Upsets and Injuries Plague Acura Classic

Monty Basnyat

Capriati gave it a go, but her injury proved too severe.

With Serena Williams pulling out and Jennifer Capriati retiring due to an injury, the top half of the draw appears wide open with number 10th seed Magdalena Maleeva the highest seed left. Well, it's open until the semifinals where she could face Justine Henin-Hardenne the number 3 ranked player in the world.

Capriati gave it a valiant effort but after trailing 1-4 in the first set, she packed it in.

"The last two days I’ve been taking care of it (injury). I didn’t practice at all,” Capriati said. “Even without hitting balls it still hurt. You never know what can happen out there. I’m just afraid I could injure it some more.”

The bottom half of the draw did not go according to form either. Number 8 seed, Ai Sugiyama, was outsed by Lida Raymond 6-0, 2-6, 6-4 and number 14, Meghann Shaugnessy, fell to Marion Bartoli 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-5. The 11th seed, Conchita Martinez, ran into a revitalized Mary Pierce and a stomach illness and went down 6-1, 6-3.

Martinez broke Pierce twice to open the second set but that's where the trouble began. In obvious discomfort, Martinez called for a trainer and was treated for her illness but when play resumed, pierce closed out the match running off six consecutive games.

In other matches, Maleva clocked Austrailia’s Alicia Molik 6-3, 6-1, Kim Clijsters crushed Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2, 6-0, and Justine Henin-Hardenne crushed Eleni Danilidou 6-1, 6-1 and Elena Dementieva defeated Italy’s Francesca Schiavone 7-6(6), 6-2. Henin-Hardenne and Dementieva will meet each other in the round of 16.

Lisa Raymond - A Rarity on the WTA Tour.

I really love the way Lisa Raymond plays tennis. She is an all courter in the truest sense. Lisa owns one of the most lethal one-handed backhands in the women’s game and at 5’5” and a mere 129 pounds, she can pound out groundstrokes with the biggest hitters on the tour. But that's not all there is to Raymond's game. She can come over the ball when she needs to but it's her heavy slice and her ability to take the net that separates her form the pack.

Raymond is a master of the slice backhand.

In today’s match against Ai Sugiyama, Raymond used her slice to keep her opponent off balance. Raymond gave absolutely no rhythm, feeding Sugiyama slices at ankle height then taking control of the points with big forehands. Sugiyama's biggest strength is her speed and she had to use every bit of it today because Raymond took advantage of the entire court.

Raymond really knows how to use the slice to maximize her court positioning and create opportunities to hit her forehand weapon. She is very adept at a placing her slice in three areas – crosscourt deep and low, crosscourt shallow angle at the service line, and the change of direction down the line. She hits these shots with ease and confidence. It's an awesome weapon.

The majority of the players on the WTA are used to seeing their opponents bang big topspin balls from both the forehand and backhand and Raymond's deft artistry gives them fits. She's a tough opponent because you have to get down low every time you hit it to her backhand which can tire you out very quickly.

Raymond also has a very solid attacking game and she looks for any opportunity to move foreword and put away a crisp volley.

Raymond was the number one doubles player in the world back in September of 2002 and has won the Australian Open, US Open, and Wimbledon Doubles titles but her highest singles ranking was 15th in October, 1997. She is currently ranked 26th.

Powerful forehands and quick feet make Raymond fun to watch.

So why hasn't Raymond cracked the top 10? In my opinion, her serve is holding her back. It's a solid first serve and she can throw in a nice kicker or slider for her second, but it's not going to get her too many easy points.

In the modern game, to consistently be in the top 10 ten you need weapons. Big serve, big forehand, and fantastic speed like Graf or great return, strong mental game, and the ability to take the ball on the rise like Monica Seles.

Still, Raymond has a great demeanor on the court and a game that is very athletic and that makes her fun to watch. She may not win all her matches but I guarantee she will put on a very exciting show. If you have an opportunity to watch her live don’t miss it because watching her on television does not do justice to her game.

See you at courtside!

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