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Her 15 minutes are up Until Kournikova plays better, it's time she cedes spotlightPosted: Monday August 26, 2002 10:16 PM
NEW YORK -- It was only fitting that she wore head-to-toe black for the occasion. Anna Kournikova slogged into the main interview room Monday for her postmatch press conference to administer the last rites to yet another Grand Slam flameout. Half an hour earlier, Kournikova was blitzed 6-3, 6-0 by Indonesian teenager Angelique Widjaja. Despite some time to grieve and regroup, Kournikova was still shell-shocked when the questions came. "I wasn't in the match," she said. "I was just not there."
Never mind the "never won a tournament" watch. With her defeat Monday, it is now two full years since she has won one singles match at a Grand Slam. The refrains of "she once reached the Wimbledon semifinals" and "she once was No. 8 in the world" get ever more faint. Yet Monday's match departed even from this mediocre script. Kournikova didn't just lose; she embarrassed herself. Her shots missed abysmally, including one second serve that bounced before the net. Mid-rally, Kournikova's groundies would land somewhere near the BQE. So errant was her ballstriking that even her coach, Harold Solomon, was caught on TV shaking his head incredulously. The final tally: 40 unforced errors in 42 minutes. Widjaja, a former Wimbledon junior champ, is a nice player. But she didn't have to show off her game Monday. In fact, in two sets Widjaja had one winner. Let me repeat that: IN TWO SETS OF TENNIS SHE HAD ONE WINNER! Yet Widjaja only surrendered three games. Beyond the destinationless shots, there was an inescapable feeling that Kournikova wanted to be elsewhere. Anywhere else. Her body sagged and shoulders slumped. She played at the pace at which an auctioneer speaks, scarcely giving herself time to reflect. Her effort was so halfhearted that fans who had serenaded her with construction-site whistles when the match began were now showering her with jeers and boos. Afterward she was asked if, perhaps, a few more performances like this and the paparazzi would stay away. "Good," she snapped. "Good if they don't show up any more." This, of course, is the height of disingenuous. You can't be Marilyn Monroe one moment -- a recent adidas ad has Kournikova in the Seven Year Itch pose, her dress blown by the breeze from a subway grate -- and Greta Garbo the next. But Kournikova's head is in the right place. Maybe it's time for everyone to dial back the hype. Time for Kournikova, first of all, to stop with this come-hither nonsense, the steamy videos and the soft-porn FHM photo spread. Time for her management and the WTA Tour to stop purveying her pulchritude. Time for tournament organizers to cease putting her on center stage, and assign her to Court 17 where she belongs. Time for the media to cease chronicling her every failure, each article accompanied by a poster-sized photo. (I hereby solemnly pledge that this is my final Anna column until she starts to win.) Time for fans to take a cold shower. Sure, we'd all lose in the short run. But it demeans us all -- not least the sport -- when the most recognized player on the planet can't win a match. Kournikova, all appearances to the contrary, is not untalented. Watch her play doubles -- where the pressure is halved -- later in the week and her performance Monday will appear inconceivable. But only when the spotlight gets redirected to more deserving players will Kournikova cease dying so prematurely, and so grotesquely, in singles draws.
Half volleysThe first press conference of the tournament was a doozy. After beating Samantha Reeves in less time than it took to pick up a credential, Justine Henin was asked precisely one question. "Did you like her lilac dress?" The response: "Yeah." ... One of tennis' good guys, Chris DiMaria, is leaving his post as vice president of communications of the WTA Tour to take a job with the Gem Group. ... In the battle of the homunculi, Hicham Arazi took out Olivier Rochus in straight sets. ... Buoyed by a partisan crowd, Israeli Harel Levy came back to beat Andrei Pavel in five electrifying sets. Asked how the crowd helped him, Levy shrugged: "In percentages, you want? OK, around 23 1/2." ... Promising American Alex Bogomolov Jr. was up a break in both the fourth and fifth sets before wilting against Paraguay's Ramon Delgado. Still, you'll be hearing plenty about the Lleyton Hewitt-esque Bogomolov in the years to come. ... Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, the champ here eight years ago, lost another lopsided match, this one 6-3, 6-1 to Marion Bartoli. Her karmic brother, Michael Chang, prevailed in four sets against Francisco Clavet. ... Iroda Tulyaganova served a double bagel to Italy's Adriana Serra Zanetti, winning 6-0, 6-0. ... With her brother following her match in the locker room, Dinara Safina defeated Rita Grande 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. ... Tough day for Italy all around as veteran Els Callens -- one of the world's great grass-court players, according to Venus Williams -- beat Tathiana Garbin 6-0, 2-6, 6-1. ... American Bea Bielek made good on her wild card, taking out Renata Voracova 6-4, 6-4. ... Ashley Harkleroad, appropriately dressed this year, was not as fortunate, falling to Iva Majoli 6-3, 6-2. ... After beating Davide Sanguinetti, Yevgeny Kafelnikov held forth on Russia's chances of beating Argentina in Davis Cup play. "It is impossible that [Argentina] will win." ... After a shaky first set, James Blake overcame cramps and beat talented Brian Vahaly in four sets. Afterward, Blake was asked about his, um, stomach troubles the year before. "I like the way you put that -- 'don't feel too well.' Most of my friend phrase that 'yacking my brains out.'" ... Speaking of, a scallop and shrimp salad at Mojito Café is yours for the low, low asking price of $26. Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim is covering the U.S. Open for CNNSI.com. Check back each evening to read his daily reports, and click here to send a question to his Tennis Mailbag. |
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