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Holy salkow, Batman, Miki’s back! Yes, Japan’s very own Babe on Ice, Miki Ando, roared back to form in the opening event of the Grand Prix figure skating series, not only winning October’s Skate America competition in Connecticut, but overshadowing younger teen star Mao Asada, everybody’s current tip for greatness. Ando, of course, was panned after finishing a disappointing 15th at the Turin Olympics, but she’s lost a bit of chunkiness and taken her skating to a higher level; maybe now she will start to fulfill her promise. Next up on the calendar is the NHK Trophy from November 30 to December 3 in Nagano. Japan’s women skaters are hot right now. Catch them while you can. FV See sports listings for details.
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By
Fred Varcoe, former sports editor for The Japan Times
Toyota Princess Cup 2002
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| More than just power:
Serena Williams |
September is a great time to hold a tennis tournament in
Tokyo. The searing heat of summer gives way to cooler breezes
and, if the typhoons steer clear of the capital, allows for
perfect playing and watching weather.
September 2001 was not a great time to be hosting anything,
anywhere. A week after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the organizers
of the Toyota Princess Cup opted to go ahead with their tournament
despite the withdrawal of defending champion Serena Williams
and fellow Americans Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati. It
was a brave decision-"We feared we might not
be able to hold the tournament," Toyota Princess Cup
director Koji Tanaka admitted-and allowed for a fine
tournament won by Yugoslavia's Jelena Dokic, who defeated
veteran Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-4, 6-2 in the final.
With the world a slightly less jittery place, the Toyota Princess
Cup returns to full strength this year (Sept 16-22 at Tokyo's
Ariake Coliseum), and world No. 1 Williams will be on hand
to try and reclaim the title she had to give up last year.
Her main obstacle is defending champion Dokic, who, after
a surprising first-round exit at the US Open, should at least
be well-rested. She should not, however, be underestimated.
Dokic is one of the hardest-working players on the Sanex WTA
Tour and has risen to No. 4 in the world. Just behind her
in the rankings is Belgium star Kim Clijsters, who will also
be coming to Tokyo. The formidable Belgian, at 19 the same
age as Dokic, has had a considerable impact on world tennis
in the past couple of years, reaching the semifinals of this
year's Australian Open and the final of last year's
French Open. The daughter of Belgian soccer star Leo Clijsters
has won seven times on the WTA Tour and was a Wimbledon doubles
finalist with Japan's Ai Sugiyama in 2001.
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| Japan's No. 1, Ai Sugiyama |
And what of Japan's No. 1 tennis player? Well, Sugiyama's
never going to set the world alight as a singles player, but
she has the character and fight to upset some of the world's
best players, especially in Tokyo on her "home"
court. The Kanagawa native may not have won a singles tournament
in four years, but she has found herself back in the top 20
in the WTA rankings this year after reaching the semifinals
of tournaments in LA and Memphis. And let's not forget,
she was the world's top doubles player in 2000 and
has won 20 doubles tournaments around the globe, including
two grand slam titles.
But the main attraction will be Serena, a veritable tsunami
of strength who seems to be able to destroy players at will.
Purists argue that she is all power, but power alone has never
been enough to get you to the No. 1 spot in the world rankings.
Power helps, but Serena's main strength is being able
to put the ball in the right place at the right time with
the right power-that's skill, not brute force.
The fact that she has the athleticism to be in position every
time to return the ball is also a tribute to her dedication
as a professional athlete. In short, she's everything
every other player on the tour would like to be: the best,
and the best is always worth seeing.
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