By Erik Gudris | Monday, September 29, 2014
Li Na's hometown return and Julien Benneteau's ongoing losing streak in singles finals marked a memorable and, for some, forgettable week in tennis.
Photo Credit: AP
Who says that this time of the tennis season is slow? Last week proved memorable for many of the sport's biggest stars and forgettable for others. Here's a look back.
Memorable: Li Na
The Chinese superstar had a bittersweet homecoming when she made an appearance at the inaugural Wuhan Open. Having just announced her retirement at age 32 due to ongoing knee injuries, her reception by fans and players was one filled with love and admiration for the tennis pioneer. After all, it's unlikely the new WTA event would have been built in her hometown had Li not won two Grand Slam titles and ignited interest in the sport across the country. The love-fest continued in Beijing where an emotional Li was honored by many currently players, including Rafa Nadal and Petra Kvitova.
While known for her quick wit, Li was no stranger to tough times even as a youngster. In an interview, she revealed that her father's death as a teenager made her focus on being great at tennis even more than ever to help support her mother.
What's next for Li? She mentioned the possibility of starting a family while continuing the varied business interests that have made her one of the richest sportswomen in the world. But whatever she decides, let's hope Li doesn't stay too far away from the public eye so we can all keep up with the next part of her journey.
Memorable: Andy Murray
The smile on Murray's face after winning the Shenzhen Open said it all. Over one year since claiming the Wimbledon title, Murray finally reached an ATP final and took home the trophy. He did so in a grueling three set battle against Tommy Robredo with Murray saving five match points in the second set, including being down 2-6 in a tiebreak.
It's been a tough year and a half for Murray both on and off the court. After returning from back surgery, Murray has struggled at times this season and dealt with a high-profile coaching change from Ivan Lendl to Amelie Mauresmo. He also recently endured severe public backlash after he posted a message on social media supporting Scotland's recent independence vote.
As Murray now attempts to secure a spot in the upcoming ATP Tour Finals in London, a final flourish of victories down the stretch may keep that winning smile on his face for a while.
Forgettable: Julien Benneteau
As the French would say, "zéro."
That's the number of career singles titles Julien Benneteau has to his name. Despite all of his efforts, the veteran Frenchman came up just short in his bid to hold a singles trophy. This time, and for the third year in a row, at the Malaysian Open finals. Japan's Kei Nishikori proved too strong as he earned his third title of the season.
"Benneteau title watch," as it's known in social media circles, may start up again soon. But for now all we can say to Julien is "quel dommage" (too bad).
Forgettable: David Ferrer
What's up with David Ferrer of late? So far, the Spaniard has no wins to show for his current Asian campaign. He just lost in the opening round of Tokyo to Marcel Granollers. Last week, he also lost his Shenzhen opener to Viktor Troicki.
Ferrer recently parted ways with former coach Jose Francisco Altur and admitted things aren't great for him at the moment.
"I have not been playing well recently, and have got on a bad run of results," Ferrer said after his Tokyo loss.
Ferrer better hope he can turn things around soon. He's currently sitting in the very tenuous spot of seventh place in qualifying for the upcoming eight-man year-end ATP Tour Finals in London.
Forgettable: Debate Over Spain's New Davis Cup Captain
Last week was probably not the last time we will hear about the debate over the hiring of Gala Leon Garcia to be Spain's new David Cup captain. After Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal's uncle and coach, openly criticized the hiring mainly because Leon Garcia is a woman, the new captain fired back in an interview defending herself.
While several Spanish team members, including Rafael Nadal, expressed their view that they wished that they had been consulted, the prevailing view is to accept the decision and move on. How all of this impacts Spain's attempts to get back into the World Group remains to be seen. It's worth noting that former captain Carlos Moya cited lack of player interest in competing on the team as a main reason for his departure.
Memorable: Roger Federer
Leave it to Roger Federer to show the power and creativity of social media. Federer, who recently signed up for the new ITPL league, asked his fans to show him the best places in India to visit before he competes for the Indian Aces team later this year.
The results were amazing and often hilarious.
Memorable: Maria Sharapova
And to end with yet another primo social media moment, Maria Sharapova proved that when you lest expect it, your favorite tennis player might be sitting right behind you.