Serena joins chorus of anti-WADA voices, describes measures as "very invasive"

Serena Williams has become the latest high-profile baller to come out against the new anti-doping measures aka the WADA code.

The current WTA Penthouse resident, who crushed Karolina Sprem 6-1, 6-2 in Paris today, has joined Rafael Nadal + Andy Murray in calling the new measures too extreme:

I think it's too much. It's very invasive. ... Basically, they show up at your house on any day.

I jump from city to city all the time. First of all, I never tell people where I am because I like to do my own thing.

However, ReRe does believe the measures, though stringent, will keep the doping cases to a minimum (which they are relative to a lot of other sports):

It's definitely the purest sport, that's the only upside to it. We won't have problems in tennis that we have in other sports.

I still believe testing is needed to keep integrity in tennis but the WADA measures are too extreme.

(image via AP)

VANtage Point: Looking back at Jo'burg, looking forward to Paris

Welcome back to VANtage Point! You might’ve been thinking that I wouldn’t return after predicting such big things for career journeymen Bjorn Phau and Benny Becker last week, but I remain undaunted! To ask one rank-and-file pro to do well at a tournament was probably pushing it, but two? I was really asking for it. But that’s how I roll. (Don’t you love that phrase?) Anyway, on to the Point!

A Look Back: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ended up winning the ATP 250 stop in Jo’burg last week as called here at the Point. But as I mentioned, I miffed on expecting Phau and Becker to make runs. However, if you look in the comments, I did make a mention of Chardy possibly doing well. (I know, that’s kind of lame, but I’ll take it!) Congrats to Jo-Willy!

This Week’s Spotlight: I was a little torn on picking what event to look at this week (something I’m sure will happen throughout the season) because one of my favorite ATP stops is the San Jose tournament. However, you can’t deny the star power over in Paris as the Open GDF Suez taking place on the WTA Tour. I mean, come on: Serena, Elena, JJ, Alize—the list goes on and on. Well, not really, since it’s only a 32-player draw, but you know what I mean! The winter indoor season kicks off in earnest here.

Player to Watch: With all those big names, whom do I go with? I think I’m going to go with the biggest name of them all, Serena Williams. After she won the Aussie Open, she said she wanted to get back to her dominant ways. Doing it at the Slams is good and all, but I think you have to establish that at the weekly stops, too. Will she be able to do it here, so soon after winning a major? Will she bail at the last minute? Will she win the whole thing? Someone help me, I don’t have all the answers!

The Final Four: Elena Dementieva over Serena Williams; Jelena Jankovic over Alisa Kleybanova.

And the Winner Is: The Dementieva train keeps rollin’ as she nabs her third title of the year.

Van Sias writes the blog Talk Tennis, Anyone?

(image via Getty)

(UPDATED) THE LOW DOWN: Shrieka withdraws from Paris + Dubai, officials cite "failure to fully recover" from shoulder injury

More bad news for the MIA Maria Sharapova.

The 3-time Grand Slammer, who's been forced out of action since last August with a balky right shoulder, has withdrawn from next week's Paris Open and Dubai the following week after failing to fully recover, tournament officials confirmed.

This announcement is murky at best but it could mean a few things: either her shoulder is still tender from surgery, her overall competitive fitness still needs a lot of work, or, worst case scenario, it's been reinjured.

In any case, the Shrieka camp must be seriously worried about her long-term prospects considering this is her dominant side.

The WTA Tour desperately needs her back in the fold so this is very troubling news.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Shrieka finally released a statement about the withdrawal via her website -

I'm very disappointed to be unable to compete in the upcoming Open GDF SUEZ and Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, both of which are great events that I was very much hoping to be able to play. My shoulder continues to improve every day and I am working very hard on the practice court. I'm looking forward to being back on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour very soon.

(image via Getty)