Chuang & Govortsova win Beijing title

Chuang Chia-Jung and Olga Govortsova, unseeded at the China Open, won the title today by defeating top seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta 7-6, 1-6, 10-7. Chuang and Govortsova got off to a quick start and looked as though they might easily win the first set, but Dulko and Pennetta caught up and forced a tiebreak. Chuang and Govortsova won the tiebreak in the same quick fashion they had begun the match. However, they were able to win only one game in the second set. But they prevailed in the super-tiebreak, and denied Dulko and Pennetta a sixth title for the season.

Wozniacki defends Ponte Vedra title

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki defended her 2009 title in Ponte Vedra Beach today, defeating Olga Govortsova 6-2, 7-5.

Top seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Yan Zi won the doubles championship, defeating Chuang Chia-Jung and Peng Shuai 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.

Govortsova upsets Cibulkova and advances to Ponte Vedra Beach final

Olga Govortsova, unseeded at the MPS Group Championships, upset 3rd seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 7-5 in the semifinals today. Govortsova will play top seed and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki in the final. Wozniacki defeated 4th seed Elena Vesnina 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the semifinals.

2nd seeds Chuang Chia-Jung and Peng Shuai will play number 1 seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Yan Zi in the final. 

Bondarenko out in Ponte Vedra Beach

2nd seed Alona Bondarenko made a first round exit in Ponte Vedra Beach today. Bondarenko was defeated 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 by Olga Govortsova. Top seed Caroline Wozniacki advanced with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Patty Schnyder.

In Marbella, 6th seed Maria Kirilenko was upset 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 by Sorana Cirstea.

Schiavone wins Kremlin Cup

Though she often found it difficult to win a final, Francesca Schiavone had no trouble doing it today. The 8th seed defeated Olga Govortsova 6-3, 6-0 to win the 2009 Kremlin Cup. Schiavone now has a 2-10 record in finals.

Yesterday, Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova won the doubles title, defeating Maria Kondratieva and Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-2.

Schiavone and Govortsova to meet in Kremlin Cup final

8th seed Francesca Schiavone, who just doesn't stop surprising us, will play Olga Govortsova in tomorrow's Kremlin Cup final. Schiavone defeated Alona Bondarenko, 6-4, 6-0 in the semifinals today. Govortsova defeated Alisa Kleybanova 6-2, 6-1.

Meanwhile, in Luxembourg, 6th seed Sabine Lisicki came back from being down 2-4 in the third set against Shahar Peer, and won her semifinal match 6-3, 4-6, 7-6. In the final, Lisicki will play Timea Bacsinzky, who upset 5th seed Yanina Wickmayer, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Upsets in Palermo

There were a couple of doubles upsets today in Palermo. The unseeded team of Parra Santonja and Uhlirova upset 4th seeds Senoglu and Shvedova, and the unseeded team of Jans and Rosolska upset 3rd seeds Makarova and Voskoboeva.

In singles, top seed Flavia Pennetta defeated countrywoman and clay specialist Roberta Vinci, and Tathiana Garbin defeated Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. Also, unseeded Olga Govortsova upset 6th seed Ekaterina Makarova.

My Charleston doubles hopes dashed

I assumed that Edina Gallovits and Olga Govortsova, who finally teamed up again in Florida this week, would again play doubles in Charleston, but no such luck. Gallovits has withdrawn from the Family Circle Cup. Taking her place in the draw is Julia Schruff.

Oh, good!--they're together again

The entertaining team of Gallovits and Govortsova heads to the court

I was worried, after Charleston, that Edina Gallovits and Olga Govortsova had decided not to play doubles together anymore, but here they are--reunited--in the Wimbledon draw. Their accidental and spontaneous teaming up at the Family Circle Cup was a real plus for fans. Gallovits and Govortsova played exceptionally well and wound up in the final. On their way there, they took out both Black and Huber and Peschke and Stubbs.

Gallovits and Govortsova play Sofia Arvidsson and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the first round.

Why, I wonder...

Would Edina Gallovits and Olga Govortsova not play doubles together at Roland Garros? The impromptu team made it to the finals in Charleston and they were a joy to watch. Govortsova, playing with Ekaterina Dzehalevich, has already been eliminated.

Srebotnik and Sugiyama win Family Circle Cup

Edina Gallovits and Olga Govortsova had never before played doubles together, and--ten minutes before the entry deadline expired-they decided, on a whim, to enter the Family Circle Cup. During the course of the tournament, they took out both the number 3 seeds, Peschke and Stubbs, and the number 1 seeds, Black and Huber. The number 2 seeds, Katerina Srebotnik and Ai Sugiyama, proved too much for them, however.

One hopes that the team of Gallovits and Govortsova is here to stay. Gallovits is good at the net, as is Govortsova, if she has time to set up. Govortsova has an impressive forehand down the line, and Gallovits thrills with her lobs. Against Srebotnik and Sugiyama, though, they were neither quick nor clever enough. It was a good final, whose scoreline does not reflect its quality; Gallovits and Govortsova, should they choose to stay together (and why wouldn't they?) have nowhere to go but up.

(Tournament director Robin Reynolds had no excuse for not knowing how to pronounce Govortsova's name, and she also should have known that Srebotnik is from Slovenia, not Slovakia.)

Srebotnik/Sugiyama def. Gallovits/Govortsova, 6-2, 6-2

Davenport wins everything in Memphis

Lindsay Davenport won the Regions Morgan Keenan Tennis Championships in Memphis without dropping a set, defeating Olga Govortsova, 6-2, 6-1 tonight in the final. She rested for an hour, and then--with partner Lisa Raymond--won the doubles championship, also. Davenport and Raymond defeated Angela Haynes and Mashona Washington, 6-3, 6-1.

Govortsova into Memphis final

Number 5 seed Olga Govortsova has reached her first tour final by defeating Memphis number 3 seed Shahar Peer, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Azarenka retires in first round at Hobart

Victoria Azarenka, bothered by an abductor injury she developed at the Gold Coast tournament last week, retired during her first round at the Moorilla Hobart International. Azarenka was forced to stop at 1-3 in the first set, giving the win to Olga Govortsova.