Posted by Kerbicz on 23/1/2008, 6:06:54
62.179.81.198
Do you remember Patrick Demarchelier's ed Slavs of Fashion? The artist commented on a flood of models from Slavic countries that invaded world's catwalks and fashion magazines in recent years. A similar phenomenon on an even more spectacular scale is now seen on tennis courts. WTA ranking's top five consists almost exlusively of Slavic athletes: only great Justine Hénin is able to resist the combined pressure from her Russian & Serbian rivals. Now, during the Australian Open tournament, even this last redoubt has been crushed and we'll watch all-Slavic women's semifinals at Melbourne Park tomorrow. Two Serbs, one Russian & one Slovakian girl make the last four in this year's AO.
What's interesting, this Slavic preponderance is not limited to the very top of the women's tennis hierarchy and engages a still growing number of nations. The list of 32 seeds in this AO includes 18 names of players representing seven different Slavic countries. Moreover it seems that growing is also the number of leading western players that are daughters of Slavic immigrants: Martina Hingis, Tatiana Golovin, Michaella Krajicek, Caroline Wozniacki... What is the reason, I wonder, of this expanding presence of Slavic women in various areas of global mass culture: fashion, tennis... where else?
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