Cornet, Garcia, G-Lo, Hot Sauce Win WTA/ATP Titles

Cornet Tops Radwanska, Giorgi for WTA Katowice Championship
ADHEREL
It was brushed off as a fluke by many when Alize Cornet defeated world No. 1 Serena Williams earlier in the year at Dubai, but the Frenchwoman is proving herself a force in 2014. On Sunday she captured the title at the BNP Paribas Katowice Open in Poland, in the championship defeating first-time finalist Camila Giorgi 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-5.

The fighting Giorgi came from a break down to win the second set, and a break down in the third to see a match point for herself on Cornet’s serve, but the Italian could not close it out.

“What a match,” Cornet. “It was definitely a huge fight, which is what I expected, and I had to save a match point to win the title, so it feels very special. I gave everything I had.” Cornet in the semis upended top seed Aggie Radwanksa, her second win over a Top 4 player in the last two months.

Frenchwoman Garcia Wins 1st Singles, Doubles Titles at Bogota

Caroline Garcia got her first Top 10 win, her first career singles title, and won the doubles title over the weekend at the Claro Open Colsanitas in Bogota.

Garcia in the singles final toppled No. 1 seed Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-4, ending an 0-6 career record against Top 10 players. Garcia had lost both her previous meetings with Jankovic despite holding match points in both encounters.

The Frenchwoman teamed with Lara Arruabarrena on Saturday to capture the doubles title, becoming the first player in nearly two years to win both the singles and doubles at the same event, the first time since Serena Williams at the last Olympics.

G-Lo Captures ATP Casablanca Title

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez became the fourth straight Spanish champion at the Grand Prix Hassan II on Sunday, in the final defeating countryman Marcel Granollers 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

With the win G-Lo joined recent Spanish Casablanca champions Tommy Robredo (2013), Pablo Andujar (2011-12) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (2009). Granollers in the final set broke to go up early but could not hold on as G-Lo won six of the last seven games.

G-Lo is the fourth player 30 years or older to win a title this year, and will move back into the Top 40 for the first time in three years.

Hot Sauce Ends Finals Losing Streak in Houston

Spaniard Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco ended an 0-6 streak in ATP finals to capture the title on Sunday at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, beating fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 7-6(4) for his first title in four years.

“It’s a very important day for me to win a tournament after a few years, and after the injury in my knee the last couple years, not feeling so well and not being able to play a few matches in a row feeling well,” the Spaniard said. “I’m so happy for everything in general.”

It was the fourth career title on clay for Verdasco, who improved to 6-13 in career finals. Almagro extended a losing streak in finals of his own, dropping his fourth straight final and falling to 12-9 career in finals. He repeated his runner-up effort of 2013 when he lost to John Isner in the Houston final.