So a busy weekend meant I wasn't able to post or even see much of the finals.
To be honest, with Marat and Tommy out I'd already lost interest in LA (though well done, Sammy 'Austin' Querio for finally converting on your third final of the year and reaching career title count number two; and for having a name that sounds like a classic American Muscle Car).
And after witnessing Venus drive-volley poor old Dementieva somewhere into the middle of next year, I perhaps foolishly thought she'd wrap up at the final rather neatly for once.
Foolish I.
I did eventually catch enough of Stanford to know that whatever drive-volley hell Venus had consigned Elena too, had swallowed up much of her consistency too. It's happened before.
But it's also just a little perplexing, as the story of the event seemed to be the Venus forehand: a bedrock of stability all week. Matches are usually over in under 50 mins when that happens. Just ask Maria.
That's not to say I'm not pleased for Bartoli with her 'Selesian' groundstrokes, and super-quaint string puppet service motion.
(Photo: AP)Getting the better of Venus, Stosur and Jelena is not a bad week's work.
There's also a curious charm in watching the players everyone loves to hate come out on top. Even if it's occasionally at the expense of my faves.
Oh, and Nikolay picked up his second consecutive title of the year in Umag, and with it an oversized crystalline toilet brush.
(Photo: AP)The foot injury, and that spell out of the top ten have agreed with Nikolay, who seems set to continue to embrace his unique, dorky brand of anti-charisma.
Suck on this, bitches.
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