Kerber overcomes Spanish challenge
CHARLESTON: Australian Open champ Angelique Kerber was pushed to a third-set tiebreaker by 80th-ranked Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena before winning 6-2 5-7 7-6(3) and advancing to the third round of the Volvo Car Open clay court event.
Defending champion Kerber lost the first point of the decider before running off the next four to seize control as the German claimed the tie-break 7-3 to end a two hour, 38 minute marathon in Charleston. In a see-saw third set, Kerber twice went up a break but each time Arruabarrena broke right back, the first time after the Spaniard lost serve in a game that went to 10 deuces before Kerber ended it on her fourth break point. PLISKOVA TO LEAD PRAGUE: World No 18 Karolina Pliskova will lead reigning champions the Czech Republic in their Fed Cup semifinal tie against Switzerland in Lucerne on April 16-17, team captain Petr Pala said Wednesday. The Czechs have also called up 33rd-ranked Barbora Strycova, Denisa Allertova (60) and Lucie Hradecka, who is 83rd in the singles rankings and 9th for doubles. They will miss out-of-form world No 7 Petra Kvitova.
BIG MONEY IN ATT NEW DELHI: There may not be
ATP ranking points on offer but players competing in the soon-to-begin Asian Tennis Tour (ATT) actually stand to earn more than the $10,000 ITF Futures events. In a bid to give Asian players more opportunities to make money at the initial phase of their careers, ATT will begin with two events at DLTA star t i ng April 18. A comparative study of the ATT events with ITF Futures, reveals that even the first round loser in ATT tournaments is set to earn more. If a player in two $5000 events loses even in the first rounds, he will earn a minimum of $650.