Australian Open 2012 – Women update and highlights

Written by: Staff on 27th January 2012

Australian Open 2012 - Women update and highlights

Elena Vesnina of Russia during play in an exhibition game on Kid's Tennis Day at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 14 January 2012. The first tennis Grand Slam in 2012 runs 16 to 29 January. EPA/BARBARA WALTON |

Doubles – Final: Kuznetsova/Zvonareva def. (11) Errani/Vinci 5-7 6-4 6-3

The Russians had been here before. The Italians hadn’t. The Russians have better tools. And the surface probably favors them. The first set was very nervous — seven breaks in all. But the Russians got over theirs; the Italians did not.

Pretty good for a team that only decided to play together the day before the deadline! Even more amazing for a team with a combined ranking of 159. They’re still going to be far, far down the rankings — Svetlana Kuznetsova (who more than triples her points) a little below the Top Twenty, Vera Zvonareva just behind her. We show Robert Vinci and Sara Errani at #15/#16.

It is the second doubles Slam for both the winners, but it has been a long wait for each. Kuznetsova won her first all the way back in 2005, right here, with Alicia Molik. Vera Zvonareva won the 2008 U. S. Open with Nathalie Dechy. It was Kuznetsova’s first doubles Slam final since Wimbledon 2005 with Mauresmo. Zvonareva’s last was in 2010, at Wimbledon, with Elena Vesnina. Who, coincidentally, gives us another Russian in a final here:

Mixed Doubles – Semifinal: (5) Vesnina/Paes def. Vinci/Bracciali 5-7 6-2 10-7 (Match TB)

This means that a Russian woman has been in the finals of all three women’s events: Maria Sharapova is in the singles final, Kuznetsova/Zvonareva won the doubles, and here Elena Vesnina is in the Mixed final. Hardly a surprise, since she and Paes would have been the #2 seeds under Mixed rankings. We’ll have to see how her nerves hold up; Vesnina has lost all three of her women’s doubles Slam finals. On the other hand, Leander Paes has plenty of experience.

Talk about a tough day for Robert Vinci, though: A lost women’s doubles final, then a lost Mixed semifinal, both in three sets.

Mixed Doubles – Semifinal: (8) Mattek-Sands/Tecau def. (6) Mirza/Bhupathi 6-3 6-3

An upset under either mixed or ordinary rankings, and an even greater surprise given Mirza and Bhupathi’s success together. Maybe Sania Mirza didn’t want to face her doubles partner Elena Vesnina. We rather doubt Mahesh Bhupathi was worried about facing Leander Paes….