Dulgheru tops Zheng in final to gear up for French Open
Source: Agencies |
May 23, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
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ROMANIA'S Alexandra Dulgheru got the perfect tonic for the French Open that starts at Roland Garros today with 6-3, 6-4 triumph over China's Zheng Jie in the Warsaw Open final.
The fifth-seeded Zheng, who beat Greta Arn of Hungary 6-4, 7-5 in the semifinal, struggled with her serve throughout yesterday, allowing the unseeded Romanian to defend her claycourt title in the Polish capital.
Dulgheru had ousted Zheng's compatriot third seed Li Na 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the semifinal.
In Strasbourg, France, Maria Sharapova beat Kristina Barrois of Germany 7-5, 6-1 in the Strasbourg International final yesterday to win her 22nd title.
The top-seeded Russian trailed 3-5 in the first set before winning seven straight games.
Sharapova, who is looking to get back to her best after recovering from a right elbow injury, broke twice in the first set and dropped serve once.
The Russian broke the unseeded German twice more in the second set, closing out the match with a backhand winner.
Barrois was playing her first final on the WTA Tour.
Both players will head to Paris for the French Open today.
In Nice, France, local favorite Richard Gasquet won the Open de Nice when he upset Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5) in the final on clay yesterday.
The unseeded Gasquet was trailing 0-3 in the decider but fought back to win 7-5 in the tiebreak.
Both head to play in the French Open, with Gasquet facing Briton Andy Murray in the first round.
French Open officials, meanwhile, are considering a move outside Paris for the claycourt grand slam tournament in 2016.
French tennis federation general director Gilbert Ysern told a news conference yesterday that relocating the event from Roland Garros is being considered because it needs more space to stay competitive with the three other grand slam tournaments.
Three options are being examined, including one next to Versailles castle. A decision could be made next year.
The French Open has been at Roland Garros since 1928 and the federation has a contract there until 2015.
Defending champion Roger Federer and four-time winner Justine Henin have said they would prefer the event to stay put.
Serena and Venus Williams are the French Open's two top-seeded women, and if it seems like it's been a while since that was the case at a grand slam tournament, that's because it has.
This is the first time the American sisters are seeded 1-2 at a major championship since the Australian Open in January 2003.
Plenty has transpired in their lives during the intervening years. Each Williams has dealt with injuries, absences from the tour and drops in the rankings, as well as the far-more-serious matter of the shooting death of their half-sister Yetunde Price in September 2003.
Yet Venus and Serena keep returning to the heights of their sport.
"You know," Serena noted, "people have said we would never be No. 1 and No. 2 in the world again. You look, I don't know, 10 years later and ... we're still doing the best."
At Roland Garros today, second-ranked Venus will play former top-10 player Patty Schnyder of Switzerland to start a bid for her eighth grand slam singles championship.
Among active women, only top-ranked Serena, with 12, owns more major trophies than her older sister.
"We feel like we deserve to be here," Serena said. "We've worked so hard for so many years, and, you know, ups and downs, and, you know, all kinds of problems and everything. And to be back is cool."
Having won this season's Australian Open, Serena will be trying to become the first woman since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to get halfway to a calendar-year grand slam. She also aims to win the French Open for the second time; Serena beat Venus in the 2002 final at Roland Garros.
The fifth-seeded Zheng, who beat Greta Arn of Hungary 6-4, 7-5 in the semifinal, struggled with her serve throughout yesterday, allowing the unseeded Romanian to defend her claycourt title in the Polish capital.
Dulgheru had ousted Zheng's compatriot third seed Li Na 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the semifinal.
In Strasbourg, France, Maria Sharapova beat Kristina Barrois of Germany 7-5, 6-1 in the Strasbourg International final yesterday to win her 22nd title.
The top-seeded Russian trailed 3-5 in the first set before winning seven straight games.
Sharapova, who is looking to get back to her best after recovering from a right elbow injury, broke twice in the first set and dropped serve once.
The Russian broke the unseeded German twice more in the second set, closing out the match with a backhand winner.
Barrois was playing her first final on the WTA Tour.
Both players will head to Paris for the French Open today.
In Nice, France, local favorite Richard Gasquet won the Open de Nice when he upset Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5) in the final on clay yesterday.
The unseeded Gasquet was trailing 0-3 in the decider but fought back to win 7-5 in the tiebreak.
Both head to play in the French Open, with Gasquet facing Briton Andy Murray in the first round.
French Open officials, meanwhile, are considering a move outside Paris for the claycourt grand slam tournament in 2016.
French tennis federation general director Gilbert Ysern told a news conference yesterday that relocating the event from Roland Garros is being considered because it needs more space to stay competitive with the three other grand slam tournaments.
Three options are being examined, including one next to Versailles castle. A decision could be made next year.
The French Open has been at Roland Garros since 1928 and the federation has a contract there until 2015.
Defending champion Roger Federer and four-time winner Justine Henin have said they would prefer the event to stay put.
Serena and Venus Williams are the French Open's two top-seeded women, and if it seems like it's been a while since that was the case at a grand slam tournament, that's because it has.
This is the first time the American sisters are seeded 1-2 at a major championship since the Australian Open in January 2003.
Plenty has transpired in their lives during the intervening years. Each Williams has dealt with injuries, absences from the tour and drops in the rankings, as well as the far-more-serious matter of the shooting death of their half-sister Yetunde Price in September 2003.
Yet Venus and Serena keep returning to the heights of their sport.
"You know," Serena noted, "people have said we would never be No. 1 and No. 2 in the world again. You look, I don't know, 10 years later and ... we're still doing the best."
At Roland Garros today, second-ranked Venus will play former top-10 player Patty Schnyder of Switzerland to start a bid for her eighth grand slam singles championship.
Among active women, only top-ranked Serena, with 12, owns more major trophies than her older sister.
"We feel like we deserve to be here," Serena said. "We've worked so hard for so many years, and, you know, ups and downs, and, you know, all kinds of problems and everything. And to be back is cool."
Having won this season's Australian Open, Serena will be trying to become the first woman since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to get halfway to a calendar-year grand slam. She also aims to win the French Open for the second time; Serena beat Venus in the 2002 final at Roland Garros.
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