Serena won despite a 1st set rib injury.
"...In the first game, I was down breakpoint. Lindsay had me running from side to side. At one point I reached for a backhand and I think it tweaked my back out, one of my ribs out. For the next few games I was completely out of it. I had to adjust. Then I finally decided, 'Okay, why don't you call for the trainer and see if she can put it back in place.' She did, and everything worked out."
Lindsay was leading 40-Love on her serve at 3-4 in the 2nd set (after she'd won the 1st set), then she lost 10 points in a row.
"I felt like I was playing well and in control pretty much of the match, moving the ball around well. Then just had that horrible lapse at that would have been at 4-3 where I think I was serving up 40-Love. Made a few quicker errors. Right there kind of opened the door for [Serena]. She just kept going through it. She raised her game. She started serving really well and hard... she took advantage when she had the opportunity and kept going."
When the rankings come out on Monday, Serena will be # 2. Serena now leads 10-4 in
, (Lindsay had won the last 2 times they played).
has now won 26 WTA singles finals, including 7 Grand Slam tourneys. Since recovering from the knee injury and surgery she had in August 2003, her performance has been less consistent than before. Serena won 8 titles in 2002, her biggest year, and 4 titles in 2003, but won only 2 tourneys in 2004.
bat; this year she has abandoned her Hyper Hammer 6.2 with a 110 sq." head for a new nCode model. It appears that she is using the N3 model, a power racket which has a 113" head, no kevlar, weighing 9.4 ounces and balanced head-heavy (Serena's racket does not look
like any of the advertised models, and some folks speculate that it is a custom bat, but Wilson says it is an N3).
Serena is coached by her father Richard; she and sister Venus did spend some time at the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida, way back in the 20th century.
has won 45 WTA singles titles in 78 finals (if you include the 1996 Olympic title), including 3 Grand Slam tourneys. She won 4 in a short order last summer at Stanford, LA, San Diego, and Cincinnati. Before the ascent of the Williams sisters, Tracy Austin was quoted as rating Lindsay's serve as the best in the WTA. Lindsay hits the ball hard and deep, but she is not as mobile as some players.
, bat, but like most Wilson-packing pros this year, photos show that she has cast aside her 95 sq." head "H Tour" model for a new "nCode", the "nTour" model, a control racket 27.25" long, available with either a 95 or 105 sq." head, 10.8 or 10.4 ounces strung, balanced 1 point head-heavy, with a stiffness rating of about 61. They run about $200. All former H-Tour users are likely to be carrying nCode nTours or Six-Ones this year.
Lindsay, who was trained in her youth by Robert Lansdorp, has been coached by
page already links to 47 online streaming videos from this years Australian Open.
at this year's Australian Open is apparently identical to last year's (so it appears on the ATP website), but they aren't talking about it very much. The prize money page on the ausopen.org website has disappeared this year. The continuing fall of the US dollar has resulted in a substantial loss of income for tourneys outside the US, because TV and sponsorship contracts pay the tourneys in dollars.
in recent years due to the falling dollar.
for Melbourne is GMT (UCT, ZULU) +11 hours (Pacific Time+19, often=the next day, 5 hours earlier; ET+16).
of the Australian Open in the US is on ESPN & ESPN2; there is no broadcast coverage at all, not even of the finals.
WTA SCOREBOARD: The Australian Open at Melbourne
Maria Sharapova & Venus Williams entertaining the press on Saturday, Jan 16.
Anastasia Myskina & Daniela Hantuchova practicing on Fri, Jan 14; Venus & Serena Williams, also on Friday.
Lindsay Davenport practicing on Sat, Jan 15, Ai Sugiyama, Maria Sharapova & Mary Pierce on Sun, Jan 16
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Australian Open, 1st Round, Mon-Tue WTA Mon story - WTA Tue story
loser: $14,026 US 2 points
#1 s1 Lindsay Davenport USA d #43 Conchita Martinez ESP 6-1, 6-0 Tue
 Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay's recent bronchitis did not bother her. Lindsay said: "I felt pretty good, you can't really pick on too many things. It was a very mental match. I made a few more errors in the beginning and once I settled down I felt obviously great... My energy level is great. I've been practising hard - since probably Sunday started practising 100%. So I think I would be fine at this point." BBC Tuesday story
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#2 s2 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #59 Samantha Stosur AUS 6-2, 6-3 Mon
 Amelie Mauresmo
Amelie said: "I felt pretty good on the court out there today. I really felt my game right from the beginning was consistent, and I didn't let [Samantha] really get into her rhythm and finish the points pretty quickly, as she loves to do."
Aussie Samantha reached the finals of her last 2 tourneys, in Gold Coast and Sydney. Samantha said: "If someone told me this is what was going to happen at the start, I would have been rapt. In that aspect I'm not disappointed at all. I've had a great month."
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#3 s3 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #89 Kveta Peschke CZE 6-1, 6-4 Tue
After displaying her amazing racket levitation skills, Anastasia went into the crowd to collect tsunami relief charity for UNICEF.
Anastasia was upset 6-1, 6-3 by Chinese qualifier #80 Shuai Peng in Sydney last week. Anastasia said: "I think it was a good match, especially after Sydney. In the second set [Kveta] start play a little bit better, and I did a lot-- not a lot, but I did couple more mistakes and unforced errors... frustrated about my serve maybe little, because I miss three games on my serve. That's pretty much it. But my return was pretty confident, so I was playing good." interview
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#4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #109 q Sesil Karatantcheva BUL 6-3, 6-1 Mon
Maria serving, Sesil knowing she won't win this one, & Maria after match point.
15-year-old Sesil made news last March at Indian Wells when she predicted that she would kick a part of Maria's anatomy when they played their 3rd-round match. Maria, who then said she wasn't offended by Sesil talking a little trash, won that match 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Sesil is a very good player, and is likely to be in the top 50, and possibly the top 20, very soon.
Maria said: "[Sesil is] a very dangerous opponent, especially in a first round match. So I knew what to expect. I played her once before last year. Very aggressive player. Attacked her serve.
"I just played a good, solid first round match. You can't expect the best from yourself. But meanwhile, you know, it's good to get through." interview
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#5 s5 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #239 q Jessica Kirkland USA 6-1, 6-1 Mon
 Svetlana Kuznetsova
#6 s6 Elena Dementieva RUS d #110 Alyona Bondarenko UKR 6-3, 6-3 Tue
 Elena Dementieva
#7 s7 Serena Williams USA d #106 Camille Pin FRA 6-1, 6-1 Mon
 Serena Williams
Serena lost a shoe during one point in the match. Serena said: "I have a bad habit, like I always slip in and out of my shoes like they're flip flops. So I never tie them. So I just slip in, I go out and play matches, and slip out. I guess I forgot to tie them.
"My goals are pretty much just to win my matches. I think Grand Slams will come with it." interview
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#9 s8 Venus Williams USA d #42 Eleni Daniilidou GRE 6-1, 7-5 Tue
 Venus Williams
Venus said: "I didn't have the best rhythm. I had a string of errors, especially in that second set... I played OK. It was a first-round match. I think when it really mattered, at the five-all game, I really picked up my game."
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#11 s9 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #179 q Nannan Liu CHN 6-4, 6-2 Mon
 Vera Zvonareva
#12 s10 Alicia Molik AUS d #38 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP 6-1, 6-3 Tue
 After the match, Alicia received an award to commemorate her Olympic Bronze medal performance in Athens last year
Alicia said: "I started off fantastically well. You know, I was on the front foot from the beginning. I had [Anabel] on the back foot and really put the pressure on. So I felt that she was feeling the pressure from me, and that's the way that I like to play. Right from the word go I felt very comfortable. I felt like I was spot on my game. And, you know, I probably could have closed out the second set a little easier. Tried to come up with a couple of fancy shots but I guess that's something that, you know, I'll just look to improve in the next match. But it was a pretty solid performance, I thought." interview
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#13 s11 Nadia Petrova RUS d #60 Virginie Razzano FRA 6-1, 6-2 Mon
#14 s12 Patty Schnyder SUI d #83 Yuliana Fedak UKR 6-1, 6-1 Tue
 Patty after match point
#17 s13 Karolina Sprem CRO d #365 wc Monique Adamczak AUS 6-2, 6-3 Tue
#18 s14 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #48 Marta Marrero ESP 6-3, 6-2 Tue
 Francesca Schiavone
#19 s15 Silvia Farina Elia ITA d #107 Julia Schruff GER 6-3, 6-4 Mon
 Silvia Farina Elia
*#56 Martina Sucha SVK d #21 s16 Ai Sugiyama JPN 7-5, 6-4 Mon
 Martina Sucha
#22 s17 Fabiola Zuluaga COL d #118 Selima Sfar TUN 6-3, 7-5 Mon
 Fabiola Zuluaga
#23 s18 Elena Likhovtseva RUS d #104 Sanda Mamic CRO 6-3, 6-3 Tue
#24 s19 Nathalie Dechy FRA d #111 Emmanuelle Gagliardi SUI 6-4, 6-4 Tue
 Nathalie Dechy
#25 s20 Tatiana Golovin FRA d #95 Ludmila Cervanova SVK 6-3, 7-5 Tue
 Tatiana Golovin
#26 s21 Amy Frazier USA d #71 Marissa Irvin USA 7-5, 6-1 Mon
#27 s22 Magdalena Maleeva BUL d #115 Magui Serna ESP 6-1, 6-1 Mon
#28 s23 Jelena Jankovic SCG d #53 Nicole Pratt AUS 6-1, 6-3 Tue
*#114 Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA d #29 s24 Mary Pierce FRA 6-2, 6-2 Mon
 Mary Pierce congratulating her compatriot Stephanie Cohen-Aloro
#30 s25 Lisa Raymond USA d #141 q Anastasiya Yakimova BLR 6-0, 6-1 Tue
#31 s26 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #68 Akiko Morigami JPN 6-4, 7-5 Tue
 Daniela Hantuchova
#32 s27 Anna Smashnova ISR d #54 M Sanchez Lorenzo ESP 4-6, 6-0, 6-0 Tue
#33 s28 Shinobu Asagoe JPN d #90 Anca Barna GER 6-4, 6-2 Mon
 Shinobu after match point
#34 s29 Gisela Dulko ARG d #51 Kristina Brandi PUR 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 Mon
*#81 Petra Mandula HUN d #35 s30 Flavia Pennetta ITA 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 Mon
#36 s31 Jelena Kostanic CRO d wc Casey Dellacqua AUS 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 Tue
*#100 Ana Ivanovic SCG d #37 s32 Iveta Benesova CZE 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-1 Mon
*#99 Abigail Spears USA d #39 Meg. Shaughnessy USA 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 Tue
#40 Marion Bartoli FRA d #61 Claudine Schaul LUX 6-1, 6-3 Mon
*#80 Shuai Peng CHN d #41 Maria Elena Camerin ITA 6-1, 6-2 Tue
#44 Klara Koukalova CZE d #203 q Meilen Tu USA 6-3, 6-3 Tue
#45 Dinara Safina RUS d #82 Jie Zheng CHN 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 Mon
*#112 Tzipora Obziler ISR d #46 Emilie Loit FRA 7-6(11), 6-4 Tue
*#75 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #47 Maria Vento-Kabchi 6(4)-7, 6-4, 6-2 Tue
#49 Denisa Chladkova CZE d #117 Silvija Talaja CRO 7-6(3), 6-3 Mon
#52 Mashona Washington USA d #113 Catalina Castano COL 6-2, 6-3 Tue
#55 Alina Jidkova RUS d #66 Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 Mon
*#67 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA d #57 Barbora Strycova CZE 6-0, 6-2 Tue
 Tammy Tanasugarn
*#64 Vera Douchevina RUS d #58 Jill Craybas USA 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 Mon
#62 Dally Randriantefy MAD d #131 q Zuzana Ondraskova CZE 6-1, 6-1 Mon
#63 Tathiana Garbin ITA d #77 Marlene Weingartner GER 7-5, 7-6(5) Tue
*#184 q Elena Baltacha GBR d #65 Katarina Srebotnik SLO 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 Mon
The match lasted two-and-a-half hours. Elena said: "It was such a tough match, I'm really chuffed to have done it on hard rather than on grass at Wimbledon. There were a couple of sloppy games from both of us but [Katarina] raised her standard and I had to raise mine... I haven't been serving great but in the qualifying it didn't matter so much, but I was returning well." BBC story
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#69 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #97 Severine Beltrame FRA 6-1, 6-3 Mon
*#84 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #70 Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP 6-3, 6-2 Tue
#72 Marta Domachowska POL d #170 q Ting Li CHN 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 Mon
#73 Tatiana Panova RUS d #101 An. Serra Zanetti ITA 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 Tue
*#76 Na Li CHN d #74 Laura Granville USA 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 Mon
*#290 wc Sophie Ferguson AUS d #79 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 Mon
 Sophie after match point
*#126 Evie Dominikovic AUS d #85 Mara Santangelo ITA 6(5), 6-4, 6-3 Tue
*#94 Evgenia Linetskaya RUS d #86 Lubomira Kurhajkova SVK 6-4, 6-1 Mon
#87 Tatiana Perebiynis UKR d #127 wc Capucine Rousseau FRA 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 Tue
*#245 q Michaella Krajicek NED d #88 Stephanie Foretz FRA 6-2, 6-1 Tue
#91 Lindsay Lee-Waters USA d #177 q Zsofia Gubacsi HUN 6-3, 7-5 Mon
#92 Barbara Schett AUT d #280 wc Tiffany Welford AUS 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 Tue
*#98 Michaela Pastikova CZE d #93 Anne Kremer LUX 6-4, 6-4 Tue
*#105 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #96 Aniko Kapros HUN 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 Mon
#102 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG d #108 Saori Obata JPN 6-3, 6-4 Mon
*#136 q Aiko Nakamura JPN d #123 q Angela Haynes USA 6-3, 6-4 Tue
 Aiko after match point
#169 wc Sania Mirza IND d #284 wc Cindy Watson AUS 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 Mon
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Australian Open, 2nd Round, Wed-Thu WTA Wed story - WTA Thu story
loser: $21,818 US 32 points
#1 s1 Lindsay Davenport USA d #98 Michaela Pastikova CZE 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 Thu
 Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay said: "[Michaela] played really well. I just wasn't ready to be at my best at the very beginning, and it definitely cost me against someone who came out playing very well, very aggressive and kind of caught me on my back foot.
"...it's our job not to worry. Obviously I don't want to lose and I'm a competitor. So tried to buckle down after I lost the first set and concentrate more in the short term than in the long term.
"I knew I wasn't playing my best today, so knew that no matter what, just to try and do my best to get a win and do what I needed to do. And I thought in both the second and third sets, I got off to good leads, and that really helped carry me through both sets." interview
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#2 s2 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #45 Dinara Safina RUS 2-6, 6-1, 6-0 Wed
Amelie said: "I had a pretty slow start, I would say. My legs were not really moving very well. And [Dinara] played a good first set. She made me work a little bit more... in the second and third set, I felt really that I was taking control of the game, that she was going down a little bit physically also. So, yeah, it was a tough one, in hot conditions also.
"I was more pleased after the first round, I think. Today the thing I'm pleased with is my head, you know, that I stayed focused, that I hang in there, even though I wasn't really playing some good tennis. It came a little bit, after the first set. It's good sometimes to win when you don't play your best tennis... My legs didn't bother me at all." interview
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#3 s3 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #112 Tzipora Obziler ISR 6-4, 6-2 Thu
Anastasia ripping a backhand, and after match point
Anastasia fell behind a break early in the 1st set. Anastasia said: "I didn't know [Tzipora's] game. I just was kind of looking how she play, what she doing. I still was pretty confident. Even that I was down 3-1, I still was confident that I can win the match.
"The main goal, of course, would be No. 1. That's why I'm here. That's why I want to win. I know it's really hard, it's really tough, because there's so many good players who also want to be No. 1 and who also want to win. But I think it's possible, that I just have to work hard.
"My next round, Lisa Raymond, she's a really tough opponent. She won two matches 6 Love, 6 1, so it shows me she's really good player or she's really confident here." interview
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#4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #91 Lindsay Lee-Waters USA 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 Wed
 Maria Sharapova
Maria said: "[Lindsay] played amazing in the first set, was moving side to side really well... When an opponent plays with two hands on both sides, you try to move her a bit and try to get her on the run, but she was playing shots on the run that were just too good. It seemed like everything was going in."
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#5 s5 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #40 Marion Bartoli FRA 6-2, 6-0 Wed
 Svetlana Kuznetsova (front) & partner Alicia Molik also won their 1st round doubles match on Wednesday, defeating Emilie Loit & Nathalie Dechy 6-3, 6-2.
#6 s6 Elena Dementieva RUS d #84 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 6-2, 6-1 Thu
#7 s7 Serena Williams USA d #62 Dally Randriantefy MAD 6-3, 6-0 Wed
 Serena Williams
Serena said: I definitely tried to step my game up in the middle of the first set... getting better and better with each match. Today I hit a lot of winners against a girl that actually gets a lot of balls back. So I was excited... I'm sure everyone would rather go straight sets than three sets." interview
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#9 s8 Venus Williams USA d #80 Shuai Peng CHN 6-3, 6-1 Thu
 Venus Williams
Venus said: "With each match I'm playing better, serving better, returning better. My movement's top notch. Looking forward to playing better with each round, basically... Still had a few errors. I definitely want to bring those down. But just in general I think my game was very solid. I think when I needed my serve, it was there. When I needed to get to the ball, I was there. When I needed to make my shots so... Basically, just on the up and up. interview
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*#64 Vera Douchevina RUS d #11 s9 Vera Zvonareva RUS 6-3, 6-3 Wed
 Vera Douchevina
#12 s10 Alicia Molik AUS d #136 q Aiko Nakamura JPN 6-2, 6-4 Thu
 Alicia Molik
Alicia said: "I still feel I can step it up a few gears. But I played aggressively. I probably could have gone to net a little bit more today. I hit the ball pretty heavy. I was definitely getting her right into the corners, which is what I hoped. I got the ball up around [Aiko's] ears, out of her hitting zone. There was a lot of things I was trying to do out there...
"I just spoke with my coach David Taylor, and there are still a couple things I probably could have done a little bit better today. But I'm pretty happy with my win." interview
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#13 s11 Nadia Petrova RUS d #290 wc Sophie Ferguson AUS 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 Wed
 Nadia Petrova
#14 s12 Patty Schnyder SUI d #245 q Michaella Krajicek NED 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 Thu
Michaella staying focused, and Patty after match point
#17 s13 Karolina Sprem CRO d #63 Tathiana Garbin ITA 7-6(5), 7-6(2)Thu
#18 s14 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #87 Tatiana Perebiynis UKR 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 Thu
 Francesca after match point
#19 s15 Silvia Farina Elia ITA d #72 Marta Domachowska POL 6-3, 7-6(5) Wed
*#69 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #22 s17 Fabiola Zuluaga COL 6-2, 7-6(2) Wed
 Anna-Lena Groenefeld
23 s18 Elena Likhovtseva RUS d #126 Evie Dominikovic AUS 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 Thu
 Elena Likhovtseva won the 3rd set by a field goal
#24 s19 Nathalie Dechy FRA d #52 M Washington USA 6(2)-7, 7-6(5), 6-2 Thu
*#99 Abigail Spears USA d #25 s20 Tatiana Golovin FRA 7-5, 6-1 Thu
#26 s21 Amy Frazier USA d #49 Denisa Chladkova CZE 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 Wed
 Amy Frazier
#27 s22 Magdalena Maleeva BUL d #55 Alina Jidkova RUS 6-4, 7-5 Wed
*#73 Tatiana Panova RUS d #28 s23 Jelena Jankovic SCG 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 Thu
#30 s25 Lisa Raymond USA d #44 Klara Koukalova CZE 6-0, 6-1 Thu
#31 s26 Daniela Hantuchova SVK v #92 Barbara Schett AUT 6-4, 6-0 Thu
Daniela serving, Barbara in the last match of her career
28-year-old Barbara Schett from Innsbruck, Austria played the last match of a fine career, showing her usual delightful smile although losing to 21-year-old Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia. Barbara, the greatest Austrian player of all time, was ranked # 7 in the world in 1999, and # 8 in doubles in 2001. As anchor of last year's Austrian Fed Cup team, Barbara won all 6 of her matches in the 1st round and QFs (a 4-1 win over the USA) before an injury prevented her from competing in the semifinals. Barbara won over $3,085,725 in prize money during her career, while compiling a 349-279 WTA singles record and winning 3 WTA singles titles and 10 WTA doubles titles. Barbara had planned months ago to retire after this year's Australian Open. # 1 Lindsay Davenport said: "[Barbara is] a lot of fun to talk to, a very good competitor... she'll definitely be missed, that's for sure."
Barbara said: "I'm going to take maybe a few months off and then I'm still going to be involved in tennis in some kind of a way, maybe like working at a tournament in Austria, in Linz, or maybe do some commentating... I'm definitely going to stay involved in tennis." interview
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#32 s27 Anna Smashnova ISR d #67 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA 6-2, 6-2 Thu
 Anna after match point
*#76 Na Li CHN d #33 s28 Shinobu Asagoe JPN 6-3, 6-4 Wed
 Na Li
*#102 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG d #34 s29 Gisela Dulko ARG 7-6(2), 7-5 Wed
 Mariana Diaz-Oliva
*#75 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #36 s31 Jelena Kostanic CRO 6-0, 7-5 Thu
*#94 Evgenia Linetskaya RUS d #56 Martina Sucha SVK 6-0, 6-2 Wed
*#169 wc Sania Mirza IND d #81 Petra Mandula HUN 6-2, 6-1 Wed
 Sania after match point
#100 Ana Ivanovic SCG d #105 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-1, 6-1 Wed
*#184 q Elena Baltacha GBR d #114 S Cohen-Aloro FRA 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 Wed
 Elena after match point
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Australian Open, 3rd Round, Fri-Sat WTA Fri story - WTA Sat story
loser: $35,843 US 56 points
 Former WTA # 1 Steffi Graf, "Fraulein Forehand," watched Mr. Graf (Andre Agassi) defeat Taylor Dent on Friday, though she looked like she would have more fun playing.
#1 s1 Lindsay Davenport USA d #75 Nicole Vaidisova CZE 6-2, 6-4 Sat
Nicole's backhand, and Lindsay's forehand
NOTE: No photos from the 1st & 2nd round victories of 15-year-old Nicole Vaidisova, who has already won 2 WTA singles titles, seem to be available anywhere.
Lindsay said: "I was expecting a tough match in the third round, knew [Nicole] had done well to get there. No, I was ready for it... from what I was told, she was a hard hitter, had a pretty good hard serve. That's what I was expecting and that's what she did.
"I think she hit some great shots. She made some errors, probably some inexperience played a role in that. But she's so young and obviously has a big game and has many, many years to improve on that... I was fully expecting a tough opponent and was able to play well enough to get through it... she obviously has big groundstrokes and a big serve, and she's only 15. So she has a very big future." interview
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#2 s2 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #100 Ana Ivanovic SCG 6-2, 7-5 Fri
 Amelie Mauresmo
Amelie said: "I was focused on the start of this match. I didn't want anything like the second round to happen today. So I was pretty focused on a good start... I think I played a solid match, pretty consistent. I went a little bit more to the net, which I should do even more. [Ana] probably, at the beginning, she was a little bit tense also so she probably didn't find her rhythm, or she found it after only one set...
"That second set I think was a little bit more tight. In the key moments I think I made the difference by, you know, focusing and really regroup myself because sometimes I think I probably shouldn't have lost my service games. Went down a little bit in this area in the second set.
"[Ana is] hitting the ball pretty hard. She's not afraid to come in and come to the net. She served pretty well sometimes... we're probably going to see a lot more of her in the next few years... I didn't know her before today, but apparently she's been improving a lot in these last few months and this last year. Probably she needs to move around a little bit better. If she can improve that, she hits the ball pretty hard." interview
Ana said: "I was a little bit nervous at the start. I think in the second set also I was a little bit disappointed with my service game in the end. But, that's experience. Next time I hope I won't make the same mistakes."
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#3 s3 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #30 s25 Lisa Raymond USA walkover-- L abdominal strain Sat
#4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #76 Na Li CHN 6-0, 6-2 Fri
Maria slamming a serve and celebrating a score
Maria said: I felt pretty good out there. I was hitting pretty solid, doing the right things, serving well, putting pressure on [Na]... I felt that I did everything I needed to do in order to win. I was playing solid. I was concentrating very well. The points that I needed to win, I won." interview
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#5 s5 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #102 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG 6-3, 7-6(5) Fri
 Svetlana Kuznetsova
Svetlana said: "I'm not really happy with my singles. I'm happy that I won, but I wish I played better. But that's okay. I still fight as much as I could. Of course it didn't go the way I want it to go. I think I could win much easier. But sometimes you have bad days, and this is tough in Grand Slams, you know. You have to handle it...
"I want to go more forward to the net. But it will come with the time. You cannot have everything. I'm pretty good from baseline. My forehand is good. But I want to go more forward, more serve and volley. But I'm looking for it, and I hope it will come with time. For the moment I'm fine." interview
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#6 s6 Elena Dementieva RUS d #31 s26 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 Sat
Running Elena, and happy Elena after match point
Elena won 123 points in the match, Daniela 121. Daniela hit 39 winners to Elena's 23, but Daniela hit twice as many unforced errors, 78, to Elena's ample 40, a sloppy match indeed. match stats
Elena said: "...I didn't play my good game. But I think it's pretty much impossible to play your best tennis during two weeks. So sometimes, bad day that you have to go through this. I think even that I was playing, very bad today, was very defensive, I still could do it. I'm just happy to be in the next round." interview
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#7 s7 Serena Williams USA d #169 wc Sania Mirza IND 6-1, 6-4 Fri
 Sania congratulating Serena after the match
Serena said: "I knew [Sania] was a young, talented, good player, and I wanted to make sure I was ready...
"I'm happy with my serve today. Finally, after forever it seems, able to feel my serve. So I was really happy about that.
"I told [Sania] to keep up the good work because it was good to see someone from India for the first time do so well." interview
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#9 s8 Venus Williams USA d #32 s27 Anna Smashnova ISR 6-3, 6-0 Sat
 Venus after match point
Venus said: "I wouldn't say it was just a slow start. But [Anna] just played a different-pace game, so I pressed a little too much and was hitting the balls a bit long. I needed to add some spin because, you know, she's the kind of player where you don't want to get caught up playing her game. That's when things can really get kind of strange.
"So I kept with my game, playing aggressive, and worked through the errors... I was hitting out on the ball. I probably could have came in more. But other than that, I think I played well, yes... with Anna, she's like a backboard, so you have to be willing to hit a lot of balls." interview
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#12 s10 Alicia Molik AUS d #73 Tatiana Panova RUS 6-3, 6-2 Sat
Alicia serves
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Alicia celebrates
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#13 s11 Nadia Petrova RUS d #27 s22 Magdalena Maleeva BUL 6-4, 6-4 Fri
 Nadia after match point
#14 s12 Patty Schnyder SUI d #99 Abigail Spears USA 7-6(4), 6-3 Sat
Patty's left-handed 2-handed backhand
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Patty's western grip topspin forehand
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#17 s13 Karolina Sprem CRO d #23 s18 Elena Likhovtseva RUS 6-4, 6-3 Sat
 Karolina Sprem
*#24 s19 Nathalie Dechy FRA d #18 s14 Francesca Schiavone ITA 6-3, 6-3 Sat
 Nathalie after match point
#19 s15 Silvia Farina Elia ITA d #184 q Elena Baltacha GBR 6-1, 6-0 Fri
 Silvia after match point
Elena said: "I knew it was going to be a really tough match. I didn't know how well [Sylvia] was going to play-- how well she did play. Whatever I threw at her, she not only got it, but kind of delivered with intent... She was awesome today. She's unbelievably quick. I didn't realize how quick she was and how patient she was, how comfortable she was with what I was delivering... I overforced today because I didn't know what to do in the end. She was just too good. But it's exciting. You know, that's kind of the level that she gave. That's kind of the level I want to get to... I haven't actually played anyone that high outside of grass court. So it's a great experience for me playing someone like that on a hard court." interview
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*#94 Evgenia Linetskaya RUS d #26 s21 Amy Frazier USA 6-3, 6-4 Fri
 Evgenia Linetskaya
#64 Vera Douchevina RUS d #69 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER 7-5, 6-4 Fri
 Vera Douchevina
2nd Round Doubles, Friday
Elena Dementieva & Ai Sugiyama
d Watson & Sekulovski 6-3, 6-3
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Martina Navratilova & Daniela Hantuchova
d Wheeler & Musgrave 6-2, 6-0
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Australian Open, 4th Round, Sun-Mon WTA Sun story - WTA Mon story
loser: $58,440 US 90 points
#1 s1 Lindsay Davenport USA d #17 s13 Karolina Sprem CRO 6-2, 6-2 Mon
 Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay said: "I felt today was a big improvement from my last few matches and felt I did some things a lot better in terms of groundstrokes and being more aggressive, being more aggressive with my play and going forward." match stats
About her QF opponent, Alicia Molik, Lindsay said: "I think [Alicia] has a great serve, and she has a big forehand. I think sometimes you can attack her backhand, but it's gotten a lot better in the last few months. She likes to come in." interview
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#2 s2 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #94 Evgenia Linetskaya RUS 6-2, 6-4 Sun
 Amelie Mauresmo
Amelie said: "[Evgenia] makes you play. She puts the ball back in many times, and she's moving pretty well actually. I didn't know her before today's match. My coach told me I had to expect, some long rallies and stuff. So I was ready for this.
"...when she needs to make a point and accelerate a little bit, then she has some trouble. I'm pretty satisfied about the way I play. I went forward, I went to the net, I came in, and that's what I wanted to do. She gave me these opportunities today, so I'm happy I took them." interview
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*#24 s19 Nathalie Dechy FRA d #3 s3 Anastasia Myskina RUS 6-4, 6-2 Mon
Nathalie's forehand, Anastasia having a bad day, and Nathalie after match point
Anastasia hit 15 winners to Nathalie's 13, but Anastasia hit 45 unforced errors, to 25 for Nathalie. Nathalie also made 65% of her 1st serves good (53% for Anastasia) and scored on 67% of her 1st serve points (also 53% for Anastasia). match stats
Anastasia said: "...just a bad day, bad game. Nathalie playing pretty smart against me today. That's it... I think she play pretty good match today. Forehand was really well. She didn't do a lot of unforced errors. It was mostly I missed the whole match. So I can't say really that she won the match; I can say that I lost the match... I couldn't really focus and concentrate during the whole match. I lost a lot of easy balls... I think I have to forget this match and just have to keep on, because like I said, I have so many tournaments. I'm going to play Antwerp, Doha, Dubai..." interview
A reporter began Nathalie's interview by saying: "Your opponent said she lost the match rather than you winning it, with her unforced errors. What's your view on that?" omitting Anastasia's compliments on how well Nathalie had played. Nathalie said: "I just focus on the result and I'm at the next round and she's not. I think I won the match, too. I played the way I needed to play against her, and that's about it." interview
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#4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #19 s15 Silvia Farina Elia ITA 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 Sun
Silvia after a point
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Maria after match point
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Maria said: "[Silvia] made me hit a lot of balls. At the beginning of the first set, I was trying to come in a little bit more, but I wasn't converting my volleys. I was making too many unforced errors at the beginning and I wasn't giving myself a chance to play my game. Basically I was just letting her play her game and worrying about what she was doing. She played a solid, solid game. She hit great winners, out of the court which sometimes were unexpected. But I hung in there and I thought I really fought well. This was a very important you know, being a break down in the second, early in the set, I thought it was a very it was a good job of me to get back into the match.
"[In the 2nd set] I think I started concentrating a lot better than I did in the first. I just tried to tell myself just to keep fighting, to keep trying new things and just playing my game rather than worrying about what she was doing and how she was trying to play... I knew that it was going to be a very tough match. I expected that from her." interview - match stats
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#5 s5 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #64 Vera Douchevina RUS 6-4, 6-2 Sun
Svetlana Kuznetsova
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Svetlana & Vera after the match
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Svetlana said: "I played a little more focused my first matches, but still I was happy today with my game than I played my last match, because I had a little bit less my unforced errors. But still I think it's left a little bit to get in my game, you know, to roll it up. And I hope next match I'm going to play better. Well, I have to."
Svetlana lost to Maria Sharapova indoors at the WTA Championships 2 months ago. About her chances against Maria in the QFs, Svetlana said: "...my game matches more with outside courts, and [Maria] plays better in indoor because her tennis is a little bit more flat and I have more with spin..." interview
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#14 s12 Patty Schnyder SUI d #6 s6 Elena Dementieva RUS 6(6)-7, 7-6(4), 6-2 Mon
Patty's forehand
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Patty after match point
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Elena was up a set and 4-0 in the 2nd--then Patty began to dominate play. Elena said: "I was 4-Love, 30-Love. I didn't take my chance...There is always a very important game, very important point in a match. If you are not taking it, that can change the whole match. And that's what happened today, I didn't take my advantage. She just started to play well. I just--I think I lost my rhythm. I thought it's over already. I don't know how I did it." interview
Patty said: "...The first set was tough, a lot of rallies, and I was too tight... But after that, I was really fine. I have no problem, I love it when it's hot. That's okay... I was really frustrated with the first set because I think I was more dominating the rallies, but I couldn't really get it and win the important points because I was a little nervous, a little tight. So I was frustrated up to 0-4. Then I just kept going, tried to play one point at a time. Suddenly it was close again..."
Elena, who frequently has trouble with her serve (always great groundstrokes, though) had 10 double faults, but made 67% of her 1st serves good. Elena's fastest serve was 104 mph, her 1st serve average was 89 mph and her 2nd serve 74 (about 5-10 mph slower than most successful WTA players). Patty said: "[Elena is] a great competitor, and I think she served--really up to the end, she served really good. She had some worse days with her serve. And for a left-hander, what can you do with that second serve? You're way out of the court. For me it's really tough to handle it. Everybody tells you that you can attack it and do something with it. I try make her play and just be ready for the rallies.
"I was a little disappointed in my serve today. That's the only thing I was not happy about." interview - match stats
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#7 s7 Serena Williams USA d #13 s11 Nadia Petrova RUS 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 Sun
Nadia Petrova
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Serena Williams
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Serena hit 4 more errors (37) than Nadia, but also hit 9 more winners (25). Serena was also successful on 12 of 13 trips to the net, indicating that Nadia might not have a topspin lob like Maria Sharapova's in her toolkit. Interestingly, Nadia, the hardest server amongst the Russkis, served faster than Serena, peaking at 122 mph & averaging 112 on 1st serves & 91 on 2nd serves, while Serena's fastest was 117 mph, and she averaged 105 on her 1st serves and 82 on her 2nd serves, averages not unusual for ordinary good-but-mortal WTA servers. match stats
Serena was unpleased with her performance. Serena said: "I, to be honest, didn't deserve to win the way I played. But I guess I have to get over it and play better in the next round... My serve was horrible. I've been working really hard on it. I'm practicing really hard. I never usually practice this hard... Hopefully it will come together." AP story
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#12 s10 Alicia Molik AUS d #9 s8 Venus Williams USA 7-5, 7-6(3) Mon
Alicia's forehand
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Alicia after match point
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Venus congratulates Alicia
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Alicia said: "...I played Venus in 2004, I think in February, in Dubai. I had chances to both close out the first and the second sets. In that particular match, though I lost, I had many opportunities which I didn't take. That's a match that I learnt from tonight. Every opportunity that I had, I really made something of it, or tried to make something of it. Went for my shots, stayed aggressive. And things fell my way. I think that's when I play my best tennis." interview - match stats
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Australian Open, QFs, Tue-Wed WTA Tue story - WTA Wed story
loser: $116,880 US 162 points
#1 s1 Lindsay Davenport USA v #12 s10 Alicia Molik AUS 6-4, 4-6, 9-7 Wed
career matches: Lindsay leads 3-0
Lindsay Davenport
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Alicia congratulating Lindsay after the match
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Lindsay won 5 more points than Alicia (119-114), who converted just 4 of 15 break points (Lindsay converted 5 of 9). At one point, Lindsay hit 4 straight double faults; she had 11 for the match. Lindsay said: "I struggled with my serve. I didn't feel the same conviction and the same confidence when I would get up to the line. I don't know quite why that is, but that was definitely hampering me a bit... Alicia, I think, has improved a lot. She was obviously very forceful with her forehand. She's got a great first serve, is very tough to read and very tough to get any kind of jump on that. I was trying to take advantage of the times when I did get second serves." interview
Alicia said: "I never got ahead of myself today, which was a good thing. I kept putting myself in the position. I was hoping maybe I could have put a little bit more pressure on [Lindsay] in the third set. I did break there, but a break's only as good I guess if you can hold the next game. I did serve great in the third set, and at times it really let me down as well. My percentage dropped. Against a player like Lindsay and her caliber, what she can do on the court, you just can't afford to miss so many first serves. That's the bottom line." interview
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#7 s7 Serena Williams USA d #2 s2 Amelie Mauresmo FRA 6-2, 6-2 Tue
career matches: Serena leads 9-1
Serena Williams
Amelie was troubled by muscle strains in both legs. Amelie said: "Yeah, the adductors. I mean, tennis is already tough when you're 100%. When you're 50% or so, when you're moving not so well on both sides, it's getting tougher and tougher to win. So, you know, what can I do?... [Serena] had nothing to do but just put the ball back in... you can't really judge her game today, I think." interview
Serena said: "It was extremely hot out there... it was really hot. Was that the hottest I've been? Maybe... [Amelie] did make a lot more errors than normal. I don't know if she ran-- I don't remember even running her that much. I know she made a ton of errors. She usually doesn't hit that many errors within two sets like that." interview - match stats
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#4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d #5 s5 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 Tue
career matches: tied 2-2
Maria Sharapova
The temperature during the match reached 91 degrees F., and it felt much hotter on court. Maria said: "...From the beginning of the match, it was quite hot. I was a bit lazy at the beginning of the match. I didn't run for as many balls. I wasn't getting balls back that I could have got back. You know, I was making too many errors. But the third set, end of second set, is when I think both of us started feeling the heat and feeling tired and wanted the points to go a lot quicker... I've never played three sets in the hot weather, and I've never played the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in hot weather. So this is a first for me." interview
Svetlana, who defeated Elena Dementieva in last year's US Open final with powerful forehand crosscourt winners, lost her last 8 service games, and hit 54 unforced errors while making only 46% of her 1st serves good. Svetlana said: "...It was just terrible. These matches I cannot win without playing forehand in the court, with so many unforced errors and not putting any first serves in. It was just terrible. Maybe I was not concentrate so much in my serve. But it's almost from the start, it went just wrong way. I was very focused and I play very well first set. And after something happened... I just stopped playing. Like my body was there, but my mind wasn't there at all." interview - match stats
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*#24 s19 Nathalie Dechy FRA d #14 s12 Patty Schnyder SUI 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 Wed
career matches: Patty leads 2-1
Nathalie Dechy
Nathalie said: "I never, never gave up. I was like keep thinking positive and go for it and go for it, and it worked at the end." interview
Unbreakable: Nathalie won 3 more points than Patty (111-108) who converted only 2 of 15 break point opportunities in the match (while Nathalie converted 5 of 7). Patty said: "I was tired at the end... I could not really move anymore, really fast anymore... So that's why I could not go for the shots, because I didn't see it early enough and I couldn't really move fast to the ball... I think it was a very lucky win for [Nathalie]... I made about the fifth set point in the first and I missed, I think, another five breakpoints for sure."
interview - match stats
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Australian Open, SFs, Thursday WTA story
loser: $233,760 US 292 points
#1 s1 Lindsay Davenport USA d #24 s19 Nathalie Dechy FRA 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4
career matches: Lindsay leads 6-0
Lindsay Davenport
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Nathalie congratulating Lindsay
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Lindsay said: "This whole tournament has been such an awkward and different experience. Comparing it to the US Open, I was playing so well and felt like everything was going my way, not a problem. And get to the semis, a little injury comes up, and don't make it through. Here, I feel like I'm not playing that well, I'm struggling through all these matches, and I'm in the finals. There's no way you can possibly prepare for what happens in Grand Slam tennis any more." interview
Nathalie said: "I played a really good match. I did the best I could, and I have no regrets... I'm really happy about this experience." interview - match stats
Asked about Nathalie Dechy (as a possible final opponent), Serena Williams said: "[Nathalie has] always been one of my favorite people in the locker room. She's always been so nice and so sweet. I've always respected her as a person, and it's good to see her doing so well finally. I'm happy for her."
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*#7 s7 Serena Williams USA d #4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS 2-6, 7-5, 8-6
career matches: tied 2-2
Serena Williams
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Maria congratulating Serena
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Serena won despite 53 unforced errors, but Maria helped out by hitting 51 herself, and only hitting 21 winners to Serena's 33. Serena said: "I think I was battling Maria and myself. I was playing two opponents because I was making a tremendous amount of errors. I wasn't doing what I had practiced. But I just tried to stay positive out there the whole time." interview
Maria served for the match at 5-4 in both the 2nd and 3rd sets, but could not hold, failing to convert 3 match points. Maria said: "I thought it was a great match... I gave it all I got and she gave it all she got... the match could have gone any way... I think she got better as the match went on and she started to pick up her level. In the previous matches, I took my chances. In this match, she took her chances, and that's why she won...
"This is not a sprint, it's a marathon... of course I'm sad, and obviously it's a tough one lose. But I've got a long way ahead of me. I'm 17 years old and I got to the semifinals of the Australian Open. Nothing's negative." interview - match stats
(Jan 25) It would surprise no one to hear that Serena Williams has hit one of the fastest serves at this year's Australian Open; Serena and Nadia Petrova are at the top of the fastest serve list with 123 mph deliveries. But some would be surprised to hear that Serena's average 1st serve speed in the 1st five rounds has been 103 mph, and her 2nd serves have averaged 81 mph. Serena has made 153 of her 261 1st serves good: 58.6%.
Maria Sharapova does not appear on the list of the 19 fastest serves hit this year. Maria's average 1st serve speed has been 100 mph, but her 2nd serve, always one of Maria's strengths, has averaged 90 mph, while Maria has made 212 of her 337 1st serves good: 62.9%.
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Australian Open, Final, Saturday WTA story
loser: $467,520 US 456 points
winner: $935,040 US 650 pts
*#7 s7 Serena Williams USA d #1 s1 Lindsay Davenport USA 2-6, 6-3, 6-0
career matches: Serena leads 10-4
Serena ran
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Serena won
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Australian Open, Doubles Final, Friday WTA story
loser: $170,345 US
winner's prize: $340,690 US
s6 Svetlana Kuznetsova & Alicia Molik d s15 Lindsay Davenport & Corina Morariu 6-3, 6-4
 Alicia, Svetlana, Corina & Lindsay
Alicia said: "I'm just glad I could share it with this wonderful girl next to me, Kuzy. She's a big part of it. It's our first tournament together, so what a way to start. It's pretty amazing, the first time we team up we win a Grand Slam."
Svetlana said: "It was real nice. I felt like we understand each other on the court so this is the most important thing, and we have fun." WTA story
Corina, who won the Wimbledon doubles with Lindsay in 1999 and was ranked # 1 at doubles in 2000, had her career sidetracked by leukemia and shoulder injuries. Lindsay said: "It's not only obviously coming back after leukemia. [Corina has] also had two shoulder surgeries in a little over 12 months, a lot of other things. We just thought it was a pretty cool thing after four years to be back when certainly for years there we didn't think there was any possibility of playing, let alone trying to win it again."
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Australian Open, Mixed Doubles Final, Sun
loser: $51,348 US
winner's prize: $102,697 US
Samantha Stosur & Scott Draper d s4 Liezel Huber & Kevin Ullyett 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (10-6)
 Samantha Stosur & Scott Draper
Samantha said: "I was down here last year for the men's final and I watched the mixed and never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be standing down there this year, that's for sure. The whole time we just really enjoyed ourselves out there and gave it our best shot. And we came out with the winner's trophy. It's just fantastic. It's a Grand Slam title." WTA story
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Australian Open, Girls Final, Sun
Victoria Azarenka BLR d Agnes Szavay HUN 6-2, 6-2
 Agnes Szavay & Victoria Azarenka
Australian Open, Girls' Doubles Final, Sun
Victoria Azarenka & Marina Erakovic d Agnes Szavay & Nikola Frankova 6-0, 6-2
Australian Open, Qual Finals, Fri Jan 14
rain delay, 12:15pm
#109 Sesil Karatantcheva BUL d #145 Shahar Peer ISR 6-4, 7-5
#123 Angela Haynes USA d #185 Elise Tamaela NED 6-4, 6-3
#131 Zuzana Ondraskova CZE d #143 Marie-Eve Pelletier CAN 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
*#141 Anastasiya Yakimova BLR d #133 Lina Krasnoroutskaya RUS 6-4, 6-1
#136 Aiko Nakamura v #146 Lenka Nemeckova CZE 7-6(3), 7-6(5)
*#177 Zsofia Gubacsi HUN d #137 Jennifer Hopkins USA 6-1, 6(7)-7, 6-1
*#245 Michaella Krajicek NED d #138 G Voskoboeva RUS 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-0
*#179 Nannan Liu CHN d #155 Yuka Yoshida JPN 6-4, 6-3
*#184 Elena Baltacha GBR d #162 Teryn Ashley USA 6-3, 6-3
*#170 Ting Li CHN d #176 Sandra Kloesel GER 6(5)-7, 6-3, 6-1
*#239 Jessica Kirkland USA d #174 Yoon Jeong Cho KOR 6-2, 6-4
*#203 Meilen Tu USA d #187 Sunitha Rao USA 6-2, 6-3
Australian Open, Withdrawals, Non-entries
#8 Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL r knee
#10 Jennifer Capriati USA r shoulder
#15 Elena Bovina RUS left foot
#16 Paola Suarez ARG
#20 Kim Clijsters BEL left wrist
#50 Chanda Rubin USA knee
#78 Shenay Perry USA
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You can link to many Real Video postmatch interviews of WTA players from Grand Slam tournaments at the
the current top 20 Women's Tennis rankings with player photos, links, and bio info.
