INDIAN WELLS, California—-The only thing more emotional than a Vera Zvonareva or Victoria Azarenka singles match is a doubles match featuring both of them.
The drama queens ruled the desert this week and won the 2009 BNP Paribas Open women’s doubles title on Saturday. I asked Victoria after the match if she thought that emotion was an asset to their performance.
“We’re both emotional. I mean, it’s just the way we are. Outside the court we are very different people. It’s just something that helps us, and it’s our personality on the court. We want to win so bad. We want to be so much better that sometimes we just probably expect too much from ourselves. But I think you have to be emotional on the court, otherwise I don’t think it’s fun.”
Media Massages
BNP Paribas, the title sponsor at Indian Wells, picked up some extra good PR by offering free massages to the media. Yours truly respectfully declined, but I have to admit, it was quite fascinating to see the media lounge transform into a mini salon.
Scouting the Field
Vera Zvonareva was spotted on Friday during the Ivanovic/Pavlyuchenkova match. Zvonareva, who is one of the most well-spoken players I’ve ever talked with on Tour, was scouting out her potential competition for the women’s title. She didn’t stay for the entire match, but long enough to get a good look at Ivanovic’s game during the first set.
Best Coordinated Award
The best coordinated award goes hand’s down to Austria’s Sybille Bammer. Bammer, who pulled out on Thursday because of a shoulder injury, has neon blue tennis shoes which match perfectly with her racquet frame.
Tennis and Basketball
A source in the Russian press told me on Friday that Dinara Safina has her sights set on a different kind of court next week. The Beijing silver medalist is looking forward to attending a NBA game during her stay in Miami. Safina won’t be the first Russian star to enjoy a Miami Heat game—other fans have included Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova.
A Need for Speed
If you think Ana Ivanovic is fast on court, try listening to her press conferences. The delightful Serbian is just as energetic off the court and can talk a mile a minute without pausing for breath.
I checked with Julie and Linda, the ladies who handle the interview transcribing for ASAP Sports, and they said their computers estimate that Ivanovic averages around 250-260 words per minute. I can’t even think that fast, let alone speak.
On the Baseline’s live coverage of the 2009 BNP Paribas Open is brought to you by Grand Slam Tennis Tours.
