The long season is almost over, as only the Fed Cup and Davis Cup finals remain in the 2004 season. This week we pause to reflect on the eventful year-end championships that took place over the last two weeks in Los Angeles and Houston.
Boffo Belgians in L.A.
As was the case in the WTA Tour Championships last year, Kim Clijsters proved to have the most resilience against a weary women?s field, and defended her title with brio. Clijsters was undefeated through five matches, and thoroughly dominated Amélie Mauresmo, 6-2, 6-0 in the final. The Belgian?s biggest scare had come against Mauresmo in the round robin, where she edged the Frenchwoman 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 . But in the final the enigmatic Mauresmo was completely missing in action when she had a chance to aven
ge the round robin loss.
Clijsters finished the year at a solid #2, with an impressive 91-13 won-loss record and nine titles. Kim only lacked that elusive Grand Slam title, or else her year would have been a resounding success.
Grand Slam titles -- two, to be precise -- were what allowed Kim?s compatriot Justine Henin-Hardenne to claim the #1 honours for 2003. The diminutive Belgian had won the French Open and U.S. Open, and this gave her the inside track for the year-end top spot going into Los Angeles. Henin needed only to reach the semifinals to claim the prestigious #1.
However, when Henin turned up in the City of Angels with a sinus infection, the semifinals suddenly looked like an iffy proposition. She looked in a poor way in her opening match against the dangerous Anastasia Myskina, falling behind 0-5 in the opening set. The pale Belgian fought back to 2-5 in the first, and then called an injury timeout. Fans -- and a not-amused opponent -- were witnesses to the odd scene of tour medical staff checking Henin?s blood pressure. Justine somehow rallied to win the mar
athon, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5.
After romping past a hobbling Jennifer Capriati to clinch her second match, Henin had clinched her semifinal berth and the number one ranking. But not without a modicum of the controversy that has dogged Henin?s rise the top of the sport this year. "I've never seen anybody recover as fast as she does," said Capriati, the sarcasm obvious in her tone. "She plays pretty good for all these things that's bothering her." Sour grapes, in case you haven?t noticed, are never a rarity on the women?s tour.
As for the organization of the event itself, while the cavernous Staples Centre was never half full, attendance was better than last year. This was thanks to the introduction of the round robin format and the elimination of the poorly-attended afternoon sessions. This improvement came despite the absence of the Williams sisters, who would surely have been crowd magnets in their native city. But at a time of year when the weather in Los Angeles is very pleasant, indoor tennis is always going to be a diffi
cult sell in southern California. Despite the improvements, the Los Angeles venue has so far been a very poor fit for what is supposed to be the crown jewel of the tour season.
To make matters worse for the tournament organizers, the WTA seems anxious to move the event from Los Angeles. WTA CEO Larry Scott admitted after the event that the Tour Championships will likely leave Los Angeles after 2004 (an announcement that took the tournament organizers by surprise, by the way). No specific venue has been proposed, but there is a chance that we may see a mixed male-female year-end championship in 2005, since the ATP?s agreement with Houston expires after 2004. We think this woul
d be a pretty good idea.
Federer and Roddick spark the Mattress Mac Masters
As was the case in the women?s year-ender, the men?s Masters Cup saw the crowning of the year end number one. Going into the event, U.S. Open champ Andy Roddick led the race. His most serious threat was #2 Juan Carlos Ferrero, close behind in the race. The young American was assured the year-end honour when his compatriot Andre Agassi rallied to subdue Ferrero, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, eliminating the Spaniard from the tournament and the #1 picture. As for Roddick, he went on to reach the semifinal, where he was
unable to deal with the brilliant play of eventual champion Roger Federer, a 7-6 (2), 6-2 winner.
Roddick, whose mind did not seem totally on the task at hand in Houston -- he made the odd decision to host a television variety show the weekend before the event, giving him only two days to adjust to the Houston conditions -- did what he had to do to claim the year-end #1, and then spoke of his desire to enjoy the short off-season. "I was upset that I lost, but I'm relieved the year is over. I'm going to chill out for a little while now," admitted the young tour top dog. ?It's going to be nice."
The Masters Cup title went to the flamboyantly talented Federer, who went undefeated during the week and assured himself -- like the women?s champion Clijsters -- of the #2 spot in the last tour event of the year. Roger had a narrow escape against Agassi in his opening round robin match, saving two match points in a 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (7) thriller. But the Swiss was overwhelming from then on. Showing the brilliant shot-making skill and fluid movement that he had displayed in his victorious Wimbledon run
, Federer was untouchable the rest of the way, sweeping the remainder of his matches in straight sets. On the final weekend he splendidly accounted for Roddick in the semis before a decisive 6-3 6-0 6-4 drubbing of Agassi in the title match.
It was a tour high seventh title for Roger, and despite his #2 ranking, one could be forgiven for thinking that this was truly the best player in the world. Even Roddick joined the chorus of admirers. "The guy has more natural flair and talent for the game than most -- I mean, than anybody really."
The quality of tennis almost managed to overcome the bush-league antics of the tournament charman, local furniture baron Jim McIngvale. Known as ?Mattress Mac?, McIngvale poured millions from his Gallery Furniture revenues into the event. This apparently gave him the right to turn a proud, international tournament into a jingoistic farce.
One sensed trouble in the days before the tournament, when Mattress Mac referred to Agassi and Roddick as ?my boys?. Showing that these were not empty words, McIngvale orchestrated the cheering for the Americans in round robin matches. According to the Daily Telegraph, during the first Federer-Agassi match McIngvale even ?allowed youngsters in official ball-boy outfits to race alongside the side of the court at changeovers holding boards spelling the name ?Agassi?.? The evil foreigners were right
ly angered at being cast as the bad guys in what was apparently ordained to be an all-American march to victory. "Are you going to applaud that?", snapped David Nalbandian at McIngvale after hitting a winner during his round robin loss to Roddick.
Happily, Federer?s excellence forced Mattress Mac to hand the winner?s cheque to one of the nasty foreigners. Sadly, McIngvale barely acknowledged the champion during his long-winded, self-justifying speech after the final. Hopefully, the ITF and ATP will find a way to stage the 2004 Masters Cup somewhere other than Houston. Or, if Houston is unavoidable, strap Jim McIngvale to one of his Gallery Furniture mattresses for the duration of the tournament.