Non-voters and Obama-supporters Venus and Serena Williams will be facing off tomorrow in the round-robin portion of the WTA’s season ending championships in Doha. Don’t despair, tennis fans, unlike this year’s U.S. Open, the two can meet early in the tournament and still meet each other in the finals.
Here’s what else I’m thinking about this week:
1. Ana Ivanovic is in big trouble. Her hottie boyfriend, Fernando Verdasco, is starting to get clingy – even traveling to Doha to cheer her on. She needs a hard-working off season to shore up her flailing game, but I suspect that all she’s motivated to do right now is lie on a beach in the Maldives and run her fingers through Fernando Verdasco’s luxurious locks. Talk about physical therapy (sign me up!)
2. Dinara Safina is out of YEC contention, having lost in straights to both Williams sisters in round robin competition. Is the Russian just worn out or are the Williams sisters just that good? I’ve been a big Dinara booster this year, and this is a disappointing way for her to go out this season.
3. Vera Zvonareva is the unexpected year-end force onthe women’s tour (the Gilles Simon of Doha, perhaps?) I used to dislike her tears and whining, but she seems to have been steadily maturing and shoring up her mental and physical game. James Martin of ESPN had some interesting Vera-related stats on his blog (click here):
Zvonareva qualified for the season-ending event in Doha with a record of 61-21, for a winning percentage of .740. She competed in more matches than anyone else among the “elite” field of eight. Jankovic had the second-most matches played with a record of 63-17, for a winning percentage of .790. Dinara Safina was third, playing a total of 72 matches (55-17), for a .760 winning percentage.
3. Who picks the group color names? Maroon and White? Buh-lech! Why not pink and purple? Or burnt sienna and cerulean blue? Or Cherries in the Snow and Vamp, for goodness sake? Maroon and White sounds like a law firm.
4. Back to the Williams sisters – how cool would it be to see them play each other twice in one week? Their rivalry has blossomed this year – they now play their best tennis against one another, and I think it’s fitting that this match up will likely be the finale to the season.
5. You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone – Maria, get well soon!
Serena image: Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images
Fernando image: courtesy of Down the Line!
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