The Week In WTA Winners: Kvitova Pounds Clijsters, Hantuchova Wins In Thailand

Paris

Give it up for Petra Kvitova, taking her second WTA title of 2011 at the Premier Paris Open tournament, beating Kim Clijsters 64 63 in the final.  She had two exceptionally tough matches against Barbora Zahlalova Strycova and Yanina Wickmayer before cruising against Mattek-Sands, and Clijsters never looked like winning. The pace and depth of Petra’s shots – and serve – are so unbeatable when she’s on, and she’s had a stellar start to the year; if she can keep it up – or at least avoid a string of first round losses such as that which followed her semi-final appearance at Wimbledon last year – she’ll be in the top 10 soon, although clay isn’t her best surface.

And she’s so cute.

It wasn’t a particularly bad week for Clijsters either, as her run to the final puts her back at no. 1 from tomorrow, displacing Caroline Wozniacki. However, they’d better hold off on the trophy presentation for now, as Wozniacki could potentially take back the top spot in Dubai. Congratulations to Kim nevertheless, who did win the last two Slams and is at the top for the first time since 2006.

But we all know hanging about with Momo is the real prize.

Pattaya City

A big week for Daniela Hantuchova in Thailand, taking her fourth career title and her first since Linz in 2007. Ana Ivanovic – having split up with yet another coach, this time Antonio van Grichen – disappointed against Roberta Vinci and Kirilenko lost an absolute screamer in the second round against Galina Voskoboeva, but Hantuchova still had to contend with Kimiko Date-Krumm, who had beaten her in all three of their previous meetings, and queen of Pattaya Vera Zvonareva in the semi-finals before absolutely crushing Sara Errani in the final.

Plato invented the plate.

Fed Cup Semi-finals: The Italian Job

Italy 5 – Czech Republic 0

Can anyone stop this Italian team? I’m completely serious. Flavia Pennetta wasn’t even at her best this weekend; she struggled mightily against Lucie Hradecka on Saturday, well down in both sets before coming back to win in straights, 64 75. Luckily she has support from Francesca Schiavone, who popped up to beat Lucie Safarova 60 62 and put Italy well ahead.

The Czech Republic pinned its hopes on Lucie Safarova’s 2-0 record against Pennetta, but unfortunately she injured herself during the warm-up and had to be replaced by Petra Kvitova, who was unable to stop Italy sealing the deal 3-0. Cue the celebrations.

The US and Russia are locked in a deciding fifth rubber right this now, but whoever wins will host Italy at home. And will have their work seriously cut out for them.

Fed Cup Final: Forza Italia!

No last-minute miracle for Team U.S.A. Flavia Pennetta clinched the tie 3-0 by beating Melanie Oudin, 75 62, and Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani beat Vania King and Liesel Huber for a perfect 4-0 scoreline. Let’s hear it for the ladies bringing home Italy’s second Fed Cup. Not bad for a country who celebrated its first WTA top-tenner this year.

(My Italian dream involves climbing trees to shout ’Courage and love!’ and then getting kissed in a field of violets on a Tuscan hillside, but each to their own.)

I didn’t see the match in its entirety, but on watching the highlights, it seems to me that Pennetta just turned in a dominating performance. Credit to Oudin, who fought hard, but Flavia simply didn’t let her in to the point where she could dictate the match. It’s no mean feat, especially as her reaction afterwards showed how much the victory meant to her.

Fantastic for Flavia to seal the deal, but it was a team effort and it seemed like everybody there knew it.

A lot of teeth in that team.

Flavs and Schiavs warm my heart.

This should be painted in oils.

Give it up for Corrado Barrazzutti, the man with the unspelleable surname and solid teamwork ethic.

I’m told they’re running away from champagne. This concept eludes me.

It wobbles my lip that Flavs brought on her dad.

Melanie’s not impressed. But Vania’s just happy to be included.

Love.

Fed Cup: Italy Take 2-0 Lead

The U.S.A’s chance of an upset would seem to be vanishingly small after Italy won both their opening singles rubbers to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. But then, stranger things have happened …

First up, Alexa Glatch against Flavia Pennetta. Glatch was the one who knocked out Flavia Pennetta in the opening round of Roland Garros (and I remember commenting then that it was quite the impressive Fed Cup audition). However, Pennetta was reportedly sick on that occasion and it was a different story today as Flavia was on totally dominant form, smacking down Glatch 63 61 for the first point.

It was the turn of Melanie Oudin and Francesca Schiavone next, and the youngster made an impressive start, quickly breaking Schiavone to go 4-2 up when the skies opened and the match was rained off for some time. After the break, Oudin started slowly, allowing Schiavone to break back and take it to a tiebreak in which the Italian looked by far the stronger player, winning it 7-2 with a backhand return ace. The second set was a more exaggerated version of the first as Oudin broke Schiavone in the opening game, but unforced errors cost her the break back and when Schiavone held and then broke to love in the next game to go 3-1 up, it was pretty much over with Oudin winning just one more game.

I know the Italians were heavy favourites, but it isn’t easy to go out there and do what you’re supposed to against opponents with nothing to lose when there’s so much on the line. I thought Pennetta and Schiavone were both great, particularly Francesca who wasn’t on great form but fought her way to a convincing win. And it gave her the chance to show off her fantastic range of celebratory expressions.

I call this one the ‘Popeye’.

It isn’t quite done and dusted yet, but all Italy need is one more point and you have to consider Pennetta vs. Oudin and Schiavone vs. Glatch as heavily tilted in the home team’s favour. Unless they choke or the U.S. finds something truly special from somewhere, it’s hard to see this ending well for the U.S.

Forza.

Fed Cup Final: Fighting Words

With the draw for the Fed Cup final being held tomorrow, both teams held press conferences in Reggio Calabria.

Team Italy (captain Corrado Barrazzutti, Francesca Schiavone, Roberta Vinci, Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta).

Italy has never beaten the U.S. in nine attempts, but captain Barrazzutti seems pretty confident:

“The players have the right spirit for this type of competition. When they play in Fed Cup, they give something more,” added Barazzutti. [...] “When they play, they don’t play for themselves, they play for their country, for Italy. That makes the difference [...]“

“The fact that the Williams sisters aren’t here won’t change anything. We will be concentrating on the players that are here, not the players that aren’t here,” said Barazzutti, insisting that Italy is ready for the job in hand.

Barrazzutti’s crack team.

Team USA (Liezel Huber, Melanie Oudin, Vania King, Alexa Glatch, team captain Mary-Joe Fernandez)

Fernandez seemed cheerful enough, although she did take a moment to address the Williams question in a not-totally-USA-AOK kind of way:

Fernandez spoke of her “tough week” when she received two separate calls from world No. 1 Serena and No. 6 Venus Williams informing her of their decision not to travel to Italy and responded to questions about the impact of their absence on the result this weekend.

“It would have been a big bonus having them here. But having said that, this is the team I know the best and the team that got us here. You want your players to have the same amount of pride as everyone else but you can’t force it on anyone.”

Well …. OK. Anyway, obviously a lot of attention will be focussed on Melanie Oudin, who seems to have committed the unforgivable sin of not winning everything since the US Open.

“Everyone expects me to win everything now after I did good in one tournament. Everyone has ups and downs and I happened to be up at the US Open,” said the smiling Oudin. “I’m playing well again and I’m ready for the psych-up this weekend. We’ve gone through so much and we’ve fought so hard together as a team, so winning this final would mean a lot to me.”

I’m genuinely excited about this one. I think we could get some unexpected drrrrama. Hope there’s a good crowd in.

Portoroz: 2 Tickets to the Gun Show, Please.

Dinara Safina (RUS) d. Sara Errani (ITA) 6-7(5) 6-1 7-5

Seriously, do you have a license for those things? Small children (and/or full-sized adults) could get hurt by just LOOKING at them.

WTA Week Ahead: Portoroz, Bad Gastein

Portoroz

Draw here.

No question who should win this tournament, as Dinara Safina is the top seed by quite some way. Really, there’s no-one who should trouble her in her half unless Kaia Kanepi unexpectedly finds some form again. Tathiana Garbin, who reached the semis in Palermo this week, is hanging around in her quarter, but really, yeah, I’m reaching. The bottom half of the draw is anchored by Lucie Safarova and Anabel Medina Garrigues. Safarova has token Tim Katie O’Brien in the first round, so look for the Czech in the quarters at least. Medina Garrigues has defending champion Sara Errani in her quarter, but Errani might well be knackered out from her exploits in Palermo last week.

I predict Safina vs. Medina Garrigues in the final, at which point this might get interesting.

Bad Gastein

Draw here.

All I can say about this is that it’s probably not a good sign when Alize Cornet is the top seed.

Saturday WTA Results: Palermo, Prague, Rain

Semi-finals in Prague today were rained off after three games with Bammer leading Benesova 3-0, meaning that presumably there will be two matches tomorrow. Fun! They got the business done in Palermo though, with Flavia winning the clash of the Italians 61 61. She’ll meet defending champion Sara Errani in the finals after Errani defeated Anna-Lena Groenefeld in three sets.

Prague

Suspended due to rain
(2) Sybille Bammer (AUT) leads (3) Iveta Benesova (CZE) 30

Postponed due to rain
(1) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) vs. (Q) Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)

Doubles – Final
Postponed due to rain
(1) Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova (CZE/CZE) vs. (2) Bondarenko/Bondarenko (UKR/UKR)

Palermo

Singles – Semifinals
(1) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. Tathiana Garbin (ITA) 61 61
(5) Sara Errani (ITA) d. Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 63 46 61

Doubles – Final
(2) Llagostera Vives/Martínez Sánchez (ESP/ESP) d. Koryttseva/Kustova (UKR/BLR) 61 62

WTA Week Ahead: Prague, Palermo

Prague

Draw here.

Francesca Schiavone and Sybille Bammer headline a field which, while lacking really big names, actually looks pretty good, I think. In the first round alone, you have Schiavone-Peer, a Bondarenko sister clash, Suarez Navarro vs. Dulgheru (who took the Warsaw title, if you recall), and Nicole Vaidisova vs. Alla Kudryavsteva.

I predict whichever Bondarenko sister wins the first-round clash will reach the finals, but it would take a better woman than me to predict a winner. Maybe Vaidisova will pull a Szavay and find redemption at her home tournament …? Yeah, probably not.

Palermo

Nice tournament logo, Palermo. Draw here.

Top seed Flavia Pennetta has never won a title in Italy, but looking at her draw, you’d think she has a nice chance to flip that streak here. If she can survive a potential second-round clash with dangerous countrywoman Roberta Vinci, one would think her route to the semis is fairly clear. According to seeding, she should meet Alize Cornet there, but considering Cornet has Bastad titlist Martinez-Sanchez in the first (and currently can barely win a match to save her life), then … yeah, that probably won’t happen, sadly. A Pennetta-MJMS semi could be fun, with the winner taking the title.

In the bottom half of the draw, Budapest finalist Patty Schnyder is the top seed, with defending champion Sara Errani a potential semi-final opponent. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova could face Roland Garros qualifying queen Shvedova in the second, but otherwise it looks like a good opportunity for the youngster to rack up some wins. A good first round should be Dulko vs. Groenefeld (no serve vs. big serve). I still think the winner’s coming from the top half, though. Forza Flavia!

Fed Cup Results: Sunday Settles Things

Spain 0 Serbia 4

 

With Serbia up 2-0 on hosts (and last year’s finalists) Spain, it was looking straightforward. Not so much, but Jelena Jankovic clinched it in the end, beating Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Nicely and symnetrically done, JJ. So Serbia will be in the World Group next year, which seems … right, frankly.

More results as they come in / I can be bothered.

Czech Republic 2 USA 3

With Benesova benched, it was up to how-do-I-not-blow-away-in-a-strong-wind Safarova to keep the Czechs ahead, and the lefty managed just that, beating Mattek-Sands 6-3, 6-1. Yesterday’s sensation Alexa Glatch was up next against Petra Kvitova and justified her selection once again, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 to tie the … tie. Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands won the decisive doubles rubber, beating Benesova and Peschke 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-1. A sensational win for the U.S. and a great debut for Glatch to take the states into the finals.

Italy 4 Russia 1

The U.S. will be facing Italy in the finals after a sensational victory. After yesterday’s woes, Svetlana Kuznetsova came storming back to defeat Flavia Pennetta comprehensively, 6-0, 6-3; whatever Shamil Tarpischev said to her, it must have worked. The wily Russian captain then took a gamble and tapped Fed Cup debutante Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to face Francesca Schiavone, benching Anna Chakvetadze after her woeful performance yesterday. However, Fed Cup warrior Schiavone was just too strong, clinching the tie with a 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-2 victory. Errani and Vinci also won the doubles. Well done Italy.

Germany 3 China 2

China’s adorable Zheng Jie came back strong after a disappointing day yesterday, beating Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-5, 6-4 to keep China in contention. With Sabine Lisicki injured, it was up to Tatjana Malek to clinch the tie against Peng Shuai and she wasn’t quite up to the task, falling to Peng 6-2 2-6 5-7. Lisicki came back for the doubles, however, and she and Anna-Lena Groenefeld upset Jie and Peng 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 for the tie. Great stuff.

Argentina 0 Ukraine 5

The forgotten tie continues to be forgotten as I can’t even find a picture of it. Anyway, Bondarenko and Savchuk racked up great straight sets wins over Cravero and Salut respectively to take the Ukraine into the World Group. Really great result for such a small, Bondarenko-heavy tennis nation.

France 3 Czech Republic 2

Cornet’s Fed Cup and indeed general woes continue, falling to Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 5-7 6-4 despite being 4-1 up in the third set. Somebody get that girl a … well, I don’t know what she needs. But get it to her. Fortunately for her, and for us all, la divine Momes stepped up to beat Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-4, and then clinched the tie in the final rubber with Nathalie Dechy, beating Domi and Dani 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Seriously, nations of the world, are you listening? If you want something done right, get Amelie to do it.