PHOTO OP: Anna + Jelena get pretty for Whirlpool

The now-infamous Maria "Shriek"apova photoshoot wasn't the only sponsor obligation for the lady ballers in Rome.

Anna Chakvetadze and Jelena Jankovic were spotted getting their hair and makeup done for a photoshoot with WTA Tour sponsor Whirlpool. The background image features Justine Henin, Elena Dementieva, and Amelie Mauresmo along with Anna and Jelena getting their spa on.

What, no love for Maria Whirlpool?




(images via Getty)

SIGHTING: The ladies of the WTA Tour are gettin' their game on

Practice makes perfect: The ladies of the WTA Tour are practicing hard, hoping to get their tennis A-game on for the next week's Australian Open. We spotted Maria "Shriek"apova, Daniela Hantuchova, Serena Williams, Amelie Mauresmo, Anna Chakvetadze, and Shahar Peer honing their technique, sharpening their movement, and building confidence with the hopes of taking home the first Grand Slam of the year.

The ladies' seedings were announced recently, with the potential for a second round Marquee Matchup: Maria versus a resurgent, but unseeded, Lindsay Davenport. Who could forget Lindsay's 6-0, 6-0 drubbing of the Russian fashionista at Indian Wells in 2005?

We're sure Maria has forgiven, but not forgotten....

(images via Getty)

SIGHTING: Maria Sharapova takes in Singapore, will take on Chakvetadze

Maria "Shriek"apova has made her first trip to Singapore to play an exhibition match on December 30 against compatriot Anna Chakvetadze, who was recently a victim of a home invasion at her family's country house. The Russian stopped to take some photos on the roof of the Fullerton Hotel, where she'll be staying in the presidential suite. The suite usually runs a cool $4,745 per night, but it'll cost a bit more after Maria's done with it. Why? Because the Singapore officials will be selling every single item from the hotel room for charity - everything except the toilet seat.

We were worried, but it's good to know the officials have their limits, too.

(image via ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

BREAKING: Anna Chakvetadze and family robbed at country home in Russia, parents tied up

BREAKING: Reuters is reporting Anna Chakvetadze and her parents were victims of a house invasion at the country home in southwest Russia early this morning. Anna was not harmed but her father suffered cuts and bruises from the incident.

The group of five to six men were wearing masks and climbed over the fence of the home, tied up her parents, and took over $200,000 worth of valuables. According to Anna's father Jamal,

"They started to beat me up, I resisted, then they hit me either with their hands or a pistol. It was dark, told me I had a child there, reminded me about it, so that I gave them everything. So I did."

UPDATE: New reports are saying Anna was tied up along with her parents and according to Shamil Tarpishchev she "tried to resist but it was useless."

(image via usopen.org)

+ THURSDAY NETCORDS: Roger, Andy vs. Brad II, Ana vs. Jelena ...Venus and Serena double up, Bec cries and more

(image courtesy of nbawant2b)

- So why did Andy Murray really dump Brad Gilbert? This is London claims his large entourage is to blame - more specifically, the presence of Mamma Murray aka Judy. According to their report, "A brilliant coach in her own right who has come up with more active title-winning players in her own family than the combined efforts of the Lawn Tennis Association put together, [Judy] still very much directs the traffic. Nobody knows the parts of her son's expansive game, or his complex psyche, better than she does. Since Murray came back from injury she has been present at the bigger events, such as the U.S. Open, the Davis Cup and the Madrid and Paris Masters." We bet the very vocal Gilbert wasn't thrilled to take the coaching back seat to Mamma Murray. Another coaching guru, Nick Bollettieri, doesn't believe one coach is sufficient in today's complex game. He tells The Independent, "I could envisage a team of three: a physical trainer, someone to work on his technique and someone to motivate him," said Bollettieri. Are you sure that's enough coach? We need that many just to get to our desk job everyday.

- Insider information: Listen in as Roger Federer quizzes Bjorn Borg on how to win the French Open, John McEnroe about his greatest tennis regrets, and then takes the hotseat as Borg and McEnroe ask the World No. 1 questions in the next Blackrock Champions podcast on Tuesday, Nov. 20th. To subscribe, click here.

- Serbian showdown: Top-5 players Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic will compete in an exhibition match in their home country at the Belgrade Arena on December 7th. The event called NAJJ Srbije will also feature Novak Djokovic and Janko Tipsarevic.

- The Sisters Sledge, Venus & Serena, will play doubles at the Aussie Open in 2008. Okay tournament officials, all together now, "CHA-CHING!"

- Young gun: 11-year-old Teertha Iska, India's No. 3 tennis player in the under-12 category and disciple of guru Nick Bollettieri, received her first corporate sponsor. Ah, to be 11 and loaded - those were the days...

- Rumors of pregnancy are swirling around Bec Hewitt, wife of Aussie hot-head Lleyton Hewitt, after the former actress broke down in tears giving a speech during her first official gig as ambassador of the Children's Hospital Westmead. We see the connection, really.

- Psych out: Anna Chakvetadze likes to play mind games on the court - with herself. The Russian top-tenner says, "I studied psychology at university, although I've not yet finished. [...] It helps you prepare properly for the match and when I'm playing I try to think about the next point and not the last one. I also make a point of fighting all the time as it puts pressure on your opponent when they see you don't want to give them any free points."

- Should Israeli players compete in Muslim countries? ESPN.com's Bonnie D. Ford investigates.

SIGHTING: The ladies of the WTA Tour celebrate the season's end in style

End of the line: The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's 2007 season went out with an emphatic end this weekend with World No. 1 Justine Henin winning the WTA Championships title in an epic battle against Maria "Shriek"apova in what we think was the women's match of the year. The Belgian star won 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in the longest match in the Championship's history, and was rewarded with $1 million, a trophy, and a photo op with the sexy model ball boys.

Afterwards, the ladies celebrated the end of another long tennis season in style at the Sony Ericsson Player's Party in Madrid:

Serena Williams & Maria "Shriek"apova


Justine Henin & Daniela Hantuchova


Ana Ivanovic & Marion Bartoli


Svetlana Kuznetsova & Jelena Jankovic


Anna Chakvetadze & Hall of Famer Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

Bad blood: Maria Sharapova criticized publicly by FED CUP teammates, Serena Williams

Tough week, tough year: Seems like there's a lot of heavy criticism following Maria "Shriek"apova these days. Her recent appearance at the FED CUP final was questioned, with Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze being the most vocal.

"To be honest, I don't know why she came," said Sveta. "What's the point of coming here all the way from America if you can't play. She said she wanted to help our preparation and be our practice partner but, to me, if you can't play how then can you practice? It just doesn't make sense."

Chaky was more direct and said, "If you haven't played Fed Cup all year, it wouldn't be fair just to show up for the final," [...] "It's not fair to all the other girls who committed themselves to the team's cause."

And today The Chicago-Tribue is reporting on People magazine's newest issue where Serena Williams offers free-association answers on a number of topics. When asked for "Something Overrated", ReRe answered "Maria Sharapova".

Though this may be true to a certain extent, we also think it's time for ReRe to get a good publicist, especially after her last post-match press conference.

The FED CUP Chronicles: Maria Sharapova joins Russian FED CUP team for final

We've been chronicling the continuing drama of this year's FED CUP and here we have the latest installment: tennis glamour girl Maria "Shriek"apova moved past her New York nightlife and made her FED CUP debut...well, sort of. Reports have been that Maria would be sitting a hitting partner for the team and sitting courtside only.

However, the World No. 4 was invited by coach Shamil Tarpishchev to play in the final but she declined due to her nagging shoulder injury.

"It's great, " said Maria. "It's the first time I am playing tennis as part of a team."

PREVIEW: US Open Women's Semifinal Showdowns

The final four ladies at the US Open have been decided and are set for the Women's Semifinal Showdowns. Here's a preview:

Justine Henin vs. Venus Williams

Head-to-head: Williams 7, Henin 1
Last meeting: Australian Open '03 (hard), Williams 6-3, 6-3

World No. 1 Justine continued her Grand Slam dominance over 2-time US Open champion Serena "ReRe" Williams, beating her in a third straight Slam quarterfinal 7-6 (3), 6-1 and feeding ReRe sour grapes afterwards. No. 12 seed Venus battled Serb Jelena Jankovic (in the best women's match so far) for over 2 hours, overcoming a first set lost and a break in the second before prevailing 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4). Justine and Venus haven't played in over 4 years, so their head-to-head is deceiving. Justine is a much approved player and knows how to play, and win, the big matches now.

Here's what Justine said about playing Venus:

"[...] I didn't watch Venus that much in the last few months, so it will be another good test for me for sure. And I will have to, you know, just be myself, play my tennis, play my game. So, yeah, I didn't play Venus for a long time so that will be interesting."

Here's Venus on playing Justine:

"I think it will be a very similar match [to Jankovic.] I'm playing a player, Justine, a player very similar to Jelena. A little more power. A little more power off the serve, which quite honestly I think I like it when the serve comes with some pace. It's nice. So I think it will be pretty similar. I guess I'll be ready for it."

Outlook: Venus has the strength to overpower Justine, but Justine has the speed and variety to disrupt her rhythm and get Venus to make errors. Tracy Austin for MSNBC.com gives a very slight edge to Justine in this semifinal and, after her win over Serena, so do we.

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Anna Chakvetadze

Head-to-head: Sveta, 2-0
Last meeting: Warsaw '06 (clay), Sveta 6-1, 6-1

A former champion at the US Open, World No. 4 Sveta knows how to win in New York. She completely outclassed rising Hungarian star Agnes Szavay in the quarterfinals 6-1, 6-4. Her opponent in the semis, fellow Russian and No. 6 seed Anna Chakvetadze, dominated Israeli Shahar Peer, the No. 18 seed, by a similar scoreline, 6-4, 6-1.

Here's what Sveta said about her semifinal against Anna:

"I play Anna now and I am very happy there is definitely going to be one Russian in the final."

Anna had this to say about playing Sveta:

"She's a favourite in this match, so I have nothing to lose and no pressure, [...]For me it's much easier to play with no pressure, so I will try to do my best."

Outlook: This one is a real toss- up, with the knowledge that the winner from the Williams/Henin semifinal is mostly likely our '07 champ. But we'll go with "Chaky" just for the fun of calling her "Chaky"...oh, and her smooth groundstroking.

Tell me who your picks are for tomorrow's Women's Semifinal Showdowns!

(images courtesy of AP Photos)

VENUS WILLIAMS: A champion faces up to her challenges

After her disappointing loss at the Acura Classic to Russian Anna Chakvetadze, 6-time Grand Slam champ Venus "V" Williams has decided to lay low until the US Open starts. But V is the subject of a current Newsweek article which discusses her past achievements and current marks on the sport, including her much-publicized fight to get equal pay for the women of the WTA Tour. Here's what she had to say...

On her first Wimbledon experience:

"The first time I played at Wimbledon, I was so young and so sure I was going to win that I bought a ball dress to wear to the championship parties."

On her efforts to get equal pay for women at Wimbledon:

"I asked [the committee] to imagine their daughter out there," [...] "playing equally hard as men and not getting the same reward."

On why her parents believe change has been absent for African-American players on the tennis tours:

"Both of my parents are from the South, and that shapes the way they think about and see things'' [...] "I know what they and my ancestors experienced, so I get it. But it has been slightly different for my sister and I. We've had opportunities and breaks our parents never had."

On dating and marriage:

"I don't worry about it too much" [...] "As Beyoncé says, 'I could have another you in a minute'." [...] "I don't really spend a lot of time thinking about marriage and kids. I'm not a normal girl like that."

On the murder of her half-sister, Yetunde, in 2003:

"That took a lot out of all of us" [...] "I think the worst part was getting back to feeling safe after she died. For a long time after that I would call all my sisters daily to make sure they were OK."

FASHION FIX: Sania Mirza's stylish tennis moment

India's rising star Sania Mirza is having one hot summer. Not only did she reach the final of the Bank of the West Classic, losing to Russia's Anna Chakvetadze, but she matched her career high ranking of No. 31 this week. She's currently competing at the Acura Classic, a Tier 1 tournament.

We are loving the white tennis gear with green accents designed by clothing sponsor Lotto Sports Italia, and in particular the flirty skirt. This style gives her outfit just a touch of femininity. And, with Venus Williams rocking the classic navy pleated skirt at FED CUP and Maria "Shriek"apova sporting the tiered flow-y Swan Lake dress at Wimbledon, it looks like this silhouette is back.

Check out more of Lotto's tennis duds at Tennis Warehouse.

(images courtesy of AP Photo)

UPDATE - The FED CUP Chronicles: Sharapova claims, "...I am always invited to play for Russia."

The "FED CUP Chronicles" continue this week for World No. 2 Maria "Shriek"apova. The Russians beat a Venus Williams-led U.S. team in the semifinals after Maria withdrew from playing with an injury; they will take on Italy for the title. Recently, Russian FED CUP captain Shamil Tarpischev was quoted as saying, "I feel it just wouldn't be right to invite Sharapova this time."

However, Maria claims a different story according to a recent post on her website:

"It is important to me that people realize some reports about my status with the Russian Fed Cup team during the past two weeks are false. Here are the facts.

I have been in contact with Shamil Tarpischev through my father who is currently in Moscow, and he has assured us that he was misquoted by some of the Russian media. He never said that I was not invited to the Fed Cup Final. He repeated that I am always invited to play for Russia.

I have told Shamil and the Russian Federation that I will make myself available to play in the finals if they need me. My injury created a problem, and I understand and respect that many of my Russian teammates who competed in the first two rounds should get the first chance to play in the finals. I told Shamil that I will respect his decision on the players he chooses in the finals. I congratulate the players on the recent victory, and, whether I am chosen to play or not, I will be cheering for Russia."

Who is telling the truth here? It sounds like Tarpischev is playing both sides of the draw, appeasing the players who have played the previous rounds, but keeping Maria on a string since they're playing on fast, indoor carpet - a surface that plays up her strengths.

Let us know what YOU think is going on.

UPDATE 7/27/07: World No. 7 Anna Chakvetadze, competing at the Bank of the West Classic and member of the winning Russian FED CUP team, had this to say about Maria and her chances for the final:

"The captain decides, but I think it would be weird because we played quarter-finals and semi-final with the same team," Chakvetadze said.

"I don't think that the captain will decide to take Maria. She's a great player, but usually people don't do it like this. Tarpischev is a diplomat, so you never know how it will go, but I would be okay if she's on the team. I have nothing against her."

(image courtesy of AP Photos)

+ Weekend Winners

Eastbourne - Henin d. Mauresmo 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2). Foreshadowing? In a repeat of last year's Wimby final, the Belgian comes out on top this time over her French rival. This is great preperation for Henin to complete the career Grand Slam, beating the Wimby defending champion on arguably her best surface. Now can she pull out a third set tie-break, or even get to one, against ReRe Williams, her potential quarterfinal challenger and greatest rival.

Ordina Open - Ivan "Lubi" Ljubicic beat unseeded Peter Wessels of the Netherlands 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), and the third-seeded Anna Chakvetadze beat top-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3. It was the second title of the year for both Ljubicic and Chakvetadze. Lubi is an enigma but when he's on a hot streak, he can be dangerous. He won't do much of anything at The Big W but it's a nice win for the Croatian veteran. Weird Al loses some steam in the final and loses to up-n-coming Russian Chaka, who made it into the Top 10 this year. Chaka is a bit of an emoticon, having her latest tantrum at last month's French Open, losing easily to Shriekapova. But, this win should give Chaka some confidence go into Wimby and she could, at the very least, live up to her seeding (#8).

Nottingham - "Dr. Ivo" Karolvic d. Arnaud Clement 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Dr. Ivo is always a dangerous opponent on a grass court for anyone in the draw, so look for him to have a few wins but nothing more this week.