2009 Brisbane International - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2009 Brisbane International was a professional tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the first edition of the event known as the Brisbane International

Brisbane International

The Brisbane International is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour and of the WTA Premier tournaments of the Women's Tennis Association Tour...

and resulted from the merger of the Next Generation Adelaide International on the men's tour with the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts on the women's tour. The 2009 Brisbane International was a World Tour 250 series

ATP World Tour 250 series

The ATP World Tour 250 series is a new series for tennis tournaments of the Association of Tennis Professionals from the 2009 ATP World Tour...

event on the ATP Tour and an International series event

WTA International tournaments

The International Tournaments is the new category for tennis tournaments of Women's Tennis Association from the 2009 WTA Tour. Tournaments are replacing Tier III and Tier IV events...

on the WTA Tour. Both the men's and women's events took place at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

, Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

, Australia, from 4 January through 11 January 2009.

The men's draw was led by Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who has been ranked world no. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals since 4 July 2011. He has won four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2008 and 2011 Australian Open, the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2011 US Open...

, who was the World No. 3 ranked player, 2008 Australian Open

2008 Australian Open

The 2008 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 96th edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam event of the year. It took place at the Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, from 14 through 27 January 2008.After twenty years of playing on...

champion, 2008 Pacific Life Open

2008 Indian Wells Masters

The 2008 Indian Wells Masters was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 32nd edition of the Indian Wells Masters, and was part of the ATP Masters Series of the 2008 ATP Tour, and of the Tier I Series of the 2008 WTA Tour...

champion, and 2008 Tennis Masters Cup

2008 Tennis Masters Cup

The 2008 Tennis Masters Cup was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 39th edition of the year-end singles championships, the 34th edition of the year-end doubles championships, and part of the 2008 ATP Tour...

winner. Joining Djokovic in the tournament was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who was the 2008 Australian Open

2008 Australian Open

runner-up and the 2008 champion of the tournament in Bangkok

2008 Thailand Open (tennis)

The 2008 Thailand Open was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 6th edition of the Thailand Open, and was part of the International Series of the 2008 ATP Tour. It took place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 22 through September 28, 2008.The singles...

and the Masters Series tournament in Paris. Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco Carmona is a professional tennis player. He is currently ranked no. 22 in the world. Verdasco started playing tennis at four years of age and had a full-time coach when he was eight...

, a member of Spain's 2008 Davis Cup

2008 Davis Cup

The 2008 Davis Cup was the 97th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. Sixteen teams participated in the World Group and more than one hundred others took part in different regional groups. The first matches were played on February 8–10...

championship team and the winner of the tournament in Umag

2008 Croatia Open Umag

The 2008 Croatia Open Umag was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 18th edition of the Croatia Open Umag, and was part of the International Series of the 2008 ATP Tour...

, also played in Adelaide. Also lined up for this tournament were Lyon titlist

2008 Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon

The 2008 Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon was a tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 22nd edition of the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon, and was part of the International Series of the 2008 ATP Tour. It took place at the Palais des Sports de Gerland in Lyon, France, from October...

Robin Söderling

Robin Bo Carl Söderling is a professional tennis player from Sweden who is currently ranked number 13 in the ATP rankings. Söderling reached successive French Open finals in 2009 and 2010...

, Tokyo winner

2008 AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships

The 2008 AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 36th edition of the event known that year as the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships, and was part of the International Series Gold of the 2008 ATP Tour, and of the Tier III Series of the...

Tomáš Berdych

Tomáš Berdych is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. His most notable achievements are reaching the final of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, and the semifinals of the 2010 French Open. He defeated the Croatian player Ivan Ljubičić in five sets to win the Paris Masters in 2005...

, Mardy Fish

Mardy Fish

Mardy Simpson Fish is an American professional tennis player, and Olympic silver medalist. He is a hardcourt specialist...

, Richard Gasquet

Richard Gasquet

Richard Gasquet is a French professional tennis player. He won the mixed doubles Grand Slam title at the 2004 French Open, partnering Tatiana Golovin. His highest ranking in singles is #7. His best achievements in tennis are reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2007 and later that year...

, and Radek Štěpánek

Radek Štepánek

Radek Štěpánek is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Štěpánek turned professional in 1997. He started on tour as a doubles specialist, winning 12 ATP titles. Since 2002, Štěpánek has focused on being a better singles player while still playing top-level doubles...

.

The women's field featured Ana Ivanović

Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanović is a former world no. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 7, 2011, she is ranked 22th on the WTA rankings. She beat Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open...

, the World No. 5 ranked player, a former World No. 1, 2008 Australian Open

2008 Australian Open

runner-up, and champion of the 2008 French Open

2008 French Open

The 2008 French Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 107th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year. It took place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from May 25 through June 8, 2008....

and 2008 Pacific Life Open

2008 Indian Wells Masters

. Joining Ivanović in the tournament was Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player. Her career high and current ranking is world no. 3, which she first achieved on 12 September 2011. She became the highest-ranked Belarusian player ever, surpassing Natasha Zvereva by two spots....

, who won the 2008 Generali Ladies Linz

2008 Generali Ladies Linz

The 2008 Generali Ladies Linz was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 22nd edition of the Generali Ladies Linz, and was part of the Tier II Series of the 2008 WTA Tour. It took place in Linz, Austria, from October 20 through October 26, 2008.-Singles: Ana Ivanović def...

tournament late last year and was the runner-up at the 2008 Gold Coast tournament

2008 Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts

The 2008 Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 12th and final edition of the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts, which was renamed and relocated to Brisbane, and was part of the Tier III Series of the 2008 WTA Tour...

and the 2008 Prague Open tournament

2008 ECM Prague Open

The 2008 ECM Prague Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 13th edition of the ECM Prague Open, and was part of the Tier IV Series of the 2008 WTA Tour and of the 2008 ATP Challenger Tretorn Serie+. It took place at the I. Czech Lawn Tennis Club in Prague, Czech...

. Also present were Marion Bartoli

Marion Bartoli

Marion Bartoli is a French professional tennis player and the current French no. 1. She has won seven Women's Tennis Association singles titles and three doubles titles. She was also a runner-up at the 2007 Wimbledon Championships....

, the runner-up at the 2008 tournament in Stanford

2008 Bank of the West Classic

The 2008 Bank of the West Classic was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 37th edition of the Bank of the West Classic, and was part of the Tier II Series of the 2008 WTA Tour. It took place at the Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, California, United States, from July 14...

; Daniela Hantuchová

Daniela Hantuchová

Daniela Hantuchová is a Slovak professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first Tier I tournament and ended the year in the top 10.She is currently coached by Larri Passos...

, 2008 Australian Open semifinalist; Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Simone Mauresmo ; is a French former professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1. Mauresmo won two Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon....

, a former World No. 1, champion of the 2008 tournament in Cincinnati, and semifinalist at the 2008 tournament in New Haven, Connecticut; World No. 26 Kaia Kanepi

Kaia Kanepi

Kaia Kanepi is an Estonian professional tennis player. Her career-high ranking is world no. 16 reached on 14 February 2011....

; and World No. 30 Francesca Schiavone

Francesca Schiavone

Francesca Schiavone is an Italian tennis player who turned professional in 1998. She won the 2010 French Open singles title, becoming the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam event in singles. She was also runner-up at the 2011 French Open. As of 24 October 2011, Schiavone's ranking is World...

. The seventh seed, Maria Kirilenko

Maria Kirilenko

Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko is a Russian professional tennis player. Kirilenko won her first WTA Tour title in 2005, defeating Anna-Lena Grönefeld in the China Open. Kirilenko reached no. 18, her career-high singles ranking, on the WTA tour in July 2008. She won the junior event at the 2002 Canadian...

, had to withdraw because of a viral illness.

Day one: 4 January

In women's singles, Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka

, the second seed, defeated Kateryna Bondarenko

Kateryna Bondarenko

Kateryna Volodymyrivna Bondarenko is a professional female tennis player from Ukraine and a doubles champion at Australian Open 2008.The younger sister of professional tennis players Valeria and Alona Bondarenko, she was born in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. She was...

6–0, 6–2. The third seed, Marion Bartoli

Marion Bartoli

, overcame home qualifier and World No. 528 Monika Wejnert

Monika Wejnert

Monika Wejnert is an Australian tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 324, which she reached on 30 November 2009. Her career high ranking in doubles is No...

6–1, 6–2. The only seed to fall was sixth-seeded Kaia Kanepi

Kaia Kanepi

Kaia Kanepi is an Estonian professional tennis player. Her career-high ranking is world no. 16 reached on 14 February 2011....

who lost to Russian Alisa Kleybanova

Alisa Kleybanova

Alisa Mikhaelovna Kleybanova is a Russian professional tennis player. Her highest WTA world ranking to date is No. 20, achieved on February 21, 2010...

6–1, 6–4. In other first round matches, Jarmila Gajdošová advanced to face Azarenka after beating Peng Shuai

Peng Shuai

Peng Shuai is a Chinese professional female tennis player. She won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, defeating Akgul Amanmuradova in the final...

, and Tsvetana Pironkova

Tsvetana Pironkova

Tsvetana Kirilova Pironkova is a female Bulgarian tennis player. She was born and lives in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Pironkova is right-handed and plays with a two-handed backhand....

defeated Monica Niculescu

Monica Niculescu

Monica Niculescu is a Romanian tennis player. As of October 24, 2011 she is ranked No. 29 at the WTA Tour Singles Ranking. Her highest WTA ranking is currently her present ranking in singles, reached on 24 Oct 2011, and No. 24 in doubles, reached on June 7, 2010.Niculescu was born in Slatina,...

in straight sets.

Four matches were played in men's singles. Seventh-seeded Richard Gasquet

Richard Gasquet

advanced to the second round with a 4–6, 6–2, 6–2 victory over fellow Frenchman Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel is a professional male tennis player from France. He turned pro in 1999.-Tennis career:...

. Robin Söderling

Robin Söderling

Robin Bo Carl Söderling is a professional tennis player from Sweden who is currently ranked number 13 in the ATP rankings. Söderling reached successive French Open finals in 2009 and 2010...

, the fourth seed, also reached the second round, beating Sam Querrey

Sam Querrey

Sam Austin Querrey is a professional American tennis player from Thousand Oaks, California currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of August 2010, he is the fourth-highest ranked American. His career high rank was #17, achieved on January 31, 2011. His height allows him to play with a strong...

6–3, 6–3. Taylor Dent

Taylor Dent

Taylor Phillip Dent is a retired professional tennis player from the United States.-Early career and back injury:He won 4 ATP singles titles during his career: Newport , Bangkok , Memphis , and Moscow , and reached the finals of three other events on tour...

and Julien Benneteau

Julien Benneteau

Julien Benneteau is a professional male tennis player from France. His career-best singles ranking is ATP world no. 32, which he reached in July 2010. He formerly resided in Boulogne Billancourt and now lives in Geneva...

also won against Steve Darcis

Steve Darcis

Steve Darcis is a male professional tennis player. He achieved his career high ranking of #44 on 12 May 2008.-2007:...

and Robbie Ginepri, respectively. Dent, who had thought his career was over following back surgery and sliding down to World No. 865 in the rankings from a career high of World No. 21, set up a second round match against Gasquet.

Seeded player out (singles): Kaia Kanepi

Day two: 5 January

First round play in women's and men's singles continued on day two while the doubles events also started. Four matches were completed in the men's singles tournament. Third-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco

, aiming for his first career hard court title, defeated Australian wildcard Bernard Tomic

Bernard Tomic

Bernard Tomic is an Australian professional tennis player. As of 24 October 2011, Tomic is ranked the World No. 41, making him the highest ranked Australian male tennis player and the youngest player in the top 100...

6–2, 6–4. The other seed in action, Radek Štěpánek

Radek Štepánek

from the Czech Republic, beat Russian doubles specialist Igor Kunitsyn

Igor Kunitsyn

Igor Kunitsyn is a professional male tennis player from Russia. He made it into the top 100 for the first time in 2006, and reached a career-high singles ranking of 35 on July 6, 2009.-Early life:...

6–2, 6–2. The other players to progress to round two were Finnish player Jarkko Nieminen

Jarkko Nieminen

Jarkko Kalervo Nieminen is a professional tennis player from Finland.His highest ranking is 13th, which was achieved on July 10, 2006. He has won one ATP singles title and two doubles titles in his career so far. His best performances in Grand Slam tournaments have been reaching the quarter-finals...

, who took just over 2 hours to win 5–7, 6–1, 6–4 against Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis

Marcos Baghdatis

At the French Open, Baghdatis lost in the second round in five sets to Frenchman Julien Benneteau, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6.At Wimbledon, Baghdatis defeated British player Andy Murray in the fourth round in straight sets. In the quarterfinals, Baghdatis beat the 2002 champion and former world no. 1...

, the 2007 Australian Open

2007 Australian Open

The 2007 Australian Open was a Grand Slam tennis tournament held in Melbourne, Australia from 15 January until 28 January 2007.The total prize pool was set at exactly A$20 million, with the winners of both the men's and women's singles competition each receiving A$1,281,000. Over 500 players...

runner-up who is just now returning from injury. The only seed to exit the tournament on day two was Mardy Fish

Mardy Fish

Mardy Simpson Fish is an American professional tennis player, and Olympic silver medalist. He is a hardcourt specialist...

, the sixth-seeded American who lost 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(4) to Jürgen Melzer

Jürgen Melzer

Jürgen Melzer is an Austrian tennis player. He reached a career-high ranking of no. 8 on 18 April 2011, and a doubles ranking of no. 6 on 13 September 2010. He is the only current player on the ATP Tour to be ranked in the top 10 in both singles and doubles. He is a left-handed tennis player, but...

of Austria.

The majority of first round matches in women's singles was played on day two, with three of the seeds failing to progress. Fourth-seeded Slovak Daniela Hantuchová

Daniela Hantuchová

was knocked out by Italian Sara Errani

Sara Errani

Sara Errani , nicknamed "Poco Gigante", is a professional female tennis player from Italy. On February 23, 2009, she reached a new career high of No. 31 on the Tour rankings...

. After taking the first set in a tiebreak, she lost the next two sets 6–4, 6–0. Eighth-seeded Francesca Schiavone

Francesca Schiavone

of Italy lost 7–5, 6–2 to Belarusian Olga Govortsova

Olga Govortsova

Olga Govortsova is a professional Belarusian tennis player. As of May 10, 2010 her highest singles ranking on the WTA is World Number 35, which she achieved on June 23, 2008.-Career:...

. Ai Sugiyama

Ai Sugiyama

is a retired Japanese professional tennis player. She reached No. 1 in women's doubles on the WTA Tour. Her career-high singles ranking was No. 8, achieved on February 9, 2004. She turned professional in 1992...

, who replaced Maria Kirilenko

Maria Kirilenko

as a seeded player, was defeated by home-favourite Samantha Stosur

Samantha Stosur

Samantha "Sam" Jane Stosur is an Australian professional tennis player. She won the 2011 US Open singles title and was a finalist at the 2010 French Open. Stosur is ranked World No. 6 and her career high in singles is World No. 4, achieved on 21 February 2011. She is a former world No...

6–2, 6–3. A couple of seeds did make the second round, however: top seeded Serbian Ana Ivanović

Ana Ivanovic

needed 1 hour, 45 minutes to win her match against Czech Petra Kvitová

Petra Kvitová

Petra Kvitová is a Czech professional tennis player. She has won seven WTA singles titles. As of 31 October 2011, she is ranked World No. 2. Kvitová won the 2011 Wimbledon Championships and the 2011 WTA Tour Championships singles titles...

6–4, 6–2 and fomer World No. 1 Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Simone Mauresmo ; is a French former professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1. Mauresmo won two Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon....

, the fifth-seeded Frenchwoman, triumphed 7–6(9), 7–6(5) over home player Jelena Dokić

Jelena Dokic

Jelena Dokić is an Australian female professional tennis player.During the height of her career, she played for Serbia and Montenegro and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4 on 19 August 2002. After several family-related difficulties , she slowly slipped down the rankings in 2006...

. Qualifiers Roberta Vinci

Roberta Vinci

Roberta Vinci is an Italian tennis player. As of 29 August 2011, Vinci is ranked World No. 20, on the WTA Tour Rankings. Vinci has won thirteen WTA Tour titles, six in singles and seven in doubles....

(Italy), Melinda Czink

Melinda Czink

Melinda Czink is a Hungarian professional female tennis player. On September 21, 2009 Czink reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 37....

(Hungary) and Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva

Sesil Karatantcheva

Sesil Karatantcheva is a Bulgarian-born Kazakhstani tennis player. Karatantcheva played for Bulgaria until February 2, 2009, when she changed nationality. She will play for Kazakhstan until at least 2012....

advanced against Anna-Lena Grönefeld

Anna-Lena Grönefeld

Anna-Lena Grönefeld is a professional tennis player from Germany. She turned professional in April 2003.As of September 2011, Grönefeld is the No. 12 tennis player from Germany. She was coached and trained by Rafael Font de Mora in Scottsdale, Arizona until 2006...

, Alona Bondarenko, and Iveta Benešová

Iveta Benešová

Iveta Benešová is a professional tennis player. She began playing tennis at age of 7 and turned professional in 1998 in Prague. She has won two WTA Tour events and one Grand Slam in mixed doubles partnering with Jürgen Melzer at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships.-2006–2008:In the 2006 Australian...

. Lucky loser

Lucky Loser

Lucky Loser is a 2006 Thai sports-comedy about a small, fictional Southeast Asian country's bid to play in the World Cup...

Julie Coin

Julie Coin is a professional French tennis player. Coin recorded the largest victory of her career by defeating the world's #1 ranked female singles player, and #1 seed, Ana Ivanović at the 2008 US Open. Her career high singles ranking is World No. 60, achieved on 27 July 2009. Her career high...

of France, who was accepted into the tournament when Kirilenko withdrew, beat Belgian Yanina Wickmayer

Yanina Wickmayer

Yanina Wickmayer is a Belgian professional tennis player who is currently ranked world no. 22 and is the second-highest ranked female Belgian tennis player. She reached her career-high ranking of world no. 12 on 19 April 2010...

7–5, 6–7(5), 7–6(3) in the longest women's match so far at almost 3 hours 20 minutes. Unseeded Czech Lucie Šafářová

Lucie Šafárová

Lucie Šafářová is a professional Czech tennis player. She was born in Brno.Šafářová has won four WTA tour singles titles and reached the quarterfinals of the 2007 Australian Open, upsetting defending champion Amélie Mauresmo en-route...

also won against Australian wildcard Isabella Holland

Isabella Holland

Isabella Holland is an Australian professional tennis player. Her preferred surfaces are clay and hardcourt....

6–4, 6–3.

Just one match was played in the women's doubles and it saw unseeded duo Mervana Jugić-Salkić

Mervana Jugic-Salkic

Mervana Jugić-Salkić is a Bosnian tennis player. She turned professional in 1999, and reached her highest singles ranking on 21 June 2004, when she was ranked Word No. 99. On 10 July 2006, Jugić-Salkić reached No. 59 in doubles, after winning ASB Classic in 2004 with Jelena Kostanić and...

from Bosnia and Chinese player Peng Shuai

Peng Shuai

Peng Shuai is a Chinese professional female tennis player. She won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, defeating Akgul Amanmuradova in the final...

defeat Akgul Amanmuradova

Akgul Amanmuradova

Akgul Amanmuradova is a professional female tennis player from Uzbekistan.In 2005, she reached her first ever WTA singles final in Tashkent, the capital of her home country. In the final she lost to 16-year old Michaëlla Krajicek of the Netherlands...

from Uzbekistan and Yuliana Fedak

Yuliana Fedak

Yuliana Leonidivna Fedak is a female tennis player from Ukraine.On September 18, 2006, Fedak reached her highest singles ranking, World No. 63.-WTA Tour Titles :-Performance timeline:-External links:...

of Ukraine 6–1, 6–4. In the men's competition, third seeds Simon Aspelin

Simon Aspelin

Simon Aspelin is a former professional tennis doubles player from Sweden who turned professional in 1998...

and Pavel Vízner

Pavel Vízner

Pavel Vízner is a professional male tennis player from the Czech Republic. Vízner has reached the French Open final twice, having had turned professional in 1990 and achieved a career high doubles ranking of World Number 5 on September 10, 2007.- Career :While Vízner had played tournaments in 1988...

saw off singles players Julien Benneteau

Julien Benneteau

and Michaël Llodra

Michaël Llodra

Michaël Llodra is a French professional tennis player. He is a prolific doubles player with three Grand Slam championships, and has also had success in singles.-Life and career:...

6–4, 7–5 while in a match of the singles specialists, French duo Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel is a professional male tennis player from France. He turned pro in 1999.-Tennis career:...

and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat countryman Paul-Henri Mathieu

Paul-Henri Mathieu

Paul-Henri Mathieu is a French tennis player.-Tennis career:Mathieu was born in Strasbourg, France. He first began playing tennis at age 3, with his older brother Pierre-Yves. Between 1997 and 2000 he trained at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida...

and his Croatian partner Mario Ančić

Mario Ancic

Mario Ančić is a retired Croatian professional tennis player. He won three singles titles and five doubles titles. His highest international ranking came during the 2006 ATP Tour, when he reached no. 7 in singles...

7–5, 4–6, [10-4] (champions tiebreak).

Seeded players out (singles): Mardy Fish; Francesca Schiavone, Daniela Hantuchová, Ai Sugiyama
Seeded players out (doubles): None

Day three: 6 January

First round play was completed and second round play was started in men's singles, resulting in several upsets of seeded players. World No. 3 and top-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic

lost his first round match to Latvia's Ernest Gulbis 6–4, 6–4. Gulbis, who reached a career-high ranking of World No. 38 during 2008 that included a maiden Grand Slam

Grand Slam (tennis)

The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...

quarterfinal, was rewarded with a match against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu

Paul-Henri Mathieu

who beat Russian qualifier Teymuraz Gabashvili 6–3, 6–3. The other seeds to play their first matches were Frenchman Jo Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Argentinian Agustín Calleri

Agustín Calleri

Agustín Calleri Shaal is a retired professional male tennis player from Argentina. His nickname is Gordo which means Fat in Spanish. He is known as a hard-hitter and he prefers playing on clay....

, currently ranked World No. 62, 6–2, 7–5, and fifth-seeded Czech Tomáš Berdych

Tomáš Berdych

who advanced 6–0, 6–4 to a second round match against Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori

is a Japanese tennis player, currently ranked 25th in the world, as of 10 October 2011. He began playing tennis at the age of five, and on 17 July 2007 he qualified for his first ATP main draw event at the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles, California at the age of 17.-Junior career:Nishikori won...

, the Japanese player who beat U.S. player Bobby Reynolds

Bobby Reynolds

----Robert "Bobby" Thomas Reynolds in Cape Cod, Massachusetts) is an American professional tennis player who resides in Acworth, Georgia.-Professional career:...

6–2, 6–3. Mario Ančić

Mario Ancic

, Florent Serra

Florent Serra

Florent Lucien Serra is a French male tennis player. A right-hander, he has won two ATP titles during his career and is coached by Pierre Cherret.-Early life and junior career:...

, and Michaël Llodra

Michaël Llodra

Michaël Llodra is a French professional tennis player. He is a prolific doubles player with three Grand Slam championships, and has also had success in singles.-Life and career:...

all won their first round matches, against Amer Delic

Amer Delic

Amer Delić is a Bosnian tennis player. Representing the United States as a tour player until 2009, he now represents the country of his birth, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is a member of its Davis Cup team....

, Juan Carlos Ferrero

Juan Carlos Ferrero

Juan Carlos Ferrero Donat is a professional tennis player, and a former world no. 1 player, from Spain. He captured the men's singles title at the 2003 French Open, and in September of that year, he became the 21st player to hold the world no. 1 ranking. He was also the runner-up at the 2002...

, and home qualifier Joseph Sirianni

Joseph Sirianni

Joseph Sirianni is an Australian tennis player from Melbourne, Victoria. Sirianni was born to father Joseph and mother Ida. Sirianni turned professional in 1996 and he plays right-handed. He achieved his career-high singles ranking of World Number 138 on 20 October 2008...

. Fourth-seeded Robin Söderling

Robin Söderling

Robin Bo Carl Söderling is a professional tennis player from Sweden who is currently ranked number 13 in the ATP rankings. Söderling reached successive French Open finals in 2009 and 2010...

and seventh-seeded Richard Gasquet

Richard Gasquet

won their second round matches: Gasquet defeated Taylor Dent

Taylor Dent

7–5, 6–4 while Söderling recorded a 6–3, 6–3 triumph against Julien Benneteau

Julien Benneteau

.

The second round started in women's singles. Second seed Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka

took over 2 hours to win her match against Slovakian born but Australian based Jarmila Gajdošová 7–6, 7–5. The match between Tathiana Garbin

Tathiana Garbin

Tathiana Garbin is an Italian tennis player. As of 17 May 2010, she is ranked World No. 56 in singles and No. 38 in doubles. Garbin is probably best known for her shocking defeat of the defending champion and the reigning World No. 1 Justine Henin in the second round of the 2004 French Open...

and Alisa Kleybanova

Alisa Kleybanova

Alisa Mikhaelovna Kleybanova is a Russian professional tennis player. Her highest WTA world ranking to date is No. 20, achieved on February 21, 2010...

took 2 hours 20 minutes to complete, with the former winning 4–6, 6–4, 6–2. The fourth seed Marion Bartoli

Marion Bartoli

emerged victorious in a match lasting half an hour less despite taking three sets, beating qualifier Melinda Czink

Melinda Czink

Melinda Czink is a Hungarian professional female tennis player. On September 21, 2009 Czink reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 37....

5–7, 6–3, 6–1. Lucie Šafářová

Lucie Šafárová

defeated home-favourite Samantha Stosur

Samantha Stosur

in the night session 6–4, 6–4 in under an hour to reach the quarterfinals. The Australian, whose ranking had dropped to outside the top 150 while she was ill with meningitis, lost despite feeling she had been hitting the ball well. Šafářová is due to play Azarenka, and Bartoli will face Garbin.

The men's doubles saw its first seeds eliminated as second seeds Marcelo Melo

Marcelo Melo

Marcelo Melo is a Brazilian tennis player, currently ranked 22nd in the world in doubles. Alongside regular teammate André Sá, he has reached the Mens Doubles semifinal at the 2007 Wimbledon Championships and the quarterfinal at the 2007 US Open...

(defending champion with Martín García) and André Sá

André Sá

André Rezende Sá is a professional Brazilian tennis player. He is number 29 for doubles, and 467 for singles.-Personal:...

losing to American Travis Parrott

Travis Parrott

Travis Parrott is an American professional ATP tennis doubles player. He is primarily a doubles specialist...

and Filip Polášek

Filip Polášek

Filip Polášek is a professional tennis player from Slovakia. Polášek's highest doubles ranking has been World Number 22 as of June 22, 2009. Polášek's highest singles ranking has been World Number 555 on November 26, 2007....

from Slovakia. Their next opponents will be the new partnership of Briton Jamie Murray

Jamie Murray

Jamie Robert Murray is a British tennis player from Scotland who specialises in doubles and is Britain's number 1 doubles player. He is the older brother of Andy Murray. He won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007 with Jelena Janković. Murray had an early career partnership with Eric Butorac,...

and Slovakian Dušan Vemić

Dušan Vemic

Dušan Vemić is a Serbian professional tennis player. He was born on June 17, 1976, in Zadar, in Yugoslavia, now Croatia; he currently lives in Belgrade.-Professional career:...

, who defeated the Austrian pair Julian Knowle

Julian Knowle

----Julian Knowle is an Austrian male professional tennis player. Being a born left-hander Knowle is one of now only few on the ATP Tour who plays his forehand, backhand and even volleys double-handed. He is Austria's most successful doubles player in history by reaching no...

and Jürgen Melzer

Jürgen Melzer

6–7(14), 6–2, [10-4] (champions tiebreak). Top seeds Max Mirnyi

Max Mirnyi

Max Mirnyi is a professional tennis player from Belarus.Today Mirnyi is a doubles specialist, but he also enjoyed a good singles career, finishing in the top 50 in the world for seven straight years, as well as representing Belarus in Davis Cup competition since April 1994, where he holds a...

and Andy Ram

Andy Ram

Andy Ram is a professional tennis player from Israel, and the first Israeli tennis player to win a seniors Grand Slam event . He plays more doubles than singles as he prefers doubles more and wins more matches...

needed three sets to defeat Czechs Radek Štěpánek

Radek Štepánek

and Tomáš Berdych

Tomáš Berdych

4–6, 6–2, [11-9]. The fourth seeded pair - Czech Martin Damm

Martin Damm

Martin Damm was a professional tennis player from Czechia. He is 6'2" 195 lb and is best known as a doubles player . ,his highest singles ranking 42 as of August 1997...

and Swede Robert Lindstedt

Robert Lindstedt

Robert Lindstedt is a Swedish professional tennis player, who turned pro in 1998, and is a doubles specialist...

- narrowly won against the South American pairing of Argentinian Lucas Arnold Ker

Lucas Arnold Ker

Lucas Arnold Ker is a professional tennis player from Argentina.Arnold Ker started playing tennis in the Olivos Tenis Club of Buenos Aires, under coach Malcolm Campbell....

and Brazilian Bruno Soares

Bruno Soares

Bruno Soares is a professional tennis player from Brazil.Soares's highest singles ranking on the ATP Tour is World No. 221, which he reached in March 2004. Primarily a doubles specialist, his career-high doubles ranking is World No. 14, reached on May 4, 2009...

7–5, 7–5. Their next match will be against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco

and German Mischa Zverev

Mischa Zverev

Mikhail "Mischa" Zverev is a German professional tennis player. He is the son of former Russian tennis player Alexander Zverev, who is also his coach. He now resides in Monte-Carlo, Monaco and represents Germany internationally...

who beat Australians Brydan Klein

Brydan Klein

Brydan Klein is an Australian professional tennis player. He prefers to play on a fast surface, such as grass or hard.Klein has yet to become an active competitor on the main ATP Tour. However, he did receive a wildcard from Tennis Australia for the 2008 Australian Open, but lost to Paul Capdeville...

and youngster Bernard Tomic

Bernard Tomic

7–6(4), 7–6(5). Home players Carsten Ball

Carsten Ball

Carsten Thomas Ball is a professional Australian tennis player. Although born and based in the U.S., Carsten has continued to compete as an Australian player.-Tennis career:...

and Chris Guccione

Chris Guccione

Christopher "Chris" Luke Guccione , is an Australian professional tennis player from Greenvale, Victoria; his father is Italian and his mother is Australian....

beat Americans Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey

Sam Querrey

by the same scoreline.

Five more matches took place in the women's doubles first round, with all four seeds securing victory. Top seeded South African-American duo Cara Black

Cara Black

Cara Black is a professional female tennis player from Zimbabwe. She has won 7 singles titles and 63 women's doubles titles. She has won all four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles and three of the four Grand Slam titles in women's doubles. She is currently ranked World No. 28 in women's doubles...

and Liezel Huber

Liezel Huber

Liezel Huber is a professional tennis player who competes for, resides in, and is a naturalized citizen of the United States. Huber has won four Grand Slam titles in women's doubles with partner Cara Black, one with Lisa Raymond, and two mixed doubles titles with Bob Bryan. On November 12, 2007,...

beat France's Séverine Brémond and Olga Govortsova

Olga Govortsova

Olga Govortsova is a professional Belarusian tennis player. As of May 10, 2010 her highest singles ranking on the WTA is World Number 35, which she achieved on June 23, 2008.-Career:...

6–3, 6–3 while the second seeds, Ukrainian sisters Kateryna

Kateryna Bondarenko

and Alona Bondarenko, defeated Alisa Kleybanova

Alisa Kleybanova

Alisa Mikhaelovna Kleybanova is a Russian professional tennis player. Her highest WTA world ranking to date is No. 20, achieved on February 21, 2010...

and Monica Niculescu

Monica Niculescu

3–6, 6–4, [10-7]. Italian third seeds Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka

and Francesca Schiavone

Francesca Schiavone

followed up their singles successes by knocking out Tatiana Poutchek

Tatiana Poutchek

Tatiana Poutchek is a tennis player from Belarus. Her career high ranking is No. 55 in the world, achieved on July 22, 2002.Many of Poutchek's greatest career results have come in Tashkent reaching 1 singles final and 7 doubles finals winning 5. ....

and Anastasia Rodionova 6–3, 6–2. Sun Tiantian

Sun Tiantian

Sun Tiantian is a Chinese female tennis player.- Career :In September 2000, Tiantian won two successive US$10,000 ITF singles titles, a feat she would repeat in June 2001, when she won another two back-to-back....

and Yan Zi

Yan Zi

Yan Zi is a Chinese women's tennis player.Yan Zi may also refer to:* Stefanie Sun , also known as Sun Yan Zi, Singaporean singer** Yan Zi , Sun's self-titled album...

, the fourth seeded Chinese pair, beat Iveta Benešová

Iveta Benešová

and Yaroslava Shvedova

Yaroslava Shvedova

Yaroslava Vyacheslavovna Shvedova is a Kazakhstani professional tennis player of Russian descent. She has achieved a career high ranking of No. 29 as of 21 June 2010. She has won 1 WTA singles title, 3 ITF Women's Circuit singles titles and 3 doubles titles, including the 2010 Wimbledon and US...

3–6, 7–6(12), [10-6]. In the only non-seeded match, Daniela Hantuchová

Daniela Hantuchová

and Ai Sugiyama

Ai Sugiyama

eased through against home wildcards Monika Wejnert

Monika Wejnert

Monika Wejnert is an Australian tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 324, which she reached on 30 November 2009. Her career high ranking in doubles is No...

and Sophie Ferguson

Sophie Ferguson

Sophie Ferguson is an Australian professional tennis player.Ferguson's best performance at a Grand Slam tournament was at the 2005 Australian Open, where she lost in the second round to Nadia Petrova, 4–6, 6–0, 6–1...

6–2, 6–3.

Seeded players out (singles): Novak Djokovic
Seeded players out (doubles): Marcelo Melo/André Sá

Day four: 7 January

The biggest upset of the day was in men's singles, where Japanese Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori

defeated fifth-seeded Tomáš Berdych

Tomáš Berdych

7–6(7), 6–3. The other seeds won, with third-seeded Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco

defeating Mario Ančić

Mario Ancic

6–2, 6–3; eighth-seeded Radek Štěpánek

Radek Štepánek

defeating defending champion Michaël Llodra

Michaël Llodra

Michaël Llodra is a French professional tennis player. He is a prolific doubles player with three Grand Slam championships, and has also had success in singles.-Life and career:...

7–6(2), 6–3; and second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overcoming a first set bagel to defeat Jarkko Nieminen

Jarkko Nieminen

0–6, 7–6(1), 7–6(5). In other matches, Paul-Henri Mathieu

Paul-Henri Mathieu

defeated the player who defeated Djokovic earlier in the tournament, Ernests Gulbis

Ernests Gulbis

Ernests Gulbis is a Latvian professional tennis player. In 2008, Gulbis won his first ATP Tour doubles title at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, teaming with Rainer Schüttler, and in 2010 won his first ATP Tour singles title in the Delray Beach, defeating Ivo Karlović in the final...

, 6–3, 6–4 while Florent Serra

Florent Serra

Florent Lucien Serra is a French male tennis player. A right-hander, he has won two ATP titles during his career and is coached by Pierre Cherret.-Early life and junior career:...

beat Jürgen Melzer

Jürgen Melzer

6–4, 6–3.

Both women's seeds prevailed, with top-seeded Ana Ivanović

Ana Ivanovic

saving match points to defeat Roberta Vinci

Roberta Vinci

6–7(4), 7–5, 6–1 and fifth-seeded Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Simone Mauresmo ; is a French former professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1. Mauresmo won two Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon....

also saving match points and needing 3 hours, 15 minutes to defeat lucky loser

Lucky Loser

Lucky Loser is a 2006 Thai sports-comedy about a small, fictional Southeast Asian country's bid to play in the World Cup...

Julie Coin

5–7, 6–2, 7–6(11). Olga Govortsova

Olga Govortsova

Olga Govortsova is a professional Belarusian tennis player. As of May 10, 2010 her highest singles ranking on the WTA is World Number 35, which she achieved on June 23, 2008.-Career:...

and Sara Errani

Sara Errani

Sara Errani , nicknamed "Poco Gigante", is a professional female tennis player from Italy. On February 23, 2009, she reached a new career high of No. 31 on the Tour rankings...

also advanced by defeating qualifier Sesil Karatantcheva

Sesil Karatantcheva

and Tsvetana Pironkova

Tsvetana Pironkova

Tsvetana Kirilova Pironkova is a female Bulgarian tennis player. She was born and lives in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Pironkova is right-handed and plays with a two-handed backhand....

, respectively.

In the men's doubles quarterfinals, the unseeded French duo and new partnership of Tsonga and Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel is a professional male tennis player from France. He turned pro in 1999.-Tennis career:...

upset the third-seeded team of Simon Aspelin

Simon Aspelin

Simon Aspelin is a former professional tennis doubles player from Sweden who turned professional in 1998...

and Pavel Vízner

Pavel Vízner

7–6(1), 6–4. In the other match, Travis Parrott

Travis Parrott

Travis Parrott is an American professional ATP tennis doubles player. He is primarily a doubles specialist...

and Filip Polášek

Filip Polášek

defeated Dušan Vemić

Dušan Vemic

Dušan Vemić is a Serbian professional tennis player. He was born on June 17, 1976, in Zadar, in Yugoslavia, now Croatia; he currently lives in Belgrade.-Professional career:...

and Jamie Murray

Jamie Murray

6–3, 6–4.

In women's doubles, the top-seeded team of Cara Black

Cara Black

and Liezel Huber

Liezel Huber

lost to Daniela Hantuchová

Daniela Hantuchová

and Ai Sugiyama

Ai Sugiyama

7–5, 3–6, [10–3]. The fourth-seeded team of Sun Tiantian

Sun Tiantian

and Yan Zi

Yan Zi

Yan Zi is a Chinese women's tennis player.Yan Zi may also refer to:* Stefanie Sun , also known as Sun Yan Zi, Singaporean singer** Yan Zi , Sun's self-titled album...

also lost to Mervana Jugić-Salkić

Mervana Jugic-Salkic

and Peng Shuai

Peng Shuai

Peng Shuai is a Chinese professional female tennis player. She won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, defeating Akgul Amanmuradova in the final...

6–4, 3–6, [10–7]. In the remaining first round matches, Polish pair Klaudia Jans

Klaudia Jans

Klaudia Jans-Ignacik is a professional tennis player from Poland. While Jans hasn't won a WTA title, she has won one ITF singles title, eleven ITF doubles titles and one WTA doubles title....

and Alicja Rosolska

Alicja Rosolska

Alicja Rosolska is a Polish professional tennis player. Rosolska made her bow as a professional at the 2002 J&S Cup.She is primarily a doubles player, partnering countrywoman Klaudia Jans. She and Jans have reached five finals on the WTA...

beat Lucie Šafářová

Lucie Šafárová

and Galina Voskoboeva

Galina Voskoboeva

Galina Olegovna Voskoboeva is a professional Russian-born Kazakhstani tennis player. She reached her career-high singles rank of World No. 56 on October 10, 2011. Her career high in doubles is 31st, set at January 29, 2007.-Early life:...

6–1, 6–3. Jans and Rosolska then reached the semifinals by walkover when Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka

and Francesca Schiavone

Francesca Schiavone

, the fourth-seeded team, withdrew from their quarterfinal match. Anna-Lena Grönefeld

Anna-Lena Grönefeld

and Vania King

Vania King

Vania King is a Taiwanese American female tennis player. King won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles with Kazakh partner Yaroslava Shvedova....

defeated Coin and Hungarian Melinda Czink

Melinda Czink

Melinda Czink is a Hungarian professional female tennis player. On September 21, 2009 Czink reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 37....

6–3, 6–4.

Seeded players out (singles): Tomáš Berdych
Seeded players out (doubles): Simon Aspelin/Pavel Visner; Cara Black/Liezel Huber; Sun Tiantian/Yan Zi;

Day five: 8 January

Two of the men's singles quarterfinals were played on day five. The first saw third-seeded Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco

defeat Florent Serra

Florent Serra

Florent Lucien Serra is a French male tennis player. A right-hander, he has won two ATP titles during his career and is coached by Pierre Cherret.-Early life and junior career:...

4–6, 6–0, 6–3. Joining him in the semifinals was Paul-Henri Mathieu

Paul-Henri Mathieu

, who defeated Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori

6–3, 6–4.

In women's singles, the story of the day was Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Simone Mauresmo ; is a French former professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1. Mauresmo won two Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon....

, as she routed top-seeded Ana Ivanović

Ana Ivanovic

6–3, 6–2. Second-seeded Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka

advanced with a 7–6(5), 6–4 victory over Lucie Šafářová

Lucie Šafárová

while third-seeded Marion Bartoli

Marion Bartoli

defeated Tathiana Garbin

Tathiana Garbin

6–3, 6–3. The lone unseeded player to advance to the semifinals, Sara Errani

Sara Errani

Sara Errani , nicknamed "Poco Gigante", is a professional female tennis player from Italy. On February 23, 2009, she reached a new career high of No. 31 on the Tour rankings...

, defeated Olga Govortsova

Olga Govortsova

Olga Govortsova is a professional Belarusian tennis player. As of May 10, 2010 her highest singles ranking on the WTA is World Number 35, which she achieved on June 23, 2008.-Career:...

6–3, 6–3.

In men's doubles, home favorites Carsten Ball

Carsten Ball

Carsten Thomas Ball is a professional Australian tennis player. Although born and based in the U.S., Carsten has continued to compete as an Australian player.-Tennis career:...

and Chris Guccione

Chris Guccione

Christopher "Chris" Luke Guccione , is an Australian professional tennis player from Greenvale, Victoria; his father is Italian and his mother is Australian....

upset the top-seeded team of Max Mirnyi

Max Mirnyi

and Andy Ram

Andy Ram

, while fourth-seeded Martin Damm

Martin Damm

Martin Damm was a professional tennis player from Czechia. He is 6'2" 195 lb and is best known as a doubles player . ,his highest singles ranking 42 as of August 1997...

and Robert Lindstedt

Robert Lindstedt

Robert Lindstedt is a Swedish professional tennis player, who turned pro in 1998, and is a doubles specialist...

fell to Verdasco and Mischa Zverev

Mischa Zverev

. In women's doubles, Anna-Lena Grönefeld

Anna-Lena Grönefeld

and Vania King

Vania King

Vania King is a Taiwanese American female tennis player. King won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles with Kazakh partner Yaroslava Shvedova....

defeated the second-seeded team of Alona Bondarenko and Kateryna Bondarenko

Kateryna Bondarenko

6–1, 6–3, while Klaudia Jans

Klaudia Jans

Klaudia Jans-Ignacik is a professional tennis player from Poland. While Jans hasn't won a WTA title, she has won one ITF singles title, eleven ITF doubles titles and one WTA doubles title....

and Alicja Rosolska

Alicja Rosolska

advanced to the final with a 6–3, 6–4 victory over Daniela Hantuchová

Daniela Hantuchová

and Ai Sugiyama

Ai Sugiyama

Seeded players out (singles): Ana Ivanović
Seeded players out (doubles): Max Mirnyi/Andy Ram, Martin Damm/Robert Lindstedt; Alona Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko

Day six: 9 January

The last two quarterfinals in men's singles were played, with Radek Štěpánek

Radek Štepánek

coming back from a set down to defeat fourth-seeded Robin Söderling

Robin Söderling

Robin Bo Carl Söderling is a professional tennis player from Sweden who is currently ranked number 13 in the ATP rankings. Söderling reached successive French Open finals in 2009 and 2010...

2–6, 6–4, 6–3. After losing the first set, Štěpánek recovered to pull ahead 3–0 in the second set with an early break, taking the set and then establishing a 5–3 lead in the decider. His semifinal opponent will be seventh-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet

Richard Gasquet

who defeated second-seeded compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 1–6, 6–4, 6–2 despite Tsonga's eight aces and Gasquet's four double faults.

In the women's singles semifinals, Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Mauresmo

Amélie Simone Mauresmo ; is a French former professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1. Mauresmo won two Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon....

retired from her match with Marion Bartoli

Marion Bartoli

after just four games because of a thigh injury. Despite the retirement, she was expected to be fit for the Australian Open

2009 Australian Open

The 2009 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 97th edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam event of the year. It took place at the Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, from 19 January through 1 February 2009. The 2009 men's...

starting two weeks later. Bartoli will next play Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka

, a 6–3, 6–1 victor over Sara Errani

Sara Errani

Sara Errani , nicknamed "Poco Gigante", is a professional female tennis player from Italy. On February 23, 2009, she reached a new career high of No. 31 on the Tour rankings...

Seeded players out (singles): Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Robin Söderling; Amélie Mauresmo (retirement)
Seeded players out (doubles): None

Day seven: 10 January

The men's semifinals were played, with third-seeded Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco

defeating Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu

Paul-Henri Mathieu

6–2, 6–1. Verdasco was broken at the beginning of the match to fall behind 2–0 but then won six straight games to take the first set. In the second semifinal, eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet

Richard Gasquet

struggled in the first three games of the first set, giving Radek Štěpánek

Radek Štepánek

an early break. Gasquet was able to break back immediately and broke twice more to take the first set. Gasquet's errors allowed Štěpánek to win the second set, breaking Gasquet twice. In the third set, Štěpánek broke Gasquet's serve twice while losing his own serve only once to win the match 2–6, 6–2, 6–4.

Verdasco's success at the tournament continued in the men's doubles semifinals. He and partner Mischa Zverev

Mischa Zverev

defeated home pair Carsten Ball

Carsten Ball

Carsten Thomas Ball is a professional Australian tennis player. Although born and based in the U.S., Carsten has continued to compete as an Australian player.-Tennis career:...

and Chris Guccione

Chris Guccione

Christopher "Chris" Luke Guccione , is an Australian professional tennis player from Greenvale, Victoria; his father is Italian and his mother is Australian....

6–2, 6–4 to reach the final. Their opponents will be Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel is a professional male tennis player from France. He turned pro in 1999.-Tennis career:...

and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the all-French pair, who overcame Travis Parrott

Travis Parrott

Travis Parrott is an American professional ATP tennis doubles player. He is primarily a doubles specialist...

and Filip Polášek

Filip Polášek

7–5, 6–7(4), [10–7].

Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka

, a new top-20 player from Romania, claimed her maiden Women's Tennis Association

Women's Tennis Association

The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...

Tour title with a 6–3, 6–1 victory over third-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli

Marion Bartoli

. The 19-year old won the tournament without losing a set. After falling behind 4–1 and two breaks of serve in the first set, Bartoli fought back to 4–3. Azarenka then won six consecutive games to take the set and lead 4–0 in the second before closing out the match in 29 minutes.

With no seeds left in the women's doubles, Anna-Lena Grönefeld

Anna-Lena Grönefeld

and Vania King

Vania King

Vania King is a Taiwanese American female tennis player. King won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles with Kazakh partner Yaroslava Shvedova....

overcame a first set loss to defeat Klaudia Jans

Klaudia Jans

Klaudia Jans-Ignacik is a professional tennis player from Poland. While Jans hasn't won a WTA title, she has won one ITF singles title, eleven ITF doubles titles and one WTA doubles title....

and Alicja Rosolska

Alicja Rosolska

3–6, 7–5, [10–5],

Seeded players out (singles): Paul-Henri Mathieu, Richard Gasquet; Marion Bartoli
Seeded players out (doubles): None

Day eight: 11 January

Czech Radek Štěpánek

Radek Štepánek

won the men's singles title, defeating third-seeded Fernando Verdasco

Fernando Verdasco

from Spain 3–6, 6–3, 6–4. This was Štěpánek's third singles title on the Association of Tennis Professionals

Association of Tennis Professionals

The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...

tour after Rotterdam in 2006 and Los Angeles in 2007. Štěpánek led 4–1 in the third set with a double break before Verdasco broke back to trail 4–3.

Verdasco also was involved in the doubles final. Partnering Mischa Zverev

Mischa Zverev

for the first time, they lost to fellow new team Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel

Marc Gicquel is a professional male tennis player from France. He turned pro in 1999.-Tennis career:...

and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6–3, 6–4.

Seeded players out (singles): Fernando Verdasco
Seeded players out (doubles): None

Men's singles

Radek Štěpánek
Radek Štepánek
Radek Štěpánek is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic.-Career:Štěpánek turned professional in 1997. He started on tour as a doubles specialist, winning 12 ATP titles. Since 2002, Štěpánek has focused on being a better singles player while still playing top-level doubles...

def.

Fernando Verdasco

, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4

It was Štěpánek's first title of the year and 3rd of his career.

Women's singles

Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player. Her career high and current ranking is world no. 3, which she first achieved on 12 September 2011. She became the highest-ranked Belarusian player ever, surpassing Natasha Zvereva by two spots....

def.

Marion Bartoli

, 6–3, 6–1

It was Azarenka's first career title.

Men's doubles

Marc Gicquel
Marc Gicquel
Marc Gicquel is a professional male tennis player from France. He turned pro in 1999.-Tennis career:...

/

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def.

Fernando Verdasco

Mischa Zverev

6-4, 6-3

Women's doubles

Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Anna-Lena Grönefeld is a professional tennis player from Germany. She turned professional in April 2003.As of September 2011, Grönefeld is the No. 12 tennis player from Germany. She was coached and trained by Rafael Font de Mora in Scottsdale, Arizona until 2006...

/

Vania King
Vania King
Vania King is a Taiwanese American female tennis player. King won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles with Kazakh partner Yaroslava Shvedova....

def.

Klaudia Jans

Klaudia Jans-Ignacik is a professional tennis player from Poland. While Jans hasn't won a WTA title, she has won one ITF singles title, eleven ITF doubles titles and one WTA doubles title....

Alicja Rosolska

, 3–6, 7–5, [10–5]

External links

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