Dubai, Memphis, Bogota Updates

The biggest shock so far from the Dubai Tennis Championships is that Agnieszka Radwanska has been put out in straight sets by her sister Urszula, 6-4, 6-3.

Also, Daniela Hantuchova beat Swiss wildcard Stephanie Vogele 7-5, 6-2, to advance. Virginie Razzano beat Kateryna Bondarenko and Monica Niculescu beat Shuai Peng.

In Memphis, the overnight winners were fifth seed Marina Erakovic, Kristina Barrois and future tip Melanie Oudin.

Player of the Week - Amelie Mauresmo

This is something that we hope will become a weekly feature: Player of the Week

Of course, there are no prizes for guessing that this week it goes to the new 'Comeback Queen' Amelie Mauresmo (her face is behind her hands in this picture). After two years in the relative tennis wilderness, the former Australian and Wimbledon champion and world number one returned to her old form with a bang in her home event, the Open GDF Suez in Paris.

En route to the final, she saw off Italian Sara Errani 6-2, 6-0 (who she had lost to in Fed Cup duty last weekend), Romanian Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-1, fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-0 and second seed Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 0-6, 6-1. In the final she was drawn against Russia's Elena Dementieva, arguably the best tour event player in recent months. Mauresmo used her serve, volleys and backhand to great effect, winning a superb final 7-6, 2-6, 6-4, in well over two hours. As a result, she colected one of the nicest looking trophies on the WTA Tour (check their website for a picture).

Unfortunately, this win means she will not be participating in the Dubai Tennis Championships this week, where she made the quarter finals last year before losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova. We don't yet know who she will be replaced by.

Morita replaces Peer

Shahar Peer, the Israeli number one, has been denied a visa to compete in the Dubai Tennis Championships in the UAE. The WTA Tour has said it will review the future of the tournament, and in the meantime, Japan's Ayumi Morita will replace Peer to play fifteenth seed Anna Chakvetadze.


Elsewhere in Dubai, Ana Ivanovic will set out for revenge in her second round match. She will play Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova after she beat compatriot Anna Lapushchenkova in three sets. Other winners were sixteenth seed Kaia Kanepi, who saw off qualifier Tamira Paszek in three sets, thirteenth seed Jie Zheng, Tsvetana Pironkova, Vera Dushevina, Sybille Bammer, Julia Schruff and Sara Errani, who will now play Serena Williams.

In Memphis, Jelena Dokic has been drawn against top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the first round of the Cellular South Cup after beating Alexandra Panova to qualify for the event. The pair met at the Australian Open, with Dokic winning in three sets.

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships Draw

Here is the draw for the Dubai tournament:


S Williams (USA) 1 Bye
YJ Chan (Tpe) vs S Errani (Ita)
S Stosur (Aus) vs M Rybarikova (Svk)
A Rodionova (Rus) Q vs J Zheng (Chn) 13
A Radwanska (Pol) 9 vs U Radwanska (Pol) Q
A Szavay (Hun) vs T Tanasugarn (Tha)
A Lapushchenkova (Rus) Q vs A Kleybanova (Rus) WC
A Ivanovic (Srb) 8 Bye
E Dementieva (Rus) 4 Bye
M Koryttseva (Ukr) vs S Bammer (Aut)
O Govortsova (Blr) vs A Bondarenko (Ukr)
A Mauresmo (Fra) vs A Medina Garrigues (Esp) 14
A Cornet (Fra) 10 vs A-L Groenefeld (Ger)
J Schruff (Ger) Q vs P Kvitova (Cze)
M Kirilenko (Rus) vs A Pavlyuchenkova (Rus)
V Williams (USA) 6 Bye
S Kuznetsova (Rus) 7 Bye
E Vesnina (Rus) Q vs N Li (Chn)
T Pironkova (Bul) vs V Kutuzova (Ukr)
S Cirstea (Rom) vs D Cibulkova (Svk) 12
K Kanepi (Est) 16 vs T Paszek (Aut) Q
S Mirza (Ind) WC vs E Makarova (Rus)
S Peng (Chn) vs M Niculescu (Rom)
J Jankovic (Srb) 3 Bye
V Zvonareva (Rus) 5 Bye
V Dushevina (Rus) WC vs Z Yan (Chn)
F Schiavone (Ita) vs C Dellacqua (Aus)
A Sugiyama (Jpn) vs M Bartoli (Fra) 11
A Chakvetadze (Rus) 15 vs S Peer (Isr)
S Vogele (Sui) WC vs D Hantuchova (Svk)
K Bondarenko (Ukr) vs V Razzano (Fra)
D Safina (Rus) 2 Bye


First of all, despite withdrawing from the Open GDF Suez tournament today with a knee injury, top seed Serena Williams is still scheduled to appear in Dubai. This is the first non-Grand Slam event to boost such a strong field. Nadia Petrova is the only member of the top ten not appearing in Dubai, because of a stress fracture (in her foot, we think). We are not going to give any verdicts on who we think will win the tournament as it looks very close, but the first round match we recommend you watch would be the Radwanska sisters. This draw boasts three pairs of sisters in the singles main draw alone!

Cellular South Cup Draw

Here is the draw for next week's championships at Memphis:

C Wozniacki (Den) 1 vs Qualifier
K Flipkens (Bel) vs S Bremond (Fra)
K Barrois (Ger) vs J Groth (Svk)
Qualifier vs A Kudryavtseva (Rus) 7
A Keothavong (GBR) 4 vs ME Camerin (Ita)
M Larcher de Brito (Por) WC vs S Arvidsson (Swe)
M Oudin (USA) WC vs J Craybas (USA)
J Ditty (USA) vs M Erakovic (Nzl) 5
S Lisicki (Ger) 6 vs E Bychkova (Rus)
S Foretz (Fra) vs M Czink (Hun)
A Stevenson (USA) WC vs V King (USA)
M South (GBR) vs L Safarova (Cze) 3
P Parmentier (Fra) 8 vs J Coin (Fra)
L Hradecka (Cze) vs Qualifier
Qualifier vs S Cohen Aloro (Fra)
V Lepchenko (USA) vs V Azarenka (Blr) 2

Obviously, the massive ranking gap between Victoria Azarenka, the second seed, and Lucie Safarova, the third seed, makes Azarenka and Dane Caroline Wozniacki favourites for the title, probably with Azarenka edging it due to current form. However, there is plenty of potential in this draw. We recommend that you watch out for form players Anne Keothavong and Sabine Lisicki, young guns Melanie Oudin and Michelle Larcher de Brito and Alexandra Stevenson, who seems to be making a return for the first time in many years. Jelena Dokic is playing qualifying here, so if she makes it through, she will be an obvious contender. For the first round, we think that if Dokic is drawn against Wozniacki, that would be a very interesting clash indeed, but of the guaranteed matches, we would pick Melanie South's clash with third seed Lucie Safarova, which we feel could produce an upset. Please comment on your views for this tournament (nobody has for ages and we're lonely!)

Saturday Results Round Up

Congratulations must go to Amelie Mauresmo, who took her most significant victory in about two years after a victory over world number three Jelena Jankovic at the Open GDF Suez in Paris, surviving a second set blip to go through 6-2, 0-6, 6-1. She will meet third seed Elena Dementieva in the final after newly crowned Australian Open champion Serena Williams withdrew prior to their semi final due to a knee injury which she exacerbated. She is still epected to play in next week's megastar Dubai Tennis Championships.

Top seed Vera Zvonareva's recent form seems inexorable after she eased into the PTT Pattaya Open final in Thailand after a breezy 6-1, 6-4 victory over Israeli seventh seed Shahar Peer. In the final, she will play India's Sania Mirza after she surprised eighth seed Magdalena Rybarikova, battling to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 victory.

Oh My Lord

Who remembers this moment?

This is arguably Amelie Mauresmo's most special victory, when she won Wimbledon in 2006. Since that marvellous year, when she added the Australian Open to her trophy cabinet as well, such moments of joy haven't really happened (we argued that it was because of her appendectomy, and that her appendix was the source of all her powers.)

Well today, a moment of joy could be felt around the tennis world. Amelie looks like she is making a return, baby! Her crushing 6-2, 6-0 romp of Agnieszka Radwanska, the world number nine), at the Open GDF Suez, was a joy to behold (albeit, not to the Pole), as she produced tennis that flowed so effortlessly off the strings of her racket. We have to admit, we have missed the Mauresmo that leapt to the net like a gazelle and produced tennis so beautiful, it was like a van Gogh masterpiece, but all this week she has recreated some of that form.

Just to make the victory even sweeter perhaps, was that Mauresmo was the only Frenchwoman to win in front of her home crowd, as her three compatriots failed to make the last four.

In the semi finals in Paris, the competition will take itself a step up. Jelena Jankovic, the world number three, wearing the most hideous dress we think we have ever seen (not impressed ANTA!) battled hard but managed to defeat teenager Alize Cornet 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. Elsewhere, the rightful top duo in the world (in our opinion), Elena Dementieva and Serena Williams cruised into the semis, dropping just five games against their French opponents Nathalie Dechy and Emilie Loit respectively.

Thousands of miles away, in Thailand, Magdalena Rybarikova set up a semi final with Sania Mirza after a surprise 6-4, 6-1 win over second seed Caroline Wozniacki. In the other semi, top seed Vera Zvonareva will play Israeli Shahar Peer.

PTT Pattaya Open

Top seed Vera Zvonareva marched into the semi finals of the tournament in Thailand after the Russian beat China's Shuai Peng 6-2, 6-3.

Second seed Caroline Wozniacki's so-so year continues after she was a surprise casualty, losing to eighth seed Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-4, 6-1.

Seventh seed Shahar Peer makes her first semi final in what seems like an age after battling past unseeded Russian Vera Dushevina 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Home favourite Tamarine Tanasugarn is currently 4-4 in the first set with Indian megastar Sania Mirza, despite going an early break down.

Going now to a bit of Memphis news, Jelena Dokic begins her quest at the Cellular South Cup, playing her opening qualifying match against Yuliana Fedak of the Ukraine.

Fed Cup Action, Near Closing Time

The Czech Republic have completed a 4-1 victory over Spain in World Group I thanks to a straight-set doubles victory for Kveta Peschke and Iveta Benesova.

Germany have pulled through the live doubles rubber against Switzerland in Zurich. Anna Lena Groenefeld and Tatjana Malek saw off Patty Schnyder and Stephanie Vogele 6-4, 6-3.

Kirsten Flipkens salvaged something for Belgium in Bratislava, after beating Slovak Lenka Wienerova 6-3, 4-6, 6-0.

Ana Ivanovic eased to victory over Ayumi Morita to put Serbia 4-0 ahead of Japan in Belgrade

Fed Cup Day 2

Sara Errani has pulled Italy into a 4-0 lead over France thanks to a surprise 6-3, 6-4 victory over Amelie Mauresmo. Perhaps Mauresmo was feeling the effects of Flavia Pennetta's backlash in yesterday's infamous clash at Orleans.

Russia have whitewashed China 5-0, thanks to a doubles victory from top ten players Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova. The pair lost the first set 6-1 to the pairing of Tiantian Sun and Zi Yan, but regrouped to win the next two 6-4, 6-4. This follows Anna Chakvetadze and Alisa Kleybanova's singles victories earlier today.

Ukraine have pulled Israel back to 2-2 in Kharkhiv after Kateryna Bondarenko won her match against Tzipora Obziler 6-1, 4-6, 6-0. Earlier, Alona Bondarenko lost to Shahar Peer 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Estonia, Poland and Canada have qualified for the World Group II play-offs. Estonia beat Belarus 2-0, Poland beat Great Britian 2-1 and Canada beat Paraguay 3-0.

Fed Cuppage

Italy will play Russia in the semi finals after Flavia Pennetta cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over France's Alize Cornet. Amelie Mauresmo is 4-1 down to Sara Errani in the first set of their dead rubber.


The Czech Republic will play either Argentina or the USA for their place in the final after they shocked last year's runners up Spain. Lucie Safarova put the team 2-1 ahead when she beat the erratic Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4, 6-3, and Petra Kvitova sealed the deal with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Nuria Llagostera Vives.


Russia and China are at one set all in the doubles dead rubber. Earlier, Alisa Kleybanova crushed Tiantian Sun 6-1, 6-1.

Jelena Jankovic gave the Belgrade fans something to cheer about as she gave Serbia an unassailable 3-0 lead by beating Japan's Ai Sugiyama 6-3, 6-2.

Dominika Cibulkova powered to a 6-0, 6-3 victory against Belgian Yanina Wickmayer to guarantee Slovakia's place in the World Group I play-offs.

Anna Lena Groenefeld eased to a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Timea Bacsinszky to push the Switzerland-Germany tie into a live doubles match in Zurich (exciting!). Earlier, Patty Schnyder put the home side into a 2-1 lead by beating Sabine Lisicki.

Israel have taken a 2-1 lead over the Ukraine thanks to a Shahar Peer victory.

Fed Cup Day 2

Russia have secured their place in the last four after taking an unassailable lead versus China. Anna Chakvetadze, replacing Elena Dementieva, routed Zi Yan 6-1, 6-2, for the victory.


Last night, the USA and Argentina split their first two rubbers. Jill Craybas crushed Betina Jozami 6-2, 6-1. Argentina's number one Gisela Dulko faced a tougher time than expected against teenager Melanie Oudin, but came through 6-2, 7-5.

Fed Cup Review: First Day

Here is a review of the first day of the first Fed Cup ties of the year (Argentina v USA is not included):



France v Italy: The Orleans crowd will go home feeling more than deflated from the action they saw today. During the afternoon, things looked like they couldn't go any better. Amelie Mauresmo was a set and a break up against her higher ranked opponent, Flavia Pennetta, and then Alize Cornet would take on Francesca Schiavone, ranked about twenty places lower than her. However, then Mauresmo lost her serve, and the second set. She looked as though she could redeem herself in the final set, when she led 4-1, but then she lost that too. The crowd was silent as Schiavone won the first set of her match 6-1, yet then Cornet halted this, and took a 4-0 lead in the second, which translated to 6-2 success. The final set was tense, and the pair traded breaks of serve early on, but it was Schiavone who prevailed, winning it 8-6. France will go home defeated as they know that these two matches today were within touching distance.


Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Amelie Mauresmo (France) 2-6, 7-6, 6-4
Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Alize Cornet (France) 6-1, 2-6, 8-6


Czech Republic v Spain: Last year's finalists Spain, without their top player Anabel Medina Garrigues, took on the Czech team, who were newcomers to World Group I. Carla Suarez Navarro, straight from her Melbourne conquests, looked erratic and off-form as she lost to teenager Petra Kvitova in straight sets. Iveta Benesova looked as though she would breeze through her match against Nuria Llagostera Vives when she romped through the first set 6-1. However, Llagostera Vives responded by winning the second by the same margin, and then took the third 6-4 to keep Spain afloat. There is a lot to play for tomorrow in Brno.

Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-4, 6-4
Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) bt Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4

Russia v China: The trophy that the Russians have treasured for the past four years out of five looks like it is going to stay in their cabinet. A weakened Chinese team, without Jie Zheng, Na Li or Shuai Peng, never looked a threat today against two top ten players, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva. Kuznetsova opened the proceedings in Moscow against Zi Yan, and Yan put up a reasonable fight, but it was no match for Kuznetsova's power, and she won in straight sets. Dementieva looked even more supreme, taking apart Shuai Zhang with considerable ease. Unless the Williams girls show up, the trophy is surely Russia's, but what astounds us is that, unlike Serbia, Russia could have fielded their D team today and could probably have achieved the same result.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt Zi Yan (China) 6-2, 6-4
Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Shuai Zhang (China) 6-3, 6-0

World Group II Results:

Serbia 2-0 Japan
A Ivanovic bt A Sugiyama 6-4, 6-4
J Jankovic bt A Morita 6-1, 6-0

Switzerland 1-1 Germany
P Schnyder bt AL Groenefeld 7-6, 6-3
T Bacsinszky l. to S Lisicki 0-6, 4-6

Slovakia 2-0 Belgium
D Cibulkova bt K Flipkens 7-6, 6-1
D Hantuchova bt Y Wickmayer 7-6, 6-3

Ukraine 1-1 Israel
A Bondarenko bt T Obziler 6-4, 6-4
K Bondarenko l. to S Peer 3-6, 7-6, 3-6

More Fed Cupdates

Jelena Jankovic has pleased the fans of Belgrade with a 6-1, 6-0 rout of Japan's Ayumi Morita. This follows Ana Ivanovic's victory over Ai Sugiyama earlier. Serbia lead 2-0.

Slovak Daniela Hantuchova beat Belgian number one Yanina Wickmayer 7-6, 6-3 to give Slovakia a 2-0 lead going into the final day in Bratislava.

Shahar Peer made things all square for Israel against the Ukraine after a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 win over Kateryna Bondarenko in Kharkiv.

France's Alize Cornet lost the first set 6-1 to Italian Francesca Schiavone in World Group I, but is currently 2-0 up in the second in Orleans.

Sabine Lisicki evened the Germany-Switzerland tie following an easy 6-0, 6-4 victory over Timea Bacsinszky in Zurich

Fed Cupdate

Flavia Pennetta has won her match against Amelie Mauresmo. Mauresmo was seemingly heading for an easy victory as she was a set and a break up, but lost the match 2-6, 7-6, 6-4. What makes it more agonizing for Mauresmo is that she was 4-1 up in the final set with a break, but lost five games in a row. Italy now have a 1-0 lead.

Nuria Llagostera Vives won a topsy-turvy match against Iveta Benesova to put Spain back on track at 1-1. Despite losing the first set 6-1 to her Czech opponent, Llagostera Vives won the next two 6-1, 6-4 to record victory.

PTT Pattaya Women's Open

Vera Zvonareva, Caroline Wozniacki, Dominika Cibulkova and Sybille Bammer (where Nadia Petrova and Victoria Azarenka are, we have no idea) headline the field. Here is the main draw:

V Zvonareva (Rus) 1 vs A Klepac (Slo)
Y Shvedova (Kaz) vs T Paszek (Aut)
G Voskoboeva (Kaz) vs J Groth (née Gajdosova (Svk))
M Santangelo (Ita) vs S Peng (Chn) 5
S Bammer (Aut) 4 vs U Radwanska (Pol)
V Dushevina (Rus) vs E Bovina (Rus)
A Rodionova (Rus) vs Qualifier
N Lertcheewakarn (Tha) WC vs S Peer (Isr) 7
T Tanasugarn (Tha) 6 vs A Amanmuradova (Uzb)
J Moore (Aus) vs N Silva (Por)
S Mirza (Ind) vs N Lertpitaksinchai (Tha) WC
Qualifier vs D Cibulkova (Svk) 3
M Rybarikova (Svk) 8 vs K Date Krumm (Jpn)
Qualifier vs Qualifier
K Pervak (Rus) vs T Yonemura (Jpn)
Y-J Chan (Tpe) vs C Wozniacki (Den) 2

We would have to select Vera Zvonareva as the favourite, although her draw through to the semi finals could well be quite tricky. Wozniacki also looks like a good bet for the title, but she should watch out for Ksenia Pervak, the recently crowned Australian Open Girls champion. Home favourite Tamarine Tanasugarn has quite an easy draw for the first two rounds, but we doubt she would get past Dominika Cibulkova. We're looking forward to the Date Krumm and Rybarikova match, which has much potential.

Fed Cup Updates

World Group I:

Russia are firmly in command of their tie against China. Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Zi Yan 6-2, 6-4 and Elena Dementieva cruised past Shuai Zhang 6-3, 6-0 to record a 2-0 lead going into tomorrow.

Last year's finalists Spain are in danger of going out after their best player here, Carla Suarez Navarro, was surprisingly beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Nuria Llagostera Vives lost the first set 6-1 to Iveta Benesova, but won the second set by the same score.

Amelie Mauresmo won the first set 6-2 for France against Flavia Pennetta of Italy, yet Pennetta retaliated and has just taken the second on a tie-break. Alize Cornet plays Francesca Schiavone later on today.

The USA will have to rely on a mix of experience and youth, as Mary Joe Fernandez's team takes on Argentina in Arizona later today. Jill Craybas, now 35, is scheduled to play Betina Jozami, whereas Melanie Oudin, who is 17 (we think), plays the highest ranked player here, Gisela Dulko.

World Group II:

Patty Schnyder has given Switzerland a 1-0 lead against Germany in Zurich by beating Anna Lena Groenefeld 7-6, 6-3. Timea Bacsinszky will play the higher ranked Sabine Lisicki in the hope of increasing that lead.

Dominika Cibulkova, the new Slovak number one (Hantuchova's had that for an age), defied a strong challenge in the first set from Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, but eased through the second to win 7-6, 6-1. Daniela Hantuchova will play teenager Yanina Wickmayer in the second tie.

Serbia can expect a massive turnout for their match in Belgrade (their first home tie ever) against Japan. Ana Ivanovic has just beaten Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-4. Ayumi Morita plays Jelena Jankovic later.

Ukraine are currently 1-0 up against Israel after Alona Bondarenko defeated Tzipora Obziler 6-4, 6-4. Sister Kateryna Bondarenko plays Shahar Peer later today.

Other:

In the competiton for the World Group play-offs, the ties are as follows:

Euro-Africa zone: Belarus v Estonia, Britain v Poland
Asia-Oceania zone: Australia bt New Zealand 3-0
Americas zone: Canada v Paraguay

Relegation - Euro-Africa: Luxembourg v Austria, Bulgaria v Bosnia-Herzegovina
Relegation - Americas: Puerto Rico v Brazil, Bahamas v Colombia
Relegation - Asia-Oceania: Chinese Taipei bt India 3-0 (Kazakhstan are to be promoted to the Asia-Oceania Group I next year)

Jankovic replaces Sharapova

After Maria Sharapova's withdrawal from the Open GDF Suez (and from the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships after that), Serbian Jelena Jankovic will be hoping to regain the number one ranking she recently lost to Serena Williams, who will also be in the field. Williams and Jankovic head a stellar field including players such as Elena Dementieva and rising star Alize Cornet.

Daniela Hantuchova's Lady Lumps

Oh no.

First, we'd like to thank Down The Line for this startling second picture, which prompted one of the commenters on their site to say that ol' Daniela Hantuchova here was breastfeeding Ai Sugiyama, an image I am sure you're all repulsed by (as are we). However, this is possibly the direst need we have ever seen for a bra. Her nipples are actually leaking in that second pic!