MELBOURNE — Call it Woeful Wednesday. It was the day the Australian Open lost its leading man very unexpectedly – Rafa Nadal. And professional tennis lost one of its most appealing champions. For good, this time – Justine Henin. Put them together and it was a huge, staggering hit for the game. There would be new champions. Roger Federer would fall to a confident Novak … [Read more...] about A PAIR OF HORRENDOUS AUSSIE LOSSES – RAFA, JUSTINE, SHE SADLY FOREVER
Kuznetsova
TITLE RIVALRY: MOSCOW (SAFINA) AGAINST ST. PETE (KUZNETSOVA)
PARIS — This is like Ohio State-Michigan, if I may use a fierce American football rivalry and apply it to tennis. What I have in mind is a great long-time Russian rivalry – Moscow and St. Petersburg – and a representative of each bumping heads with the Championship of France at stake. Both are 23, proud to have put together the second all-Russian French final. But they come … [Read more...] about TITLE RIVALRY: MOSCOW (SAFINA) AGAINST ST. PETE (KUZNETSOVA)
KOOZY DOESN’T GO WOOZY THIS TIME; FEDERER’S LOOKING LIKE FEDERER
PARIS – It was a good day for the heartbreak kids. The year’s first major, the Australian Open was a crusher for both of them: Svetlana Kuznetsova and Roger Federer. He actually wept, on court, after losing the final to Rafa Nadal. I bet she bawled in the dressing room after blowing a true shot at the title by bungling in her semifinal against Serena Williams, who became the … [Read more...] about KOOZY DOESN’T GO WOOZY THIS TIME; FEDERER’S LOOKING LIKE FEDERER