World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

italian woman

DEMENTIEVA’S PAIN PLACES SCHIAVONE IN FINAL AGAINST STOSUR

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By Blair Henley

Elena Dementieva pulled down her visor in an attempt to hide tears of pain just one point before losing the first set 7-6 (3) to No. 17 Francesca Schiavone. Then the blond Russian shocked everyone – particularly her opponent – by retiring from the match with a calf injury originally sustained in the second round.

Schiavone will be the first Italian woman to compete in a Grand Slam tournament final when she meets No. 7 Sam Stosur on Saturday. Stosur steamrolled No. 4 Jelena Jankovic 6-1, 6-2 in yet another upset win.

Dementieva, seeded fifth, is widely considered one of the best players, male or female, never to have won a Grand Slam title, and the door seemed wide open at Roland Garros with Justine Henin and the Williams sisters eliminated. Her frustration was palpable.

“It’s disappointing to get injured and not use this opportunity to go further down, but I mean, what can I do?” she said. “Injuries are part of the game, and I cannot change anything right now.”

Dementieva also explained why she didn’t call a trainer before deciding to retire.

“I have seen a trainer for so many hours before the match, so I didn’t think there would be something else that could really help me,” the 2008 Olympic champion said.

Despite her injury, the set was full of long rallies. Schiavone played expert defense, forcing Dementieva’s hand. The 28-year-old Russian claimed in her press conference that she would have withdrawn after the first set win or lose, but kudos to Schiavone for helping her make that decision.

It was the first time Dementieva has retired from a Grand Slam event in 46 appearances (165 matches). She is now 2-7 in Grand Slam semifinals. She has lost twice in the final.

Unlike Francesca Schiavone, Sam Stosur did not kiss the clay after her semifinal win, but she was obviously pleased after upsetting Henin, Serena and Jankovic in succession.

When asked if she previously thought such a feat was possible, she replied, “I guess you always hope to and you always want to, but to actually do it is amazing and something really special. Hopefully I’ve got one more in me.”

Stosur has a 4-1 career record against Schiavone and has won their last four meetings, including two on clay.

MY FAVORITE FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE STORY

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By Randy Walker

Francesca Schiavone is the first Italian woman to play in the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era (since 1968). After looking through the pages of THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS ($35.95, New Chapter Press, www.NewChapterMedia.com) and scanning through the results from the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of all of the major singles tournaments, I discovered that she is the third Italian woman to reach the singles semifinal of a major of all-time, joining Annelies Bossi, a losing semifinalist at the 1949 French, and Silvana Lazzarino, a losing semifinalist at the 1954 French (she lost to Maureen Connolly, 6-0, 6-1).

My favorite story involving Schiavone, as documented in my book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com) is from September, 4, 2003, when Schiavone completed, and won, the first-ever four-day match at the US Open when she finished off Ai Sugiyama 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-2 in the round of 16. The match began four days earlier on Monday, Sept. 1 on Louis Armstrong Stadium and finally concluded on Court No. 10 after the two players go on and off the courts seven times during four days of rain at the USTA National Tennis Center.

Sugiyama actually lead 7-6, 5-4 when the match resumed on September 4. However, Schiavone won three straight games to win the second set and further elongate the encounter. With Sugiyama leading 2-0 in the third set, another strange incident happened as a ball boy’s misguided aim on a thrown ball hit the chair umpire Lynn Welch in the face, knocking off her glasses and cutting her nose, causing for another delay in play.

As Chris Clary from the New York Times then reported, “Schiavone sprinted off to find ice and Sugiyama dug into her tennis bag for a plastic bag to hold it. ”What else can happen?” Schiavone said on court. How about more rain? When play resumed several minutes later, the drizzle that has made Flushing Meadows seem like an American franchise of Wimbledon this week had returned. Before Schiavone and Sugiyama could finish the next game, they were forced off the court once more with Sugiyama leading by 40-15 on her serve.”

After the 93-minute delay, Schiavone then, incredibly, won six games in a row to win the match. Her reward? She was forced to play on only three-and-a-half hours rest that night  in the quarterfinals against Jennifer Capriati, where she lost 6-1, 6-3 in 67 minutes.

Randy Walker is a communications and marketing specialist, writer, tennis historian and the managing partner of New Chapter Media – www.NewChapterMedia.com. He was a 12-year veteran of the U.S. Tennis Association’s marketing and communications division where he was worked as the press officer for 22 U.S. Davis Cup ties, three Olympic tennis teams and was an integral part of USTA media services team for 14 US Opens. He is the author of the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER FOR SCHIAVONE

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By Blair Henley

Francesca Schiavone will be making a Grand Slam semifinal appearance for the first time in her 12-year career after upsetting No. 3 seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-3 on yet another gloomy day at Roland Garros. She is the only Italian woman to make it to this stage of a Grand Slam in the Open Era.

“In this moment, I’m here, but I’m not here,” Schiavone explained post-match. “I’m so happy. I really played with concentration and without going so down. I keep going, stayed up and good play.”

Just shy of her 30th birthday, No. 17 seed Schiavone looked every bit the seasoned veteran against 19-year-old Wozniacki, using a variety of spins and speeds to frustrate her opponent. Her one-handed backhand, unlike Henin’s yesterday, looked solid and accounted for many of her 25 match winners.

When asked about reaching this pinnacle so late in her career, she laughed and said, “Better late than never!”

Wozniacki was making her second Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance after reaching the U.S. Open final last year.

Fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia needed a set to warm up before finishing off her streaking countrywoman No. 19 Nadia Petrova 2-6, 6-2, 6-0. Petrova took out No. 2 seed Venus Williams en-route to her quarterfinal appearance.

Dementieva, 28, will meet Schiavone in the semifinals. The Russian made it to the final at Roland Garros in 2004, but she has yet to capture a Grand Slam title.