BOTH SEEDED PLAYERS IN EVENING SESSION ESCAPE WITH THREE-SET WINS ON SECOND DAY OF L.A. WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS PRESENTED BY HERBALIFE
Second-seeded Zvonareva Rallies to Win Third-Set Tiebreaker and Advance to Round of 16 While Local Vania King Takes Set Off World No. 11 Ivanovic at The Home Depot CenterCARSON, Calif., (Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009) - Having won a total of just five games in her previous two losses to Ana Ivanovic, Long Beach's Vania King knew she would have to play Top 10 tennis to beat one of the world's best players.
King gave it her best effort, but when it was all said and done the scoreboard showed world No. 11 ranked Ivanovic the winner, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, on Tuesday night during the $700,000 2009 LA Women's Tennis Championships presented by Herbalife. Having beaten the world's No. 28-ranked player (Sybille Bammer) on Monday, King said she felt her game was strong enough to beat Ivanovic, the former French Open champion from Serbia.
"I played her twice before and I lost pretty badly," King said. "I'm not making excuses but I wasn't playing well back then. My coach says I can play with the top players but I just need
to believe. It's something I've struggled with ... getting a mental block because they're in the top 10 but I think I'm doing a much better job of staying mentally tough."
The tournament's No. 2 seeded player Vera Zvonareva was anything but mentally tough at the start of her match against China's Shuai Peng, The world No. 38-ranked Peng took the first 6-3 before world No. 7 ranked Zvonareva rallied to win the next two, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in two hours and 19 minutes. Peng was just two points from victory holding a 5-3 lead in the third-set tiebreak.
Defending champion Dinara Safina takes to the court for the first time Wednesday during the day session on Stadium Court when she faces Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in the third match on. The day session begins at 11 a.m.
Tuesday's Scores
56 singles players/16 doubles teams
Surface: Hard court
Prize money: $700,000
First round singles -- Na Li (12), China, def. Ayumi Morita, Japan, 6-2, 2-0 ret. (gastrointestinal illness); Samantha Stosur (13), Australia, def. Monica Niculescu, Romania, 6-1, 6-2; Jie Zheng (14), China, def. Olga Savchuk, Ukraine, 7-5, 1-6, 6-2; Maria Kirilenko, Russia, def. Chanelle Scheepers, South Africa, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Daniela Hantuchova, Slovakia, def. Melanie Oudin, U.S., 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2; Sabine Lisicki (17), Germany, def. Kimiko Date Krumm, Japan, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-5; Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, def. Melinda Czink, Hungary, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; Urszula Radwanska, Poland, def. Julie Coin, France, 6-1, 6-2; Sorana Cirstea, Romania, def. Michelle Larcher de Brito, Portugal (WC), 6-4, 7-5; Aleksandra Wozniak, Canada, def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, U.S., 7-5, 7-5; Ana Ivanovic (6), Serbia, def. Vania King (WC), U.S., 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; Vera Zvonareva (2), Russia-Shuai Peng, China, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6).
First round doubles -- Tathiana Garbin,Italy-Francesca Schiavone, Italy, def. Meghann Shaughnessy, U.S.-Abigail Spears, U.S., 6-1, 6-4; Alona Bondarenko, Ukraine-Elina Vesnina, Russia, def. Alisa Kleybanova, Russia-Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, 6-4, 7-6 (4); Daniela Hantuchova, Slovakia-Ai Sugiyama, Japan, def. Jill Craybas, U.S.-Carly Gullickson, U.S., 6-4, 6-1
Wednesday's ScheduleORDER OF PLAY - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2009
$700,000.00
AUGUST 01 - AUGUST 09, 2009
ORDER OF PLAY - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 05, 2009
STADIUM start 11 am
[5] N Petrova (RUS) vs S Peer (ISR)
[WC] C Vandeweghe (USA) vs [10] F Pennetta (ITA)
[1] D Safina (RUS) vs D Hantuchova (SVK)
V King (USA) / M Niculescu (ROU) vs [3] F Pennetta (ITA) / L Raymond (USA)
Not Before 7 PM
M Sharapova (RUS) vs [3] V Azarenka (BLR)
[4] C Wozniacki (DEN) vs S Cirstea (ROU)
COURT 4 start 11 am
[7] D Cibulkova (SVK) vs U Radwanska (POL)
Not Before 12:30 PM
A Sugiyama (JPN) vs [8] A Radwanska (POL)
A Wozniak (CAN) vs [12] N Li (CHN)
E Makarova (RUS) vs [17] S Lisicki (GER)
COURT 5 start 11 am
E Vesnina (RUS) vs [14] J Zheng (CHN)
Not Before 12:30 PM
[Q] J Craybas (USA) vs Y Wickmayer (BEL)
L Safarova (CZE) vs A Bondarenko (UKR)
[1] S Stosur (AUS) / R Stubbs (AUS) vs V Ruano Pascual (ESP) / J Zheng (CHN)
COURT 7 start 11 am
A Chakvetadze (RUS) vs A Kleybanova (RUS)
Not Before 12 Noon
[13] S Stosur (AUS) vs M Kirilenko (RUS)
[4] S Hsieh (TPE) / S Peng (CHN) vs T Poutchek (BLR) / O Savchuk (UKR)
A Kudryavtseva (RUS) / A Rodionova (RUS) vs M Kirilenko (RUS) / A Radwanska (POL)
Post-Match Quotes
Ana Ivanovic:
"I felt happy with the way I was moving and playing overall . It's just the first match and I have the ability to build up and improve. I'm pretty happy to have the opportunity for another match. I started really well and she started to make a few mistakes. I had a few bad shots toward the end of the second set. That was frustrating. I had an opportunity a few times to put the ball away but had a little doubt in my mind as to which shot to take. I thought she moved a lot better in the second set but at times I could see her body language... that she was getting frustrated and I tried to use that."
Vania King:
"In the beginning I felt like she was overpowering me and I really didn't have a game plan. I started to play her backhand more. I think she got nervous. Both of us were up and down a lot. I was nervous to play her again. She's a great player and I like to play against her. People expect her to win. I played her twice before and I lost pretty badly. I'm not making excuses but I wasn't playing well. My coach says I can play with the top players but I just need to believe. It's something I've struggled with...getting a mental block because they're in the top 10 but I think I'm doing a much better job of staying mentally tough."
Kimiko Date Krumm's post-match press conference:
On how she got back to playing competitive tennis: "My husband, Michael, is German and he is a racing driver. After we married, he said to me, ‘Why don't you play?' He knows I like sports and I like tennis. He pushed me very hard every time. Last year, in March, I had an exhibition match in Japan. Before the exhibition match, I built up my tennis, my (physique), getting fit. I enjoyed it a lot and I wanted to continue playing tennis. After the exhibition match, I decided to continue. Age is not so important."
On her outlook in coming back to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour now: "This is my second career. Nobody expects me to play after 12 years (of retirement). It's just to enjoy my tennis. I love tennis and I love a challenge and I love sports.
On how long she plans to carry out her tennis comeback: "I don't have a target. I want to continue to play for one or two more years, or maybe three years, until my body is dead. I want to continue if my body is good. Maybe some people think it is too crazy. I wanted a chance to continue to qualify for the Grand Slams. It's not always (about) coming back for the ranking or to win the tournament, but to continue to enjoy life."
Sabine Lisicki:
On her feeling about playing Date Krumm: "As soon as you go out on the court, you just want to play your best tennis. She plays a different style of tennis."
Tickets & Daily Promotions
Individual tickets are on sale now, starting at just $25. The tournament is also offering a special "Buy One, Get One Free All-Week Pass," which includes tickets to all 13 sessions of play. Throughout the week, fans can enjoy daily promotions and events, including:
- Wednesday: Help your non-profit benefit from money raised through tournament ticket sales and silent auction with "Tennis Cares Night"
- Thursday: USTA Member Appreciation Night discounts
- Friday: Mini-Fan and Keychain giveaway
- Saturday: Semifinals and Fireworks Celebration under the stars
- Sunday: Finals and Dunlop hat giveaway
This Week's Television Times
Tennis Channel
| Friday, Aug. 7 | 2:00 PM (LIVE) |
| Saturday, Aug. 8 | 5:00 AM (TAPE) |
| Saturday, Aug. 8 | 2:00 PM (LIVE) |
| Sunday, Aug. 9 | 9:00 PM (TAPE) |
| Sunday, Aug. 9 | 5:00 AM (TAPE) |
| Sunday, Aug. 9 | 6:30 PM (DELAY) |
| Monday, Aug. 10 | 9:30 PM (TAPE) |
| Tuesday, Aug. 11 | 1:00 PM (TAPE) |
| Wednesday, Aug. 12 | 10:00 PM (TAPE) |
ESPN2
Friday, Aug. 7 8:00 PM (LIVE)
Saturday, Aug. 8 7:00 PM (LIVE)
Sunday, Aug. 9 2:00 PM (DELAY)
