Blogcritics Author: Lawntennisnews

Roger Federer's Biographer Provides Insight To Latest U.S. Open Victory

Lawntennisnews — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:04:29 EDT

An interview with a point of view from journalist Rene Stauffer.
(This interview was taken by Randy Walker)The following is a question and answer session with Rene Stauffer, the author of The Roger Federer Story: Quest For Perfection, the first US published biography of Roger Federer. Federer won his record fourth straight US Open men’s singles title Sunday, defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia 7-6, 7-6,...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Martina Hingis: A Cult Tennis Player

Lawntennisnews — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:17:59 EDT

In 1997 Martina Hingis had her heyday: she featured in all 4 Grand Slam finals and took home 3 of them, becoming the youngest player ever to reach the number 1 spot in the world ranking. And she was only 16. Ten years later she is sending mayday signals. It’s getting evident for the tennis community that her dream comeback is now becoming a cruel nightmare.Back in the day the ruthless girl who owned the circuit in the late 90s managed to earn as many lovers as detractors. It is understandable that people fall for the winner the same as they tend to hate the arrogant. Success came to Hingis at such an early stage that she might have thought to be a goddess of the tennis court, which is probably true. And nothing changed that perspective maybe until the bitter defeat by Steffi Graf at the French Open in 1999.She had already fell from the tennis throne by the end of 2002 when she was forced to retire due to injuries aggravated by desperation.But it was Martina’s destiny to be a tennis legend, to become a cult player. And that is why she came back. And she did so not as the cocky and fussy girl the she once was but as mature and charming woman in love with the sport that once put her in the spotlight. And then everyone was able to see all her great qualities better than ever: her skill, her movement, her intelligence, her charisma. She was considered the underdog, the ultimate defender of the brain in its lost struggle against the muscle. Even the doubters turned into stone when she qualified for the year-end WTA Championship.And the process was left almost completed at the last Wimbledon, the tournament she entered after more than a month without practice -- and against medical advice -- in the knowledge that the result would certainly be a disappointment. Using her own words, she went to Wimbledon because “it kind of gets tiring when all you do is watch others. That’s why I didn’t want to miss out on Wimbledon after I missed the French”.Martina put herself in the verge of disaster against a wildcard on the opening day, being forced to save 2 match points before knocking out her teenager opponent who happened to be British: a local girl. The crowd still loved it. For her second round match, she was allocated on Court 13. It takes some effort to remember the last time she played a Grand Slam match on a court as small as that one. But she won, and those who care enough to turn up loved it.It doesn’t really matter that she crashed out in the 3rd round against a player ranked some 50 positions below. Or that she could have made it to the semis without meeting opposition highly ranked than her. Martina had already admitted that she was not a contender. Even her more faithful fans are slowly coming to terms with the fact she will never win a Grand Slam title again. But they love her more than ever. In the dusk of her career, you could find players with more titles but none of them will fill as many pages and represent the kind of character that goes straight into the legends book. Martina Hingis has now become a cult player.By Roberto Barrio

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French Open: The Women Contenders Advance

Lawntennisnews — Fri, 1 Jun 2007 14:11:51 EDT

Six days into a rain-disturbed Roland Garros and the leading 'star' players on the WTA are all in good-to-excellent form. The two main contenders for the title - multiple champion and title holder Justine Henin and the 2002 champion Serena Williams - have both been impressive in their first two matches.Justine Henin She has shown touches of brilliance, especially in her second round match against the 16-year-old Austrian Tamira Paszek. Henin led 5-0 in the first set before Paszek dug in her knees, winning the next five games with solid attacking play. Having been rocked to her heels, Henin closed out the set 7-5 with some noticeable relief. After a 70-minute rain delay, Henin was far more clinical in the second, moving in for the kill and finishing in brutal fashion: two aces measured at 115 MPH and 114 MPH and an inside-out forehand winner in the penultimate (match-winning) point that ripped through the court at ATP level speed. Henin closed out the match 7-5 6-1,looking both satisfied and happy with her performance. Serena Williams Her thunderous demolition of Maria Sharapova in the final of this year's Australian Open woke up the professional Tour with a resounding bang, has played through more mixed form, ranging from ragged to ominous in different parts of her first two matches. However, considering her minimal preparation (reaching the quarterfinal at tier I Rome), Williams' general form has been more impressive than would be expected for a player whose natural game is better suited to fast hardcourts and grass than to the mentally and physically demanding red clay of Roland Garros. Serena looked somewhat ragged in the first set of her first round encounter against Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova, whose powerful defence helped edge the opening set 7-5. Having received a somewhat stern talking to from her father Richard during a rain break, Serena produced far more controlled - and dominating - tennis in the final two sets, finishing with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 scoreline. Against Venezuela's Milagros Sequera, Serena's form was again patchy, racing through the first set 6-0 before recovering from 0-3 down in the second before eventually prevailing 6-0, 7-6 (7-3). Serena was less than satisfied with her own performance, commenting: "I pretty much went crazy... I honestly did not feel my game at all. Even in the first set, I felt like I was not playing well... I was struggling to get rhythm - maybe I had too many days off. But I was able to come back and I found more rhythm towards the end". Svetlana Kuznetsova Many people's second favourite for the title, and number third seed has also been in very impressive form, demonstrating greater maturity in a 6-0, 6-3 first round encounter with fellow Russian Ekaterina Bychkova and a 7-6 (7-4) second round win against the United States' Meghann Shaughnessy. Jelena Jankovic The potential 'dark horse' of the tournament, the rapidly improving Serbian has been ruthlessly efficient, running past Colombia's Catalina Castano 6-3, 6-3 and France's Stephanie Foretz 6-2, 6-2 with little difficulty. Jankovic backs up a powerful defensive game based upon immaculate balance with solid attack from baseline, demonstrating increasing willingness to finish points off in the forecourt. Jankovic has given Henin, the overwhelming favourite for the title, headaches in each of their five encounters, stretching Henin to three sets in every match. In their last match, played on the slow at tier Berlin, Henin only just scraped through 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Jankovic features in Henin's half of this year's Roland Garros draw, and given the physically grueling nature of most of their matches, Jankovic retrieving seemingly impossible balls, Henin is unlikely to relish a sixth encounter at the tournament. Maria Sharapova Seeded two despite a mixed beginning to the 2006 season, Sharapova has demonstrated vastly improved movement and defence on the red clay. Even more startling, she has even displayed relatively good feel on 'touch' shots, hit her to not understood to be her forte. Very little is expected from Sharapova on her least successful surface, especially given a right shoulder injury which has kept her sidelined away from the Tour for almost two months. Nonetheless, her groundstrokes seemed to have 'added weight', especially on her weaker forehand wing, her backhand being struck with increased venom, compared to her previous visits to Roland Garros. Sharapova may get far deeper into the draw than anyone expected ahead of this year's tournament. By Christopher N. Rourke

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French Open: Roland Garros Womens Preview

Lawntennisnews — Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:33 EDT

The 2007 French Open kicks off on Sunday the 27th in Paris. Draws for both womens and mens singles will be available Friday. And with a slew of able competitors this year vying for that trophy, Claire Mayer from Lawntennisnews will handicap the field for you. The Romantic Favorite Justine Henin: She has an intimate relationship with Roland Garros, enjoys playing on clay, and is in top form. Unquestionably the ‘queen of clay’, she is also the favorite to win the tournament. She won in Warsaw and had an impressive roll in Berlin, which included coming back from a 0-4 deficit in the third round to win it 6-4. Her history with the tournament gives her an added intrigue. My pick to win. The Unpredictable Russian Maria Sharapova: She hasn’t excelled at the French Open but hasn’t exactly failed at it either. Her game isn’t that suited to clay but she’s slowly adapting to it. An injury having kept her off the courts since Miami, her lack of preparation could be an issue, and her actual participation is yet to set in stone. She’ll try to overpower weaker opponents, but as the tournament progresses they will be less forgiving towards her serve. A good draw could see her through to the QF, a bad draw could be a synonym for a R3 exit. The Talented Baseliner Svetlana Kutzensova: She got to the final last year, and was beaten by Justine Henin. She beat Henin in Berlin, but the head-to-head between the two still reads 14-2 in Henin’s favor. Impressive in Rome, where she reached the final by beating golden girl Daniela Hantuchova, and lost to Ivanovic in the final in Berlin. A “power player” who can hold her own against so-called ‘pretty players’, she has a game which is suited to clay. QF or SF, depending on her form.The Reluctant Savior Amelie Mauresmo: Roland Garros and hometown girl Mauresmo have never really gotten along. An appendix operation kept her off the courts for 6 weeks, but her return in Berlin and Rome were marked by early round exists. She played Strasbourg for extra match practice. A good player on court, the real issue is not the surface but her nerves -- she has never done well in front of her home crowd at Roland Garros. It would be nice to see her get to the QF, but so much depends on her mental toughness. The Ambitious Achiever Jelena Jankovic: She’ll probably be hoping to avoid old foes Ana Ivanovic and Justine Henin in the draw. Impressive results this year, especially on clay (finalist in Rome, lost the QF in Berlin and SF in Warsaw to Henin). She sometimes lets her attention slip when closing out her match, which is costly against foes like Henin or possibly Williams. Lacked consistency last year, but this is year is absolutely on fire, and there is no real reason as to why she shouldn’t do well at the French Open. Assuming she doesn’t come across Ivanovic or Henin in early rounds, she should at least get into the QF, SF if the draw is kind to her. The New Challenger Ana Ivanovic: If she still tends to lack consistency, her recent results show that she is rapidly progressing. She won in Berlin, so she proved she can handle clay quite effectively. She’s gaining experience in Grand Slams, so it should be interesting to see how she does at the French Open. No real reason as to why she shouldn’t get to the QF, unless her lack of consistency comes into play. The Entertainer Serena Williams: She got into the QF in Rome, yet I still find her too inconstant. I believe her draw (and motivation?) will ultimately determine how she does. She won the Australian Open, and yet I’m still not totally convinced. She beat Henin in the Miami final, but it’ll be interesting to see how she copes if she meets Henin on ‘her’ terms (clay court). Williams is definitely unpredictable, but one thing’s for sure: she’ll definitely surprise you. Finalist or early exit. The Show Pony Tatiana Golovin: France’s favorite ‘show pony’ won her first title on clay at Amelia Island, led France to 5-0 victory over Japan in the QF of the Fed Cup, yet recurring injuries have kept her sidelined since. Along with Sharapova, her presence at the French Open is doubtful. A show pony in the truest sense of the term, she brings a mix of style and substance, yet much like Ivanovic, is at times inconsistent. Will be interesting to see how she deals with the Grand Slam pressure. R4 with possible QF, but a lot depends on her fitness, as well. The Russian Antidote Camille Pin: She scared the devil out of Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open and forced Safina to three sets in the Gaz de France. She’s sitting at #80 in the world, so I wouldn’t bet on her making it that far, but she meets a Russian in the first round, there’ll be definite entertainment. Mauresmo once joked that Pin gets the Russians “all hot and bothered”. Possibly an even worse serve than Dementieva, but she does play ‘pretty’ tennis and will be hoping to progress. One to watch, even if she probably won’t make it beyond the first round.

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Justine Henin: The Quiet Belgian

Lawntennisnews — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:56:45 EDT

There is an intrigue to Justine Henin which is hard to explain. It is in her personality as much as her style of play. You don’t just watch her play -- you watch her with interest, curiosity, wondering what she will do next. She asks questions, and you don’t know the answers. She needs support, from her coach, from the fans, but doesn’t know how to ask for it. There’s a vulnerability to the Belgian which is unusual in most professional athletes.She speaks softly with a Belgian accent which tends to get stronger when she’s talking about her past. She has not had it easy, and yet that resistance has forged her character. She was 12 years old when her mother died, and has since become estranged from her family (she no longer has any contact with her father and her relationship with her younger sister, Sarah, is strained at best). She married Pierre-Yves Hardenne in 2002, but the couple separated in January 2007, for reasons Henin does not which to share.She is a private person, and that distance is actually part of her intrigue. People watch her on court because it is through her tennis that they get to know her. Her life experiences have made her stronger, without a doubt, and that willingness to succeed is shown on the court. She works incredibly hard for tournaments, and she gives it 100% every time. She is devoted to tennis, perhaps because it is all she has. “Tennis is my life,” she said. “I love it. I live for it.” Few will argue otherwise.But what is it about Henin which separates her from the others? Maybe we should start with the obvious, her size. She’s much smaller than the ‘average’ tennis player, with the Belgian standing at about 1m67. In theory that should put her in the same league as Martina Hingis, who uses skill before power. And Justine Henin is without a doubt a “pretty player”, whose shot selection is often beyond the norms. Oh, and her back-hand “ain’t bad either” -- in fact, it’s been described as “the most beautiful backhand in tennis”. Her opponents might think of it as also being the most lethal.Despite her size, Henin manages to generate power with her shots, and her service. In fact, her second serve is one of the fastest on the women’s tour, if not the fastest. However, the power tends to lead to double faults. But Henin doesn’t treat her second serve as a weakness -- she hits it like she would her first serve.Yet serve and style aside, the deepest intrigue Henin offers on court is her history with each tournament. She has a personal attachment with each tournament, an element of history, an intimate connection. But the main one is with Roland Garros. It is there at it all begun, when she saw the final between Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, it was that afternoon that Henin promised her mother “I’ll play on center court and win it”. Years later, in 2003, Henin kept her promise.Some consider Roland Garros as being “her” tournament because of the history she has with it. It is, in some ways, her only remaining link to her mother. She plays at Roland Garros for the memories, for ‘the one’ who is no longer there, for a promise she made long ago and still feels she can to keep. She may be “the queen of court”, but it is more than her ability to play on clay which makes her a clear favorite for the tournament. It is hard to see anyone really challenging her this year. Amélie Mauresmo may be playing in front of her home crowd, but in the case of the French woman this is hardly an advantage. Martina Hingis is desperate to find herself again, and may not find the cure she needs in time for the tournament. Newcomers Ana Ivanovic and Tatiana Golovin have both have some impressive results recently on clay (Berlin and Amelia Island respectively), but they both lack experience in Grand Slams.Henin’s main ‘threat’, actually, comes in the form of Serena Williams, but the American’s health and motivation is questionable if nothing else. The last time the two players meet was in the final at Miami. If Justine Henin won the first set 6-0, Serena Williams would claim the other sets 7-5 6-3. But the glory that day went to the Belgian, who was playing during the tournament which brought back the memories she had so often tried to forget.It was intriguing to watch that final, Williams with her brute force and Henin battling the memories with her “pretty player” status. It was personal for both of them -- Williams wanting to prove her comeback was for real and Henin wanting to prove the memories didn’t affect her. It was personal because of their stories, because it was another rivalry being reborn.A rivalry which will continue, if Williams so chooses, at Roland Garros. A rivalry based on opposites, Williams with her desperation to win and Henin quietly fulfilling a promise from long ago. Miami was Williams’ tournament, with her home crowd, but Roland Garros is Henin’s tournament, with her memories, and a crowd which isn’t hers but who choose to support her anyway. It is difficult to imagine anyone taking the tournament away from Henin. She plays there because it is “hers”, because she needs it maybe more than she should, or even realizes. She needs it to remember why she plays tennis in the first place, to not forget the old memories and to be able to create new ones. Roland Garros was her beginning of her tale.The quiet Belgian may prove she hasn’t finished writing her story.Written by Claire Mayer

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Prodigal Messi Saves FC Barcelona

Lawntennisnews — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:59:18 EDT

Fans of either side were in for a real treat at Nou Camp where the ultimate classic of the Primera Division took place. With 6 goals they sure got their money's worth. The match ended in a tie 3-3. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored 2 goals for Real Madrid but Leo Messi went and saved Barcelona by scoring a hattrick.Real Madrid took the lead 3 times but failed to hold on to it, making them the sore losers of the evening in both status as well as for the race for the championship of the Primera Division, failing to close in on the top 3 of the league.Especially in the first half of play, there were attacking waves back and forth resulting in many scoring opportunities on either side. After only 30 minutes, 4 goals had already been scored. Oleguer was redcarded (2x yellow) right before half time.Both teams were on equal terms during a stormy opening of the match. Real Madrid took the lead twice but failed to hold on to it. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored twice and his first after only 5 minutes his second came right from the spot. It was Lillian Thuram's error that led to the first goal.FC Barcelona's Leo Messi had a very productive evening in the dream formation with Eto'o , Ronaldinho and Messi up front. The young Argentinan prodigy scored the 1-2 after only 11 minutes being completely left free on the edge of the box. The 2-2 was scored in the rebound.Despite the match having every characteristic of a classic it did have a negative touch to it with the redcard given to Oleguer. He was given a yellow card for causing a penalty and committed an unnecessary error on Fernando Gago near half time.In the second half Real Madrid had the upperhand due to the one man difference. Van Nistelrooy had the opportunity to score 2-3 but his chip was saved by Victor Valdes. After Guti took a freekick, Sergio Ramos won the duel over Carlos Puyol, scoring Barcelona's third goal. Instead of piling on the pressure against a 10-man Barcelona squad, Real decided to fall back and rely on counter attacks. FC Barcelona created some minor scoring oppertunities and Andres Iniesta was unlucky in his finishing. The Barcelona efforts were rewarded however. Messi showed his prodigal skills when Ronaldinho passed the ball. He dribbled his way through and shot without hesitation scoring the dramatic equaliser in injury time. 3-3 is the endscore.

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Possible Fraud In Dutch Eredivisie

Lawntennisnews — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 19:05:41 EST

The match between FC Groningen and NAC Breda has possibly been sold. Internet betting company Betfair notified the Dutch FA, the KNVB, of an exuberant bet placed on the match. The Dutch FA has asked the dutch Public Prosecution Office to investigate the matter.Right before the match, which was won by FC Groningen with 3-1, a bet of 1.1 million euros (1.44 million US dollars) was placed. That is 20 times the normal amount placed on a match and cause of the suspicion.The Dutch FA has asked the Public Prosecution Office to investigate this exuberant bet. (Note: Link is written in Dutch.) A spokesman of the KNVB has said this on Saturday. The KNVB assumes that the investigation will be mainly focused on the Betfair company.He also told that there has been an internal investigation at the KNVB but that they had found nothing out of the ordinary. However the KNVB is not specialised in tracking down criminals. So therefore they have decided that it was in the best interest of the association that the investigation is handled by an independent office. Something they did as well when ADO Den Haag was suspected of fraud.After the KNVB was notified of the high placed bet, they thoroughly investigated the matter. The match forms and videos were examined. There has also been talks with the Toto, a dutch gambling organisation but no proof of bribe has been found.The KNVB makes use of the "Early Warning System". According to the spokesman they always investigate when such signals of possible fraud occur. The system determines unusual betting behaviour.But Betfair are not connected with the "Early Warning System". The company does fully cooperate with any FAs by giving them requested informations. They reached an agreement with the Belgian FA last year after the bribery scandal. Betfair was abused back then for fixed matches and bribed players by the Chinese Ye. The Dutch FA however doesn't have such an agreement with Betfair saying they don't see any added value of signing a contract with Betfair.NAC Breda were very surprised but happy that the PPS and the KNVB are investigating the matters revolving the match between them and FC Groningen. The club has no indication of a possible fraud and are optimistically looking forward to the outcomes of the investigations.

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Sevilla Rallies To Stun FC Barcelona

Lawntennisnews — Sun, 4 Mar 2007 17:18:51 EST

Sevilla dethroned FC Barcelona after they won the perhaps most critical match for the Primera Division's season championship with a 2-1 victory. FC Barcelona looked like they were getting away with three points after Ronaldinho scored in the 13th minute.However in the key point of the match, the 29th minute, the tides turned. FC Barcelona were given a penalty and Ocio was red carded for his efforts, but Ronaldinho missed the opportunity to take a bigger lead.The miss turned out to have graver consequences for FC Barcelona than they anticipated. Sevilla fought their way back in the game and equalised 10 minutes later with Russian Aleksandr Kerzjakov as their goal scorer. The Russian turned away from his direct opponent Rafael Marquez and put the ball past Victor Valdes.Kerzjakov turned out to be a big threat for the FC Barcelona defense, especially because he kept falling inside and around the box. One of the schwalbes fooled the referee and a free kick was given. Dani Alves curled his shot over the wall into the goal. Valdes was left no chance of ever saving that effort. It was a slap in the face for Barcelona who were putting in major efforts of getting ahead.FC Barcelona's one-man advantage disappeared into thin air when Ludovic Giuly was red carded for pulling Dani Alves. 10 minutes later Barça lost Zambrotta as well when he protested against a yellow card given for a tackle.In the end phase of the match FC Barcelona tried to equalise and came close a few times but Samuel Eto'o missed a big opportunity in front of goal. Looking at the course of the end phase it would have been more likely that Sevilla scored another after Kanouté and Alves.

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Proximus Diamonds Are Mauresmo's Best Friend

Lawntennisnews — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 15:42:24 EST

ANTWERP — Amelie Mauresmo of France defeated Belgian Kim Clijsters in two sets, 6-4 and 7-6(4), in the Proximus Diamond Games final in Antwerp. This was Mauresmo’s third consecutive Antwerp title, and the tournament organisation will make sure the 1 million Euros gold and diamond racket is delivered to the address of her choice. Mauresmo started out attacking Clijsters from the first ball in play. After Clijsters hit an ace at her first service, but a double fault put Mauresmo in the position to take the first break. Mauresmo kept on attacking and took the first service break. After holding on to her own, the Frenchwoman led 2-0. After hitting two balls wide, Mauresmo handed Clijsters two breakpoints, but she came back to deuce after the Belgian hit the ball long and into the net on a service return. With winning a rally off Clijsters advantage, she took her third break point. Then she broke back with spreading the ball and finished off with a forehand drive volley winner, 2-all. In the fifth game, Clijsters took the advantage but she could not convert it into a 3-2 lead. Mauresmo comes back and took the advantage but she could not take it. After the fifth deuce in the game, Mauresmo took advantage again, and this time she took the break with a solid winner. The Frenchwoman took a 3-2 lead and held on to her own service with a love game for 4-2. Both players held on to their service game before Mauresmo was serving to win the first set on 5-4. The Frenchwoman won the first set 6-4, after playing a good service game where she only handed one point to her Belgian opponent. At the start of the second set, Clijsters took a 2-0 lead after she won her service game on love and broke Mauresmo’s service game. Mauresmo hit her third double fault on advantage for Clijsters. Mauresmo took the re-break for 2-1 after Clijsters hit two double faults and made unforced errors. She held on to her service game for 2-all. The second set went into a tiebreak after both players held on to their service game. Clijsters making the errors and Mauresmo took a 4-2 lead before changing sides. Clijsters came back to 4-all with a solid backhand winner. She hit the ball into the net for 5-4. Mauresmo took a 6-4 lead after she hit an ace, which was questioned by Clijsters and the 14,000 spectators in the Sports Palace. Once the audience was quiet again, Mauresmo was able to serve for the match. Clijsters is trying to go for the rally but she hit her shot wide. Game, set, and match and the gold and diamond racket goes to Amelie Mauresmo of France, 6-4 7-6(4).Written by Etienne Stekelenburg

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Jade Empire Special Edition Goes Gold

Lawntennisnews — Thu, 8 Feb 2007 19:56:17 EST

When Bioware created Jade Empire exclusively for the Xbox two years ago , it became an instant hit. Jade Empire, a game based on Chinese mythology, was an innovative RPG and critically acclaimed by the press and the gamers scene.Unfortunately, this game wasn't available for the PC but that is all about to change. On March 2 (February 26 in the U.S.), Jade Empire Special Edition for the PC will hit store shelves. If you have waited this long for this RPG, then it's well worth the wait. There are many extra's created for this wonderful game including, new monsters, enemies, fighting styles and a world map. Furthermore the AI has been improved as well as difficulty levels and graphic resolutions. And get this: the Special Edition will come with a poster and a booklet with artwork. The game went gold yesterday but for those who can't wait or are simply curious, here is a trailer.

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