World Tennis News - Kvitova overcomes Errani in Dubai

Kvitova overcomes Errani in Dubai

Petra Kvitova won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a fluctuating 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 victory over Sara Errani.

The 2011 Wimbledon champion dominated the opening set with 19 winners and appeared on course for a comfortable victory when she broke in the first game of the second set.

Errani had other ideas and employed net rushing tactics to win six straight games and level the match.

The Italian held four break points early in the decider but it was Kvitova who broke in the fourth game with a forehand return winner. The big hitting Czech firmly had the momentum once more and broke Errani again before striking a service winner on her first match point.

Stat Attack – Kvitova

• The Czech’s five opponents in Dubai are all past or present top 10 players – Daniela Hantuchova, Ana Ivanovic, Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki and Errani  
• Kvitova has an impressive 10-2 record in WTA singles finals  

Stat Attack – Errani

• Having also reached the final recently in Paris it is the first time Errani has reached two hard court finals in a season 

Tsonga fights back from the brink in Marseille

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga survived a match point against Tomas Berdych to win the Open 13 in Marseille with a 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 final victory.

Facing defeat in the second set tie-break the Frenchman coolly served an ace before levelling the match.

The third seeded Frenchman, who had staved off five match points to defeat Bernard Tomic earlier in the tournament, broke Berdych in the third game of the decider before sealing his 10th career singles title after two hours and 10 minutes. 

Stat Attack – Tsonga

• The last player to save match points in two different matches en route to a title since Sam Querrey in Los Angeles in 2010 
• The French No.1 has finished four of the last five years ranked in the top 10  

Stat Attack – Berdych

• The Czech has reached at least one ATP World Tour singles final every year since 2004 

Ferrer retains Buenos Aires crown 

Top seed David Ferrer saw off Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 and defend his Copa Claro title in Buenos Aires.

After splitting sets the World No.4 took charge of the decider by racing into an unassailable 5-0 lead. The 30 year-old sealed his 20th ATP World Tour singles title after an hour and 45 minutes of play.

Stat Attack – Ferrer

• It is the fifth time Ferrer has successfully defended an ATP World Tour singles title  
• The 30 year-old is the 41st man in the Open Era to win 20 singles titles 

Stat Attack – Wawrinka

• 6 of the Swiss player’s 10 career titles have come on clay courts 

Jankovic ends title drought in Bogatá

Jelena Jankovic won her first WTA singles title for almost three years at the Copa Claro Colsanitas in Bogatá, Columbia.

The former World No.1 had to fight through two long three set encounters to reach her 29th career singles final but in the showpiece was dominant against first-time finalist Paula Ormaechea.

Top seeded Jankovic was unbroken in the final as she dispatched the Argentinean 6-1, 6-2 after 74 minutes.

Stat Attack – Jankovic

• The Serb now holds a 13-16 record in WTA singles finals but is 6-1 in career clay court finals 
• Jankovic has now passed the fourth round at a Grand Slam since the 2010 French Open 

Stat Attack – Ormaechea

• The Argentinean moves up 66 places to 132nd in this week's WTA rankings, 21 places below her career high achieved in April 2012   

Erakovic crowned Queen of Memphis

New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic won her first career title at the US National Indoor Tennis Championships in Memphis after Sabine Lisicki was forced to retire in the final.

Erakovic, who survived a match point in her opening round win over Annika Beck, was leading the third seeded German 6-1 when Lisicki was forced to retire due to illness.

Stat Attack – Erakovic

• Erakovic had lost her previous two WTA singles finals in Memphis 12 months ago and in Quebec City in 2011  
• The last New Zealander to win a WTA singles title was Belinda Cordwell at Kallang in 1989 

Stat Attack – Lisicki

• The German had defeated Erakovic 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 en route to the final in Pattaya City three weeks ago

On song Nishikori dominant in Memphis

Kei Nishikori defeated Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-3 to win the US National Indoor Tennis Championships in Memphis.

The fifth seed Japanese No.1 had swept into his fifth career final without the loss of a set and dominated Lopez with four breaks of serve to win after 67 minutes. 

Stat Attack – Nishikori

• Nishikori this week moves up 6 places to 16th in the Emirates ATP rankings – since making his top 20 debut on 30th January 2012 he has spent all but 3 weeks in the top 20  
• The Japanese No.1 won his 100th professional match in his first match of 2013 at the Brisbane International

Stat Attack – Lopez

• Lopez had won the only previous meeting between the pair 6-4, 7-6(5) at Barcelona in 2011