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* Magdalena Rybarikova Thread *

275K views 2K replies 163 participants last post by  Giorgiboy 
#1 ·
She's playing quali in Hasselt. Good luck! :)

(1)Camille Pin v Olga Savchuk
Eva Hrdinova v Neha Uberoi

Stephanie Dubois v Anne Kremer
(7)Galina Voskoboeva v Claudine Schaul

(2)Maret Ani v Ekaterina Dzehalevich
Anastasia Rodionova v Mandy Minella

Tatiana Poutchek v Caroline Maes
(8)Shikha Uberoi v (wc)Davinia Lobbinger

(3)Severine Bremond v Agnes Szavay
Danica Krstajic v (wc)Eveline VanHyfte

Matilde Munoz-Gonzalves v (wc)Leslie Butkiewicz
(6)Meilen Tu v Sandra Kleinova

(4)Martina Muller v Aravane Rezai
Vanessa Henke v Magdalena Rybarikova

Lubomira Kurhajcova v (wc)Debbrich Feys
(5)Kaia Kanepi v Yevgenia Savransky
 
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#713 ·
Andrew's final eyewitness report & photos

=============
AEGON CLASSIC (Edgbaston, Birmingham, England; grass; WTA International)
=============
Contents
--------

1. Photos
2. Final eyewitness report: Rybáriková v Li

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1. Photos (Sunday 14th June 2009)
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Permission to copy my Birmingham photos is granted provided that:
(a) no money is exchanged;
(b) they are labelled as "Copyright 2009 Andrew Broad".
Please let me know if you do use them on another website.

Sunday's photos:
http://www.divshare.com/download/8001106-117

Magdaléna Rybáriková (122 photos)
Li,Na (28)
Maria Sharapova, Jelena Dokić, Elena Baltacha poster (1)
Maria Kirilenko, Sania Mirza, Anne Keothavong poster (1)

-------------------------------------------
2. Final eyewitness report: Rybáriková v Li (Sunday 14th June 2009)
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+ MAGDALÉNA RYBÁRIKOVÁ [13,EF] d. LI,NA [4], 6-0 7-6 (7/2)

Li was very nervous in the first set - especially at the net. Magda's main tactic was to keep the ball in play with a lack of pace that frustrated Li, inducing her to go for big shots and miss. Magda's dropshots also caused problems for Li. Magda hit just four clean winners in the first set: a dropshot, a smash, and two off-forehands.

In the second set, Magda got nervous, but continued to serve very well - she got through the whole match without being broken, although she had to save two set-points at *4-5! She hit two aces and five forehand winners in the second set (including two smashes and a drop-volley), and dominated the tiebreak despite feeling nervous by her own admission. It was her first WTA Tour final as well as title!


Magda started the match with an immediate break: a backhand dropshot-winner from the baseline gave her 40/15*, and although Li saved the first break-point with a forehand winner that caught the outside edge of the sideline, she hit an off-backhand wide on the second.

Magda held to 15 with a forehand smash-winner and an off-forehand winner to make it 2-0*. Li made three unforced errors off short balls for 15/40. Magda missed those break-points by netting returns, but an error-forcing dropshot gave her a third break-point, and an error-forcing crosscourt forehand gave her *3-0.

Magda held to 30 for 4-0* - courtesy of four mainly unforced errors from Li. It looked like Li might get on the scoreboard when a crosscourt forehand winner gave her 30/15, but Magda's awkward lob forced her to net a smash, and two unforced errors gave Magda *5-0.

Serving for the first set, Magda started with an off-forehand winner, and reached 40/0 with an error-forcing netcord. She double-faulted on the second set-point, but converted the second with a jumping backhand that forced Li to hit a backhand long.


Magda started the second set with an off-forehand winner, and Li's unforced errors gave Magda break-points at 40/15*. But Li saved the first with a virtual ace, and Magda squandered the second with a cheap return-error. Li won her first game of the match with a crosscourt forehand pass-winner and another return-error.

Magda hit an error-forcing dropshot and an ace down the middle as she held to love for 1-1*. She pegged Li back from 40/0 with a down-the-line forehand return-winner and excellent retrieval, but Li still held for 2-1* with a backhand winner and an ace.

Magda held to love for 2-2* with a back-pedalling forehand smash-winner that caught the outside edge of the sideline! Li held to 30 for 3-2*, and Magda held to love (three times in a row!) for 3-3* with an ace out wide and a forehand drop-volley winner.

Li held to 15 with a forehand volley-pass winner for 4-3*. Magda held to 30 for 4-4* with a couple of service-winners. Li held to love with a crosscourt forehand winner and a service-winner for 5-4*.

Serving to stay in the second set, Magda led 30/15 but served a double fault. Li reached set-point with a pinpoint forehand return-winner, but Magda saved it despite having to win the point twice. Li's backhand pass-winner gave her a second set-point, but Magda saved it with a forehand smash-winner, then hit two service-winners to level up at 5-5*.

Li held to 30 for 6-5*, forcing Magda to serve to stay in the set again. But this time there were no dramas, as Magda held to love with an ace down the middle and two service-winners to make it 6-6.

The tiebreak started with Li's forehand going long by a whisker, but she broke back immediately with a crosscourt forehand winner for 1/1*. Li made four unforced errors - including a forehand smash that clipped the netcord and fell back on her side to put Magda in the driver's seat at *5/1. A service-winner gave Magda five championship-points at 6/1*, and although she hit a backhand just long on the first one, Li did the same on the second to seal Magda's victory.


Li: "She played good. I tried my best tennis in the second set. I mean: nothing to say. Hopefully I can do well in Wimbledon. I more like grass-courts. It was the first time I beat Maria Sharapova - I was so exciting last night, I forgot I had a match today!"

Magda: "It's a great feeling - the best moment in my career, and I'm absolutely happy. I was very nervous, but not in the first set. In the second set, I was very nervous - actually in the tiebreak, but now it's absolutely great. I think I played great, and if I play like this, I can be a very good player. It was a very tough moment in the second set [the set-points], but I served very good all match. I was very tired [after beating Zheng,Jie in the third round], but now I feel very good, and I played good tennis also today."

It's so wonderful to see the Maud Watson trophy - the oldest in women's tennis, as it was originally awarded to the first-ever Women's Singles champion in 1884 - back in my Eternal Fanship for the first time since Vera Zvonarëva won it in 2006!


My full report - with a point-by-point description, and transcriptions of some commentary (I acquired a DVD-copy of Eurosport's transmission of the final) - is on my website:
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/rybar/birmingham2009.html

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
 
#715 ·
By SonyEricsson, website:

http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/page/GettingToKnow/Read/0,,12781~1745668,00.html



GTK... MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA

BAD GASTEIN, Austria - Along with Russia, France, China and Spain, Slovakia is one of a handful of countries that can boast three players in the current Top 50 - not bad for a nation of fewer than 6 million people. And while 20-year-old Magdalena Rybarikova currently ranks as the Slovak No.3, she has something that even No.1 Dominika Cibulkova doesn't - a singles title to her name on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

That win came on grass at the AEGON Classic at Birmingham in June, with fine wins against Chinese stars Zheng Jie and Li Na along the way. But maybe it wasn't such a surprise, given the 5'11" (1.8m) right-hander was runner-up to Caroline Wozniacki in the Wimbledon juniors in 2006. Having improved her ranking from No.279 to No.58 over the course of 2008, Rybarikova's ranking subsequently reached a new high of No.40, and she is trading around that mark at the moment.

Sonyericssonwtatour.com spoke with Magdalena after her recent quarterfinal run at the Nürnberger Gastein Ladies, before the three-time Tour hardcourt semifinalist set off to the US to launch her North American campaign at next week's Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinnati.

What's your background in tennis?
MR: I started to play when I was eight in my home town of Piestany, where there are lots of tennis courts, and when I was 15 I left to train at the national tennis centre in Bratislava. My coach now is Mojmir Mihal and my fitness trainer is Ladislav Olasz.

Tell us about your family.
MR: My mom's name is Maria and my father, Anton, is a business manager. My sister Nada is 22 and studying law at university. My brother Filip is 21 and works for a building company in Bratislava. And we have an Irish setter - her name is Sindy.

Piestany is Slovakia's most famous spa town. Do you enjoy 'taking the waters'?
MR: For sure. Actually, I still go back there at the end of every season to relax and recover my body with the various treatments.

Do you feel different after your tournament win?
MR: I played very well at Birmingham and it was definitely the best moment of my career so far, but three days before Wimbledon I got a shoulder injury and I lost in the first round. After that I had to pull out of Budapest and only started to play five days before the start of Prague, where I lost again in the first round. It's not that I don't like clay, but it's not my best surface, so I am happy to have reached the quarters in Bad Gastein. But I haven't really built on the momentum of the title as I would have liked. I'm looking forward to the hardcourt season for a fresh start.

What do you feel you need to do to take your game to the next level?
MR: I need to keep working hard on all the physical stuff. Sometimes I have problems in tough three set matches - I can get a bit tired, so my endurance can be improved. And I need more muscles!

You are part of a strong Fed Cup team, with Cibulkova and Daniela Hantuchova. What's it like being part of that environment?
MR: I enjoy Fed Cup a lot, the mood is good, especially playing at home. The pressure of the situation is also good experience for Tour tournaments. This year we only just missed out on returning to the World Group but I think we have a great chance next year with this team. Obviously we know each other's games very well but I have never played Daniela or Dominika on Tour. That could be tough - a different kind of pressure.

What's the best thing, and the hardest thing about life on Tour?
MR: I like to play tennis, I like to be at tournaments, but at the same time I don't really like being 'here' one day, 'there' the next. I don't enjoy the travel, the flying or being in the car. I miss my friends, and of course my family - although that was worse when I was younger. And I miss the food at home.

This might be a silly question, but do you have a favorite tournament?
MR: I love to play on grass, so I always loved Wimbledon, but, I would have to say Birmingham now. I also really like the US Open.

If you could play one of the retired greats, who would you like to take on?
MR: I really liked the way Martina Hingis played tennis - she was very smart on the court. I respect the fact she was a Grand Slam champion at such a young age. And she was born in Slovakia. He's not retired and I won't get to play him, but I'm a big fan of Roger Federer too.

If you could steal a shot from another player, what would it be?
MR: It's not a stroke but I admire Safina's fighting spirit. She's a big fighter and has worked really hard to get to No.1.

Do you have any superstitions?
MR: I have a toy bear, a lucky teddy that I have carried with me for three years. It was a gift, but I won't tell you who from!

The photo of you on your player bio on Sonyericssonwtatour.com is quite glamorous, slightly retro. Do you enjoy off-court activities like that?
MR: The shots were taken for a newspaper in Slovakia earlier in the year and it was a very nice experience. It was great to be pampered by professional make-up artists and stylists. They chose the look but I was really happy with it. Generally, though, I'm more low key. I'm not a big party-goer, you don't usually find me at discos or bars. I like going to the cinema, having coffee with my friends, chatting on the internet.

What are your tennis goals at present?
MR: At the start of the year I said I wanted to be Top 20, but that will be very hard to achieve now. I'm playing in some tough tournaments and I have points to defend, and the season is more than half over. Maybe Top 30 is still within reach this year, and perhaps Top 20 next year. Then Top 10. Of course, ultimately I hope to be No.1 and win a Grand Slam, but I'll have to work hard and gain more confidence. I'm only turn 21 in October, so I'm not old. I have time.

If not tennis…
MR: I might have studied archaeology… I like the Indiana Jones movies!




:hearts: so sweet.
 
#718 ·
Magda lost to K.Bondarenko 2-6 2-6

*0-1
1-1*
Match suspended-rain
*1-2
1-3* :(
*1-4 :(
2-4*
*2-5
2-6 0-0*
*0-1
0-2*
*0-3 :(
0-4*
*0-5
1-5*
*2-5
2-6
 
#719 · (Edited)
Rogers cup,Toronto
(Qualifying)


1R:(7)Magda def. Laura Granville (USA) 5-7 6-2 1-0 winner Magda by retirement
2R:(7)Magda def. Anastasia Rodionova(AUS) 6-3 6-1 :bounce:
----------------
Magda - singles:
1R: Magda vs (11)Ana Ivanovic(SRB) 6-2 3-6 2-6
 
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