Kerber wins Linz and qualifies for Istanbul

Angelique Kerber defeated the former world n°1 Ana Ivanovic in just two sets to conquer her first title of the year.

Her run to the title has been impressive; after the first set lost to Monica Niculescu in her opening match, ‘Angie’ didn't drop a single set all the way through to the title.

 

©Jimmie48

The world n°9 showed great attitude throughout the week, ignoring the major media attention gathered by her last-minute entry, to the detriment of Austrian WC Lisa-Maria Moser (for more on this story click here).

In addition to that, there was much pressure on her shoulders, since any result better than a Quarter Final would have meant the mathematical assurance to be qualified for the year-ending masters in Istanbul.

As a result, her QF match against local WC Patricia Mayr-Achleitner was tougher than the score line would suggest. Furthermore, the Austrian was playing some brilliant tennis heading to the match and had her chances in the first set, but Kerber reacted well and finished the match in total control.

The semi-final was a complete dominance by the German, who gave only two games to the world number 18, Spaniard Carla Suarez-Navarro.

This result and the great show of form and consistency in the past weeks set Kerber as the favourite in the final as well, despite trailing 3-1 in the head to head with Ivanovic.

The final resulted in a rollercoaster. Kerber started with the right mindset, taking the initiative whenever possible and exploiting her terrific defence to neutralise Ivanovic’s initial shots, especially off her forehand.

Suddenly the Serb’s shot increased in speed and accuracy, so in a blink of an eye, she won three games in a row to tie at 4-all.

It was then another big reaction from the German who broke Ivanovic for the third time of the set and went on serving the set out 6-4.

The second set witnessed a bit of everything, with the Serb starting with a ten-point-in-a-row streak, before surrendering to the massive comeback of Kerber, which led to a 5-4 40-0 lead on her serve. Swiftly, Ivanovic noticed the more passive attitude of her opponent and took advantage of it, saved all the match points, and broke back.

On 6-5 for the Serb, Kerber suffered a bad call that helped Ivanovic gain two set points, but instead of arguing, the German decided to fix the situation with a massive serve and a huge forehand down-the-line winner, to clear the set points and go to the tiebreak.

Once again Ana Ivanovic started strongly and went up 6-4, but similarly to the previous game, Kerber could find her best focus on the important points, while the Serb melted fast once those two more set points were gone. The fourth match point, the first in the tiebreak, was the final one, gifted by the Serb with a backhand error, which cost her the match and gave to Kerber the first title of year.

Originally posted on the sports gazette

Moser controversial withdrawal gives Kerber new chances for Master

Austrian Wild Card Lisa-Maria Moser withdrew today from Linz main draw, leaving space for a last minute entry of German Angelique Kerber, world n°9.

Nothing strange, one might think, such changes happen very often, especially at the end of the season. But this time the situation is very different and this last minute change looks far more complicated and not as clear as it should be.
The young Austrian had her breakthrough earlier this summer, when in another WTA International in Bad Gastein reached the Quarter Finals by defeating en route world number 30 and top seed German Mona Barthel. Ever since her ranking kept rising, but as the cut off for Linz was out, it still wasn't enough to make it to the Qualifying draw.
Once Petra Kvitova withdrew from the entry list, because of her deep run in Beijing, the Austrian federation gave a WC to Moser, who moved to Linz and no longer than yesterday was drawn to face Swiss Stephanie Voegele in the first round.

Overnight something happened though, it's not very clear when exactly, but the team of German Angelique Kerber requested a WC for the tournament, as the withdrawal of Kvitova left a spot for another top 10 in the draw -we shall remind that International events are allowed to have only one top tenner. This WC appeared as very needed for Kerber, who needs to score as many points possible in the next weeks, as she's fighting with Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki for a spot in the year ending Master, soon happening in Istanbul.
Apparently the request of WC for the German came too late as the draw was already out, but then, unexpectedly, this morning Lisa-Maria handed in her request of withdrawal from the singles maindraw for "personal reasons" and immediately afterwards she appeared on the entry list for doubles partnering with another Austrian WC, Nicole Rottmann. At this point it won't surprise anyone to find out that her WC went straight to the German and all the seeding of the draw changed.

Another interesting detail about this unusual situation is added by the fact that rules allow the players who finished the previous year within the top 10 to play only two international events and Kerber this year played Monterrey and Washington already.
A quibble though gave Kerber another shot to an additional international event, because Washington was played during the same week of Carlsbad, a premier tournament that Kerber couldn't play because it had reached the limit of top 10 players allowed there. This situation, according to the rules of WTA, allows the "damaged" player to enter an additional international event and so Kerber had her right to get it.

Nonetheless, it still seems questionable that a player -like Moser this time- can be "suggested" to withdraw and let another player compete on her place simply because of a bigger fame and better ranking.

Originally posted on the new project I am working on, the Sports Gazette

Djoko spoils the British Party; Azarenka makes it 6 in Linz

Picture from Ubitennis.com

It needed probably the most amazing Djokovic of the season to beat Andy Murray and so it was in Shanghai's final, probably the best final from this year's Master 1000.
The first set was played below the expectations with both players serving avaragely bad, but in the end it was Murray to find the right pace first and take the first set 7-5.
The second set started with a more common plot for male tennis, with both of them holding their serve with no problems until the 7th game, when Murray again could raise his game first and with a couple of outstanding shots broke the Serbian serve and went up fast 5-3 with a compfortable hold.
The wind seemed to be beneath the British's wings, while Djokovic looked rather annoyed by his own inability to substain the rally with Murray.
Called to serve to stay into the match Nole found new energies and his game seemed just to follow.
From that moment on every point was simply amazing, both players fought so hard and tried every weapon of theirs to outlast the rival.
Nole held and then it was all on Murray's shoulder, he would go up in the score and even had Match Points, but everytime the situation looked desperate, Nole had an amazing solution to it and after having a few Match Point saved, at the first chance he broke back.
All tie again.
The momentum seemed to slowly change in favor of the Serbian when he held in the following game to go 6-5 up, but Murray didn't let that happen and with a solid hold pushed the set to the tie-break.

dailymail.co.uk

If you missed it, make sure you can find a way to watch this tiebreak, as it was one of the most intense tennis moment of the whole season. Murray started slow and found himself trailing of a mini-break immidiatly, but before the courtchange it was all tie again. Djokovic seemed to be a little too worried of Andy's return and tried to ask more to his serve, but it ended up not as expected and Murray in a eye-blink was 6-4 up.
But with all his corague and talent Nole found again a way out of this and got back to track. Both didn't want to let the other winning and tried everything in their hands, but last it was Djokovic to take advantage of a slightly too passive Murray, closing the 2nd set tie for 13 to 11.
The third set was less close than the score suggests, as Murray looked very frustrated, while Nole knew he had just to go with the flow, if that can ever be said about such a high-quality match. The Serbian found back his serve and didn't give any chance to the Scottish break him, while he could take two breaks away from Andy to close the match 5-7 7-6(11) 6-3.

Azarenka too good for Goerges

As predicted the title of this year's WTA tournament in Linz has gone to Vika's palmares and in straight sets too, but what was surely unexpected was the way she had to go in order to hold the trophy.
Vika started very solid and in a very few moments found herself up of a break serving on 2-1 for her. Goerges tried to produce her game, by hitting hard and trying to move around Azarenka, but Victoria looked too solid from the baseline and wouldn't lose any step from the court, no matter how hard Julia was hitting.
Two breaks decided the first set giving it to the world number one for 6-3.
Azarenka then really pushed on the throttle and outhit the German number 2 giving her no way out until she got a 5-0 lead.
Goerges knew she had to do something more to avoid the bagel and down of a Match Point on her own serve could find the heart to go more for her shots and with a sudden and unexpected reaction shocked the world number one and step by step, winner by winner she made a thounderous comeback. She had to save 4 match points on her way back, but after twenty minutes of an unbelievable tennis Goerges was serving to stay in the match, this time with no breaks of advantage for the world number 1. Had she hold, they would have been tie again, but maybe the huge effort it took her to comeback, maybe a little insecurity in the wrong moment or more likely a new assoult of the world number 1, made her arm tremble and at the 5th Match Point Azarenka could secure her first title in Linz, the 6th of the season.
Now Vika will rest up a little after the amazing Fall she had, in order to consolidate her number one status in the Year End Championships of Istanbul.

 

WTA Linz: Semifinals' day

Julia Goerges def. Kristen Flipkens 1-6 6-2 6-3

German 5th seed here in Linz had a tough time reaching her first final in the Indoor Tournament of Linz and could make it only by raising her game when it was most needed.
The two players reached the semifinal in a really different fashion, as the Belgian had to get through the qualifications and stun the former world number 1 Ivanovic, while Goerges pretty much had no troubles so far, if you don't consider her opening round against Hantuchova - still closed in straights-.
Flipkens, who seems to be finally on her way back after the unlucky season of injuries, started well confusing Goerges by mixing up flat shots from her forehand and tricky backs out of Backhand. Goerges tried to outhit the Belgian by taking risks with her big forehand, but Flipkens would defend well and fast turn defence into offence.

Picture from wtatennis.com

The German got annoyed by the costant pressure of Flipkens and started to gift points by committing way too many Unforced errors and by letting her level of serve going down as much as only half of her first serve would get in (57%) and the Belgian seemed always ready to get the initiative and hit several winning returns of service mostly from the advantage side.
Everything looked so easy on the belgian side of the net, as Flipkens didn't face a single Break Point in the whole first set, taking it home with a convincing 6-1.
The court change between the first two sets seemed to have done miracles to Goerges, who looked more confident and finally started to figure out her opponent and immediatly took a break from Flipkens and hold in the very next game saving a crucial breakpoint. From that moment on the set was never on troubles for the German girl who won it for 6 games to 2.
The key of this turn-aroud was the new patience Julia showed suddenly and quite unexpectedly from the very first points of the second set: if she just bashed the balls to finish the rally fast in the first set, she showed a better security in her weapons and moved Kristen around the court before finishing with her famous huge shots.
The third set took the same path of the one before and even if the score looks slightly closer in terms of game it never was and Julia sailed to her second final of the year after the one lost in Dubai against Agnieska Radwanska.

Victoria Azarenka def. Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2 6-1

Another walk in the park, someone would say just basing his thoughts on the score and, well, he wouldn't be really far from reality, even though the first set was slightly closer then it seems.
Azarenka started very well on return by breaking the Romanian to love, still Irina seemed to be ready for that a by playing her solid game broke back. The costant of the match was given by an attacking Azarenka and a more attendist Begu, who waited for the right chances to be more aggressive and close the point after having moved Azarenka offcourt, mostly with her crosscourt backhand. Sadly for Begu and the show, Azarenka didn't let many of those chances happen and Irina had to run a lot to defend all the power hitting from the Belarussian.
On 1-1 Azarenka broke again with ease and then hold a crucial game, since it set definitely the distance between the two. Begu realised she couldn't just wait for a short ball from Azarenka as that almost never happened and tried to be more aggressive, but ended up overhitting most of the times as Azarenka's defence and movements are among the best on the tour at the moment and Begu hasn't the stability in her shots it takes to go for winners' attempts more than once each rally. The romanian's class let her win some really awesome points, but it wasn't enough against today's Azarenka, who took the first set 6-2.
The second set started with an even more powerful start from Azarenka, which completely let Begu down: after a couple of games in which the Romanian still tried to build her game, she kind of waved white flag and let Azarenka dictate every point until the very end of the match. 6-2 6-1.

Picture from wtatennis.com

A little preview for Tomorrow's final

It won't take a magician to understand that the world number 1 is the clear favourite in the final, which will take place tomorrow at 2pm CET. Everything seems to be on Azarenka's side, she's far ranked higher on the ranking, she comes from US Open final and Beijing's title, she hasn't dropped more than 4 games to her opponents so far and leads the Head to Head for 3-1 (the only defeat comes from a retirement when a set up!), but she surely would need to keep her focus up as she is likely to be first time this week challenged on that indoor surface and Goerges has proved to be very dangerous if you let her play her big forehand and, on this surfaces, he backhand looks less of a feebleness than it may be outdoors.

My WTA Linz review from day 4

Linz, October 11th 2012

Irina-Camelia Begu def Kiki Bertens 6-4 7-6 (7)

We arrived in the hall that the match had already started, but it was still all tight up. 3-2 for Begu with no breaks and for a couple of games more none of the two girls dropped the serve. The quality in all honesty wasn't the one you would expect, mostly the dutch lady didn't come up with my expectations, showing nothing special in her game.
Begu somehow broke and took the first set being slightly more consistent than her opponent, still playing very far from her best days.
The second set was quite a mess, Camelia broke early and seemed quite in control, while Bertens started to misshit a lot of easy balls. Still the romanian couldn't really take advantage of that being very negative on court, arguing with her coach and the umpire - who was one of the worst I've ever seen, she couldn't call the right score twice in a row-.
Bertens changed her game around half of the second set taking advantege of the really uninspired FH of Begu, the dutch would indeed use her slice more and added topspit to her CC forehand. On those short slices Irina always rushed to the net, but her FH wasn't deep and fast enough, so Bertens could easily pass her. That new strategy and famous Irina's mental strengh let Kiki come back when the romanina served for the match on 5-4, but couldn't keep up her moment being forced to the tie-break.
In one of the opening points of the tiebreak Bertens hit an ace, the umpire called the score, but then called a net touch and made replay the point. Kiki went mad and her on court talking grew as much as her game let her down.
On the other side of the net Begu showed all her fears for tiebreaks and wasted 3 MPs (one of them by not closing a very easy FH from middle court) and was forced to save a SP from the dutch, funny enough saved with a stunning FH down the line that painted the line, Bertens tried to argue, but it was clearly on the line, the next point was messy but somehow Begu made it, Bertens after several attempts contained smashed her racket and this mess was over.

PS: Begu's mum was probably the best fact of the match :sobbing: she would move left and right with her whole body during every shot in the tiebreak joining her hands as if praying on every ball hit by her daughter. When Begu saved the set point from with that FH DTL she stared at bertens and shaked her hand with a meaningful "NO-NO-No" that cracked me up :lol: a true boss

Victoria Azarenka def Simona Halep 6-1 6-1

what to say about that match? Nothing, but a training session for Azarenka. Halep plays exactly the same game as Victoria, maybe she moves better, but her ball is far too light for the world number one, who would just move the game around and close with winners. Halep looked a little too thin, to be honest, but being back on the topic, she really fought with all herself and made some great points by counterpunching, using Victoria's power to hit winners, even though she often made errors out of that. Point of the match: in the first games of the second set Azarenka hit a great FH cross court and rushed to the net, Simona very far from the court hit a terrific sliced CC with forehand passing the world n°1.

Petra Martic def. Patricia Mayr 6-2 3-6 6-0

easily the best quality match of the day, really funny to watch with great rallies and all the crowd being behind Patricia without ever being rude to Petra. Great for the sport, really.
But to be back on facts, Patricia looked very nervouse out there and didn't hit a single serve in on the advantage side during the practice. I wasn't really surprised that she got broken to love in the very first set and was fast down 30-0 in the second. Martic didn't do much until that moment, so she got quite surprised by the comeback of Patricia who broke back, but again failed to hold. This time Martic didn't let the austrian getting back and secured her break, Patricia started to figure out her opponent and to find a better depth with her Backhand - that is far from being a bad shot, she has a great confidence on it and hits with a terrific anticipation, that makes it very tricky even when it is not that fast.
Martic closed the set, but everything suggested that Mayr wouldn't give up and so it was. The second set was really amazing to watch, Mayr played a really smart tennis, being aggressive when needed and fast went 5-1, some tension and a few bad mistakes costed her the game, but could close the set on the second attempt to serve out.
Probably the effort to take the set and maybe her shape far from her best days took their toll and she looked very tired in the 3rd. Martic hold easily in the first game and Patricia started to give up her hopes when she served badly in her first service game of the 3rd. From that moment on Martic sailed to her win by 6-0.
Mayr has always been hardly criticized over this bord, but from what I saw on court, she's a very nice game and with a better phisical preparation she would be again a very solid top 100 player. As for Martic, I know that she's coming from an injury, but her BH is not a shot worth of her ranking and if she cannot fix it she won't go far as her slice isn't anything but avarage.