Dubai and Rio – Venus Williams Wins, Serena Had A Bye

Written by: Staff on 18th February 2014

Dubai and Rio - Venus Williams Wins, Serena Had A Bye

epa04085847 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark returns the ball to Sabine Lisicki of Germany during the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis WTA Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 18 February 2014. EPA/ALI HAIDER |

DUBAI

Lucie Safarova produced 31 winners and broke serve five times in a defeat of former Australian open semi-finalist Sloane Stephens 6-3, 7-5, the second first-round loss in as many week for the American. Ekaterina Makarova beat fellow Russian Alisa Kleybanova 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4 to earn a second-round place against Williams. Spain’s Carla Suárez Navarro defeated Russian wild card Nadia Petrova 6-3, 6-2.

Venus Williams reached the second round over Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-2 while Sorana Cirstea put out Italy’s Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-3. Sister Serena Williams only made a late entry into the field as a wild card after deciding that the back problem suffered at the Australian Open during a fourth-round loss to Ana Ivanovic had healed enough for her to test it in competition.

“I get bored training, I’d much rather play a match,” the 17-time grand slam champion said after confirming that she will partner sister Venus in the doubles to get more matches after playing only eight times so far in 2014. My back feels better than it did in Australia, I still have to take it a day at a time. I’ll do my best this week, but my goal is to lift the trophy. I always set higher goals, I always want to improve.”

RIO

Third Paula Ormaechea of Argentina made a winning start at the new event as she defeated American Nicole Gibbs 6-2, 6-1. But Italy’s Nastassja Burnett upset sixth seed Maria Teresa Torro of Spain 7-5, 6-4 at the relatively weak event on a week in which many top women prefer playing in Dubai halfway around the world.

Unknowns filled the programme on opening day as Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck beat Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-4, 6-3 and Pole Katarzyna Piter put out local Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-3. Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands stopped Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 7-5, 6-0 while Spaniard Silvia Soler Espinosa reached the second round at the expense of Brazilian Laura Pigossi 6-0, 6-1.

RIO OPEN

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

February 17-February 23, 2014

$250,000/International

Clay/Outdoors

Results – Monday, February 17, 2014

Singles – First Round

(3) Paula Ormaechea (ARG) d. (Q) Nicole Gibbs (USA) 62 61

(Q) Nastassja Burnett (ITA) d. (6) María-Teresa Torró-Flor (ESP) 75 64

Sílvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) d. (WC) Laura Pigossi (BRA) 60 61

Katarzyna Piter (POL) d. (WC) Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) 63 63

Kiki Bertens (NED) d. (Q) Danka Kovinic (MNE) 75 60

(Q) Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) d. Johanna Larsson (SWE) 64 63

Doubles – First Round

(3) Babos/Gajdosova (HUN/AUS) d. Molinero/Thorpe (ARG/FRA) 62 60

Order Of Play – Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Center Court (from 10.00hrs)

1. Klara Zakopalova vs. Mariana Duque-Mariño

2. ATP: Almagro vs. Dolgopolov (NB 12.00hrs)

3. ATP: Robredo vs. Carreño Busta

4. Alexandra Cadantu vs. Teliana Pereira (NB16.30hrs)

5. ATP: Chardy vs. Ferrer (NB 19.00hrs)

6. ATP: Nadal vs. Gimeno-Traver

Court 1 (from 10.00hrs)

1. Dinah Pfizenmaier vs. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova

2. Lourdes Domínguez Lino vs. Francesca Schiavone

3. ATP: Mónaco vs. Zeballos (NB 14.00hrs)

4. ATP: Bedene vs. Fognini

5. Verónica Cepede Royg vs. Paula Cristina Goncalves

6. ATP: Montanes vs. Haase

Court 2 (from 10.00hrs)

1. Timea Babos vs. Chanelle Scheepers

2. ATP: Sousa vs. Granollers

3. Alves/Haddad Maia vs. Kichenok/Kichenok (NB 13.00hrs)

4. Irina-Camelia Begu vs. Vania King

5. ATP: Dolgopolov/García-López vs. Cabal/Farah

6. Yaroslava Shvedova vs. Patricia Mayr-Achleitner

Court 4 (from 10.00hrs)

1. ATP: Reister vs. Andújar

2. ATP: Mayer vs. Ramos

3. Zahlavova Strycova/Zakopalova vs. Hsieh/Hsieh (NB 13.00hrs; after suitable rest)

4. ATP : Cuevas vs. González

5. ATP: Delbonis/Mayer vs. Huey/Inglot

6. Begu/Irigoyen vs. Cadantu/Soler-Espinosa (NB 17.00hrs; after suitable rest)

Topics: 10sballs, Alisa Kleybanova, Ana Ivanovic, Dubai, Ekaterina Makarova, Elena Vesnina, Johanna Larsson, Kiki Bertens, Lucie Safarova, Nastassja Burnett, Nicole Gibbs, Rio, Roberta Vinci, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, Sorana Cirstea, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Venus Williams, Wta

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10sBalls_com says:

February 18, 2014 at 7:40 am

Dubai and Rio – Venus Williams Wins, Serena Had A Bye – http://t.co/2UMga0W3g3 @Venuseswilliams @serenawilliams #tennis #Dubai&Rio #results