Dulko & Pennetta first to qualify for Championships

Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta have become the first doubles team to qualify for the 2010 WTA Championships. Dulko and Pennetta--who used to be partners on occasion, but who formed an ongoing partnership this season--have won five titles in 2010, and enjoyed a 17-match win streak earlier this year. Dulko also won a title this year with Elena Gallovits.

This is the first time that the team has qualified for the Championships.

Zvonareva wins Prague; Dulko wins Fes

2nd seed Gesela Dulko defeated top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues to win in Fes today

Top seed Vera Zvonareva defeated number 3 seed Victoria Azarenka in Prague today, 7-6, 6-2. This was Zvonareva's fourth final of the season, and her first win. She is now number 13 in the world, and I have a problem with her being permitted to play in a Tier IV event. For some time now, I have wanted the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour to place a restriction on higher ranked players that would keep them from playing in Tier IVs, but they do not seem to think such a restriction is necessary. While I appreciate the argument that having higher-ranked players at a lower-ranked event may bring up the overall level of play, I think that the disparity in levels renders an injustice to the lower-ranked players.

Meanwhile, Gisela Dulko won what looked to be a thriller against Anabel Medina Garrigues, 7-6, 7-6, in Fes.