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2010 Sony Ericsson Open

Clijster’s KOs Williams

By Ellen Newton Story Updated Saturday April 3, 2010

Venus Williams, sporting her latest creation from her design company 11, took the court Saturday in hopes of winning another Sony Ericsson title. Much ado has been made of her tennis dress that quite frankly looks more like Valentine ’s Day negligee than a tennis dress.

Unfortunately for Williams, more would be made of her dress than of her miserable play in the final of the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships. Clijsters, the 14^th seed, would for the second time in her career win the Sony Ericsson, this time in convincing fashinon over the number 3 seed Venus Williams 6-3, 6-1, in just 58 minutes.

Clijsters controlled the court moving Venus from side to side then drawing her into net only to hit a perfect top spin lob to win the point. She would only give up three games the entire match.

When asked about the match Clijster said, “I think I feel very happy that I was just able to stick to the level I’ve been playing at this whole week. I know Venus didn’t play her best tennis, I know she had a lot of unforced errors today but I stayed really focused and whenever I felt I had a chance to go for the lines I really felt I was dominant in a lot of the rallies and that was a good feeling to have.”

This win moves Clijsters up to the number ten ranking in the world.

WTA Quarter Final Wednesday

By Ellen Newton Story Updated Wednesday March 31, 2010

On Wednesday quarterfinal action concluded with 14^th seed Kim Clijsters taking on 9^th seed Sam Stosur at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami Florida. Clijsters needed only 77 minutes to dismantle Stosur with short quick games. Stosur was broken only once in the first set but that was all Clijsters would need to win the set 6-3.

The second set would take more work for the 14^th seed, managing to break Stosur in the fifth game but being broken right back in the sixth game. Stosur would hold her own until the 11^th game where the Belgium broke her serve one final time, going on to serve out the match 6-3, 7-5.

Clijsters will meet Justine Henin in the semi-finals; Henin defeated Caroline Wozniacki in the day’s earlier quarter final match. In the other semi-final match, Marion Bartoli will meet Venus Williams.

WTA Quarter Final Action

By Ellen Newton Story Updated Tuesday March 30, 2010

Number 3 seed Venus Williams had no trouble rolling through her quarter final match against Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-1 in today’s quarter final match up. The 13^th seed Marion Bartoli’s quarter final match against Yanina Wickmayer was anything but easy. Bartoli, a bit of a quirky player, using a two handed grip on both the forehand and backhand sides, limiting her reach and her ability to volley at net, had trouble with unforced errors, and holding serve, something Wickmayer would also experience.

The first three games of the match saw twelve deuce points played, one break of serve, and take 27 minutes. There were six breaks of serve in the first ten games, four of them Wickmayers. It seemed neither player wanted to win the match. I didn’t know what to expect from Wickmayer, but Bartoli had crushed the number 1 seed Kuznetsova in the round of sixteen 6-3, 6-0, what I wasn’t expecting was all the unforced errors from Bartoli.

Wickmayer held her serve to begin the second set, but the errors started to find their way back in. Both players once again dropped serve in games three and four, and six and seven, but it would be Wickmayer who gave up the final break, and the match 6-4, 7-5.

Bartoli will meet Venus Williams in the semi-finals and for her to have a shot at winning the match she is going to need to hold her serve, cut way down on unforced errors and pray for Williams to make a lot of errors.

In other quarter final action, Sam Stosur will take on Kim Clijsters, and wild card Justine Henin meets the number 2 seed Caroline Wozniacki, just 19 years old.

Stosur made her way to the quarters via a red hot Jelena Jankovic who just won the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, winning their match 6-1, 7-6(9).