STARS
Agnieszka Radwanska beat Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-2 to win the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan
Janko Tipsarevic beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-4 7-5 to win the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Andy Murray beat Donald Young 6-2 6-0 to win the PTT Thailand Open in Bangkok, Thailand
SAYING
“It feels great. I think I deserved it.” – Janko Tipsarevic, after winning the Malaysian Open.
“I had some tough matches this week – and I was playing without a bye, so I had a lot of matches in a row – but I just kept trying my best. … All of the top players were playing here, and I played some good tennis to beat them.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, after winning the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
“It wasn’t my day today. Janko played great. He deserved to win, he was more aggressive. You just have to say ‘well done’ to Janko for a great week and a great year overall. I played some great tennis this week and I hope I can keep it up for the rest of the season.” – Marcos Baghdatis, after losing to Janko Tipsarevic.
“I just played really well. Towards the end of the first set he started to play a bit better, but once I got up in the second I hardly made any mistakes. Felt like I was moving well, so it was difficult for him to hit any clean winners. I served very well throughout and didn’t give him any opportunities. It was a great match.” – Andy Murray, after defeating Donald Young in the final at Bangkok.
“It was my first final on the ATP World Tour; I’ve had a semi and the fourth round of a slam, but there’s nothing like your first final. It’s great. I beat some high caliber players and I played well. It was definitely great to win four matches and I’m into the Top 50 which is great for me, it was one of my goals at the start of the year. I just hope I can build on that and have more tournaments like this.” – Donald Young, who reached his first ATP final.
“Obviously it’s very, very exciting; it’s my third career title. I was playing for the first time with Oliver and I’m really happy to be in Thailand and win the title. It’s perfect preparation for the tournaments coming ahead in Japan and Shanghai. Obviously the target at the end of the year is to make the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and I think it’s good preparation; I’m looking forward to playing with Rohan [Bopanna] again next week.” – Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, after winning the doubles in Bangkok.
“Of course I’m very, very happy to win another title, especially with Aisam because he’s a very nice guy. … I hope we can play together again and win another one.” – Oliver Marach, who teamed with Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi to win the doubles in Bangkok.
“Tokyo is really one of my favorite tournaments. Especially now, after what has happened in Japan, I felt like I owed it to the tournament to come and play – and once again the tournament has been great back to me. To win a title here is so special.” – Liezel Huber, who teamed with Lisa Raymond to win the doubles.
“It feels great to continue the run from New York and to build on that. Every time we step on the court our goal is to win matches and titles. Hopefully we can keep it up for the rest of the year.” – Lisa Raymond.
“Today was one of those days where every shot you hit the ball feels great. You feel like you’re almost seeing the play one shot in advance. You hope you have more days like that. It’s a pretty good wedding present! If this continues, I’ll be very, very happy.” – Eric Butorac, after winning the Malaysian Open doubles.
“(Qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals) is one of our goals for sure. It’s difficult sometimes not to focus on that and instead focus on our matches and how to improve every day and with every practice. But that’s the goal and that’s what we’ve been working for all year, so we would definitely like to make it to London for the first time.” – Jean-Julien Rojer, who teamed with Eric Butorac to win the doubles in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
SUCCESS, FINALLY
It was more than a tournament title for Janko Tipsarevic. Until he captured the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Tipsarevic was the only player in the top 20 to not have won an ATP World Tour title. “Yesterday after my semifinal I managed to not think about going for my first ATP World Tour title all evening,” the Serb said. “I was still awake at about 4 a.m. as I haven’t adjusted to the time difference all week, and I decided to have a look at the ATP website to see what the news was. I saw the headline ‘Fifth Time Lucky For Janko?’ and then started reading the article and saw that it said I was the highest ranked player at the moment not to have won a title. Of course, then I started thinking about it lying in bed and I couldn’t get to sleep for another hour!” No problem. Tipsarevic beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-4 7-5 in the championship match. “I’m so happy that it came in a good place, at a tournament that is really, really nice, and against a good player,” Tipsarevic said. “Marcos Baghdatis has played in 11 finals and was a former Top 10 player, a Grand Slam finalist. So I feel happy that I won against a great player in a final that I hope kept the fans on the edge of their seats until the very end. I could not be happier.”
SAFINA OUT FOR GOOD
Marat Safin says his sister, Dinara Safina, is unlikely to return to the women’s tennis tour because of her injured back. “If you recall, Dinara first suffered the injury in Beijing two years ago,” Safin told the Russian media before he was to play an exhibition match in the Chinese capital against Pete Sampras. “She tried several times to make a comeback, but it only caused her more problems. Now she must think of herself – not whether she will be able to play again, but just to live a normal life. … She will make an official announcement, but speaking as her brother, I think she has no chance at all of making a comeback.” The two – Marat and Dinara – are the only brother-sister tandem to both become number one in the world in tennis.
SAVIC BANNED
David Savic of Serbia has been banned for life and fined USD $100,000 for attempting to influence the outcome of a match. The player was found guilty of three violations of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program, including soliciting or facilitating a player not to use his or her best efforts in an event, and soliciting, offering or providing money “with the intention of negatively influencing a player’s best efforts in any event.” The three violations occurred in October 2010. Savic is banned for life from any tournament or competition organized or sanctioned by the governing bodies of professional tennis. The 26-year-old native of Belgrade, Serbia, is ranked 658th in the world after posting a 6-13 singles record this year, playing Futures tournaments for the most part in Serbia. His best ranking was 363rd in the world in 2009. Consistent with the confidentiality of the Anti-Corruption Hearing process, no details of the hearing or decision will be made public.
STRIKE THREE FOR VERA
Agnieszka Radwanska has Vera Zvonareva’s number, that’s for sure. For the third straight time, Radwanska defeated her Russian opponent, and this time it was for the Toray Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo, Japan. Seeded ninth, Radwanska lost the opening two games and was one point away from being down 3-0. But she then won eight of the next nine games to take a 6-3 2-0 lead and finished with a 6-3 6-2 victory. “I was a little bit nervous at the start, but I woke up after those first two games,” Radwanska said. It was Radwanska’s second Premier-level title of the season. She beat Zvonareva in the final to win in Carlsbad, California, USA, during the summer. “Obviously I’m disappointed I couldn’t come away with the title today,” Zvonareva said. “I started well and broke her, but after that I don’t know what happened to me. I’ve played with Agnieszka a lot and know how she plays, and if I played to my usual standard I could have won, but I just couldn’t today. It happens. I’ll take my lessons from this match then hope to forget it as soon as possible.” With her latest title, Radwanska now has Istanbul, Turkey, and the season-ending TEB-BNP Paribas WTA Championships on her mind. “Before this tournament my chances of qualifying for the Championships were very small, but now they’ll be better,” she said.
STRAIGHT-SET VICTORIES
Coached by Greg Rusedski, Evan Hoyt and Kyle Edmund led Great Britain to its first Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas title, defeating Italy in the final. Hoyt beat Stefano Napolitano 6-4 6-3 before Edmund stopped Gianluigi Quinzi 6-3 6-4 to clinch the victory. “There was less pressure on me to win, so Greg said go out there and swing. He has all the pressure on him so you can go for your shots,” said Edmund. “That’s what I did and I played really well, probably the best match I have on this trip, so I’m really pleased.” The Czech Republic won the battle for third place, beating Italy, while France bested South Africa for bronze in the boys’ event, which was held in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
Australia beat Canada for the Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas title as Belinda Woolcock beat Carol Zhao and Ashleigh Barty stopped the injured Francoise Abanda, both in straight sets. “I knew it was going to be a tight match and I had my doubts beforehand, but I knew that every point would count so I had to remain focused and concentrate on each and every point,” explained Woolcock. It was Australia’s first Junior Fed Cup crown since 2007.
STRONG MOVE
He didn’t come away with a title, but Donald Young is showing he just might be for real. The 22-year-old American, playing in his first ATP World Tour title match, was crushed by fourth-ranked Andy Murray 6-2 6-0 in the PTT Thailand Open. But his run to the final will boost the left-hander into the Top 50 in the world. “He played well. I couldn’t do much and it showed in the score,” admitted Young about Murray. “It was great play from him. It was my first final on the ATP World Tour; I’ve had a semi and the fourth round of a Slam, but there’s nothing like your first final. It’s great. I beat some high caliber players and I played well.” After becoming the youngest player to be ranked number one in the Junior Boys, Young saw his star dimmed considerably as he rarely won on the ATP World Tour. Until this year, that is, starting with a surprise upset over Murray in Indian Wells, California, USA. Murray avenged that loss by beating Young in the fourth round of the US Open, then needed only 47 minutes to rout the American and win the PTT Thailand Open.
STARTING OVER
Eight years after severing ties, Jelena Dokic has reunited with her father Damir. “I would like to confirm media reports that I have reconciled with my father Damir Dokic,” the Australian tennis player said in a statement. “My partner Tin Bikic and I have visited my father at his home to finally put an end to our disagreement.” Dokic, who was born in Serbia, was ranked as high as fourth in the world in 2002. The family rift followed a series of bizarre episodes that had Damir banned from the All England Club at Wimbledon and ejected from the grounds of the US Open. At one point, Damir claimed his daughter had been kidnapped. In 2009, charged with threatening the Australian ambassador to Serbia and illegal possession of firearms, Damir Dokic served a year in year. “I initiated the meeting as I want to reunite my family and allow us all to get on with our lives and be happy,” Jelena Dokic told the Sydney Daily Telegraph. “This has gone on too long. … My father was very receptive and I believe he has changed greatly. He understands that I am my own person who makes my own decisions.”
SET FOR ISTANBUL
Two singles players and a doubles team are the latest to qualify for the year-ending TEB-BNP Paribas WTA Championships, which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, October 25-30. Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova along with Victoria Azarenka have earned berths in the elite event, as well as the US Open doubles champions Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond. Already in the singles field are top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki, three-time Grand Slam tournament champion Maria Sharapova and the doubles team of Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik. Kvitova will be making her debut in the Championships, becoming the first Czech player to compete in singles at the Championships since Jana Novotna in 1998. The top eight singles players and top four doubles teams with compete for the coveted title and a share of the USD $5 million in prize money. Last year, Kim Clijsters won the singles crown by beating Wozniacki in the title match. Because of injuries, Clijsters, who won the Australian Open in January, did not qualify for this year’s season-concluding tournament.
SEEKING PAN AM GOLD
Three men and two women have been nominated to represent the United States in tennis at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, later this month. Christina McHale and Irina Falconi, both of whom reached the third round of the US Open last moth, will be joined by Denis Kudla, Nicholas Monroe and Greg Ouellette. Sloane Stephens was also nominated to represent the American team was forced to withdraw due to injury. The players will compete in men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. The Pan Am Games are held every four years in the year immediately prior to the Olympic Games. Tennis has been contested at the Pan American Games since the event’s inception in 1951. Americans who have won the Pan American Games gold medal include Althea Gibson in 1959, Pam Shriver in 1991 and Paul Goldstein in 1999. Other Americans who have competed in the Games include Arthur Ashe, Patrick McEnroe and Chanda Rubin.
STANDING TALL
Mary Jo Fernandez will serve as the honorary chair when the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships stages its 50th tournament. In 1985 at the age of 14, Fernandez became the youngest player to win a main draw match at the US Open. She subsequently turned professional in 1986 and finished 1990 ranked a career-high fourth in the world in singles. “Participating in the Junior Orange Bowl prepared me for my professional tennis career by matching me with players like (Stephanie) Graf and (Gabriela) Sabatini at 9 to 11 years old,” said Fernandez, who is coach of the US Fed Cup team and a tennis analyst for ESPN. “In fact, winning the Junior Orange Bowl twice earlier, and the Orange Bowl in the 18’s is what inspired me to turn pro. The Junior Orange Bowl will always hold a special place in my heart and I am proud to be its honorary chair.” Other Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship participants have included Andre Agassi, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, Andy Roddick and Monica Seles, among others. The tournament draws participants from 74 countries.
SEBELIUS HONORS USTA
Kathleen Sebelius, United States Health and Human Services Secretary, and members of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition have recognized the United States Tennis Association (USTA) for its leadership and participation in the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) challenge. Through its National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network and youth tennis programs, the USTA has gotten more than 226,000 children to participate in and complete the PALA challenge. To date, the USTA has had more children complete the challenge than any other youth sports organization in the United States. “The President Active Lifestyle Award is about getting kids and parents to understand how easy it is to have some fun, but also to be fit. It is really aimed at ending childhood obesity in our generation,” Sebelius said. “Our goal was to have a million PALA challenges met by this year, and we are really pleased to say we have almost 1.7 million, thanks to great partners and great organizations. It’s a great partnership to have the tennis association involved.”
SEED MONEY
The Rafa Nadal Foundation, the David Nalbandian Foundation and the East Japan Earthquake Charity Fund have received the first grants for 2011 from the ATP ACES For Charity program. The three grants were announced during the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo. Brad Drewett, ATP chief executive officer for the International Group, presented checks to Rafael Nadal, the defending Tokyo champion, and Nalbandian for their respective foundations. Nao Kawatei, Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships tournament director, and two children accepted the grant for the East Japan Earthquake Charity Fund. The Rafa Nadal Foundation aims to provide opportunities for socially disadvantaged youth. The David Nalbandian Foundation aspires to create positive conditions that help people with a disability lead better lives.
STOSUR LOOKING AHEAD
US Open champion Samantha Stosur will participate in an exhibition tournament in Singapore in December that could lead to a WTA event within two years. Joining Stosur this year will be Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova, China’s Shuai Peng and Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska. Two other players will be announced shortly. Besides playing, the stars will conduct coaching clinics with local players.
SHARED PERFORMANCE
Bangkok: Oliver Marach and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi beat Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5)
Kuala Lumpur: Eric Butorac and Jean-Julien Rojer beat Frantisek Cermak and Filip Polasek 6-1 6-3
Tokyo: Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond beat Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (4) 0-6 10-6 (match tiebreak)
SURFING
Beijing: www.chinaopen.com.cn/en/index.shtml
Tokyo: http://rakutenopen.rakuten.co.jp/
Mons: www.ethiastrophy.be
Sacramento: www.natomaschallenger.com/
Shanghai: http://www.shanghaimasters1000.com/English/index.shtml
Osaka: http://www.hp-open.jp/
Linz: http://www.generali-ladies.at/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
MEN
$2,100,000 China Open, Beijing, China, hard
$1,214,500 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo, Japan, hard
$143,000 Ethias Trophy, Mons, Belgium, hard
$100,000 2011 Natomas Challenger, Sacramento, California, USA, hard
WOMEN
$4,500,000 China Open, Beijing, China, hard
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$3,240,000 Shanghai Rolex Masters, Shanghai, China, hard
$100,000 Tiburon, California, USA, hard
WOMEN
$220,000 Generali Ladies Linz, Linz, Austria, hard
$220,000 HP Japan Women’s Open Tennis 2011, Osaka, Japan, hard
