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News
Difficult selections ahead for 21s (June 30)
From Netball Australia: The Australian Netball Team and Australian 21U Squad will both head to the AIS in Canberra tomorrow morning for their final two-day training camp before the Holden Netball Test Series tour commences next month.
For the Australian 21U Squad, this will their last opportunity to impress the selectors as the team of 12 to tour to Brisbane will be named at 2pm (AEST) on Sunday July 2.
Lisa Alexander, National 21U Coach said, “It is going to be a very difficult selection this weekend because we have issues with injury among the squad. I will have to make the decision on whether I select players under an injury cloud in hope they recover in time for the matches.”
“Selection for this team started in January and it has been a long process that culminates this weekend. The match play at camp against the open team will show us the players’ ability to perform under pressure in possible combinations to be used for the matches against New Zealand.”
“There are also a lot of talented young women competing for the same positions and some hard decisions will need to be made.”
More from Netball Australia
Sorensten to break the slump? (June 30)
 From the US Women’s Open golf: If Annika Sorenstam is to break out of a perceived slump, on Friday she made a declaration at Newport Country Club amid brutal conditions that she is to be contended with in the Women’s Open.
Sorenstam, holder of nine majors that includes two titles in this championship, created a logjam atop the leader board. She shot a hard-earned 2-under-par 69 in the afternoon to share a four-way lead with Pat Hurst, Se Ri Pak and Jane Park, all of whom played under a tranquil setting in the morning. Five players – amateur Amanda Blumenherst, Becky Morgan, Gloria Park, Michelle Wie and Sung Ah Yim – were one shot off the pace with 1-under 70s.
Wie walked away with a solid round with 15 pars. She made one of her two birdies on the 18th green, about 12 feet long, using her own read.
For whatever reason, no player could hand their card to the official scorer with a 3 under upon completion. At one point in their rounds, Hurst, Yim and Veronica Zorzi all got to 3 under.
"It doesn’t seem very hard," said Wie. "People might think, ‘Oh, the greens are soft, so it must be playing easier.’ There’s so many different playing conditions, it wasn’t that easy."
Said Sorenstam: "You just come here for the biggest challenge that we have throughout the year. You really have got to drive the ball well, got to use your long irons well, and you’ve got to putt well and have a good short game."
US Open website
Pratt through to third round at Wimbledon (June 30)
Nicole Pratt has hit her way through to the third round of Wimbledon in a three set win over France’s Tatiana Golovin (29). Pratt fought back after losing the first set 2-6 to take the final two 6-4, 6-4.
Pratt has been a constant on the women’s circuit since her debut as a pro in 1992, but she has never made the third round of the British grass court championships. Her win over Golovin has silenced critics of her grass court abilities after a convincing victory.
The 136th seed Aussie told reporters “ I’m going to remember these moments because it’s getting towards the end of my career and everyone said I couldn’t play on grass, so its nice to be able to play well on grass.”
She now faces what will be one of the toughest matches of her career when she faces number one seed, Amelie Mauresmo, who defeated fellow Australian, Samantha Stosur, 6-4, 6-2.
Pratt is pragmatic about her third round match, “Unfortunately for me, Mauresmo’s going to come in respecting my game.” ”She’s not looking to allow me to get into the match, so I expect her to take me very seriously,” she said in a post match conference.
She is the only Australian woman left in the singles tournament after Alicia Molic bowed out yesterday in her second round clash with Slovakian Katerina Srebotnik (21), 2-6, 1-6.
By Antonia Magee
Plus…
Three Grand Slams into her comeback and Martina Hingis playing tennis at the highest level again is no longer just a novelty act to be applauded whatever the outcome.
So defeat, particularly when the once unflappable Swiss Miss was three-love up in the third set as against Ai Sugiyama, is bound to be followed by some cold, hard analysis – most of it from herself - when she faces the press.
Of course nobody is abrupt enough to say that the 1997 champion is not the player she was. The far more polite suggestion that her comeback had hit a plateau is the one that is offered for the world number one to consider.
Always adept at swatting journalists’ questions as effectively as she returns tennis balls, she points out that she won the Rome Open just last month and was on a roll in the French Open until she lost to Kim Clijsters in the quarter-finals on a day when she was suffering from illness. So “still moving up” rather than plateauing is her view of her current career trajectory.
But it is clear that Hingis is at a loss to explain exactly how she lost on her return to the Wimbledon Centre Court stage she once graced so successfully.
Ever the Swiss diplomat, there are compliments for Sugiyama. “She played a great match. She's probably, on this surface, harder to play than anything else because she's very fast. She likes those flat balls. I tried to be even faster, but not today.”
Wimbledon
Hingis back to the good old days (June 29)
 From Wimbledon: It seems like old times. Martina Hingis is in the third round, she has dropped a paltry seven games so far and, as the evening drew in over SW19, she took just 60 minutes to beat Tathiana Garbin of Italy 6-1, 6-2. It is five years since Hingis last graced these courts and yet she is playing as if she had never been away.
Perhaps the All England Club were having a little joke at Hingis’s expense (perish the thought) or perhaps it was just the luck of the draw, but no sooner had Hingis expressed, on Tuesday, her deep affection for Court Two and her less than warm feelings towards Court One than she was scheduled to play on the second most famous show court in town.
Then again, you can see Hingis’s point: her memories of the place are grim. It was on Court One that she, as top seed, was beaten in the first round by Jelena Dokic in 1999. A girl remembers these things, especially when she is only six months into her comeback after a three year break and is desperate to prove that she is still a contender.
Full story
US Open starts today (June 29)
Michelle Wie is widely regarded as a favourite as she attempts to win her first professional event, let alone major, at Newport Country Club this weekend. Today makrs the start of the USA women’s gold fpen
At a mere 16 years old, Wie has many of the credentials needed to come into a major championship as the favorite. For starters, she has loads of experience, which includes playing on tours all over the world against men and women. It’s her 11th major championship, of which she has registered eight top-10 finishes.
Those experiences, good and bad, have provided Wie a vast pool of knowledge to draw on during the many diverse and complicated situations a player can encounter playing under pressure.
"I think it's been helping me a lot," said Wie. "I've been learning a lot from those events, especially qualifying. I learned a lot from that experience."
Source: USA Women’s Open Championship
Netball test on TV (June 28)
The two-match Holden Netball Test Series will be broadcast nationally on ABC TV. Full replays of each match will be shown at the following times:
Test One (Brisbane Entertainment Centre) - Saturday, July 22 at 10.35pm
Test Two (Acer Arena, Sydney) - Tuesday, July 25 at 11.10pm
The Australian Netball Team is set to seek revenge on the New Zealand Silver Ferns and determined to record a win as the two teams battle it out in the much-anticipated Trans-Tasman showdown.
Led for the first time by two captains, Sharelle McMahon and Liz Ellis, the Australian Team are planning retaliation after their five-goal loss at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne earlier this year.
Ellis, who is returning after recovering from a knee reconstruction says, “There is nothing I enjoy more than playing for my country against the Silver Ferns.”
Also in the squad are sisters Laura and Natalie von Bertouch, who play for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and have been teammates for 10 years. This is Laura’s debut in the Australian Team.
The Silver Ferns, led by Adine Wilson are in fine form and are confident of recording another win. They have won eight of the last ten matches against Australia.
Tests between the two nations began in Melbourne in 1938. There have been 77 matches, with Australia winning 45, New Zealand 30 and two draws. (ABC)
Clijsters launches (June 27)
From Wimbledon: Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Kim Clijsters was quickly into her stride as she took on the recently installed champion of Birmingham, Vera Zvonareva, in the opening match on Court No1.
With a series of blistering groundstrokes the Belgian, seeded two at this year’s Championships, put the Russian, world ranked 44, under immediate pressure. The 21 year-old Zvonareva, who has twice reached the fourth round here, was forced to stave off break points in both her opening service games as Clijsters, moving easily over the luscious grass, whipped returns, put away volleys and blasted drives to all corners of the court.
Full story
Australians triumphant at Canada World Cup (June 26)
From Cycling Australia: Queenslanders Chris Kovarik, 28, and Katrina Miller, 30, have both claimed wins in the Mont Sainte Anne round of the MTB World Cup in Canada.
Kovarik (MS Intense Factory Racing) was triumphant in the downhill final with a winning time of 4min44.20sec to edge out South African Greg Minaar who was .32 seconds slower and fellow Australian Sam Hill who took third in a time of 4:45.44. A third Australian, Nathan Rennie was eighth in 4:50.73.
The World Cup standings after the fourth round now see Hill (579 pts) and Rennie (546 pts) placed third and fourth respectively with Kovarik seventh on 485 points. Great Britain's Steve Peat leads the series on 698 points.
In the women's 4-cross competition Miller, who had qualified fifth, dominated in the final to claim the round. Miller remains second in the World Cup rankings where she sits with 480 points with two rounds remaining. Series leader American, Jill Kintner, has amassed 810 points after winning the first three rounds.
Rider profiles, results and information are available on the Cycling Australia website www.cycling.org.au
Wimbledon scores out (June 26)
From the Guardian: As the curtain rises on Wimbledon for 2006, the sorry truth is that the winner of the women's championship still doesn't get as much prize money as the winner of the men's.
For Venus Williams, who is defending her women's title again this year, it's a travesty. She has been vociferous in her attacks on the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club over the issue: on the eve of the championship she is still smarting over the announcement made earlier this year that the winner of the men's competition will get £655,000, while the winner of the women's will net less - £625,000.
Story link
Fitz-Gerald tries Norwegian Summer (June 23)
 Australian squash player Sarah Fitz-Gerald has been involved in a world tour to promote the sport, organized by the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA). Her latest stop was Norway.
WISPA reports: Seeing Sarah and Nicol play - and beat - the top men in our country will have a great motivational effect on our squash players, especially our young girls, who will now have the confidence to work harder and achieve greater goals in the sport in the future," said Norwegian National Coach Stig Olsen on the last day of the third and final leg of the 2006 WISPA Promo Tour to Norway.
The eighth annual promotional tour, led by Malaysia's world champion Nicol David and Australia's five-times former world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald, is the latest initiative by the Women's International Squash Players' Association in its continuing drive to support local development of the sport and promote the women's game around the world.
After opening the Tour in Estonia, then travelling to Svalbard in northern Norway, David and Fitz-Gerald visited three clubs during their stay in Oslo - the Lysaker Club, SATS Fitness Club and Baerum Squash Club, the oldest centre in Norway. The programmes included coaching clinics, playing with seniors and juniors, playing exhibition matches and meeting the media.
Full story
Fiery match for Geelong (June 22)
 After clinching a top four spot with a thrilling netball victory over the Perth Orioles last week, the Star Systems Queensland Firebirds are now focused on taking on reigning premiers Melbourne First National Phoenix at Geelong Arena on Sunday June 25 at 1.00pm.
“We have celebrated our fourth position at the end of the first round, but it is really important that now we are ready to consolidate our potential as a finalist team. We will not make the mistake of taking our eye of the ultimate goal of playing in the 2006 finals series, and so this match is vital,” says Firebirds’ coach Vicki Wilson.
Phoenix are currently running third on the CBT competition ladder and will not have forgotten that the Firebirds led by four goals at half time in their round one meeting.
“We are not intimidated by any team and we know that if we play to our potential that we can win on Sunday,” says Peta Stephens, Firebirds captain. “Every game we play gets us closer to those finals and so in every game we aim to play as winners.”
Phoenix’s Australian shooters Sharelle McMahon and Cynna Kydd will again be the stalwarts for Phoenix, but Firebirds defensive pair of Peta Stephens and Mel McKenzie has been in outstanding form, taming opposition shooters with tight and aggressive defence.
Queensland has alternated Jo Morgan and Carla Dziwoki during the first round of competition and both have maintained an accuracy rate of over 80 per cent in every game, giving the Firebirds a solid scoring base.
“This will be a close game. We both have strong shooters and keen defenders, so I think possession in the mid court will be a deciding factor in victory,” adds Stephens. (Netball Qld)
Opals name new team for China (June 21)
The Australian women’s basketball team, the Opals have moved another step closer to a World Championship gold medal, announcing a 12-woman, WNBL All-Star team to tour China at the end of June.
After a four-day camp in Geelong, Victoria over the long weekend, Opals coach Jan Stirling named a team to play China, Russia and the Czech Republic throughout the 11-day tour.
All four teams will be competing in the FIBA World Championship for Women in Brazil this September, and the matches will give the Opals a taste of what to expect if they want to win their first World Championship crown.
The team to tour China includes seven athletes from the Commonwealth Game gold medal winning side.
Opals team for China:
Jacinta Hamilton (Dandenong), Hollie Grima (Bulleen Melbourne), Katrina Hibbert (Bulleen Melbourne), Alicia Poto (Sydney Uni), Renae Camino (Townsville), Deanna Smith (Perth), Kathleen Macleod (Dandenong), Emily McInerny (Dandenong), Emma Randall (Dandenong), Jennifer Screen (Adelaide), Carly Wilson (Dandenong), Jenny Whittle (Canberra).
WNBL link
Davenport withdraws from Wimbledon (June 21)
From The Guardian: Lindsay Davenport has pulled out of this year's Wimbledon championships because of the back injury which has troubled her since last year's final at the All England Club. Serena Williams was another, earlier, withdrawal. Guardian article
Jackson one of the decade’s best (June 16)
Lauren Jackson, the star and darling of Australian basketball, has been named in the WNBA’s All-Decade Team. Her inclusion cements her position as one of the greatest women basketballers of all time and in the 10 best of the last decade. She is the only non-American to make the cut.
A panel that included fans and WNBA players and coaches picked the team.
The inclusion puts her alongside greats including Houston Comet’s Dawn Staley, and Jackson’s fellow Seattle Storm teammate, superstar Sue Bird. "I'm both honoured and excited to be named to the WNBA All-Decade Team," Jackson said. "It also means a lot to share this special honour with (Storm teammate) Sue.”
Jackson has had a stellar week; she led Seattle to a 74-61 victory over the Chicago Sky yesterday, scoring 27 points and making 10 rebounds in a great performance. She also contributed 8 points to the Storm’s victory against Minnesota on Wednesday.
The All-Decade Team will play the WNBA All-Stars at Madison Square Garden in New York on July 12.
By Antonia Magee
WNBA
Do Kiwis report better? (June 15)
 The Sydney Morning Herald recently ran a column by netballer Liz Ellis, which says women’s sport gets better coverage across the Tasman. She writes: “Where have all the sportswomen gone? Well, nowhere really. We're still slogging it out on fields, pitches and courts all over the country -- all over the world, for that matter. It's just we're largely invisible.”
SMH article; Liz Ellis website
Molik a Wimbledon wildcard (June 14)
The All England Club has given former world number eight tennis player Alicia Molik a wildcard entry in the upcoming Wimbledon tournament.
A total of eight singles wildcards are to be announced. So far four Britons (Sarah Borwell, Anne Keothavong, Katie O'Brien and Melanie South) have been nominated, along with the Australian.
The tournament begins on June 26.
Wimbledon
WNBA chooses its top 10 (June 14)
The WNBA in the USA has chosen the top 10 basketballers of the last decade. Australian Lauren Jackson was the only non-American named in the group.
"The All-Decade Team represents the very best in women's professional basketball in the WNBA and in the world," said WNBA President Donna Orender. "They represent all that is right with the WNBA and sports. The group consists of not only tremendous athletes who have reached extraordinary heights on the court, but of terrific women who give unselfishly of their time and effort in the community. They are multi-faceted role models, believers, dreamers, achievers, coaches, teachers, leaders and champions."
See this link
Co-Captains to lead Australia in tests (June 13)
 In a first for Australian Netball, selectors have chosen co-captains for the battle against New Zealand in July, with Commonwealth Games captain Sharelle McMahon and former captain Liz Ellis joining forces to lead Australia’s attack against their trans-Tasman rivals.
“They are both such great quality leaders with extensive experience representing Australia,” said National Coach Norma Plummer. “I see this as having a great leader at each end of the court.”
”Sharelle did an excellent job during the Commonwealth Games and Liz did a great job before that and we believe that both players deserve this honour. The two have a great working relationship and have lead the team together as captain and vice captain since 2004,” continued Plummer.
Making her Australian Netball Team debut is midcourter Laura von Bertouch, older sister to seasoned Australian representative Natalie von Bertouch. The two sisters have played together for over ten years and their on court combination is set to rival the experienced line up of New Zealand.
“They have a fantastic combination and Laura has certainly earned her position on the team with her outstanding performances,” said Plummer. “Laura took a while to settle into the squad and learning to work well with the other club players. Being in the squad of 15 for the Commonwealth Games was great for Laura, she is now taking the initiative and dictating on the court.”
Bianca Chatfield - (Melbourne First National Phoenix)
Catherine Cox - (Sydney TAB Swifts)
Liz Ellis - (Sydney TAB Swifts)
Susan Fuhrmann - (AIS Canberra Darters)
Mo’onia Gerrard - (Sydney TAB Swifts)
Selina Gilsenan - (Sydney TAB Swifts)
Kristen Heinrich - (Medibank Adelaide Thunderbirds)
Sharelle McMahon - (Melbourne First National Phoenix)
Susan Pratley - (Sydney TAB Swifts)
Jessica Shynn - (Perth Orioles)
Laura von Bertouch - (Medibank Adelaide Thunderbirds)
Natalie von Bertouch - (Medibank Adelaide Thunderbirds)
Australia will take on the New Zealand Silver Ferns in the Holden Netball Test Series in Australia this July. The Brisbane Entertainment Centre will host test one on July 22 and July 25, Sydney’s Acer Arena will host test two. Tickets are on sale now from Ticketek.
Source: Netball Australia
Henin-Hardenne wins third title (June 11)
 From the French Open: In yet another gutsy effort from a woman who loves Court Philippe Chatrier the most, Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne won her third Roland Garros crown with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final on Saturday.
"Winning here for the third time means maybe more than the fifth Grand Slam for me, I mean, because it's physically and mentally very hard on clay," Henin-Hardenne said.
"I've been very calm during the whole tournament, even if I never really played my best tennis. I played very well on the crucial points, and today again. So I'm very, very happy the way it goes right now."
Unlike in her prior two finals here, Henin-Hardenne faced a severe physical test from the strong-legged Russian.
Henin-Hardenne, who held four Grand Slam titles coming into the match, appeared to be heading toward an easy victory early on in the match, as the Russian struggled with her nerves and had trouble keeping the ball in the court during long rallies.
But after falling behind 1-4, 2004 US Open champion Kuznetsova steadied herself and began to dictate much of the play off her own serve.
She broke back to 2-4 behind a muscular all court attack, dictating with her forehand, playing steady on her backhand side and frequently rushing the net.
Full story
Aussie-American duo win doubles title (June 12)
From the French Open: In scorching Parisian heat, top-seeded Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur snatched their second Grand Slam crown on Sunday, dismantling No5 seeds Ai Sugiyama and Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-2 in one hour and 15 minutes.
On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Raymond (from the US) and Stosur (Australia) broke in the fourth game to go up 4-1, and captured the first set in 40 minutes.
The second set followed a similar pattern, the Australian and American breaking twice on the way to their first Roland Garros crown together. It was an historic win for Raymond who has now achieved a rare career doubles Grand Slam (she becomes the 13th woman in the Open Era to achieve such a feat).
"It's great. I'm just really excited at the moment," said Stosur. "To come back and get this one and after the disappointment at the Aussie, we certainly didn't want that to happen again. So I think to go out there and and win but also to win so comfortably on the scoreboard is a great feeling."
Hantuchova, from Slovakia, and Sugiyama, from Japan, were playing their first Grand Slam together. Sugiyama was the only woman to have previously captured a Roland Garros women's doubles title (alongside Kim Clijsters in 2003).
Full story
Can Svetlana stop Queen Justine? (June 10)
 From the French Open website: The 76th French Open women's final will see Justine Hénin-Hardenne - the best player in the world on clay -- face Svetlana Kuznetsova, one of this season's rising stars.
With two French Open titles already in her trophy cabinet, Justine Hénin-Hardenne is the red hot favorite for Saturday's final. The 24-year-old has defended her title in spectacular style so far, having yet to drop a set and losing an average of only five games in the six matches she has played. In fact, 'Ju', as she is known to her friends, has spent less than eight hours on court thus far. This seemingly inexorable progress to the final belies her pre-Paris preparations - the former world No1 failed to win a tournament on clay this season and came here with her confidence at an all-time low. This was also the case in 2004, when she was unsuccessful in defending her title. Last year however, when she won her second French Open title, she came to Roland Garros unbeaten on clay with three tournament wins in her pocket.
In Thursday's semifinal, Hénin-Hardenne was simply a cut above her fellow Belgian and No2 seed Kim Clijsters. Her service was particularly impressive, against an opponent who is noted for her returns. Hénin was never broken, saving three break points, and she also managed to send down four aces. Smaller (5'6"/1.67m) than a lot of her rivals on the circuit, the No5 seed is highly mobile and able to cover an enormous amount of ground along the baseline, before pouncing to move in on the counter-attack and smacking forehand and backhand winners with equal poise.
Full story
Can Svetlana stop Queen Justine? (June 10)
From the French Open website: The 76th French Open women's final will see Justine Hénin-Hardenne - the best player in the world on clay - face Svetlana Kuznetsova, one of this season's rising stars.
With two French Open titles already in her trophy cabinet, Justine Hénin-Hardenne is the red hot favorite for Saturday's final. The 24-year-old has defended her title in spectacular style so far, having yet to drop a set and losing an average of only five games in the six matches she has played. In fact, 'Ju', as she is known to her friends, has spent less than eight hours on court thus far. This seemingly inexorable progress to the final belies her pre-Paris preparations - the former world No1 failed to win a tournament on clay this season and came here with her confidence at an all-time low. This was also the case in 2004, when she was unsuccessful in defending her title. Last year however, when she won her second French Open title, she came to Roland Garros unbeaten on clay with three tournament wins in her pocket.
In Thursday's semifinal, Hénin-Hardenne was simply a cut above her fellow Belgian and No2 seed Kim Clijsters. Her service was particularly impressive, against an opponent who is noted for her returns. Hénin was never broken, saving three break points, and she also managed to send down four aces. Smaller (5'6"/1.67m) than a lot of her rivals on the circuit, the No5 seed is highly mobile and able to cover an enormous amount of ground along the baseline, before pouncing to move in on the counter-attack and smacking forehand and backhand winners with equal poise.
Full story
Justine wins the Belgian battle (June 9)
 From the French Open, yesterday: In another sterling performance in her favorite stadium, defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne whipped Kim Clijsters 6-3 6-2 to move into her third Roland Garros final.
Employing a super-aggressive and ultra-confident style, Henin attacked Clijsters from the opening ball, crushing her forehand, serving big and jumping on her foe's second serve.
A two-time finalist here, Clijsters attempted to match her fellow Belgian blow for blow but after holding to 3-3 in the first set, she fell apart at the seams.
"I felt like she started to take a lot more risks on her return games and she started to really put me under pressure from the first serve already. She tried to go for her shots. I think from then on, she raised her level a bit, and from then on she was too good," said Clijsters.
While Henin moved beautifully and played some standout defensive points, it was her signal to Clijsters that she was more than willing to trade massive groundstrokes with her rather than just try to trip her up with her variety, that did her foe in.
Clijsters was never able to properly respond to Henin's steely attitude and had trouble hanging with her in rallies that lasted beyond six balls.
Full story
Firebirds impressing Ausralian selectors (June 9)
 From Netball Queensland: As well as having a successful season on court in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy the Star Systems Queensland Firebirds are having success with the Australian selectors.
Keirra Trompf and Lauren Nourse have been singled out and have been invited into Australian Netball Squad training camps.
Keirra Trompf has been invited to participate in the Australian 21 and Under Squad camp and Lauren Nourse has been invited to the Australian Open Squad camp as a 2006 emerging talent squad member in Canberra, with both camps being held from Saturday June 10-Monday June 12.
Lisa Alexander the Australian 21 and Under Coach said having Keirra at the training camp will enable her to assess Trompf’s performance in comparison to the current squad members.
“Her performance in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy is what got my attention,” said Alexander.
“Keirra has held down the wing defence position consistently and has been putting in good performances there. She also has the height and strength we are looking for in athletes.”
“Keirra is a wonderful person. She is excited to be coming into the camp and desperately wants to be there too, which is great.”
Full story
Wie misses open (June 7)
 USA teenager Michelle Wie missed the cut for the upcoming USA Golf Open, but will begin her tilt at the LPGA tour this weekend.
Wie’s website reports: Michelle Wie tugged her cap over her face when a 3-foot par putt skimmed over the right edge of the cup, and the 3500 fans who thought they might witness history gasped and groaned.
For nearly 10 hours Monday at Canoe Brook, in an electric atmosphere that at times felt like a US Open, Wie tantalized an overflow crowd, raising their hopes that a 16-year-old girl could join Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson at Winged Foot in two weeks for the toughest test in golf.
But it won't be this year.
That putt was the start of three straight bogeys, sending Wie to a 3-over 75 in her second round of US Open qualifying. She tied for 59th at 1-over 143, five shots short of even having a chance for the 18th and final spot in the 153-player field.
"Obviously, I'm disappointed I didn't make it," she said. "I'm satisfied with the way I tried. I played my hardest out there."
She won over the crowd, and even the two men with whom she played.
"She's very, very good. And she's only bloody 16," said Long Island club pro Rick Hartmann, who finished at 4-over 146. "You guys are going to be writing about her for a long time."
More at Wie’s web; LPGA tour
Kuznetsova advances to semifinal (June 7)
From the French Tennis Open: Eighth seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova slugged her way into her second career Grand Slam semi final early Tuesday, winning the all-Russian contest against Dinara Safina 7-6(5) 6-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
20-year-old Kuznetsova recovered from a disastrous start - where she trailed 1-5 and was forced to save two set points - to take the match in one hour, 28 minutes and set up a meeting with Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova.
Afterwards, Kuznetsova attributed her sluggish start to big-match nerves.
"I just couldn't move. I was not like it maybe looked like I was not awake. But, you know, when you play quarterfinals, you always awake. I just felt I wanted it badly, and I just had to breathe between the point and just to let it go somehow and just start play again. It was very tough."
Despite struggling with her serve in the initial stages of the match (she dropped her first three service games) to hand the momentum to Safina, Kuznetsova defended brilliantly in the seventh game, staving off her opponent's advances to hold serve (2-5) on her eighth game point.
That game, which lasted for over 10 minutes and featured a number of lengthy baseline exchanges, left Safina physically and mentally spent. Sensing her opponent's fragility, Kuznetsova upped the pace even more, running Safina ragged with a combination of hefty groundstrokes and crafty drop shots.
Full report
Manly to host richest surf tour (June 6)
 Sydney, Australia will host its first women’s standalone world championship surfing event in 10 years when the inaugural Beachley Surf Classic, the sixth of eight events on the 2006 ASP Women’s World Tour, takes to Manly Beach in October.
The tournament, founded by six-time world champion and current world number two Layne Beachley (AUS), is the richest in the 29-year history of the women’s professional tour. The event will be held at Beachley’s home break.
Sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the event will feature the world’s top 17 ranked female surfers plus a wildcard surfer and offer a USD$100,000 prize-purse. “I am really thrilled that we will be competing for the richest prize purse in women’s surfing history at my home break,” said Beachley.
“This event will bring an ASP Women’s World Tour event back to a spot it belongs – Sydney.” The Beachley Surf Classic, which will run from 9 October to 15 October, has been made possible courtesy of additional funding from the New South Wales state government.
“We are incredibly excited that the NSW Government has come on board to support and to make happen this very important and timely tournament,” said Beachley. “NSW is in the forefront of women’s surfing and the sport is enjoying unprecedented growth and popularity here and across the world – from youngsters to the young at heart.”
Manly Beach will serve as the event’s headquarters, but will have the option to travel to beaches as far north as Narrabeen depending on wave conditions. “The Classic will showcase the best surfers on the planet, inspire enthusiasts everywhere, generate international exposure and have a major bearing on the 2006 world title race,” said Beachley.
Reigning world champion Chelsea Georgeson (AUS) and current ratings leader Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) will head a field of contenders hailing from the USA, Brazil, Hawaii, Peru, South Africa and Australia.
Former world champions Pam Burridge (AUS) and Pauline Menczer (AUS) are expected to compete in a 12-woman trials event that will determine the winner of a wildcard berth into the main event. (Click to visit ASP)
Mauresmo bows out at Roland Garros (June 5)
Amelie Mauresmo, the top seeded women’s player at Roland Garros was defeated in her fourth round match yesterday by Nicole Vaidisova (16), 6-7, 6-1, 6-2, in what proved to be the biggest upset of the 2006 French Open women’s draw thus far.
The Open continues to be full of surprises; only two top ten ranked players are heading into the quarterfinals after Mauresmo (1), Maria Sharapova (4) and Patty Schnyder (7) lost their games.
Mauresmo said she had suffered a “physical breakdown,” in a post match press conference. She went on to explain “ I felt down physically at the beginning of the second set. My shots were not long enough, nor powerful.”
Italian Open runner –up, Russian Dinara Safina’s (14) strong victory over Sharapova, 5-7, 6-2, 5-7, is a continuation of her great year so far. She plays fellow countrywoman, Svetlana Kuznetsova tomorrow.
Martina Hingis (12), who has returned to dangerous form, takes on Kim Clijsters (2). If Hingis wins she will be a definite favourite for the Championship following her win in Rome at the Italian Open.
In the other quarterfinal matches Venus Williams (11) plays Nicole Vaidisova (16) and defending champion, Justine Henin-Hardenne, (5) meets German, Anna-Lena Groenfeld (13).
By Antonia Magee
French Open
Hénin avoids Italian job (June 3)
 From the French Open: Lightning did not strike twice. In circumstances almost identical to 2004, when she came to Roland Garros as champion only to lose to Tathiana Garbin, Justine Henin-Hardenne beat her Italian nemesis this time around in straight sets 6-4 6-0 to advance to the round of 16.
In three previous battles between the second-ranked Belgian (Hénin is world No5, behind Kim Clijsters - No2) and the sixth-ranked Italian (world No72), Garbin had come out on top on two occasions, and her performance so far at this year's French Open equalled her best ever, having made it to the third round in 2000 and 2004.
This was a definite banana skin in waiting for defending champion Hénin-Hardenne, who had looked unconvincing in dealing with Maret Ani and Anastasiya Yakimova in the opening two rounds.
The Belgian therefore needed to settle her nerves early. A backhand crosscourt passing shot earned her a break point, then Garbin netted a forehand, and the 2003 and 2005 champion (the only active singles player to have won here more than once) was a break to the good after three minutes.
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Plus…
Myskina too steady for Ivanovic
2004 champion Anastasia Myskina skipped into the fourth round early Saturday, making surprisingly short work of Serbian teenager Ana Ivanovic 6-2 6-3 on Court One.
Playing a much steadier baseline game than her younger opponent, the more agile Myskina used her wealth of claycourt experience to race through the first set in a swift 26 minutes.
Cheered on by former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin, the Russian tenth seed applied a multitude of pressure from the outset, drawing a spate of unforced errors (21 in the first set alone) from the nervous Serb.
After the match, Myskina said she was grateful for Yeltsin's presence, describing him as a good luck charm for the Russian women.
"Well, when he watched before, I never lose a match so far. So hope he going to stay here," a smiling Myskina said.
The Russian broke Ivanovic's serve in the first game after the teenager dunked an easy smash into the net, and again in the fifth game with a wondrous crosscourt forehand passing shot. She sealed the opening set 6-1 when an Ivanovic backhand floated long.
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Swifts remain dominant (June 3)
From Netball Australia: The Canberra Darters are still yet to win a game in 2006, after losing to 2005 runners up, the Sydney Swifts, by 22 goals at AIS Arena in Canberra.
Both teams had difficulty sinking their shots in the early stages of the first quarter. The Darters pulled out to an early lead, due to strong rebounding, but the Sydney-siders started to show their dominance. The battle between Mo’onia Gerrard and Nikala Smith put some fire into the game, as both looked to assert their dominance. Smith’s long shots kept the crowd enthusiastic, but at the other end of the court, Susan Pratley was in superb form, outplaying her opponent, Australian teammate Susan Fuhrmann.
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Henin-Hardenne’s happy birthday (June 2)
 Defending champ Justine Henin-Hardenne celebrated her 24th birthday yesterday, with a 6-2 7-5 triumph over Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Under cloudy Parisian skies, the fifth seeded Henin-Hardenne blasted 25 winners to recover from a 4-5 second set deficit en route to the triumph.
The 23-year-old pint-sized Belgian played an erratic match, making an overwhelming number of unforced errors (43) and securing just 56 per cent of her first serves during the one hour and 39 minute contest.
In the opening set, Henin raced ahead 4-1, frustrating her 19-year-old opponent with her exceptional court coverage.
Despite struggling with her serve, the stylish Henin nevertheless converted three of five break point opportunities and threaded 11 winners to seal the set in 43 minutes.
The former World No1 suffered a let down at the start of the second set, falling behind 0-2. However she recovered quickly to erase her deficit, reeling off four straight games to go up 4-2.
Her stock plummeted once again as Yakimova gained steam to reel off three straight games and take a 5-4 lead. But the Belarusian nervously squandered three set points as Henin firmed up her game to nail the triumph.
Henin, a winner on the Parisian red clay in 2003 and 2005, will square off with the winner of the Alizee Corney - Tatiana Garbin encounter.
French Open website
Safina devastates opposition (June 1)
From the French Open: Russian Dinara Safina continued her fine form on clay with a 6-0 6-2 trouncing of Hana Sromova early Wednesday on Court No3. The 14th seed is into the Roland Garros third round for the first time in her career.
Her compatriot, men's 6th-seed Nickolay Davydenko, also advanced when Brazil's Florent Serra retired because of the flu. Davydenko was leading, 6-2 4-1.
"I can say it was an easy match today," Safina admitted. "I was pretty solid today. I played aggressive."
Safina raced off with the first set in just 23 minutes, hitting 14 winners along the way. She took the opening two games of the second set, but Sromova managed to slow down Marat's younger sister by moving her around, especially with the drop shot.
But when Safina got her feet set and attacked, her power was too much for the 28-year-old Czech, ranked No99 in the world. The five-foot, 11-inch (1.82m) Safina also showed off some quickness, tracking down a number of those drop shots from Sromova.
Safina closed out the match with a blistering inside-out backhand return winner. This is her seventh win in eight matches on clay after reaching the Rome final last week. Rather quietly, she is putting together one of the better stretches of her young career.
"When I am confident, I feel more calm on the court," she explained. "I can control more what I am doing. I'm controlling the match."
French Open website
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