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. 

Belgium and Czech Republic tied 1-1 in Fed Cup play

When Barbora Zahlavova Strycova served at 4-5 in the second set in her semifinal Fed Cup rubber against Yanina Wickmayer, what emerged what arguably one of the best games of the season. It was a very long game, in which the Czech player held numerous game points, but was not able to convert them. To keep herself (and her country) in the match, she pulled out every shot imaginable. The highlights included a successful serve-and-volley play, a slide-forward down the line volley, and a drop shot. It took Wickmayer a long time to get a break point, and she won the game, thereby winning the match 6-4, 6-4.

These two had never played each other before, and I was really looking forward to seeing them in their first-ever match. They didn't disappoint me. The second semifinal rubber of the day was a high quality, sometimes thrilling, affair. Earlier in the day, the Czech Republic won the first rubber when Petra Kvitova defeated Kirsten Flipkens 6-2, 7-6. Tomorrow's highlight will be the rubber featuring Wickmayer and Kvitova.

In the other semifinal, Russia leads 2-0. Vera Zvonareva defeated Sara Errani 6-0, 6-2, and Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-7, 6-1. And while it can no longer be said that Vinci has never lost a Fed Cup match--this is an unusual situation, in which Vinci has been called on to play singles instead of doubles. Indeed, the Italian has never lost a Fed Cup doubles match.

Here are other day 1 results:

World Group play-offs

Germany--2, USA--0
Spain--1, France--1
Slovak Republic--1, Serbia--1
Australia--1, Ukraine--1

World Group II play-offs
Belarus--2, Estonia--0
Slovenia--1, Canada--1
Switzerland--2, Sweden--0
Japan vs. Argentina--postponed until July

The contest between France and Spain is also of interest. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez defeated Virginie Razzano 6-2, 6-4. The next rubber was a lively one, with Anabel Madina Garrigues playing Aravane Rezai. Medina Garrigues is in the midst of a comeback, of sorts, and Rezai needs to be in the midst of one. The Frenchwoman certainly made a good start, with a 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 win.

Hantuchova wins Pattya Open

Daniela Hantuchova, seeded 4th at the 2011 Pattaya Open, easily won the title today when she defeated 8th seed Sara Errani 6-0, 6-2. This is Hantuchova's fourth WTA Tour singles title.

Errani, with partner Roberta Vinci, won the doubles title. Errani and Vinci defeated Sun Shengan and Zheng Jie 3-6, 6-3, 10-5.

Groth wins Hobart

Jarmila Groth, currently ranked number 40 in the world, has won the Moorilla Hobart International. Groth defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 6-3 in the final, which was played in windy conditions. Both players now head to Melbourne for the Australian Open. Mattek-Sands gets a qualifier in the first round, but Groth has to play 21st seed Yanina Wickmayer.

Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci are the new Hobart doubles champions. They defeated Kateryna Bondarenko and Liga Dekmeijere 6-3, 7-5. Because it rained so much during the tournament, a doubles semifinal had to be played following the singles final. Bondarenko and Dekmeijere won that match, defeating Groth and Klara Zakopalova.

Ladies with an attitude

It's the video of the year. C Note got it from ziamiki, so thanks to both of them--and now I'm sharing it with you. In a moment that is somewhere beyond camp, the members of the Italian Fed Cup team (take special note of Roberta Vinci) give us their interpretation of Madonna's "Vogue" video.

Schiavone and Vinci to play in Barcelona final

It isn't often that the top seed and the defending champion compete in a final, but that will be the case in Barcelona tomorrow when Francesca Schiavone, the number 1 seed, takes on defending champion and countrywoman Roberta Vinci.

Schiavone defeated Yaroslava Shvedova 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals, and Vinci defeated Alexandra Dulgheru 6-7, 6-1, 6-2.

In doubles, the 4th-seeded team of Sara Errani and Vinci defeated number 1 seeds Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the semifinals. They will play Timea Bacsinszky and Tathania Garbin. Bacsinszky and Garbin defeated Tatjana Malek and Andrea Petkovic.

Rezai upset in Barcelona

Aravane Rezai, seeded 2nd in Barcelona, was upset in straight sets in the first round today by defending champion Roberta Vinci. Also upset was 6th seed Gisela Dulko, who was taken out by Sara Errani. Regina Kulikova defeated 8th seed Lucie Safarova.

In doubles, Sorana Cirstea and Gisela Dulko, the number 2 seeds, were upset by Tatjana Malek and Andrea Petkovic.,

Italians sweep Marbella

Flavia Pennetta won her ninth Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title today in Marbella, defeating Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Pennetta was seeded 2nd at the event.

The team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci won the doubles championship. The 3rd-seeded Italians defeated Yaroslava Shvedova and Maria Kondratieva 6-4, 6-2.

Errani and Vinci upset in Acapulco

Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, seeded 6th and 7th in Acapulco, were both eliminated from competition today. Edina Gallovits defeated Errani 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, and qualifier Laura Pous Tio defeated Vinci 6-3, 6-2.

Errani and Vinci are partners in doubles, and have advanced to the semifinals.

Italy!

Italy won the 2009 Fed Cup today, and in doing so, became number 1 in the world in ITF rankings for the first time in history. The Italian team of Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani, and Roberta Vinci defeated the USA 4-0 to take the title. Even more impressive--the Italians defeated Russia 4-1 to get to the final. Prior to that, they also took France out of the competition with a 5-0 score.

Yesterday, Pennetta defeated Alexa Glatch and Schiavone defeated Melanie Oudin. Today, Pennetta defeated Oudin 7-5, 6-2, which gave Italy the win. It was the fourth time that Pennetta has scored the winning point in a Fed Cup tie.

The fourth singles rubber was skipped, and the doubles match was played as a dead rubber. Italy won that, too, defeating Liezel Huber and Vania King 4-6, 6-3, 11-9.

To me, Schiavone and Pennetta are Fed Cup. There is nothing quite like the attitude they bring to every event, and Schiavone in particular captures the spirit of Fed Cup like no one else.

Some special Fed Cup awards were also presented today. Mary Joe Fernandez, USA Fed Cup captain, and Silvia Farina, who has the most Italian Fed Cup wins in history, were given the Fed Cup Award of Excellence today. The award is presented by the ITF Hall of Fame & Museum and the ITF.

Fernandez, a member of the winning 1996 USA Fed Cup team, coached the USA to its first final in six years. Farina played on nine Italian teams, and recorded 23 Fed Cup victories.

On Thursday, Melanie Oudin was presented with the inaugural Fed Cup BNP Paribas Heart Award. The new award recognizes "a player who has represented her country with distinction, shown exceptional courage on court and demonstrated outstanding commitment to the team during Fed Cup by BNP Paribas." Oudin was selected by fans to be the first recipient. She was given a silver bracelet and $5,000 to donate to the cause of her choice. Oudin gave the money to Children's at Egleston, the hospital where her younger sister had open-heart surgery.

Italy announces Fed Cup team for final

Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani, and Roberta Vinci will play for Italy in the 2009 Fed Cup final against the USA. Schiavone is undefeated so far this year in Fed Cup, and Errani has a 13-0 doubles record in Fed Cup competition.

Thrill Ride almost derailed by Vinci

She's at it again. Dinara Safina came within a hair of going out in the second round of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open today. Her challenger was the often-dangerous Roberta Vinci, who came close to breaking Safina to win the second set, and who served for the match in that set. Vinci was also up a break in the final set, but stilll could not defeat the world number 1, who, after double-faulting 10 times, took the match, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.

15th seed Dominika Cibulkova was upset today in the first round by Peng Shaui, and 10th seed Nadia Petrova was upset by Alona Bondarenko, who served superbly against one of the better tour servers. A bit of a surprise (well, to me) was Sybille Bammer's defeat of Zheng Jie (6-2, 4-6, 6-2), and 6th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova had to work hard to defeat Lucie Safarova, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6. The Russian hit 10 aces.

In doubles, 6th seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Patty Schnyder were upset by Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko, 6-4, 6-2.

Vinci wins in Barcelona

Unseeded Roberta Vinci allowed her opponent, Maria Kirilenko, to win only four games in the final at the Barcelona Ladies Open today. She defeated the sixth seed 6-0, 6-4 to take the championship.

Vinci began her path to the championship with a close win (6-4, 7-6) over Pauline Parmentier in the first round, then ran over second seed Flavia Pennetta in the second round. She then beat Anastasiya Yakimova in straight sets in the quarterfinals. In her semifinal match, Vinci lost the first set 0-6 to countrywoman Francesca Schiavone, then took the remaining sets, 7-6, 6-4.

This is Vinci's second Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title.

In the doubles semifinal, Vinci played with Schiavone, but they were easily defeated by top seeds Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, 6-1, 6-1. Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez went on to win the championship, defeating Sorana Cirstea and Andreja Klepac, 3-6, 6-2, 10-8.

Number 2 seed out in Barcelona

Those tennis gods are busier than I thought. Flavia Pennetta, whom we would have loved to have had back in Charleston, went to Barcelona as the second seed, and now--like top seed Alize Cornet--she has fallen. Countrywoman Roberta Vinci defeated her 6-1, 6-2.

Defending champions out in first round in Melbourne

Defending champions and 4th seeds Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko did not make it through the first round in this year's Australian Open. Gisela Dulko and Roberta Vinci defeated them 6-2, 7-5. There won't be any hilarious interviews this year.