Flavia Pennetta d. Samantha Stosur, 6-4, 6-3What a difference a day and a year make. The runner-up here in 2008, Flavia Pennetta earned her second hard court title on the courts of Carson, showing none of the service hiccups on display in last night’s semifinal. The 470 ranking points she earned also placed her a few steps away from potentially becoming the first Italian woman in the Top Ten.
“I’m very happy about this tournament,” Pennetta said after her victory. “I was starting to play not my best tennis but every match I was improving and play better and better. I had a great chance in the first set, in the second, I take it and that’s why I won.”
The Italian credits her newfound success on the asphalt over the last two years to an increase in fitness training and a few tweaks to her game made by her coach, Gabriel Urpi. That enhanced consistency and movement off both wings, coupled with a stronger serve have allowed her to be more aggressive offensively and also bolstered her defensive skills. Today, these improvements got the best of her opponent.
A few more names were crossed off the “nice” list at the Home Depot Center today, though those that remain might find their names on the “naughty” list if they continue their error-prone ways. Some might want to ask Santa for a more substantial second serve. Others would be grateful just for the gift of a faithful first serve. A select few, however, unwrapped a winning formula and a spot in the finals. Do You Hear What I Hear? – Samantha Stosur d. Sorana Cirstea, 6-3, 6-2
That would be the sound of booming serves and groundstrokes coming off Sam Stosur’s racquet during the afternoon semifinal. With each scorching winner, Sorana Cirstea and her supportive fans were subdued. Both players are big servers and put plenty of pace on the ball, but the Romanian was outgunned from the beginning as Stosur refused her any opportunity to gain momentum.
“I think I was putting balls in places she didn’t really want to have to move to,” Sam offered afterward. “Maybe she wasn’t moving as best she can but I think I also made it pretty hard for her as well. I had really good variety on my serve today… I never really let her get into it.”
‘Tis the season in sunny Southern California for tennis fans when we welcome the ATP and WTA Tours back with two tournaments over two weeks, both of which often give lower ranked players a chance to shine. This week at the Home Depot Center, the LA Women’s Tennis Championships has sent a few top ten players home with lumps of coal, but left the draw full of up-and-comers and a few veterans hoping to find a trophy, a large check, and almost 500 ranking points in their stocking. For the quarterfinals today we have top-seed slayers, a pair of Polish sisters, two resurgent Russians… and a partridge in a pear tree. And it’s all here in Carson City! Oh Come All Ye Romanian Faithful - Sorana Cirstea d. Agnieszka Radwanska, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Several Sorana supporters settled in early to cheer their girl on during the first quarterfinal. The Romanian has gained a great deal of confidence over the last few months thanks, in part, as she admitted after the match, to her terrific run at Roland Garros. But that belief took a beating last week at Stanford against the eighth-seeded Radwanska. Not wanting a repeat of that performance, Cirstea came to play with a new set of tactics and a few more match wins under her belt this time around. “I had a lot of patience today and I think that’s why I won.”
