Bartoli retires, and Petkovic wins Strasbourg

Those who follow Marion Bartoli know that, as a tournament progresses, a retirement could come. It came today, in the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg. Top seed Bartoli had to stop playing because of a left thigh injury, and 2nd seed Andrea Petkovic won the match 6-4, 1-0. This is Petkovic's second WTA title. When the new rankings come out next week, she will be number 12 in the world.

4th seeds Akgul Amanmuradova and Chuang Chia-Jung won the doubles title by defeating 2nd seeds Natalie Grandin and Vladamira Uhlirova 6-4, 5-7, 10-2.

Bartoli and Petkovic to compete for Strasbourg title

Top seed Marion Bartoli advanced to the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg today by defeating three-time champion Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 6-2. Medina Garrigues' formerly slumping career has turned around recently, but she was stopped short in France by Bartoli. Medina Garrigues was seeded 7th in this year's tournament.

Bartoli will play 2nd seed Andrea Petkovic in the final. Petkovic defeated 6th seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in a match that lasted over two hours and 42 minutes.

Doubles 2nd seeds Natalie Grandin and Vladamira Uhlirova have also reached the Strasbourg final, in which they will play 4th seeds Akgul Amanmuradova and Chuang Chia-Jung.

Jankovic upset in Brussels tournament

Jelena Jankovic just can't stop the bleeding. Today, in the 2nd round of the Brussels Open, she was defeated 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 by Sofia Arvidsson. Jankovic was seeded 4th at the new WTA International event.

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki was challenged by Varvara Lepchenko, but won her 2nd round match, 6-4, 7-6.

5th seed Shahar Peer was defeated by Casey Dellacqua in the first round.

In Strasbourg, both Kimiko Date-Krumm and Sania Mirza went out in the first round. Date-Krumm was defeated by top seed Marion Bartoli, who will play Lucie Hradecka in the second round.

Sharapova wins in Strasbourg

Maria Sharapova, the top seed (and wild card) won the Strassbourg tournament this morning, defeating Kristina Barrois 7-5, 6-1.

The doubles title was taken by Alize Cornet and Vania King. They defeated 2nd seeds Alla Kudryattseva and Anastasia Rodionova 3-6, 6-4, 10-7.

Rezai wins her first title

Aravane Rezai defeated Lucie Hradecka 7-6, 6-1 today to win the Internationaux de Strasbourg, her first tour title. Rezai has been a finalist on two occasions. To get to the final, Rezai defeated 2nd seed Sybille Bammer, Anastasiya Yakomova, Monica Niculescu, and Victoriya Kutuzova.

Hradecka and Rezai go to Strasbourg final

Lucie Hradecka won her Strasbourg semifinal match 6-0, 1-0 today when her opponent, Ayumi Morita, retired with a left thigh strain. In the final, Hradecka will play Aravane Rezai, who defeated Victoriya Kutuzova, 6-4, 6-2. None of the semifinalists was seeded.

Bondarenko sends Sharapova out of Strasbourg

Even if Sharapova were not just coming back from a lengthy injury layoff--assuming Alona Bondarenko was having a switched-on day (so many of her days are not)--she would be favored to defeat the former world number 1 on red clay. That is what she did today, 6-2, 6-2, in Warsaw. However, Alona and her sister Kateryna did not fare as well in their doubles semifinal. The 4th seeds were defeated by 2nd seeds Yan Zi and Zheng Jie, 7-6, 6-3.

Also through to the singles semifinals are Anne Keothavong, Alexandra Dulgheru and Daniela Hantuchova.

In Strasbourg, Lucie Hradecka, Ayumi Morita, Victoriya Kutuzova, and Aravane Rezai advanced to the semifinals. Morita upset 3rd seed Peng Shuai.

Defending champion retires in Strasbourg

Anabel Medina Garrigues, who was going for a fourth title in Strasbourg, had to retire today in her second round match against Kristina Barrois. Medina Garrigues suffered a lower back injury, which she says should heal in three or four days.

Yesterday saw four seeds--Nathalie Dechy, Elena Vesnina, Tamarine Tanasugarn, and Anna-Lena Groenefeld--taken out in the first round. The biggest surprise was the early exit of Vesnina, who was defeated by Julie Coin (and not for the first time). The hometown spirit was alive today, too, as Stephanie Cohen-Aloro defeated Gisela Dulko in the second round. Dulko hit nine aces and committed nine double faults. Cohen-Aloro also committed nine double faults. Cohen-Aloro prevailed--4-6, 7-6, 6-4--in a match that lasted two and a half hours.

Medina Garrigues wins in Strasbourg

Anabel Medina Garrigues won the Internationaux de Strasbourg for the third time today, defeating Katerina Srebotnik, 4-6, 7-6, 6-0. The match was interrrupted by rain, and resumed in the early part of the second set.

2nd seed upset in Strasbourg

Number 2 seed Alona Bondarenko was upset today in Strasbourg by Timea Bacsinszky, 7-6, 6-2. Bondarenko had a much higher first serve percentage, but Bacsinszky was winning much more on her first serve. Bondarenko was broken five times.

Bartoli injured again

Top seed Marion Bartoli had to retire today in her match against Peng Shuai in Strasbourg. What what I can gather, she sustained a wrist injury. Here's hoping it is a minor one.

Lisicki stops Karatantcheva in Strasbourg qualifying

Sesil Karatantcheva failed to make it to the main draw in Strasbourg today when she was defeated by up-and-coming German player Sabine Lisicki, 7-6, 7-5.