Peer breaks drought in China
September 20th 2009 13:36
ISRAELI Shahar Peer won her first title – and fourth overall – in three years with a straight-sets triumph over Italian Alberta Brianti in the Guangzhou International final in China.
Peer looked set for a long career at the top after winning three titles in 2006, but has slipped down the rankings in the past two years to her current No.57 standing.
The 22-year-old didn’t have to beat much this week, but she has played many tournaments against mediocre opposition like this in recent years and hasn’t been able to emerge victorious.
Peer, a former world junior No.2, will climb in next week’s rankings and will be hoping for a strong finish to the year.
Defeated finalist Brianti continues to surprise.
The 29-year-old has surged from an end-of-season ranking of 173 to 85 and this week’s performance should see her better her career-high ranking of 79.
It is debatable how much more Brianti can improve at this stage of her career, but she has proven that age is no barrier this year.
She only needs to look at countrywomen and top-25 players Flavia Pennetta, 27, and Francesca Schiavone, 29, for inspiration.
Meanwhile, left-handers Lucie Safarova and Melinda Czink are the last women standing in the Quebec City Challenge in Canada.
World No.50 Safarova has made an art form of losing matches she should win since first emerging as a force on the WTA Tour in 2007.
The Czech Republic star finished that year at No.24 in a breakthrough season that included a quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open.
But Safarova has gone backwards in the past two years and a win here would provide some evidence that she is on the way back.
Hungarian Czink is a more surprise finalist.
She has sporadically finished inside the top-100 players in an up-and-down career, but has made major steps in 2009.
Czink is currently ranked 52nd in the world – just two off her career-high ranking from August this year.
But few people would have predicted her to take out Petrova and hometown hero Aleksandra Wozniak in back-to-back matches en route to the final.
Expect the exquisitely talented Safarova to end Czink’s run in the decider in their first meeting.
Peer looked set for a long career at the top after winning three titles in 2006, but has slipped down the rankings in the past two years to her current No.57 standing.
The 22-year-old didn’t have to beat much this week, but she has played many tournaments against mediocre opposition like this in recent years and hasn’t been able to emerge victorious.
Peer, a former world junior No.2, will climb in next week’s rankings and will be hoping for a strong finish to the year.
Defeated finalist Brianti continues to surprise.
Israeli Shahar Peer won her fourth career title in China overnight.
The 29-year-old has surged from an end-of-season ranking of 173 to 85 and this week’s performance should see her better her career-high ranking of 79.
It is debatable how much more Brianti can improve at this stage of her career, but she has proven that age is no barrier this year.
She only needs to look at countrywomen and top-25 players Flavia Pennetta, 27, and Francesca Schiavone, 29, for inspiration.
Meanwhile, left-handers Lucie Safarova and Melinda Czink are the last women standing in the Quebec City Challenge in Canada.
World No.50 Safarova has made an art form of losing matches she should win since first emerging as a force on the WTA Tour in 2007.
The Czech Republic star finished that year at No.24 in a breakthrough season that included a quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open.
Czech Lucie Safarova is hoping to serve her way past Hungarian Melinda Czink in the Quebec City Challenge final tonight.
But Safarova has gone backwards in the past two years and a win here would provide some evidence that she is on the way back.
Hungarian Czink is a more surprise finalist.
She has sporadically finished inside the top-100 players in an up-and-down career, but has made major steps in 2009.
Czink is currently ranked 52nd in the world – just two off her career-high ranking from August this year.
But few people would have predicted her to take out Petrova and hometown hero Aleksandra Wozniak in back-to-back matches en route to the final.
Expect the exquisitely talented Safarova to end Czink’s run in the decider in their first meeting.
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