Leni Wins!

Rowan here. The 2009 ASB Classic is all wrapped up, and Elena Dementieva is the champ, yesss. Elena Vesnina started really well in the final today, outplaying Leni with some sweet shots and real confidence. She took an early lead but couldn’t keep it up, and once Leni got her shotmaking shoes on Vesnina’s form left her a little bit. The first set was tight, the second not so much, 64 61, but it was still the toughest match Leni’s had all tournament. Lots of long rallies and deuce games. But in the end the world number 4 was just too good. Leni looked very happy to win, Vesnina was happy too, breakthrough week for her, the crowd was happy to have such a great champion, everybody was happy. Nathalie Dechy and Mara Santangelo won the tag team championship, beating Nuria Llagostera Vives and Arantxa Parra Santonja but only just, 46 76(3) 12-10. We got two tiebreaks in a row, it was great.

Day off from tennis tomorrow and then the Heineken Open begins on Monday. It’s a good field, I’ve already mentioned Ferrero and Gulbis, we’ve also got Juan Martin del Potro, David Ferrer, Robin Soderling, Sam Querrey, Kei Nishikori, heaps. The draw’s come out and there are some interesting first round matches, like Ferrero vs Nishikori and defending champ Philipp Kohlschreiber vs Hopman Cup hero and two-time former Auckland champ Dominik Hrbaty, so it should be a fun week from the get-go.