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Samantha Stosur has made it into the final of Rogers Cup presented by National Bank after she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 this afternoon.
Stosur prevented the world No. 12 from advancing into her second straight final and she will return to the Top 10 on the WTA rankings because of her impressive performance. She had dropped out the upper echelon just this past week for the first time in over a year after losing the opening matches of both her past two tournaments.
The Australian is now in her second final of 2011, but will be hoping for a better result this time after falling to Maria Sharapova in Rome.
Her opponent in the final will be Serena Williams who defeated Victoria Azarenka, 6-3 and 6-3 in tonight's semifinal. This is the fourth tournament for Serena after her comeback, has won one last week and now is again in the final, preparing for a big attention at the US Open 2011.
August 13, 2011
TORONTO, Canada - She was evicted from the Top 10 this week, but it didn't take long for her to move her stuff back in. Sam Stosur cemented a rapid return to the elite by making the final of the Rogers Cup on Saturday, snapping the winning streak of Agnieszka Radwanska to reach her second WTA final of the year.
Whoever won between No.11 Stosur and No.12 Radwanska would move up to No.10 on the new rankings, and with very strong serving and powerful forehands it was Stosur who came out on top on the day, letting go of the second set but finding her range again in the third to win, 62 57 62. She hit her seventh ace to close it out.
"I played a pretty sloppy game and lost the second set. Getting that early break in the third set was really comforting for me," Stosur said. "Maybe she felt it was a long way back. I started serving well again and was able to stay on top of the points."
Stosur had lost her opening matches at her last two tournaments, her only opening round losses all year - having been No.4 in the world just five months ago, she came into Toronto down at No.11. Needless to say she is happy with her return to form in Toronto.
"I'm starting to really have things flow again," Stosur said. "I went through a bit of a dip in form at the start of the season, and I wasn't able to feel like I do now. To come here and play this well, no matter what happens tomorrow, I'm feeling good.
"I'm No.11 this week. I wanted to get back in, for sure."
Radwanska was on a nine-match winning streak, going 5-0 to win her first title in over three years at Carlsbad last week, then 4-0 to reach the semifinals here. "I was playing better in the second set and was able to break her twice, but then she started serving much better," she said. "It's very hard playing so many matches in a row, especially good matches on a very high level. I was fighting until the end, but it has been a busy three weeks. Anyway, I'm still happy. It was a good tournament for me."
Serena Williams snapped up the other berth in the final at night. With her power game in full flow and some fast finishes in both sets, the former No.1 improved to 10-0 in the summer hardcourt season with a 63 63 victory over No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka. Williams won eight of the last 11 points of the first set and 16 of the last 19 points of the second - she also finished the match in style, a huge crosscourt forehand winner into the corner.
"It was important for me to come in and take charge. I didn't have anything to lose," Williams said in her on-court interview. "It's really cool - I came to Toronto just trying to do my best, next thing I know I'm in the final. I haven't really played that much. Maybe it's something to do with the Toronto crowd!"
Stosur had some very nice words about Williams. "I've had some success against Serena, but we all know what she's capable of. She's obviously one of the best players ever in women's sport. She's a great champion. And for her to have that lay-off and already win an event and do so well, it's full credit to her."
Williams leads Stosur in their head-to-head series, 3-2.
Williams is 38-14 in WTA finals in her career, Stosur is 2-8.
S. STOSUR/A. Radwanska
6 2, 5 7, 6 2
An interview with:
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Can you just talk about the flow of the match a little bit? You know, you seemed to pick up your game in the second set. Did you feel kind of a difference between the sets in your level?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Um, well, I think I was yeah, I obviously was playing better in the second set, and I was able to broke her I think twice.
But then I think that she starts serve much, much better. You know, I think serve was very important thing in this match.
You know, and with my shoulder, you know, I couldn't really hold my serve. That's why, you know, I think there was a little bit of trouble especially in the beginning of the third set already.
Q. How big a factor was fatigue in this match for you?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, yes, it's very hard, you know, playing so many matches in a row, especially good matches on a very high level.
You know, I was fighting till the end, and of course, you know, this been a very busy three weeks. So I'm just very happy that, you know, I could be here in the semifinal.
So anyway, you know, it's good tournament for me.
Q. You'd be the best judge of this: Stosur will have to play one of two very in form players. How do you like her chances tomorrow?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: You know, it's very hard to say, but I'd say 50/50, you know. It's very, you know, hard to say who's gonna win the second semifinal today. I'm not sure. It's very hard to say.
Q. Can you give us some specifics about the shoulder? Is it something where you just need a little bit of time off before the US Open? Is surgery something that you'll have to do after the season?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Um, oh, no, don't say that. (Smiling.)
Last two off seasons I had two surgeries, so, you know no. I mean, I hope so. But well, yeah, I think for sure I need some time off, couple days off.
I just hope it's nothing serious. Yeah, we'll see.
Q. And despite the loss today, how confident are you feeling heading into the US Open? Do you feel like your game is as strong as it's ever been before a Grand Slam?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yes. You know, I think I'm playing very good tennis. I had a lot of good matches.
I'm ready for the Open, you know. It's been very good experience last three weeks. I think you know, I just hope I can do well, as well, in the US Open.
Q. I saw in practice that your back was also taped. Is that another injury, or is that to support the shoulder?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: No. Actually, my back, it's now pretty sore because of the matches, you know, so much matches in a row.
So in this tournament you know, it's just too much tennis. Just I was falling apart now, but, you know, I think I just need few days just to fix it.
Q. Today I believe if you had won you'd be back in the top 10. Is that something that matters to you? Do you think about that during the tournament week?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Um, well, I didn't really think that way, but for sure, you know, it's great to be top 10. I'm very happy that, you know, that I'm coming back, like you were saying. I didn't even that
Q. If you had won.
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Oh. I didn't really think that way. So if I be 11 or 10, it's no big different, but for sure, you know, being in top 10, it's of course much better. But I think most important thing to be top 10 I think at the end of the year, so I still have some time to do it.
Q. It sounds like you're not going to play any other tournaments between now and the US Open, right?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: No, actually...
Q. Are you playing Cincinnati?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yes.
Q. Do you think that's a good idea?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Well, you know, obviously, you know, I will just go there, and, you know, I go there and I will see how it's gonna be.
Q. Your dad hasn't been here these few weeks coaching you, right?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: No.
Q. Can you talk about is that a different feeling, you know, the relationship with a coach who is not your father? Is there anything you can kind of do that you wouldn't be able to do like if your dad was around off the court?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: I mean, not really, you know. I think, you know, I'm not 13 years old anymore. I just do what I want to do.
But, you know, yes, of course it's different feeling, especially that my father has been like 17 years already coaching me. But, you know, it was couple tournaments before that I was just with someone else.
But, you know, I was practicing my dad before I came here, and he was in Stanford for a little bit. You know, sometimes it's good to have some breaks, you know, from each other. You know, yeah.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
August 13, 2011
An interview with:
STACEY ALLASTER
THE MODERATOR: Please welcome Stacey Allaster, who is the chairman and CEO of the WTA. Stacey is the former tournament director of the Canadian Open and a former vice president of Tennis Canada. For her accomplishments and contribution to the growth of tennis in Canada, she will be inducted into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame later tonight.
Questions for Stacey, please.
Q. When you first come back here, what are some of the memories that come to you?
STACEY ALLASTER: I have a lot of fond memories. Sitting in this seat, it brings back memories of the power outage or some of the torrential whether that we had. But it really is a proud moment for me to come home and to be here with everyone and some mixed emotions, because I miss it.
Q. Last time I saw you, you were inducting Peachy Kellmeyer into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
STACEY ALLASTER: Yeah.
Q. I don't know if you're stalking Andre or Andre is stalking you.
STACEY ALLASTER: Andre is stalking us. Within the last six weeks, he's riding on the coattails of women's tennis.
Q. If you could just talk about, you know, what the history of the sport means to you and what it means to be a part of it.
STACEY ALLASTER: Well, look, you'll hear in my remarks on court tonight. I'm a Canadian kid who played the sport. When I was a teenager, I used to drive to York University and watch Chris Evert and Tracy Austin and Borg and McEnroe. I used to hang out at the practice courts.
I then worked here, I grew up here, and now I come back here as the chairman and CEO of the WTA, and it is it's incredible. I'm living quite an incredible dream.
Q. Congratulations for all you have done for all the years. A lot of memories. One thing I wanted to say and I wanted your comments on, and I think the toughest thing, as someone that's known you for a long time, it had to be a very difficult transition when this tournament lost Imperial Tobacco and you dealt at the time that they mainly did it, like the WTA, because cigarette couldn't advertise. And at that time, Rogers wasn't Rogers; the Internet wasn't the Internet. There had to be a time, I imagine, that when the cigarette sponsor was lost, all you guys must have been wondering if the tournament could have grown. Was that the, would you say, the watershed point of your career when you had to go from Imperial Tobacco into getting AT&T and later on Rogers as your main sponsors?
STACEY ALLASTER: No doubt. The transition from a sponsorship tobacco to a new title sponsor was a defining moment in my career. Many said we would never replace our previous partner, and we replaced it with two.
At that time AT&T Canada was building their business here, and it was AT&T Canada who convinced Rogers to come on and be the co title sponsor.
So at that time we called it Rogers AT&T, because they were partners in business, and we co branded them as a tournament.
Then AT&T Canada's business changed, and I can remember definitively it was 2001 at Wimbledon where I was hosting Nadir Mohamed. He had just become the COO of Rogers, and I can remember him distinctly saying to me, I'm not sure about this tennis thing.
Because now all of it was riding on Rogers because AT&T couldn't meet their commitments. I said to him then, Give us a chance. Give us a chance to prove that Canadian tennis and this incredible women's event at the time can deliver enormous return on investment for Rogers.
And I can tell you last week while I was vacationing up north in Muskoka, it was a dream for us to watch Rogers baseball, and during that broadcast came a commercial for the Rogers Cup. Then came a commercial for Quick Start tennis to get kids to play. Then I was on The Fan.
It all came together that Rogers not only would give Canadian tennis this financial support but would give it a promotional platform, which really makes it a winning combination. And really, you know, I'm very proud of this relationship that's lasted now for 10 years.
Q. Your other role, more recent role, obviously you're aware, like the rest of us, that the wild swings of Wall Street have been even more erratic than the top seeds this week at the Rogers Cup. But what I want to know is this: This is something we discuss, and I want to know, given the kind of global economy that we have and I always know that women's tennis has been a grow sport are you finally affected by this global economy? Does it affect where women's tennis could expand or the fundamental financial aspects of the game? If you could comment on that.
STACEY ALLASTER: Sure. Well, as the world economy has gone backwards, women's tennis has actually gone forwards. It's remarkable, but between 2010 to 2011 our sponsorship revenues have increased 60%. We secured Sony Ericsson, we renewed them, and we have signed six new sponsorship contracts all in the last 15 months.
Our attendance is up across our premier events. I'm in the midst of negotiating a new broadcast agreement. I'm very confident we're going to double our net revenues.
So we're very fortunate on a global basis to be able to drive the business forward. We're not immune to the economic challenges that all companies face, but overall right now, we really are winning the race.
Q. As you doubtless know, there was some small controversy here about the tag line and inclusion of the men. You have a unique position, as you understand this tournament. Now you're the boss of women's tennis. Does it bother you at all the idea that the men here might upstage the women, the actual event?
STACEY ALLASTER: Well, the men certainly aren't going to upstage the women. I'm not worried about that in the least. And anything that can add value for fans is good for business, and it's good for women's tennis.
You know, I think it happens at each event where promoters are looking for ways to add value. Our industry is no different than Rogers or a car company that's looking to add value to the main proposition.
Concerts happen. We even have music out here on site. Fashion, food and beverage, these events are entertainment extravaganzas, and they include so much more than just tennis. And really, who wouldn't want to see the great Andre Agassi or Johnny Mac or Courier/Chang?
So I think it's good for business, and I once again applaud Tennis Canada for pushing it and driving revenues.
Q. Is it conceivable to you that it could work the other way around, that we'd see Martina Navratilova and...
STACEY ALLASTER: I'd love to have our legends here. We don't have that many that are playing regularly, like the guys, but we have a current generation that does want to play a little bit more. Martina Hingis, Lindsay was playing, but now she's going to have another child. Iva Majoli, I spoke to her at the French. Martina is still playing great ball.
So it would be cool to, in fact, have maybe mixed doubles or have some of our previous legends actually on the court.
Q. There are some top players at the moment who seem pretty involved in kinda the running of the tour. I think Wozniacki...
STACEY ALLASTER: Yes, Venus and Serena.
Q. What are you hearing from them in terms of what they want the focus of the tour to be and their priorities?
STACEY ALLASTER: I think our collective priorities are to ultimately deliver to the fans and deliver to the sponsors. We have been on a long journey to change our circuit structure and have a healthier calendar so that top players on a regular basis could attend events like the Rogers Cup. So that's been our primary focus.
And second of all, we have renewed Sony Ericsson. We want to keep them. And now with these new partners, we're all collectively focused on how we can retain those partners and how we can grow the business in other parts of the world like China.
Q. On the previous question, you know, despite the growth of the WTA, it's still true that the men draw more spectators and broadcast ratings and even more media, you know, this week. Do you ever feel like you're in a competition with the ATP?
STACEY ALLASTER: Well, we're great partners. 40% of our events are combined, and we're in the sport of tennis.
There's no doubt that we're friendly competitors. But again, tennis fans are tennis fans. If you're a fan of men's tennis, I'm pretty sure you're gonna be a fan of women's tennis.
So anything that's good for the sport, you know, a great event in Montreal is gonna be great for women's tennis next year when Rogers Cup goes there.
You know, I'm born and bred tennis. I could never think of men's tennis as a true competitor.
Q. We might have a pretty loud semifinal here tonight.
STACEY ALLASTER: I think we will.
Q. Is the issue of grunting on your radar at all?
STACEY ALLASTER: It's on the radar, yes. We have a hindrance rule. We have a rule.
It's such that the chair umpire has the authority that if she thinks something is happening from one of the competitors where they're interfering with competition, they can implement that rule.
The reality of it is the athletes themselves are not coming to me, saying, We have an issue.
Where it sort of piques is always during Wimbledon. I don't know why, but Wimbledon seems to be that you know, maybe that's where we tot "Quiet, Please" from. They don't like perhaps louder noise. Plus I also think the broadcasters have done a terrific job with technology to animate the stadium so it is amplified slightly.
Q. So it doesn't seem to be a concern of the players. But with the TV viewers, it seems to be more of an issue.
STACEY ALLASTER: I think it's something that I can say to you that we are looking at. I think I'm very fan centric, and if there is a number of fans who are communicating with us that it's an issue, then it's something that we need to look at.
The collective challenge is it's very difficult to change the existing athletes, because this is how they've trained, prepared for their entire lives.
But I think where we potentially could make collective changes as a sport together with federations like Tennis Canada, with the ITF, is work at the junior level and working coaching to train the athletes slightly differently and be mindful of it.
But I watch a lot of tennis now, it's a good part of my job, and there's grunting happening in men's tennis, as well. Unfortunately it's just our decibels are a little bit higher. Our DNA is different.
Q. A long time ago when you were the tournament director, you always felt that tennis was really part of a larger structure, much like, you know, where I am now, Sony Ericsson Open in Miami where music, entertainment is part of the mix with growing celebrities. I realize you're not Karl Hale, you're not running this tournament, but I know you fairly well, and if you knew that there was a Black Creek Summer Music Festival in Toronto at Rexall Centre, you probably would have integrated the music entertainment with the tennis. And I just wanted to know if you had any comments, because there are so many big acts in town, and the promotion wasn't really integrated, that if you bought a musical act you get a discount on the tennis or the other way around, is that something that you would like Toronto to do in the future to integrate the Black Creek Music Festival, because they have a 15 year contract, with Tennis Canada's Rogers Cup in Toronto?
STACEY ALLASTER: Well, I can't really comment specifically, because I'm not that familiar with the Black Creek Music Festival, but what I can tell you is that Tennis Canada has always been innovative, is always pushing the envelope with entertainment, and there's been a band here all week adding musical entertainment.
I can remember, we brought music to the Rexall Centre and had a bit of a problem. It was a little too loud because it interfered with play. So it's finding the right balance. You know, it's world class tennis featuring the world's best athletes with a multitude of entertainment experiences.
Q. This might be a little bit of a Grand Slam issue as well as the WTA Tour issue, but obviously there have been a lot of comeback stories on the tour over the last few years, Clijsters and now Serena. The rankings take a little bit of time to sort of catch up with their form, and often what happens in the meantime is we get a lot of draws in which you see a lot of the top favorites meeting very early. Has there been any talk about maybe adjusting seeding so that this doesn't happen, some sort of formula or something?
STACEY ALLASTER: What I could say is if I were to change the rankings, I wouldn't sit here. Rankings are sacrosanct with the athletes, and that's what they play for.
So at the moment, all of the athletes understand that if you have really bad luck and you get injured, it's the way it is. You compete and you, like Serena is, you're gonna drive yourself back into the rankings.
So it is unfortunate in those first couple of weeks, couple of tournaments, where you might have Serena and we could have had Venus meeting each other here early on. That's just sport and competition. Obviously the Grand Slams are separate. They have their own rules, and they make their own decisions as it relates to seeding.
Q. With the Olympics next year, and the last Olympics season kind of affected, you know, the rest of the tour, is there a plan in place to address that?
STACEY ALLASTER: Yeah, there is a plan, a great plan. So the Olympic Games, the calendar, we go Wimbledon and then we have Stanford, San Diego, then you have a transition week for the athletes to get back to London. The opening ceremonies is on that Friday night. Olympic competition will start the next day and will run through for eight days. The women's gold medal match will be on the Saturday.
We have worked with Tennis Canada where they will have a smaller draw. They will have a 48 draw instead of a 56 and a Tuesday start. So instead of starting Monday with a 56, we will start Tuesday with a 48. If you're a seeded player, that will then mean you potentially might not have to play until Thursday.
So that gives the athletes, if you're in the gold medal match, from, you know, Saturday night to Thursday to be able to travel and transition and go from grass to hard.
I will give a really short speech on court tonight, but there are a few people I would like to thank I will not thank on court.
You've heard of Charlie's Angels. Well, Stacey, I've had my own angels and they were Bob Moffat, Jim Fleck, and Derek Strang. If you've read my story and you know the facts, just getting employed at Tennis Canada was a bit of a challenge. They turned me down three times.
It was Bob who, you know, saw this persistent young woman who wasn't going away that said, I'll give you a chance. There was no job. I was called the special projects coordinator, and it was a three month contract.
At that time I was hustling for a new job and I found one. I was going to go work for the Blue Jays. I was going to be a manager for the Blue Jays.
I'm not sure where my destiny would have been had that happened. I remember definitively telling who I was working for, reporting to, that, you know, I've got a job with the Blue Jays. It's full time. I'm out of college. Gotta go, unless you'd like to make this full time. He said, Good luck to you.
Out of respect to Bob, I went to his office and said, I just want you to know that I'm going to accept this job from the Blue Jays.
He said, Give me one hour.
Fifteen years later, I know I spent 15 years at Tennis Canada very much thanks to Bob for seeing the potential in me.
Then another historical moment came in 1995 when John Beddington, who had been the tournament director of the event for 17 years, he was also the commercial driver of the tournament for so many years, and I was 32 years old, still 5 foot 1 nothing, and was the board gonna hand over commercial for this organization for this tournament? I can remember George Gross I'm in his media room when John left, it was $100 million man leaving Tennis Canada. What's gonna happen?
Tennis Canada said, We're gonna give it to Allaster. And Jim Fleck was the chair of the board at that time. It was thanks to Jim for having the leadership in the boardroom at that time to give a 32 year old young woman the opportunity to lead Tennis Canada on the commercial front.
Jim's been a great supporter of mine ever since. He even was involved in helping me become the chairman and CEO of the WTA. He's been a great angel.
And last, but not least, Derek Strang who worked with me for 15 years, is a great friend and is a great mentor, and certainly without Derek I would not have achieved all of the success.
Thank you for my personal moment. I appreciate you all. You've all been great for many, many years supporting me and Canadian tennis, and I appreciate everything you've done for our sport.
Thank you.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
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