PierreC
02-02-2007, 07:17 AM
Results Friday, January 12, 2007
Singles - Final
(3) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 46 76(1) 64 (saved 1mp) (2 hours, 28 minutes)
Doubles - Final
(4) Groenefeld/Shaughnessy (GER/USA) d. Bartoli/Tu (FRA/USA) 63 36 76(2) (1 hour, 55 minutes)
Finals Facts
Playing in her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event of 2007, world No.5 Kim Clijsters won her 34th career Tour singles title in her 50th career Tour singles final. She is now 34-16 in Tour singles finals.
As the No.3 seed, Clijsters, 23, was appearing in her second Medibank International singles final after winning the title in 2003.
Clijsters pocketed US$88,265 for the title win.
This was the fourth Medibank International singles title for Belgium, adding to previous crowns won in 2003 (by Clijsters), 2004 and 2006 (both by Justine Henin-Hardenne).
As the first Serb to appear in a Medibank International singles final, world No.12 Jelena Jankovic was playing in her seventh career Tour singles final. Her career finals record now stands at 2-5, having won at 2004 Budapest and last week at Auckland. Her 2007 win-loss record is now 9-1.
Jankovic was looking for her third Top 10 win of the week after beating world No.3 Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals and world No.7 Martina Hingis in the first round.
As runner-up, Jankovic won US$47,125.
Fourth-seeded doubles team Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Meghann Shaughnessy were playing together for their 20th time. This was their third doubles title as a team, playing in their fourth final. They won previous titles at 2005 Bali and 2006 Acapulco.
Groenefeld now holds six Sony Ericsson WTA Tour doubles titles, and Shaughnessy now owns 15.
The unseeded duo of Marion Bartoli and Meilen Tu were playing together for only the second time. In their only previous event as a team at 2004 Rome, they lost in the first round.
Quotes
Kim Clijsters, 2007 Medibank International singles champion
I had the feeling that we were both playing really good tennis and it could go either way. It was just a few points here or there that could change things over. Those are all little details that make a difference. Even with match point against you, you try not to focus, you try not to think about that, you just try to remain calm and just do what I was doing well throughout the whole match and that was playing aggressive.
It was like a real soccer game; that's what it felt like. I've never had that before, that experience, so it was definitely a match that I'll remember for a very long time.
I was down match point, so it's easy to think it's over. You should never think like that. You should always try to find a way to make the next point better.
Like I said in the beginning of the week, I never expected to win here and to play in a match like this and to have that last match here in these kind of circumstances. I wouldn't wish for a better good-bye than this one, and it was just nice at the ceremony, and all the people that I've met throughout the years here in Sydney and the volunteers in the locker room and the women here, and it's nice to say goodbye to all those people and thank them for their work. It was very special.
Singles - Final
(3) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 46 76(1) 64 (saved 1mp) (2 hours, 28 minutes)
Doubles - Final
(4) Groenefeld/Shaughnessy (GER/USA) d. Bartoli/Tu (FRA/USA) 63 36 76(2) (1 hour, 55 minutes)
Finals Facts
Playing in her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event of 2007, world No.5 Kim Clijsters won her 34th career Tour singles title in her 50th career Tour singles final. She is now 34-16 in Tour singles finals.
As the No.3 seed, Clijsters, 23, was appearing in her second Medibank International singles final after winning the title in 2003.
Clijsters pocketed US$88,265 for the title win.
This was the fourth Medibank International singles title for Belgium, adding to previous crowns won in 2003 (by Clijsters), 2004 and 2006 (both by Justine Henin-Hardenne).
As the first Serb to appear in a Medibank International singles final, world No.12 Jelena Jankovic was playing in her seventh career Tour singles final. Her career finals record now stands at 2-5, having won at 2004 Budapest and last week at Auckland. Her 2007 win-loss record is now 9-1.
Jankovic was looking for her third Top 10 win of the week after beating world No.3 Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals and world No.7 Martina Hingis in the first round.
As runner-up, Jankovic won US$47,125.
Fourth-seeded doubles team Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Meghann Shaughnessy were playing together for their 20th time. This was their third doubles title as a team, playing in their fourth final. They won previous titles at 2005 Bali and 2006 Acapulco.
Groenefeld now holds six Sony Ericsson WTA Tour doubles titles, and Shaughnessy now owns 15.
The unseeded duo of Marion Bartoli and Meilen Tu were playing together for only the second time. In their only previous event as a team at 2004 Rome, they lost in the first round.
Quotes
Kim Clijsters, 2007 Medibank International singles champion
I had the feeling that we were both playing really good tennis and it could go either way. It was just a few points here or there that could change things over. Those are all little details that make a difference. Even with match point against you, you try not to focus, you try not to think about that, you just try to remain calm and just do what I was doing well throughout the whole match and that was playing aggressive.
It was like a real soccer game; that's what it felt like. I've never had that before, that experience, so it was definitely a match that I'll remember for a very long time.
I was down match point, so it's easy to think it's over. You should never think like that. You should always try to find a way to make the next point better.
Like I said in the beginning of the week, I never expected to win here and to play in a match like this and to have that last match here in these kind of circumstances. I wouldn't wish for a better good-bye than this one, and it was just nice at the ceremony, and all the people that I've met throughout the years here in Sydney and the volunteers in the locker room and the women here, and it's nice to say goodbye to all those people and thank them for their work. It was very special.