In tennis at least, the mythical origins of love make sense. One popular theory is that the term for a zero evolved from the French word for egg, l'oeuf.
The late poet laureate John Ciardi, however, debunked this myth, claiming it the work of "#### etymologists," people who invent derivations of words. Well-meaning though they may be.
Ciardi's support for his argument was that the form of an egg to represent no scores originated in America. In baseball, where nine innings of nothing hanging from a scoreboard truly looks like a row of goose eggs. The French do not make similar reference.
Instead the linguist claimed love in tennis was adapted from the phrase "to play for love of the game," aka for nada.
Still, the urge to equate the zero with food remains strong, since a "bagel" is the nickname for a set score of 6-0. It even takes on verb form... no player wants to be double bageled.
However, many are willing to look for love off the court. There are many forms of love that can be linked to tennis, including now-retired Maggie Maleeva's love for trees. But in honor of the Christmas holiday today, I'll go with the more "traditional" boy-meets-girl romantic kind:
THE LOVE
Pick your portmanteau
Rodapova/Sharadick rumors swirled about most of the year. Maria toyed with the media, wearing a t-shirt proclaiming, "Love is in the air," while on a practice court next to Andy. And later denied knowing Roddick's birthday.
Myself, I think it was just a celebrity-style ploy. And I am disturbed by the fact that serious journalists made reference to Maria no longer being a minor. Ew. The girl still has an overbearing father and her coy relationship with bananas.
The Real Deals
Unlike the above, some tennis matches were authenticated.
Martina Hingis made good on her un-retirement, which for most was less surprising than her sustained relationship with Radek Stepanek. The Swiss Miss' competitive fire may also have stoked the Czech. After 10 years as a professional, Stepanek won his first ATP title in Rotterdam and cracked the top 20. He ranked as high as 8th before a disk injury in August kept him out the rest of the year.
The long-time duo of 1998 French Open champ Carlos Moya and Italy's number two, Flavia Pennetta, survived a game of mixed doubles at the Australian Open together. Something even the charismatic Andre Agassi has yet to convince wife Steffi Graf to try.
And Whirlygig Award-winning Nikolay Davydenko married his girlfriend Irina Vasina shortly before the Davis Cup final.
Family additions
Other relationships have moved beyond mere couplehood.
Speculation had it that Lleyton Hewitt's 2005 marriage to Bec Cartwright and fatherhood tamed the Australian in 2006. Notably reduced was the amount of his trademark, C'mon! While Hewitt may have mellowed, cause and effect is arguable.
But it will be interesting to see what effect motherhood will have on Lindsay Davenport. She just announced that she and husband Jon Leach are expecting their first child. Reports translate Lindsay's statements to call this either a break or the end of her career; Lindsay herself has not made an absolute declaration of retirement.
These days moms are engaging in professional play of soccer, basketball, golf and other intense sports. Moms used to be seen on the main tennis circuit, but in the last few decades, women have been putting off starting families.
The 30-year-old Davenport, who has always been open about her desire for children, struggled with injury this year and played a lighter schedule. But she was still competitive and the top-ranked American. She started the year as she finished 2004 & 2005 -- ranked number one... a few years after she had voiced considerations of retirement.
While Davenport would make an inspiring role model as a WTA Tour mom, she has already been a great leader and contributor to professional tennis. She's shown she truly plays for love of the game.
Best wishes to Lindsay, Jon and family!
A post script photo of the Love King can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this link.
The Inaugural MCLioness Lawn Ornament Awards (Tennis Edition) were introduced on Dec 18, the anniversary of my blog beginnings, and will run through New Year's Day. Honors bestowed thus far:
December 21 is both Humbug Day (Limit 12 please) and Look on the Bright Side Day. Today also marks this season's Solstice. The longest night of the year in the Northen Hemisphere and the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere.
Night... Day. Humbug... Bright Side. You decide.
Since Solstice of any kind revolves around the brilliant center of our solar system, it's a good day to award:
THE SUNDIAL
The passage of time...
One of the biggest stories of the year was Andre Agassi's final pro tournament. While that was the main buzz at the US Open, the event was poignant for the Americans throughout:
The fortnight began with honors for Billie Jean King, including the USTA naming the National Tennis Center after the influential pioneer.
Agassi gutted out the match of the tournament against Marcos Baghdatis and then wept his way through his farewell speech after his loss to Benjamin Becker.
Martina Navratilova capped a phenomenal career (this time she means it) with a win in the mixed doubles, partnering Bob Bryan.
While she has yet to declare the end of her professional play, Lindsay Davenport may have made her last appearance in a major. Despite an arm injury that had forced her to retire in the Pilot Pen tune-up, Davenport made it to the quarterfinals of the Open. Making her the last American women in the event.
Tennis said a more permanent goodbye to American Lamar Hunt. Retrospectives of his career have focused on contributions to pro football. But he was a sports visionary with a broad scope and one honor was his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993. Hunt co-founded the World Championship Tennis circuit, the first major professional tour and a precursor to the Open Era.
In a side note, "sports visionary" sounds like a great job...
Bright Sides Around the Hemispheres
As Agassi implied in his moving center court speech, endings can be a time to acknowledge gifts and turn toward the future. So despite some significant changes in roll call this year, the award goes to continued international strength & growth of the sport.
While Agassi cannot be replaced, James Blake and Andy Roddick stepped up and made September in New York somewhat a changing of the guard. The pair finished the year fourth and sixth in the world. Their friendly rivalry could be the best thing on the horizon for the US. Notably (Humbug #1 sneaks in here), no US women rank in the top twenty.
The Spanish contingent saw the retirement of 2002 French Open champ Albert Costa and two-time French Open finalist Alex Corretja. Two-time champ Rafael Nadal and Tommy Robredo rank second and seventh respectively, and there are still two more Grand Slam winners playing: Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
In 2005, three Argentines qualified for the Tennis Masters Cup, one of whom -- David Nalbandian -- won. Despite this year's absence of Guillermo Coria and Gaston Gaudio from the top ten, Argentina still fielded a strong enough team to make the Davis Cup finals.
History was made at the Australian Open when Yan Zi and Zheng Jie brought China its first Grand Slam title by winning the ladies' doubles. Zheng is also ranked 33rd in singles and Li Na is ranked 21st. This may be the beginning of the next women's revolution.
This year's surprise Fed Cup winner, Italy, has five women ranked in the top 50.
Five Estonian players competed at the US Open this year.
I could go on, since the international aspect of tennis is one of my favorite things about it. But it's also one of my favorite things about food and I've worked up an appetite. So in the spirit of Solstice feasting -- and in the spirit of the "smorgasbord portions" idea I had for this series when I started it -- I'm breaking off for ravioli and Belgian chocolate!
The Inaugural MCLioness Lawn Ornament Awards (Tennis Edition) were introduced on Dec 18, the anniversary of my blog beginnings, and will run through New Year's Day. Honors bestowed thus far:
The Sharapova Shift: Less Love for Clijsters & Co.(Part two in a series)
Part one can be found here. In it, I address the theory that media covers Maria Sharapova so much that it detracts from the achievements of other women athletes. Part one also covers Kim Clijsters' historic U.S. Open win in 2005 and some reasons why she deserved more votes for the 2005 AP Female Athlete of the Year.
THE STORY
One the rise in 2003, Clijsters had reached world number one in singles and finished the year ranked second. She was either semi-finalist or finalist in the four Grand Slams and won the year-end, round-robin WTA Tour Championship -- in which only the top 8 tour players of the year are invited. Clijsters' $4.4 million in tournament winnings still stands as the highest year total on the WTA Tour money list.
She continued her form in January 2004 by contesting the Australian Open title, losing to fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne for the third time in a Slam singles final. Clijsters had beaten Henin-Hardenne several times for titles on smaller stages. She had chances in all the Slam singles finals she'd reached, but never made good on them. Aside from her doubles Slam titles, her mental game seemed shaky when it came time to be a champion. She was known as the best player never to have won a singles Slam.
Clijsters then had to pull out of the French Open in May, hampered by injury. She was often seen in the friends' box of Austalian men's number one Lleyton Hewitt, her fiance. A month later, she withdrew from Wimbledon. Surgery was required to remove a cyst and repair a tear in her left wrist. Doctors told her she might not play again. Unable to compete in the final Slam of 2004, she watched tournaments from the stands in a cast -- but believed she would be back on court in the fall.
Given the go-ahead, Kim attempted a comeback in September and reinjured the healing wrist. Looking at her MRIs, several doctors told her they would not have let her start competing when she did. Fortunately, she didn't need more surgery. But she did have to cope with the end of her relationship with Hewitt.
She released a statement saying she would focus on rehabilitation and wouldn't play until 2005. When the calendar turned to January, she withdrew from the Australian Open.
By the time Clijsters returned to competition in February, her world ranking had fallen to 133. Clijsters entered tournaments unseeded, but she quickly showed she belonged back on top in Miami and Indian Wells. She won those back-to-back Tier 1 titles, in the process defeating five of the women ranked in the top six at the time: then-reigning French Open champion Anastasia Myskina, Elena Dementieva, Sharapova, Amelie Mauresmo and world number one Lindsay Davenport.
She had returned convincingly, with an improved forehand. Clijsters had practiced hard in her off-time, learning to make adjustments in her game. She will always have to be mindful of her wrist, but acknowledges her injury gave her perspective.
Clijsters' nine titles, including her historic U.S. Open Championship*, lead the WTA Tour in 2005. It was the feel-good, comeback story of the year.
KIM KONG: Perhaps you only know Clijsters as a destructive force. No other player owns Sharapova the way Kim does. Lifetime head-to-head? 4-0, Clijsters.
THE HONEY
I doubt Clijsters would say she is lacking for attention. She won Belgium's Sportswoman of the Year for the fifth time.
The tennis community piled accolades on Clijsters for her year in 2005. The International Tennis Federation named her World Champion. Along with Player of the Year, the International Tennis Writers' Association also honored her with the Ambassador for Tennis Award. The latter honors the players who go out of their way to promote tennis globally. And the Lawn Tennis Writer's Association selected Kim for their inagural Stella Artois Award -- for the player who goes above and beyond to represent tennis in the highest manner.
Basically it acknowledges her phenomal year and her efforts with the media and public. Clijsters enjoys her time with reporters and fans; she sees it as an important contribution to the sport. Like the ATP's Roger Federer, who also won the men's ITF and ITWA awards, Clijsters speaks multiple languages. Her English is very good.
And by all accounts, Clijsters deserves her Miss Congeniality nickname -- she really IS that nice. She has been voted as friendliest on the tour by her peers and was one of the first players to donate to the tsunami and Katrina tragedies.
"You don't have to hate an opponent to beat them."
- Kim Clijsters
In terms of the tennis players considered, I find little rationale for the AP Female Athlete of the Year voting. Sharapova and Venus Williams are quality, exciting players that bring much to the sport. No need to detract from their contributions and performance. Sharapova deserved her awards in 2004 and Venus' return to form was a crowd-pleaser. But 2005 belongs to Kim.
Clijsters doesn't have the name recognition here in America that the other two players do. Media and its consumers have a symbiotic relationship. Sharapova ranks as the most searched athlete, woman or man, on Yahoo! Top Searches 2005. Anna Kournikova ranks second. Though Anna K. continues to play tennis in charitable events, I suspect most searches aren't looking for her philanthropic contributions. So I surmise that not all searches are based on recent athletic accomplishments. (Another athlete on the top ten list is Michael Jordan.) Interest in Sharapova is partly based on her appearance and frequency in the press.
So, if more of the general public were aware on Clijsters' significance in 2005, would she have made that list?
In the last two years, women's tennis has not had a player dominate the way Federer rules the men's tour. The Grand Slams have crowned seven different women as winners; only Henin-Hardenne won two Slam titles in that time.
Sharapova may be the most "popular," but several women on the tour deserve some additional press. Media attention and marketability affects sponsor and endorsement oppotunites and athlete can get. Top -- and poular -- players get center court preferences. Larger venues allow for larger audiences... feeding more interest in a player.
Currently, of the eight women left in the Australian Open singles draw, only Sharapova has played every one of her matches in Rod Laver Arena, home of the finals and the largest venue in Melbourne. Sharapova is seeded fourth for the tournament. Seeds 1-3 (Davenport, Clijsters and Mauresmo) are still in the hunt; they have all played on other courts at least once. Sharapova's quarterfinal opponent is Nadia Petrova, the sixth seed. Petrova hasn't even played a match in Rod Laver Arena once this tournament. Neither has Patty Schnyder, the seventh seed.
I don't envy tournament organizers. They have to scedule matches day-by-day, based on results and guessing at possibly intriguing matchups. Center court and night matches bring in more revenue. They bow somewhat to public interest. The public is apparently demanding Maria.
Who's in control here -- media or public --and is it fair? Rod Laver (and other center courts) offers a bigger atmosphere than any other court in Melbourne. Finals are played and Champions made there. There is a mental advantage to have experienced the atmosphere before a big match. To Maria, it must feel like home. To Petrova, it's another hurdle. Petrova's a player on the verge, is the public aware of her?
Surely there is enough media love to go around. Last fall, Federer -- who manages his own career more than other players -- enlisted IMG to handle his marketing. Not to increase his appearances; he feels he is already booked up. Fed entrusts IMG to keep his year simple, so he can focus on winning.
I don't intend a sweeping condemnation of the media. For example, Sports Illustrated's Elizabeth Newman profiled Clijsters as her Sportsman of the Year (award went to New England QB Tom Brady). And fans -- regardless of level or purpose of interest -- are certainly allowed to choose their favorites based on decibels of grunts or glamour girl photos. Given more information, though, they might make different choices.
I expect more depth of interest and knowledge from the AP sports editors. I cannot help but think Clijsters' place in history slipped by too quietly. The predominance of Sharapova in the media may also be hindering careers of other players. However, should Petrova top Maria, no doubt it will be big news.
Note: There will possibly be a third installment in the series, with more focus on Sharapova and other athletes. If so, I will link it here.
The Sharapova Shift: Less Love for Clijsters& Co.(Part one in a series)
Maria Sharapova undeniably draws attention to women's tennis, and tennis as a whole.
But the kind of coverage she gets in mainstream American media shifts attention away from other deserving athletes on the WTA Tour, and possibly female athletes in other sports.
Back in December, the LPGA's Annika Sorenstam deservedly won the 2005 AP Female Athlete of the Year. Though she won in a landslide, seven other women received votes.
Tennis was the most represented sport, with three athletes garnering votes: Sharapova had 5 votes, Venus Williams -- 4, and Belgium's Kim Clijsters -- two. Two. Nine other U.S. sports editors of the AP, whose mission is to be "the global news network," looked to the sport of tennis and still overlooked Clijsters -- the woman the International Tennis Writer's Association voted 2005 Player of the Year.
Tennis is a glamorous sport and when it comes time for formal appearances and runway struts, Clijsters can doll it up with the best of them. But in evaluating who was the best player of the year, it's all about how a woman rocks a racquet, not a dress.
At the beginning of 2005, Clijsters' future in tennis was questionable. She didn't even enter the Australian Open. At the end of the year, Clijsters ranked higher than Sharapova and Williams. She also had a more compelling story.
KIM POSSIBLE:While splits are a common tactic on clay, Clijsters is unique in her ability to use this to her advantage on all surfaces.
THE GLORY
Sharapova reached world number one on the WTA Tour and was the first Russian woman ever to gain that honor. But her reign only lasted seven weeks. While Sharapova showed consistency in the year's four Grand Slams, American Lindsay Davenport was better. Davenport owned the top ranking the rest of the year; Clijsters came two matches away from taking it away from her.
At year-end, Clijsters ranked second, Sharapova -- fourth, and Venus -- tenth.
Though lower ranked, Venus did something Sharapova did not do in 2005, she played a Grand Slam final. Venus hadn't won a Slam since 2001 and many thought she'd never resurface. In recent times, she'd been slowed by niggling injury and many surmised that her off-court pursuits had taken away from her game. But she displayed her competitive fire at Wimbledon, knocking Sharapova out in the semifinals and winning the longest ladies' singles final ever played at the All-England Club. She saved matchpoint to beat Davenport in the third set and became the lowest ranked seed (at 14) to ever win the title. Venus' joy when she won was infectious; an adored champion's return.
Clijsters also had her doubters. Having been runner-up in four Grand Slam singles finals prior to 2005, she was seen as a great player who couldn't finish on the big stage. Lacking venom sometimes found in competitors, she was labeled "too nice." Indeed, in the U.S. Open Series marketing campaign, "Summer's Hottest Reality Series," Kim's nickname was Miss Congeniality.
The U.S. Open Series, inagurated in 2004, is six weeks of hardcourt tournaments leading up to the U.S. Open, in which players are awarded points based on performance. The 2005 men's race was tightly contested; Andy Roddick cleared a 15-point lead over fellow American Andre Agassi. On the woman's side, Clijsters won three of the four events she entered and finished with 125 points over second place Mary Pierce.
Points aren' t the only thing the Series offers. A Bonus Challenge is set up for the top three finishers. Each earns a percentage bonus; the final dollar total is determined on their winnings in the Slam itself, the U.S. Open. As Series titlists, Clijsters and Roddick would double their winnings from the upcoming Open. Both had a shot at $2.2 million. Neither of the 2004 series winners, Davenport and Australian Lleyton Hewitt, were able to carry their momentum through the two-week championship to win it.
When the U.S. Open draw was revealed, Clijsters was in a difficult half, along with top seed Sharapova, defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, and both Williams sisters. Clijsters beat Venus in the quarterfinals and Sharapova in the semis, both three-set matches.
Mary Pierce was cruising, having only dropped one set in the tournament to earn the way to her second Slam final of the year. The former champion, finding renewed happiness in her game, was imbued with confidence.
But on the day, Pierce offered little challenge for Miss Congeniality. The match ended in 65 minutes, with Kim the victor, 6-3, 6-1.
Fans in Flushing Meadows knew how much Kim had gone through to get to that moment. Audience members offered their hands in support as the woman, known for her gymnastics on court, climbed into the stands and balanced on stadium rails to reach her friends, family and coach in the player's box.
Clijsters made history -- Sept. 11 in Queens, NY -- winning $2.2 million for the tournament, the largest purse ever in women's sports.
No! Not that kind of purse... but Kim does collect bags.
THE MONEY
That in itself should be a significant mark. While women athletes (including tennis players)are still fighting to match incomes with the men, the standard U.S. Open Champions check is the same for men and women, $1.1 million. Roddick, who doubled his sum as well, lost in the first round. The men's Champion, Roger Federer, just missed third place in the preceding Series. Had he been able to take that slot, his winner's check would have increased by 25 percent. Clijsters was clearly the dominant player, woman or man, in the nearly two-month long North American swing.
Sharapova is acknowledged as the highest paid female athlete in the world. It should be noted that estimates of $18-23 million include endorsements. As far as strictly tournament winnings for 2005, Clijsters ranks top on the women's earnings list. (Not just because of the bonus; she won a tour-high nine titles.) Sharapova ranks fifth. Compare Kim to the men's ATP field and her $3.9 million edges out Rafael Nadal for second. The only player to top her tournament winnings is Federer.
The $3.9 million is the second highest total in WTA Tour history; Kim set the top mark in 2003 when she became the first woman to break the $4million mark with $4.4 million.
What makes her year an even more tantalizing story is that the money was the least significant achievement.
NOTE: The 2006 Australian Open is on! As of this first posting on Jan. 19, Clijsters and Sharapova have made it through the second round. Both women are playing injured: Sharapova with a recurring shoulder problem and Clijsters with a new, more serious, hip injury that is only allowing her to train 10 minutes per day. Players have long been voicing their opinions about the season being too long; injury is one of the biggest stories in Melbourne this year. Most notably, the electrifying Marat Safin, defending men's champion, is unable to return due to injury. Venus was, unfortunately, already eliminated in the first round.
I'd say I'm more athlete than fan. I hope I can say that all my life.
After Marat Safin, is there anyone else?
Some of my other favorite athletes include: Dmitry Tursunov, Kim Clijsters, Roger Federer, Tedy Bruschi, Cory Schlesinger, Brian McBride, Lynn Hill & Dean Potter.
I truly appreciate any advice or criticism. Thank you.
