Radwanska cruises to Sydney triumph

Updated January 11, 2013 22:26:54

Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska claimed back-to-back WTA titles in spectacular style with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Dominika Cibulkova to win the Sydney International.

A week after winning the Auckland tournament, Radwanska lived up to her billing as top seed in Sydney as she claimed her 11th career WTA crown.

Cibulkova had proved somewhat of a giant-killer in a surprise run to the final, but she was no match for Radwanska in a ruthless display by the world number four on Ken Rosewall Arena.

"I'm just extremely happy that I could play my best tennis ... and not even dropping a set so definitely another great week for me and happy I could play on a really high level." Radwanska said.

While the first set was more competitive than the score suggested, Radwanska constantly frustrated the 15th-ranked Cibulkova, countering the Slovakian's power with patience and precision.

The second set seemingly could not end soon enough for Cibulkova, with Radwanska wrapping up the match in just under an hour.

Chasing a first major singles title after reaching the Wimbledon final last year, Radwanska now heads into the Australian Open with a perfect preparation.

In winning two titles and nine matches from nine attempts, she did not drop a set along the way, raising hope she can mix it with the likes of Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams in Melbourne.

Radwanska, the fourth seed in Melbourne, faces Australian qualifier Bojana Bobusic in the opening round.

Despite a horror performance in the final, Cibulkova will arrive at the Open after a run of encouraging results.

She ousted 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and German second seed Angelique Kerber en route to the final in Sydney.

AAP/ABC

Tags: tennis, sport, sydney-2000

First posted January 11, 2013 20:48:29

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Radwanska triumphs in Auckland

Updated January 05, 2013 14:19:22

Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska claimed the Auckland WTA title with a straight-sets victory over Yanina Wickmayer.

Radwanska triumphed over the third-seeded Belgian 6-4, 6-4.

It is Radwanska's 11th WTA title and the victory will serve as the ideal preparation for her Sydney International campaign beginning next week.

Tags: tennis, sport, new-zealand

First posted January 05, 2013 14:16:39

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Radwanska wins Miami title

Updated April 01, 2012 06:36:58

Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska used her wits to defeat world number two Maria Sharapova 7-5, 6-4 to win the women's final at the Miami WTA/ATP event.

Sharapova has now lost all four finals she has featured in at the Miami tournament and all three she has played in this year.

Radwanska's victory was her second of the year following a triumph in Dubai and her ninth WTA title, arguably her most valuable one.

"I'm just very, very happy that I have been able to play my best tennis since the beginning of the year. Let's hope that I can continue," Radwanska said.

"I will never be able to serve like Maria but I try different things and mix it up."

The Pole, ranked fourth in the world, won the tournament without losing a set and she showed exactly why with a classy display that left Sharapova scurrying around the court at times.

There was characteristically little emotion from Radwanska, beyond a timid half-raising of her arms, when Sharapova went long on the final point to hand her victory.

But that was typical of the businesslike and strategic way Radwanska went about beating Sharapova.

In the first set, Radwanska, in control of her service game despite lacking a powerful first serve, survived break point in the fifth game but that was a rare opening for her opponent.

The set was heading to a tie-break when Sharapova, down 6-5, suddenly lost her previously solid service game.

Sharapova produced two loose shots and then a volley into the net to leave her trailing 0-40 in the game and although Radwanska wobbled with two tame returns into the net, Sharapova failed to clear the net herself to hand her opponent the set.

It was a similar story in the second set, with both players solid on serve, but Radwanska coming out on top when it mattered at the conclusion of the set.

Radwanska fought back from 0-30 down to go 6-5 up and force Sharapova to hold serve to stay in the match.

Sharapova looked agitated and was let down by some reckless strokes, twice going long on returns, as Radwanska lured her into defeat.

Reuters

Tags: tennis, sport, united-states

First posted April 01, 2012 06:03:19

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Radwanska claims Dubai crown

Updated February 26, 2012 08:18:46

Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska signalled herself as a growing threat on Saturday when she clinched her eighth career title courtesy of a 7-5, 6-4 win over Germany's Julia Goerges in the final of the Dubai Open.

The 22-year-old's win underlined her as one of the game's cleverest players, her subtle changes of pace and direction luring her more powerful opponent into self-destruction.

Goerges nevertheless did well enough, during a week in which she also beat former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, to suggest that her flat-hitting, net-attacking game may play a more prominent role in future.

"I had to play my best to beat her," said Radwanska, who has lost only to world number one Victoria Azarenka this year. "She hits so well it is hard to see the ball.

"But I try to be calm, because, if you're not, everything gets worse. I'm happy to have been playing great tennis at the start of this year. I just hope I can play this tennis the rest of the year."

There were two moments when the match might have taken a different course.

One came towards the end of the first set when a Goerges break-back threatened to develop into dangerous momentum, and the other happened when a Hawkeye decision went against her, preventing her reaching break point at the start of the second set.

After Goerges recovered from a bad start and went from 2-4 to 5-4 she would also have reached 6-5, motoring well, had she converted any of her four game points in the 12th game.

But Radwanska skilfully denied her all four of them, and at break point down Goerges reached a decent position at the net, only to volley wide.

Goerges also began the second set encouragingly and thought she had earned a chance to reach 2-0 when at deuce a line judge called Radwanska's inside-out drive wide.

But the Pole demanded a video replay which showed the ball catching the outside of the line as it slithered into the tramlines.

Perhaps the disappointment affected the unseeded player, for Goerges dropped serve in the next game and was never quite able to repair the damage.

Radwanska held serve all through the second set, weaving attractive ground stroke patterns behind mostly well-placed deliveries, and sturdily surviving a break back point at 30-40 in the final game.

The closeness of that finish suggested Goerges is capable of improving on the career-best ranking of 16 which she will achieve next week, and perhaps of pushing into the top ten.

One of her improvements is in her mind.

"When something didn't go in the direction I wanted to, it really used to affect me mentally," Goerges admitted. "Now I try to get out of it and take the challenge."

The week also saw Radwanska score her 300th win on tour, beat Jelena Jankovic, the former world number one from Serbia in the semi-finals, and earn her biggest pay packet, $417,686.

AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, united-arab-emirates

First posted February 26, 2012 08:15:40

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Radwanska 'angry' with Azarenka

Updated February 24, 2012 07:19:46

World number six Agnieszka Radwanska has launched a verbal attack on Victoria Azarenka, the world's leading female player, after reaching the semi-finals of the Dubai Open.

The 22-year-old Pole said she was "angry" and had lost respect for the superbly in-form Belarussian, alleging that Azarenka's behaviour in Doha last week had not been good for the image of the game.

Radwanska appeared to be referring to Azarenka's hobbling and wincing between rallies during parts of their semi-final match, whilst still moving well enough during the rallies to secure a solid straight sets win.

It follows Radwanska's criticisms of grunting in the women's game last month after losing to Azarenka in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

Radwanska's latest comments came when she was asked in a news conference in Dubai on Thursday whether she had been annoyed at the end of last week's loss in Doha.

She replied: "Well, to be honest, I don't think this is worth a comment. But I think after this match ... just lost a lot of respect. That's it.

"If you do this in the match, if anyone didn't see the match, I think it's just a quick look on YouTube and you'll know what was going on," she continued.

The questioner responded by saying that he had not been seeking for Radwanska to criticise another player, but she continued anyway.

"Yeah, I was angry because I don't think this is the great image for the women's tennis, what was going on there," she added. "So, yeah, unfortunately."

YouTube clips show Radwanska offering a peremptory handshake to Azarenka with no eye contact at the end of the match, and include a TV commentator saying that Azarenka's behaviour had affected her opponent's focus.

However Azarenka contention that her ankle had been painful was lent weight by her decision on Wednesday to withdraw from the Dubai Open to allow more time for it to heal.

Radwanska's critical remarks in Australia came after a three-set loss to Azarenka, whose hooting and shrieking while striking the ball has been attracting criticism for some time.

Though Radwanska suggested she had got used to this, she nevertheless used post-match interviews after her loss to Azarenka to criticise Maria Sharapova's shriek. She described this as "pretty annoying" and "just too loud".

"Of course everybody can make some noise. This is tennis," Radwanska said.

"But I think it's just too loud. I don't think it's very necessary to scream that loud. So if they (the WTA) want to do something, why not?"

During some of Azarenka's matches in Melbourne, spectators mimicked her noise, and the host broadcaster, Channel 7, produced a "Whoo! meter" to measure it.

Although Radwanska is at career-high ranking, she is more than 2,000 points behind Sharapova, who is number two in the world, and more than 3,700 behind Azarenka at number one.

However Radwanska can climb one place to number five, above US Open champion Sam Stosur, if she wins the Dubai Open title this week. On Friday she plays Jelena Jankovic, the former world number one from Serbia in the semi-finals.

AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, united-arab-emirates

First posted February 24, 2012 07:16:17

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Women players must quieten down: Radwanska

Updated January 24, 2012 22:19:51

Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska on Tuesday backed a push to tone down undignified screaming by women's players - and said the high-decibel grunts made the game unappealing to watch.

Speaking after her Australian Open quarter-final loss to notorious screamer Victoria Azarenka, Radwanska agreed the WTA needed to limit noisy play.

The issue of screaming reared its head at the Australian Open after large sections of the crowd mimicked Azarenka during her second-round match against Casey Dellacqua.

It surfaced again following Maria Sharapova's tense three-set win over Sabine Lisicki on Monday, when the Russian's screams became louder as tensions built in the match.

"Well, you know, I mean, of course everybody can make some noise. This is tennis, it's really hard work out there. But I think, you know, it's just too loud," Radwanska said.

"I don't think it's very necessary to scream that loud, so if they (WTA) want to do something, why not?

"I don't think this is very nice to watch, you know, those kind of players that scream so much all the time. So that's why I think the WTA wants to change something."

Radwanska has been friends with Azarenka since they met as juniors 10 years ago and she was reluctant to criticise the Belarusian. But she said Sharapova was simply too loud.

"To be honest, I'm kind of used to it, you know, especially with Vika (Azarenka). We know each other for many years," she said.

"About Maria, I mean, what can I say? For sure that is pretty annoying and it's just too loud."

The WTA has written to coaches and academies asking them to discourage screaming, in a bid to cut noise levels on court.

But Azarenka laughed off the controversy and said she had been loud since she was a child.

"It's the way I am, the way I play, the way I used to play when I was a kid," said the Belarusian.

"And if you want to a little bit more on insight, I think it's the way that made me breathe, made me move. It's part of my movement.

"As a child I was really weak, so I had to give that little extra power there. It kind of stuck with me."

AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 24, 2012 22:04:51

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