WTA tour: Top ten players in 2010 – Part 4
Here is the fourth part highlighting the top ten players on the WTA tour in 2010.
7. Francesca Schiavone
Born on 23 June 1980 in the city of Milan, Francesca Schiavone is a professional tennis ace from Italy. The right hander registered her name as the first player from Italy to win a Grand Slam title earlier this year at French Open. She is currently ranked
number seven in the South African Airways WTA list.
Francesca started her 2010 campaign by playing at the Australian Open in Melbourne. She got the better of Alize Cornet in her first round in three sets. The final match score was 0–6, 7–5, and 6–0. The Italian did well to make her way into the fourth round
before losing at the hands of the then world number six Venus Williams from the United States of America. The score line was 3–6, 6–2, 6–1.
She next competed at the Barcelona Ladies Open where she overpowered Alberta Brianti, Yaroslava Shvedova, Carla Suarez Navarro, Tathiana Garbin and Roberta Vinci all in straight sets to pick up her third WTA singles title on the tour.
Seeded number 17 at the French Open in Roland Garros, the Italian was lightly considered as a force for the tournament. She did well to make her way into the quarters after beating Regina Kulikova, Li Na, Sophie Ferguson and Maria Kirilenko on her way. In
the final eight round, Francesca toppled Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets to register her name as the first player to make her way into the semis of a major event.
In the final four round, Schiavone surpassed world number five Elena Dementieva after Elena pulled out in the second set as a result of her muscle injury. The Italian faced Samantha Stosur in the title battle and stunned everyone by getting past the Australian
in two sets. The final match score was 6–4, 7–6(2). As a result of this victory, the right hander registered her name as the only third player to pick up a major crown in singles after Adriano Panatta and Nicola Pietrangeli. After lifting her first Grand Slam
title, she also jumped to number six in the world rankings on the WTA tour, reaching the top ten on the very first occasion in her career.
The 30-year-old next played at the Eastbourne, where she couldn’t even win her opening round match as the Italian was bundled out of the event at the hands of Sorana Cirstea in two sets. The final match score was 5-7, 3-6.
At the grass court Grand Slam tournament in London, the Milan resident was seeded number five to win the title. World number seven, however, once again disappointed everyone by losing in the opening round at the hands of Vera Dushevina in three sets with
a score line of 7-6, 5-7, 1-6.
Schiavone next did well to get back in form and advance into the quarters at the 2010 Rogers Cup in Montreal before losing to the number one seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
At the year’s final Grand Slam, the United States Open in New York, the Italian was seeded number six to win the title. She thrashed out Ayumi Morita, Alona Bondarenko, Maria Elena Camerin and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to make her way into the quarters on
the very first occasion since 2003. In the final eight round, she was crushed out at the hands of Venus Williams from the United States of America. The score line was 7-6(5), 6-4.
Seeded number five to win the title at the 2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open, Francesca couldn’t go beyond the semi final round as she was defeated by Elena Dementieva of Russia.
At the year-ending WTA Tour tournament, Francesca played on the very first occasion in her career, however, was dismissed in the round robin stage. She was hammered down by Caroline Wozniacki in three sets, Samantha Stosur in two sets before getting the
better of Elena Dementieva in her last career clash.
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