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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

DUBAI, UAE – No.2 seeds and Olympic Gold medalists Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina came through multiple rain delays and a thrilling match tie-break to knock out Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai – next week’s top-ranked team on the Road to Singapore leaderboard – 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 to each win their first title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

“Winning the trophy like here in Dubai, it’s very prestigious,” Vesnina said after the match. “It’s the first time we played final here. We were just passing by the corridor, and we saw the trophy. We were just really pleased with the result, because winning such a big title, it’s always giving us some confidence, some positive emotions.”

The Russians reunited last spring after nearly a year apart due to Makarova’s lower leg injury, and quickly resumed being one of the game’s top teams, not only taking home gold at the Olympic tennis event but also winning the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

Playing their second final of the season after finishing runner-up at the Brisbane International to eventual No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sania Mirza, Makarova and Vesnina enjoyed a bright start to what became a stormy day in Dubai, racing through the opening set behind three breaks of serve.

“At the beginning of the match we felt really good rhythm. We felt we were kind of controlling the game, even knowing that they’re really good players.”

The first set and a half featured intermittent rain delays, but a heavier pattern set in at 3-3, sending the two teams off court for over an hour. Hlavackova and Peng emerged much stronger after the break – tapping into the form that helped them reach the Australian Open final – and twice broke serve to level the match.

“After these rain delays, it was too much of the rain delays, to be honest. I think everyone would lose their rhythm. Even Roger [Federer], I think, would lose his rhythm after this kind of on-and-off, on-and-off!

“And they came back to the game, you know. They had pretty good games on their serves. Then we were just a little bit tight. On one game after the rain delay, I think I didn’t hit one ball with the center of my racquet. I was just missing the volleys. I felt like I don’t see the ball. I need the glasses.”

A tense sudden death followed; even as the No.2 seeds forged ahead, the Czech/Chinese duo were never far behind, saving a pair of championship points before ultimately succumbing after two hours and 13 minutes.

The Russians played with imperious aggression throughout, hitting 27 winners – including a stunning lob from Vesnina to set up their slew of match points – to just 13 from the No.6 seeds, who were ultimately undone by their second serve, off which they won three of 22 points.

The title in Dubai is Makarova and Vesnina’s ninth as a pair, including two Grand Slam trophies at the French Open and US Open in 2013 and 2014.

“Well, it’s a good start, and we are playing good tennis in doubles, especially this tournament,” Makarova said. “Every match was pretty good doubles tennis, you know, and we were really enjoying how we play, and even it was a deciding tiebreak before. But we will play, of course, big tournaments and hope it will go well.”

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News | WTA Tennis English

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The weather may have prevented a full day’s play on Wednesday at the Alya WTA Malaysian Open but the rain would not have dampened the spirits of Netherlands’ Lesley Kerkhove, who reached her first WTA quarterfinal.

The 25-year-old overcame Sabina Sharipova, 6-4, 6-4, in an hour and 19 minutes on centre court. Sharipova, 22, led 4-1 in the first set but Kerkhove was unfazed. “She didn’t make any mistakes until 4-1 but it was only one break,” she said. “I held my serve to 4-2 and then broke her back. From then on I played really aggressive, good tennis.”

Dutch qualifier Kerkhove upset No.7 seed Elise Mertens in the first round in Kuala Lumpur, 6-4, 7-6 (4), on Monday and next faces Nao Hibino, who lies 89 places higher in the WTA rankings, after the Japanese received a walkover against Elina Svitolina. However, the World No.195 said she relishes being the underdog.

“I’ve played only higher-ranked players here. I’m No.195, I’m not that high. So every player is better ranked than me. I like to be the underdog, it’s nice to play like this.”

In the opening singles match on day three, China’s Zhang Kai-Lin defeated Japan’s Risa Ozaki, 6-2, 6-4. Zhang’s impressive first serve – she won 64% of points off the back of hers in contrast to 35% for her opponent – proved decisive in her first main draw win of the year.

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