Pacific Life Open, Indian Wells (March 10, 2004)
by Ed Toombs
Main draw play began today on the women?s side of the Pacific Life Open, while the men began the qualifying tournament. We will focus on the exploits of some very young teenage girls that highlighted women?s play. First, however, let?s hear from some of the big names of the women?s draw who shared their thoughts with us in a unique setting.
All Access, All the Time Today the WTA organized a media scrum called the ?All-Access Hour?, in which the top eight women?s seeds were made available for free-form interviews. The athletes were placed at tables with a name card, and reporters bustled from table to table to glean quotes from the stars. The players were unfailingly cooperative and submitted to the questioning with admirable good will. While we didn?t quite get to speak to all of the women, here is some of what we picked up during our table-hopping.
We first took advantage of the chance to talk to the world number one. We refer, of course, to the doubles #1 and the 8th seed here in singles, Paola Suarez (pictured at right).
The Argentine ace chatted smilingly with reporters as if they were old friends. Suarez has the same number of doubles ranking points as her good friend and team-mate Virginia Ruano Pascual, but because Paola played fewer tournaments last year, she is technically number one. Suarez told us that she and ?ViVi? have agreed that they will play the same number of events this year and not play with anyone else. ?Our goal for this year is both to be number one.? Suarez conceded that there is one event where this will not be the case -- the Olympics. ?She?s going to play with a Spaniard and me with an Argentine, and we might have to play each other. You know it would be weird. We have never played each other. Never in doubles, never in singles.?
Suarez is also a force in singles as well, having cracked the top 15 last year for the first time in her career. She was asked to explain her recent singles success. ?I think with my experience in the doubles, I know I can play with the top players. Plus, I try to be stronger and hit the ball harder.?
Yes, we also spoke to that other number one Justine Henin-Hardenne. The Belgian star has often been portrayed -- especially in this country -- as a cold fish with a chip on her shoulder. Today she came across as anything but, listening attentively to questions and giving generous, thoughtful answers. Asked about being placed under a microscope by her critics, Justine answered, ?It doesn?t matter so much what people say and think about me. What is important is that I am really enjoying what?s happening in my life right now -- 3 Grand Slams i n 7 months. People ask me what my goals in life are right now, and it?s still the same. Keep enjoying my tennis the way I am, and try to win every match I have to play.? Still, we thought Henin spoke a bit wistfully of a future time when she will no longer have her life placed under a microscope. ?It?s your role,? she told the reporters, ?and I understand it. Playing tennis is normal and natural, and everything else that I have to do around that is also part of my life. But sometimes we?re getting tired, and sometimes I want to be a little more in the real life. But it?s going to start in a few years. I?m real happy doing what I do right now.?
When asked for the secret of her success, Henin is quick to give credit to her longtime coach, Argentine Carlos Rodriguez. ?Without Carlos I couldn?t be at this level I am right now. He teaches me a lot of things. It?s almost 8 years in June, and I listen to him like the first day we were working together.? And it?s not as if teacher and pupil never have the occasional argument. ?We are very honest with each other, if we have something to say we say it, but an hour later it?s okay and we start working to ward the future.?
Vera Zvonareva, the 6th seed here, is one of many talented young Russians on the tour. Still, she doesn?t feel overly pressured to be the top-ranked Russian. ?We?re all friends, and we try to play doubles with other and help each other. Yeah, there?s competition with us, but it?s competition with everybody. You don?t want to just be the best of the Russians, you want to be the best, top ten in the world.?
When asked if she missed the presence of Serena Williams on the tour, Vera?s impulse was to vaunt the depth of the tour. ?It was really fun to watch her playing, she had so many great matches. But there are so many good players besides just Serena, Kim and Justine. People don?t really see the good tennis the others play.?
We ended our table tour with Zvonareva?s countrywoman Nadia Petrova. Petrova is returning to the tour this week after an absence of almost two months. ?It was not an injury,? explained the 7th seed. ?I played a lot of tournaments late last year and was a little tired and burnt out. My immune system didn?t hold, and I caught the flu in Australia. Then I came back to Europe and caught a cold again. So I had to cut down and take a break.? Nadia told us she has been practicing full speed ?for only two weeks before coming here. I?m feeling good and fit. Coming back after the break, I?ll be happy with whatever matches I can play.?
Tatiana Golovin (WC) def. Shinobu Asagoe, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
First round
Stadium 3
Previous head-to-head: First meetingIndian Wells tournament director Charlie Pasarell has in recent years adopted the policy of giving wild cards to highly touted juniors, usually with connections to the Nick Bollettieri academy or the IMG agency. This often pays off with some early round surprises by the kids. For example, in 2002 Maria Sharapova won her first WTA match here, and two years later Sharapova is already a tour headliner.
Today three of Charlie?s kiddies came through with upset wins. 14-year-old Bulgarian and Bollettieri student Sesil Karatancheva took out slip-sliding-away Alexandra Stevenson, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1; American-based Russian Alisa Kleibanova, an unranked 14-year-old, shocked Jelena Kostanic, 2-6, 6-0, 7-5; and 15-year-old Tatiana Golovin disposed of Japanese veteran Shinobu Asagoe in our featured match.
Of the three, Golovin (pictured at right) was always going to be the most likely of the three youthful surprise packages to succeed. The fast-rising French girl of Russian extraction already boasts a ranking of 91, and has beaten veterans such as Elena Dementieva and -- twice -- Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi this year. Today Golovin went up against a tough veteran and won a war of attrition.
We arrived at the start of the second set with Golovin up 6-1. Our informant Bill, present from the start, informed us that the score was deceiving. ?Asagoe had some games where she was ahead and had game points,? reported Bill, ?but couldn?t finish them off.? Asagoe did a better job of putting away these games in the second set, and forced a deciding frame.
Both players possessed a somewhat similar style. Neither are very powerful, and rely on their placement and running ability to win points. The rallies were long, and we suspected that the match would turn on who had the most physical resistance. It turned out to be Golovin.
The crucial game of the final set may have been the first, a 5-deuce battle that Asagoe led 40-15 but finally lost. The Japanese then appeared to unravel mentally as well as physically. Serving at 0-2, 30-30, Asagoe thought her shot was long, and did not make a play on Golovin?s reply. But there had been no out call, and the point went to Golovin. Asagoe stood with hands on hips for long seconds, staring disconsolately at the back fence. With her opponent sagging, the French girl went on to claim the gam e and, with Bollettieri applauding approvingly, sped to a 5-0 lead.
With the end in sight Golovin got tight, and allowed Asagoe to climb back to 5-3. But Golovin regrouped and slammed the door, cashing in on her first match point on a strong backhand. Tatiana gave Nick B. a fist pump, and was on to the second round.
Judging from this match, Golovin?s strengths are her combativeness, consistency, movement and fitness. Especially the latter. We recall that she forced the ultra-fit Smashnova to retire with cramps in Paris last month (?Smashnova is known for her fitness, but I wore her down,? said Golovin after that match). The power is lacking in Golovin?s game, but that should come with time and physical maturity.
Golovin?s second round opponent will be one of our ?All Access Hour? interviewees, Paola Suarez. Paola had better get her best running shoes ready for this match.
Wandering in the desert Scribbling Santangelo
Some players develop interesting rituals when they sit on their chairs during changeovers. We noticed today that the slender, smooth-stroking Italian Mara Santangelo conscientiously scribbled notes at every changeover during her match with countrywoman Tathiana Garbin. The mental discipline may have helped Santangelo come back from a slow start to win the match, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. A whole book of notes may not help Mara in her upcoming second round match against 3rd seed Lindsay Davenport.
?Pim-Pim? plummets in men?s qualies
In today?s first round of men?s qualifying, the big surprise was the ouster of top seed Joachim Johansson. The giant, bullet-serving Swede, known in his homeland as ?Pim-Pim?, was off his game in a 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 loss to American left-hander Wayne Odesnik. Johansson?s massive serve was the key to his surprise maiden title in Memphis last month, but today the big bomb was unreliable, as was the rest of his game. Even when the monster first serves landed in, Odesnik managed to get a surprising number back in play, which seemed to fluster the impatient Swede.
Men?s qualifying play will conclude tomorrow, with the main draw starting on Friday.
Quotable quotes Justine Henin-Hardenne was among several players who were asked about the doping controversies in men?s tennis, and about today?s news that Greg Rusedski was cleared of any wrongdoing following his appeal of a positive drugs test. ?It?s a delicate situation. I think you have to give him the benefit of the doubt because he came out publicly to defend his case. So it?s good for him. But now it looks like the ATP might possibly be responsible, so I?m sure there will be some questions asked within t he ATP.?
Sesil Karatancheva, elated at her first-ever WTA win, has assimilated the ?positive thinking? of Nick Bollettieri amazingly well. ?I never ask about my opponents,? replied the 14-year-old Bulgarian when asked how she prepared for her victim of today, Alexandra Stevenson. ?If I do what I do well, that?s good enough for me.? When told that Jennifer Capriati won her first WTA tournament when she was several months older, Sesil replied with a smile and a nod, ?I?m going to beat that!? And what about Sesil?s next opponent, Spanish veteran Magui Serna? ?I don?t know who this is,? was the surprising reply. ?I don?t really care.?