Radwanska Breaks 8 Month Drought, Simon Wins Metz

The men returned to tour action with a couple of European events while the women had a couple tournaments in Asia leading to their big two events their over the next two weeks.  Ernests Gulbis navigated a fairly weak field to win in St Petersburg while the top two seeds met in the Metz final, with Gilles Simon besting his compatriot and the two-time defending champion Tsonga there.  Chinese wildcard Shuai Zhang won her first career title in Guangzhou, and Agnieszka Radwanska broke a title drought dating back to January with a win in Seoul.

Good Stories
-Albano Olivetti (FRA), a 21-yr-old who stands 6'8" and once beat Fish, won just his 3rd career ATP main draw match
-Marton Fucsovics (HUN), a 21-yr-old former Wimbledon boys champion, qualified in Metz and won his first ATP main draw match, upsetting Chardy.
-Karen Khachanov (RUS), a 17-yr-old, made his ATP main draw debut by defeating Hanescu in St Petersburg before falling Rosol in the second round.
-Su-Jeon Jang (KOR), a 18-yr-old, made her first WTA quarterfinal with a wildcard in Seoul, defeating Zakopalova and Jabeur.  She is now ranked no. 333.
-Vania King (USA), a 24-yr-old, has struggled in the last 2 or so years, but qualified and reached her first WTA final since '06 in Guangzhou.

Bad Stories
-Jeremy Chardy (FRA), continues to have a poor summer, upset by a qualifier in the first round of Metz, after he made the quarters of the Aussie Open.
-Varvara Lepchenko (USA) has not backed up her banner 2012 season with a good 2013, but was seeded 7th in Guangzhou and then loses in the opening round to Babos, who herself has had a poor year.

ATP 250: Metz, France

2) Gilles Simon (FRA) def. 1) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 6-4 6-3

-Simon wins 11th career title, last '12 Bucharest
-He has won a title each year since '07

Defending champion (x2): Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) - F l. to Simon

Quarterfinalists: 6) Sam Querrey (USA), 8) Florian Mayer (GER)-SF, Carlos Berlocq (ARG), Tobias Kamke (GER), Nicolas Mahut (FRA)-SF, Benjamin Becker (GER)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Tsonga and Mayer
Locals performance: 14-10 with 3 semifinalists.  Roger-Vasselin, Olivetti, de Schepper, and Mathieu each won one match, while 5-Paire, 7-Chardy, q-Herbert, and q-Gicquel lost in the first round.  Herbert is a 22-yr-old ranked no. 199 appearing in his second main draw.

Americans performance: 2-1, Querrey backed up his seed before falling to the eventual champion in the quarters

Third set tiebreaks: Mathieu def. Sijsling (R1) (8-6)

ATP 250: St. Petersburg, Russia

6) Ernests Gulbis (LAT) def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 3-6 6-4 6-0

-Gulbis wins 4th career title, 2nd of 2013, last '13 Delray Beach

Defending champion: Martin Klizan (SVK) - did not play

Quarterfinalists: 4) Dmitry Tursunov (RUS), 7) Lukas Rosol (CZE), 8) Denis Istomin (UZB), Roberta Bautista Agut (ESP), Joao Sousa (POR)-SF, Michal Przysiezny (POL)-SF

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Garcia-Lopez and Bautista Agut

Locals performance: 6-8, only Tursunov made the quarters but 2-Youzhny, Donskoy, Khachanov, and q-Kravchuk won matches.  Elgin, Karatsev, and q-Biryukov lost in the first round.  Biryukov is 21-yr-old and Karatsev in 20 but is listed as ambidextrous on the ATP site.
Americans performance: none
Other notable winners: Jurgen Zopp (EST) picked up his first ATP win of the year after being beaten down by injuries.

Third set tiebreaks: Bautista Agut def. Donskoy (R2)

WTA International: Seoul, South Korea

1) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) def. 3) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-7(6) 6-3 6-4

-Radwanska wins 13th career title, 3rd of 2013, last '13 Sydney (8 month drought)
-Two of her wins this year have been International tournaments (Auckland)

Defending champion: Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) - did not play

Quarterfinalists: Francesca Schiavone (ITA)-SF, Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU), Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN), Lara Arruabarrena (ESP)-SF, Vera Dushevina (RUS), Su-Jeon Jang (KOR)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: none
Locals performance: 3-3, an amazing performance for the Koreans with Jang reaching the quarters (see good stories) and Lee, ranked no. 344 won one match (def. Gavrilova).  Han (#625) lost her opening match.  

Americans performance: none
Other notable winners: Q) Ons Jabeur (TUN)
Notable scoreline: Pavlyuchenkova def. Schiavone 7-6(11) 7-6(6) - SF

Third set tiebreaks: none

WTA International: Guangzhou, China

Shuai Zhang (CHN) def. Q) Vania King (USA) 7-6(1) 6-1

-Zhang wins first career final!

Defending champion: Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) - R2 l. to Zhang

Quarterfinalists: 2) Alize Cornet (FRA), 3) Laura Robson (GBR), 8) Monica Puig (PUR), Jie Zheng (CHN)-SF, Yvonne Meusburger (AUT)-SF, Q) Johanna Konta (GBR)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Cornet

Locals performance: 10-3, one of the best of any host nation all year.  Zhang won the tournament, J.Zheng reached the semis, and Peng and 19-yr-old S.Zheng won matches.
Americans performance: 4-2, good for King, bad for 7-Lepchenko.

Third set tiebreaks: King def. Puig (QF)