Clijsters wins WTA Championships--Dulko & Pennetta win, too

Kim Clijsters, who has won every final in which she has competed this year, didn't disappoint in Doha Sunday. Clijsters defeated world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the WTA Championships. Clijsters went up 4-1 in the second set, but Wozniacki won a series of games and forced a third set. The world number 1 immediately broke in that final set, but Clijsters broke back, and continued to hold the momentum until the end of the match. "It seemed like it would never end," the champion said later.

This was the third time that Clijsters has won the Championships. The Doha victory was her fifth title of 2010; Clijsters won the U.S. Open for the second year in a row.

Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta continued their winning ways, too, defeating Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik 7-5, 6-4 in the doubles final, and saving a set point in the first set. Dulko and Pennetta are the number 1 doubles team in the world, and when the new rankings come out, Dulko will be number 1 in the world.

Long-time friends Dulko and Pennetta have played doubles together on and off for years, but decided to be a committed team in 2010. The Doha victory gives them seven titles for the year; Dulko won an eighth title with Edina Gallovits.

Only one player can get the treat this Halloween

How much pressure is Caroline Wozniacki under to win the WTA Championships? Like Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic before her, the Dane has reached the number 1 ranking without winning a major. She has every opportunity to win one in 2011, but it would also be a nice year-end treat if she would win in Doha. One thinks back to 2005, when Amelie Mauresmo won the Championships and it changed her career. Not that Wozniacki is like Mauresmo was in the mental department, but--no matter what she says--it is inevitable that Wozniacki is going to feel the pressure.

Here is where the trick part comes in: Wozniacki's opponent tomorrow is Kim Clijsters, 2009 and 2010 U.S. Open champion, and a very big threat on hard courts. There is no pressure on Clijsters. She is currently number 4 in the world, which is a very nice number if you are in the midst of your second WTA Tour career (and a very good one under just about any circumstance).

Wozniacki recently received her world number 1 trophy, but there can be no doubt that she would like to leave Doha with more than one prize in her treat bag. Clijsters can go off her game now and then, but if she stays in form tomorrow, Wozniacki will need to have a few tricks handy.

Clijsters and Wozniacki to play for Doha title

In the film, Whip It, when the end-of-season championship bout takes place, announcer Johnny Rocket reminds spectators that it has all come down to competitors Iron Maven and Babe Ruthless, and "Would you want it any other way?" It is also no surprise that the WTA Championships have come down to Kim Clijsters and Caroline Wozniacki. Clijsters, a member of the white group and the tournament's 3rd seed, defeated Sam Stosur 7-6, 6-1 today. Maroon group member and top seed Wozniacki defeated Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-0. Both Stosur and Zvonareva had problems with their second serves. Prior to the semifinals, Zvonareva was the only player with a perfect round-robin record.

Would we have wanted it any other way? Some of us, yes. But it is certainly fitting that Clijsters and Wozniacki meet on a hard court to determine who wins the Championships.

In doubles semifinal play, Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik defeated Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 7-5, 6-3. Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova, who have suprised fans this season with their victories in really big events, apparently didn't find Doha quite big enough: They were defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta, this year's top doubles team. Dulko and Pennetta defeated Peschke and Srebotnik in the finals in both Stuttgart and Montreal.

Zvonareva achieves 3-0 record in Doha

Vera Zvonareva defeated Kim Clijsters today at the WTA Championships, which gives her a 3-0 record in round-robin play. Previously, Zvonareva--a member of the white group--defeated Jelena Jankovic and Victoria Azarenka. She will play world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals, and Clijsters will play Sam Stosur.

Zvonareva, seeded 2nd at the Championships, was down a break in both sets, but defeated 3rd seed Clijsters 6-4, 7-5.

In other Doha play, Victoria Azarenka defeated Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 6-1, and Francesca Schiavone defeated Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-2.

In round-robin play, maroon group members Caroline Wozniacki and Sam Stosur are 2-1, and Francesca Schiavone and Elena Dementieva are 1-2. In the white group, Kim Clijsters is 2-1, Jelena Jankovic is 0-3, and Victoria Azarenka is 1-2.

Doubles draw made in Doha

The doubles draw has been made in Doha, and Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta will play Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova in the semifinals. Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik will play Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs in the other semifinal match.

The first semifinal is of particular interest. Dulko and Pennetta--close friends who have been occasional doubles partners for years and decided to play as a consistent team this year--are the top-ranked team, with six 2010 doubles titles. They won Miami, Stuttgart, Rome, Bastad, Montreal, and Moscow. They also reached the finals in Madrid and Beijing.

King and Shvedova, on the other hand, had played together in only two tournaments--both this year--when they won the 2010 Wimbledon title. In their next three events, they failed to get beyond the second round. But then they won the U.S. Open, defeating Dulko and Pennetta along the way.

Wozniacki to end 2010 as number 1

In what one could call a typical Wozniacki victory, the world number 1 defeated Francesca Schiavone today at the WTA Championships, and secured the number 1 ranking for the end of the year. The "typical" part: Wozniacki hit 17 winners and made 18 unforced errors, compared with her opponent's 30 winners and 34 unforced errors. Schiavone won the first set 6-3, and Wozniacki won each of the final two sets 6-1, 6-1. The last two sets lasted over 40 minutes apiece.

Also in Doha, Elena Dementieva defeated Sam Stosur 4-6, 6-4, 7-6. Dementieva--who lost to Stosur in the 2010 U.S. Open's most dramatic match--took advantage of the Australian's sometimes-shaky play toward the end of the match. It took Dementieva four tries, but she delivered match point and won the third-set tiebreak 7-4.

In today's third match, Kim Clijsters defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.

In the maroon group, top seed Wozniacki and 6th seed Stosur have reached the semifinals. In the white group, the semifinalists are 2nd seed Vera Zvonareva and 3rd seed Kim Clijsters. Tomorrow, Schiavone plays Dementieva, Zvonareva plays Clijsters, and Jelena Jankovic plays Azarenka.

Wozniacki loses Doha match to Stosur

Sam Stosur, seeded 6th at the WTA Championships in Doha, defeated 1st seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-4,0 6-3 today. Wozniacki now has a 1-1 record in the Championships, and Stosur has a 2-0 record.

2nd seed Vera Zvonareva defeated 8th seed Victoria Azarenka 7-6, 6-4 today in a match in which Azarenka made too many unforced errors. Zvonareva is now 2-0 in Doha.

In today's other match, 3rd seed Kim Clijsters, playing her first Doha match, defeated 6th seed Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic, who is now 0-2 in the competition, has been sick for over a week, and is reported to have passed out in the locker room after yesterday evening's match against Vera Zvonareva.

Tomorrow, maroon group members Sam Stosur and Elena Dementieva will compete, as will Caroline Wozniacki and Francesca Schiavone. In the white group, Kim Clijsters will play Victoria Azarenka.

Wozniacki, Stosur and Zvonareva win on 1st day of Doha play

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki had no trouble defeating Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-1 on the first day of play in theWTA Championships in Doha today. Dementieva, who was recently bothered by an inflamed foot, said that the heat and humidity made it difficult for her to play in Doha, and that she was "going for the wrong shots all the time." Also winning in the maroon group on day 1 was Sam Stosur, who defeated Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-4. Schiavone defeated Stosur on clay in the French Open final earlier this year.

In the white group, Vera Zvonareva (who is now number 2 in the world) defeated Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-0. Jankovic had problems with her movement--generally one of her greatest strengths--and she had repeated problems with her serve. Jankovic has been ill for several days, and she said she felt dizzy and felt some tingling during the match, and that she had difficulty breathing. These were the symptoms she experienced in Moscow last week. Jankovic received IV treatment following the match, and said that she plans to remain in the tournament.

Jankovic has a history of respiratory problems, and--though she had nasal surgery a few years ago--she continues to have problems breathing when she is active.

Doha draw

Here is the singles draw for round-robin play at the WTA Championships:

MAROON GROUP
Caroline Wozniacki (1)
Francesca Schiavone (4)
Samantha Stosur (6)
Elena Dementieva (7)

WHITE GROUP
Vera Zvonareva (2)
Kim Clijsters (3)
Jelena Jankovic (6)
Victoria Azarenka (8)

Play begins tomorrow in Doha. The first match will be played between Vera Zvonareva and Jelena Jankovic.

Miscellany

Victoria Azarenka has qualified as the final woman to play in the WTA Championships, which begin on Doha on October 27. (Not to put too fine a point on it, but the alternate should be practicing seriously.)

The New Haven tournament has been saved, but in the future, it will be a women's only event. Unlike many, I consider this a good thing. Now that Pilot Pen is gone, there will be no main sponsor; the sponsorship will be shared by several entities, including Yale University, Aetna and American Express. The tournament has been re-named the New Haven Open.

Yanina Wickmayer has received a Fed Cup Heart Award.

Rebecca Marino and Alison Riske have been grabbing ITF titles right and left. Marino is now Canada's number  1 player.

As previously mentioned by a reader of this blog, Svetlana Kuznetsova's relationship with coach Loic Courteau has ended after only two months. Courteau did not want to go to Moscow to train with Kuznetsova during the off-season. Don't you sort these things out before your hire someone?

Jankovic & Dementieva qualify for Doha

Jelena Jankovic and Elena Dementieva are the seventh and eighth players to qualify for the WTA Championships, which will begin October 26 in Doha. This will be the tenth time that Dementieva has played in the Championships.

The other women who have qualified to play in the round-robin event are: Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Samantha Stosur, and Francesca Schiavone.

Four doubles teams have qualified.

4 doubles teams qualify for WTA Championships

The four doubles teams that will participate in the upcoming WTA Championships are:

Gisela Dulko & Flavia Pennetta
Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik
Lisa Raymond & Rennae Stubbs
Vania King & Yaroslava Shvedova

Venus and Serena Williams were taken out of contention because Venus has stopped playing for the season. Last year's winners, Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, just missed the cut. Martinez Sanchez was out for part of the year with an injury, and the team lost its momentum. In the 2009 championships, the Spanish team defeated both the Williams sisters and the team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber.

MIscellany

Francesca Schiavone and Sam Stosur have qualified to play in the WTA Championships in Doha, which means there are only two spots left. Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva, Serena Williams, and Kim Clijsters are already in.

Here's a well-deserved shout-out for Schiavone.

And, in case you  missed it, here is the non-diva, great sportswomen, too-cool photo of the season.

Maria Sharapova is out for the rest of the season.

You can now get to know Bojana Jovanovski.

Venus Williams has a new computer game, and you can win a copy of it.

Dulko & Pennetta first to qualify for Championships

Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta have become the first doubles team to qualify for the 2010 WTA Championships. Dulko and Pennetta--who used to be partners on occasion, but who formed an ongoing partnership this season--have won five titles in 2010, and enjoyed a 17-match win streak earlier this year. Dulko also won a title this year with Elena Gallovits.

This is the first time that the team has qualified for the Championships.