Yan and Zheng get upset--in a big way

Yan Zi and Zheng Jie have not played together for a long time because of Zheng's ankle injury, which has kept her off the tour since the French Open. One might not have expected them to do that well in their first tournament since Zheng's return, but they made it to the final of the Mondial Women's Hardcourts tournament. They lost that match, however, when Dinara Safina and Agnes Szavay--who had already taken out top seeds Black and Huber--beat them 6-1, 6-2, to take the title.

Li wins Gold Coast

Li Na celebrates her return to the tour by winning Gold Coast

You do not expect a player who has been out for months with an injury to win the first tournament she plays upon her return, but Li Na did just that at the Mondial Women's Hardcourts in Gold Coast, defeating Victoria Azarenka, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The match (from my limited electronic scoreboard viewpoint) seemed to be a repeat of Li's semifinal match with Patty Schnyder, in that breaks of serve were the norm. Because of that, it was impossible to believe that anyone serving for a set or even the match was likely to win.

Li had already taken out not only Schnyder, but also the tournament's number 1 seed, Nicole Vaidisova, and she did look destined to win the whole thing, but Victoria Azarenka proved to be a formidable opponent. Azarenka, in my opinion, is in for a very nice tennis future.

Li sustained a rib injury during the summer and had her season cut short. She was recovering--and presumably training--in Germany prior to her return to the tour.

Black and Huber upset at Gold Coast

The team of Dinara Safina and Agnes Szavay defeated top seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber, 6-3, 6-1 at the Mondial Women's Hardcourts. They will play Yan and Zheng in the final.

In other Gold Coast news, Li Na won a rollercoaster-ride match against Patty Schnyder, with so many breaks of serve, one would have thought they were playing on heavy red clay. The tightly contested battle resulted in a final score, for Li, of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. She will play Victoria Azarenka in the final. Azarenka defeated Shahar Peer, 6-4, 6-2.

Top seed falls at Gold Coast

Number 1 seed Nicole Vaidisova is out of the competition at the Mondial Women's Hardcourts tournament, having lost to Li Na, who defeated her 6-3, 6-3.

Meanwhile, my two favorite players--Amelie Mauresmo and Patty Schnyder---played each other, and Schnyder was victorious, with a 6-4, 6-4 win.

Li and Schnyder will play each other in the semifinals, and the other semifinal will be between Shahar Peer and Victoria Azarenka. Peer saved three match points in her victory over Dinara Safina.

Szavay says goodbye after first round

Yuliana Fedak took Agnes Szavay out in the first round at Gold Coast

Agnes Szavay, considered one of the brightest up-and-coming stars on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, failed to shine bright enough to beat an in-form Yuliana Fedak, who defeated her 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the first round at Gold Coast. Fedak has inconsistency problems, but when she's on, she can be a threat. In the last year--like her countrywomen, Julia Vakulenko and Kateryna Bondarenko--Fedak has raised the level of her game considerably. Unfortunately, at the same time, Ukraine's top player, Alona Bondarenko, has struggled.

I think the injury-plagued Vakulenko has the most potential, but Kateryna Bondarenko is also looking quite promising.

Petrova goes out in first round at Gold Coast

Tathiana Garbin, putting up what appeared--from my view of the electronic scoreboard--a hell of a fight, defeated second seed Nadia Petrova, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the Mondial Women's Hardcourts in Gold Coast. I didn't follow the first set, but the second was interesting, with Garbin breaking Petrova at 4-3, then serving for the set and getting broken back. It went to 5-all, and Petrova had a break point on Garbin's second serve, yet Garbin not only held, but then broke Petrova again. I missed much of the third set, but it appeared to go Garbin's way from the outset, when she got an early break.

Next up for Garbin is the winner of the Razzano-Cibulkova match.

Bryanne Stewart writes first tour blog of the season

Australia's Bryanne Stewart, the first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour blogger, is also the first player to write a tournament blog, from Gold Coast, in 2008.

Top qualifying seeds taken out in both Gold Coast and Auckland

Mondial Women's Hardcourts tournament top qualifying seed Chan Yung-Jan has been defeated in the second round of qualifying by Australian Christina Wheeler. Likewise, the ASB Classic number one qualifying seed, Jill Craybas, was defeated by Zhang Shuai of China, also in the second round of qualifying.

Vakulenko withdraws from Gold Coast

If I had to guess who would be the first player to get injured this season, Julia Vakulenko would be one of my guesses. She has hurt her right wrist, and has withdrawn from the Mondial Women's Hardcourts tournament. Also, Yaroslava Shvedova retired during her first qualifying round against Zheng Jie; I do not know the reason for the retirement.

Stosur withdraws from Australian Open

Unconfirmed word is that Sam Stosur, recovering from two serious illnesses, has withdrawn from both the Mondial Women's Hardcourt tournament and the Australian Open. During her recent training, she said she was not 100% recovered, but expected to be so by the time the season began. I found that a bit suspicious, and am not surprised that she has withdrawn. Very disappointing, however.

Mauresmo says she's ready

Despite her surgery, long recovery and resulting injury, Amelie Mauresmo has not changed her off-season training regimen, which is probably the toughest of any on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Every year, Mauresmo and her group ride their mountain bikes through the Pyrenees, as part of her rigorous three-week off-season training. Her medical advisors gave her the go-ahead to proceed as usual, which is good news.

The 2006 Australian Open champion will be playing at the Gold Coast in the Mondial Women's Hardcourts tournament. It is only the second time in four years that the Frenchwoman has played in a Tier III event.

Only 2 weeks until play begins on the Gold Coast

The Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts tournament begins on December 31, and marks the return of three important tour players who struggled this year with illness and/or injury. Amelie Mauresmo will make her Gold Coast debut, and Sam Stosur will presumably play both singles and doubles. Mondial will also mark the return of Li Na, who has been in Germany, recovering from a rib injury.

Also on hand for the season's first tournament will be Nicole Vaidisova, Nadia Petrova, Patty Schnyder, Agnes Szavay, Shahar Peer, Sybille Bammer, and defending champion Dinara Safina.

Safina won both the singles and doubles title last year. She defeated Martina Hingis for the singles trophy, and she and her partner, Katarina Srebotnik, won over Iveta Benesova and Galina Voskoboeva.

This is the last year that the tournament will be held on the Gold Coast. Starting in 2009, the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts and the Adelaide International, an ATP tournament, will be combined to create a new tournament in Brisbane.