’s on the team.”

Being a hitting partner is a nuanced role that requires striking a balance between challenging the player and letting her confidence grow.

“You have to be able to read minds, you have to be able to read body language,” Bajin said. “You have to put your own needs back and you have to swallow quite a bit. But at the same time, it’s just a certain feel for situations, when you know you have to push somebody, when you have to take it easy, when you have to switch it up. And be a little bit of a role model, too; I’m going to try for Victoria to be a role model just as I tried for Serena to be one. Working out hard, staying in good shape for myself, so she knows that there’s somebody on the other side of the court who she knows is a little stronger than her physically, stronger mentally or something.”

Bajin said that he and Williams formally split on March 1, but Bajin had not appeared with Williams all season, missing her run to a sixth Australian Open title. Bajin added that he had not spoken to Williams since she decided to return to Indian Wells, which she announced in early February.

The new partnership between Bajin and Azarenka was revealed by Williams, who last week posted on Twitter, “don’t have too much fun without me congrats Sasha.”

“That was real nice of her,” Bajin said. “At the end of the day, it’s business. But I’m happy, and I hope Serena is going to be happy, too, with whatever decision she makes.”

Bajin was with Williams for 10 of her 19 Grand Slam titles and even lived with her for three of their eight years together. He was also a pillar and confidant through her many setbacks and physical struggles. Bajin cited her comeback from a life-threatening pulmonary embolism as their moment together of which he was proudest.

“We really did go through a lot,” Bajin said. “There were so many highs with Serena, it’s so hard to name one. I was at the Olympics with her. Just spending every day with one of the world’s greatest athletes is just beautiful.”

Bajin acknowledged that the next time Azarenka plays Williams will not be easy for him. Azarenka and Williams are on opposite sides of the draw at Indian Wells and cannot meet until the final.

“Of course, it’s going to be strange,” he said. “At the end of the day, it is some sort of a breakup. It is, because for eight years I dedicated my life to her. Now I’m in Victoria’s corner. I know that Serena is going to try to go at her on the court, and, of course, now that I’m working for her, I want Victoria to do well against her. Outside of the court, if I see her, of course, I’m going to be the same to her as I was. But on court it’s just business.”

Part of Bajin’s new business with Azarenka is adjusting to the patterns and needs of a new player after eight years of working exclusively with Williams.

“Since I was hitting with Serena for so long, I knew where her shots were going to go in practice,” he said. “Now for me, I have to learn to anticipate, I have to learn how to react again in order to read her game. It’s a new player. But there are a couple of things where I was surprised where she’s actually really strong, better than I thought.”

Bajin has valuable experience preparing Williams to play against Azarenka, who is one of Williams’s toughest opponents.

“I asked him, when you were playing against Vika, what was your plan, how did you feel about playing Vika?” Fissette said. “We spoke about it, and on the other hand, of course, he had the experience working with Serena, and they had also talked about tactics. We will know, maybe, a few other secrets.”

Given that he estimated spending 330 days a year with Williams, Bajin said he thought the title “hitting partner” fell short of representing his contributions.

“If I take certain things off court, which even an assistant or an agent would do, I’m just trying to help,” he said.

“I’m doing a little more than just hitting balls, but I don’t care about the title. As long as Victoria knows what work I put in, I’m good with that. Call me a gardener if you want, I don’t care.”

 

[tossip]

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — With Serena Williams making her return to Indian Wells after a 14-year boycott, her longtime hitting partner, Sascha Bajin, came to the tournament for the first time this week.

But under an intense midday sun Monday, Bajin stood across the net not from Williams, but from his new employer: Victoria Azarenka.

Bajin’s move from the Williams camp to the Azarenka team was the latest turn in the dizzying coaching carousel at the top of women’s tennis in recent months. Azarenka’s longtime coach, Sam Sumyk, went to work with Eugenie Bouchard; Bouchard’s previous coach, Nick Saviano, began working with Sloane Stephens; Stephens’s past coach, Thomas Hogstedt, spent time with Simona Halep; and Halep’s former coach, Wim Fissette, is now alongside Bajin with Azarenka.

Azarenka, who is friendly with Williams, first suggested adding Bajin to her team on her way to the final in Doha in February, and Fissette agreed.
“I believed in the importance of a good hitting partner,” Fissette said. “It’s not easy to find a good hitting partner, and I think Sascha is maybe the best hitting partner on tour. He plays the ball exactly how you want, he’s strong from every side. And he has the experience with Serena. He knows what it is to be in a Grand Slam semifinal or final. I think it’s good he’s on the team.”

Being a hitting partner is a nuanced role that requires striking a balance between challenging the player and letting her confidence grow.

“You have to be able to read minds, you have to be able to read body language,” Bajin said. “You have to put your own needs back and you have to swallow quite a bit. But at the same time, it’s just a certain feel for situations, when you know you have to push somebody, when you have to take it easy, when you have to switch it up. And be a little bit of a role model, too; I’m going to try for Victoria to be a role model just as I tried for Serena to be one. Working out hard, staying in good shape for myself, so she knows that there’s somebody on the other side of the court who she knows is a little stronger than her physically, stronger mentally or something.”

Bajin said that he and Williams formally split on March 1, but Bajin had not appeared with Williams all season, missing her run to a sixth Australian Open title. Bajin added that he had not spoken to Williams since she decided to return to Indian Wells, which she announced in early February.

The new partnership between Bajin and Azarenka was revealed by Williams, who last week posted on Twitter, “don’t have too much fun without me congrats Sasha.”

“That was real nice of her,” Bajin said. “At the end of the day, it’s business. But I’m happy, and I hope Serena is going to be happy, too, with whatever decision she makes.”

Bajin was with Williams for 10 of her 19 Grand Slam titles and even lived with her for three of their eight years together. He was also a pillar and confidant through her many setbacks and physical struggles. Bajin cited her comeback from a life-threatening pulmonary embolism as their moment together of which he was proudest.

“We really did go through a lot,” Bajin said. “There were so many highs with Serena, it’s so hard to name one. I was at the Olympics with her. Just spending every day with one of the world’s greatest athletes is just beautiful.”

Bajin acknowledged that the next time Azarenka plays Williams will not be easy for him. Azarenka and Williams are on opposite sides of the draw at Indian Wells and cannot meet until the final.

“Of course, it’s going to be strange,” he said. “At the end of the day, it is some sort of a breakup. It is, because for eight years I dedicated my life to her. Now I’m in Victoria’s corner. I know that Serena is going to try to go at her on the court, and, of course, now that I’m working for her, I want Victoria to do well against her. Outside of the court, if I see her, of course, I’m going to be the same to her as I was. But on court it’s just business.”

Part of Bajin’s new business with Azarenka is adjusting to the patterns and needs of a new player after eight years of working exclusively with Williams.

“Since I was hitting with Serena for so long, I knew where her shots were going to go in practice,” he said. “Now for me, I have to learn to anticipate, I have to learn how to react again in order to read her game. It’s a new player. But there are a couple of things where I was surprised where she’s actually really strong, better than I thought.”

Bajin has valuable experience preparing Williams to play against Azarenka, who is one of Williams’s toughest opponents.

“I asked him, when you were playing against Vika, what was your plan, how did you feel about playing Vika?” Fissette said. “We spoke about it, and on the other hand, of course, he had the experience working with Serena, and they had also talked about tactics. We will know, maybe, a few other secrets.”

Given that he estimated spending 330 days a year with Williams, Bajin said he thought the title “hitting partner” fell short of representing his contributions.

“If I take certain things off court, which even an assistant or an agent would do, I’m just trying to help,” he said.

“I’m doing a little more than just hitting balls, but I don’t care about the title. As long as Victoria knows what work I put in, I’m good with that. Call me a gardener if you want, I don’t care.”

Vika anticipates well but her serve is her weakest part..plus she gets confused when faced with variety...Radwanska exposed that at AO14...whereas Serena has a strong will and ability to change tactics in the middle of a match.Serena to me is a natural and Vika is not...

 

[10isfan]

I thought Vika lost to Aga at AO 2014 because she was injured, not because of variety. Vika had beaten Aga too many times before to be suddenly confused by Aga's game.

I don't agree that Vika is "not a natural". Except for her serve, there isn't anything else lacking. In my opinion, she plays tennis as close to perfection as is possible. Her game is just beautiful.

 

[tossip]

I thought Vika lost to Aga at AO 2014 because she was injured, not because of variety. Vika had beaten Aga too many times before to be suddenly confused by Aga's game.

I don't agree that Vika is "not a natural". Except for her serve, there isn't anything else lacking. In my opinion, she plays tennis as close to perfection as is possible. Her game is just beautiful.

I admire the way Serena just plays those moments when she is about to lose...her perfection tendencies kick in...she plays a close match better than anyone.Those moments when all is lost,she finds a way to win...
Serena is a once in a lifetime player ....it will take a generation or two to have a player like her.

 

[sk310]

I thought Vika lost to Aga at AO 2014 because she was injured, not because of variety. Vika had beaten Aga too many times before to be suddenly confused by Aga's game.

I don't agree that Vika is "not a natural". Except for her serve, there isn't anything else lacking. In my opinion, she plays tennis as close to perfection as is possible. Her game is just beautiful.

Agreed. That loss seemed to be because of injury. I love watching her game when she is really at her strongest. It's nice to watch a player really believe in themselves.

 

[tossip]

it seems Sascha told Serena that he wanted to coach but ended being a hitting partner again.I hope Serena was not blindsided by Vika and Sascha....I hope Azarenka didnt do this because of the Jill Smoller connection with Genie and her former coach Sam Sumyk.This is not a good look at all on Azarenka s part,like she was being vindictive...as for Sascha he seems ungrateful a la Steve Williams

 

[tossip]

wow is Madison Keys dating Ryan Harrison...interesting.Sloane was with Jack Sock now Keys with Harrison..next its Coco with Donald Young...

 

[kskate2]

wow is Madison Keys dating Ryan Harrison...interesting.Sloane was with Jack Sock now Keys with Harrison..next its Coco with Donald Young...

Where did you get this info? I don't think Harrison is dating her. I believe he is dating Christina McHale's sister

 

[tossip]

wow is Madison Keys dating Ryan Harrison...interesting.Sloane was with Jack Sock now Keys with Harrison..next its Coco with Donald Young...

Where did you get this info? I don't think Harrison is dating her. I believe he is dating Christina McHale's sister

I saw her watching his match all by herself....hopefully there wont be any drama with McHale..he is not that hot:snicker

 

[kskate2]

She wasn't watching his match. She was there to support Fish on his return to the court.

 

[sk310]

She wasn't watching his match. She was there to support Fish on his return to the court.

Its not good to engage with the people making insane speculation. They live in their own world where facts mean nothing.

 

[tossip]

She wasn't watching his match. She was there to support Fish on his return to the court.

she is supporting Fish and not supporting Harrison..:nono..she looked very cozy the other day snuggling onto Ryan..