Stan Wawrinka Continues His Winning Ways – Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
Carla Suárez Navarro beat Jelena Ostapenko 1-6 6-4 6-4 to win the Qatar Total Open in Doha, Qatar
Stan Wawrinka beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-4 7-6 (13) to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dominic Thiem beat Bernard Tomic 7-6 (6) 4-6 6-3 to win the Abierto Mexicano Telcel men’s singles in Acapulco, Mexico
Pablo Cuevas beat Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6 (4) 6-3 to win the Brasil Open in Sáo Paulo, Brazil
Sloane Stephens beat Dominika Cibulkova 6-4 4-6 7-6 (5) to win the Abierto Mexicano Telcel women’s singles in Acapulco, Mexico
SAYING
“This was my best match of the week. I’m happy with my level today. I had to fight until the end. It was a quite crazy tiebreaker.” – Stan Wawrinka, after winning the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
“It’s amazing. It’s been a long road for me the past three, four years. It’s all about fighting, getting back to where I want to be.” – Marcos Baghdatis, after reaching the final in Dubai.
“You can only believe in yourself, fight, run and try to put the ball back in the court.” — Carla Suárez Navarro, following her victory over Jelena Ostapenko in Doha, Qatar.
“These three weeks have been amazing.” – Dominic Thiem, after winning his first hard-court title in Acapulco, Mexico.
“I’m a little disappointed with the result today, but that’s tennis. I hope to be back here next year and maybe get the trophy again.” – Dominika Cibulkova, who lost to Sloane Stephens while trying to defend her women’s singles title in Acapulco, Mexico.
“It’s not easy to repeat because you have pressure as the defending champion. But winning in Rio against (Rafael) Nadal gave me a lot of confidence. I’m very proud of the way I handled the conditions here and to win again in Sao Paulo.” – Pablo Cuevas, after successfully defending his Brasil Open title.
“The rehab for my knee is going really well. I have now had a lot of great practices on the court and in the gym. As it is a long year, I don’t want to push it too hard and come back too soon.” – Roger Federer, in a statement on his Facebook page in which he said he will return to the ATP World Tour at Monte Carlo in April.
“The margins are so small in doubles, often coming down to match tiebreaks, and we kept our focus on things we needed to do. It’s good to see it pay off so quickly … I’m thrilled and looking forward to having more productive weeks. I get a lot of joy in improving every week as a team.” – Max Mirnyi, after teaming with Treat Huey to win their first doubles title as a team.
“The most difficult part of this comeback is not having a ranking; I’m playing small tournaments because I’m at zero, but it’s very difficult to even enter tournaments, and you’re always stressed because you don’t know if you’ll get in or not.” – Galina Voskoboeva, former world number 42 who returned to the WTA tour after 22 months of rehabbing multiple stress fractures and a bruised bone in her foot.
STAN THE MAN
Stan Wawrinka is compiling quite a record. Whenever he reaches a final, he comes away with the title. Wawrinka won his ninth straight final by stopping Marcos Baghdatis in Dubai. “I’ve had a great run at finals,” Wawrinka said. “When I get to them, I really want to win. You are carrying a lot of confidence from during the week.” Even so, the French Open champion from Switzerland struggled to finish off Baghdatis. Wawrinka led 4-1 in the tiebreaker when nerves struck. “Until 6-all in the tiebreak I was always up with a mini-break,” Wawrinka said. “I did I think two double faults and two or three, three quick mistakes. Then it started to be all about nerves: 6-6, 7-7, 10-10. You try to stay there, try to play simple, aggressive. It was good to finish it in two sets.” It was Wawrinka’s 13th career title and his second of this season, having won in Chennai, India, in January. Currently ranked fourth in the world, Wawrinka had not lost in a title match since June 2013. Baghdatis, on the other hand, has lost five straight finals since winning his last title in 2010. He has yet to beat Wawrinka in six career meetings. “I was a bit unlucky in the tiebreaker, that was the difference,” Baghdatis said. “But more matches throughout the year at this level would make me go in there and believe from the beginning that I can win, not wait three, four games and start believing. I’m playing very good tennis. This week I think I was a bit lucky, but I also found a way to win. I didn’t win the tournament but I won a lot more – I won my confidence back.”
SPANISH COMEBACK
Carla Suárez Navarro stumbled at the beginning, but found her game to beat back teenager Jelena Ostapenko and win the Qatar Total Open. “I’m so emotional right now,” the Spanish champion said. “I started a little bit nervous and she started really good. You know, losing the first set is never easy.” It was the biggest career win for Suárez Navarro, who with the victory will be ranked sixth in the world. “My aim at the start of the year was to win one title and to get inside the Top 10,” the Spaniard said. “I am happy I have done both this week.” It was the second runner-up finish for the 18-year-old Ostapenko, who reached the title match with victories over Grand Slam tournament champions Svetlana Kuznetsova and Petra Kvitova. The youngest won the first two games of the final set before Suárez Navarro ripped off the next four games to take control. She clinched the trophy on her second match point.
SIZZLING STRETCH
No player has been hotter during February than Dominic Thiem. The Austrian finished off a 13-1 stretch with his fifth career ATP World Tour title and first at the 500 level when he beat Australian Bernard Tomic in Acapulco, Mexico. “It was unbelievable,” Thiem said. “It was how a final should be, between two young and up-and-coming players. I hope we’re going to play many more finals together. Both of us wanted to win so badly and I’m happy I was the one today.” The 22-year-old Thiem also won in Buenos Aires and reached the semifinals in Rio de Janeiro on his South America swing. His first four career titles all came on clay.
SLOANE TRIUMPHANT
Sloane Stephens credited her opponent with helping her win the women’s singles in Acapulco. “I got a little bit better today because of her, and I wouldn’t want to have this memory with anyone else,” Stephens told the crowd during the trophy ceremony of the player she beat, Dominika Cibulkova. The victorious American was up a set and a break before Cibulkova, the defending champion, roared back to level the match at a set apiece. The two then battled through several long games before going into the tiebreak. Stephens took a 5-2 lead but needed three match points before grabbing the big trophy. “We had a great week and a great start to the year, and I’m looking forward to keeping it going,” Stephens said.
SISTERS DOING IT
Sisters Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching won their second doubles title of the year when they captured the Qatar Total Open by stopping Sara Errani and Carla Suárez Navarro 6-3 6-3. “Today’s match wasn’t easy, despite the score,” said Yung-Jan, the elder of the sisters from Taiwan. “They’re for sure very tough opponents who’ve been playing really well. I was sick and having a fever, coughing, but we’re happy to make it until the last match.” The Chans won their home tournament earlier in February at the Taiwan Open, then donated their prize money to their country’s hurricane relief effort.
SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE
Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas won his second straight Brasil Open title, this time by beating first-time finalist Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain. “The crowd makes me feel at home in Brazil,” Cuevas said after capturing his fifth tour-level title and second in as many weeks, all on clay courts. The previous week Cuevas won in Rio de Janeiro after upsetting Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. “During the tournament I didn’t play as well as I did in Rio,” the champion said. “I was making more unforced errors and being less aggressive, but I was focused and calm, which was the key to winning this week.” Cuevas is on a nine-match winning streak and improved his clay-court record this year to 11-1. “My goal is to be in the Top 20 this year,” Cuevas said. “I hope to keep playing like I’ve done in the past weeks.”
SKIPPING USA
Recent knee surgery will mean that Roger Federer will skip the American hard-court tournaments in March. The 34-year-old Swiss star underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Federer, ranked third in the world, said he will return to action in Monte Carlo in April at the start of the clay court season. That means he will miss tournaments in Indian Wells, California, and Miami, Florida, both played on hard courts. He injured his knee the day after his semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in January.
STILL WINNING
Despite having a new partner, Max Mirnyi is still winning doubles titles. This time he teamed with Treat Huey to won the crown at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco by defeating the third-seeded team of Alexander Peya and Philipp Petzschner. The Belarusian-Filipino due saved seven of eight break points to win in their first final together. “I told Treat that even though we’ve only been together for two months, we’ve been through a lot,” Mirnyi said. “We’ve improved on our teamwork and things we need to do. Luckily today, in a big tournament like Acapulco, everything clicked. We played well at the same time, which was important.” It was Mirnyi’s 49th career doubles title, but his first since Beijing in 2013. It was Huey’s seventh career title.
SET AS DIRECTOR
Former player and French Davis Cup captain Guy Forget has a new title. He has been appointed director of the French Open tournament at Roland Garros. The French Tennis Federation (FFT) said Forget will replace Gilbert Ysern, who was fired. The 51-year-old Forget has been director of the Paris Masters indoor tournament since 2012. As a player, he reached a career-high ranking of fourth in the world in 1991.
Jeremy Botton was named by the FFT to replace Ysern as an FFT general director. Botton will oversee plans for the renovation and modernization of Roland Garros.
SUIT FILED
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has been sued for 1.5 million euros by Arnaud Clement. The former French Davis Cup captain, Clement was fired by the FFT and replaced by Yannick Noah. “Arnaud Clement has initiated proceedings … to resolve his disagreement with the federation,” an unidentified source said. Clement had one year left on his contract when he was dismissed by the FFT.
SEPPI WINS, FINALLY
Andreas Seppi finally has won a doubles title. Seppi and fellow Italian Simone Bolelli saved two match points and defeated Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez 6-2 3-6 14-12 (match tiebreak) for their first ATP World Tour team title. It was the sixth time Seppi was in a doubles final, but his first win. Bolelli has won five doubles crowns. “It was a very good week for me,” Seppi said. “It’s good to win the title in doubles. It’s my first one. I lost six finals, so to finally win a doubles title is always something special, and especially with a good friend.” Bolelli and Seppi trailed 5-1 in the match tiebreak before rallying to win.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Acapulco (men): Max Mirnyi and Treat Huey beat Alexander Peya and Philipp Petzschner 7-6 (5) 6-3
Acapulco (women): Anabel Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja beat Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson 6-0 6-4
Doha: Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching beat Carla Suárez Navarro and Sara Errani 6-3 6-3
Dubai: Simone Bolelli and Andreas Seppi beat Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez 6-3 3-6 14-12 (match tiebreak)
Sáo Paulo: Julio Peraqlta and Horacio Zeballos beat Pablo Carreno Busta and David Marrero 4-6 6-1 10-5 (match tiebreak)
SURFING
Monterrey: http://abiertomonterrey.com/
Kuala Lumpur: www.bmwmalaysianopen.com/
Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com
Indian Wells: www.bnpparibasopen.com/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
WOMEN
$250,000 BMW Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hard
$250,000 Abierto Monterrey Afirme, Monterrey, Mexico, hard
DAVIS CUP
(First Round)
World Group
Great Britain vs. Japan in Birmingham, Great Britain, hard
Serbia vs. Kazakhstan in Belgrade, Serbia, hard
Italy vs. Switzerland at Pesaro, Italy, clay
Poland vs. Argentina at Gdansk, Poland, hard
France vs. Canada at Guadeloupe, clay
Germany vs. Czech Republic at Hannover, Germany, hard
Australia vs. United States at Kooyong, Australia, grass
Belgium vs. Croatia at Liège, Belgium, clay
Group I
Americas Zone: Ecuador vs. Barbados at Portoviejo, Ecuador, clay; Chile vs. Dominican Republic at Santiago, Chile, clay
Asia/Oceania Zone: South Korea vs. New Zealand at Seoul, South Korea, hard; Pakistan vs. China at Colombo, Sri Lanka, clay
Europe/Africa Zone: Romania vs. Slovenia at Arad, Romania, hard; Portugal vs. Austria at Guimaräes, Portugal, hard; Russia vs. Sweden at Kazan, Russia, hard; Hungary vs. Israel at Budapest, Hungary, clay
Group II
Americas Zone: Peru vs. Uruguay at Lima, Peru, clay; Mexico vs. Guatemala at San Francisco de Campeche, Mexico, hard; El Salvador vs. Puerto Rico at Santa Tecla, El Salvador, hard; Venezuela vs. Paraguay at Caracas, Venezuela, hard
Asia/Oceania Zone: Chinese Taipei vs. Malaysia at Kaohsuing, Taiwan, hard; Philippines vs. Kuwait at Manila, Philippines, clay; Indonesia vs. Vietnam at Surakarta, Indonesia, hard; Thailand vs. Sri Lanka at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard
Europe/Africa Zone: Lithuania vs. Norway at Siauliai, Lithuania, hard; South Africa vs. Luxembourg at Centurion, South Africa, hard; Turkey vs. Bulgaria at Ankara, Turkey, hard; Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Tunisia in Zenica, Bosnia/Herzegovina, carpet; Latvia vs. Monaco at Daugavpils, Latvia, hard; Egypt vs. Belarus at Cairo, Egypt, clay; Finland vs. Zimbabwe at Kittila, Finland, hard; Georgia vs. Denmark at Tbilisi, Georgia, carpet
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$7,037,595 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (first week)
WOMEN
$7,037,595 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (first week)
