BLACK WOMEN NEED HEROES TOO

by the Spin Team

I am a huge fan of movies and serial TV shows.  I like to sit and binge watch a really good series.  These days I go for shows that feature strong female leads. I also enjoy watching documentaries, especially those that feature different cultures, etc.  One of my favourite docu series on Netflix is Flavourful Origins.  If you have not yet tuned in to watch that particular series, you should check it out.  

This article, however is not about binge watching series.  It is about rape.  It is about saving women and it is about the perceptions around black women in movies and tv shows. 

There is a documentary/movie currently on Netflix called Joy.  It tells the story of a Nigerian woman who has found herself in Europe (Austria to be exact) where she is working as a sex worker.  She has taken under her wing a young woman named Precious, who looks to be about 16 or 18 years old and who is clearly uncomfortable with life as a sex worker.  

 The women have to pay the Madam (who is also Nigerian) 60,000 Euro, possibly over a period of time.  Poor Precious, who can barely figure out how to navigate life in Europe, pays over 200 Euro to the Madam who decides to give her a lesson by having her 2 hench men repeatedly rape her.  I don't know how this docu/movie ends, as I turned off the TV.  This is as a result of my taking the stance to no longer watch movies or tv shows that feature rape scenes. 

 In many movies/tv shows that feature rape scenes involving white women, there is always a man who helps that woman to empower herself.  I am not quite sure whether it is lost on the director/producer of these shows that a woman who has been made to feel less than by a man is now being empowered by another man. It is for me the very definition of irony.  In the case of white women being raped, they are often then taught to fight, to use a gun, or to seek revenge against the person who violated them. White women are given permission to seek justice as a sign of their own power. Like their white men, it is their duty to exact vengeance on the person that has wronged them.

In contrast, for black women who experience harrowing and gruesome rape attacks in movies/tv shows, it is usually other women who come to her rescue and nurse her back to health. The focus is on being healed or getting better through her sisterhood with other women. She doesn't get to seek out justice.

As I listened to the screams and cries of Precious in that movie, which were disturbing for me to hear, the question that reverberated in my head was where are the men who will save these women?  It is not going to be her black fathers and brothers because they are the ones who are holding her down and violating her. It is not the Shaman who at the start of the movie was casting spells over her body to protect her, knowing full well what she was going to be experiencing.  It is not the black men who are in leadership positions who will come forward and say no, I am not going to be a part of this. In the movies, black men are seen only as participating in the rape of Black women. They are not seen as rescuers like their white counterparts in movies. 

Is that a reflection of how things play out in real life? I have found that our black brothers do not protect their black sisters in the way that they should.  In the Caribbean many women lose their lives because men don't know when to accept that a relationship is over. While it is clearly not unique that men of all races violate women, I do notice that in movies and tv shows, white men are portrayed as both rapists and saviors. So, while all women may get raped by men of own their race in real life and in movies, white women are portrayed as having a possible white male savior to come to her rescue. What does it mean for white women to see on screen that someone will look out for them or have their back? Why aren't Black women afforded saviors? Do we not deserve that in our stories on screen? Maybe it's because of the stereotype that black women do not need someone in their corner. As a regular TV watcher, I want to see our sisters getting rescued too. Some may say it's not realistic but I suspect it's not all that realistic for white women either, yet I see it often on screen. Black women deserve their hero on screen as well. 

I am interested to hear people's thoughts on this so feel free to sound off in the comments. 

RECLAIMING SERENA'S HUMANITY

The Spin Team

And before everyone gets up in their feelings, the title of this piece is not to compare Serena to an animal.  Read on for more insight. 

In 1994 and 1995, Richard Williams was proudly talking about his daughter Venus Williams.  While everyone was praising Venus, Richard said that he has another one at home who was meaner.  Her name, Serena. 

She was mean.  She didn't smile. she didn't joke around.  She came to play.  She took names.  She made the champions of the day seem mediocre.  She was a champion.  She played like one. She spoke like one and she collected titles. 

During her reign atop the women's field, the narrative surrounding Serena was always about her intimidation factor.  Players supposedly lost before setting foot on the court.  6-1, 6-0 scorelines were par for the course.  Whenever Serena was scheduled to play a match, you had to make sure to find a livestream because if you blinked and you missed it. Yet, it was ability to read the game that was unsurpassed.  She never quite got credit for her tennis acumen.  It was always about her power.  The usual tropes that have been used to describe black female athletes was systematically used to discuss Serena. 

When she played the likes of Henin, Clijsters, Dementieva, Ivanovic, Jankovic etc., it was always about how she used her power to intimidate her opponents.  Her mental toughness was never mentioned and her ability to play her way out of tight situations and to think outside the box during tight matches were very often ignored. 

While she racked up titles and made millions from her job, the endorsement market was never her friend.  Each year as Forbes published its list of marketable female athletes, the GOAT of female athletes was usually way down in the bottom of the barrel.  The likes of Ivanovic and Sharapova, blessed with tennis talent but limited results were literally being paid for their looks.  Theg were getting large clothing contracts and were being styled by some of the biggest designers.  

It was in 2007 that Serena I believed finally got her recognition.  Ranked No. 81 in the world she would struggle through the 2007 Australian Open draw, taking out some of the biggest names in tennis and suffering through some of the most vitriolic commentary, both audio and the written word, talking about her weight, that she was finished, and that she would never reach the pinnacle of women's tennis ever again.  As far as people like Pat Cash was concerned, Serena was done. The game had passed her by. 

Serena struggled.  She spoke about seeing a therapist to  help her deal with the death of her sister, Yetunde who was murdered.  She spoke about losing her love for tennis and that if it wasn't for Venus she would have retired.  Yet, she persevered and silenced her naysayers. 

It has been a long and arduous process for the GOAT of female athletes.  

In 2010, after winning Wimbledon and while out partying, Serena suffered a life threatening injury which caused her to develop a pulmonary embolism.  From that point on, Serena has had to take blood thinners while travelling and has to ensure that she wears clothing that will limit her chances of developing a blood clot. 

Things were not easy but being the champion that she is, Serena has soldiered on.  With a new team by her side, Serena went to new heights.  The aim:  chasing history. 

First, she came for Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.  Stuck at 18, Serena surpassed both women.  We all remember the angst of Martina who opined that had she known that Slams would be so valuable, she would have played more of them. 

Then she went for Graf and the Calendar Year Grand Slam - she got Graf's record, but not the calendar Year Grand Slam.  Now she is after Margaret Court and history. However, while going for history, Serena took a step off her career path.  She had a baby and got married.  She also nearly lost her life (again) giving birth.  

Her comeback after giving birth has been a boon to tennis and marketers. For the first time in her wonderful career, she has made it to the top of Forbes' list of top earning female athletes.  She has been on the cover of Vogue, Harper's  Bazaar, Essence and many other top of the line magazines.  She has been to the Royal wedding of her friend Meghan Markel and has been booked on numerous speaking engagements.  The advocacy of her and her husband regarding issues that affect parents have made many people sit up and take notice of the various issues of which she has become an advocate.  Serena, fierce competitor, winner of titles and taker of names is finally being recognised for who she is and what she brings to the table.  Everywhere, except for tennis. 

I can recall many players who have suffered injuries.  Some of them were career ending.  There have been times when networks have brought in medical experts to talk about the effect of injuries and how it affects players, especially when they are returning to their chosen sport.  I am sure we all recall the many articles that were written by tennis writers quoting medical personnel about Nadal's knees, Djokovic's shoulder, Sharapova's shoulder and the list goes on.  I am sure that someone will correct me but I can't recall anyone within the sport writing a piece about Serena since her return where they have spoken about her medical issues and how that may have affected her return to the tennis.

As Kim Clijsters makes her return to tennis once more, we recall the many stories that were told about how challenging it was for her to be a wife and mother and how she was managing to win despite the odds.  Clijsters was then 26 years old.  Serena is 37. 

We recall the questions that were asked of Federer after his wife (not him) gave birth to his children.  How does he do it?  What motivates him?  How does he manage his days what with training and bottle feeding?  Federer had to remind them that most of the work was being done by his wife and the wonderful team that he had around him. 

In 2018 when Serena played the French Open wearing a full body suit, rather than examine the reason why she had to wear the body suit, many journalists went the easy route.  She wore it because she could. She wore it for fashion and attention.  Listening to commentary, especially US commentary, it is clear that the human side of Serena does not exist in the minds of commentators. 

In every match that I have listened to since Serena's return, most of the commentary team has had a female voice.  Most, if not all of those female voices are women who have borne children.  I detect no empathy, no  understanding, no words of explanation to the viewing public to celebrate what we are seeing in this amazing athlete.  Rather, all we hear are the same talking points.  Her intimidation factor is gone.  These girls are not afraid of her any more.  She can't overpower them like she used to. 

Not once have I heard a discussion surrounding the reason why Serena felt the need to see a therapist after the US Open final in 2018.  Not once has anyone addressed what might be affecting the toughest player mentally ever to play this sport to phase out during the finals of Grand Slams.  There is no doubt that Serena still has the game to beat anyone on any given day.  The issue that arises is why is she freezing in these key moments?  Why does she seem paralysed by the fear of winning?  

One person has posited that perhaps the reason why Serena seems unable to get over the hump of reaching 24 is one of 2 reasons:  (1) when she gets to 24 what next?  What will push her further?  What will inspire her to win another one and another one?  (2) when she does get to 24, will the ever moving goal posts keep moving?  Will tennis find some Mary-Lou who played in some obscure tournament many years ago and who won 30 Grand Slams be the new benchmark?  

I have borne a child.  Granted mine was not a C-section but I was in labour for a very long time.  I have also suffered a miscarriage and I know how challenging it was to expel that child from my body.  I know what post partum depression can do to you.  I know what depression on a whole can do to you.  I know what it is like to wonder if you have reached the peak of your career and where do you go next?

I would hope that as tennis punditry consider Serena's life and legacy that they discuss her humanity.  Discuss the fact that she is a woman with feelings.  That Serena bleeds.  That Serena while portraying strength is vulnerable to many things, the least of which is the pressure that she places on herself to be the best that she can be.  I know that Serena says that a lot and many of us dismiss it, but when she is doing the best that she can, it never ever seems to be enough. Maybe it's because most people never believed that Serena was the best because of her hard work and skill; they dismissively assumed it was all without effort.

I believe the time has come for us to discuss the human side of Serena.  We may not have any of the answers, but it behoves us to not treat this wonderful athlete who has provided so much inspiration to so many not as a thing without feelings but as a human being who is going through possibly one of the toughest moments of her storied career. 

VENUS

The Spin

Last year I saw and heard of Cori Gauff for the very first time.  I recall saying that she reminds me of a very young Venus. Today Cori Gauff met her hero, Venus Williams on the first day of the 2019 Championships. It did not go well for Venus. 

At 39 years young and a career that took flight before Cori was a twinkle in her dad's eye, Venus was winning tournaments.  Today felt a bit like the passing of a baton.  The long elegant legs of Venus continued to eat up the lawns of Wimbledon in much the same way that it did when she was winning her 5 titles, however, her opponent across the net, also endowed with long legs was faster, and so much powerful. She hit big off the ground in much the same way that Venus used to dismiss her opponents and tell them to get off her lawn.  She was tougher than Venus and she was not afraid.

Years ago I recall my son saying to me that he liked seeing Venus play because he just knew that no matter what she would hit a shot that would change the match. Today there were glimpses of that Venus.  She battled hard.  She fought. She stayed true to her game.Today was not her day. As a fan I am sad but I am also proud. Proud that at 39 years old when many players of her era have families and are sitting in commentary booths opining on tennis, Venus is still out there battling for all she is worth and never complaining. There were no histrionics. There was no appeal to her box. There was no shaking of her head in dismay, and when it was all over, she walked to the net and smiled that beautiful, gracious Venus smile and she congratulated her opponent. 

Wimbledon Etiquette

For as long as I have been watching Wimbledon it has always been the case that after a match, the players walk off court together. Has this changed?  Clearly it hasn't as the only people who seem to adhere to that tradition are Nadal, Serena and Venus, Sharapova and Federer.  Perhaps the All England Club needs to remind players of this etiquette. 

No more Miss and Mrs.  

I liked that. I liked that all players got that Ms. and Mrs. beside their names. I did not consider it sexist.  I did not think that it took away a woman's accomplishments to be called Mrs.  Some umpires clearly did not get the memo as they continued to title some of the women as Miss and Mrs. Frankly, for Venus and  Serena they should always be called Ms. Williams. 

Upsets and Then Some

Naomi Osaka lost to Putintseva. Sabalenka lost to Rybarikova. Ostapenko continues on her downward trajectory. Vondrousova said that she was carrying an injury which contributed to her loss against Brengle. Halep struggled for a bit but fought her way to the second round, as did Monica Puig. Caroline Garcia got bagelled and I swear she was giving the least effort in her match.   Wozniacki escaped when Sorribes-Toro retired and Yastremska won her first match on grass by ousting Camila Giori.

Day 2 Picks 

Ashleigh Barty vs Saisai Zheng
Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Alison Van Uytvanck
Harriet Dart vs Christina McHale
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Garbine Muguruza

Donna Vekic vs Alison Riske
Lesley Kerkhove vs Ivana Jorovic
Stefanie Voegele vs Kaia Kanepi
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Belinda Bencic 

Serena Williams vs Giulia Gatto-Monticone
Kaja Juvan vs Kristyna Pliskova
Paula Badosa vs Varvara Flink
Elena-Gabriela Ruse vs Julia Goerges 

Carla Suarez Navarro vs Samantha Stosur
Maria Sharapova vs Pauline Parmentier
Kateryna Kozlova vs Lauren Davis
Tatjana Maria vs Angelique Kerber

Kiki Bertens vs Mandy Minella
Arina Rodionova vs Taylor Townsend
Laura Siegemund vs Katie Swan
Barbora Strycova vs Lesia Tsurenko

Elise Mertens vs Fiona Ferro
Andrea Petkovic vs Monica Niculescu
Tamara Zidansek vs Eugenie Bouchard
Vera Lapko vs Qiang Wang
Sloane Stephens vs Timea Bacsinszky
Yafan Wang vs Tereza Martincova
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Katerina Siniakova
Ana Bogdan vs Johanna Konta

Amanda Anisimova vs Sorana Cirstea
Magda Linette vs Anna Kalinskaya 
Vitalia Diatchenko vs Kristina Mladenovic
Ons Jabeur vs Petra Kvitova

Matches to Watch
Kvitova v.Jabeur
Sharapova v Parmentier
Mertens v. Ferro
Vekic v. Riske
Stephens v Bacsinszky

Upset Special 
Jabeur beating Kvitova
Diatchenko beating Mladenovic

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS, WIMBLEDON 2019

The Spin

This grass season has been quite challenging for the Spin Team. This was due to the fact that a member of our team had plans to visit Birmingham, the plans got shelved, and said team member went into a downward spiral.  It was made even worst when said team member's faourite player in the world decided to play in Birmingham.  That being said, the team member has recovered from her disappointment and is looking forward to the start of The Championships, Wimbledon.

I have not had a chance to look at the draw but I have listened to the Realz podcast and while every draw has its challenges, it would seem as if Serena of House Williams has a tough ride to 24. Venus, also of House Williams also has a challenge in playing against the young American qualifier, Cori Gauff, the youngest player in the draw.

I happened to watch the video of Serena's pre-tournament press conference and she seemed relaxed and happy. For a quick minute she was shocked that Ashleigh Barty was now No. 1, a fact which Pam Shriver thought was disrespectful.  I guess she has never seen or heard her colleagues misidentify the careers of the women on the Tour. There is no reason why Serena should be aware of who is No. 1.The fact that she knew enough about Barty's year, the fact that she knew what tournaments she had won (Miami and the French Open) is to me a testament that Serena does pay attention to what is happening on the WTA Tour. Compare and contrast that to so many players who will tell you that they do not watch women's tennis and as we have seen on social media, during a very over hyped men's match, the women will be tweeting up a storm. I have always found that to be incredibly disrespectful to the WTA Tour but I guess for Pam and others of her ilk, not knowing who is No. 1 is considered to be more disrespectful. 

Anywho, the ATP has been trying to score headlines so players have been coming out on social media publicly declaring that they have resigned from the Player Council. Dramatic. Intended to draw headlines and possibly ending up as much ado about nothing. A situation symptomatic of the ATP Tour. Unless someone comes out and speaks definitively about why they have resigned, I say we all look to the tennis and leave the men alone with their hormones.

Day 1 OOP and Spin's Picks below

Elina Svitolina [8] vs Daria Gavrilova
Margarita Gasparyan vs Anna-Lena Friedsam
Marie Bouzkova [LL] vs Mona Barthel
Bernarda Pera vs Maria Sakkari [31]

Petra Martic [24] vs Jennifer Brady 
Anastasia Potapova vs Jil Teichmann
Danielle Collins vs Zarina Diyas
Kristie Ahn [Q] vs Anastasija Sevastova [12]

Marketa Vondrousova [16] vs Madison Brengle
Karolina Muchova vs Aleksandra Krunic
Caty McNally [Q] vs Heather Watson
Shelby Rogers vs Anett Kontaveit [20]

Su-Wei Hsieh [28] vs Jelena Ostapenko
Dalila Jakupovic vs Kirsten Flipkens
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova vs Monica Puig
Lin Zhu vs Karolina Pliskova [3]

Simona Halep [7] vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Mihaela Buzarnescu vs Jessica Pegula
Alize Cornet vs Victoria Azarenka
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Daria Kasatkina [29]

Madison Keys [17] vs Luksika Kumkhum
Polona Hercog vs Viktoria Kuzmova
Venus Williams vs Cori Gauff [Q]
Magdalena Rybarikova vs Aryna Sabalenka [10]

Caroline Wozniacki [14] vs Sara Sorribes Tormo
Veronika Kudermetova vs Ysaline Bonaventure [Q]
Rebecca Peterson vs Yanina Wickmayer [Q]
Shuai Zhang vs Carolina Garcia [23]

Sofia Kenin [27] vs Astra Sharma
Dayana Yastremska vs Camila Giorgi
Iga Swiatek vs Viktorija Golubic
Yulia Putintseva vs Naomi Osaka [2]

Must see matches

Venus v Cori

Putintseva v Osaka

Rybarikova v Sabalenka

Azarenka v Cornet

Hseih v Ostapenko

Upset Special

Putintseva beating Osaka

Ahn beating Sevastova

Too close to call

Hercog Kuzmova

Yastremska v Giorgi (the poor ball)

LADIES FINAL PREVIEW

The Spin 

Steve Simon spoke.  Finally.  

In case you missed it, the Chief Executive Officer of the WTA Tour had some choice words for the organisers of the French Open.  He told them in no uncertain terms how disrespectful they have been to women's tennis and that they needed to rethink their stance as it relates to court assignments. 

I really did think that after such strong words the organisers of the French Open would have been quaking in their boots and that even one of the women's semifinals would have been moved to Chatrier, but that was not the case. 

I woke up to see Konta losing to Vondrousova and Anisamova serving to stay in the match against Barty.  The Anisimova match was not on tv in my area, but the Konta match was.  As soon as that match was over, and Bartoli came out on court to interview Vondrousova, the tv cameras immediately flipped to Federer walking out on court over on Chartrier.  

That is how tv treats women's tennis.  That is how women's tennis has always been treated. 

One can only hope that the resumption of the incomplete men's semi-final will be relegated to Court 1. 

A few years ago, I finally cut off Tennis Channel because of their penchant of placing most, if not all, women's matches on their premium channels, while showcasing men's tennis on the cheaper channel.  Unless you are a a diehard fan of women's tennis, and could afford a subscription (or lived in an area where you could actually subscribe to TC Plus) you had to be hunting illegal streams in order to see women's tennis.  That happened for almost 2-3 years.  When Tennis Channel lost the rights to broadcast women's matches in the US, there were howls of protests all over, but those of us who have had to suffer for years, felt little or no sympathy for Tennis Channel. 

The WTA TV website has its issues (hello Order of Play and no app), but it brings fans of the women's game much closer to the women and at least you get to see great matches all the time. 

This is why Vondrousova making it to the final of the French Open has not come as a shock to me.  A fighter, it is never over until the last ball is struck.  Usually, in her favour.  I like Vondrousova.  I like her demeanour on court.  I like the variety that she has in her game.  I like that she smiles when she has hit a terrific drop shot or a beautiful winner.  I like that she is shy.  I like that she struggles to articulate her thoughts in English, but mostly I absolutely love her game.  There are not many Czech players that I like, but Marketa (must be that black name) just gives me a different vibe.  Her game is not run of the mill.  It has variety and nuance.  My only issue with her is sometimes her fitness level is not what it needs to be.  I would be absolutely thrilled if she takes the title on Saturday, but ...

It can be hard when you have been classed as a prodigy and then struggle to get wins.  Ashleigh Barty is a lesson for all young up and coming players.  You would never believe from looking at her that she is only 21 years old.  Very mature for her years and with a game that is made for tennis.  

Many may not know that for a short time, Barty was coached by Justine Henin (or at least Henin mentored her).  After suffering a series of setbacks, Barty left the sport of tennis and went to play cricket.  For those of you who may not know it, cricket is to Australia as tennis is to England.  It is in their blood.  A long time ago they were very good at it (as were the West Indies team, but we won't go there).  Suffice it to say Barty is such an incredible athlete that switching sport was never an issue for her. 

She returned to the Tour about 3 years ago, and after winning her biggest title to date (the Miami Open), playing some of the best tennis that I have seen in quite some time, Barty has made her way to the final of a Grand Slam.  I am sure that there has been much celebration in Australia.  

Both women have done incredibly well to get this far.  They are a testament to hard work and perseverance, and of the sacrifices that were made (and still being made).  

The Spin Team wishes them all the best (but will be quietly cheering Vondrousova to victory)

I AM A DIVA

I am a Diva and I know it

The Spin

So folks are up in their feelings over Serena Williams and whether she is a diva or not.  My take:  If Serena Jameka Williams is behaving like a diva its because she has earned it.  We see accommodations being made for people who do not have the volume of work that Serena has done.  Who have not achieved the heights of a career that Serena has done. At some point that has to count for something.  The fact that she did not in this instance do what she is alleged to have done, i.e. kick Dominic Thiem out of a press conference room so that she could speak to the media is for some by the way, but let us pause for a moment and talk a little bit about Serena and her career and what she has done for tennis. 

Bursting onto the scene in the late 90s, Serena has played against almost 5 generation of tennis players.  5 generations that were supposed to usher in the end of the Williams era.  Lest we forget but let us pray for them in passing: the Russians, Belgians, Serbians, Young Americans, and the Rising Stars and the list goes on and on.  Yet here she stands, ranked No. 10 in the world and now with a husband and child (and grandchild).  For my money, Serena has earned her place as a diva in this sport.  She should always play on Center Court, as the Australian Open and French Open organisers recognised.  She should always get a choice of what time of the day she should play and frankly if some minion player is in the large press room, he should be booted out so that Serena can take her place at the head of the table. 

If we are honest, who really wants to hear what Thiem has to say about men's tennis?  Seriously?  Is there a reporter out there who is being paid to write 5,000 word pieces on Thiem's thoughts on tennis?  I am sure somewhere in Austria there may be someone who is interested in his thoughts, but I doubt the international press corps is a part of that.  I have never seen an article where Thiem is quoted and it makes me want to go and read it in depth.  Possibly the only time the casual tennis fan (and let us be real here, it is the casual tennis fan that tennis needs in order to survive), knew anything about this Thiem fellow was when this whole make believe, fictitious, click bait article came out on social media that Serena had asked for him to be moved so that she could have her press conference. 

Serena's coach posted recently about the fake sportsmanship that is exhibited in men's tennis.  I agree with him.  Players believe that they need to show that there is camaraderie amongst them, when that is as far from the truth as you can get.  

Serena is a diva.  I love that she is a diva.  I was hoping that she had indeed kicked Thiem out of the press room so that she could give her thoughts on tennis and then go home to her French apartment with her husband and daughter (and grand daughter) and field calls from tournament directors who are hoping that she accepts their wild card offers to play before Wimbledon.  There are also fans out there who are waiting with baited breath to press submit on their ticket purchases hoping that they get the chance to see Serena play at a tournament before Wimbledon. That is what is important to tennis.  The ability to host a successful tournament with a big name player who can at least keep the debt collectors from the door.  Not some run of the mill player who has gotten lucky to be in the semis of a Grand Slam where he will no doubt be mauled by his opponent, and even if he gets to the final, he will once again display, for all the world to see, his inability to take his game to the next level when asked to do so. 

Onwards ... 

People ask me all the time why do I love the WTA Tour so much.  I usually point them to the unpredictability of the women's game.  The fact that no matter who the opponent is, every woman will give of her best on the day to win that point.  Women's tennis is not hierachial in the same way that men's tennis has become.  There is parity.  You can be ranked outside the top 100 and you come across the No. 1 player in the world on the biggest stages of the sport and you realise there and then that this is your moment.  If not now, when? And you go for it.  We saw that 2 years ago with Jelena Ostapenko blasting winners, left and right to win the French Open title, wresting it from the cold dead hands of Simona Halep. 

We saw Sloane Stephens, realising that she had a chance to win a huge title, fought her way back from a break point down in the third set against Venus Williams and literally creamed poor Keys' clock to win the US Open. 

Amanda Anisimova (Charles Platiau - Reuters)

Many people are in awe of the 4 women who have made the semis of the French Open. Me, not so much.  Maybe with Konta I am a bit shocked and to a lesser extent Ashleigh Barty, but Vondrousova and Anisimova have shown us what they are made of on the regular WTA Tour.  The Spin's preview

Ashleigh Barty

Anisimova v Barty - this is going to be literally youth v experience.  Anisimova as we all saw this morning in her dismantling of the 2018 champion hits a hard ball.  Apart from that though she serves extremely well, is focused during points, and has a steadier baseline game than Barty.  Barty is going to attempt to mix it up on her backhand slice by trying to keep the ball low and forcing Anisimova to the net where she is not yet comfortable. However, that may not work in Barty's favour as I have seen Anisimova take those short slices and hit them into corners that I did not know existed on a tennis court.  Look for her to do the same in her match. 

Of the 4 semifinalists in this year's tournament, Anisimova has the lowest rating in terms of aces, return games won, break points converted etc., yet here she is with a chance to play for her first Grand Slam title.  I would not write her off at all. 

Joanna Konta

Konta v Vondrousova - again, a case of experience going up against youth.  While I had pegged Vondrousova to do well at this tournament, there is one weakness that she has that I don't think has been addressed and that is her fitness.  She hits a hard deep ball and that may be what keeps her in the match against an opponent who stays on the baseline and redirects off both wings.  

Marketa Vondrousova

Konta's game is not the prettiest but it it is effective.  The problem lies when you get the chance to move her off the baseline (not something that is easy to achieve) and get her moving on the clay.  If anyone can do that, it is going to be Vondrousova.  A big heavy whipping lefty forehand will give Konta nightmares if used effectively and while the Czech is not the best mover, she has a killer drop shot/lob combo that will get Konta moving forward and backward.  

On a good day, the  Spin would not watch a Konta match, but I am excited to see how this one pans out. 

Spin's Picks

Anisimova v Barty - Anisimova

Konta v Vondrousova - Vondrousova

2019 French Open champion - Vondrousova 

POPULARITY OF WOMEN'S TENNIS

The Spin

On 31 May Christopher Clarey tweeted that the press box was full during the Sevastova/Mertens match.  He attributed the full press box not to the match that was currently on show but the match that was coming up, i.e. Roger Federer going up against some fellow named Rudd.  

That statement is what ails tennis journalism. 

In case you missed it, Anastasia Sevastova, she of the second career (in case you did not know Ms. Sevastova had retired from the Tour and has now returned) and Elise Mertens, a rising star who previously trained at the Kim Clijsters academy and actually had Clijsters in her box on a few occassions early on in her career, played a fantastic match before a packed stadium.  Ms. Sevastova recently made it to the semifinals of the 2018 US Open and Mertens beat 3 or 4 top 10 players, saving match points along the way, to win her biggest title to date at the Dubai Duty Free tournament.  Neither of these women are unknown to tennis fans.  Frankly, the shouts from the Belgian fans could be heard all over Roland Garros as while I had the Mertens' match on my TV, I was watching the Krunic/Tsurenko match on my computer and I could hear the shouts of ELISE. 

For a renowned journalist like Mr. Clarey to opine that the only reason why the press would come out in numbers to watch a tennis match was because the next match up featured Roger Federer is an insult to the 2 women who were giving their all.  The Sevastova/Mertens match lasted for over 3 hours and I dare say the fans got their money's worth. 

It seems to me that from what Mr. Clarey said, the press would not deign to go and watch a women's match live.  One of the reasons why I love women's tennis is that if you follow the Tour closely, you know who the players are who will have their breakout moments at the Slams and you are never shocked by it.  

I am not shocked that Sevastova and Mertens played such a great match.  I am not shocked that Vondrousova is playing well (I am really looking for her to do big things this year).  I am not shocked that so many players that never get a feature on Tennis Channel or ESPN continue to draw crowds whenever they  play. 

We all love the stars of the sport.  Many people sometimes complain when there is a Serena Williams match and the stands are empty.  It is not that people do not appreciate Serena's game or that they don't like her, but sometimes there are much more compelling matches on the grounds and fans who have planned for the big tournaments for a long time would like to get the whole fan experience so that they can talk about it, and in some cases even write about it.  

From time to time I notice people who are designated as journalists who are at tournaments and who never set foot outside of the press area.  They are never mingling with the crowds to get a feel of what fans are appreciating about a player.  I believe the only tournament I have seen that does this is the Australian Open.  Perhaps Mr. Clarey and others of  his ilk should leave the press area from time to time and go have a chat with fans at a match where he does not even know the names of the players and find out why they are there. 

Tennis is a global sport.  It is not about Federer, or Nadal, or Djokovic or Serena.  The sport is about tennis and the sooner the press realise this, the better off we will all be. 

Now for the tennis, the women as always are bringing it.  If you have no idea who some of these players are, get yourself a WTATV subscription for about a month and watch the tennis that is played on Tour.  I promise you that you too will become as excited as I am by the level of tennis and from the talent that abounds in the sport. 

I have to say that it has been good to watch the tennis without the commentary.  There are times when I miss it as I find that it brings a certain level of engagement with what is happening on the court, especially if its done right.  

The matches have been captivating.  The fight from the players on the big stages has been something to see.  The drama has been something else and you can see from the emotions from the players how much they are fighting for even the smallest points. 

I hope everyone is as excited to see what happens in the second week, as much as I am. 

LET, LET, LET, LET, LET...

by Overhead Spin

Let - Justin Gimelstob

How many lets will it take before tennis finally calls a fault on Justin Gimelstob?  Clearly, as much as it takes. 

In case you missed it, after almost a year of denying he ever assaulted Mr. Kaplan, Justin Gimelsob pled no contest to felony assault which was then reduced to a misdemeanour charge.  He has been sentenced to 3 years' probation and 60 hours of community service.  

At the time when this incident came to light we were told that we should wait until the legal proceedings had run their course as there was more to this story than meets the eye.  Clearly there isn't as if there was Mr. Gimelstob would have had his day in court where he would have called on witnesses to refute the allegations of Mr. Kaplan and his wife.  The victim impact statement from both Mr. & Mrs. Kaplan tells the tale of a man completely and utterly out of control. 

Apparently, Mr. Gimelstob is such a powerful figure that tennis believes that it needs him.  The deafening silence from the people who say that they are tennis journalists is as someone pointed out on social media today, deafening, defining silence. 

Jon Wertheim attempted to put the ball squarely in the court of Mr. Gimelstob.  In a piece of writing that can only be termed cringe worthy, Mr. Wertheim calls on Mr. Gimelstob to put his tennis colleagues and the sport itself, including the governing body of men's tennis, and the ATP Player Council out of its collective misery by doing the right thing and stepping down. 

No Mr. Wertheim.  That is not how taking responsibility and showing leadership works.  I am all about second chances. After all we have just done the whole Lenten journey (and for those who don't there is Passover) where we are called to forgive etc.  However, Mr. Gimelstob has had many chances.  From his nasty, disgusting remarks a few years ago about Kournikova, to his general all around sleaziness, this man should in no way be representative of a sport that has as one of its tenets the promotion of a wholesome, healthy lifestyle for young people, especially men. 

At a time when the world is striving hard towards decency and holding people to account, it would be detrimental to the sport if someone like Gimelstob was given a pass just because he acted in the heat of the moment.  This was not a  heat in the moment situation.  This was an all out attack on someone who had done nothing to deserve it.  To compound matters even more we are being told that the reason for this display of outright aggression had to do with the death of his father. 

I am sorry, but in the same way that we are being asked to sympathise with Gimelstob, where was the sympathy for Serena Williams when the person who killed her sister in cold blood was released?  That was the same year that she had issues at the US Open where she was deducted a game.  If I recall there were many in the tennis booth who did not shy away from expressing their opinion on this topic.  A little closer to home, how about Kyrgios and the constant call for  him to be placed on suspension or probation.  However, the ATP as an organisation tends not to deal with things that bring the sport into disrepute or indeed tends to engage in the whitewashing of bad behaviour. 

This time around though, tennis needs to take matters into its own hands.  It is time to say goodbye to Gimelstob. 

Double Fault - Sorana Cirstea

In case you missed it, Sorana Cirstea went all touchy feely on the chair umpire in her losing match in Instanbul.  The video which is circulating on social media has fans up in arms as it seems as if for physically assaulting an umpire, i.e. putting her arm on the umpire's body without his permission, Cirstea received a code violation. 

Back track to the 2018 US Open and Serena Williams calling the umpire a thief. For that egregious violation, the umpires on the tennis circuit met and decided that they would not be umpiring any matches featuring Serena Williams.  I am sure that all of us are waiting with baited breath for the results of the ongoing umpire's meeting where they are no doubt discussing the fact that they will no longer umpire any matches featuring Sorana Cirstea ... 

Game, Set, Match - David Ferrer

He was one of my first male tennis loves.  I loved his fight.  I loved his tenacity.  I loved his demeanour.  I am sad that my little honey badger (hat tip to Honey Badger) is no longer playing tennis.  May your retirement be as fruitful as was your tennis life.