Saturday, July 26, 2008
The WTA Tour announced on Friday that world number 12 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia had withdrawn from the Montreal Cup due to a change in her schedule.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Marat Safin lost to Wawrinka 3-6 4-6.
Unfortunately, our man Safin went down to No. 9 seed Stanislas Wawrinka late Wednesday night.
He beat Wawrinka in far more dramatic circumstances at Wimbledon a few weeks ago.
But this time, he had to briefly play late Tuesday night, get shut down by the rain, wait forever to play Wednesday because of a six-hour delay, and come back again Wednesday night to face a tough customer.
He was the one most affected by the weather issues, which is patently unfair.
It was an up-for-grabs match, with both players making a lot of errors. Safin served only 52%, and was 0-for-6 on break points, three of them in one game, when he was up 1-0 in the second set. Wawrinka held there, and then broke Safin, whereupon Marat fired a ball out of the stadium (or tried).
After that, it was only a matter of time.
Safin made the second round in Montreal a year ago, so his ranking won't change much either way because of this defeat.
Source: Open Court
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Safina is no one's weak sister now
By Jim Thomas, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 07/23/2008 11:06:32 PM PDT
Dinara Safina is no longer best known as former No. 1 men's player Marat Safin's precocious little sister. And she's no longer just another in a long line of promising young Russian tennis players.
Not after winning the German Open in May and then reaching the French Open final in June.
No, at the tender age of 22, the powerful 5-foot-11, 155-pound Safina is establishing her own identity. She needs no association, either brotherly or nationally, to earn recognition on the WTA, where she stands on her own as an emotional and aggressive force whose best tennis is ahead of her.
"The French was very big (for my confidence)," Safina said Wednesday after disposing of China's Shuai Peng, 6-2, 6-3, in the second round of the East West Bank Classic at Home Depot Center in Carson.
"I always feel I can do better, and then finally in Germany and at the French the results are big. It just proved to me what I can do when I play well."
Safina's best results came on Europe's clay, but she clearly is comfortable on the hardcourts that are the staple of the U.S. summer circuit.
In her first match after Wimbledon, she was relatively sharp and used her strong groundstrokes to overpower Peng whenever she needed to. She also displayed the athleticism that serves her well on clay and the feisty competitiveness that makes her future so exciting.
"She's not an easy opener after my vacation," said Safina, who is fourth-seeded in Carson and ninth-ranked in the world. "I think I played a pretty solid match, so I'm pretty happy.
"I have my best success on clay, but I like the hardcourts. You have to be a little more aggressive, take the ball a little sooner. I enjoy that."
Starting with this week's stay in Carson, where the road to a semifinal match against top seed Jelena Jankovic appears wide open, this promises to be an eventful summer for the still-improving Safina. She's 29-13 in 2008 and holds victories over the likes of Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova going into her first-ever Olympic appearance next month in Beijing.
Although she's a fighter on the court, she refuses to admit she carries lofty goals into the rest of the summer, including the U.S. Open.
"I just want to be healthy," she said, "then let's see how far I can get. I do take it one match at a time. There is no easy opener. You must be ready."
She is, course, excited about the Beijing Games.
"It is my first time, so I hope to do well," she said. "I'm not sure yet if I will go to the opening ceremonies because we play two days later, but if everyone says `let's go, let's go,' then of course I will go."
And if she doesn't follow up her French Open breakthrough with more semifinal or final appearances or a gold medal this summer? She will not be crushed.
"What can you do," she said, smiling.
Her breakthrough season has led to at least one change in her attitude, though. Next year, Safina will play with her brother in a mixed doubles event at the 2009 Hopman Cup.
"Dinara didn't feel really worthy at the time to play with her brother," tournament director Paul McNamee said recently. "She holds him in such high regard.
"But for the first time she feels as if she's worthy to play with her brother and why not? She reached the final of a major this year and is in the top 10 singles players in the world now."
Safina smiled when asked how exciting it was to play alongside her more famous brother, who at 28 is trying to regain his once-dominating form.
"Of course it is exciting," she said. "I hope we don't fight. Always he is not happy with my game."
That can't be true anymore. After all, it is Safina who is the current top-10 player in the family.
Dinara Safina, of Russia, celebrates as a return by Peng Shuai, of China, goes out during their match at the East West Bank Classic tennis tournament, Wednesday, July 23, 2008, in Carson, Calif. Safina won 6-1, 6-2.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Damp conditions halted play and the first-round match between Russian Marat Safin and American Sam Querrey was suspended until Wednesday due to the rain. The duel will resume at 1-1 in the opening set.
Sixth seed Hantuchova ousted by Govortsova in second round
July 22, 2008
CARSON, Calif. -- Sixth seed Daniela Hantuchova, the runner-up in the East West Bank Classic three years ago, made an unexpectedly early exit on Tuesday night, losing to Olga Govortsova 6-2, 6-4 as the second round of the WTA Tour event began without Serena Williams.
Williams, the tournament's No. 2 seed, withdrew early in the day with a left knee injury.
Govortsova, 19, of Belarus, squandered three match points on her serve in the ninth game of the second set, then capitalized on the fourth one with a forehand to the open court at 30-40 on Hantuchova's serve. Govortsova, who is ranked No. 43, admitted to some nerves after taking a 5-1 lead in the second set, especially since the 12th-ranked Hantuchova had rallied in a similar situation to win their first meeting last year.
"When I was up 5-1, I started to think I'm going to win the match, then she started to play more aggressive," Govortsova said. "Then at 5-4, I started to hit the ball again and finally won. She hits the ball really deep and has a good serve. To beat her, you have to be aggressive."
Hantuchova, who still is trying to find her form after a long layoff from a stress fracture in her right heel, said that her game is "not there yet. I just have to be patient, keep practicing and keep working hard. It's a long way back."
Monday, July 21, 2008
Source: Yahoo!
Source:Yahoo!
Daniela Hantuchova and Flavia Pennetta won their doubles match against Amanmuradova/Bondarenko 6-2 7-5.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Russians are Coming
* Tim Clarke
* July 21, 2008 - 11:41AM
Barmen, nightclub owners and tennis fans all over Perth have been given a massive reason to smile with the news Russian star and renowned party boy Marat Safin is coming back to the Hopman Cup - and this time he is bringing his sister.
Safin became an instant legend on and off court on previous visits to WA in 2001, 2004 and 2005, with his sublime skills with a racket and with the ladies getting tongues wagging and eyebrows raised all over the city.
Announcing the former world number one would be returning in 2009, tournament director Paul McNamee also announced he would be partnering his sister Dinara Safina for the first time in any form of tournament play.
And while McNamee admitted Safina had a big task to try and keep her brother entirely in check in between matches, he believed Safin is more focused on his tennis than ever before - highlighted by his Wimbledon performance.
"It is a big task (for Safina), and Marat is Marat wherever he is in the world. But he really has refocused this year and everyone is saying it in the sport that he is different now," McNamee said.
"He realises he is starting to get into the home straight of his career and it has been a fantastic career. You can't say he has not had a great career but many think he has underperformed a little bit.
"These last few years are very precious for him and I still think he thinks he has got it in him to win another major. He is very serious about his tennis at the moment."
"He is a great player, and twice he has come here and got to the final of the Australian Open … there is no doubt he is very popular here, but I don't think he has played his best tennis.
"And I think playing with his sister he has got an incentive to do really well. That will make a difference, a bit of sibling pressure."
While Safin will bring his fans and past history to the event, Safina is now a world tennis star in her own right, winning one Grand Slam title, the women's double title at the 2007 US Open with partner Nathalie Dechy and also reached the final of the French Open in 2008.
Despite the loss to Ana Ivanovic, Safina is established as one of the best on the WTA, and McNamee said she now feels deserving of a spot next to her brother in the team event, runs between January 3 and 9.
"The interesting thing with Dinara is that we have broached this subject before and she honestly did not feel she was really worthy to play with her older brother she holds him in such high regard," McNamee said.
"For the first time she thinks she is worthy, and why not. She has reached the final of a major this year and is in the top ten singles players in the world."
With local hero Casey Dellacqua and Lleyton Hewitt already confirmed as starters, McNamee was ebullient in the regrowing stature of the Hopman Cup.
"I don't think it is unfair to say this is now the most prestigious invitational tournament in the world," McNamee said.
But it was confirmed neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal on the men's side, or Ivanovic on the women's, would not be attending having given commitments elsewhere.
McNamee said there were several big name irons in the fire, with Novak Djokovic the biggest fish organisers are keen to hook.
"Until he is off the agenda I am still hopeful Novak will do it," McNamee said.
"And with these dates being after New Year my expectation is that we will have a very strong field. We went downhill for a little bit and now we are coming back up.
"I know Roger and Rafa are not coming but no player is out of bounds for us going forward, something we could not have said a couple of years ago."
Friday, July 18, 2008
July 18, 2008
Toronto,Canada
Russia’s Marat Safin, the 2000 Rogers Cup champion who received a wildcard into the main draw after his stunning semifinal run at Wimbledon, was around on Thursday practicing with Spain’s Tommy Robredo. Many of the sport’s biggest stars have already been spotted around the grounds making last minute preparations before main draw play begins on Monday.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
July 16,2008
2nd round results:
Ai Sugiyama (JPN) def Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 6-3 6-1
Fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova was sent crashing out of the WTA Stanford event. She was playing in just her third match since mid-April due to a stress fracture in her foot.
Results - Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Doubles - First Round:(4) Poutchek/Rodionova (BLR/RUS) d. Hantuchova/Petrova (SVK/RUS) 64 63
Order of Play - Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Stadium (from 11.00hrs)
1. Cibulkova vs. K.Bondarenko
2. Peer vs. Chakvetadze (NB 13.00hrs)
3. Sugiyama vs. Hantuchova
4. Hrdinova/Uhlirova vs. Chakvetadze/Mirza
5. S.Williams vs. Larcher de Brito (NB 19.00hrs)
6. Poutchek/Rodionova vs. Yelsey/Zalameda
Saturday, July 12, 2008
After having lost at the second round in Catella Swedish Open, Marat returned to Moscow and will travel to Toronto for the Rogers Masters on Friday 18th July. He has been granted a Wild Card into the Main Draws of both Masters Series in Toronto and Cincinnati.
