PierreC
09-06-2007, 06:18 AM
Results - Saturday, August 25, 2007
Singles - Final
(1) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. (Q) Agnes Szavay (HUN) 46 30 ret. (low back injury)
Doubles - Final
(3) Mirza/Santangelo (IND/ITA) d. (1) Black/Huber (ZIM/USA) 61 62
Final Facts
- Kuznetsova wins her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title of the year and the ninth of her career; she is now 1-4 this year in Tour singles finals, and 9-11 lifetime (she is just the ninth active player - and second Russian, after Sharapova - to reach 20 career Tour singles finals).
- Kuznetsova's last three wins this week ended in retirements, with Schiavone stopping on a left ankle injury after dropping the first set, 6-2, in the quarterfinals; Dementieva stopping due to nausea while trailing 3-0 third set in the semifinals; and finally Szavay.
- Kuznetsova had lost her first four Tour singles finals of the year, at Doha (to Henin), Indian Wells (to Hantuchova), Berlin (to Ivanovic) and Rome (to Jankovic).
- Szavay is now 1-1 in Tour singles finals, having won her first Tour singles title last month at Palermo; she was bidding to become the first qualifier to win an event at the Tier II level or higher since the inception of the current Tier system (the last qualifier to reach a final at a Tier II or higher was Dushevina, who was runner-up at Tier II Eastbourne two years ago).
- Szavay's win over world No.10 Hantuchova en route to the final wasn't just her first Top 10 win, it was her first Top 20 win; it was just her second career match against one of the world's Top 20, having pushed then-world No.9 Chakvetadze to three tough sets at Roland Garros in May.
- Mirza and Santangelo were playing together for just the second time, having reached the semis at Bangalore earlier this year; Mirza earned her seventh career Tour doubles title (her fourth this year) while Santangelo won her sixth career Tour doubles title (her fifth this year).
Quotes
Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2007 Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Schick singles champion:
"It's really strange, but the only thing I can say is I was winning those matches. Today was the closest one, but I was getting my game back and then she retired. I cannot change it. The only thing I can do is take it."
"It feels good. I was playing great tennis when I'd make it to the other finals but then I couldn't do it in the final. I wasn't playing well. My game wasn't going the right way. And here, I was missing so many easy forehands in the first set. But, winning when you're not playing your best is better, I think."
Agnes Szavay, 2007 Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Schick singles runner-up:
"Every point it was getting worse and it was just really painful. I felt it when I started playing in the main draw, but at the beginning it was just a little muscle pain and nothing serious. Day by day, it just got worse and worse."
"It was a really, really good week and I played really well; but that's why it's even more disappointing, especially after I won the first set. But Svetlana is a very nice girl - she always makes me smile. She told me she was sorry about it, that she was not happy she won in this way. She's really nice."
Singles - Final
(1) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. (Q) Agnes Szavay (HUN) 46 30 ret. (low back injury)
Doubles - Final
(3) Mirza/Santangelo (IND/ITA) d. (1) Black/Huber (ZIM/USA) 61 62
Final Facts
- Kuznetsova wins her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title of the year and the ninth of her career; she is now 1-4 this year in Tour singles finals, and 9-11 lifetime (she is just the ninth active player - and second Russian, after Sharapova - to reach 20 career Tour singles finals).
- Kuznetsova's last three wins this week ended in retirements, with Schiavone stopping on a left ankle injury after dropping the first set, 6-2, in the quarterfinals; Dementieva stopping due to nausea while trailing 3-0 third set in the semifinals; and finally Szavay.
- Kuznetsova had lost her first four Tour singles finals of the year, at Doha (to Henin), Indian Wells (to Hantuchova), Berlin (to Ivanovic) and Rome (to Jankovic).
- Szavay is now 1-1 in Tour singles finals, having won her first Tour singles title last month at Palermo; she was bidding to become the first qualifier to win an event at the Tier II level or higher since the inception of the current Tier system (the last qualifier to reach a final at a Tier II or higher was Dushevina, who was runner-up at Tier II Eastbourne two years ago).
- Szavay's win over world No.10 Hantuchova en route to the final wasn't just her first Top 10 win, it was her first Top 20 win; it was just her second career match against one of the world's Top 20, having pushed then-world No.9 Chakvetadze to three tough sets at Roland Garros in May.
- Mirza and Santangelo were playing together for just the second time, having reached the semis at Bangalore earlier this year; Mirza earned her seventh career Tour doubles title (her fourth this year) while Santangelo won her sixth career Tour doubles title (her fifth this year).
Quotes
Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2007 Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Schick singles champion:
"It's really strange, but the only thing I can say is I was winning those matches. Today was the closest one, but I was getting my game back and then she retired. I cannot change it. The only thing I can do is take it."
"It feels good. I was playing great tennis when I'd make it to the other finals but then I couldn't do it in the final. I wasn't playing well. My game wasn't going the right way. And here, I was missing so many easy forehands in the first set. But, winning when you're not playing your best is better, I think."
Agnes Szavay, 2007 Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Schick singles runner-up:
"Every point it was getting worse and it was just really painful. I felt it when I started playing in the main draw, but at the beginning it was just a little muscle pain and nothing serious. Day by day, it just got worse and worse."
"It was a really, really good week and I played really well; but that's why it's even more disappointing, especially after I won the first set. But Svetlana is a very nice girl - she always makes me smile. She told me she was sorry about it, that she was not happy she won in this way. She's really nice."