From The Australian: Myskina keeps Open officials guessing
AUSTRALIAN Open tournament director Craig Tiley is yet to learn if French Open winner Anastasia Myskina's Melbourne Park bid is doomed.
World No. 16 Myskina was scheduled to return to Moscow from Auckland yesterday to receive treatment on an injured toe...
This weekend's semifinal tie, part 1, has a nice patina to it: old battle lines redrawn as (ex-) Soviets battle Americans in Russia. You can bet the Bryan Brothers have been salivating at the chance to get their own back against Misha Youzhny for kicking them to the curb in NY, and Misha's ready to get his back against Roddick who was so irritatingly emphatic in offing him in the US Open semis. Despite Davydenko's apparent fatigue and Safin's...Safinitis, it's hard to imagine Roddick and Blake, both allergic to dirt courts, making a real run in red country on even redder clay. So what if communism failed! Russia's got a good chance at the Davis Cup.
However, it seems that Pravda is back to playing mind games--suggesting that Anastasia Myskina is crushing on James Blake--are they trying to facilitate a hook up? Hmm. Could be an amusing couple--ever congenial Blake with Myskina's mouth (witness one of my favorite press conferences--her amusing but bitch-tastic comments re: Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon).
It's unlikely that the Davis Cup tie will yield as big a surprise as last weekend's Fed Cup, where Italy took out Belgium in the final, basically when an injured Justine Henin-Hardenne had to retire from the doubles. What I don't understand is why they don't just sub someone else in as needed. I mean, come on, folks--it's team tennis. It just seems such a shame when this sort of thing happens. Before the Justine haters add their two cents, I want to say that it was impossible not to feel gutted for H-H when she forfeited; she had the most forlorn look on her face--the abject frustration of people who are often betrayed by their bodies. Hugs. Her knee injury will keep her out until November.
Anyway, Davis Cup starts on Friday. The other semi features Lleyton Hewitt and his armed guard taking on a Gaudio- and Coria-less Argentine squad--who else is hoping that David Nalbandian, who's been talking lots of shite re taking out the Aussies, finally finds his game, which has been missing all season?
Other interesting match ups: Federer is sweeping in to save the day to ensure Switzerland stays in the World Group. He'll be handing a beatdown to the Serbian and Montenegran team (Novak Djokovic and crew)--possibly in a near empty home stadium. Italy v. Spain (Nadal is playing despite the recent injury that kept him out of Beijing), and Germany vs. Thailand (Paradorn Srichaphan, literally the most zen player on tour vs. the player with the most nervous energy--that means you, Tommy Haas!).
How did this post get so long? Oh, right. That's what happens when you blog at 3am.
You can follow all the scores and catch Davis Cup radio at www.daviscup.com; I'll post live streaming links once the appear.
Wow. James Blake lost to Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo? A dude who apparently was 0-7 on hardcourts until hitting New Haven? Wow.
In other defending champ news, Lindsay Davenport's through.
In other upsets, Myskina went down to lucky loser Mara Santangelo (also, Patty Schnyder was ousted Monday by qualifier Sun Tiantian). Here's a wrap of the women's Tuesday matches.
Today sees the return of this year's biggest names on the women's tour: Justine Henin-Hardenne and Amelie Mauresmo are back. Yay!
Here are today's matchups.
*AP Photo/Bob Child
I sort of forgot their was another WTA event this week; but congrats to Zheng Jie for beating Anastasia Myskina in Sweden for her 3rd career title. Here's a wrap.
Here Jie is with Bjorn Borg. Way for Borg to support Swedish tennis. It's always good to see him.
6-2 6-2 in 57 minutes. I think they call it a beatdown. Here's a match review and a wrap of today's matches in Cincinnati.
Serena Williams and Anastasia Myskina face off today in Cincinnati. Though Myskina's been playing well, I'm going with Serena in 3 sets.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Serena seems to be "in reasonably good shape." Read 'Serena seizes spotlight even for practice session.'
But if Myskina wins, I'll be curious to hear what she has to say. I'm still LOL re: her bitchy post-Jankovic comments at Wimbledon.
Photo © Rita May
This is a day late, but too funny to be missed.
"She's a really strange player," Myskina told reporters.
"Let's put it that way. She walks on the court. I don't think she really care about the way she plays. She cares more about how she looks. That was kind of strange. She was touching her hair, whatever, her skirt." Read On...
Henin-Hardenne wins Eastbourne in a 3rd set tiebreak over Myskina; Gasquet becomes the first man ever to defend Nottingham with a 6-4 6-3 win over Bjorkman, Michaela Krajicek straight-setted Dinara Safina at Ordina (a day after beating Dementieva! What a week.), and Ancic defended Ordina in 3 sets against Jan Hernych.
Nottingham: Defending champ Richard Gasquet KO'd countryman Gilles Simon in 3 and 1; Italian Andreas Seppi beat Andy Murray in 3; Robin Soderling, who has yet to drop a set, over Tipsarevic in 2, and Bjorkman over Lopez. I'm gonna go with Gasquet to repeat his win.
At the Ordina Open, Men's, it'll be defending champ Mario Ancic v. Marcos Baghdatis (making his first semi since Australia) and Jan Hernych vs. Forent Serra (who took out JC Fererro in 3). The women: Elena Demetieva, Danilidou, Dinara Safina and Michaela Krajicek. I'm going with Ancic and Safina.
Eastbourne: It'll be Henin-Hardenne vs. Clijsters and Kuznetsova v. Myskina. I'm going with Kuznetsova over Henin-Hardenne in the final.
Myskina's back with a little help from Yeltsin. (But for how long?)
One big Russian bear hug from Boris Yeltsin at the conclusion of yesterday's opening match on Court One was enough to tell Anastasia Myskina she was back.
Since winning the French Open two years ago the Russian beauty has been a pale imitation of her old self, a decline that clearly had much to do with the ill health suffered by her mother later that year. Read On...
Well, the most important tennis rankings are out.
For the men, the Spanish Armada is, of course, well represented in the top 10-- Rafael Nadal, Feliciano Lopez, Juan Carlos Ferrero. And apparently bald is also beautiful, with 2 shiny domes making the cut.
For the women, the top 10 is dominated by the Russians and sort-of Russians: Myskina, Dementieva, Kirilenko, Golovin and Sharapova.
I must say I disagree with the rankings. Ivanovic, Venus, Dementieva and Mirza are IMHO the most beautiful women on tour; and the spaniards should clearly have a lock on the top 4 (Feli first, and where is Moya?), and the absence of Ancic and Nalbandian is obviously poor judgement. (Roddick, top 10? Blasphemy!)
From The Desert Sun:
Anastasia Myskina, currently the 12th-ranked player in the world, said she decided Wednesday morning she will not play in the Fed Cup for Russia this year.
"(The commitment) is too much for me," Myskina said. "This year I want to play for myself. I put a lot of energy into the team. I've played every time they asked me, and I'm always ready to play if they need me, but it's been too much."
Russia has won the last two Fed Cups and Myskina has been a star on those teams. In those two years, Myskina went 9-3 in singles matches and 1-0 in doubles matches.
From Reuters: Myskina clarifies Fed Cup Stance
Anastasia Myskina has moved to clarify her position over playing Fed Cup tennis for Russia. On Tuesday, Myskina, who led Russia to their first Fed Cup title in 2004 and was instrumental in reaching the final this year, indicated she would be stepping down...
On Wednesday, after a second round win in Germany over compatrior Dinara Safina, she told reporters: "There was a misunderstanding with the translation because I didn't say that I'm not going to play at all."I won twice and I think the young players are playing pretty good right now, like Dinara, she's ready to play singles.
"I just want to take a step back a little bit and give (up) a place, but if I'm going to be invited that would be great."
Anastasia Myskina did not quit Fed Cup because of a feud with Maria Sharapova and Fed Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev found out she quit through media reports.
From the Moscow News: Russian Tennis Chief Plays Down Row Between Myskina and Sharapova
Anastasia Myskina today announced that she was done competing for Russia in the Fed Cup.
From Reuters: Myskina quits Fed Cup team
"I've won it (the Fed Cup) twice, even if last time I won because Elena Dementieva helped a lot," eighth seed Myskina told reporters after beating German qualifier Stephanie Gehrlein 6-1 6-4 on Tuesday.
"I'm really happy to have done that...these last two years it was two really great teams and the atmosphere was unbelievable.
"We have so many good girls who can play and who want to play so I just wish them good luck. I want to step aside now and let others have the chance."
With Maria Sharapova expected to join the team next year someone was going to have to go. If Russian Fed Cup captain Shamil Tarpischev uses Sharapova as one singles player, that would have left Myskina and Elena Dementieva fighting it out for the second singles slot. Based on current form and age, that slot goes to Dementieva in a no-brainer. Which leaves Myskina to play doubles if she wants and apparently she doesn't. So call this a face-saving move by Myskina.
Here's a shot you don't see too much in tennis, although you may in the future if Sania Mirza continues to make tennis such a hot sport in India. After Anastasia Myskina won the singles title at the Sunfeast Open in Kolkota, India and the doubles title with Elena Likhovsteva, they both dressed in saris and posed for photographs with their trophies. You can see the photos on this page (third set of photos down the page).
Anastasia Myskina defeated Karolina Sprem 6-2, 6-2 to win the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata.
"I'm happy as this win will help my effort to regain a place in the top 10," said Myskina.
"I made too many errors to give her a fight in the match," said Sprem.
Not much of a match. Sprem was a bundle of nerves and Mykina played like the higher-ranked player she is. Would you believe this is just Myskina' first title of the year? Obviously a tournament she should have won considering the entry list, but still a nice job by Myskina to quickly put her poor Fed Cup play behind her.
Myskina also won the doubles when she and Elena Likhovtseva embarrassed Neha and Shikha Uberoi 6-1, 6-0 in the final.
Anastasia Myskina has made it from the Fed Cup final in Paris to Kolkata and held her first press conference. They don't seem to have asked her much about Fed Cup, or if they did her comments didn't make it into print, but she talked about her struggles this year and competition among the Russian female tennis players.
From Reuters: Myskina blames fatigue
"We played so many tournaments, we won the Fed Cup in the Olympic year," she said on Tuesday. "I guess the break between the seasons wasn't enough for me."
"By the middle of this year, I was so tired. I wasn't concentrating on my tennis very much.
"But now I'm really back and after Wimbledon I'm playing much better tennis," Myskina, 24, top seed at this week's $170,000 WTA event in Kolkata, told reporters.
The player, who failed to impress in Russia's Fed Cup final victory over France in Paris on Sunday, added: "(This is) definitely not my best tennis. I still need to play harder. I'm trying."
No mention of her mother's illness earlier this year, but if you combine that with the exhausting schedule in 2004...well, no surprise her year has been messed up. The question is, will she ever be able to right the ship or is her best tennis in her past?
Anastasia Myskina has made it from the Fed Cup final in Paris to Kolkata and held her first press conference. They don't seem to have asked her much about Fed Cup, or if they did her comments didn't make it into print, but she talked about her struggles this year and competition among the Russian female tennis players.
From Reuters: Myskina blames fatigue
"We played so many tournaments, we won the Fed Cup in the Olympic year," she said on Tuesday. "I guess the break between the seasons wasn't enough for me."
"By the middle of this year, I was so tired. I wasn't concentrating on my tennis very much.
"But now I'm really back and after Wimbledon I'm playing much better tennis," Myskina, 24, top seed at this week's $170,000 WTA event in Kolkata, told reporters.
The player, who failed to impress in Russia's Fed Cup final victory over France in Paris on Sunday, added: "(This is) definitely not my best tennis. I still need to play harder. I'm trying."
No mention of her mother's illness earlier this year, but if you combine that with the exhausting schedule in 2004...well, no surprise her year has been messed up. The question is, will she ever be able to right the ship or is her best tennis in her past?
Organizers of the Sunfeast Open in India have managed to lure Anastasia Myskina there for their inaugural edition of the Tier III tournament starting on September 19, 2005. I wonder how much that cost them?
As soon as you saw those pictures a few years back, you just knew it was a bad idea for those players.
And unknown at the time, Anastasia Myskina compounded her mistake by falling for the old "Could I take a few topless photos of you just for myself, not for publication?" line after the photoshoot. Don't sleazy photographers have that line in Russia?
Following her 2004 French Open Championship, a Russian magazine saw its chance and published them. Myskina sued.
A judge ruled today that those photos were fair game for publication, regardless of the fact Myskina claims not to have understood the photo release she signed due to her lack of fluency in English.
From the AP: Manhattan judge says photographer can distribute Russian tennis player's topless pictures
A good preview of the Anastasia Myskina-Elena Dementieva match by The Scotsman (which has suddenly become really enthusiastic about tennis - can't imagine why): Elena plays a rushing game
HISTORICALLY - and when you are talking about two women of 23, the idea of history does seem a little ridiculous - but, historically, when Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva play each other, Myskina always wins. They meet again tomorrow in the fourth round, weather permitting, their umpteenth match over the course of a lifetime.
It all started years ago when they were kids growing up in Moscow. Training together at the Moscow Spartak club and becoming the best of friends, they used to liven up their practice matches with a little bet: the loser buys the pizza. Myskina ate well and Dementieva was always skint...
When she lost to her pal in Paris, it took her mother to mop her up and persuade her to celebrate the fact that she had, at last, reached the final of a major tournament. So out she went to have a few sherbets and who did she take along with her? Her bestest friend Myskina. Who else?
"We were just celebrating this final," Dementieva said, "and people, when they saw us they were like 'Oh, it's Myskina and, oooh, it's Dementieva and they are together.' They couldn't believe their eyes, they thought we wouldn't be speaking to each other. When we were younger, if I lost to her I wouldn't talk to her for a couple of days but now I play against Russian players almost every week, so I'm kind of used to it." ...
Growing up in what used to be the Soviet Union, both women share memories of the bad old days, days when there was no foreign travel, no money and no way out.
"It's a funny time to remember now," Dementieva recalled, "because we were washing the balls after each practice, you know. We couldn't find a skirt for me to play a match so we bought a long skirt and then my mum just cut it in the way I needed. She was good at sewing in those times."
Equal prize money for the ladies at the Grand Slams would be nice, but Anastasia Myskina puts it into perspective here: "I don’t care really,” she said. “If I am going to work to McDonald's, I don't think I'm going to earn that much money. I'm happy, really, with everything."
But what in the world was going on in her match against Jelena Jankovic today? I've never seen so many missed opportunities in my life.
A couple of short Wimbledon previews about Amelie Mauresmo and Anastasia Myskina by the BBC with new quotes from each player. The sum total of Mauresmo's mental progress seems to be that she doesn't care anymore when she chokes and loses a big match. And Myskina reports that her family situation (mother's illness) is better and seems to have recovered her sense of humor. "I'm feeling really fresh because I haven't played a lot of matches and not confident because I haven't played a lot of matches," she said.
Besieged by press inquiries ever since friend Elena Dementieva accidentally let drop that Myskina was having "personal problems" in addition to her shoulder injury, Anastasia Myskina decided to open up a bit today.
"I just want to say, my mom was sick... she has a problem with her health... really serious problem, so I have been dealing with this for the past couple of months," said Myskina.
"I would like (you) to not...ask any questions about this any more. It has been a pretty hard time... but I am a professional tennis player so I have to play no matter what."
Now we get to see whether the media decides to respect her privacy or inundate her with even more personal questions.
Whatever's been causing Anastasia Myskina to have such lousy results this year is apparently still bothering her. She pulled out of Fed Cup today citing a shoulder injury, although according to tennisreporters.net Elena Dementieva referred to her as having "personal problems."
Whatever happened to the graceful loser in tennis? The tradition seems to have gone by the wayside. After her surprise defeat to 15-year-old Nicole Vaidisova at the Family Circle Cup, Anastasia Myskina had this to say:
"That wasn’t even a big match. The serve-and-volley was nothing today. It’s just my mistakes and, well, she served pretty well. That’s the only one thing she can do."
That should be good bulletin board material for Vaidisova if she hears about it. Admittedly at 6-feet tall at only 15 years old her serve is her biggest strength, but she's got more to her game than it.
Myskina's rough start to the year must be getting to her. Along with Maria Sharapova, Myskina, Elena Dementieva, and Svetlana Kuznetsova led the so-called "Russian Revolution" in women's tennis last year and made you think that a Russian player would be winning most of the big tournaments in the near future. But with the exception of Sharapova, they're all having sub-par years so far.
From the Florida Times-Union: Myskina fends off wild card
No.3 seed Anastasia Myskina looked to take an easy win Wednesday afternoon in her first match of the Bausch & Lomb Championships.
She won the first set 6-2, taking four games at love against Shahar Peer of Israel, a wild card.
At that point she got "a little bit bored," Myskina said after the match.
And Peer took advantage, winning the second set 6-3.
"I was just thinking, 'When's this match going to finish?'" Myskina said. "And next thing I was down 4-love in five minutes. After that, it's really hard to come back."
But she did.
After the match, The Florida Times-Union and Water's Edge magazine presented Myskina with a "Commitment to Community" award for her efforts to help the victims of the Beslan school tragedy in her home country. Myskina donated clothing, toys and money to the Red Cross and spent time with several families at a hospital in Moscow.
"I'm not doing the whole charity thing for awards," Myskina said later. "I just really want to help the people. But I'm really honored.
