AP Photo/Nousha Salimi
It was the weekend of cool tennis trophies! Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer won the very impressive dhow (sailboat) and jambiya (dagger) trophies at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this Saturday. You miffed Fed fans out there may find comfort in the fact that Roger’s runner’s up trophy is every bit as cool as the champ’s. Maybe Mirka asked him to bring home something in gold?
Across the way in Doha, world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki was “stunned” 4-6, 4-6 by second seed Vera Zvonaerva in the final of the Qatar Ladies Open. Vera hit 30 winners on her way to earning her first title in over a year – a surprising fact, given that Vera ended 2010 ranked No. 2 in the world. Was she inspired by the stunning golden falcon trophy, perhaps? Wozniacki’s sitting pretty with the oyster and pearl trinket, inspired by the region’s history of pearl diving.
Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik won their second doubles title of the year in Doha, over the team of Liezel Huber and Nadia Petrova.
LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images via Daylife
From pearls to pears* in Aculpulco, where defending champ David Ferrer took out Nico Almagro 7-6(4), 6-7(2), 6-2 in the final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel. This may be my favorite non-traditional tennis trophy on the circuit, especially with the sombrero added as accessory. No irony, really:
LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images via Daylife
*Thanks to GTT reader Dileri for this correction. The big pear is actually a gourd: “The Acapulco trophy isn’t a pear, btw. It’s a guaje or tecomate, a gourd that’s traditionally used to contain water or other liquids, or for storage. They’re also carved or painted and sold as decorative crafts.”
Victor Hanescu and Horia Tecau defeated Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares in the men’s doubles final.
Gisela Dulko is the latest women’s champion in Acapulco, taking out Spaniard Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-3, 7-6 (5). Gisela’s the first Argentine woman to win the title and the cantaloupe sized silver tennis ball trophy. She does it justice, no?
Gisela photos via abiertomextenis.com.mx
Mariya Koryttseva and Ioana Raluca Olaru took out Lourdes Domínguez Lino and singles finalist Arantxa Parra Santonja in the doubles final
I was hoping to continue the cool fruit-shaped tennis trophy theme in Delray Beach, where I assumed that the winner of the ATP 250 would get a slightly smaller version of the enormous pineapple statue they kept showing on the grounds. Alas, it the tournament director apparently got a deal at a local “art” glass factory.
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky via Daylife
But notice the guy who’s holding the half-priced souvenir in his giant hands. Hey, that’s Juan Martin del Potro! The lanky Argentine beat Janko Tipsarevic (who, strangely enough, has yet to win an ATP title of any kind) to win his first title since the US Open and his AWOL 2010 season. It was a gritty, not pretty victory, despite the routine-looking 6-4,6-4 scoreline. Juan Martin rallied from a 1-4 hole in the first set, and saved 10 of 11 break points against him. In some ways, Janko choked. Evidently winning one’s first career title at age 26 is in many ways much harder than a Major champion mounting a comeback. I know you can do it, Janko!
In Delray doubles, Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram beat Christopher Kas and Alexander Peya for the title.
Loading ...
