I’ve been asked this question and let’s say women’s hats have been in fashion for centuries. If I limit this to Europe (because various regions developed headdresses as different times) then we can look at it a bit more specifically. Headdresses might be a better word than hat since what we see in modern terms as a hat is not the same as a head covering. This could cover everything from a kerchief to feather and bone to felt and straw.

If we look at earlier civilizations, head ornamentation covered metal crowns,  coronets and helmets for war. These can be seen in Egyptian, Babylonian, Sumerian etc. eras. Metal working was endurable and saved the head from a Bronze Age sword. But it wasn’t really used in making hats or head coverings so much as showing social class and standing.

The first hats were most likely squares of fabric, just as the first types of clothing (after fur and wool) were squares of woven fabric stitched together. As civilizations evolved into aggregate societies, becoming more sedentary and developing cultures, they also learned to weave, sew and shape cloth. The making of any fabric was time-consuming and no piece was wasted. People either made their own cloth or had to trade with merchants and then sew their own garments. Rectangular construction used every piece even if it was cut first into various rectangular, square or triangular shapes.

The same knowledge and skills for clothing would have been the basis for hats. It is known that Norse women wore rectangles of fabric upon their heads, sewn into a peak or rounded, essentially forming a cap. (many early medieval caps and coifs were worn by both sexes) The veil or fabric (from wool, linen or cotton depending on the area) rectangular headdress was common in European countries, protecting the head from sun, and in some areas as a form of tradition or religious custom. Styles may have been influenced back and forth between the religious customs and the nonreligious. In some cases married women were required to cover their heads and this seems to be more a Christian tradition than cultural.

Fabric became more elaborate and was used in turban like wraps and caps. It’s hard to peg the first true hat but the Phrygian cap (a soft red knitted hat, like the Smurfs wear) was being worn in Phrygia (of course) as well as Greece and Rome as early as the 4th century BCE. The Catholic mitre was being worn by about the 11th century, and was probably an adaptation of the Phrygian cap. But these are men’s hats.

Early outerwear involved rectangular mantles (the precursor to the cloak) and eventually hoods. These garments were worn by men and women alike. Women’s hats began as elaborately configured and starched veils or fabric. Some were pinned into interesting shapes while others were stitched.  There would have been a utilitarian aspect, keeping the hair away from food and fires. As textile weaves became more intricate, so did the headdresses, involving wire, mesh, brocade, velvet, fur, linen, silk, wool, etc.

As the Catholic church’s influence grew, various laws came into effect. Some were sumptuary laws indicating that only a person of a certain station (or nobility) could wear certain colors, fabrics or styles. Others were edicts of the church, that women must cover their hair, or even their ears because Mary had conceived the word of God and the ear must be covered. This brought out more ingenious headdress, often flaunting the church doctrines. Veils so thin they were nearly nonexistent are indicated in some paints, and really don’t hide hair nor ears. Hats and headdress became greater symbols of status, social rank, wealth and fashion.

Around the 13th century the transition began from coif, cap and headdress to hat. The barbette or porkpie hat was a stiff band of several inches depth that went around the head with a piece of fabric wrapping  under the chin to hold it on. It was hollow on the crown but some began to be filled in with fabric.

A form of hennin.

fairytale princesses but had a relatively short life and also had many variations. These began in the 14th century and involved veils as well as hat forms mixed together. Jewels and pearls adorned headdresses by the 1400s and the Tudor headdresses took on a new form, which was not utilitarian at all. The Renaissance and Tudor eras of the 15th century really began the roller coaster of fashion in all senses. Clothing patterns became very elaborate as did hats and by the Baroque and Rococo eras hats and hairpieces were monumental in stature and elaborateness.The ornamentation of the Tudors was just the beginning of hats.

The elaborate Tudor headdresses were just another step.

So when were women’s hats in fashion? You could say from about 1300 till about 1960. Hats are still worn but not as often. The full evolution would take a lot longer to research and write. As well, narrowing hats by country or era can give more focus. This is a very surface brush with hats and I have not consulted one of my 40+ books on clothing/costume history at home.

But hats have often been worn for fashion and fun, to flaunt status and sometimes for piety. They will always be worn as protection from the elements, whether sun, rain, cold or wind. They reflect the flavors of an era as well as what fabric or trim was newly discovered or cherished. They also indicate the growing sophistication of the human hand and the creative mind. Hats will never quite die out for all of these reasons.

If you would like to more know about a specific era, country or style, then let me know and I’ll see what I can dredge up.

http://m-silkwork.blogspot.com/2008/11/womens-caps.html

http://www.vintagefashionguild.org/content/view/604/75/

Ya sé que la noticia viene con mucho retraso, ya sé que los amantes del tenis ya lo saben, pero no podía quedarme sin expresar mi alegría por saber que la verdadera número 1 del tenis está de vuelta.

Así es, Justine Henin regresa a las pistas para replantear su rivalidad contra su compatriota y amiga Kim Clijster, recién ganadora del US Open y contra las odiadas, temidas, pero aplastantes hermanas Williams ante un circuito que se presentaba como decadente, además de las nuevas y jóvenes promesas que aunque tratan de ser la nueva ola de “héroes” como las ha descrito la WTA, se han quedado muchas de ellas en pañales y no han podido suplir la gran competencia que se había presentado desde los 80 con el surgimiento de tenistas como Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Mónica Seles, Jennifer Capriati y en épocas recientes Henin, las Williams, Clijsters, Sharapova y la pobre rivalidad que representó Sáfina para la última y las hermanas norteamericanas.

Ese 14 de mayo en la que Henin se retiró, el puesto de número 1 quedo vacío. Muchas trataron, se sentaron en el trono pero rápidamente tuvieron que abdicar, es hora de que la verdadera reina se posicione en el lugar que dejó abandonado y conquiste nuevos territorios, aún la vida le debe a Justine un Grand Slam, Wimbledon, y si Roger Federer tuvo su oportunidad en Roland Garros, es justo que una jugadora tal versátil y talentosa tenga esa recompensa.

Mucho se ha dicho sobre Justine también en la parte negativa, que si su coach la ayudaba durante los partidos de Grand Slam con señales, con consejos desde las gradas. Eso nunca fue a ciencia cierta comprobado, y por muy poco que le pudiera decir Carlos las ejecuciones perfectas eran puro sello de Henin.

Finalmente, mi esperanza es ver un tour de la WTA renovado con viejas pero jóvenes esperanzas como Clijsters y Henin, y en el fondo de mi corazón y como fan de Sáfina espero que ahora sin la presión del número 1 conquiste Slams como fue el caso de Mauresmo y de Clijsters misma. En pocas palabras espero ver buen tenis, y larga vida a la reina, Allez Justine!

Venus Williams and Serena Williams used their Wilson [K]Blade Team rackets to qualify for doubles event at the Sony Ericsson Championships, set to take place for the second year in a row at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, from October 27-November 1, 2009.

The team of Venus Williams/Serena Williams is the second to qualify for the Championships and will join Cara Black/Liezel Huber, along with singles competitors Dinara Safina, Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, and Caroline Wozniacki, all of whom have previously qualified and are headed to Doha. The world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams from the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season will compete for the coveted Sony Ericsson Championships title and a share of the record Championships prize money of $4.55 million.

“We are thrilled to be heading to Doha for the Sony Ericsson Championships,” said Serena Williams. “I love playing doubles with Venus as we have so much fun on the court. This year, we actually decided to put more emphasis on our doubles careers and going to Doha has been on our mind all season. I am thrilled to have an opportunity to compete at the Sony Ericsson Championships in both singles and doubles.”

“It’s been extremely rewarding to win a number of big doubles titles with Serena this year,” said Venus Williams. “While playing doubles with my sister is one of the best experiences for me, qualifying for the Sony Ericsson Championships as a team is a great accomplishment and we can’t wait to get to Doha and take on the best doubles teams in the world.”

Venus and Serena Williams’ 2009 season includes victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, in addition to winning a title at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford. Venus and Serena Williams, along with Lisa Raymond, are the only active players to have completed the career doubles Grand Slam (2001/2003/2009 Australian Open, 1999 Roland Garros, 2000/2002/2008/2009 Wimbledon, 1999/2009 US Open). Overall, Venus and Serena have won 10 Grand Slam doubles titles and hold a perfect 10-0 record in Grand Slam finals. In the Open era, the Williams team is the third-most successful Grand Slam doubles partnership, trailing only the team of Martina Navratilova/Pam Shriver (21 Grand Slam titles) and the team of Gigi Fernandez/Natasha Zvereva (14 Grand Slam titles).

Information Courtesy of Sony Ericsson WTA Tour

Finalement ces Belges sont comme nous.

Le retour à la compet’ de Justine Henin provoque chez nos amis d’outre-Quiévrain un beau tollé.

 ”Oh, qu’est-ce qu’elle nous emm… !” ont semble-t-il voulu dire les 70% de Flamands et Wallons qui ont répondu “non” au sondage de la RTBF leur demandant si le come back de l’ex-numéro 1 mondiale était  ”réjouissant”.

Alors que Kim Clijsters, la maman sympa, fait l’unanimité en Belgique depuis qu’elle est revenue -victorieusement – sur le circuit, la pauvre Justine, dont le palmarès tennistique est nettement plus fourni que sa copine, se fait démolir par le “populo” et par la presse. Bon, “Juju” et son côté lisse et merchandisé peut énerver. Mais, honnêtement, et même si c’était mimi comme tout, du côté de Clijsters, le soulevé de la Coupe à New-York avec la petite bout de chou, c’était aussi un peu too much!

Comme au temps d’Anquetil et de Poulidor, le peuple fait toujours son choix. Ce n’est pas forcément le vainqueur qui touche les coeurs.

Philippe Verneaux.

Yesterday’s news that 7 times grand slam winner Justine Henin is set to return to the women’s tour from the start of next season may not have been entirely unexpected, but is certainly the latest sensational move to reinvigorate women’s tennis.

Having retired “for good” 18 months ago, citing personal reasons and a lack of willingness to compete, Henin has been working for UNICEF and running her own tennis academy.  During this time, the WTA tour has struggled with Williams domination of the grand slams, a flawed ranking system and inconsistency from many of its top stars.

Henin's combination of power and technique has been sorely missed on the WTA tour

Interest in the women’s game has dropped off dramatically in the last few years as a credible opponent for either Venus or Serena Williams has largely failed to emerge, especially in the major events.  Maria Sharapova has been blighted by injury and Ana Ivanovic has suffered a chronic drop in form since her French Open win of 2008; a win which was supposed to make her the WTA’s first $100m superstar.

Aside from that, the likes of Svetlana Kusnetsova, Elena Dementieva and, in particular, world #1 Dinara Safina have all failed to perform on the big stage.  The pressure of being world #1 despite never having won a grand slam is something which has clearly hindered Safina, and has riled some of her opponents, most notably Serena Williams.

Henin’s return to competitive action comes hot on the heels of Kim Clijsters’ sensational winning return to the US Open, where she became the first wildcard to win the title, beating both of the Williams sisters along the way.  The women’s game badly needs credible and consistent challengers to the Williams’ domination, especially at Wimbledon, where Venus and Serena have taken 8 of the last 10 titles between them (only interrupted by Sharapova in 2004 and Amelie Mauresmo in 2006).  Clijsters has proved she is up to the task, and few doubt Henin will be back at the top of the game before long.

Clijsters’ spectacular US Open win proved to be a breath of fresh air into the game during a tournament which has done much to revive interest in tennis globally.  Featuring some breathtaking matches, surprise winners in both the men’s and women’s finals and Serena’s extraordinary outburst at a line judge, the 2009 US Open will go down as one of the greatest grand slams in recent memory.

The return of Justine Henin, who retired aged just 25 and as world #1, gives yet more cause for enthusiasm.  She, as much as anyone, has done much to change the shape of the women’s game and, literally, the shape of female tennis players.

Henin arrived on the international tennis stage during an era where power was not yet the dominant factor in the women’s game; Martina Hingis and Monica Seles were battling it out for domination with a combination of flawless technique and gritty matchplay, but not with the type of power we see on the WTA tour today.  The meteoric rise of Venus and Serena changed the women’s game as they displayed the sort of power which would surely see them win an arm wrestling competition against most of the men’s tour.

Serena displays the kind of power normally seen on the men's tour

Realising this, Henin went about building muscle mass and developed the type of power which proved that, even at a mere 5′6″ tall, she could play the Williams sisters at their own game.  It was an important milestone for the women’s game at a time when many felt that power had replaced grace.  Henin proved that a combination of the two was possible and few could argue that her single-handed backhand was one of the most glorious shots in all of tennis.

Wimbledon remains the target for Henin as the one major tournament to elude her.  She explained this week that her quest for a Wimbledon title is the primary driving force behind her comeback.  Henin will be 28 when Wimbledon comes round next and should be at her peak.  She has, apparently, been training competitively since May this year.  The rest of the tour should be very afraid.

Henin's single-handed backhand is one of the greatest shots in the game

The combacks of Henin and Clijsters may also have two extremely beneficial knock-on effects across the rest of women’s tennis. Firstly, going into the next few grand slams, it will be very hard to choose between Venus, Serena, Clijsters and Henin.  Having four outstanding players at the top of the game will certainly capture press and public attention and should make for some wonderfully unpredictable tournaments.  In addition to this, the likes of Sharapova, Safina and Ivanovic will feel the benefits of diverted attention, allowing them to fly under the radar and away from the glare of media attention, concentrating on their tennis and positioning themselves as the successors to the top four.

The WTA tour has missed both Henin and Clijsters badly and their return serves as a welcome reminder of how exciting women’s tennis can be.  2010 is shaping up to be one of the greatest years of women’s tennis for many years, and it’s all thanks to two plucky Belgians.

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She wasn’t the biggest, but during her time in the sport, she was one of the best.  Justine Henin has made the announcement that she is making her return to professional tennis.  Henin is only 27 years old and has been retired for a year and a half already, but the game has truly missed her.  She is the holder of seven grand slams and one of the sweetest one-handed backhand shots in the women’s game.  This announcement comes just a week after countrywoman Kim Clijsters beat Caroline Wozniacki to win the US Open after she came out of retirement earlier this year.

She will compete in a couple tune up tournaments including Charleroi, Belgium and Dubai and then she is slated to make her Grand Slam return down under at the Australian Open.  After her early retirement, she had sworn off coming back, but she admitted now that “The fire burns within”.  This is great news for women’s tennis as apart from Serena and Venus Williams, the WTA has been quite lackluster.

The former number one will not be ranked for the upcoming Australian Open, but still, look for Henin to advance pretty far, that is depending on her draw.  Right now, Justine is probably a top 10 player right now even though she has taken a year and a half off.  Before her retirement, the diminutive Henin had increase the speed on her serve to go along with her already deadly placement on her groundstrokes making her a credible #1.  Safina, who is the number 1 right now, has all the tools to win a major, but just lacks the mental make up to go over the hump.

At this time next year, look for Henin to make that assault on the rankings like Clijsters has done.  Now in women’s tennis with Henin and Clijsters added into the mix of Venus and Serena Williams, this should make women’s tennis more interesting for the next calender year and definitely more exciting.

source: tennis.com

BThomps

I guess I shouldn’t say it but I’ll still do it anyway: “I told you!“

Justine Henin is back, following Kim Clijsters in her footsteps. The former number one of the world, who by the way won seven grand slams, announced her comeback this evening on belgian television. “I’m really happy and deeply moved to be able to announce tonight that I’m coming back to competitive tennis” she said. Her former coach Her coach Carlos Rodriguez will assist her as her coach just like he did before Henin retired from tennis in 2008. Carlos Rodriguez said that one of Henin’s major goals will be to win Wimbledon, the only grand slam she did not yet win. Henin will start by playing exhibition tournaments in Belgium and Dubai. And next year she wants to shine on the Australian Open. Her plan is to play until 2012 to defend her gold medal during the Olympics. Belgian tennis has a bright future ahead!

And why she came back? She told that “her flame had burned out” and that during the last 15 months that flame started sparkling once more. So I am confident that she will put the whole circuit on fire for the next years to come!

Sources: link & link

I just read about the possible comeback of Justine Henin! This would be great for Belgian Tennis. After Kim Clijsters her success story on the previous US Open more and more people started wondering if Justine Henin would try to do the same. Although only a rumor it sure is a big one: Justine Henin would announce her comeback on RTL-TVI at 19h00 local time during the news. I must honestly say I really hope she’ll be back on the circuit. And if I may daydream even more… why not a Belgian final “Kim Clijsters versus Justine Henin” on the Australian Open?

Click here for a recap of the 2009 US Open

El tenis femenino está en una etapa de crisis, las números uno cambian casi todos los meses y ninguna logra afirmarse como la mejor del mundo, no como si ocurre en la rama masculina con Roger Federer. La actual líder del ranking, Dinara Safina, no ha podido deslumbrar al público con su tenis de alta calidad, ya que no ha logrado vencer en las citas grandes, donde se debe demostrar que uno ha nacido con un don especial para este deporte.

Pero esta etapa no comenzó aquí con el camino armado por la rusa, sino que desde que Justine Henin-Hardenne decidió retirarse del tenis profesional hace un año que no se encuentra una jugadora regular y que logre afianzarse en la cima demostrando su jerarquía y su buen juego.  Por lo menos así lo demuestran los resultados y los torneos que vinieron después.

Al principio fue la serbia Jelena Jankovic quien se apoderó del primer puesto y a base de esfuerzo quiso demostrar que vino para quedarse, pero la presión pudo más y el trono de mejor jugadora del mundo le duró poco. Ahora aparece en el quinto puesto de la clasificación a 3300 puntos de Safina.

Por su parte la última estrella que todavía no se apagó en la rama femenina es la de Serena Williams. La norteamericana que basa su juego en su potencia física no ha podido escalar de forma regular, aunque en los Grand Slams ha demostrado que esta hecha para quedar en la historia.  Así la acreditan sus once torneos grandes ganados y una vuelta a las primeras planas luego de una lesión que la alejo durante varios meses de los courts.

El ejemplo más claro del bajón tenístico femenino fue el último U.S. Open. El cuadro de semifinales no encontró jugadoras con historia. No se vio ningún clásico. Esos que en la época de los ´80 y ´90 hacían que todo el público colmara el estadio y se cansara de aplaudir. Ya no existen más los Steffi Graf Vs. Gaby Sabatini o los Lindsey Davenport contra Martina Hingis.

La historia la marcan las grandes jugadoras y en la actualidad no se puede encontrar mucho de esto. Por suerte para el tenis femenino la vuelta de Kim Clijsters a los primeros planos le da una pincelada de jerarquía. El titulo obtenido en Flushing Meadows da por hecho que su vuelta es para quedarse y que tiene su técnica intacta.

El tenis tuvo un retroceso, entro en un bajon del cual debe despertarse urgente. La función debe continuar y las actrices deben estar capacitadas para brindar el mejor espectaculo posible.

Por Nicolás Grunberg.

1. Roger’s hypothetical faux-slam. Seriously people, he hasn’t won three in a row yet, but you’re already hyping him up for Australia and four in a row, which is being called the completion of a Grand Slam? Some nerve. Martina Navratilova completed the faux-slam but didn’t get credit for it… because it isn’t a grand slam. Grand Slam = all four majors in the calendar year. How come the pundits are unanimously claiming that IF Roger wins the US Open and IF he wins Australia, his four in a row WILL BE as impressive as a real Grand Slam? It ain’t so. And he hasn’t done it, so let’s move on. Please.

2. Clijsters is a mom. And it’s incredible, only two women have won grand slam titles as mothers and her baby is adorable, looks just like her. Even as a Kim fan, I’m tired of hearing about the mom thing on every headline. She’s back, she may well win a grand slam title, as a  mother. What’s more interesting is the story we aren’t hearing about:  the death of her father Leo Clijsters, from lung cancer last year. I have a feeling that his illness was known to her when she retired. We don’t know, ’cause no one’s asking. ‘Cause she’s a mom.

3. Oudin is the future of American tennis. Might be, probably will be a big factor in years to come. But as Jon Wertheim noted over on his blog, the hype machine is roaring to life on this one, so get ready for a frenetic couple of months (and probably the next year) of relentless stories on America’s Next Top Model..er, Sweetheart. Oudin strikes me as one of those rare breeds, the kind who step up in the face of pressure rather than being beaten down. Even so, she will run into a wall at some point. Then we’ll get “what’s wrong with her” stories that talk incessantly about the media overhyping her.

4. The McEnroe Brothers. “We’re from Queens and isn’t it amazing John/Patrick, us two Queens boys, broadcasting night matches together at the US Open for ESPN! Remember when we used to ride the train in, from Queens, and we’d see that stadium. Even though it wasn’t this stadium, nor was it Forest Hills, it was Forest Meadows, but who’s counting? Two Queens boys, we are… Now here we are. At the US Open. Probably no one out there in TVLand is familiar with the story of the two McEnroe Brothers.” Sock. in. it.

5. Sharapova’s “comeback” instead of “Sharapova’s dicey shoulder.” There is only one commentator getting this one right and it is the venerable Pam Shriver, no stranger to the destructive aftermath of shoulder surgery. To paraphrase Shriver, there is no guarantee Maria gets back in the top 5 if that shoulder won’t hold up. The “comeback” has been going on since May, and as Shriver points out, we’ve seen many comebacks in women’s tennis that have taken half that time.  Kim’s is just the most recent. It isn’t Maria’s fault, shoulder surgery strikes terror into the heart of a tennis player. Unlike pitchers who have to pitch only once every four days (and they are not assured of a positive outcome either), tennis players must play for several hours every day, with hundreds of serves. The coming back part is over, now we watch as her career hangs in the balance on a sketchy shoulder.

6. Roddick’s weight loss. I’m hedging on this one because I haven’t minded it too much. It certainly has been the catalyst for his resurgence. But I’m certain that a lot of you cannot stand to hear one more word about this – just like I was ready to take the gas pipe after we spent the last five years of Andre Agassi’s career hearing about his training regimen with Gil Reyes up magic mountain. (There oughta be a way to make With Gil Reyes Up Magic Mountain into a folk song about acid, but alas, that’s not my era.)

7. What’s wrong with Safina: I have no clue. Turn the page. Big Brother Marat was a nut who wasted his considerable gifts, but he was a toad. His sister is not a toad. Like Wertheim, I’m inclined not to pile on. Watching her mentally torture herself is horrible. She may benefit from not being number 1 – but we said that about Jankovic and Ivanovic, too. How’s that working out?

8. Who’s number 1 on the WTA Tour? Serena. Williams. Is. Number. 1. Got it? The rankings don’t reflect it, but let’s acknowledge reality – Serena is number 1, Safina number 1 on paper. Don’t get me wrong, Safina earned the ranking. There’s just no need to bandy this about incessantly. Until the system changes, or Serena decides to try to win non-G.S. tournaments, we’re stuck with this bogus argument. A year from now this may be fascinating, especially if Maria fixes her shoulder, Clijsters is in the mix and Henin is back. Until then.. Serena. Williams. Is. Number. 1.

Honorable mentions: James Blake as a title contender (how’s that working out for you, Brad?), Verdasco’s training with Gil Reyes (referenced repeatedly by yours truly), Rafa’s low expectations (part legit, part sandbagging by Rafa’s camp), The Tennis Channel’s firsts (first night match, first morning show, first time Jimmy Connors has been interesting), shots of someone’s girlfriend during the middle of a point (a losing battle, this one)

Melanie Oudin has a legitimate chance to make the top ten. Notice I didn’t say she would win grand slam titles or become #1. It is far, far to soon for anyone to make those predictions. So media people, just calm down! For now focus on one key component of this story:  at 17, Oudin’s mental toughness is second only to Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, which explains why there is room for someone like Oudin in the top 10.

Women’s tennis is deeper in terms of physical talent then ever before. But height and power do not make for a healthy sport. The mental frailty exhibited by the top 30 is unprecedented in the history of tennis. Shevedova’s match against Jankovic was illustrative, because it quickly devolved into a chokefest that lasted for three sets (and Shevedova went down in flames in the next round). Jankovic, Ivanovic, Dementieva, Safina, Kuznetsova and all the other -ovas just cannot get it to together mentally. So many of the women players are just wandering around the sport aimlessly waiting for something to click because they’re talented. I’ve given up!

I have been waiting for someone like Odin for a while now – someone who would compete on every point, someone who can keept the ball in the court while the other player made errors in bunches. Someone like… Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario. You can’t tell me that there isn’t room for a Sanchez-Vicario in the top 10.

Oudin modeled herself after Justine Henin – see the washboard stomach and intensity on every point. Playing tennis at this level takes real work mentally. We may see Oudin inspire a new generation of young American women, the way the tiny spark plug, Michael Chang, did on the men’s side 20 years ago. There is nothing quite like competition and envy to spur young players on.

I don’t fault the media for making a huge deal about this. The Americans have been waiting for a long time for a successor to Davenport, Venus and Serena. It doesn’t mean the latter two are done (although Venus…). But the ten year gap between Serena and Oudin is striking. During that time the US has barely had another woman crack the top 100! Oudin’s dramatic entry onto the stage is another reminder that it isn’t always the cant-miss prospect who makes it big (anyone seen Donald Young lately?)