Canadian player of the year 2013?: Eugenie Bouchard.

TORONTO – Montreal’s
Eugenie Bouchard has been named Tennis Canada’s female player of the year after an impressive debut professional season. The 19-year-old climbed over 100 spots on the WTA rankings to end the year at No. 32. She reached her first WTA final at Osaka in October, defeated four top-15 players throughout the course of the season, and was named WTA Newcomer of the Year. 
 “It’s great to be recognized with these awards for the first time,” Bouchard said. “2013 was a great season for me with so many firsts and so many highlights that I will always remember. 
I learned a lot in my first full year on the Tour. I’m working really hard in my off-season and can’t wait for next year.” Bouchard, who became the first Canadian to win a junior Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon last year, started off her season having to play qualifying at WTA events. She made her first big push at the Premier tournament in Charleston in April, where as a qualifier she reached the quarter-finals while defeating rising star Laura Robson and world No. 9 Samantha Stosur. 

 She then made the semifinals at Strasbourg before playing in her first career Grand Slam main draw at the French Open, where she fell to Maria Sharapova in the second round. At Wimbledon, she upset No. 12 Ana Ivanovic on Centre Court to reach the third round.

SORANA CIRSTEA Y SU EQUIPO

SORANA CIRSTEA Y SU EQUIPO
Sorana se hace una original fotografía con su equipo de entrenamiento.
Un año interesante en lo deportivo, con un equipo de trabajo que parece darle los buenos resultados a la rumana.
Vamos Sorana! 

MARION BARTOLI IN CNN

Maria Sharapova has made CNN Money's list of '10 Female Entrepreneurs Who Happen To Be Celebrities.

Her on-court credentials are well-known - former World No.1, the Career Grand Slam, 25 more WTA titles - but Maria Sharapova is also a world-beater off the court, and not just among her fellow WTA stars. With a variety of successful ventures, including a Nike apparel collection, a line at Cole Haan and, of course, the delicious Sugarpova candy line, the Russian is also a powerful businesswoman.

 Sugarpova, a premium candy line that reflects the fun, fashionable and sweet side of the international tennis sensation, was launched in August 2012 and continues to grow and expand across the world. "In the last year the awareness for the Sugarpova brand has grown tremendously," Sharapova said during a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal. "We're available in so many different countries. We're now available online, so anyone around the world can purchase it and have it delivered to their home, no matter where they live. It has been such a unique process to see it grow and evolve.

" And Sharapova hasn't let her on-court success suffer - she has actually maintained a Top 4 ranking on the WTA every single week since August 22, 2011, and her first half of 2013 was so strong that after missing almost all of the second half due to a shoulder injury, she still finished the year at No.4.
"I think I've done a really good job of balancing my professionalism on the court with expanding into other things off the court, and keeping my mind creative and working," Sharapova said. "I never had a typical education. I learned through other things - business and advertising, working with brands and people who are extremely talented in what they do. 
That's why I wanted to start something on my own."

Source_wta_official

Eurosport será el único canal de pago que ofrezca en Europa Roland Garros 2014

Cerrado con la intermediación por MP&Silva, agencia internacional de distribución de derechos, el nuevo acuerdo abarca la emisión en directo en televisión y los derechos digitales del Abierto de Francia hasta 2021 en todos los territorios europeos de Eurosport (a excepción de Francia). 

Eurosport será el único canal de pago que ofrezca en Europa el segundo Grand Slam del año. 
Además en 13 países clave entre los que destacan Italia y España - dos naciones muy fuertes en tenis con una gran tradición en tierra batida - la exclusividad será total. 
El Abierto de Francia continuará gozando de una amplísima cobertura en los canales de televisión Eurosport y Eurosport 2, y además estará disponible en los ordenadores, móviles, tabletas y TV conectada de los usuarios a través de Eurosport Player, la televisión a través de internet de Eurosport. 

Los abonados a esta aplicación tendrán acceso a un servicio multi-pantalla con el que podrán seguir las señales de diferentes pistas. En palabras de Jean Thierry Augustin, CEO del Grupo Eurosport: “Estamos encantados con el fortalecimiento de nuestro acuerdo con la FFT. Éste nos ha llevado a un nuevo nivel tanto en términos de duración, hasta 2021, como de intensidad, con la adquisición de derechos adicionales. Estamos especialmente satisfechos con la exclusividad de los derechos en España. El tenis es parte de nuestro ADN y atrae a millones de espectadores. Nuestra cobertura en directo de Roland Garros alcanza a más de 60 millones de telespectadores al año en Eurosport y Eurosport 2.” Por su parte, Michel Grach, Director de Medios y Patrocinio de la FFT añadió:
 “Eurosport es una pieza clave para nosotros. Su experiencia y calidad en la retransmisión en directo de las últimas 25 ediciones de Roland Garros ha contribuido enormemente a la fama internacional de nuestro torneo. 
La edición 2014 será sin duda muy emocionante y esperamos atraer a una audiencia muy alta de nuevo en Europa”. Peter Hutton, Presidente Adjunto de MP&Silva comentó: “Estamos muy orgullosos de nuestra colaboración a largo plazo con la Federación Francesa de Tenis y encantados de poder anunciar este nuevo acuerdo con Eurosport. Nuestro objetivo es seguir aumentando la visibilidad de Roland Garros y este es un paso muy significativo dado el compromiso de Eurosport con este evento y con el deporte.”

Source: yahoo.es

Pictures of Andrea Hlavackova with your favorite photographer Ondrej Pycha. 2013.

Andrea Hlavackova. Photo of Ondrej Pycha

Andrea Hlavackova. Photo of Ondrej Pycha

Ondra Pycha foto Album

Source: hlavackova facebook official

Link:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.679344482099516.1073741832.315727141794587&type=1

Fan Favorite Awards WTA 2013

Over 80,000 of you voted and the results for the first six Fan Favorite Awards are in - see below for the results! 
And check back in on wtatennis.com tomorrow for Shot Of The Year and Match Of The Year. 
Fan Favorite Singles Player 

Agnieszka Radwanska 


Fan Favorite Doubles Team

Ekaterina Makarova vs Elena Vesnina 

 Fan Favorite Twitter and Facebook 

Maria Sharapova 



Fan Favorite Video Of The Year

40 LOVE Story Episode 10  

Source: wta official

La Necker Cup 2013. un acto con estilo propio

Situada en la isla de Necker, en el archipiélago Islas Vírgenes británicas, el evento está organizado por Richard Branson, uno de los hombres más ricos del mundo; fundador y dueño de la discográfica Virgin. 

Con múltiples patrocinadores, todo el dinero recaudado tiene un fin benéfico a repartir entre la propia Fundación Virgin, la Fundación Rafa Nadal y la National Tennis Foundation. 

La isla, propiedad de Branson, atesora una extensión de 300.000 m2. 

Sumando a Rafa, grandes tenistas, en activo y retirados, han formado parte en la edicion de 2013
Dese el croata Mario Ancic, la checa Petra Kvitova, el sudafricano Kevin Anderson, la francesa Marion Bartoli, la suiza Martina Hingis, el estadounidense Mike Bryan, la serbia Ana Ivanovic, el sueco Stefan Edberg, la rumana Sorana Cirstea, la eslovaca Daniela Hantuchova, el francés Dominic Inglot, el también sudafricano Johan Kriek (exnúmero 7 del mundo), la gran Martina Navratilova y los también norteamericanos Vincent Spadea, Jack Sock y Michael Russell.
Impresionante y atractivo acto 

Al término del torneo se realizó una subasta para recaudar fondos. 

Entre otros premios, se pujó por jugar durante una hora con Rafa Nadal en la semana previa al Open de los Estados Unidos del próximo año, entradas para ver un partido de Ana Ivanovic en el propio box de la tenista balcánica o dos entradas para Wimbledon 2014 incluyendo una comida junto a la leyenda Martina Navratilova. Jugar al golf con Mark Philipoussis o Daniela Hantuchova o conocer a Boris Becker en Wimbledon. 

Sven Groeneveld she has found a new coach of María Sharapova.

BRADENTON, FL, USA 
After missing almost all of the second half of the 2013 season, Maria Sharapova has been back on the practice court in recent weeks, and she made a very special announcement this past week - she has found a new coach, the extremely reputable Sven Groeneveld.
"I'm happy to announce my official partnership with Sven Groeneveld," Sharapova said. "We've been working together since I got back on the court and after seeing him on the opposing side for so many years, I'm excited to have him become a part of my team. It has been a very seamless transition and I have had a lot of fun with the hard work we have put in so far. 

Looking forward to the year ahead." Groeneveld is one of the most experienced coaches in the game, having previously worked with such WTA stars as Monica Seles, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Mary Pierce, Kimiko Date-Krumm, Mary Joe Fernandez, Anna Chakvetadze, Maria Kirilenko and Sorana Cirstea. 

 The Dutchman has also worked with a slew of men's players on the ATP World Tour, such as Roger Federer, Tommy Haas, Michael Stich, Greg Rusedski, Nicolas Kiefer and Fernando Verdasco. Sharapova is hoping to put a difficult last few months behind her with the dawning of the new season. She had a fantastic first half of 2013 - winning 36 of 41 matches and titles at Indian Wells and Stuttgart - but due to hip and shoulder injuries she only played one match in the second half of the year, dropping her opener at Cincinnati to Sloane Stephens and eventually finishing the year at No.4. The Russian will kick off her 2014 season at the Premier-level Brisbane International in Brisbane. 

Source: wta official

ASB CLASSIC, 29 DEZ - 5 JAN 2014. TOURNAMENT INFO

TOURNAMENT INFO
Tier: International 
Prize Money: $235,000 
Surface: Hard 
Director: Karl Budge

 The formation of what now is known as the ASB Classic occurred when Ari Hallenberg and Global Sports saw a hole in the marketplace and asked Tennis New Zealand about creating an event in Auckland. The first staging was held in 1985 as part of the 1986 Tour and it moved to its current pre-Australian Open spot on the calendar, New Zealand's lone stop, in 1996. 
Champs at the tournament - staged at the ASB Tennis Arena - include Marion Bartoli, Lindsay Davenport, Elena Dementieva, Jelena Jankovic and Agnieszka Radwanska. Auckland, also known as the City of Sails, features black sand beaches, endless water activities and fantastic dining options. It is the largest and most populous urban region in New Zealand.

Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci are the WTA's Doubles Team Of The Year 2013.

BOLOGNA & TARANTO, Italy 
In a year where the four Grand Slam doubles titles were all won by different teams, it was always going to be hard to pick this one - but for their Australian Open title, being so consistent all year, and most importantly never letting anyone else have a piece of World No.1, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci are very deservedly the WTA's Doubles Team Of The Year. Best friends and fantastic in singles and doubles, Errani and Vinci make the perfect team. And before 2013 even started they had a lot to brag about - 13 WTA doubles titles together, including their first two Grand Slams at the French and US Opens last year, and both had also spent time individually at No.1. But there was something missing, something so many of the all-time greatest teams have had together - the co-World No.1 doubles ranking. And it finally became reality for Errani and Vinci on April 29, 2013, as Errani joined Vinci at the top spot - it was after a breakthrough first few months of the year as well, where they won three WTA doubles titles, including their third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. They haven't won a title since becoming co-No.1s, but they have maintained very consistent results, highlighted by two more finals (at Rome and Roland Garros) and two more semifinals (at Beijing and the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships in Istanbul, qualifying there for the second year in a row). 

 Errani and Vinci aren't just doubles specialists, either - they are both ranked in the Top 15 in singles too, Errani at No.7 and Vinci at No.14, in fact the only two players in the Top 15 of both singles and doubles. Only one other player is in the Top 20 of both disciplines - that would be Jelena Jankovic. "I have a lot of fun playing doubles," Errani said. "It also helps my singles game. So I like to play both. Of course sometimes it's tough physically - after your singles maybe you're tired and you have to play doubles again - but I like it. And when you play with your best friend, it's easier to stay there.
" And what makes the Italians such a good team? "It's because we are best friends outside the court," Errani said. "It's a very important thing to be good friends with your doubles partner, because then you know each other very well, and that's very important when you're playing together as a team." Errani and Vinci are actually the only all-Italian duo in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam doubles title together, and they've now done it three times. Can they add to their haul in 2014? 
Stay tuned.

Source: wta official

Serena Williams is the WTA's Player Of The Year 2013.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL, USA 

 Was there really any doubt? She didn't just put together the best season of anyone in 2013, she put together one of the very best seasons in the history of women's tennis - and so, for the fifth time, Serena Williams is the WTA's Player Of The Year. Williams' numbers on the year were incredible: 11 WTA titles, the most since Martina Hingis won 12 in 1997; 78 match wins, the most since Kim Clijsters won 90 in 2003; $12,385,572 in prize money, smashing the previous record of $7,923,920, set by Victoria Azarenka in 2012; and, most amazingly, her reclaiming of World No.1 on February 18 made her the oldest World No.1 in WTA history.
Of all of her accomplishments in 2013, Williams pointed to one in particular as a stand-out memory. "Well, obviously the French Open was probably the thing that stands out most," she said. "I really wanted to win that for a number of years now, so that was definitely something exciting. 
And also being undefeated on clay was pretty exciting too. So my results on clay this year definitely stand out. "Overall I'll remember the wins, but I also want to learn from my mistakes so I don't repeat them." Not only do Williams' numbers tell the story of an historic season, but they put her in a position to make even more history in 2014 - by winning the French and US Opens this year she pushed her career haul of Grand Slams to 17, one away from Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who both won 18, which ties them for second place in the Open Era. Steffi Graf is the Open Era leader with 22 Grand Slam titles. But for Williams it's always one at a time, and her sights are currently set on the Australian Open.

 "It's never too far away," Williams said about the Happy Slam. "There will be 127 other players there who have the same thoughts as I have. I hope to be the one standing up at the end, and it's for sure my next goal, but seeing as I didn't do as well as I wanted to there the past couple of years, my goal this time is just to go a year in Australia without twisting an ankle. That's all I'm going to start with." And even though she only lost four matches in 2013 - and she pushed all of them to three sets, mind you - Williams still believes there's even more to add to her game. 
"I have some areas where I can do a lot better for next year and I look forward to it," she said. "There are a lot of things. I don't really want to discuss them, but there's definitely a lot of things I can add to my game, a multitude of things." This is the fifth time Williams has won the WTA's Player Of The Year Award, having also received the honor in 2002, 2008, 2009 and 2012. Only two other players have been named the WTA's Player Of The Year five or more times, namely Graf (who won it eight times) and Navratilova (seven times).

source: wta official

All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, en obras..

OBRAS DE LAS PISTAS 14 Y 15 JUNTO A LA PISTA CENTRAL..
Así se vive en el All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, las obras de remodelación de las pistas, donde en la figura se observa el aspecto actual junto a las pistas 14 y 15.

Las obras corresponden a la zona de la pista 15.

Simona Halep is the WTA's Most Improved Player Of The Year

CONSTANTA, Romania 

It all started with an incredible run in the Eternal City and now, six months later, she's on the brink of the Top 10 - Simona Halep is the WTA's Most Improved Player Of The Year. For years, Halep had been touted as a future star - a Grand Slam champion and World No.1 in juniors, buckets of talent, even three WTA finals to her name between 2010 and 2012. But she never quite got that one big result - that big breakthrough that served as proof she'd make it just as big in the pros. Going into the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in May, Halep was still stuck in that place. 
In her first nine WTA main draws of 2013 she put together a 7-9 record, which - combined with her 5-11 record in her last 11 WTA main draws of 2012 - added up to winning just 12 of her last 32 WTA main draw matches. Boy, did things turn around in Rome. 
As a No.64-ranked qualifier, Halep went on the kind of run that turns a contender into a believer, beating four of the game's biggest names - Svetlana Kuznetsova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Roberta Vinci and Jelena Jankovic - before finally running out of gas against Serena Williams in the semifinals. "It was an incredible week for me," Halep said after falling to Williams that day. "I feel good that I'm No.44 now. It's difficult to think about how high I can go now, because it's hard work and every week it's difficult for every player, so I just have to keep going and working and we'll see what happens.

" What happened was a breakthrough six months - including that run in Rome, Halep went 43-8 in her last 14 WTA main draws of the year, winning her first six WTA titles at Nürnberg, 's-Hertogenbosch, Budapest, New Haven, Moscow and Sofia, and finishing No.11 on the November 4 year-end rankings.
"I want to enjoy this moment and then take some holidays, and just relax," Halep said after capturing the title in Sofia. "Hopefully I can play next year like I played this year and do well in Australia." All eyes should be on Halep's ranking in Australia - she's just a few hundred points away from the No.10-ranked player in the world and, with little to defend in the first four months of the year, she looks like the best bet to become the next player to break into the world's Top 10 for the first time. 
 That could be big news in Romania - only two Romanians have ever made the Top 10 on the WTA, namely Virginia Ruzici, who got to No.8, and Irina Spirlea, who got to No.7. How high can Halep go? 

Source: wta official

María Sharapova in premier "the new Porsche Macan"

SHARAPOVA NOS SALUDA AMIGOS..
María de vacaciones nos saluda en el acto de presentacion del  "the new Porsche Macan".
VAMOS MARÍA

Eugenie Bouchard: WTA Newcomer Of The Year 2013.

WESTMOUNT, Canada 

Sometimes the transition from the juniors to the pros is a difficult one - the raw talent is apparent, they just need some time to develop the complete package. But when it comes to this year's WTA Newcomer Of The Year, it didn't take long for the genie to come out of the bottle. 
Eugenie Bouchard - or Genie Bouchard, as she likes to be called - burst into the international spotlight last year with her victory in the Wimbledon juniors, becoming the first Canadian, male or female, ever to win a Grand Slam title in singles. 
She reached her first WTA quarterfinal a few weeks later at the International event in Washington DC and eventually wrapped up the 2012 season ranked No.144. For some players, a good follow-up season might be getting into the main draws of Grand Slams, making the Top 100, just improving in general. 
But Bouchard has done more - a lot more, in fact. Bouchard reached the quarterfinals or better five times during the 2013 season - the quarterfinals of Premier-level events in Charleston and Tokyo, the semifinals of Strasbourg and Québec City and her first WTA final at Osaka. 

She scored her first two Top 10 wins - Sam Stosur and Jelena Jankovic. And she had some near-Top 10 wins as well, Ana Ivanovic at Wimbledon and Sloane Stephens in Tokyo. The Canadian kept climbing the rankings throughout the year, breaking the Top 100 after Charleston and the Top 50 after Québec City, and after that maiden WTA final in Osaka she hit No.32 in the world, where she would eventually end the year - not just Canada's No.1, but the No.1 teenager in the world. That rapid ascension - as well as her lethal combination of power, athleticism, nerves of steel and a penchant for taking the ball early - earns her this year's WTA Award for Newcomer Of The Year. 
 So what does the Newcomer Of The Year think about her rise, pressure and everything in between? "I put enough pressure on myself, and that's really the only kind of pressure I want to focus on," she said during an interview on Canadian TV last week. "I can't really control other players' results and my ranking so much, so I just want to focus on improving and playing the best I can in every tournament. "If there's pressure, that's great - I love playing in big moments, and in pressure moments."

Source: wta official

WELCOME NECKER CUP 2013.

Ana gave an interview to Colombian newspaper El Heraldo

Ana is set to play four-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova in Bogota, Colombia on 6 December.

It will be the 25-year-old’s first visit to the country. 
As she looks forward to the event, Ana gave an interview to Colombian newspaper El Heraldo:

In the last few years we have seen a very volatile WTA circuit. How much impact do injuries have on the dynamic of the rankings?
Unfortunately injuries are a part of being a professional athlete and I have had my fair share, like any other player. But I can’t blame injuries for my performances. In some ways last year was a good year – my highest year-end ranking for some years, and I reached a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time in so long. But I still haven’t reached my goal of getting back to the top 10, so there is a lot of work to be done.
 
Do you feel afraid of not being able to win another Grand Slam?
No, I am not afraid. Actually I am relishing the challenge. I feel that I still have the game to do it, and my match against Azarenka at the US Open showed that I am not too far away from being able to compete against the very top players. It was a nice feeling, being in an intense Grand Slam match against a top player, and I want to experience it a lot more.
 
Is the pressure greater because you have already won one Grand Slam?
In some ways it is, because you have proved to yourself, and to everyone else, that you are capable of achieving it, so the expectation increases. No matter how much belief you have in yourself, it is only when you achieve your goals, like winning a Grand Slam, that you prove to yourself how good you are. Pressure from the media increases because once you win a Grand Slam you become a contender at future tournaments.
 
Do you dream of being ranked in the top 10 again?
Yes, that’s my main goal at the moment. I am still quite far from achieving it: I need to be able to beat the top players. I played a great match against Na Li in Toronto but I missed a big chance to beat her. These are the kind of matches I have to start winning, in order to get back in the top 10. And it’s not getting any easier: there are many good young players around, like Sloane Stephens and Simona Halep. But I have confidence in my ability and I believe I can achieve this goal.
 
You wish to win the Australian Open, a hard court tournament. However, you have already won Roland Garros. Do you believe that it is more likely that you’ll win again on clay courts than hard?
Clay is probably my best surface but I enjoy playing on hard courts too. It’s hard to say for sure, but I’d probably agree that I am more likely to do well on clay than hard courts, and I love the French Open.

Elena Baltacha has announced her retirement, wrapping up a professional career of over 16 years.

Elena Baltacha has called time on a 16-year professional career that saw her get better and better as the years went on, highlighted by a trio of Top 10 victories in 2010 and becoming British No.1.

Baltacha came onto the scene in 1997, playing her first event on the ITF Women's Circuit in Edinburgh and turning pro. As the years went on she got better and better, breaking into the Top 100 in 2009 and the Top 50 in 2010, and reaching four WTA quarterfinals along the way - Memphis, Eastbourne and Istanbul in 2010 and Dallas in 2011. She set her career-high of No.49 after the US Open in 2010. Her brightest moments may have been her three Top 10 wins, though, which coincidentally all came within the span of a few months in 2010 - at Indian Wells (No.10 Li Na), Eastbourne (No.10 Li Na) and Istanbul (No.8 Francesca Schiavone). 

She also had another Top 20 win over Julia Goerges in 2011. But the long career - as well as the health and injury struggles she had to overcome, most recently a foot injury that put her out eight months from August 2012 to April 2013 - always took their toll. "It just feels it's the right time," Baltacha told the LTA about her decision. "My body has taken such a bruising over the last 16 years and that's finally taken its toll. I have had some amazing experiences through playing tennis - some incredible highs and some very low lows - and I wouldn't change any of them but now my mind and my body are telling me it's time to move on to a new phase of my life. "I still absolutely love tennis and I want to take that passion and put it into learning to be the best coach I can be so that I can take all my experiences and use that to help develop the next generation of British tennis players. I am very committed to my Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis, which I started with my coach Nino Severino. We believe no matter what background you are from, that all children, rich or poor, should have the opportunity to play tennis. Hopefully we'll produce a champion one day."

Source: wta official

BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL. TOURNAMENT INFO . 30 DEZ 5 JAN

TOURNAMENT INFO 
Tier: Premier 
Prize Money: $1,000,000 
Surface: Hard 
Director: Cameron Pearson 

Staged the first week of the year during the lead-up to the Australian Open, the Brisbane International has had quite an increase in status since its debut as a combined ATP-WTA tournament in 2009.
It went from International to Premier level in 2012, with prize money for the women increasing from $220,000 to $655,000. Then in 2013 the purse went all the way up to $1 million. 
 Brisbane's champions include Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, Petra Kvitova and Serena Williams. Clijsters' 2010 triumph was especially memorable, as she saved two match points in the final against rival and fellow Belgian Justine Henin in Henin's first event back after more than a year and a half away from tennis. The capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland, Brisbane is classified as a global city. It has hosted several international sporting extravaganzas, including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, the 2001 Goodwill Games and the 2008 Rugby League World Cup final.

DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA NOS SALUDA DESDE LA NIEVE.

LA PEQUEÑA, PERO AGUERRIDA CIBULKOVA NOS SALUDA..
La tenista eslovaca nos sonrie desde la nevada eslovaquia..
Nos muestra que hay que refugiarse, porque el frío apremia..

Daniela Hantuchova 2014 Calendar. Tennis Warehouse

Daniela Hantuchova's 2014 calendar is out now, with 100% of the proceeds going to the House Of The Smile, a children's hospital in Cambodia that supports the lives of orphans suffering from HIV. 

 While the off-season is a time for the WTA players to rest, regroup and prepare for the new season, for some it's also a time to spend on off-court endeavors - and that includes charity. Daniela Hantuchova is one of those players, and her annual charity calendar is now officially available on Tennis Warehouse. 100% of the proceeds from the calendar goes to the House Of The Smile, a children's hospital in Cambodia that supports the lives of orphans suffering from HIV.

Hantuchova is a longtime supporter. "It's going to help many kids," Hantuchova said of the project. "I hope this helps us raise even more money to improve the children's health and education and do many other things that need to be done."

link:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Daniela_Hantuchova_2014_Calendar/descpageFEDCAL-DANICAL14.html?from=wta

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA IN REVIEW 2013.

AGINESZKA AND URSZULA. CHINA OPEN 2013.
Agnieszka Radwanska may be just 24, but she already feels like an old hand on tour. And perhaps it is no surprise, after all 2013 was remarkably the World No.5's ninth full season on tour. 
It was also the sixth time in the last seven years that she has played in excess of 60 matches - an impressive, if exhausting, statistic. "I mean, I'm not feeling so young anymore, especially with my body after all those matches in the last few years," Radwanska said during the recent WTA Championships in Istanbul.
"There are a lot of 16 and 17-year-old girls that are playing really, really good tennis. I think this year there are a couple of names that we are going to see more often in the future," she added. "I will be 25 soon, so I think I'm not young anymore." Behind the peerless Serena Williams, Radwanska led the WTA this season in terms of matches played (75) and won (56), a level of consistency that she was understandably delighted with. "I think it was a good year," she said. "You know, I'm still in the Top 5 and I'm very happy about that. I really played consistent tennis pretty much the whole year and even made the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam on the clay. 
"Of course, I had some tough losses as well this year, but altogether I would say it's a good year." And she is already looking forward to the next. Although before then she is taking the chance to get a well-deserved break from the court. "Well, of course, tennis is always the priority, and even in the off-season the practice always comes first," she said. "You're doing everything to be the best you can but the off-season is the time when on the weekend you can go out and you can go party.
"So, you know, I'm very happy that I can have a long break, but on the other hand it's two months and after three weeks it's almost December and you already have to start getting ready for the Australian Open!"

source: wta official.

WTA 2013 IN REVIEW, III

While the 2013 season belonged to Serena Williams, Marion Bartoli very nearly stole the show with her fairytale performance on tennis' oldest stage. 
 Having swept all before her on the European clay, Williams was heavily fancied to continue her hot streak when the tour made the switch to grass at the start of June. As has become custom, Williams - and several other members of the Top 10 - eschewed playing a tune-up event before Wimbledon, leaving the path clear for the unexpected trio of Elena Vesnina, Daniela Hantuchova and Simona Halep to triumph in Eastbourne, Birmingham and 's-Hertogenbosch, respectively. 
 There were plenty of surprises at the All-England Club too, with a number of high-profile names suffering premature exits. Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Sara Errani, Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki all fell early, however, it was Williams' fourth round loss to Sabine Lisicki that really set tongues wagging.

Lisicki's devastating power on the court and disarming personality off it captured the public's imagination, a relationship that blossomed further when she backed up her upset of the defending champion with an equally thrilling semifinal victory over Agnieszka Radwanska.
On the other side of the draw, the exits of Azarenka and Sharapova left 2011 champion Petra Kvitova as most people's pick to reach the final. Yet in this most unpredictable of fortnights it came as no real surprise when she slipped up against Kirsten Flipkens, leaving the door ajar for Bartoli. 

source: wta official

Maria Sharapova will join NBC Olympics for its Winter Olympics coverage in February 2014.

SOCHI, Russia 

Maria Sharapova, a silver medalist herself at the Summer Olympics last year, will join NBC Olympics for its Winter Olympics coverage in Sochi next year, it was announced Wednesday. Sharapova, who was the flag bearer for her native Russia at the Opening Ceremony in London last year, will serve as a correspondent, offering insight and commentary on Russia's first Winter Olympics. 
 "Maria transcends sports as one of the world's most recognizable stars," Jim Bell, Executive Producer of NBC Olympics, said.
"Growing up in Sochi until she was six years old and with family and friends still living in the area, Maria will offer a unique and personal perspective on a place she knows so well."
Sharapova isn't just one of the WTA's very best players right now, she is one of its all-time legends. 
With victories at all four Grand Slams - Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 - she is one of only six women in the Open Era to have a Career Grand Slam, and one of only 10 all-time. 
She has also held World No.1 for 21 weeks in her career. And in 2013, despite only playing one match in the second half of the year due to injury, Sharapova finished at No.4 on the November 4 year-end rankings - the sixth time in her career she has finished a year in the Top 4 (No.4 in 2004, No.4 in 2005, No.2 in 2006, No.4 in 2011, No.2 in 2012, No.4 in 2013). 
 This will be the 22nd edition of the Winter Olympics and it will run from February 6 to 23 next year. Sharapova was actually an ambassador for the Sochi bid, promoting it across the globe, from LA to London - which brings us to the below picture, which shows Sharapova hitting with local schoolkids with London's Tower Bridge in the background on June 21, 2007. Sochi won the bid on July 4, 2007.

Source: wta official. 

WTA IN REVIEW II.

For someone who is perhaps best known for her exploits on grass and hard, recently Serena Williams has looked decidedly sure footed on clay. Last year, Williams was one of the standout performers on the surface, going 17 matches unbeaten only to suffer a shock defeat to Virginie Razzano in the first round of the French Open. 
 This most unexpected of upsets extended her wait for that elusive second title in Paris, and it was evident from the opening stanza on the terre battue in 2013 that the American was hungrier than ever to lay her hands on the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen once more. 
 She sent out her first warning shot in Charleston, where she came from behind to defeat Jelena Jankovic in the final with an intimidating display of baseline aggression. One month later, she further enhanced her Roland Garros credentials with back-to-back victories in Madrid and Rome, scoring confidence-boosting wins over her two main rivals, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka, in the process. 
 But while Williams' quest was the dominant storyline, she was far from the only player making headlines in the spring months. 
 Sharapova once again impressed on the dirt, putting up a thrilling and ultimately successful defense of her Stuttgart title, in addition to her runner-up finish in Madrid. Meanwhile, away from the spotlight of the Premier-level events, several of the WTA's next generation grasped the opportunity to add to their already impressive résumés; Alizé Cornet took home the spoils on home soil in Strasbourg, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova picked up the silverware on the clay of Oeiras and the hardcourts of Monterrey. 
 If WTA's fortnight in Paris last year was characterized by its unpredictability, this time around it went more to the form book, with three of the Top 4 seeds making it through to the semifinals. 
 Following contrasting semfinals against Sara Errani and Azarenka, the final pitted Williams against Sharapova. The fairytale ending, though, was reserved for Williams, who closed the latest chapter of her remarkable career with a 64 64 win. 

Source: wta official. 

WTA REVIEW 2013.

Following Serena Williams' stellar second half of 2012, the expectation was that she would continue to dominate when the tennis world sprung into life again Down Under in January. However, just as it had 12 months earlier, the opening stanza belonged to Victoria Azarenka. While preparation for her Australian Open defense did not go entirely according to plan - a freak toe injury forced her out of Brisbane - once in Melbourne everything began to fall in place. 
Showing grit, big-match temperament and no little skill, she overcame a few tricky hurdles, most notably an inspired Sloane Stephens in the semifinals, before winning an early contender for match of the season in the final against Li Na. And the wins kept coming as the tour made its whistle-stop tour of the Middle East, with an imperious week in Doha, ending in another epic victory, this time against Williams. Azarenka, though, was not the only player to enjoy a fruitful start to the season. Elsewhere, Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Mona Barthel and Petra Kvitova all tasted success at Premier level events in Brisbane, Sydney, Paris and Dubai, respectively. 
 For Williams, this was a sign of things to come, but as the tour moved stateside it was time for another of the game's major players to take centre stage. Following a surprisingly one-sided loss to Li Na in Melbourne, Maria Sharapova did not resurface until Indian Wells in March.
Since being crowned champion as a teenager back in 2006, Sharapova had suffered a number of near misses at tennis' 'fifth' major. This time, however, she was not to be denied, romping home to the title without dropping a set. The Russian was unable to repeat the trick in Miami, where she ran into her nemesis, Williams, in the final. Unlike recent meetings between the two, the Miami final was a hotly contested affair, with the American - who had by now overtaken Azarenka to become the oldest No.1 in WTA history - weathering an early storm to prevail end 2013's opening chapter in fine style.

Source: wta official

Venus Williams and Marion Bartoli in The 21st Mylan WTT Smash Hits presented by GEICO.

KISSIMEE, FL, USA 
 The 21st Mylan WTT Smash Hits presented by GEICO, an all-star charity tennis event co-hosted by Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King, will take place on Sunday, November 17, 2013 at the HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. 
 Get your tickets for Mylan WTT Smash Hits presented by GEICO by clicking here!
 The event benefits the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and Hope and Help Center Of Central Florida, and has been running since 1993 - the previous 20 editions have raised over $11.5 million.
Two format is simple. There are two teams of tennis stars, one coached by Sir Elton John and the other by Billie Jean King (incidentally, they are 10-10 in their head-to-head). WTT co-ed format is used - so one set each of men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles - and sets are first to five games with a nine-point tie-break at 4-all. It's no-ad, and let serves are in play.
The list of players competing at this year's event is impressive - Venus Williams, Marion Bartoli, Taylor Townsend, Vicky Duval, Andy Roddick, John Isner, Jean-Julien Rojer and Robert Kendrick. 
It's an action-packed, star-studded night of tennis every year - and there's also a pre-match live auction, which includes an Elton John signed piano bench.

RANKING WTA 11 NOVEMBER 2013, TOP 40