Kirilenko outclasses Rodina to clinch Al Habtoor Challenge
By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter
Published: December 16, 2007, 01:03
Dubai: Top seed Maria Kirilenko of Russia won her third ITF Women's Circuit singles title with a smooth 7-5, 6-2 win against fellow countrywoman Evgeniya Rodina at the 9th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge on Saturday. Considered the tournament favourite, the 20-year-old Kirilenko took her time - and an off-court medical time-out as well - to overcome a tenacious opponent in an engrossing final at the Al Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa.
Shaikh Hasher Al Maktoum, Director Dubai Information and President of Tennis Emirates, gave away the trophies in the presence of Khalaf Al Habtoor, Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, Mohammad Al Merri, General Secretary of Tennis Emirates, and Salah Tahlak, Tournament Director for the Dubai Tennis Championships.
"It's always nice to win any tournament, but this one is special because I came here to gauge my level. This win proves that I have achieved my goal in starting my preparations for the season ahead," Kirilenko told Gulf News. The tussle between the two players was nothing short of an engrossing finale to the week-long annual event, now in its ninth year.
Rodina was the first to snatch the initiative with an early break and held serve for a 2-0 lead. But Kirilenko took her time to settle and then broke back in the fourth game to make it 2-2. The top seed, currently at number 25 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Rankings, had a chance to break her younger opponent in the eighth. But Rodina just kept going, mixing up her game well to outwit Kirilenko.
The crucial break for the top seed came in the 12th game and that was all that was needed for her to take the opening set 7-5. After the first set, Kirilenko asked for an off-court medical time-out complaining of pain in the lower back.
That break seemed to have done her good as she notched her first break in the sixth game to go clear 4-2 and then never looked back as she wrapped up the set and match 6-2. Kirilenko will return to her training base in Valencia with her coach Eric Van Harpen to continue with her preparations for the 2008 season.
"The start of the preparations has been as expected, and I hope to be ready for a tough season next year," Kirilenko said. "I love Dubai and I will certainly return to defend my title here next year," the Russian promised.
Kirilenko also considered this win as the first step towards bigger things here. "I love coming here. Who knows this win may be the first step towards the big one [the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open] in February," she smiled.
Kirilenko to play Rodina in final
Top seed Kirilenko warded off a strong challenge from New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 victory while Rodina overcame Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals.
Kirilenko started her match against Erakovic in a whirlwind fashion taking a 2-0 lead. But the New Zealander grew more in strength as she too broke the Russian in the third and held her own in the fourth to draw level 2-2.
Kirilenko, however, stamped her authority on the game racing to a 5-3 lead. The ninth game was full of thrills with Erakovic holding the edge, to take a 40-15 lead. But Kirilenko showed her pedigree forcing deuce and went on to take the game and the set 6-3.
Kirilenko appeared all set to claim the second set as she led 3-1, but her opponent fought back to draw level before taking the set 6-4, to level the scores 1-1. The Russian, on the hand, was in a devastating form in the deciding set without giving Erakovic any chance, easily winning the set 6-1 and the match.
By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Top seed Maria Kirilenko of Russia will play fellow countrwoman Evgeniya Rodina in the final of the 9th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge at the Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa today.
Kirilenko survived a scare before winning in three sets against New Zealand's Marina Erakovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, while Rodina marched away with a straight set 6-4, 6-4 win against Yuliana Fedak.
The final will be played at 5.30 pm today and entrance is free.
For most of the match it looked as though the tournament favourite would ease her way into the final. Kirilenko won the first set 6-3, but that is when the excitement began.
Erakovic changed her tactics and started coming more to the net and slicing the ball real low. Kirilenko was taken off-guard a bit as she tried to do everything and wrap things up as quickly as possible.
The Russian did well to break Erakovic in the very first game of the second set, but the Croatian-born 19-year-old cashed in on a couple of double faults from Kirilenko to break and draw level 3-3.
She mixed up her game very well and that sort of unnerved the more experienced Kirilenko.
Erokovic then broke her opponent one more time to win the set 6-4 and force the deciding third.
In the third things once again went Kirilenko's way as she raced to an early 3-0 lead.
From then on it was no stopping the title favourite as she stepped up her game and won the set and match 6-2 after nearly two and a half hours on court.
Kirlenko looked relieved after her win as she threw her hands up in the air to celebrate.
"Yes it is a relief," she said as she hurried off the court."
"I had no choice but try out something different. If I had to stick to the baseline then I would have had her making her shots the whole night long. I had to mix up my game and move her around by going to the net," Erakovic told Gulf News.
"I knew she would have been hitting hard and I am sure she must have got surprised with my change in game when I started slicing and coming to the net often," the Kiwi girl stated.
Despite the loss, Erakovic was confident that she has picked up valuable lessons after playing a more experienced player.
"I went in to win, but at least the lessons are there. My dream is to be number one player in the world, but by next year I want to enter the top-100 for a start," she smiled.
Kirilenko blitzes Bychkova
By Edwin Ashie-Nikoi
14 December 2007
DUBAI — Top seed Maria Kirilenko of Russia lived up to her billing as she demolished her compatriot, Ekaterina Bychkova 6-2, 6-2, for a berth in the semifinals of the ninth $75,000 ITF Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge at the Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa here yesterday.
The 20-year-old Russian, listed 30th on the ITF rankings, was in devastating form with a mixture of strong groundstrokes and volleys which wore her opponent down. Bychkova, 85 places below her opponent and seeded fifth here, tried all the tricks under her sleeve but to no avail.
Kirilenko faces a tricky semifinal match against New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic who upset fourth seed Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan with an easy 6-2, 6-1 win. Erakovic, with an ITF ranking of 161, put up a brave fight to frustrate her opponent’s efforts.
Kirilenko raises game to oust German
Dubai: Top seed Maria Kirilenko put up a much better display to get past Germany's Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 6-3 to enter the quarterfinals of the ninth Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge yesterday.
The Russian sensation now comes up against fifth seed and compatriot Ekaterina Bychkova after she got the better of Tunisia's Selima Sfar in straight sets 6-0, 6-2 earlier in the afternoon.
Kirilenko is the main attraction at this year's $75,000 (Dh280,000) ITF Women's Circuit tournament in an attempt to prepare for the new season.
"Two wins in as many matches and that brings in a lot of confidence," Kirilenko told Gulf News.
Improving
"I have been playing after a long break and I need to keep on improving as I go on in this tournament."
If the Russian looked a bit rusty in her first-round match on Tuesday, she put up a much better display yesterday, making fewer mistakes.
She was on song, breaking her Russian opponent in the very first game to go 1-0 up.
But Lisicki fought back for a break immediately to draw level 1-1. Kirilenko had to wait until the seventh game for the second break to go clear 4-3, after which she held serve and then broke again to take the set 6-3 in 30 minutes.
In the second set things were more evenly matched with Kirilenko the more adventurous of the two as she tried to mix her game. But she paid the price as Lisicki stayed focused to match her on break points.
The Russian got the much needed break in the eighth game to go 5-3 clear and she then served off for set and match to win 6-3.
"She is a gritty youngster, and she can be better if she makes less mistakes in her game," Kirilenko said of her opponent.
Focused
The Russian top seed now runs into fifth seed Bychkova following her swift 6-0, 6-2 win against Sfar.
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Kirilenko happy to be through to second round
By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter
Published: December 11, 2007, 23:25
Dubai: Top seed Maria Kirilenko stuttered through to the second round of the 9th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Aniko Kapros on Tuesday.
Kirilenko, who is using this $75,000 tournament to get prepared for the upcoming season, looked a bit dazed and jaded against an opponent who seemed to dominate her in all departments of the game at some stages.
She looked rusty at times, unable to read her opponent. But she thought the unsteady court conditions were to be blamed for that dip.
"It's always tough in the first round of any tournament," Kirilenko told Gulf News.
The Russian sensation has played against her Hungarian opponent on two earlier occasions, the last one being at the Australian Open at the beginning of this year.
Tricky opponent
"She is always a tricky opponent as she tries to hit the ball low and flat. The good thing is that I have won all three times against her," Kirilenko said.
With light winds sweeping the court, both players tried to adapt to the conditions. Kirilenko had the better opportunities, but she squandered two chances for a break against Kapros in the first set.
She got the much-needed reprieve in the eighth game to go 5-3 ahead, to ultimately hold serve and take the set 6-3. In the second set, the 20-year-old Russian broke early for a 1-0 lead, but failed to hold serve.
But she did well to use her court guile to maximum coming up with a break in the fifth to take the set 6-4.
"It is always tough at the beginning of a tournament. There are so many things to consider. But once you settle in, you find your rhythm and your confidence to take one match at a time," Kirilenko said.
The Russian sensation is the main attraction for this year's competition, now in its ninth year. A knee injury followed by a hip strain kept her out for a major part of 2006.
She then had to nurse an ankle injury last season that saw her ranking slip down a bit to the present number 30 that she holds on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.
"I am here to win, but I will take it one match at a time," Kirilenko promised.
Top seed Kirilenko warded off a strong challenge from New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 victory while Rodina overcame Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals.
Kirilenko started her match against Erakovic in a whirlwind fashion taking a 2-0 lead. But the New Zealander grew more in strength as she too broke the Russian in the third and held her own in the fourth to draw level 2-2.
Kirilenko, however, stamped her authority on the game racing to a 5-3 lead. The ninth game was full of thrills with Erakovic holding the edge, to take a 40-15 lead. But Kirilenko showed her pedigree forcing deuce and went on to take the game and the set 6-3.
Kirilenko appeared all set to claim the second set as she led 3-1, but her opponent fought back to draw level before taking the set 6-4, to level the scores 1-1. The Russian, on the hand, was in a devastating form in the deciding set without giving Erakovic any chance, easily winning the set 6-1 and the match.
