Tennis: Ivanovic ousted from Sydney event
Safarova ousted Serbian Ana Ivanovic.
SYDNEY:
Lucie Safarova, the last direct entrant into the $637,000 Sydney International tennis tournament, ousted Serbian Ana Ivanovic in straight sets in a first-round matchup yesterday. Thanks to a number 25 world ranking, Safarova, a member of the triumphant Czech Fed Cup team in 2011, barely got into this final tuneup for the Australian Open. She earned a 7-6, 6-2 victory over Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion. Wildcard Jelena Dokic stormed to victory over fellow Australian Isabella Holland, 6-0, 6-0, while Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova was leading Peng Shuai of China 6-2, 4-6, 4-3 when their match was suspended due to rain. It will be completed today. French Open champion Li Na won the event in 2011.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2012.
Lucie Safarova, the last direct entrant into the $637,000 Sydney International tennis tournament, ousted Serbian Ana Ivanovic in straight sets in a first-round matchup yesterday. Thanks to a number 25 world ranking, Safarova, a member of the triumphant Czech Fed Cup team in 2011, barely got into this final tuneup for the Australian Open. She earned a 7-6, 6-2 victory over Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion. Wildcard Jelena Dokic stormed to victory over fellow Australian Isabella Holland, 6-0, 6-0, while Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova was leading Peng Shuai of China 6-2, 4-6, 4-3 when their match was suspended due to rain. It will be completed today. French Open champion Li Na won the event in 2011.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2012.