WTA Stuttgart - Women's Final
1 Maria Sharapova d 2 Li Na - 64 63
Title #29 represents a defense of her win at Stuttgart last year.
This is her 7th clay title and 4th of the last 2 clay seasons.
Suddenly she is the default 'queen of clay' - can she keeps this up?
She had a tough week being pushed to 3 3-setters but came thru.
Post match: No matter how difficult those other matches were or
how tired I was, I stepped it up today.
This is shaping up to be a fun road to Roland Garros.
WTA Miami - Women's Quarterfinal
1 Serena Williams d Li Na - 63 76(5)
Serena has won 5 titles in Miami. The last one came 5 years ago.
To win a 6th she'll need ro clean up her game a bit.
Post match: In today's match it was like, 'Look, I can't hit any more
double faults. It's embarrassing and unprofessional.'
I hit about 50 in one game, and it was just outrageous.
It was like, 'At this point I shouldn't be a professional tennis player.'
That was my goal, 'I'm not hitting any more double faults.'
She's a funny one.
Australian Open - Women's Final
1 Victoria Azarenka d 6 Li Na - 46 64 63
I don't think I have ever seen a match with a player that unpopular.
I mean, crickets could be heard on some of Vika's winners.
Who knew that that injury timeout during the Sf's was gonna be so deadly.
That and Li Na is just that much loved Down Under.
Vika won her 2nd Slam title which was also her 2nd Aussie title.
The defending champ needed to win to keep her #1 ranking.
Tho it seems only a matter of very little time until Serena grabs it.
Post match: It's been a wonderful two weeks for me.
I will always keep a very special memory of this court -
it will always be in my heart. And also congratulations to Li Na -
it has been a great start of the year for you -
best of luck and I hope to see you in many more finals.
And the last thing I wanted to say is Happy Australia Day everybody!
Seems they'd have been happier with a different champion.
Ha, take that Happy Slam.
Australian Open - Women's Semifinal
1 Victoria Azarenka d 29 Sloane Stephens - 61 64
The defending champ is thru to her 2nd straight Aussie Open final.
This is also her 2nd straight Slam final: she lost to Serena at the USO.
She will win many Slams but she'll have a tough one against Li Na.
Vika has a 5-4 lead and has won the last 4.
But this is a newly dedicated Li Na so it should be a great match.
Post match: I'm really hungry to defend my title, that was my first goal -
actually, not to defend, it was to win the tournament.
I've put myself in the position to give it the best shot there is,
being in the final.
She talks funny. Winning the tournie IS defending. Stop tripping.
Australian Open - Women's Semifinal
6 Li Na d 2 Maria Sharapova - 62 62
Amazing. I so wouldn't mind if she won her 2nd Slam this weekend.
I mean, it's really hard NOT to just love this woman.
And I think mama will be ready:
What should I worry about? I worked so hard in winter training,
and now everything is coming back to me. I'll come to the court,
take the racquet and enjoy the tennis.
She takes a 4-5 H2H deficit into the final with Vika.
And she already raised a trophy this season at Shenzhen.
Vika must be favored - but I'm having a feeling otherwise...
Australian Open - Women's Quarterfinal
6 Li Na d Agnieszka Radwanska - 75 63
Mama like it Down Under. This is her 3rd trip to the Sf's: 1-1.
In the process she handed Aga her first loss on the year.
The '11 French Open champ about that serve she hit into the stands:
I wanted to have good communication with the fans.
I do hope she ends up commentating at some point.
I could easily see her as a roving reporter for Tennis Channel.
US Open - Women's Third Round
Laura Robson d 9 Li Na - 64 67(4) 62
Welcome to the coming out party y'all.
In round 2 she sent Kim Clijsters into retirement.
Then followed that up with her 1st top 10 win over Li Na.
Next up she will face her 3rd straight Slam champion, Sam Stosur.
Can she keep it up?
Post match: I wasn't really looking past the first round.
You better extend that hotel reservation - you're nearing the 2nd week.
Photo: Getty Images
ATP Masters 1000 Toronto - Men's Final
1 Novak Djokovic d 14 Richard Gasquet - 63 62
He breaks his tie with Sampras by winning his 12th 1000 title.
Not a bad way to shake off the disappointment of the Olympics.
Post match: I truly did not expect myself to win this tournament...
after the emotional losses in the Olympic Games. I really took it hard.
I tried to bounce back and recover; I've done great, I have to say.
WTA Montreal - Final
5 Petra Kvitova d 10 Li Na - 75 26 63
Better late than never: This marked Petra's first final of the season.
That's a pretty long drought since winning the season-ender in Oct.
This also marked her first final in North America.
Post match: I have asthma so I have trouble breathing sometimes,
but it wasn't too humid here this week. It's only a problem in North America,
unfortunately, because here it's more humid than Europe or Australia,
where it's very hot but not that humid. Humidity is the main problem for me.
WTA Rome - Final
2 Maria Sharapova d 8 Li Na - 46 64 76(5)
Talk about a crazy match. Easily the 3rd player in this one was the rain.
Li Na lead by winning the 1st set and was up in the 2nd 4-0...
Then she completely collapsed as the rain fell harder.
Play was finally suspended just before the 3rd set tie-break.
Which Maria won narrowly. Crazy, crazy match indeed.
The win marks Maria's 26th WTA title and 2nd in Rome.
It's also her 2nd title of 2012 - both coming on clay!
In fact, 4 of her last 5 titles have been on clay - going back to 2010.
Who knew Maria Sharapova was a clay court specialist???
Suddenly she is looking like the one to beat at Roland Garros.
(See, I can write nice things about a player I can't stand!)
Photo: Getty Images
Serena had been unbeaten on clay this year: 17-0.
But with Roland Garros a week away why chance it.
And as we all know - it's the Slams that matter to Serena, not much else.
With the pull-out Li Na moves into the final to face Sharapova: 6-4/MS.
Serena: I had some problems with my lower back earlier in the week...
It was feeling a little stiff, and I don't think it's the right moment to force it.
It's just life. I've been playing a lot...
And my body is just getting used to playing a lot of matches again, that's all.
I don't have any plans the next day, or the next couple of days...
Because my plans were to play tennis.
I love Rome, and I might stay today or tomorrow.
Photo: Serena visits the Ford suite - Getty Images
Australian Open - Women's Second Round
11 Kim Clijsters d Stephanie Foretz Gacon - 60 61
5 Li Na d Olivia Rogowska - 62 62
Fisrt up on Rod Laver was Li Na who lost a mere 4 games.
Next on was Kim who went even faster - a loss of 1 game in 47 minutes.
Glad I wasn't a ticket holder for Laver Arena yesterday! Anyway...
These ladies produced a 3-set thriller in the final last year - Kim prevailed.
They each must win one more match to face-off in the 4th round.
This is the last Aussie Open Kim will ever play. Guess who I'm pulling for?
Yep. Aussie Kim. All year.
Photos: Reuters & Getty Images
That's a crazy - a troubling - stat.
The latest victim came yesterday at the Australian Open...
Sam Stosur was sent off by Sorana Cirstea 76 63 in the 1st round.
Telling the truth tho Sam has never faired well in her home Slam.
She follows AO.11 champ Kim Clijsters who lost in the 2nd R at the French.
RG.11 champ Li Na in the 2nd R at Wimbledon.
And W.11 champ Petra Kvitova in the 1st R at the US Open.
Let's hope this trend curse comes to an end.
Photos: Reuters and Getty Images
With the clay court season concluded it's a good time to recap title leaders.
MEN
7 titles: Novak Djokovic
3 titles: Nicolas Almagro, Rafael Nadal (above), Robin Soderling
2 titles: Juan Martin Del Potro, David Ferrer
1 title: Pablo Andujar, Kevin Anderson, Nicolay Davydenko, Ivan Dodig,
Roger Federer, Milos Raonic, Tommy Robredo, Andy Roddick,
Gilles Simon, Ryan Sweeting, Stan Wawrinka
WOMEN
4 Titles: Caroline Wozniacki
3 titles: Petra Kvitova
2 Titles: Victoria Azarenka, Li Na
1 title: Greta Arn, Alberta Brianti, Kim Clijsters, Jelena Dokic,
Anabel Medina Garrigues, Julia Goerges, Jarmilla Groth,
Daniela Hantuchova, Lourdes Dominguea Lino, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova,
Andrea Petkovic, Magdelena Rybarikova, Maria Sharapova,
Roberta Vinci, Vera Zvonareva
***
Note: Slam winners in bold.
I'll update this list again after Wimbledon.
Photos: Reuters
Rafael Nadal - Men's Champion
Li Na - Women's Champion
Daniel Nestor & Max Mirnyi - Men's Doubles Champions
Lucie Hradecka & Andrea Hlavackova - Women's Doubles Champions
Casey Dellacqua & Scott Lipsky - Mixed Doubles Champions
Photos: Getty Images & Reuters
Roland Garros - Women's Final
6 Li Na d 5 Francesca Schiavone - 64 76(0)
Li Na becomes the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam title.
In the process she won her very first clay title - and 5th career title.
She beat the defending champion and clay court specialist to do so.
And she beat 4 top 10 players to the trophy lift. It was an amazing effort.
At 29 Li Na became the 5th oldest first-time Slam winner (Open Era).
Added bonus: She will rise to a career ranking high of #4 come Monday.
Li Na: Before this tournament, people said I couldn't do well on clay courts.
Now I think they will change their minds.
She's been to both Slam finals this year - will Wimby be the third?
Who knows but I can't wait to see that bright smile on the grass at SW19.
Photo: Getty Images
Roland Garros - Women's Semifinal
6 Li Na d 7 Maria Sharapova - 64 75
That's right girl you earned the right to thumbs up.
This is Li Na's 2nd straight Grand Slam final: 0-1.
She lost a tough 3 setter to Kim Clijsters at the Aussie Open.
And the BOOM suddenly she's a clay court specialist!
In her 4 previous trips to Paris her best effort was the 4th round in '09.
A week and a half ago nobody saw this coming.
I think she may a tough go of it against Fran in the Final Saturday.
But one thing is certain: She seems to love that Slam prize money.
Her is her very cute Road to Roland Garros video clip:
Roland Garros - Women's Quarterfinals
6 Li Na d 4 Viktoria Azarenka - 75 62
7 Maria Sharapova d 15 Andrea Petkovic - 60 63
Hmm, I hate predicting results. Why? Cuz I go both of these wrong.
I would never have guessed that Petko would get a total of 3 games.
This is the first Sf for Maria since she won the Aussie Open in '08.
And Vika is gonna get past a Qf in a Slam one of these days.
Can Maria complete the career Slam in the next couple of days?
Photos: Reuters
Rome WTA - Semifinals
6 Samantha Stosur d 4 Li Na - 76(6) 60
Here we go... Samantha is finally get her Roland Garros legs sorted.
Remember: She is an impressive 11-2 in her last two years in Paris.
This is Sam's first final of her very sub-par season.
She is looking for her 3rd WTA title. I forgot she only has two.
Oy oy oy.
Photo: Getty Images
Madrid WTA Semifinals
16 Petra Kvitova (left) d 6 Li Na - 63 61
4 Victoria Azarenka (right) d Julia Goerges - 64 62
Both wins earn each lady a new rankings high...
Petra will move into the top 10 for the 1st time - 6th Czech lady to do so.
Petra: When I was young, I was inspired by Martina Navratilova.
She was Czech, played very offensive tennis and had very good volleys.
She was also left-handed. She was a star.
Victoria will move to a career high of #4 - highest ranked Belarusian ever.
***
4 Victoria Azarenka vs 16 Petra Kvitova - H2H: 2-1/VA
Vika won their 1st two matches; Petra won their last - at Wimby last year.
Both ladies are looking to win their 3rd titles on the season.
Vika rolling: She's won 19 of her last 21 matches - retiring in those 2 losses.
Vika: It's going to be my last match here and I'm looking forward to it.
She's a great player and I'm really motivated.
It'll be a fun match with two women facing each other on the rise.
Photos: Reuters/Getty Images
Bethanie Mattek-Sands Upsets Former Champ Li Na at French Open
French Open - Women's Second Round
Bethanie Mattek-Sands d 6 Li Na - 57 63 62
The tattoo lady is having a lovely stay in Paris.
Remember: Li Na was the 2011 French Open champ.
The French Open is the first tourney she's gotten directly in this year.
She's qualified for 5 and was given wildcards into another 3.
The points she's earned here will certainly change her season.
Post match: I’m confident in my game now and every week
I’ve been improving. That goes back to building momentum which
I haven’t had in a couple of years. In this match I was spanking returns.
She wasn't going to give it to me.
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