Deja Vento all Over Again

Improving Mashona presses Lindsay
Washington: 'I knew I would crack the Top 100, but I don't feel overjoyed;'
Rios retires: good riddance

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Ron Cioffi/tr.net

Davenport got by in the third over Mashona Washington.

FROM THE BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC – When Mashona Washington is in the zone, she has Top-30 stuff. So why has it taken her 10 years to crack the top 100?

In the first two sets of her 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 quarterfinal loss to second-seed Lindsay Davenport, the lucky loser showed off superior speed, big groundies off both wings, a terrifying return down the line, first serves that clocked in at 122 mph and second serves that were twisting in at 104.

"When I saw her play before, she was more of a retriever. So, I was surprised how aggressive she was today," Davenport said. "I couldn't believe how well she was serving and returning. It took me until the third set to read her serve. I'm not sure why it's taken her so long to reach the Top 100, but when she's on, she way better than that."

Of course, being in the zone day-in, day-out is not a frequent experience for Washington. In the third set, you could see why: She doesn't concentrate very well and her decision-making is suspect. She's says she's an excellent volleyer, but her transition game was filled with bumps. When she cracks her two-handed backhand, she a force, but when she goes to her one-handed slice, she's overly defensive. She's simply streaky.

"I bobbled a couple of volleys that ordinarily I would have made," she said. "But facing someone of her caliber, you don't know whether to come in or stay back. Usually, I'm about 15 for 20 at net and today I was about 0 for 20."

After coming back from a break down in the second set and shocking Davenport, errors began to leak out of Washington's game. After Davenport broke her in a long game to go ahead 2-0 in the third set, Washington was shaken.

WTA Tour

Mashona Washington

"It was important not to get broken early," Washington said. "It boiled down to me not serving as well and her raising her level. I forced a few shots, and maybe I could have rallied a little more. Players as good as her force you to make shots you normally don't go for. I didn't hold up my end."

MASHONA SHOULD BELIEVE IN HERSELF
But now that she's broken through to around No. 85 in the rankings, maybe the 28-year-old will start taking more stock in herself. Washington already realizes that for two sets, she went toe-to-toe with three-time Grand Slam champion. That's confidence building.

"I know now I can compete at high level, but playing consistently well, staying healthy and believing in myself will be key," she said. "I knew I would [crack the Top 100]," Washington said. "But I don't feel overjoyed. I always though it would happen, but the lord has ways of making things happen in his time. I have to take it as it comes."

BTW: Wimbledon semifinalist Davenport, who re-injured her right knee at Roland Garros against Elena Dementieva, is now traveling full-time with a trainer, Laura Eby, who resigned after five years with the WTA. "I'm not a big fan of hanging around tournaments so it's nice to be able to get treatment and do exercises in my room," Davenport said.

WTA Tour

Maria Vento-Kabchi

VETERAN VENTO-KABCHI REACHES SEMI
It's "deja Vento" all over again. Yes, 30-year-old Maria Vento-Kabchi reached her second successive Bank of the West semifinal with a sweet 6-4, 6-1 victory over Francesca Schiavone. Now ranked No. 32 (her career best was No. 31 in 1998), Vento-Kabchi has jumped 100 spots in a year. As we've written in this space before, she largely credits super-trainer Pat Etcheberry for her success. But much of the credit has to be given to her willingness to want to end her career as a respectable player. Now, she's more than just a run-of-the mill vet collecting a paycheck.

"This is the best I've felt in my career, physically and mentally," said Vento-Kabchi, who will play Davenport in the semis. "I'm also playing better than I was when I was 20. Pat believed in me and I believed in myself. It wasn't easy. But I knew I could get up there again if I put in the hard work. This is where it started for me last year."

Vento-Kabchi is much quicker than she once was. She has fast hands, solid groundies and knows how to move the ball around the court. She's uses angles quite well. She's been there, done that and knows how to do it to her opponents.

"Experience counts," she said. "I've improved quite a lot with knowing what to do. I'm completely committing myself for the years that I have left."

Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

The only male No. 1 not to have won a Grand Slam: Marcelo Rios.

Rios retires: good riddance
Former No. 1 Marcelo Rios retired Friday because of a recurring back injury, finally putting to rest his underachieving career. When he was at his best going back to back at Indian Wells and Miami in 1998, he was a magician with his sleight of hand shots and rapid-fire decision-making.

Rios has the unfortunate distinction of being the only No. 1 male player never to have won a Slam.

Andre Agassi once said of him: "He has an incredibly deceptive serve. He can hit all corners with it. Especially for his size, it's a phenomenal serve. He has great hand speed on his forehand, and he can take the backhand early and hit it with good direction. It's hard to control the point against him because he hits the ball so well and takes it early. He hits his forehand both directions, he hits his backhand both directions. He's going to make you play well."

But when his head wasn't in a match, the Chilean had a heart the size of a pea. Just recall his stunning loss in the final of the Aussie Open to Petr Korda. Moreover, he was simply the nastiest player off-court that this reporter has ever encountered. He was often rude, childish and mean-spirited.

Rios, who won the Roland Garros Lemon award for being the sport's biggest jerk three times, said. "I don't expect any tributes or acknowledgements." None given.

Will the sport miss him? Not really. For a time there, he added a a lot of color to the game with his all-knowing smirks and on-court wizardry. But he never really connected with the fans, even at home in Chile, where he played a ton of Davis Cup matches. Hopefully marriage and fatherhood will soften him sometime down the road.