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2010 daily news
Updated during the tournament
| singles news | dates | go to individual news pages |
|---|---|---|
| monday | 14 June |
click here for monday news |
| tuesday | 15 June | click
here for tuesday news |
| wednesday | 16 June | click here for wednesday news |
| thursday | 17 June | click here for thursday news |
| friday | 18 June | click here for friday news |
| saturday | 19 June | click here for saturday news |
Pre-Tournament news & preview
Eastbournetennis.com | 12-19 June
Caroline Wozniacki has a daunting task ahead if she is to successfully retain her Eastbourne crown, won so spectacularly in 2009.
The great Dane needs as much bite as she can muster with the draw comprising six of the current world’s top 10 players.
And Wozniacki is one of four ex-Eastbourne champions alongside popular Pole Agnieszka Radwanska (2008 winner), Belgian ace Kim Clijsters (2005) and out-of-sorts Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (2004).
With
such a strong field, it has been no surprise that there are some really
tough opening round draws that would be worthy of a final at most other
events.
Wozniacki faces in-form French star Aravane Rezai, who won the Madrid Masters on clay that allegedly upset compatriot Martoli Bartoli because of all the media attention at the 2010 French Open.
Bartoli has reached three successive semi-finals at Eastbourne, but will need to be back to her best if she is succeed again. While Shahar Peer, tipped by former players as a future Wimbledon champion, is surely due some long overdue success at Devonshire Park.
Clijsters
is on the comeback trail and although is a favourite with the fans may
not entertain the crowds for long as she has to face Fed Cup
team-mate Yanina Wickmayer.
Francesca Schiavone, the newly-crowned
French Open champion, may not be a grass court expert but should easily
see off Kuznetsova if they both reach the second round. Kuznetsova
fell out of the world's top 10 for the first time in over four years
after being bounced out of the French Open early.
Big-serving Sam Stosur,
runner-up at Roland Garros, has dramatically improved since the
semi-finals at Eastbourne 2008 but her sternest test is likely to be a
quarter-final clash against 2010 Australian Open semi-finalist Li Na.
The Chinese ace picked up the grass court title at Birmingham on Sunday
with a comfortable win over former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova.
Schivone inspires Italy | Francesca Schivone's
surprise victory on the clay courts at Roland Garros has inspired
the Italian football team ahead of the FIFA World Cup finals in South
Africa. Milanese ace Schivone became the first woman outside the
world's top10 to win a grand slam singles title since 1933. The 2009
Wimbledon quarter-finalist (left) outplayed Australia Stosur in the
final at Paris. When Schivone was quizzed what makes her game so
special, she claimed:"Going over the limits, and being everything
you can be in two hours."
Henin misses Eastbourne | Justine Henin,
desperately seeking to win Wimbledon, but has opted to skip 2010
Eastbourne. The Belgian ace has signed up for the grass court "I'm
happy to have my first title now, but I don't have too many emotions
about it," said Kleybanova, who has notched multiple wins over top
players at big events but had never made the final of a WTA event
before this week.
Unicef Open at Rosmalen in Holland, as she warms up for the only grand slam event to
elude her. This
will only be Henin's eighth event since returning to the WTA Tour,
following her shock fourth round 2010 French Open exit
to Australian Sam Stosur. Henin
said: "I knew that 2010 was going to be difficult, I thought it would
be a year of transition. I'm getting used to dealing with situations.
Brits back in business
| British no1 Elena Baltacha, who warmed up for Eastbourne by winning
the AEGON Trophy at Nottingham, has done enough to climb up the world
rankings and claim a wildcard entry into the event at Devonshire
Park. And compatriot Anne Keothavong, the ex-British no1 before a
long-term injury, has also been handed a wildcard to the event.
Scottish star Baltacha (pictured), plagued by injuries for years, only
rejoined the
world's
top 100 in early 2010 but she has been cutting her way through the
world
rankings ever since. Delighted with her form and playing at Eastbourne,
she said: "There's nothing like playing in front
of your home crowd, but like always I'm going to give it everything I
have. I always join the week as the grass plays similarly to Wimbledon.
I've got a lot of friends down at Eastbourne, so I always end up
staying the whole week."
Calm Clijsters all clear
| 2009 US Open champion Kim Clijsters will be making a return
appearance at Eastbourne's Devonshire Park this year despite missing the 2010 French Open with a foot injury. Clijsters will use Eastbourne to warm-up before competing in the
singles and mixed doubles - with compatriot Xavier Malisse - at 2010
Wimbledon. The former 2005
Eastbourne singles winner briefly left the WTA Tour to have a baby, but
has made a dramatic reappearance on the professional circuit. "Eastbourne's
one of my favourite
events," said Clijsters. "I won it in 2005 and I can't wait to
challenge for the title again."
Kuznetsova's quick on the draw | Svetlana Kuznetsova has replaced her injured Russian compatriot Elena Dementieva
at the 2010 AEGON International. The ex-Eastbourne champion, who was
knocked out of the third round at Roland Garros while trying to defend
her French Open title,
is desperate to rediscover her form
for Wimbledon after falling out of the world's top 10 for the first
time in a decade. "I'm delighted to have been awarded this wildcard
to Eastbourne, it provides excellent preparation for Wimbledon," she said. "It brings back good memories after my victory there in 2004. Without playing matches, it's hard to win."
Dementieva down and out | Elena Dementieva, who
claimed that she had played at Roland Garros with a torn calf
muscle since the second round, retired with the injury at the semi-final stage. The
no5 seed (pictured) in Paris received treatment during her French Open
quarter-final victory over compatriot Nadia Petrova, but did not
require a physio on the Philippe Chatrier Court against the Italian. "I've a tear in my left calf, so it's very
painful to even walk," she said. "Today was just a sharp pain and it
was a bit too much."
Peer placed for top 10 hit
| Shahar Peer returned to her native Israel for a break before her
grass court season kicks off at Eastbourne, where she aims to edge
ever closer to being a top 10 player. Her clay court season displays,
including semi-final spots at Madrid and Stuttgart as well the last 16
at the French Open, has lifted her to world no14 going into the 2010
AEGON International. Coach Pablo Giacopelli said: "Peer will get to the
top 10 this year, or at least get very near to it, but the key is about
staying there."
No risk for Robson | Laura Robson
has opted to qualify for the Birmingham grass court tournament ahead of
Wimbledon, but skips the 2010 AEGON International as she has accepted a
wildcard into the WTA Tour event of the Unicef Open in Rosmalen, Holland. The event in
the Netherlands is run by her management company, Octagon, and her
coach Martijn Bok is also Dutch. But the teenager was not a popular
player after referring to other WTA Tour players as "sluts". She later
apologised for her jibe.
Great Dane back for third bite
| Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish ace,
will make it a hat-trick of appearances at Eastbourne by playing at
Devonshire Park. The 2009 US Open runner-up is a grass court expert and
relishes the chance to play on the surface prior to The Championships. "I'm
really excited to defend my title," enthused Wozniacki
"And I can't wait to return to England for the
grass court season."
CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT SONY ERICSSON WTA TOUR RANKINGS
2009 AEGON International
Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, England | 13-20 June
2009 NEWS | 2009 FEATURES | 2009 RESULTS | 2009 ROUND-UP
2009 video gallery
 |
|
|
| Play list 1 |
Play list 2 | Play list 3 |
2009 daily news
| singles news | dates | go to individual news pages |
|---|---|---|
| monday | 15 June |
click here for monday news |
| tuesday | 16 June | click
here for tuesday news |
| wednesday | 17 June | click here for wednesday news |
| thursday | 18 June | click here for thursday news |
| friday | 19 June | click here for friday news |
| saturday | 20 June | click here for saturday news |
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2010 entrant profiles
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2010 ENTRANTS
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Radwanska
defends | Agnieszka
Radwanska, the 2008
International Open champion will be trying to retain her
crown. The Polish ace was a shock winner, despite being the no4 seed,
and eased into the final against Nadia Petrova. Radwanska's Devonshire
Park debut in 2007
saw her thrashed by eventual winner Justine Henin.
Top
Brits in draw
| Anne
Keothavong, the British No1 who this year broke into the world's top
50, has been given a wildcard into the main draw. This will be the
fifth time that the 26-year-old had made the first round and said:
“It’s a perfect place to get matches before Wimbledon.” Her compatriot
Elena Baltacha has also been granted a wildcard and the 25-year-old
said: “Eastbourne's my favourite tournament and I’m playing well enough
to maybe rattle a few players.”
Dokic
misses qualifying
| Jelena Dokic
was spotted by eastbournetennis.com
practising at Devonshire Park on Tuesday and Friday before the
tournament. But the
26-year-old Australian, who retired injured at the French Open and
missed Birmingham's event because of the back injury, has not entered
the
qualifying rounds at singles at Eastbourne's 2009 AEGON International.
French
Open champ returns | Svetlana Kuznetsova will be back as
one of the
four seeds to get an automatic bye in the opening round at Eastbourne
after being given a wildcard. The solid Russian has not got a terrific
record record at Wimbledon, having not got further than the
quarter-finals in six attempts. And as top seed at 2008 Eastbourne
was
toppled by Caroline
Wozniacki at the first hurdle. But the 23-year-old
is brimming with confidence after claiming her second grand slam title
in Paris following the 2004 US Open triumph and said: "I like
Eastbourne and I’m looking forward to playing on the grass."
Ivanovic
set for debut
| Ana Ivanovic, the former world no1, is
due to make her first ever appearance at the Eastbourne event - in the
singles and doubles. The
Serbian ace was due to compete at Devonshire Park last
year, but finished as French Open champion so skipped the
tournament because of a combination of exhaustion and injury. But this
year Ivanovic is aiming to play and called Eastbourne
"very peaceful". She added: “It looks like the perfect place to prepare
for Wimbledon, I know that the
tournament has great history."
Top 10 teenagers
to take part | Belarussian
Victoria Azarenka and great
Dane Caroline
Wozniacki (pictured left) are planning to return to
Eastbourne after
making their debuts at the 2008
International Open. But they will be back much stronger than
last year as they are now in the world's top 10 and have bagged seven
titles between them since playing in the 2008 event.
Jankovic's
joy of
sets | Jelena Jankovic started had a torrid
start
to the year, ousted in her first
showing in back-to-back events after playing long-fought matches. Her
season finally got moving in the right direction when the Serbian
captured the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Spain. The former world no1
was able to go to Marbella early after her shock exit at Miami, and by
relaxing for a few days seemed to do the trick.
Red-hot Russians | The
formidable Russian pair of Elena
Dementieva and Vera
Zvonareva (pictured left) are set to return to Eastbourne.
Both have failed to make much of an impression on Devonshire
Park's Centre Court so far. But this season, having hit
red-hot form with numerous titles between them,
they are expected to be fully prepared and both are strong candidates
to win the 2009 AEGON International.
Cavendish
confirm top stars booked
| With rumours rippling around
Eastbourne town centre that a number of the world's top 10 players have
provisionally booked into a
first-class hotel for the AEGON International, Ashley
Proctor, manager of the seafront
Cavendish hotel, revealed: "We've already got all the top players
staying here for the
tournament so I don't want any Tom, Dick and Harry staying, otherwise
I'll have to sort out more security!"
Features
- We
have a range of features, ranging from
a look at rising star Laura Robson, the 2008
Eastbourne champion Agnieszka Radwanska
as well as reviews
of where
to sit on centre court, the big sleep hotel and
a lifeplus phone.
Visitors
Centre Court guide
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