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Dinara Safina Wins at Madrid Open

Julie Bonner — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:45:30 +0000

No. 1 ranked Dinara Safina has won the final at the Madrid Open against rising Danish teen sensation Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4. She has definitely proven that she is a serious contender at the French Open, which gets underway in a week.

Since becoming number one over Serena Williams on April 14th, she has posted a 14-1 record and was very dominate at Madrid.

"I was getting a bit tired by the end," said Safina. "But I dominated at the crucial times. I was very dominant in the first set.

"In the second I had a chance at a double-break."

Dinara has now won 11 career titles and probably won’t be taking any more criticism over her number one ranking. At the time she received that coveted number one spot, she had not won a title in 2009. That’s all changed now. I can’t wait to see what happens at the French Open.

Image Credit: Newscom

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Dinara Safina Wins at Madrid Open

Roger Federer Wins Madrid Open Final

Julie Bonner — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:34:10 +0000

Roger Federer wanted and needed the win at the Madrid Open final and he got it. The Swiss has had a rough 2009, but did something I never predicted – he beat Rafael Nadal on clay 6-4, 6-4, Sunday (May 17)! Federer is the only top 10 player to defeat Nadal on this surface. I think those are some pretty good bragging rights.

What did Nadal think of this loss? Not much.

“To me, this tournament has nothing to do with Paris. This tournament is practically another surface compared to Paris,” said Nadal. “The conditions favored him more than me.”

What conditions is he referring to? The high altitude which carried with it some odd bounces and a faster pace. Nadal went on to say, “There are no positives, there is little to analyze. He broke and broke and I went home.”

If you’ll remember, Federer was in tears when he lost to Nadal at Melbourne. So, to say this is a sweet victory for Federer is an understatement.

“I thought I took all the right decisions today. In the end it was a perfect game for me,” said Federer. “(You) stay positive and I did. I got the win I needed badly.”

What’s up next for Nadal and Federer? The French Open and according to Federer, his Madrid Open win came at just the right time. Talk about some great preparation mentally for Roger Federer. Congrats to the Swiss player!

Source: Tennis.com

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Roger Federer Wins Madrid Open Final

Dinara Safina Reaches Madrid Open Quarters

Julie Bonner — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:11:25 +0000

Fresh off her win at the Italian Open, Dinara Safina survived a tough match on Thursday and has advanced to the Madrid Open quarterfinals. She defeated Lucie Safarova 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. Who’s up next for Safina? Alona Bondarenko who defeated Anna Chakvetadze 6-0, 2-6, 6-3 on Thursday.

Other’s who have made it to the quarterfinals include Jelena Jankovic, Patty Schnyder, Agnes Szavay, Amelie Mauresmo, Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Dushevina.

Dinara Safina, who is currently ranked number one, is seeking her first major title at the upcoming French Open

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Dinara Safina Reaches Madrid Open Quarters

Federer and Roddick in Madrid Quarters

Julie Bonner — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:46:38 +0000

Roger Federer and Andy Roddick will take on each other at the Masters Series Madrid quarters, Friday, May 15th. This is the 20th time in their careers that these two have faced each other, but they have never played each other on clay. Why? It’s most likely due to the fact that Roddick hasn’t been able to advance on the clay surface.

It’s obvious that Federer has the edge over Roddick, but Federer has definitely been struggling in the 2009 season. The Swiss player would really like to grab a hold of his first title of the year. Roddick does have his 2008 win over Federer at the Masters Series Miami to give him the confidence he needs on Friday. He knows he has what it takes to beat Federer and that is huge! What does Roddick have to do on Friday? He needs to serve well, really well.

Who do you think will take this one?

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Federer and Roddick in Madrid Quarters

Kleybanova Defeats Williams at Madrid Open

Julie Bonner — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:20:24 +0000

On Tuesday (May 12) No. 3 Serena Williams was defeated by Russian Alisa Kleybanova 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. The match took 2 hours and 12 minutes. Serena’s sister Venus was watching from the sideline after stopping her match on Monday due to a knee injury. This was not a good tournament for the Williams sisters.

Serena was really struggling through this match and Kleybanova lead early in the match.

“I felt like she won by just being aggressive from both sides (of the court),” Williams said. “Against me she had to go for everything and make everything. All her balls landed in today.”

What did Serena have to offer her fans? “See you next year” was all she could say.

In other women’s tennis news, Jelena Jankovic defeated Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-2.

Source: Miami Herald

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Kleybanova Defeats Williams at Madrid Open