|
EVENTS
Sportsman of the Year
Heisman Trophy
Swimsuit 2001
CENTERS
Fantasy Central
Inside Game
Multimedia Central
Statitudes
Your Turn
Message Boards
Email Newsletters
Golf Guide
Cities
Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
Sports Illustrated
Life of Reilly
Television
SI Women
SI for Kids
Press Room
TBS/TNT Sports
CNN Languages
COMMERCE
SI Customer Service
SI Media Kits
Get into College
Sports Memorabilia
TeamStore
|  |
Smarter seeds
Other Grand Slams should follow Wimbledon's example
Posted: Tuesday June 27, 2000 04:23 PM
By Lee Geeker, CNNSI.com
Wimbledon hadn't even gotten underway before the controversy started. The contention by some players that Wimbledon's seedings were unfair created quite a stir, and the three Spaniards most affected by the decision, Alex Corretja, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Albert Costa, had a valid point. Grass court specialists do get favorable seedings at Wimbledon and it just so happens that Britain's top two players are much better on grass than other surfaces. That doesn't necessarily mean that the Wimbledon seeding system is a bad idea, because it makes a lot of sense. The problem is that no other tournament (specifically the French Open), decides its seedings on its own. The way things end up, clay-court specialists get no preference on their home turf, but grass court players do. That's certainly not fair. If the ATP is going to require that players play in all Grand Slams, the rules for seeding players should the same, and the best way would be to let the tournaments decide the seedings for themselves.
 |
| American revival |
|
After a dismal performance at the French Open, American players seemed back on form at the start of Wimbledon. Not only did stars like Pete Sampras and Lindsay Davenport look sharp in the first round, but it was unseeded Americans pulling off the biggest upsets, led by Jan-Michael Gambill and Vincent Spadea. Without a doubt, grass is a much better surface for American players bred on hardcourts.. |
| Rafter looking stronger |
|
Patrick Rafter's struggles this year to return from shoulder surgery have been well documented, with the former No. 1 even hinting at retirement. But last week's victory at the Heineken Trophy showed that the Aussie may finally be close to 100 percent, and if he is, he can still be one of the top players in the world.. |
 |
| ACE Vincent Spadea Hey, he's finally turned the corner. He's shown in the past that he's a decent player, now maybe he can rebuild his confidence. |
| ACE Martina Hingis She's the top seed at Wimbledon, and after a strong performance at the Heineken, she seems ready to win another Grand Slam. |
| DOUBLE FAULT Juan Carlos Ferrero Maybe he really is hurt, but it sure seemed like an easy way out of the seeding controversy to claim injury. |
| DOUBLE FAULT Mary Pierce Suddenly she joins in the Wimbledon bashing, which probably means the fans won't be on her side like they were in Paris. |
|
 |
| "Losing stinks. It always has and it still does." |
| Martina Navratilova, who returns to Wimbledon this week. |
| "This is a guy who gets more locker room wins than anybody else. Many players are beaten before they even walk on court because of his reputation." |
| Richard Krajicek, on Pete Sampras' domination at Wimbledon. |
 |
| She's one of the biggest stars in tennis, and makes millions in endorsements, yet 18-year-old Anna Kournikova has never won a WTA Tour singles title, earning her plenty of criticism. Week at a Glance will follow Anna's performance until she finally breaks through with her first tournament win. |
| 2000 stats: 24-14 record, four semifinal appearances in 14 tournaments |
| Kournikova defeated Natasha Zvereva before losing to Chanda Rubin in the quarterfinals at Eastbourne. She won her opening match at Wimbledon over tenth seed Sandrine Testud, so she could make a run deep into the tournament. |
 |
| This week |
| Wimbledon is underway, and through the first round, there have not been as many upsets as there were at the French Open. While some of the wild unpredictability may be missing, it could set up some top-quality matches over the next two weeks. |
| Next week |
|
Wimbledon will continue, with the fourth round, quarterfinals, semis, and finals. Pete Sampras will be gunning for a record 13th Grand Slam title, while Lindsay Davenport looks for the repeat on the women's side. It should be very exciting. | Come back every Tuesday afternoon for a new Tennis Week at a Glance.
|
Copyright © 2001
CNN/Sports Illustrated
An AOL Time Warner Company.
All Rights Reserved.
|
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.
|
|
