FORMER SOCAL RESIDENT BOCKO TAKES
OUT STANFORD’S KLAHN IN FINAL AT
POMONA VALLEY HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER USTA PRO CLASSIC
By Steve Pratt
CLAREMONT, CA. – Matej Bocko stayed back on the baseline
and waited for the exact times to strike in his straight-set
final win over Stanford sophomore Bradley Klahn on Sunday at the
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center USTA Pro Classic.
The fifth-seeded Bocko, who spent some of his most formative
tennis-playing years as a junior in Southern California, now
resides in South Florida. He earned $1,300 for his 7-6 (4), 6-3
win over a frustrated Klahn, who came in unseeded and starts his
second year at Stanford on Monday.
“I really consider myself an American,” said Bocko, 25, after
the match with no hint of an Eastern European accent. “I still
have my working visa and am proud of my Slovakian citizenship
but it’s just that I’ve spent most of my time over here in the
States.”
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Flavia Pannetta (ITA) |
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All Photos
by Adam Davis |
PENNETTA OF ITALY WINS LA
TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
By Kelly Richards
CARSON, CA - In the biggest win of her career, Italy’s
Flavia Pennetta took the 2009 Los Angeles Women’s Championship
at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California Sunday. She beat
Australia’s Samantha Stosur in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Stosur came out strong but started making mistakes midway
through the first set. With eight double faults, her usually
powerful serve failed to deliver. Pennetta seemed to even have
an answer for the Aussie’s wicked slice kicker, a serve that
sends her opponents scrambling to return.
“She was very hard to beat,” said Pennetta. “I was afraid of her
serve.”
By the end of the first set, the 14-ranked Italian was pushing
Stosur side to side with punishing ground strokes. Stosur just
couldn’t keep up.
“I think she got a pretty decent amount of first serves in. When
I got chances on second serves I wasn’t able to split the court
very well,” the 25-year-old said.
In the second, Pennetta was consistent and steady while Stosur
struggled with error after error.
“I didn’t put enough pressure on her,” said Stosur. “I think
that was the difference today.”
With 22 titles, Stosur is no stranger to the winner’s circle in
doubles. But she has yet to win a singles tournament. On the
other hand, the 27-year-old Italian has won seven, now eight,
WTA championships.
“Sure I’m disappointed,” Stosur said. “I would have loved to
have won my first title today, but it wasn’t meant to be. I
played a very good player today and she played a little better
than me. It’s certainly something I’m going to build on the rest
of the year.”
Italy has built its recent winning Fed Cup international team
around Pennetta, a key factor in a tennis renaissance there.
“Women’s tennis in Italy has improved a lot in the last three
years,” she said. “After we won the Fed Cup everything changed.
It’s pretty important now.”
This is the second time in as many years Pannetta has made it to
the finals. Last year she lost to Russia’s Dinara Safina. It was
a win that sent Safina on the road to her number one ranking.
"I enjoy to play this tournament,” she said. “I feel great here.
I'm completely focused here."
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Flavia
Pannetta (ITA) |
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Sam
Stosur (AUS) |
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DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP
In the doubles final, Chia-Jung
Chang of Taipei won her second consecutive LA doubles final this
time teaming with Zi Yan of China to beat Russia’s Maria
Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-0, 4-6, 10-7. The pair will
split $34,000 while the runners-up get $17,600.
Said Chuang: “This is the second year that I have won the
doubles title here (won with Yung-Jan Chan last year). I was
very happy that I could come back and win again. We had a very
good week even though this was our first time playing together.
We played very good all week and I hope we can play this good
next week in Cincinnati.”
Yan couldn’t remember a tournament where she’s played so many
close matches. All four of the pair’s wins came in super
tiebreakers. “Every match went to match tiebreaker so it was
very good experience for us,” Yan said. “This was my 16th
doubles title, but my first one in a long time (2008
Strasbourg). I am very happy to win another title.”
Tennis on TV - Tennis Channel
Monday, Aug. 10 9:30 PM (TAPE)
Tuesday, Aug. 11 1:00 PM (TAPE)
Wednesday, Aug. 12 10:00 PM (TAPE)
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