Dementieva, Zvonareva, Ferrero, Soderling Win Titles
By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net
Dementieva revived in Paris.
SUNDAY, FEB. 14 - Elena Dementieva
came from a set down to beat Czech Lucie Safarova 6-7. 6-1, 6-4 to win
the Paris Indoor, the Russian’s 16th crown. "It was very emotional.
I always wanted to win in Paris," Dementieva said. "This tournament
is very special for me and I was coming here every year trying to win
this title. Russia's Vera Zvonareva made a successful
defense of her Pattaya Open title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over local Tamarine
Tanasugarn "In the end I'm glad I can beat her," said Zvonareva,
who won her first crown under new coach Antonio Van Grichen.
"It was a tough match, a tough tournament to defend."
Sweden's Robin Soderling won Rotterdam when Mikhail Youzhny
retired with a leg injury when trailing 6-4 2-0. Former No. 1 Juan
Carlos Ferrero won his 13th title with a quick 6-1 6-0 win over
Lukasz Kubot of Poland in the Brazil Open…Sabine Lisicki
beat Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan 6-1, 6-4 in Dubai to line up a second-round
clash Venus Williams. Marion Bartoli and Francesca Schiavone won, but
Australian Alicia Molik upset Zheng Jie 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
Dementieva vs. Safarova in Paris Final
SATURDAY, FEB. 13 -Elena Dementieva
got mini-revenge for her loss to Melanie Oudin at the US Open and will
play Lucie Safarova for the Paris Indoor crown. The Russian
bested the US’ greatest young hopeful 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, stopping Oudin’s
five-match winning streak. Unlike last time, Dementieva was able to wear
Oudin down. “I got a little tired at end and my cold catching up
with me, but I thought it was good tennis from both of us,” Oudin
said. Dementieva added "That was probably the most difficult win
of the year for me so far. I didn't know what to expect from her then
and she played very well, very inspired by the crowd."
Safarova scored one of her biggest wins in the last year, upending Flavia
Pennetta 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. "I don't really need to say anything about
Elena because everyone knows how good she is,” Safarova said. I'll
just enjoy myself in the final, try to play my best tennis and try to
win.”
The 32-year-old Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand will
meet Vera Zvonareva in the Pattaya City final. Tanasugarn
needed just an hour and 15 minutes to beat Sesil Karatantcheva 6-2, 6-0,
while the Russian and top seed took a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over fourth
seed Yaroslava Shvedova. In Brazil, Juan Carlos Ferrero
and Lukasz Kubot will play in the final, while in Rotterdam,
Robin Soderling and Mikhail Youzhny will
face off.
Oudin Hits a Hot Streak
FRIDAY, FEB. 12 - Melanie Oudin’s slump is now
really, really over. The Georgia teen reached her first WTA tour semi
when she took out Agnes Szavay 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 at the Paris Indoors. After
not winning main draw match since the US Open, Oudin now has taken five
straight including two victories in Fed Cup. She’ll play top seed
Elena Dementieva, who overcame young German Andrea Petkovic
3-6 6-4 6-2. Recall that Oudin toppled Dementieva last year in New York.
Oudin is now sure to crack the top 45 and has a chance to bust through
to the top 40 with a semifinal win. Anyone who doesn’t think she
has enough game to reach the top 20 she took another look at her all around
game. The red hot Lucie Safarova belted 6-Shahar Peer 6-3 6-0 and will
play Flavia Pennetta, who bested Tathiana Garbin 6-1 6-3
Just when you thought that Anna Chakvetadze might be regaining some confidence
after two wins, she fell to Thai favorite Tamarine Tanasugarn
6-1 6-4 in Pattaya City. At this rate, A-Chak may never visit the top
20 again. Three former members of the USSR also scored wins as Yaroslava
Shvedova (Kazakhstan) beat Tatjana Malek, Sesil Karatantcheva (Kazakhstan)
defeated Ekaterina Bychkova 7-5 4-6 7-5 and top seed Vera Zvonareva
(Russia) overcame Sybille Bammer 6-0, 7-6(5). Tanasugarn, 32, advanced
to the Pattaya semis for the first time since 2003 and will play Karatantcheva,
the 20-year-old who was once suspended for doping and has reached her
first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour semi.
In Rotterdam, Nikolay Davydenko smacked Juergen Melzer
6-3 6-2 to reach the semis where he’ll meet Robin Soderling,
a 6-0, 6-1 winner over Julien Benneteau. Soderling struggled in January
with first round exits in Chennai and the Australian Open. "A perfect
match does not exist but this was my best match of the year so far, though
I still have things to improve," Soderling said. My poor start to
the year was mainly caused by mental tiredness as I lacked enough rest
after a long and good season, but my early exit in Australia gave me the
time I needed." Novak Djokovic will face Mikhail Youzhny, who beat
Gael Monfils in three sets ….Andy Murray has decided
to pull out of next week's Marseille Open after pulling out of Rotterdam.
Guess he’s mentally fired after his Aussie Open loss.
Querrey Bests Dent; Oudin on Roll
THURSDAY, FEB. 11 - They live within 30 miles of each other now in Southern
California but come from different parts of the tennis generational universe.
On Thursday, 22-year-old Sam Querrey beat Taylor Dent
6-4, 6-4 at San Jose's SAP Open, in a necessary for victory for Querrey,
who has struggled getting his feet under him since his bizarre arm injury
in Thailand last October.
US vet Michael Russell also came through in 6-4, 7-5
victory over Xavier Malisse, who just found out that he and Yanina Wickmayer’s
hearing in front of CAS for allegedly ignoring the whereabouts rule will
be delayed until April, allowing them to play on. US Open junior champ
Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania also scored when he beat
Bjorn Phau 7-6(5), 6-3. Top seed Andy Roddick also moved
ahead with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Lenorado Mayer.
In Rotterdam, Novak Djokovic qualified for the semis
after his Florian Mayer withdrew with a n injury. Djokovic beat Marco
Chiudinelli 6-4, 6-2 in the second round and would have faced Mayer. but
the German pulled out with a hamstring injury after defeating Tommy Robredo
"I played conveniently and dominantly from the start on my own service
game, and had many opportunities on his, however, I was less successful.
I used the ones I needed," Djokovic said. Other winners were Juergen
Melzer, Nikolay Davydenko (over Marcos Baghdatis), Julien
Benneteau, Gael Monfils and Mikhail Youzhny…. The word out of Argentina
is that
Juan Martin del Potro's wrist injury will keep him sidelined for four
weeks
Make that four wins in a row for the previously struggling Melanie
Oudin, who wasted Patty Schnyder 6-1, 6-3 to reach the quarters
of the Paris Indoors. The 18-year-old, who will face Agnes Szavay, beat
Petra Martic 6-2, 6-4. Elena Dementieva will play Andrea Petkovic who
bested France’s Aravane Rezai 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Lucie Safarova of took
a 7-5 6-2 win over Francesca Schiavone "I wanted to push her back
into the trenches," said Safarova. "I really had to give 100
percent to win this match. It was pretty tight and difficult, so I'm glad
to have made it through." Shahar Peer pushed through with a 6-4 6-3
win over Karolina Sprem. In Pattaya City, winners were Anna Chakvetadze,
Vera Zvonareva. Sybille Bammer and Ekaterina Bychkova.
Fish Injured, Roddick to Give it a Go
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10 - Mardy Fish just can’t seem
to shake his knee injury. The former SAP Open finalist pulled out of SAP
singles with same injury that bothered him at Sydney and Aussie Open.
He’s going to try and play the doubles, but may have to take another
break
Andy Roddick will try to give it a go against Rylar DeHeart on Wednesday
night despite the nerve injury is his right arm. Three Germans won on
Tuesday, including new US citizen Tommy Haas, Benjamin
Becker and Philipp Kohlschreiber. Haas beat American Devin Britton, who
met him at the ATP World Tour event in Memphis nine years ago.
“Kind of neat in some ways," Haas said "I saw the picture
that was on the [ATP World Tour] web site which was pretty cool. He's
obviously grown into a man now and he's trying to become a professional
tennis player which is great to see." Robby Ginepri’s bumpy
road continued when he fell to Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis.
Americans Sam Querrey and Mike Russell also won. Novak Djokovic and Mikhail Youzhny advanced in Rotterdam,
while JC Ferrero and the promising Tomas Bellucci moved on in Brazil…
USTA Southern announced the Atlanta Athletic Club will
be the site of the 2010 Atlanta Tennis Championships, July 19-25. Local
Robby Ginepri has already committed to the event.
At the Paris Indoors, Croatian wildcard Petra Martic pulled
off a huge win over Yanina Wickmayer 6-4 3-6 7-5. Eurosport’s Miguel
Seabra, who is a spot-on identifier of talent, tags her as a player to
watch, noting her high variety and composure. After a tough Tuesday where
Alize Cornet, Virginie Razzano and Julie Coin went down France’s
Aravane Rezai beat Evgeniya Rodina 6-4, 6-4. Melanie
Oudin is on a three match-winning streak after trouncing Sorana Cirstea
6-3, 6-0. Elena Dementieva bested Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-4…
In
Pattaya City, winners were Vera Zvonareva, Sacha Jones, Sybille Bammer,
Sesil Karatantcheva and Tamarine Tanasugarn, who took
out Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Sania Mirza went down again, as did
Kimiko Date…Lagardare signed French Open champ Kristina Mladenovic…We
forgot to prop Sam Stosur for winning three matches vs. Spain in Fed Cup.
And how about Wickmayer besting Aggie Radwanka 7-5 in the third in Belgium’s
win over Poland? Who needs Justine and Kim?
