Alexandra Fusai 2000 News

Alexandra Fusai 2000 News
Monday 6/12/00
It looks like Alexandra is in Birmingham, England, Europe this week to play doubles only, with Nathalie. That's OK. Fusai/Tauziat are seeded #2 and have drawn a "bye" for 1st round (Nathalie is seeded #1 in singles).
Win, FT, win!
But most important, Alexandra, is take care, be good, do good, and have fun!
And be AMAZING and WIN!
Tuesday 6/13/00
Alexandra Fusai/Nathalie Tauziat play Amelie Cocheteux/Nathalie Dechy in 2nd round doubles tomorrow (1st round was a "bye" for #2 seeded FT). It will be the 4th and final match on Court 1 at the DFS Classic in Birmingham, England, Europe.
Win, FT, win!
Cocheteux and Dechy are both quite good players, so this will likely be very much a "real" match for FT - HOWEVER, it may be that FT have decided that they're going to take the Title at this meet, and NO ONE, not Cocheteux/Dechy or ANYONE, is going to prevent them from taking this Title this week! That may be! Well, we'll see....
So have some FUN, Alexandra, and take care, and WIN tomorrow!
Wednesday 6/14/00
It was a rainy day in England today, apparently. Shocking!
Fusai/Tauziat vs. Cocheteux/Dechy is now scheduled for the final match (6th!) on Centre Court tomorrow (weather permitting, of course).
Win, FT, win! And have fun!
Thursday 6/15/00
Fusai/Tauziat defeated Cocheteux/Dechy 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 in Birmingham today. YEA!
Clearly a long and exciting match. Typical FT - putting on a good show for the crowd, and enjoying themselves!
Quarterfinals are next vs. either Cara Black/Irina Selyutina or Trudi Musgrave/Bryanne Stewart.
SO: long day today, and maybe another long day tomorrow.... Sounds like FUN, Alexandra!
Win again, FT, win again!
Friday 6/16/00
Well, Black/Selyutina d. Fusai/Tauziat today 6-4, 6-4 in the Birmingham quarterfinals. Oh well...
BS won a tough match earlier, but Nathalie also had a tough earlier match - 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(7-5) vs. Anne-Gaelle Sidot. Sidot is like that. She can play. Good for her!
Nathalie probably had less than 100 minutes before the FT match. This is certainly no disrespect to BS - just a bit of an "oh well" for Alexandra. Oh well.
Alexandra is in the qualifying for Wimbledon next week. This will be tough matches against very "hungry" players. You can do this, Alexandra!
And then do INCREDIBLE things in the Main Draw! And HAVE FUN!
Tuesday 6/20/00
Alexandra Fusai d. Surina DeBeer 6-3, 6-2 in 1st round Wimbledon qualifying today. YEA! (It actually happened at Roehampton.)
DeBeer is a talented and experienced player - this is yet more dramatic evidence that Alexandra is playing very good singles again lately.
Next will be vs. Yvette Basting or Annabel Ellwood, probably Thursday. This will be a true 2nd round match, almost like main draw.
Win again, Alexandra, win again!
And take care and HAVE FUN!
Wednesday 6/21/00
Well, Yvette Basting defeated Alexandra Fusai 6-3, 6-1 in 2nd round Wimbledon qualifying today. Oh well....
So now Alexandra can focus on having some Doubles fun! Fusai/Tauziat are seeded #9 and face Janette Husarova/Maria Paola Zavagli in 1st round next week. Win, FT, win!
In the meantime, Alexandra, take care, have some fish and chips, and enjoy England!
(By the way, I have added 22 pics to the Roland Garros 2000 Gallery. These are from the FT vs. Huber/Schett match.)
Thursday 6/29/00
Fusai/Tauziat defeated Husarova/Paola Zavagli 6-2, 6-3 in 1st round Wimbledon today! YEA!
It went like this (FT served 1st): 1-0, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, 4-2, 5-2, 6-2, 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 5-3, 6-3. YEA!
FT started with a love hold, then HPZ held at 30. FT was then broken through a deuce, despite 1 hold chance, but then FT broke back at 30 to put the match back on serve. FT then won 4 straight games: a hold (probably at love), a break (probably at 30), a hold at love, and a break at 15: 6-2. YEA!
The 2nd set started with 4 breaks: FT broken at 30, HPZ broken through a deuce (despite a hold chance), FT broken at 15, and HPZ broken at love: back on serve. Then FT held at 30 and got a break at 30 to go up 4-2, but HPZ broke back at 15 to put the set back on serve: 4-3. FT took the set, and match, with a break at 30 and a hold at love: 6-3. YEA!
Looks like it was some real FUN out there today, girls! OKAY! That's why the game is played!
Next is vs. Amy Frazier/Katie Schlukebir.
Win again, FT, WIN AGAIN!
And take care and HAVE FUN!
Saturday 7/1/00
Well, Frazier/Schlukebir defeated Fusai/Tauziat in 2nd round Wimbledon today: 7-6(7-4), 7-6(12-10). Oh well...
It was actually even wilder than that score indicates. Here's how it went (FT served first): 0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5, 5-5, 6-5, 6-6, (1-0, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-5, 4-6, 4-7), 6-7, 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 4-4, 4-5, 5-5, 5-6, 6-6, (1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 4-4, 4-5, 5-5, 6-5, 6-6, 6-7, 7-7, 8-7, 8-8, 9-8, 9-9, 9-10, 10-10, 10-11, 10-12), 6-7. Oh well...
In more detail: In the 1st game, FT went down 0-30, came back to 30-all, but then were broken. FS then held through a deuce, although FT had a break chance. Two quick holds at 15 made it 1-3. In the 5th game, FT again went down 0-30, then the game passed through 6 deuces before FT finally held on their 3rd chance (FS had 4 break chances). FS then held at love, and FT was broken through a deuce (FT had one hold chance): 2-5. FS was then broken through 2 deuces (FS had one hold chance, (a set-point, of course), before the 1st deuce), then FT went down 15-40, fought off 3 more set-points, and came back to hold through 3 deuces on their 2nd chance. A quick break at 15 and a hold at love put FT up 6-5, but FS held at 30 to force the tie-break. In the tie-break, FT went down 1-2, then up 4-2, but lost it 4-7. Oh well...
The 2nd set began with FT getting a break at 15, then holding at 30: 2-0. The 3rd game went through deuce 4 times, but FS held on their 3rd chance (FT had 2 break chances). FT was then broken at 30, but broke back at 15: 3-2. But then FT was broken at 15, and FS came back from 15-40 to hold through 2 deuces on their 2nd chance: 3-4. FT then held through 3 deuces on their 4th chance (FS had one break chance): 4-4. Four quick holds followed: FS at 30, FT at 30, FS at love, and FT at 15: 6-6. In the tie-break, FT went up 3-1, then down 3-4, then had set-points at 6-5, 8-7, and 9-8, but the match ended at 10-12. Oh well...
This was just a strange match - it was just strange! Entering each tie-break, set point totals were exactly even. The highlights for FT are the comeback from 2-5 to 6-5 in the 1st set, the 2-0 start of the 2nd set, then the comeback from 4-5. The highlights for FS are the tie-breaks. Oh well... At least, I hope it was fun...
Hovering over the match may have been Natalie's (probably spontaneous) announcement, under bizarre circumstances, that she would (or will?) retire at the end of the year. I hope she reconsiders, with a "I was kidding" or "I changed my mind" or, at least, "maybe...". She was ranked World #3 earlier this year! She's not done! (Unless she really, truly, wants to be.) I was 32 a few years ago, and all I can say about that is this: "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now!".
Of course, Alexandra has demonstrated repeatedly that she can play great doubles with many others, but Fusai/Tauziat is "special".
What will be, will be, Alexandra: take care and HAVE FUN!
Sunday 7/9/00
(This is really FusaiWorld News rather than AF News. Tonight I am posting some excellent pictures, taken by Kristin Grosch, from the Doubles Quarterfinal at the German Open in Berlin, Germany, Europe - Alexandra Fusai/Nathalie Tauziat vs. Nicole Arendt/Manon Bollegraf - 5/12/00.)
Tuesday 8/15/00
Alexandra is a winner again! YEA! Alexandra defeated Bahia Mouhtassine 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in 1st round Bronx qualifying. YEA!
Looks like Alexandra's SPIRIT is still running on all cylinders! OK! And there's yet another crowd who saw a Fusai match which they will never, ever, forget, and will probably always treasure. Thank you for sharing, Alexandra. You added value to many lives, again.
Next is vs. Nina Miyagi. Win again, Alexandra, win again!
In other good news: Alexandra is very much in the US Open qualifying, and Nathalie has stated very publicly that Fusai/Tauziat will happen there. YEA!
Thursday 8/17/00
Alexandra is doing good things in the Bronx this week!
In 2nd round Qualifying, Alexandra defeated Nina Miyagi in a Fusai-style exciting match: 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. YEA!
Then Alexandra moved to the Main Draw with an impressive defeat of Libuse Prusova: 7-5, 6-2. YEA!
In the 1st round of the Main Draw, Alexandra faced the #2 seed Els Callens (WTA ranked #85), but Callens squeaked out the victory: 7-6(7-2), 3-6, 6-3. Oh well...
Alexandra clearly gave #85 (and #2 seed) Callens a very real match. That's a YEA! And that's a YEA! from everyone who was there to see you put Els on the ropes there! YEA, Alexandra, YEA! You're the greatest player! Even when you lose......
The Bronx is not over yet for Alexandra, though!
Alexandra is teaming with Emilie Loit as the #1 seed in Doubles.
In 1st round Doubles, FL demolished Trudi Musgrave/Bryanne Stewart: 6-0, 6-0. YEAOUWWW!
So, now, Alexandra, win some more doubles, OK?
And take care, and HAVE FUN!
Saturday 8/19/00
Alexandra continues to do good things in the Bronx!
In Quarterfinal Doubles Fusai/Loit gave the crowd a great show with a victory over Shinobu Asagoe/Maria Vento: 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(7-4). YEA!
Then FL took the semi's with a handy defeat of Rika Hiraki/Yuka Yoshida: 6-2, 6-4. YEA!
Now it looks like the final is FL vs. Surina deBeer/Nana Miyagi.
Win again, FL, WIN AGAIN!
And TAKE CARE, and HAVE FUN!
Tuesday 8/22/00
Well, deBeer/Miyagi defeated Fusai/Loit in the Bronx finals: 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. Oh well.... Looks like it was a real good show for the crowd, tho, eh? Oh well....
Then Alexandra moved on to US Open qualifying and drew Anca Barna in the 1st round.
I have seen Anca Barna play and I have seen her play with considerable fire, sometimes.
Maybe (apparently) she stunned Alexandra, because Barna won 6-1, 6-1. Oh well.....
So that's it for Alexandra singles at the US Open this year. Oh well...
There are still about 4 months of chances for Alexandra to do some amazing Singles things this year. And I suspect there will be some of these amazing Alexandra Singles things this year! And thousands of spectators who will see these amazing Alexandra Singles things this year! That's what I suspect....
As for the US Open, Fusai/Tauziat are very likely to be seeded, and both (and together) may well have a considerable desire, and will, and ability, to WIN this whole Doubles thing in New York this year. Again, I suspect....
So now, Alexandra, take care and win some Doubles, OK? Do it for FUN!!
Friday 8/25/00
Fusai/Tauziat are seeded #6 at the US Open and face Katalin Marosi/Lorna Woodroffe in the 1st Round next week.
This could be a breeze, or it could be a real trial. I've never heard of this Marosi/Woodroffe pair, so I expect a trial - strong and creative play from a pair of newbies with nothing to lose and a huge upset to gain. Look out, FT - don't expect a breeze!
However, if FT play to win, then FT will win. That's a fact!
So win, FT, WIN!
And be good, do good, take care, and HAVE FUN!
Wednesday 8/30/00
Fusai/Tauziat are scheduled to play Katalin Marosi/Lorna Woodroffe around 1 pm tomorrow on Court #15.
Then Alexandra gets a bit of a rest and then there's Alexandra Fusai/Patrick Galbraith vs. Kristie Boogert/Mark Woodforde, on the same court, yet!
A Woodie then a Woodie - what an honor!
Galbraith is a former #1 doubles player (1993) - Fusai/Galbraith could win it all this year!
Fusai/Tauziat can also win it all this year!
The only way to win it all is to win each one as it happens. Duh. (Even Homer Simpson knows that - maybe.)
So win with Nathalie tomorrow!
Then (totally unrelated) win with Patrick!
Have a double Doubles winning day tomorrow, Alexandra!
Double your PLEASURE! Double your FUN!
Thursday 8/31/00
Alexandra won today at the US Open! YEA! And TWICE! YEA-YEA!!
First it was Fusai/Tauziat vs. Katalin Marosi/Lorna Woodroffe. This looked like a fairly tough match, as I expected it would be, but FT got a good win: 6-3, 6-4. YEA!
It went like this (FT served 1st): 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 5-3, 6-3, 0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 2-2, 2-3, 3-3, 3-4, 4-4, 5-4, 6-4. YEA!
FT held the first game, then MW held through a deuce. Three quick holds produced 3-2. In the 6th game, FT had 2 break chances, but MW held through 2 deuces on their 1st chance. This game seemed to have "unnerved" MW, however, as they scored only 4 points the rest of the set - FT holding at 15, breaking at 30, and holding at 15: 6-3. YEA!
MW looked to have gotten their nerve back in the second set, though, with a quick hold (at 30) and a quick break (at 30), but they missed a hold chance and FT broke back through a deuce. FT then fought off a break chance and held through a deuce: 2-2. Four quick holds (at 15, 15, 30, and 15) brought 4-4. MW then went up 40-15, but FT got the break on their 2nd chance (2 deuces). FT then held at love to put the set (and match) away: 6-4. YEA!
It looked like a nice workout for Alexandra and Nathalie and they demonstrated their ability to "get the job done" when necessary, and their "winning ways". Good win, girls! It was probably exciting for the crowd, and lots of FUN! YEA!
Next for FT is vs. Jelena Dokic/Amanda Hopmans. This looks to be another tough one, as both Dokic and Hopmans are fully deserving of considerable respect (perhaps Dokic especially).
Win again, FT, win again!
Alexandra then had almost 2 hours off before going out there again to team with Patrick Galbraith vs. Kristie Boogert/Mark Woodforde. This match also had some excitement, but mostly produced evidence that Fusai/Galbraith could be a real force to reckon with this year. FG got the win: 6-1, 6-3. YEA!
It went like this (BW served 1st): 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, 6-1, 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 5-3, 6-3. YEA!
BW fought off a break chance in the 1st game to hold through a deuce, then FG did the same. After that, FG got breaks and holds as follows: 30, 30, 30, 15, 30. This gave FG the 1st set in very impressive fashion: 6-1. YEA!
In the 2nd set, FG went down 15-40, then came back to hold through a deuce. The 2nd game looked like a real "spirit-breaker" for BW - leading 40-0, FG took the game through 6 deuces and finally got the break on their 4th chance. But BW wasn't done yet! They quickly got the break back (at 30), then held at love: 2-2. Three quick holds, at 15, 30, and 15, produced 4-3. FG then got the break at 30, and a hold at 30 gave them the set (and match): 6-3. YEA!
Next for Alexandra and Patrick is vs. Elena Likhovtseva/Paul Haarhuis, seeded #3 (FG are unseeded). This will probably be more challenging for FG, but it looks like they are up to it!
Win again, FG, win again!
Ya done good today, Alexandra! Sweet dreams tonight, OK?
And have an EXCELLENT September!
Friday 9/1/00
Alexandra won again today at the US Open! YEA! And lost - oh well....
First it was Fusai/Tauziat vs. Jelena Dokic/Amanda Hopmans. This match really scared me 'cause I have seen Dokic play and I saw an awesome player - mature yet young, very smart, strong yet agile, unrelenting - the only flaw I saw was a "so what" giving up, which she fortunately probably felt today. Hopmans also scared me, but less so than Dokic.
Maybe Fusai/Tauziat realized the importance of breaking Dokic/Hopmans early, so as to perhaps produce a "so what".
Anyway, Alexandra (and Nathalie) won the match: 6-1, 6-2. Yea!!
It wasn't the rout that the score seems to indicate. FT won it tough and smart. It was not an easy win; it was a win to be very proud of.
It went like this (DH served 1st): 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, 6-1, 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 4-2, 5-2, 6-2. YEA!
It was actually a much closer match than the score implies - a match which FT can be very proud of. Not a "walk" at all.
DH started with a hold at 15, then FT held through a deuce. In the 3rd game, FT broke through 2 deuces on their 3rd chance to get the break and go up 2-1. Then FT went down 0-40 but came back to hold through a deuce with 5 straight points. This was a very important demonstration: 3-1. A break at love, a hold at 15, and a break at 15 gave the 1st set to FT: 6-1. YEA!
In the 2nd set, FT held at 30, then DH also held (unknown details), FT then held at 30, and DH was broken at love (WOW!): 3-1. FT then fought off 2 break chances to hold through a deuce, DH held at 15, FT held at 15, and FT broke through a deuce on their 1st chance: 6-2. YEA!
Despite the score, this was a much tougher and scarier match than yesterday's. It seemed to show that FT is in this in a very intense way. I very much like that apparent reality.
Win again, FT, win again!
Then Alexandra had almost 2 hours off and went back out there around 6:30 in the evening to play Mixed with Patrick Galbraith vs. Elena Likhovtseva/Paul Haarhuis. Likhovtseva/Haarhuis, seeded #3, may have thought they'd have an easy time of it against the unseeded Fusai/Galbraith - but that turned out not to be the case at all. LH did get the win, however, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 - but it took two hours to get it and it was close right to the end. Fusai/Galbraith played very impressively. Good going, Alexandra! Even if it was, ultimately, a loss......
It went like this (FG served 1st): 1-0` 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 4-5, 4-6, 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 4-4, 5-4, 5-5, 6-5, 7-5, 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 3-4, 3-5, 3-6. Oh well....
FG held the 1st game, then LH held through a deuce (FG had one break chance). FG then held quickly at 15, and LH went up 40-15. But FG came back in this 4th game, taking it through 5 deuces, before LH finally held on their 6th chance (FG had one break chance). Quick holds at 30 and love followed, then FG was broken at 15. Quick holds at 30, 30, and 15 gave the 1st set to LH: 6-4. Oh well...
But this match was far from over! A pair of holds at 15 opened the 2nd set, then FG held through a deuce on their 2nd chance. Holds at 30, 15, and 30 brought 3-3, then FG fought off a break chance and held through a deuce. LH then held at 30, FG held through a deuce on their 3rd chance, LH held at 15, FG held at 30, and FG got the break and the set through a deuce on their 1st chance: 7-5. YEA! One set all!
The 3rd set started with three holds at 15, then a hold at 30, then LH got the break through 2 deuces on their 4th chance. Holds at 15 and 30 produced 3-4. Then LH went down 15-40 and FG had 2 chances to get the break back, but LH held through a deuce. LH took the set, and match, with a break at 30: 6-3. Oh well....
Yeah, a loss is a loss, but this could clearly be considered a "good" loss. And, obviously, it was an eternally memorable match for the crowd.
Ya done very good again today, Alexandra!
So now it's you and Nathalie vs. The World. Win again, FT, win again!
And have FUN!
Tuesday 9/5/00
After days and hours of weather delays, Fusai/Tauziat finally faced Els Callens/Dominique VanRoost in 3rd Round Doubles tonight. But Callens/VanRoost prevailed, albeit barely, and with much difficulty: 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Oh well.....
It was a very good and exciting and interesting match, which the crowd, undoubtedly, enjoyed very much.
It was also Nathalie's 2nd match of the day (she got barely an hour's rest, if that) - Nathalie gave Venus Williams a good scare this afternoon! But Williams won in 3 sets......
Anyway, tonight's FT vs. CV match went like this (FT served 1st): 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 4-2, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 6-4, 0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-5, 2-6, 1-0, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 3-4, 4-4, 5-4, 5-5, 5-6, 5-7. Oh well....
FT was broken in the 1st game through a deuce, despite a hold chance. Then FT broke back through 4 deuces (5th chance - CV had 1 hold chance). Then FT fought off a break chance to hold through a deuce. FT then got a break up through 3 deuces on their 2nd chance (CV had 2 hold chances), then a hold at love made 4-1. CV then held through a deuce (2nd chance) and 2 more holds (probably at 30 and 15) produced 5-3. Then FT was broken at 30, but a break back at 30 gave the 1st set to FT: 6-4. YEA!!
In the 2nd set, FT was broken at love, then CV held at 15: 0-2. FT then held at 30, and CV at 15: 1-3. FT then went down 15-40, came back with a point, but was then broken again: 1-4. A hold through 2 deuces (4th chance - FT had no break chances) brought 1-5. Then FT held at 15, but CV held likewise to take the 2nd set 6-2. Oh well....
So it was 1 set each. OK. FT held at 30 and CV held at 15: 1-1. Then FT went down 0-40, came back to 30-40, but was broken: 1-2. Uh-oh. But then FT broke back through a deuce on their 2nd chance: 2-2 - back on serve. The 5th game of this set looked to be pivotal to this match, and was very long. FT had a chance to hold at 40-30, then 4 more chances through 7(!) deuces, but CV broke on their 3rd chance: 2-3. Uh-oh, again. Then a hold at love by CV made 2-4, but a hold at 30 by FT, a break at 30, and a hold at love put FT up 5-4. Then CV held at 30, broke FT at 30, and held at 30 to take the set, and match: 7-5. Oh well....
It was, obviously, a match which all spectators there will always remember and treasure. It was Callens/VanRoost defeated Fusai/Tauziat in a very close match. It was an upset, but, in context, it was still Fusai/Tauziat demonstrating that they are a HUGE doubles team.
Alexandra: it was a good US Open for you this year. Next year will be better. And, I hope, better for Nathalie also next year.
Now there is a $75,000 thing in France next week which seems like something Alexandra may want to have some fun with.
And Fusai/Tauziat may be in the 8 of the Chase Doubles - and could win that entirely.
In early 2001, I predict Alexandra will do very amazing things Down Under.
Until then, I predict Alexandra will have victories and FUN in tennis, and (more importantly!) much FUN in life!
Take care, Alexandra - the crowds want you to play (and WIN!) some more! But mostly, everyone (and I mean EVERYONE!) wants you to be happy.
And HAVE FUN!
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