Fognini and Berlocq Win First Career Title, Halep Wins Third Straight Small Tournament

Upsets in finals and surprise winners were the theme in the three ATP events of this week with Fabio Fognini upsetting Kohlschreiber in Stuttgart for his first career title, Carlos Berlocq also won his first career title by stunning the red hot Verdasco in Bastad, and just a few after winning his first career title, Nicolas Mahut won a second by beating former Wimbledon Hewitt on grass in Newport.  In women's action, in the battle of the top two seeds and no. 1 doubles team teammates, Roberta Vinci knocked off Errani to win in their home event of Palermo on the island of Sicily.  And finally in Budapest, Simona Halep won a 3rd International level title in as many tries, so she is now 17-1 over two surfaces since the end of the French Open.

Good Stories
-Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) won his first tour match at Wimbledon then followed it up with another main draw win in Bastad.
-Thiemo de Bakker (NED), a 24-yr-old former boys Wimbledon champion, has struggled with injuries over the past couple years, but is back on tour and reached the Bastad semis with upsets of Berdych and Troicki.
-Ivo Karlovic (CRO), returning to the tour after injuries, made the quarters in Newport, where he lost in Isner in two tiebreaks.
-Michael Przsiezny (POL), reached his first ATP quarterfinal in Newport, at the age of 29.
-Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER), 21-yr-old ranked no. 102, who made the third round at the French Open, reached her first WTA quarterfinal in Palermo.  She is ranked no. 7 among players born in '92.
-Danka Kovinic (MNE), 18-yr-old ranked no. 172, reached the quarters in Budapest.  She is the first Montenegrin ever to reach the quarters of an ATP or WTA event.  I have seen her name in Fed Cup draws and she has promise of being a tour regular.
-Agnes Bukta (HUN), a 19-yr-old, ranked no. 366, got her first WTA tour win over Zahlavova at her home tournament in Budapest.

Bad Stories
-Sam Querrey (USA), the no. 1 American no longer.  He was the top seed at Newport and lost in straight sets in the opening round to Smyczek.
-Ryan Harrison (USA), lost to Isner in the Newport first round, and will fall outside the top 100 as he was defending semifinal points.
-Lucie Safarova (CZE), winning just 1 game as the top seed in Budapest, losing to no. 190 ranked Solovyeva.

ATP 250: Stuttgart, Germany

5) Fabio Fognini (ITA) def. 2) Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 5-7 6-4 6-4

-Fognini wins 1st career title!

Defending champion: Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) - did not play this week

Quarterfinalists: 1) Tommy Haas (GER), 4) Benoit Paire (FRA), Roberta Bautista Agut (ESP)-SF, Gael Monfils (FRA), Victor Hanescu (ROU)-SF, Michael Berrer (GER)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: none
Locals performance: 8-8, Berrer was 33-yr-old veteran who got a wildcard, Haas and Kohlschreiber were the top two seeds and went 4-2.  Other first round winners were 6-Mayer and q-Langer, a 23-yr-old ranked no. 309 while Kamke, q-Beck, and 19-yr-old wildcard Kern lost opening round matches.

Americans performance: none

Third set tiebreaks: L.Mayer def. Andujar (R1), Hanescu def. Tursunov (R1) (9-7)

ATP 250: Bastad, Sweden

Carlos Berlocq (ARG) def. 8) Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 7-5 6-1

-Berlocq wins 1st career title!

Defending champion: David Ferrer (ESP) - did not play this week

Quarterfinalists: 1) Tomas Berdych (CZE), 2) Nicolas Almagro (ESP), 3) Juan Monaco (ARG), 5) Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)-SF, Albert Ramos (ESP), Thiemo de Bakker (NED)-SF

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Almagro, Dimitrov, and Ramos 

Locals performance: 0-3 - Eriksson (three tiebreak loss), Vinciguerra, and Ymer
Americans performance: none
Other notable winners: 21-yr-old Finn-turned-Swiss Henri Laaksonen

Third set tiebreaks: Alund def. Eriksson (R1) (10-8), de Bakker def. Troicki (R2) (8-6)

ATP 250: Newport, RI, United States

Nicolas Mahut (FRA) def. 4) Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 5-7 7-5 6-3

-Mahut wins 2nd career title, last '13 's-Hertogenbosch

Defending champion (x2): John Isner (USA) - SF l. to Hewitt

Quarterfinalists: 2) John Isner (USA)-SF, 3) Igor Sijsling (NED), Michal Przysiezny (POL), Michael Russell (USA)-SF, Ivo Karlovic (CRO), Q) Jan Hernych (CZE)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Isner and Hewitt

Locals performance: 10-12, which really isn't that great.  Isner and Russell made the semis and 8-Ram, Sock, Smyczek, and q-Kuznetsov won a match, but 1-Querrey, Harrison, Williams, Kudla, Blake, and teenager Kozlov lost their opening matches.
Americans performance: see above
Other notable winners: Prakash Amritaj (IND), no. 308

Third set tiebreaks: Russell def. Sijsling (QF) (3 tiebreaks)

WTA International: Palermo, Italy

2) Roberta Vinci (ITA) def. 1) Sara Errani (ITA) 6-3 3-6 6-3

-Vinci wins 9th career title, 2nd of 2013, last '13 Katowice
-It is her 6th clay title, but she has won on all 3 surfaces

Defending champion: Sara Errani (ITA) - F l. to Vinci

Quarterfinalists: 4) Klara Zakopalova (CZE)-SF, 5) Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP), Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP), Estrella Cabeza Candela (ESP)-SF, Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER), Renata Voracova (CZE)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Errani and Cabeza Candela
Locals performance: 12-7, besides the two finalists, Burnett, Dentoni, and Knapp won matches, while Pennetta, Matteucci (17-yr-old), and q-Gatto-Monticone lost opening round matches.

Americans performance: 0-1, Cohen drew Errani in R1 and won one game

Third set tiebreaks: Cabeza Candela def. Mladenovic (R2) (8-6)

WTA International: Budapest, Hungary

3) Simona Halep (ROU) def. Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 6-3 6-7(7) 6-1

-Halep wins 3rd career title, 3rd of 2013, last '13 's-Hertogenbosch

Defending champion: Sara Errani (ITA) - played in Palermo - this tournament was played in early May last year

Quarterfinalists: 4) Annika Beck (GER), 6) Chanelle Scheepers (RSA)-SF, Alexandra Cadantu (ROU)-SF, Shahar Peer (ISR), Timea Babos (HUN), Danka Kovinic (MNE)

Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: none

Locals performance: 3-4, Babos reached the quarters and Bukta got a win.  Jani and Lukacs came up empty.

Americans performance: none
Other info:  Apparently there was only 31 players entered in this tournament.  There was no qualifying and unseeded Hradecka received a bye to the second round.  Xenia Knoll (SUI) was the last direct acceptance at no. 645 in the world.  Not sure what this means for the future of the tournament, but Palermo didn't have the greatest draw either.

Third set tiebreaks: Babos def. Torro-Flor (R2), Scheepers def. Kovinic (QF)