McIntyre Tennis

The Passion of Amelie Mauresmo

Well, that was a shame. This was supposed to be her year; instead we had another defeat with the suffering writ large all over Mauresmo's face, her paralysis in that second set, and the creeping silence of the crowd. I feel so awful for Amelie; can't imagine what she and the French are feeling right now.

But...congratulations to Nicole Vaidisova for holding her nerve and notching off her career-best victory on such a tough stage. Kudos also to the gracious French crowd who applauded her and cheered a despondant Amelie as she hustled off the court. (Amelie paused to speak to the French press courtside, did anyone see the interview?)

Vaidisova Shatters Mauresmo's Dream

Davydenko, Vaidisova and Peer win

Nicole Vaidisova takes Strasbourg, Nikolai Davydenko makes it a double in Poertschach, and Shahar Peer takes out Miskyna for the Istanbul Cup.

Also note: the BBC is taking questions for Davydenko before the French Open here.

Ace Hot List

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.

The Women's and Men's Lists

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!)

Vaidisova Loses in First Round

Lousy form by Nicole Vaidisova, but I'm looking forward to getting the chance to see this Victoria Azarenka play for the first time.

It's beginning to look like she's definitely not going to be one of those who have a stellar junior career but don't cut it as pros.

And only in tennis (well, and maybe gymnastics) do the 16-year-old veterans have to worry about being chased down by younger talent.  I wonder how it feels for Vaidisova.

From The Commercial Appeal: No 1 knocked out

Nicole Vaidisova's trainers have often referred to her as "a Mike Tyson" on the tennis court because of the hard-hitting, athletic style she uses to quickly dispatch opponents.

On Tuesday, her play was indeed Tyson-like.

But it was more reminiscent of the struggling, present-day fighter than the vintage Tyson who terrorized the heavyweight division during the 1980s.

Nicole Vaidisova

As always, Nick Bollettieri is happy to talk up any player that has passed through his academy.  But Mike Tyson references?

From The Commercial Appeal: 'She's like a Tyson'

When Nick Bollettieri talks about Nicole Vaidisova, it isn't immediately clear if he's describing the next great women's tennis player or a contender for the heavyweight title.

The No. 1 seed in this week's Cellular South Cup, Vaidisova is a 16-year-old Czech by way of Germany who packs a big serve and an increasingly powerful resume...

"She's no longer the little girl on the block. She's a veteran now," said Bollettieri, the perma-tanned tennis guru who has coached the likes of Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and Venus and Serena Williams and has been working with Vaidisova since she first came to his eponymous, Bradenton, Fla.-based academy in 1999.

"Her serve is becoming a major weapon. She's a hitter. She's like a (Mike) Tyson," Bollettieri added. "She comes out slugging from both sides. She's a tall girl, and she's becoming much stronger physically and she's believing she belongs on the tour. Even though she's a big girl at 6-1, you'll find she's very coordinated. She has no ego at all, but she's a tough mama."

Nicole Vaidisova Says She's No Sharapova (or Kournikova)

From The Sydney Morning Herald: Rising star ready for spotlight

SHE is the new glamour player, the woman every photographer has his lens focused on and, dare we say it, about to mix it with the "it" girl, Maria Sharapova, not just in the leggy, long blonde stakes, but on the court.

Nicole Vaidisova is just 16 and the youngest female player at the Sydney International tournament, but she rocketed from No.84 to No.15 in the world last year - the latest off the Nick Bollettieri Academy production line.

Still, Vaidisova's rapid promotion on and off the court - she is already a feature personality in a global sports shoe's international ad campaign - has even surpassed those who have gone before her.

Vaidisova Defeats Koukalova

From the Philadelphia Inquirer: Young Czech star dodges an upset

With each grimace of frustration from Nicole Vaidisova last night, the organizers of the Advanta Championships at Villanova's sparsely filled Pavilion shook their fists at the tennis gods, wondering what they had done to deserve such a run of misfortune.

The tournament had already lost much of its glitter when injury and illness sidelined Lindsay Davenport and Maria Sharapova after the sisters Williams turned their thumbs down on it a while back. In all, three of the top five seeds had dropped out of the field.

Now here was the seventh-seeded Vaidisova, the streaking 16-year-old Czech whose star is rapidly rising, on the verge of being extinguished by her more seasoned countrywoman, unseeded Klara Koukalova...

Bollettieri Evaluates Vaidisova

From the Bradenton  Herald: Vaidisova's stock is soaring

Nick Bollettieri, who has worked with her since her arrival at his academy from the Czech Republic in 1999, says Vaidisova has an unseen quality possessed by champion performers.

"No one has to push her. She has the ambition to be the best in the world, and it's a driving force that comes through loud and clear," Bollettieri said. "Now that she is seeing what the tour is like, she's not content being the young plebe. She wants to be the seasoned veteran who establishes records.

"Nicole has an abundance of natural talent and is surrounded by a tremendous support team, starting with her father (and coach, Ales Kodat) and the people at IMG Academies. But most important, she has that fire. She is a perfect example of the kind of person I like to be involved with."

Nicole Vaidisova vs. Maria Sharapova

Nicole Vaidisova's three consecutive tournament victories in Seoul, Tokyo and Bangkok have attracted her some attention.  Is she the next Maria Sharapova?  Reebok thinks so.

From The Times: Battle of the brands (registration required)

Nicole Vaidisova and Maria Sharapova are leading players on the court - and in the fight betweens sportswear rivals...

Almost a decade on and the Kournikova template is still being updated. Today there are two statuesque blondes who hit a ball with severe force and usually accompany it with a deafening screech. As with their predecessor, their origins are in the former Eastern bloc and both were moved to America as children to work under the tutelage of Nick Bollettieri at his Florida tennis academy.

Maria Sharapova already earns $18m a year from sponsorship and endorsements deals alone, and Nicole Vaidisova possesses all the attributes to tread the same path. At 16, the German-born Czech rejects the suggestion that she is just another marketing man’s dream, though she assuredly is, and is determined to make her mark through her tennis. She respects Sharapova’s achievements but in Vaidisova’s eyes, the world No 1, who is two years her senior, will soon become just another opponent to beat rather than emulate...

Vaidisova Wins Third Consecutive Title

Watch out for 16-year-old Nicole Vaidisova next year.  After winning her third title in a row today at the Thailand Open I think we can safely say she's ready to graduate from these lower tier events.  But will Nadia Petrova ever win a WTA title?

Trophy pictures here and here.

From The Nation: Czech cashes in

The teenager used her unrelenting groundstrokes and huge serves to win her third successive title with a 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 win over the top seed yesterday, adding the Thailand Open trophy to the ones she won in Seoul and Tokyo...

“I felt good and have played consistently for three weeks. When I was 2-4 down, I was thinking maybe I was not going win my third title. But I pushed myself to fight back,’’ said Vaidisova...

“I want to work more on my net game, the volleys. I have to come more to the net,’’ added Vaidisova, who left for Florida last night without getting a chance to try Thai food or do any sightseeing due to her strict training regime...

Petrova said a right arm muscle strain which she picked up at her last tournament hampered her movement on the court in Bangkok.