A week without emotions

The Russians failed to excel at tournaments in America

Another tennis week did not add positive emotions to Russian fans. The finals of major overseas tournaments, which took place last night Moscow time on hard court, took place without the Russians. For men, in the decisive match of the Masters tournament with a prize fund of $2.45 million in Cincinnati (USA), the first racket of the planet, Swiss Roger Federer, and the fifth number of the ATP auxiliary ranking, American Andy Roddick, played. In the women's first category BTA tournament with a total bonus of $1.3 million in Toronto (Canada), the title was contested by two Belgians - Justine Henin-Harden and Kim Clijsters. The best result among Russians was shown by Anastasia Myskina, who reached the semi-finals in the Land of the Maple Leaf.

The new BTA ranking will be published today. Maria Sharapova will be the first among Russians to be on the top line. However, this fact was known a week ago, so all the enthusiasm for this matter has already faded into the background. Once again we have to state with regret: at those competitions where Henin-Hardenne and Clijsters participate, none of our compatriots, with the exception of Sharapova, can compete with the subjects of the Belgian kingdom.

For Clijsters, the path to the final was not difficult. Thanks to her high seeding number, she started in the second round and defeated the Frenchwoman Virginia Razzano - 6:3, 6:0. Then the Belgian did not even have to take the court against Ana Ivanovic, as the young Serbian was unable to play in the 1/8 finals due to injury. Kim beat Italian Flavia Pennetta surprisingly easily - 6:0, 6:1, after which she dealt with Myskina - 6:4, 6:1. “I’ve accumulated fatigue,” the Russian woman complained. - Although I’m happy with my performance in the first set. My opponent knows my style of action on the court well; she made me run a lot in the second set. This is what brought her victory.”

Henin-Hardenne lost only one game in nine sets, this happened in the semifinals with the Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo - 7:5, 3:6, 6:1. However, Justine had a very hard time at the previous stage, when with great difficulty she overcame the resistance of the Czech teenager Nicole Vaidishova - 7:5, 7:6 (7:4). Since the beginning of this season, the total score of fights in the peculiar match of Henin-Hardenne and Clijsters against Russia has increased to 21--2. Only Kuznetsova upset Clijsters once, and Sharapova caught Justine at the very first April tournament for the Belgian this year.

Perhaps Nadezhda Petrova could have scored in Toronto, but she failed to complete the quarterfinal match against Mauresmo with a score of 6:4, 5:7, 0:2. The injury is similar to the one that forced Sharapova to take a break from her performances: a strained right pectoral muscle. The losing streak of 2004 US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has dragged on for too long. On Canadian courts, she dropped out of the fight after losing in the 1/8 finals to Argentine Gisela Dulko - 6:7 (3:7), 6:7 (6:8). Svetlana has already lost five tiebreakers in a row in meetings with different tennis players. Most likely the problem lies somewhere in the field of psychology; there is a clear lack of ability to concentrate at the most crucial moments of the sets.

In Cincinnati, everything went relatively well for the Russians, but only until the quarterfinals. Three Russians entered the top eight players of the tournament and lost at once. Particularly disappointing was Marat Safin's failure in the match with the modest American Robbie Ginepri - 2:6, 3:6. “Even before the game, early in the morning, I felt that I had practically no strength left,” Safin said at a press conference after this defeat. - Since I haven’t trained for almost a month and a half due to knee treatment, I can’t yet move around the court as quickly as required. I’m taking a break until the start of the US Open and will not be competing at the New Haven tournament.” Nikolay Davydenko at this stage did not find sufficient arguments to defeat the Australian Lleyton Hewitt - 2:6, 3:6, Mikhail Youzhny looked decent in the match with Roddick, but ultimately lost to the American - 6:2, 3:6, 4:6. It is interesting that Yuzhny in Cincinnati brought things to the third game in all four matches played.

Qualifying for the US Open begins on Tuesday. The draw for the main draw will take place unusually early - on Wednesday. All wild card holders in men's competitions are already known. Among them there is only one foreigner - Australian Mark Philippoussis.

Vladimir ILYIN