CHINA TOPIX

11/02/2024 01:31:21 pm

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WTA Int'l: Ivanovic Defeats Wozniacki; Pliskova Tops Lepchenko

Karolina Pliskova topped Varvara Lepchenko to win Kia Korea Open title in Seoul

(Photo : sports.ndtv.com)

Ana Ivanovic defeated Caroline Wozniacki to capture Toray Pan Pacific Open title and Karolina Pliskova topped Varvara Lepchenko to win Kia Korea Open title on Sunday.

Third seeded Ivanovic quickly made work in the first set as she broke the Danish star twice to take over the set and followed it up with a strong forehand drive to the corner in the tie-break of the second set to win her fourth WTA title this year 6-2 7(7)-6(2) at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.

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The 26-year-old Serbian's strategy was to go into the net and force the second seed Wozniacki to hit the ball pass her for a either a forehand smash or a volley.

"The key for me was coming forward to the net and play well at the net," said Ivanovic.

The World No. 8 Ivanovic did not lose a single set in the tournament and with China's Li Na's retirement, she is projected to move into the No. 5 position just in time for the WTA Finals in Singapore slated to start in mid-October.

In Seoul, second seeded Pliskova of the Czech Republic avenged her loss at the recent Hong Kong Tennis Open to winner Sabine Lisicki with a win over Varvara Lepchenko 6-3 6(5)-7(7) 6-2 at the Olympic Park Tennis Center.

Pliskova, 22, has won her second WTA title with the first one at the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur on March of last year.

The World No. 32 ranked Pliskova has played only five WTA tournaments in her entire career. Three of those losses came from higher ranking players, Lisicki (No. 24), Ekaterina Makarova (No. 14) and Eugenie Bouchard (No. 7).

The 20-year-old Lepchenko defeated defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals

Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena and Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania defeated the tandem of Mona Barthel and Mandy Minella to win the doubles competition 6-3 6-3.

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