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| HEWITT AND CLIJSTERS MAKE IT LOOK EASY | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It wasn’t a half bad week in the desert at the PACIFIC LIFE OPEN. You wouldn’t know that Sunday after watching the finals. KIM CLIJSTERS made it look too easy, winning over LINDSAY DAVENPORT in straight sets 6-4, 7-5. DAVENPORT had looked strong all week, coming back from knee surgery at a tournament she had won on 2 other occasions. Clearly DAVENPORT likes to play in Southern California, not far from her home in Laguna Beach, and her old stomping grounds of Palos Verdes.
And no doubt CLIJSTERS is a good player, though she didn’t look it particularly, in the final. She had 27 unforced errors herself, against a wobbly DAVENPORT. That won’t get it done against either VENUS or SERENA.
Her game did show signs of consistency throughout the tournament. While she did not dominate, she had little trouble with the likes of FABIOLA ZULUAGA, FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE, NATHALIE DECHY, CHANDA RUBIN or CONCHITA MARTINEZ. It is this consistency that she feels will benefit her most in her matches against the WILLIAMS sisters later in the year.
The tournament was conspicuous for the absence of both SERENA and VENUS, again. They last appeared here in 2001 when VENUS withdrew from her semi-final match against SERENA just before start time. The move was considered a ploy by the sisters who at the time were under much suspicion for not giving it their all in contests against each other. Since then they have squared off in increasingly more competitive matches, in the finals of the last 4 grand slams. So, it looks like CLIJSTERS is the strongest hope to break into the top tier and challenge the WILLIAMS for the remaining slams of 2003. She has the power, and perhaps now the consistency and experience to do so. With this win she has beaten DAVENPORT twice in finals this season, the other in Sydney. KIM has been in the finals of 4 of the 5 tournaments she has played. And, she also has an intangible weapon, her relationship with LLEYTON HEWITT who tightened his stranglehold on the number 1 ranking with his win here, his second straight championship in 2 weeks.
Despite the ease with which he dispatched of a rejuvenated GUSTAVO KUERTON, HEWITT was tested early, starting with his first match against 31-year old Moroccan YOUNES EL AYNAOUI. HEWITT had to save 3 match points before going on to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. EL AYNAOUI took HEWITT out at the Australian earlier this year, and gave ANDY RODDICK a really tough time in the quarterfinals of that grand slam, so it was no easy start or LLEYTON.
HEWITT has held that ranking since November of 2001 and he would have lost it if he didn’t get into the semifinals here. To get there he had to beat a fine looking American player, ROBBY GINEPRI, who managed to dismiss MARAT SAFIN, the 7 seed 6-1, 6-0. GINEPRI came into the tournament ranked 62 in the world, and had to qualify to get into the main draw. Once there, he made the most of it. His run ended in the quarterfinals against HEWITT, 4-6, 2-6.
HEWITT then beat another qualifier VINCE SPADEA, 7-6, 6-1 to gain his match against GUSTAVO KUERTON. KUERTON coming off hip surgery, said he was back to full strength, and he looked it beating GORAN IVANISEVIC, ROGER FEDERER the 4th seed, AGUSTIN CALLERI, American JAMES BLAKE and RAINER SCHUETTLER to get into the finals.
SCHUETTLER got to the finals of the Australian, and it apparently was no fluke. He didn’t lose a set until he met KUERTON in the semis of this tournament, and he took ANDY RODDICK out in the quarterfinals without blinking, 6-3, 6-2.
Weather may have done him in, as the rains came, a rare event indeed here in Indian Wells, to wash out his semifinal match on Saturday. Down a set, he returned to the stadium early Sunday morning, and did manage to take a set before losing to KUERTON, 2-6, 6-3, 2-6.
The semifinal victory had its price for GUSTAVO, as he had nothing left when he returned to center court several hours later to play the final. LLEYTON dismissed him 6-1, 6-1 in a totally overpowering display over a player who looked very much the same one with 3 French Opens to his credit. Look for GUSTAVO to show very well in Paris later this year. Look for HEWITT to continue to beat the field.
In the doubles matches, DAVENPORT and CLIJSTERS faced each other again, along with their respective partners LISA RAYMOND and AI SUGIYAMA. DAVENPORT had her revenge, winning the doubles final 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. On the men’s side, WAYNE FERREIRA and YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV defeated the BRYAN twins 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. The PACIFIC LIFE OPEN paid out $400,000 to HEWITT for his win, $332,000 to CLIJSTERS for her win. Losers GUSTAVO KUERTON and LINDSAY DAVENPORT got $200,000 and $168,000 for their efforts, respectively and quite respectably. |
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| A DESSERTED PACIFIC LIFE OPEN IN THE DESERT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The big question in women's tennis is whether anyone can beat either of the WILLIAMS’ sisters, and more particularly, SERENA. She has won the last 4 grand slam events, and has done so handily. It is a topic of sensitivity amongst the players trying to break through the WILLIAMS’ juggernaut. "It’s like all of my press conferences are about VENUS and SERENA. I would really appreciate it if they were about my tennis or something," snapped a somewhat perturbed KIM CLIJSTERS after beating FABIOLA ZULUAGA in the second round. What the players on the women’s tour don’t seem to grasp is that there needs to be some compelling reason to follow the sport. IF no one can beat SERENA, what is the point? When I was growing up, it was CHRIS EVERT who was in complete command of the tour. It was all good and nice, but not until MARTINA NAVRATILOVA came along did the women’s finals take on an air of importance and necessity. Viewing those battles was not merely enjoyable pastime, but participation in a momentous event. Then came MONICA SELES with a fresh, loud game, which quickly elevated to replace the aging legend, NAVRATILOVA. STEFFI GRAF was soon challenging SELES, and their intense rivalry fueled another era of compelling women’s tennis. Ironically, it was a nutcase fan, overrun with the passions of the competition between these two greats, which put an end to the duel, freeing a spot for MARTINA HINGIS to assume her challenge to the throne. With GRAF and apparently HINGIS in retirement, and SELES nearing the end of her stellar career, the top rungs of the tennis world were left vacant just in time for the WILLIAMS sisters to step in.
It looked like VENUS would command the throne, but it is SERENA who now seems invincible. And so, this tournament gives the fans an opportunity to see the progress of the likes of KIM CLISTERS, JENNIFER CAPRIATI, LINDSAY DAVENPORT, and newcomer DANIELA HANTUCHOVA. Do they have what it takes to challenge SEERENA, or VENUS for the slams of 2003 and beyond?
CAPRIATI’S game and attitude have shown signs of wear since her victory in Australia in January of 2002. She is the last woman to win a slam other than SERENA, but her confidence seems shaken after disappointing showings at the French, Wimbleton and the US Open to finish 2002, and a first round loss in Australia to start the year. She commented on what she needs to do to improve her game in 2003. "(I need to) just go out there and not expect too much, and not really hold back. The earlier rounds are the best opportunity for me…to take more chances, take more risks and to try that kind of play."
LINDSAY DAVENPORT is competing this week in Indian Wells, but she has not shown the ability to raise the level of her play up to the WILLIAMS standards since knee surgery in 2002. She is back, and seems more fit than ever, but does she have the quickness to keep up with SERENA? DANIELA HANTUCHOVA showed great form in rising through the field of this tournament last year for her first Tier 1 title, but she faded for the remainder of the 2002 season despite climbing to number 5 in the world(as of 3.3.03).
That leaves number 1 seed KIM CLIJSTERS, as the only hope to stop the WILLIAMS dominance of the sport. She had better get used to the questions, for without that rivalry, there is no reason to watch women’s tennis. CLIJSTERS did manage to beat SERENA in the WTA Championships at the end of the 2002 season, breaking her amazing streak of domination in 2002. SERENA did not compete in the Australian Open, and then proceeded to sweep the French, Wimbleton, the US Open and the 2003 Australian, beating her sister VENUS in the finals of each. Had SERENA won the WTA at the conclusion of 2002, the rest of the girls might just have well mailed in the 2003 season. But CLIJSTERS saved that. Let’s see if she can really make things interesting in 2003 and win a slam or two.
Unlike MICHAEL CHANG, who is showcasing his retirement tonight at the Pacific Life Open. PETE, no doubt, doesn't want to do that dog and pony show in less than top form. Why would he? CHANG of course had a magnificent career, reaching top form in 1989 when he shocked IVAN LENDL in the round of 16 at the French Open, and then went on to beat STEFAN EDBERG in the final for his only slam.  ANDRE AGASSI dashed the hope of fans by showing up here, practicing on Saturday, and then announcing he would not play because of a pinched-nerve in his right shoulder. A similar injury kept him out of play for several months in 1999. AGASSI, at the age of 32 was clearly the big draw at this tournament. Crowds gathered 3 and 4 deep to see his practice session, and he was swamped with autograph requests after the 30-minute hit around.LLEYTON HEWITT, the number 1 seed is expected to play next week. As are the number 3 and 4 seeds JUAN CARLOS FERRERO and ROGER FEDERER. None of them has the  drawing power of the next American hopeful, ANDY RODDICK, but even he is questionable with a bad ankle.Tennis needs some classic rivalries and colorful personalities to keep it center stage in the world of sports and entertainment. We'll see, amidst this dwindling field, if any develop as play continues through March 16 here in the desert at Indian Wells, California. |
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