Venus tops Keys in Zhuhai opener
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Top seed Venus Williams opened the inaugural WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province, with a tight three-sets win over fellow American Madison Keys yesterday.
The seven-time grand slam winner came from a set down to win 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1 as she seeks to end her season with a 48th career title.
The Elite Trophy, which follows last week’s WTA Finals in Singapore for the top eight women, is a new event featuring the players ranked nine-20.
The initial draw selected four pots of three players also including Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Jelena Jankovic who will compete for the US$2.5 million purse.
Williams, aged 35 and ranked 11th in the world, is enjoying an Indian summer in her career exemplified by her victory at last month’s Wuhan Open.
Later, Serbian former world No. 1 Jankovic also got off to a winning start when she beat Italy’s Sara Errani 6-4, 7-5.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal confirmed yesterday that he has erased all personal doubts concerning his form and never once considered missing the forthcoming World Tour Finals in London.
Nadal cleared the air at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris two days after playing the Basel final, where he lost to Roger Federer, the second final in three events for the Spaniard who has driven his ranking back up to sixth through sheer hard work and determination..
“I always believed that I was going to be in the top eight at the end of the season,” said the seventh seed. “I’m humble enough to say, ‘If I keep playing bad, it’s probably going to be trouble’, but I had the feeling in some moments that I was going to play better.
“I always thought that I was going to qualify, but a few months ago I was not enjoying (my tennis).”
The 14-time grand slam winner has fought his way out of a slump which lasted for well into the second half of the season, coming good with finals in Beijing and Basel and a semi-final in Shanghai over the past month.
But the return of the good times was not easy: “I was not enjoying (being) on court and not feeling myself competitive. The story now is different, I’m enjoying (being) on court,” he explained.
On court in the second round at the final event of the regular ATP season, Nadal’s compatriot David Ferrer won his opening match over Alexandr Dolgopolov of the Ukraine 6-2, 6-2.
Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin thrilled a small home crowd on a secondary court in the first round by beating service king Ivo Karlovic 4-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5).
Karlovic threw down 29 aces and 56 winners on his way to defeat in almost two-and-a quarter hours.
Top seed Novak Djokovic was later putting a 10-match tournament win streak on the line as he opened against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci.
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