Medina Garrigues and Vinci win titles

Anabel Medina Garrigues won her tenth WTA title today in Estoril. Medina Garrigues defeated Kristina Barrois 6-1, 6-2 in the final. Nine of the Spaniard's titles have come on clay. Medina Garrigues recently overcame a losing streak comprised of ten consecutive first round losses.

Alisa Kleybanova and Galina Voskoboeva won the Estoril doubles championship. They defeated Elena Daniilidou and Michaela Krajicek 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

Roberta Vinci won her fourth title today when she defeated Lucie Hradecka 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Vinci was the champion in 2009, and the runner-up in 2010.

The doubles title went to the top seeds, Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. They defeated Natalie Grandin and Vladirimira Uhlirova 5-7, 6-4, 11-9. Benesova and Zahlavova Strycova have won eleven titles together. 

Pavlyuchenkova defends Monterrey title

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, seeded second at the Monterrey Open, defended her 2010 title today by defeating top seed Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. This is Pavlyuchenkova's third WTA title. She is currently ranked number 19 in the world.

The entertaining Czech pair, Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, won the doubles championship. Seeded 1st, Benesova and Zahlavova Strycova defeated 2nd seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Vania King 6-7, 6-2, 10-6. Today's victory is the team's seventh title. Benesova holds a total of eleven doubles titles, and Zahlavova Strycova holds a total of twelve.

Jankovic and Pavlyuchenkova to compete in Monterrey final

Defending champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenko stopped Gisela Dulko's Mexican streak today, defeating her 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinals of the Monterrey Open. Dulko, the champion in Acapulco, had won eight straight matches. Pavlyuchenkova, who is seeded 4th in Monterrey, will play top seed Jelena Jankovic in the final. Jankovic defeated Polona Hercog 6-3, 6-2 today.

Top seeds Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova won the second semifinal match today, defeating 3rd seeds Julia Goerges and Polona Hercog 6-4, 6-3. They will compete for the title against 2nd seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Vania King.

Passing shots

Flavia Pennetta is now co-ranked number 1 in the world in doubles, sharing the spot with partner Gisela Dulko, and achieving yet another "first" for Italian players.

Dinara Safina has won her first match since September. She defeated Han Xinyun 6-2, 6-0 in the first round of the Malaysian Open. Safina's victory broke a six-match losing streak.

Iveta Benesova is blogging from Monterrey.

Can sportswriters and reporters please stop writing "comeback" when they mean "come back" (the verb)?

Qualifier Anne Kremer, who upset Kimiko Date Krumm in the first round of the Malaysian Open, has advanced to the third round.

Aravane Rezai and Julia Goerges were both upset in the opening round of the Monterrey Open.

Laura Robson reports that she's now bowling with her right arm because her lefty spin created too many gutter balls.

Radwanska and Peng--together again as you always wanted to see them

Agnieszka Radwanska and Peng Shuai are incapable of stepping onto a tennis court together and quickly getting off. Every time they play one another, it's a knock-down, drag-out affair, with no shortage of entertainment for spectators. Old habits die hard: You can expect Peng to work extra hard to overcome her lack of a strong serve, you can expect Radwanska to have a very poor second serve, and you can look for Peng to most likely let match points slip by.

That was the case in the Australian Open round of 16 match which Radwanska won 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, but only after two hours and 44 minutes of tough, and often frustrating, competition. Radwanska, who became error-prone and passive in the second set, went up 3-1, 40-0 in the third. There was a questionable line call, and maybe that threw her off her rhythm, or maybe it was just inevitable that she and Peng drag the set out as long as possible. At any rate, Radwanska was broken in that game. Peng served for the match at 5-4, and Radwanska saved two match points. Finally, Radwanska won, on her second match point.

Radwanska wasn't even supposed to be in Melbourne. After having surgery in October for a stress fracture in her foot, she was told she could return to the tour in March, and that there was a one per cent chance she could play in the Australian Open. The straight-faced player from Poland provided the biggest laugh of the first week (and probably of the tournament) in an earlier round, when her racquet head flew off in the middle of a rally. After her fourth round match against Peng, Radwanska can probably be declared an official safety hazard: During the match, she hit a return which smacked a ballboy right in the head. Radwanska stopped play, checked on the ballboy, and shook his hand. Apparently, there was no real harm done.

Other round of 16 matches weren't as eventful, but they were certainly worth watching. 2nd seed Vera Zvonareva gradually worked her way into her match against Iveta Benesova, and eventually built up enough momentum to completely dominate the Czech player. Benesova, who had taken out two other Russian seeds, lost control of her serve, most likely because she was done in by the occasion. Zvonareva defeated her 6-4, 6-1.

And then there was Petra Kvitova, who defeated Flavia Pennetta 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Pennetta served extremely well in the first set, and looked as though she might make short work of the rising Czech player. But in the second set, Pennetta did not serve as well, and Kvitova's confidence shot up. The longer they played, the more deadly Kvitova's shot-making became, and she wore Pennetta down. Kvitova made 43 unforced errors, compared with Pennetta's 33. However, she also hit 46 winners, compared with Pennetta's 16. (You might call her the anti-Woz.)

A notable upset occurred in the junior girls' competition on Monday. Kanami Tsuji of Japan defeated top seed Daria Gavrilova 6-4, 6-3. Gavrilova won the U.S. Open in juniors, and also won a gold medal at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games.

Stosur out of Australian Open

Theoretically, a tall, left-handed, flat-hitting opponent with a strong forehand has what it takes to give Sam Stosur a lot of trouble. That became more than theory on the sixth day of the Australian Open: Brisbane champion Petra Kvitova upset 5th seed Stosur 7-6, 6-3. Kvitova, the tournament's 25th seed, hit hard flat balls repeatedly to Stosur's backhand, which is decidedly Stosur's weaker side. The Stosur forehand broke down, too, although Kvitova ended the match with more unforced errors than Stosur. She also ended the match with 35 winners, opposed to Stosur's eleven, all of which were hit in the first set. Most impressive were Kvitova's first and second serve win percentages of 80 and 58.

This is not the first time that Stosur has run into a player who isn't bothered by her kick serve and her heavy topspin. Players like Kvitova, who hit the ball flat and go for the lines, can dictate play and neutralize the hitting of even a talented player like the Australian. It was a bonus for Kvitova that she is also left-handed.

Stosur's upset was the biggest on the sixth day, but she had company. Iveta Benesova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova played a see-saw match that ended with a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 victory for Benesova over the 16th seed. Each player dominated a set, and the third set was a constant struggle for domination. In the end, though, Benesova was clever, and Pavlyuchenkova was worn down. The Czech doubles star has now removed two Russian seeds (she upset Maria Kirilenko in the second round), and she gets 2nd seed Vera Zvonareva in the next round.

Zvonareva was hardly at her best in her third round match, but she got past 31st seed Lucie Safarova, 6-3, 7-6. Kim Clijsters, the third seed, was far below her best, but defeated Alize Cornet 7-6, 6-3. 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska had an easy win over Simona Halep, and Peng Shuai defeated Ayumi Morita. Peng was cramping pretty badly toward the end of the match, and was hobbling around the court. That didn't stop her from winning, of course, and let's hope that she gets sufficient rest before her next round.

13th seed Nadia Petrova is out, too. Petrova played Ekaterina Makarova, who upset 19th seed Ana Ivanovic in the first round. For all of its flaws, this match was fun to watch. Each woman took a set, and--just as with the Benesova-Pavlyuchenkova match--the third set was a drawn-out struggle for domination. Makarova served for the match twice and was broken both times. The second time, she had two match points. The Russian player stayed surprisingly calm in the face of so many lost opportunities, and hung in while Petrova's unforced errors increased. At the end of the 72-minutes third set, Makarova advanced with a 6-2, 3-6, 8-6 victory.

Shahar Peer, the 10th seed, played an aggressive first set against 22nd seed Flavia Pennetta and won it 6-3. Pennetta dialed her play up a notch in the second set, and won it impressively in a tiebreak. One of the commentators made a point of reminding viewers that Pennetta is quite familiar with Peer's tendency to back away and play it safe, and that's exactly what happened. Pennetta took the third set 6-4, and advanced to the next round. Peer is a good player with a lot of tenacity, but when the tension arises, she tends to wilt, just when she should be more aggressive.

Passing shots

Sony Ericsson has launched Xperia Hot Shots, an entertainment show that will be streamed online and to mobile devices. Xperia Hot Shots, which begins in March, follows the lives of six aspiring WTA Tour players as they strive toward sports stardom. The featured stars will have access to the worlds of music, film, gaming, and fashion. Maria Sharapova helped Sony Ericsson make the announcement yesterday. Sharapova worked with Melbourne street artist Dvate to create the show's logo and to tag a specially-made mural. Xperia Hot Shots will be shown on YouTube.

The Australian Open Bracket Challenge has begun. You can go to On the Baseline and fill out the bracket form with your predictions. A dozen prizes will be awarded to those who come closest to predicting the outcomes, and the major prize is a pair of tickets to the 2011 major tournament of your choice. The contest will close on Sunday, January 16 at 6 p.m. EST.

So far, every tennis expert and major writer I've come across has picked Kim Clijsters to win the Australian Open.

Get ready to pay James LaRosa's Australian Open drinking game.

Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, the 2011 Sydney doubles champions, played match tiebreaks in each of their four matches.

Yaroslava Shvedova reports that she has begun post-surgical rehab for her knee, and she is already walking up stairs.

Li wins her first Premier title in Sydney

Li Na has not had an easy pro tennis career. She left the tour for a long time because she was tired of being told what to do by the Chinese Tennis Federation. When she returned, she did it on her terms (and, in fact, changed the entire climate of Chinese tennis for women), but then she was knocked down over and over by a series of significant injuries that kept her off the courts for months at a time.

And then there was the problem with nerves. Going into the 2011 season, the Chinese number 1 held three titles, all of them from International tournaments (and one, 2008 Gold Coast, dramatically attained immediately after she returned from a very long injury layoff). It wasn't that Li didn't get to the deep part of Premier tournaments and majors; it was that her nerves would visibly betray her, and could not get past semifinals. In fact, Li's most memorable run occurred last year at the Australian Open, when she engaged in a 6-7, 6-7 thriller with eventual winner Serena Williams.

In last night's Sydney final, world number 3 Kim Clijsters went up to a quick 5-0 lead, but then Li returned the favor by winning five games in a row. The set went to a tiebreak, and Clijsters immediately went up a mini-break at 3-1. All the points after that were Li's, though. The 8th seed won the tiebreak by making six straight points, then won the second set 6-3.

Li's victory means that she is not only the first Chinese woman to crack the top 10 (she is currently number 11), and one of the first two Chinese women (Zheng Jie made it to the Melbourne semifinals last year, too) to get to the semifinals of the Australian Open--she is also the first Chinese woman to win a Premier tournament. For whatever reason, Li's forehand is often left out of conversations about good forehands, but fans have seen this week just what the Sydney champion can do with it. One hopes that the confidence factor will serve as a settling agent for the talented Li's match anxiety.

Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, the unseeded but always dangerous Czech pair, won the doubles title by defeating 3rd seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik 4-6, 6-4, 10-7.

Meanwhile, the rain stopped (sometimes) in Hobart, and some players have had to play two matches a day in order to catch up. 6th seed Jarmila Groth and Bethanie Mattek-Sands will compete in the singles final. Groth defeated Klara Zakopalova, and Mattek-Sands defeated Peng Shuai.

Wozniacki wins her 5th title of the year in Tokyo

Elena Dementieva's service game was so strong and dominant in the first set of the Toray Pan Pacific Open final, she won it 6-1. This was the same result she achieved in her first set against top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the New Haven final in September. In that final, Wozniacki came back to win, and she also came back to win today, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. And while the top seed did lift the level of her game during the second set, more notable was the fact that Dementieva's game all but collapsed by the third set. She lost the match as she was broken on a double fault, and that moment, unfortunately, reflected the state of her game in the second half of the match.

Dementieva has played 34 three-set matches this season in which she won the first set, and the only two she has lost were New Haven and Tokyo.

The new Tokyo doubles champions are Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. They defeated Shahar Peer and Peng Shuai (who had never before played together) 6-4, 4-6, 10-8.

Wozniacki & Dementieva to play in Tokyo final

Tokyo top seed Caroline Wozniacki defeated 8th seed Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 today in the Tokyo semifinals. Wozniacki's opponent in the final will be 7th seed Elena Dementieva, who defeated 5th seed  Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-5.

In doubles, Shahar Peer and Peng Shuai defeated 3rd seeds Chan Yung-Jan and Liezel Huber 6-4, 5-7, 10-5. In the other semifinal, Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova defeated Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 7-6, 6-2.

King & Shvedova win 3-hour thriller

If ever there were a match you hated to see someone lose, it was the riveting 3rd round doubles match played at the U.S. Open today by Wimbledon champions Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova and their opponents, Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. It lasted over three hours, and featured play that was, at times, breathtaking. Seeded 6th, King and Shvedova won the first set in an 11-9 tiebreak, and Benesova and Zahlavova Strycova won the second, 6-3.

The final set was tension-filled, like a tightrope walk between two buildings that appear to be close together--unless you're on the rope. Benesova was a stand-out throughout much of the set, using her strong forehand to attack her oppenents' serve, and Zahlavova Strycova often shone at the net. At times, King and Shvedova put on the same kind of show they put on at Wimbledon, though not as consistently. King is steady and calm and can retain focus and accuracy for an extended period of time, and Shvedova is a risk-taker who moves splendidly at the net.

King and Shvedova served for the match at 5-3, but were broken. Serving a 6-5, Zahlavova Strycova double-faulted twice during the game, and a tiebreak ensued. The Czech went up a quick mini-break in the tiebreak, but then Benesova, who had served very well throughout the match, double-faulted twice in a row. Later in the tiebreak, each team held a match point but could not convert it. The Czech team held a match point at 7-6, but Benesova hit an easy volley into the net. Benesova and Zahlavova Strycova held another match point at 8-7, but that one was saved by Shvedova.

Benesova then mis-hit a ball, but got her team back on track with a huge serve. There was another big serve from the Benesova at 9-all, but King--stretched out wide at the net--hit an even bigger return. It was then Shvedova's turn to serve, and this time, she hit it long and flat, got an error in return, and she and King won the match 7-6, 6-3, 7-6.

This match had everything, and all four players are to be commended for providing the ultimate in excitement for fans. Both tiebreaks went to 11 points, and the momentum swung relentlessly. Commentators and writers pay attention to singles only, but the real thriller of the tournament, so far, was this one.

Benesova knocks out top seed two days in a row

Yesterday, Iveta Benesova stunned Montreal spectators by taking out Rogers Cup top seed Jelena Jankovic. She liked the experience so much, she repeated it today. She and partner Barbora Zahlavova Strycova upset top doubles seeds Liezel Huber and Nadia Petrova 7-6, 1-6, 11-9.

Benesova's next opponent in singles will be the winner of the 2nd round match between lucky loser Kimiko Date Krumm and 17th seed Marion Bartoli. Benesova and Zahlavova Strycova will face Anabel Medina Garrigues and Yan Zi.

Benesova upsets Jankovic in Montreal

There are certain players on the tour who sometimes rise to the occasion, meet their potential, and play truly great matches. One of those players is Iveta Benesova, whose lefty serve is never something to take lightly. Tonight in Montreal, she was simply all over 1st seed Jelena Jankovic, maintaining her aggression and refusing to give Jankovic any type of rhythm. In fact, the way Benesova defended was positively Jankovician, to borrow a term from the WTA Backspinner.

Fans who really know women's tennis know that Benesova can crack mentally, and that Jankovic is very good at coming from behind. After the Czech player stayed tough enough to win the first set in a tiebreak, she immediately held, and then broke Jankovic. Then she held again, but when Jankovic brought the second set score to 1-3, I thought "okay, it's coming." Soon, it was 3-all, and this would be the time in the match when the momentum would turn--only it didn't. Well, maybe for a moment, when Benesova had trouble holding to go to 4-3. And still, I thought the momentum would turn.

But Benesova broke Jankovic again, and then--in a scenario I could never have predicted, even after watching the entire match--Benesova held at love to win the whole thing 7-6, 6-3. This was a skillful, gutsy performance from the world number 75. After she waved to the crowd, the qualifier (who has now played five matches) held her hand up to her mouth, as if to say "I can't believe I just did that."

But she did.

Jankovic, who hit 25 winners but made 30 unforced errors, may still be suffering the effects of a sprained ankle, but there is really nothing that can take away from her opponent's performance. As for the world number 3, she needs to get herself together for the U.S. Open.

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.

Pavlyuchenkova wins her first title

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had to play two matches today in Monterrey. Her semifinal match was postponed yesterday because of rain, so today, she played her semifinal opponent, Anastasija Sevastova, whom she defeated 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. This evening, the 3rd seed faced 2nd seed and wild card Daniela Hantuchova (who defeated Dominika Cibulkova in the semifinals) in the final. Pavlyuchenkova, serving with a first serve win percentage of 83, defeated Hantuchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-0. At one point, Pavlyuchenkova hit three aces in one game.

This is Pavlyuchenkova's first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title.

One of the doubles semifinal matches had to be postponed, also. Today, top seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Vania King defeated Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 6-7, 6-3, 10-6. The top seeds were upset in today's final, however. 2nd seeds Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova won the championship, defeating Groenefeld and King 3-6, 6-4, 10-8.

Dementieva wins in Paris

Elena Dementieva won the Open GDF SUEZ in Paris today, defeating Lucie Safarova 6-7, 6-1, 6-4, and hitting nine aces in the process.

Safarova got off to a roaring start, going up 3-0 in the first set. Dementieva soon caught up, but Safarova continued to use her powerful forehand and precision service game to fend off the top seed's efforts. The set went to a tiebreak, with Safarova getting the first mini-break at 6-4. Dementieva saved a set point, but Safarova was then able to win the set on her own serve.

The second set was a different story. Safarova's level of play went down considerably, and Dementieva launched an attack that left the Czech player with only one game to her credit.

Serving at 2-all in the third set, Safarova had a tense moment when she went from 40-0 to deuce, and even saw a break point against her. Again, she used her service game to squeak out of trouble and advance to 3-2, However, serving at 3-all, Safarova was broken. From then on, Dementieva dictated play, though Safarova saved two championship points on her own serve at 3-5. Dementieva, who was the finalist in 2009, didn't have an easy time of it, closing the match against a determined Safarova, but on her 4th championship point, she did the job.

Dementieva's newly designed trophy was presented to her by 2009 champion Amelie Mauresmo, who defeated her last year in the Open GDF SUEZ final. This is Dementieva's 16th career title.

The doubles final was not played. Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova won the championship via a walkover from top seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber. Black had a viral illness and could not play.

Miscellany

Ana Ivanovic has withdrawn from the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open.

Ivanovic and Victoria Azarenka played tennis on a rooftop in Rome this week. Tennis on rooftops, tennis on top of cars--does anyone else find these stunts as silly as I do?

Iveta Benesova was not allowed to play her first round match in Estoril until she put on different shorts; the ones she was wearing were deemed too short.

Sabine Lisicki is now number 38 in the world. She jumped 25 places since she won Charleston.

Abigail Lorge says that Serena Williams has a 13.5% chance of winning the Grand Slam this year.

Top seed out in Estoril

Yesterday, in her Estoril blog, number 1 seed Iveta Benesova remarked that she had played poorly in her first round. Whatever was wrong, she apparently did not overcome it. Jarmila Groth defeated her in the second round, 7-5, 6-4.

Sabine Lisicki (don't you wish she were in Rome?) defeated Elena Bovina 6-4, 7-5. Bovina made it through qualifying and won one match. It must be so tough for a player who was once number 14 in the world to be lucky to squeak out once match. I miss Bovina, and am sorry that she has had so much misfortune.

Groenefeld and Schnyder upset in Stuttgart

There was only one upset today in Stuttgart, and it was in doubles. The unseeded team of Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova defeated 4th seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Patty Schnyder, 6-0, 6-4. Earlier in the day, Benesova lost a close match to 7th seed Caroline Wozniacki in singles, and Groenefeld lost a three-setter to Elena Dementieva.

Top seed Dinara Safina introduced herself by allowing her opponent, Sara Errani, to win only one game.