Williams defends Charleston crown
World No.1 Serena Williams won her third Family Circle Cup title with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 defeat of Jelena Jankovic in Charleston.
2007 champion Jankovic had won the pair’s only previous meeting on clay and began in sparkling form. The Serb staved off five break points in game four and then broke Williams with a backhand winner to lead 3-2.
The former World No.1 broke Williams again in the ninth game to take the lead.
Williams fight back began when Jankovic double faulted on break point in the first game of the second set. The top seed roared away and levelled the match with a service winner on her fourth set point.
The 31 year-old American broke Jankovic with a backhand return winner to lead 2-1 in the decider. A second break gave Williams a 5-2 advantage and she struck a backhand winner a game later to secure her 49th career singles title a week after winning in Miami
Stat Attack - Williams
- Williams has won 10 of her career singles titles from a set down in the final
- Williams has won 71 of her last 75 matches since winning Charleston 12 months ago
Stat Attack – Jankovic
- With her quarter final victory Jankovic became the 34th woman to win 500 matches in the Open Era
Pavlyuchenkova resumes Monterrey reign
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won her third title at the Monterrey Open with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over top seed Angelique Kerber in Mexico.
German No.1 Kerber broke in the opening game en route to establishing a 6-4, 2-2 lead before 2010 and 2011 champion Pavlyuchenkova went on a nine game tear to take complete command of the final.
Kerber displayed her customary grit to battle back to 4-5 in the decider before Pavlyuchenkova blasted one final forehand to clinch the fourth WTA singles title of her career.
Stat Attack - Pavlyuchenkova
- The Russian has an undefeated 15-0 record in Monterrey dropping two sets each time she has lifted the title
- Pavlyuchenkova has won both career meetings with Kerber having also beaten the German in Brisbane in January
Stat Attack – Kerber
- In her 11th year as a pro Kerber was seeded No.1 at a WTA singles tournament for the first time
Semi-finalists decided in Davis Cup World Group
Giant killer Lukas Rosol led reigning champions Czech Republic into the semi-finals with a 3-1 away victory over Kazakhstan in Astana. Rafael Nadal’s 2012 Wimbledon conqueror saw off both Evgeny Korolev and Andrey Golubev in four sets.
Argentina saw off France 3-2 in Buenos Aires without World No.7 Juan Martin Del Potro. French No.1 Jo-Wilfred Tsonga claimed both points for the visitors but Carlos Berlocq sealed victory for Argentina with a four set victory over Gilles Simon.
2010 winners Serbia overcame the USA 3-1 in Boise. World No.1 Novak Djokovic dispatched both John Isner and Sam Querrey while Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac scored a marathon victory over the Bryan Brothers 15-13 in the fifth set.
Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil also claimed an epic doubles win 15-13 in the decider as the Canadians defeated 3-1 Italy in Vancouver. Canadian No.1 Milos Raonic won both his singles rubbers as the hosts reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1913.
September’s semi-finals will see the Czechs take on Argentina while Serbia will clash with Canada.