Midwest Sports Tennis Blog

Black and Huber take another Doubles Title

The 2009 Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open title was no upset when World No. 1 doubles team Cara Black and Liezel Huber claimed the title 6-3 0-6 10-2 over No. 3 team of Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Black and Huber stormed onto the court with a 5-1 lead in the opening set and continued on to lead the match. The second set was dominated by Vives and Sanchez who won 24 of the 38 points and ended the set 6-0.

In the match tie-break, Vives and Sanchez took the first point but Black and Huber came back and quickly nailed nine straight points, finishing the match 10-2.

This is the 27^th title for the Black and Huber team and it was the sixth finals appearance of the year for Vives and Sanchez as they were looking for the fifth title of the season.

(www.cincytennis.com)

Jankovic Defeats Safina for Cincinnati Tennis Title!

Jelena Jankovic, fifth in the world, upset No. 1 Dinara Safina 6-4 6-2 Sunday, to claim the title at the 2009 Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open yesterday. This win puts her back among the contenders for the US Open.

In the opening set of the match, the 24-year-old Serbian was able to break Safina to love in the third game. She faced one break point the rest of the set and won it 6-4 with only nine unforced errors.

The second set began with Jankovic taking a 3-0 lead with two breaks. By the fourth game Safina jumped back in but she wasn’t as sharp as Jankovic who surrendered four points in closing out the match by winning the final three games.

This is Jankovic’s second title of 2009 and her first defeat of a current world No. 1. She dedicated the win to her mother.

(http://www.usopenseries.com/Global/News/2009/CincinnatiWomen/Jankovic_wins_Cincinnati_title.aspx)

(www.cincytennis.com)

Women's Finals, and the Men are just beginning

Friday’s Action:

SINGLES QUARTERFINALS

[1] Dinara Safina (RUS) d [WC] Kim Clijsters (BEL) 62 75

[4] Elena Dementieva (RUS) d [8] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 62 61

[5] Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d Sybille Bammer (AUT) 60 63

[14] Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 63 63

DOUBLES QUARTERFINALS

[7] Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) / Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) vs Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) / Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)

Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) / Monica Niculescu (ROU) d Vera Dushevina (RUS) / Anastasia Rodionova (RUS) 46 63 10-8

 

Saturday’s Action:

SINGLES SEMIFINALS

[1] Dinara Safina (RUS)  vs  [14] Flavia Pennetta (ITA)

[4] Elena Dementieva (RUS)  vs  [5] Jelena Jankovic (SRB)

Sunday’s Action:

WOMEN’S SINGLES FINAL:

Dinara SAFINA (RUS) vs  Jelena JANKOVIC (SRB)

WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL

Cara BLACK (ZIM) Liezel HUBER (USA) vs

Nuria LLAGOSTERA VIVES (ESP) Maria Jose MARTINEZ SANCHEZ (ESP) 

Men's Tennis begins TODAY!

For the full schedule of today’s action, follow this link.

(www.cincytennis.com)

Friday's Match Schedule

Looks like a great day for the Women's Quarterfinals in Cincinnati!  Here are the matches scheduled for today...

Caroline WOZNIACKI (DEN) plays Elena DEMENTIEVA (RUS)

Dinara SAFINA (RUS) plays Kim CLIJSTERS (BEL)

Flavia PENNETTA (ITA) plays Daniela HANTUCHOVA (SVK)

Jelena JANKOVIC (SRB) plays Sybille BAMMER (AUT)

Click here for today's full schedule.

(www.cincytennis.com)

Things are heating up at the Women’s Open in Cincinnati!

You heard right… Venus and Serena Williams lost in Thursday’s matches.  Venus was defeated by Flavia Pennetta, and Serena lost to Sybille Bammer.

Dinara Safina is still playing well and has moved on towards the quarterfinals after defeating Shuai Peng 6-3 6-4 on Thursday night.  Safina will face Kim Clijsters today!  World Number 1 versus former Wolrd Number 1!

Here is a recap of Thursday’s action:

SINGLES THIRD ROUND
[1] Dinara Safina (RUS) d Shuai Peng (CHN) 63 64
Sybille Bammer (AUT) d [2] Serena Williams (USA) 75 64
[14] Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d [3] Venus Williams (USA) 76(2) 64
[4] Elena Dementieva (RUS) d Sonara Cirstea (ROU) 64 64
[5] J Jankovic (SRB) d [9] V Azarenka (BLR) 75 76(4)
[WC] KC Clijsters (BEL) d [6] S Kuznetsova (RUS) 64 46 62
D Hantuchova (SVK) d [7] V Zvonareva (RUS) 76(6) 06 76(5)
[8] C Wozniacki (DEN) d M Czink (HUN) 30 ret. (back)

DOUBLES SECOND ROUND
(7) Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) / Maria Jose Sanchez Martinez (ESP) d Maria Kirilenko (RUS) / Elena Vesnina (RUS) 64 62
Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) / Monica Niculescu (ROU) d Alona Bondarenko (UKR) / Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 64 46 10-6

DOUBLES QUARTERFINAL ROUND
[1] Cara Black (ZIM) / Luezel Huber (USA) vs [8] Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) / Nadia Petrova (RUS)
[5] Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) / Jie Zheng (CHN) d [2] Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) / Ai Sugiyama (JPN) walkover

http://www.cincytennis.com/Global/News/2009/08/Thursday_Final_Recap.aspx

(www.cincytennis.com)

Tennis action shots from Tuesday's matches in Cincinnati

For more photos, go to our Facebook page.

Results from Wednesday's play at the Women's Open

SINGLES SECOND ROUND
(2) Serena Williams (USA) d Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-3 6-2
(4) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d (Q) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-3 6-4
(5) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d (WC) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 7-6(6) 6-3
(7) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d Alisa Kleybenova (RUS) 6-4 1-6 7-5
(8) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 4-6 6-4 6-4
(9) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d Anna Chakvedtadze (RUS) 6-4 6-2
Melinda Czink (HUN) d (11) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 7-6(6) 7-5
Sybille Bammer (AUT) d (13) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 6-0 7-5
Shuai Peng (CHN) d Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) 5-7 6-2 6-1
(WC) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d Patty Schnyder (SUI) 6-2 7-5
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 7-5 1-6 6-4
Sonara Cirstea (ROU) d Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 6-3 6-2

DOUBLES FIRST ROUND
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) / Elena Vesnina (RUS) d Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE) / Zi Yan (CHN) 6-4 6-0

DOUBLES SECOND ROUND
(1) Cara Black (RSA) / Liezel Huber (USA) d Sania Mirza (IND) / Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 64 63
(2) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) / Ai Sugiyama (JPN) d (WC) Melanie Oudin (USA) / Shenay Perry (USA) 6-3 6-2
Vera Dushevina (RUS) / Anastasia Rodionova (RUS) d (3) Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) / Shuai Peng (CHN) 1-6 6-4 10-6
Alisa Kleybenova (RUS) / Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d (4) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) / Lisa Raymond (USA) 4-6 6-3 10-2
(5) Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) / Jie Zheng (CHN) d Gisela Dulko (ARG) / Shahar Peer (ISR) 6-3 6-3
(8) Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) / Nadia Petrova (RUS) d Ipek Senoglu (TUR) / Yarosloava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-3 6-3

(www.cincytennis.com)

Serena does it again!

At the 2009 Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open on Wednesday, Serena Williams was the main attraction.  Williams took her opponent, Kateryna Bondarenko, down in only 61 minutes!  The matches highlight was Williams’ 13 aces speeding past Bondarenko.  Williams will be back on the court today when she’ll battle Sybille Bammer.

http://www.cincytennis.com/Global/News/2009/08/WWednesday_Final.aspx

(www.cincytennis.com)

Prepare for an Exciting Thursday

Nine of the top ten players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour are participating is today’s play.  It doesn’t get much better than this!

Venus Williams, World Number 3, will play Flavia Pennetta.  This should be an interesting match as Flavia has been playing phenomenally well.

Kim Clijsters, former world Number 1, will be playing Svetlana Kuznetsova, world Number 4.

Serena Williams will then be playing Sybille Bammer.

At 7 p.m., Dinara Safina, World Number 1, will play China’s Shuai Peng.

For the rest of Thursday’s schedule, follow this link: http://www.cincytennis.com/~/media/Cincinnati/Document%20Assets/Draws/REVOrderofPlay0813.ashx

(www.cincytennis.com)

Venus’ Cincinnati Debut

Third seed Venus Williams beat Olga Govortsova at a 6-2-6-2 victory on Tuesday night at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open.  This is the first time Venus Williams has played in Cincinnati. 

Kuznetsova, the reigning French Open champion, advanced past Safarova after two long hours and three sets.  The Cincinnati weather took its toll on the match and was delayed in the second set.  Kuznetsova braved the weather and came out on top by winning the tie breaker 7-4.  Also a winner on Tuesday in mason was world No.1 Dinara Safina who took three sets to advance. 

http://www.cincytennis.com/Global/News/2009/08/WTuesday_Final_Recap.aspx

(www.cincytennis.com)