THE FINAL COUNTDOWN - posted November 20

The ATP World Tour Finals are almost upon us and what a time for British tennis, or rather tennis in Britain.

The men's tour has visited the country outside the grasscourt season before - remember the success of messrs Henman and Rusedski helped bring an early-season tournament to Battersea not so long ago - but an event of this quality it was not.

Eight of the top nine players in the world have arrived in London to compete (injury denied Andy Roddick his chance) so it could be argued the quality on show at the O2 Arena will be even greater than some Wimbledons of years gone by.

There it's rarely the case the best eight players make it to the quarter-finals. At the O2 it will be heavyweight v heavyweight for every match; an apt description given this arena is likely to be transformed for David Haye's first world-title defence in the New Year.

With ticket sales having gone well, so we are told, the atmosphere looks set to be grand with nearly 20,000 fans roaring on the combatants - considerably more than Centre Court can hold in SW19.

Any way, I've taken a look at things from a competitive viewpoint and you can check out my tips right here.

Here's to a good tournament - the first of four season-finales to be staged in London.

MATCHES OF THE YEAR - WOMEN - posted November 16

The year-long debate about the 'real' number one on the WTA Tour proved a little tiresome but also helped highlighted lack of quality at the top of the women's game.

That's not to say that the tour did not throw up some fascinating stories in 2009, more that those tales did not involve the players supposedly leading the way.

The year began wih Jelena Dokic's re-emergence at the Australian Open where few could ever have predicted she would reach the quarter-finals.

But that she did, with Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena witnessing a night of high drama when she took on Alisa Kleybanova in the fourth round.

Dokic had already caused a stir at the tournament so not surprisingly there was not a seat in the house when she returned in a bid to claim a last-eight spot.

Creating an electric atmosphere, the home fans surely played their part in helping Dokic to her 7-5 5-7 8-6 victory, the former teenage prodigy having looked on the brink of retirement at one stage due to an ankle injury.

As well as the match itself, Dokic's tearful post-match interview will live long in the memory.

There was no doubting the terrific nature of the Dokic story which unfolded back in January, but when the US Open arrived it was certainly eclipsed - arguably twice.

Melanie Oudin's name became a household one across the United States with her heroics, with her best moment coming against Maria Sharapova.

She'd already beaten Elena Dementieva in the previous round - a better result on paper - but it was a strange day for the fourth seed who had looked in command early on.

If Dementieva had aided Oudin, there's no doubt Sharapova did the same two days later - but it created a match of great drama.

Few could believe some of the errors Sharapova produced - they included a whopping 21 double faults - but the New York fans didn't care.

Again an amazing atmosphere resulted, with Oudin digging deep to claim a remarkable 3-6 6-4 7-5 win. The former champion had been dispatched by a 17-year-old.

However, days later Oudin was out and largely forgotten - at least by the rest of the world.

That was due to the remarkable feats of comeback queen Kim Clijsters, who went on to become the champion at Flushing Meadows in what was just her third tournament since coming out of retirement.

The belief for her trophy triumph was really generated by her match with Venus Williams in the last 16.

It had the added element of being a real see-saw affair, as reflected by the 6-0 0-6 6-4 scoreline.

Two love sets often suggest a lack of quality, but that was not the case here.

Clijsters started like a train and with her awesome off-forehand firing to perfection, the first set saw her play her best tennis of the tournament.

Never one to go down without a fight, Venus stormed back in the second with some superb shots of her own and in the decider both players finally managed to hit the heights at the same time.

There was certainly tension in that final set but Clijsters showed that her mental game - often a failing in what she describes as her 'first career' - was also in fine working order.

Having edged a break ahead, she fended off everything Venus threw at her to claim a thrilling victory.

That was certainly a contender for our match of the year award, just like the French Open quarter-final between Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The pair produced some cracking claycourt tennis before Kuznetsova edged home 7-5 in the third, having shown great mental resolve - she'd served for a straight-sets win and had also blown two match points when leading 5-4 in the decider.

Another match of note was the dramatic contest between Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonareva at the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships.

It had everything - a big lead blown, match points missed, injuries to both players.

Wozniacki seemed set to wrap things up in little more than an hour when she led 6-0 5-2 but match points were missed in that second set as Zvonareva hit back to level.

But still the weary Wozniacki, who had come into the tournament nursing a hamstring tweak, somehow got over the line, despite cramping badly and collapsing to the court in the final stages of her 6-0 6-7 (3/7) 6-4 victory.

It may have just been a group match, but you suspect the way she fought will do Wozniacki the world of good in the long run, not just in her own mind but those of the fans too.

The Wimbledon fourth-round clash between Dinara Safina and Amelie Mauresmo is also worth a mention.

It will be remembered in years to come as the first competitive match ever to be played under the new Centre Court roof but what the history books won't say is that it was a cracker with Mauresmo playing some fine grasscourt tennis in pushing the world number one all the way.

Not only Mauresmo's fans would have been glad to witness what may well turn out to be the former champion's last match on such a stage.

However, it is another Wimbledon match which claims our top award for 2009, namely the semi-final meeting between Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva.

The match of the year usually requires the combatants to be playing at the top of their game and that was certainly the case here.

Indeed many feel this is the best match Dementieva has ever played - yet Serena's will to win, and not inconsiderable talent, just about saw her through 6-7 (4/7) 7-5 8-6.

A set down, the American looked on the ropes in the latter stages of the second set but found a way to survive and notably broke her opponent with a challenge to Hawk-eye.

A final set the crowd so badly wanted was forthcoming but many feared Dementieva's chance was gone - the Russian's mental side had never been her strongest element and surely she'd fold now.

Far from it. Her superb groundstrokes continued to trouble Serena and she actually forged 3-1 ahead.

Williams retrieved the break but still found herself match point down soon after only to come up with a volley which brushed the net on its way over.

Dementieva could not believe it. Serena produced her trademark roar, her face contorted in delight.

Minutes later the longest semi-final in Wimbledon history - two hours and 49 minutes of pure gold - was over.

When she lifted the trophy two days later, Serena could look back and know no-one - not even her sister - had been able to push her to the extent Dementieva did.

It was some match.

Do you agree with Andy's selections? And which were your favourite women's matches of 2009? Let us know by emailing tennisfeedback@sportinglife.com and we will publish a selection of the comments.

YOUR FEEDBACK: DOHA - posted November 8

Here's some of your feedback to my article on the season-ending WTA Sony Ericsson Championships. The article in question is published below. Please feel free to send further comments.

Truly excellent article pinpointing my exact views after watching this event packed with extreme efforts by the best players in the world. I love the drama when the best of the best really are forced to go the distance and pull out all their ressources. You can see the will to win it in the big players eyes in grand slams and also in this event. If it's the money or the prestige that is driving them I don't know - but they are no doubt highly motivated. But while loving the drama of "gladiators" the hot climate in Doha clearly limited players from delivering their A-game. Still - that's an extra test and it's equal to all players. As a Dane I got my quota of "will to win" with Caroline's epic performances. But also the two alternates' performances deserve the highest respect. They showed excellent performances once they got the chance to show the world what they stood for. I believe they deserved more credit than they got from the audience and the media for their competetive attitude. In my opinion two wild cards (in this year to Kim and Justine) and a field of 10 players could further improve the event.
Poul Lyngsoe, Denmark

I would agree with your points in the article and on the subject of bad journalism would pick up on your comments about Chris Bradnum. He is a reason I often turn off the tennis on Eurosport - his faux American twang of an accent and his use of 'wow' and 'ouch' is truly nauseating.
Simon, Spain

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED IN DOHA - posted November 3

It was a mixed bag at last week's Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha. Plenty of good matches, some not so good. And injuries aplenty. Here, I take a look back to see what conclusions can be drawn from the WTA Tour's final flourish in Qatar.

1. It is as it once was - Serena and Venus are the best in the world

Both Williams sisters may be heading towards 30 - Venus will reach that mark in June - but they remain the players to beat on the WTA Tour. Personally I don't think their games have improved from their pomp towards the start the decade, but the class of 2009 was simply not good enough to stop them, in particular Serena. Her display in the final in which her thigh was heavily strapped and clearly bothering her was pretty remarkable. To only lose seven points on serve against a player of her sister's quality takes some doing, but that's what happened. Venus had shown some great fighting spirit to reach the final - all four of her previous matches had gone the distance - but she was well beaten in the title decider. Lifting the trophy capped a fine week for Serena. She won every match and as a result picked up a cheque for US$1.55million. But more important to her than that, and the indeed trophy, will be the fact that due to her performance in Doha she's ended the year ranked number one for only the second time in her career. The debate raged long and hard this year about who was the true number one - Dinara Safina holding the position for the majority of the season - but most observers will agree the right woman ends the year on top. With a 1,200-point gap between the pair in the end, it's hard to argue. In the main, Serena was majestic when it really mattered. Her three titles came at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and here. And in the other two Slams she lost to the eventual champion. Whether she can repeat such feats in 2010 when returning Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin should offer a greater challenge remains to be seen, but it certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see Serena - or indeed Venus - right up at the top in 12 months' time.

2. Caroline Wozniacki is a superstar in the making

Aside from Serena, the real winner of the week in Qatar has to be Caroline Wozniacki. She arrived in Doha being portrayed as a villain having quit a match in Luxembourg the week before when a set and 5-0 up. Why couldn't she just play another game?, people asked. Well, she probably had the Championships in mind, after all this was her debut at the prestigious event. And once on the court it was clear to see her hamstring was only just holding itself together - perhaps that one more game may just have been one too many after all. From day one it was obvious Wozniacki was not 100 per cent fit but she displayed admirable battling qualities which should endear her to many fans around the world. All too often in tennis we see players quick to retire and the Dane could easily have done so in any of her matches. How she battled on when cramp forced her to collapse to the court during her epic with Vera Zvonareva we'll never know. And it wasn't just on court where she shone. She's more than happy to accommodate the media, while those who saw her dancing in the stands with her father during a break in play during the Radwanska-Azarenka match will know she's the sort of character the tour needs. Few fans would have disappointed to see Radwanska win that match to send Wozniacki through to the semis and although that contest proved one too many, it was no surprise to discover that the happy-go-lucky teenager rewarded her friend Radwanska with a handbag. Already a Grand Slam finalist and fourth in the world rankings, Wozniacki will be someone we hear more and more about.

3. Doha is the wrong venue for this prestigious event

Taking this event to Doha may have been a good commercial decision but aside from that I'm not sure what the WTA is gaining from this move. Tour officials may, if asked, talk about taking the game to a new audience - away from its traditional home in the US and Europe - but the crowds in Qatar, admittedly a country with a big immigrant population, seem to have been largely made up of ex-pats. And that's before mentioning that there have been plenty of empty seats on show for the second year running. It's perhaps no wonder given Qatar does not have a single female player with a world ranking. Never mind, the show moves on in 2011. But only to Istanbul. Turkey is hardly been a hotbed of tennis either. For reference their top player is Cagla Buyukakcay, currently ranked 312 in the world, and something tells me she will do well to be in the field in 24 months' time. Quite why the WTA has not followed the ATP in taking its showcase event to the Far East seems strange. The Masters Cup was well supported in Shanghai. Given players from China and Japan have made a real impact on the WTA Tour (unlike their male counterparts) it would seem a logical move. It seems to me that this tournament has all the ingredients to be a cracker - mainly the world's best players. Instead of throwing loads of money at the players in a bid to increase their motivation (after all the top eight on tour this season all arrived in Doha having made at least US$1million on court in 2009), the lure of an event with a tremendous atmosphere may just get the juices flowing a little more.

4. Tennis journalists need to go back to school

Not me, you understand, but frankly some of the reporting on the Championships was an embarrassment. I would imagine most readers of this column would have seen the tournament on TV via British Eurosport. If you did, you would have been told by their commentator Chris Bradnum that Caroline Wozniacki had won the white group when in fact Jelena Jankovic had. And you would not have been told of Svetlana Kuznetsova's elimination when it happened (Thursday night). And it wasn't just Eurosport struggling with their maths. Reuters had Wozniacki in the semis after she had won her second match when clearly - at least to those who knew the rules - she was not yet through. OK, the format at the event is different. Personally I think it's a great way to end the year. Fans want to see the top players more often and the round-robin groups ensure each player plays at least three times. Of course, this also means the rules have to be understood. Anyone can understand the straight knockout format seen for 44 weeks of the tennis year. You lose and you're out. That's not the case with round-robin. So what do you do if you're a tennis journalist covering this different format? Well, personally I'd say take a look at the rules. It seems some didn't and I'm sure the examples I've given were not the only errors. The WTA could also help fans by prominently displaying the rules on its website, while surely updating the possible scenarios shortly after each match finishes is not too difficult to do in this day and age. For reference, the WTA rulebook can be found here. And here are the ATP rules. Doubtless they will be needed when the Tour Finals, which use the same format, are held in London later this month.

5. Injuries are still a worry for the WTA

The Tour's 'Roadmap' plan was introduced in 2009. At its core was the idea that injuries had to be reduced so that the big names played the big events more often. A shorter season would help this, it was argued. Certainly the season-ending Championships were brought forward this year but the action in Doha showed that injuries are still very much part and parcel of what is a 10-month slog for the main stars. Of course, the Championships are supposed to be for the top eight players of the season but injuries to Dinara Safina (back) and her stand-in Vera Zvonareva (ankle) meant 10 were actually needed. Of those, two more failed to finish their campaigns - Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki (both hamstring) - while the final saw the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, far from their best due to thigh and knee problems respectively. Yet it would be daft to blame the WTA entirely for this situation, which some will regard as an unfortunate co-incidence. The tour's new measures should be applauded and in some cases the players need to take a look at themselves. For example, Wozniacki played 27 tournaments in 2009, surely too many.

Do you agree with Andy? Or do you have any other points to make about the action in Doha? Mail us your feedback to tennisfeedback@sportinglife.com and we will publish the best comments.