WTA Feb 5-11: Paris Indoor & Pattaya Open Gaz de France, Paris, FRA Tier II $600,000 - 28 players indoor: hard (Greenset) Live Scores WTA pdf.: draws & OOP - match notes draw & results, .html pics: Yahoo! news - WTA Paris: weather radar - forecast # 2 Justine Henin, # 3 Amelie Mauresmo # 5 S Kuznetsova, # 7 Nadia Petrova Pattaya Women's Open, Pattaya, THA Tier IV $170,000 - 32 players outdoor: hard WTA pdf.: draws & OOP - match notes Yahoo! Pattaya news photos pics: Yahoo! news - tourney - WTA Bangkok Post: Sports Pattaya: weather forecast # 24 Marion Bartoli, # 30 Maria Kirilenko # 41 Mara Santangelo, # 42 Shuai Peng

Tourney pages: Paris & Pattaya: 2006 Paris: 2005 - 2004 Pattaya: 2005 previous other tourney pages next Paris: #31 Lucie Safarova 5' 7", 125½ lbs, LH 2H-BH Paris: #7 Nadia Petrova 5' 10¼", 143 lbs, RH 2H-BH Pattaya: #62 Sybille Bammer 5' 9", 139 lbs, RH 2H-BH Pattaya: #51 Gisela Dulko 5' 7", 123½ lbs, RH 2H-BH

    On Sunday in Paris, in the final of the Open Gaz de France, 24-year-old 4th-seeded # 7 Nadia Petrova from Moscow, Russia, defeated 20-years-old-last-Sunday unseeded # 31 Lucie Safarova from Brno, Czech Republic, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 (Lucy is shown during the match; Nadia with the, uh, trophy thing).

    Nadia led 5-1 in the 3rd set, then Lucie won the next three games to close the gap to 5-4. Nadia then recovered for a strong finish.

    Nadia said: "The level of tennis [Lucie] was playing at in the beginning was very high; it was like her eyes were closed and everything was going in. I changed how I played after that; in the beginning I was building points and she was blowing me away. I decided to stick to the basics and look for the opportunities. She began giving me errors, that gave me some rhythm, and I was back in the game.
    "I got a little bit nervous at the end but she was really playing well; she felt she had nothing to lose. In the last game I went to the net and it really worked well." WTA story

    Lucie said: "The match was very tough. I felt [Nadia] was getting nervous and I had a chance to get it back to 5-all, but then she just played well."

    Nadia now leads Lucie 3-0 in career matches. Nadia is now 7-6 in WTA singles finals; she lost her first 4 finals, and is 7-2 in finals since.
    Lucie is now 3-2 in WTA singles finals; this was her first Tier II final. Lucie is playing the best tennis of her career: last month she took Serena Williams to a 3rd set tiebreaker in Hobart, then a win over Amelie Mauresmo put her in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where she lost to her compatriot, # 10 Nicole Vaidisova-- whom Lucie defeated 6-4, 6-2, in Paris on Thursday. On Friday, Lucie defeated # 5 Svetlana Kuznetsova, and on Saturday, # 2 Justine Henin.

    On Sunday, in Pattaya City, Thailand, in the final of the Pattaya Women's Open, 26-year-old unseeded # 62 Sybille Bammer from Linz, Austria, defeated 22-year-old 6th-seeded # 51 Gisela Dulko from Buenos Aires, Argentina, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 (Gisela is shown during the match; Sybille with the nice glassware).

    Gisela lead 5-3 in the 3rd set, when she was unable to convert 3 match points on Sybille's serve. Gisela led 30-0 while serving for the match at 5-4, but Sybille broke Gisela's serve, and won the next two games to take the match.

    Sybille said: "When I was down in the third I said 'Okay I'm down but I’ll keep fighting and try to give my best.' Both of us wanted to win, and it was a big fight; today we were both winners. It was a tough match and I was lucky." WTA story

    Gisela said: "It was a really tough match - maybe the longest one I've ever played. I feel a bit disappointed of course. I had match points and was close to winning the title. Anyway I'm happy I played a final again. Even if I lost and had a chance to win my first title, I feel happy inside because I did the best I could."

    They had never before met on the field of combat. Sybille, in her 12th year on the Tour, was playing in her first WTA singles final; she has won 9 ITF singles titles and 1 ITF doubles title. Sybille has been improving the past couple of years, and she defeated former # 1 Serena Williams in Hobart last month. Gisela is now 0-2 in WTA singles finals, but she has won 6 WTA doubles titles, plus 6 ITF singles and 6 ITF doubles titles.

WTA SCOREBOARD: Paris Indoor & Pattaya s=seed, #=rank, *=upset, LL=lucky loser ranks are for the previous week How do players get into the "draw"? Open Gaz de France,  Paris, France   Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast     Paris: The main draw for Paris has 8 seeds, with 4 1st-round byes.     There are 4 qualifiers in the main draw.     Qualifying (3 rounds) starts on Saturday, qualifying finals are on Monday.     Pierre de Coubertin Stadium (at left)-- click for sat pic & map Latitude: 48.835275 Longitude: 2.258849 goto link for World Wind France Geoportail plugin for World Wind (maps & aerial photos)     Start times: Mon-Thu noon, Fri-Sat 2pm, Sun 3pm     The time in Paris is UCT (GMT, Zulu...) +1 hours (Pacific Time+9, ET+6). News: France - Paris Justine Henin, sans the -Hardenne, met the Paris press on Monday, ready to start her first tourney of the year.

Paris, 1st Rd Mon 4pm, Tue 11am, Wed noon losers' prize: $3,855 US (2006: $4,175); points: 1 #10 s5 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #43 Aravane Rezai FRA 6-2, 6-1 Tue Aravane's service toss, and Nicole following a backhand drive     Aravane scored only 10 points on Nicole's serve. Nicole said: "I played very well today, I kept very focused the whole time, I've definitely had a great start this year and came here feeling very good." AFP story     Aravane said: "[Nicole] has had some good results recently. I'm not trying to find excuses, but she played very well, and I couldn't find my game." *#100 q Ekaterina Bychkova RUS d #11 s6 Patty Schnyder SUI 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 Tue     It was the biggest win of Ekaterina's career. Ekaterina said: "I just can't believe it. I fought as hard as I could and played each point as it came." #12 s7 Dinara Safina RUS d #68 Michaella Krajicek NED 6-4, 7-5 Mon Michaella's forehand (she has just switched tailors, to Reebok), Dinara's backhand, and Dinara after winning a point #13 s8 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #34 Olga Poutchkova RUS 6-2, 6-0 Wed Anna, who can always be found goofing off the day before a match, stopped traffic on the Champs Elysees on Tuesday (Anna can afford a little fun; she has Triomphed in 21 of her last 23 matches) #19 Tatiana Golovin FRA d #164 wc Alize Cornet FRA 6-2, 6-2 Wed Tatiana driving a forehand, and after match point #22 Katarina Srebotnik SLO d #145 q Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA 6-1, 6-4 Tue     Katarina said: "I am very happy with the way I played today. I'll give my best in the next round against Svetlana [Kuznetsova], hoping she will be a bit rusty entering the tournament." Reuters story *#52 Nathalie Dechy FRA d #28 Tathiana Garbin ITA 6-2, 6-3 Tue Nathalie reaching for a backhand, and applauding her new Wilson K-Factor after match point     Nathalie, who has been ranked as high as # 12, formerly chopped with a Head axe. In Paris she became one of the first players on the WTA Tour to unleash Wilson's new K-Factor series of racquets. These new bats are the latest in a line that began with the 6.0 Original Graphite/Kevlar, and users say in forums online that they are indeed better than the previous n-Code incarnation. Nathalie's appears to be the Six-One model, available in 27" long 90 sq." and 95 sq." head versions, the 95 also available in a 27.5" length. All are control racquets, balanced head-light and weighing 12.3 to 12.5 oz.     Nathalie not only has a new stick, she also has a new coach, Dutchman Martijn Bok, who she has been working with since the Australian Open.     Nathalie said: "I have worked well with him over the last two weeks and I feel more solid now. I don't know why I played badly in Australia but this was a good return to form and I'm happy with it." AFP story #31 Lucie Safarova CZE d #77 q Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-3, 6(5)-7, 6-3 Tue     Lucie said: "It was a very tough match. [Tsvetana] plays very well. It was very important to win because she beta me there last year." #32 Anabel Media Garrigues ESP d #39 Séverine Bremond FRA 6-2, 7-5 Wed #36 Martina Muller GER d #46 LL Agnieszka Radwanska POL 6-1, 6-0 Tue *#45 Emilie Loit FRA d #37 Eleni Daniilidou GRE 7-6(7), 6(1)-7, 6-4 Mon #74 wc Camille Pin FRA d #179 q Agnes Szavay HUN 6-4, 6-0 Tue

Paris, 2nd Rd Wed-Thu noon losers' prize: $7,230 US (2006: $7,820); points: 35 WTA Thu story #2 s1 Justine Henin BEL d #45 Emilie Loit FRA 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 Wed Justine driving a forehand, chasing down another, and after match point     Justine missed last month's Sydney International and Australian Open because she was in the midst of separating from her husband, Pierre-Yves Hardenne.     Justine said: "I've had a lot to cope with these last few weeks and it's always good to get your first win under your belt when you come back. I now know what I can expect from myself...     "I have to be happy with the win. There were some little things that need working on and I need to raise my level, that's for sure...     "It was hard to find my rhythm in the first set, but it's normal after not having played for a while. My serve wasn't of high quality and I was quite defensive. As the match progressed, I started to play better, finding my rhythm and getting my confidence...     "It's always a great feeling to win a match; I'm happy that I'll have another opportunity [in the quarterfinals] on Friday." AFP story - WTA story #3 s2 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #52 Nathalie Dechy FRA 6-3, 6-2 Thu Amelie ready to answer a drop shot (standard reply: another drop shot)     Amelie said: "There was probably a bit of tension in the beginning - that is normal when you play against a fellow French player. But I really felt comfortable on the court today. It was the best match I have played so far this year...     "I tried [on-court coaching during breaks as permitted by the new rules] for the first time today. I called Loic and it was good for me just to re-evaluate and confirm what I needed to continue to do. The on-court coaching allowed me to exchange ideas with Loic especially since I'm going back to basics and assessing what's working well...     "It will be an interesting match against Chakvetadze [in the quarterfinals]. She is a dangerous player, and knows how to mix the game well; not only can she hit the ball very hard, but she can also slice and do different things. She had a great season last year, and has started very well so far this year. I just need to focus on the things that I did well today, like my serve."     Amelie, who was still swinging a Dunlop bat at the Australian Open in January (as she has for years), appeared in Paris with a Head axe for the first time (just as her compatriot Nathalie has switched from Head to a Wilson K-Factor).     Her new axe is hard to see in the photos, but as it looks orange, it is likely a version of the Head Flexpoint Radical. The Tour version is a control racquet with a 100 sq." head, balanced 8 points head light, weighing 11.9 ounces, with a stiffness rating of 58. #5 s3 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #22 Katarina Srebotnik SLO 6(4)-7, 6-4, 7-6(4) Wed #7 s4 Nadia Petrova RUS d #36 Martina Muller GER 6-1, 6-2 Thu Nadia about to lightly tap a forehand *#31 Lucie Safarova CZE d #10 s5 Nicole Vaidisova CZE 6-4, 6-2 Thu #12 s7 Dinara Safina RUS d #74 wc Camille Pin FRA 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(5) Wed Camille running down one of Dinara's lightspeed drives, and Dinara after winning a point     Dinara said: "I had cramps in my hands but I tried not to show it. I felt like the Road Runner out there on court. At times I had to prize my fingers open, I was just glad [the cramps] didn't go deeper, because the problem is when it goes to your legs...     "In the first set I tried to hit winners off every ball, but I lost, so I had to take some pace off after that, and I played better in the second and third sets." #13 s8 Anna Chakvetadze RUS d #32 Anabel Media Garrigues ESP 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 Thu Anna being congratulated by Anabel after the match     About playing # 3 Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals, Anna said: "It is going to be hard for me, in front of the French crowd. But I do not fear anyone, and I think it is going to be great tennis." Reuters story #19 Tatiana Golovin FRA d #100 q Ekaterina Bychkova RUS 6-4, 6-4 Thu Tatiana driving a backhand, and reaching for a forehand volley     Tatiana will play top-seeded # 2 Justine Henin in the quarterfinals on Friday. They have played just once before, on green clay last April in Charleston, South Carolina, where Justine won, 7-6(4), 7-5.     Tatiana said: "Justine has made many comebacks like this before and she has won Grand Slams... I've always played well here and I just have to take my chances. I've always been motivated by playing big matches against great players in front of big crowds. That's what I'm here for, so I'm very excited." AFP story

Paris, QFs Fri 2pm WTA story losers' prize: $13,500 US (2006: $14,600); points: 70 #2 s1 Justine Henin BEL d #19 Tatiana Golovin FRA 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 Tatiana driving a forehand, and after winning a point, Justine about to swat one, and after match point #3 s2 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #13 s8 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 7-6(5), 7-5 *#31 Lucie Safarova CZE d #5 s3 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 6-3, 6-4 Lefty Lucie reaching for a high backhand, Righty Sveta driving one in the strike zone, and Lucie after match point     Lucie said: "It was a very good match. I can feel my play getting much better. It's because I'm getting more and more confidence after every match. I like playing here; I like this surface. When I go out there I'm trying to be aggressive and get on top of every ball...     "I worked very hard in the off-season. I got a new conditioning coach, and I think that really helped me."     Lucie will play top-seeded # 2 Justine Henin in the semifinals on Saturday. They have never before met on the field of combat. Lucie is playing very well; last month she took Serena Williams to a 3rd set tiebreaker in Hobart, then she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where she lost to her compatriot, # 10 Nicole Vaidisova-- whom Lucie defeated 6-4, 6-2, in Paris on Thursday. #7 s4 Nadia Petrova RUS d #12 s7 Dinara Safina RUS 6-3, 6-2 Dinara and Nadia--the two top players swinging Babolat Pure Storm bats--belting backhands

Paris, SFs Sat 2pm WTA story losers' prize: $25,240 US (2006: $27,300); points: 125 *#31 Lucie Safarova CZE d #2 s1 Justine Henin BEL 7-6(5), 6-4 Lucie's service toss, Justine reaching for a backhand, Lucie's lefty backhand and forehand drives, and after match point     It was the biggest win of Lucie's career. Lucie said: "I tried to put [Justine] under pressure on every point... I was feeling very good on the court... The crowd was fantastic... I now have to stay focused for tomorrow." Reuters story - AP story     Justine said: "Today, I did not have a good feeling, I played too defensive... I was a bit tired and [Lucie] played very well, very aggressively... Even when I was leading, I was not playing well... She has a very good serve, I really struggled to read it, especially on my backhand." Reuters story *#7 s4 Nadia Petrova RUS d #3 s2 Amelie Mauresmo FRA 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(7) Amelie about to slice a backhand, Nadia driving one, and after match point     Nadia said: "It's a great win, especially since I wasn't feeling 100%; I was extremely happy afterwards. It went up and down a lot, but the end of the third set was very good quality from both of us; the tie-breaker was unbelievable. I think everybody really enjoyed it."     After her singles semi, Nadia withdrew from her doubles semifinal due to dizziness. "After winning such a long match, I wasn't able to carry on playing doubles. The final is tomorrow and so the tournament is expecting two players to be healthy and be able to play a match."

Paris, Final Sun 3pm loser's prize: $47,125 US (2006: $51,000); points: 190 winner's prize: $88,265 US (2006: $95,500); points: 275 #7 s4 Nadia Petrova RUS d #31 Lucie Safarova CZE 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 Lucie driving a backhand and spinning a forehand, Nadia driving a backhand and after winning a point

Paris, Doubles Final Sun after singles losers' prize: $14,900 US (2006: $16,120) winners' prize: $27,730 US (2006: $30,000) cdr9 s1 Cara Black & Liezel Huber d cdr157 Gabriela Navratilova & Vladmira Uhlirova 6-2, 6-0 Paris, Qual Finals, Mon Feb 5 11am losers' prizes: q1: $595; q2: $1,105; q3: $2,065 US (2006: $2,230) *#77 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL d #46 Agnieszka Radwanska POL 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 *#179 Agnes Szavay HUN d #63 Kaia Kanepi EST 6-4, 7-5 *#145 Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA d #78 Virginie Razzano FRA 7-5, 6-2 #100 Ekaterina Bychkova RUS d #117 Stephanie Foretz FRA 6-3, 6-1 Paris, Withdrawals #4 Kim Clijsters BEL hip strain #8 Elena Dementieva RUS left adductor strain #20 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER #38 Flavia Pennetta ITA #1037 SR 14 Elena Bovina RUS nerve entrapment

Pattaya Women's Open,  Pattaya City, Thailand   Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast     Pattaya: is about 50 kilometers south of Chon Buri, or a 2 hour drive from Bangkok. The main draw for Pattaya 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.     Dusit Resort (courts at upper left)-- click for sat pic Latitude: 12.950763 Longitude: 100.8842 goto link for World Wind Pattaya Beach Road Area Map     Start times: Mon-Tue 2:30pm, Wed-Sun 3pm     The time in Pattaya is UCT (GMT, Zulu...) +7 hours (Pacific Time+15, often=the next day, 9 hours earlier; ET+18). Thailand News Olga Savchuk, Alla Kudryavtseva, Kateryna Bbondarenko, and Vasilisa Bardina tested a new playing surface on Tuesday in Pattaya

Pattaya, 1st Rd Mon-Tue 2:30pm losers' prize: $1,075 US (2006: $1,165); points: 1 #24 s1 Marion Bartoli FRA d #343 SR Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 6-3, 6-4 Tue Marion serving, Nuria volleying a forehand, and Marion following a backhand drive *#65 Nicole Pratt AUS d #30 s2 Maria Kirilenko RUS 7-6(1), 2-6, 7-5 Tue Nicole following a slice backhand, and Maria's backhand drive     Nicole said: "I thought I played pretty well the whole match. The second set, I just lost a little bit of concentration, but [Maria] played well, and it was a battle for the third set. I was down a break and I fought really hard to come back.     "I'm just so relaxed playing. I figure that in situations like that I'm just going to fight as hard as I can and if I get the opportunity I'm going to go for my shots. That's what paid off tonight." AFP story #41 s3 Mara Santangelo ITA d #88 Jarmila Gajdosova SVK 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 Mon Jarmila chasing a backhand, and Mara following one #42 s4 Shuai Peng CHN d #140 itf Su-Wei Hsieh TPE 6-1, 6-2 Mon #48 s5 Sania Mirza IND d #64 Catalina Castano COL 7-6(1), 6-0 Mon Sania running down a backhand, and Catalina about to swat a forehand #51 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG d #79 Tiantian Sun CHN 6-4, 6-1 Tue *#62 Sybille Bammer AUT d #55 s7 Vasilisa Bardina RUS 6-1, 6-4 Tue #56 s8 Aiko Nakamura JPN d #895 q Noppawan Lertcheewakarn THA 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 Tue Aiko driving a backhand, and Noppawan likewise, but with a very unusual racquet face angle #57 Romina Oprandi ITA d #153 Olga Savchuk UKR 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 Tue *#69 Vania King USA d #60 Jelena Kostanic Tosic CRO 6-1, 6-3 Tue Vania's forehand drive, and lefty Jelena following a slice backhand *#139 q Tzipora Obziler ISR d #75 Yuliana Fedak UKR 6-2, 6-2 Tue *#85 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA d #83 Yung-Jan Chan TPE 6-2, 6(4)-7, 6-4 Tue #93 itf Alla Kudryavtseva RUS d #150 q Meng Yuan CHN 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 Tue Meng scooping up a short backhand, and Alla after chasing down a long one #98 Martina Sucha SVK d #182 q Andreja Klepac SLO 7-5, 6-3 Tue #99 wc Alicia Molik AUS d #112 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR 6-2, 6-2 Mon Alicia firing a cannonball serve, and Kateryna fielding a drop shot     Alicia, who briefly switched from Dunlop to Head racquets in 2006 (around French Open time), returned to Dunlop later in the year, and at this tourney came out swinging the new Dunlop Aerogel 500 model for the first time. #86 Anastassia Rodionova RUS d #330 wc Montinee Tangphong THA 7-5, 7-6(4) Mon Anastassia about to launch a backhand, and Montinee ready to slice a drop shot

Pattaya, 2nd Rd Wed-Thu 3pm losers' prize: $2,005 US (2006: $2,165); points: 15 *#98 Martina Sucha SVK d #24 s1 Marion Bartoli FRA 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 Thu Martina's backhand volley, Marion (who uses a 2-handed backhand grip on both sides) following a forehand, and Martina's forehand volley (straighten your elbow, Martina) #41 s3 Mara Santangelo ITA d #93 itf Alla Kudryavtseva RUS 6-2, 6-4 Wed Mara twisting a serve, Alla about to swat a forehand, and Mara chasing one down #42 s4 Shuai Peng CHN d #57 Romina Oprandi ITA 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3 Wed Romina and Shuai both charging in to field drop shots #48 s5 Sania Mirza IND d #85 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 Wed Sania serving up a cannonball, Tammy's backhand drive, and Sania following one, and after winning a point #51 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG d #99 wc Alicia Molik AUS walkover-- left hamstring *#139 q Tzipora Obziler ISR d #56 s8 Aiko Nakamura JPN 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 Thu Tzipora about to slice a backhand, and Aiko (who uses a 2-handed forehand grip on both sides) following a backhand drive #62 Sybille Bammer AUT d #86 Anastassia Rodionova RUS 6-2, 7-5 Wed Anastassia fielding a drop shot, and Sybille's lefty backhand volley #65 Nicole Pratt AUS d #69 Vania King USA 6-2, 6-4 Thu Vania's backhand, and Nicole fielding a drop shot

Pattaya, QFs Fri 3pm losers' prize: $3,715 US (2006: $4,015); points: 30 *#48 s5 Sania Mirza IND d #41 s3 Mara Santangelo ITA 6-4, 7-6(4) Sania running down a backhand, Mara following a flying forehand, and Sania after the match     Sania said: "It was the first time I had played [Mara] in singles or doubles, and I was just trying to figure how she plays and get my rhythm. It took me a little time, but I felt much better on the court and was moving better than a couple of days ago...     "I had a little serve trouble, but thankfully I got the serves when I needed them. Both sets I was down, but I felt I started playing better when I was down. She has a really big serve, but I started returning better, and that was a key in the tiebreak, I think." AFP story #42 s4 Shuai Peng CHN d #139 q Tzipora Obziler ISR 6-3, 6-2 Shuai following a running forehand, and after match point #51 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG d #65 Nicole Pratt AUS 6-2, 6-3 Gisela about to swat a backhand, and Nicole reaching for a volley #62 Sybille Bammer AUT d #98 Martina Sucha SVK 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Martina spinning a western-grip forehand, and Sybille fielding a drop shot     Sybille was 0-5 against Martina before this match, which lasted almost three hours, and included 42 break points & 34 deuces.

Pattaya, SFs Sat 3pm losers' prize: $6,890 US (2006: $7,450); points: 50 *#62 Sybille Bammer AUT d #42 s4 Shuai Peng CHN 6-4, 6-2 Sybille serving, Shuai launching a high backhand, Sybille following a forehand drive, and leaving the court after reaching her 1st WTA singles final in 12 years of play     Sybille said: "Peng is a really good player, it was a really tough match. At times, my serve was really good and I was fighting. I played much better than in the earlier rounds." Reuters story *#51 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG d #48 s5 Sania Mirza IND 6-4, 7-5 Gisela serving, Sania launching a high backhand, Gisela following a flying forehand, and after winning a point     Gisela said: "I knew it was going to be tough -- every game was close. I was very focused and I had to be there all the time, 100 percent, because she hits the ball so hard."

Pattaya, Final Sun 3pm loser's prize: $12,775 US (2006: $13,825); points: 80 winner's prize: $23,700 US (2006: $25,650); points: 115 *#62 Sybille Bammer AUT d #51 s6 Gisela Dulko ARG 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 Sybille fielding a drop shot, Gisela driving a backhand, and Sybille after match point

Pattaya, Doubles Final Sun after singles losers' prize: $3,740 US (2006: $4,050) winners' prize: $6,960 US (2006: $7,530) cdr54 s2 Nicole Pratt & Mara Santangelo d cdr53 s1 Yung-Jan Chan & Chia-Jung Chuang 6-4, 7-6(4) Mara watching Nicole put away an overhead Pattaya, Qual Finals, Mon Feb 5 10am losers' prizes: q1: $175; q2: $310; q3: $580 US (2006: $630) *#895 Noppawan Lertcheewakarn THA d #97 Melinda Czink HUN 6-4, 6-2 #139 Tzipora Obziler ISR d #319 Nudnida Luangnum THA 7-6(0), 6-1 #150 Meng Yuan CHN d #175 Sophie Ferguson AUS 6-2, 6-4 #182 Andreja Klepac SLO d #254 Shengnan Sun CHN 6-3, 7-6(4) Pattaya, Withdrawals #29 Alona Bondarenko UKR #44 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP #47 Maria Elena Camerin ITA #63 Kaia Kanepi EST #67 Jill Craybas USA #74 Camille Pin FRA Paris wild card

    (Feb 1, 2007) # 4 Kim Clijsters has withdrawn from the Paris indoor tourney due to a hip strain. Kim, who is retiring later this year, is scheduled to play for the last time on her home soil in Belgium the following week.
    On her official website, Kim said: "I have been to the hospital yesterday for a check up and the analysis was that I am currently suffering from a strain injury. I've been advised to rest and am therefore forced to cancel my Paris tournament. I would otherwise jeopardize my participation in Antwerp and I certainly want to avoid that."

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