Dubai Tennis Open 2012: Radwanska beats Goerges, wins Dubai 2012 Title

World #6 Agnieszka Radwanska beat unseeded Julia Goerges 75 64 in the final of the DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012 in Dubai to win her 8th WTA title and rise to a career high #5 ranking in the world. The title is Radwanska's first of the season and fourth in the last 12 months. The victory is the Polish #1's second win against Goerges in two months. The two players met each other in the fourth round of the Australian Open last month and Radwanska also triumphed in straight sets. The win is worth $446,778 for Radwanska while Goerges will take home the runner-up prize of $242,815. In the doubles tournament, the top seeded American pair of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond defeated second seeds Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina for the crown.

02/24 UPDATE: Caroline Wozniacki's slide continues as she lost to unseeded Julia Goerges of Germany in straight sets at the 2012 DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS. Wozniacki who is currently ranked #4 was the top player at the start of the year but hasn't reached a tournament final in a long time. Goerges also beat Wozniacki to win her first Premier-level title last year. In the Dubai final, Goerges will be clashing with Agnieszka Radwanska who beat former #1 player Jelena Jankovic in the other semifinal 62 26 60. Radwanska has been in fine form this year winning 14 matches and losing only to world #1 Victoria Azarenka in her last three tournaments. Radwanska defeated Goerges 61 61 in their only previous meeting at the Australian Open 2012 fourth round last month.

Dubai Tennis Open Results: Friday, February 24, 2012

Singles - Semifinals
Julia Goerges (GER) d. (3) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 76(3) 75
(5) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. (8) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 62 26 60

Doubles - Semifinals
(1) Huber/Raymond (USA/USA) d. (4) Llagostera Vives/Rodionova (ESP/AUS) 63 62
(2) Mirza/Vesnina (IND/RUS) d. Hsieh/Peng (TPE/CHN) 62 67(5) 1311

02/23 UPDATE: #3 seed and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the semifinals of the DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012 with a straight set victory over former world #1 Ana Ivanovic 63 75. She will be facing Julia Goerges who eliminated Daniela Hantuchova in three sets. #8 seed and former world #1 Jelena Jankovic caused a minor upset by beating US Open champion and #4 seed Samantha Stosur in straight sets. Jankovic will be facing #5 seed Agnieszka Radwanska for a spot in the finals. Radwanska overwhelmed German Sabine Lisicki 62 61.

Dubai Tennis Open Results: Thursday, February 23, 2012

Singles - Quarterfinals
(3) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 63 75
(8) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. (4) Samantha Stosur (AUS) 64 62
(5) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. (9) Sabine Lisicki (GER) 62 61
Julia Goerges (GER) d. Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 46 63 64

Doubles - Quarterfinals
(2) Mirza/Vesnina (IND/RUS) d. Martínez Sánchez/Peer (ESP/ISR) 61 46 108
(4) Llagostera Vives/Rodionova (ESP/AUS) d. Kops-Jones/Spears (USA/USA) 63 26 1210
Hsieh/Peng (TPE/CHN) d. Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova (CZE/CZE) 63 26 105

Dubai Tennis Open Schedule: Friday, February 24, 2012

Centre Court (from 14.00hrs)
1. Huber/Raymond vs. Llagostera Vives/Rodionova
2. Jelena Jankovic vs. Agnieszka Radwanska (NB 17.00hrs)
3. Julia Goerges vs. Caroline Wozniacki (NB 19.00hrs)
4. Hsieh/Peng vs. Mirza/Vesnina


02/22 UPDATE: World #1 Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2012 with a left ankle injury. She was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Casey Dellacqua who lost to Julia Goerges in their second round match. The withdrawal of Azarenka means that the top two seeds in Dubai have withdrawn due to injury. The highest remaining seeds are #3 Caroline Wozniacki and #4 Sam Stosur. Both won second round matches on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals. Wozniacki beat Simona Halep in straight sets 62 63 to advance against former #1 Ana Ivanovic. Stosur beat Lucie Safarova 61 67(5) 61 to book a quarterfinal match with another former #1 Jelena Jankovic. All four quarterfinals matches will be played on Thursday to determine the four remaining semifinalists.

Dubai Tennis Open Results: Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Singles - Second Round
(3) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (Q) Simona Halep (ROU) 62 63
(4) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 61 67(5) 61
(5) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. (WC) Shahar Peer (ISR) 75 64
(8) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 64 62
(9) Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. (Q) Iveta Benesova (CZE) 63 63
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 62 76(4)
Julia Goerges (GER) d. (LL) Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 60 62
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Peng Shuai (CHN) 75 62

Doubles - Quarterfinals
(1) Huber/Raymond (USA/USA) d. Medina Garrigues/Rosolska (ESP/POL) 63 63

Doubles - First Round
Kops-Jones/Spears (USA/USA) d. (WC) Pennetta/Schiavone (ITA/ITA) 36 76(2) 106

Dubai Tennis Open Schedule: Thursday, February 23, 2012

Centre Court (from 14.00hrs)
1. Jelena Jankovic vs. Samantha Stosur
2. Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Sabine Lisicki
3. Caroline Wozniacki vs. Ana Ivanovic (NB 19.00hrs)
4. Julia Goerges vs. Daniela Hantuchova

02/21 UPDATE: Former world #1 Ana Ivanovic eliminated 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone at the start of Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2012. Ivanovic won in straight sets 61 75. She advances to the second round where she will face Maria Kirilenko. Fellow Serb and also former world #1 Jelena Jankovic also advanced with a 62 62 victory over Petra Cetkovska. She will face Flavia Pennetta in the next round. Meanwhile, #5 seed Agnieszka Radwanska advanced with a hard fought 61 67(6) 75 over qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak. Radwanska reached 300 career wins with the victory and will face wild card Shahar Peer in the next round. #6 seed Marion Bartoli lost in straight sets to Shuai Peng who advances to a second round match against Daniela Hantuchova.

Top seeded and world #1 Victoria Azarenka received a bye on the opening day and will face Julia Goerges for a place in the quarterfinals. #3 seed Wozniacki will play her first match against Simona Halep while #4 seed Samantha Stosur will go against Lucie Safarova for her first match. #9 seed Sabine Lisicki who replaced #2 seed Petra Kvitova will face Iveta Benesova for a spot in the quarterfinals. Azarenka and Wozniacki are the top seeds in the top half of the draw while Stosur and Lisicki are in the bottom half of the draw.

Dubai Tennis Open Results: Tuesday February 21, 2012

Singles - First Round
(5) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. (Q) Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 61 67(6) 75
Peng Shuai (CHN) d. (6) Marion Bartoli (FRA) 64 63
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. (7) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 61 75
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. (LL) Polona Hercog (SLO) 16 75 76(4)
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (Q) Petra Martic (CRO) 63 57 63
(Q) Iveta Benesova (CZE) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 31 ret. (right hamstring strain)
(Q) Simona Halep (ROU) d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 64 62

Doubles - First Round
(1) Huber/Raymond (USA/USA) d. Goerges/Zheng (GER/CHN) 36 64 105
(2) Mirza/Vesnina (IND/RUS) d. (WC) Al Nabhani/Klepac (OMA/SLO) 61 63
(4) Llagostera Vives/Rodionova (ESP/AUS) d. Grandin/Uhlirova (RSA/CZE) 16 61 106
Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova (CZE/CZE) d. Jans-Ignacik/Kudryavtseva (POL/RUS) 61 62
Medina Garrigues/Rosolska (ESP/POL) d. Kirilenko/Lisicki (RUS/GER) w/o (Kirilenko: acute neck injury)
Martínez Sánchez/Peer (ESP/ISR) d. (WC) Dellacqua/Stosur (AUS/AUS) 67(4) 61 105

Dubai Tennis Open: Tournament Information

World #1 Victoria Azarenka who has so far been unbeatable in three tournaments this year lead the main draw of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2012 which includes five of the top 7 players in the world. World #2 Petra Kvitova was seeded 2nd but withdrew due to illness. Other top players in the draw include former #1 Caroline Wozniacki, US Open champion Sam Stosur, former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, and former #1 players Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic. The winner of the Dubai Tennis Open earns #446,778 in prize money and 470 ranking points. The total prize money is $2,000,000.

DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dubai, UAE
February 20-25, 2012
$2,000,000/Premier
Hard/Outdoors

Round $Prize Money (Ranking Points)

Winner $446,778 (470)
Finalist $242,815 (320)
Semi-Finalist $130,148 (200)
Quarter-Finalist $32,461 (120)
2nd Round $17,872 (60)
1st Round $10,030 (1)


Dubai Tennis Open: List of Previous Winners

2001 Martina Hingis d. Nathalie Tauziat 6–4, 6–4
2002 Amélie Mauresmo d. Sandrine Testud 6–4, 7–6(3)
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne d. Monica Seles 4–6, 7–6(4), 7–5
2004 Justine Henin-Hardenne d. Svetlana Kuznetsova 7–6(3), 6–3
2005 Lindsay Davenport d. Jelena Janković 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne d. Maria Sharapova 7–5, 6–2
2007 Justine Henin d. Amélie Mauresmo 6–4, 7–5
2008 Elena Dementieva d. Svetlana Kuznetsova 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
2009 Venus Williams d. Virginie Razzano 6–4, 6–2
2010 Venus Williams d. Victoria Azarenka 6–3, 7–5
2011 Caroline Wozniacki d. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–1, 6–3