There may be a handful of players with Dinara Safina’s talent on the women’s tour today, but the Russian woman, who is now 24 years old, may never find her way back to the top of women’s tennis again.  

The former No. 1, who has slipped to No. 35 in the world, played recently at the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford where she received a wild-card entry into the event. During her opening match, Safina suffered a 4-6 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 defeat to veteran Japanese player Date Krumm, aged 39. The Japanese lady rose from the ashes to come back against Safina who had served for the match in the second set.

This same woman shocked Safina in the first round of the French Open in 2010, sending the Russian hustling back home after having made the French Open finals the previous two years.  

Today, Safina appears but a shadow of her former self—before her lower back began to tighten like a noose around her neck while the sports media stomped out the tiny flame that fueled her burgeoning self-confidence.

At the conclusion of 2009, Safina began to admit to experiencing back problems, which have hampered her return to the women’s tour in 2010. After retiring during the round-robin competition at the 2009 WTA Tour Championships, Safina sacrificed her chance to end the year world ranked at No. 1. At that point, the Russian revealed that her back had been bothering her for the past three months.

This year has been marked by chronic reports of back injury and plummeting rankings for Safina. At this juncture, the Russian cannot seem to win a match.  

Safina, like her brother Marat Safin, is blessed with enviable talent and cursed with a delicate and temperamental mental state. Marat Safin, who also achieved the No. 1 ranking on the ATP tour, was able to win two slams. His younger sister, however, has not been able to equal that feat, even though she possesses the talent and the game to do so.  

Brother Marat left tennis at the conclusion of 2009, a colorful and enigmatic figure with talent to burn and a temper that often defeated his playing instincts. He seemed resigned and regretful but he realized the end had come.  

Not so for Safina, who still has ambitions to collect that slam victory.

She came closest to achieving her dream at the 2008 French Open when she reached the final, defeating then current No. 1 ranked Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, followed by turning back fellow Russian Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals. In both matches, Safina found herself match points down, fighting back hard to secure victories.

In the semifinal, Safina defeated countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova, reaching her first ever grand slam final where she would face Serb Ana Ivanovic. Going down meekly after putting up such a fight in all her matches leading up to the final, Safina lost to Ivanovic 6-4, 6-3.  

Safina’s nerves got the best of her on that day but not so for Ivanovic, who won her first major title and succeeded to the No. 1 ranking. Had the Russian won that match, the world might well be looking at Safina as the current World No. 1.  

Her next slam final came in Australia in 2009 against Serena Williams. The American brushed Safina away in under an hour—59 minutes to be exact. It was an embarrassing loss for the Russian who succumbed 6-0, 6-3. Williams offered no mercy but Safina admitted she had not played well in the final.

Despite her losses, in April of 2009, Safina became the No. 1 ranked player in the world and like Jelena Jankovic before her, the press and fans grew incensed that any player who had not won a slam could be ranked No. 1.  

The wear and tear of constant criticism and being forever questioned on this issue added to the pressure Safina felt every time she took the court—pressure the young Russian was ill-equipped to handle.

It made her resolve to win a slam even stronger as she began her clay campaign in 2009. Safina looked impressive winning both Rome and Madrid on her way to the 2009 French Open. Entering Paris, the Russian was the overwhelming favorite and No. 1 seed in the event.  

Unfortunately, once she made the final, she lost to Kuznetsova in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, double faulting on set point. Safina admitted that she had put too much pressure on herself to win. She crumbled once again in the spotlight.

Following that, a poor showing at Wimbledon against Venus Williams increased the criticism of her “right” to be ranked as No. 1.  

A baseliner with powerful and deep ground stokes, Safina goes for much and therefore may pile up the unforced errors. At times her high ball toss causes her serve to be erratic. Safina moves well for a player over six feet tall. Like her brother, she has talent but also like her brother, her play can be erratic.

Safina remains well aware of her circumstances and is working hard, coach-less so far, to get her game back to its previous levels. She admits that she returned too soon to the game before her back had healed properly in order to play on clay. That led to further injury.

Safina’s plan is to find her consistency. First of all, she needs to play well enough throughout a match to win. After that she will concentrate on playing well enough throughout a whole tournament to find success.  

Realizing that this will take time, Safina promises not to panic about early losses as long as she feels she is making progress. It all takes patience. Perhaps with enough patience, Safina will find her way back to the top of the game.

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The third week of the Olympus US Open Series will bring the ATP World Tour to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington D.C.

Beginning six weeks of intense hard-court action, the Washington event will set the platform for the upcoming Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati.

The hot and humid conditions in D.C. have never been easy for the ATP players to deal with (especially during the day), but there is no doubt that the fitness and mental fortitude of every main draw player will be pushed to the limit.

Two-time defending champion Juan Martin del Potro remains sidelined with a wrist injury, and will not be able to compete for a third straight title. The Tandil native has set a comeback date for the end of September, and will be sadly missed during the current and forthcoming marquee events on the circuit.

With three of the top 10 players in the world present in Washington this year, let's now take a look at the top and bottom halves of the draw, and who the potential winners and surprises could be.

Top Half:

Wimbledon finalist, Tomas Berdych will lead the way in Washington this year. Fresh off of his first Grand Slam final in London, which was followed by a semifinal performance at the French Open, Berdych will occupy the unlikely role of the being the favorite this week.

Receiving a bye in the first-round, Berdych will face either Dmitry Tursunov,or Teymuraz Gabasvili in second-round action.

Looking ahead at other potential winners in the top half of the draw, No. 3 seed Fernando Verdasco, No. 5 seed John Isner, and No. 9 seed Ernests Gulbis can't be overlooked.

Verdasco, who spent last week training in Las Vegas in order to better prepare for his hard-court march, took a late wildcard into the event. Originally slated to make his first hard-court appearance in Toronto, Verdasco will make his debut in Washington this year. Losing four of his last five matches on Tour, Verdasco will be adamant on changing his fortunes on the hard-courts of North America.

Marathon man Isner will be looking to add to his recent finals appearance in Atlanta. Reaching four finals this season, Isner continues to prove that his will and serving prowess are more than adequate weapons to sustain a top 20 position.

One wonders if fatigue, and injury will catch up with the 6'9" American, considering that most of his matches this year have gone to the limit—see his Wimbledon first-round against Nicolas Mahut, and more recently the finals of Atlanta against Mardy Fish.

Nevertheless, Isner is currently surrounded by an aura of confidence and hype, and those variables are often more valuable than a put-away forehand.

The dangerous groundstrokes of Latvian Gulbis will be interesting to monitor in Washington. Returning from injury last week in Los Angeles, the 21-year-old was bounced from the event in the second-round, but not before receiving multiple code violations and saving four match points.

Gulbis has exhibited the type of form that has challenged, and defeated the top players in the world, but remains an enigma considering the frequent early round losses that he's encountered in the past.

Gulbis does though, remain one of the purest ball strikers on the circuit, and could become a nightmare for anyone to face if his timing and confidence returns.

Other dangerous floaters that lurk in this half include: Richard Gasquet, James Blake, and Marcos Baghdatis.

Although Berdych provides the most bang for the buck in this half, something tells me that Verdasco's week of heavy duty training in Las Vegas will aid him towards a first time final.

Pick: Verdasco

Bottom Half:

Is it time for Andy Roddick fans to push the parachute button on their backpacks, or will the three time champ, and two time finalist turnaround his slumping form in Washington?

Roddick's year has been filled with quite a few notable momentum changes. His season began with a flourish by taking home two tournament titles in Brisbane and Miami, while reaching two other finals in San Jose and Indian Wells (all on hard-courts).

However, a hiatus from the clay-court season derailed Roddick's level of play, and saw him encounter earlier-than-expected losses at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Observing his matches in Atlanta two weeks ago, Roddick was far from his hard-court best. The American struggled with his returns, and lost a set in each of his first two matches before falling in straight sets to Fish in the semifinals.

Roddick's Washington record does speak for itself, and I think it's safe to say that if he's hoping for a successful summer season, than a deep charge in Washington must be achieved.

He was handed a generous draw up until the semifinals, with the exception of giant killer, and former top three player David Nalbandian as a potential quarterfinal foe.

Nalbandian pulled off an epic performance in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup against Russia, and his silky smooth backhand has always excelled on hard-courts.

The top quarter of this half contains four players who could all advance to the semifinals. No. 4 seed Marin Cilic, No. 6 seed Sam Querrey, No. 11 seed Lleyton Hewitt, and No. 15 seed Fish have all shown flashes of brilliance on the asphalt this season.

Cilic, who has been in a slump as of late, returns to action after an early exit from Wimbledon. The lanky Croat blazed to the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year, but has cooled off considerably after signs of reaching the top 10.

Querrey has always thrived during the North American events, but has struggled to sustain respectable results in tournaments of larger stature. He does remain a menacing force on hard-courts, and appears like a good pick to reach the semifinals considering Hewitt's recent hip injury.

Fish, who remains the man of the moment, will enter Washington on a two tournament winning streak. Making the veteran decision to skip the Los Angeles event last week, Fish's stock would gain further value if he could bag his third title in a row.

Entering the meat of the summer circuit with Toronto and Cincinnati on the horizon, Fish would send a clear message to Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer that he's the player to beat with a victory in D.C.

Although Fish has shown nothing short of the desire to achieve the most out of his game during his final year's of his career, I still feel that his forehand can be exposed by the right caliber player.

All in all, the bottom half of the draw appears far less predictable than the top half. In saying that, one has to think that Roddick will be licking his chops with del Potro not defending his crown.

Five final appearances will definitely spur Roddick's chances at victory. Although the Toronto and Cincinnati events provide more points and prize money, Roddick's US Open chances—in my eyes anyway—will rest on how he performs in Washington.

Pick: Roddick

Champion: Roddick

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It takes about a month for the Wimbledon euphoria to abate - a period during which the tennis calendar seems to wedge itself in a slight lull before the actual storm presents itself over the hard courts of Toronto, Cincinnati, and eventually the bright lights of New York City.

Just in case you felt out of touch, here are five story-lines that you might have missed from the tennis world:

1) Yes, it's official. For your average Federer fan, it must feel like a breath of fresh air! Away from the maddening crowd and calls for his imminent decline, the Swiss World No. 3 found time to hire Paul Annacone, the man who led Sampras through his record breaking years in the late 90's till his retirement.

Federer's move has been warmly welcomed by most with the belief that an extra pair of eyes and ears could only help the Swiss legend as he deals with relatively more losses and upsets. More importantly, it's a sign that Federer believed that he was in need for a change and was willing to do whatever it took to start winning big again.

P.S: Murray split with his coach too!

2)  WTHIGOW Anna Chakvetadze? We have an answer! After a dazzling breakthrough 2007 where she won four tournaments, reached the quarters in Melbourne and Paris as well as the semis at Flushing Meadows and then peaked at number five in the WTA rankings, the young Russian slid to a current ranking of 74 (up 29 spots after her most recent title)! What happened?

In that offseason, burglars forced their way into her Moscow home, tied her hands up so tightly that she lost feeling in her left hand, hit her father over the head with a pistol and made of with $200,000 in cash and jewelry. With a slight air of confidence after her victory at the Slovenia open in Potoroz, here's hoping the 23 year old manages to win a couple of matches in New York.

3) Of all the competitors that the great Martina Navratilova faced during her glittering career, here's her most difficult yet. After a lumpectomy in March, she underwent over two dozen radiation treatments over a six week period, which ended days before she added yet another Wimbledon title (Ladies Invitation Doubles) to her stacked trophy shelf!

In Martina: My Toughest Opponent , CNN will delve into her journey as she attempted to balance treatment, tennis and work all at the same time. Narrated by Sanjay Gupta, the half hour "intimate" special premieres on CNN International on August 7th at 12:30 PM (ET). A must watch for all tennis fans around the world.

4) The latest furor in the virtual tennis community involved the perhaps premature anointment of Serena as the Greatest Of All Time. I too, was guilty of an attempted rebuttal myself.

Wertheim's belief led to Graf defenders hating Serena lovers, Seles lovers criticizing Graf fans, Martina fans getting irate at everyone else... and basically a looping vicious cycle of undeserved detrimental comments to the game's greatest female exponents! Let's leave it for right now and bring it up once Serena retires. Till then, enjoy the game instead.

5) Three up, three down? Here's a list of movers and residents in the latest ATP and WTA rankings:

- Vera Zvonareva up 12 spots to No. 9 after reaching the final at Wimbledon.

- Tomas Berdych up five spots to No. 8 after beating Federer and Djokovic.

- Yen Hsun-Lu up 38 spots to No. 44 after knocking off Roddick at SW19.

- Dinara Safina, former No. 1 with a chronic back problem now sees her ranking at 35!

- Ivo Karlovic with a foot injury down 22 spots to No. 54.

- Long John Isner and Surging Sam Querrey, while having not particularly moved over the week, now note-worthily reside at No's. 19 and 20 respectively. Refreshing to see results from the new American brigade. 

Until the Roger's Cup kicks off in Toronto, here's a brilliant piece by Steve Tignor on the Los Angeles Tennis Club (the Bollettieri of its day), and its four greatest male players - Ellsworth Vines, Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer and Pancho Gonzalez.

Have a great weekend!

Read more Tennis news on BleacherReport.com

Andy Murray decided to split with coach Miles Maclagan shortly after Roger Federer announced he would be teaming up on a trial basis with Pete Sampras' former coach, Paul Annacone. 

Something is definitely in the air.  Just what is the significance of these seemingly disparate actions by two of the tennis world’s top four?

If you are paying attention to the subtle signs, you get the feeling the top players are girding up, preparing for an all-out assault on the hard courts where they figure to be playing for all the marbles in 2010. 

Think about it. 

This is the season when the current No. 1 player, Rafael Nadal, is most vulnerable.  While no one can overtake the Majorcan in the next few months, the player who advances his standing by adding to his own ranking points may be laying the foundation for his tennis future. 

Andy Murray

If you recall, Maclagan stepped in to replace Brad Gilbert on Andy Murray’s team back in 2007. The Scot explained the departure of his current coach of more than three years by admitting he and Maclagan had major differences of opinion about the direction or approach they were taking in terms of Murray’s career.  They no longer saw eye to eye on what was important.

That cannot be good.  In fact, it is disastrous when the coach and the player do not agree. 

One must wonder who went astray in this bizarre scenario?  Regardless, Murray has made up his mind to stick with Alex Corretja until he finds a new coach—someone who will help him reach that No. 1 ranking and secure his first Major. 

Murray is the only member of the top four who has not taken that giant step of holding a Major trophy as a Slam winner on the last day of the tournament.

This week, the Scot is playing in the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles, stepping in to accept a wild card after Novak Djokovic pulled out for undisclosed “personal reasons.” 

Hmmm? 

Murray has been idle from the tour since being dismissed by Rafael Nadal in the semifinals at Wimbledon.  It was just one more failure in a year of very high expectations, starting with his defeat by Federer in the finals of the 2010 Australian Open. 

At age 23, with two years of waiting patiently under his belt, Murray is ready to put all the pieces of his game together and be the dominant player everyone assures him he can be.  Hence, a new coach, a new attitude, and a new grasp on the dream of making it to the No. 1 spot. 

The time for patience has ended. 

This, Murray believes, is the right time for his era to begin.  It all starts with a new coach.

Roger Federer

For Roger Federer, the reason for the move to work with Paul Annacone is obvious.  It is time to add another special ingredient to propel Federer to the top one more time.  When the Swiss worked with Jose Higueras, he developed and fine-tuned an effective drop shot that has now become a considerable weapon in the Maestro’s arsenal. 

Their tenure together was a short one, but Higueras helped Federer see the value of that shot on clay; Federer transplanted that stroke to other surfaces very effectively. 

Annacone worked with Pete Sampras while the American added eight additional Slam titles to his record book.  Federer needs a boost right now at the start of the American hard-court season because the Swiss has a boat-load of points to defend after winning Cincinnati last year and making the finals of the U.S. Open. 

If Federer does not stem the tide of earlier-than-expected-exits, his ranking could fall even further than his current No. 3 slot.  Right now, Federer can hope to add to his point total and climb back up to No. 2. 

Then he can bide his time until next year during the clay court season when Nadal will be defending all his championship points. At that point, Federer will have nothing to lose—but lots of points to gain.

Presently, Federer has gone as far as he can, relying upon his own instincts and insights.  The Swiss needs another perspective for building on-court strategies and for assessing his opponents—Annacone, as a master of the game, can offer Federer that additional pair of eyes.  So Federer hopes.

The Swiss has never needed the hand-holding, ego-bolstering kind of coach most professionals find indispensable.  What Federer seeks in a coach is much more technical in nature.  After all, Federer knows his own game—his strengths and weaknesses—better than any other person alive. 

He needs that individual who understands the game to tell him he can only run around his backhand if the guy on the other side of the net serves at 115 mph or less.  Or that the inside-out backhand will work on player “x” because he cannot move well to his left. These are technical adjustments the Swiss can make in his game with adequate preparation by a coach who knows his stuff and understands what Federer can and cannot do in a match.

People have accused Federer of being “stubborn,” but no one has ever accused him of being stupid.  Federer has not employed a coach because he does not need a “traditional” coach with him every week of the year.  Annacone could be just what the Swiss Maestro needs to ratchet up his game for one last try at the No. 1 ranking.

So while No. 3 and No. 4 tinker with new coaches in order to make another charge up the mountain, and No. 2 stands salivating in the wings, the current king waits, ready to throw them off again as they come his way.

Nadal will remain King of the Mountain in 2010—but he will not take anything for granted, knowing there will always be usurpers wishing to bump him off.

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Early on in her career she was able to build on her game and climb the ladder of success. From 2007 through 2008 Ivanovic was regarded as one of the world’s best female tennis players.  

She slowly worked her way up the ladder, continuing to improve since her debut in 2005 when she began her professional career in earnest.  With her powerful serve and her equally powerful forehand, Ivanovic’s aggressive style of play was very successful.

After the Serb won the French Open in 2008, the year Justine Henin stepped away from the game, Ivanovic rose to the number one ranking.  After reaching that magical summit, however, the bubble burst and Ivanovic watched as her soaring ranking began to sunk under the weight of heavy expectations.

Ivanovic frequently found herself in the eye of the media. Her fans espected her to improve her net play and her movement, but they also expected her to win, expressing disappointment when she lost.  

The negative impact of losing caused Ivanovic to experience a lack confidence. She began to question her decisions on the court. As her ranking continued to plummet, the Serb began to panic during points, causing her to go for too much.  

Her serve was the first element of her game to falter. This was largely a result of her increasingly erratic and unpredictable ball toss; a product of self-inflicted stress.  She could not marshal her nerves and the result was a disaster in the making.  

After winning the French Open in 2008, Ivanovic was dismissed by world ranked No. 133, Jie Zheng in the round of 32 at Wimbledon. She followed that loss with another upset at Montreal by No. 94 ranked Tamira Paszek, of Austria. When Ivanovic found herself out after the second round at the U.S. Open, losing to France’s Julie Coin ranked at 188, the Serb's self-doubt took a firmer hold.

Although Ivanovic enjoyed some small successes during the rest of 2008, she did not win another tour event.  Her ranking fell to number five by the end of the year; by the end of 2009 her ranking had fallen to number 22. Ivanovic is now ranked number 63 in the world.

The Serb started 2010 by reaching the semifinals at Brisbane.  Seeded number 20 at the Australian Open, Ivanovic fell to Gisela Dulko 6-7, 7-5, 6-4 after leading 3-1 in the second set.  Her serve deserted her again.

She lost her opening match at the Paribas Open, and after four consecutive losses, Ivanovic fell out of the top 50 for the first time since March of 2005.  Nothing, except winning a match now and then, would indicate any improvement until the tournament in Rome.

Ivanovic reached the semifinals in Rome, defeating Victoria Azarenka, Elena Dementieva, and Nadia Petrova—all top 20 players—in the process.  Although Ivanovic lost to eventual champion Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, the tournament result indicated vast improvements in her serve and in her state of mind.

At present, Ivanovic is working with Heinz Gunthardt, Steffi Graf’s former coach. According to her latest statements to the press, Ivanovic credits the new coach for her growing confidence and improved conditioning.  

Since Rome, Ivanovic has not made huge inroads, but she is working hard to improve her confidence, her game, and ultimately her ranking.  She took her first big step this week at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford by winning her opening match against Alisa Kleybanova, who has defeated Ivanovic three out of the last four times they have met.  

The two were tied at 3-3 in the first set when Ivanovic’s serve began to exert its power. The Serb went up 4-3, then broke the Russian’s serve and held her own to take the first set 6-3. 

In the second set Ivanovic’s serve continued to improve and she managed to increase her first serve percentage to 77.  Ivanovic dominated in the second set, at one point leading 5-1. The Serb closed it out, winning the match in an hour and fifteen minutes.  

It was a superb victory for Ivanovic, who hopes for another win on Wednesday.  She will face Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.  It should prove to be quite a test for Ivanovic since Bartoli won this event in 2009.

Ivanovic needs to increase her ranking into the top 50 to avoid being excluded from tournaments. Recently Ivanovic was denied a wild card into the tournament at Montreal. That means that in order to gain entrance, she must qualify for the event. Hopefully, she won't have to go that route.

Ivanovic is still only 22 years old, and she has all the tools necessary to win. Because she has won in the past, she has the ability to do so again so long as her confidence rebounds and she can rebuild her game with substantial wins against the top-ranked players.  

Her fans yearn for her return to the top. They have been loyal and encouraging—begging the young lady from Serbia to find her way out of the maze of nerves and self-doubt that have kept her career in a downward spiral.

With her new coach and her new fitness trainer, Ivanovic sounds renewed and hopeful—frankly, excited to be playing tennis again for the pure joy of it.

Once she learns to neutralize the pressure and deal with the expectations, Ivanovic will surely find success once again.

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It was a heady day in 2003, when Sania Mirza burst onto the stream of Indian sport consciousness, an awareness that if India were to ever have a world beater in an individual sport , it would not be a hirsute male, but a member of the weaker, fairer sex.

Sania Mirza erupted onto the scene like a long dormant volcano, heralding the birth of a new breed of Indian athletes, who not only excelled at their sport but were media savvy and clever enough to carve an image, a niche for themselves, in games other than cricket.

She was smart, she was intelligent, she was articulate, she was pretty, she was sexy, she was photogenic and she had attitude with a capital A. She carried off the anachronism of a nose ring with aplomb and style.

To top it all , she owned a killer forehand—the one that drew comparisons with her idol Steffi Graf —that was almost impossible to return when she dispatched the tennis ball with all the power and strength at her disposal. The forehand was flat and it was skiddy.

Sania Mirza had arrived on the stage of world tennis and Indian tennis would never be the same again. Or so we hoped.

Bouquets and Brickbats

We stood by her, we rooted for her, and we put up with all her shenanigans. We gathered around our television sets to cheer her every shot, her every return, her every serve.

She was the face of a modern India, a cosmopolitan India and most of all, she was a Muslim, a brave heart standing for progress contrasted against the conservatism and insularity of a minority community. She presented a brave new India; she had balls and she had gumption.

We craved learning what her T-shirts read; her sassy T-shirts hit the headlines as often as her brushes with the religious fanatics who chastised her for donning un-Islamic attire—mini-skirt and sleeveless vest—and being chummy with doubles partner Peer from the I of Israel. The evil I!

Some of her more interesting T-shirts needled "Well-behaved women rarely make history ," "I'm cute? No shit.," "Don't stand in my way," and  "You can either agree with me, or be wrong."

This young tennis star, swimming in potential, was lapped up not just by the Indian media but by the international press as well. She appeared on the cover of Time magazine and was listed by the New Statesman as one among 10 youngsters who could change the world.

She happens to be the most searched Indian sportsperson on Google India ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, her appeal truly transcending notional, national boundaries.

She was hurt most when she was misquoted as endorsing pre-marital sex; a source of consternation for her in-the-know admirers as she came from a conservative Muslim background. Her choice of partners bears this out as she was first engaged to her cousin Sohrab Mirza but wed Shoaib Malik , a Pakistani cricketer . She has, of course, been linked to other sports stars and celebrities, the most notable being the dashing Yuvraj Singh, but then who believes the tabloids?

Tennis Career

Her singles career stats read 224-122 and she has one WTA title, the 2005 Hyderabad Open, and thirteen ITF titles in her singles kitty. She also enjoys playing doubles and has won eight WTA and four ITF tourneys. Her other sporting honors include a gold in mixed doubles, a silver in singles and a silver in team tennis all at the 2006 Doha Asian Games .

Her best singles performance in a Grand Slam has been a fourth round finish at the 2005 US Open.

The year 2007 was her finest one. She reached a career-high ranking of 27th. But over the years, her opponents have grown smarter; they wait and prey on her many errors. Her one-dimensional game was soon exposed; the mishits kept piling up as the rallies and matches grew longer.

Further, she was plagued by injuries, mostly to her wrist. Injuries that have dogged her more than any controversies.

She is not the fittest of players and she does seem to be carrying excess fat compared to the extremely fit and stronger players on the circuit. She is also just 5 ft. 8 inches, tall perhaps by Indian standards, but average compared to other players on the WTA tour. She, however, plays fearlessly and is not afraid to launch into her groundstrokes at the slightest opportunity.

Her finest hour, arguably, was the doubles championship she lifted at the Australian Open in 2009 in tandem with Mahesh Bhupathi. She  is India’s foremost woman player ever and she cannot be blamed for not having  an Indian tennis  role model to emulate. She has blazed a path for Indian Eves and it is for them to take up the torch and surpass her, if they can.

A Second Coming?

Sania Mirza is not to be counted out yet. In her own words, she intends to give tennis a go for a couple of years following her recent marriage.

She has, just last week, had her best performance in recent times, reaching the final of the Aegon classic . That is not an achievement to be sneezed at, although the ITF and WTA tournaments are not on the same plane and Mirza was the top seed in the tournament. (Maria Sharapova too, on her recent return from injury, preferred to give the bigger tournaments a miss and participated in second-tier tournaments to regain her confidence and boost her points tally.)

Can Sania regain her lost glory? Can she arrest her slide?

Her current  ranking is a dismal 142. Can she fulfill the promise she once displayed? Can she overcome her injuries and be the beacon for Indian women tennis players for some more years to come?

Or is she destined to follow the path of other Indian tennis players who have foregone any chances at personal glory and prefer their percentages in doubles? (If there is one thing I begrudge Leander and Mahesh, is that once they stumbled on the magic formula to lucre in doubles, it became an easy act to follow for the other tennis players from India.) Will Sania lose her way along the same route?

Only time will tell!

Have a great week!

Read more Tennis news on BleacherReport.com

There are some observations that oodles of people have made already, that are current problems to Federer's game.

1) His serve. Used to have arguably the best serve in the game. Fast serve, hard for opponents to read, great placement. Great variety in using a flat, slice, or topspin serve. I've seen incredible serves from Roger- highlight reel quality. Now, his serve is not quite as precise, not as much pace. He has been passed by dozens of players as far as the pace on his serve. It's not a bad serve, but instead of being the best in the game, it has fallen back a few slots. It's now maybe top 10.

2)His backhand. It was one of the best in the game. Now it's a liability just as often. His slice backhands are landing short more and more often and sitting up for opponents for easy putaways. The big hitters especially are driving Roger back in the court on the backhand side. Then Roger will hit a short slice backhand and he's a sitting duck. Nadal was able to do this when Federer's backhand was still great, due to his superb serve placement and natural lefty crosscourts to Roger's backhand, but now many others can do this to Federer as well.

3). Federer's reduced court coverage. At his peak, he was one of the best at getting to balls in the corners. Plus, he had great anticipation to know where opponents would hit there next shot. Now he's slowed a bit, and balls are getting by him in the corners more.

4) Federer's loss of muscle mass- it's obvious that his frame has gotten thinner, and looking at his arms you can see that they're dramatically thinner. His forehands, which were once the best in tennis, are not blowing people off the court as much anymore. He's gotten into hitting matches, forehand to forehand, with DelPo, Soderling, Berdych, Nadal, and some others and been beaten at his own game. He needs to muscle up a bit if he wants to hold his ground.

It reminds me of a hot fireballing baseball pitcher. He comes into the league with a 100 mile an hour fastball and a curve ball that buckles your knees. The first few years he'll get everyone out with those pitches, but two things happen. The pitcher eventually loses 5-10 mph off his fastball, and the curve doesn't break quite as much. Second, the hitters start figuring the pitcher's tendencies out and don't get fooled as often.

Then the pitcher, if he wants to stay successful, has to add another pitch or two to his repertoire, and also start pitching on the corners and learn the hitters, since he doesn't have the 100mph fastball to blow by them anymore.]

Well, that is Roger Federer right now. He's lost a little off his fastball and the opposition is figuring him out some. He has to adjust. Problem is, he's facing players like Nadal, who still have their 100mph fastball and wicked curve ball, plus a couple other pitches that are so nasty they make your knees turn to jelly, and he brings it every night.

There are a lot of things a Paul Annacone can do, and recommend, just like a pitching coach in baseball can help squeeze a few more years out of a once-fireballing power pitcher. He can help him add a few things, make a couple tweaks that will take the opponents off their game and keep them off balance. That pitcher may never beat you again with pure heat, but may be able to stay near the top through strategy, finesse, and other things.

One thing Annacone did for Sampras is to help him filter out all the distractions from the people in the press who were pronouncing him dead after a few bad matches, and to keep him focused on the goal of competing at the highest level. For Federer, who is newly married with children, and buzzards circling because of his recent title drought, these skills might really help him.

Annacone has said that in sports, there are a few elite athletes for whom the normal rules do not apply, that can transcend what is normally thought possible. Athletes like Michael Jordan, Mario Lemieux, Sampras and Agassi. He mentioned Sampras and Agassi being able to come back, Agassi from being almost out of the sport, and going back to #1 in the world.

He also mentioned Sampras standing out as having the most belief in himself of any other player. Despite what everyone else said, he always believed in himself, and that got him over a lot of bad patches. Federer has had that same quality. He has historically spurned coaching, believing that he knows himself and what it will take him to compete and succeed at the highest level.

Annacone may be able to reinforce that belief in Federer. Help him filter out the distractions and focus. Achieve a better balance that enables him to squeeze that extra 5% more out of his tennis. If it helps him close out more of those close matches he lost this year, and take his self-belief up a notch, it will be time well spent.

This is not to say at all that Federer's needing an assist from Annacone means he is almost washed up, but if it were all about just getting healthy to beat the other top players, Federer wouldn't have needed to bring Annacone in. The injuries play some part in some of Federer's matches, but they are certainly not the main reason why he's losing. It's to Roger's credit that he's trying to improve his game. Heck, Nadal was forced to do it after he got injured. The thing with a Nadal, though, is that he still brings the heat every match, AND he's added new moves to his game. He just needs some extra rest between tournaments.

Federer also needs to add to his game, but with Nadal and others improving, it may not be enough to consistently beat the Nadals of the tour. It may, however, be enough to keep him near the top for an extra two or three years, and every once in a while beat those fireballing young bucks.

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She comes into Stanford as the No. 5 seed and will meet Jie Zheng in the first round. Sharapova, if she survives beyond her opening match, could meet wild card Dinara Safina or the No. 2 seed Elena Dementieva in the third round.  It promises to be an exciting tournament.  

At age 23 and currently ranked world No. 15, it seems Sharapova has been around forever.  But that is because she has been playing tennis since age 14, winning her first grand slam title at Wimbledon at age 17.  Known for her shrieking and her aggressive style of play, Sharapova has been a staple on the women’s tour for the last six years.

The Russian’s chronic shoulder problems resurfaced in 2008 shortly after she resumed the WTA No. 1 ranking with the retirement of Justine Henin.  Soon after this juncture Sharapova and her team finally decided upon surgery.  It meant Sharapova would be idle for ten months unable to wield a racket.

When Sharapova returned to the tour in May of 2009 ranked No. 126 in the world, she was forced to learn to serve all over again with a more compact service motion.  Her game was plagued with double faults.  

Many players with less resolve would have given up long ago but that is not part of the Russian’s makeup. She refuses to quit in any circumstance.  

As one of the most recognized faces in the sports world, Sharapova has the poise and the looks to make it financially without every lifting another tennis racket.  But her dream has always been to win, placing herself at the top of the women’s game in tennis.  It has been her lifelong ambition since she came to the Unites States with her father at age six in 1994 to enroll in the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.

Sharapova exudes confidence on and off court.  This is a direct result of her early life deprivation, including the struggle to overcome and adjust to strange surroundings. Moreover, Sharapova survived with a mental toughness she masks with humor and quiet resolve.  

The Russian reigns tall at 6 feet 2 inches.  An aggressive baseliner, Sharapova plays right-handed with a two-handed back-hand. Her true power, however, comes from her swing volley when approaching the net or detouring lobs.  She plays the angles, sharp and deep with tremendous power and accuracy. In 2008 we saw the addition of a selected sliced backhand and experiments with a drop shot.

Sharapova’s arsenal includes a powerful first and second serves.  Previously Sharapova had served in excess of 120 MPH, counting on service winners or weak responses to allow her to take control of the ensuing rally.  

Her serve has always been the integral ingredient in her success.  By changing her service motion, utilizing a more compact back swing, Maria hoped to reduce the stress on her shoulder—but her serve remained fairly ineffective and her game suffered. During the 2008 French Open, she served 43 double faults.  Without her vaunted serve, Sharapova’s confidence swoons.

Now as her serve is gradually returning to its origin form and resembles the serve she delivered before surgery, Sharapova’s success continues to climb.  Currently ranked No. 15, Sharapova is hoping to make it back into the top ten.

Favoring the liquid surfaces—hard court and grass, her game comes alive as the balls fly fast and hard.  She has not, however, done well on clay and feels uncomfortable trying to slide on the surface—calling her movements akin to a “cow on ice.”  

Although she finally won an event on clay in 2008, the French Open still remains the only major she has not captured.

In 2004 Sharapova won Wimbledon and finished the year ranked No. 4.  She won five titles that year.  

Also finishing 2005 ranked No. 4, she became the highest ranked Russian for the first time in her career and she was the only player on the women’s tour to reach three grand slam semifinals.  Holding the No. 1 ranking for one week beginning on August 22, 2005, she reclaimed it and held it for six weeks starting in September.  

In 2006 Sharapova won the U.S. Open and climbed to world No. 2.  An injury-riddled 2007, however, saw Sharapova fall to No. 5 in the world.  She was no longer the top ranked Russian, that honor went to Svetlana Kuznetsova.  

She tore through the best competition they could throw at her, winning the 2008 Australian Open in convincing fashion.  Relishing every bite, she chewed up the best and spit them out one after another. 

Seeded No. 1 at the French Open after Henin’s retirement, Sharapova lost to Dinara Safina in the fourth round.  After her loss in the second round at Wimbledon in 2008 and a subsequent loss at the Rogers Cup, Sharapova was absent from the tour. Tests revealed that she had been suffering from a torn rotator cuff since April of 2008.  

After the way she challenged Serena Williams during the fourth round of Wimbledon this year, belief has returned that the tall and agile Russian can recapture the magic that made her a champion.  She can prove it and make her dreams come true at the 2010 U.S. Open.  It all begins this week in Stanford.

As the Ladies of the Court try to regain former triumphs, look forward to the next installment—Ana Ivanovic.

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