ANA IVANOVIC WIN FIRST ROUND IN ASB CLASSIC 2013.

IVANOVIC_RISKE 75 76
Match Time: 1:57.
Ana Ivanovic won her first singles match and made it through to the second round. She defeated Alison Riske (USA )7-5 7-6 (7-2). 
 The Serbian, the world No.16, then closed out the contest with a flourish, winning the last six points of the tie-break.

ANA IVANOVIC IN PRESS CONFERENCE. AUCKLAND 2014.

ANA IVANOVIC IN AUCKLAND 2013. 
Earlier this week, we caught up with second seed, Ana Ivanovic, to check in on her game plan and see how she’s enjoying Auckland. Ana, it’s your first time in New Zealand. 

How are you finding it so far? 
 I am really enjoying my time here. I had the chance to take a helicopter around Auckland City. I've loved it and I really hope I can stay the whole week, and even a couple of days extra”. 

 You’ve brought some family with you, that must be fantastic? 
 My parents are here this week but unfortunately my brother had to go back to school so he couldn’t join us. Also, my aunties from Melbourne are coming down for a couple of days. They all heard nice things, so they all wanted to come! 

 Are you the sort of player who sets goals? 
And are they long-term goals, or 12 month goals? I have goals for the tour, as well as until the end of the season, and I have short term goals each week – little things that I want to improve, because obviously it’s hard to work on everything. I really want to get my best game to a higher level; this is something we work hard on during off-season. I also really want to play the Championships in Singapore – that will be something amazing to achieve this year. 

 Are you aiming for number one? 
 Yes, that's definitely a goal that I still have! Because I feel I have the potential to achieve it, but most importantly, I really want to focus on a Grand Slam. That will be my main focus.

How do you cope with pressure? 
 It’s something you have to get used to over the years in the tour. It’s actually scary to think that this year will be my 10th year as a professional! I've definitely learnt how to handle the pressure. You have the same emotions but it’s also fun because when you do feel pressure it means you are in the position to do something good. 

 Do you have big expectations for this week? 
 That’s another thing; I put a lot of pressure on myself. As I said, I do feel really comfortable here. I love this place so I want to do extremely well. Is there anything specific in your game that you want to step up? I really feel my serve can become a weapon again and that's something I have put a lot of focus on, and also I've been working my volley. I did improve my net game; that's the future of tennis, I think. Tennis is becoming so powerful. You have to kind of be moving after good shots. 

 Who is the biggest threat for you in this draw? 
 Every girl here is tough. You never know. Some girls you like to play against more than others. Girls like Safarova, Venus and Roberta Vinci, they are all tough. 

 After playing in Grand Slams around the world, what do you think of the intimate nature of Auckland’s centre court? 
 It does feel cosy! I really like the centre court. It really has a nice vibe about it. I feel that people here are passionate about sports in general. That's always good. You want fans that are into it and you want to feel that they enjoy it as well.

Serena Williams beat Andrea Petkovic at the Brisbane International in her first match of the 2014 season.

WILLIAMS_PETKOVIC 64 64
BRISBANE, Australia 

Serena Williams looked strong in her first match of the 2014 season, beating Andrea Petkovic in straight sets at the Brisbane International. Jelena Jankovic was also a winner. 

The No.1-seeded Williams dropped serve once early on but for the most part was just too strong on her delivery, holding her other nine service games and unleashing 11 aces en route to a 64 64 victory. 

 "It was an intense match, which was really good," Williams said. "She's a good player. She's been in the Top 10 before and she was on her way to being even better. So it was a really good match for me. "I usually have a lot of nerves, but when I realized who I was playing I felt like it was a really good opportunity for me to have a tough match early on. That kind of made me more calm than anything.
" Next up for Williams is No.9 seed Dominika Cibulkova, who won a two-hour, 14-minute battle against Kimiko Date-Krumm, 63 16 63. 
Date-Krumm was up a break twice early on in the third set. Williams has beaten Cibulkova in all three of their previous meetings, but barely won their only previous hardcourt meeting - Cibulkova led 62 41 before Williams came roaring back to prevail, 26 64 62. "She's such a tough player. She's fighting for every point. She had like a super long match today," Williams said of the Slovak. "I went out and I practiced and they were already playing. I came back, sat down, ate, played a game on my iPad, and I looked up and they were still on the court. I got my ankles taped and then she was just walking off the court. So that just goes to show you the fight she has. "We've had a lot of tough matches, so I have to just go out there and stay relaxed and have one." That match will be on Thursday, giving Williams a day off - will she celebrate New Year's Eve?
 "I don't celebrate New Year's Eve, so usually I'm in bed at midnight," Williams commented.
 "I always hear the fireworks though. They wake me up at midnight. 
Hopefully I can sleep through them tonight. 
 "I'm a very serious player. I never leave my room during a tournament, so I'm not going out.

SCORES ASB CLASSIC,31 DECEMBER 2013

SCORES 31 DECEMBER 2013, BRISBANE INTERNACIONAL.

VENUS WILLIAMS WIN 1 ROUND IN AUCKLAND 2014. ASB CLASSIC

WILLIAMS_HLAVACKOVAOVA 63 76
MATCHTIME 1:38
AUCKLAND, New Zealand 

Venus Williams was tough as nails in her ASB Classic debut on Monday night, serving up a storm in the first set then grinding it out in the second to beat Andrea Hlavackova. 
 Watch live action from Brisbane, Shenzhen & Auckland on WTA Live powered by TennisTV! In a hard-hitting battle it was Williams who had the clear upper hand early on, storming out to a 4-1 lead and eventually closing the first set out, 6-3. 
A loose Williams service game in the eighth game of the second set gave Hlavackova a 5-3 lead, but Williams clawed back and made one huge push at the end to finish it off - she won 11 of the last 12 points of the match to clinch the victory, 63 76(1). "I'd never played her in singles but I've played her many times in doubles. I knew how determined she is and that I had to play really well," Williams said. "The first match you don't always know exactly what's going to happen and that you just have to fight and try hard, and that's really what I did today. "It was a great first match, and I'm looking forward to putting better points together with every game." Williams was asked afterwards about taking her game to another level in the second set tie-break.
"When I got to the tie-breaker I was like, 'I'm gonna go for it.' That's kind of how I was playing that tie-breaker. I just wanted to take control. I think it was the most control I had the whole match. The rest of the match she was really trying to control the points, so I had to change the dynamic there." 

 Next up for Williams is Yvonne Meusburger, who pulled off the first upset of the tournament by beating No.7 seed Mona Barthel, 64 63. The two veterans will be playing against each other for the first time. "She won her first title last year - I watched it on the Tennis Channel and I was really happy for her!" Williams said. "I won't be as happy for her in our match. I'll try to be happy for me to get the win." The only other seed in action on Day 1 was No.5 seed Jamie Hampton, who made a triumphant return from a four-month foot injury lay-off with a 16 60 63 victory against Austrian wildcard Tamira Paszek. "It was the first match of the season, Tamira and I are both coming off injuries and the conditions were windy - so overall it was really tough conditions for both of us out there," Hampton said. "I'm happy that I pulled through in the end and got the W today, but I'm hoping to improve for the next round. "The first set was probably one of the worst sets of tennis I've played in a while. But I was really nervous. I hadn't played a match since the US Open, so nerves, conditions, all of it put together." That wasn't the only injury comeback of the day - Garbiñe Muguruza, who underwent ankle surgery last July and was playing her first match since Wimbledon, made it past Christina McHale, 64 63.

ORDER OF PLAY 31 DECEMBER 2013. BRISBANE INTERNACIONAL

Shenzhen open 2014, Main draw singles.

JELENA JANCOVIC WIN FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE. 1 ROUND BRISBANE INTERNACIONAL

JANCOVIC_SCHIAVONE 62 76 
MATCH TIME 1:53

Jelena Jankovic, seeded fourth, got by Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) in a match that took nearly 2 hours and fifth-seeded . 

MARIA SHARAPOVA WIN 1 ROUND IN BRISBANE INTERNACIONAL

SHARAPOVA_CAROLINE GARCIA 63 60 
Match Time 1,04
BRISBANE, Australia, Dec. 30 

Maria Sharapova, returning after a layoff due to injury, dropped only three games in a first-round win Monday at the Brisbane International tennis tournament. 
Sharapova, the No. 3 seed, opened her 2014 season with a 6-3 6-0 rout of Carolina Garcia, dropping just nine points on serve and not facing a break point. 
Sharapova lost eight points overall ( two on serve ) in the second-set shutout.

ORDER OF PLAY 31 DECEMBER 2013, ASB CLASSIC

SCORES ASB CLASSIC 30 DECEMBER 2013.

SCORES 30 DECEMBER 2013, BRISBANE INTERNACIONAL.

MARIA SHARAPOVA IN PRESS CONFERENCE. BRISBANE INTERNACIONAL

BRISBANE, Australia - 
After four and a half months out, there are obviously a lot of questions to ask Maria Sharapova - and that's what the press did on Sunday. Here's a taste of what she said... 

 On her recovery from the shoulder injury that kept her out...
 "I'm feeling really good. I knew from the moment I withdrew from the Open that I was going to give myself the right amount of time I needed. Whether that was a week, a month, a few months, I didn't know. 
I'd been playing with an injured shoulder for a while, so it was important for me to take that time."

 On keeping her motivation despite having won all the biggest prizes in the game... 
"Certainly when you're doing it for so many years of your life there are moments where you feel like you need a pick-me-up. I didn't play for a few months, and that was the reason for me to get back out there.
 "I know when I'm healthy how I can play. I needed to get healthy. 
That was motivation on its own." 

 On her new team, including new coach Sven Groeneveld...
 "I have a few new team members. Obviously new coach, Sven. From the first time we met I really liked what he had to say. 
He came in as a very experienced person, player. One of the things I've always liked in a coach is when he coached against me - and he's been there for many years coaching against me - and I like when someone comes in and is honest and says it like it is. He's that. He puts it all out on the table. 
He's a team player. He works with everyone on my team, something I was missing. "I also have a new physio this year, Jerome, who has been great, and who has also had a lot of experience with the French Federation, Amélie Mauresmo. But other than that, I think it's the same." 

 On the things she and Grigor Dimitrov have in common... 
"We share a lot of the same things just because we have an elephant in the room that's called tennis. But there are so many other things to life besides tennis, and there are a lot more things to discuss than forehands and backhands and strings and racquets, which we share similar ideas on." 

 On whether her upbringing helps motivate her... 
"I think part of how you grow up and the experiences you had in your childhood certainly develop your mentality and the way you think and observe life and the position you're in today. 
I'll always know where I came from and how I came to this position. It's a very fortunate story. 
Maybe some people that do the same things don't get the same results. It's always tough to see, and I consider myself very lucky. 
That's why I don't take anything for granted, especially since my shoulder surgery. 
 "I appreciate everything I get. Sometimes it's hard to look at it that way, but you have to."

Source_ wta official

ANDREA PETKOVIC INICIA CON VICTORIA BRSIBANE 2014, ANTE MATTEK-SANDS

PETKOVIC_MATTEK-SANDS 64 75
Partidazo a dos mangas entre germana y norteamericana en 1 hora y 45 minutos.
La germana fue mas eficiente en el % de 1 servicios y se mostró mas rotunda en el resto, pero la norteamericana tuvo sus opciones al resto, pero no supo aprovecharlas.
De resto, el partido fue muy igualado y solo los golpes de suerte fueron los decisivos.

LISICKI SE IMPONE A RYBARIKOVA EN BRISBANE 2014

lisicki_rybarikova 63 64
la germana lisicki inició la temporada con muy buenas sensaciones en un partido intenso a dos mangas, donde su servicio y su pegada de derecha han sido demoledoras en la resolución de muchos golpes claves en el partido.
la tenista eslovaca lo intentó, pero..
Sabine sume y sigue 

SCORES 29 DECEMBER 2013, Brisbane Internacional

Brisbane Internacional 2014, Tournament Info.

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. 

Main draw singles, ASB Classic, 2014

Main draw singles, Brisbane Internacional, 2014

Women's Qualifying Singles, Brisbane Internacional 2014

ORDER OF PLAY - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2013, ASB CLASSIC

ORDER OF PLAY - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2013

CENTRE COURT start 10:00 am
Qualifying - [WC] E Hayman (NZL) vs R Hogenkamp (NED)
Qualifying - [WC] A Guthrie (NZL) vs A Naydenova (BUL)
Qualifying - C Vandeweghe (USA) vs V Solovyeva (RUS)
Qualifying - S Ishizu (JPN) vs [WC] S Jones (AUS)
Qualifying - C Feuerstein (FRA) vs A Rezai (FRA)
Qualifying - [WC] P Hourigan (NZL) vs G Min (USA)

COURT 4 start 10:00 am
Qualifying - S Rogers (USA) vs J Cohen (USA)
Qualifying - S Fichman (CAN) vs R Voracova (CZE)
Qualifying - Y Xu (CHN) vs I Falconi (USA)
Qualifying - S Dubois (CAN) vs Y Beygelzimer (UKR)
Qualifying - S Vickery (USA) vs K Pliskova (CZE)

COURT 2 start 10:00 am
Qualifying - M Irigoyen (ARG) vs L Hradecka (CZE)
Qualifying - N Gibbs (USA) vs A Kontaveit (EST)
Qualifying - K Barrois (GER) vs C Chan (TPE)
Qualifying - I Pavlovic (FRA) vs M Krajicek (NED)
Qualifying - P Kania (POL) vs M Sanchez (USA)

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA IN THE COURIER-MAIL.

DANIELA Hantuchova's winning edge is underpinned by a simple philosophy.

 To beat the world's best tennis players you have rise earlier, work harder and go home later. There are no shortcuts for this 30-year-old as she aims to start the season with a bang by arriving for next week's Brisbane International better prepared than the top seeds.

"It's going to be a tough tournament, that's why I came earlier to make sure I'm ready for the first round," Hantuchova said yesterday as she outlined her plan to catch world No.1 Serena Williams off guard at the Queensland Tennis Centre.
 "That's the whole point (of coming early) to have a good preparation behind you." Next year will be Hantuchova's 16th on the professional tennis circuit and she is showing no signs of slowing down.
 The Slovakian arrived in Brisbane on Sunday ranked 33 in the world. 
 That is a remarkable achievement for a player whose season-ending ranking has not been outside the top 40 since she was 18. Consistency is one thing, but on her day Hantuchova can still go deep at the Grand Slams, with a US Open quarter-final appearance against Victoria Azarenka in August her best tournament of the year. 

 So what is the secret?

 "The motivation to improve every day," she said after a gym workout at the Queensland Tennis Centre. "Spending a lot of time in the gym to make sure I'm fit and healthy. 
 "I love playing tennis and I woulnd't change it for anything else.
" Hantuchova has played in all but one of the five Brisbane Internationals at Tennyson, with her best performance a tournament final loss to Kaia Kanepi in 2012.
 With each instalment she has faced an increasingly qualified field. 
 Next week the will be six of the world's top 10 players, including Williams, Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki. 
 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki is another title threat. Seeing so many top 10 players this early in the season is an indication of Brisbane's rising reputation and of the depth in women's tennis.
 "To have such a big field this early in the year proves how hungry the girls are," said Hantuchova, adding that Brisbane now ranked alongside the prestigious Indian Wells and Miami WTA tournaments. 
 "A couple of years ago everyone was still in the warm up (in December). 
 "Now everyone's arriving early to be ready for the first round. 
 "There's no easy rounds."

MARIA SHARAPOVA IN BRISBANE INTERNACIONAL 2014.

She may not have played since August, but Maria Sharapova has arrived in Brisbane ready to start her 2014 season. The former No.1 has already had a practice session under the Pat Rafter Arena roof and today she took time out from her busy schedule to see what it’s like to be a ballkid. Much to the delight of the Suncorp Ballkids, Sharapova joined in a practice session with them before showing off her ballkid skills. But it will be skills of a different kind that the world No.4 will be putting on display when the main draw gets underway from Sunday 29 December. “I feel like I’ve had a really good off season, I started way ahead of schedule – I started practice when the last tournament was on for the girls – it’s just really fun for me to be back on court because I’ve really missed it,” said Sharapova.

A shoulder injury soured the Russian’s 2013 season, but she says that problem is now behind her. “I gave it enough time to recover and get better, that was extremely important for me that’s why I had to miss a big chunk of the end of the season but in order to come here feeling strong I had to do that.” Time will tell whether her shoulder, which has troubled her in the past has fully recovered but there is little doubt that she is giving herself every opportunity to make it back to the top spot.

In November she announced Sven Groneveld as her new coach, following a short-lived union with Jimmy Connors that came after two and a half years with Thomas Hogstedt. Groneveld has worked with a long list of stars, including the likes of Monica Seles, Mary Pierce, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki. 

“I think new people give a new perspective on things,” said Sharapova. “When you’re at a certain level in your career there’s only a few percentages that can change a lot of things and we’ve had a lot of fun in the last couple of months – we’ve done great work and this is going to be a long year but I’m looking forward to it.” Sharapova hopes that the change in mentor will lead to her winning her first Grand Slam title since she triumphed at Roland Garros in 2012. “I think there’s a lot more to do in the Grand Slams, but events like these are quite important because they are the lead up to the big ones that you want to capture. “I love this game and I’ve achieved a lot but I feel that I have a lot left in me and that’s why I get up and go practice.”