Did you know that she was at one time Roger Federer's favourite WTA player? Dunno if that's still the case, and I think Roger might have regretted being so vocal in his support for her. But if his love of her game has been floundering these past few years, he'll have found plenty to enjoy these past couple of weeks.
For the first set it was so unrelenting from Sveta, it looked like JJ might actually get bagelled, but was then allowed to find some form that held her in good stead against a lapsed Sveta in the second. But I'll tell you what, as overwhelmingly resolute as I was in my support of Kuzzie, I couldn't help feeling a little for JJ. Girl is clearly still struggling with her form - and in ways you don't normally associate with her. It was particularly evident in the second set when Sveta looked to be slipping back to her naughty old ways, and JJ blew what I think were three consecutive break points. These weren't testing rallies either, just trademark backhands that instead of finding their way down the line like they usually do, sailed wide or long, or both.
Wish her well, and she still remains on my list of picks, but I can't see her winning RG with this much flakiness in her game.
I alluded to this in my last post, and there's now absolutely no doubt about it - the WTA is in a state of flux; and I mean that in a good way. Maybe it's the way in which RG is completely wide open that has galvanised the players - it's never been the back yard of the Williamses, and with the very un-number-one-like way in which Serena went out to Schnyder a couple of days back - everybody seems to be punching beyond their weight class.
Whether it's Sveta's return to form, Lisicki serving top tenners off court at 125mph, Azarenka and relative-veteran Zvonareva picking up their first premier level titles or Venus continuing to play the kind of consistently convincing tennis that makes you think a Slam other than Wimbledon is surely hers for the taking in the not too distant future. There's change afoot alright. Except sadly in the Ivanovic camp, who continues to be plagued by wonky serve tosses.
And did you see the runaround Anna (Chakvetadze) gave Venus in last night's thriller? I'd virtually written the girl off. There was always a sense that her petulance would get the better of her and it came as no surprise whatsoever when she exited the top ten after her strong showing in 2007.
The moodiness was still there last night, as vibrant and unremitting as ever; and the first (bagel) set was a bit like watching a very small chicken having it's wings pulled off. But I don't know whether it's me, it's just that whenever Venus plays such a high intensity bulldozer of a first set, you get just an inkling of a sense that bad things might happen if that intensity drops off even a little. And so it was yesterday, the UFE count dragging Venus into a tight, intensely fought three setter she eventually won 6-0, 6-7 (8), 6-4.
The funny thing was that Anna's annoying tantrums actually seemed to carry her through the match. It was almost as if it were a conscious mechanism to keep the adrenalin flowing. It's still not endearing but worth remembering I think, that people are built in different ways, and react to stress in ways which suits them best.
Speaking of being built in different ways, Serena's early 'upset' at Rome was met with a predictable (but deserved) chorus of contempt. I bring this up because I'm not convinced it was an upset. Anyone that saw the match will tell you how painful it was to watch. How effortlessly well Schnyder yanked a Serena on the verge of tears, around the court. Serena (unsurprisingly) seems to have to put in twice the effort on clay, just to remain in contention (if that).
"Well, we all know who the real No. 1 is. Quite frankly, I'm the best in the world"(Photo: Getty)
-- She might have chosen a better moment to spout off than a return from injury on her least favourite surface.
-- And speaking of surfaces, clay has always proven to be something of a riddle for both the Williamses - but Serena is now beginning to look positively dire on it. I'm not suggesting that being markedly poorer on a particular surface compromises anyone's claim to be the best in the world (think Sampras), but am beginning to feel that Venus, were she to win a different Slam, would have a better claim to it.
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