[Volcana]

She's a solid, veteran, professional tennis player.

As somebody who once dreamed of playing professional tennis (reality intruded in the form of being too slow, too weak, and too unskilled) I have LOVED to have had Iveta Benesova's career. Made the top thirty, won a tour event (2004 Acapulco, went through qualifying, beat Bartoli along the way) plus some doubles titles.

Beat Vaidisova at the French last year.
Beat Chakvetadze at Luxembourg last year.
Hasn't lost a set this tournament.


But she's moving up weight class today. Valor, however laudable, won't be enough.

BRISBANE ...... R32 [**] KARATANTCHEVA ....... L 1-6 6-4 6-2
HOBART ........ R32 [35] TANASUGARN .......... W 7-5 7-5
HOBART ........ R16 [**] SANTANGELO .......... W 6-3 6-1
HOBART ........ QTR [50] DULKO ............... W 6-4 6-4
HOBART ........ SMI [57] RYBARIKOVA .......... W 6-1 6-3
HOBART ........ FNL [49] KVITOVA ............. L 7-5 6-1
AUS OPEN ...... 128 [78] DUSHEVINA ........... W 6-4 0-6 6-2
AUS OPEN ...... R64 [04] DEMENTIEVA .......... L 6-4 6-1
PARIS ......... R32 [01] SERENA .............. L 6-1 6-4
ACAPULCO ...... R32 [**] SAVCHUK ............. W 6-2 6-0
ACAPULCO ...... R16 [93] ZAKOPALOVA .......... W 4-6 6-4 7-6
ACAPULCO ...... QTR [67] JOHANSSON ........... W 6-1 6-3
ACAPULCO ...... SMI [15] PENNETTA ............ L 6-3 6-3
MONTERREY ..... R32 [47] PEER ................ W 6-4 6-2
MONTERREY ..... R16 [69] VINCI ............... W 7-6 6-2
MONTERREY ..... QTR [62] ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA .. W 7-5 6-4
MONTERREY ..... SMI [53] LI, NA .............. L 6-3 6-3
INDIAN WELLS .. R64 [46] KVITOVA ............. L 6-3 6-1
............... ... .... ..................... . ... ... ...
MIAMI ......... R64 [56] LISICKI ............. W 6-2 6-4
MIAMI ......... R32 [35] DULKO ............... W 6-3 6-2
MIAMI ......... R16 [21] MEDINA GARRGUES ..... W 6-4 6-1
MIAMI ......... QTR [06] VENUS ...............


[**] = Ranked outside the top 99

 

[LCS]

She better stay away from Kvitova..

 

[Beat]

she's doing well. ... and to think that the year started so horribly - losing to karatancheva :spit:

 

[vwfan]

thanks!

 

[Sammm]

Veteran? She just turned 26. Old is the new young on the WTA tour these days.

You forgot to mention she's a leftie and is rather aesthetically pleasing :inlove:

 

[Eclipsed]

Veteran? She just turned 26. Old is the new young on the WTA tour these days.

You forgot to mention she's a leftie and is rather aesthetically pleasing :inlove:

She's not too bad, but she always looks so miserable.

 

[Sammm]

She's not too bad, but she always looks so miserable.

True. Same with some of the other Czech girls. Klara Z has the saddest looking face I've ever seen. Like this: :sad:

 

[V.Melb]

I would hardly call her a veteran.

Craybas, Tanasugarn, Davenport are veterans... or even more, try Date-Krumm!

But Benesova is not a veteran tennis player.

 

[V.Melb]

I sold Klara and Iveta a pair of shoes at the Nike store at the Aus open a few years back. the coldest two women you would ever see, rightly so, they hang around together... no smiles, no facial expressions, nothing.
I actually like these two players, but a bit of human expression and emotion is beyond them, Iveta is almost as bad as Klara. It was like talking to two robots, frankly, unfriendly robots at that.

 

[Sammm]

I sold Klara and Iveta a pair of shoes at the Nike store at the Aus open a few years back. the coldest two women you would ever see, rightly so, they hang around together... no smiles, no facial expressions, nothing.
I actually like these two players, but a bit of human expression and emotion is beyond them, Iveta is almost as bad as Klara. It was like talking to two robots, frankly, unfriendly robots at that.

Really? :sad:

 

[V.Melb]

Yes, really. They were together, and arctic cold... not rude. they did not smile once, not even when talking to eachother. They way you see them on TV, is the way they are in real life they suppose. I don't know them obviously, but this is the experience I had with them, for a good 1/2 they spent in the Nike store... they weren't happy girls.

 

[Wiggly]

Iveta had braces so that wasn't helping. :lol:
I would say she's more relaxed and is showing more emotions since last year, around Fed Cup. She was giggling à la Ivanovic.

 

[Sammm]

Iveta had braces so that wasn't helping. :lol:
I would say she's more relaxed and is showing more emotions since last year, around Fed Cup. She was giggling à la Ivanovic.

That may be one of the best things I have ever seen in my life. :inlove::bdaycake::smoke:

:hatoff: to Iveta for holding an iguana

 

[Kai]

Iveta had braces so that wasn't helping. :lol:
I would say she's more relaxed and is showing more emotions since last year, around Fed Cup. She was giggling à la Ivanovic.

I love this picture :hearts:

 

[Volcana]

I would hardly call her a veteran.

It's just a word. But she's 26. That's not the heart of your career, unless you're Martina Navratilova. Most players don't get BETTER after age 25. Some of them wake up, and play smarter but in almost amny sport, once you pass age 25, yoiu are what you are, athletically.

Hence my use of the term, 'veteran'.

If you think abut it, most elite players quaify for 'veteran' status at twenty-TWO. They've been around the tour, they've had big wins, they're used to the travel, food, drugs, sleazy fat guys hitting on them, quid pro quo from sponsors, etc.

Maria Sharapova is a 'veteran' player. Because she's been dealing with the dirty uderside of the tour for five years already. Ana Ivanovic? No. She's just learning what it's like. And he results post-RG reflect that.

But it IS just a word.

 

[NoChokes]

How does Radek do it?

 

[Sammm]

How does Radek do it?

Omg brilliant :haha:

 

[Becool]

i think she's a journey woman..

she's going to be on tour for a while.. have some decent results.. but being no threat at all to better or top ranked players.. i think she's ok.. she's one of those players a Serena, or Sharapova will have to defeat on round 3 or 2 along the way to win a grand slam, if they will..

she's a cutie tho.. that can play tennis rather well, queen of tier III or IV

 

[switz]

Iveta has a lot more game than people think, she's just had a really poor attitude for much of her career that has led to big up and downs. I don't think someone ranked 25 in the world can be called a journey woman anymore. look at her losses this. aside from the opening match choke aganst Sesil K she hasn't had a bad loss.

 

[Albireo]

I sold Klara and Iveta a pair of shoes at the Nike store at the Aus open a few years back. the coldest two women you would ever see, rightly so, they hang around together... no smiles, no facial expressions, nothing.
I actually like these two players, but a bit of human expression and emotion is beyond them, Iveta is almost as bad as Klara. It was like talking to two robots, frankly, unfriendly robots at that.

Benesova needs to spend more time with Domi, then.