Serena's injured and out;
alternate Bartoli chances slim in crazy scenario

	Cynthia Lum/WireImage.com Serena Williams had cramping problems at '07 Wimbledon.

Given that Serena was hurt in Zurich two weeks ago and couldn't finish out her match against Patty Schnyder, why not have tour trainers test her as to what her condition really was and speak to her about whether she was fit enough to play for five out of six days?

Of course, it's hard to doubt a proven champion like Serena if she tells you she's ready to go and, of course, she's a far bigger pre-tournament ticket seller than Bartoli is. But, by allowing Serena to give it a go and then flop, fans are now denied the opportunity to watch a player who is at full strength contest the three round-robin matches. And really, we all know that if Serena is still sensitive to accusations that she's not committed enough outside the Slams and a few select tournaments, but it was clear in Zurich that she was hurt and given how many times this year she's stuck her chin out in trying circumstances, I for one would have accepted a pull-out if she said her left knee was failing her again. The last thing the tour needs if for Serena to be out for an extended period again.

So now, we have an awful mess out in the Yellow Group.

The WTA inserted Bartoli into the competition without Serena's loss on her record. So, Chakvetadze picks up a win but none of the competitors gets the loss.

If Bartoli goes 2-0 against Henin and Jelena Jankovic, she can advance, but only if Chakvetadze goes down to Jankovic. If Chakvetadze defeats Jankovic, it's ball game over, the Russian joins Henin in the semis, regardless of what Bartoli does. The WTA said that even if Bartoli goes 2-0, she cannot advance over a player who goes 2-1 because she won't have played three matches and she is not scheduled to play a third match. If Henin beats Bartoli, it's over regardless who wins the Anna C-JJ match.

That is a ridiculous scenario and I cannot imagine why Bartoli would even play under those circumstances. The only reason for her to compete is a legitimate shot at the semis and she hasn't been given that. Chakvetadze is in a better position based on a loss and a retirement. She knows that and from what I've seen and heard from her, she's a true sportswoman. I bet that if the tour asked her, she'd be willing to play one eight-game pro set, or a few super tiebreaks against the Frenchwoman if they both nail two wins to determine who should reach the semis. That's fair play and anything else will make a mockery of the competition and destroy the true meaning of "first alternate" (not stooge).

Do you know what crazy things are going on in Madrid? Starting at around 6 p.m. PST (about 3 a.m. in Madrid), the WTA had pulled all coverage of the Serena injury story off its web site for a good two hours, in what must have been an attempt to figure it all out.

Henin, who downed Jankovic 6-2, 6-2, bested the Serbian for the ninth time in nine tries and it wasn't even close. Jankovic has no idea how to play her and is overmatched from the forehand side and in the service department. The Belgian keeps powering balls to Jankovic's forehand until it breaks down and then Jankovic begins to overplay. While this match-up looked like a decent rivalry back at the '06 US Open when Jankovic should have pulled an upset and gagged, it's gone the other way the later part of this year. Henin needed three sets in their first three contests this season, but has now won eight straight sets in their last four meetings. This rivalry has turned into Roger Federer v. James Blake, when the result isn't in doubt. JJ is paper No. 3 at best.

Haas poisoned by Russians? Players betting on players?
Tennis' horrible quarter continues, with Tommy Haas the focus of two harrowing stories on Wednesday, one where German doubles specialist Alex Waske tells Bild that someone told him during the Russia vs. Germany Davis Cup semifinal that another Russian poisoned Haas. "I spoke with a Russian from Moscow at Davis Cup. He said entirely casually that Haas had been poisoned," said Waske. Haas lost his first match and then pulled out of the reverse singles against Mikhail Youzhny. Haas says he's going to New York to get a checkup and the ITF said it would launch an investigation. He said he's been feeling weak for weeks, which could explain his early exit from TMS Paris, where he was the frontrunner to qualify for TMC Shanghai. "I was the only one ever to order dessert or a Latte macchiato after dinner," Haas said. "If all this is true, since no one else got sick, that must have been when it happened."

If any of this is true, the ITF has to suspend Russia from Davis Cup competition immediately and whomever was responsible should pay Haas the couple hundred thousand he'll be short of by failing to qualify for Shanghai.

Just before that news broke, Haas said it's time for his peers to name names after an unidentified German player accused another of match-fixing during a TV interview, where the unnamed player's voice was electronically distorted and he said he was approached by another player (a first) to place a five-figure bet for him.

"There aren't many involved, but it's always the same players," the unnamed German said. "Those that do it are more professional about it than about playing tennis itself. … You can't prove that someone lost intentionally. Someone that is involved, or was involved, has to name names. Threats from the ATP is a blind alley."

Haas said, "It's time people start naming names. Every day someone says something: Andy Murray, Werner Eschauer, Michael Llodra, Arnaud Clement, now someone anonymous. I'm telling them, be concrete - then we can undertake something concrete. All this talk isn't bringing us further."

It was a bad day for Haas. On the same day, NASCAR team owner Gene Haas (no relation) got two years in prison for tax fraud.

Argentine reports say Andy Roddick might play in Shanghai at the ATP Tennis Masters Cup. An Argentine web site quoted David Nalbandian's trainer saying that Nalbandian won't go as an alternate because he's convinced that both Roddick and Nikolay Davydenko will both play.

Here's the two round-robin groups for Shanghai: Red Group – Roger Federer, Roddick, Davydenko and Fernando Gonzalez in the first group (yes, Roger moves on) and, Gold Group – Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet. (All the excitement will be here.)

© TennisReporters.net 2007