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Ekaterina Makarova upsets Canadian Rebecca Marino at Rogers Cup, as well as Voskoboeva, Halep and Goerges post upset victories at Rogers Cup
Canada’s Rebecca Marino fell in her first-round match on Monday, dropping a tough 7-6(6), 6-4 decision to Ekaterina Makarova.
Marino, who was playing in her first-ever main draw match at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, fought hard but just was unable to push it to a third set. She’ll still be around on Rexall Centre courts though as she plays her opening doubles match on Tuesday.
Before Marino took to the court, Centre Court was upset-city as three seeds went down emphatically.
Jelena Jankovic, the No. 15 seed, fell in straight sets to Germany’s Julia Goerges by a score of 6-1, 6-3. Goerges, who has been having a career year, played lights-out tennis and never really let the Serbian into the match. Jankovic also looked a little rusty, as this was her first match in over six weeks.
Both Marion Bartoli and Svetlana Kuznetsova also were eliminated in earlier action.
In a huge upset win, Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva took out No. 9 seed Bartoli in straight sets. Voskoboeva, the world No. 135, easily defeated the 2011 French Open semifinalist by a score of 6-3, 6-3.
Immediately following the Bartoli match, Russia’s Kuznetsova, the No. 12 seed, took to the courts and went down to qualifier Simona Halep of Romania 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Australia’s Samantha Stosur prevented a complete sweep of fallen seeds by completing the comeback against Ayumi Morita of Japan in the first match of the day with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 first-round victory.
It took a little while for Stosur to get going, as she fell down two breaks in the first set, but she turned her game around in the second, using her experience to power through 21-year-old Morita of Japan.
No. 14 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was another surprising first-round exit, as she fell in a loss to qualifier Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
On the Grandstand Court, Russian Nadia Petrova, who is in-form after winning the inaugural crown at Washington just over a week ago, demolished Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 6-1, 6-2. Gajdosova will have to recover from the beat down quickly as she is actually teaming up with Petrova in doubles action.
In other action, Lucie Safarova eliminated qualifier Polona Hercog while Greta Arn took out Klara Zakopalova. Zheng Jie of China defeated Italian Alberta Brianti in a battle of qualifiers by a score of 6-2, 6-1, and will next play No. 2 seed Kim Clijsters.
Galina Voskoboeva started a trend of upsets on the first day of the women’s main draw at the Rogers Cup.
The qualifier from Kazakhstan eliminated No. 9 seed Marion Bartoli of France 6-3, 6-3 in first-round action yesterday just hours before 19-year-old Romanian Simona Halep rallied to take out 12th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Germany’s Julia Goerges followed suit by easily dispatching No. 15 seed Jelena Jankovic with a 6-1, 6-3 victory in a evening match.
Voskoboeva said going up against a top-10 seed didn’t intimidate her.
“I’m pretty confident right now,” she remarked.
“I was not that nervous, you know, against who I was playing, so I just knew that I can play good and that’s it,” she added.
The Canadian contingent at this year’s tournament lost a member when Rebecca Marino bowed out against Ekaterina Makarova in a tight battle.
The 20-year-old from Vancouver was defeated 7-6 (8), 6-4 by the Russian, leaving only three Canadians remaining in the singles draw.
“I didn’t come out winning, but I think I did a really good showing for my first time,” Marino said.
Kuznetsova made 50 unforced errors to lose control of the match and send Halep to the second round in the young qualifier’s Rogers Cup debut.
The 55th-ranked Halep, who advanced to the main draw after defeating Toronto’s Sharon Fichman in final-round qualifying Sunday, rebounded after dropping the opening set to stun the 15th-ranked Kuznetsova.
Defending champion Caroline Wozniaki, who starts her title defence in the second round, noted the field is wide open in women’s tennis these days, with a new face winning each of this year’s Grand Slams so far.
That means even superstars like her need to be on their best in the early rounds.
“I think there’s a lot of good players out there and depending on the day, you can win against anyone,” noted the top-seeded Dane.
“It’s about being consistent and thinking positive out there on the court and doing you’re best.”
In men’s action, he ranks 290th in the world, trains without a coach, and had never before played in an ATP World Tour event.
But that didn’t stop Canadian tennis player Erik Chvojka from delivering a scare yesterday to No. 21-ranked Alexandr Dolgopolov—a feat that thrilled a boisterous pro-Canuck crowd at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.
Chvojka, a 24-year-old from the Montreal suburb of Kirkland, battled hard against Dolgopolov’s slicing backhands before falling 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 at Uniprix Stadium.
“It was a beautiful day for me today,” said Chvojka, who as a kid often watched his tennis idols play live at the Montreal event.
“I was a bit nervous waking up. But this is normal, I guess,” he reasoned.
France's Marion Bartoli and Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova suffered shock first-round exits from the Rogers Cup as the two seeded players were eliminated on Monday by a pair of gritty qualifiers.
World number nine Bartoli fell 6-3 6-3 to Kazakhstan's Galina Voskoboeva while world number 15 Kuznetsova followed her out of the $2 million tournament when she was upset 4-6 6-4 6-3 by Romania's Simona Halep.
Bartoli, who re-emerged as a force this season, had trouble moving around the court and getting her usually strong backhand working against the 135th-ranked Voskoboeva, who is coming off a semi-final appearance at July's Azerbaijan International.
"When you commit so many mistakes like I did today, it's really hard to win a match," Bartoli, the tournament's ninth seed, told reporters.
"It was really like my game was not at the level I'm supposed to play regarding my ranking. That was the main problem."
Two-times grand slam winner Kuznetsova seemed in control as she took the first set against Halep but had no answer for the Romanian qualifier, who ended the match winning over 70 percent of her first serve points.
Tenth-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia overcame a slow start to get past Japan's Ayumi Morita 4-6 6-2 6-3 and will face the winner of Tuesday's match between Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada and Shahar Peer of Israel.
CAROLINE WOSNIACKI, confident World's No.1
The world’s No. 1 female tennis player – the Great Dane, Caroline Wozniacki – comes into the room at the Rexall Centre, all fresh and ready and unwilling to contemplate any roadblock in her way at the Rogers Cup and beyond.
“I don’t think about that,” said the 21-year-old, the first Danish player to make it to the finals of a Grand Slam tournament. She was referring to all the chatter, perhaps even criticism, about her being one of the few No. 1 players never to have won a Grand Slam.
STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL, WTA New Ad Campaign
China has a population of 1.3 billion people yet they've never had a No.1 player or a Grand Slam champion. China's Li Na talks about the pressure and hope of her country's 1.3 billion people on her shoulders, yet she is willing to take on the challenge.
LI NA STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL VIDEO CAMPAIGN
LI NA STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL VIDEO CAMPAIGN WTA
The WTA unveiled a new global ad campaign with the tagline "Strong is Beautiful", featuring 38 current and next generation stars of the sport. The campaign includes TV, print and digital ads along with social media applications and will be unveiled across 80 markets over the next two years.
Drawing upon athleticism and grace - a unique combination that has turned the stars of the WTA into the most recognizable and followed female athletes on the planet - the campaign places the personal stories, pressures and dreams of the players front of stage. The creative is designed to support the WTA's efforts to establish a deeper engagement with fans around the world and to promote both the sport's next generation of players along with current established names.
In addition to a WTA driven media campaign to promote women's tennis and the WTA Championships in Istanbul, the advertising is expected to be utilized by WTA events around the world, establishing a unified promotional message.
Famed Los Angeles photographer and filmmaker Dewey Nicks, who produced a series of stunning videos and photos of a select group of WTA players last fall for the cover feature of the New York Times magazine, formed the inspiration for the ad creative and shot the campaign. World class advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners produced the campaign and developed its iconic tagline.
"We want to develop a closer relationship with our fans and attract a new generation of fans to women's tennis, and the Strong is Beautiful campaign is one way to get it done. This campaign will serve as a creative marketing platform for our players, tournaments, year-end WTA Championships and the entire sport," said Stacey Allaster, Chairman & CEO of the WTA. "The personal stories are inspirational. The unique combination of athleticism, strength and determination on the court and success, interests and inner beauty off the court is what makes women's tennis so attractive to millions around the world."
"Strong is Beautiful was an extraordinary project and I was incredibly impressed with these athletes that embody all of the characteristics of physical and mental strength," Nicks said. "The raw emotion that spoke from the heart of the players really inspired me and I am thrilled to have been able to portray these amazing women in a beautiful way that I believe fans have not seen before."
The set of 30-second television and digital ads focuses on women's tennis stars' lives and the intense and sometimes difficult social undercurrents of realizing their dreams as professional athletes. The campaign's overall focus is on the global nature of women's tennis and reveals unique and heartfelt storylines that include Serbia's Ana Ivanovic having to practice in a war-torn Belgrade; Chinese star Li Na having the pressure and hope of 1.3 billion Chinese people on her shoulders; and Belgium's Kim Clijsters being torn about giving her all to tennis while raising a young daughter. Serena Williams' ubiquitous self-confidence comes through while assuring the viewer that the only reason she brings seven tennis outfits to each Grand Slam is because she intends on wearing them all, for each match she plans on winning.
The end result is a celebration of strong women from all corners of the world. Through all of life's difficult circumstances, the players' love for the sport and determination to succeed prevails. The new ad campaign is a life example that being physically and mentally strong is beautiful.
The TV, print and digital elements of the campaign will begin to run globally later this month, culminating at the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul.
Viewers and fans can continue the conversation with the WTA players through social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and a series of Chinese social media networks where the WTA serves up daily in-depth exclusive content from 53 tournaments in 33 countries to more than 17 million fans.
The ad campaign follows on the heels of an 18-month momentous period during which the WTA relaunched its brand and signed with three new major sponsors - leading European cosmetics brand Oriflame, Chinese apparel company Peak and Jetstar, a subsidiary of Qantas airlines. WTA also renewed lead global partner Sony Ericsson, and resigned and significantly upgraded its partnership with USANA, a leading global vitamin and health supplement manufacturer.
Voskoboeva, Halep and Goerges post upset victories at Rogers Cup
TORONTO - Galina Voskoboeva started a trend of upsets on the first day of the women's main draw at the Rogers Cup.
The qualifier from Kazakhstan eliminated No. 9 seed Marion Bartoli of France 6-3, 6-3 in first-round action Monday just hours before 19-year-old Romanian Simona Halep rallied to take out 12th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Germany's Julia Goerges followed suit by easily dispatching No. 15 seed Jelena Jankovic with a 6-1, 6-3 victory in a evening match.
Voskoboeva said going up against a top-10 seed didn't intimidate her.
"I'm pretty confident right now," she said. "I was not that nervous, you know, against who I was playing, so I just knew that I can play good and that's it."
The Canadian contingent at this year's tournament lost a member when Rebecca Marino bowed out against Ekaterina Makarova in a tight battle. The 20-year-old from Vancouver was defeated 7-6 (8), 6-4, by the Russian, leaving only three Canadians remaining in the singles draw.
"I didn't come out winning, but I think I did a really good showing for my first time," Marino said.
Kuznetsova made 50 unforced errors to lose control of the match and send Halep to the second round in the young qualifier's Rogers Cup debut.
The 55th-ranked Halep, who advanced to the main draw after defeating Toronto's Sharon Fichman in final-round qualifying Sunday, rebounded after dropping the opening set to stun the 15th-ranked Kuznetsova.
The 26-year-old Voskoboeva is ranked 135th in the world and came into the match fresh off a semifinals appearance at the inaugural Baku Cup in Azerbaijan. Her career-best ranking was No. 64 in February 2009.
Bartoli, meanwhile, struggled with her serve, giving away four double-fault points, while Voskoboeva capitalized on her opportunities by winning four of her six break points.
"It was a day when nothing was working," Bartoli said. "I tried my hardest but I committed so many mistakes it was hard to win. I was not feeling the ball and my legs were not moving. I was late on everything and committing a lot mistakes, especially on my backhand."
Bartoli was making her eighth visit to the Rogers Cup and first since a similar first-round defeat in 2009 when she lost as the 13th seed to Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko.
"Something is not going well for me here in Toronto," Bartoli said. "I don't know if it is the surface or the humidity or something, but it's been a two-year gap and it's the same kind of match."
Goerges sailed through the first set against the former No. 1 with overpowering forehand winners from the baseline and an aggressive first serve.
It was the first match since Wimbledon for Jankovic and the Serbian certainly showed her rust.
"Obviously I had a hard time playing my first match since June," she said. "I wasn't feeling my game out there and hopefully with more matches I'll be better in my next tournament."
Defending champion Caroline Wozniaki, who starts her title defence in the second round, noted the field is wide open in women's tennis these days, with a new face winning each of this year's Grand Slams so far. That means even superstars like her need to be on their best in the early rounds.
"I think there's a lot of good players out there and depending on the day you can win against anyone," said the top-seeded Dane. "It's about being consistent and thinking positive out there on the court and doing you're best."
Third-seed Vera Zvonareva said the lack of a dominant player in the women's game right now means each event is impossible to predict.
"It's a very tough challenge right now as women's tennis is at a very high level and you can't have any predictions," Zvonareva said. "Anyone can win and it's very tough competition."
Marino was bolstered by a crowd of flag-waving supporters as she and Makarova covered the court with long rallies. Marino came back from 5-0 in the first set tiebreaker to make it 6-6 before eventually giving in to the 23-year-old from Moscow.
"I wanted to show some tenacity and fight and I think I did that," said Marino. "I blew (the tiebreaker) but that's in the past and I can't fix it, I just have to look at it as things to learn from."
The second set was equally close with both players hitting the ball tentatively and taking few chances. With Marino down 5-4 and serving, the two went back and forth until Marakova finally won on her fourth match point.
It was Marino's first appearance in the Rogers Cup main draw after three separate attempts in qualifying.
The Canadians still scheduled for first-round matches include Aleksandra Wozniak of Blainville, Que., Stephanie Dubois of Laval, Que., and Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que.
Earlier on Monday, Samantha Stosur opened on centre court at the Rexall Centre with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Japan's Ayumi Morita.
The 10th-seeded Australian was making her second appearance at the tournament after reaching the quarter-finals in 2009.
Stosur will meet the winner of Tuesday's match between Wozniak and Shahar Peer of Israel.
In other singles action: China's Jie Zheng defeated Italy's Alberta Brianti 6-2, 6-1; the Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova downed Slovakia's Polona Hercog 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Russia's Nadia Patrova ousted Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova 6-1, 6-2; and Hungary's Greta Arn upended the Czech Republic's Klara Zakopalova 6-3, 6-1.
Fichman and Marie-Eve Pelletier of Repentigny, Que., made an early exit in the doubles tournament. The Canadian duo lost their first-round match to Poland's Alicja Rosolska and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik, 7-5, 7-5.
"You know sometimes you try your best with everything you can, and it just doesn't seem to be going your way," Pelletier said. "Just didn't seem like anything was going to fall our way. So we tried our best, but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be."
Voskoboeva, Halep and Goerges post upset victories at Rogers Cup
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