On Sunday at Sofia, Bulgaria, in the final of the 2013 WTA
Tournament of Champions,
the 2013 champion at Moscow, New Haven, Budapest, 's-Hertogenbosh & Nuremberg, 22 year old top seeded #14 (career high: #14)
Simona Halep from Constanta, Romania,
defeated
the 2013 champ at Osaka and Carlsbad, 29 year old 4th seeded #19 (career high: #4)
Samantha Stosur from Gold Coast, Australia,
2-6, 6-2, 6-2 (photo shown).
Simona's prize is $270,000; Samantha's prize is $135,000.
Oncourt after the match,
Simona said: "It has been a great tournament for me. And well done to you Sam, you played well all week... I want to thank everyone who came to support me this week, they helped me a lot. I also want to thank my team, my friends and my family, and of course Ilie Nastase who came to support me."
WTA story
Samantha said: "Congrats to Simona on playing a great final. She's a very good player - she got me a couple weeks ago in Moscow, and again it was very hard today - but I'm happy with the week I had."
Simona and Samantha are now tied at 3-3 in
career matches, but Simona has won their last three encounters. Their previous meeting was two weeks ago on an indoor hardcourt in the final at Moscow, when Simona defeated Samantha 7-6(1), 6-2.
Simona is now 6-3 in WTA singles finals; she won all six finals she played in this year. Simona had a 53-17 singles match record in 2013.
2011
US Open champ
Samantha is now 5-14 in WTA singles finals; she won her fifth three weeks ago at Osaka. Samantha had a 42-23 singles match record this year.
|
| |
2013 WTA Tournament of Champions
Round Robin Standings:
name in bold = clinched place in semifinals
|
| Serdika Group | matches
W-L | sets
W-L |
| #14 s1 Simona Halep | 3-0 | 6-0 |
| #26 s5 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova | 2-1 | 4-2 |
| #27 s7 Alize Cornet | 1-2 | 2-4 |
| #40 alt Elina Svitolina for Kirilenko | 0-2 | 0-4 |
| #18 s3 Maria Kirilenko retired—knee injury | 0-1 | 0-2 |
|
| Sredets Group | matches
W-L | sets
W-L |
| #19 s4 Samantha Stosur | 2-1 | 5-2 |
| #16 s2 Ana Ivanovic | 2-1 | 5-3 |
| #25 s5 Elena Vesnina | 2-1 | 4-4 |
| #119 s8 Tsvetana Pironkova | 0-3 | 1-6 |
|
| | 1st Alternate: #40 Elina Svitolina 2nd Alternate: #51 Yvonne Meusburger
|
|
The WTA Tournament of Champions System:
The six highest-ranked players who have won at least one International (NOT Premier ) class title during the current season (and who wish to attend) are selected for singles play in the WTA Tournament of Champions.
2 groups play in a round-robin format (12 matches), with two winners from each group becoming semifinalists who play off on Saturday. In the semis, the player who finishes first in each group will play the second place finisher from the other group.
If players win the same number of matches, the winner of their head-to-head match in the round robin is placed higher in the standings. 3-way ties will be resolved first by the percentage of sets won, then by the percentage of games won.
|
Tournament of Champions, Sofia, Bulgaria
| |
|
| |
tourney time: = GMT +2 hours
= US ET +7 hours
= US PT +10 hours
|
Bulgaria News
Sofia: At Sofia, the top 6 players who have won at least one International tourney during the year, and who did not play in singles at the WTA Championships, + 2 wild cards, will play.
|
|
|
Tournament of Champions venue address: Armeec Arena, Blvd Asen Yordanov A, Sofia, Bulgaria +359 2 / 871 8171
2013: On Sunday, October 27, in Sofia, Tsvetana Pironkova, Alize Cornet and Simona Halep were looking good at the player party...
|
|
Sofia Tournament of Champions round robin, Tue 5pm
#14 s1 Simona Halep ROU d #26 s5 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS 6-3, 6-3
Simona ready to lightly tap a forehand
About her next match, against Alize Cornet, Simona said: "It will be a tough match because [Alize's] forehand is very agressive and I have to be agressive on court too. I have to be relaxed, to try my best and hope to win." tourney story
|
#16 s2 wc Ana Ivanovic SRB d #119 s8 wc Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-0, 6-2
Tsveti ready to swat a backhand, and Ana driving one
Ana said: "It's always tough playing a local girl... I really tried to focus on what I had to do and I did serve well. I was placing the ball really well around the court. And I was really happy with that. It's tough to play on a new court so I'm really happy to win the match." WTA story
Tsvetana said: "It definitely wasn't good for me. I didn't play my best tennis, and Ana was playing very well, with lots of strong, deep shots that made it hard for me to get into the points... I hope the next match will be better for me."
|
*#27 s7 Alize Cornet FRA d #18 s3 Maria Kirilenko RUS 5-0 retired—knee injury
Alize driving a forehand, and Maria launching one
Maria said: "During the match I made a wrong step and felt pain in my knee. I feel so much pain right now that I can't continue here. Before the match it was fine—it happened during the match." WTA story
Alize said: "[Maria] was injured, she was in pain, and she couldn't move normally on the court. I was playing great for five games, but she just couldn't play her best. I hope she recovers soon."
|
Sofia Tournament of Champions round robin, Wed 5pm
#14 s1 Simona Halep ROU d #27 s7 Alize Cornet FRA 6-4, 6-4
Alize about to connect with a backhand, and Simona driving one
The win assured Simona of a place in the TOC semifinals on Saturday. The other semifinalist from the "Serdika" group will be the winner of Thursday's match between Alizé and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Simona said: "I was a little tired tonight and didn't serve so well, but I stayed focused and I'm very happy to be through to the semifinals. My match tomorrow is still important, because if I lose, it will not be so easy to come back two days later and play such an important match as the semis. I want to keep my winning momentum." WTA story
|
#19 s4 Samantha Stosur AUS d #25 s5 Elena Vesnina RUS 6-3, 6-3
Samantha and Elena driving forehand and backhand
Samantha said: "The start was definitely quite close. We both had a few opportunities on each other's serve at the start, and then at 4-3 I think she [Elena] 40-15 up and made a couple of errors, and all of a sudden it was deuce and there was a little bit more pressure on her. I managed to return quite well from there and get that break, then served it out. I think that was the main difference in that first set.
"Second set, my level probably went a little bit down and hers a little bit up, and I found myself 3-0 down pretty quickly. But I regrouped and was able to play well again, and won those last six games." WTA story
|
n26 s5 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d n40 Elina Svitolina UKR 6-2, 6-4
Sofia Tournament of Champions round robin, Thu 5pm
#14 s1 Simona Halep ROU d #40 Elina Svitolina UKR 6-1, 6-1
#16 s2 wc Ana Ivanovic SRB d #19 s4 Samantha Stosur AUS 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
Samantha about to swat a forehand, and Ana following a backhand
Ana said: "I played a little bit of a loose game at the end of the second set and was rushing a little bit too much, but I managed to calm down and start fresh in the third set. I started the third set in the same manner as I started the match, so I was very happy about that today." WTA story
|
#25 s5 Elena Vesnina RUS d #119 s8 wc Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-2, 4-6, 6-0
Elena driving a forehand, and Tsvetana reaching for one
Sofia Tournament of Champions round robin, Fri 5pm
*#25 s5 Elena Vesnina RUS d #16 s2 wc Ana Ivanovic SRB 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(1)
Elena driving a forehand, and Ana following a backhand
Elena trailed 2-5 in the 3rd set.
Elena said: "It's always tough to play against Ana. I started well today, very cleanly. I used a lot of pace and moved her around, and pushed to her backhand side. I was really using my chances. But Ana is a top player; she started to change some things, like she started serving better, and I started to have some trouble on my serve. The match turned. And then in the third set she was leading 5-2.
"But I was just thinking it wasn't over, that every game was really close and both of us had chances, so if I just kept fighting for every single point I had a chance. It was just a question of fighting spirit. I got a bit lucky in the beginning of the tie-breaker and then I just took my opportunity." WTA story
Although she lost the match, by winning a set Ana was assured of a place in Saturday's TOC semifinals.
Ana said: "I played really well in my first two matches but today was not my day. It was a very tough match, especially in the third set, but [Elena] played really well and I just have to look forward. The most important thing for me right now is just to rest and recover for tomorrow."
|
#19 s4 Samantha Stosur AUS d #119 s8 wc Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-1, 6-4
Tsvetana launching a forehand, and Samantha driving one
The win put Samantha into the Sofia semis. If she had lost, Elena Vesnina would have advanced instead.
Samantha said: "I definitely got a lot tighter as the match went on. I got off to a great start, then a tough service game trying to serve out the set. Thankfully I got through that, then it was a matter of holding serve from there. I got the break in the second set and managed to close it out, so I'm happy." WTA story
|
#26 s5 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d #27 s7 Alize Cornet FRA 6-2, 6-2
alternates prizes: $7,500 - RR no wins prizes: $35,000 US; points: 75 - RR 1 win 2 losses prizes: $50,000 US; points: 110
RR 2 wins 1 loss prizes: $65,000 US; points: 155 - RR 3 wins prizes: $80,000 US; points: 180
|
Sofia, SFs, Sat
loser's prize: RR prize + $10,000 US
#14 s1 Simona Halep ROU d #16 s2 wc Ana Ivanovic SRB 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
Ana driving a forehand, and Simona about to swat a backhand
Simona said: "I played really well when [Ana] had break points to make it 4-1, and I'm really happy with the way I came back in the end. I'm a little bit injured in my leg but I'm very happy I was able to win today. Now I'm going to rest and recover and I hope to just come back and enjoy the final tomorrow." WTA story
Ana said: "I really felt I was playing well, but I felt the match was a bit up and down. In the third set I created a lot of opportunities for myself, but my level dropped a little bit there and it was very hard to come back. I still felt I had a chance near the end, but [Simona] served very well in the last game."
|
#19 s4 Samantha Stosur AUS d #26 s5 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
Samantha about to swat a backhand, and Anastasia driving one
|
Sofia, Final, Sun 5:20pm
loser's prize: RR prize + $65,000 US; points: RR points + 75
winner's prize: RR prize + $190,000 US; points: RR points + 195
#14 s1 Simona Halep ROU d #19 s4 Samantha Stosur AUS 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
Samantha and Simaon driving forehand and backhand, and Simona after match point
|
See also: QuickShop: Sporting Goods - Current WTA Results & Tennis News (tennis home page) - 2013 WTA Schedule with links & photos
WTA PhotoRankings: the current top 20 Women's Tennis rankings with player photos, links, and bio info.
