NEW HAVEN, Connecticut—Things are really starting to heat up here in New Haven…some of the buzz comes from a new crop of young players making their way into the tennis spotlight.

But on Thursday, all eyes were on the veterans, Lindsay Davenport and Daniela Hantuchova, as they came painfully close to winning their quarterfinal match, only to succumb to the Russian team of Anastasia Rodionova and Galina Voskoboeva in a tight 3-set match.

Playing in front of a packed crowd on the Grandstand court, the Russians got right down to business, winning the first set easily (6-3). But Davenport and Hantuchova rebounded in the 2nd set to take it 6-1. In the midst of the 2nd set, their games proved to be a little bit too in sync, as Hantuchova setup to hit an overhead lob, while Davenport ran behind her to hit the same shot, hitting Hantuchova’s racquet in the process. One person from the crowd yelled, “Now that’s team-work!”

The 3rd set was decided in a 10-point tiebreak. After trailing for most of the set, Davenport and Hantuchova finally gained the lead at 7-6, but in the end, they were simply outplayed, losing 9-11.

One possible factor that contributed to Thursday’s loss was Hantuchova’s schedule: back-to-back matches, losing first in singles to Alize Cornet in the quarterfinals. Although she didn’t appear fatigued, coming directly from a 3-set loss with only 15 minutes to spare before her next match would be grueling for any player, both physically and mentally.

“Obviously a little bit more rest would have helped,” she said. “I really didn’t want to wake up this morning.” For Davenport, the Pilot Pen comes right on the heels of her quarterfinal finish in doubles at the Olympics. Her right knee, which has been nagging her in recent months, seems to be ok for the first time. Despite the disappointing loss here in New Haven, Davenport and Hantuchova plan on teaming up again at the US Open.

Regarding her post-US Open plans, officials at the Pilot Pen say that Davenport hasn’t made any formal announcements yet.

In other matches on Thursday, Alize Cornet of France, one of the “up-and-comers” on the WTA tour, advanced to the semifinals 7-6(3) 4-6 6-2, despite an injury to her left thigh. She struggled with her serve in the 2nd set, but managed to keep her momentum going. “I couldn’t push with my leg, so it didn’t help me with my serve,” she said.

Cornet will face Caroline Wozniaki of Denmark in the semis. “She wants to be in the final for sure, and I want to be in the final, and we are the same age [18], so there is a bit of rivalry,” said Cornet. Wozniaki, the only Danish player currently ranked in the top 400 on the WTA tour (at No. 22), beat out Marion Bartoli in the 3rd round of the Pilot Pen.

If Cornet wins the semis, she could potentially face fellow French player Amelie Mauresmo in the final on Saturday. She played against Mauresmo for the first time as a 15 year old on Centre Court at Roland Garros. Cornet has had most of her success on clay-courts but is slowly adding hard courts to her skill-set.

In Thursday night’s quarterfinal, Mauresmo won a close match against last year’s finalist, Agnes Szavay 6-4, 7-5. Mauresmo will play Anna Chakvetadze in the semifinals.

Paula Vergara is an experienced tennis journalist, who has worked as a regular contributor to On the Baseline Tennis News, USTA New England Magazine, and New England Sports Magazine. To view her work, visit her blog at www.paula-vergara.blogspot.com.

Former world number one and 2008 Wimbledon runner-up Serena Williams is the top seed at the Tier II tournament.

The Bank of the West Classic is the longest-running women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the Olympus US Open Series.

As a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Tier II event, the Bank of the West Classic features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $600,000.

The top four seeds, Serena Williams (1), Anna Chakvetadze (2), Vera Zvonareva (3), and Daniela Hantuchova (4), each received a first-round bye.

Highlighting first-round play will be the match-up between former No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport and the eighth-seeded Francesca Schiavone.

The seeds in the top half of the singles draw are Williams, Zvonareva, Patty Schnyder (5), and Schiavone. The bottom-quarter of the draw features the 2007 defending singles champion Anna Chakvetadze, Hantuchova, Marion Bartoli (6), Nadia Petrova (7), and defending doubles champions Sania Mirza and Shahar Peer.

The Bank of the West Classic will serve as an Olympic preview as a total of 23 players currently scheduled to play will compete for the Gold medal later this summer at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Of the group, 16 were announced as part of the Bank of the West Classic main singles draw.

An updated copy of the main draw is available at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour website.

For more information about the Bank of the West Classic, please visit www.bankofthewestclassic.com.

A few players dazzled, but the rest reminded us that the largest room in the world is the room for improvement.

(1) Ana Ivanovic
The top seed remains a class act, both off and on the court. While I’m not convinced that she can beat the Williams sisters or Sharapova on these fast lawns, Ivanovic looks like an easy lock to reach the semifinals.

(2) Jelena Jankovic
As unbelievable as it may seem, Jelena Jankovic has actually headed to Wimbledon rested and healthy. She resisted the urge to compete at Birmingham, Eastbourne, or s’-Hertogenbosch, which means that she might actually last ten days without reciting a litany of aches and pains.

(3) Maria Sharapova
It was a solid opening round performance for the former champion, although she did struggle a little in the second set. On the fashion front, I found myself agreeing with Brad Gilbert for the first time in a long while as I’m also not impressed with the tuxedo shorts look.

(4) Svetlana Kuznetsova
About the only thing positive to say about Kuznetsova’s first round match is that she somehow managed to win. Kuznetsova’s inconsistency continues to hurt her at majors and if her opening match is any indication of the future, she’ll be out before the week is over.

(5) Elena Dementieva
At the time this was published, Dementieva was the only seed still battling in the first round. When the match was suspended on Tuesday, Dementieva held a 6-3, 3-3 lead over Maria Elena Camerin. Most impressively, she has a 74% first serve percentage and zero double faults.

(6) Serena Williams
Kaia Kanepi was a tough customer for Serena in the opening round, but after shaking off some excess rust, the former champ still escaped in two sets. I’m not going to label it a shoddy performance, but Serena has plenty of room for improvement.

(7) Venus Williams
Compared to her first round last season, Venus did well to shut Naomi Cavaday down in the tiebreak. Still, like her sister, she needs another few rounds to hit her groove.

(8) Anna Chakvetadze
For about 30 minutes on Monday, I thought we’d see a double Russian exit with the upsets of Kuznetsova and Chakvetadze. Both women lived to fight another day, but given Chakvetadze’s lack of confidence, she might not be so fortunate next time.

(9) Dinara Safina
It is too early to tell if Safina’s upset in the final at the Ordina Open was a momentary fluke or a sign of exhaustion. If it is the latter, she’ll have a tough task ahead of her with Dementieva, Shahar Peer, and an injured, but still dangerous Lindsay Davenport in her quarter.

(10) Daniela Hantuchova
Big accolades go to Hantuchova, who successfully returned to the Tour with a straight sets victory over Sara Errani after spending two months on the injured list.

Helmed by No. 2 Jelena Jankovic, the bottom half also includes 2004 champion Maria Sharapova, 1999 winner Lindsay Davenport, and four-time champion Venus Williams.

Venus and Serena Williams are on opposite sides of the draw, potentially leading to an All-Williams championship match. They have not met at Wimbledon since the final in 2003 which Serena won in three sets.

Three first round matches merit close watching during the opening two days of play. Serena Williams, a two-time winner at Wimbledon, is expected to begin her campaign against Kaia Kanepi, a quarterfinalist earlier this month at the French Open.

Defending champion Venus Williams pulled British hopeful and wild card Naomi Cavaday, and should 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo recover from her thigh injury in time to compete, she will face resurgent American Ashley Harkleroad in the first round.

First Look at the Top Eight Wimbledon Seeds

(1) Ana Ivanovic (First Round: Rossana De Los Rios)
Top seed Ana Ivanovic’s recent accolades include winning her first Grand Slam at Roland Garros, along with taking the No. 1 ranking away from Maria Sharapova, but like many of the other top players, her preparation for Wimbledon did not include any actual matches.

This will be a new experience for Ivanovic, who has never entered a Grand Slam as a top seed or faced the pressure of being expected to win. She has a relatively good draw and should have a clear shot to the quarterfinals, where she could play eighth seed Anna Chakvetadze.
Prediction: Semifinals

(2) Jelena Jankovic (First Round: Olga Savchuk)
The personable Jelena Jankovic is quickly becoming the Tour’s best bridesmaid. She has stood at the Grand Slam altar four times in the semifinals, but has not been able to win just one more round to reach a Championship.

Her personality has brought her more fans than her results of late, and although she is seeded No. 2, this could be her toughest draw at a Grand Slam. If the draw holds, she’ll play defending champion Venus Williams in the quarterfinals, and if she wins that match, her reward may be a semifinal against Maria Sharapova.
Prediction: Runner-up

(3) Maria Sharapova (First Round: Stephanie Foretz)
The biggest question surrounding Maria Sharapova is not whether she can win her fourth Grand Slam title, but will her serve even lead her into the second week of the tournament. She had a disappointing run at the French Open and produced some of her worst serving since suffering a shoulder injury in 2007. I can’t see Sharapova going far on the fast lawns at Wimbledon if she duplicates her Paris statistic of forty-three double faults in just four rounds.

Sharapova is in the toughest quarter of the draw with Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina, Nadia Petrova, rising star Victoria Azarenka, and experienced veteran Lindsay Davenport.
Prediction: Semifinals

(4) Svetlana Kuznetsova (First Round: Mathilde Johansson)
Calling Kuznetsova’s draw tough might be an understatement. If the seedings hold Kuznetsova will play Alona Bondarenko in the third round, one of the most talented young women rising through the Tour ranks and a player who has beaten Kuznetsova in both of their previous meetings.

If the Russian makes it to the fourth round, she could then play Grand Slam giant-killer Agnieszka Radwanska, followed by Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. Given Kuznetsova’s recent inconsistency and her 6-2, 6-2 loss to Caroline Wozniacki at Eastbourne, she could become the first top player to fall in the first week.
Prediction: Quarterfinals

(5) Elena Dementieva (First Round: Maria Elena Camerin)
Not surprising given the speed of grass and her own serve struggles, Elena Dementieva has never been a major contender at Wimbledon. After looking at her draw, don’t expect that to change this year.

She is in the same tough quarter as Sharapova and could face Lindsay Davenport in the third round. While Dementieva can handily outrun Davenport, Lindsay will have the advantage in the service department. Lindsay’s serve has led her to seven consecutive second week appearances at the Championships, and although she is not yet her old self, Davenport has a legitimate chance at making her streak extend to eight.
Prediction: Fourth round

(6) Serena Williams (First Round: Kaia Kanepi)
Serena Williams could have a tough first round encounter with Kaia Kanepi, but after that, I like her chances of emerging victorious from the top half of the draw. She has a trio of inconsistent top players in her quarter, namely Svetlana Kuznetsova, Amelie Mauresmo, and Marion Bartoli.

Kuznetsova has a draw that will give her nightmares before she heads home, Mauresmo is nursing a thigh injury, and although Bartoli is currently still alive in the draw at Eastbourne, she previously lost three straight first round matches.
Prediction: Champion

(7) Venus Williams (First Round: Naomi Cavaday)
Defending champion Venus Williams is in the tough half of the draw, but she should easily set up a fourth round meeting against Daniela Hantuchova—if Hantuchova’s foot holds up that long. The Slovakian has been off the Tour since April because of a stress fracture in her right heel.

If Hantuchova is fully recovered, she might be able to pressure Venus, but I would expect the best match of the bottom half to come in the quarterfinals between Venus and Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic holds a surprising 4-3 record over the four-time champion and was the last player to defeat Venus at Wimbledon.
Prediction: Quarterfinals

(8) Anna Chakvetadze (First Round: Stephanie Dubois)
If you are looking for a surprise at Wimbledon, keep your eye on Chakvetadze.

The 21-year old Russian has reportedly started working with Carlos Rodriguez and although Rodriquez never coached Justine Henin to a Wimbledon title, he might be able to help Chakvetadze reach the second week for the first time in her career.
Prediction: Quarterfinals

To view a real-time copy of the 2008 Wimbledon draw, please visit the official website.

The World No. 9 player announced the news on Thursday at her official website.

“A near heartbreaking day for me,” said Hantuchova in the statement.

“After final consult with my team, I am sad to announce that I will be missing my first Roland Garros as a professional athlete. Every player’s dream is to compete in the Grand Slams and I so much wanted to make Paris happen.”

Other prominent withdrawals from the French Open have included the now-retired Justine Henin, Lindsay Davenport, Tatiana Golovin, and Sania Mirza.

“But I know I have to be patient as recovery from this type of injury takes time. Hopefully I will be strong and healthy to practice and play in full speed soon,” added Hantuchova.

Daniela Hantuchova has won three Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles titles, including two Tier I trophies at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California.

Internazionali BNL d’Italia - Rome, Italy

Tatiana Golovin (FRA) - Low back injury
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) - Foot stress fracture
Justine Henin (BEL) - Fatigue
Li Na (CHN) - Right knee injury
Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) - Right rib muscle strain
Sania Mirza (IND) - Right wrist injury
Shahar Peer (ISR) - Right shoulder tendonitis

Withdrawal list courtesy of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour

The Qatar Telecom German Open announced on Wednesday that two of their expected top 10 stars will not be competing in Berlin.

Both Maria Sharapova and Daniela Hantuchova have withdrawn because of injuries.

As one of Germany’s premier tennis tournaments, the Qatar Telecom German Open is still expected to field seven members of the Top 10, including the two best players in the world, Justine Henin and Ana Ivanovic.

2008 Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova pulled out of the Tier I event because of an undisclosed ailment.

“I’m really disappointed to be unable to play the Qatar Telecom German Open, which is one of the premier events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and which I was really looking forward to playing,” said Sharapova in a statement released by the tournament organizers.

“I’m working hard to get back on court as quickly as my body will allow. I’ll be looking forward to playing the event in the future.”

Daniela Hantuchova, a two-time Pacific Life Open champion, was forced to withdraw because of a stress fracture in her foot.

“I’m very disappointed that I have to withdraw from the Qatar Telecom German Open,” said Hantuchova. “But unfortunately the stress fracture in my right foot hasn’t completely healed yet. I’m hoping for a quick recovery and I wish the tournament, its organisers, sponsors and fans a great week of tennis.”

The Qatar Telecom German Open is held May 5-11 in Berlin, Germany. For more information, please visit www.qatar-german-open.org.

Svetlana Kuznetsova is second seed followed by Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, and 2007 defending champion Daniela Hantuchova.

Projected Paths of Title Favorites

Ana Ivanovic (1)

First Round: Ioana Raluca Olaru or Meng Yuan
Ana Ivanovic has the honor of being the top seed at the Pacific Life Open for the first time in her career. The young Serbian received a good draw and will most likely face her first seeded opponent, France’s Tathiana Garbin, in the third round. Two Italians, Francesca Schiavone or Flavia Pennetta, could give her a tough quarterfinal, but Ivanovic is the heavy favorite to reach the semifinals from the first quarter of the draw.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (2)

First Round: Ekaterina Makarova or Meilen Tu
Despite her status as a solid hard court player, the desert conditions at Indian Wells have never brought out the best in Kuznetsova’s game. Ranked at No. 4 last season, she did reach the final before mentally collapsing against Daniela Hantuchova in two sets. Kuznetsova should have an easy couple of rounds, before setting up a potential round of sixteen meeting with China’s Na Li. Li needs a few big wins before heading to the Beijing Olympics, and if she plays aggressively, she could score a major upset over the second seed.

Jelena Jankovic (3)

First Round: Ahsha Rolle or Madison Brengle
Jelena’s plan to reduce her schedule must have been thrown out the window because she will head into Indian Wells after four straight weeks of play. Jankovic could face a tough opening round match against American wild cards Ahsha Rolle or Madison Brengle. Rolle reached the third round at Indian Wells last year before retiring with an injury against sixth seed Nicole Vaidisova.

Maria Sharapova (4)

First Round: Lilia Osterloh or a qualifier
Maria Sharapova is the biggest title favorite, as she heads into the tournament undefeated in 2008. She played some of the best tennis of her career at the Australian Open and backed it up by winning the Tier I Qatar Total Open two weeks ago. A part-time California resident, Sharapova won the title at Indian Wells in 2006. Her draw places her in the same section as former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, who could face Sharapova in the fourth round.

Daniela Hantuchova (5)

First Round: Angela Haynes or Sara Errani
Because of the absence of Justine Henin and the Williams sisters, a surprise champion might emerge at the end of the fortnight. Last season it was Daniela Hantuchova who hoisted the trophy for the second time. The defending champion is in a tough section of the draw, full of dangerous floaters including Shahar Peer, Sania Mirza, and last week’s story headline, Akgul Amanmuradova from Uzbekistan.

Amelie Mauresmo (17)

First Round: Edina Gallovits or Yvonne Meusburger
Mauresmo recently admitted that she contemplated retirement after her disappointing 2007 season, but a title at Indian Wells would banish all thoughts of quitting from her mind. It will not be easy for the two-time Grand Slam champion with the presence of Maria Sharapova in her eighth of the draw. Mauresmo has scored three wins over Sharapova in the past, but their last meeting at the 2006 US Open ended in Sharapova’s favor after two mind-boggling bagel sets 6-0, 4-6, 6-0.

Lindsay Davenport (24)

Much has changed in Lindsay Davenport’s life since she sat in ESPN’s commentary booth last year at Indian Wells. She gave birth to a son, Jagger Jonathan Leach, successfully returned to the Tour, and won four new singles titles. A six-time Pacific Life Open finalist, Davenport loves her home courts in California. Regardless of her low seeding, the two-time champion is a player to watch in the draw. Ironically, Davenport may play the Tour’s other famous mother, Sybille Bammer, in the third round. Bammer reached the semifinals at Indian Wells last season before losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova.

To view an updated copy of the 2008 Pacific Life Open main draw, please visit the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour website.

Ana Ivanovic advanced to the championship match later in the day by outlasting Daniela Hantuchova 0-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Compared to the quarterfinal dramas on Monday, tonight’s first semifinal seemed tamed and subdued. Although Maria played well, her level of intensity was much lower than what we saw against Henin. As for Jankovic, her multiple injuries and hours spent on court have finally started to catch up with her.

Hopefully now that her Melbourne pursuit is over, Jankovic will remember her New Year’s resolution and play a smarter tennis schedule in the upcoming months. At the rate she is going, her body could force her into an early retirement, not unlike the recently retired Kim Clijsters.

Sharapova will play Ana Ivanovic in the final match on Saturday. Ivanovic needed three sets, but defeated a nervous Daniela Hantuchova after 130 minutes of play in the second semifinal on Thursday. Hantuchova started the match by winning eight straight games, only to falter and surrender the win to Ivanovic.

The 2008 Australian Open women’s final will be aired live on ESPN2 at 9:30 pm ET on Friday, January 25.

Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova, and Daniela Hantuchova each have pinned their hopes on reaching the 2008 Australian Open championship match, but by the end of Thursday, two of them will be packing their bags to return home.

Last year’s finalist Maria Sharapova has the most Grand Slam experience of the semifinalists, but Jankovic, Ivanovic, and Hantuchova have also played spectacular tennis over the past ten days just to reach this pivotal moment.

(3) Jelena Jankovic vs. (5) Maria Sharapova
After her brilliant display of near perfection against Justine Henin, it’s hard to imagine Maria Sharapova walking away from Melbourne without the ladies’ title. Scoring a bagel set against the No. 1 player in the world is an amazing feat, doubly impressive when you consider just how well Henin was playing on Monday.

Still, Jankovic is a treacherous foe, and even considers herself tennis’ equivalent of a wounded animal. Any hunter will tell you that a wounded prey is the most dangerous, something Maria Sharapova would do well to remember, especially after Jankovic’s straight set dismissal of Serena Williams.
Pick to Win: Maria Sharapova in two sets

(4) Ana Ivanovic vs. (9) Daniela Hantuchova
It has been encouraging to see Daniela Hantuchova reach her first Grand Slam semifinal at such a late stage in her career. True, the Slovakian is only twenty-four years of age, but it sometimes seems as though she has been around the Tour forever. She has more experience than her fellow European Ana Ivanovic, although Ivanovic will still be riding an emotional wave after pounding Venus Williams in two sets on Wednesday.

Look for Hantuchova to have moments of brilliance and superior footwork, but Ana Ivanovic appears headed for her second Grand Slam final in less than a year.
Pick to Win: Ana Ivanovic in two sets

Agree or disagree with my picks? Leave your thoughts about the semifinals in the comments below!