Singapore Women’s Tennis Exhibition 2011: Stosur, Radwanska, Pennetta, Hantuchova among to play this December

Singapore Women’s Tennis Exhibition (SWTE) is set to bring 6 WTA tennis players for an exciting 3-day knock-out tournament, on 16th to 18th December 2011.



They are US Open Women’s Single Champion Samantha Stosur, world no. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska, Italian favourite Flavia Pennetta, hottie Daniela Hantuchova, Spanish player Anabel Medina Garrigues and Asia’s Peng Shuai.

The tickets are available for purchase from SISTIC.

The last time Singapore organised a women's tennis exhibition was back in 2007 that featured Maria Sharapova and Anna Chakvetadze.

Australian Open 2010 Players Party

We love players' party!

There were two events reported last weekend, the Crown's Players Party and another one at the Long Room.

The Crown's has more star players appearance - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Anastasia Pivovarova and Jelena Jankovic (photos in sequence).

Meanwhile, players who attended the Long Room party were Agnieszka Radwanska, Nikolay Davydenko and wifey Irina, Tommy Robredo, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Jarkko Nieminen, and Samuel and Jarmila Groth.

(Images via zimbio.com, Australian Open website)

Istanbul Cup: Partying in Turkey can be fun, even without booze

You've read about Vera Zvonareva attended the Istanbul Cup’s official opening ceremony that took place at the Archeology Museum.

Among the tennis players appear in this tournament are Anabel Medina Garrigues, Vera Dushevina, Aravane Rezai, Patty Schnyder, Timea Bacsinszky, as well as Turkish girls Ipek Senoglu, Cagla Buyukakcay.

The girls attended the ceremony which lasted three hours and ended with a concert by Eurovision singer Hadise.

And of course the girls know what they are supposed to do there - dance and have fun!


(Images via Istanbul Cup official website)

Leander Paes, Lukas Dlouhy win French Open men's doubles

Leander Paes celebrated his ninth Grand Slam doubles! Seems like this guy never slow down!

Paes teamed with Lukas Dlouhy to capture the French Open title with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Wesley Moodie and Dick Norman.

It was 35-year-old Paes's fifth men's doubles Grand Slam. He has also won four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, including the 2003 Wimbledon and Australian Open trophies with Martina Navratilova.

Navratilova was spotted at the stand sitting next to Bill Gates.

"Martina has been a soulmate for many years. We've been through a lot in life, especially me in the last eight years. She's been along with me, supporting me, guiding me at times," said Paes.

"When I was diagnosed with cancer and I couldn't play, she basically stayed away from the game and didn't play mixed doubles until I came back."

"Whenever I look at a person like Navratilova, she gives me a lot of inspiration. It was strange that just at the end of the second set when we were getting a bit nervous and a bit edgy, she came out there and was just making eye contact."

"Lukas served three doubles faults early in the third set. I told him at one point, Martina is out there. Come on. Have a look at her. She's inspiring us."

Paes and Dlouhy first teamed up at Roland Garros last year, losing in the last 16 to eventual champions Pablo Cuevas and Luis Horna.

They then finished runners-up to Mike and Bob Bryan in the 2008 US Open final.

"We started playing together at Roland Garros last year. We lost then to the champions so we made it a point that we would come back and try and win it this year," added Paes.

Judging from the way they celebrated their win by hugging and hoisting each other into the air, they'll probably stick around for more Grand Slam moments like this.

In the women's doubles, Spaniards Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual won their second consecutive French Open women's doubles title by beating Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-1 on Friday.


(Via AP; Images by Patrick Kovarik/Matthew Stockman/AFP/Getty Images)

Jelena Jankovic downs Svetlana Kuznetsova to clinch China Open title; Medina Garrigues & Caroline Wozniacki take women's dubs

World no. 2 Jelena Jankovic won her second tour title of the year after thrashing fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-3 6-2 at the China Open today.

The 23-year-old Serb looked confident in the final of the $600,000 Beijing tournament, getting revenge for her quarter-final defeat by the Russian world number seven at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last week.

Jankovic’s victory avenged two losses this season to Kuznetsova, one just a week ago in Tokyo.

“When I came on court I really was motivated and came out with a game plan, especially after playing her last week,” said Jankovic, a former top-ranked player.

Though she could replace Williams as No. 1 after next week’s tournament in Stuttgart, Jankovic would prefer to be in that spot when the season ends. She also has winning her first grand slam in mind.

“I will work very hard in the offseason, trying to get stronger and fitter and trying to bring my tennis game to the next level,” Jankovic said.

“Hopefully I can win a grand slam next year.”

In the women's doubles final, Anabel Medina Garrigues and Caroline Wozniacki defeated China's Han Xinyun and Xu Yi-Fan in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.

(Via AFP; Image by PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia dominates and wins Fed Cup final against Spain

Russia won its fourth Fed Cup in five years Sunday, defeating Spain when Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the title.

The victory gave Russia an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the top team event in women’s tennis.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Kuznetsova said. “Even though I wasn’t playing my best game, it’s so important for me to win this point for the team.”

The Russians made it 4-0 when Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova downed Nuria Llagostera Vives and Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-1 in doubles.

Kuznetsova used powerful ground strokes to race ahead 4-0 in the first set. Medina Garrigues regrouped to lead 6-5 and served out the set on a clear sunny day at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid’s clay court.

The players traded breaks to reach 3-3 in the second set before Kuznetsova won three straight games to even the match. She then got a late break in the third to secure the victory.

“She’s a player who puts great weight on her deliveries,” Medina Garrigues said. “I gave it my all.”

Kuznetsova was confident her stamina would carry her against an opponent who refused to wilt.

“I gave her a chance to get back,” she said. “I started to play a little bit of baseline tennis against her game. I felt so much more energy. knew my fitness was better.”

On Saturday, Vera Zvonareva beat Medina Garrigues, and Kuznetsova defeated Carla Suarez Navarro.

(Via Yahoo! Sports)