Lara Arruabarrena firm steps on the Colombian clay
Lara Arruabarrena qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament after defeating Bogotá in two rounds to Eva Birnerova. Meanwhile, Lourdes Dominguez, defending champion, fell against Mariana Duque Marino to prognosis.
Lara Arruabarrena imposed on the Czech Eva Birnerova by an aggregate score of 6-4, 6-0 in one hour and twelve minutes in a clash played on Track 2. After falling just a week ago in Cali before Bernerova ITF (6-7, 6-4, 6-3), Lara took his revenge in a crash that began with both players breaking the service, chose the scales in favor Spanish in the final rush of the first act and put the end with a ‘donut’ in favor of Basque player. The next rival will be the winner Tolosa duel in front of the Slovenian Petra Rampre and Argentina Paula Ormaechea.
For the rest of the day include the victories of the New Zealand Marina Erakovic to the Swiss Stefanie Voegele (6-3, 6-4), the Hungarian Timea Babos before the Italian Romina Oprandi (7-6, 6-4), and the Kazakh Yaroslava Shvedova to Russian Valeria Savinykh (6-2, 6-2).
Elite tennis to developers
Reached number 32 in the world and a benchmark in the women’s tour, but injuries and the need for a sport that requires dedicated Julia Vakulenko made to retire prematurely. Now she works in a real estate business, while still taking the racket weekly to remove the bug.
Julia Vakulenko Born in Yalta, a city of 80,000 inhabitants located in southern Ukraine. At seven he began playing tennis Gala prompted by her mother, a lover of the sport. She grew up riding professionally living between Spain and France, made his professional debut in 1998. He played in the elite for thirteen seasons, which reached number 32 in the WTA ranking, but a wrist injury ended up hanging convince the racket despite their youth. “In 2007 I injured my right wrist when he was playing better. It took a long time to recover and when I returned I did so with limitations. I had to play with a lighter racquet, which prevented me to implement my aggressive style of play and attack . I lost my enthusiasm for this sport and I thought it was time to stop, “he tells the protagonist, whose last appearance on the table dates from January 18, 2010, where he fell in the first round of the ‘Qualy’ of Australia to Open Bethanie Mattek-Sands. “It was a difficult decision because half-life was devoted heart and soul into tennis. The feeling of retiring at 27 is very strange, but I wanted to experience what it was ‘normal’ life and work ‘normal,’” says Julia, who hung the racket after he settled in Paris.
On April 9, 2010, passed by Julia to marry vicarage Yann Leblond, A businessman with whom she shares her passion for life and sport. Ukraine’s worked for eight months in a Cartier store in the heart of Paris, as a consultant at Roland Garros last year and a half is involved in a housing project with her husband, selling luxury apartments with sea views French territory. In addition to its ‘first steps’ in the world of golf, a sport that entertains and allows you to spend more time with your partner, Julia continues to play tennis whenever he can. He lives five minutes from the Stade Roland-Garros, where it joins club with some friends two days a week to keep hitting the ball. “I was afraid I could not play tennis without competing, but do not carry it wrong. I am passionate about this sport,” he says. He says not miss the business (“I was tired of traveling around the world since 14 years,” he says), but the friends who has left on the road. “There is with people who have kept in touch, but with other course is lost. It is also true that the players of my era are gradually withdrawn.”
Past and Future? Spanish
Julia trained for ten years in Barcelona, a city that loves and has a great appreciation. In his day, before that injury, he even weighed the idea that received Spanish citizenship and could defend the interests of the ‘Armada’ in the Fed Cup, “I asked for dual citizenship in 2007 … but has was this year when I got a Spanish passport, “exclaims Vakulenko. In the Barcelona left good friends like Anabel Medina or Arantxa Parra, Of which we are asked how their life is about. “Tennis has evolved greatly in recent years. It’s much more physical, it has lost the variety that contributed players like Justine Henin, Amelie Mauresmo or Patty Schnyder. No one uses the one-handed backhand, changes of pace, … players all seem cut from the same pattern, “he says. Speaking of mirrors that look, Julia realized that she always liked to follow Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin or Lindsay Davenport, But which are still active highlights Serena Williams and Samantha Stosur. “I think that combine quality and character that no other”.
In addition to its pachagas with French legends as Sarah Pitkowski or Mary PierceJulia training children taking their first steps in this sport: “If I could choose to devote it would undoubtedly be a tennis player. But not make some mistakes I had in my career. Now I can serve on that experience to help younger ones “. Julia confesses that does not rule out a future return to Spain as a coach, but now lives happily in the ‘city of love’
Anabel Medina and the prize of playing in Bali
Anabel Medina will culminate the season at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Bali, where they will be the eight best players of the year with titles on the payroll who have not played the WTA Championships in Istanbul last week. The torrentinos, No. 28-ranked and champion in Estoril and Palermo, hopes that the enthusiasm and confidence he has in his game to more than physical setbacks drag at this point.
After last year signed a gray season ended in the post 78 of the WTA ranking, Anabel Medina has been known to reinvent, restore confidence in his game and the enthusiasm for a sport that continues to fill. The Valencia admits that the change of chip arrived in Bogotá, where curiously fell in the first round at the local Catalina Castano”I lost the tiebreak in the third set, but I realized I had played a good game and I could do better. From there I knew I could win or lose a game, but he would fight to the last ball there was at stake. ” True to his words, Anabel signed Acapulco semifinals in the tournament came next, gradually going over to win the Estoril tournament (winning in the final Kristina Barrois) And Palermo (winning in the final Polona Hercog) .
The fastest track in which he played
The award for their good work comes at the end of the season, where he has earned his ticket to the tournament in Bali, where he will share track with Marion Bartoli, Nadia Petrova, Peng Shuai, Sabine Lisicki, Ana Ivanovic, Roberta Vinci and Daniela Hantuchova. “It’s a different tournament because I played only eight players to elimination system. I intended to do a good job and try to exploit the opportunities available to every game. All the forces arrived and just thinking about the holidays and it can foster. To me it is a prize to be here, “says torrentinos, who arrived in Bali on Sunday after dispute with the Club de Tenis Valencia Spain Championship team in Barcelona this weekend. Anabel and played the first edition of this tournament in 2009, making it an authoritative voice to highlight the conditions of a particular track, “It is the fastest in the circuit. The fastest that I have ever played! The ball goes very fast and is very difficult to get beat. ” The pupil Gonzalo Lopez appointment reaches the right knee problems-problems that drag from the U.S. Open, and in his right elbow, but with the intention to “give my best.”
After this tournament, Anabel will shelve the season and a few days rest before facing the next season. “It was a very good year for me. I needed to recover these feelings after a year more irregular. I think winning two titles is a sign of good health and confidence to tackle an important year,” he says. The Valencian begin his season at Valencia, but Australian land depart before the end of the year, it will be next to Fernando Verdasco the duo to represent Spain in Hopman Cup to be held in Melbourne from December 31 to January 7 in Melbourne and in which the Spanish duo will debut the first day of the year to the local Jarmila Gajdosova and Lleyton Hewitt”It’s a very nice tournament play. I had the chance to participate a few years ago Tommy Robredo as a couple and although we lost in the final, the experience was positive. “Then comes the Australia Open, defending points and the London Olympic Games, a reference in the calendar next year.” Of course I hope to be there! The Games are a special event, very different from the rest of the circuit. The idea was to cushion points this season to get to court (after Roland Garros) without problems and I think the goal has been met. I cross my fingers that all goes well and can be there, “he says. What is unclear is whether in addition to the individual level, patterns played doubles and mixed doubles and with whom.” It is too early to decide, and will time to talk to my colleagues, but of course I put it as an option to me, “recalls Anabel, silver in Beijing 2008 with Virginia Ruano and winner of 18 doubles tournaments (including two Roland Garros).
Sharapova up to fourth in world rankings
Russian Maria Sharapova, winner of the tournament in Cincinnati, has risen to fourth in the women’s tennis world rankings, still commanded by Caroline Wozniacki in front of Vera Zvonareva.
The rise of Sharapova, who won the final against Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic is the only change in the top ten of the table, in which the two Balkan progresses and twelfth positions.
Meanwhile, Anabel Medina, thirty-second, Spanish is the best placed ahead of Maria Jose Martinez, thirty-four.
Rating:
1. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 9335 points
2. Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 6820
3. Kim Clijsters (BEL) 6501
.4. Maria Sharapova (RUS) 6346
.5. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 5995
6. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 5685
7. Na Li (CHN) 5671
.8. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 4855
.9. Marion Bartoli (FRA) 4225
10. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 3930
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32. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 1540
34. Maria Jose Martinez (ESP) 1505
45. Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) 1,200
58. Gisela Dulko (ARG) 1030
75. Laura Pous Tio, (ESP) 858
80. Carla Suarez (ESP) 811.
Maria Jose Martinez gets into his first final of the year
The Spanish Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez was ranked first this year for a final by winning semifinals today in Bad Gastein (Austria) to the Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 6-1, 7-6 (5).
The Spanish, struggling to be back among the top 20 world ranking, will play the final against Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, who won a double 6-0 to Russia’s Ksenia Pervak in just 47 minutes.