Pennetta wins the Cachantun Cup

Flavia Pennetta won the new Cachantun Cup tournament in Vina del Mar, Chile today when her opponent, Klara Zakopalova, retired toward the very end of the championship match. Zakopalova sprained her left ankle, and I imagine the pain was so bad at the end that she just could not go on. Pennetta def. Zakopalova, 6-4, 5-4

Dulko and Kostanic Tosic withdraw from Vina del Mar

Gisela Dulko, number 2 seed at the new red clay Cachantun Cup in Vina del Mar, Chile, has withdrawn because of a left hamstring injury she sustained during her first round. Also withdrawing was Jelena Kostanic Tosic has also withdrawn. Since Dulko and Kostanic Tosic were scheduled to play one another in the third round, that round is not a contest between the two walkover winners, Klara Zakopalova and Lourdes Dominguez Lino.

Pennetta blogs

From Vina del Mar.

She was ill but she is better now.

Domachowska fails to qualify in Vina del Mar

Marta Domachowska, whose comeback took such a wonderful turn when she made it to the Australian Open round of 16 and played a close match against Venus Williams, was derailed today when she lost her final qualifying round at the new Cachantun Cup tournament in Chile. Top qualifying seed Domachowska was defeated by Maria Sanchez, 6-2, 7-5.

Meanwhile, main draw number 3 seed Emilie Loit was defeated by Petra Cetkovska, 6-2, 7-6.

Pennetta top seed at Vina del Mar

Chile's brand new tournament, the Cachantun Cup, begins tomorrow in Vina del Mar, with Italy's Flavia Pennetta set as number 1 seed. Number 2 seed is Pennetta's friend and former doubles partner (why did they stop playing together?), Gisela Dulko of Argentina. The new Tier III tournament will be played on red clay, and will also feature Emilie Loit, Pauline Parmentier, Martina Muller, Sara Errani, and Kaia Kanepi.

Pennetta will start her challenge with a match against against Greta Arn of Hungary.