Martina News
(2002)
December 30, 2002: Martina has entered the Adidas International in Sydney next week. For this final warm-up event before the Australian Open, she will be partnered by Alexandra Stevenson. For a brief AAP report, click here.
December 30, 2002: Here are a few links to a couple of articles. First, for a few quotes from Martina's doubles partner this week, Sveta Kuznetsova, click on the following: The Age, The Courier & Mail. They play their first round match tomorrow (or today, rather, for U.S. residents) And on a humorous note, read about the consequences of Martina's comment the other day of returning to Queensland for the mangoes here!
December 29, 2002: It appears Martina will also be playing with Sveta Kuznetsova at the Australian Open next month. Earlier reports indicated that she was playing with Iroda, but it appears there has been a change of plans. See below for links to the articles. Sadly, Martina has also confirmed that 2003 will be her last year of tour competition L
December 29, 2002: From a couple of quotes from Martina's press conference in Gold Coast earlier today, check out the following articles: AAP, The Melbourne Herald Sun. The Getty Images site has also added a few more photos here.
December 28, 2002: Martina & Sveta will take on Evgenia Koulikovskaya and Tatiana Poutchek in their first round match at the Uncle Toby's Hardcourts in Gold Coast. For the complete doubles draw, courtesy of Michael Blue's site, click here. For an article on Martina from 'The Queensland Sunday Mail,' click here. For a couple of small photos of Martina from her press conference in Gold Coast, click here. The photos are courtesy of Getty Images.
December 24, 2002: Martina will play with Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Uncle Toby's Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia next week. According to tournament director, Liz Smylie, Martina predicted they will be playing on finals day! To read more in a press release, click here.
December 20, 2002: As some of you may already know, Martina is on the cover of the latest issue of "Lesbian News." The first part of what looks like a very interesting cover story can be read on the "Lesbian News" website here. The complete article can only be read by buying the magazine. In the article, it is revealed that Martina will play with Iroda Tulyaganova at the Australian Open next month and with Leander Paes in the mixed doubles. Iroda has committed to the Hyundai Hopman Cup which takes place the same week as Uncle Toby's Hardcourts at Gold Coast, so she will obviously not be playing with Martina there. I will keep you informed of the upcoming developments.
December 18, 2002: Martina will take on Tracy Austin at the Volvo Classic exhibition event in Tampa, Florida on March 1 next year. The night's action will also feature another singles match between Jim Courier & John McEnroe and then a mixed doubles match involving all four. The event will be held at the St. Pete's Forum in Tampa. Tickets are on sale and can be bought by calling (813) 301-6600.
December 18, 2002: Martina has entered the Uncle Toby's Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia which begins December 30. Reports also indicate that she will enter the year's first Grand Slam event, the Australian Open, the following month. This will mark Martina's first tour appearance in Australia since 1989. Her doubles partner for Gold Coast is yet to be confirmed. Martina will also be the guest of honor at the Humpty Dumpty Foundation's Legends dinner in Sydney on January 4. For articles, click on the following links: The Age, The Courier-Mail, Tennis Australia. My special thanks to Kevin and the other Martina fans for informing me of this. To visit the website of the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, click here.
December 18, 2002: Some more news from Martina's press conference in Baltimore last week at Pam's charity event. This information is courtesy of 'The Globe and Mail.' About the event, Martina had this to say: "Pam's done a great job. For her to be able to start the event while she was still playing, and keep it going, shows her commitment to the community." Martina also disclosed that her main concern before playing was her hip flexors, which felt tight after the first two games of the season with the Aspen Mother Puckers in the WACH league. Said Martina, "I'm all excited because I'm playing centre this year." To visit the WACH website, click here. You will also find a link to the newer site.
December 15, 2002: Martina and Richey Reneberg lost their Legends of Tennis match at the Chevy Chase Bank Tennis Challenge in Baltimore on Tuesday. They lost 8-5 (pro-set) to Jana Novotna & Patrick McEnroe. My apologies for the delay in posting the news - I'd have done it sooner had they won J. For an article on the night's events, courtesy of 'The Baltimore Sun,' click here. My special thanks to Sam for the link.
December 8, 2002: Some more news on the Chevy Chase Bank Tennis Challenge on December 10. Martina will team up with Richey Reneberg against Jana Novotna & Patrick McEnroe in the Legends of Tennis match. It will be the night's first match. For more, visit the event's website here.
December 8, 2002: Martina, in her capacity as PETA spokesperson, helped donate fur coats to the homeless in Denver, Colorado last month on November 13. For a press release courtesy of the PETA website, click here.
December 8, 2002: Here are a few links to articles (accompanied by photos) about Martina's Rainbow Card Foundation activities: Article One, Article Two. My special thanks go out to Valerie for informing me of this.
November 18, 2002: Sorry for the delay. Here are a couple of links to articles on Thursday's match: The Denver Post, The Denver Rocky Mountain News, The Boulder Camera. The second article is also accompanied by a photo from the match. Btw, Martina & Corina lost the doubles set to Monica & Mary Joe 9-7.
November 14, 2002: Sadly, Martina lost to Monica Seles today in Denver at the MS Tennis Classic, going down 7-6(4) 6-2. Martina had 11 break points in the match but failed to convert on any of them. I hope to have more links tomorrow, but for now, check out a good report on the match, along with statistics, on seles.co.uk here. One very impressive stat: Martina had "NINE" aces during the match! Martina was to play a doubles match later with Corina Morariu against Monica and Mary Joe Fernandez.
November 14, 2002: For a few quotes from Monica and one by Martina, made in a press conference yesterday in Denver, click here. The article is from the 'Denver Rocky Mountain News.'
November 14, 2002: Martina will be returning to Baltimore, Maryland to compete in the Chevy Chase Bank Tennis Challenge on December 10. This is Pam Shriver' annual charity event which has been held since 1986. Martina's participation will be restricted to the Salomon Smith Barney Legends of Tennis match, which will be a mixed doubles match involving Patrick McEnroe, Richey Reneberg and a yet-to-named woman player. The prior day on the 9th, Martina is also expected to participate in the Hometown Hall of Fame tribute to Pam at Raven's Stadium. As many of you will recall, Pam was inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame this summer. To read the press release, click here. My special thanks go out to Elizabeth for alerting me to this news.
November 14, 2002: This is old news, but better late, than never. Here are a few photos from Martina's participation at the Tennis Magazine Grand Slam charity event at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall in New York City on August 23. I don't believe there were any matches played involving Martina, and I think her participation basically involved hitting with the public along with Wimbeldon finalist David Nalbandian. Chris Evert, as publisher of Tennis magazine, was also present. For the photos, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four. My special thanks go out to Giuseppina for informing me of these photos.
November 10, 2002: Martina says that she expects to play singles at Eastbourne again next year and perhaps a couple of other events too! Martina also confirms that she expects to play with Iroda Tulyaganova next year unless Iroda does not recover from her shoulder injury. In that case, Martina will have to find another partner. I'm not sure when or where she made these latest comments but to read the article, in French, click here. For translation, check out AltaVista's Babelfish Translation Service.
November 10, 2002: An interview with Martina was recently published in 'The Denver Post.' My special thanks go out to Sky, Andee and the other Martina fans for alerting me to it. Click here for the complete interview. This coming Thursday, Martina will take on Monica Seles at the Rebif MS Tennis Classic in Denver. Later, Martina will team up with Corina Morariu for an 8-game pro-set match against Monica and Mary Joe Fernandez. To learn more about the event, visit the official website here.
October 18, 2002: Iroda Tulyaganova, who will play doubles with Martina next year, confirmed their partnership after winning the Asian Games women's singles gold medal in Busan, South Korea last week. Iroda said Martina had given her a few tips on her singles game and added, "she is still a good player."
September 27, 2002: Martina will face Monica Seles at the third annual Rebif MS Tennis Classic in Denver, Colorado on November 14. The event will be held at the University of Denver's Magness Arena. All proceeds from the event will go to the national Multiple Sclerosis Society Colorado Chapter and the Rocky Mountain MS Center. Martina & Monica will also play a doubles match afterwards with Mary Joe Fernandez & Corina Morariu. To visit the event site, click here.
September 24, 2002: Here are a few photos of Martina & Serena from their quarterfinal match in Tokyo last week: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six. Credit for the photos goes to the "Jelena Dokic Tour Results" page maintained by 'dhbvg87.'
September 21, 2002: Mixed news here. First the not-so-good news. After yesterday's doubles loss in Tokyo, Martina said that 2003 would "probably" be her final year on the doubles tour. L However, she will be playing doubles with Iroda next season so it looks like she has finally found a regular partner. For more in a 'Reuters' article, click here. My special thanks to Lisa for posting the link on her excellent website. And the Sanex WTA Tour website has added a photo of Martina & Serena at their press conference after the match here.
September 20, 2002: Unfortunately, Martina & Serena lost their quarterfinal match today to Svetlana Kuznetsova & Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 7-5 6-4. Serena served for the first set at 5-3 but they then proceeded to lose the next 6 games in a row and eventually the match. Nevertheless, both Martina & Serena hinted afterwards at the possibility of playing together again. For news reports on the match with quotes, click on the following links: The Daily Yomiuri, Associated Press. Martina's next event is expected to be the Porsche Grand Prix in Filderstadt, beginning October 7.
September 20, 2002: Martina was in attendance for the 11th day matches of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at the Ryogoku Kokugikan (stadium) in Tokyo on Wednesday. For a small picture of Martina shaking hands with yokozuna Takanohana, click here.
September 19, 2002: Martina & Serena will play their quarterfinal against Svetlana Kuznetsova and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in Tokyo tomorrow. The match has been scheduled fifth on Center Court. And for a 'Reuters' article on the partnership, click here.
September 18, 2002: For photos of Martina at the players' Welcome reception in Tokyo, where they meet with sponsors and other guests, click on the following links. Martina can be spotted in the front row on the left side, flanked by Tatiana Panova and Kimiko Date: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three. Also, after yesterday's doubles match with Serena, Martina joked, "We should have won it in two sets and being in a third set made me even more nervous. I mean, if I can't win with Serena, then who can I win with? But we won!" Meanwhile, Serena won her second round singles match today and afterwards talked about the difficulty in motivating herself after the phenomenal year she's had so far. For more on that, click here.
September 17, 2002: Martina & Serena upset the #3 seeds, Martínez & Pratt, in Tokyo today, scoring a 6-1 4-6 6-3 victory. Rain washed out most of the day's play but three matches (including Martina's) were completed under the closed roof on Center Court. I've only been able to find one photo from the match and this is by the 'Associated Press' here. For news reports, click on the following links: Agence France-Presse, Associated Press.
September 16, 2002: Martina and Serena will play their first round doubles match against Martínez & Pratt tomorrow. The match has been scheduled third on Center Court.
September 16, 2002: The draw for the Toyota Princess Cup in Tokyo was announced today and Martina is playing with - World number one, Serena Williams! They will take on the #3 seeds, Conchita Martínez & Nicole Pratt in their first round match. For the complete draw, courtesy of Aceman Tennis, click here. My special thanks go out to Jolana for informing me of this and of Martina's likely participation in Filderstadt and Zurich next month as well.
September 7, 2002: Martina was in attendance at today's womens singles final at the Open in New York City between Serena and Venus Williams. At 3-3 in the opening set, Pam Shriver, courtside commentator for CBS, interviewed Martina briefly. I have transcribed that conversation and if you didn't get to watch, click here to read more on that.
September 4, 2002: Martina and Iroda lost their third round match today to the #6 seeds, Elena Dementieva and Janette Husarova 6-4 7-5. For a match report from the tournament website, click here.
September 3, 2002: Martina & Iroda will play their third round women's doubles match against the #6 seeds, Elena Dementieva and Janette Husarova on Louis Armstrong stadium tomorrow. That match is the second one scheduled there. For live scoring, check out the tournament website here.
September 3, 2002: Martina and Leander lost their second round mixed doubles match today to Callens & Koenig 7-6(5) 6-4. For photos from the match, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two. And for a match report from the tournament website, click here.
September 2, 2002: Martina and Leander will play their second round mixed doubles match against Callens & Koenig tomorrow on Louis Armstrong stadium. Their match is the second one scheduled there. Should they win, the next match is also scheduled to be played tomorrow on a yet-to-be-announced court in the evening. For live scoring, check out the tournament website here.
September 2, 2002: Martina and Iroda won their second round women's doubles match at the Open today defeating the #11 seeds, Janet Lee and Wynne Prakusya 6-4 6-3. They will next play the #6 seeds, Elena Dementieva and Janette Husarova. For the transcripts of Martina's post-match press conference, click here. And for an earlier article, also courtesy of the tournament website, on Martina's participation at the Open, click here Play only started in the evening due to rain washing out most of the day session; so Martina and Leander were unable to play their second round mixed doubles match.
September 1, 2002: Rain washed out most play at the U.S. Open today and both Martina's matches have been postponed to tomorrow. First up is the women's doubles second round where Iroda and she will take on the #11 seeds, Lee & Prakusya on the Grandstand court. Later in the, Martina & Leander are scheduled to take on Callens & Koenig on Court 11 for their second round mixed doubles match. For live scoring, check out the tournament website here.
September 1, 2002: For a photo of Martina at her press conference yesterday, click here. The photo is courtesy of the Sanex WTA Tour website.
September 1, 2002: Martina's mixed doubles partner at the Open, Leander Paes, was quoted in various news articles talking about the partnership. Said Leander, "Having read about her ever since I was a young boy, the way she's conducted her whole career — both on the field and off it — makes it a great honor to play with someone like Martina. I am just relishing the opportunity of playing with such a true champion. She is phenomenal. So coming here, it was probably one of the most cherished moments on a tennis court I have had in my whole career." Sources include 'The New York Times' and 'The Indian Express.' (Addendum, September 3: The quotes are directly from Leander's press conference on 08/31/02. For the transcripts, click here).
August 31, 2002: Martina has two matches scheduled for tomorrow. First, Martina and Iroda will take on Lee & Prakusya in their second round women's doubles match which has been scheduled fourth on the Grandstand Court. Martina's & Leander's second round mixed doubles match against Callens & Koenig has been scheduled fifth on the Louis Armstrong Stadium. For live scoring, check out the tournament's website here.
August 31, 2002: Martina and Iroda won their first round women's doubles match at the Open today defeating Alicia Molik and Francesca Schiavone 7-6(4) 7-5. This was the exact same score - down to the tie-break - of Martina's mixed doubles victory with Leander yesterday. In today's match, Martina served for the first set at 6-5, before being broken, but managed to win the tie-break. In the second, Martina served for the match at 5-3 and had a match point at 40-30 but got broken again. Fortunately though, two games later, they were able to close it out for the win. They will next play the #11 seeds, Janet Lee and Wynne Prakusya. For the transcripts of Martina's post-match press conference, click here. You can also watch a short 'Real' video clip of the first couple of minutes of the press conference. And for a photo of Martina in action during yesterday's mixed doubles match, courtesy of the tournament website, click here. Later in the day, Martina joined Tracy Austin and Ted Robinson in the USA Network broadcast booth and commentated on part of the featured night match between Jennifer Capriati and Meghann Shaughnessy.
August 31, 2002: The recent floods that devastated regions of Martina's country of birth, the Czech Republic, also took a heavy toll on several tennis clubs in Prague, including the TK Sparta Prague where Martina practiced as a young girl. Former Grand Slam champion Cyril Suk (Helena Sukova's brother) is spearheading a drive to raise funds to help rebuild the clubs. 'The New York Times' reports that Suk spoke directly with Martina who has said she will contribute. For the complete write-up from the Times, click here. You will need to be a registered user to access the article. Registration is free.
August 30, 2002: Martina and Iroda will play their first round women's doubles match at the U.S. Open tomorrow against Alicia Molik and Francesca Schiavone. The match has been scheduled fourth on Court 7. For live scoring, check out the tournament website here.
August 30, 2002: Martina and Leander won their first round mixed doubles match at the Open today, upsetting the top seeds, Rennae Stubbs and Todd Woodbridge 7-6(4) 7-5. They had to come back from being a break down in each set. For articles on the match, click on the following links: News Interactive, Associated Press. Martina and Leander will next play Els Callens and Robbie Koenig.
August 30, 2002: Martina was in attendance at the WNBA Championship finals between the Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden, New York yesterday. She also attended Saturday's Eastern Conference final game between the Liberty and the Washington Mystics. For a photo of Martina from yesterday, click here.
August 29, 2002: Martina and Leander will play their first round mixed doubles match tomorrow against the top seeds, Rennae Stubbs and Todd Woodbridge. It's the fourth match scheduled on the Grandstand court. For live scores, check the tournament website here.
August 28, 2002: The mixed doubles draw for the U.S. Open was announced today. Martina is playing with Leander Paes and they will play the top seeds, Rennae Stubbs and Todd Woodbridge in the first round. This is the second straight year that Martina has drawn this team in the first round of the Open. For the complete doubles draw, click here.
August 27, 2002: The doubles draw for the U.S. Open was done today. Martina & Iroda will play Alicia Molik and Francesca Schiavone in their opening match. For the complete draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here.
August 26, 2002: Martina was quoted in yesterday's 'New York Times' where she defended Serena and Venus Williams from ridiculous accusations that they've made the game boring and unfeminine. Said Martina, "I think people need to check where they are coming from with those kinds of comments. These are two good athletes going at it, and I think they are great for the game." You tell 'em, Martina!
August 20, 2002: For articles on yesterday's match, which it turns out ended on a unfortunate note with an careless overrule by the chair umpire, click on the following links: The Connecticut Post, The New Have Register. And here are links to a couple of photos, courtesy of the Associated Press and the Hartford Courant: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four.
August 20, 2002: Here are a few photos of Martina from Pam's Hall of Fame induction in Newport, Rhode Island last month: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six. My special thanks go out to Marilyn for the excellent photos.
August 19, 2002: Unfortunately, Martina & Iroda lost their first round match in New Haven today, going down to Amélie Mauresmo and Patty Schnyder 6-4 1-6 6-4.
August 19, 2002: For more information on Martina's participation in the New York City Parks Foundation Clinic Tennis With the Pros on Sunday, August 25, click here for the press release.
August 18, 2002: The draw for the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament was announced today. Martina and Iroda will take on Amélie Mauresmo and Patty Schnyder in their opening round match. The match has been scheduled for tomorrow on Stadium Court (last match of the evening session). Good luck, Martina & Iroda! For the complete doubles draw, courtesy of Michael Blue's website, click here.
August 18, 2002: Here are a couple of links to a few articles in which Martina is either quoted or talked about briefly: Calgary Sun, Hartford Courant [1], Hartford Courant [2].
August 15, 2002: Martina and Jennifer lost their second round match in Montréal today to the #4 seeds, Daniela Hantuchova and Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario 6-4 6-3, after being up an early break in the first set. The defeat marked Martina's earliest doubles exit ever at this event. She made it to at least the semifinals all but once in her previous appearance. For photos from today's match, courtesy of the tournament website, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four. Martina next heads to New Haven, Conn. for the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament where she will partner Iroda Tulyaganova.
August 15, 2002: For a nice tribute to Martina, written by George Cross in 'The Toronto Sun,' click here.
August 14, 2002: Martina and Jennifer are scheduled to play their second round doubles match tomorrow against the #4 seeds, Daniela Hantuchova and Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario on Court 1. You can follow the match live on the tournament website here. Meanwhile today, Martina and Amélie Mauresmo conducted a tennis clinic for the fans. For photos from the clinic, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two.
August 13, 2002: Martina and Jennifer won their first round doubles match today in Montréal, rallying for a 4-6 6-4 6-4 win over Tina Krizan and Katarina Srebotnik. They had been down 4-6 2-4 at one point, but recovered in time for the win. For photos from the match, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two. Martina is quoted briefly in the following articles on yesterday's action at the tournament: The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star. Also, for a nice French literary piece on Martina, from 'Le Devoir,' click here. It is accompanied by another photo from the match. My special thanks to Sky for alerting me to this write-up. And finally, for another photo of Martina from yesterday's sponsor party, click here.
August 12, 2002: Martina and Jennifer will play their first round doubles match in Montréal tomorrow against Tina Krizan and Katarina Srebotnik. The match has been scheduled third on Center Court. Live scoring is available on the tournament website here. Good luck, Martina & Jennifer!
August 12, 2002: Martina was in attendance at a cocktail party in Montréal today hosted by 'Tennis Canada' in honor of AT&T Canada and Rogers AT&T Wireless, the tournament sponsors. Martina gave a speech thanking the sponsors and talked about her return to Montréal for the first time since 1988. For a brief report from the tournament website, click here. For additional photos, courtesy of the Sanex WTA Tour website, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two.
August 11, 2002: Could 2002 be Martina's last year on the tour? According to 'The Los Angeles Times,' Martina is undecided about returning next year. But nevertheless, she is having a great time and appreciates all the support she has received from the fans. For the complete article, click here. You need to be a registered user of the LA Times website to access the article. Registration is free.
August 11, 2002: The draw for the Rogers AT&T Cup was released today. Martina and Jennifer will play Tina Krizan and Katarina Srebotnik in the first round. To view the complete doubles draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here. You will need to click on the link next to "2002 Doubles" for the draw to load in another window.
August 11, 2002: For a few more photos of Martina from a practice session with Liezel in Manhattan Beach last week, click here. Credit for the great photos goes to Michael Werner.
August 10, 2002: Disappointment today. Martina and Liezel lost in the semifinals in Manhattan Beach, going down 6-4 6-0 to the #2 seeds, Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama. Nevertheless, reaching the semifinals marked Martina's best result of the year, after Madrid. She had previously won this event 5 times (1980 with Rosie Casals; 1983, 1986 & 1987 with Pam Shriver; and 1989 with Wendy Turnbull). Her most recent semifinal apperance here in Manhattan Beach was in 1990 with Zina Garrison. Martina now heads on to Montréal for the Rogers AT&T Cup where she will be playing with former #1 Jennifer Capriati.
August 10, 2002: Before her doubles match, Martina joined Pam Shriver & Mary Joe Fernandez in the ESPN2 broadcast booth for a few games during the Davenport-Sugiyama singles semifinal. Martina touched on a number of topics including a few details about her first round doubles win here with Liezel over Paola Suarez & Iroda Tulyaganova. Apparently, Suarez & Tulyaganova served for the match at 5-4 in the third set, before Martina and Liezel broke back. They served for the match again at 6-5 and had two match points at 40-15, but again, Martina & Liezel got the break back. In the tie-break, Martina and Liezel initially had 4 match points leading 6-2 but failed to capitalize. Their opponents, in turn, went on to hold two more match points at 7-6 and 8-7 before Martina and Liezel were able to close it out on their 5th match point, taking the tie-break 10-8. Said Martina, "That was about the most see-saw match I've ever had." Mary Joe also asked Martina & Pam to name their fondest memory from their long doubles partnership. Pam chose their first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon in 1981 where they defeated Kathy Jordan and Anne Smith 6-3 7-6. Martina opted for their 1985 victory at the Virginia Slims Ch'ships over Claudia Kohde-Kilsch and Helena Sukova 6-7 6-4 7-6.
August 10, 2002: Jennifer Capriati, who will be playing doubles with Martina in Montréal next week, spoke about the partnership in one of her recent press conferences in Manhattan Beach. Said Jennifer, "It's going to be great. Usually I wouldn't have played doubles because it's too physically taxing for me, but I made an exception." Good luck, Martina & Jennifer!
August 10, 2002: Those of you who read the 'Hartford Courant' article carefully will already be aware of this but for those who didn't (like yours truly), this will be news to you. In addition to New Haven, Martina and Iroda Tulyaganova will also play together at the U.S. Open the following week. No word yet on who Martina's mixed doubles partner will be. My thanks to Darin for informing me of this.
August 9, 2002: Martina and Liezel advanced to the semifinals today after receiving a walkover from their opponents, Elena Dementieva and Janette Husarova. Husarova sustained a back injury in her singles match yesterday and opted to withdraw from today's doubles. Martina and Liezel played a special pro-set exhibition match instead against Corina Morariu & Kim Po-Messerli. If anyone has the result from this match, please let me know. Martina and Liezel will next play the #2 seeds, Daniela Hatuchova and Ai Sugiyama in the semifinals tomorrow. The match is scheduled second on Stadium Court. Good luck, Martina & Liezel!
August 9, 2002: A short news blurb that got lost! To read a few quotes from Martina after her first round doubles victory with Liezel on Monday, click here. Scroll to the end of the page to the sub-heading "Fan Favorite." The write-up is from 'The Orange County Register.'
August 8, 2002: Martina & Liezel are scheduled to play their quarterfinal doubles match in Manhattan Beach against the #3 seeds, Elena Dementieva and Janette Husarova tomorrow. The match is the second evening one scheduled on Stadium Court. Good luck, Martina & Liezel!
August 8, 2002: For an article from 'The Hartford Courant' on Martina's participation at the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament in New Haven, click here. The article features quotes from tournament director, Anne Worcester.
August 7, 2002: Martina has entered the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament in New Haven, Conn. which begins August 19. She will be partnered by Iroda Tulyaganova. To read the official press release, click here.
August 7, 2002: On the Women's Sports Legends website, it has been confirmed that Martina will participate in this year's U.S. Open in the doubles and mixed doubles competition. Martina also picked Venus Williams and Marat Safin to win the singles titles there. In addition to this, Martina will also make an appearance at a special event for Prince (whose racquets she endorses) in Central Park, New York City on August 25. For more, click here.
August 6, 2002: Martina will team up with Jennifer Capriati at the Rogers AT&T Cup in Montréal next week. To read the official tournament press release, click here. This will be the second time that Martina and Jennifer have played doubles on the tour. Their previous partnership was at the 1990 Italian Open in Rome. They reached the quarterfinals there before Martina was forced to default so as not to aggravate a hamstring injury.
August 5, 2002: Surprise! Martina and Liezel won their first round doubles match in Manhattan Beach today defeating Paola Suarez and Iroda Tulyaganova 6-4 3-6 7-6(8). I had no idea they were supposed to play the match today and I apologize to everyone for not informing you of this yesterday. Martina and Liezel are through to the quarterfinals and get the day off tomorrow - this I am sure of, I checked the schedule J For photos from Manhattan Beach, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four. The first photo is from the player party; Martina is flanked by Liezel and 'The Practice' actress, Camryn Mannheim. In the second photo, Martina is practicing with Liezel earlier in the day. And the last two were taken after the match.
August 4, 2002: Martina has entered the doubles competition at the JPMorgan Chase Open in Manhattan Beach, California which begins tomorrow. She will be partnered by Liezel Horn-Huber. They will play Paola Suarez and Iroda Tulyaganova in their opening round match. For the complete doubles draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here.
August 4, 2002: Martina will participate in the Rogers AT&T Cup in Montréal, which begins August 12. The only question that remains is who will her doubles partner be. Martina is expected to confirm this soon. To read the tournament press release, click here.
August 4, 2002: Martina spoke with a columnist at 'The San Diego Union-Tribune' this week who had written a scathing piece about her last month. She tried to explain what she said in the 'Die Zeit' article in June. Whether she got through to the columnist or not remains unclear. Anyway, click here for the link.
July 30, 2002: Click here for an article from 'The San Diego Union-Tribune' that explains why Martina had to play in the qualifying rounds of the Acura Classic and also gives some details on Sunday's loss. And click here for a nice photo of Martina, talking to TV reporters at the tournament today.
July 28, 2002: Sad news. It appears Martina and Elena were made to qualify for the doubles competition in San Diego and unfortunately, they lost the final qualifying match. Earlier in the afternoon, Martina and Elena won their first match beating Francesca Schiavone and Adriana Serra-Zanetti 8-3 (pro-set). However, a few hours later, they lost to Tatiana Panova and Maria Vento-Kabchi 2-6 7-5 6-4. This was the first time Martina had to play in the qualifying rounds since 1973 when she was 16.
July 27, 2002: Martina has entered the doubles at the Acura Classic in San Diego beginning next week and will be partnered by Elena Tatarkova. The draw will be held tomorrow.
July 20, 2002: For the transcripts from Martina's appearance on "Connie Chung Tonight" on CNN on Wednesday, click here. You will need to scroll about two-thirds of the way down to get to the part.
July 17, 2002: Another TV appearance for Martina today. Martina was among a select group of individuals who talked about Tiger Woods and his domination of the PGA Tour on the new program "Nightline UpClose" on ABC. According to the ABC News website, "Nightline UpClose" airs immediately following "Nightline" with Ted Koppel, which begins at 11:35 p.m., Eastern time. Please check TV Guide's website for the exact show timing in your area. (Look under "TV Listings").
July 17, 2002: For all North American residents, Martina will be on "Connie Chung Tonight" on CNN today, airing at 8:00 p.m., Eastern time. Martina's thoughts expressed in her recent write-up in "Die Zeit" will apparently be the focal point of the interview. Sorry for the late update, but if you miss this, there will be a replay of the program at 11:00 p.m., Eastern time. My special thanks go out to Brad, Victoria and Sam for the heads-up.
July 14, 2002: Yesterday, Martina was in Newport, R.I. at the International Tennis Hall of Fame for Pam Shriver's induction. Martina gave the introductory speech to welcome Pam to this elite group. Congratulations, Pam, on this well-deserved honor! For photos from yesterday's ceremony, click on the following links (Martina is in the first three; the rest are of Pam): Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven, Photo Eight. For news articles on the occasion, click on the following links: Associated Press, Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe. Martina is quoted in the last two articles.
July 14, 2002: Click here for a few NetCam photos from Martina's last match at Wimbledon, the mixed doubles second round with Todd Woodbridge against Kournikova & Bjorkman. My special thanks to Réjane for saving them from the official tournament website!
July 9, 2002: Click here for a column from 'The San Francisco Gate,' which features more quotes by Martina on the stellar rise of Serena & Venus Williams.
July 6, 2002: As most of you know, Martina commentated on today's ladies singles final at Wimbledon for the BBC. For her thoughts on Serena & Venus Williams as well as those of Pam Shriver's, click here for a BBC report.
July 3, 2002: Regrettably, Wimbledon for us came to an end today after Martina and Todd lost their second round mixed doubles match to the #7 seeds, Jonas Bjorkman and Anna Kournikova 3-6 6-4 6-2. This marks only the second time in her career that Martina has failed to reach the quarterfinals or better of at least one event at Wimbledon. The only other time that happened was in 1974 (1st round in singles, 1st round in doubles, third round in mixed). However, Martina indicated in her post-match press conference that she might still be back next year. For the transcripts of that excellent press conference, courtesy of the tournament website, click here. For photos from today, here are the links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven. Another photo of Martina, albeit a small one, can be found in this BBC article on Anna. You can also listen to a short audio clip of part of a BBC interview with Martina.
July 1, 2002: Martina and Todd will play their second round mixed doubles match against Jonas Bjorkman and Anna Kournikova on Court 1 tomorrow; it is the fourth match scheduled there. Good luck, Martina & Todd!
July 1, 2002: A few odds and ends. Click here for a brief 'Associated Press' article on Martina's stellar record at Wimbledon. And for a 'USA Today' article on the women's tennis game vis à v5s the men, featuring quotes by Martina, click here.
June 30, 2002: Click here for a BBC report on Martina's matches yesterday at Wimbledon.
June 29, 2002: For all North American fans, Martina's appearances on the game show "Hollywood Squares" which first aired back in January is expected to be aired again next week. It is best to tune in every day from Monday through Friday (July 1 to 5) to watch if Martina will be on. Check your local listings for exact time, station etc.
June 29, 2002: It was a day of mixed fortunes for Martina at Wimbledon today. In the women's doubles, sadly, Martina and Natasha lost to the #5 seeds, Kim Po-Messerli & Nathalie Tauziat 6-3 2-6 8-6. This second round loss marks Martina's earliest exit in the women's doubles at Wimbledon since 1974 when Renata Tomanova & she lost in the first round. At one point in the final set, Martina and Natasha were up 5-4 on serve, and led 15-30 on Tauziat's serve, just two points away from the match. But it was not meant to be. In the mixed doubles, Martina had better luck with Todd Woodbridge; they won two straight games to complete their first round match from yesterday against Jordan Kerr and Anousjka Van Excel. The final score was 4-6 6-3 9-7. They have a difficult second round encounter ahead of them against the #7 seeds, Jonas Bjorkman and Anna Kournikova. This match is not on Monday's schedule (no play tomorrow at Wimbledon), so at the earliest, Martina will be back on the courts on Tuesday.
June 29, 2002: Once again, Martina is quoted in 'The Daily Telegraph,' this time talking about the issue of equal prize money for women. Said Martina, "The men's game might be five sets but in the women's games the ball is actually in play longer. There are less interruptions and we ought to be paid for quality rather than quantity." As usual, she is right.
June 28, 2002: Martina's and Todd's mixed doubles match on Court 1 was suspended today due to darkness. For some reason, their original opponents dropped out and were replaced by Jordan Kerr & Anousjka Van Excel. The score stood at 4-6 6-3 7-7 at the end of the day. What is sad is that Martina and Todd were up 5-2 with 2 service breaks in the final set. They also had a match point, serving at 5-4 40-30. The match is scheduled to be completed tomorrow - the court for it has not been decided as yet. For a report on the day's mixed doubles action, with info on this match, courtesy of the tournament website, click here. Martina will also have a doubles match with Natasha tomorrow against the #5 seeds, Kim Po-Messerli and Nathalie Tauziat. That match has been scheduled third on Court 13. Good luck, Martina & Natasha! Good luck, Martina & Todd!
June 28, 2002: Martina has not had any press conferences at Wimbledon so far, but she is quoted in 'The Daily Telegraph' today, talking about one record she had hoped to set on her first trip Wimbledon as a 16-year-old back in 1973. Said Martina, "When I started out I wanted to be the youngest champion but when I finally got here I found out Lottie Dod won at 15. At that age I wasn't even able to leave the country [Czechoslovakia]."
June 27, 2002: Martina & Natasha won their first round match today, defeating Adriana & Antonella Serra Zanetti on Centre Court 6-3 6-2. They will next play the #5 seeds, Kim Po-Messerli & Nathalie Tauziat in the second round. For a match report, courtesy of the tournament website, click here. For photos by 'Reuters' from today's match, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three. Martina is back on the courts tomorrow for her first round mixed doubles match with Todd Woodbridge. They will take on Mardy Fish & Meilen Tu in the day's fourth scheduled match on Court One. Good luck, Martina & Todd!
June 26, 2002: Martina & Natasha will play their opening round match against Adriana & Antonella Serra Zanetti at Wimbledon tomorrow. The court for the match is yet to be decided. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
June 26, 2002: The mixed doubles draw was released today. Martina and Todd Woodbrdige are unseeded and take on Mardy Fish & Meilen Tu in their opening round match. For the complete draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here.
June 26, 2002: Martina shared her thoughts on a variety of non-tennis-related issues in the latest issue of the German weekly, 'Die Zeit.' For more on that, click here. For translation help, try AltaVista's Babelfish service.
June 25, 2002: Here are a few photos of Martina from a practice & autograph session in Eastbourne last week. My special thanks go out to T.H. Gamble & C.K. Lek for the great photos! Click here for more.
June 22, 2002: The Wimbledon mixed doubles draw has not been announced yet, but Martina is definitely playing and will be partnering Todd Woodbridge. Martina disclosed this in an interview with 'The Age.' Martina also talked about that now-famous bet with her personal trainer, Giselle Tirado and Giselle also shares her thoughts on working with Martina. For the complete article, click here.
June 19, 2002: Martina lost her second round match in Eastbourne today, but not without a fight, going down to the #3 seed, Daniela Hantuchova 2-6 6-2 6-2. Martina had been up 6-2 2-1 (with a break) at one point. Despite the defeat, it was nevertheless a remarkable effort by Martina who showed us this week that she still had what it takes to compete with the current elite of womens tennis. She just never ceases to amaze us. Well done, Martina! We are grateful to you for leaving us with so many great memories. For news reports on today's match, click on the following links: Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, United Press International, PA Sport, The Times, The Independent, The Guardian. And here are a few photos from the match: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six. Note: as of now, I am unable to access the BBC website - too much net traffic. Their tennis section can be reached at this link. Hopefully, it will be accessible shortly.
June 19, 2002: Click on the following links for two articles on Martina's first round singles victory: The New York Times, The Argus. You need to be a registered user to access the New York Times article (registration is free, simply follow the instructions that appear).
June 18, 2002: Martina won her first round singles match in Eastbourne today, defeating Tatiana Panova 6-1 4-6 6-2. This was Martina's first singles tour event since the 1994 Virginia Slims Championships in New York City. For news reports on today's match, click on the following links: Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, United Press International, BBC, PA Sport, The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, Official tournament website, Sanex WTA Tour website, Sky Sports. A few of the articles are accompanied by photos - the BBC report also includes an audio clip of Martina from her post-match press conference. For more photos, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Associated Press, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven, Photo Eight. Martina will next play the #3 seed, Daniela Hantuchova on Centre Court tomorrow in the day's second match on that court. Good luck, Martina!
June 18, 2002: The Wimbledon ladies doubles draw was announced today. Martina and Natasha are unseeded and will take on Adriana and Antonella Serra Zanetti in their first round match. For the complete draw, courtesy of the official tournament website, click here.
June 18, 2002: Here is some more news from yesterday. For an excellent game-by-game match report of yesterday's doubles match, courtesy of the Eastbourne Herald tournament website, click here. This might be a bit painful to read, given the eventual result, but it is interesting nevertheless. For more photos from yesterday, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three.
June 17, 2002: Martina and Natasha lost their doubles match in Eastbourne today, going down to Amanda Coetzer & Lori McNeil 3-6 7-5 6-4. What is shocking is that Martina & Natasha had led 6-3 5-2 at one point, before losing five games in a row and the set. If that was not enough, they were then up 4-1 in the deciding set before again losing five games in a row and with that, the match. For news reports (some accompanied by photos), click on the following links: BBC, PA Sport. For more photos from today's match, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three. Now, all that is left is the singles competition. Martina will take to Centre Court tomorrow for her first round match against Tatiana Panova; their match is the second one scheduled there. Good luck, Martina!
June 17, 2002: Earlier articles. Here are two articles featuring even more quotes by Martina, comments that appear to be taken from when she first talked to the press after the announcement of her singles participation at Eastbourne. Click on the following links for more: The Argus, Eastbourne Herald. Both articles are accompanied by photos of Martina in practice.
June 17, 2002: Martina's recent interview in the BBC's 'Radio Times' magazine has attracted the attention of several media outlets today. Among the topics Martina discussed were those of a more personal nature and she also shared some of her memories from her heyday. At present, the interview is not available on the Radio Times' website (if anyone is able to locate it online, please let me know). So in the meantime, we are left with an assortment of media links, each highlighting comments made by Martina in the interview. Caution: since many of us have not seen the original interview, it is possible that Martina might have been misquoted or taken out of context in some of the articles. Click on the following links for more: Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, London Evening Standard, The Daily Mail (1), Sky News, Ananova, The Guardian, Daily Mail (2).
June 16, 2002: The doubles draw at Eastbourne was announced today. Martina and Natasha will taken on Amanda Coetzer & Lori McNeil in their opening round match, which takes place tomorrow. For the complete draw, courtesy of Michael Blue's website, click here. Also, there are a few articles available with more quotes from Martina on her participation in the singles event at Eastbourne this week. Click on the following links for more: Official tournament website, PA Sport, Associated Press. Another good site for information on the tournament is one maintained by the 'Eastbourne Herald' here. Martina's and Natasha's match tomorrow is the third one scheduled on Centre Court. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
June 16, 2002: For the British fans, Martina was among the interviewees for a documentary on the Sanex WTA Tour entitled "Cutting Edge: Girls on Tour" to be aired on Channel 4 on Tuesday (June 18) at 9:00 p.m. Make sure you don't miss it! To visit the Channel 4 website, click here. My special thanks to Laura for informing me of this program.
June 16, 2002: It has been confirmed that Martina "will" yet again be commentating on the ladies singles final at Wimbledon this year for the BBC. To read Martina's profile on the BBC website, click here. For North American fans, Martina will be commentating on TNT for most of the Wimbledon fortnight. Her profile on TNT's website is available here.
June 16, 2002: The Women's Sports Legends website has added a few new articles to their "News" section. Included are a write-up on the Legends' picks for Wimbledon and their favorite places to visit while there. To read what Martina had to say, check out the news section here.
June 15, 2002: Martina has accepted a wildcard to play "singles" at the Britannic Asset Management International Championships in Eastbourne, starting Monday. This latest development came about after she lost a bet with her personal trainer! For more, in an 'Associated Press' article, including quotes, click here. Martina will take on the #21-ranked Tatiana Panova in her opening match. For the complete singles draw, courtesy of Michael Blue's website, click here. As of right now, the doubles draw is not available; but perhaps it will be sometime tomorrow (Sunday). So depending on when you're reading this update, it might be available through the previous link. Otherwise, I will definitely post a link to it as soon as it is announced. Martina is playing doubles with Natasha Zvereva. My special thanks go out to Kees, Jason, Anthoula, Elizabeth, Brad, Greg and the other Martina fans for alerting me to the news! I apologize for the delay in updating this page.
June 15, 2002: For a photo of Martina & Natasha in Paris during their doubles match against Raymond & Stubbs, click here. My special thanks go out to the poster "Lapin" for posting this on the WTA World message board.
June 10, 2002: For Martina fans in the Denver area, an interview with Martina will be featured on the award-winning show "Colorado Sportswomen" which can be seen on the local CBS affiliate "News4". The first installment of the four-part program will be broadcast on Saturday, June 15, at 6:00 p.m., Mountain time. All that I know so far about this interview was that it was conducted at an airport - possibly in Denver? The source for this news item is a column in the "Rocky Mountain News." For more on that, click here.
June 5, 2002: To read the transcripts of Martina's chat in Paris today, click here. Look on the right side of your screen to the drop-down menu entitled "Previous Sanex Chats." The chat with Martina is the last one in the list.
June 4, 2002: There will be a live chat with Martina, courtesy of Sanex tomorrow. It will take place at 3:00 p.m., Paris time (which equates to 9:00 a.m., Central time for North American residents). To go to the chat site, click here. For those who will be able to attend the chat, here are a few suggestions for questions/comments. Firstly, it would be nice to congratulate Martina on her 166th doubles title in Madrid last month. Also, many of us are curious to know if Natasha & she will be playing in Birmingham next week. And it would also be nice to thank Martina for giving us the opportunity to see her again and follow her results on the tour. For those who won't be able to participate in the chat, check back tomorrow for the link to the chat transcripts.
June 3, 2002: For photos of Martina from Reading, Pennsylvania in April at the "Legends of Tennis" exhibition, click here. The photos might take a while to load so give it some time for the page to become completely viewable. My special thanks go out to Sallie for the great photos.
May 31, 2002: Martina and Natasha lost their first round doubles match in Paris today, losing the final set 6-4 to Raymond & Stubbs. They had been up a break on various occasions in the third set, but could not capitalize. The press coverage has been pathetic just like last year and no articles or photos were available.
May 30, 2002: Martina's & Natasha's first round match today against Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs was interrupted due to darkness with the score tied at one set all at 7-6(4) 3-6. They won the first set in a tiebreak and were up a break in the second, before their opponents came back to win the set. The match will be continued tomorrow on Court 7, the second match scheduled there. For an 'Associated Press' photo of Martina in action today, click here. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
May 29, 2002: Martina and Natasha are scheduled to play their first round doubles match at Roland Garros tomorrow. Their first round encounter against the top seeds, Lisa Raymond & Rennae Stubbs has been scheduled last on Court 7. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
May 28, 2002: Martina was quoted in today's 'International Herald Tribune' in an article discussing the rarity of the one-handed backhand in tennis these days. Said Martina, ""I think for a serve and volleyer, it's better to have the one-handed backhand. There's more of a sameness. But really if I was teaching someone to play these days, I would teach the two-handed backhand and one-handed slice and one-handed volley. The two-hander is just a more secure ball."
May 27, 2002: The doubles draw for Roland Garros was announced today. Martina and Natasha, unseeded, take on the #1 seeds, Lisa Raymond & Rennae Stubbs in the first round. For the complete draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here.
May 25, 2002: They did it! Martina and Natasha won the Open de Espana Madrid 2012 today, upsetting the #2 seeds, Rosanna Neffa-de los Rios & Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the final 6-2 6-3. Congratulations, Martina & Natasha! This is Martina's 166th tour doubles title and she also sets the record for being the oldest woman to win a tour event - singles or doubles. The previous recordholders were Billie Jean King in singles (39 years in Birmingham in 1983) and Rosie Casals in doubles (38 years in Oakland in 1988 - which she won with Martina). For news articles on the win, click on the following links: Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Europe Press (in Spanish). For photos from the match, please see below. With this week's result, Martina moves back into the top 50 in the Sanex WTA Tour rankings to #47. In the "Race to the Championships" points standings, Martina & Natasha leapfrog 48 spots from #77 to #29. They now move on to Paris for Roland Garros which begins Monday.
May 25, 2002: It appears the tournament website has a great gallery of photos of Martina from her quarterfinal, semifinal and final matches in Madrid. My special thanks to Brandon for alerting me to these photos. Here they are in ascending order. First, photos from the quarterfinal match against de Villiers & Montalvo: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven. Next, here are photos from the semifinal match against Fernandez & Grande: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven, Photo Eight. And finally, here are photos from today's final against Neffa-de los Rios & Sanchez-Vicario: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven, Photo Eight, Photo Nine, Photo Ten, Photo Eleven, Photo Twelve, Photo Thirteen, Photo Fourteen, Photo Fifteen. And now, here are some more final photos from the 'Tenis Spain' website: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five, Photo Six, Photo Seven.
May 24, 2002: Martina and Natasha won their semifinal doubles match in Madrid today, defeating Clarissa Fernandez and Rita Grande 6-1 7-6(4). For photos from the match, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three. All three photos are courtesy of 'Reuters'. Martina and Natasha will next play the #2 seeds, Rosanna Neffa-de los Rios and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the final. That match has been scheduled second on Pista Central. Good luck, Martina and Natasha!
May 23, 2002: Here is some more information on the "Marca Leyenda" award that Martina received yesterday. It is awarded by the newspaper "Marca" and yesterday's presentation was also attended by Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario who helped present the award and to translate the Spanish tribute to Martina by the newspaper's editors! Arantxa is herself a former recipient of this award. For an article (in Spanish) on this special honor, accompanied by a photo of Martina, click here. For another photo of Martina along with Arantxa at the presentation, click here. This photo is courtesy of the Sanex WTA Tour. For translation help, check out Alta Vista's Babelfish Translation Service.
May 23, 2002: Martina and Natasha won their quarterfinal doubles match in Madrid today, upsetting the #3 seeds, Nannie de Villiers and Laura Montalvo 6-2 5-7 6-3. Martina and Natasha had led 6-2 5-2 at one point before disaster struck; but fortunately, they were able to close out the match in the end. No pictures available as yet from today's match but here are two more from yesterday: Photo One, Photo Two. The first photo is by Agence France-Presse and the second from the Sanex WTA Tour website. Martina and Natasha will next play Clarissa Fernandez and Rita Grande in the semifinals. That match has been scheduled third on Pista Central. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
May 22, 2002: According to the official website, Martina was to be presented with the "Marca Leyenda" award at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid today. This is a special honor only given to 23 other athletes in the past 70 years. Martina also held a press conference after the match and some of her comments can be found in this article from Marca.
May 22, 2002: Martina and Natasha won their first round doubles match today in Madrid defeating Amy Frazier and Alina Jidkova 6-3 6-3. For a photo of Martina in action today, courtesy of the Associated Press & EFE, click here. They will next play the #3 seeds, Nannie de Villiers and Laura Montalvo in the quarterfinals tomorrow. That match has been scheduled last on Pista Central. Good luck, Martina and Natasha!
May 21, 2002: Martina and Natasha will play their first round match tomorrow in Madrid against Amy Frazier & Alina Jidkova. The match has been scheduled last on Pista Central. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
May 18, 2002: Good news. Martina & Natasha have entered the Open de Espana Madrid 2012 which starts tomorrow. This will be their final tournament in preparation for Roland Garros. They will play Amy Frazier & Alina Jidkova in the first round. For the complete draw, courtesy of the 'Tennis Spain' website, click here. For a press release, in Spanish, announcing Martina's participation, click here.
May 17, 2002: Martina and Natasha lost their quarterfinal doubles match in Rome today, going down to the #2 seeds, Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suarez 6-3 6-4. Their next tournament is expected to be Roland Garros in Paris, which begins May 27.
May 16, 2002: Martina has committed to playing at the Brittanic Asset Management International Championships in Eastbourne, England next month with Natasha Zvereva. To read the official press release from the tournament website, click here. My special thanks go out to Sky for alerting me to this.
May 16, 2002: Martina and Natahsa won their second round doubles match today defeating Nathalie Dechy & Meilen Tu 6-1 7-6(5). They will next play Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suarez. That match will be played on the Pallacorda Court tomorrow. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
May 15, 2002: For photos of Martina and Jennifer at the presentation at the Grand Hotel Parco Dei Principi in Rome yesterday, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two (accompanied by article). The photos are courtesy of the Sanex WTA Tour website.
May 15, 2002: Martina and Natasha won their first round doubles match today, defeating Marta Marrero and Maria Jose Martinez 1-6 6-1 6-4 in Rome. They will next play Nathalie Dechy and Meilen Tu. That match has been scheduled on Court 6 tomorrow. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
May 14, 2002: Martina made a special presentation to Jennifer Capriati today after Jennifer was announced as the winner of the Laureus Sports Award for Female Athlete of the Year. The presentation took place in a live telecast from the Parco dei Principi hotel in Rome.
May 14, 2002: Martina and Natasha will take on Marta Marrero & Maria Jose Martinez in their first round doubles match in Rome tomorrow. The match has been scheduled last on Court Central for the evening session. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
May 12, 2002: The Italian Open draw was released today. Martina and Natasha will take on Marta Marrero and Maria Jose Martinez in their first round match. For the complete doubles draw, courtesy of Michael Blue's website, click here.
May 10, 2002: Click here for an Agence France-Presse article on yesterday's result. All the quotes are from the press conference but the translation comes out a lot better in this article. And for another photo of Martina talking to the press yesterday (this one from the tournament website), click here.
May 9, 2002: Martina & Natasha lost their second round doubles match today in Berlin, going down to Daja Bedanova & Francesca Schiavone 6-3 6-4. For Martina's post-match press conference transcripts, courtesy of the tournament website, click here. For photos, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four, Photo Five. The first two are by the 'Associated Press,' the next two from the tournament website and the last one from the Sanex WTA Tour website. Martina's next tournament is expected to be the Italian Open in Rome next week though I have yet to see any news reports confirming that. Will keep you posted.
May 8, 2002: Here are some details from the "Legends of Tennis" charity exhibition in Reading, Penn. that took place on April 27. Martina played two matches that day. In the first, she teamed up with Gigi Fernandez against two local teaching pros Shari Bucklin and Sydney Carrick and won 5-1 (pro-set). Martina then teamed with Ilana Kloss to defeat Fernandez & Mary Lou Piatek-Daniels 6-3 6-4. All in all, the event raised $58,400 for the local chapter of the Red Cross. My special thanks go out to Christian, the chairman of the event, for the information. Also, thanks to the Martina fans in attendance at Reading who wrote about their experiences. Looks like everyone had a great time!
May 8, 2002: Martina and Natasha received a walkover to the second round after their opponents, Amanda Coetzer & Lori McNeil, were forced to withdraw due to a thigh injury sustained by Coetzer. Martina & Natasha will next face Daja Bedanova & Francesca Schiavone tomorrow and that match has been scheduled to be played on Center Court A. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
May 8, 2002: For a photo of Martina at the tournament player party in Berlin, click here. Accompanying Martina in the photo is Liezel Horn-Huber (who was supposed to play doubles with her in Memphis in February but had to withdraw due to injury). The photo is from the Sanex WTA Tour website.
May 7, 2002: Martina will make a guest appearance on the HBO sports talk show "On the Record" with Bob Costas this Thursday, May 9 at 10:30 p.m., ET/PT. U.S. residents who get HBO, you don't want to miss this! Click here to visit the "On the Record" page on HBO's website with a short write-up on the upcoming interview with Martina.
May 7, 2002: Martina and Natasha will play their first round match tomorrow on Center Court A. You can follow the match live on the tournament websites "Live Scoring" page. For a photo of Martina in practice today, from the tournament website, click here. Good luck, Martina & Natasha!
May 6, 2002: For a few photos of Martina in Berlin, click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three. The first one is courtesy of the Sanex WTA Tour and the next two are from the tournament website. Special thanks to Andee for notifying us of the tournament website photos.
May 5, 2002: The draw for the Eurocard Ladies German Open was announced today. Martina and Natasha will take on the #7 seeds, Amanda Coetzer and Lori McNeil in the first round. For the complete doubles draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here.
May 2, 2002: For photos of Martina from her appearance in Washington D.C. today to promote "Physical Activity Day," click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two. Martina is next scheduled to play at the Eurocard Ladies German Open in Berlin next week.
April 29, 2002: Martina will be in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, May 1 to join the U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson in kicking off "Physical Activity Day." Others in attendance will include U.S. gymnast Dominique Dawes, local schoolchildren, sporting goods manufacturers and PE.4LIFE. Mr. Thompson will also announce findings from a new study on medical costs associated with childhood obesity. The event will take place in front of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington D.C. at 1:30 p.m.
April 21, 2002: Martina has entered the Eurocard Ladies Open in Berlin, which begins May 6. She will be playing with Natasha Zvereva. To read the official press release, courtesy of the tournament website, click here. Martina reached the second round at this event last year with Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.
April 21, 2002: Some more Family Circle Cup news. First of all, Martina's new puppy's name is Madison. This was the name chosen by Martina from the numerous suggestions she received from fans, both online and at the tournament. To read Martina's message on the tournament website, click here. The 'Charleston Post & Courier' also featured an interesting article on Martina's Puppy Park and to read that, click here. Finally, the WTAStarz.com Photo Gallery has more photos of Martina from her first round match at Charleston. I'm not sure of the sources, but here are the links: Photo One, Photo Two, Photo Three, Photo Four. And for a photo of Martina along with her dogs, Bina & Sophie, and Jennifer Capriati with her dog, Bianca, click here.
April 18, 2002: Unfortunately, there hasn't been much news on Martina's match yesterday. However, the tournament website does have two photos of Martina from yesterday's action. Click on the following links: Photo One, Photo Two. Amazingly, despite this being Martina's third tournament of the year, it is the first time photos of Martina in action this year on the courts are available on the net! Martina's next event is scheduled to be the "Legends of Tennis" charity event to benefit a local chapter of the Red Cross in Reading, Pennsylvania next week.
April 17, 2002: Sadly, Martina & Elena Likhovtseva lost their first round match today to Silvia Farina-Elia & Asa Carlsson-Svensson 6-1 6-4. Not much information is available at this time. More will be posted tomorrow. In related news, the Family Circle Cup website is having a contest where you get to name the latest addition to Martina's family - a three-month-old female Boston terrier. Martina will choose the winner herself and the winner will receive an autographed picture of Martina and her puppy. For a photo of the puppy and more details on the contest, click here. The deadline for submitting entries is 5:00 p.m. EST, Thursday, April 18.
April 16, 2002: The Family Circle Cup has become the first tour event to create a pet park for the players' dogs where they can be taken care of while the players are occupied with their matches & practice sessions. And because of her dedication and commitment to animal's rights, they have decided to name the park after Martina! It will be known as "Martina's Puppy Park." Kudos to the Family Circle Cup for having the vision to create this healthy environment for the players' pets and for wisely naming it after such an outstanding animal's rights advocate as Martina. To read the complete press release, click here. And in related news, Martina & Elena will play their first round match tomorrow, which has been scheduled fourth on Stadium Court. You can follow the match live, courtesy of the tournament website here. Click on the link that says "Online Scores."
April 15, 2002: Martina isn't scheduled to play tomorrow; it appears her first round match is likely to be played Wednesday. In the meantime, click here for a "Charleston Post & Courier" article on the current women's game featuring a liberal dose of quotes by Martina; and here for a nice column on the top 10 things at the Family Circle Cup. Hint: one of them is a certain player whose name begins with an "M" & ends with an "A"...
April 14, 2002: The doubles draw for the Family Circle Cup was announced today. Martina is playing with Elena Likhovtseva of Russia and they will take on Silvia Farina-Elia & Asa Carlsson-Svensson in their first round match. For the complete doubles draw, courtesy of the tournament website, click here. This will mark Martina's 13th appearance at the event and her 12th in the doubles; but the first since the tournament moved to Charleston. She has played at both prior venues - Amelia Island (1975 & 1976) and Hilton Head Island (1978-79, 1982-83, 1988-92, 1994). Martina's complete results in singles & doubles can be found in the "Tennis History" folder of the message board. For an article from the "Charleston Post & Courier" that features quotes from Martina on the singles draw, her doubles return and other topics, click here.
April 14, 2002: The latest issue of "Ace" magazine features an interview with Monica Seles and she talks about Martina a couple of times. My special thanks go out to the fan who posted the interview on the WTA World message board. First, Monica recognizes Martina as someone "who changed the way players trained and worked, and brought a new dimension and emphasis on athleticism to the game." Monica also went on to praise Martina's off-court contributions to the game: "Without Martina, Billie Jean King and Chris Evert, who were the real pioneers, none of us would be here, and the tour wouldn't be so sucessful if they hadn't first done the work for us." She went on to add, "When I was younger, I loved to watch Martina. Recently, I have seen her in an exhibition match and what she's doing, and what she has accomplished, is wonderful. She still has the fire... She was a great left-hander. I really enjoyed playing tennis against her and we had some terrific matches. She was such a great athlete and serve-and-volleyer. I wish I could serve-and-volley like she did! As gracious & astute as ever, there is no wonder why Monica remains such a firm favorite with Martina fans. We wish her all the best in Charleston and for the rest of the year.
April 13, 2002: 'The Charleston Post & Courier' reported that Martina was expected to be present today for the announcement of the singles draw for the Family Circle Cup in Charleston. The draw was to take place at 3:00 p.m. It is still unclear who Martina will be playing doubles with at this event.
April 4, 2002: Martina has committed to playing at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina later this month. The official press release, however, does not mention who she will be playing with. This will be Martina's first appearance at this event since 1994, when it was still held in Hilton Head Island. For more, click here.
April 4, 2002: The World TeamTennis marquee draft picks were announced yesterday and it appears Martina will not be playing WTT this season. Martina was not supposed to play last year either, but ended up playing two matches for the Delaware Smash, substituting for an injured Serena Williams. I will keep you informed with regards to any further developments.
March 25, 2002: Martina and Natasha lost their first round match today to Lisa Raymond & Rennae Stubbs 7-6(4) 6-1. Unfortunately, there hasn't been any media coverage of this result so far and we are unable to tell what Martina's next tournament will be. I will keep you updated as soon as I hear something new.
March 23, 2002: Martina's match is expected to be played tomorrow but the timing & location are yet to be decided. You can follow the match live through the website's Live Scores page. The schedule can be found here. Also, for a link to a press release announcing the security caucus that Martina attended on Thursday, click here.
March 22, 2002: Martina didn't get to play her first round match today as rain forced play to be suspended at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami. Oddly enough, the match is not on tomorrow's schedule. Martina is quoted in an opinion article in today's 'Miami Herald.' I'm not sure if her comments were made this week or from a previous interview. Anyway, here is what Martina had to say about the current state of tennis: "The main reason men have greater depth is simply because more boys and men play tennis. The women's depth is better than it was 20 years ago." But she also added, "We've got more stars. You can have two men you've never heard of in a final."
March 21, 2002: Martina & Natasha play their opening round match tomorrow in Miami. It's the last match scheduled on Court 1. You can follow the match live through the tournament website's Live Scores section. In other news, Martina attended the ADT Security Caucus at the tournament today. ADT Security is one of the presenting sponsors of the Nasdaq-100 Open. For a photo of Martina at the caucus, along with Bud Collins & Mary Joe Fernandez, click here. The photo is courtesy of the tournament website.
March 19, 2002: The draw for the Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami was released. Martina & Natasha will take on the top seeds, Lisa Raymond & Rennae Stubbs in the first round. For the complete draw from the tournament website, click here. The tournament begins tomorrow.
March 10, 2002: Here are a few more photos of Martina at Indian Wells. First, for a photo of Martina & Natasha at their press conference on Friday, click here. During the week, Martina made a special presentation to former top 5 player Kathy Jordan in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the Sanex WTA Tour mentoring program. For a photo of Martina & Kathy, click here. And finally, for a photo of Martina with Tom Sutton, CEO of Pacific Life, and his wife, click here.
March 9, 2002: To read the transcripts of Martina's & Natasha's press conference yesterday, courtesy of ASAP Sports, click here. As always, Martina does not disappoint. She also reveals that they will be playing in Miami later this month at the Nasdaq-100 Open.
March 8, 2002: Unfortunately, Martina & Natasha lost their first round match today to Melissa Middleton & Brie Rippner 6-4 7-5. It was a difficult day for Martina, who had to endure the humiliation of her dog Sophie being called a "pollutant" to her face by a security guard at Indian Wells who refused to allow Sophie to attend Martina's match; She was forced to leave Sophie at the hotel. For articles on this incident, click on the following links: Reuters, The Desert Sun. Martina is also quoted in 'The Los Angeles Times' as calling the tournament's unfair anti-pet policy as "tyranny of the minority." For an earlier article from 'The Desert Sun' detailing Martina's comments made at yesterday's press conference, click here. And for a photo of Martina at the press conference, courtesy of the Sanex WTA Tour website, click here. My special thanks to Sky for the 'Desert Sun' links.
March 7, 2002: Martina & Natasha will play their first round match in Indian Wells tomorrow. Their match against Melissa Middleton & Brie Rippner is the final one on schedule on Stadium Court. In her press conference today, Martina hinted at the possibility that her doubles partnership with Natasha might extend beyond Indian Wells. For more on that, click here for an article from the tournament website.
March 6, 2002: The doubles draw for the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Calif. was announced today and surprisingly, Martina is playing with Natasha Zvereva. Earlier reports had indicated that she would partner Daniela Hantuchova in this event, but it now appears that Hantuchova has decided to play with Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. Zvereva has not played a competitive match since the 2000 Sydney Olympics. It will also be the first time in their careers that Martina and Natasha have played together in doubles. They will face Melissa Middleton & Brie Rippner in the first round. For the complete draw, courtesy of the tournament website (in a .PDF format), click here. If you cannot view the file, try Michael Blue's website here.
February 26, 2002: Martina will participate in a special Pro-Am "Legends of Tennis" exhibition to be held at Alvernia College in Reading, Pennsylvania on April 27. The event is to benefit the local chapter of the American Red Cross. Joining Martina will be Gigi Fernandez, Ilana Kloss & Mary Lou Piatek. For tickets & more information, call 610-375-4383. My special thanks go out to Marilyn for alerting me to this.
February 14, 2002: Martina has been forced to withdraw from the Kroger St. Jude Tennis Championships in Memphis because of an injury to her doubles partner, Liezel Horn-Huber. To read the official press release, click here.
February 5, 2002: Martina made an appearance in New York today at the Nasdaq MarketSite where it was announced that Nasdaq was taking over the title sponsorship of the Ericsson Open tournament in Miami. Joining Martina at the ceremony were tennis great Rod Laver, Nasdaq chairman & CEO Wick Simmons and tournament chairman Butch Buchholz. The tournament will now be known as the Nasdaq-100 Open and will be played March 20-31. For a picture of Martina with Laver & Simmons, courtesy of the 'Associated Press,' click here. For the official press release on the tournament website, click here. We have not yet heard if Martina will be playing here, but it is definitely a possibility. Check back for more updates on that.
February 5, 2002: On Sunday, February 2, in Aspen, Martina served as a hockey coach for a special exhibition game as part of the third annual Face-Off in Aspen. Martina's team was comprised of the members of the victorious 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. They faced off against a team of former NHL All-Star players and won 6-5! The event was billed as the "Miracle in the Mountains" and Martina also served as emcee for the event along with Kim Alexis. For more details in an article from 'The Denver Rocky Mountain News', click here.
February 5, 2002: Martina was a guest on the tv show "Hollywood Squares" last week. I apologize for not notifying you all of this earlier. Hopefully, many of you U.S. residents were able to catch some of it. Martina had previously been a guest on the show in 1979, sharing a square with John McEnroe.
January 28, 2002: Finally the news we have all been waiting for - Martina's tournaments for 2002! As of today, I am aware of two tournaments that Martina will be playing in the upcoming weeks. She has entered the Kroger St. Jude tennis tournament in Memphis, which begins February 18. Here she will be partnered by Liezel Horn-Huber of South Africa. For the official press release, click here and for an article from 'The Memphis Flyer,' click here. Martina has also entered the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, which begins March 4, where she will play with Daniela Hantuchova, the reigning Wimbledon & Australian Open mixed doubles champion. For the official press release, click here. My special thanks go out to Débora for alerting me to the Memphis news & to Beatriz for posting the Indian Wells news on the WTA World board.
January 28, 2002: Martina is featured on the cover of the latest issue of "Curve" magazine; she is also the subject of their cover story. For a brief synopsis of the article, visit their website here. The complete article can only be found in the print edition. My special thanks go out to Aspenite for alerting me to this.
January 28, 2002: This not exactly Martina-related news, but I had to make an exception here. On January 16, Pam Shriver, Martina's longtime doubles partner, was inducted to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Pam! We are undoubtedly extremely happy for her for being so honored. As one of the greatest doubles players in history (not to mention a fine singles player in her own right), with a career spanning 20 years from 1977 to 1997, Pam has earned the right to join this select group. To read the transcripts of Pam's press conference in Melbourne (where she was covering the Australian Open for ESPN), click here. My special thanks to Phil for posting this link on the WTA World board. The induction will take place on July 13 in Newport.
January 28, 2002: For a few details on a speech Martina gave at the Claridges Hotel in London last month at the special charity event benefiting Save the Rhino International & Wildlifeline (the day after her victorious match against Arantxa), click here. The excerpts are from a book being written by Kevin James and my special thanks go out to Kevin for sharing the information with us.
January 5, 2002: Click here for some photos of Martina at Wimbledon last year. The page takes a while to load so give it some time to become completely viewable. My special thanks go out to Lolita for the great photos.