The distractions of being French Open champion led to six wasted months, said 2011 winner Li Na, who has finally found her form again in time to defend her title next week.
Third seed and home favourite Mikhail Youzhny beat Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic 6-7, 6-0, 6-4 in a see-saw Kremlin Cup final on Sunday to win his fifth ATP title.
Svetlana Kuznetsova reached the final of the Dubai Championships by beating Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Sania Mirza suffered her fourth successive defeat, a straight set mauling, at the hands of Italian Francesca Schiavone and crashed out of the ASB Classic WTA tournament in Auckland on Wednesday. The Indian ace lost 0-6, 3-6 to her fourth seeded opponent in the second round of the US $220,000 hard court event, thus making a disappointing start to the season. She also lost in the doubles.
Mary Pierce beat unseeded Italian Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-3 in the Kremlin Cup final to win her second title in Moscow
Sania slipped four places to 46th, while a hat-trick of ITF Futures titles saw Prakash Amritraj jump 66 places to 498th.
The Pole said she wanted to do better this time and felt the pressure.
Factbox on Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, who announced her retirement from tennis at 28 after a second round loss at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday.
IMAGES of the all the action from Day 1 of the Australian Open played at Melbourne Park on Monday
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances