Serena Williams wins Bangalore

After her Bangalore Open semifinal, Patty Schnyder said that her game had held up well--except for her first serve. Apparently, she had the same problem in the final. I didn't get to see it because I am staying in a place where there is no Tennis Channel reception, but perhaps it is just as well. These close finals in which Schnyder loses are kind of heart-breaking for me. All the same, the woman who is supposedly on a slide down managed to get to the final, and she obviously played well enough to make it a close one.

Serena Williams def. Patty Schynder, 7-5, 6-3

Schnyder to try for her first hard court win over Williams

Patty Schnyder ended Yan Zi's Bangalore run, and Serena Williams ended her sister's chances for another title, so Schnyder and Williams the younger will play in the Bangalore final tomorrow. Schnyder has beaten Wiliams twice, but those victories occurred on clay courts.

Getting upset in Bangalore

It happened to Sybille Bammer, who was defeated in the second round by Anastasia Rodionova,
7-5, 6-2. It happened to Agnes Szavay, too: She was beaten in the second round by Akgul Amanmuradova, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

And in doubles, it happened to the Williams sisters, who lost to Peng Shuai and Sun Tiantian, 5-7, 6-2, 11-9

Defending champion out in first round in Bangalore

Defending champion Yaraslava Shvedova met her match today in Bangalore

Yaraslava Shvedova, the 2007 winner of the Bangalore Open, went out in the first round today to opponent Akgul Amanmuradova, who defeated her 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Amanmuradova's next task is to play Agnes Szavay. Upset, anyone?

Mirza to boycott Bangalore tournament

I have written in detail about the problems Sania Mirza has in her home country. The situation gets worse every month, and Mirza has decided to boycott the Bangalore Open and, she says, all tournaments in India. Mahesh Bhupathi, Mirza's manager and doubles partner, advised her to skip the Bangalore Open, which begins on March 3. The tournament has been upgraded to a Tier II level.