Tennis players are human, too: Some need hookers, some need meth. Others need a better immune system. It was revealed earlier this week that touring pro Tommy Haas is recovering from swine flu and is out of Basel and Paris to finish the season. See ya next year, TomTom.

B-listed in Bali: It’s strange that the women’s tour, which had its season-ending tournament last week, has another tour stop in Bali this week, don’t you think? We think so. The girls looked a little overworked in this photo gallery put together by the WTA. Ready for holiday and rest time, ladies? You deserve it. And shouldn’t it be called the “Tournament of Almost Champions“? Just seems a little more appropriate… 

Inside peek, hold the cheese: The ATP has put together a solid video package for it’s “Uncovered” series, and this week features Novak Djokovic. The videos come with sit-down interviews and a look at the players’ off-court lives. While lots of stuff the tours put together can sometimes seem forced and overdone, we’re liking the professionalism and simplicity of these vids. James Blake was last week’s star. Now let’s talk about re-working that intro…

Talking heads: Two gals – Jennifer Williams and Brittany Umar – have been talking up tennis the past couple of weeks on the web. Williams is a regular reporter for ESPN.com’s Digital Serve, while Umar was a fill-in for TennisWeek.com’s regular host, Carrie Milbank. While we respect these ladies for chatting up the tour online, we’re wondering if this is the future of tennis media online? Williams has her wits about her, but Umar seems to mostly be entrenched as a business reporter.

Painful good-bye: Stephanie Myles writes in the the Vancouver Sun that the WTA season has limped to a close this year. Good thing the girls are done battling. But the men? They still have three weeks left.

Au revoir, Roland?: A delayed stadium project in Paris could end up moving the French Open completely. Officials are trying to work with city council members to avoid having to move the beloved clay major, but it might be inevitable, one official said. So where to, we wonder?

Happy Halloween, y’all! We hope you’re celebrating all weekend long!

If you’re dressing up for Halloween, send us your pics! We’d like to post our faves up, especially if they’re tennis-inspired. We’re thinking Robin Soderling as a Gladiator might be a good choice.

So we’re just wondering, what were YOU for Halloween?!

Not over yet: Serbian Jelena Jankovic could end her year on a high note — the rest of it hasn’t been the best (titles in Andalucia and Cincinnati; a finals appearance in Tokyo) — since she’s still jankovic earned her fashion stripesin the running for the 2009 Sony Ericsson Tour Championships, happening this week in Doha.

The tour’s final outing of 2009 brings out another outfit from the partnership between JJ and ANTA. This time, she let the fabric do the talking, staying away from complicated details and instead placing a monogram on the back of the pink wrap dress.

Scores: Jelena got shut down by Victoria Azarenka in their opening round robin, but rebounded with a win over Safina (well, Dinara withdrew with a back injury) and Caroline Wozniacki. In case you’re actually following the results…

(image via Getty)

Elena Dementieva played in her eighth WTA Tour Championships — dating all the way back to 2000 — wearing a little black dress from Yonex. Way to show off those gams!

The Russian failed to make it out of the event’s round robin stage, winning her match against Venus Williams but losing to Serena and Kuznetsova.

Looking ahead: In the semis, Venus will play Jelena Jankovic and Serena will go up against Caroline Wozniacki. In doubles, the team of Cara Black/Liezel Huber will vie for a spot in the final, and Stosur/Stubbs will try to down the second-seeded Williams sisters. More: Scores here.

(image via Getty)

Tournament organizers in doubt about how to stage a draw ceremony can now use the 2009 SEWTA Tour Championships as a reference.

They dolled up the ladies, threw them in the Museum of Islamic Art, and snapped away. The results? Venus gets our vote for “Best Style”, Elena gets “Most Glam”, and we are all about Azarenka’s big bow. (Is that you, Blake Lively?)

Who was your fave?

Up close: Pics of each lady after the cut.

(images via Getty)

The WTA is a touring circus of high-school- and college-aged women. Fittingly, it’s ending the season yearbook style– with a voting of Most Popular on the tour.

The tour web site has launched a photo gallery of the “Top 20 Fan Favorites“. The gallery countdowns the 20 most popular players on the tour, according to the number of hits each player’s “re-launched page” has received.

While you’ll find familiar faces like Serena, Maria and Jelena in the Top 10, we were surprised at the number one billing, which went to US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki. The likeable Dutch gal beat out Serena and Dinara Safina for top spot.

Meanwhile, Venus was not in the Top 10, landing at #11. Fellow American Melanie Oudin found herself at the sweet 16 position, though she recently turned the big 1-8 following her US Open run. Oudin is readying for her third Fed Cup appearance in next week’s final against Italy.

And it seems as though Sorana Cirstea’s unlucky fall continues. Or does it? She came in at #13, perhaps a sign to some  that the fall just hasn’t been kind to one of our tour faves. Or maybe, according to others, a turning of fortunes? We hope so. Cirstea went 0-6 to finish the year, winning just one set out of thirteen. She ends the year at number 43 in the world, after being ranked as high as 23rd in August.

Doha Dust: The biggest news out of Doha today was that Dinara Safina withdrew from the event with a back injury. She was tied 1-1 in the first set with Jelena Jankovic when she pulled out, and now she is in doubt for the Australian Open in January. Let the debate begin… who had the more devastating end to the year: Safina or Ana Ivanovic? Too close to call.

Doha Dust (pt 2): The (good) news out of Doha today was the the Williams sisters put on another masterful show, Serena beating Venus 7-6 in the third set in what was a tense, tight battle, that included a saved match point. That ups Serena to 2-0 in round robin play, while Venus falls to 0-2 (she lost in three to Elena on day one).

Andre’s Book Deal is Crackin’: There is plenty of buzz around the November 9th release of Andre Agassi’s autobiography, “Open: An Autobiography“. It was revealed yesterday that Agassi admits to using crystal meth in 1997 in the book, during the low point of his tennis career. It was also leaked today that the now-father talks of the abuse of his own dad. Gotta buy us a copy of that one, eh?

‘10 Bucks: Things are looking good for the US Open come 2010. The year’s final Slam signed a partnership with the car company Mercedes-Benz to be the tournament’s presenting sponsor on the men’s side and the offish vehicle of the tourney. A lucrative deal like this one the Open struck with Mercedes is hard to come by these days, so a big thumbs up to the Flushing Meadows event and tennis in gengen. We’re so popular.

Mother Mary of the Silver Screen: We never thought we would be praising Mary Carillo, but we’re about to do just that. The always-painful commentator was pleasantly hilarious in this mockumentary, which features comedian Paul Mecurio as a part of his web series for HBO Sports. “Our breasts would compromise our backswings.” Hil-ar, Mare. We loves it.

Good Angle: We also loved this writing, from TennisWeek.com this past week. Chris Oddo penned a lengthy piece on Juan Martin Del Potro being the tallest Grand Slam winner ever and how his rise to new heights might be a sign of bigger (and taller) things to come.

(screen grab via you tube.)

Is this really it? This fall the world will see the final performances of two very different showmen for two very different reasons. Because Halloween is a time to blur the line between good taste and bad and between reality and fiction, we bring you Marat Safin’s farewell tour. This Is It, folks. Whether we are talking about the King of Pop’s untimely demise or the end of Marat Safin’s supposedly unfilled career, we are all left with the same question: Too Soon?

(tsf illustration by troy venechanos)

Don’t worry folks, Serena definitely bought a lipstick pack on the ground at Doha, you know she has to re-apply that stuff every few minutes! The world’s “second best player” fielded questions from the media prior to the tournament’s Tuesday start.

Check out the girls all glammed up here. UPDATE: Watch (awkward) video here.

Another topsy, turvy WTA season has come to a close… well, almost. This coming week Doha will take place in all its glory, though it was recently voted by players as the 10th most important stop on the tour. Ouch. So much for that “5th Slam” status.

Last year’s finalist, the always-emotional Vera Zvonareva, was 9th in race points, and will miss an opportunity to play mind games with the high-ranking ladies of the tour the way she did a year ago (unless someone pulls out).

Speaking of possible puller-outers, Caroline Wozniacki will make her maiden appearance at the round-robin formatted stop, as will Victoria Azarenka. Dinara Safina arrives as the top points-winner, top seed and world number one, though it’s hard to imagine her confidence is bursting after the fall she’s had. Serena Williams is the number two seed, a position she usually thrives in.

So what do you think? Will Venus defend her crown? Can Serena end the year as number one in the world and win her first non-Slam tournament in 18 months? Will Caroline or Victoria surprise us all? Or do Jelena, Elena, Dinara or Sveta have what it takes to end their up-and-down seasons on a high note?

Leave your comment below and let us know just who you think will be the Doll of Doha.

Correction made 10/26.