Del Potro, Streaking Errani Among ATP/WTA Winners; Weekend Wrap

by Staff | May 6th, 2012, 10:05 pm
  • 21 Comments

Errani Streaks with Clothes On for WTA Budapest Title

Italian Sara Errani extended her claycourt streak to 15 wins on Sunday, topping Russian Elena Vesnina 7-5, 6-4 for the Budapest Grand Prix title. It was the third title in a row for Errani.
ADHEREL
“Elena was playing very strong today — my congratulations to her for that,” said Errani, who trailed 5-3 in the first set. “I had to run a lot and fight hard to keep up with her today.”

She is the first player to win three straight WTA titles on clay since Nadia Petrova won Amelia Island, Charleston and Berlin in 2006. Vesnina dropped to 0-6 in career finals.

Kanepi Performs Heimlich on Choking Suarez Navarro for Estoril Title

No. 6 seed Kaia Kanepi topped unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 in the Estoril Open final after returning to the tour from shoulder surgery.


Suarez Navarro led a set and 5-3, then blew two match points in the tiebreak, then in the third led 4-2 before running out of chances. “I’ve won a few matches from match points down but I’ve never won a final like this,” Kanepi said. “I’ll remember this final in a good way for a long time.”

Suarez Navarro fell to 0-3 in WTA finals. “I was a point away, but Kaia played really well and credit to her for the way she recovered,” the Spaniard said. “It was a good week for me and I’m motivated to keep working and getting better. I like clay a lot. I’m looking forward to Madrid.”

Del Potro Defends ATP Estoril Title

Top-seed Juan Martin del Potro successfully defended his Estoril Open title on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-2 win over No. 2 seed Richard Gasquet.

Delpo joined Spaniard Albert Montanes (2009-10) and former No. 1 Thomas Muster (1995-96) as back-to-back winners in Estoril. “I felt it was my best match of the week,” said the 23-year-old del Potro. “I play really aggressive all the time and I felt really confident on my forehand.”

Del Potro held serve 33 of 35 service games during the week. The Frenchman Gasquet dropped to 6-9 in career finals.

Second Munich Title on Home Turf for Kohlschreiber

No. 4 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Marin Cilic 7-6(8), 6-3 on Sunday for the BMW Open title in Munich, his second career Munich title.

“I think we had a tight and great first set,” said Kohlschreiber, who saved seven of eight break points. “Maybe that was the key to the whole match. I had a good start in the second set, making a break and I held it until the end.”

Kohlschreiber improved to 4-2 in career finals, and followed his 2007 title in Munich. It was the second runner-up effort for Cilic in the last three years in Munich, and the Croat fell to 6-7 in career finals.

Seppi Grows a Paire to Capture ATP Belgrade Crown

No. 2 seed Andreas Seppi overwhelmed first-time tour finalist Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-2 at the Serbia Open 2012 to claim the Belgrade crown.

“I think my play was really solid this week,” said Seppi, who improved to 2-1 in career finals. Paire found his first tournament final anything but easy. “I was stressed and tired today,” Paire said. “It’s disappointing that I couldn’t win any easy games with my serve after leading 3-1 in the first set.”

Seppi is now 7-2 for the 2012 claycourt season, raising a trophy for the first time since the grasscourt season last year at Eastbourne.


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21 Comments for Del Potro, Streaking Errani Among ATP/WTA Winners; Weekend Wrap

Humble Rafa Says:

Minions and midgets move aside. He will appear this week. Tennis will be played the way it was meant to be played.

The One family will apparently bless the planet by re-appearing. King The Arrogant One and Queen The Fat One will surprise us with their presence on the Navy Blue tennis courts.

Once in a life time……


Michael Says:

Congratulations to Del Potro on his Estoril win. For sure, he will be the dark horse at Rolland Garros and US Open.


jane Says:

Witty subtitles staff. :)


alison hodge Says:

Nice one Jane never thought of that lol.


RZ Says:

Hey Humble Rafa, I like your humor but don’t go calling a mother of twins fat. That’s not cool.


Dave Says:

I’ve sat directly behind Mirka during a Federer match and have seen her very close — she doesn’t deserve to be labelled “fat” by a nitpicker who hasn’t seen her in person.


Steve 27 Says:

Gasquet has a beautiful technique, backhand but his brain is his worst enemy. I think he has another interest besides of tennis to perform so poorly year after year. Yes he is actually a top 20, he was top 10, he reaches Wimbledon semifinals 2007 and reach ATP World Tour finals that year, but 5 years after, his talent is practically wasted and seem he didn’t care a lot. So, he is a similar case like Mecir, Rios and another talents but mentally lazy. Its a shame.


grendel Says:

steve 27

I loved watching Mecir. He had a “lazy” way of striking the ball which you see in some cricketers, David Gower comes to mind. Timing is all.When I first saw Murray, he seemed to me to be his natural successor, but I’ve dropped that thought now. Tomic, on the other hand, does seem very much in his mould.

On the business of underachievement, of course it is always sad in a way. On the other hand, it takes all sorts. Not everyone can have the ferocious competitive focus of a Nadal, a Federer, a Djokovic. You wonder, in a way. Suppose every player was able to bring out the very best in himself time and time again. Then, instead of having the top 3 or 4 or 5 battling it out against each other, you’d have the top 20 or so vying realistically for the highest honours.

In some mysterious way, this doesn’t seem possible. Spectators couldn’t easily cope with it, in the sense that emotion would be too thinly spread. It’s a very curious thing, but it is as if some unconscious organizing principle of nature so arranges matters that we have just about the right number of people competing at the very summit of the game.


alison hodge Says:

Dave i agree Mirka does not deserve to be labled fat,shes beautiful with womanly curves,a woman doesnt have to look like a stick insect to be actractive.


Steve 27 Says:

grendel

I wonder if most of the players out in fear in the sporting sense, to face Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, including Murray, and leave defeated before facing them, beyond their usual speech: I’m going out to win, when their attitudes on the court far to be as positive as possible and their performances are below normal. when there is a chance and is not exploited, collapse like a casino playing cards, and in his psyche, the damage gradually becomes so great that it appears the discouragement, helplessness, and desire to keep fighting with this kind of players fade, making it a career acceptable but below what at first was suspected to be a able career.


steve-o Says:

I have come to the conclusion that Tomic most resembles a platypus. He’s flat-footed, slow-moving on land, and his game is neither flesh, nor fish, nor fowl.


grendel Says:

steve 27 – absolutely. I think it was Peter Fleming who once remarked that in some matches, both players understand perfectly well who is going to win. So in a sense, they are really just going through the motions when they play their match. Although, in another sense, that isn’t quite true, since the losing player likes to feel he has at least put on a decent show.

The way you put it is rather interesting. It is as if each player is manouevring to find his place in the pecking order. It takes time, of course, to find this “alloted” spot.

steve-o

there is much to be said for the platypus. I first came across this eccentric looking beast at the time of the Prague Spring. The ill-fated Czechoslovakian leader, Alexander Dubcek, was a dear and gentle man with a prominent hooter which led some to compare him to the platypus.

I think your comparison of Tomic to the platypus is rather inspired. His movement is as you describe – and yet it is deceptive. It is remarkable how often he finds himself in just the right spot to execute his silken deliveries.


Dan Martin Says:

http://tennisabides.com/2012/05/07/power-ranking-for-the-week-of-may-7-may-13/ My power ranking for the week not a ton of changes, but Madrid looms.


Michael Says:

Grendel,

About Miloslav Mecir and thanks for bringing it for discussion. He was a master of disguise and particularly his double handed back hand was a novelty and a treat to watch. He was nicknamed the Big Cat due to his excellent court coverage. I have seen many of his matches where his opponents would always end up chasing the ball on the wrong side. Such was his disguised touch and elegance which remains unparalleled till this day. It is a shocker that a player with such versatility and calibre has not even managed to reach the quarter final of a major and his only achievement of some significance is the bronze medal at Olympics. This goes to prove that in Tennis it is not enough that you are a very good player, you need something more than that and what you call that other than that four letter word “LUCK”.


Michael Says:

I am sorry for the comment that Miloslav Mecir did not reach even the quarter final of a major which was a slip of the tongue. He did infact manage to reach the finals of Australian Open and US Open and also the semi-final stage of the other two majors. But he didn’t manage to win one.


grendel Says:

Michael – yes the Big Cat label, due to his “excellent court coverage” was apt. But Mecir wasn’t what you’d call a sharp athlete, so again the comparison with Tomic suggests itself. A big player, not notably fast, who seems somehow to be everywhere. A platypus with cat like properties?

Looking forward to Raonic/Nalbandian.


Dave Says:

alison: I agree with your views on female beauty. And since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the only individual beauty that really matters is what that person thinks of herself, not what others think of her. I’ve met and seen reigning Miss Universe, Miss Universe contestants and models up close, and it’s all so overrated.

Of course, none of this changes the statistically-valid fact that I am the most beautiful and interesting man in the world :)


Michael Says:

Grendel,

Mecir is a kind of player who will always pretend disinterested with the game and his physical fitness somewhat like what Novak does. But more often than not, he will rise to the occasion. But I tend to agree with you, he was not a sharp athelete like say Nadal or even Monfils.


alison hodge Says:

Dave thanks for that nice reply,LMAO and ill take your word for it on the last line of your post.


Dave Says:

Alison, you’re welcome.
Humble Dave


alison hodge Says:

Dave LMAO 1st we had humble Rafa,and now humble Dave,hmm maybe you should change your name?

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