AEGON CLASSIC
Birminghan, England
June 6-13, 2011
$220,000/International
Grass/Outdoors
Results – Monday, June 13, 2011
Singles – Final
Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. (4) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 63 62
Doubles – Final (played Sunday)
(2) Govortsova/Kudryavtseva (BLR/RUS) d. (3) Errani/Vinci (ITA/ITA) 16 61 105 (Match TB)
Final Facts
– Lisicki wins the second WTA singles title of her career, the first coming on the green clay of Charleston in 2009. The 21-year-old is now 2-2 in WTA finals, having also been runner-up at Tashkent in 2008 and Luxembourg in 2009.
– Before this week, Lisicki was 4-5 on grass, all four of her wins coming at Wimbledon in 2009, where she advanced to the quarterfinals. With this title run she improves to 10-5 on grass (she has won 10 of her last 11 matches on grass).
– Including Hantuchova, Lisicki beat four seeds in Birmingham: Kimiko Date-Krumm (No.12), Magdalena Rybarikova (No.14) and, in the semis, Shuai Peng (No.3).
– Lisicki missed a large part of 2010 with a left ankle injury; this was her first grass court tournament at WTA-level since Wimbledon in 2009.
– Former world No.22 Lisicki returned to Top 100 on Monday for the first time in eight months; she rose to No.62, her highest ranking since July 4, 2010 (No.40).
– Hantuchova was playing the 12th WTA singles final of her career and her second of the year; the 28-year-old won her fourth career title at Pattaya City in February.
– On grass, Hantuchova was also runner-up at Eastbourne in 2004; her most recent title was won at Linz in 2007. She is now 4-8 in WTA singles finals.
– Govortsova and Kudryavtseva win their second title as a team, the first coming at Memphis in 2011. Govortsova now has six WTA titles to her name while Kudryavtseva has four.
Final Quotes
Sabine Lisicki, 2011 AEGON Classic singles champion:
“I won the title and it’s just amazing. After the injury it was so, so tough to get back on the courts – I am so happy that all the work in the last few months, year, has been paying off. I love the grass and it’s just such a great feeling to be back on it after missing last year. I do care a lot, and I just wanted to go out there and have fun.”