- 1999 Alexandra Fusai News
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- Tuesday 6/22/99
- Well, it was very exciting there, for a while!
- I remember thinking, "I haven't had my blood-pressure pill yet today...".
- Alexandra held through 2 deuces in the first game of the set, fighting off 2 break points, and led the set 1-0.
- Then Alexandra got a point away from deuce, but Davenport held: 1-1.
- Then Alexandra held easily, losing only the 1st point: 2-1.
- Then Alexandra broke, through a deuce: 3-1! YEA!
- At that point I was pounding on my table, and yelling. I was not jumping-up-and-down or dancing. I was saving that.
- So Alexandra was serving to go 4-1. It went through deuce at least 3 times, but Alexandra could not hold: 3-2.
- Alexandra got points in all the remaining games of the set, and took the final game through deuce at least twice, but that set ended 3-6; the final set.
- The first set was an 0-6, but Alexandra got points in at least 5 of those games, and took at least 2 through deuce, at least once or twice.
- So Alexandra lost to Lindsay Davenport (#3 in the world). Oh well....
- Alexandra played very well! Certainly, England, and Davenport, now know (if they didn't before) that Alexandra plays tennis very well!
- Alexandra played better as the match went on, and Davenport played less well. The match came very close to "turning over".
- Now there's doubles (FT are seeded #3), and, maybe, mixed doubles.
- Win, Alexandra Fusai, win! Wimbledon can still be EXCELLENT for you!
- And HAVE FUN!
- (By the way: I was able to grab 17 pics of Alexandra from today's match Netcam. Alexandra is not smiling in most of them - but she is beautiful in all of them! They will be posted here "soon".)
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- Thursday 6/24/99
- Good news from Wimbledon!
- Today was Alexandra Fusai/Natalie Tauziat vs. Karen Cross/Joanne Ward.
- It was very exciting, even scary, and ended with a nice flourish. Cross/Ward are Brits so there may have been a little 1066 - Battle of Hastings going on (I think I've got that right...).
- CW served first and held at love, then FT held at love. The games marched on, getting gradually more interesting, when FT again held at love to go 5-all. Then FT broke easily, allowing CW only one point, then FT took the set 7-5, although they had to pass through deuce twice, and save a break chance, to do it.
- In the first game of the 2nd set, FT had two break chances, but failed to do so. Then two quick holds, and FT served a game that passed through deuce twice, FT losing two hold chances, saving one break chance, but then being broken: 1-3. Service was held the next 4 games, with opponents getting only one point/game, then CW took the set with a love game: 3-6.
- Now FT was serving game 1, set 3. They held, but had to pass through deuce to do it. Game 2 went through deuce 4 times, but FT finally broke, although it took 4 chances. Then a fairly easy hold, and a fairly easy break, and FT served game 5, up 4-0. This one was not an easy hold, it took 3 chances, through 2 deuces (but no break chances). FT won the match with a love break. YEA!
- SO: it went like this (CW served first): 0-1, 1-1, ?-?, 2-2, 2-3, 3-3, 3-4, 4-4, 4-5, 5-5, 6-5, 7-5, 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 2-4, 2-5, 3-5, 3-6, 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0, 5-0, 6-0. YEA!
- I'm just guessing, but I suspect Alexandra had FUN! (I hope Natalie did, too! Heck, I even hope Cross & Ward enjoyed themselves! It's only a GAME!)
- Next is FT vs. Nicole Arendt/Manon Bollegraf, probably Saturday.
- Win, FT! And remember: FUN is FUN!
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- Friday 6/25/99
- Alexandra Fusai/Natalie Tauziat vs. Nicole Arendt/Manon Bollegraf is the 2nd match on Court 17 tomorrow. The 1st match is a men's singles, which starts at noon, Brit time.
- Win, FT, win! And HAVE FUN!
- (By the way, tonight I've finally posted those Netcam pics from Alexandra's singles on Tuesday. Go there: click here!)
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- Saturday 6/26/99
- Well, it was not a fun day at Wimbledon today. Fusai/Tauziat lost to Arendt/Bollegraf 3-6, 2-6. Oh well....
- It was a bit of a "break-dance", but not in a nice way. There were 9 break games (including the first 4), and only 8 hold games. AB served first. Only 2 games went to deuce, both only once, both in the 1st set (the 4th and the 8th), both FT serving, both FT broken. There was only one love game: the last of the 1st set. FT held only once in each set. This was a strange match. It may be fair to say that FT did not play well, for some reason. Maybe a bit too much Friday Night FUN?
- It went like this (AB served first): 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 3-6, 0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 2-6. Oh well...
- Alexandra is not playing mixed doubles.
- So on to Palermo, Alexandra! Win there!
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- Wednesday 7/14/99
- Good news from Palermo!
- Alexandra is teamed with Virginia Ruano-Pascual in doubles (they're seeded #1!) and they've won their 1st round match! FR-P defeated Sangaram/Vanc 6-2, 6-1! Impressive! You go girls!
- In singles, Alexandra, unseeded (but in the main draw), faces the #1 singles seed, Sarah Pitkowski, in the 1st round.
- Alexandra can win!
- Pitkowski is good - Alexandra is better!
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- Friday 7/16/99
- Well, sometimes the #1 seed wins her 1st round match. Yeah, it happens. Pitkowski scored 6-2, 6-1 vs. Fusai in 1st round singles at Palermo. Oh well....
- Alexandra probably played well and put on a good show, and I bet afterwards there were more new Fusai fans than new Pitkowski fans. I'm just guessing, but I bet....
- And sometimes the #1 seed loses in 2nd round play. Casoni/Zavagli scored 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 vs. Fusai/Ruano-Pascual. Oh well...
- Again, Alexandra probably played well and put on a good show, and I bet afterwards there were more new Fusai fans than new Casoni/Zavagli fans. I'm just guessing, but I bet....
- So far, I haven't found Alexandra "committed" to any pre-US Open tournaments in the next few weeks, but, of course, I will monitor the tour vigilantly, as usual.
- I think it is safe to assume that Alexandra will play the US Open, since hardcourt is her favorite surface, and she will, no doubt, want to do something to erase the memory of last year's heartbreaker vs. Fernandez (which I have, so far, still, been unable to completely forget, unfortunately).
- Alexandra can play Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles at the US Open, and do very well in all of them.
- In the meantime, she may just do some practicing, have some fun, and hang out at the beach (in a bikini?!).
- Alexandra's rankings were unchanged this week: #6 doubles, #159 singles. In earnings, she is #36 with $150K+(!).
- Meanwhile, I have several picture galleries still to add, and I may even finish (or, at least, add to) the "Why" rambling, and I might even add some new "features" to this site soon. So, while Alexandra bikinis at the beach, this site might still grow.
- Of course, what I want most to post here is: "Alexandra wins!"
- But most important, Alexandra: HAVE FUN!
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- Tuesday 7/27/99
- Good News!
- Alexandra has finally shown up on a "committed to play" list: at the US Open, as #56 on the qualifying list (128 total qualifiers). This will provide an excellent opportunity for her to improve her singles ranking.
- WIN, Alexandra, WIN! Then win some more!
- And HAVE FUN!
- (By the way, tonight I am posting 34 pictures from the Friday 4/2/99 Family Circle Doubles match - a winner! Despite low light, slow film, and long zooms, some of these pics are quite nice! Go there: click here!)
- (Also by the way: while preparing the thumbnails page for this new gallery, I wanted to include Ms. Stubbs first name, but it wasn't on the Doubles draw sheets. So I looked at the Singles draws, including Qualifying. Not there either (I finally found it at WTA.com). So I thought: "This girl showed up to play doubles only....". Maybe Alexandra will play doubles only before the US Open? She's ranked #6! She doesn't seem to be at Stanford this week, but Tauziat isn't there either, and Tauziat is at San Diego next week. Maybe FT rides again, soon!)
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- Thursday 7/29/99
- Well, it turns out Alexandra played some Pro singles this week - but lost.
- Apparently Alexandra was in the main draw of 32 (didn't have to qualify) at the BankOne USTA Challenger in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, this week. She faced Li Fang (or is it Fang Li?) in the 1st round singles. Alexandra was unseeded, LF-FL was seeded #3. But Alexandra lost 3-6, 3-6. Oh well....
- I don't yet know about doubles - or even if they are playing doubles there!
- I would say HAVE FUN, but, really, Salt Lake City?!
- (By the way, tonight I am posting something I call "AF History: 1998" - which is basically the AF News from 1998 reversed so it starts when this site's AF News started (5/19/98) and then flows to the end of the year - instead of backwards, like if the "previous" links are followed in AF News. It kindof "reads" better than the other way, ok? Go there: click here!)
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- Tuesday 8/10/99
- Well, it turns out Alexandra was in the Bluegrass state (Kentucky USA) last week at the USTA Challenger in Lexington. And she did some winnin'! Yea!
- Singles continued to be a problem, but there was a bit of good news there. Alexandra was in the main draw (didn't have to qualify) and took the 1st set of her 1st round match vs. Holly Parkinson 6-2. But then she lost 2 sets, 2 and 1, and her singles were over (again). Oh well...
- One of these days, Alexandra's singles will get back on track - and then, watch out! (Soon, I hope!)
- The doubles news is ALL good, though!
- Alexandra paired with Florencia Labat and they really showed Kentucky how doubles is played! YOW! (Labat also won the singles.)
- First to fall was Samantha Reeves/Jolene Watanabe, 6-2, 6-3. Then vs. Sandra Cacic/Karin Miller an exciting 1st set was won by FL 7-6(4), who then advanced with a 6-2 2nd set. FL next humbled Annabel Ellwood/Irina Selyutina 6-2, 6-2, and instructed Eun-Ha Kim/Julie Pullin with a 6-4, 6-1 win in the final! YEAH, BABY!
- (A cynic may say "Of course!" 'cause FL were seeded #1, but hey, I'm very pleased!)
- Alexandra: BE HAPPY, HAVE FUN, and WIN SOME MORE!
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- Wednesday 8/11/99
- Alexandra is in L.A. (USA) this week, seeded #1 with Natalie at the big-bucks Acura. Singles were out there for her because of her current absurd singles ranking.
- The rankings may have given Alexandra some "gifts" in the past, but their strangeness is well evidenced this week. Last week Alexandra lost another 1st round singles so her singles rank rose from #163 to #160. Huh? And she won a doubles final so her doubles ranking fell from #6 to #7. Huh?
- Well WHATEVER on that! In today's (local) newspaper Alexandra is #37 on the money list, with $152,484 earned so far this year. That ain't hay!
- It turns out that Natalie lost her 1st round singles, so she too is now doubles only (seeded #1).
- Yeah, "seeded #1" is tough, but, heh, it's better than not seeded #1. Yes?
- Next week Alexandra might go to Toronto to play doubles (only?) with Natalie, or might go to New York (Bronx) to play singles and (probably) doubles.
- I have a hunch, but I won't reveal it!
- Whatever you do Alexandra: BE HAPPY and HAVE FUN!
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- Thursday 8/12/99
- Ok - the 1st round Fusai/Tauziat in LA is vs. Ines Gorrochategui/Elena Tatarkova. It has probably happened, yet, on Thursday night, I have no results to report! Sorry....
- The interesting dynamic of that match is that Alexandra and Ines both owe each other a lot - meanwhile Alexandra owes only sorrow to Tatarkova.
- I think a FT win settles everything very nicely and properly, OK?
- (By the way: tonight I am finally posting the gallery from the Saturday Fusai/Sidot semifinal match at Family Circle '99. Again this was a night match, and I had slow film, so many pics are fuzzy; but some are quite good. I thought of making this a "best of" but decided to make it an "all of" like all the rest are. This is probably because in some of the "fuzzy" shots Alexandra's magnificent grin is clearly visible. Or maybe it's just easier to post everything..... Go there: click here!))
- Anyway: Alexandra: BE HAPPY and HAVE FUN!
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- Sunday 8/15/99
- Well, it turns out Gorrochategui/Tatarkova scored 6-2, 6-2 over Fusai/Tauziat in 1st round last week. All I can say about that is: weird!
- Yesterday Alexandra made it into Toronto qualifying (yea!) but Amelie Cocheteux scored 6-1, 6-2 to take the 1st round qualifying and put Alexandra out of the singles in Toronto.
- Cocheteux is ranked 70ish and Alexandra is (currently) ranked 160ish so this was not an upset. But Alexandra is really a 30ish (at least!) singles player, so I wonder....
- Alexandra needs to win some singles soon, in my humble opinion. And she will. Well, if she can, and wants to, then she will. Whatever: she is forever Alexandra!
- Now Alexandra may stay in Toronto to play some doubles - or maybe she will go to the Bronx to play there (probably singles and doubles).
- Clearly, Alexandra is still a player - and the prettiest one of all!
- Anyway: Alexandra: BE HAPPY and HAVE FUN!
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- Thursday 8/19/99
- Well, Alexandra stayed in Toronto to play doubles with Natalie (hey, it's a VERY FUN town!).
- Seeded #1, Fusai/Tauziat drew a "bye" for the 1st round. Thus ends tonight's good news, basically...
- FT faced (unseeded) Silvia Farina/Karina Habsudova in 2nd round (1st match for FT) today.
- I almost(?) went to see it (it's about 200 miles from where I sit tonight); but I didn't. Of course, I wonder if the result would have been different if I had been there. Probably not; but, yes, I feel guilt. At least, I would have gotten some pictures, and all pictures of Alexandra are pictures of a beautiful girl, but Alexandra winning are the pictures which are best. Would I have been able to take such pictures if I had been there? No one will ever know...
- So now, with no suspense at all, here's how it went today (FT served 1st): 0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 2-4, 3-4, 3-5, 4-5, 4-6, 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5, 4-6.
- The details: FT served first, and was broken. After that both sides held serve, so FT lost the 1st set 6-4. At least 5 games of these 10 went to deuce at least once. There may have been one love game (#8; an FH hold). The 2nd set started with 3 breaks, then 3 holds, then a break, putting FT down 2-5 with FH serving for the match, FH had at least one match point, but FT broke to 3-5, then held to 4-5. Again FH was serving for the match, and FT had at least 2 chances to break them again and even the set, but FH won: 4-6. In this 2nd set, at least 3 games went to deuce at least once (the final at least twice); there might have been one love game (the 7th; a break of FT).
- On the bright side, 6-4, 6-4 is much better than last week's 6-2, 6-2 loss in 1st match (also seeded #1). And they clearly fought to the very end this week; that's good!
- Next week is New Haven. Alexandra is probably not invited to play singles there (her singles ranking fell from #161 to #179 this week; this is an absurd ranking - a year ago she was #39) but maybe she is invited to play doubles (her doubles ranking remained #7 this week).
- Then there is the US Open. Alexandra is in the middle of the qualifying there. It is an excellent opportunity for her to win many singles there. And, of course, I hope she does! New York wants to see the prettiest girl on the tour win many matches! (All of them!) That's you Alexandra!
- Even so, I have to say: Alexandra: BE GOOD, BE HAPPY, and HAVE FUN!
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- Go: to more 1999 AF News: click here!