Azarenka Survives Sydney, Ferrer Keeps Winning

It was Victoria Azarenka who emerged from the loaded draw in Sydney, while David Ferrer plugged away with another title in Auckland.  Meanwhile on the island Tasmania, one of my "eye-ladies" won her first career title, perhaps justifying my eye being on her.  But she was only one of two qualifiers to win.

WTA Premier:  Sydney, Australia

3) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) def. 4) Na Li (CHN) 6-2 1-6 6-3

-Azarenka wins 9th career title, last '11 Luxembourg

-Other QF:  1) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN), 2) Petra Kvitova (CZE)-SF, 7) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)-SF, 8) Marion Bartoli (FRA), Daniela Hantuchova (SVK), Lucie Safarova (CZE)

-Other seeds:  5) Stosur (R1 l. to Schiavone), 6) Zvonareva (R1 l. to Kuznetsova)

-Li was the defending champion and came within a set of defending her title

-Azarenka and Li repeat as quarterfinalists, while Bartoli reached the QF in Hobart last year

-Jelena Dokic fed compatriot Isabella Holland a double bagel in the first round

ATP 250:  Sydney, Australia
Q) Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) def. Julien Benneteau (FRA) 6-2 7-5


-Nieminen wins 2nd career title, last '06 Auckland (6 year drought)
-Other QF:  1) Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG), 3) Richard Gasquet (FRA), Alex Bogomolov Jr. (RUS), Marcos Baghdatis-SF, Q) Denis Istomin (UZB)-SF, Q) Bobby Reynolds (USA)
-Other seeds:  2) Isner (R2 l. to Reynolds), 4) Lopez (R2 l. to Benneteau), 5) Troicki (R2 l. to Bogomolov), 6) Mayer W/D, 7) Granollers (R1 l. to Ebden), 8) Stepanek (R2 l. Nieminen)
-Simon chose not to defend his title here, Troicki was last year's runner-up
-Gasquet the only player to make QF this year and last
-Americans went 2-4 with qualifier Reynolds getting both wins
-Hewitt lost to Troicki in R1
-Benneteau was gunning for his first career title in his sixth final

ATP 250:  Auckland, New Zealand

1) David Ferrer (ESP) def. Olivier Rochus 6-3 6-4

-Ferrer wins 12th career title, last '11 Acapulco

-Other QF:  2) Nicolas Almagro (ESP), 3) Fernando Verdasco (ESP)-SF, 8) Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)-SF, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP), Alejandro Falla (COL), Q) Benoit Paire (FRA)

-Other seeds:  4) Chela (R2 l. to Paire), 5) Anderson (R1 l. to Mannarino), 6) Bellucci (R2 l. to Rochus), 7) Young (R1 l. to Falla)

-Ferrer successfully defends title, also won here in '07

-Almagro, Ferrer, and Kohlschreiber were all repeat quarterfinalists
-There were three Americans in the draw, they only won one match which was Harrison over Querrey
-Of his 12 titles, Ferrer has won 6 times on clay, 5 on hard, 1 on grass

WTA International:  Hobart, Australia

Q) Mona Barthel (GER) def. 1) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-1 6-2

-Barthel wins 1st career title in her tour level final.

-Other QF:  4) Angelique Kerber (GER)-SF, 5) Jarmila Gadjosova (AUS), 6) Shahar Peer (ISR)-SF, Simona Halep (ROU), Sorana Cirstea (ROU), Anna Chakvetadze (RUS)

-Other seeds:  2) Medina Garrigues (R2 l. to Barthel), 3) Niculescu (R1 l. to Chakvetadze), 7) Pervak (R1 l. to Cirstea), 8) Begu (R2 l. to Halep)

-Kerber and Gadjosova return to the quarterfinals from last year

-All five of my eye-ladies competed here, posting an 8-4 record