|
February 18, 2002
Barbara Rittner from Germany, knocked out fifth seed Uzbek Iroda Tulyaganova 6-2, 6-2 at the opening day of the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open.
Slovenia's Tina Pisnik set the tone with a 6-2, 6-4 win in an error filled tournament opener against Australian Rachel McQuillan.
"I had never played her before and found difficult to get my rhythm against her," said McQuillan after her early exit against Pisnik.
February 19, 2002
Glamour girl Anna Kournikova snatched a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-4 victory from the jaws of defeat against Selima Sfar, whose strength proved to be the cause of her downfall. Kournikova said: "When you are playing a point you have adrenaline going and you don't really feel it. It's in between that you feel it. I was fighting and I won".
Fourth seed Sandrine Testud of France had to delve deep into her resources to quell unseeded Italian Rita Grande in a second round match.
February 20, 2002
Anna Kournikova was blown off court by Venus Williams in a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) second round triumph in the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open. There were spectacular rallies in which Kournikova matched Williams for every exchange but the power of the American was too much for the Russian prodigy to handle, especially as she tried to improve her 83 ranking.
Nine-time Grand Slam champion, Monica Seles, also posted a straight set victory when she beat Tathiana Garbin 6-2, 6-3.
February 21, 2002
Venus Williams, pulled off a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 victory against Anastasia Myskina to set up a semifinal clash against France's Sandrine Testud. "Frankly, I was nervous in the first set. It was the first time I was playing Venus. She has a wonderful serve and a very powerful return. If I would have been a little more faster on the court, I could have beaten her," Myskina said.
Monica Seles defeated Spain's Angeles Montolio, the tournament's seventh seed, 6-0, 6-2 in just 46 minutes for a place in the semifinals.
February 22, 2002
Top-seed players Venus Williams and Monica Seles were ousted from Dubai Women's Open. Sandrine Testud's surprise win in an error-filled match against Williams came under a blazing sun.
In another semifinal, Amelie Mauresmo and Monica Seles, were engaged in a tight battle that lasted just 62 minutes with the French star winning 6-4, 6-3. "The first set was like a point here and there," Seles said later. She felt that Mauresmo was serving better. "I did my best and I am happy with it, " Seles said.
February 23, 2002
Third-seed Amelie Mauresmo set a straight victory 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) against compatriot Sandrine Testud to emerge as the champion in the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open.
Jeff Chapman, the tournament director said: "When I went to invite players to play in Dubai 10 years ago, many of them did not know where Dubai was... The days when we have to invite players to play here are over, now players want us to invite them."
|
