2013/05/26

Errani and Vinci Seal Top WTA Doubles Spot for 2012

(L-R) WTA Chairman & CEO Stacey Allaster, world No.1 ranked Victoria Azarenka and Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications at Dubai Duty Free Salah Tahlak, with the year-end singles No.1 trophy at the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships – Istanbul. (Photo courtesy of the WTA by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

(October 27, 2012) Italy’s Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani have clinched the top doubles spot on the WTA tour for 2012 and will be ranked No.1 and No.2  in the final 2012 ranking.

The trophies were presented to the team, during an on-court presentation at the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships-Istanbul.

“We have had an amazing year so we are very happy for that,” said Sara Errani. Her partner, Roberta Vinci, agreed: “It has been a good season for us and to finish No.1 is so great. We didn’t win the match today but overall we have played so well this year. We are so happy to be the first Italian pair to finish as No.1 and we are looking forward to next season.”

 

“We congratulate Sara and Roberta for their wonderful year and finishing as the top-ranked WTA doubles team,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA. “The doubles game has never been more exciting, and Sara and Roberta have reached the top through fantastic and memorable play throughout the year.”

Vinci and Errani won eight titles in 2012, highlighted by winning at both Roland Garros and the US Open, and finishing as runner-up at the Australian Open. They won 25-consecutive matches, recording the longest doubles win streak since 1994 en route to winning five consecutive titles – Barcelona Ladies Open, Mutua Madrid Open, Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome), Roland Garros and UNICEF Open (‘s-Hertogenbosch). As a result of their success, they are the top-seeded doubles team at the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships – Istanbul.

 

After first becoming a team in 2010, Errani and Vinci have won a total of 13 doubles titles.

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Kerber Qualifies for WTA Champions with Win Over Wozniacki at China Open

By Abigail Hinto

BEIJING, China – As Angelique Kerber officially qualified on Thursday for the first time in her career for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships-Istanbul, she notches her 59th win of the season to reach the quarterfinals of the China Open with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 over Caroline Wozniacki. Even as Wozniacki steadied her game after a lopsided first set (she had 3 winners and 10 unforced errors in the first set compared to 8 winners and 3 unforced errors in the second set), it just didn’t seem it would be enough to defeat a more confident Kerber who attacked more and defended better. Kerber’s defense off her backhand side was especially impressive. She never seemed to get off-balance from that side and defends with pace and precision, managing several times turn around rallies to win them. As Wozniacki tried to up her attack, she found herself facing someone like the player she was when she was on the top of her game.

Abigail Hinto is in Beijing this week covering the China Open for Tennis Panorama News. Follow her updates on twitter @TennisNewsTPN.

The match was a study in psychology. There’s Wozniacki, trying to re-find her game, more negative in her body language. From the start of the match, there’s an annoyed look in Wozniacki’s face that exudes a negative energy. Even as she wins points and games and connects with winners, she seemed expectant and ready to face defeat. When she tries to be aggressive and loses the point, she shrugs her hands towards her dad. It wasn’t until she got a second break in the second set did a “C’mon!” come out from her. And it wasn’t until she found herself locked in a battle in the third set did the old fight and cussedness come out. Contrast against a confident Kerber who fistpumps to her box after connecting on a beautiful winner, or gets angry with herself when she commits an error. The two players’ attitudes for most of the match were as much a contrast as their results are this year.

 

This was the type of match Caroline Wozniacki used to win when she was the no. 1 player in the world. A 3-set battle where she eventually wears down and frustrates her opponent with her dogged defense and comes out the winner. But on a crisis of confidence, confused with her game, against someone whose career is going the opposite direction, it’s Wozniacki who caves, goes for the riskier backhand down the line shot down match point and pushes it wide. She loses 1-6, 6-2, 4-6.

“This has been the best year of my career,” said Kerber, the first German to play the year end event since2001. “To have the opportunity to play at the WTA Championships will be an amazing way to end 2012.”

Abigail Hinto is in Beijing this week covering the China Open for Tennis Panorama News. Follow her updates on twitter @TennisNewsTPN.

 

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Radwanska Qualifies for WTA Championships

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced today that Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska has qualified for this year’s TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships, which will be staged at the Sinan Erdem Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. The WTA’s year-end finale, to be held from October 23-28, will feature the world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams, competing for the coveted title and a share of $4.9 million in prize money.

 

“Agnieszka is having the best year of her career by winning three WTA titles and earning a spot in the Wimbledon final,” said Stacey Allaster, WTA Chairman and CEO. “In addition to being an admirable and inspiring champion, Aga is an amazing ambassador for women’s tennis and it comes as no surprise that she was voted as Fan Favorite last year.”

 

Radwanska commented, “I am looking forward to returning to Istanbul for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships this year. This is a goal for every player at the start of the season and I’m so happy to have made it. The Championships is the biggest WTA event of the year and I look forward to playing against the best in the world.”

 

The 23-year-old has reached the quarterfinals or better 13 times in 19 events, highlighted by three titles – the Dubai Duty Free Championships, Sony Open Tennis (Miami), and Brussels Open. Earlier this year at Wimbledon, Radwanska became the first Polish woman since 1939 to reach the final at a Grand Slam. It was her best career Grand Slam result having previously advanced to the quarterfinals five times. Throughout her career, Radwanska has won 10 singles titles.

 

Currently ranked world No.3, Radwanska has qualified for the year-end Championships for the second consecutive year. She also competed at the event as an alternate in 2009. Radwanska joins Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams in the singles competition with the final four positions to be determined in the upcoming weeks.

 

Click on the link to hear Agnieszka’s thoughts on her season and qualifying for the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships-Istanbul: http://youtu.be/wUmM9A3Z31s

 

RACE TO THE TEB BNP PARIBAS WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS-ISTANBUL

(players/teams in bold already qualified)

SINGLES

DOUBLES
PLAYER

POINTS

 TEAM

POINTS
Victoria Azarenka (BLR)

8686

 Errani (ITA) / Vinci (ITA)

10097
Maria Sharapova (RUS)

8190

 Hlavackova (CZE) / Hradecka (CZE)

7100
Serena Williams (USA)

7900

 Huber (USA) / Raymond (USA)

7036
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)

6296

 Kirilenko (RUS) / Petrova (RUS)

4555
Petra Kvitova (CZE)

5310

 Llaogstera Vives (ESP)/ Martinez Sanchez (ESP)

3737
Angelique Kerber (GER)

5080

 Kops-Jones (USA) / Spears (USA)

3543
Sara Errani (ITA)

4820
Li Na (CHN)

4152
Samantha Stosur (AUS)

3571
Marion Bartoli (FRA)

3345
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Azarenka, Sharapova and Errani/Vinci first to qualify for TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships

NEW YORK, NY, USA – The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced today that World No.1 Victoria Azarenka, four-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova and the top doubles team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci are the first players to qualify for this year’s TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships, which will be staged at the Sinan Erdem Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. The WTA’s year-end finale, to be held from October 23-28, will feature the world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams, competing for the coveted title and a share of $4.9 million in prize money.

 

“I congratulate Victoria, Maria, Sara and Roberta on becoming the first players to secure their places at the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships-Istanbul,” said Stacey Allaster, WTA Chairman and CEO. “Maria and Victoria have had outstanding seasons with each earning Grand Slam titles, the WTA World No.1 ranking and Olympic medals, highlighted by Maria achieving her career Grand Slam. Sara and Roberta have been the stand-out doubles pair this year, winning seven titles including their first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.”

 

“We are delighted that Victoria, Maria, Sara and Roberta have qualified for the second staging of the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships-Istanbul, which launched with such great success last year in Turkey,” said Ayda Uluç, Turkish Tennis Federation President. “We are planning to raise the bar even higher at this year’s event and look forward to showcasing the talents of these extraordinary players to fans in Istanbul and around the world.”

 

Victoria Azarenka

 

“This year has been amazing for me so far, starting by winning the Australian Open, becoming WTA World No.1 for the first time and winning two medals at the Olympics. Last year, the atmosphere at the WTA Championships in Istanbul was great and I am looking forward to playing there again.”

 

After winning her first Grand Slam title at this year’s Australian Open, Azarenka became the 22nd player to hold the WTA World No.1 ranking. Her stellar start to the season began with a 26 match winning streak, the best since 1997 when Martina Hingis won 37 straight. The streak yielded the Belarusian four singles titles: the Apia International Sydney, Australian Open, Qatar Total Open (Doha) and BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells).

 

The 23-year-old’s strong results have also included finishing runner-up at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart) and Mutua Madrid Open, advancing to the semifinals at Wimbledon and US Open, and claiming singles bronze and mixed doubles gold medals at the London 2012 Olympics. This year Azarenka boasts a WTA-leading 14 victories over Top 10 ranked opponents, including a 7-2 record against Top 5 opponents.

 

Azarenka returns to the Championships for the fourth consecutive year, having finished runner-up to Petra Kvitova in a close three-set final in 2011.

 

Maria Sharapova

 

“I am very happy to be returning to Istanbul for the WTA Championships. This year has been really special for me, winning the Roland Garros title to complete my career Grand Slam, rising back to No.1 for a time and of course taking home a silver medal from the London Olympics. It will be great to finish off the season in Turkey. We received such incredible support from the fans last year, so I’m looking forward to competing against the world’s best players there once again.”

 

The 25-year-old became only the 6th player in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam when she claimed the Roland Garros title in June. The victory propelled her back to WTA World No.1 for the first time since 2008, a position she held for 4 weeks, taking her career total to 21 weeks. The Russian also made her Olympic debut in London, coming away with a silver medal.

 

Sharapova has won three titles in 2012: the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart), Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome) and Roland Garros, her fourth Grand Slam title. She finished runner-up at the Australian Open, BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells), Sony Open Tennis (Miami) and the Olympics.

 

Sharapova, who defeated Serena Williams to win the 2004 Championships, will compete in the season-ending tournament for the sixth time in her career. She also finished runner-up in 2007, and her 3 hour, 24 minute final against Justine Henin remains the longest WTA singles final on record.

 

Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci

 

“We are so happy, so excited, to have qualified for the WTA Championships,” said Vinci. “We’ve played very good tennis this year and this is the reward. I was at the WTA Championships a long time ago, back in 2001, but it is even more special for me to do this with such a good friend as Sara. I think the level of competition in doubles has become even tougher over the last decade, so we are looking forward to some great matches at Istanbul.”

 

Errani and Vinci will be the first all-Italian team to compete at the prestigious year-end event. Vinci will be returning to the Championships for the second time in her career – 11 years after her first appearance in doubles in 2001 (partnered with Sandrine Testud, QF). Errani will be making her tournament debut, joining a list of a list of five Italians who have competed in doubles at the Championships including Rita Grande (2001), Flavia Pennetta (2010, 2011), Francesca Schiavone (2006) and Vinci (2001).

 

Errani and Vinci have had an outstanding year, winning seven titles, highlighted by becoming the first all-Italian pair to win a Grand Slam doubles title at Roland Garros. The duo won five consecutive titles – Barcelona Ladies Open, Mutua Madrid Open, Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Rome), Roland Garros and UNICEF Open (‘s-Hertogenbosch) – and their 25-match win streak was the longest by a team since 1994, when Gigi Fernández and Natasha Zvereva won 28 straight.

 

First teaming up on a regular basis in 2010, Errani and Vinci have collected a total of 12 doubles titles as a team. They have also compiled an undefeated record to date in Fed Cup doubles competition for Italy, being key ingredients in the country’s championship runs in 2009 and 2010.

 

On Monday, September 10, Errani and Vinci will rise to World No.1 and 2 respectively on the WTA’s doubles rankings. Errani becomes the second Italian to hold the honor, after countrywoman Flavia Pennetta held the top spot for 18 weeks during 2011.


 

RACE TO THE TEB BNP PARIBAS WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS-ISTANBUL

(players/teams in bold already qualified)

SINGLES

DOUBLES
PLAYER

POINTS

 TEAM

POINTS
Maria Sharapova (RUS) 7290 Errani / Vinci 8079
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 7286 Huber / Raymond 6756
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 6017 Hlavackova / Hradecka 5700
Serena Williams (USA) 5900 Kirilenko / Petrova 4055
Petra Kvitova (CZE) 5031   Kops-Jones / Spears 2983
Angelique Kerber (GER) 4920 Llaogstera Vives / Martinez Sanchez 2837
Li Na (CHN) 3992 Vesnina / Makarova 2321
Sara Errani (ITA) 3990
Samantha Stosur (AUS) 3072
Marion Bartoli (FRA) 2905

 

Tickets for the 2012 TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships–Istanbul, as well as info about the event, are available for purchase through Biletix – either online at www.biletix.com or at Biletix ticket counters in Turkey.

 

Follow all the latest news about the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships-Istanbul on www.wtachampionships.com, www.facebook.com/WTA, and www.twitter.com/WTA using #WTAChamps.

 

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