World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

belgians

THE RETURN OF KIM AND JUSTINE MIGHT SAVE WOMEN’S TENNIS

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By McCarton Ackerman

It’s 2003 all over again on the WTA Tour. The Belgians vs. the Williams sisters. For the last decade, these four players – Venus and Serena Williams and Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin – have made the biggest impact by far on the WTA Tour. Other players had the opportunity to step up in their absence or disinterest in the game (Venus the exception to this rule), but failed to do so. Now that Kim and Justine have returned to the tour, it will surely inspire Serena to step up her game, and the pretenders that ruled the throne on the WTA Tour last year surely must be a bit concerned.

Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters

No less of an authority than Lindsay Davenport claimed that 2009 was a horrible year for women’s tennis. Between Dinara Safina’s meltdowns on court, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic completely losing their grip on the top five, and players choking on the biggest stages throughout the world, the only thing that saved the year was Serena’s strong play at the majors and Clijsters winning the US Open.

When Kim and Justine retired from competitive tennis, it left a void in the game that none of the players were able to fill. Venus hadn’t brought her best tennis to a Grand Slam besides Wimbledon in years, while Serena only seemed to bring her best tennis at the majors (her recent win at the season ending championships in Doha seems to have erased this issue though). Talented as they might be, Jankovic and Safina should never have reached No. 1 in the world and Caroline Wozniacki should never have been in a position to play in a US Open final. They are certainly top 10 players and second week contenders at majors, but nothing more than that. Imagine if 15 years ago, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles retired from pro tennis, while Arantxa Sanchez Vicario only brought her best stuff at Roland Garros every year. That would be the equivalent.

The final between Clijsters and Henin at Brisbane last week displayed the tennis sorely missing from the women’s game. The power tennis remained the same, but some of the rallies were downright breathtaking. Furthermore, it confirmed both of their places at the top of the game. The fact that they can come back and start reaching finals immediately after long absences from the game show that tennis hasn’t changed all that much while they’ve been gone.

It’s not an outrageous assumption to think we’ll see these players monopolize the top four and possibly sweep the Slams this year. Until somebody is ready to step up and take their place at the top of the game, I hope we see them there for years to come.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, JUSTINE AND KIM, ARE THE COMEBACK KIDS

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By Bud Collins

Remember that great western, “Shane”? Sure you do.
Shane, the hero, after wiping out the bad guys, of course rides off into the sunset while the young boy who idolizes him, cries out in anguish: “Shane! Shane! Come back, Shane! Come back!”

No luck. The movie had used up its time.

I felt like that sorrowful kid when the erstwhile “Brussels Sprouts” — Kim Clijsters, then Justine Henin – decided to jet off to new places in the sun called retirement. How could these young women walk out on us like that?

“Kim! Come back, Kim! Justine! Come back, Justine!”

But — hurrah! — sometimes, wishes come true. Apparently they missed us just as we missed them. Surprised? Yes and no. Very few successful young athletes who walk away resist making comebacks. They get the itch to compete again. In this case of the backpedaling Belgians they’re doing a big favor for the game, as well as themselves. Especially the women’s game, which needs help. What better help than the return of two future Hall of Famers, whose best performances lie ahead?
Imagine what 27-year-old Justine must have been thinking in watching 26-year-old Kim reappear to play the tournament of her life — dismembering the Sisters and becoming the only unseeded woman to win the U.S. Championship. “She’s away 2 1/2 years, has a baby, fortifies by dipping into all of 7 matches, and then behaves like Shane with a tennis racket, riding roughshod over the Flushing plain. Swell, but can the opposition have gotten that soft? Better get back there myself to show them how the game should be played.”

How? The way Justine does it — completely, rarely –and Kim appears even better than when she said goodbye.

Yes, the guys also could take a few lessons from Henin, the Paperweight Tiger, the way she changes speeds, spins, angles, moves lightfootedly, and approaches for volleys. Thoughtful. Like the guy named Federer, she is terrific to watch, not caught up in mindless, endless banging from the baseline.

With the season, dragging on, overly long, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and Rafa Nadal are are right on — protesting that the campaign must be shortened. By this time too many players are injured or worn out.
Tennis is the only big league sport without a genuine off-season. Unlike the team sports, there’s no bench in tennis. No substitutions. A player is on his/her own. The WTA has done a better job of scheduling than the ATP, but the campaign remains over-packed.

Ideally the season would end by the first week in October, allowing three months off. Better for everybody, including the fans, reducing confusion and giving wounds time to heal properly.

Right now it’s more fun to look ahead to 2010 and the Australian Open — one reason: Justine and Kim will be there. The game couldn’t have a finer Christmas gift.