She also mixed up her first serves well, with some blasts down the middle, some right at the body, and some wide angles, either slices to the deuce court, or vicious kickers that bounced short and high to Williams’ backhand on the ad side.


Serena Williams: Doubles Specialist?

Though she looked extremely fit, the American often played flat-footed, and produced errors off net cords, and on short slices, as well as other off-pace shots. She did frequently move forward after returning a second serve.

Williams discussed her contention in the doubles draw at the tournament, with sister Venus. “You’ll see me be very serious about my doubles. We’ll practice all day tomorrow on serious doubles tactics. I’m becoming known as something of a doubles player, which is worrying me. I definitely want to focus on my singles. I have to figure out what to do with my singles career.”

Serena also addressed the loss. “I can only learn from this, and do better in my next few matches. I’ll be training next week to get ready for the other events, and this gives me a lot more inspiration to see exactly what I need to work on, going into the US Open.

“I hate losing in the quarterfinals. I’m not supposed to lose in the quarterfinals. I’ll have to remember that in my next tournament. I should have remembered it here, but it just didn’t work out.”


Next up for examination is V. Williams d. Sharapova 6-2, 6-2 in 80 minutes.

Venus Williams: Dominant

Serena’s sister easily won over the Russian, who is still struggling in her injury comeback. Venus controlled virtually all of the blasting baseline rallies. She also decidedly took advantage of Sharapova’s weaknesses, playing aggressively when both serving and returning.

In the post-match interview, Williams coyly told the media,“I enjoy playing against Maria. It’s one of my favorite match-ups. My game works well against her.” This despite trailing the head-to-head 2-3 and having lost all three prior matches on hard courts. “As long as I’m focused, I can often control my matches and not let my opponent in,” added the 2009 Wimbledon finalist.

Maria Sharapova: Bankable but Breakable

3,828 spectators (an all-time record, just beating out the 2005 final between Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters) certainly didn’t expect Sharapova to toss in eight double faults and 30 total unforced errors. Although the former World No. 1, who was playing at Stanford for the first time in her career, showed signs of fight, she was broken five times in the short match.

“Against Venus, you definitely have to go for your shots. I certainly had my chances,” said the fierce competitor. “Just a few things I didn’t capitalize on.”


The third quarterfinal featured two players who had exchanged fighting words in the media prior to the match. The result? Bartoli d. Jankovic 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3.

Marion Bartoli: Quotable

Bartoli had several memorable moments after the match. Let’s let her speak for herself:

On her father’s latest unusual drills and training methods:
“It’s a secret. You know, I am not a usual person, as well. I have some abilities but I also have some difficulties. And yet I have reached the final of a Grand Slam. I have to come up with some drills, but I don’t think they’re so different, they’re just made for me. I think it’s important to have someone who really thinks only for you.

“I think everyone has different routines. I think all the girls in the top 15 have different routines.

"… you’re special. Not only to be there but to get there. You can’t be usual to be top 15, top 20. You can’t play like everyone else. You have to have something special. Like having two hands on both sides is something special.”

On why she has changed her service motion:
“Why, don’t you think my serve is better? [laughs] The thing is, two years ago, I was not physically at the level I am now. And as you can see I have lost a lot of weight. I want to use my legs more. After some physical training since the past two years, now I am able to serve using my legs, which I wasn’t able to do before.”

On facing Stosur, not Serena Williams, in the semifinals:
“Well, we can’t choose our opponent, unfortunately. But of course it’s exciting to play the No. 1, sorry, the No. 2 player in the world … she won three Grand Slams out of four, so it would have been exciting to go against Serena. But Samantha was the better player today. So it’s going to be very difficult tomorrow. She’s having a great year so far; she was in the semifinal of the French Open. She’s serving so huge, it’s really difficult to break her. I’m going to have to be really, really at 100% to have a chance tomorrow.”

When asked to which of the French players she is closest:[pause] “I would say Amelie Mauresmo, because we’re living in the same area, and in the off-season we are training together. Other players living in France, we don’t see each other so often.”

Jelena Jankovic: Philosophical

Despite having two match points, 11 break point chances and Bartoli’s service of ten double faults, the Serbian failed to win the quarterfinal and increased Bartoli’s lead in their head-to-head to 5-3.

Obviously disappointed to have let the match slip through her fingers, Jankovic tried to make peace with it in the post-match interview. “It’s a little bad luck, to have two match points [and not win]. But she was serving, so … what can you do?

“I’m starting to do some good things, but there’s still a lot of things I can do better. Now I have a week to train, and try to clean up some things, and hopefully do better at Cincinnati.”

When a reporter noted that she has used the phrase, “What can you do?” quite frequently in 2009 interviews, Jelena replied, “Well, what CAN you do? You cannot cry over spilled milk. When something has happened, you cannot change. Just have to try to do something different. Just have to stay optimistic and play better at Cincinnati.”


And finally, we can briefly address the first and, perhaps, the most straight-forward quarterfinal of the day - Dementieva d. Hantuchova 6-2, 6-4

Elena Dementieva: Solid

Although these two had not played each other since 2007, the Russian picked up where she left off and beat Hantuchova for a tenth time in her career. In addition to hitting five aces, Dementieva ran around her backhand to hit a forcing forehand, and was in control of most points in the match.

Daniela Hantuchova: Defeated

Though she had a few nice moments, there was never a moment in the match when it really felt like Hantuchova would emerge the winner. She was broken five of the nine times she served, and won only 54% of her first serve points.


In addition to the drama of the singles matches, a quarterfinal was also played in doubles, and it featured a surprising straight-set loss of top seed and defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber to unseeded Yung-Jan Chan and Monica Niculescu.


More photos from the 2009 Bank of the West Classic Tennis Tournament.
Photos: Scott Minor