"...his intention is that I...continue to be strong and fight"

Virginie Razzano's fiance, 32-year-old Stephane Vidal, died Monday. Vidal, who was Razzano's coach until March, died from complications of a brain tumor which was diagnosed nine years ago. Vidal had learned to walk and write again after undergoing surgery when the tumor was discovered. He took a turn for the worse early this spring, and he almost died in March. Vidal's family kept the news from Razzano, however, while she was competing in the United States.

"Four or five days ago, I asked him: 'Do you want me to go and play at Roland Garros?'" Razzano told L'Equipe. "He answered: 'Yes, you need to play.' Because his intention is that I keep on going in my life, that I play for him and that I continue to be strong and to fight."

Razzano said that Vidal helped her to overcome a "very difficult adolescence."

Razzano, who is ranked number 93 in the world, was ranked as high as 16 in 2009. She was off of the tour for several months because of an injury she said was caused by a WTA trainer. The Frenchwoman, inspired by Vidal's final request, will play in the 2011 French Open.

Women Who Serve joins the tennis community in offering condolences to Razzano.

Top two Paris teams out of doubles in 1st round

Top seeds Liezel Huber and Nadia Petrova were upset today by wild cards Alize Cornet and Virginie Razzano in the first round of play in Paris. Cornet and Razzano, who are just coming off of some tough Fed Cup play in Moscow, beat Huber and Petrova 3-6, 6-3, 10-7.

The number 2 seeds, Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, are gone, too. Maria Elena Camerin and Darya Kustova defeated them 6-4, 6-3.

Benesova and Zahlavova Srycova won the 2009 Open GDF SUEZ last year when they were given a walkover by Cara Black and Huber.

Seeds upset in first round in both Slovenia and Bad Gastein

Top seed and defending champion Andrea Petkovic won her first round in Bad Gastein today, defeating Iveta Benesova 6-4, 6-0, but 3rd seed Anabel Medina Garrigues, 4th seed Klara Zakopalova, 5th seed Sybille Bammer, and 6th seed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova were all upset.

Yesterday, in Bad Gastein, Mariya Koryttseva saved eight match points and defeated Tatjana Malek in a match that lasted almost three hours.

In Slovenia, hometown star Katarina Srebotnik got off to a good start by defeating Petra Martic 6-3, 6-1. Top seed Jelena Jankovic defeated countrywoman Bojana Jovanovski, but 2nd seed Petra Kvitova was upset by Stepanie Voegele. Also upset in the first round were 5th seed Dominika Cibulkova and 8th seed Sophia Arvidssson. Cibulkova lost in straight sets to Ksenia Pervak.

In first round play yesterday, Virginie Razzano made her post-injury return by defeating Zuzana Kucova.

Miscellany

Billie Jean King says that Martina Hingis may return to the tour as a doubles player next year. Hingis is playing a full World Team Tennis season this summer.

Virginie Razzano has withdrawn from Wimbledon, citing an injured left foot, as well as a right thigh tear brought about by the foot injury. Razzano says that all the trouble started with a massage given to her by a tour trainer. The massage, which she said was painful, led to edema, and then matters became worse. Razzano has begun proceedings against the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and is reportedly seeking damages.

Not to be missed: WTA Backspin's 2010 Clay Court Awards. 

Dinara Safina has lost her fifth match in row, going out in the first round in s'Hertogenbosch to Magdalena Rybarikova. Rybarikova won the match 6-7, 6-4, 6-4  on her sixth match point. Safina was seeded 2nd.

Eastbourne defending champion Caroline Wozniacki plays Aravane Rezai in the first round of the tournament this week.

Wozniacki wins Eastbourne

Caroline Wozniacki, playing a high quality match against Virginie Razzano, won the AEGON International today, 7-6, 7-5. Both players served well, and both returned well. Razzano wound up with almost twice as many winners as Wozniacki.

The match also had some unusual drama. Wozniacki was up 6-1 in the first set tiebreak, when Razzano began making point after point. Toward the end of the tiebreak, Wozniacki hit a ball which appeared to be in, but which the chair umpire overruled as out. The point was replayed, and Razzano won it. Justice was served in the end, though, when Wozniacki--serving at 6-5--immediately own the set on her first serve.

In the second set, there was another moment--again toward the end of the set--when Wozniacki thought she had hit a winner and won the championship, only to have her ball called out as she was approaching the net to shake hands with her opponent (reminiscent of what happened to poor Nathalie Dechy last year during the second round of Wimbledon). She and Razzano both had a good laugh, then Razzano proceeded to win the next two points. Wozniacki prevailed in the end, however.

Quote of the day

"To say what she said yesterday in the French newspaper, that is not really brilliant. I guess that is just the way she is."

Marion Bartoli, on comments Virginie Razzano made about her in L'Equipe

Razzano and Wozniacki to compete for Eastbourne title

I didn't get to see the semifinal match between Virginie Razzano and Marion Bartoli, but I remarked last night that it was either going to be an outstanding affair, or Bartoli was going to retire--nothing in between. Well, Bartoli retired at 4-6, 0-1, with a thigh strain, so there you are.

I also missed the first set of the match between Aleksandra Wozniak and Caroline Wozniacki. Wozniak took that set, 6-4. The infamous Eastbourne wind howled, which I think may have caused Wozniak to become too conservative; she just stopped taking necessary risks. Wozniacki raised her level of play, came in more, and took the next two sets, 6-3 and 6-4.

There was a very amusing moment when Wozniacki, having slipped and fallen on the grass (for the second time), returned a shot when she was practically lying on her back. It was a good return, but Wozniak sped it back to her while she was still on the ground.

At one point in Tennis Channel coverage, there was a brief clip shown of the 1998 Novotna-Tauziat final, and I was thinking that I would like to see Jana Novotna terrorize today's (comparatively boring) baseline grass players. One of the commentators then said something similar. Enjoy Amelie Mauresmo while you can.

French vs. French, Woz vs. Woz

Commentators, and perhaps others, who do not follow Agnieszka Radwanska sometimes believe she is somewhat out of sorts on the court when she is not. Her Evert-like affect is merely one of calm and concentration (Evert herself was torn to shreds by the media--especially the British media--for her affect). Today, however, in Eastbourne, she really was out of sorts, muttering and frustrated, and unable to get her first serve in. Her opponent, Virginie Razzano an aggressive player under any circumstance, took full advantage of the defending champion's vulnerability. Razzano stood on the baseline to receive most of Radwanska's serves, and took the ball as fast as she could.

The Frenchwoman had trouble closing--she needed four match points--but she has not really displayed any of her characteristic mental weakness lately. Perhaps she has gotten some help, or perhaps she has worked through the issue on her own. At any rate, she was the victor, with a score of 7-6, 7-5.

Also winning today in Eastbourne was Marion Bartoli, who defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 6-4. No surprise--grass is not Medina Garrigues' surface to about the same degree as it is Bartoli's.

Caroline Wozniacki had little trouble defeating Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2, and Aleksandra Wozniak defeated Vera Dushevine 6-1, 6-0 in just 45 minutes.

Razzano and Bartoli will play each other in the semifinals, and Wozniacki and Wozniak will compete. Bartoli is 2-1 against Razzano, and they have never before played each other on grass. Wozniacki is 2-0 against Wozniak, and one of those matches was in the second round of Wimbledon last year.

Dementieva out of AEGON International

Top seed Elena Dementieva was upset today in the third round of the AEGON International by Virginie Razzano, 6-0, 3-6, 7-6. The third set was intense and made for good viewing.

Sadly, there were two retirements today: 7th seed Nadia Petrova retired in her match against Vera Dushevina, and Li Na retired in her match against defending champion and 8th seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Petrova sustained a lower back injury, and Li was put out by an abdominal strain.

6th seed Caroline Wozniacki, who was defeated in Eastbourne last year by Samantha Stosur, turned the tables today, winning their match 6-1, 5-7, 6-1. Stosur had trouble at the net, of all places, and appeared to return to her former, somewhat wobbly, mentality.

Aleksandra Wozniak continued her success with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie. And Ekaterina Makarova prevailed over Amelie Mauresmo in two very tight sets. The 7-6, 7-6 result reflects tiebreak scores of 10-8 and 15-13. Mauresmo hit eight aces and double-faulted seven times.

Marion Bartoli defeated Anna Chakvetadze, Anabel Medina Garrigues defeated Sybille Bammer, and in doubles, top seeds and defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber easily defeated Ana Ivanovic and Sabine Lisicki.

Here is the quarterfinal singles draw:

Virginie Razzano vs. Agnieszka Radwanska
Marion Bartoli vs. Anabel Medina Garrigues
Caroline Wozniacki vs. Ekaterina Makarova
Vera Dushevina vs. Aleksandra Wozniak

Cibulkova retires in Charleston

I was so looking forward to the Family Circle Cup quarterfinal match between number 1 seed Elena Dementieva and her opponent, Dominika Cibulkova. The first set began impressively, but then Cibulkova began to lose momentum. At the end of that set, which Dementieva won, 6-4, Cibulkova received treatment for a left adductor strain. Then, after playing only one game in the second set, Cibulkova retired. This was a real disappointment, not only because the match would most likely have been a very good one, but also because it came on top of Vera Zvonareva's retirement last night.

Following the set of tennis played by Dementieva and Cibulkova was the match featuring Caroline Wozniacki and Virginie Razzano, who became a quarterfinalist when Zvonareva was injured. I sometimes wonder why Razzano is not ranked higher than she is, but her performance today kind of answered that question. Razzano--who can be a feisty and clever opponent--was but a shell of her fighting self in this match. She had trouble serving and returning, and had success with an approach shot only once the entire match. Wozniacki defeated her, 6-2, 6-0.

Venus takes Dubai and wins her 40th title

The first set in the Dubai final between Venus Williams and Virginie Razzano was filled with really great tennis from both players, and was a pleasure to watch.

You do the Hantuchova
and you turn yourself around...

One of Razzano's tactics was to turn her back on Williams before Williams served, thus slowing down the pace, at least symbolically. Razzano's serves were nothing to sneeze at, and she used her first serve very effectively throughout the set.

Before the set was over, though, Razzano would complain of lower back pain and would call for a trainer. She received treatment and continued play, but was broken by Williams when she served at 4-5, giving Williams the first set.

The second set was a completely different story, with Razzano double-faulting five times, and making errors even when she was handed great opportunities by Williams, whose serve also fell apart toward the end. It was because Williams' serve went to pieces, in fact, that Razzano avoided a second set bagel. Williams took the match, 6-4, 6-2.

Was Razzano's back problem what did her in in the second set? Maybe. Or perhaps it was just exhaustion. Or playing Williams. Or all of the above.

At any rate, Williams has now won her fortieth tour singles title, and is starting the 2009 season very impressively.

Williams to meet Razzano in Dubai final

Toward the end of 2007, Virginie Razzano did something she had never done before--she won a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournament. Then, the following week, she won a second one, in Tokyo. Her opponent in that final was Venus Williams, whom she defeated 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Razzano had a lot of momentum then, but did not win any tournaments in 2008. In fact, she was not able to defend her Tokyo title because of a back injury. The world number 58 has been a streaky player for some time, and one hopes that her success in Dubai this week will put a stop to that pattern. This week, Razzano defeated both world number 2 Dinara Safina and world number 5 Vera Zvonareva. Now--having defeated Kaia Kanepi in straight sets in the semifinals--she has reached the final of a very big event, and waiting for her, once again, is Venus Williams.

Williams, for her part, put herself ahead 10-9 today, in Williams sisters match competition. She defeated Serena Williams 6-1, 2-6, 7-6.

Williams to meet Williams again

Venus Williams defeated Elena Dementieva today in Dubai in straight sets, and her sister defeated Ana Ivanovic, also in straight sets. The sisters will now meet in the semifinals.

Joining them will be 16th seed Kaia Kanepi, who defeated qualifier Elena Vesnina 6-3, 7-5. Kanepi's opponent will be Virginie Razzano, who played a stunning 7-6, 7-5 match to defeat Vera Zvonareva. The match was dramatic and tense--so much so that Razzano wept when it was over. It took Razzano too long to close the match, but close it she finally did, after hitting a stupendous fifty winners.

Dubai is getting interesting

First we lost number 2 seed Dinara Safina, and now we have lost number 3 seed Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic lost her third round Dubai match to Kaia Kanepi, a player I've been watching for a long time. Kanepi beat Jankovic in straight sets (6-2, 7-5), even going to a 4-0 lead in the second set. JJ hasn't look like herself at all this season, which is a disappointment to her fans, and unfortunate for women's tennis.

Other seeds gone today are Alize Cornet, who lost to Venus Williams, Marion Bartoli and Dominika Cibulkova--both of whom retired--and Anabel Medina Garrigues, who lost to Elena Dementieva. The Jankovic loss was the only upset, however. Virginie Razzano, not content to just take out Safina, also defeated Daniela Hantuchova today.

Zheng Jie fought hard against Serena Williams, but Williams pushed her into taking a lot of risks that resulted in errors. Williams was finding angles that probably made Zheng's head spin. It was a good match, with Williams winning 6-4, 6-2.

Safina out of Dubai in the 2nd round

There was one great big upset today in Dubai; Virginie Razzano took out 2nd seed Dinara Safina, 6-4, 6-2 (or, as the metaphor-challenged WTA site says: "Dinara Exits Stage Left But Others Sail On"). Safina double-faulted twelve times, and her chronic double-faulting has pretty much made her the new Dementieva.

There was also some illness. Urszula Radwanska, who prevailed over her 9th seeded sister yesterday, had to retire during her match against Camille Pin (making her a really "lucky loser") because of heat illness.

Sara Errani took a set off of Serena Williams, who not only won the match, but delivered Errani a third-set bagel. Venus Williams ran over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-0, 6-1.

Allez!...and au revoir

Two Frenchwomen have advanced to the Australian Open round of 16--Marion Bartoli and Alize Cornet. And two Frenchwoman, Virginie Razzano and 2006 Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo --have not. Mauresmo played Victoria Azarenka today in the third round, and a quick look at the match must have pleased Mauresmo fans, for there was Mauresmo--lobbing and slicing, and executing her beautiful backhand. Closer observation, however, revealed that Mauresmo was behind a beat throughout the match. It wasn't so much that she needed more speed, but that she needed better anticipation. One of the TV commentators also mentioned that he thought the low bounce of the Rebound Ace court was just Amelie's cup of tea, but the higher bounce hurt her game.

Azarenka noticed this, too, and skillfully took Mauresmo out in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Azarenka's next opponent will be Serena Williams, and things should get pretty noisy. Bartoli plays number 1 seed Jelena Jankovic, and Cornet plays Dinara Safina.

Razzano lost in a close match (7-5, 7-5) against Dominika Cibulkova. She was defeated in the third round last year, too.

Schnyder out of Melbourne

14th seed Patty Schnyder has made an early exit from the Australian Open, taken out by Virginie Razzano, who defeated her 6-3, 6-1. I (thankfully) did not get to see this match, but I suspect the wind had at least something to do with Schnyder's dismal result. Schnyder's unfortunate second round result brings to eight the total number of seeds who have gone out.

Australians go out in first round of Medibank International

Former top 10 player Alicia Molik went out in the first round in Sydney when she was defeated 7-6, 7-6 by Lucie Safarova. Wild card Nicole Pratt also made a quick exit when she was defeated by Virginie Razzano, 6-2, 6-1.

Meanwhile, once-again Aussie and former top 5 player Jelena Dokic has made it through three rounds of qualifying into the main draw in Hobart.

Razzano defeats Williams--wins Tokyo

Virginie Razzano saved three match points in the second set, and went on to defeat Venus Williams in the final of the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships. Williams apparently suffered some sort of injury, which--from what I have heard--is not very serious.

Only last week, at the Jinjiannan Guangzhou International Women's Open in Guangzhou, Razzano won her first career tournament, and now she has won her second, proving again that some of the toughest players around are the French ones.

Final score: 4-6, 7-6, 6-4

Razzano wins her first title

Hard-working, entertaining Virginie Razzano, who is a dangerous floater in most tournaments she enters, won her first career title today, defeating Tzipora Obziler, 6-1, 6-2 in the Jinjiannan Guangzhou International Women's Open. The unseeded 34-year-old Obziler, who had to take out Peng Shuai to get to the semifinals, had never before been in a final, and it would have been equally satisfying to see her win in Guangzhou.