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Game, set, title Seles

© Michael Cecilio

Is Monica Seles of 2000 as good as Monica Seles of 1990? Let's hope so as she embarks on her campaign for a fourth French Open title.

I am happy to say that Monica is in top form, in fact, she is probably in the best form and in the best shape since her return to professional tennis in 1995! Having lost 10 pounds over the past two months, having adhered to a strict diet and training regimen, and working ever so hard on her game, all of the sweat and pain has paid off, and Monica is truly reaping the rewards.

Two weeks ago she stormed through the Italian Open tournament, a tournament which featured tennis heavyweights such as Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce. With such a tough field, Seles's chances of victory in Rome were not dead certain, but she was the recipient of a good draw when Williams came up lame against Jelena Dokic, Davenport withdrew due to a back injury and Mary Pierce faltered in the third round against Mauresmo. In fact, Seles's form was no better than shaky for the first few rounds of the tournament.

As she has done in the past, she saved her best for last. An incredibly good big-match player, Seles dominated the final against Amelie Mauresmo, racing to a 4-0 lead in the first set which she eventually took 6-2. She served for the championship twice at 5-4 and 6-5 in the second set, but faltered with a few errors and some heacy hitting from her opponent. With the guile and tenacity she has so often shown throughout her career, Seles came back in a second set tiebreaker to take the match and the championship. Not only did she take the championship, but she rose to the world #3 ranking following the tournament, her highest ranking since last year's French Open. Seles is the fourth player in four weeks to hold the #3 ranking, with Venus Williams, Nathalie Tauziat, Conchita Martinez and now Monica Seles, holding the ranking one week of each other. Seles will hold onto the ranking for at least four weeks, and with a good showing at the French can solidify that position for the rest of the year.

Seles has not looked better in recent years. She has had patches of great form, most notably the 1998 French Open semi finals where she took Hingis out in straight sets. But holding onto great form is something she has not been able to do on a consistent basis since she was #1 in the world seven years ago. Looking at her form, and how strong she has been throughout the whole season, I do strongly believe that this year will be her year at the French Open. She has a tough draw, but she won't be fearing her opponents. Her opponents will be fearing her! Monica Seles at her best is just a relentless player, hitting deep shots into the corners, from sideline to sideline, and taking the ball incredibly early to cut down her opponent's reaction time. From the baseline, there aren't going to be too many people who can stay with her relentless attack. Here's hoping that the relentless attack can survive through the latter stages of the tournament.

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