ORDER OF PLAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2014, ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL

NEWS 27 FEBRUARY 2014. ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL

BOUCHARD Y LAS SENSACIONES

ACAPULCO, 26 de febrero.- 
Eugenie Bouchard de Canadá, segunda sembrada del Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Telcel, avanzó a los cuartos de final, tras superar a la española Lara Arruabarrena por 7-5 y 6-2 en partido que se desarrolló en una hora y 30 minutos. Bouchard, (19 WTA) atrajo el interés del público que prácticamente hizo insuficiente las gradas del Grand Stand el cual registró un gran lleno para ver su victoria sobre Arruabarrena (147 WTA) quien llegó como lucky loser. La canadiense tendrá enfrente a la francesa Caroline García. Fuerte compromiso se le avecina a la neozelandesa Mariana Erakovic (69 WTA) quien dejó fuera a la serbia Bojana Jovanovski (42 WTA), sexta cabeza de serie del torneo, por 6-1 y 6-4, chocará en cuartos de final contra la primera en la primera cabeza de serie, la eslovaca Dominika Cibulkova. 

Erakovic concretó su triunfo en una hora y 13 minutos . La canadiense Sharon Fichman (108 WTA), quien ingresó por calificación, fue eliminada en 4 por la francesa Caroline García (98 WTA) en una hora y 38 minutos con parciales 6-2 y 7-5.

SCORES 28 FEBRUARY 2014, ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL

KLARA ZAKOPALOVA AVANZA EN FLORIANÓPOLIS. BRASIL TENNIS CUP 2014

Florianópolis/SC, 26 de fevereiro de 2014 

O WTA Brasil Tennis Cup já tem mais duas jogadoras classificadas para as quartas de final. A belga Alison Van Uytvanck, que passou pelo qualifying do torneio, surpreendeu a argentina Paula Ormaechea por duplo 6/2 na primeira partida da quarta-feira em Florianópolis. Van Uytvanck, número 104 do ranking mundial, enfrenta nas quartas de final a espanhola Garbiñe Muguruza, que é a cabeça de chave 2 do torneio. As duas jamais estiveram frente a frente no circuito profissional. A tcheca Klara Zakopalova também garantiu sua vaga batendo a francesa Alizé Lim por duplo 6/3, também na Quadra Central. A cabeça de chave 3 pode ter pela frente a número 1 do Brasil, Teliana Pereira, caso a pernambucana passe pela romena Alexandra Dulgheru. O torneio de duplas já tem uma parceria classificada para a semifinal: a russa Julia Glushko e a polonesa Paula Kania derrotaram a australiana Jarmila Gajdosova e a húngara Timea Babos com parciais de 4/6, 6/3 e 10-4 (no super-tiebreak). Elas esperam quem avançar entre a dupla de Francesca Schiavone com Silvia Soler-Espinosa e Arantxa Rus ao lado de Stephanie Vogt.

Madison Keys is the new No.1 teenager in the world

ACAPULCO, México 

 It didn't come from a tournament result, more by default really, but by virtue of Eugenie Bouchard turning 20 on Tuesday, Madison Keys is the new No.1-ranked teenager. Keys, who just turned 19 last week, is currently ranked No.38 in the world, two off her career-high of No.36 she set last fall. The American's career highlights so far include two WTA semifinals (Osaka last year and Sydney this year) and three WTA quarterfinals (Sydney, Charleston and Birmingham last year). Her best Grand Slams so far have been third round showings at the Australian Open and Wimbledon last year (falling to Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska, respectively). And now, No.1 teenager. "Partially it kind of sucks because with one day Genie's just losing that title," Keys said. "But I'll happily take it. I mean, it feels good!" Bouchard and Keys are good friends - Keys was asked how she thought Bouchard will take the news. "I don't think Genie's really thinking much of it, considering the fact that she's doing quite well right now," Keys commented. "I think she's just really happy where she is right now on the tour." Keys also talked about how it could work as her own belated birthday present. "Well, my birthday wasn't very long ago. It was February 17th. Maybe it's a late birthday present!" Keys is one of three teens in the Top 100, with No.44 Elina Svitolina and No.72 Anna Schmiedlova.

NEWS ACAPULCO: ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL, 26 FEBRERO 2014

ACAPULCO, 26 de febrero. 
Con la derrota de la mexicana Marcela Zacarías ante la alemana Julia Goerges concluyó la participación de las tenistas mexicanas en el Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Telcel, al caer 0-6 y 1-6 en menos de una hora. Zacarías (365 WTA), quien obtuvo su lugar en el main draw vía wild card, sucumbió ante la experiencia de Goerges (88 WTA), quien se medirá ahora con la eslovaca Jana Cepelova en segunda ronda.
En tanto que la estadounidense Victoria Duval, 157 del ranking WTA, que ingresó al torneo por calificación, avanzó tras vencer en una hora y 4 minutos a la checa Iveta Melzer por 6-2, 6-4. 
Su siguiente rival será la croata Ajla Tomljanovic. La española Lourdes Domínguez Lino (63 WTA) perdió ante la francesa Caroline García (89 WTA) por 4-6 y 6-7 (6) en casi dos horas. Esta última se enfrentará en octavos de final a la canadiense Sharon Fichman (108 WTA). En el que fue el último partido de la jornada femenil, la española Lara Arruabarrena (147 WTA), que entró como lucky loser, avanzó a segunda ronda después de dejar fuera en dos sets con parciales de 6-2 y 6-4 a la de Kazajastán, Galina Voskoeba (60 WTA) y ahora se medirá contra la segunda cabeza de serie y 19 del mundo, la canadiense Eugenie Bouchard.

ORDER OF PLAY, 26 FEBRUARY 2014, ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL

NEWS ACAPULCO 2014. 25 FEBRUARY 2014. ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL.

ACAPULCO, México, February 2014

It didn't take long for the first few surprises at the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL, with two of the three seeds in action on Day 1 of the International-level tournament getting knocked out. No.6 seed Bojana Jovanovski was the fortunate one, winning a tight two-setter against Tornado Black in the American teen's WTA main draw debut, 64 75. But No.4 seed Magdalena Rybarikova fell to Ajla Tomljanovic, 61 63, and No.7 seed Stefanie Voegele lost to Kimiko Date-Krumm, 36 76(5) 64. Voegele had her chances - after winning the first set she led 4-2 in the second set, served for the match at 5-4, and, after dropping the second set, even built a 4-1 lead in the third. But to no avail. "It was a very, very tough match - it wasn't only about how long it was, it was also very humid today," Date-Krumm said. 
"I like playing when it's a little bit humid out, but here's it's a little bit too much! "But Stefanie's a tough player. She's very strong, she has a good serve and never gives up. It wasn't easy when she was leading, but I just tried to fight until the end and I'm happy I could win today." This is Date-Krumm's first time playing the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL. That might be surprising given she's one of the most experienced veterans on the tour, but there was no women's draw here when she was in her first career - and there's another reason she hadn't played here in her second career. "Many times so many players told me this is the best tournament on the WTA, but it was always on clay, which isn't my favorite surface!" she said. "This year they changed it to hardcourts, luckily, so I'm here. But it's still very difficult because the bounce is very high, and it's a pretty slow hardcourt. "But it's better than clay for me!" Rounding out the first round winners on Day 1 were Christina McHale and Marina Erakovic. 

 The final round of qualifying also took place, with Madison Keys, Sharon Fichman, Ashleigh Barty and Vicky Duval all moving through to the main draw. Barty rolled past Lesia Tsurenko in straights, 60 62, a stark contrast to her win in the second round of qualies - she just edged Lauren Davis, 26 63 75. "My match against Lauren was scratchy to begin with, but I found my range," Barty said. "Then today I played well. It's really nice to fight your way through a few matches and get a fourth singles match." And on Acapulco? "It's amazing," the Australian said. "We're so lucky to come to tournaments like these. This is unbelievable - the courts are right next to the hotel and there's a great beach as well. It's perfect to wake up to the sound of waves crashing down and the music going pretty much all day."

MLADENOVIC CEDE ANTE McHALE EN ACAPULCO 2014

MLADENOVIC GOLPEA ANTE McHALE EN ACAPULCO 2014

McHALE_MLADENOVIC 64 62
ACAPULCO, Gro., 25 de febrero.
La estadounidense Christina Mchale se convirtió en la primera jugadora que obtuvo su pase a la segunda ronda del Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Telcel. Mchale (70-WTA) se impuso a la francesa Kristina Mladenovic (76-WTA) con parciales de 6-4 y 6-2 en una hora y 25 minutos. 
 En un ambiente festivo, las jugadoras tomaron su lugar en la cancha central del complejo Mextenis, y entretuvieron al público asistente, que acudió en buen número al encuentro.

EUGENIE BOUCHARD Y DIMITROV EN ALTA MAR. ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL 2014

ACAPULCO, febrero 2014.
 El mar de Acapulco fue testigo esta mañana de un partido entre el jugador de la ATP, Grigor Dimitrov, y la jugadora de la WTA, Eugenie Bouchard. 

Ambos tenistas pelotearon sobre una plataforma de 5x14 metros instalada en Playa Papagayo, en el Centro de Acapulco, tras llegar a la zona en un helicóptero que les permitió disfrutar de una vista aérea de la bahía. En la plataforma, Dimitrov y Bouchard fueron recibidos por Javier Aluni, Secretario de Turismo de Guerrero; Raúl Zurutuza, Director del Abierto Mexicano de Tenis y Javier Braun, Director de Operaciones de Grupo Pegaso. Luego de tomarse algunas fotos dio inicio el peloteo entre el 22 del mundo del ranking ATP, y la 19 del mundo del ranking femenino frente a la atenta mirada de varias embarcaciones que se acercaron hasta ellos. “Fue muy divertido.

Las vistas aéreas fueron espectaculares y la experiencia de jugar en el mar es impresionante. A partir de ahora, tenemos que pensar en el torneo de verdad. Tengo muchas ganas de debutar en Acapulco”, comentaba el búlgaro. 
 El sol se mostraba inclemente esta mañana sobre la Bahía de Acapulco, y los jugadores no dudaron en terminar su partido en el agua. Bouchard fue muy cuidadosa al lanzarse, pero Dimitrov no dudó en tirarse un clavado. La siguiente cita de ambos jugadores será ya en las canchas del Princess. 

¡Comienza la acción en el Abierto!

ORDER OF PLAY, 25 FEBRUARY 2014. ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL 2014

Simona Halep has tied the record for highest-ranked Romanian in WTA history

Simona Halep has tied the record for highest-ranked Romanian in WTA history. She rises from No.9 to No.7 on this week's rankings, jumping over one of the only two other Romanians who had been ranked higher than her - former World No.8 Virginia Ruzici - and tying former World No.7 Irina Spirlea. Kurumi Nara was already Japan's No.1 and is now in the Top 50. 
By virtue of winning her first WTA title at the Rio Open Nara rises from what was already her career-high - No.62 - into the Top 50 this week at her new career-high of No.49. She has won 12 of her last 15 matches in WTA main draws. Three Top 20 stars are in action this week. There may be no Premier events this week, but the two International tournaments on the calendar have drawn a trio of Top 20 players to their courts. 
 Dominika Cibulkova and Eugenie Bouchard headline the field in Acapulco. The Slovak No.1 and Canadian No.1 haven't won any WTA main draw matches since their breakthrough runs in Australia but are hoping to get back on track at the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL. 
The other seeds are Kaia Kanepi, Magdalena Rybarikova, Yvonne Meusburger, Bojana Jovanovski, Stefanie Voegele and Zhang Shuai.

MAIN DRAW SINGLES, ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL, 2014

RESUMEN 23 FEBRERO 2014. ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL

Jornada previa con triunfos la australiana Ashleigh Barty, quien venció a la estadounidense Lauren Davis por 2-6, 6-3 y 7-5.
 Barty disputará su pase al cuadro principal ahora contra la ucraniana Lesia Tsurenko, quien dejó fuera a la estadounidense Irina Falconi por 6-0 y 6-1.
La suiza Belinda Bencic superó a la británica Johanna Konta por 5-7, 6-4 y 6-1 y ahora enfrentará a la estadounidense Victoria Duval, quien venció a la francesa Amandine Hesse por 7-6 (2) y 6-4.
La canadiense Sharon Fichman eliminó a la estadounidense Madison Brengle por 6-1 y 6-0 y ahora se medirá con la estadounidense Allie Kiick, luego que ésta venciera a la estadounidense Shelby Rogers por 2-6, 7-5 y 6-4. 
 Y la estadounidense Madison Keys y la española Laura Arruabarrena disputarán el último boleto para el cuadro principal, tras vencer a la rusa Alia Kleybanova por 6-4 y 7-6 (2) y la japonesa Risa Ozaki por 6-2, 5-7 y 6-2, respectivamente.

RANKING WTA, 24 FEBRUARY 2014, TOP 40

ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL, TOURNAMENT INFO, Acapulco, MEXICO Feb 24 - Mar 01

TOURNAMENT INFO 
Tier: International 
Prize Money: $250,000 
Surface: Hard 
Director: Raul Zurutuza 

First held as a men's only tournament in 1993, the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL became a mixed event by welcoming the WTA in 2001. Hugely popular among the players, they have voted it as the WTA's International Tournament Of The Year six times - most recently in 2011. Four players share the tournament lead with two titles apiece - Amanda Coetzer, Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta and Venus Williams. Two players have won the singles and doubles in the same year - Anna-Lena Groenefeld in 2006 and Errani in 2012. The event is held at the Fairmount Acapulco Princess luxury hotel on the Pacific Ocean and will switch from its traditional clay surface to hardcourts in 2014. Acapulco came into prominence in the 1950s as a getaway for Hollywood stars and wealthy tourists. The city's beaches and nightlife continue to attract vacationers to this day.

Brasil Tennis Cup, Tournament Info, Florianopolis, BRAZIL Feb 23 Mar 01

TOURNAMENT INFO 
 Tier: International 
Prize Money: $250,000 
Surface: Hard 
Director: Rafael Westrupp 

A week after the calendar's only other South American stop in Bogotá, the WTA returned to Brazil for the first time in over a decade with the inaugural Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianopolis in February 2013. "Definitely I will come here next year to defend my title," said inaugural champion Monica Niculescu after winning her first WTA title. "The transport, the food, the hotel - it was all fantastic. It was also near the mall and the beach is beautiful too. I had all I needed in Florianopolis this week - everything was perfect." Previously the host of ITF Women's Circuit events, Florianopolis is the hometown of ATP legend Gustavo Kuerten. It is the capital city and second largest city of the Santa Catarina state in southern Brazil. Known for having a very high quality of life, Florianopolis' economy is heavily based on information technology, tourism and services. It is also a surfing mecca, as the island is considered to have the best and most consistent waves in the country. Other WTA tournaments in Brazil over the years have been held in Bahia, Curitiba, Guaruja and São Paulo. Rio de Janeiro will be added to that list in 2014, and in fact will be held the week before Florianopolis.

Rodionova and Kudryavtseva wins Dubai Title Ladies' Doubles 2014

Russians Anastasia Rodionova and Alla Kudryavtseva win their third team title after taking out Americans Abigail Spears and Raquel Kops-Jones 6-2 5-7 10-8 in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final on Saturday

VENUS WILLIAMS WINS DUBAI TITLE 2014

Venus Williams claimed her third title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday with a convincing 6-3 6-0 win over Alize Cornet.
She is the first unseeded player and the first wild card to win the tournament since the women’s event began in 2001. It is her 45th career singles title which include her Dubai victories in 2009 and 2010, and comes after her run last month to the Auckland final. She did not concede a set all week, and has not lost a match in her last three visits to Dubai, winning 15 consecutive matches. “We have enjoyed a wonderful week of tennis, with some superb performances from nearly every top player in the world,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of tournament owners and organisers Dubai Duty Free.
“The week has also been full of surprises, with our defending champion, the world number three and last year’s runner-up all unable to win their opening matches.

“Alize Cornet has thrilled us with her unexpected run to the final. It has also been a pleasure to see Venus Williams perform so well despite the setback with her health that she has suffered, and we are delighted that she has managed to regain the title she won in 2009 and 2010.” Although the score suggests a very one-sided match that was far from the case as the players engaged in countless furiously-contested rallies. But many of those were won by Williams who used her greater strength to advantage. Cornet earned the first break to lead 2-1, but Williams responded by sweeping the next four games to lead 5-2. She also held two break points in the next game before serving out the set. The opening game of the second set saw Cornet drop her serve after holding four game points, and she then lost an opportunity to stem Williams’s run to the title when she failed to convert two break points when down 3-0. She also held a further two break points as Williams served for the match. “It feels good,” said Williams. “Just to be able to be here and compete was, you know, the first thing that made me so happy, and then obviously to play well, win the title and, you know, have this wonderful streak here is, you know, definitely an accomplishment. “I think Alize is playing great. I think if she continues to play like that, she's going to play deep in a lot of tournaments and improve. It's great to see that, because she's a great addition to the game. She brings so much passion on the court, so it's great to see her playing well.”

VENUS WILLIAMS FINALIST OF DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

Williams had won all four of the pair's previous meetings in straight sets but they hadn't played in almost six years - but that didn't seem to make any difference whatsoever, as Williams fired from all cylinders - serves, groundstrokes, net - to dominate the No.8-seeded Dane in an hour and 21 minutes. "It was kind of uphill today," Wozniacki said. "In the beginning I felt like she was dictating almost everything and making just a few mistakes, so that kind of got me a couple of games. Then towards the end of the first set and in the second set we had some longer rallies, and I was stepping my game up a little bit, but then she did as well. She played well and was very steady and kept her head cool. "She played a good match - I started off very slow, and once I got going it was too late.

" Williams is now through to her biggest final in almost four years - since Madrid in May 2010 - but more importantly it's her biggest final since her seven-month Sjögren's Syndrome lay-off between August 2011 and March 2012. And at one of her favorite tournaments, too - she has won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships the last two times she's played it and has now won 14 straight matches here. "Caroline is an intense competitor," Williams said of her fellow former World No.1. "She has been since the very first match I played her in 2007, seven years ago - she's reached the pinnacle of the game and so she knows what she's doing. So it feels really good for me to be able to get that win today." Over the last year Williams had been to some semifinals and one final earlier this year in Auckland, but it has been a while since she's looked this strong - and she says it's all been a learning process. "I feel like I've just gotten so much better since my first round to now, feeling comfortable on the court, feeling comfortable when I'm behind, feeling comfortable when I'm in the lead. It reminds me of when I first came on tour, just having to learn a lot, and I feel like I'm learning those lessons all over again. "I had a lot of tough losses, and I realized I had to go through it," Williams continued. "I felt like every time I got better. Even if I didn't necessarily get the result I wanted, I realized I was getting better.

ALIZE CORNET INTO FONAL OF DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

Going into the semifinals, Cornet was a massive underdog - not only had she lost all three previous meetings with Williams, but she had a dubious 0-17 career record against Top 4 players. But with some incredible retrieving and wide variety of spins and angles she gave the World No.1 all kinds of problems, winning five straight games from 3-4 in the first set to break the match open and, after dropping three straight games from there, getting her nose in front one more time with a 64 53 lead. Williams tried to stay in it - she fought off four match points serving at 3-5 in the second set, eventually holding for 4-5 - but Cornet stepped up to the line and served the semifinal out at love, 64 64. 

 "She played really well," Williams said. "I didn't play well. I tried, though. I just kept hitting errors. I don't think I've made that many errors in a match in at least three, maybe four years. "I think out of a 10, I was at, like, -283, so... wow." "It was tough to close it out because I had four match points the game before, and on the four match points she played unbelievable, so I was like, 'Okay, maybe she's going to put a little bit more on the important points now,'" Cornet said afterwards. "But I just tried to relax and breathe and pass my first serve at 5-4. I stayed focused and when the last ball went out I was like, 'That's it? I did it?' "Then I was full of emotion. It's definitely the biggest win of my career." Cornet is the first player in 18 months to beat Williams in straight sets - the last player to do it was Angelique Kerber, who beat Williams by the same 64 64 scoreline at Cincinnati in August 2012. There were ups and downs for Williams throughout the week, but it was still a very welcome return for the World No.1, who was playing for the first time since the Australian Open due to a back injury. "I haven't felt good this whole week, to be honest, just from my first match," Williams commented. "I felt I played well yesterday - I had to play well - if I played like that today, I don't know if I would have won, because I think Alizé played really well, but I definitely think the scoreline would have been closer. 
"I started out extremely slow," Williams continued. "I have actually been looking at a turtle every day - it's a really cute turtle in the hotel. I think it's so cute. Maybe I was too influenced by it. I need to play better than that if I want to be playing on the professional tour - maybe I can go to the amateurs."

Silvena Rowe and Serena Williams for Dubai's first 'Gastronomy Grand Slam 2014.

DUBAI, UAE, FEBRUARY 2014. 

 Serena Williams had a big moment at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this week, joining forces with celebrity chef Silvena Rowe for Dubai's first 'Gastronomy Grand Slam'. With Chef Rowe and Chef Eric Vasta, Executive Chef at the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Williams made grilled green Shawarma marinated baby chicken with crunchy mint and pomegranate salad. "That was a great way to help build up my appetite for another record-breaking year," said Williams, who won 11 WTA titles last year and shattered the previous single season prize money record of $7,923,920 by earning $12,385,572. "I had a great season in 2013 and I want to build on it this year. "It's my fourth time in Dubai and I feel like I have some unfinished business.
" Williams was very impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm by Chefs Rowe and Vasta. "I've learnt that there are a lot of similarities between tennis and cooking in terms of organization and preparation. In both our businesses, so much goes on behind the scenes to make sure we're at optimum level come show time. For me, it's endless hours of practice to hone my game for competitive matches; for Silvena and Eric, it's researching and selecting ingredients, trying different recipes, experimenting with flavors and techniques - we can't afford to make mistakes when the heat is on." 
 Chef Rowe's interests in Dubai don't end with cooking - she used to play tennis in Bulgaria and the UK, and she was also an umpire at Wimbledon with the British Tennis & Umpire Association. She even watched Williams win Wimbledon three times from a seat in Centre Court at the All-England Club. "I've always admired Serena because of the aggressive, powerful style of her tennis. Serena has won everything in the game and is simply phenomenal - she never gives up and is a remarkable woman. I have great respect for her physical and mental strength; she has the imposing presence on court that I have in my restaurants - she's my ultimate idol and I can't wait to see her on court in Dubai."

ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL 2014. TOURNAMENT INFO, Acapulco, MEXICO, Feb 24 - Mar 01

TOURNAMENT INFO 
Tier: International 
Prize Money: $250,000 
Surface: Hard 
Director: Raul Zurutuza 

First held as a men's only tournament in 1993, the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL became a mixed event by welcoming the WTA in 2001. Hugely popular among the players, they have voted it as the WTA's International Tournament Of The Year six times - most recently in 2011. Four players share the tournament lead with two titles apiece - Amanda Coetzer, Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta and Venus Williams. Two players have won the singles and doubles in the same year - Anna-Lena Groenefeld in 2006 and Errani in 2012. The event is held at the Fairmount Acapulco Princess luxury hotel on the Pacific Ocean and will switch from its traditional clay surface to hardcourts in 2014. Acapulco came into prominence in the 1950s as a getaway for Hollywood stars and wealthy tourists. The city's beaches and nightlife continue to attract vacationers to this day.

ORDER OF PLAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2014. DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

SCORES 20 FEBRUARY 2014, DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

SERENA WITH A STRAIGHT SET VICTORY OVER JANCOVIC IN SEMI-FINAL OF DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

The No.1-seeded Williams dropped serve once midway through the first set but got five breaks of her own to cruise past No.5-seeded Jelena Jankovic in straight sets in an hour and 16 minutes, 62 62.
"It was kind of slow and heavy, and the ball didn't really go off my racquet - I was hitting the balls short," Jankovic said. "She took control of the match. She was pretty much in control the whole time. I didn't feel too good out there, and I wasn't really striking the ball the way I usually strike the ball. "But she was the better player tonight. Way better. 

All the credit to her." "It definitely felt a lot more comfortable than my first match," Williams said afterwards. "There were some shots I missed today that I would never have missed a month ago, so I'm still getting a little rust off, but it feels good overall. And I'm still trying to make sure I keep going in the right direction." The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is one of the few big events Williams has never conquered - she has never been to the final here in fact, her best results being a pair of semifinals in 2005 (retiring against Jankovic due to a shoulder injury) and in 2009 (falling to Venus Williams). Awaiting Williams in the semifinals is Alizé Cornet, who won a grind-fest against Carla Suárez Navarro in the last match of the day, 75 63. Suárez Navarro was up a break twice in the first set and again up a break early in the second set, but the French No.1 kept clawing back to edge the Spanish No.1. "It was a tough match tonight because Carla has a very special game with a lot of topspin," Cornet said. "Sometimes it's tough to control the ball against her, and that's why I think she does so well. "But I think she was a little bit tired from her match against Kvitova yesterday, so I took my chance and made her run, and I was a little more consistent on the important points. I'm very happy I did it."

WOZNIACKI WIN OVER CIRSTEA OF DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

WOZNIACKI_CIRSTEA 61 62
Match Time: 62 minutes

Wozniacki took charge against Cirstea right from the start and was never troubled as she swept to a comfortable victory.

“That was good. That was really pleasing, and I always know that Sorana can be a tricky opponent,” said Wozniacki. “It was important for me not to let her back in the game, and I felt like I served well and I put the pressure on her and played the way I wanted to play today.”

Cirstea admitted that she had no chance against an opponent who was superior on the day.

“All credit to Caroline,” she said. “She played great today. I think she played one of the best matches I have ever played against her. Very solid. Quite aggressive from the start. She should definitely deserve this win. I didn't really get a chance to get fully into the match.”

Despite her disappointment, Cirstea is already looking forward to her return in 2015.

“I always come and am happy every single time I come here, because they treat the players so nicely,” she said. “Everyone is so friendly. They try to accommodate us as best as possible. It's just so easy for us, the hotel, it's on-site. It makes a huge difference.

“I always say you can see how well the tournament is doing by looking at the draw, and this I think it's one of the strongest draws out of the whole year. So it's definitely a tournament that knows how to treat their players.”

VENUS WILLIAMS IN SEMI-FINALS OF DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014

Venus Williams fought off a strong late challenge from qualifier Flavia Pennetta on Thursday to win 6-3 7-5 and reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Two-time former champion Williams took the opening set after breaking to lead 5-3, serving out the set to love and finishing with an ace. She then held the upper hand in the second set and led 4-2, but from then on she struggled to close out the match. Williams had to fight off two break points to hold for 5-3 before the battle moved on to a dramatic conclusion. After Pennetta held for 5-4 and in a nail-biting finish, Williams fell behind 0-40, recovered to hold a match point, but then dropped her serve. Despite that disappointment she managed to break Pennetta’s serve again to lead 6-5, but again fell behind 0-40 before claiming the next five points and the match. 
 “She just keeps fighting. She stays relevant,” said Williams. “That's what she does really well. She stays in the point. I have to give her credit for that. I think I could have maybe made a couple more shots, but it's not always easy against someone who competes as well as her.”

DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS PARTY 2014.

The world’s best female tennis players took some time out for fun and relaxation on Tuesday night at the WTA Players’ Party for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Defending champion Petra Kvitova and fellow Czechs Lucie Safarova and Andrea Hlavackova enjoyed the festivities

The world’s best female tennis players took some time out for fun and relaxation on Tuesday night at the WTA Players’ Party for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Second seed Agnieszka Radwanska lent her hand in creating a portrait of female players that was displayed on the grounds.

NEWS 20 FEBRUARY 2014: VENUS AND WOZNIACKI IN QUARTERS-FINALS. DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Venus Williams gained revenge for her defeat earlier this year in the Auckland final, overwhelming Ana Ivanovic 6-2 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday. There was also a win for 2011 Dubai champion Caroline Wozniacki, who ended the run of qualifier Annika Beck with a hard-fought 6-4 6-4 victory, but 2012 winner, world number three and second seed Agnieszka Radwanska fell 6-4 6-1 to qualifier Flavia Pennetta. Radwanska rarely looked comfortable against Pennetta, who although having to qualify in Dubai, is an experienced opponent who reached the semi-finals at the 2013 US Open. After building a 4-1 lead the former champion’s challenge fell away and Pennetta was able to claim a comfortable victory. “The ball was really flying,” said Radwanska. “I didn't really feel the ball today at all. I think she was using the wind much, much better than I did. The conditions for me are tough. When I don't feel the ball, it's not good.” Williams will now face Pennetta for a place in the semi-finals.

ORDER OF PLAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2014, DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS