2014
Dates: January 13-26
Venue: Flinders Park, Melbourne, Australia
Surface: Hard/Plexicushion
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Singles (Draw=128)
1st Round
Serena Williams (US) [1] d. Ashleigh Barty [WC] 6-2 6-1
Vesna Dolonc (Ser) d. Lara Arruabarrena Vecino (Sp) 2-6 6-2 6-4
Karolina Pliskova (Cz) d. Pauline Parmentier (Frn) [WC] 6-0 6-1
Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) [31] d. Heather Watson (GB) [Q] 7-5 3-6 6-3
Samantha Stosur [17] d. Klara Zakopalova (Cz) 6-3 6-4
Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul) d. Silvia Soler Espinosa (Sp) 6-3 6-2
Annika Beck (Ger) d. Petra Martic (Cro) 6-0 6-0
Ana Ivanovic (Ser) [14] d. Kiki Bertens (Neth) 6-4 6-4
Jie Zheng (Chn)) d. Roberta Vinci (Ity) [12] 6-4 6-3
Madison Keys (US) d. Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (Ast) 6-2 6-7(8-10) 9-7
Casey Dellacqua [WC] d. Vera Zvonareva 6-2 6-2
Kirsten Flipkens (Bel) [18] d. Laura Robson (GB) 6-3 6-0
Eugenie Bouchard (Can) [30] d. Hao-chen Tang (Chn) [WC] 7-5 6-1
Virginie Razzano (Frn) d. Alison Van Uytvanck (Bel) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3)
Lauren Davis (US) d. Sachia Vickery (US) [WC] 6-3 6-3
Julia Goerges (Ger) d. Sara Errani (Ity) [7] 6-3 6-2
Na Li (Chn) [4] d. Ana Konjuh (Cro) [Q] 6-2 6-0
Belinda Bencic (Swt) [Q] d. Kimiko Date-Krumm (Jpn) 6-4 4-6 6-3
Lucie Hradecka (Cz) [Q] d. Donna Vekic (Cro) 6-3 6-1
Lucie Safarova (Cz) [26] d. Julia Glushko (Isl) 7-5 3-6 6-1
Elena Makarova (Rus) d. Venus Williams (US) 2-6 6-4 6-4
Irina Falconi (US) [LL] d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (Sp) 6-3 6-1
Monica Niculescu (Rom) d. Shahar Peer (Isl) 6-4 6-1
Sabine Lisicki (Ger) [15] d. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Cro) 6-2 6-1
Angelique Kerber (Ger) [9] d. Jarmila Gajdosova [Q] 6-3 0-6 6-2
Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus) [Q] d. Caroline Garcia (Frn) 6-2 7-6(9-7)
Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) d. Dinah Pfizenmaier (Ger) 7-6(7-5) 6-3
Alison Riske (U.S.) d. Elena Vesnina (Russia) [23] 6-2 6-2
Flavia Pennetta (Ity) [28] d. Alexandra Cadantu (Rom) 6-0 6-2
Monica Puig (P. Rico) d. Anna Tatishvili (Geo) [Q] 6-2 6-4
Mona Barthel (Ger) d. Shuai Zhang (Chn) 7-6(4) 6-3
Luksika Kumkhum (Thai) d. Petra Kvitova (Cz) [6] 6-2 1-6 6-4
Jelena Jankovic (Ser) [8] d. Misaki Doi (Jpn) 6-1 6-2
Ayumi Morita (Jpn) d. Nadiya Kichenok (Ukr) 6-2 7-67-(5)
Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk) [32] d. Andrea Petkovic (Ger) 6-2 6-3
Kurumi Nara (Jpn) d. Shuai Peng Shuai (Chn) 7-5 4-6 6-3
Marina Erakovic (NZ) d. Sorana Cirstea (Rom) [21] 6-4 7-6(8-6)
Zarina Diyas (Kaz) [Q] d. Katerina Siniakova (Cz) [Q] 6-2 6-4
Varvara Lepchenko (US) d. Lesia Tsurenko (Ukr) 2-6 6-3 6-4
Simona Halep (Rom) [11] d. Katarzyna Piter (Pol) [Q] 6-0 6-1
Carla Suarez Navarro (Sp) [16] d. Vania King (US) 6-3 6-2
Galina Voskoboeva (Kaz) d. Irina Begu (Rom) [Q] 7-5 4-6 7-5
Stefanie Voegele (Swt) d. Kristina Mladenovic (Frn) 7-5 7-5
Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) [20] d. Francesca Schiavone (Ity) 6-3 6-4
Alize Cornet (Frn) [25] d. Polona Hercog (Slo) 1-0 retired
Camila Giorgi (Ity) d. Storm Sanders [WC] 4-6 6-1 6-4
Karin Knapp (Ity) d. Paula Ormaechea (Arg) 6-4 6-2
Maria Sharapova (Rus) [3] d. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) 6-3 6-4
Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) [5] d. Yulia Putintseva (Kaz) 6-0 5-7 6-2
Olga Govortsova (Bel) d. Yingying Duan (Chn) [Q] 6-0 7-6 (8-6)
Mandy Minella (Lux) d. Carina Witthoeft (Ger) [Q] 6-1 6-4
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) [29] d. beat Teliana Pereira (Brl) 7-6 (9-7) 6-4
Garbine Muguruza (Sp) d. Kaia Kanepi (Est) [24] 6-2 2-6 6-2
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Svk) d. Timea Babos (Hun) 4-6 6-4 7-5
Christina Mchale (US) d. Yung-Jan Chan (Tai) 7-5 6-4
Caroline Wozniacki (Den) [10] d. Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Sp) 6-0 6-2
Sloane Stephens (US) [13] d. Yaroslava Shvedova (Kaz) 7-6 (7-1) 6-3
Ajla Tomljanovic (Cro) d. Tadeja Majeric (Slo) 3-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-4
Olivia Rogowska [WC] d. Mariana Duque (Col) 6-3 6-3
Elina Svitolina (Ukr) d. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) [19] 6-3 6-3
Bojana Jovanovski (Ser) [33] d. Jana Cepelova (Svk) 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 6-3
Yvonne Meusburger (Ast) d. Chanelle Scheepers (SA) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Cz) d. Hsieh Su-Wei Hsieh (Tai) 6-1 4-6 6-1
Victoria Azarenka (Blr) [2] d. Johanna Larsson (Swe) 7-6 (7-2) 6-2
2nd Round
S Williams [1] d. Dolonc 6-1 6-2
Hantuchova [31] d. Pliskova 6-3 3-6 12-10
Stosur [17] d. Pironkova 6-2 6-0
Ivanovic [14] d. Beck 6-1 6-2
Zheng d. Keys 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 7-5
Dellacqua [WC] d. Flipkens [18] 6-3 6-0
Bouchard [30] d. Razzano 6-2 7-6 (12-10)
Davis d. Goerges 7-5 2-6 6-4
Li [4] d. Bencic [Q] 6-0 7-5 (7-5)
Safarova [26] d. Hradecka [Q] 6-7 (4-6) 6-3 6-0
Makarova d. Falconi [LL] 6-2 7-5
Niculescu (Rom) d. Lisicki [15] 2-6 6-2 6-2
Kerber [9] d. Kudryavtseva [Q] 6-4 6-2
Riske d. Wickmayer 6-1 6-1
Pennetta [28] d. Puig 6-3 6-4
Barthel d. Kumkhum 4-6 6-3 6-4
Jankovic [8] d. Morita 6-2 6-0
Nara d. Rybarikova [32] 6-4 6-3
Diyas [Q] d. Erakovic 6-4 6-0
Halep [11] d. Lepchenko 4-6 6-0 6-1
Suarez Navarro [16] d. Voskoboeva 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 8-6
Cibulkova [20] d. Voegele 6-0 6-1
Cornet [25] d. Giorgi 6-3 4-6 6-4
Sharapova [3] d. Knapp 6-3 4-6 10-8
A Radwanska [5] d. Govortsova 6-0 7-5
Pavlyuchenkova [29] d.Minella 6-2 6-2
Muguruza d. Schmiedlova 6-3 6-3
Wozniacki [10] d. McHale 6-0 1-6 6-2
Stephens [13] d. Tomljanovic 3-6 6-2 7-5
Svitolina d. Rogowska [WC] 6-4 7-5
Meusburger d. Jovanovski [33] 3-6 6-3 6-2
Azarenka [2] d. Zahlavova Strycova 6-1 6-4
3rd Round
S Williams [1] d. Hantuchova [31] 6-3 6-3
Ivanovic [14] d. Stosur [17] 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 6-2
Dellacqua [WC] d. Zheng 6-4 6-2
Bouchard [30] d. Davis 6-2 6-2
Li [4] d. Safarova ([26] 1-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3
Makarova d. Niculescu 6-4 6-4
Kerber [9] d. Riske 6-3 6-4
Pennetta [28] d. Barthel 6-1 7-5
Jankovic [8] d. Nara 6-4 7-5
Halep [11] d. Diyas [Q] 6-1 6-4
Cibulkova [20] d. Suarez Navarro [16] 6-1 6-0
Sharapova [3] d. Cornet [25] 6-1 7-6 (8-6)
A Radwanska [5] d. Pavlyuchenkova [29] 5-7 6-2 6-2
Muguruza d. Wozniacki [10] 4-6 7-5 6-3
Stephens [13] d. Svitolina 7-5 6-4
Azarenka [2] d. Meusburger 6-1 6-0
4th Round
Ivanovic [14] d. S. Williams [1] 4-6 6-3 6-3
Bouchard [30] d. Dellacqua [WC] 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-0
Li [4] d. Makarova 6-2 6-0
Pennetta [28] d. Kerber [9] 6-1 4-6 7-5
Halep [11] d. Jankovic [8] 4-6 6-2 6-0
Cibulkova 20] d. Sharapova [3] 3-6 6-4 6-1
A Radwanska [5] d. Muguruza 6-1 6-3
Azarenka [2] d. Stephens [13] 6-3 6-2
Quarterfinals
Bouchard [30] d. Ivanovic [14] 5-7 7-5 6-2
Li [4] d. Pennetta [28] 6-2 6-2
Cibulkova 20] d. Halep [11] 6-3 6-0
A Radwanska [5] d. Azarenka [2] 6-1 5-7 6-0
Semifinals
Li [4] d. Bouchard [30] 6-2 6-4
Cibulkova [20] d. A Radwanska [5] 6-1 6-2
Final
Na Li [4] d. Dominika Cibulkova [20] 7-6 (7-3) 6-0
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Doubles (Draw=64)
1st Round
Sara Errani (Ity)/Roberta Vinci (ITA) [1] d. Mona Barthel (Ger)/Megan Moulton-Levy (US) 7-5 6-2
Kaia Kanepi (Est)/Renata Voracova (Cz) d. Sally Peers/Viktorija Rajicic [WC] 6-3 6-1
Monique Adamczak/Olivia Rogowska [WC] d. Darija Jurak (Cro)/Andreja Klepac (Slo) 6-3 7-6 (7-2)
Julia Goerges (Ger)/Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Cz) [14] d. Naiktha Bains/Olivia Tjandramulia [WC] 6-3 6-3
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Ger)/Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Cro) [11] d. Azra Hadzic/Jessica Moore [WC] 6-3 6-1
Eugenie Bouchard (Can)/Vera Dushevina (Rus) d. Valeria Solovyeva (Rus)/Elina Svitolina (Ukr) 6-3 6-1
Monica Niculescu (Rom)/Klara Zakopalova (Cz) d. Irina-Camelia Begu (Rom)/Sorana Cirstea (Rom) 6-3 6-2
Cara Black (Zim)/Sania Mirza (Ind) [6] d. Tammi Patterson/Arina Rodionova [WC] 6-1 6-4
Kveta Peschke (Cz)/Katarina Srebotnik (Slo) [4] d. Alexandra Cadantu (Rom)/Simona Halep (Rom) 2-6 6-3 6-2
Katarzyna Piter (Pol)/Alicja Rosolska (Pol) d. Olga Govortsova (Blr)/Christina McHale (US) 6-3 6-3
Varvara Lepchenko (US)/Raluca Olaru (Rom) d. Shuko Aoyama (Jpn)/Misaki Doi (Jpn) 6-2 6-4
Hao-Ching Chan (Tai)/Liezel Huber (US) [13] d. Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thai) Saisai Zheng (Chn) 6-3 6-3
Jarmila Gajdosova/Ajla Tomljanovic (Cro) d. Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus)/Anastasia Rodionova (Aus) [9] 1-6 6-4 7-5
Annika Beck (Ger)/Andrea Petkovic (Ger) d. Olga Savchuk (Ukr)/Lesia Tsurenko (Ukr) [Alt] 6-4 6-2
Timea Babos (Hun)/Petra Martic (Cro) d. Dominika Cibulkova (Svk)/Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) 6-4 3-6 7-5
Ashleigh Barty/Casey Dellacqua (AUS) [5] d. Alexandra Panova (Rus)/Karolina Pliskova (Cz) 6-1 6-1
Andrea Hlavackova (Cz)/Lucie Safarova (Cz) [7]d. Kimiko Date-Krumm (Jpn)/Shuai Zhang (Chn) 6-4 6-4
Anabel Medina-Garrigues (Sp)/Yaroslava Shvedova (Kaz) d. Bojana Jovanovski (Ser)/Donna Vekic (Cro) 6-0 6-1
Madison Keys (US)/Alison Riske (US) d. Xinyun Han (Chn)/Miki Miyamura (Jpn) [WC] 6-2 7-5
Kristina Mladenovic (Fra)/Flavia Pennetta (Ity) [12] d. Aleksandrina Naydenova (Bul)/Teliana Pereira (Brz) [Alt] 6-1 6-2
Daniela Hantuchova (Svk)/Lisa Raymond (US) [15] d. Mandy Minella (Lux)/Chanelle Scheepers (SA) 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 6-1
Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk)/Stefanie Voegele (Swit) d. Jelena Dokic/Storm Sanders [WC] 6-4 6-4
Jelena Jankovic (Ser)/Karin Knapp (Ity) d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus)/Vera Zvonareva (Rus) 6-2 6-4
Ekaterina Makarova (Rus)/Elena Vesnina (Rus) [3] d. Lauren Davis (US)/Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Sp) 6-3 6-2
Raquel Kops-Jones (US)/Abigail Spears (USA) [8] d. Chia-Jung Chuang (Tai)/Liga Dekmeijere (Lat) 6-1 6-1
Garbine Muguruza (Sp)/Arantxa Parra Santonja (Sp) d. Sharon Fichman (Can)/Monica Puig (P. Rico) 4-6 6-4 7-5
Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus)/Samantha Stosur d. Irina Buryachok (Ukr)/Oksana Kalashnikova (Geo) 6-1 6-2
Alize Cornet (Fra)/Caroline Garcia (Fra) d. Marina Erakovic (NZ)/Jie Zheng (Chn) [10] 6-3 6-3
Vania King (US)/Galina Voskoboeva (Kaz) [16]d. Sandra Klemenschits (Aut)/Yvonne Meusburger (Aut) 6-2 6-3
Lucie Hradecka (Cz)/Michaella Krajicek (Neth) d. Kiki Bertens (Neth)/Kirsten Flipkens (Bel) 3-6 6-3 6-4
Shahar Peer (Isr)/Silvia Soler-Espinosa (Sp) d. Yung-Jan Chan (Tai)/Janette Husarova (Svk) 7-5 4-6 6-4
Su-Wei Hsieh (Tai)/Shuai Peng (Chn) [2] d. Eva Hrdinova (Cz)/Paula Ormaechea (Arg) 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-1) 6-0
2nd Round
Errani/Vinci [1] d. Kanepi/Voracova 1-6 6-1 6-1
Adamczak/Rogowska [WC] d. Goerges/Zahlavova Strycova [14] 6-2 6-3
Bouchard/Dushevina d. Groenefeld/Lucic-Baroni [11] 6-4 7-5
Black/Mirza [6] d. Niculescu/Zakopalova 7-5 6-1
Peschke/Srebotnik [4] d. Piter/Rosolska 7-6 (7-2) 6-4
Chan/Huber [13] d. Lepchenko/Olaru 6-4 7-6 (7-4)
Gadjdosova/Tomljanovic d. Beck/Petkovic 6-4 6-2
Babos/Martic d. Barty/Dellacqua [5] 6-1 6-3
Hlavackova/Safarova [7] d. Medina-Garrigues/Shvedova 6-2 6-2
Keys/Riske d. Mladenovic/Penneta [12] 7-5 6-4
Hantuchova/Raymond [15] d. Rybarikova/Voegele 6-2 6-3
Makarova/Vesnina [3] d. Jankovic/Knapp 6-4 6-3
Kops-Jones/Spears [8] d. Muguruza/Parra-Santonja 6-4 7-6 (7-4)
Cornet/Garcia d. Kuznetsova/Stosur 6-3 7-6 (7-4)
Hradecka/Krajicek d. King/Voskoboeva [16] 7-6 (7-4) 6-1
Peer/Solar-Espinosa d. Hsieh/Peng [2] 7-5 3-6 6-4
3rd Round
Errani/Vinci [1] d. Adamczak/Rogowska [WC] 6-2 6-2
Black/Mirza [6] d. Bouchard/Dushevina 6-4 6-3
Peschke/Srebotnik [4] d. Chan/Huber [13] 6-2 6-7 (6-8) 6-4
Gadjdosova/Tomljanovic d. Babos/Martic 6-2 7-5
Hlavackova/Safarova [7] d. Keys/Riske 6-4 6-3
Makarova/Vesnina [3] d. Hantuchova/Raymond [15] 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-2
Kops-Jones/Spears [8] d. Cornet/Garcia 4-6 6-4 6-4
Peer/Solar-Espinosa d. Hradecka/Krajicek 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2
Quarterfinals
Errani/Vinci [1] d. Black/Mirza [6] 6-2 3-6 6-4
Peschke/Srebotnik [4] d. Gadjdosova/Tomljanovic 7-5 4-6 6-4
Makarova/Vesnina [3] d. Hlavackova/Safarova [7] 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7-4)
Kops-Jones/Spears [8] d. Peer/Solar-Espinosa 6-4 6-0
Semifinals
Errani/Vinci [1] d. Peschke/Srebotnik [4] 6-1 6-4
Makarova/Vesnina [3] d. Kops-Jones/Spears [8] 7-5 3-6 6-3
Final
Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci [1] d. Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina [3] 6-4 3-6 7-5
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Mixed Doubles (Draw=32)
1st Round
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Ger)/Alexander Peya (Aut) [1]d. Vera Dushevina (Rus)/Jean-Julien Rojer (Neth) 6-3 7-6 (7-5)
Jie Zheng (Chn)/Scott Lipsky (US) d. Alicja Rosolska (Pol)/Johan Brunstrom (Swe) [Alt] 6-3 6-4
Abigail Spears (US)/ Dominic Inglot (GB) d. Lucie Hradecka (Cz)/Martin Emmrich (Ger) [Alt] 6-1 7-6 (7-5)
Anabel Medina Garrigues (Sp)/Bruno Soares (Brz) [5] d. Cara Black (Zim)/Jamie Murray (GB) 6-2 6-4
Lisa Raymond (US)/Mariusz Fyrstenberg (Pol) d. Liezel Huber (US)/Marcelo Melo (Brz) [3] 6-2 6-2
Kristina Mladenovic (Fra) Daniel Nestor (Can) d. Su-Wei Hsieh (Tai)/Raven Klaasen (SA) 7-5 6-3
Daniela Hantuchova (Svk)/Leander Paes (Ind) d. Ajla Tomljanovic (Cro)/James Duckworth [WC] 7-5 4-6 [10-7]
Elena Vesnina (Rus)/Mahesh Bhupathi (Ind) [8] d. Arantxa Parra Santonja (Sp)/David Marrero (Sp) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 [10-5]
Sania Mirza (Ind)/Horia Tecau (Rom) [6] d. Hao-Ching Chan (Tai)/Robert Lindstedt (Swe) 4-6 7-6 (7-3) [10-8]
Anastasia Rodionova/Colin Fleming (GB) d. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus)/Nenad Zimonjic (Ser) 6-4 6-4
Julia Goerges (Ger)/Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (Pak) d. Donna Vekic (Cro) /Thanasi Kokkinakis [WC] 6-3 6-4
Andrea Hlavackova (Cz)/Max Mirnyi (Blr) [4] d. Casey Dellacqua/ Ross Hutchins (GB) 6-4 6-4
Kveta Peschke (Cz)/Marcin Matkowski (Pol) [7] d. Arina Rodionova/Nick Kyrgios [WC] 7-5 6-4
Jarmila Gajdosova/Matthew Ebden [WC] d. Storm Sanders/Chris Guccione [WC] 6-2 6-4
Ashleigh Barty/John Peers d. Olivia Rogowska/John-Patrick Smith [WC] 6-3 6-4
Katarina Srebotnik (Slo)/Rohan Bopanna (Ind) [2] d. Raquel Kops-Jones (US)/Treat Huey (Phil) 6-2 6-3
2nd Round
Zheng/Lipsky d. Groenefeld/Peya [1] 2-6 7-6 (7-5) [10-5]
Medina Garrigues/Soares [5] d. Spears/Inglot 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 [10-8]
Mladenovic/Nestor d. Raymond/Fyrstenberg 6-4 6-1
Hantuchova/Paes d. Vesnina/Bhupathi [8] 6-0 2-6 [10-6]
Mirza/Tecau [6] d. Rodionova/Fleming 6-2 6-2
Georges/Qureshi d. Hlavackova/Mirnyi [4] 6-3 6-4
Gajdosova/Ebden [WC] d. Peschke/Matkowski [7] 6-4 3-6 [10-6]
Srebotnik/Bopanna [2] d. Barty/Peers 7-6 (7-5) 7-5
Quarterfinals
Zheng/Lipsky d. Medina Garrigues/Soares [5] 3-6 6-4 [10-7]
Mladenovic/Nestor d. Hantuchova/Paes 6-3 6-3
Mirza/Tecau [6] d. Georges/Qureshi 6-3 6-4
Gajdosova/Ebden [WC] d. Srebotnik/Bopanna [2] 7-5 6-3
Semifinals
Mladenovic/Nestor d. Zheng/Lipsky 6-3 6-1
Mirza/Tecau [6] d. Gajdosova/Ebden [WC] 2-6 6-3 [10-2]
Final
Kristina Mladenovic/Daniel Nestor d. Sania Mirza/Horia Tecau 6-3 6-2
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Summary
The first scare is when Lucie Safarova holds match point in the third round vs Li Na of China. The Czech tries a screaming down the line shot for a winner-and misses by a mere inch. Li would go on to take not only the match, but the whole event. Never again was she pressed as her rivals bit the dust one by one.
#1 seed Serena lost in the 4R to an inspired Ivanovic. Ana played a sparkling match. While Serena showed no obvious signs of distress, for the second year in a row there was speculation about an injury on Williams part. "I made a tremendous amount of errors, shots I missed I normally don't miss, I haven't missed since the Eighties," Williams told reporters. "I'm just not used to missing those shots." When asked about her back, the world #1 responded, "I almost pulled out. I'm such a competitor, I probably should have."
The quotes suggest sour grapes, but Serena graciously refused to take the bait in the presser, giving due credit to Ivanovic. Ironically Serena broke a record in the 3R by winning her 61 Aussie Open singles match, breaking Margaret Court's old record of 60.
#2 seed Vika Azarenka lost in the quarters to an inspired Radwanska. Aga used drop and touch shots to defuse Vika's power. Azarenka went down in a flurry of unforced errors, making 47 in three sets as she tried to push Radwanska around. The Belorussian was even booed late in the match, when she smashed a ball into the back of the court after another frustrating error. The loss ended the two-time defending champions win streak here at 18.
#3 seed Sharapova was coming back from a long layoff due to re-injuring her shoulder. In the Quarters she ran into hard hitting little Dominika Cibulkova, who almost matched the Russian in power but threw in far less errors. Maria made 45 unforced errors,including 7 double faults.
Canadian Eugenie Bouchard killed Ivanovic's dream in the closest most entertaining quarterfinal. Blonde, athletic and personable, Bouchard was an enormous hit with the local fans. Her “Genie Army” rewarded her with a stuffed wombat, to go with the koala, kangaroo and kookaburra they had donated after her previous matches.
That left #4 seed Na Li as the favorite going into the semis.
Both semis were blowouts. Li over Bouchard was expected. The shocker was Cibulkova's rout of Radwanska. Aggie has a 6-1 head to head over the Slovak. Well as Dominika played, the 6-1 6-2 scoreline was a gigantic choke on from the Pole. Will she ever win a major? She blew a very big chance here.
It's hard to remember a more popular winner than Li, but there were times during the first set on Saturday night when she looked anything but a winner. Tight, nervous and weighed down by expectation – these three things were written across Li's face.
Unencumbered by such thoughts, Cibulkova had nothing to lose. With Li's forehand repeatedly sailing anywhere but in the court it seemed the little engine that could just might end with one final upset. It was not to be. Na Li righted the ship to squeak by in the tiebreak. With the first set in the rear-view mirror the woman from China cruised to a historic victory; she will forever be the first Asian, male or female, to win the "Asian-Pacific" slam.
Na Li's trophy speech was a classic arguably more entertaining than the match.
Some of the laugh lines:
"Now I have to thank my team. Max, agent, make me rich."
"OK, now, of course my husband [who is] even famous in China. So, thanks for him he give up everything just to travel with me to be my hitting partner, fix the drink and fix the racquets, so he do a lot of job. Thanks a lot, you're a nice guy. Also you are so lucky found me!"
"I didn't feeling I was very funny when I was speak. I was feeling this is normal, is the way I have to thank for the team. But after finish they say, ‘Oh, we love your speech’. I say, ‘OK, maybe I make the funny’." ---Na Li, on her trophy speech.
Two ranking notes: Cibulkova, at #20, was the highest ranking player Na Li beat to win the title. By contrast Dominika took out the #3 seed (Sharapova) and the #5 seed (Radwanska).
Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova were leading No.1 seeds Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 5-2 in the deciding third set of the doubles final. The Russian duo had two chances to serve it out – and neither could. Instead the Italians won five games in a row to take the third set 7-5 and win back-to-back Australian Open titles.
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Sources
http://2014.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/ws/index.html
http://2014.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/wd/index.html
http://2014.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/xd/xddraw.pdf