Tokyo champion Nadia Petrova won the Tournament of Champions in Sofia today. Petrova, who was seeded 2nd, defeated top seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-1 in an hour and 27 minutes. Petrova broke Wozniacki five times, and never let go of her aggressive game, which included repeatedly taking charge at the net. We know what Petrova is capable of, and lately, we've been seeing it again. The Russian veteran has one of the biggest serves on the tour, and--though known for her power--is actually an all-court player.
"Hopefully," the Sofia champion remarked, "with the preparation I'm doing in the off-season for next year, you'll be able to see the old Petrova."
Oh, Nadia!!
Today's result provides us a two-part cautionary tale: 1. Watch out for WTA 30-year-olds who suddenly get their groove back, and....2. The plan for "new Caroline"?--still not working. The Dane is back in the top 10, but winning only three games in the Sofia final surely isn't how she wanted to end her season
There was another champion named today: Kristina Mladenovic won the first-ever WTA 125 tournament, which was played in Taipei. Mladenovic beat Chang Kai-Chen 6-4, 6-3. Mladenovic, who is 19, reached the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open. The young Frenchwoman also won two WTA doubles titles earlier this year.
Mladenovic, with partner Chan Hao-Ching, also won the Taipei doubles title. The champions defeated Chang and partner Olga Govortsova 5-7, 6-2, 10-8 in the final.
It couldn't have been easy for the crowd to watch the home player take the runner-up trophy in both events.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Quote of the week
"I also want to say I have so much respect for Roberta. I've known her for a long time--the first time we played each other was in the Under 12s, and I always knew she had so much talent. She has some of the best feel and touch on the tour right now, and it's nice to see a player like her doing so well when everyone else is focusing on power and strength. She really uses all the shots in the game. Today she just played awesome and gave me a lesson."
Daniela Hantuchova
Wozniacki and Petrova to meet in Sofia final
Caroline Wozniacki returned to the WTA top 10 today when she defeated Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions. Wozniacki's opponent in the final will be Nadia Petrova, who defeated Roberta Vinci 6-7, 6-1, 6-4.
Wozniacki holds a 4-1 record against Petrova. The two players are seeded numbers 1 and 2, respectively.
In Taipei, Kristina Mladenovic will face Chang Kai-Chen in the final. Mladenovic came back from being two breaks down in the third set of her semifinal against Kurumi Nara, defeating her opponent 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Chang defeated Misaki Doi 6-7, 6-3, 6-1.
Wozniacki holds a 4-1 record against Petrova. The two players are seeded numbers 1 and 2, respectively.
In Taipei, Kristina Mladenovic will face Chang Kai-Chen in the final. Mladenovic came back from being two breaks down in the third set of her semifinal against Kurumi Nara, defeating her opponent 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Chang defeated Misaki Doi 6-7, 6-3, 6-1.
Czech Republic--2, Serbia--0
The first two rubbers of the Fed Cup final were played in Prague today, and the Czech Republic won both of them. Lucie Safarova defeated Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-3, and Petra Kvitova defeated Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 6-1.
Kvitova went down 2-4 in the first set, but after she evened things, she was the Petra of 2011, hitting 28 winners, most of them off of the forehand. Kvitova's groundstrokes were precise and powerful; her serve was strong, her performance at the net was deft.
The Czech star expressed surprise that she had played as well as she had. Still not totally rehabilitated from a case of bronchitis, she had some breathing difficulty during the match.
During today's opening ceremony, Jana Novotna was presented with the Fed Cup Award of Excellence. Novotna was part of Czechoslovakia's 1988 championship team. She participated in 33 Fed Cup ties over a span of 12 years. In presenting the award to Novotna, ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said of the Czech star: "In addition to being a talented and successful player, Jana Novotna was a leader and role model on and off the court during a pivotal time during her nation's history."
Novotna, who is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, won 12 major doubles titles, and also won the Wimbledon singles title in 1998.
Kvitova went down 2-4 in the first set, but after she evened things, she was the Petra of 2011, hitting 28 winners, most of them off of the forehand. Kvitova's groundstrokes were precise and powerful; her serve was strong, her performance at the net was deft.
The Czech star expressed surprise that she had played as well as she had. Still not totally rehabilitated from a case of bronchitis, she had some breathing difficulty during the match.
During today's opening ceremony, Jana Novotna was presented with the Fed Cup Award of Excellence. Novotna was part of Czechoslovakia's 1988 championship team. She participated in 33 Fed Cup ties over a span of 12 years. In presenting the award to Novotna, ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said of the Czech star: "In addition to being a talented and successful player, Jana Novotna was a leader and role model on and off the court during a pivotal time during her nation's history."
Novotna, who is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, won 12 major doubles titles, and also won the Wimbledon singles title in 1998.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Oh, Petra.......Oh, Jelena
Is it excitng, or just unfortunate, that two of the most star-crossed players on the tour are also two of the biggest Fed Cup stars, and that they meet tomorrow in the second rubber of the Fed Cup final? Petra Kvitova, leader of the defending champion Czech Republic, faces off against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia tomorrow after Lucie Safarova plays Ana Ivanovic.
Kvitova has been sick with bronchitis and who has taken a course of antibiotics, and says that she isn't 100% well, and doesn't want the pressure of having to win two matches. Ivanovic is just coming back from a hip injury, to make things even more complicated.
"These women are apostles for the modern game," said ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti in announcing the final.. "Long before there was a tour, long before there was equal prize money, long before tennis returned to the Olympic movement, Fed Cup gave women players a chance to compete in a global competition, wearing the colours of their nations proudly."
Safarova is 3-2 against Ivanovic, and Kvitova is 1-0 against Jankovic. The competition is being held on an indoor court, which is Kvitova's best surface. Fed Cup, however, is unpredictable. Factor in the health problems and the Pennetta-like spirit which some players (i.e., Kvitova and Jankovic) take into Fed Cup play, and things can get interesting.
Unless substitutions are made, the match play will be reversed on Sunday: Kvitova will play Ivanovic, and Safarova will play Jankovic. Should a doubles rubber be needed to determine who wins, the accomplished Czech team of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka will play against Bojana Jovanovski and Aleksandra Krunic. (And if you under-estimate Krunic, you haven't been following Fed Cup!)
Kvitova has been sick with bronchitis and who has taken a course of antibiotics, and says that she isn't 100% well, and doesn't want the pressure of having to win two matches. Ivanovic is just coming back from a hip injury, to make things even more complicated.
"These women are apostles for the modern game," said ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti in announcing the final.. "Long before there was a tour, long before there was equal prize money, long before tennis returned to the Olympic movement, Fed Cup gave women players a chance to compete in a global competition, wearing the colours of their nations proudly."
Safarova is 3-2 against Ivanovic, and Kvitova is 1-0 against Jankovic. The competition is being held on an indoor court, which is Kvitova's best surface. Fed Cup, however, is unpredictable. Factor in the health problems and the Pennetta-like spirit which some players (i.e., Kvitova and Jankovic) take into Fed Cup play, and things can get interesting.
Unless substitutions are made, the match play will be reversed on Sunday: Kvitova will play Ivanovic, and Safarova will play Jankovic. Should a doubles rubber be needed to determine who wins, the accomplished Czech team of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka will play against Bojana Jovanovski and Aleksandra Krunic. (And if you under-estimate Krunic, you haven't been following Fed Cup!)
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Wozniacki goes 3-0 in Sofia round-robin play
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki handily placed herself into the Tournament of Champions semifinals today by completing round-robin play with a 3-0 record. The Danish star defeated Daniela Hantuchova 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. The match lasted two hours and 45 minutes (what do they think this is, Istanbul?!). Hantuchova won 109 points, Wozniacki won 107.
Joining Wozniacki in the semifinals from Group Serdika is Roberta Vinci, who defeated Hsieh Su-Wei 6-1, 6-2 today.
Advancing to the semifinals from Group Sredets are Nadia Petrova and Tsvetana Pironkova. The apple cart was somewhat overturned when Maria Kirilenko withdrew from the tournament with an upper respiratory infection; Kirilenko was considered likely to advance to the semifinals. Petrova beat Kirilenko in three sets today, with Kirilenko winning one more point (101 to 100) than her opponent. Also of interest: Petrova hit seven aces; Kirilenko hit nine.
Here are the round-robin standings:
GROUP SERDIKA
Caroline Wozniacki, 3-0
Roberta Vinci, 2-1
Hsieh Su-Wei, 0-2
Daniela Hantuchova, 0-2
GROUP SREDETS
Nadia Petrova, 2-0
Zheng Jie, 0-2
Maria Kirilenko, 1-1 (withdrew)
Tsvetana Pironkova, 1-1
The order of the semifinals is yet to be determined. Here is tomorrow's line-up:
Sofia Arvidsson (alternate replacing Kirilenko) vs. Zheng Jie
Nadia Petrova vs. Tsvetana Pironkova
Hsieh Su-Wei vs. Daniela Hantuchova
The winner of the Petrova vs. Pironkova match will determine who plays whom in the semifinals.
Joining Wozniacki in the semifinals from Group Serdika is Roberta Vinci, who defeated Hsieh Su-Wei 6-1, 6-2 today.
Advancing to the semifinals from Group Sredets are Nadia Petrova and Tsvetana Pironkova. The apple cart was somewhat overturned when Maria Kirilenko withdrew from the tournament with an upper respiratory infection; Kirilenko was considered likely to advance to the semifinals. Petrova beat Kirilenko in three sets today, with Kirilenko winning one more point (101 to 100) than her opponent. Also of interest: Petrova hit seven aces; Kirilenko hit nine.
Here are the round-robin standings:
GROUP SERDIKA
Caroline Wozniacki, 3-0
Roberta Vinci, 2-1
Hsieh Su-Wei, 0-2
Daniela Hantuchova, 0-2
GROUP SREDETS
Nadia Petrova, 2-0
Zheng Jie, 0-2
Maria Kirilenko, 1-1 (withdrew)
Tsvetana Pironkova, 1-1
The order of the semifinals is yet to be determined. Here is tomorrow's line-up:
Sofia Arvidsson (alternate replacing Kirilenko) vs. Zheng Jie
Nadia Petrova vs. Tsvetana Pironkova
Hsieh Su-Wei vs. Daniela Hantuchova
The winner of the Petrova vs. Pironkova match will determine who plays whom in the semifinals.
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