Under review: Mauresmo, Haas, Ferrero, Bartoli,
Schnyder, ATP, WTA calendar plans
Cynthia Lum/WireImage.com
Amelie Mauresmo has found a home on the lawns of Wimbledon.
FROM WIMBLEDON – When 27-year-old Amelie Mauresmo
is getting taped up to go on court these days, she can hear the whispers,
the giggles, the loud “Oh my God, he didn’t!” bouncing
off the walls.
“I sometimes probably feel old in the locker rooms because they
talk very teenage things,” she said after her 6-1, 6-2 schooling
of Mara Santangelo on a rain plagued Saturday where only she and the
victorious Maria Sharapova completed their matches.
The defending champion has had a great start to the championship, dropping
only 10 games in three matches. She is the only real contender in the
draw with a gliding, old-school game. Her heavily topspinned forehand
may not be perfect for the surface, but the blades of grass and the
hard pan underneath are taking spin very well during the fortnight.
Combine that with her wicked slice backhand, her incredible athleticism,
excellent volley and fine serve, and it will take a hellacious effort
for anyone to knock her off.
“I think it comes pretty naturally for me,” said the Frenchwoman,
who will face the winner of the match between Nicole Vaidisova and Victoria
Azarenka. “I don't feel like somebody's pushing me to go forward.
It's a little bit the contrary: I really feel that I'm really leaning
forward very naturally after the serve and sometimes on the return
when I have the opportunities, kind of in the game when I have some
options to go in. I like it. It took me a little time to adjust to
the grass 'cause coming out of the juniors, then my first years as
a senior, I was not really sure what I was going to do. Do I need to
stay back? Do I need to go in? I was kind of in-between. Then I got
used to it and the experience probably helped me a lot.”
Cynthia Lum/WireImage.com
Tommy Haas will try to harry
Roger Federer.
Haas Aims At Federer
How the Haas did Tommy come back to Wimbledon after not playing for six
weeks due to an injury and all of a sudden become a mini-threat to
Roger Federer in the fourth round? Experience, power and willingness
to do everything he can to make one last push before his chronically-inured
body forces him to retire.
He’s 2-8 against Federer, but did take him to five sets at the
'06 Australian Open, three sets at '06 Halle and fell in a tough two-setter
at '07 Dubai. Sure, he’s an underdog, but with his rapid
and roaring game, he might be able to make the Swiss sweat.
“We’ve had some good battles the last couple times we played,”
the German said. “I feel like if my game is going well, if I can
serve well, use my chances when I get some, I definitely have a chance,”
said Haas, who took down Dmitry Tursunov in the third round. “Each
one of us out there is trying to do the best they can. Every once in a
while a couple people come along that are that inch better than the others.
I'm happy to be in the position I am again giving myself another opportunity
to have a chance against the best player in the world, and I'll give it
my best.”
When the powerful German came back from surgery three years ago, some
analysts thought he was done as a Top-20 player. But he's become a harder
worker, more of a tactician and now does more than just whale groundstrokes.
"A lot of things have happened in my career that many other players
might not go through," said Haas. "I don't wish anybody two
shoulder surgeries and being away for 15 months, not knowing exactly
if you're going to come back or how your shoulder will feel. I don't
think that's an easy task. It happened to me while I was 24-, 25-years-old.
If it would happen now at 28, 29, it might be a lot different. It happened
to me at not too, too bad of a time. You have to look at that as a positive."
Ferrero Loving Lawns
Juan Carlos Ferrero will never get back to No. 1 and it’s doubtful
that he can regain the Top 5, but major props for sticking
in there and not giving in. After beating James Blake in the third round,
he pointed out that he’s reached the fourth round of Wimbledon
on four occasions, a pretty good stat for a guy who some consider to
be a standard clay-courter. He may never be mentioned in the same breath
as Rafael Nadal again, but he’s ranked No. 18 and is a smart
player who, at least in his salad year of 2003, showed tremendous heart
and bravado, winning the Roland Garros title, reaching the US Open
final and gaining the top ranking.
He played a super-aggressive contest against Blake, sticking his forehand,
returns and moving his serve around nicely. He also put away more than
a few touch volleys. He’ll be the favorite in his fourth
round contest against Janko Tipsarevic and should he push through
to a quarterfinal against Federer, the world will have to take a peek
at him once again.
“You have to learn a lot to play very good on grass,” he
said.
“I enjoy much to play here. In the last two or three years it's
slower, and we have more time to try to hit good the ball. So I think
it's important also for the players. It's the seventh time I play here,
so I always try to come here and learn how to play on grass.”
