Countdown Begins for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Aug 8, 2007 | Print |
With the 2008 Summer Olympics exactly one year away today, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and the International Tennis Federation have already begun making preparations for the monumental event.
The Tour and the ITF announced two weeks ago that ranking points will again be awarded to the participants next season, which will only inspire more of the top players to turn out for their countries.
Although the event is still 365 days away, now is a great time to take a look at some of the potential contenders for the 2008 gold medal.
Russia
In the past four years, Russia has developed into a tennis powerhouse on the WTA Tour. At this point, four of the current top ten players hail from Russia. All eyes will be on two-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, who will be competing for the first time for Russia. Although she has so far sat out of Fed Cup in 2007, she is still eligible to compete by virtue of making herself available to the squad.
Despite the depth of Russia’s players, regulations imposed by the International Olympic Committee limit the list of competitors to a maximum of six players, including doubles contenders. Other players to watch may include Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, and the ever-loyal Elena Dementieva.
United States
A surprising contender may emerge for the Star-Spangled Banner as former world number one Lindsay Davenport is planning on coming out of “semi-retirement” with hopes of competing at Beijing. The gold medal champion at the Atlanta Games in 1996 may be the USA’s best hope for a winner. Venus and Serena Williams have not said much about the upcoming Olympics, but given their propensity to injuries, they may take a pass on the competition. Venus Williams won the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
France
Amelie Mauresmo will be the early favorite to lead the French contingent at Beijing, but two-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce has high hopes of competing for her adopted homeland next year. The aging veteran has been off the Tour since she blew out her knee at Linz last fall, but according to reports earlier this spring, Pierce’s big goal is to return in time to compete in China. Unlike Russia, France does not have the deepest of tennis contingents, so by virtue of her past results, Pierce would probably make the squad. Other players to watch may include this year’s Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli, the young superstar Tatiana Golovin, and Severine Bremond.
China
The Chinese Tennis Federation has been hard at work making sure that their team can acquit themselves strongly in their country’s biggest sporting event. Na Li has had a seesaw season in 2007, but anything can happen in a year. She is China’s great hope for an inaugural gold medal, because every other Chinese player is currently ranked outside the top 50.
Belgium
The tiny nation of Belgium has produced two of the best tennis players in the past decade. With Kim Clijsters in retirement, Belgium’s only player within the top 150 is the current world number one Justine Henin. Henin, who is the defending gold medal champion, played some of her best tennis after triumphing in Athens, and if she continues to play this well a year from now, she’ll be the favorite to recapture the crown.
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