Peng Shuai tightened her grip on the world No. 1 ranking in the doubles on the WTA Tour on Saturday as the Chinese player and her partner, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei, brushed aside Russian duo Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Nadia Petrova 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-finals at the Qatar Open, while top seeds and defending champions Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci were knocked out.
Hsieh and Peng continued their impressive form as they brushed aside the Russians in little over an hour.
“It has already been a great week and hopefully we can finish it with even more success,” Peng, who on Thursday was confirmed as the new world No. 1, told the WTA Tour’s Web site. “After two or three matches here, you are used to the court and the balls, and today I feel like for the first time we were really playing our best together.”
Photo: Reuters
Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik edged former joint world No. 1s Errani and Vinci 6-2, 3-6, 10-7.
“It was a really good match, and we started so well and were feeling the ball great, but, of course, they’re great fighters, and came back and raised their level in the second set, so it was good tennis on both sides,” Srebotnik told the WTA Tour’s Web site. “In the super tiebreak it is always one point here, one point there, and lucky we managed to win this time.”
In the singles, seventh seed Simona Halep of Romania was set to chase her seventh career WTA Tour title when she played sixth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany, pursuing her fifth trophy, in the singles final.
Photo: Reuters
Halep trailed 5-2 in the first set, but won seven straight games before defeating second seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 7-5, 6-2.
Kerber’s 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) win over fifth seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia kept up her record of not losing a set all tournament.
Halep, who won all six of her career titles last year, won seven straight games to take a 7-5, 2-0 lead in the semi-final.
“I played six finals last year and I am more confident with myself now,” Halep said.
“I just keep focused to play like it’s [the] first round and I think that’s the secret — to play without pressure, just to keep focused and to be happy on court,” she said.
Once Halep calmed her nerves she showed off the diversity of her game with power-shots, touch-shots, drop-shots and the patience needed to reach her first final of the year.
“At 5-2, I said that I have nothing to lose anymore and to change the tactic,” Halep said.
Radwanska, who was making her third consecutive appearance in Doha, has yet to advance to the final.
“She was making unbelievable shots from nowhere,” Radwanska said. “I didn’t know what to do to end the point because she was everywhere.”
Kerber was in her second final of the year. She lost in the Sydney final to Tsvetana Pironkova last month.
Jankovic broke Kerber’s serve in the fifth game to win her only game of the first set, but struggled with her own first serve. The second set was more evenly contested, with both players losing serve on two occasions.
“I was just happy I won the match in two sets,” Kerber said. “Jelena was playing unbelievably well in the second set.”
Kerber served for the match at 5-4, but Jankovic broke serve to even the score at 5-5.
Kerber had two match points in the tiebreaker. She won with a net cord shot which Jankovic could only watch.
“I think I was just lucky and happy that the ball goes over the net on the other side,” Kerber said.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely