Seoul
Singles – Final: (1) Caroline Wozniacki def. (3) Kaia Kanepi 6-1 6-0
This was a time travel match. Caroline Wozniacki looked like the player she was two years ago when she was winning everything. And Kaia Kanepi looked like the player she was two months ago, when she couldn’t play at all.
It is the first title of the year for Wozniacki, who in effect wrote off this year in her post-match comments and admitted that she wanted to “build up” for 2013. In terms of points, this won’t make much difference — she remains #11, and she made only very slight progress in the WTA Race. But she can at least say that she has won one or more titles in every year for the last five years — nineteen in all, which is a pretty impressive number for such a time span.
Kaia Kanepi is still looking for her first title since Estoril, but of course she has been injured for most of that time. She manages to rise from #16 to #15. Not bad for the first event of her comeback!
Doubles – Final: (1) Kops-Jones/Spears def. Amanmuradova/King 2-6 6-2 10-8 (Match TB)
Racquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears are still clinging to their hopes in the WTA doubles race by their fingertips — but, still, they are managing to hold on; they are the last team with any real chance. They pick up their second title of 2012, following San Diego, and are now 30-19 for the year. They aren’t going to catch Errani/Vinci any time soon (the Italians are 52-8 in 2012, so it is in fact impossible for Kops-Jones/Spears to match their victory total), but it’s sad, in a way, that they couldn’t at least have played the Olympics.
Pan Pacific
The hope was to get in a full schedule of matches, but conditions meant that only the five contests on the main court were able to finish. Which means nineteen singles matches tomorrow. Wish everybody luck — the players who have to play them and us in trying to cover them….
Singles – First Round: (12) Dominika Cibulkova def. Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 7-6(7-3)
Dominika Cibulkova has an outside shot at the Top Ten this week, and although this by itself won’t make much difference, she is through a day before her rivals….
Singles – First Round: (14) Roberta Vinci def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-4 4-6 7-5
Based on current rankings, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova would not have gotten direct entry here. And this obviously won’t help.
Singles – First Round: Jelena Jankovic def. Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-3
Given how long she has been struggling, it is certainly too early to say that Jelena Jankovic has come out of it, but her recent results have been genuinely promising.
Singles – First Round: Petra Martic def. Andrea Petkovic 0-6 6-4 6-3
Poor Andrea Petkovic can’t seem to get things together; her ranking will obviously remain in the pits.
Singles – First Round: (WC) Ayumi Morita def. Sorana Cirstea 6-2 3-6 6-2
Only in Japan, presumably. This likely means no return to the Top Thirty for Sorana Cirstea.