notes on a drawsheet

The perils of Kim and Justine
China vs. financially strapped South America for the Tennis Masters Cup

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA JHH photo: Siggi Bucher

Kimmy's left wrist will derailed her season.

Justine won't be back for at least five more weeks. Mauresmo is our Wimbly favorite.

While it may not be fresh news that both Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne could be toast for the rest of the summer, it’s certainly worth reflecting on. Who hexed the WTA with the no-Belgians-Williamses-clashes-in-2004 curse?

Monica Seles? Martina Hingis? Anna Kournikova? (Come back all of you, please.)

On the day of her 21st birthday (Tuesday), former No. 1 Clijsters discovered that she will be out of action for at least three months and will undergo surgery on her left wrist to remove a cyst and repair her torn tendon.

"One could have it emptied using a syringe, but chances are quite big that the cyst would return," she said. "Only surgery could remove it for sure. During the same surgery, the doctors can stitch up the tendon, which has causing so many problems over the past few months. Although I would like to have this surgery as soon as possible, some further examination is necessary. The liquid that was injected during the recent test has to resolve first. I don't know much yet about the period of recovery. I cannot plan that much, for I don't know how immobilized I will be."

For all intensive purposes, Clijsters is done for the year. Wimbledon and the US Open are history and while it remains a distinct possibility she’ll try to return in the fall, what’s the point unless she’s 100 percent? She’s already won a slew of non-Slams and reached No. 1. So her only real careers goals remain at the majors. At least she’ll have time to plan and re-plan her wedding. FYI: Contrary to some rumors, she has not yet decided on a wedding dress (and is unlikely to don Adelaide Crows colors).

Henin-Hardenne is another case all together. It was clear in her loss to Tatiana Garbin at Roland Garros that she nowhere near her top physical condition, so she’s pulled out of Wimbledon and is hoping to return for LA (Carson) the week of July 19. Apparently the virus that’s infecting her, cyptomegalovirus, has more staying power than she thought. With that kind of name, the virus sounds as formidable as the black plague.

"At the moment, I still can’t train 100 percent," she said. "If everything goes well, I will make my comeback halfway through July."

By then, Henin-Hardenne may have already lost her No. 1 ranking and even if she hasn’t, she’ll have a hell of a time going undefeated through the North American hardcourt season again. One would guess that the Olympics are out, too.

COULD ASASTASIA GET TO NO. 1?
If Venus and Serena don’t maintain their health throughout the summer, look for Anastasia Myskina to end the year at No. 1. Natasha Zvereva must be spinning on her Newport Beach skateboard.

"Asia is undeserved in respect to major tennis events," said Miles. "The Australian Open projects itself as the most important event, but otherwise, other than International Series events, we don’t have top-level tournaments. This is a way to put on of our best products into the fastest growing region in the world."

While it’s difficult to criticize the move from a financial and potential growth standpoint, a few things need to be tossed out there. First, South America is just or not more deserving of the Masters Cup, considering how many more pros come from the region – which clearly indicates tennis interest. Tennis Master Cup-Buenos Aires would have a nice ring to it, as would tennis Masters Cup-Rio, or Masters Cup-Santiago.

However, no private investor groups in these financially-strapped countries have been able to come up with the cash. At this point, there is no way, for example, that Argentine economic minister Roberto Lavagna is going to be able to convince his country’s legislature to build a $200 million tennis stadium when the nation carrying $100 billion in bad debt. (Maybe Argentina can unload the sour-pussed David Nalbandian to the male player-less Colombians for a billion or so. They can throw in Clarisa Fernandez for another $500 million in order to give Fabi Zuluaga a legit dubs partner).

"It's difficult economically to see it," Miles said of placing the Masters Cup in South America. "The spirit is willing, but I’m not sure the economies are. But I think we have a level of base there (four tournaments per annum). At the moment, I don’t see in the short term that it’s a real opportunity."

But the Chinese government has no such trouble because it doesn’t have to ask its people via a legitimate legislature whether it should be spending, let me guess, about $100 million a year on the Masters Cup. It doesn’t have to do so because it’s not a democracy. If you live in a China and want to have a pro-democracy demonstration, for example, you can ask and receive an answer. That’s answer will be no. But if you can get Roger Federer to show up at a local men’s club and give a serving lesson, that answer is yes.

Which begs the question: Should the above-mentioned tennis leaders, all of whom hail from democracies, be auctioning off a prestigious tournament to a non-democracy? Is North Korea next? I guess since the IOC granted China the '08 Olympic, many folks are kosher with the concept. This writer isn’t and I can’t imagine that the Gaudios and Corias of the world are okay with it, either. But who ever asks the players?