Serena wins Australian Open to Justine in three sets

It had been over 10 years since two players with as many Grand Slam titles did battle for another one and this time it was nothing short of a war; in the end only one of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's legends could grow their legacy, and this time it was Serena Williams who did, beating Justine Henin in an electric three-setter Saturday night, 64 36 62.

Williams and Henin were on their game from the very beginning, with nine deuces in the first three games alone. They traded breaks once early in the first set, Williams at love to go up 3-1 and Henin breaking back to close to 4-3; but Henin was shaky on serve in the 10th game and Williams pounced, drilling her groundstrokes deep until Henin sailed a backhand wide on set point.

There were two halves to the second set. The two players were back on serve with Williams up 3-2 but that's when Henin went on absolute overdrive, winning five games in a row to steal the second set away, 6-3, and lead 1-0 in the third. Henin actually won 15 points in a row at one point, 10 straight to end the second set and five more to start the third. There were half a dozen winners in there, too, coming from all wings - serves, volleys, forehands, backhands.

She seemed in trouble, but Williams got the momentum back. After a few more breaks of serve Williams got herself a holding pattern, regaining control of her delivery and breaking Henin in the fifth and seventh games, then she served it out at 15, blasting two aces en route to match point and finishing it off with a huge backhand winner into the corner.

"I'd like to thank God for letting me be able to play today," Williams said during the trophy presentation. "I'd like to congratulate Justine for having such a fabulous tournament and giving me a run today - it was a great final and could have gone either way. I'm also really happy Justine came back."

Williams becomes the first woman in the Open Era to win five Australian Open singles titles. Coming into the tournament she was in a five-way tie alongside Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

Williams' 12th overall major ties her at No.6 on the all-time list with Billie Jean King; Court, Graf, Helen Wills Moody, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert are the only players with more major singles titles in their careers.

"I'm so honored Billie, we're tied!" Williams added in her speech.

Henin was trying to follow in the footsteps of fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters, who - also as an unranked wildcard, at last year's US Open - went all the way to a Grand Slam title. This was just the second event of Henin's comeback to tennis; in her first, she reached the final of Brisbane, falling to Clijsters.

"It has been a very emotional two weeks for me. I thought it would never happen again," Henin said to the crowd. "Finally I could come back on the courts and enjoy the tournament. Australia was the best place to come back - you all know the sport so well and it was amazing playing in front of you all. Thank you for all of your support. I'd really like to congratulate Serena - she's a real champion."

"I'll see you next year," the seven-time Grand Slam champion added.


Saturday, January 30, 2010

Singles - Final
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. (WC) Justine Henin (BEL) 64 36 62

Williams sisters defend doubles crown in Melbourne with easy straight sets win over No. 1 seeds

Serena and Venus Williams have successfully defended their Australian Open 2009 women’s doubles title by defeating No. 1 seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber in straight sets on Friday.

The Zimbabwean/American duo battled hard throughout the match, but the aggression from the American sisters proved too much as they prevailed 6-4 6-3 to claim their fourth Australian Open championship.

It was a fruit-fusion of colours at Rod Laver Arena for Friday’s final; the Williams sisters were in lemon and lime outfits, while the Black/Huber uniform resembled a lychee.

The crowd witnessed the first three games go to the serving team. A remarkable fourth game of the match saw Serena forced to serve for almost 15 minutes, with skills from all players on show that mirrored the brightness of the outfits.

Huber was returning with perfect cross-court placement, while Venus’ response was to shoot off winners in the hope this would win the marathon game, but Black had other ideas. On break point she sent a deep return at Serena’s feet, surged into the net and released a drop volley that Serena failed to retrieve, giving Black/Huber an early 3-1 lead.

It seemed Serena did not like her serve being broken one bit. She took her on-court aggression to another level and single-handedly broke back in the next game. With Serena’s aggression clearly beginning to dominate the match, Huber tried to avoid her, but Venus realised that Black was not going to be intimidated by Serena and subsequently tried to avoid her.

The cat-and-mouse battle continued throughout the latter stages of the set, but the No.1 seeds failed to gain the break they needed. When Black sent a forehand into the net, she handed the set to the sisters 6-4.

The aggression continued in the second set, but this time Venus came out with guns blazing as the sisters clearly aimed to catch their opponents off-guard and get the early break of serve in the second set.

The break came as Venus completely dominated play, this time with aggressive volleys, and was even seen ‘guarding’ the net for a few more seconds after a point had finished as if to demonstrate that she had everything under control.

“I was really focused and my serve was really working today and I got away with a few second serves,” Venus said.

“They played really well, they played really well as a team. They were coming in to the net and did everything right. They really did play like the number one team.”

Although Black and Huber never conceded, the result was never in question after that, and the Williams sisters won the second set and the match 6-3.

The sisters laughed after the match back at their seats as Venus did not realise they had already won the title.

“I actually didn’t know the score; I thought it was 5-2. I really don’t know how I lost track - I was a little confused – I guess I was just focused,” she said.

“I thought [Serena] was real happy with that break; I thought I had never seen her this happy, but I’ll run with it.”

Friday, January 30, 2010

Doubles - Final

(2) Serena Williams/Venus Williams (USA/USA) d. (1) Cara Black/Liezel Huber (ZIM/USA) 64 63

Serena and Justine will fight for the Australian Open crown after straight set wins in semis

Two Sony Ericsson WTA Tour legends will square off for the Australian Open title this Saturday night in prime time, after both won their semifinal matches on Thursday, albeit in far, far different fashion.

Serena Williams, an 11-time Grand Slam champion, gave herself a shot at her 12th with a tense 76(4) 76(1) victory over China's Li Na. Li could have folded earlier in both sets but pushed Williams each time, saving two set points in the first set before surrendering the first set and four match points in the second.

"What qualities doesn't she have? She has everything from a really good serve to a great backhand and forehand," Williams said of Li. "She's a fighter."

"I was a little bit sad to be stopped in the semifinals, but it was a good day for my tennis. I played well today," said Li, who was playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal. "It was the first time two Chinese players played in the semifinals of a Grand Slam. It was good for both of us, and also good for Chinese tennis.

"If the children saw this, they would be more confident, and think that maybe someday they can do it too. It was an exciting day."

Justine Henin, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, followed the two-hour, two-minute first semifinal with a 51-minute blowout, routing the second Chinese player in the final four, Zheng Jie, 61 60. Henin had negative winners-to-errors differentials in her first five rounds; against the scrappy Zheng she hit 23 winners to just 14 unforced errors.

"I knew it could be a dangerous match. Grand Slam semifinals are always special. I knew I had to be very focused, very concentrated. I did my job perfectly," Henin said. "Sometimes you have big surprises, like at Wimbledon in 2007. I knew there was an opportunity for me. It's more than a dream. I'm so happy to play against Serena because if I want to win another Grand Slam, I'll have to beat the best in the world. And that's the biggest challenge I can get."

"I think she played really well today. It was a surprise for me. It didn't look like she was playing in just her second tournament," Zheng said. "It was very exciting for me to be in the semifinals here though. It gives me a lot of belief, a lot of confidence. And it's good news I will be back in the Top 20."

Williams ranks No.1 and will stay in that spot no matter what happens in the final; Henin, who came out of retirement and returned to the Tour at the start of the year, is and will still be unranked after the tournament (this is the second of her comeback - a player needs points from three events to get a ranking).

Williams and Henin have played 13 times before, with Williams leading, 7-6. They are 2-2 in finals; Henin is 4-2 in Grand Slams. They have never played in a Grand Slam final.

"I definitely think of her as a rival. We bring out the best in each other. We just play our hearts out. That's what creates a good rivalry," Williams said. "Justine is a little more calm than me, but she's quietly intense. You have to be at the match to see how intense she is. She says 'Allez' a lot, it's kind of fun."


Thursday, January 28, 2010

Singles - Semifinals
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. (16) Li Na (CHN) 76(4) 76(1)
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. Zheng Jie (CHN) 61 60

Zheng, Henin first into Aussie Open semis after straight set wins

Justine Henin took one step closer to winning the first major of her Sony Ericsson WTA Tour comeback on Tuesday, defeating Nadia Petrova in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, 76(3) 75.

Although Henin had a tough time with Petrova's trademark all-court attack, she always came up with the goods when it mattered, finishing the first set in a tie-break with some glorious winners (including an angled crosscourt backhand winner on set point) and rallying from two breaks down to take the second set and her 13th win in their 15 meetings.

"It's a great feeling to be in the semis of the first Grand Slam I've played since I came back," Henin said. "I was curious about what was going to happen here. When I saw the draw, I took each match as a goal. I never thought about being in the semis, I thought every match would be difficult and important. I just went step by step. That's what I'm going to keep doing from now on too.

"Now I can dream of being in the final of this Grand Slam."

"Today was really the worst day for me here. Justine really put some pressure on me," Petrova said. "She's definitely playing very well. She's playing more aggressively than before, closer to the lines and going after second serves. I think she improved her first serve too. I was fighting. I was fighting hard."

Henin is playing her first major since falling to Maria Sharapova here two years ago - a few months later, she walked away from the game.

"When I beat Sharapova in the Sony Ericsson Championships final in Madrid in 2007, I felt something at that point. There was a little voice telling me I needed something else at that time. Sharapova here, Serena in Miami... those were difficult losses. But in another way they helped me understand I had to go away.

"Now the little voice is very positive."

Zheng Jie followed Henin into the semifinals with a 61 63 win over Maria Kirilenko. Two years ago at Wimbledon, Zheng became the first Chinese player ever to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam; now she matches it.

"For me it's amazing," Zheng said. "Every match has been tough. The first three rounds I went to three sets. Today I won in two sets, so it's good news."

The 5'5" Henin won her only previous encounter with the 5'4" Zheng, in the early rounds of Toronto in 2006.

Kirilenko was playing her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal.

"It's the best I've done at a Grand Slam, so it was a nice tournament for me," the Russian, who turned 23 on Monday, said. "I'm looking forward to getting some rest time now, to recover for my next tournament in Pattaya City, Thailand. I'll keep working hard from here though. I'll just keep going."


Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Singles - Quarterfinals
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (19) Nadia Petrova (RUS) 76(3) 75
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 61 63

Azarenka beats Zvonareva in three sets to advance; Williams sisters win in Aussie Open

The last round of 16 match at the Australian Open ended up being the most peculiar, as Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva - who, in a rarity, had switched coaches in the off-season - played a match of two halves, with Azarenka prevailing in a tough three-setter in the end.

Zvonareva, the ninth seed, came into the match 4-0 against Azarenka, the seventh seed; she was 8-0 in sets. And that record looked like it was going to become 10-0 with Zvonareva grinding out a 64 42 lead over the Belarusian.

Azarenka wasn't done on the match nor on the rivalry yet, however, battling back to win 10 straight games - arguably the biggest swing in momentum so far in the tournament - to snatch the win from the Russian, 46 64 60.

"I was pushing myself to show a better game, to show more fight," Azarenka said of the mid-match turnaround. "I improved in my off-season, especially mentally with my shots. I got tougher and no matter what the moment, I'll still fight, I'll still try to play my best tennis. I had some tough matches in Sydney, so that really helped me get ready for these kinds of matches."

Azarenka and Zvonareva's coaches switched spots in the off-season, Antonio Van Grichen going from Azarenka to Zvonareva and Sam Sumyk going from Zvonareva to Azarenka. The criss-cross was amicable, however.

Zvonareva wore a black ribbon on her visor throughout the tournament, in honor of the victims of the recent earthquakes in Haiti. She spoke about it.

"As soon as I heard about the disaster and turmoil created by the earthquake in Haiti, I was so concerned," Zvonareva said. "There are so many helpless victims there, especially children, which really touched my heart. I just decided to wear the black ribbon on my visor in honor of everyone suffering from what has happened. My thoughts and my prayers are with them."

Next up for Azarenka is Serena Williams, who beat Aussie Sam Stosur with a score of 64 62.

"Serena is a great player. She has been showing unbelievable tennis here. I'm happy to have a chance to play against her," Azarenka said. "I'm not going to make up for anything. Last year happened. I forgot about it already. I moved on. This is a new year. I'm just going to go out there and try my best."

Li Na, who ousted Caroline Wozniacki 64 62, will face Venus Williams, who fought past Francesca Schiavone, 36 62 61, for a semifinal berth.


Monday, January 25, 2010

Singles - Fourth Round
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. (13) Samantha Stosur (AUS) 64 62
(7) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. (9) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 46 64 60
(16) Li Na (CHN) d. (4) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 64 62
(6) Venus Williams (USA) d. (17) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 36 62 61

Safina exits with injury; Henin passes Wickmayer challenge to advance to quarters at Aussie Open

Dinara Safina, Jelena Jankovic, Marion Bartoli, Maria Sharapova. Those were the Top 16 seeds in the bottom quarter of the draw. So how are Zheng Jie and Maria Kirilenko the only names left there?

Zheng Jie was the first of the pair to win - and the first Chinese ever to go this far at the Australian Open - with a 76(5) 64 win over Alona Bondarenko. Zheng took Bartoli out in the third round; Bondarenko beat Jankovic.

"Australia is lucky for me because I won my first Grand Slam doubles title here," said Zheng, who won with Yan Zi here in 2006, China's very first major title of any kind. "With Li Na in the fourth round as well, I think we can go far."

Zheng was also the first Chinese ever to reach the singles semifinals of a Grand Slam, doing so at Wimbledon in 2008. That - and the results of her doubles team, Li and others like Athens Olympic doubles champs Sun Tiantian and Li Ting, have contributed to a Chinese tennis boom over the last few years.

"I feel tennis is going up very quickly in China," Zheng added. "We have a good tournament, the China Open, and you can see lots of the newspapers talking about tennis much more now. We have more top players now too."

Kirilenko reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal through some unique circumstances, as No.2 seed Safina retired down 5-4 in the first set with a low back injury. Kirilenko had taken Sharapova out earlier in the tournament.

"Of course I feel very bad. To get an injury is the worst thing you can get in a tournament. I feel bad for Dinara," Kirilenko said. "But of course it's nice to be in my first quarterfinal. I'd prefer to win and get there, but I'm happy about it.

"When I was a kid, I had a dream to be still in the main draw in Australia when it's my birthday. Now my dream has come true."

An emotional Safina spoke about the situation to the press afterwards.

"I didn't think this could happen. I did an MRI before I came here. I don't know what happened. It's shocking," said Safina, who struggled with her back in the second half of last season. "It's exactly the same injury as in Doha. Exactly the same. I cannot move anywhere. Whenever I try to move, it hurts terribly.

"The plan for me is see the doctor as soon as possible to see what happened. I don't know how I will pack my bags. I'll ask my team to help, because I don't know how to move. Maybe I'll stay here one more day. I don't know..."

No. 19 seed Nadia Petrova scored another exciting win against No. 3 seed and compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, 63 36 61, while Justine Henin outlasted Yanina Wickmayer with a score of 76(3) 16 63 to get to the quarters.


Sunday, January 24, 2010

Singles - Fourth Round
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. (2) Dinara Safina (RUS) 54 ret. (low back injury)
(19) Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. (3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 63 36 61
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. (31) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 76(5) 64
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (Q) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 76(3) 16 63

Serena, Venus win third round matches; Radwanska upset by Italian on Day 6 in Melbourne

Serena Williams and Samantha Stosur won their third round matches in straight sets Saturday to set up a fourth round clash.

Stosur, the No.13 seed at the year's first major, was the first of the pair to advance, unleashing a flurry of winners from all areas of the court to beat Italian veteran Alberta Brianti, 64 61. Stosur fired 25 winners - including 11 aces.

"I'm very pleased with the way I was able to step it up a gear from 3-2 in the first set," Stosur said. "I made some errors early but once I got over that I started hitting enough winners. I'm going to get some errors if I'm playing aggressively."

"The first couple of weeks of the year I wasn't handling things the way I needed to, but I came into the Aussie Open and had that all done, it was all over, and I just had to get out there and play tennis again. I just wanted to feel good about my tennis... I feel like I've gotten over that hurdle and am playing well."

World No.1, top seed and four-time Australian Open champion Williams will be Stosur's next and by far toughest test. Williams advanced later in the day, beating No.32 seed Carla Suárez Navarro in straight sets, 60 63. She won the first five games in 15 minutes but needed 19 minutes to win a 13-deuce sixth game, then won a routine second set.

"It was the toughest 6-0 set... she was really fighting for it. I was too. I didn't want to lose that game," Williams said. "I just tried to relax. I really enjoyed that game and had a lot of fun. I thought, 'Okay Serena, don't put too much pressure on this. Worst case scenario, it'll be 5-1. But way to keep fighting.'"

Venus Williams held off a valiant challenge from Casey Dellacqua at the 2010 Australian Open.

Williams, the No.6 seed and a former finalist Down Under, took the first set handily before Dellacqua, on the comeback trail from left shoulder surgery last February, kicked it up a notch. She pushed the seven-time Grand Slam champion to a tie-break in the second set and even fended off three match points there before succumbing to the American, 61 76(4).

"It was my third lefty in a row, which is a little unusual," said Williams, who was playing three southpaws in a row for the very first time in her career. "She played really well in the second set. I had a lot of chances to go up breaks at 4-1 or 5-2, and she just hung in there and kept playing tough. That kind of play and experience will serve her well throughout the year and her career."

Williams was joined on the winners list by No.7 seed Victoria Azarenka, No.9 seed Vera Zvonareva, No.13 seed Samantha Stosur, No.16 seed Li Na, No.17 seed Francesca Schiavone and last but not least, No.1 seed Serena Williams, who beat No.32 seed Carla Suárez Navarro earlier in the day, 60 63. Read more about Serena's win over the young Spaniard here.

Schiavone was the only upset artist of Day 6 of the year's first Grand Slam tournament, taking out No.10 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, 62 62.


Saturday, January 23, 2010

Singles - Third Round
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. (32) Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) 60 63
(4) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (29) Shahar Peer (ISR) 64 60
(6) Venus Williams (USA) d. (WC) Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 61 76(4)
(7) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Tathiana Garbin (ITA) 60 62
(9) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Gisela Dulko (ARG) 61 75
(17) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. (10) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 62 62
(13) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Alberta Brianti (ITA) 64 61
(16) Li Na (CHN) d. (22) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 75 36 62

Clijsters embarrassed by Petrova; Henin survives three-setter on Day 5 at Australian Open

Three Belgians took the courts at Melbourne Park for third round matches on Friday, in the hopes of putting three Belgians in the second week of a Grand Slam for the very first time. But the last woman up wasn't able to make it through, as Kim Clijsters suffered the worst loss of her career - both careers - at the hands of an inspired Nadia Petrova.

From the moment the match began, there was something missing from one of the brightest stars of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Her timing off in just about every area of her game, Clijsters - the No.15 seed - was under the control of Petrova, who, despite having ranked Top 3 at one time in her career, is the No.19 seed here, after some recent up and down results on the Tour.

Petrova played a perfectly aggressive match - 15 winners to 10 errors, perfect on net approaches, winning 92% of points on first serve - while Clijsters was clearly off, a -21 winners-to-errors differential (5-26) contributing to a 60 61 loss.

"I was preparing myself for a long day and a long match. I just wanted to give everything I could today, and I'm very happy," Petrova said. "I tried to focus on winning every single point. When I broke her in the second set I realized it was a two set match for me. I just started to cruise through it from there."

Clijsters' previous worst loss came at the hands of Serena Williams nine years ago in Miami, succumbing in that one, 60 62.

"The way I played today, I was completely off and I didn't feel the ball at all," Clijsters said. "She was good, but she really didn't have to do much. She served really well and was aggressive, but that's because I let her play into the court.

"It sucks... It's something you don't want to happen too often."

Justine Henin also faced some adversity in the form of a powerful Russian but she was able to make it through to Week 2, edging Alisa Kleybanova, the No.27 seed, 36 64 62. Kleybanova was up 63 31 with point for 63 41.

"I kind of survived a little bit today," Henin said. "It's always good to win this kind of match because I came back from nowhere. It was so tough for me to recover after my match with Elena. I suffered a little bit in the last two days. I wasn't feeling enough energy to be able to compete at my best. But I was patient."

Henin improved to 25-0 lifetime in Grand Slam third round matches.


Friday, January 22, 2010

Singles - Third Round
(2) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. Elena Baltacha (GBR) 61 62
(3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. (Q) Angelique Kerber (GER) 36 75 64
(31) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) d. (8) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 62 63
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. (11) Marion Bartoli (FRA) 57 63 60
(19) Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. (15) Kim Clijsters (BEL) 60 61
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (27) Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) 36 64 62
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 75 76(4)
(Q) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Sara Errani (ITA) 61 67(4) 63

Williams sisters ease through to fourth round in Aussie Open

The Williams sisters got some criss-cross revenge in Melbourne on Thursday, beating each other's nemesis in the second round.

Sixth seed Venus Williams was the first of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's star pair to move through, squandering a 5-3 lead in the second set but managing to close out Sybille Bammer in straight sets anyway, 62 75.

"Playing two lefties in the first two rounds is a little unusual, but I was up for the challenge," said Williams, who played Lucie Safarova in the first round. "I don't put a lot of importance on if I played well one day or not. It's really about winning the match and then improving for the next one. I'm happy to have won today."

Venus Williams has won 28 of her last 29 matches against lefties.

Top seed Serena Williams followed her big sister into the third round with a 62 61 win over Petra Kvitova. Williams hit 23 winners, eight of those aces.

"I thought today was a little bit better that my first match," Williams said. "I felt like I could have played a lot better today. She was definitely taking it to me, though. It was really good for me to play a lady like her."

Bammer is the only player to have played Serena multiple times and never lost (2-0 against her); ranked No.143, Kvitova became the lowest-ranked player ever to beat Venus at Memphis in 2008. They got their family revenge.

Other favorites moving through were No.4 seed Caroline Wozniacki, No.7 seed Victoria Azarenka, No.9 seed Vera Zvonareva, No.10 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, No.13 seed Samantha Stosur and No.16 seed Li Na. No.20 seed Ana Ivanovic and No.21 seed Sabine Lisicki were upset victims.

"I was really disappointed to fight back in the third set and then make a couple of double faults. My serve was definitely an area that let me down," said Ivanovic, who lost to Gisela Dulko, 67(6) 75 64. "It's hard. It hurts. I just have to be patient. It will take some time. I do feel better on the court. I feel like my old self. But there are still some areas I can't rely on - it's there in some matches, and not in others. I just have to keep my head up and try and improve."


Thursday, January 21, 2010

Singles - Second Round
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 62 61
(4) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Julia Goerges (GER) 63 61
(6) Venus Williams (USA) d. Sybille Bammer (AUT) 62 75
(7) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 64 60
(9) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Iveta Benesova (CZE) 60 63
(10) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) 60 62
(13) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Kristina Barrois (GER) 75 63
(16) Li Na (CHN) d. Agnes Szavay (HUN) 36 75 62
(17) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Julie Coin (FRA) 63 64
Gisela Dulko (ARG) d. (20) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 67(6) 75 64
Alberta Brianti (ITA) d. (21) Sabine Lisicki (GER) 26 64 64
(22) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. (Q) Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 64 61
(29) Shahar Peer (ISR) d. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 61 64
(32) Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) d. Andrea Petkovic (GER) 61 64
Tathiana Garbin (ITA) d. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 67(5) 62 60
(WC) Casey Dellacqua (AUS) d. Karolina Sprem (CRO) 76(4) 76(6)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010: Results for Australian Open

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Singles - Second Round
(2) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 63 64
(3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 62 62
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) 75 76(6)
(8) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. Katie O'Brien (GBR) 62 62
(11) Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) 64 64
(Q) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. (12) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 76(2) 61
(15) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 63 63
(19) Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. Kaia Kanepi (EST) 64 64
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. (24) María José Martínez Sánchez (ESP) 26 62 63
(Q) Angelique Kerber (GER) d. (26) Aravane Rezai (FRA) 62 63
(27) Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) d. Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 64 63
Elena Baltacha (GBR) d. (30) Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 62 75
(31) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) d. Polona Hercog (SLO) 64 75
Sara Errani (ITA) d. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 62 63
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. (Q) Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 63 61
Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. Vania King (USA) 76(7) 75

Singles - First Round
(4) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 64 62
(7) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. (WC) Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 62 60
(9) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Kristina Kucova (SVK) 62 60
(16) Li Na (CHN) d. Marina Erakovic (NZL) 62 60
(22) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Viktoriya Kutuzova (UKR) 36 61 75
Tathiana Garbin (ITA) d. (28) Elena Vesnina (RUS) 76(5) 64
(29) Shahar Peer (ISR) d. Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 67(5) 62 61
Agnes Szavay (HUN) d. Stéphanie Dubois (CAN) 63 62
Iveta Benesova (CZE) d. Chang Kai-Chen (TPE) 75 62
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) d. Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 64 62
Stefanie Voegele (SUI) d. Melinda Czink (HUN) 75 67(5) 97
Julia Goerges (GER) d. Tamira Paszek (AUT) 60 36 63
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) d. Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) 64 64
(Q) Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) d. (WC) Jarmila Groth (AUS) 62 46 64

Henin defeats Dementieva in thrilling second round match

It was the match everyone was waiting for and it sure lived up to the expectations. In front of a packed crowd on Wednesday night, Justine Henin put the stamp on her comeback to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, edging Elena Dementieva in a near-three hour thriller, 75 76(6).

The encounter was high quality right from the beginning, with most games going to multiple deuces - even though it was straight sets, it lasted hours. Henin, unranked but a completely known quantity, had two set points against her at 4-5 in the first set but silenced them both, one with a volley winner and one with a huge forehand winner.

After taking the first set, Henin held match point up 5-4 in the second set but squandered it with a forehand into the net; No.5 seed Dementieva hit back-to-back backhand winners to break back and the two battled into a tie-break, where Dementieva was the first to draw blood, eventually holding her own set point at 6-5. Henin erased the threat with a swinging forehand winner.

Henin converted on her second match point at 7-6 with a serve-and-volley play, putting the No.5-ranked star away with a backhand volley winner.

"I'm exhausted. It was so intense. In the end it was only about nerves," Henin told Pam Shriver after the match. "I had match point in Brisbane and didn't take it; this time I had the opportunity and took it. I'm so happy to be playing at this level after just one tournament. It was a great experience to come back here after two years. I've learnt a lot and feel ready to start my second career.

"The crowd gave me so much... It was a special night tonight. This is probably why I came back, for these kinds of moments."

Other winners of the day included No. 2 seed Dinara Safina, No. 3 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 4 seed Caroline Wozniacki, No. 8 seed Jelena Jankovic, and qualifier Yanina Wickmayer.

Scores are posted on next article because of long length.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010: Results for Australian Open

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Singles - First Round
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. Urszula Radwanska (POL) 62 61
(6) Venus Williams (USA) d. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 62 62
(8) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. Monica Niculescu (ROU) 64 60
(10) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Tatjana Malek (GER) 61 60
(11) Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Rossana de los Ríos (PAR) 64 61
(13) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. (Q) Han Xinyun (CHN) 61 36 62
(17) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Alizé Cornet (FRA) 06 75 60
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. (18) Virginie Razzano (FRA) 62 63
(19) Nadia Petrova (RUS) d. Edina Gallovits (ROU) 63 64
(20) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. (Q) Shenay Perry (USA) 62 63
(21) Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. Petra Martic (CRO) 61 64
Vania King (USA) d. (23) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 63 67(5) 75
Karolina Sprem (CRO) d. (25) Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 63 62
(26) Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. Sania Mirza (IND) 64 62
(31) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) d. (Q) Kathrin Woerle (GER) 62 62
(32) Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) d. Ayumi Morita (JPN) 75 64
Gisela Dulko (ARG) d. (Q) Zuzana Kucova (SVK) 60 57 75
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) d. (WC) Olivia Rogowska (AUS) 63 26 62
Sara Errani (ITA) d. Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 62 76(5)
Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. (Q) Renata Voracova (CZE) 62 64
Sybille Bammer (AUT) d. Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 63 62
Kaia Kanepi (EST) d. Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) 76(4) 62
Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 75 64
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) d. (Q) Regina Kulikova (RUS) 76(5) 67(10) 63
Polona Hercog (SLO) d. (Q) Yuliana Fedak (UKR) 64 60
Alberta Brianti (ITA) d. Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 60 36 61
Julie Coin (FRA) d. (WC) Alicia Molik (AUS) 36 76(4) 63
Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. Jill Craybas (USA) 61 75
Kristina Barrois (GER) d. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) 60 76(6)
Katie O'Brien (GBR) d. Patricia Mayr (AUT) 63 63
Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) d. Melanie Oudin (USA) 26 75 75
Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) d. (WC) Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 60 61
Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) d. (WC) Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ) 61 76(0)
(Q) Angelique Kerber (GER) d. Olga Govortsova (BLR) 63 63
(WC) Casey Dellacqua (AUS) d. Anastasiya Yakimova (BLR) 62 36 64

Serena easily advances to second round; older sister Venus breezes through too

The Williams sisters both moved through their first round matches smoothly on Tuesday, a sharp contrast to some of the other marathon matches that took to the courts at Melbourne Park.

Serena Williams, the top seed and a four-time champion at the year's first Grand Slam tournament, was the first of the pair to advance, overpowering Urszula Radwanska, 62 61, hitting 26 winners to just 13 for her opponent.

"I was happy to get through," Williams said. "The scoreline seemed to be easy, but it was a long match out there. I was just happy to get it over with."

Williams improved to 41-0 lifetime in first round matches at Grand Slams.

"Records are meant to be broken, so I was a little nervous today," the world No.1 added. "I said, 'God, I hope this won't be broken. It's my personal record. I don't know if it's any record, but it's my personal record. I want to keep it up.'

"This one means a lot to me because I love playing in Grand Slams and I love doing the best I can. To have an opportunity to have not lost yet in the first round of a Grand Slam - knock on wood - is really good for me. It's something I want to keep up the rest of my career. I hope that's not too much to ask."

Venus Williams, the No.6 seed and a former finalist here, losing to her sister in 2003, won through later in the day, beating Lucie Safarova almost as handily, 62 62. Williams has now won 27 of her last 28 matches against left-handers.

"Everyone knows how well Lucie can hit the ball," said Williams, who had won all three of their previous meetings, although she did save match point in their last one. "We've had some tough matches in the past and I wanted to stay focused and execute my game. It was a great way to start."

Other Top 16 seeds winning through were No.8 seed Jelena Jankovic, No.10 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, No.11 seed Marion Bartoli and No.13 seed Samantha Stosur. No.20 seed Ana Ivanovic also advanced.


Scores are posted on next article because of long length.

Sharapova gets first first round loss in Grand Slam; Henin, Clijsters breeze through to second round on Day 1 in Melbourne

The upset bug bit for the first time in the very first match of the Australian Open on Monday, as Maria Kirilenko surprised good friend and No.14 seed Maria Sharapova, 76(4) 36 64.

Sharapova went into the match a strong favorite, out-ranking her opponent by 44 spots and winning in both of their completed matches (although the head-to-head stood at 2-1 because of an injury loss). And she broke early.

But Kirilenko kept steady and began moving Sharapova around, drawing errors - by the end of the match 77 of them - from an increasingly erratic Sharapova. Buoyed by some previous glory moments at the Australian Open - including a Top 10 win over Anna Chakvetadze en route to her only Grand Slam second week here in 2008 - the Russian ground out the three-hour, 22-minute win.

"It's one of the best wins for me," Kirilenko said. "Maria plays so aggressively and her shots are so hard, so I had to be aggressive myself and concentrate on every point. When I had match point I just tried not to think about it."

After the win, Kirilenko put her finger to her lips in a silencing motion - she explained the unique celebration in post-match press.

"I got so many questions in the locker room and player lounge about that, 'What does that mean?'" Kirilenko said. "For me, it means that everything is calm. Because it's a great win but it's only the first round I've passed. It's nothing big."

"I just didn't win the match. Bottom line," Sharapova said. "I had my chances, I just didn't execute. When she was up and I'd get back in there, I just didn't take advantage of that. I let her control the situation again. I'm disappointed.

"Just a bad day. But a bad day's not going to stop me from doing what I love. I'm still gonna go back on the court, work hard and perform. I'll be back here on a Saturday of the second week, so you'll watch."

The three Top 8 seeds who got their matches in on a rain-filled day - No.2 seed Dinara Safina, No.3 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and No.5 seed Elena Dementieva - all won in straight sets. Safina is playing her first Grand Slam since big brother Marat Safin retired from the ATP World Tour: "It's weird. But on the other hand, it had to happen, so somehow I was prepared. I knew it wasn't going to be forever. And I still get the same support, so it's good."

Also winning through were the two Belgians, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. Clijsters, seeded No.14, beat Valérie Tétreault, 60 64; Henin, still unranked and a wildcard, beat Kirsten Flipkens, 64 63, to set up a second round clash with Dementieva.

"It's going to be a tough challenge because she's a very experienced player," Dementieva said on Henin. "I saw her final against Kim in Brisbane. It was an incredible match. They were both playing very well, so it was very impressive."

"She's No.5 in the world," Henin said. "It's going to be a great challenge for me that early. It's a tough draw, but in a Grand Slam every match is difficult. I love playing the top players. I'm not negative about that draw, I take in a positive way, and that's going to push me to become a better player."


Monday, January 18, 2010

Singles - First Round
(2) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 64 64
(3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 61 62
(5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Vera Dushevina (RUS) 62 61
(12) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 63 36 62
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. (14) Maria Sharapova (RUS) 76(4) 36 64
(15) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. (Q) Valérie Tétreault (CAN) 60 64
(24) María José Martínez Sánchez (ESP) d. Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 60 60
(27) Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) d. Jelena Dokic (AUS) 61 75
(30) Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) d. Ioana Raluca Olaru (ROU) 62 76(6)
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. Peng Shuai (CHN) 06 61 62
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 62 64
Elena Baltacha (GBR) d. Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 64 36 75
(Q) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) 16 75 108
(Q) Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) d. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 64 46 62
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 64 63

Bondarenko ousts Peer to claim title in Hobart

Alona Bondarenko defied the odds and won her second career singles title on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour on Saturday afternoon, upsetting Shahar Peer in the final of the Moorilla Hobart International.

Bondarenko, the No.4 seed at the International-level event, had trailed 3-2 in head-to-head meetings with Peer, but this time was in control against the No.2 seed from the beginning, taking five games in a row from 1-2 to take the first set and coming back from 0-2 in the second set to win comfortably, 62 64.

"I have waited a couple of years for this title and I'm happy I won. I hope it's not the last for this year," Bondarenko said. "Shahar played great. We've played a couple of times. I've won some and lost some, but today was my day. I'm feeling good and I hope I can play well at the Australian Open."

"I am happy with my year so far," Peer said. "I played the semifinals in Auckland and the final this week. Next week I will need to raise my level of course and I hope to play better from the first match."

Bondarenko had a far tougher route to the final, as well, going to three sets twice, including in her 46 63 64 semifinal upset of No.1 seed Anabel Medina Garrigues. Peer went to three sets once in four matches, rallying from 64 42 down to beat No.5 seed Carla Suárez Navarro in the quarters, but she had an easy time in her other three wins, losing a total of just 11 games.

Bondarenko had been 1-3 in career singles finals on the Tour, which paled in comparison to Peer's 5-1 mark; but trends aren't forever.


Saturday, January 16, 2010

Singles - Final
(4) Alona Bondarenko (UKR) d. (2) Shahar Peer (ISR) 62 64

Elena crushes Serena in straight sets to win Sydney title

She was perfect in Sydney last year and perfect there this year. Elena Dementieva won her second straight title at the Medibank International Sydney Friday night, beating Serena Williams in the final.

Dementieva, who went 5-0 to win the Premier-level title last year, did it all over again this year, dropping just one set - to Daniela Hantuchova in the second round - and having back-to-back-to-back straight set wins over fellow Top 10 players from the quarterfinals on, first Dinara Safina, then Victoria Azarenka and Williams. It took her 75 minutes to beat Williams, 63 62, her fifth win over the No.1 in their last eight duels.

"I'm very satisfied with the way I was playing today and the whole week. That's what I was really looking for coming here, playing aggressively and trying to put a lot of pressure on my opponents," Dementieva said. "It's great to play against the best players in the world, especially going into a Grand Slam. It was a great experience and it'll help me next week at the Australian Open."

Dementieva collected her 15th Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title.

Earlier in the day, Dementieva was dealt arguably the toughest draw for the year's first major at the Australian Open. Justine Henin, unranked and a wildcard into the draw, was the name everyone would be looking for in their bracket; she could be Dementieva's second round opponent.

"First of all, I have to win my first round, and she has to win hers. But for now I just want to enjoy the moment of winning Sydney, take a day off and get ready for Melbourne," Dementieva said. "I feel I had some great preparation here and I want to keep the good form for next week."

"She played well, and I made about 1002 unforced errors," said Williams, who is now 35-14 lifetime in finals. "I feel I have enough matches under my belt though. Even though I didn't play great today, I feel like I can play much better."

Friday, January 15, 2010

Singles - Final

(5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. (1) Serena Williams (USA) 63 62

Serena struggles, Elena cruises through to final of Sydney

For one it was a battle and for one it was a breeze, but in the end Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva set up the latest chapter in their back-and-forth rivalry, making it past their semifinal foes in Sydney.

Williams was the first to advance to the final but it was a tough battle from the start, as she battled from 63 52 down - even coming within two points of losing in that and the following game - to edge the hard-hitting Aravane Rezai in exactly two hours, 36 75 64. Highlights: S.Williams vs. Rezai

"I was lucky to get through today," Williams said. "I was trying to play my game and do the best I could, but I didn't do so well. I don't know how many errors I hit today. I thought she did really well. I had to lift my game when I was down, otherwise I'd be headed to Melbourne." Interview: Serena Williams

"It's always difficult to play against the world No.1, especially Serena. She has a lot of experience and has had great wins in the Grand Slams," Rezai said. "But I'm not intimidated. I play my game because I want to win. Tennis is always up and down. I'll have to learn to fight more. I need more experience."

Dementieva, the No.5 seed, followed No.1 seed Williams into the final with a 63 61 win over No.6 seed Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka had won all three of her week's previous matches 7-5 in the third set - her well finally went dry against an in-form Dementieva. Highlights: Dementieva vs. Azarenka

Williams leads Dementieva in their head-to-head, 7-4, but it can be misleading - Williams was 4-0 in their first four meetings, all in 2003 and 2004; in their last seven meetings, between 2007 and 2009, Dementieva leads, 4-3.

"Playing Serena in a final is completely different than playing her in the early rounds," Dementieva said. "It's a different match and a different Serena every year, so I just need to play my best. She looks like she's in very good shape. It's going to be a tough battle." Interview: Elena Dementieva

Dementieva is also the defending champion in Sydney and extended her winning streak to nine matches. One of those wins, in last year's semifinals, came over Williams - and in handy fashion too: 63 61.


Thursday, January 14, 2010

Singles - Semifinals
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. Aravane Rezai (FRA) 36 75 64
(5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. (6) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 63 61

Serena in semis; Safina ousted in straight sets in Sydney

Serena Williams stormed into the semifinals of the Medibank International Sydney on Wednesday, easing past qualifier Vera Dushevina in just 61 minutes under afternoon skies, 62 62.

Williams, ranked and seeded No.1 in this, her first tournament of the season, was on serve at 2-2 in the opening set against Dushevina before completely breaking away, reeling off seven games in a row to build a 62 30 lead; Dushevina won two games in a row to close to 62 32 but from there Williams broke away one more time. The American beat her easily in their only other meeting, at Miami five years ago, 63 60.

Next for Williams will be Aravane Rezai, who won an all-unseeded battle with Flavia Pennetta, 63 60. It will be the first time Williams and Rezai meet.

Also advancing to the semifinals in the afternoon was No.6 seed Victoria Azarenka, who pulled off her third straight marathon win, beating Dominika Cibulkova, 26 62 75. In her first round match she beat Sabine Lisicki, 36 62 75; in her second round match she beat Kimiko Date Krumm, 61 57 75.

Next up for Azarenka will be No.5 seed Elena Dementieva, who crushed No. 2 seed Dinara Safina, 62 63.


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Singles - Quarterfinals
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. Vera Dushevina (RUS) 62 62
(5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. (2) Dinara Safina (RUS) 62 63
(6) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 26 62 75
Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 63 60

Wozniacki, Petrova ousted on Day 2 in Sydney

The upset bug bit some of the marquee names at the Medibank International Sydney on Monday. Caroline Wozniacki was among the victims, falling to Li Na in a topsy-turvy three-setter.

Wozniacki, ranked a career-high No.4 and the No.4 seed at the first Premier-level event of the year, started strongly against the No.17-ranked Li, taking the first set, 6-2, in just 33 minutes; she even broke for 3-2 in the second set but from there it was all Li, who won 10 of the next 12 games for a 26 63 62 victory.

"I didn't play my best today. I didn't feel as comfortable as I thought I would and she played well. She was just better than me today," Wozniacki said. "I'm just going to go to Melbourne, practice there and try to prepare as well as possible. I really feel positive about this year. Hopefully it'll be a good one for me."

Other seeds going down were No.7 seed Jelena Jankovic, who served for her match at 5-4 in the third set but fell to Agnes Szavay, 57 61 75, and No.8 seed Vera Zvonareva, who retired against Elena Vesnina with a right ankle injury.

"It was my first match of the season. I hadn't played her in a long time. I also hadn't competed in two months," Jankovic said. "I have to clean up some things in my game. I need to stay positive. I hope I'll be ready for Melbourne."

Other winners as the first round came to a close were Agnieszka Radwanska, Flavia Pennetta, Aravane Rezai, Dominika Cibulkova, María José Martínez Sánchez, qualifier Vera Dushevina and Kimiko Date Krumm. Date Krumm, a wildcard, edged Nadia Petrova in two hours and 14 minutes, 63 57 64; it was the second Top 20 win of her recent comeback to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, following a win over Virginie Razzano last week in Auckland.


Monday, January 11, 2010

Singles - First Round
Li Na (CHN) d. (4) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 26 63 62
(6) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Sabine Lisicki (GER) 36 62 75
(Q) Agnes Szavay (HUN) d. (7) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 57 61 75
Elena Vesnina (RUS) d. (8) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 33 ret. (right ankle injury)
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. (Q) Jill Craybas (USA) 60 64
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 63 61
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) d. (LL) Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 76(2) 61
María José Martínez Sánchez (ESP) d. (Q) Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 63 63
Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. (Q) Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 67(3) 62 62
(Q) Vera Dushevina (RUS) d. (WC) Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 62 62
(Q) Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) d. Nadia Petrova (RUS) 63 57 64

Wickmayer wins ASB Classic as a wildcard

It was unsure she would even play the 2010 season, but in its very first week she proved why that would have been a catastrophe. Yanina Wickmayer's year got off to a winning start, as she won the third Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title of her career at the ASB Classic.

In the last week of the 2009 season Wickmayer was dealt a one year ban from the Flemish Anti-Doping Tribunal due to the Whereabouts Rule, where she failed to report her whereabouts for drug testing three times; she appealed and just a few weeks later the ban was overturned due to insufficient justification.

One of the game's brightest rising stars was reinstated into the mix and already the winner's circle, as a No.3-seeded Wickmayer plowed through the draw without the loss of a set, beating No.1 seed Flavia Pennetta in the final, 63 62.

"Flavia made me play my best tennis," Wickmayer said. "I knew the ball would just keep coming back, so I was really aggressive. I knew I would either play amazing or make a lot of mistakes, but I felt really good and even when I made mistakes, I knew as the match went further I wouldn't make them anymore.

"I'm happy the way everything turned out. This week will stay in my heart and soul for the rest of my life."

With Kim Clijsters winning Brisbane, Belgium has both of this week's Tour trophies.

"I guess it has been Belgium's week," Wickmayer added. "It's nice to have a good week for us in the first week of the year. Let's hope we can continue."

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Singles - Final

(WC) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. (1) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 63 62

Clijsters beats compatriot Henin in thrilling three-setter at Brisbane

The drama was high as two of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's legends went to battle for the 23rd time in the final of the Brisbane International, and it was Kim Clijsters who prevailed, edging Justine Henin in a two-hour, 24-minute nail-biter, 63 46 76(6).

Brisbane was blessed this week with the two Belgians' presence, Henin playing her first tournament out of retirement and Clijsters having come out of her own retirement last summer. While everyone expected a top-seeded Clijsters to make it deep, Henin - unranked, a wildcard - was somewhat of a surprise finalist, having to make it through a tough half of the draw that included Nadia Petrova and Ana Ivanovic (she beat both of them along the way).

They had played 22 times before (Henin leading that, 12-10) and in the first week of 2010 lighthing struck for the 23rd time. Clijsters came out of the blocks quickly, bursting out to a 63 41 lead; the tides turned however as one of the best fighters of all time found her form, and Henin took eight games in a row.

Henin had all sorts of leads in the decider, up 3-0 initially and later leading 5-3, even holding double match point with Clijsters serving at 4-5, 15-40; but the 18th-ranked Clijsters, who, since coming back to the Tour had already picked up a Grand Slam title at the US Open, made a grand comeback, fighting off those match points and when getting to the tie-break storming out to a 4-0 lead, missing out on three match points up 6-3 but eventually clinching it, 8-6.

"The level was so high and we were both competing our best. It's a good match when you're both playing well - that's what it's all about," Clijsters said to the press after the match. "I feel pretty good. I don't have any serious injuries or anything, and now I have the luxury of a few days off to recover."

"I'm physically exhausted, but I can't be disappointed," Henin said. "I am proud of what I did on the court today. I left the Tour for 18 months and I can still compete with one of the best players out there. It was a bit of drama from beginning to end but at the end she played the important points better than I did. I had a great time here. I have a lot of respect for Kim. She is a great player."

Clijsters only had gracious words for her countrywoman.

"Not just today but a few days back, Justine was playing really good tennis," Clijsters said. "Like what I said at the All-Access Hour last week, I was curious to see how good she'd be in her first few matches back. I think she showed she's already a top player, very competitive and very talented too."

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Singles - Final

(1) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. (WC) Justine Henin (BEL) 63 46 76(6)

Thursday, January 7, 2009: Results for ASB Classic

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Singles - Quarterfinals
(1) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 61 62
(3/WC) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. (WC) Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 62 62
(4) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Alizé Cornet (FRA) 62 63
Shahar Peer (ISR) d. Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 60 36 61

Go lower for article and scores about Day 4 in Brisbane.

Justine survives Czink challenge, into semis: Clijsters beats Safarova in three sets to get closer to meeting countrywoman in final

Justine Henin's comeback nearly came to a halt but her fighting spirit carried her into the semifinals, as she edged a game Melinda Czink in the quarterfinals on Thursday, 62 36 76(5).

Playing her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event since retiring from tennis 19 months ago, Henin won her first and second round matches in straight sets; Czink, the No.7 seed, pushed the Belgian wildcard hard however, getting the lone break of serve in the second set and clawing back into contention several times in the third set, including rallying from 1-4 to 4-4 before falling.

"This was something I needed - a tough match, a good fight," Henin said of the two-hour, 21-minute brawl. "It was a different rhythm. She played very well, it was a high level of tennis today. There were lots of ups and downs for me but when it got to the third set I realized I had to fight very hard to win."

Next up for Henin will be No.3 seed Ana Ivanovic, who cruised in the first set and saved set point in the second set tie-break to edge Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 62 76(6). Henin is 4-0 lifetime against Ivanovic, although this will be the first time they play in almost exactly two years.

At night, top seed Kim Clijsters survived a streaky three-setter against Lucie Safarova, splitting two lopsided sets before winning, 61 06 64.

"She really raised her game in the second set and hit all the lines. It seemed like I couldn't get in the rallies before she hit a winner, but I should have started to step into the ball earlier than I did," Clijsters said of Safarova. "Before the third set I told myself to forget it and try for every point. I started to serve better, but it was just a few points that made the difference."

Clijsters will next play Andrea Petkovic, who upset No.4 seed Daniela Hantuchova earlier in the day, 64 62. It will be the pair's first meeting.


Thursday, January 7, 2010

Singles - Quarterfinals
(1) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 61 06 64
(3) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 62 76(6)
Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. (4) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 64 62
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (7) Melinda Czink (HUN) 62 36 76(5)

Henin wins in straight sets to advance to quarters in Brisbane

The last four quarterfinal berths were snapped up at the Brisbane International on Wednesday, as the second round came to a close.

The first three matches of the day took place in the afternoon, with Daniela Hantuchova, Lucie Safarova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova moving through. Hantuchova, the No.4 seed, beat Agnes Szavay, 63 61, and Safarova upset No.6 seed Aleksandra Wozniak by the same score; Pavlyuchenkova trailed 61 43 to Roberta Vinci but surged back to beat the Italian, 16 64 61.

In the much-anticipated night match, Justine Henin - a wildcard in the draw - beat qualifier Sesil Karatantcheva, 64 63. Henin, who beat No.2 seed Nadia Petrova on Monday in the first match of her Sony Ericsson WTA Tour comeback, was slow to start in each of the sets against Karatantcheva, falling behind 2-0 in each one; but she regrouped both times to win routinely.

"It took me a few games to get into the match. It's a night session today, a different situation," Henin said. "It's about rhythm. In my first match, Petrova pushed me very hard. Sesil stays far from her baseline and lets me play. I wasn't aggressive enough. But it was a two set match and I'm still happy."

Top seed Kim Clijsters, No.3 seed Ana Ivanovic, No.7 seed Melinda Czink and Andrea Petkovic won second round matches on Tuesday.

All four quarterfinals will take the court on Thursday, with Clijsters facing Safarova, Ivanovic facing Pavlyuchenkova, Hantuchova facing Petkovic and Czink facing Henin in a battle of 27-year-olds.


Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Singles - Second Round
(4) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Agnes Szavay (HUN) 63 61
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (6) Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 63 61
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 16 64 61
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (Q) Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ) 64 63

Clijsters advances; Henin wins first official comeback match in Brisbane

Kim Clijsters won a battle of comeback kids Down Under on Tuesday, beating Australian darling Alicia Molik in straight sets in the second round of the $220,000 Brisbane International.

In a battle between two players who came out of retirement last year - as well as two of the most popular players in Australia - Clijsters, the No.1 seed, cruised past wildcard Molik in exactly an hour, winning eight games in a row right off the bat and, after watching her opponent close to 3-all in the second set, reeling off three more to dust off the straight set win, 60 63.

"We've known each other for a lot of years, and even though we haven't played a match for a long time, the feeling is still there," Clijsters said. "I was able to read her serve well today. I also tried to use all the angles to make her move."

"I'm glad that I played her here before Melbourne," Molik said. "I'm not very disappointed. I was playing mostly at pro level in the past months. I watched a lot of matches on TV, but it's different when you are actually playing this level."

Clijsters could be on a collision course with fellow Belgian and close rival Justine Henin, who came out of retirement herself and is playing her first event back here. On Monday she won her first round match against Nadia Petrova, the No.2 seed.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Singles - Second Round
(1) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. (WC) Alicia Molik (AUS) 60 63
(3) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 62 26 64
(7) Melinda Czink (HUN) d. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 63 26 61
Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. Vania King (USA) 46 62 61