World Tennis News – Williams wins all-American final in Stanford

This week’s edition of World Tennis News looks back over the ATP and WTA tours with tournaments taking place on US hard courts, European clay courts and the only US grass court event on the professional calendar.

Williams wins all-American final in Stanford

Serena Williams lifted her 43rd WTA singles title at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over lucky loser Coco Vandeweghe.

20 year-old Vandeweghe, a former US Open junior champion, led 5-3 in the first set and held a set point in the tenth game only to see Williams raise her game. 

Top seeded Williams, reeled off four games to take the set and claimed a decisive break of serve in the fourth game of the second set. 

The 30 year-old completed victory in an hour and 27 minutes to successfully defend the title she won for the first time twelve months ago.

Stat Attack – Williams

• Williams has never lost to an American player younger than her in 94 career matches against compatriots on the WTA tour
• Williams has won 28 of her last 29 matches and holds a 34-3 record in 2012

Stat Attack – Vandeweghe

• Vandeweghe was the first Lucky Loser to reach a WTA singles final since Melinda Czink at Canberra in January 2005
• The 20 year-old this week moves up 51 places to reach a new career best ranking of 69th

Isner sees off Hewitt to defend Newport crown

Top seed John Isner defended his title at the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport with a 7-6(1), 6-4 victory over former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt.

After twelve holds of serve Isner raced through the first set tie-break and gained a crucial break of serve at 1-1 in the second set.  The 27 year-old American struck a 16th ace on match point to seal the win over the Australian wild card after an hour and 32 minutes.

Stat Attack – Isner

• It was the first time the American had successfully defended an ATP World Tour title
• Isner now holds a 4-7 record from 11 career singles finals on the ATP World Tour

Stat Attack – Hewitt

• It was the Australian’s first loss in a grass court final – he now holds a 7-1 record
• The 31 year-old moves up 83 places in the rankings to 150 in this weeks South African Airways ATP World Tour rankings

Ferrer sees off Almagro for second Bastad title

World No.5 David Ferrer lifted the SkiStar Swedish Open at Bastad for a second time with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over compatriot Nicolas Almagro.

Top seed Ferrer, a winner at Bastad in 2007, saved the only break point he faced while breaking Almagro twice in each set as he sealed a comprehensive victory in an hour and two minutes.

Stat Attack – Ferrer

• The Spaniard has won 5 ATP World Tour singles titles in a season for the first time
• 9 of Ferrer’s 16 career singles titles have come on clay courts
• Ferrer extends his head to head record against Almagro to a perfect 11-0

Stat Attack – Almagro

• All 18 of the Spaniard’s career singles finals have come on clay
• Almagro has struggled against Ferrer in all their meetings in Bastad winning just 3 games in the 2007 final and 4 games in the semi-finals twelve months ago

Errani continues clay court dominance in Palermo

Sara Errani maintained her clay court form in 2012 by winning the XXV Italiacom Open in Palermo for her fourth WTA title on the dirt this season.

The top seeded French Open finalist lost just 16 games all week finishing with a 6-1, 6-3 win over eighth seed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. The World No.9 also won Palermo in 2008.

Stat Attack – Errani

• The 25 year-old is first Italian woman to ever win four WTA singles titles in a season
• Errani has won 29 matches on clay during 2012 – the most on tour

Stat Attack – Zahlavova Strycova

• The Czech now holds a 1-2 record in WTA singles finals, lifting her lone title at Quebec City last year
• The 26 year-old now holds 17 WTA doubles titles and is ranked 13th with regular partner Iveta Benesova in the 2012 race

Tipsarevic battles to first clay court crown in Stuttgart

No.1 seed Janko Tipsarevic sealed his first clay court title on the ATP World Tour with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 win over Juan Monaco in a rain interrupted final at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart.

The Serb led 6-4, 4-0 before the second seeded Monaco launched a comeback to win the second set. Rain held up play in the sixth game of the decider and it was Tipsarevic who returned stronger after the delay. 

The World No.8 reeled off the final three games to secure a victory after two hours and 36 minutes.

Stat Attack – Tipsarevic

• The Serb had been the only member of the top 10 yet to win a title in 2012
• The 28 year-old holds a 3-6 record in ATP World Tour singles finals

Stat Attack – Monaco

• The Argentine has reached three ATP World Tour finals on clay in a season for the third time – he previously achieved the feat in 2007 and 2009
• The 28 year-old is currently joint 11th (with Milos Raonic) in the 2012 race to the Barclays ATP World Tour finals

Cilic delights home fans to win Umag

Marin Cilic became the first Croatian player in 22 years to win the ATP Vegeta Croatia Open Umag when he saw off fourth seed Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-2 in the final.

The second seed trailed 2-4 in the opening set but rebounded to win 10 of the final 12 games to seal his eighth career singles title and second win on tour in 2012.

Stat Attack – Cilic

• Cilic is the first Croatian winner of the tournament since its inception in 1990 when Goran Prpic defeated Goran Ivanisevic in the final
• Cilic has now won ATP World Tour titles on clay, grass, outdoor hard and indoor hard

Stat Attack – Granollers

• The 26 year-old this week breaks into the top 20 for the first time – there are currently five Spanish players in the top 20
• Granollers is the only player to currently rank in the top 20 for both singles and doubles