Shahar Peer - Getty Images

The “Never Say Die” Gang

August 15, 2007 - They may not have the most lethal of groundstrokes. They may not have the most explosive serve on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. They simply find a way to win.

It is the mark of the grinder to win by sheer determination, regardless of the presence or absence of physical gifts. That is not to say that players who can be classified as ‘grinders’ are untalented, but it is often that feisty spirit that will enable a player to get to that extra ball, win that key point, and thrive when on the opposite side of the court from one of the Tour’s best.

At the Rogers Cup presented by American Express, there is no shortage of players who are unafraid of pushing themselves to the limit and doing what needs to be done in order to live to play another day. It is that very quality that could put them over the top in their bid to become the 2007 Rogers Cup presented by American Express champion.

The ‘grinders’ who are set to take to the courts of the Rexall Centre include a recent Grand Slam finalist, a successful Tour veteran, a young up-and-comer and a giant killer.

Marion Bartoli lived the dream of many when she enjoyed a fairytale-like run to the final of Wimbledon earlier this year. The seven-year pro has won three Tour titles and reached another pair of finals, but the Wimbledon final stands as her greatest triumph to date.

The two-week journey saw the 22-year old from France overcome four-seeded players, including No. 1 Justine Henin and No. 3 Jelena Jankovic in a pair of epic three-setters. Against Henin, Jankovic, and No. 31 Michaela Krajicek, Bartoli employed exceptional resolve after dropping the opening set and managed to storm back to overcome a trio of higher ranked opponents on what is perhaps tennis’ biggest stage. It is a testament to her scrappiness that she did not wilt in the face of a near-overwhelming challenge.

In her 13 years on Tour, Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder has found herself in a big match situation on more than a few occasions. Schnyder had the unenviable task of facing Steffi Graf under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the 1998 US Open. Without the crowd on her side, Schnyder managed to persevere and hand Graf a loss in what was her final Open en route to the quarter-finals.

Since that victory, Schnyder has steadily made a reputation for herself as a clutch player who can never be counted out. She has rebounded to win 34 matches with a one-set deficit since 2005, including comeback wins over Henin and Maria Sharapova.

When the 28-year old does retire, the ‘grinder’ legacy will continue to live on within the next generation of young talents, including the fiery Shahar Peer of Israel.

In what is just her third year on Tour, Peer has already become a thorn in the side of many a WTA Tour player with her tenacity and tireless dedication to fighting for every point. Serena Williams found out just what the 20-year old is capable of in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, when the eventual champion Williams narrowly survived a three-set encounter, taking the third set by a score of 8-6.

Another nightmare for the stars of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour comes in the form of Czech Republic native Lucie Safarova, who seems to play her best tennis against top competition.

A two-week stretch at the beginning of 2007 saw her knock No. 2 Amelie Mauresmo out of the Australian Open and then dispatch No. 5 Nicole Vaidisova, No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova and No. 1 Henin in consecutive straight sets victories en route to the Paris final. 

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