Posted on
12/4/2007 6:43:51 PM
WTA Tennis Betting — 2008 Tennis Season
By Nila Amerova
Listen up tennis bettors, because, while the season is done for 2007, recent rumblings in the media and astonishing announcements have all but assured the upcoming 2008 Tennis Season will be compelling—giving sports bettors, who have not yet discovered the joys of tennis betting, some added incentive to turn to tennis handicapping in the new year.
The recent revelations I allude to are in women’s singles tennis—the most surprising of which, is the suggested comeback of former top-ranked player Monica Seles. Seles, who celebrated her 34th Birthday on Sunday, announced she is toying with a return to the WTA tour in 2008.
The nine-time Grand Slam Winner will play in an exhibition event— the first Bank of the West Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic—in Los Angeles on Saturday. At the charity event that raises money for an organization that funds youth orientated charities, Seles will be joined by other former tennis stars including Jennifer Capriati and Carling Bassett-Seguso.
The last tournament Seles competed in was the 2003 French Open—an event she had triumphed in three consecutive times (1990-1992)—but after losing in the first round to Nadia Petrova, Seles did not return to singles action that year.
The 2003 season saw Seles start the year at the Australian Open, but hindered by an ankle sprain, Seles was abruptly eliminated in the R64 by the then No. 113 Klara Koukalova 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-3. In February, Seles bounced back with a runner-up finish at the Tokyo Pan Pacific (lost to Lindsay Davenport 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-2), but the following week, in Doha, Seles’ woes continued as she was narrowly defeated in her opening match 7-5, 7-5 by Lina Krasnoroutskaya, who at the time held a ranking of No.96.
After crashing out of the Qatar Total Open, Seles followed up with run to the Dubai Tennis Championships final, where she lost to Justine Henin 4-6 7-6(4) 7-5. Over a month later, Seles made what was to become her last deep run in a tournament, reaching the quarterfinal of the Bausch &Lomb Championships, where she ironically suffered a second consecutive loss to Justine Henin 6-2, 6-4.
By the time the French Open kicked off in 2003, Seles (who dropped in ranking to No.12 from her year-starting ranking of No.7) was suffering from lingering foot injuries and back injuries and her first round loss to Petrova, who ranked No.76 in the World at the time, remained to date her last singles match.
Seles never officially retired. She just faded away. All but retired, Seles informally finished her career with 53 titles, of which nine were major titles – four Australian Open titles (1991-93, and 1996), three French Open titles (1990-92) and two US Open titles (1991-92).
In Serena and Venus Williams’ inspiring 2007 comeback season, and Lindsay Davenport’s resurgence late this year—winning in Bali and the Bell Challenge in Quebec City— Seles finds the catalyst for her motivation to return to tennis. Of course, with the Australian Open only a few weeks away, do not expect to see Seles trading groundstrokes with either one of the Williams sisters or Davenport in Melbourne; but by the time the tour enters the spring portion of the WTA Calendar, should Seles indeed return to tournament action, her debut is anticipated at that time. In fact, Seles herself pegged her renaissance for March, at the Miami Sony Ericsson Open—a return after five years of absence. Just in time, to warm-up for the 2008 French Open! Mon Dieux! Is this is a blooming cause for concern for the reigning queen of Roland Garros—Justine Henin?
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Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room.