British Tennis - Lawn Tennis Association

Azarenka maintains hot streak in Doha

New World No.1 Victoria Azarenka continued her superb start to 2012 with a crushing 6-1, 6-2 win over US Open Champion Sam Stosur in the final of the Qatar Total Open in Doha.

The Australian held serve to love in the opening game before Azarenka tore through six consecutive games with her heavy groundstrokes on-song and sealed the opener after 29 minutes with a winning backhand volley.

A powerful backhand drive gave the recent Australian Open winner a 2-0 second set lead and the 22 year-old top seed maintained the advantage before breaking Stosur again in the final game. 

The Australian third seed struck a forehand long on match point as Azarenka claimed her 11th WTA singles title after an hour and seven minutes of play.

Stat Attack – Azarenka

• Azarenka has won all 17 matches she has played in 2012 – it is the best start to a season since Maria Sharapova went 18-0 at the start of 2008
• The Belarusian has won all six meetings with Stosur in straight sets

Stat Attack – Stosur

• The Australian falls to a 3-11 record in WTA singles finals

Federer supreme indoors in Rotterdam

World No.3 Roger Federer made his first appearance at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam since 2005 and walked away with the title after seeing off Juan Martin Del Potro 6-1, 6-4 in the final.

The Swiss former World No.1 saved two break points in the opening game before breaking the Giant Argentinean twice to lead 5-0. Two games later a backhand crosscourt winner sealed the opener on is second set point after 33 minutes.

In a tighter second set, 2009 US Open Champion Del Potro failed to convert a point for a 3-1 lead and saw Federer break in the next game with a forehand passing shot. The top seed held onto the break lead and completed victory after an hour and 26 minutes with a winning forehand volley.

Stat Attack – Federer

• The 30 year-old now holds 71 ATP World Tour singles titles and has won the last five indoor hard court events that he has played
• Federer has now won at least one title for twelve consecutive seasons dating back to 2001

Stat Attack – Del Potro

• The World No.10 snapped a four match losing streak against top ten opponents when he crushed in form Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-1 in the semi-finals

History repeats for Raonic in San Jose

Rising star Milos Raonic successfully defended his title at the SAP Open in San Jose with a 7-6(3), 6-2 victory over unseeded Denis Istomin.  

The Canadian No.3 seed did not drop a set all week and only lost his serve once while firing down a tournament leading 61 aces.

In the final, both players held serve for 12 games before Raonic raced into a 6-1 lead in the tie-break and closed it out two points later. The 21 year-old broke his Uzbek opponent twice in the second set to wrap up victory after an hour and 19 minutes.

Stat Attack – Raonic

• The Canadian is the seventh man in the Open Era to defend the title in San Jose following Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Mark Philippoussis, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Stan Smith
• Raonic holds a 3-1 record in ATP World Tour singles finals and is the first man in 2012 to win multiple singles crowns

Stat Attack – Istomin

• The 25 year-old was appearing in his second career singles final having also been a finalist at New Haven in 2010 (lost to Stakhovsky)

Almagro battles to Brasil Open defence

Top seed Nicolas Almagro fought past Italian veteran Filipo Volandri 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to retain his title at the Brasil Open in Sao Paulo.

Despite striking 18 aces, the Spanish World No.11 came through the final not being at his consistent best, but was the stronger player at key moments. The 26 year-old broke Volandri in the final game of the third set to claim his 11th ATP World Tour crown after two minutes over two hours. 

Stat Attack – Almagro

• All 11 of Almagro’s ATP World Tour titles have come on clay courts, as well as his four runner-up finishes
• The Spaniard finished 2011 ranked in the top 10 for the first time in his ninth season as a professional

Stat Attack – Volandri

• The Italian was appearing in his first ATP singles final since 2006 and reached his career best ranking of 25 in July 2007

Arruabarrena-Vecino surprise winner in Bogotá

Unseeded Spanish teenager Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino completed a dream week at the XX Copa BBVA Colsanitas in Bogotá by claiming her first WTA singles title with a 6-2, 7-5 win over fellow first-time finalist Alexandra Panova.

In her opening match, Arruabarrena-Vecino, ranked 174th trailed 2-5 in the third set but having battled through that hurdle the 19 year-old did not drop a set for the rest of the week. 

In the final, the Spaniard became nervous on the verge of victory but completed the breakthrough win on her sixth championship point.

Stat Attack – Arruabarrena-Vecino

• The Spaniard was appearing in only her third WTA tournament
• She has moved up 69 places in this week’s WTA rankings to a new career high of 104

Stat Attack – Panova

• The Russian’s previous best WTA results were two quarter finals in 2009 – at Tashkent and Guangzhou