More doubts on women's cred
September 27th 2009 12:38
WHAT does it say about the WTA Tour when an almost 39-year-old who peaked in 1995 can defeat a top-30 player to break a 13-year personal title drought?
Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm’s 6-3 6-3 victory over Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues in the Korea Open final further questions the women’s tour’s credibility.
Date-Krumm had not won a WTA Tour-level match in eight tournaments since returning to the circuit last April until this week.
But she managed to take down highly fancied players Daniela Hantuchova, Maria Kirilenko and Medina Garrigues in consecutive contests to earn her eighth career crown.
Date-Krumm’s win follows Belgian Kim Clijsters’ US Open triumph in just her third tournament back from retirement.
Former world No.1 Justine Henin also announced this week that she, too, will forge a comeback in January.
And, no doubt, Henin will be a success.
The Japanese star and the two Belgians are quality players and have all managed top-five rankings in their careers.
That fact cannot be ignored, but their respective returns to the spotlight come at a time when the WTA Tour is at its lowest ebb in several years.
Russian Dinara Safina is an unconvincing No.1 who is yet to taste grand slam glory, while 11-time grand slam champion Serena Williams’ disgraceful outburst at a lineswoman at Flushing Meadows almost overshadowed Clijsters’ fairytale victory.
Date-Krumm is a phenomenal athlete, much like all-time great Martina Navratilova, who briefly returned to the singles court in 2002, 2004 and 2005 – the last time as a 48-year-old.
Navratilova certainly didn’t embarrass herself either – but the same can’t be said of the competitors who barely beat her.
American seven-time grand slam champion John McEnroe quipped in 1998 – at the sprightly age of 39 – that he was better than all of the male doubles players at the time and could also beat most of the male singles players ‘on a given day’.
But, surprise surprise, we never saw an official return to the ATP Tour for McEnroe.
He would have been eaten alive, unlike his female counterparts.
Meanwhile, Israeli Shahar Peer is celebrating back-to-back title successes after taking out the Tashkent Open in Uzbekistan.
Peer eased past hometown player Akgul Amanmuradova, who eliminated top seed Yaroslava Shvedova in the semi-finals, 6-3 6-4 in the final.
Former world No.15 Peer jumped 11 places to No.46 this week after winning in China and can expect a similar rise in the latest rankings tomorrow.
Twenty-eight-year-old Albert Montanes is also now a two-time winner this year after outlasting Argentine claycourt specialist Juan Monaco in two tie-breakers in Romania tonight.
Monaco has won the most matches on clay on the ATP Tour in 2009, but was unable to grasp his many opportunities against the Spaniard.
World No.53 Montanes saved five of the six break points he faced – all in the second set – while Monaco defended two of the three on his side of the net.
Montanes can expect a rise in the rankings tomorrow, but won’t be able to rely on his favoured surface for further improvement this year as Romania was the last claycourt event of the season.
French world No.13 Gael Monfils and German Philipp Kohlschreiber, ranked No.23, are set to fight out the Metz decider in the coming hours.
Both players enjoyed straight-sets semi-final triumphs – over French stars Richard Gasquet and Paul-Henri Mathieu – and will be confident of continuing their strong weeks.
Monfils boasts only one tour title – in Poland four years ago – while Kohlschreiber’s two victories have come over the past two years.
Their only meeting came last year when Monfils saluted in a third-set tie-breaker on an Austrian hardcourt.
Monfils, a former world junior No.1, spent a brief time inside the top 10 this year and is surely headed back there in the not-too-distant future.
I am a fan of both players, but I am giving the athletically gifted Monfils the edge in this clash in his hometown event.
Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm’s 6-3 6-3 victory over Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues in the Korea Open final further questions the women’s tour’s credibility.
Date-Krumm had not won a WTA Tour-level match in eight tournaments since returning to the circuit last April until this week.
But she managed to take down highly fancied players Daniela Hantuchova, Maria Kirilenko and Medina Garrigues in consecutive contests to earn her eighth career crown.
Date-Krumm’s win follows Belgian Kim Clijsters’ US Open triumph in just her third tournament back from retirement.
Former world No.1 Justine Henin also announced this week that she, too, will forge a comeback in January.
And, no doubt, Henin will be a success.
The Japanese star and the two Belgians are quality players and have all managed top-five rankings in their careers.
Japanese star Kimiko Date-Krumm claimed her eighth career WTA Tour title in Korea tonight.
That fact cannot be ignored, but their respective returns to the spotlight come at a time when the WTA Tour is at its lowest ebb in several years.
Russian Dinara Safina is an unconvincing No.1 who is yet to taste grand slam glory, while 11-time grand slam champion Serena Williams’ disgraceful outburst at a lineswoman at Flushing Meadows almost overshadowed Clijsters’ fairytale victory.
Date-Krumm is a phenomenal athlete, much like all-time great Martina Navratilova, who briefly returned to the singles court in 2002, 2004 and 2005 – the last time as a 48-year-old.
Navratilova certainly didn’t embarrass herself either – but the same can’t be said of the competitors who barely beat her.
American seven-time grand slam champion John McEnroe quipped in 1998 – at the sprightly age of 39 – that he was better than all of the male doubles players at the time and could also beat most of the male singles players ‘on a given day’.
But, surprise surprise, we never saw an official return to the ATP Tour for McEnroe.
He would have been eaten alive, unlike his female counterparts.
Meanwhile, Israeli Shahar Peer is celebrating back-to-back title successes after taking out the Tashkent Open in Uzbekistan.
Peer eased past hometown player Akgul Amanmuradova, who eliminated top seed Yaroslava Shvedova in the semi-finals, 6-3 6-4 in the final.
Former world No.15 Peer jumped 11 places to No.46 this week after winning in China and can expect a similar rise in the latest rankings tomorrow.
Albert Montanes became the third Spanish player to win at least two titles on the ATP Tour this year when he claimed the Bucharest Open crown.
Twenty-eight-year-old Albert Montanes is also now a two-time winner this year after outlasting Argentine claycourt specialist Juan Monaco in two tie-breakers in Romania tonight.
Monaco has won the most matches on clay on the ATP Tour in 2009, but was unable to grasp his many opportunities against the Spaniard.
World No.53 Montanes saved five of the six break points he faced – all in the second set – while Monaco defended two of the three on his side of the net.
Montanes can expect a rise in the rankings tomorrow, but won’t be able to rely on his favoured surface for further improvement this year as Romania was the last claycourt event of the season.
French world No.13 Gael Monfils and German Philipp Kohlschreiber, ranked No.23, are set to fight out the Metz decider in the coming hours.
Both players enjoyed straight-sets semi-final triumphs – over French stars Richard Gasquet and Paul-Henri Mathieu – and will be confident of continuing their strong weeks.
Monfils boasts only one tour title – in Poland four years ago – while Kohlschreiber’s two victories have come over the past two years.
Their only meeting came last year when Monfils saluted in a third-set tie-breaker on an Austrian hardcourt.
Monfils, a former world junior No.1, spent a brief time inside the top 10 this year and is surely headed back there in the not-too-distant future.
I am a fan of both players, but I am giving the athletically gifted Monfils the edge in this clash in his hometown event.
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Comment by Journeywoman
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Fashion Peach
She's having an excellent comeback? That's all it says to me...
Can you be more specific, Marc?
Comment by RubySoho
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Comment by Marc McGowan
Sports Righting
The tone of my article is fairly clear as to what I'm getting at.
Kimiko Date-Krumm turned 39 today and should not be able to mix it with athletes almost half her age. She retired in 1996.
It is a sad state of affairs when a player such as Date-Krumm can return after 12 years off the tour and can win a title 17 months later.
Of course it is impressive for her. It is not Date-Krumm's fault that the depth of women's tennis is atrocious, but it is this very fact that gave her the confidence to return.
My article's focus is on the WTA Tour - not Date-Krumm.
Comment by Journeywoman
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Why are all the other players so bad? Is it because they're selected for this tournament on the basis of something other than their tennis skills? I'm not attacking you here, I'm genuinely curious as to why the top 30 women players are losing to someone who peaked in 1995.
Comment by Marc McGowan
Sports Righting
Women's sport does get a tough rap at times and I am usually one who defends it. But women's tennis has struggled in recent years due to a lack of depth.
I'm not sure if you're aware, but there are four major events on the tennis calendar called 'grand slams'. The depth (or lack thereof) of women's tennis is no better displayed than at these events. The women's draw is usually filled with lopsided results until around the quarter-final stage, where only eight players remain.
You could even get away with saying only the top seven or eight women's players are very good and the rest of the rankings could be raffled.
Daniela Hantuchova has been a top-10 player and is always around the top 25, but was one of the players who lost to Date-Krumm last week.
She is supposedly among the best women's players in the world, but can't beat a player who peaked more than a decade ago. Date-Krumm may be a phenomenal athlete, as I wrote, but she should not be able to return after 12 years and beat someone of Hantuchova's calibre unless something is very wrong.
Date-Krumm's success raises further questions about the validity of the women's tour. I am not sure what the answer is and why a player like Hantuchova can lose a match like this.
Does it mean women's tennis is behind men's tennis? Does it mean women's tennis players are less professional and are hence more vulnerable to bad losses? Do they not train as hard?
I'm not sure. I am simply offering my opinion on why a 39-year-old can return from such a long break. Date-Krumm's success is a credit to her - and her work ethic - but is to the detriment of the WTA Tour.
Comment by Journeywoman
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I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
Maybe, as you say, they aren't as professional intheir approach to the sport. Evidence of that would be Serena throwing a fit last week (I see you've blogged on that already). Maybe the reason they aren't as professional is because they not only have to work on their tennis training, but also their hair, nails, makeup, outfit selections and public image... always something that irritated the hell out of me! Also the "non-hot" players like Serena appear to need a publicity gimmick, like yelling at umpires, grunting excessively or silly outfits. It's sad really as men don't have to deal with any of that crap. No-one cares how greasy Nadal's hair is (and it IS) because all they need to see is his tennis ability, and they're impressed.
I guess we can only speculate the reasons, but I'd love to know for sure. I have a nasty suspicion it has something to do with beauty and that there are countless ultra-talented but ugly female players waiting in the wings, desperate to compete but not getting the chance... but that would be my pessimistic imagination at work.
Anyway, cheers for posting this article, it made me aware of something I was not.