WTA Tournament 2010; Highlights from Tuesday
The Australian tennis ace Samantha Stosur avenged her French Open title battle defeat to Francesca Schiavone at the WTA Tournament on Tuesday, thrashing out her Italian foe in the round robin portion of the competition in two sets. The final match score
was 6-4, 6-4.
The fifth seed Stosur didn’t start off ideally, falling behind 4-0, taking three points in those four games, however, she bounced back strongly versus the reigning French Open winner Schiavone, breaking at love during the fifth game and taking six in a row
to win the opening set in Doha.
Both of them stayed on serve until four all in the second set, when Samantha broke again and then clinched the straight set win.
When asked about her slow start, the Australian commented on Tuesday, "It was not going too well at the beginning that is for sure. It was happening so quickly. From that point I just tried to slow down a little bit and take my time, and play point by point.
One game turned into two, three then I started feeling a lot better and knew I was back in the match."
Both Samantha and Schiavone had been to the WTA Tournament before however in doubles, the Australian winning it twice along with her partner Lisa Raymond back in 2005 and the following year.
Schiavone as a result of this loss has dropped down to 2-5 career mark against Stosur.
"I was really consistent and aggressive at the start, then I lost my serve at 4-0 and she started playing much better. In the end, she took her chances and I didn't,” she reflected after the match on Tuesday.
Both of them had the two best winning percentages on clay in 2010 and fittingly faced each other in the final of the French Open in Roland Garros, the first time either had reached in a title battle at a major event. It was Schiavone who survived in the
end in straight sets and thus registered her name as the first tennis player from Italy to capture a Grand Slam title.
Meanwhile, the top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark brushed aside Elena Dementieva of Russia in a two-setter opener to make her way into the second round of the WTA Championship in Doha. The final match score was 6-1, 6-1.
The 20-year-old Dane is now just a single victory away from ensuring her year ending number one position in the WTA rankings list.
Caroline looked extremely confident and strong right from the start of the match on Tuesday and immediately took a lead of 3-0 in the opening set with the help of her devilish serve and well placed ground strokes.
The elite eight women field in Doha highlights the world’s top players in 2010, although William sisters are not taking part in it as a result of their injuries. Only the top two performers from the two groups will reach the semi-final rounds in Doha.
Elsewhere, the Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva overpowered Jelena Jankovic in another first round match of the WTA Tournament on Tuesday. Vera, as a result of this victory has kept her hopes alive of snatching the world number one position from Caroline.
The professional tennis player from Russia stepped on the court in maroon and white dress and looked much more relaxed and confident in contrast to her Serbian foe, who offered just fleeting resistance in the opening set before capitulating in the next.
The final match score was 6-3 6-0.
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