(Rank/Seed)
As I predicted, world number 45 Barthel took the final into her hands against (7/1) Errani, overcoming some nerves and her opponents resilience to win her biggest title 75 76(4).
1st Set
The first seven games went with serve, until Barthel broke for a 5-3 lead. Then, she got nervous, failing to serve out before ultimately breaking a second time to take the set.
2nd Set
After trading breaks early on, Barthel used her big hitting to establish a seemingly insurmountable 5-2 lead. However, the nerves once again gripped the German who suddenly tried to hit and rush the net. This was a bad move, as Errani passed brilliantly and hung in there to level up again. As in the first set, Barthel then was able to hit more freely again, at least until she had two match points up 6-5. When Errani saved the first on a forehand winner after an epic rally and then Barthel fluffed the second, it looked destined for a third. Typical of the match though, Barthel balanced her emotions when level once again and though she would see a third match point slip away on yet another Errani forehand winner, she sealed it with a 53rd winner of her own to claim her second career title. Errani got some redemption; winning her second straight doubles title with Roberta Vinci.
(15/2) Kirilenko outlasted another German, Lisicki, 57 61 76(1) to make up for a heart breaking loss in the final of Pattaya City last year. It took over two and a half hours to win, as Kirilenko let a 5-2 40-15 third set lead become a 5-6 deficit, with the big serving German serving for it! However, Kirilenko then won 11 of the last 12 points to win her first title since 2008!
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Lucky Errani Into Final
Sara Errani must be feeling lucky, reaching her first final of 2013 with the help of two retirements and saving match point in the other match!
(Rank/Seed)
7/1 Errani was up 5-0 when Bertens retired with a left pelvis injury, therefore she will play her biggest final since last year in Paris, which was at the French Open of course.
45/-Barthel beat French wild card Mladenovic easily 61 64, hitting 5 aces and not being broken once. This is the German's second final of the year and the biggest of her career.
Errani and Barthel have never played before. The German's already beaten Errani's doubles partner Vinci and top 10 Bartoli, whilst seeming to thrive on the fast indoor conditions with her big serve and carefree groundies. Errani's very lucky to be in the final and I have a feeling she may be overpowered. I think Barthel will do what Angelique Kerber did here last year; beat two top 10 players en route to the Paris Indoors title.
(Rank/Seed)
7/1 Errani was up 5-0 when Bertens retired with a left pelvis injury, therefore she will play her biggest final since last year in Paris, which was at the French Open of course.
45/-Barthel beat French wild card Mladenovic easily 61 64, hitting 5 aces and not being broken once. This is the German's second final of the year and the biggest of her career.
Errani and Barthel have never played before. The German's already beaten Errani's doubles partner Vinci and top 10 Bartoli, whilst seeming to thrive on the fast indoor conditions with her big serve and carefree groundies. Errani's very lucky to be in the final and I have a feeling she may be overpowered. I think Barthel will do what Angelique Kerber did here last year; beat two top 10 players en route to the Paris Indoors title.
Friday, 1 February 2013
Upsets Galore In Paris!
The underdogs gave the big names in Paris an awful lot of trouble on Friday; three of them didn't make it through the quarters.
(Rank/Seed)
7/1 Errani was the lucky one, barely surviving Suarez Navarro 75 46 75. Having just lost to the Spaniard in Melbourne, Errani saved a match point down 4-5 in the third to avenge the loss to reach her first semi since last year's US Open. Perhaps Errani's recent doubles success has helped her struggling singles.
French wild card Mladenovic got her first top 10 win over fading former champ (8/2) Kvitova 63 64. The French teen, hit 6 aces and came from 1-3 down to ultimately break to love to win the match in the second. If Kvitova can't hit one ace and hit 9 double faults on an indoor court (her best surface), she's in trouble!
Barthel got her second top 10 win over (10/3) Bartoli 76(7) 64. It looked as if the German had blew it, missing 3 set points in the first set, before facing a 2-6 deficit in the breaker. But Bartoli froze, hitting 2 double faults on both set points on her serve, sealing her fate against the free flowing Barthel.
Dutch lucky loser Bertens got her second top 20 win of the week, over former 2 times finalist (18/6) Safarova 61 75.
(Rank/Seed)
7/1 Errani was the lucky one, barely surviving Suarez Navarro 75 46 75. Having just lost to the Spaniard in Melbourne, Errani saved a match point down 4-5 in the third to avenge the loss to reach her first semi since last year's US Open. Perhaps Errani's recent doubles success has helped her struggling singles.
French wild card Mladenovic got her first top 10 win over fading former champ (8/2) Kvitova 63 64. The French teen, hit 6 aces and came from 1-3 down to ultimately break to love to win the match in the second. If Kvitova can't hit one ace and hit 9 double faults on an indoor court (her best surface), she's in trouble!
Barthel got her second top 10 win over (10/3) Bartoli 76(7) 64. It looked as if the German had blew it, missing 3 set points in the first set, before facing a 2-6 deficit in the breaker. But Bartoli froze, hitting 2 double faults on both set points on her serve, sealing her fate against the free flowing Barthel.
Dutch lucky loser Bertens got her second top 20 win of the week, over former 2 times finalist (18/6) Safarova 61 75.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Ivanovic Drowned Out
The top seeds in Paris took a while to play, given first round byes. But when they did finally play, they were mostly successful.
(Rank/Seed)
7/1 Errani got the benefit of a retirement win over Rybarikova. Trailing 0-4, the Slovak called it a day, suffering with virus like symptoms.
8/2 Kvitova put her poor Australian swing behind her and no doubt looks forward to this indoor event where she has been a champion before. She had a tricky first set against Voegele though, seeing a 4-0 lead become a 5-6 deficit, but she closed it out 76(5) 63.
10/3 Bartoli welcomed her first week back in the top 10 since last September with a 75 61 win over Mchale, from 3-5 and then four set points down in the first set.
14/4 Cibulkova continued her losing ways however, going down 75 64 to lucky loser Bertens.
16/5 Vinci also lost, to Barthel 46 61 63 having won her first round match in two sets.
18/6 Safarova has won two matches in three sets, whilst 19/7 Goerges went crashing out in the first round to Mladenovic 75 57 76(4)!
In Pattaya City, Morita edged (13/1) Ivanovic in the first round 63 57 63 in a rain delayed match that took three days to complete, whilst (15/2) Kirilenko has already won two matches.
(Rank/Seed)
7/1 Errani got the benefit of a retirement win over Rybarikova. Trailing 0-4, the Slovak called it a day, suffering with virus like symptoms.
8/2 Kvitova put her poor Australian swing behind her and no doubt looks forward to this indoor event where she has been a champion before. She had a tricky first set against Voegele though, seeing a 4-0 lead become a 5-6 deficit, but she closed it out 76(5) 63.
10/3 Bartoli welcomed her first week back in the top 10 since last September with a 75 61 win over Mchale, from 3-5 and then four set points down in the first set.
14/4 Cibulkova continued her losing ways however, going down 75 64 to lucky loser Bertens.
16/5 Vinci also lost, to Barthel 46 61 63 having won her first round match in two sets.
18/6 Safarova has won two matches in three sets, whilst 19/7 Goerges went crashing out in the first round to Mladenovic 75 57 76(4)!
In Pattaya City, Morita edged (13/1) Ivanovic in the first round 63 57 63 in a rain delayed match that took three days to complete, whilst (15/2) Kirilenko has already won two matches.
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