Brianti wins Fes title

Alberta Brianti won the championship in Fes today. Unseeded, Brianti defeated 7th seed Simona Halep 6-4, 6-3 in a fnal that was interrupted by rain. Halep was also the runner-up last year.

The doubles title went to top seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Renata Voracova, who defeated Nina Bratchikova and Sandra Klemenschits 6-3, 6-4.

Brianti received a walkover in the semifinals when her opponent, Dinara Safina, had to withdraw because of illness. The Italian player is currently ranked number 94 in the world. This is her first WTA title.

Flipkens ends Lalami's run in Fes

Nadia Lalami, who upset top seed Aravane Rezai in Fes, went out today in the quarterfinals. She was defeated 6-0, 6-1 by Kirsten Flipkens.

4th seed Greta Arn went out in straight sets to 7th seed Simona Halep, and Alberta Brianti defeated Melanie Oudin 7-5, 5-7, 6-0. Dinara Safina and Anastasia Pivovarvova had to endure rain delays in Fes. Safina emerged the winner when she defeated Pivovarova 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Top seed Rezai upset in Fes

The home players have dazzled in Germany, but today in Morocco, there was also a big triumph for a countrywoman. Wild card Nadia Lalami, ranked number 497 number in the world, defeated top seed (and wild card) Aravane Rezai 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the second round of the Fes event. The 20-year-old Lalami is from Morocco.

Lalami's next opponent will be Kirsten Flipkens.

Benesova wins everything in Fes

7th seed Iveta Benesova won the singles title in Fes today, defeated Simona Halep 6-4, 6-2 in the final. Benesova and her partner, Anabel Medina Garrigues, also won the doubles title. The top seeds defeated number 2 Lucie Hradecka and Renata Voracova 6-3, 6-1.

This is Benesova's second singles title, and her eighth doubles title.

Simona Halep goes to her first tour final

Today in Fes, Simona Halep, who upset Patty Schnyder in the quarterfinals, advanced to the final by defeating Renata Voracova 7-5, 6-4. Her opponent in the final will be 7th seed Iveta Benesova, who defeated Alize Cornet 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in the semifinals.

In the doubles semifinals, Benesova and partner Anabel Medina Garrigues--the top seeds--defeated French Fed Cup stars Julie Coin and Alize Cornet 6-4, 7-5. Their opponents in the final will be 2nd seeds Lucie Hradecka and Renata Voracova. Hradecka and Voracova defeated Vesna Manasieva and Klara Zakopalova 7-5, 6-1.

Kuznetsova and Radwanska both upset in Stuttgart 2nd round

Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded 3rd in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, was defeated 6-3, 7-5 today in the second round by Li Na. 5th seed Agnieszka Radwanska also went out in the second round. She was defeated 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 by Shahar Peer.

Flavia Pennetta, Marion Bartoli, Francesca Schiavone, and Gisela Dulko were all defeated in the first round.

Meanwhile, in Fes, top seed Carla Suarez Navarro retired in her second round match against Anne Keothavong. Suarez Navarro sprained her right ankle. 2nd seed Patty Schnyder won her match against Ioana Raluca Olaru, and will play Simona Halep in the next round.

Defending champion Anabel Medina Garrigues, who was seeded 3rd, was upset in the second round by Laura Pous Tio.

Kleybanova and Makarova win Fes doubles title

The team of Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova won the Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Meryem doubles championship today, defeating Sorana Cirstea and Maria Kirilenko, 6-3, 2-6, 10-8. The result was an upset, given that the winners were seeded second, and their opponents were the top seeds.

Medina Garrigues wins Fes championship

Top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues won her ninth Sony Ericsson WTA singles title today, defeating Ekaterina Makarova 6-0, 6-1 in the Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Fes. Medina Garrigues, who is ranked number 18 in the world, was the finalist in Fes last year.

Kleybanova upset in Fes

6th seed Ekaterina Makarova--doubles partner and close friend of Alisa Kleybanova--upset the 2nd seed today at the Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Fes. She will play top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues in the final. Medina Garrigues won her semifinal match by retirement when her opponent, Melinda Czink, had to stop playing because of a gastrointestinal illness.

2nd seeds Makarova and Kleybanova have advanced to the doubles final, in which they will play top seeds Sorana Cirstea and Polona Hercog.

Top seed Medina Garrigues squeaks by in Fes

Lourdes Dominguez Lino took Anabel Medina Garrigues to the edge today in Fes, but the top seed was victorious, 7-6, 7-6.

Melinda Czink defeated Lucie Hradecka, 6th seed Ekaterina Makarova defeated Marta Domachowska, and 2nd seed Alisa Kleybanova defeated Polona Hercog.

Three upsets today in Fes

Melinda Czink, moving forward with her best season to date, defeated 3rd seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, today in Fes. Polona Hercog upset 7th seed and Barcelona champion Roberta Vinci, and Lucie Hradecka upset 8th seed Shahar Peer.

Also, Marta Domachowska defeated lucky loser Eva Fernandez-Brugues, and advanced to the third round. And Klara Zakopalova took top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues to three sets, but Medina Garrigues prevailed.

Kirilenko upset first day in Fes

4th seed Maria Kirilenko was defeated in the first round in Fes today by Marta Domachowska. Domachowska, as readers of this blog know, is a player I consider to be a major under-achiever on the tour. She is capable of playing some very solid tennis, but has trouble stringing together victories. Her next opponent will be either Petra Cetkovska or Eva Fernandez-Brugues.