TennisToday

Nicolas Mahut Wears Tennis Skirt for Doubles Match

Oh those crazy French! Love it.

It was for an exhibition mixed doubles match at the Hopman Cup today.

Bethanie seems way into it too!

Photos: Getty Images

ATP Men's & WTA Women's Title Count for 2010

Winner's Today:

Montpellier: 3 Gael Monfils d Ivan Ljubicic - 62 57 61

Vienna: Jurgen Melzer d L Andreas Haider-Maurer - 67(10) 76(4) 64

St. Petersburg: Mikhail Kukushkin d 1 Mikhail Youzhny - 63 76(2)

2010 MEN'S TITLISTS

SEVEN titles: Rafael Nadal

FOUR titles: Sam Querrey

THREE titles: Roger Federer, Juan Carlos Ferrero

***

TWO titles: Nicolas Almagro, Juan Ignacio Chela, Marin Cilic,

Novak Djokovic, Mardy Fish,

Michael Llodra, Albert Montanes, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick,

Fernando Verdasco, Sergiy Stakhovsky, Mikhail Youzhny

***

ONE title: Marcos Baghdatis, Thomaz Bellucci, Juan Ignacio Chela,

 Nikolay Davydenko, David Ferrer, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez

Richard Gasquet, Andrey Golubev, Ernests Gulbis, Lleyton Hewitt,

John Isner, Mikhail Kukushkin, Ivan Ljubicic, Feliciano Lopez,

Jurgen Melzer, Gael Monfils, David Nalbandian, Gilles Simon,

Robin Soderling, Viktor Troicki, Stanislas Wawrinka

TODAY:

Doha: 3 Kim Clijsters d 1 Caroline Wozniacki - 63 57 63

2010 WOMEN'S TITLISTS

SIX titles: Caroline Wozniacki

FIVE titles: Kim Clijsters

TWO titles: Victoria Azarenka, Elena Dementieva, Justine Henin,

Alisa Kleybanova, Anastasia Palyuchenkova, Aravane Rezai,

Maria Sharapova, Francesca Schiavone, Agnes Szavay,

Serena Williams, Venus Williams

***

ONE title: Iveta Benesova, Alona Bondarenko,

Anna Chakvetadze, Alexandra Dulgheru, Julia Goerges,

Jarmila Groth, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Kaia Kanepi,

Alla Kudryavtseva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Kateryna Makarova,

Mariana Duque Marina, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Li Na,

Tamira Paszek, Flavia Pennetta, Anastajia Sevastova, Sam Stosur,

Tamarine Tanasugarn, Roberta Vinci, Yanina Wickmayer, Vera Zvonareva

Kim Clijsters Wins Year-End WTA Title in Doha

Doha WTA Year-End Championships Final

3 Kim Clijsters d 1 Caroline Wozniacki - 63 57 63

Kim was up a set and 4-1... Caro at least turned a rout into a match.

Since Kim's comeback she has been perfect in finals: 6-0. For 2010: 5-0.

She has also beaten the current or former #1 player 11 times in that span.

Kim has now won the year-end title 3 times adding to '02 & '03.

She will finish the year ranked #3.

Coulda been higher: Had she played the French she might actually be #1.

The #1 ranking will immediately be up for grabs to start the 2011 season...

Caroline, Vera & Kim all lost early in Australia - who would you bet on?

If this week is any indication - I'd surely go with Jada's mom.

Photo: Getty Images

Elena Dementieva Retires from WTA Tour Today

Wow, I did not expect that at all. The surprise choked me up some too.

I assumed all the older players were looking to the '12 Olympics to assess.

I had the pleasure of watching her play several times. Ah, those groundies!

Elena may be remembered as the best player to never have won a Slam.

But he does have a gold medal from the Beijing Olympic Games.

This might be enough to get her into the Hall of Fame. I hope so.

Elena turned pro in 1998 and in the 12 years that followed...

She recorded a W/L of 575-271 & reached a high of #3 in the rankings.

She won 16 titles - her 1st at Amelia Island in '03, last Paris Indoors in '10.

She earned just over 14 million in prize money.

And finished in the top 10 six years - and twice at #11.

Until she missed W this year (injury) she had played in 46 straight Slams.

This was her 10th appearance in the season-ending championships.

WTA Doha Championships: A Whopper of a Day 3

Doha WTA Championships - Round Robin Day Three

1 Caroline Wozniacki d 5 Francesca Schiavone - 36 61 61

3 Kim Clijsters d 8 Victoria Azarenka - 64 57 61

7 Elena Dementieva d 6 Samantha Stosur - 46 64 76(4)

***

So I bitched the last couple days about crappy matches...

Well, we got a great slate of 3-setters today.

With Caro's win she sealed the deal for year-end #1. Congrats!

Like I've said before - she reminds me so much of Martina Hingis.

At 20 Caro is the youngest YE #1 since the Swiss Miss.

Kim moves into the Sf's & keeps hopes of year-end #2 alive.

Sam needed to win a set to clinch a Sf birth - done.

So tomorrow the matches will decide who plays each other on Saturday:

Caroline Wozniacki will play the Vera Zvonareva/Kim Clijters winner.

Samantha Stosur will obviously play the Vera/Kim loser.

Any way you slice it - we are looking at a great weekend of tennis.

Photo: Reuters

WTA Stars get Beauty Make-Overs in Doha

This is so not me. But I thought you might like it.

WTA Doha Champs: A Little Better Than Yesterday

Doha WTA Championships - Day Two

5 Samantha Stosur d 1 Caroline Wozniacki - 64 63

2 Vera Zvonareva d 8 Victoria Azarenka - 76(4) 64

3 Kim Clijsters d 6 Jelena Jankovic - 62 63

***

6 matches played so far - not a single 3-setter yet.

Caro was playing to seal #1 for the year - she will again tomorrow.

Vera still has an outside shot at stealing #1 away from Caro. Slim.

With 2 matches won Sam has more than likely booked a Sf spot.

Kim was playing her first match since winning the US Open.

Jelena needs to go back to the drawing board on the off-season.

And I'd look for Vika to have a break-out 2011.

Photo: Getty Images

WTA Doha Day 1: BOOOO-RING

Day One Round Robin Results

1 Caroline Wozniacki d 7 Elena Dementieva - 61 61

5 Samantha Stosur d 4 Francesca Schiavone - 64 64

2 Vera Zvonareva d 6 Jelena Jankovic - 63 60

***

Hey, the top 2 players played like the top 2 players today.

What a boring day tho when the 3 defeated opponents muster 13 games.

The only real excitement today was Sam come back from 0-4 in the 1st.

What the hell with Elena and Jelena. To be fair, niether was 100%

Don't be surprised to see alternates Shahar Peer & Li Na thi week.

Ok, I'm not feeling well so hopefully I'll have more for you tomorrow.

Here's a video recap on the day:

Photo: AP

Caroline Wozniacki is #1 - Get Over It

At a Doha presser Kim had this to say about Caro being #1 without a Slam:

"In a couple of years you won’t ask this question again."

Kim should know. She hit #1 in '03 and won her 1st Slam in '05.

But ya know, this conversation is just annoying...

Of course Caro is #1 - and Serena fans (I am one) need to get over it.

Serena can't expect to be #1 having played only 6 tourneys this year.

In fact, the defending champ may not even be in the top 5 after Doha.

(I'm already bracing myself for the aftermath on that one.)

I guess there is a solution - give Serena 1,000,000 points for Wimbledon?

Sorry guys, the 'Serena Era' has produced a lot of non-Slam #1's.

That's because she has enjoyed being a part-time player.

Photo: Getty Images

WTA Championships in Doha Start Tomorrow - A Look at the Players

Fran, Kim, Vera, Caro, Jelena, Elena & Sam. Vika not pictured.

Last years finalists (Serena d Venus) both qualified but have withdrawn.

The gals have been split into 2 groups of 4 for round-robin play:

White Group: Vera, Kim, Jelena, Victoria

Maroon Group: Caroline, Francesca, Samantha, Elena

2 players from each group will move to the knockout Sf round.

*** The Players ***

Caroline Wozniacki

Ranking: 1

Previous best was a Sf here last year.

She has won 6 titles this season including 4 of the last 5 she's played.

Caro owns a tour-leading 59 match wins (and counting) for 2010.

Vera Zvonareva

Ranking: 2

She was a runner-up at the WTA Championships in 2008.

She played in 6 finals this year winning only 1: Pattaya City.

She was the runner-up at Wimbledon and at the US Open.

Kim Clijsters

Ranking: 4

She has previouly won the WTA Championship in 2002-03.

Kim won 4 titles this season including her 3rd at the US Open.

She ha not lost to a top 10 player all year: 6-0.

Francesca Schiavone

Ranking: 6

This is her first trip to the WTA Championships.

She won 2 titles in 2010 including her famous win at Roland Garros.

Where she became the first Italian woman to win a Slam.

Samantha Stosur

Ranking: 7

This is her first appearance at the WTA Championships.

Sam has won 1 title in 2010 and was runner-up at Roland Garros.

She has served 280 aces this season - 2nd only yo Nadia Petrova.

Jelena Jankovic

Ranking: 8

Previously she has reached the Sf's twice: 2008-09.

She won 1 title in 2010 - at Indian Wells.

In Rome became the 7th player to beat Serena & Venus in the same tourny.

Elena Dementieva

Ranking: 9

Previously she has reached the Sf's in 2000 & 2008.

This is her 10th trip to the WTA Championships.

She has won 2 titles this in '10 & is 1 of 4 active players with 500 tour wins.

Victoria Azarenka

Ranking: 10

Vika booked her spot in Doha after winning in Moscow just last week.

Previously she lost in the round-robin here a year ago.

She won 2 titles in 2010 - at Stanford and Mocow.

She is the only player in the field to have not played in a Slam final.

***

The 8 players have a combined title count for 2010 of 19.

That seems fairly low if you ask me.

Caroline Wozniacki & Vera Zvonareva to Play for WTA Title in Beijing

Beijing Women's Final Preview

1 Caroline Wozniacki vs 2 Vera Zvonareva - H2H: 2-3

Let's not forget Vera thumped Caro at the US Open a couple weeks ago.

Also, that wrap on Caro's knee doesn't look good - but she cruised in her Sf.

Vera's win over Li Na yesterday will move her to a career high #3.

With Serena returning next week the race for #1 is going to be fun.

Caro, Serena, Vera and Kim all have a clean shot at it.

Road to Doha: And you thought the year gets boring after the Open...

Photos: Getty Images

Women's Tennis Season-Ending Players Set for Doha '10

Here are your 8 combatants for the season-ending championships in Doha.

1. Caroline Wozniacki 2. Serena Williams 3. Vera Zvonareva

4. Kim Clijsters 5. Samantha Stosur

6. Francesca Schiavone 7. Jelena Jankovic 8. Elena Dementieva

Venus & Justine would've qualified but have ended her years owing to injury.

The tournament begins on Oct. 25 and will be aired live on Tennis Channel.

Hopefully without that annoying ticker...