Showing posts with label tennis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tennis. Show all posts

Wimbledon - Robson claims title for Britain

England's Laura Robson claimed Britain's first Wimbledon girls' singles title in 24 years when she beat Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 6-3 3-6 6-1 in the final.

The 14-year-old Londoner overcame the 16-year-old Thai third seed in one hour, 34 minutes after an impressive performance on Court One.

Robson follows in the footsteps of 1984 champion Annabel Croft, the last Briton to win the girls' title.

"It was so good today as all the crowd were behind me and it was an overwhelming experience," said Australian-born Robson.

"I didn't feel relaxed and I thought I was going to be sick when I walked on court as there were so many people watching.

"In the second set I went a bit mad but I got it back together and that is how I won."

Left-handed Robson claimed an early advantage when she broke in the second game of the match. She served out for the opener in just 29 minutes to the pleasure of a packed home crowd.

The two players traded breaks at the start of the second set and again in the seventh and eighth games.

From there the Thai took advantage of a string of double faults and unforced errors from her rival to break again in the eighth before serving out for the set.

After three more breaks of serve to start the third set, Robson saved a break point in the fifth game and held her nerve to go ahead 4-1.

She broke again in the sixth game as Lertcheewakarn sent an unforced backhand error wide.

Robson hit another double fault on triple championship point, before wrapping up the victory with a service winner.

Recent Wimbledon junior champions include Martina Hingins, Amelie Mauresmo, Katarina Srebotnik, Agnieszka Radwanska and Caroline Wozniacki.

Jeremy Stahl / Eurosport

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

Serena Williams pulls out of Hopman Cup

PERTH, Australia (AFP) - US Open winner Serena Williams has withdrawn from next month's Hopman Cup mixed teams event with a hamstring injury, organisers said here Monday.

The world number two injured her hamstring in the year-ending WTA Championships and has not been able to recover in time to prepare for the Perth tournament, although she still intends to play the Australian Open later in January, organisers said.

World No.10 James Blake will now be partnered by Meghann Shaughnessy, who last year played in the Hopman Cup and defeated Sania Mirza of India.

Shaughnessy, winner of six singles and 15 doubles titles on the WTA Tour, has had an injury-plagued year but the United States will remain the top seeds for the January 3-9 event.

Organisers said Russian star Marat Safin has shelved retirement plans and has committed to play in the Hopman Cup. Safin will team up with his sister and world number three Dinara Safina, with Russia the second seeds.

US is the most successful nation in the 20-year history of the Hopman Cup having won the event five times.

Source:
http://eurosport.yahoo.com

Pregnant Davenport withdraws from Aussie Open

Three-time Grand Slam winner Lindsay Davenport announced that she is pregnant and has taken herself off the WTA Tour indefinitely.

After agreeing to participate in the Australian Open last week, the 32-year-old former world No. 1 pulled out of the event on Wednesday.

"Of course this unexpected, but exciting, surprise now means I will be putting tennis on hold for the foreseeable future," Davenport said.

After returning to the tour after the birth of her first child, Jagger, Davenport won four of her 55 career singles titles.

Davenport has won three Grand Slam titles - US Open in 1998, Wimbledon in 1999 and the Australian Open in 2000.

She has 37 doubles titles to her credit, including triumphs at Roland Garros in 1996 (with Mary Joe Fernandez), the US Open in 1997 (with Jana Novotna) and Wimbledon in 1999 (with Corina Morariu).

Source:
http://eurosport.yahoo.com

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