World Tennis News - Cibulkova outhits Bartoli to win Carlsbad

This week’s edition of World Tennis News reviews the action from the last week as the Emirates Airline US Open Series continues stateside while the European summer clay court season is in full swing.

Cibulkova outhits Bartoli to win Carlsbad

Dominika Cibulkova struck 18 forehand winners to defeat Marion Bartoli and win her second career singles title at the Mercury Insurance Open in Carlsbad, California.

The diminutive second seed saved two break points in the second game of the match before racing through the opening set with two breaks of the Bartoli serve. The Frenchwoman double faulted on set point to give Cibulkova the opener after 35 minutes.

The French top seed fought back in the second to lead 4-1 before the Slovak lifted her game impressively. The 23 year-old broke back twice with a series of winners and then broke to love in the final game.

Bartoli netted a forehand on match point as the Slovakian No.1 claimed victory after an hour and 35 minutes in the Californian heat.

Stat Attack – Cibulkova

• The Slovakian is now just one spot off her career high ranking of 12th as is 11th in the 2012 race to the WTA Championships
• Cibulkova is the eighth woman in 2012 to win a title without dropping a set (Sara Errani, Agnieszka Radwanska and Serena Williams have all achieved the feat twice) 

Stat Attack – Bartoli

• It was the Frenchwoman’s 14th career hard court final - she now holds a 6-8 record

Roddick fightback sees off Muller in Atlanta

Andy Roddick produced a determined comeback to seal his 32ndATP World Tour singles title with victory over Gilles Muller at the BB&T Atlanta Open.

The unseeded Muller broke the American’s famous serve twice to win the first set and revive memories of his stunning first round upset of Roddick at the 2005 US Open.

The fourth seeded American, who saw off top seeded compatriot John Isner in the semi-finals, raised his game in the second set and created four set points in the twelfth game.  Muller saved these to force a tie-break which Roddick swept through comfortably to level the match.

The former World No.1 did not look back and Roddick comfortably claimed the decider to win 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 after two hours and 14 minutes. 

29 year-old Roddick has now won two ATP World Tour titles in 2012. Read about Roddick’s victory at the AEGON International.

Stat Attack – Roddick

• 20 of Roddick’s 32 career singles titles have come on US soil
• The American moves back up to 22nd in this week’s rankings after falling as low as 34th in March this year

Stat Attack – Muller

• The 29 year-old was appearing in his first ATP World Tour singles final for seven years since being runner-up to Andre Agassi at Los Angeles in 2005

Monaco cracks top 10 with Hamburg victory

Juan Monaco claimed the biggest title of his career with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Tommy Haas at the bet-at-home Open - German Tennis Championships 2012 in Hamburg.

Veteran German Haas, who had upset three seeds en route to the final, delighted the home crowd by opening up a 4-1 first set lead. No.3 seed Monaco responded strongly to break back and break again to take a hard fought opening set.

Breaks were shared in the second set before the 28 year-old Argentinean moved ahead again.  Serving for the title at 5-4 Monaco put away an easy forehand volley put-away to clinch his sixth ATP World Tour singles title and a top ten berth for the first time.

Stat Attack – Monaco

• Monacohad spent a total of 11 weeks at his previous career high of 14th before moving up four places to 10th this week
• The 28 year-old had never reached the quarter finals in Hamburg in seven previous appearances

Stat Attack – Haas

• The German had not lost in a ATP World Tour final since Rome 2002

Bellucci upsets Tipsarevic for second Gstaad crown

Thomaz Bellucci came from a set down to surprise top seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2 and win the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad for a second time.

At the end of a tight first set Bellucci let slip a 6-1 lead in the tie-break as Tipsarevic saved five set points and took the opener.

The unseeded Brazilian rebounded strongly to take a hard fought second set and took the third with ease to take his third ATP World Tour singles crown after two hours and 24 minutes.

Stat Attack – Bellucci

• In 2009 the Brazilian came through qualifying in Gstaad to lift his first career singles title
• Bellucci reached his career high ranking of 21st on 26th July 2010

Stat Attack – Tipsarevic

• The highest ranked opponent the Serb defeated to reach the final was Paul-Henri Mathieu at 172nd

Hercog comeback seals Bastad defence

Polona Hercog staged a superb comeback to defend her title at the Sony Swedish Open in Bastad with a 0-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over France’s Mathilde Johansson.

Hercog began the final very slowly as her Swedish-born opponent dominated the opener. Johansson dropped just eight points as she swept through the set in just twenty-three minutes.

Hercog finally got on the scoreboard in the second game of the second set and battled hard to take the match to a decider. The unseeded Slovenian then raced to 5-1 lead in the final set and created a match point. 

Johansson survived and reeled off four games, breaking the reigning Champion twice as she served for the match, to level the set. However Hercog finished strongly by taking the final two games to complete a thrilling victory after two hours and 14 minutes.

Stat Attack – Hercog

• The Slovenian is the first woman to win a WTA final after losing the first set 6-0 since Serena Williams beat Justine Henin 0-6, 7-5, 6-3 at Miami in 2007
• Hercog is the fourth woman to defend a WTA title in 2012 after Daniela Hantuchova (Pattaya City) Serena Williams (Stanford) and Maria Sharapova (Rome)

Stat Attack – Johansson

• The Frenchwoman has won 12 singles titles on the ITF circuit but holds a 0-2 record in WTA singles finals