Today’s Women’s News (09/15) – Tashkent & Quebec City

Written by: Staff on 15th September 2012

Today's Women's News (09/15) - Tashkent & Quebec City

epa03340016 Maria Kirilenko of Russia in action during the women's bronze medal match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at the London 2012 Olympic Games Tennis competition in Wimbledon, Greater London, Britain, 04 August 2012. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

Tashkent (Saturday)

Singles – Final: Irina-Camelia Begu def. (Q) Donna Vekic 6-4 6-4

All the buzz here was about Donna Vekic, since she is only 16. But Irina-Camelia Begu isn’t exactly a long-service veteran. Yes, she played her first WTA event three years ago. But she had only one event in 2009, and one in 2010; it wasn’t until Marbella 2011 (where she made the final) that she became a WTA-level regular. She came here still carrying a losing WTA record. Not any more. She camped on Vekic’s serve (the kid won only 48% of first serve points) and earned her first title with relative ease.

Interestingly, Begu isn’t even close to a career high. This year has been relatively tough for her. After making two finals and a semifinal in 2011, her best results this year were a couple of semifinals. So she rises to just above #60, about twenty spots below her career best. But she surely won’t be too bothered by that — at least, not until the glow from her first title wears off.

Doubles – Final: Kania/Pekhova def. Chakvetadze/Dolonc 6-2 retired (Chakvetadze: Back Injury)

Just what Anna Chakvetadze didn’t need. But then, we wouldn’t want to break the tradition of unlikely winners here, would we? Kania/Pekhova came here with a combined ranking of exactly 400. Paula Kania had exactly one previous WTA doubles match, which she lost (at Warsaw 2010); Pekhova had two, both at this event; she and Abduraimova made the quarterfinal last year. One combined doubles win for the two victors, and here they have a title. The shock wasn’t really the result of this match but that they even made it to the final! Tashkent truly is kind to the lowly….

Quebec City (Full Friday results)

Singles – Quarterfinal: (3) Mona Barthel def. (6) Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-3 6-4

Out goes last year’s champion Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, who is having a much more disappointing year this year. She will fall some twenty places below her current #62. Mona Barthel, the top player left in action this week, is up to probably #33.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (8) Lucie Hradecka def. (Q) Lauren Davis 6-4 6-2

This seemed to take a very long time, but that was probably just because everything else on Friday went by like greased lightning. Lucie Hradecka is now up to around #50.

Singles – Quarterfinal: Kirsten Flipkens def. Anna Tatishvili 6-2 3-0, retired (low back injury)

Anna Tatishvili loses her Top Fifty chance. Kirsten Flipkens will be hitting the Top Hundred as a result of this.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (Q) Kristina Mladenovic def. Melanie Oudin 6-0 6-1

This past month has truly been a breakthrough for Kristina Mladenovic. She is now Top Forty in doubles, and this victory puts her in the Top Hundred in singles.

Doubles – Semifinal: (1) Rosolska/Watson def. Coin/Pelletier 6-4 6-2

And so the Quebecois are through in Quebec….

Quebec City (Saturday)

Singles – Semifinal: Kirsten Flipkens def. (3) Mona Barthel 7-6(8-6) 7-6(7-3)

According to the Book of Kings, when Elijah was carried into heaven, a double share of his spirit came to rest on his friend and successor Elisha. Could something like that be happening with Kim Clijsters and Kirsten Flipkens? Flipkens, now that Clijsters is out, is on fire here, having beaten both the #1 and #3 seeds. She costs Mona Barthel her shot at the Top Thirty. Flipkens herself is up to about #85.

Singles – Semifinal: (8) Lucie Hradecka def. (Q) Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 7-6(7-5)

Kristina Mladenovic was a top junior, but it is only recently that she has started to amount to much at the WTA level. She may not have been quite ready to make a final. She should still hit a career high. Lucie Hradecka is now just below the Top Fifty; win the final and she will rise above that mark.

Doubles – Semifinal: (3) Malek/Mladenovic def. Dabrowski/Riske 6-3 6-1

At least it wasn’t all bad news for Mladenovic, who looks likely to hit another career high in doubles as well as singles.