Chinese Shuai in 1st Final v Vaidisova at Strasbourg
Posted on May 27, 2006The Chinese movement rolled on Friday at the WTA claycourt stop in Strasbourg where unseeded Peng Shuai outlasted defending champ and No. 4 seed Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to gain her first WTA Tour final.
"Very difficult conditions today," Peng said of the wind. "She was giving me high balls to my backhand in the second set and I didn't like it at all, so I thought, 'I will give her the same,' and that's what the difference was for me in the third."
Medina Garrigues had her eight-match winning streak in Strasbourg broken.
"It was a very tough match and she just played better than me," Medina Garrigues said. "Especially in the second set, I had a hard time returning her balls. I'm disappointed not to be able to defend my title, but I'm happy with my week here. Going into Roland Garros, I feel I'm very well prepared."
Last year Peng recorded three Top 10 wins, rising to No. 31 in the world.
"I have been in the semis of Tier I and Tier II events but this is my first final," Peng said. "I am very tired but very happy."
In the final Peng will face No. 2-seeded Czech teen Nicole Vaidisova, who advanced to the championship match when No. 8-seeded Jelena Jankovic retired in the second set citing dizziness.
"I don't know what happened, I was just not feeling well," Jankovic said. "I was dizzy and felt I couldn't go on. I'm disappointed that I had to retire from the tournament as I was doing well. Now I will just rest and recover hopefully in time for my first match at Roland Garros."
It will be the first tour-level meeting between the 17-year-old Vaidisova and Peng.
In the doubles final, top seeds Liezel Huber and Martina Navratilova will face No. 3 seeds Martina Muller and Andreea Vanc.
"Very difficult conditions today," Peng said of the wind. "She was giving me high balls to my backhand in the second set and I didn't like it at all, so I thought, 'I will give her the same,' and that's what the difference was for me in the third."
Medina Garrigues had her eight-match winning streak in Strasbourg broken.
"It was a very tough match and she just played better than me," Medina Garrigues said. "Especially in the second set, I had a hard time returning her balls. I'm disappointed not to be able to defend my title, but I'm happy with my week here. Going into Roland Garros, I feel I'm very well prepared."
Last year Peng recorded three Top 10 wins, rising to No. 31 in the world.
"I have been in the semis of Tier I and Tier II events but this is my first final," Peng said. "I am very tired but very happy."
In the final Peng will face No. 2-seeded Czech teen Nicole Vaidisova, who advanced to the championship match when No. 8-seeded Jelena Jankovic retired in the second set citing dizziness.
"I don't know what happened, I was just not feeling well," Jankovic said. "I was dizzy and felt I couldn't go on. I'm disappointed that I had to retire from the tournament as I was doing well. Now I will just rest and recover hopefully in time for my first match at Roland Garros."
It will be the first tour-level meeting between the 17-year-old Vaidisova and Peng.
In the doubles final, top seeds Liezel Huber and Martina Navratilova will face No. 3 seeds Martina Muller and Andreea Vanc.