Coverage
Cincinnati Women's Final Preview
by Ben Rothenberg on Aug 15, 2010 1:57 PM EDT
in Coverage
1 comment
CINCINNATI--Despite several upsets throughout the week, the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open ends with a marquee final Sunday, as #4 Kim Clijsters takes on #10 Maria Sharapova in a battle of former #1s and multiple grand slam winners.
Clijsters leads the head-to-head between the two 4-3, but Sharapova has won their last three meetings (the last of which was in 2007).
The two have had similar paths to the final. In her first match in Cincinnati, each faced a struggling Russian who played in the 2009 French Open final (Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova). In the quarterfinals, each played a former top ten player who won a US Open Series title in California last year (Flavia Pennetta and Marion Bartoli).
But their semifinals were dramatically different. Playing in the earlier afternoon semifinal, Clijsters caught a break when her opponent, Ana Ivanovic, heard a crack in her left foot and could not continue through the pain only three games into the match. Sharapova, who played the night semifinal, had to slog through a grueling 2.5 hour match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a draining encounter that included wild momentum swings and a stoppage in play for 15 minutes when the stadium's lights went out.
That disparity in Saturday preparation should favor Clijsters, theoretically. She should be considerably fresher, a factor that will be especially important if heat is an issue on Sunday afternoon.
But Sharapova is the battle tested one. She has been able to play good tennis against good opponents several times this week, while Clijsters' best stuff was really only on display in her third round match against Christina McHale.
This one should be a grueling brawl of a match, and when it comes to a real battle of wills, I'll take Sharapova almost every time.
Prediction: Sharapova in 3.
Ana Ivanovic Making Her Way Back
by Ben Rothenberg on Aug 12, 2010 2:28 PM EDT
in Coverage
0 comments
CINCINNATI--With the way she has played this week at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open, it seems pretty safe to say that Ana Ivanovic is back.
Playing aggressive, decisive tennis that has been built around her much steadier serve (and more specifically her service toss), Ivanovic is stepping into the court and hitting with the same abandon that won her the 2008 French Open and earned her the No. 1 ranking on the WTA Tour.
Though the incredibly sharp downturn that followed those achievements undermined her reputation, Ivanovic's rise to the top of the women's game was no fluke. Her powerful forehand, solid serve, and imposing return game allowed her to bulldoze opponents in the same way a young Lindsay Davenport had years earlier.
But Ivanovic seemed to struggle with the loneliness that the top spot brought. Her struggles more mental and emotional than physical, Ivanovic's ranking plummeted, and quickly. As top seed at the 2008 US Open, Ivanovic made history by losing in the second round to qualifier Julie Coin, who was not even ranked inside the top 200.
From there, the struggles continued. Since winning the French Open final in 2008, Ivanovic has not made it back even as far as a grand slam quarterfinal. Her ranking recently fell out of the top 50, forcing her to need wild cards to get into the events during this 2010 US Open Series.
After losses in the second and first rounds of Stanford and San Diego (losing in straight sets to Top 20 players both times), Ivanovic was dealt another tough draw in Cincinnati, drawing #9 seed and recent Stanford champion Victoria Azarenka in the first round. But after losing the first four games of the match and thrice being down a break in the second set, Ivanovic stormed back late in the second and into the third, pulling off a massive upset 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2.
Since then, Ivanovic has continued to roll against tough competition, beating Yaroslava Shvedova 6-1, 7-5 in the second round, and Elena Vesnina 6-0, 6-3 today in the third to book her spot in the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinal she will face the winner of the match going on now between qualifier Akgul Amanmuradova and top-seed Jelena Jankovic. The match-up with Jankovic would be an especially intriguing one, not only because of their natural rivalry as the two best women's players in Serbian history, but also because of the possible bad blood that was generated in Madrid when Jankovic mocked Ivanovic's signature fistpumps after beating her.
But if their present forms continue, this next meeting between the Serbs could be different. Ivanovic's scorelines have been more impressive in Cincinnati thus far, and the motivation has to be greater for her. Confidence, which was always her issue, seems to no longer be a problem (at least for now).
TDF: The scoreline is like one of the scorelines you had when you were rising to No. 1 in the world back in 2008. Do you think you're playing as well as you were then?
ANA IVANOVIC: In some ways probably better, I think. I'm being more aggressive than I was back then. I think it's still a process, like I was saying. But I think I'm much more experienced than I was then. And, you know, when you're young and upcoming and you win lots of the matches, you definitely take things for granted. I definitely don't do that anymore. But in some way I feel like I'm a different player and more mature one. I think in the long run, it's even better.
Maria Sharapova Beats the Heat, Svetlana Kuznetsova in Cincinnati
by Ben Rothenberg on Aug 10, 2010 11:30 PM EDT
in Coverage
0 comments
CINCINNATI--She makes an awful lot of money for being pretty. But in the last few years, Maria Sharapova has earned a living by winning ugly.
In a performance that wasn't without blemishes, #9 seed Sharapova toughed out a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory over unseeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, a rare first round match between multiple grand slam winners.
Sharapova's serve has been her Achilles' heel over the last eighteen months or so, but it held up fairly well tonight. Despite eleven double faults, Sharapova was not broken in either the first or third set.
"I'm actually serving a lot better than I did last summer," Sharapova said.
"I'm hitting bigger serves. Maybe I'm missing a few more first serves and second serves, but I'm not hitting second serves 70 miles an hour."
Sharapova was aggressive not only on her serve, but also on the ground, hitting far more winners (and errors) than Kuznetsova, who was forced into a defensive position throughout most of the match.
"I'm gonna win tournaments by going for my shots, Sharapova said. "Whether it's off the groundstrokes and playing my game, or off the serve. Rather than waiting for my opponents to miss and maybe not making as many unforced errors. That's not my game."
The steamy air in the Cincinnati suburbs made this the rare night match in which the heat rule was in effect. Perhaps due to her greater fatigue from the quick turn around from Sunday's final in San Diego, Kuznetsova seemed to be much more affected by the heat. The fatigue also manifested itself in soreness in Kuznetsova's left leg, which she said was simply "normal."
Sharapova finds herself in a very tough section of the draw here at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open. She next faces Andrea Petkovic, and then the winner of #7 Agnieszka Radwanska and Alisa Kleybanova in the third round.
Sharapova showed tonight she has the grit to make it through the heat, but she is going to have to keep playing with the fire she had tonight if she is going to make a deep run in her first trip to Cincinnati.
From the "It was good while it lasted" file...
by Rick Limpert on Aug 10, 2010 8:10 PM EDT
in Coverage
0 comments
It was short-lived, but the doubles pairing of Rafa Nadal and Noval Djokovic sure attracted a lot of attention. It was a story because it marked the first time in 34 years that the #1 and #2 players in the world teamed up to play doubles. (The last time was in 1976 when Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe played two events that summer)
It ended with a loss, to a Canadian duo that most hardcore tennis fans didn't even know. I have to admit, i didn't know much about Vasek Pospisil and Milos Raonic.
The Canadians beat the "Doubles Dream Team" 5-7, 6-3, 10-8, ending any doubles coverage that will come out of Toronto.
Nadal and Djokovic enjoyed their time together and now will focus on singles heading into Flushing Meadows.
A Twirl, A Fistpump, and A Victory--Ana Ivanovic Stuns Azarenka in Cincinnati
by Ben Rothenberg on Aug 9, 2010 11:50 PM EDT
in Coverage
1 comment
CINCINNATI--For the first time in a long time, Ana Ivanovic had reason to smile.
Against the ninth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, recent champion at Stanford, wild card Ana Ivanovic fought back from the brink of defeat, showing flashes of her old brilliance on the way to a 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2 upset in the first round.
Azarenka served for match twice in the second set, at both 5-3 and 6-5. But Ivanovic broke both times, thanks largely to some untimely double faults by the blonde Belarussian. Ivanovic then survived a roller coaster tiebreak (each player twice won three straight points) to even the match at a set apiece, showing more and more of the positive emotion she's known for as the match turned in her favor.
"I just honestly gave away all the chances I had," Azarenka admitted. "Today was a little bit of a disaster."
Ivanovic's momentum never stopped in the third set, going up an early break in the first game and hanging on for a convincing 6-2 set.
"This victory means a lot," Ivanovic said after the match. "Not only as it's against a really good player, but also the way the match was progressing."
"The last few weeks I was losing matches like this."
Though Azarenka helped the cause with some untimely errors, this was a win that Ivanovic thoroughly earned. She returned the Azarenka serve beautifully, stepping well inside the court on the second serve return to crack numerous return winners. Ivanovic won 80% of second serve return points in the second set, and 90% in the third set.
Ivanovic's forehand was also key in breaking open points. She smacked forehand winners cross court to end several rallies, finding incredible depth and angles with a consistency she hasn't shown in months.
"I think my footwork was a lot better so I was in a better position to hit it," said Ivanovic. "The forehand is always my stronger side, so it felt good that it was working."
Aside from her forehand and return, the Cincinnati crowd was also key in Ivanovic's victory.
"The crowd helped me so much," Ivanovic said. "They were a lot behind me. It was so great to see a lot of young kids and so on, and it kind of got me pumped."
"With the fans, the night session, sometimes it changes the mindset and the way you play, Azarenka said, agreeing that the crowd had helped Ivanovic on the night.
The question now is whether or not Ivanovic will be able to build on this victory. She faces another tough opponent, Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova, in the next round.
Ivanovic won the US Open Series in 2006, on the back of a title in Montreal, primarily. But the US Open has been her weakest slam throughout her career, never having reached the quarterfinal round (she has made the semifinal or better at the three other grand slams).
Whether this win is a career changer or an anomaly is yet to be seen, but at the very least Ana Ivanovic reestablished herself as a dangerous opponent whom no top player should relish facing.
Cincinnati Day 1: Around The Grounds
by Ben Rothenberg on Aug 9, 2010 5:00 PM EDT
in Coverage
2 comments
CINCINNATI--Here for my first day of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinnati, here are some of my impressions on the early matches.
- I've spoken to a few players already here, namely a 1-on-1 with Akgul Amanmuradova (a dominant winner today over Kimiko Date Krumm) and most of the top seeds during All-Access Hour. More on both of those in a bit.
- Shame Vania King wasn't able to advance in the singles draw. In a surprisingly tight match between qualifiers, she fell 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to Nuria Llagostera Vives. It's something of a moot point now, but cConsidering the players who did get wild cards into the main draw (#161 Jamie Hampton, #205 Coco Vandeweghe), #80 King definitely shouldn't have had to play qualifying.
- Watching Dinara Safina play these days is pretty brutal. The desire is clearly there, but so much of her game is nowhere to be found. Her serve was all over the place, with first and second serves alike finding the middle of the net despite being hit at only 74 MPH. She hit fifteen double faults, including three in a row when she had triple match point in 5-4 in the second set. But Safina recovered, and eventually closed out Roberta Vinci 6-4, 7-5. Her reward for that victory is an absolutely brutal match in the next round against fourth-seed Kim Clijsters, who she beat here last year in what was the first tournament of Clijsters' comeback. Safina was the finalist here last year, and has 550 points to defend (she defended 70 of them with her first round win). If she loses next round, her ranking would plummet all the way from #35 to #70. For a woman who started the year at #2 and spent most of 2009 at #1, that's pretty rough.
- Alona Bondarenko vs. Dominika Cibulkova was definitely the most appealing match-up on the outer courts today, and it lived up to expectations. The two played offensive tennis throughout, trading winners and momentum constantly. But it was Bondarenko who held up better in the Ohio heat, as she was able to reel off the final four games of the match as Cibulkova wilted, the final score sitting at 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Her second round encounter with Marion Bartoli should be a good one.
- Speaking of Bartoli, she looked incredible out there today, beating Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-0. She hit seven aces, 31 winners and only nine errors, numbers made even more impressive by the high number of balls Media Garrigues gets back point after point. She could definitely make some noise in this tournament with her draw. Based on current form, I like her chances to take out Wozniacki if she makes it to that match.
- Really bizarre match to start the day on the Grandstand. Qualifier Monica Niculescu trailed 0-3 against Sabine Lisicki, but then reeled off twelve straight games to take the match 6-3, 6-0. Lisicki didn't appear to be injured, but something had to have been up there.
- This new facility they have here at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason is undeniably nice. But it can be a chore navigating it, since stair access is restricted and there is only one elevator. Getting from the fourth floor (media area) to the ground level can take upwards of five minutes. The players all seem very happy with the new facility, to be sure, but it seems like certain parts of it could use a little tweaking.
- Big match tonight here between Victoria Azarenka and Ana Ivanovic. Probably won't be close, but will be dramatic.
CoCo Serves Notice in Carlsbad
by Rick Limpert on Aug 8, 2010 1:29 PM EDT
in Coverage
0 comments
In a tournament loaded with top players, a popular defending champion, and a young American that took the world by storm last summer at The U.S. Open, it took a qualifier to turn the heads of all involved in the second event of the Olympus U.S. Open Series. CoCo Vandeweghe entered the Mercury Insurance Open with a WTA ranking just above #200. She had done nothing all year to make tournament officials give her a wildcard into what is basically her hometown event. She did make her way through qualifying into the main draw. She made the most of her opportunity, first defeating Gisela Dulko and then Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva. A few hardcore tennis fans started taking notice. Now in the qarterfinals with 120 SEWTA ranking points in her pocket she decided to go for broke against Russian veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova. Vandeweghe jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the first set and many more people took notice. This served as a big wake-up call to the hard hitting Russian and she ended up winning the first set 7-5. The young American ran out of gas in the second set losing it 6-2, but gaining a ton of confidence for the rest of the summer. She also gained a well-deserved wildcard into the Western & Southern event in Cincinnati, and more than likely a wildcard into the U.S. Open to close out the summer hardcourt season. She won the U.S. Open Juniors in 2008. It appears more will be taking notice of the upstart Vandeweghe in New York, a city where her Uncle KiKi Vandeweghe played for and against the hometown Knicks for many years. Vandewehe is also now working with Tom Gullikson which is going to pay big dividends down the road. The 6-foot-1 teen gives her coach of the past three months, Tom Gullikson, some credit for her run in Carlsbad. "He’s brought a little bit of variety to day-to-day practice," Vandeweghe said. Her work ethic, coupled with her athletic pedigree and a desire for success will make the tennis world take notice soon, maybe even this summer.
The Return of David Nalbandian
by Ben Rothenberg on Aug 7, 2010 10:16 PM EDT
in Coverage
3 comments
WASHINGTON--It's safe to say that David Nalbandian is pretty good at making returns.
In his first tournament since Monte Carlo in April, David Nalbandian is into the final of the ATP 500 Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., drubbing fourth-seed Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-2 in Saturday's second semifinal.
The other players who have had the most success in Washington in recent years--Andy Roddick, John Isner, Juan Martin del Potro--are all booming servers, who take advantage of the extremely fast hard courts here, and win their sets in break-less sets that have to be decided in tiebreakers.
But Nalbandian's dominance this week (and dominance is an understatement) has been built around his return, not his serve. Nalbandian has won a mind-boggling 59% of his return games, an absolutely unheard of percentage. For those of you paying attention will realize that 59% is well more than half. None of the other three semifinalists has won more than 25%.
Against the booming serve of Marin Cilic in the semifinal (easily the best server Nalbandian had yet faced in this tournament), Nalbandian looked to be in possible trouble early, his serve broken in the first game of the match after several loose errors. But he broke back immediately to level the set at 1-1, and soon earned a second and third break to take the first set 6-2. The second set was more of the same, with Nalbandian breaking twice more for another lopsided set and a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win.
In the end, Nalbandian had won five of Cilic's eight service games, improving his already astonishing percentage of return games won during this tournament.
A win in Sunday's final (in which he faces #8-seed Marcos Baghdatis) would mean Nalbandian's biggest title since the fall of 2007, when he won back-to-back indoor Masters' Series events in Madrid and Paris, beating Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in both. Just like this week's dominance has, that run also came out of nowhere. Nalbandian was not seeded in either bracket, and hadn't made it into even the quarterfinals of his previous seven Masters' Series tournaments.
Whether Nalbandian coming back from or oblivion, or facing down a bomb-serving 6'5'' Croat, the man knows how to return.
* * *
Though momentum seems to be entirely his, there are a couple historical factoids pointing against a Nalbandian victory in Sunday's final.
- Nalbandian is 1-3 in his career against Baghdatis, having lost their last three encounters, (the last of which was a straight-set loss at Wimbledon 2007).
- Each of the last four years, the player who played in the first semifinal (the one held on Saturday) went on to beat the player who played in the Saturday night semifinal. Whether it's the additional rest, familiarity with daylight playing conditions, or mere coincidence, but Baghdatis could have the edge in that regard. Nalbandian has yet to play in the afternoon heat of Washington, so it will be interesting to see how his sometimes suspect conditioning holds up.
Showing 1 - 8 of 40 Older
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
