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Clijsters Edges Sharapova to Take Title

By Ellen Newton  Story Updated August 15, 2010

One week ago 56 women, 8 of the top 10 in the world including Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters, Francesca Schiavone, Vera Zvonareva, Elena Dementieva, and Caroline Wozniacki, entered the Western and Southern Financial Group Women’s Open in Mason Ohio, Sunday only two remained; the number 4 seed Kim Clijsters and the number 10 seed Maria Sharapova.  Head to head Sharapova has won the past three meetings but Clijsters has played flawless tennis to reach the final not dropping a set.

The first set was over 6-2 to Sharapova before Clijsters could formulate a plan to counter her powerful flat ground strokes.  Sharapova took control of the second set leading 5-3 with three match points; Clijsters saved them all, back to deuce.  Then Clijster’s prayers were answered, the sky opened up and the rains came pouring down.  When play resumed a renewed Kim Clijsters emerged. She would not only win the pivotal ninth game but would take the second set all the way to a tie break which she won 7-6(4).  Kim was securely in control now only conceding two more games taking the match 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.

In the doubles final the team of Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko bested Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs in two very close sets 7-6(4), 7-6(8).

Ivanovic Falls to Injury, Clijsters into the Finals

Ivanovic_receives_treatment

By Pat Byrd  Story Updated August 14, 2010

The match had hardly begun, the score 2-1 Clijsters, then it happened.  Ana Ivanovic ran around a ball so she could hit a forehand instead of a backhand and she felt a severe pain in her left foot, “I just felt like pain all of a sudden, so much pain in my foot and I couldn’t step on it anymore”. Ivanovic stopped immediately, dropped her racket, took a step then called for the trainer.  After some evaluation by the trainer, her foot already bandaged for blisters, her foot was taped for the injury and play resumed.  Two points later Ivanovic conceded the match, Kim Clijsters moved on to the finals.

Clijsters will meet the winner of the night match Maria Sharapova or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

In doubles Florida Gator Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs advanced to the finals by ousting the number 1 seeds Liezel Huber and Nadia Petrova.

Thursday’s Round Up

By Ellen Newton  Story Updated August 11, 2010

Cincinnati, OH—The word for Wednesday is heat followed closely by rain.  With a high of 97 degrees and a heat index reaching 100 to 105, hydration was definitely a must until the ultimate hydration showed up, the rain. 

The first match of the day on center court was between the number 6 seed Vera Zvonareva and Maria Kirilenko. Both players traded breaks of serve early but it was Zvonareva who would take the lead in the first set and go up 3 games to 1.  Kirilenko didn’t let this rattle her and broke back to tie things up at 5 games all and serve to go up 6-5 but instead would be broken to give Zvonareva a chance to serve for the first set. The 12^th game of the first set proved critical for Zvonareva, the game was taken to deuce but pulled out to take the game and first set 7-5.

Things began to fall apart for Zvonareva in the second set; she was broken at 2-3 and never regained the break losing the second set 2-6.  The third set would be interrupted twice by rain, first at 1-1 for a total of nearly three and a half hours.  Play would resume and Zvonareva found herself down 2-5 before rallying to bring things to a tiebreak that she would win to take the match 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(2).

In other surprises of the day, Ana Ivanovic is into the round of sixteen defeating Yaroslava Shvedova 6-1, 7-5 to get there.  That’s not all, number 3 seed Elena Dementieva went down to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-3, and number 5 seed French Open Champion Francesca Schiavonne was ousted by Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-4.

Others that survived the heat or rain include Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska, Na Li and Maria Sharapova.

Monday’s Shake Up

By Pat Byrd Story Updated August 9, 2010

Monday’s night match was quite the stunner.  If you were expecting a yawner you were sorely disappointed.  World ranked number 60 Ana Ivanovic who has been riding a slippery slope to the bottom of the rankings stunned the number 9 seed Victoria Azarenka.

Nothing surprising in the first set as Azarenka’s coach constantly yelled encouragement and advice from the sidelines; she broke Ivanovic in the opening game and held her serve through 4-0.  Ivanovic finally held her serve in the fifth game of the first set and the crowd was securely behind her, but the first set was a lost cause and Azarenka won it easily 6-2.

The second set didn’t look any more hopeful for Ivanovic than the first, losing her serve in the first game of the second set. But something was changing, Ivanovic was fighting back, little by little, a fist pump, and then it was Azarenka who was broken.  They would play to a tie break and the fans would get something unexpected, a real tennis match, a barn burner. Ivanovic commandeered the tie break 7- 6(6).  There would be a third set.

Ivanovic immediately took charge of the third set breezing through to a 2-6, 7-6, 6-2 victory. Now I’m a diehard Ivanovic believer but I must admit that after that dreary first set and sluggish start to the second set even I believed that she was a goner.  I’m ashamed to admit it but I left the match during what I thought was the bitter end in the second set and returned to my hotel room to write of Ivanovic’s demise.  I was completely shocked to see the results of the match.  Just when it appeared Ana had lost all confidence in herself she pulled out a tight one against the 9^th seed.  Well done!

In other first round action Vera Dushevina defeated Anastasia Rodionova 6-2, 7-6(7), Dinara Safina dodged a close one beating Roberta Vinci 7-5, 6-4, and Alona Bondarenko ousted Dominika Cibulkova in three sets 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.