2013 Tennis Thread

Berdych ****** to fight, Ferrer wins in Buenos Aires

World number six Tomas Berdych was pushed hard in his opening match at ATP Marseille by Latvia's Ernests Gulbis but still won 6-4 6-7(10) 6-4.
Berdych, the top-ranked player in action this week, took the opening set 6-4 as he pounced on the lone break point he earned, but Gulbis fought back to claim the second set in an epic tie-break that ended 12-10.
The Czech got his nose in front as he broke in the fifth game of the deciding set, however, clinching what turned out to be the only break point for either man in the final set and hanging on to win.
Berdych will face either Julien Benneteau or Jerzy Janowicz in the quarter-finals.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga delighted the home crowd as he beat Russia's former world top five star Nikolay Davydenko 7-6(1) 6-3.
Tsonga, who is seeded third, will play Australia's Bernard Tomic in the quarter-finals.
Sixth seed Gilles Simon fought through his opening match at ATP Marseille against Robin Haase to win 7-5 7-5.
Simon, the world number 13, met stiff resistance from the Dutchman, with both players earning plenty of chances to break as both failed to get their serves working properly.
It was Simon who held his nerve best when it mattered, however, saving five of the seven break points earned by Haase and converting four of the 12 chances he earned against his opponent.
Simon will face Roberto Bautista in the second round.
In Argentina, top seed David Ferrer came through his opening ATP Buenos Aires match against local hope Agustin Velotti, winning 6-4 6-1.
Ferrer will face another local player in the second round, David Nalbandian, who beat Carlos Berlocq 6-3 2-6 6-3.

ATP Marseille results:

Round 2

3-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 7-6(1) 6-3

1-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 6-4 6-7(10) 6-4

Bernard Tomic (Australia) beat Somdev Devvarman (India) 6-3 7-5

Round 1

6-Gilles Simon (France) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 7-5 7-5

Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 7-5 6-3

Julien Benneteau (France) beat Lucas Pouille (France) 7-6(0) 6-3

ATP Memphis results

Round 1

Donald Young (U.S.) beat Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 5-1 (Malisse retired)

Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 2-6 7-6(3) 6-4

ATP Buenos Aires results

Round 1

David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-3 2-6 6-3

Marco Trungelliti (Argentina) beat Facundo Argueello (Argentina) 4-6 6-3 1-0 (Argueello retired)

6-Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 7-5 6-3

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Agustin Velotti (Argentina) 6-4 6-1
 
Radwanska through in Dubai, Watson wins in Memphis

Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska is favourite for the Dubai women's tennis championships after the Pole overcame Kazakh Yulia Putintseva in the second round and Serena Williams withdrew due to a back injury.
At WTA Memphis, British number one Heather Watson - seeded fourth for the tournament - battled through a topsy turvy match against Andrea Hlavackova, winning 2-6 6-0 6-3.
In Dubai seven of the world's top 12 remain in the draw, but the tournament has been shorn of its two top names, with Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka pulling out on Tuesday because of a foot injury.
World number one Williams said she had been struggling for several weeks with the back injury and is targeting a return at next month's Miami Open after pulling out of her Dubai second-round match just before she was due to play.
Earlier, world number four Radwanska beat teenager Putintseva 7-5 6-3 despite losing three of her first four service games. The Pole had a bye into the second round.
"For me, the first match is always a bit tricky," said Radwanska, 23.
"I didn't hit on the centre court here this year, and I was just practising outside - it was actually much faster. I was surprised - the ball is just not going anywhere."
Toiling at 4-3 down, Radwanska came to the net more often to ***** Putintseva, ranked 101 in the world, on to the back foot.
The Kazakh, who beat Britain's Laura Robson in an all-teenage first-round battle, prefers brute ***** over finesse and although a fast hitter, she consistently played the ball too short, allowing Radwanska to stay in rallies with relative ease.
Radwanska, the top remaining seed, was too out of sorts to fully exploit her opponent's shortcomings but as the overcast sky gave way to a muggy desert sun she also upped the playing temperature on court and took control of the match.
She will have to improve to defeat her next opponent, Czech Petra Kvitova, who beat former world number one Ana Ivanovic 7-5 7-6.
The 24-year-old-Serb started with a 4-1 winning record against the 2011 Wimbledon champion, but three of those victories came in 2008-9 when Ivanovic appeared poised to become the new ***** in the women's game.
She has sunk down the rankings since, although showed enough of her undoubted talent to trouble the world number eight in Dubai.
Ivanovic battled back from 5-1 down in the first set to square the match at 5-5, saving three set points along the way, but just when she appeared in the ascendancy, Kvitova broke again and eventually converted a fourth set point.
Ivanovic sparkled in patches and was defter in her touch, but ultimately could not cope with the relentless power of the 22-year-old's ****** baseline play.
"She's a clean striker of the ball, it's hard to pick where she's going to go - you sort of have to commit to one side," said Ivanovic. "She served big when she needed it."
Another former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki, routed China's Jie Zheng 6-0 6-1 to earn a quarter-final showdown with France's Marion Bartoli, who had been due to play Williams.
Samantha Stosur - a 6-4 6-0 winner against Taiwan's Su-Wei Hsieh - will play Italy's Roberta Vinci, who ousted German Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-1.

WTA Dubai results:

Round 2

5-Sara Errani (Italy) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-4 6-4

Marion Bartoli (France) beat 2-Serena Williams (U.S.)WO

6-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 7-5 7-6(1)

Roberta Vinci (Italy) beat 4-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 7-5 6-1

7-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) 6-4 6-0

8-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Zheng Jie (China) 6-0 6-1

3-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) 7-5 6-3

Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-1 6-0

WTA Bogota results:

Round 2

Teliana Pereira (Brazil) beat 2-Alize Cornet (France) 7-5 6-7(2) 6-2

Maria Teresa Torro (Spain) beat Mathilde Johansson (France) 7-6(3) 6-3

Mandy Minella (Luxembourg) beat 8-Timea Babos (Hungary) 6-1 6-4

Round 1

Mariana Duque (Colombia) beat Estrella Cabeza Candela (Spain) 6-3 3-6 6-4

WTA Memphis results:

Round 2

8-Kristina Mladenovic (France) beat Victoria Duval (U.S.) 6-1 3-6 6-3

3-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat Melinda Czink (Hungary) 7-6(0) 4-6 6-2

Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) beat 2-Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-1 3-6 6-3

4-Heather Watson (Britain) beat Andrea Hlavackova (Czech Republic) 2-6 6-0 6-3

1-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 7-5 3-6 6-3

Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) beat Claire Feuerstein (France) 3-6 7-6(2) 6-1
 
Stosur extends miserable run with Dubai exit

Samantha Stosur's season of woe continued at WTA Dubai when she crashed out in the quarter-finals following a 6-2 6-4 defeat by Italian Roberta Vinci on Thursday.
The Australian has lost more matches than she has won this year, with her win-loss record standing at 5-7, after she produced an error-strewn performance under the searing desert sun that left her frequently yelling in frustration.
Vinci, 30, broke in the opening game and was always in control against a player who has failed to win a title since triumphing at the U.S. Open in September 2011.
The Italian has now beaten top-10 ranked players in successive matches - she defeated Angelique Kerber on Wednesday - and has yet to drop a set in Dubai.
World number nine Stosur towered over the diminutive Vinci, but she was guilty of trying to be too aggressive, clubbing a succession of backhand returns into the net.
Vinci, part of world No.1 doubles pairing along with compatriot Sara Errani, is a percentage player, relying more on her opponent's mistakes than going for winners herself and Stosur's approach played into the Italian's hands.
Serving at 4-2 down, Stosur ran to the net but Vinci, world No.17, played an angled backhand dropshot winner for a break point.
The Italian duly converted after Stosur, backpedalling from the net, hit a smash long. Stosur then surrendered the set with another errant backhand.
The Australian broke for the first time early in the second set as Vinci played a forehand long and also changed tactics, slowing the game down and matching Vinci's backhand slice.
But the Italian responded with an immediate break back, taking Stosur to deuce before the latter struck successive forehands wide.
Stosur was frequently left stranded in mid-court, either arriving too late to block off Vinci's passing shots or coming forward too soon and allowing herself to be lobbed.
The Italian broke again for a 4-3 lead after another Stosur error and served out the match.
Vinci will now her friend Errani or Russian Nadia Petrova in Friday's semi-final.
 
Kvitova beats Radwanska, sets up Wozniacki match

Czech Petra Kvitova defeated titleholder Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-4 in the Dubai Championships to set up a semi-final against Caroline Wozniacki.
Italian Roberta Vinci will play compatriot and doubles partner Sara Errani in the other semi after prolonging Samantha Stosur's woes this season with 6-2 6-4 win over the seventh seed.
Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, had not won a match during two previous appearances in Dubai but despite producing 38 unforced errors in the tie she proved too powerful for her Polish opponent.
"I'm glad I can be here and I've played three great matches so far," sixth seed Kvitova said in a courtside interview. "It can help me for the rest of the season."
Of her next opponent Wozniacki, who saw off France's Marion Bartoli 4-6 6-1 6-4, Kvitova said: "I saw her play today against Marion and it was a good match. I'm expecting the same.
"It'll be long rallies and I'll have to play my aggressive game like today."
Australian Stosur's win-loss record this year stands at 5-7 following an error-strewn performance against Vinci under the searing desert sun that left her frequently yelling in frustration.
Vinci, 30, broke in the opening game and was always in control against a player who has failed to win a title since triumphing at the U.S. Open in September 2011.
The Italian has now beaten top-10 ranked players in successive matches - she defeated Angelique Kerber on Wednesday - and has yet to drop a set in Dubai.
World number nine Stosur towered over the diminutive Vinci, but was guilty of trying to be too aggressive, clubbing a succession of backhand returns into the net.
Vinci, who with partner Errani are the top-ranked doubles pairing, is a percentage player, relying more on her opponent's mistakes than going for winners herself and Stosur's approach played into the Italian's hands.
Serving at 4-2 down, Stosur ran to the net but Vinci, world number 17, played an angled backhand dropshot winner for a break point.
The Italian duly converted after Stosur, backpedalling from the net, hit a smash long. Stosur then surrendered the set with another errant backhand.
The Australian changed tactics in the second set, slowing the game down and matching Vinci's backhand slice but Stosur was frequently left stranded in mid-court, either arriving too late to block off her opponent's passing shots or coming forward too soon and allowing herself to be lobbed.
In the second match of the day, Errani stormed into a 5-1 first-set lead as she proved more agile around the court than Nadia Petrova, but the world number 12 responded, breaking back after the Italian scuffed a forehand.
The Russian closed to 5-4, before Errani took the set as Petrova came forward to ****** the second serve but could only find the net.
Petrova, 30, had the power, Errani the finesse, and it appeared brute ***** would triumph as the Russian won nine out of 10 games that included a 6-0 second set whitewash.
But Errani, playing with a heavily strapped left thigh and grunting with every shot, swapped breaks early in the deciding set before breaking again to win 6-4 0-6 6-3.

WTA Dubai results

6-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat 3-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 6-2 6-4

8-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat Marion Bartoli (France) 4-6 6-1 6-4

5-Sara Errani (Italy) beat Nadia Petrova (Russia) 6-4 0-6 6-3

Roberta Vinci (Italy) beat 7-Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-2 6-4
 
Del Potro fights back to beat Llodra

Juan Martin Del Potro came from a set down to book his place in the Marseille Open third round with a 3-6 7-6(4) 7-5 win against Michael Llodra.
Cheered on by a home crowd, Llodra took the opening set against the second-seeded Del Potro, and was tantalisingly close to victory when the second went to a tie break.
But the big-serving Argentine held his nerve, before wrapping up a tight final set 7-5.
Gilles Simon gave the French fans something to cheer when he dispatched Spain's Roberto Bautista 6-3 6-1.
There were no early upsets at the Buenos Aires Open early on Thursday. Seeds Albert Ramos, Fabio Fognini and Nicolas Almagro all reached the third round in straight sets.
And former world number one Lleyton Hewitt was among the casualties in the second round of the Memphis International - the Australian outclassed 6-1 6-2 by Denis Istomin.

Marseille Open second round results

7-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 7-6(0) 6-3

2-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Michael Llodra (France) 3-6 7-6(4) 7-5

6-Gilles Simon (France) beat Roberto Bautista (Spain) 6-3 6-1

Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat 4-Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 7-6(4) 6-2

Buenos Aires Open second round results

8-Albert Ramos (Spain) beat Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 6-3 7-6(3)

Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) 6-3 6-1

6-Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Marco Trungelliti (Argentina) 7-5 6-2

2-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) 7-6(5) 6-2

Federico Delbonis (Argentina) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 6-1 6-4

Julian Reister (Germany) beat Aljaz Bedene (Slovenia) 6-1 1-6 6-2

Memphis International second round results

7-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat Rhyne Williams (U.S.) 6-4 4-6 6-4

Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 6-1 6-2

Michael Russell (U.S.) beat Lukasz Kubot (Poland) 6-2 6-4
 
Watson crashes to Memphis defeat

Heather Watson suffered a surprising 6-1 6-2 defeat to Stefanie Voegele to crash out of the Memphis International quarter-finals.
The world number 41 was dominated by a player ranked 48 places below her, and never got a foothold as the Swiss player completed victory in under an hour.
It represents a missed opportunity for Watson, who was the highest-ranked player in her half of the draw.
Top seed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium also went out, losing in three sets to Magdalena Rybarikova.
In Bogota, top seed Jelena Jankovic cruised into the third round with a straight sets win over local player Mariana Duque, 6-3 6-2.
Italy lost its two representatives as Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta both went out in three sets to unseeded opponents.

Memphis International results

Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) beat Jamie Hampton (U.S.) 7-5 6-2

7-Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat 1-Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-7(11) 7-5 6-3

Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) beat 4-Heather Watson (Britain) 6-1 6-2

3-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat 8-Kristina Mladenovic (France) 6-3 6-3

Copa Bogota results

1-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Mariana Duque (Colombia) 6-3 6-2

Alexandra Cadantu (Romania) beat Tereza Mrdeza (Croatia) 4-6 6-3 6-4

Paula Ormaechea (Argentina) beat 4-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 2-6 6-3 7-6(3)

Lara Arruabarrena Vecino (Spain) beat 5-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 6-3 4-6 6-0
 
Ferrer downs Nalbandian in Argentina

David Ferrer moved into the quarter-finals of the Buenos Aires Open with a 2-6 6-4 6-0 victory over local favourite David Nalbandian.
The Spaniard, defending his Copa Claro title, had to fight from a set down against the former world number three but came through the test to make it two wins from two since getting his clay court season up and running in Argentina.
Having despatched wild card Agustin Velotti in the first round, Ferrer turned his attentions to Nalbandian, who had reached the final on the red dirt in Sao Paulo earlier this month.
Nalbandian posed an altogether different threat to Velotti though, and the Argentine proved it early on in an excellent first set during which he won 81 per cent of his first service points and broke Ferrer's serve twice.
Ferrer is not ranked fourth in the world at the moment for nothing though, and in typical fashion the top seed dug in and fought back to take the second set, bringing up two break points and crucially taking one of them.
Having levelled the match, the final set became a formality for Ferrer, who raced through it without loss of a single game to set up a last-eight meeting with Fabio Fognini, who beat local player Marco Trungelliti.
Earlier in the day, second seed and last year's losing finalist Nicolas Almagro also moved into the quarter-finals with a 7-6(5) 6-2 win over Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia.
Almagro, bidding to reach the final in Argentina's capital for a third time, saved seven break points on his way to wrapping up the win in an hour and 23 minutes.
The world number 11 now faces qualifier Federico Delbonis, who defeated Albert Montanes 6-1 6-4.
Juan Martin Del Potro came from a set down to book his place in the Marseille Open third round with a 3-6 7-6(4) 7-5 win against Michael Llodra.
Cheered on by a home crowd, Llodra took the opening set against the second-seeded Del Potro, and was tantalisingly close to victory when the second went to a tie break.
But the big-serving Argentine held his nerve, before wrapping up a tight final set 7-5.
Gilles Simon gave the French fans something to cheer when he dispatched Spain's Roberto Bautista 6-3 6-1.
Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt was among the casualties in the second round of the Memphis International - the Australian outclassed 6-1 6-2 by Denis Istomin.

Buenos Aires Open results:

Round 2

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat David Nalbandian (Argentina) 2-6 6-4 6-0

8-Albert Ramos (Spain) beat Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 6-3 7-6(3)

Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) 6-3 6-1

6-Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Marco Trungelliti (Argentina) 7-5 6-2

2-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) 7-6(5) 6-2

Federico Delbonis (Argentina) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 6-1 6-4

Julian Reister (Germany) beat Aljaz Bedene (Slovenia) 6-1 1-6 6-2

Marseille Open results:

Round 2

7-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 7-6(0) 6-3

2-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Michael Llodra (France) 3-6 7-6(4) 7-5

6-Gilles Simon (France) beat Roberto Bautista (Spain) 6-3 6-1

Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat 4-Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 7-6(4) 6-2

Memphis International results:

Round 2

5-Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat Donald Young (U.S.) 6-3 6-3

1-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) 7-6(2) 3-6 7-6(7)

7-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat Rhyne Williams (U.S.) 6-4 4-6 6-4

Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 6-1 6-2

Michael Russell (U.S.) beat Lukasz Kubot (Poland) 6-2 6-4

:update:
 
Williams and Azarenka punished over Dubai withdrawals

The world's top two Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka will lose ranking points and be penalised financially after pulling out of the Dubai Duty Free Championships.
Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the tournament on Tuesday, citing a foot injury.
Williams, who replaced her in the No.1 spot despite losing the final of the Qatar Open in Doha, then withdrew with a lower back injury just minutes before she was due on court for a second-round match against Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in Dubai.
When players are ****** out of a tournament through injury, they can usually replace the ranking points lost with those from a different tournament.
However, despite both players providing requisite medical documentation, the WTA has decided the week will be a "zero-pointer" in the two players' ranking totals.
Azarenka will lose $100,000 (£66,000) from her potential share of the end-of-season bonus pool while Williams will be deprived of $50,000 (£33,000).
The top 10 players share a bonus fund of $4.9m (£3.2m) when the season finishes.
The Dubai tournament is one of the top eight events on the WTA Tour outside the Grand Slams.
Tournament sponsor Dubai Duty Free is a key partner of the governing body.
Tournament director Salah Tahlak said their withdrawals were "disappointing both for the tournament and for the fans, some of whom come from all over the world to see them play".
 
Errani beats Vinci to make Dubai final

Sara Errani beat doubles partner Roberta Vinci 6-3 6-3 in a subdued all-Italian semi-final at the Dubai championships.
The fifth seed will now player former world number one Caroline Wozniacki or 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in Saturday's final.
Errani and Vinci are the world's top-ranked doubles pairing, having won three of the past four grand slams.
They also practice together and that made for a strange encounter, with neither player celebrating winning key points.
"It was very tough playing against a friend, sometimes it happens and you just have to try to play normally," Errani, 25, said in a court-side interview.
The world number seven now has a 5-2 winning record against Vinci, coming out on top in their last five meetings including in last year's U.S. Open quarter-finals.
Vinci had shown the better form in Dubai, winning in straight sets in the opening three rounds and beating top 10 opponents in Germany's Angelique Kerber and Australian Samantha Stosur along the way, but she faltered against her buddy, winning only two of nine service games.
Errani also struggled initially with serve, the first three games won by the returner.
Vinci had the chance to make it four after a stooping Errani played an attempted lob too short and, arching backwards, she put away a smash winner to earn a break point.
Vinci then reached Errani's drop shot, but could only scoop the ball long and the 2012 French Open finalist went on to hold for a 3-1 lead.
Both players are petite by modern tennis standards and the match was more about finesse than power as they hugged the baseline.
The slower pace made for long rallies, Errani seeing out her next service game with a disguised drop shot following a prolonged exchange.
Serving for the set, Errani's nerves seemed to get the better of her and Vinci earned three break points after stepping inside the baseline to bludgeon a cross-court winning return. She did the same on the next point to close to 5-3 behind.
When Vinci did try to ****** more power into her shots, she was often found wanting and although she saved two set points on her own serve, Errani was not to be denied on a third as another poor backhand ceded her the first set.
The players traded breaks at the start of the second set and overall eight of the first 11 games went against serve.
Errani, again playing with a heavily strapped left thigh, went 4-1 up in the second and she eventually saw out the match.
 
Kvitova beats Wozniacki to make Dubai final

Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova pummelled Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 6-4 in the semi-finals of the WTA Dubai Championships, while Sara Errani defeated doubles partner Roberta Vinci 6-3 6-3 in an all-Italian showdown.
Kvitova, 22, has yet to drop a set in Dubai, the world No.8 returning to form after failing to win more than two matches at any other tournament this year.
The left-hander will also go into Saturday's final as favourite, having won all three previous matches against Errani.
Against former world number one Wozniacki, Kvitova was comfortable in the opening set, being taken to deuce only once and saving the two break points she faced.
Wozniacki found it harder going, losing the opening game as Kvitova despatched venomous ground strokes from the baseline that the stooping Dane failed to control.
This allowed the Czech to put away a succession of volleyed winners as she raced to the net.
"She was trying to ... put the balls back - I am the person who is playing aggressively and going for the winners," Kvitova told reporters. "I can play quite fast from the forehand, it's my big stroke."
Receiving at 5-3 ahead, Kvitova left her opponent flat-footed with the power and depth of her return and the Dane could not find enough elevation on her backhand reply.
That set up Kvitova - seeking a 10th tour singles title - to take the first set, slugging a forehand winner into the corner as Wozniacki moved the other way.
The Dane ended 2010 and 2011 as the top-ranked women's player, but endured a tough 2012, slipping down the standings as she won just two singles titles and failed to make much impression at the grand slams.
The 2009 U.S. Open finalist, girlfriend of golfer Rory McIlroy, seems more determined this year and in earlier rounds in Dubai she spoke of enjoying her tennis more.
She dropped five games over the first two rounds and came from a set down to beat Marion Bartoli in the quarter-finals.
But Kvitova proved too much for her, the Czech winning a third straight match between the pair.
Wozniacki, now world No.10, came out fighting in the second set, breaking for the first time for a 3-2 lead after her fierce return dragged the Czech wide so she could land a winner on the opposite flank.
But Kvitova broke immediately and then for a fourth time to seal the match as the Dane scuffed a backhand volley wide.
"It was very difficult, especially in the first set," said Wozniacki. "I didn't feel like I had many chances. She went for every shot and hit it deep. I came under pressure straightaway."
She was nevertheless upbeat about her showing in Dubai, her first semi-final appearance since Sofia in October.
"I have played some good tennis - it's improving all the time," Wozniacki added.
The other semi-final was a clash between the world's top-ranked doubles pairing, with Errani and Vinci having won three of the past four grand slams.
They also practice together and that made for a strange encounter, with neither player celebrating winning key points.
"It was very tough playing against a friend, sometimes it happens and you just have to try to play normally," Errani said in a courtside interview.
The world number seven now has a 5-2 winning record against Vinci, coming out on top in their last five meetings including in last year's U.S. Open quarter-finals.
Both players are petite by tennis standards and the match was more about finesse than power as they hugged the baseline.
When Vinci did try to ****** more power into her shots, she was often found wanting.
The players traded breaks at the start of the second set and overall eight of the first 11 games went against serve.
Errani, again playing with a heavily strapped left thigh, went 4-1 up in the second and she eventually saw out the match.

WTA Dubai Championships semi-finals

6-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat 8-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 6-3 6-4

5-Sara Errani (Italy) beat Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-3 6-3

WTA Copa Bogota quarter-finals

Karin Knapp (Italy) beat Lara Arruabarrena Vecino (Spain) 6-3 6-3

1-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Alexandra Cadantu (Romania) 6-2 6-1

Teliana Pereira (Brazil) beat Mandy Minella (Luxembourg) 6-1 6-2

Paula Ormaechea (Argentina) beat Maria Teresa Torro (Spain) 6-1 7-5

WTA Memphis semi-finals

Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) beat Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) 6-2 6-4
 
Tsonga beats Tomic in Marseille epic

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came through an incredible match against Bernard Tomic to make the semi-finals of ATP Marseille.
The French third seed battled back from losing the opening set to the mercurial Australian starlet before eventually coming out a 4-6 6-3 7-6(10) winner.
Tomic took the opening set with some gutsy play, saving a quartet of break points Tsonga had against him and grabbing his sole break opportunity with both hands.
The 20-year-old world number 46 was unable to repeat his heroics in the second set though, with Tsonga losing just four points on serve throughout to ***** a decider.
Tsonga earned three break points in the final set but was unable to convert any of them as the match went to a tie-break. The decider could have gone either way but ultimately it was Tsonga who took it 12-10 to clinch the match.
The Frenchman will next play sixth seeded compatriot Gilles Simon, who completed the semi-final line-up with a 6-4 6-3 upset of second seed Juan Martin Del Potro.
Like Berdych, Marseille top seed Tomas Berdych also needed three sets to beat seventh seed Jerzy Janowicz of Poland.
The Czech took the opening set but was bizarrely whitewashed in a second set tie-break before fighting back for a 6-3 6-7(0) 6-3 victory.
Berdych will meet Dmitry Tursonov in the last four, the Russian veteran - who came through the qualifying rounds - having continued his excellent run with a three-set win over Gilles Muller.
There were no such problems at ATP Buenos Aires for top seed David Ferrer who continued his impressive progress through the tournament, losing just three games as he destroyed sixth seed Fabio Fognini 6-2 6-1 to make the semi-finals.

Marseille Open results:

Quarter-finals

6-Gilles Simon (France) beat 2-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 6-4 6-3

1-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat 7-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) 6-3 6-7(0) 6-3

3-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Bernard Tomic (Australia) 4-6 6-3 7-6(10)

Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 7-6(7) 1-6 7-5

ATP Buenos Aires results:

Quarter-finals

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat 6-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-2 6-1

Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Julian Reister (Germany) 6-3 6-2
 
Tsonga saves five match points, Simon upsets Del Potro

World number eight Jo-Wilfried Tsonga saved five match points in a breathtaking third set tie-break to edge Australian Bernard Tomic and qualify for the Marseille Open semi-finals.
The third-seeded Frenchman, who lost the first set, eventually grabbed the tie-break 12-10 to seal a 4-6 6-3 7-6 victory after two hours five minutes.
Tsonga, who had won his only previous encounter with the 46th-ranked Tomic, made the most of his opportunities to beat the 21-year-old Australian, one of the most exciting youngsters in tennis.
"I found the way to stay in this match and it's not just a miracle. He will tell you that I played well on these points," Tsonga said.
"In moments like these, you need to be brave to overcome your fear and I, personally, have to play more aggressive."
Tsonga will face Gilles Simon in the semi-final after his compatriot upset title holder Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4 6-3.
Simon did not drop his serve once and was in total control while the former US Open winner tried some ineffective sliced backhands.
After grabbing the first set in 36 minutes, the 14th-ranked Simon quickly led 4-1 in the second and managed to resist the second seed's late surge.
Top seed Tomas Berdych had to work harder to move past seventh-seeded Jerzy Janowicz, who made a name for himself when he reached the Paris Masters final in November after entering the main draw from the qualifiers.
Berdych will meet 119th-ranked Russian Dmitry Tursunov, a former top 20 player, who defeated Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-6 1-6 7-5.
There were no such problems at ATP Buenos Aires for top seed David Ferrer who continued his impressive progress through the tournament, losing just three games as he destroyed sixth seed Fabio Fognini 6-2 6-1 to make the semis.

Marseille Open results:

Quarter-finals

6-Gilles Simon (France) beat 2-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 6-4 6-3

1-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat 7-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) 6-3 6-7(0) 6-3

3-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Bernard Tomic (Australia) 4-6 6-3 7-6(10)

Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 7-6(7) 1-6 7-5

ATP Buenos Aires results:

Quarter-finals

3-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat 8-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6(4) 6-4

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat 6-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-2 6-1

Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Julian Reister (Germany) 6-3 6-2

Memphis International results:

Quarter-finals

Marinko Matosevic (Australia) beat 7-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 6-7(6) 6-2 6-4

5-Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat 1-Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-4 6-2
 
Berdych charges into Marseille final

Top seed Tomas Berdych crushed Dmitry Tursunov to make the final of ATP Marseille.
Tursunov has produced some superb tennis throughout the week as he played his way out of qualifying and into the semi-finals, but won just three games against Berdych as he was thrashed 6-2 6-1.
The match took just 54 minutes, with Berdych losing just nine points on his own serve and punishing Tursonov with some outstanding returns.
Berdych will face either third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or sixth seed Gilles Simon in the final.

ATP Marseille semi-finals

1-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 6-2 6-1
 
Berdych to take on Tsonga in Marseille final

Top seed Tomas Berdych will play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final of ATP Marseille.
Berdych crushed Dmitry Tursunov to win the first semi-final, losing just three games as he crushed his opponent 6-2 6-1.
Tursunov has produced some superb tennis throughout the week as he played his way out of qualifying and into the semi-finals, but simply had no answer to the world number six.
The match took just 54 minutes, with Berdych losing only nine points on his own serve and punishing Tursonov with some outstanding returns.
Third seed Tsonga had an equally one-sided victory over sixth seed Gilles Simon, winning 6-2 6-2.
Tsonga attacked Simon's serve ruthlessly to create chances, and converted four of his 10 break points as he cruised to the win.
His fellow Frenchman Simon earned several chances to get into the match, ******* three break points in the opening set.
But Tsonga saved them all as he rolled towards the final, where he will hope to repeat his 2009 victory in the tournament.

ATP Marseille semi-finals

3-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat 6-Gilles Simon (France) 6-2 6-2

1-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 6-2 6-1

:update:
 
Kvitova beats Errani in topsy-turvy Dubai final

Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova claimed her 10th singles title after defeating Sara Errani 6-2 1-6 6-1 in the final of the Dubai Championships on Saturday.
The Czech, who did not drop a set in the opening four rounds of the tournament, was the favourite after winning her previous three meetings with the Italian and the 22-year-old sought to assert her dominance from the start.
"It was very tough, up and down - she can catch a lot of balls and get them back... I tried to stay focused and calm in the last set," Kvitova said in a courtside interview.
Kvitova broke twice to race into a 3-0 lead in under 10 minutes as Errani struggled to handle the world number eight's fearsome forehand.
The Czech, who cruised past 2012 champion Agnieszka Radwanska and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in earlier rounds, suffered a wobble as two double faults helped Errani to narrow the deficit to 4-2, but the left-hander broke again to seal the set.
After such a stroll, it was easy to forget that Errani was actually the higher-ranked player and few among the crowd would have expected anything but a similar procession for Kvitova in the second set.
The indefatigable Errani had other ideas, however, and with the crowds firmly supporting her, the claycourt specialist switched to a serve and volley approach.
That enabled her to break three times and she also held her own serve with increasing ease to square the match as more errors crept into Kvitova's game.
The momentum was with Errani and she went 0-40 up with the Czech serving at 1-1 in the deciding set, but the latter escaped with a series of blistering serves.
That proved to be the pivotal moment, Kvitova breaking at the next opportunity and then holding for a 4-1 lead before sealing the title with an unreturnable serve.
 
In Buenos Aires, top seed David Ferrer continued his serene progress through the tournament as he dispatched fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-3 6-2.
Ferrer will face third seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the final, the Swiss number two having beaten another Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro, 6-3 7-5 in the other semi-final.

ATP Buenos Aires semi-finals

3-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat 2-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 6-3 7-5

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-3 6-2
 
Kvitova beats Errani in topsy-turvy Dubai final

Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova claimed her 10th singles title after defeating Sara Errani 6-2 1-6 6-1 in the final of the Dubai Championships on Saturday.
The Czech started as favourite after winning her previous three meetings with the world number seven and the 22-year-old sought to assert her dominance from the off.
"It was very tough, up and down - she can catch a lot of balls and get them back... I tried to stay focused and calm in the last set," Kvitova said in a courtside interview.
She broke twice to race into a 3-0 lead in under 10 minutes as the diminutive Errani struggled to handle the world number eight's fearsome forehand.
The Czech, who did not drop a set in beating 2012 champion Agnieszka Radwanska and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in earlier rounds, suffered a wobble as two double faults helped Errani to narrow the deficit to 4-2, but the left-hander broke again to seal the set.
After such a stroll, it was easy to forget that claycourt specialist Errani was actually the higher-ranked player and few among the crowd would have expected anything but a similar procession for Kvitova in the second set.
The indefatigable Errani had other ideas, however, and with the crowds firmly supporting her, 2012 French Open finalist switched to a serve-and-volley approach.
That enabled her to break three times and she also held her own serve with increasing ease, winning six games in a row to square the match as more errors crept into Kvitova's game.
"She was hitting so strong, making winners everywhere - I had to change something to try to win the match, to be more aggressive," Errani, 25, told reporters.
"It's hard to play because her ball is very flat - I don't have time to do the points that I want to do, to play the game I want to play."
The momentum was with Errani and she went 0-40 up with the Czech serving at 1-1 in the deciding set, but the latter escaped with a series of blistering serves.
That proved to be the pivotal moment, Kvitova breaking at the next opportunity and then holding for a 4-1 lead before sealing the title with an unreturnable serve.
Despite the win, Kvitova was cautious about the significance of her victory since the world's two best players, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, pulled out of the tournament.
"I'm still thinking about my game - that's the priority for me," Kvitova said when she was asked if she could rejoin the game's elite.
The Czech ended 2011 as world number two after claiming six titles including Wimbledon that year, but she has failed to make it beyond the quarter-finals in the past three grand slams and has slipped down the rankings.
She will move up to seventh when the new standings are published on Monday, swapping places with Errani.

Marina Erakovic became the first New Zealander since Belinda Cordwell in 1989 to win a WTA title after German Sabine Lisicki retired in the final of WTA Memphis.
Erakovic raced to a 6-1 first set victory before the German succumbed to an undisclosed illness.
"This is my first title and unfortunately it did go like this," Erakovic said.
"But Sabine, congratulations. I hope we really do play a lot more finals in the future."

Other results

WTA Bogota semi-finals

1-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Karin Knapp (Italy) 3-6 6-1 7-6(2)

Paula Ormaechea (Argentina) beat Teliana Pereira (Brazil) 7-6(5) 6-3
 
Japan's Kei Nishikori will meet Spain's Feliciano Lopez in the final of the US National Indoor Tennis Championships after besting Australian Marinko Matosevic in the semi-finals in Memphis.

Nishikori won the first set 6-4 in 37 minutes against Matosevic before the Australian was ****** to retire with a bone bruise on his right foot, sending the Japanese into his fifth ATP final.
"He was playing well from the beginning. Its lucky for me to play just one set and feel fresh for tomorrow, fifth-seed Nishikori said. "But I've played really well this week in every match and it's been good."
Lopez found the going much tougher against Denis Istomin, winning 6-2 3-6 6-3 to make his eighth tour final.
Lopez won the pair's only previous meeting in straight sets at the 2011 Barcelona Open.
"He is a great player, he's in very good shape," Lopez said of Nishikori.
"I think it's going to be a tough match, he's very fast-moving all around the court and I have be aggressive and play my best tennis if I want to win."
 
Ferrer defends Buenos Aires title

David Ferrer defended his ATP Buenos Aires title with a 6-4 3-6 6-1 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka in the final.
The match was even until the final set when the top seed won the final five games to take the win over the fourth seeded Swiss player in one hour 45 minutes.
Ferrer has a good record against Wawrinka and has now won seven of their 10 meetings.
It was the 20th title of Ferrer's career and half of those victories have come on clay.
"Winning 20 ATP tournaments is tough to do," Ferrer said.
"Never in my life did I think I would win 20. It is something that, well, dreams come true more than we think.
"I will be back next year. I’ll keep coming back here until my legs can hold up anymore."
 
Tsonga beats Berdych to claim 10th tour title

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga saved a matchpoint before beating world number six Tomas Berdych 3-6 7-6 6-4 in the Marseille Open final to claim his 10th ATP Tour title on Sunday.
World number eight Tsonga, who saved five match points in his quarter-final against Australian Bernard Tomic, was trailing 5-6 in the second-set tie-break but hit back-to-back aces to push the Czech to a decisive set.
The Frenchman eventually put an end to his losing run against the top-seeded Berdych, having lost their three previous encounters including the latest in the ATP World Tour finals round-robin in November.
The local favourite had two break points in the third set's third game and broke serve to clinch his second title in Marseille after his 2009 triumph.
Tsonga said after the game he was proud of his resilience having struggled in the two first sets.
"I only focused on survival," he told a news conference.
"Nothing was going my way. He played far better than me in the first part of the match. He was serving well and my position on the court was bad. But I deserve credit because I never gave up. A lot of players would have done so."
Tsonga, who lost an epic Australian Open quarter-final to world number two Roger Federer in January in his first event under new coach Roger Rasheed, said this successful week has shown he was on the right path.
"I have been working hard for some time, I make sacrifices. I do everything I can to be on top and I still improve."
 
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