Starting on December 7—the 25th day left in 2010—TENNIS.com will countdown from the year-end No. 25 on both tours with "The Last Word," a look back at the year that was and a look ahead at the season to come. Here's who we've looked at so far.
Best of 2010
It all started so promisingly for Dementieva. In the Aussie Open tune-up event in Sydney, she beat Dinara Safina, Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams, in succession, in straight sets, for the title. You would have been crazy at that point to predict that this would be her final season.
Worst of 2010
She gave Justine Henin all she could handle at the Australian Open, but matched up with her the next month in Key Biscayne, she went down meekly, 6-3, 6-2.
Year in Review
Other than the fact that it was her last, it was a fairly typical year for Dementieva. In other words, there was a little of everything—two titles, an injury, close losses, inexplicable losses—but she still ended up tucked safely inside the Top 10. And without a major. She reached a Slam semi in Paris, but, snakebit as always, couldn’t finish the match against a player she would normally beat, Francesca Schiavone.
See for Yourself
Watch the highlights from what might have been the best second-round match in history:
The Last Word
It really is the last word for Dementieva. She’ll be remembered by most as the best player never to win a Grand Slam, but I say, at least for the moment, that she was too good to be remembered for what she didn’t win. I’ll call her an Olympic gold medalist—has a better ring to it, doesn’t it?
—Steve Tignor