WTA Apr 23-29 2007 Budapest Grand Prix, Budapest, HUN Tier III $175,000 32 players - outdoor: red clay Budapest website is in Hungarian WTA: draws & OOP .pdf tourney: draw & results - OOPs pics: Yahoo! - WTA - tourney tourney news in Hungarian - video Budapest: weather radar     forecast - map QuickNews:     Hungary News & Links # 23 Tathiana Garbin # 34 Martina Muller # 38 Maria Kirilenko # 41 Emilie Loit

Tourney pages: Stanford & Budapest: 2006 - 2005 Budapest: 2004 previous other tourney pages next Budapest: #50 Gisela Dulko 5' 7", 123½ lbs, RH 2H-BH Budapest: 1st WTA singles title 19th pro tennis title

    On Sunday at Budapest, Hungary, in the final of the Budapest Grand Prix, 22-year-old 6th-seeded # 50 Gisela Dulko from Buenos Aires, Argentina, dropped a close first set, then handily defeated 17-years-and-22-days-old qualifier # 321 Sorana Cirstea from Targoviste, Romania, 6(2)-7, 6-2, 6-2 (Gisela is shown during the match, and during the trophy ceremony afterward).

    Gisela said: "I'm really happy because this is my first WTA title, I feel really excited now.
    "I want to congratulate Sorana. She is a great talent and I'm sure she is going to play many more finals." AP story - WTA story

    Gisela and Sorana had met once before, on an indoor hardcourt in the 1st round of qualifying in Zurich last year, where Gisela won, 6-4, 6-2.

    Gisela, who was ranked # 26 a year and a half ago, is now 1-2 in WTA singles finals; her most recent final was earlier this year in Pattaya City, where she was defeated by Sybille Bammer 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. Gisela has also won 6 WTA doubles titles, 6 ITF singles titles, and 6 ITF doubles titles.

    Sorana, was playing in only her third WTA tourney, and had never won a WTA main draw match until this week. But she won seven matches in a row to reach the final, including victories over top-seeded # 34 Martina Muller on Thursday and 4th-seeded # 44 Eleni Daniilidou on Friday. She has won 3 ITF singles titles and 7 ITF doubles titles.

    Sorana said: "I'm really happy. This is just my third WTA tournament and nobody expected me to be here in the final.."

WTA SCOREBOARD: Budapest s=seed, #=rank, *=upset, LL=lucky loser ranks are for the previous week How do players get into the "draw"? Budapest Grand Prix,  Budapest, Hungary   Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast     Budapest: The main draw for Budapest has 8 seeds, with NO 1st-round byes.     There are 4 qualifiers in the main draw.     Qualifying (3 rounds) starts on Saturday, qualifying finals are on Monday.     Római Tenisz Akadémia - click for sat pic & street map Latitude: 47.584338 Longitude: 19.066719 goto link for World Wind Budapest map     Budapest (daylight savings) time is GMT (UCT, ZULU) + 2 hours (US Pacific Daylight Time +9, EDT +6). Hungary news     The Budapest tourney was previously played in July. It was moved to April in 2007, and promoted from a $145,000 "Tier IV" to a $175,000 "Tier III" tourney. On Monday, April 23, 2007, in Budapest, local resident and 16-year-old wild card Lucia Batta looked pleased by her reception upon arriving for her match against Alberta Brianti... also on Monday, Elena Likhovtseva and Maria Kirilenko decorated the sidelines during their 1st round doubles victory... And on Wednesday, local resident and 18-year-old wild card Agnes Szavay looked pleased by her reception upon arriving for her match against Elena Likhovtseva... 17-year-old qualifier Sorana Cirstea attended the player's party on Wednesday evening with a good friend who might just be her mom; Martina Sucha was also looking very nice at the party, as usual

Budapest, 1st Rd, Mon 10am-Tue 11am losers' prize: $1,205 US; points: 1 Tuesday: rain stopped play #23 s1 Tathiana Garbin ITA d #421 sr 48 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 Tue-rain-Wed Tathiana's forehand, and Nuria following a backhand #34 s2 Martina Muller GER d #73 Maria Elena Camerin ITA 6(7)-7, 6-3, 7-5Mon Martina slicing a backhand, and Maria Elena driving one *#100 Anne Kremer LUX d #38 s3 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-3, 6-4 Tue Maria following a serve, and Anne lining up a backhand drive #44 s4 Eleni Daniilidou GRE d #173 q Greta Arn GER 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 ppd-Wed Eleni's backhand drive #41 s5 Emilie Loit FRA d #121 Renata Voracova CZE 6-4, 6-2 Mon #50 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG d #86 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-2, 6-2 ppd-Wed Gisela spinning a forehand *#156 wc Agnes Szavay HUN d #56 s7 Elena Likhovtsva RUS 6-4, 6-1 ppd-Wed Agnes driving a backhand *#99 Karin Knapp ITA d #64 s8 Romina Oprandi ITA 5-7, 6-2, 3-4 retired-- lower right arm injury Mon *#125 Kristina Barrois GER d #80 Iveta Benesova CZE 7-6(6), 5-7, 7-6(5) Tue Iveta delivering a forehand *#111 Yulia Beygelzimer UKR d #93 Tatiana Poutchek BLR 7-6(4), 6-4 Tue #96 Alberta Brianti ITA d #NR wc Lucia Batta HUN 6-2, 6-3 Mon 16-year-old wild card Lucia, and Alberta, driving backhands #101 Martina Sucha SVK d #127 Hana Sromova CZE 6(5)-7, 6-4, 6-4 Tue *#172 q Andreja Klepac SLO d #107 Melinda Czink HUN 6-2, 6-4 Tue #108 Karolina Sprem CRO d #200 wc Zsofia Gubacsi HUN 7-6(4), 6-1 Tue Zsofia and Karolina firing forehands *#321 q Sorana Cirstea ROM d #159 Kyra Nagy HUN 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-3 Tue #152 LL Olga Savchuk UKR d #262 q Lucie Hradecka CZE 6-0, 6-3 Tue

Budapest, 2nd Rd, Wed-Thu 11am losers' prize: $2,030 US; points: 20 *#152 LL Olga Savchuk UKR d #23 s1 Tathiana Garbin ITA walkover--left hamstring strain Thu *#321 q Sorana Cirstea ROM d #34 s2 Martina Muller GER 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 Thu Martina waiting to wallop a backhand, 17-year-old Sorana in ready position, and Sorana driving a backhand #44 s4 Eleni Daniilidou GRE d #125 Kristina Barrois GER 6-4, 6-2 Thu #41 s5 Emilie Loit FRA d #172 q Andreja Klepac SLO 7-5, 7-5 Thu Emilie and Andreja launching left and right handed backhands, and Emilie's forehand drive #50 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG d #101 Martina Sucha SVK 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 Thu Gisela ready to lightly tap a forehand, Martina driving a backhand, and Gisela following one *#100 Anne Kremer LUX d #96 Alberta Brianti ITA 6-4, 6-1 Wed Anne driving a forehand #99 Karin Knapp ITA d #108 Karolina Sprem CRO 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 Wed Karin running down a backhand, and Karolina driving one *#156 wc Agnes Szavay HUN d #111 Yulia Beygelzimer UKR 6-3, 6-2 Thu Agnes twisting a serve, and Yulia and Agnes driving backhands

Budapest, QFs, Fri 11am losers' prize: $3,740 US; points: 35 *#156 wc Agnes Szavay HUN d #41 s5 Emilie Loit FRA walkover-- gastrointestinal problem *#321 q Sorana Cirstea ROM d #44 s4 Eleni Daniilidou GRE 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 Eleni shouldering a forehand, Sorana fielding a backhand, and after match point of her 3rd WTA main draw singles match victory #50 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG d #152 LL Olga Savchuk UKR 6-3, 6-4 Gisela following a slice serve, and Olga driving a backhand #99 Karin Knapp ITA d #100 Anne Kremer LUX 6-2, 6-1 Karin about to swat a low backhand, and Anne following one

Budapest, SFs, Sat 11am losers' prize: $7,105 US; points: 65 #50 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG d #156 wc Agnes Szavay HUN 6-2, 6-1 Agnes smiling, Gisela about to fire a forehand, and Agnes congratulating Gisela after the match *#321 q Sorana Cirstea ROM d #99 Karin Knapp ITA 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 Karin fielding a drop shot, and Sorana driving a forehand

Budapest, Final, Sun 10:30am loser's prize: $13,520 US; points: 100 winner's prize: $25,840 US; points: 140 #50 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG d #321 q Sorana Cirstea ROM 6(2)-7, 6-2, 6-2 Gisela about to launch a backhand, and Sorana and Gisela with the goodies after the match

Budapest, Doubles Final, Sun losers' prize: $4,020 US winners' prize: $7,620 US cdr130 s4 Agnes Szavay & Vladimira Uhlirova d Martina Muller & Gabriela Navratilova 7-5, 6-2 It was the first WTA doubles title for both 18-year-old Agnes, and 28-year-old Vladimira Budapest, Qual Finals, Mon Apr 23 10am losers' prizes: q1: $185 pts: 1; q2: $325 pts:3; q3: $605 US pts: 4; qualifier points: 8 *#321 Sorana Cirstea ROM d #152 Olga Savchuk UKR 7-5, 6-0 #172 Andreja Klepac SLO d #255 Nika Ozegovic CRO 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 #173 Greta Arn GER d #456 Mariya Koryttseva UKR 6-2, 6-4 *#262 Lucie Hradecka CZE d #197 Joanna Sakowicz POL 6-0, 6-2 Budapest, Withdrawals #52 Kaia Kanepi EST #58 Virginie Razzano FRA #67 Victoria Azarenka BLR #103 Julia Schruff GER #145 Margalita Chakhnashvili GEO #585 sr92 Evgenia Linetskaya RUS

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Current WTA Results & Tennis News (tennis home page) - 2007 WTA Schedule with links & photos

Link to hundreds of postmatch interview videos of WTA players at the 2007 WTA Player Interviews page.

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