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.

Li Na wouldn't choose tennis if given a choice

"If I had an opportunity to choose what I wanted to do in childhood, I wouldn't go for tennis. It is a sport that I was always pushed to do, first by my parents, then provincial and national sports administrators. It is very important for us to have the right to choose. I really mean it."

~ Li Na

Er... okay... but you see many parents, schools and governments made choices for kids.

And would she be a pro tennis player today if it's weren't her parents or the government? I hope she knows what she's talking about and the impact of that statement.

But again I must applaud her outspokenness which resulted in a major overhaul of China's notoriously strict sports administration.

Along with Zheng Jie, Yan Zi and Peng Shuai, the girls were the first to be allowed to leave the state-supported system at the end of last year.

The quartet now have more control over their own careers and can keep a larger proportion of prize money.

(Via The Press Association)

Zheng Jie reaches last 16, Peng Shuai ousted from Aussie Open

Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie beat Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-2 to continue her best-ever Australian Open.

The 22nd seed only 69 minutes to send Bondarenko packing in the third round encounter.

"I feel I play good for today, because before the match I do much homework to study my opponent. I know how to play this match," said Zheng, who never reached second round or beyond in previous Australian Open.

"It's a little surprised that I can win the match so easily, because I know she plays aggressive tennis. So at the beginning I go to the court and play more aggressive than her."

Earlier, China's Peng Shuai was dumped out of the event, losing to Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4.

"I think it's really good experience for me. It's my first time to play her," said Peng.

"The first set, I was a bit nervous, and then a little bit too tight. But after the start of the second set, I feel much better."

"I was up and I get little bit chances, but didn't take that. I learn from her and just keep going."

Serena will face rising teen star Victoria Azarenka, who ended Amelie Mauresmo's AO campaign 6-4, 6-2.

"It was definitely a lot better than my second round. But, you know, I'm still trying to work on some things and hoping they'll come together," Serena said.

"I'm feeling a little rusty, for whatever reason. I'm hoping my next round I'll be a little better."

She added that her sister's shock upset in the second round had given her extra motivation to win here.

"It obviously increases my motivation and my desire to win and hopefully do better."

Elena Dementieva, whom I predicted going to have a great run in AO together with Serena, defeated Aussie Samantha Stosur 7-6, 6-4.

The fourth round of AO will continue today.

(Via xinhuanet, Images via Yahoo! Sports, sports.sina.com.cn)

Ai Sugiyama, Rendy Lu Yen-Hsun bow out at Aussie Open

Now, China's Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai are Asia's last hopes after Ai Sugiyama and Rendy Lu Yen-Hsun failed to convert their 3rd round matches into victory.

Veteran Sugiyama, playing in her 60th Grand Slam (!) put up a brave fight on centre court against Jelena Jankovic before losing 4-6, 4-6.

Sugiyama said the heat affected her, but doesn't know why as she usually handles it well.

Asked if she was happy with her performance, she said: "Yes and no."

"My expectation was a little bit higher. I don't know why but I couldn't breathe properly today, somehow it was very shallow and I had cramping towards the end."

"It's strange because normally I'm good at playing in the heat. I usually like it but today I wasn't feeling great."

Sugiyama called a medical time-out in the second set, telling officials she was having trouble breathing as trainers placed bags of ice on her legs.

She said she would consult a doctor but believes it was only minor dehydration.

On the men's singles, Rendy who had his biggest win against David Nalbandian on Wednesday, was brought crashing back to earth by Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.

Rendy missed the chance to play against Andy Roddick in the fourth round.

Asian hopes now rest with Zheng and Peng.

They play their third round matches today with Zheng Jie having the easier task up against Kateryna Bondarenko.

Peng Shuai will face world no. 2 Serena Williams in a match that I hope will be an upset.


(Via AFP; Images by Franck Robichon/Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinese stars Zheng Jie & Peng Shuai shine at Australian Open

Chinese tennis stars Zheng Jie and Peng Shuai shine for Asia on the second day of the Australian Open, but regional hopes were dented as Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn bowed out.

Perhaps Zheng is Asia’s best hopes after her fellow countryman Li Na bowed out of the tournament due to injury.

“It was tough out there, hot and windy, so it wasn’t comfortable but it was a good win,” Zheng said after defeated Camille Pin 6-3, 6-3.

Along with Peng, she joins Japan’s Ai Sugiyama, India’s Sania Mirza and Taiwan’s Rendy Lu Yen-Hsun in the next round.

Also through is Chan Yung-jan, who won an all-Taiwanese battle against Hsieh Su-Wei 6-3, 6-3.

Japan’s Ayumi Morita was a first-round casualty, losing to Germany’s Tatjana Malek 7-6 (4), 6-2 as she joined Nishikori and Tamarine on an early departure.

Peng battled past Italian Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (4), 6-1 but fellow Chinese Meng Yuan failed to repeat her success last year against Serena Williams who revenged with the score 6-3, 6-2.

There were high expectations for Nishikori but he was unable to overcome Austria’s Jurgen Melzer which resulted him to lost 5-7, 2-6, 1-6.

There were also similar hopes for the experienced Tamarine after her successful at the Wimbledon last year where she reached the quarterfinal. But she lost focus against Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, losing in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

(Via jakartaglobe.com; Images via sports.sina.com, nikkansports.com)

Peng Shuai hires world-renowned coach Tarik Benhabiles

Peng Shuai, one of China's top players in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles, is planning to take her game to the next level.

Recently she announced on New Year's Day a new partnership with world-renowned tennis coach Tarik Benhabiles.

The pair began training last month in Florida, and they will continue to work together full-time throughout 2009.

In 2008, Peng reached two singles finals and won two doubles titles on the Tour, eventually finishing the season ranked No.40.

The 22-year-old splitted with former coach Zhang Depei last year. Peng has been looking for committed cooperation with a new coach - and now she seems to have found it.

Benhabiles is a former professional tennis player, reached a career-high of no.22 on the ATP World Tour Rankings and represented France in Davis Cup. He captured the Roland Garros junior singles title in 1981 and the French National Championships in 1986.

He ended his playing career in 1992 and started to coach a young Andy Roddick, taking the American superstar into the Top 10 in 2003. Besides a strong relationship with Roddick, Benhabiles has worked with other top players, including Benjamin Becker, Ivo Karlovic and Gael Monfils.

Benhabiles is also the founder of the Tarik Benhabiles Tennis Academy, an elite tennis school in Florida that helps create and train future tennis stars.

"Peng Shuai is a disciplined player with many weapons and superior internal strengths," Benhabiles said.

"She is a girl of destiny and I expect her to be in the top group of the rankings by year's end."

(Via sonyericssonwtatour.com)

Vera Zvonareva defeats Peng Shuai to win in Guangzhou

Vera Zvonareva (R) of Russia poses with Peng Shuai of China while holding their respective trophies after the final of the Guangzhou Open women's tennis tournament in Guangzhou, southern China's Guangdong province.

World no.9 Vera Zvonareva won her seventh WTA Tour singles title Sunday, beating China’s Peng Shuai 6-7 (4), 6-0, 6-2 in the Guangzhou International final.

The 24-year-old Russian won her second title of the year after winning the Prague Open in May. The top-seeded Zvonareva recently won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics.

"I wasn't going for my shots enough in the first set; I think I was playing a bit too passively," Zvonareva said.

"She's a very good player and fights well, and she took advantage. But I had more experience behind my back and was able to turn the match around by going for my shots again. We had a tough match in our first time playing each other - if she keeps playing like this, she has a great future."

The Chinese contingent was very strong in Guangzhou, with nine - almost a third - of the 32 competitors in the main draw representing the home nation.

Peng made it the furthest and continued to show improved consistency in her week-to-week results, reaching her second Tour final in as many months, having finished runner-up at Forest Hills in August (to Lucie Safarova).

"I was really happy I could get to the final," Peng said.

"There were a lot of fans here, and whenever I was in a tough match they helped me fight through it. Every year this tournament gets better and I hope to be back here next year."

"She had a lot of expectation when she was younger," Zvonareva said of Peng.

"She is improving every year and this year she's playing very well. Chinese tennis is strong right now. People don't want to play in Russia because there are so many Russian players, but now people don't want to come to China either! And I think there are going to be even more young players coming up."

It was a Top 2 showdown in the doubles final, which followed the singles final, with No.1 seeds Sun Tiantian and Yan Zi taking on No.2 seeds Mariya Koryttseva and Tatiana Poutchek.

And it was Koryttseva and Poutchek that prevailed, taking the title by a match tie-break victory, 63 46 108. It was their first Tour doubles title as a team; they now each hold four Tour doubles titles individually.

(Image by AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai Win Doubles in Bali

Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei and Peng Shuai of China came back from the brink of defeat to capture the Tier III Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic doubles title over unseeded Marta Domachowska and Nadia Petrova.

Although both have previously won two Tour doubles titles with other partners, the win is their first as a combination.

In the nail-biting final the pair even held three match points on Petrova's serve at 5-4 in the second set, only to see Hsieh and Peng draw level, seize the ensuing tie-break and then the decider for a 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 10-7 victory.

"It was a great match today," Peng said.

"It was really exciting for us and the crowd too, I think. I'm really happy to win with my partner. We have been good friends for eight years now and she's always been helping me and giving me advice, so to share this with her, it really doesn't get any better than this."

(News via Sony Ericsson WTA website, Image via ESPN)