AFC Wimbledon bid 'weak' in face of greyhound proposals, report on Plough ...

Planning experts have raised concerns over building a new football stadium in Plough Lane because of flooding and transport issues, a new report has found.

An investigation commissioned by the Wimbledon Park Residents' Association (WPRA) said the greyhound stadium bid was 'considered a more sustainable and robust proposal at this stage of development.'

This was based on what it called weaknesses in AFC Wimbledon proposals to address transport, road network, flooding and drainage issues.

The two controversial bids for Plough Lane in Wimbledon, currently home to the greyhound stadium, will be decided by Merton Council once planning applications have been submitted.

AFC Wimbledon chief executive Erik Samuelson remained tight-lipped on the report's findings, saying: 'The real test of our proposals will be the process carried out by the planning department at the council.

Erik Samuelson

'We are making sure it complies with the policies - that is where we will be making our comments.'

The report by highly regarded company RPS Consultants said: 'A comparison of the two schemes has concluded that due to the lower density proposed by the greyhound stadium scheme this development has the most realistic prospect of addressing site constraints associated with transportation and flood risk.'

It noted the site has poor or moderate accessibility to public transport and there are some restrictions to improving access to the site.

Iain Simpson, chairman of the WPRA said: 'We wanted to look at both proposals in planning terms to see what problems there were.

'It is an interesting conclusion.'

The report stated it had significant concerns regarding the large capacity and high density of the AFC proposals, including limited car parking facilities, lack of space for coaches, demand for on-street parking and large surges on public transport.

AFC Wimbledon proposes to build a 20,000 seater football stadium for its return to Merton, with 600 homes and other facilities.

The greyhound stadium proposal would see Irish businessman Paschal Taggart fund a 4,500 seater stadium with 550 homes and facilities.

A recent survey carried out by WPRA of its residents found 80 per cent of people asked did not support a proposal for AFC Wimbledon for the site.

AFC Wimbledon is hoping to submit its application to the council this month.

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Eugenie Bouchard loses Wimbledon rematch against Petra Kvitova at Wuhan ...

WUHAN, China - Petra Kvitova backed up her lopsided win over Eugenie Bouchard at Wimbledon with another emphatic victory over the Canadian to capture the inaugural Wuhan Open title on Saturday.

The third-seeded Czech player saved seven of eight break points she faced in the second set to close out a 6-3, 6-4 win over the sixth-seeded Bouchard in scorching conditions that lived up to Wuhan's reputation as one of China's 'oven cities.'

It was Kvitova's third title of the year and also secured her spot at the season-ending WTA finals in Singapore, alongside No. 1 Serena Williams, Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova.

She's also now a perfect 3-0 over the 20-year-old Bouchard, including her dominant 6-3, 6-0 win in the Wimbledon final that lasted only 55 minutes. It was the fewest games allowed in a women's Wimbledon final since Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles 6-2, 6-1 in 1992.

'I knew that I have to play a little bit more aggressive than I played the matches before,' Kvitova said. 'I need to play a similar game as in Wimbledon, very aggressively going for the shots.'

Bouchard had hoped to put up more of a fight than she did at Wimbledon. But the Westmount, Quebec native didn't have an answer for Kvitova's lefty serve out wide and couldn't match the Wimbledon champ's powerful groundstrokes, especially early in the match when she fell behind 3-1 in the first set.

Then, at the start of the second, she jammed her finger with her racket on a follow-through and had to take an injury timeout to have it taped while holding a bag of ice to her head to cool off in the 32-degree Celsius (90 F) heat.

'I have hit a million forehands in my life and I still can't hit one without hitting myself,' she said. 'With tape and adrenaline, (I could) still play as I normally would, but it's pretty painful now. It's surprising how such a small body part can actually be so painful.'

Still, after returning to the court, she made Kvitova work hard to close it out. Serving for the match at 5-2, Kvitova wasted a match point and was forced to save five break points before dumping a volley into the net to drop serve. After Bouchard held to make it 5-4, however, Kvitova regained her composure and put the match away.

The 24-year-old Czech player will now look to carry her late-season momentum into the WTA Championships, which she won in her breakout season in 2011 after beating Sharapova to capture her first Wimbledon title.

'I think that I'm feeling well. I'm prepared very well for the matches,' she said. 'I find my form finally.'

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Nadal wins first match since Wimbledon; Djokovic now 20

The top-seeded Serb is seeking his fifth title in Beijing, having won the tournament every time he's entered in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013. (AP Photo)

BEIJING (AP) -- Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic advanced with ease at the China Open on Tuesday, while Agnieszka Radwanska's late-season slump continued with another early loss.

The fourth-seeded Sharapova saved seven of nine break points she faced in a 6-2, 6-2 second-round win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a semifinalist last week at the Wuhan Open.

''She's sort of an up-and-comer. But playing really well. Has had some big results this year against top players,'' Sharapova said of Svitolina. ''Maybe the scoreline was a bit easier than the match showed.''

Djokovic improved to 20-0 at the China Open with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the first round.

The top-seeded Serb is seeking his fifth title in Beijing, having won the tournament every time he's entered in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013. This was his first outing since losing to Kei Nishikori in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.

All of the big men's names were in action on Tuesday, with Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray opening their accounts.

The fifth-seeded Radwanska, meanwhile, became the highest seed to lose in the women's draw, falling to Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4, 6-4.

Since winning the Canadian Open in August, the Pole hasn't advanced past the quarterfinals in five events. She could have wrapped up her spot in the season-ending WTA Finals this week, but fell in the second round in both Wuhan and now Beijing.

In other matches, second-seeded Simona Halep survived a tight match against 167th-ranked Lin Zhu of China, prevailing 7-5, 6-4. Halep is also seeking to regain her form after crashing out to 121st-ranked Mirjana Lucic-Baroni at the U.S. Open.

No. 1 Serena Williams took on Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria late Tuesday, while her sister Venus met rising French player Caroline Garcia for the second straight week; Garcia won in Wuhan in three sets.

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Newport County v AFC Wimbledon: Result of Rate the Dons

Your say on AFC Wimbledon's hammering at Newport on Saturday

Consolation strike: Adebayo Akinfenwa

Bayo Akinfenwa was on target once more but there was little else for AFC Wimbledon fans to shout about at Newport County on Saturday and the results of our Rate the Dons survey show how poorly you felt Neal Ardley's side played.

The Dons were already three goals down by the time Akinfenwa pulled one back on 70 minutes, with former AFC defender Ishmael Yakubu opening the scoring before on loan Charlton striker Joe Piggott bagged a brace.

Aaron O'Connor compounded Wimbledon's misery with a fourth goal late on leave the Dons stuck smack bang in the middle of the League Two table.

Akinfenwa topped the chart once again with a score of 4.5 but it was a far cry from the ratings the big man has been receiving in recent weeks.

Sean Rigg and George Francomb followed on 4/10. View the full results below.

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Murray wins first title since Wimbledon in China

AFP

Murray wins first title since Wimbledon in China

Andy Murray on Sunday won his first title since his historic Wimbledon victory last year, surviving a huge scare to beat Tommy Robredo in three sets at the inaugural Shenzhen Open.

Murray, who is currently ranked 11th, overcame the 32-year-old Spaniard in a tense match in which he saved five match points in the second set tie-break.

The 27-year-old Scot powered through the third set, winning his first title for 15 months 5-7, 7-6 (11/9), 6-1.

'It's been a long time since I won a tournament,' said Murray.

'The way that the match was won doesn't happen very often. It's rare to win a match like that. I was very close to losing.

'It was an emotional week for me. I managed to fight my way through it, win the title, and hopefully I can win another one before the end of the year.'

The victory boosts his hopes of qualifying for November's ATP World Tour Finals in London, which features the season's top eight players.

Murray has now won the last four of his six meetings against Robredo, which includes a victory over the Spaniard in his march to the 2013 Wimbledon title.

The win moves the Scot closer to Tomas Berdych, who currently occupies the final qualifying place for the London tournament.

Murray is also scheduled to play two further tournaments in China where 1,500 points are available. He is the sixth seed at the China Open this week, which is worth 500 points for the winner, and he will play at the Shanghai Masters, which is worth 1,000 points.

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Andy Murray wins first title since Wimbledon in Shenzhen

Shenzhen: Andy Murray has won his first title since his historic Wimbledon victory last year, surviving a scare to beat Tommy Robredo in three sets Sunday at the inaugural ATP Shenzhen Open.Andy Murray

Murray, who is currently ranked 11th by the ATP, overcame the 32-year-old in a tense match in which he saved five match points at the tie break in the second set as he appeared to be heading for defeat.

The 27-year-old Scot then powered through the third set, losing only one game as he closed in on his first title for 15 months with a scoreline of 5-7, 7-6 (11/9), 6-1. 'It's been a long time since I won a tournament,' said Murray.

'The way that the match was won doesn't happen very often. It's rare to win a match like that. I was very close to losing. 'It was an emotional week for me. I managed to fight my way through it, win the title, and hopefully I can win another one before the end of the year.'

The victory boosts the British player's hopes of qualifying for November's ATP World Tour Finals in London, the end of season finale which features the top eight mens players.

Murray has now won the last four of his six meetings against Robredo, which includes a victory over the Spaniard in his march to the 2013 Wimbledon final.

He will move into tenth position on the back of his win in Shenzhen, the ATP said on its website. Murray is now on 3,405 points, just 105 points behind eighth-placed Tomas Berdych, who currently occupies the final place for the London tournament.

Murray is also scheduled to play two further tournaments in China where 1,500 points are available. He is the sixth seed at the China Open this week, which is worth 500 points for the winner, and he will play at the Shanghai Masters, which is worth 1,000 points.

The Shenzhen Open is a new ATP tournament in China, and its introduction this year means China in 2014 has three successive men's tournaments over three weeks.

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Murray wins first title since Wimbledon in China

Andy Murray on Sunday won his first title since his historic Wimbledon victory last year, surviving a huge scare to beat Tommy Robredo in three sets at the inaugural Shenzhen Open.

Murray, who is currently ranked 11th, overcame the 32-year-old Spaniard in a tense match in which he saved five match points in the second set tie-break.

The 27-year-old Scot powered through the third set, winning his first title for 15 months 5-7, 7-6 (11/9), 6-1.

'It's been a long time since I won a tournament,' said Murray.

'The way that the match was won doesn't happen very often. It's rare to win a match like that. I was very close to losing.

'It was an emotional week for me. I managed to fight my way through it, win the title, and hopefully I can win another one before the end of the year.'

The victory boosts his hopes of qualifying for November's ATP World Tour Finals in London, which features the season's top eight players.

Murray has now won the last four of his six meetings against Robredo, which includes a victory over the Spaniard in his march to the 2013 Wimbledon title.

The win moves the Scot closer to Tomas Berdych, who currently occupies the final qualifying place for the London tournament.

Murray is also scheduled to play two further tournaments in China where 1,500 points are available. He is the sixth seed at the China Open this week, which is worth 500 points for the winner, and he will play at the Shanghai Masters, which is worth 1,000 points.

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Andy Murray ends his Wimbledon title drought beating Tommy Robredo in final ...

SCOTTISH ace was overcome with emotion after tough struggle in southern China's intense heat.

Andy bags title - his first since Wimbledon

ANDY Murray was overcome with emotion after ending a burdensome title drought that stretched all the way back to his glorious Wimbledon triumph.

Mum Judy wept along too, taking time out from Strictly Come Dancing commitments to watch on television as Murray came back from the brink of defeat to beat Tommy Robredo in the final of the Shenzhen Open.

Two-time grand slam winner Murray broke down in tears after a 5-7 7-6 (11/9) 6-1 victory, a success that was just the tonic for the Scot, who entered the modest ATP 250 tier event because of his impatience to experience the thrill of winning a tournament.

He was also aiming to strengthen his prospects of qualifying for the end-of-year Tour Finals, and Murray is now closing in rapidly on a place among the elite eight players who will convene at the O2 in November, climbing to 10th place in the Race to London.

The 27-year-old faced five match points in a second-set tie-break, four of them in succession from 6-2 behind, but saved them with some of his best tennis, and then breezed through the decider as Robredo struggled physically.

'Today was obviously an incredibly tough match, the conditions are so hard to play in,' said Murray in the on-court presentation.

'I got lucky, basically, at the end of the second set. I fought hard, tried my best and thankfully managed to turn it round. Tommy had a great tournament. He probably deserved to win the match today. He had the opportunities in the second set, but sometimes that happens in sport. I just tried to fight till the end.'

Mother Judy, so often at courtside for Murray's big matches, invoked a little Scottish dialect to hail her braveheart son as she wrote on Twitter: 'True grit. Stoatir. X'

She admitted she was crying, adding: 'It's been a tough time for him.'

Victory gave Murray his first silverware since parting ways with Ivan Lendl before the French Open and pairing up with French coach Amelie Mauresmo in June. Theirs has been a combination which has come under a close scrutiny which should be eased by this achievement.

Murray acknowledged the support from within his entourage and family.

He said on Eurosport: 'I want to thank my team and I want to thank my friends and family back home and especially my girlfriend (Kim Sears). She's supported me a lot through this week.

'It's been a very tough week for me.'

Spaniard Robredo could barely walk to the net come the end of a gruelling contest played in intense heat in southern China, with Murray's remarkably high levels of fitness being richly rewarded.

Murray had capped a glorious 12 months with his Wimbledon triumph in July 2013, which came in the wake of Olympic gold and the US Open title, but back surgery later in the year ended his season early.

He returned to the tour for the new season, struggling to come close to the form that enabled him to end Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles champion at the All England Club.

A semi-final run at the French Open hinted at Murray running into peak form in time for Wimbledon, but a quarter-final thrashing by Grigor Dimitrov told otherwise.

Sunday's Shenzhen title match was Murray's first final of what was proving an uncharacteristically fallow year, and it looked like being anticlimactic for his followers when Robredo moved so close to the winning line.

Yet the result told a wholly different story, the manner of victory offering fresh reassurance that Murray is lacking nothing in determination to get back to the top of the sport.

Next week he will be in Beijing, for the China Open, before competing in Masters 1000 events in Shanghai and Paris in October, where big points, big money and big-name opponents come into play, just the sort of challenge he relishes.

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Aces and Faults: Andy Murray, Petra Kvitova triumph in Shenzhen, Wuhan

Aces and Faults recaps the week in tennis. Last week, Andy Murray grabbed his first title since Wimbledon in July 2013 and Petra Kvitova notched her third title of the season, while Maria Sharapova and David Ferrer suffered early exits.

Trophy winners

Andy Murray: It was about time. Murray returned to the top ten by winning his first title since he won Wimbledon, ending a 15 month drought with a win at the Shenzhen Open. But it wouldn't be Murray without just a little bit of drama. In the final against Tommy Robredo he saved five match points to win 5-7, 7-6 (9), 6-1. The shot that bailed him out was his forehand, which he found at some point during his three-set semifinal win over Juan Monaco and continued to blast in the final. That's the shot that's been missing over the last year and it was good to see it do some damage once again. With his title in Shenzhen, Murray moves up to No. 10 in the ATP Race to London.

Highlights from the final:

Petra Kvitova: They should have called it Wuhanbledon. After a generally disappointing North American hard court swing, Kvitova got some time to rest and train and then took the quick low-bouncing courts at the Wuhan Open by storm and secured her spot in the WTA Finals. She scored her first top ten win of the season in the final, beating Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-4 in a rematch of this year's Wimbledon final. Kvitova has now won three titles in 2014, her highest tally since her breakout run to six titles in 2011. She smiled sheepishly when I asked her about her erratic record -- she's 3-0 in finals this year while also losing in her first match at 5 of 17 tournaments -- but said it's all about confidence. By the time she gets to the business of a tournament she's confident. Her 14-4 career record in finals speaks for itself.

Highlights from the final:

Kei Nishikori: Since having surgery on his foot in early August, Nishikori has now won 10 of his last 11 matches. In his first tournament since making the U.S. Open final, Nishikori lost just one set en route to his third title of the season at the Malaysian Open, defeating Julien Benneteau 7-6(4), 6-4 in the final. He's now up to a career-high No. 7 in the rankings.

More aces

Eugenie Bouchard: She was foiled again by Kvitova, but Bouchard's run to the Wuhan final put to rest any concern that her Wimbledon hangover would persist through the end of the season. She admitted her European summer, which saw her win her first title and make the semifinals of the French Open and final at Wimbledon, left her wiped for the North American summer. Her tournament preparation felt rushed and the confidence was lacking. She wisely pulled out of the Hong Kong Open to get her body and game back on track and proceeded to make her first WTA Premier final, scoring a straight set win over Caroline Wozniacki in the process.

Julien Benneteau: Sure, we could focus on Benneteau moving to 0-10 in finals in his career. Or, as Benneteau pointed out to , we can celebrate him for making at least one final for seven consecutive seasons. We're all about the glass half-full.

​Ernests Gulbis: For the first time since making the French Open semifinals, Gulbis won back-to-back matches. He lost to Benneteau in straight sets in the Malaysian Open semifinals. Baby steps.

Angry baby steps, as it were:

Caroline Garcia: The first few days of the Wuhan Open belonged to Garcia. She saved match point to come back from 2-5 down in the third set to defeat Venus Williams 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) in the first round. Then she followed it up the next day by beating fifth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7). With a straight set win over CoCo Vandeweghe in the next round, Garcia advanced to her second WTA Premier quarterfinal of the year, where she lost to Kvitova. But this run from Garcia came out of nowhere -- she had won just two main draw matches since Wimbledon -- and she did it by playing incredibly aggressive. I'm curious to see if she can keep that up.

Timea Bacsinszky: The Swiss qualifier earned her first top five win by defeating Maria Sharapova 7-6 (3) 7-5 in the third round of the Wuhan Open and pushed Wozniacki to three sets in the quarterfinals. Ranked as low as 240 this season, Bacsinszky is now 11 spots away from her career-high ranking of No. 37, which she reached back in 2010.

​ Viktor Troicki: Troicki's goal when he began his comeback in July -- when he was ranked No. 847 after serving a 12-month suspension for a missed doping test -- was to earn direct entry for the Australian Open. Based on his current form he just might do it. Troicki scored the biggest win of his comeback last week at the Shenzhen Open when he beat David Ferrer, a player he had never won a set off of, 6-3, 6-4. He went on to make the quarterfinals to boost his ranking to No. 152. He was granted a wildcard into this week's China Open where he's already beaten Mikhail Youzhny.

​Faults

Maria Sharapova: The Russian remains in search of a consistent level, losing in straight sets to Bacsinszky in the third round of the Wuhan Open. She's made just one semifinal since winning the French Open.

Simona Halep: The slump continues for Halep, losing 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 to Garbine Muguruza in her first match in Wuhan.

David Ferrer: The Spaniard is now 0-2 since the U.S. Open, losing to Troicki last week in Shenzhen and Marcel Granollers this week at the Japan Open. He's won one match since making the Western and Southern Open final this summer.

Photo of the week

Video of the week

Ernests Gulbis and Pablo Andujar make flatbread in Kuala Lumpur:

In case you missed it

- Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the Wuhan Open and has shut down her season.

- Nick Kyrgios lost in the first round of the Malaysian Open and has shut down his season.

- Rafael Nadal beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in an exhibition match in Astana, Kazakhstan.

- Roger Federer confirmed he'll play the Shanghai Masters. He'll also play two matches in India for the International Premier Tennis League after Nadal pulled out. Very odd scheduling choice given he will end his season in the Davis Cup final and begin soon after at the Brisbane International.

- Li Na's retirement ceremony at the China Open will be held on Tuesday at 7:30 pm local time.

Passing shots

- After shock retirements and a number of high profile early losses by the top seeds, leave it to Li Na's good buddy Kvitova to save the Wuhan Open.

- The Murray forehand remains the key to his success. It's the shot Ivan Lendl helped him unleash.

- Toni Nadal ambushing Spain's new Davis Cup captain Gala Leon on Spanish radio was wrong and credit to Leon for handling the whole thing with class. Some of the criticisms surrounding her hiring may be fair -- she doesn't have much experience and it sounds like there were other candidates the players preferred. But shouldn't the criticism be directed at the Spanish Federation? They're the ones who gave her the job.

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Kvitova defeats Bouchard to win Wuhan Open

World number three Petra Kvitova overcame Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets Saturday to win the inaugural $2.4 million WTA Wuhan Open, her third title of the year.

The Wimbledon champion was at her ruthless best, defeating the Canadian 6-3, 6-4 -- a result which confirmed her place in next month's WTA Finals, the season-ending finale featuring the world's top eight women players.

The final of the premier-ranking tournament was a rematch between the two players who contested the Wimbledon final, and Kvitova reproduced in Wuhan the determination she displayed in London, where she won 6-3, 6-0.

The Czech player broke the world number nine in the second game and maintained her 3-0 lead to clinch the first set.

Kvitova then took an early lead in the second set, breaking serve in the first game before Bouchard appeared to hurt her middle finger on her left hand which was bandaged later in the game.

The third seed then advanced to 5-2 before Bouchard attempted a comeback.

The 20-year-old sixth seed had three break points against Kvitova in the eighth game, and while her opponent clawed her way back into contention with some powerful serving, Bouchard took the game.

- Return to form -

The new poster girl for the WTA then took the next game, but Kvitova's strength at the serve wrapped up the set 6-4.

'It went well for me, for sure. I start(ed) pretty well,' said Kvitova.

'The first game I (broke) her was very important for my confidence. I knew that I had to play a little bit more aggressive than I played the matches before.'

She added: 'I (needed) to play a similar game as in Wimbledon, very aggressively going for the shots.'

The victory was Kvitova's third over Bouchard in the three games they have previously played.

Kvitova crushed her opponent in 55 minutes at Wimbledon, the shortest final ever at the tournament. Bouchard was also defeated when the pair met in Toronto last year.

Victory was sweet for Kvitova, who has enjoyed a return to consistency at Wuhan after a poor run in the North American swing.

She won her second tournament of the year at New Haven, but crashed out of the US Open in the third round to 145th-ranked Serbian qualifier Aleksandra Krunic.

Kvitova then lost to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, her quarter-final opponent in Wuhan, in her opening match in Cincinnati.

The victory at the Wuhan Optics Valley Tennis Center also means the left-hander will retain her position as world number three. If she had finished runner up, Russian Maria Sharapova would have leapt from fourth to third when the rankings are next updated by the WTA.

Kvitova also confirms her place at the WTA Finals in Singapore. Those who have already made it to the season finale include world number one Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep.

Bouchard, meanwhile, will move up two places in the WTA rankings to number seven, equalling her career high, following her appearance in the final.

But she was left to regret how she could have approached the final better after the game.

'I think maybe I gave her a bit too much ground,' she said.

'You know, when she's... on her game, playing her aggressive game, it's really tough to beat her that way.

'I think I maybe should have tried to go for (it) a bit more, like in the first few shots and kind of play more first-strike tennis -- because that's definitely how she plays -- and maybe try to beat her to the punch a bit more often.'

The Wuhan Open, in the central province of Hubei, features the world's top 20 women players, with the exception of recently-retired local hero Li Na.

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Andy Murray wins first title since Wimbledon as he battles back to beat Tommy ...

Andy Murray fought back to win his first title in 15 months as he came from a set down to beat Tommy Robredo at the inaugural Shenzhen Open.

Murray is back in the winner's circle following his drought, with his last tournament victory coming at Wimbledon last year, but it was far from smooth for the British No.1 despite a 5-7 7-6(9) 6-1 triumph.

'It's been a tough year for me,' Murray said. 'The first few months coming back from surgery were hard, then I lost a bit of confidence. I've felt better the past few months and hopefully I can have a strong end to the season.'

The Scot, who underwent back surgery in September last year, was broken in the opening game of the match and then again at 5-5 as Spaniard Robredo clinched the opening set.

Defeat looked ominous for Murray as the second went to a tie-break; Robredo earned a 6-2 lead but Murray saved five match points before edging the breaker 11-9, which sent the match into a decider.

Robredo's early efforts took their toll as the No.4 seed wilted in the last, with Murray wrapping up victory in two hours 30 minutes on court.

Victory not only means a first crown for Murray since he became the first British male to win Wimbledon in 77 years, but it has also enhanced his chances of qualifying for the ATP season-ending World Tour Finals in November.

Murray earned 250 ranking points with his win, which moves him up to No.10 in the Race to London rankings - just 105 points behind No.8 Tomas Berdych, who holds the final qualifying spot.

The 27-year-old will hope to build on his Shenzhen success by taking part in two other Asain tournaments; Murray will play in the China Open in Beijing and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Shanghai.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

Feeds: ESPN staff

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Andy Murray wins first title since Wimbledon in Shenzhen

Shenzhen: Andy Murray has won his first title since his historic Wimbledon victory last year, surviving a scare to beat Tommy Robredo in three sets Sunday at the inaugural ATP Shenzhen Open.Andy Murray

Murray, who is currently ranked 11th by the ATP, overcame the 32-year-old in a tense match in which he saved five match points at the tie break in the second set as he appeared to be heading for defeat.

The 27-year-old Scot then powered through the third set, losing only one game as he closed in on his first title for 15 months with a scoreline of 5-7, 7-6 (11/9), 6-1. 'It's been a long time since I won a tournament,' said Murray.

'The way that the match was won doesn't happen very often. It's rare to win a match like that. I was very close to losing. 'It was an emotional week for me. I managed to fight my way through it, win the title, and hopefully I can win another one before the end of the year.'

The victory boosts the British player's hopes of qualifying for November's ATP World Tour Finals in London, the end of season finale which features the top eight mens players.

Murray has now won the last four of his six meetings against Robredo, which includes a victory over the Spaniard in his march to the 2013 Wimbledon final.

He will move into tenth position on the back of his win in Shenzhen, the ATP said on its website. Murray is now on 3,405 points, just 105 points behind eighth-placed Tomas Berdych, who currently occupies the final place for the London tournament.

Murray is also scheduled to play two further tournaments in China where 1,500 points are available. He is the sixth seed at the China Open this week, which is worth 500 points for the winner, and he will play at the Shanghai Masters, which is worth 1,000 points.

The Shenzhen Open is a new ATP tournament in China, and its introduction this year means China in 2014 has three successive men's tournaments over three weeks.

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Kvitova defeats Bouchard to win Wuhan Open

WUHAN - World number three Petra Kvitova overcame Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets Saturday to win the inaugural $2.4 million WTA Wuhan Open, her third title of the year. The Wimbledon champion was at her ruthless best, defeating the Canadian 6-3, 6-4 - a result which confirmed her place in next month's WTA Finals, the season-ending finale featuring the world's top eight women players.The final of the premier-ranking tournament was a rematch between the two players who contested the Wimbledon final, and Kvitova reproduced in Wuhan the determination she displayed in London, where she won 6-3, 6-0. The Czech player broke the world number nine in the second game and maintained her 3-0 lead to clinch the first set. Kvitova then took an early lead in the second set, breaking serve in the first game before Bouchard appeared to hurt her middle finger on her left hand which was bandaged later in the game. The third seed then advanced to 5-2 before Bouchard attempted a comeback. The 20-year-old sixth seed had three break points against Kvitova in the eighth game, and while her opponent clawed her way back into contention with some powerful serving, Bouchard took the game. The new poster girl for the WTA then took the next game, but Kvitova's strength at the serve wrapped up the set 6-4. 'It went well for me, for sure. I start(ed) pretty well,' said Kvitova. 'The first game I (broke) her was very important for my confidence. I knew that I had to play a little bit more aggressive than I played the matches before.'She added: 'I (needed) to play a similar game as in Wimbledon, very aggressively going for the shots.' The victory was Kvitova's third over Bouchard in the three games they have previously played. Kvitova crushed her opponent in 55 minutes at Wimbledon, the shortest final ever at the tournament. Bouchard was also defeated when the pair met in Toronto last year. Victory was sweet for Kvitova, who has enjoyed a return to consistency at Wuhan after a poor run in the North American swing.She won her second tournament of the year at New Haven, but crashed out of the US Open in the third round to 145th-ranked Serbian qualifier Aleksandra Krunic. Kvitova then lost to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, her quarter-final opponent in Wuhan, in her opening match in Cincinnati. The victory at the Wuhan Optics Valley Tennis Center also means the left-hander will retain her position as world number three. If she had finished runner up, Russian Maria Sharapova would have leapt from fourth to third when the rankings are next updated by the WTA.Kvitova also confirms her place at the WTA Finals in Singapore. Those who have already made it to the season finale include world number one Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep. Bouchard, meanwhile, will move up two places in the WTA rankings to number seven, equalling her career high, following her appearance in the final. But she was left to regret how she could have approached the final better after the game. 'I think maybe I gave her a bit too much ground,' she said. 'You know, when she's... on her game, playing her aggressive game, it's really tough to beat her that way. I think I maybe should have tried to go for (it) a bit more, like in the first few shots and kind of play more first-strike tennis - because that's definitely how she plays - and maybe try to beat her to the punch a bit more often.' The Wuhan Open, in the central province of Hubei, features the world's top 20 women players, with the exception of recently-retired local hero Li Na.

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Andy Murray ends his Wimbledon title drought beating Tommy Robredo in final ...

SCOTTISH ace was overcome with emotion after tough struggle in southern China's intense heat.

Andy bags title - his first since Wimbledon

ANDY Murray was overcome with emotion after ending a burdensome title drought that stretched all the way back to his glorious Wimbledon triumph.

Mum Judy wept along too, taking time out from Strictly Come Dancing commitments to watch on television as Murray came back from the brink of defeat to beat Tommy Robredo in the final of the Shenzhen Open.

Two-time grand slam winner Murray broke down in tears after a 5-7 7-6 (11/9) 6-1 victory, a success that was just the tonic for the Scot, who entered the modest ATP 250 tier event because of his impatience to experience the thrill of winning a tournament.

He was also aiming to strengthen his prospects of qualifying for the end-of-year Tour Finals, and Murray is now closing in rapidly on a place among the elite eight players who will convene at the O2 in November, climbing to 10th place in the Race to London.

The 27-year-old faced five match points in a second-set tie-break, four of them in succession from 6-2 behind, but saved them with some of his best tennis, and then breezed through the decider as Robredo struggled physically.

'Today was obviously an incredibly tough match, the conditions are so hard to play in,' said Murray in the on-court presentation.

'I got lucky, basically, at the end of the second set. I fought hard, tried my best and thankfully managed to turn it round. Tommy had a great tournament. He probably deserved to win the match today. He had the opportunities in the second set, but sometimes that happens in sport. I just tried to fight till the end.'

Mother Judy, so often at courtside for Murray's big matches, invoked a little Scottish dialect to hail her braveheart son as she wrote on Twitter: 'True grit. Stoatir. X'

She admitted she was crying, adding: 'It's been a tough time for him.'

Victory gave Murray his first silverware since parting ways with Ivan Lendl before the French Open and pairing up with French coach Amelie Mauresmo in June. Theirs has been a combination which has come under a close scrutiny which should be eased by this achievement.

Murray acknowledged the support from within his entourage and family.

He said on Eurosport: 'I want to thank my team and I want to thank my friends and family back home and especially my girlfriend (Kim Sears). She's supported me a lot through this week.

'It's been a very tough week for me.'

Spaniard Robredo could barely walk to the net come the end of a gruelling contest played in intense heat in southern China, with Murray's remarkably high levels of fitness being richly rewarded.

Murray had capped a glorious 12 months with his Wimbledon triumph in July 2013, which came in the wake of Olympic gold and the US Open title, but back surgery later in the year ended his season early.

He returned to the tour for the new season, struggling to come close to the form that enabled him to end Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles champion at the All England Club.

A semi-final run at the French Open hinted at Murray running into peak form in time for Wimbledon, but a quarter-final thrashing by Grigor Dimitrov told otherwise.

Sunday's Shenzhen title match was Murray's first final of what was proving an uncharacteristically fallow year, and it looked like being anticlimactic for his followers when Robredo moved so close to the winning line.

Yet the result told a wholly different story, the manner of victory offering fresh reassurance that Murray is lacking nothing in determination to get back to the top of the sport.

Next week he will be in Beijing, for the China Open, before competing in Masters 1000 events in Shanghai and Paris in October, where big points, big money and big-name opponents come into play, just the sort of challenge he relishes.

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Petra Kvitova Wins Wuhan, Qualifies For Singapore – Mondays with Bob Greene

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Petra Kvitova beat Eugenie Bouchard 6-3 6-4 to win the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open in Wuhan, China

Kei Nishikori beat Julien Benneteau 7-6 (4) 6-4 to win the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Andy Murray beat Tommy Robredo 5-7 7-6 (9) 6-1 to win the Shenzhen Open in Shenzhen, China

Sergiy Stakhovsky beat Thomaz Bellucci 6-2 7-5 to win the Open d'Orléans in Orléans, France

SAYING

'I've had a great second part of the season. It all started a little bit at the French Open, and from there I just kept improving. I think early on I was expecting too much of myself, and it was really difficult to take the loss in my first round in Australia, but I kept working hard, and now I'm here.' - Petra Kvitova, after beating Eugenie Bouchard to win the Wuhan Open.

'She's beaten me in two finals this year, so I will have to figure out what to do to beat her now.' - Eugenie Bouchard.

'Today was obviously an incredibly tough match ... and I got lucky at the end of the second set. I fought hard and I tried my best, and thankfully managed to turn it around.' - Andy Murray, after staving off five match point to win in Shenzhen.

'It's tough to accept when you are so close.' - Tommy Robredo, after losing to Andy Murray.

'It wasn't my best tennis, but it's good to win like this.' - Kei Nishikori, following his Malaysian Open victory.

'Kei was simply too good in the key moments, especially at the end of the first set. I had some chances, but against these kinds of players they are small chances and you have to take them. I tried to play my best and I almost did it.' - Julien Benneteau, after losing to Kei Nishikori in Kuala Lumpur.

'I think I always allowed her to get another ball back and to make me play another ball. Then obviously that didn't help me, because I was making more mistakes.' - Maria Sharapova, after being ousted by Timea Bacsinszky in Wuhan, China.

'I saw Maria's match. She tried very hard. Unfortunately she lost, but it's the tennis. At this time a lot of girls are playing so well, and the level, it's so close, and just a few points make the difference.' - Petra Kvitova, on Maria Sharapova's loss to Timea Bacsinszky.

'Li Na has been the most influential tennis player of this decade.' - Stacey Allaster, WTA chairman and CEO, before an on-court ceremony at the China Open in Beijing honored the recently-retired Li.

STRONG PERFORMANCE

Just like the Wimbledon final, Petra Kvitova dispatched Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets to capture the inaugural Wuhan Open. The Czech left-hander needed just 80 seconds to capture her third WTA title of the year and 14 ^th of her career. In July, she beat Bouchard in the title match to claim her second career Wimbledon title. This is turning into the season Kvitova has been hoping for, but hadn't expected after she suffered a first-round loss at the Australian Open in January. 'From the beginning my season was really tough,' she said. 'If somebody told me at the Australian Open that I would win Wimbledon and still be fighting for Singapore, I'm not sure I would have believed them.' Despite the loss, Bouchard was not too unhappy with her performance. 'I felt like I played really well this week and the crowd really made me feel at home,' the Canadian told the crowd. 'Also, this was the first year of this tournament, but it felt like you've been doing this for 100 years.'

The Wuhan tournament was held in Li Na's hometown, but the Chinese superstar announced her retirement from the sport just before the tournament began. It was a no-show that Kvitova noticed. 'I know everybody wished to have Li Na here standing with us,' she told the audience after capturing the title, 'but we will remember her with this trophy. I'm just glad she's happy now, I hope she's going to be happy for the rest of her life.'

SO LONG

It had been a long time between titles for Andy Murray. The Brit won the Shenzhen Open in China, his first trophy since capturing Wimbledon more than a year ago. And it was far from being an easy victory over Spain's Tommy Robredo. The two-time Grand Slam tournament winner trailed 6-2 in the second-set tiebreak - quadruple match point - before reeling off four straight points to pull even. Robredo reach his fifth match point before Murray eventually took the tiebreak 11-9, sending the match into a decisive third set. There, it was all Murray, who broke Robredo three times in the set. The Spaniard also appeared to be slowed by injury as he failed to chase down balls. 'Tommy had a great tournament, he probably deserved to win the match today,' Murray said. 'He had the opportunities in the second set, but sometimes that happens in sport. I just tried to fight to the end.'

SLAM NO FLUKE

Playing in his first tournament since reaching the US Open final, Kei Nishikori showed that his Grand Slam tournament results were not a fluke. The top seed became the first Asian to win the Malaysian Open by stopping Frenchman Julien Benneteau in two tightly fought sets. 'It was a really tough start because he was playing so aggressive,' Nishikori said of Benneteau. 'I was waiting for my opportunity. I had so many break points and I couldn't take them. In the last game, he got a little bit tight and I took my chance. After that, I played much better and I think he was getting a little bit tired in the second set.' Benneteau was seeking his first ATP World Tour title. Instead, he lost his 10 ^th consecutive final, including at Kuala Lumpur for the third consecutive year. 'I'm disappointed with the loss, but very happy with the level of my game,' Benneteau said. 'It's hard to keep that level of intensity in every point and every game. I need to improve this to be more consistent.'

SEEKING PLAYING TIME

After missing more than three months with his latest injury, Rafael Nadal has returned to the ATP World Tour, playing at the China Open. Pain in his right wrist forced Nadal to the sidelines after he suffered a fourth-round loss to Australian Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon. At the time, Nadal was ranked number one in the world. 'I am fine,' the 28-year-old Spaniard told reporters when he arrived in Beijing. 'I am much better. The thing is the injury, the evolution of the injury, was a bit slow and took a little bit of time. But that's it. I just feel the wrist a little bit when I am starting, when I start to play every day, but then it disappears. I'm in good conditions to compete again.' Nadal won the Beijing tournament in 2005, and is playing the China Open for the fourth time. Because of the injury, he was unable to defend his crowns at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati, as well as the at the US Open.

SUPERSTAR TRIBUTE

Chinese fans are showing their deep appreciation for the exploits of recently retired superstar Li Na. Her hometown fans in Wuhan paid tribute to her last week, and this week she is being honored at the China Open in Beijing. 'This will be a great opportunity for the fans in Beijing to pay respect to a tennis legend who has inspired a nation and done so much for the game around the world,' said WTA chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster. Li won nine WTA titles, including two Grand Slam tournaments. She became the first Chinese player to win a WTA title, the first to win a Premier-level title, the first to compete in singles at the WTA Finals, and the first to crack the Top 20, the Top 10, and the Top 5 on the WTA Rankings. A three-time Olympian, Li played Zheng Jie in the first all-Chinese WTA singles final at Oeiras, Portugal, in 2006.

SERENA SICK

Serena Williams had to be helped from the court when she retired because of illness during her second-round match at the inaugural Wuhan Open. Spectators watched as the world's top-ranked player had her temperature and blood pressure checked on the court before she retired while leading Alizé Cornet of France 6-5 in the opening set. It was Serena's first match since she won her 18 ^th Grand Slam tournament title at the US Open. 'I'm sorry to all the fans in Wuhan that I had to retire from my match against Alizé today,' Williams said. 'I felt dizzy and nauseous in the first set and unfortunately couldn't continue. The tournament organizers have done an amazing job preparing the facilities for this year's event and I really hope to come back to the Wuhan Open in 2015.' The retirement meant Cornet becomes the first player to win three matches against Serena in a season since Justine Henin did it in 2007. Cornet also beat Williams at Dubai in February and in June at Wimbledon.

The new WTA tournament in Wuhan - Li Na's hometown - attracted almost all of the top 20 women players. But Li retired just before the tournament began and five of the seeded players lost on opening day, including fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and ninth-seeded Ana Ivanovic.

STUNNED

Why should Maria Sharapova be any different? The reigning French Open champion was bounced from the Wuhan tournament by a qualifier, Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland. The Russian was just joining a number of other top players who made early trips to the sideline of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, including Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Agnieszka Radwanska and Ana Ivanovic. Li Na, the local favorite, never began the tournament, announcing her retirement just days before the event began its one-week run. Bacsinszky was ranked 37 ^th in the world in 2010 before a series of injuries saw her ranking tumble to 578 two years ago. Currently she is 61 ^st in the world. Sharapova fell 7-6 (3) 7-5. 'There were a lot of, you know, times in the match where I did everything right for the first few balls and then didn't execute in the points,' Sharapova said. It was the biggest win of Bacsinszky's career.

SINGAPORE QUALIFIER

With her victory at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, Petra Kvitova became the fourth player to qualify for the season-ending BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Players who qualified earlier for the select field include Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep. The eight top singles players earn berths in the unique field. It is Kvitova's fourth trip to the season finale. She won the title in 2011, fell in the round-robin stage of the event in 2012 and last year reached the semifinals. 'It was really difficult to take the loss in my first round in Australia, but I kept working hard, and now I'm here,' Kvitova said.

SENIOR TEAM

Having to play only half the court is working wonders for Martina Hingis. The Hall of Famer returned to the WTA tour this season, but HAS limited her play to doubles only. Hingis, who turns 34 this week, teamed with 32-year-old Flavia Pennetta of Italy to win their first WTA doubles title as a team, capturing the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open by beating Cara Black and Caroline Garcia. The winners led 6-4 5-3 and had four match points in the second-set tiebreak, but Hingis and Pennetta rallied to take the tiebreak 12-10 and force a third set. Hingis and Pennetta weren't to be denied, however, capturing the crown 6-4 5-7 12-10 (match tiebreak). 'We got a little bit tight in the end of the second set, but that's normal in a final,' Pennetta said. 'It was just amazing to play doubles with Martina again. She's a great partner and a great person.' It was the fifth time Hingis and Pennetta have played together this year, but the first time they have wound up with the winner's trophy. It was Hingis' 39 ^th individual WTA doubles title and Pennetta's 16 ^th.

SNIT OVER COACH

Rafael Nadal's coach has stirred up a storm of protests by criticizing the selection of a woman as captain of Spain's Davis Cup team. Toni Nadal, Rafa's coach and uncle, told a radio station: 'It is preferable that (the captain) is someone with a background in the world of men's tennis. Gala Leon, who once played on the WTA tour, was named Davis Cup captain to replace Carlos Moya. Toni Nadal's comments have been labeled sexist by Spain's leading political parties. 'The truth is that the men's game isn't the same as the women's game on the tactical level, not that one is better than the other,' Toni Nadal said. 'I have nothing against her, I don't know what her capabilities are, and I hope she does her job well, but in theory she is a person that doesn't know men's tennis, because men's tennis isn't the same as women's tennis.' Feliciano Lopez, who has been a member of Spain's Davis Cup team for years, defended Toni Nadal from charges of sexism, but said that he and the other players would adapt to having a woman as a coach. 'What Tony wanted to say is that it would be strange having a woman in the changing room, but that won't be a problem since it will only mean getting used to it, just like when men coach women's teams,' Lopez told Spanish state television. While Spain has never had a female as Davis Cup captain, the Spanish Fed Cup team had a male captain, Miguel Margets, from 1993 until 2011, when Arantxa Sanchez Vicario took his place. Margets led Spain to four Fed Cup titles from 1993-1996.

SIGNPOST

No longer ranked in the top 10 in the world, Juan Monaco is still racking up victories. The Argentine claimed his 300 ^th ATP World Tour-level win at the Shenzhen Open when he downed Vasek Pospisil 7-5 2-6 6-3. 'It's amazing, 300 victories is a lot,' Monaco said. He won his first match on home soil in Buenos Aires in 2004 against Nicolas Lapentti. Monaco is the seventh player from Argentina to win at least 300 matches. Guillermo Vilas leads the Argentine players with 929 match wins. Monaco is the 26th active player - and the sixth this season - to win at least 300 career matches on the ATP World Tour. The leader is Roger Federer with 979.

SWITCHEROO

When Rafael Nadal withdrew from the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), Roger Federer stepped up as a replacement. Nadal, who had been scheduled to play for the Indian franchise, cited 'health problems' as the reason he will not play. 'When you are talking of profile as high as Rafa Nadal, there was probably only one name that could have helped ease the pain, and for us fortunately Roger was available and we made it happen,' said IPTL founder Mahesh Bhupathi. Federer joins retired American Pete Sampras, winner of 14 Grand Slam tournament titles, in the Indian franchise of the four-team event, scheduled to be played from Nov. 28 to Dec. 13. The Philippines, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates are home to the other teams in the league. Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki have also confirmed their participation.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Kuala Lumpur: Marcin Matkowski and Leander Paes beat Jamie Murray and John Peers 3-6 7-6 (5) 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Orléans: Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa beat James Cerretani and Andreas Siljestrom 5-7 6-4 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Wuhan: Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta beat Cara Black and Caroline Garcia 6-4 5-7 12-10 (match tiebreak)

Shenzhen: Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau beat Sam Groth and Chris Guccione 6-4 7-6 (4)

SURFING Beijing: http://ift.tt/1nvZqJD TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK (All money in USD) MEN

$2,500,470 China Open, Beijing, China, hard

$1,228,825 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo, Japan, hard

$137,895 Ethias Trophy, Mons, Belgium, hard

$100,000 Sacramento Challenger, Sacramento, California, USA, hard

WOMEN

$4,720,380 China Open, Beijing, China, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK MEN

$3,849,445 Shanghai Rolex Masters, Shanghai, China, hard

$125,000 Tashkent Open, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hard

$107,793 Open de Rennes, Rennes, France, hard

$100,000 First Republic Bank Tiburon Challenger, Tiburon, California, USA, hard

WOMEN

$226,750 Generali Ladies Linz, Linz, Austria, hard

$226,750 Japan Women's Open Tennis, Osaka, Japan, hard

$226,750 Tianjin Open, Tianjin, China, hard

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Kvitova clinches Wuhan title with Bouchard rout

WUHAN, China: World number three Petra Kvitova overcame Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets yesterday to win the inaugural $2.4m WTA Wuhan Open, her third title of the year. The Wimbledon champion was at her ruthless best, defeating the Canadian 6-3, 6-4, a result which confirmed her place in next month's WTA Finals, the season-ending finale featuring the world's top eight women players. The final of the premier-ranking tournament was a rematch between the two players who contested the Wimbledon final, and Kvitova reproduced in Wuhan the determination she displayed in London, where she won 6-3, 6-0. The Czech player broke the world number nine in the second game and maintained her 3-0 lead to clinch the first set. Kvitova then took an early lead in the second set, breaking serve in the first game before Bouchard appeared to hurt her middle finger on her left hand which was bandaged later in the game. The third seed then advanced to 5-2 before Bouchard attempted a comeback. The 20-year-old sixth seed had three break points against Kvitova in the eighth game, and while her opponent clawed her way back into contention with some powerful serving, Bouchard took the game. The new poster girl for the WTA then took the next game, but Kvitova's strength at the serve wrapped up the set 6-4. 'It went well for me, for sure. I start(ed) pretty well,' said Kvitova. 'The first game I (broke) her was very important for my confidence. I knew that I had to play a little bit more aggressive than I played the matches before.' The victory was Kvitova's third over Bouchard in the three games they have previously played. Kvitova crushed her opponent in 55 minutes at Wimbledon, the shortest final ever at the tournament. Bouchard was also defeated when the pair met in Toronto last year. Victory was sweet for Kvitova, who has enjoyed a return to consistency at Wuhan after a poor run in the North American swing. She won her second tournament of the year at New Haven, but crashed out of the US Open in the third round to 145th-ranked Serbian qualifier Aleksandra Krunic. Kvitova then lost to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, her quarter-final opponent in Wuhan, in her opening match in Cincinnati. The victory at the Wuhan Optics Valley Tennis Center also means the left-hander will retain her position as world number three. If she had finished runner up, Russian Maria Sharapova would have leapt from fourth to third when the rankings are next updated by the WTA. Kvitova also confirms her place at the WTA Finals in Singapore. Those who have already made it to the season finale include world number one Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep.Bouchard, meanwhile, will move up two places in the WTA rankings to number seven, equalling her career high, following her appearance in the final. But she was left to regret how she could have approached the final better after the game. 'I think maybe I gave her a bit too much ground,' she said. 'You know, when she's... on her game, playing her aggressive game, it's really tough to beat her that way. 'I think I maybe should have tried to go for (it) a bit more, like in the first few shots and kind of play more first-strike tennis -- because that's definitely how she plays -- and maybe try to beat her to the punch a bit more often.' The Wuhan Open, in the central province of Hubei, features the world's top 20 women players, with the exception of recently-retired local hero Li Na.AFP

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Possession 51% 49% 70 mins Newport County AFC Wimbledon

Last updated at 16:58

On-loan striker Joe Pigott scored twice as Newport County moved up to 15th place in League Two with a comfortable win over AFC Wimbledon.

Ismail Yakubu's close-range header gave the Exiles a 1-0 interval lead.

Pigott pounced for a second when Chris Zebroski's shot was parried by goalkeeper James Shea and Pigott's deflected shot put Newport 3-0 up.

Adebayo Akinfenwa headed one back for the Dons, but Aaron O'Connor sealed the win from the edge of the box.

Newport County manager Justin Edinburgh told BBC Radio Wales:

'It's a continued development of our performances of late.

'Getting the second goal when we did, 15 seconds into the second half, gave us that foothold in the game. Wimbledon had to come out and we exploited the space in the second half and scored some good goals.

'I thought we had to stay strong against a very physical side and there was a lot of pressure on our back three.

'And special praise must go to young Scott Tancock, because he only met his team-mates today and I thought it was an excellent debut and a very mature one.'

AFC Wimbledon manager Neal Ardley told BBC London 94.9:

'It wasn't a 4-1. I know that was the final result but that was a result of chasing a game. In the first half, there was not much between the teams. We were a bit tentative and we needed to up the tempo a bit, but that was about it.

'I was sure that we would finish stronger than them and I was sure that we had goals in there. The second goal is the moment that kills us.

'After that, you have to go flat out to chase the game. From that moment, you have 43 minutes to get two goals. I felt we could do it, but when you're chasing the game you're also leaving it open.'

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Murray wins first title since Wimbledon in China

Shenzhen (China) (AFP) - Andy Murray on Sunday won his first title since his historic Wimbledon victory last year, surviving a scare to beat Tommy Robredo in three sets at the inaugural ATP Shenzhen Open.

Murray, who is currently ranked 11th, overcame the 32-year-old in a tense match in which he saved five match points in the second set tie-break.

The 27-year-old Scot then powered through the third set, losing only one game as he closed in on his first title for 15 months.

The victory boosts his hopes of qualifying for November's ATP World Tour Finals in London, which features the season's top eight players.

Murray has now won the last four of his six meetings against Robredo, which includes a victory over the Spaniard in his march to the 2013 Wimbledon title.

The win moves the Scot closer to Tomas Berdych, who currently occupies the final qualifying place for the London tournament.

Murray is also scheduled to play two further tournaments in China where 1,500 points are available. He is the sixth seed at the China Open this week, which is worth 500 points for the winner, and he will play at the Shanghai Masters, which is worth 1,000 points.

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Andy Murray finally reaches first ATP final since winning Wimbledon

UK Tennis 27 Sep 2014 - 16:47 / by Andre Terry / reads 392.Source:

Tennis: Andy Murray is through to the first ATP final since winning the Wimbledon title last year and would be looking to end his 14 months title drought when he faces Tommy Robredo in the final of Shenzhen Open in China.

Having lost 10 Quarterfinals and 2 Semifinals in that period, Murray faced former world No.10 Juan Monaco in the semifinals. The Argentinian had reached the last 4 after ousting the 7th seed Vasek Pospisil and the third seed Richard Gasquet in previous rounds.

Murray and Monaco had not met in last 4 years but their head-to-head record was levelled at 2-2, and three of their four meetings were decided in 3 sets.

Monaco broke Murray twice in first five games to race to a 4-1 lead. Murray got one break back but Monaco broke again to take the first set 6-2. In the first set there were two double faults from both players, but Monaco served 4 aces, 2 more than Murray.

Also Read: Murray reaches first semifinal since the French Open, Gasquet goes out in Shenzhen

Also Read: Andy Murray progresses, David Ferrer ousted from Shenzhen Open

The expression 'to endure the rally' is about those indeterminate moments of a rally where none of the players is leading.

The ability to endure the rally is fundamental when you play a 'long rally', because it offers you the chance to measure your opponent's strong points and vulnerabilities, besides letting you position as best as possible for your next offensive shot.

Continue reading

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Newport County 4

Pigott found the back of the net in an impressive individual display

Joe Pigott

Newport County made it seven games unbeaten in League Two as loan striker Joe Pigott inspired them to victory over AFC Wimbledon.

Buoyed by the arrival of Scott Tancock from Swansea, the Exiles produced a dominant display against the South Londoners.

The academy graduate was making his first team debut after receiving international clearance with minutes to spare and he partnered the returning Ismail Yakubu and Darren Jones in a new-look County rearguard.

The trio faced a daunting task with Wimbledon strikers Matt Tubbs and Ade Akinfenwa having already bagged 11 goals this term, but County largely controlled the first half of the contest.

They might have led with Chris Zebroski and Lee Minshull missing good opportunities, but took control when Yakubu powered home a header from Robbie Willmott's centre.

The visitors only came close through Akinfenwa and winger Sean Rigg before the break, but both missed the target.

However, thoughts of a comeback where extinguished 20 seconds after the re-start, poor defending allowing Pigott to convert after James Shea initially denied Chris Zebroski.

County weren't to be denied have increased their advantage and Pigott's deflected effort soon made it 3-0 before Akinfenwa rose highest to find a consolation strike for the visitors, County even finding the time to find a fourth through Aaron O'Connor.

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Eugenie Bouchard loses Wimbledon rematch against Petra Kvitova at Wuhan ...

WUHAN, China - Petra Kvitova backed up her lopsided win over Eugenie Bouchard at Wimbledon with another emphatic victory over the Canadian to capture the inaugural Wuhan Open title on Saturday.

The third-seeded Czech player saved seven of eight break points she faced in the second set to close out a 6-3, 6-4 win over the sixth-seeded Bouchard in scorching conditions that lived up to Wuhan's reputation as one of China's 'oven cities.'

It was Kvitova's third title of the year and also secured her spot at the season-ending WTA finals in Singapore, alongside No. 1 Serena Williams, Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova.

She's also now a perfect 3-0 over the 20-year-old Bouchard, including her dominant 6-3, 6-0 win in the Wimbledon final that lasted only 55 minutes. It was the fewest games allowed in a women's Wimbledon final since Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles 6-2, 6-1 in 1992.

'I knew that I have to play a little bit more aggressive than I played the matches before,' Kvitova said. 'I need to play a similar game as in Wimbledon, very aggressively going for the shots.'

Bouchard had hoped to put up more of a fight than she did at Wimbledon. But the Westmount, Quebec native didn't have an answer for Kvitova's lefty serve out wide and couldn't match the Wimbledon champ's powerful groundstrokes, especially early in the match when she fell behind 3-1 in the first set.

Then, at the start of the second, she jammed her finger with her racket on a follow-through and had to take an injury timeout to have it taped while holding a bag of ice to her head to cool off in the 32-degree Celsius (90 F) heat.

'I have hit a million forehands in my life and I still can't hit one without hitting myself,' she said. 'With tape and adrenaline, (I could) still play as I normally would, but it's pretty painful now. It's surprising how such a small body part can actually be so painful.'

Still, after returning to the court, she made Kvitova work hard to close it out. Serving for the match at 5-2, Kvitova wasted a match point and was forced to save five break points before dumping a volley into the net to drop serve. After Bouchard held to make it 5-4, however, Kvitova regained her composure and put the match away.

The 24-year-old Czech player will now look to carry her late-season momentum into the WTA Championships, which she won in her breakout season in 2011 after beating Sharapova to capture her first Wimbledon title.

'I think that I'm feeling well. I'm prepared very well for the matches,' she said. 'I find my form finally.'

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In Wimbledon final rematch, Kvitova tops Bouchard to win Wuhan

The third-seeded Czech saved seven of eight break points she faced in the second set to close out a 6-3, 6-4 win. (AP Photo)

WUHAN, China (AP) -- Petra Kvitova backed up her lopsided win over Eugenie Bouchard at Wimbledon with another emphatic victory over the Canadian to capture the inaugural Wuhan Open title on Saturday.

The third-seeded Czech player saved seven of eight break points she faced in the second set to close out a 6-3, 6-4 win over the sixth-seeded Bouchard in scorching conditions that lived up to Wuhan's reputation as one of China's ''oven cities.''

It was Kvitova's third title of the year and also secured her spot at the season-ending WTA finals in Singapore, alongside No. 1 Serena Williams, Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova.

She's also now a perfect 3-0 over the 20-year-old Bouchard, including her dominant 6-3, 6-0 win in the Wimbledon final that lasted only 55 minutes. It was the fewest games in a women's Wimbledon final since Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles 6-2, 6-1 in 1992.

''I knew that I have to play a little bit more aggressive than I played the matches before,'' Kvitova said. ''I need to play a similar game as in Wimbledon, very aggressively going for the shots.''

Bouchard had hoped to put up more of a fight than she did at Wimbledon. But she didn't have an answer for Kvitova's lefty serve out wide and couldn't match the Wimbledon champ's powerful groundstrokes, especially early in the match when she fell behind 3-1 in the first set.

Then, at the start of the second, she jammed her finger with her racket on a follow-through and had to take an injury timeout to have it taped while holding a bag of ice to her head to cool off in the 32-degree Celsius (90 F) heat.

''I have hit a million forehands in my life and I still can't hit one without hitting myself,'' she said. ''With tape and adrenaline, (I could) still play as I normally would, but it's pretty painful now. It's surprising how such a small body part can actually be so painful.''

Still, after returning to the court, she made Kvitova work hard to close it out. Serving for the match at 5-2, Kvitova wasted a match point and was forced to save five break points before dumping a volley into the net to drop serve. After Bouchard held to make it 5-4, however, Kvitova regained her composure and put the match away.

The 24-year-old Czech player will now look to carry her late-season momentum into the WTA Championships, which she won in her breakout season in 2011 after beating Sharapova to capture her first Wimbledon title.

''I think that I'm feeling well. I'm prepared very well for the matches,'' she said. ''I find my form finally.''

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Bouchard falls to Kvitova in Wuhan Open final, rematch of Wimbledon final

WUHAN, China - Petra Kvitova backed up her lopsided win over Eugenie Bouchard at Wimbledon with another emphatic victory over the Canadian to capture the inaugural Wuhan Open title on Saturday.

The third-seeded Czech player saved seven of eight break points she faced in the second set to close out a 6-3, 6-4 win over the sixth-seeded Bouchard in scorching conditions that lived up to Wuhan's reputation as one of China's 'oven cities.'

It was Kvitova's third title of the year and also secured her spot at the season-ending WTA finals in Singapore, alongside No. 1 Serena Williams, Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova.

She's also now a perfect 3-0 over the 20-year-old Bouchard, including her dominant 6-3, 6-0 win in the Wimbledon final that lasted only 55 minutes. It was the fewest games allowed in a women's Wimbledon final since Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles 6-2, 6-1 in 1992.

'I knew that I have to play a little bit more aggressive than I played the matches before,' Kvitova said. 'I need to play a similar game as in Wimbledon, very aggressively going for the shots.'

Bouchard had hoped to put up more of a fight than she did at Wimbledon. But the Westmount, Quebec native didn't have an answer for Kvitova's lefty serve out wide and couldn't match the Wimbledon champ's powerful groundstrokes, especially early in the match when she fell behind 3-1 in the first set.

Then, at the start of the second, she jammed her finger with her racket on a follow-through and had to take an injury timeout to have it taped while holding a bag of ice to her head to cool off in the 32-degree Celsius (90 F) heat.

'I have hit a million forehands in my life and I still can't hit one without hitting myself,' she said. 'With tape and adrenaline, (I could) still play as I normally would, but it's pretty painful now. It's surprising how such a small body part can actually be so painful.'

Still, after returning to the court, she made Kvitova work hard to close it out. Serving for the match at 5-2, Kvitova wasted a match point and was forced to save five break points before dumping a volley into the net to drop serve. After Bouchard held to make it 5-4, however, Kvitova regained her composure and put the match away.

The 24-year-old Czech player will now look to carry her late-season momentum into the WTA Championships, which she won in her breakout season in 2011 after beating Sharapova to capture her first Wimbledon title.

'I think that I'm feeling well. I'm prepared very well for the matches,' she said. 'I find my form finally.'

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Tennis

Murray took an hour and 42 minutes to beat his Argentine opponent 2-6 6-3 6-0 and set up a title clash with Tommy Robredo in the Briton's first final since winning the Wimbledon title in July 2013.

Spaniard Robredo beat Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-1 6-4 in the other semi-final.

Murray, who needs a strong finish to his season to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals, dropped the first set and was 3-3 when he reeled off nine straight games to surge ahead.

'He started the match well,' said Murray. 'I was struggling a little bit with my timing. Obviously, the conditions were very hard today. But I feel good and I'm into my first final for a while.

'Hopefully it'll be a good match. Robredo's been playing some good tennis this year, so it'll be tough. I'm enjoying myself here and winning always helps,' said Murray who underwent a back surgery last year.

Murray, who will need to move three spots up from his current 11th place in the Race to London to qualify for the eight-man finale, dropped just four points on serve in the third set while converting all three break points.

'It's been a tough year for me. The first few months coming back from surgery were hard, then I lost a bit of confidence. But I've felt better the past few months and hopefully I can have a strong end to the season,' added Murray.

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Eugenie Bouchard will play Petra Kvitova for Wuhan Open title in Wimbledon ...

WUHAN, China - Canada's Eugenie Bouchard will be hoping for a slightly different outcome when she plays Petra Kvitova for the inaugural Wuhan Open title on Saturday in a rematch of their Wimbledon final.

Kvitova overwhelmed Bouchard 6-3, 6-0 in 55 minutes to win her second Wimbledon trophy in July, in what was the most lopsided women's final in 22 years.

This time, the young Canadian from Westmount, Que., says she'll be ready.

'I hope tomorrow I can kind of do my thing more on the court and not get, I don't know, maybe pushed around so much,' she said. 'I need my revenge. I'm going to try really hard to get that.'

Both women advanced with dominating performances in the Wuhan semifinals on Friday. Kvitova saved five of six break points to beat Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 7-5, while Bouchard overpowered Caroline Wozniacki with heavy groundstrokes in a 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Kvitova will be aiming for her third title of the year - and more importantly, a spot in the season-ending WTA Championships in Singapore. Bouchard will be going for her second career title.

At the All England Club this summer, the big-hitting Czech left-hander never let Bouchard into the final. She put pressure on Bouchard's serve and dictated points with aggressive groundstrokes from the baseline, keeping Bouchard off balance and out of sorts.

Bouchard said she learned a lot from her first Grand Slam final.

'I didn't impose myself enough in the Wimbledon final, and she was the one kind of controlling the points all the time,' Bouchard said. 'She played really, really well, so there wasn't too much I could do.'

Kvitova, though, says it wasn't as lopsided as it looked - and she expects just as tough a match in Wuhan.

'I don't think that she was weak in Wimbledon,' she said. 'She's trying to take balls very early and she's returning very well, so that's something that she does great.'

Kvitova has struggled with her consistency since Wimbledon. She won a pre-U.S. Open tournament in New Haven, but days later crashed out in the third round in New York to 145th-ranked Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia. She also lost her opening match in Cincinnati to Svitolina, their only previous meeting.

But Kvitova put aside distractions from the stifling humidity and the sounds of construction coming from the soon-to-be-completed, 15,000-seat centre court being built at the Wuhan Open, to put Svitolina away.

After breaking to go up 6-5 in the second set, she wasted two match points with errors in the next game and then double-faulted to give Svitolina break point. Rather than get rattled, though, she saved the break point and closed out the match on her third attempt.

Bouchard similarly struggled in her U.S. hard-court campaign, going 1-3 before the U.S. Open and falling in the fourth round in New York.

Against Wozniacki, though, she rediscovered her form. She saved six of seven break points and kept the Dane on the defensive with penetrating shots and repeated charges to the net.

'I feel like I was very, very good, maybe up there with Wimbledon, maybe better,' Bouchard said.

Wozniacki, who was hampered by pain in her upper right hamstring, fell just short of reaching her third straight final, following her surprising run at the U.S. Open and her loss last week to Ana Ivanovic in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Both she and Bouchard also still have a chance to qualify for Singapore.

'I've had a really good run,' Wozniacki said. 'My game is feeling great.'

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Eugenie Bouchard wants Wimbledon final 'revenge' when she faces Petra ...

Eugenie Bouchard wants 'revenge' for her emphatic Wimbledon final defeat when she takes on Petra Kvitova for the inaugural Wuhan Open title on Saturday.

Kvitova thrashed Bouchard 6-3 6-0 in 55 minutes to win her second Wimbledon trophy in July. The 15 games played were the fewest in a women's Wimbledon final since Steffi Graf defeated Monica Seles 6-2 6-1 in 1992.

'I hope tomorrow I can kind of do my thing more on the court and not get, I don't know, maybe pushed around so much,' Bouchard said. 'I need my revenge. I'm going to try really hard to get that.'

On Friday, Kvitova saved five of six break points to beat Elina Svitolina 6-3 7-5 while Bouchard overpowered Caroline Wozniacki with heavy groundstrokes in a 6-2 6-3 victory.

Kvitova will be aiming for her third title of the year - and more importantly, a spot in the season-ending WTA Championships in Singapore. Bouchard, 20, will be going for her second career title.

At the All England Club this summer, Bouchard was broken in her last five service games and six times overall, winning just 24 points on her own serve while Kvitova won 23 points on her first serve.

Over the entire match, Bouchard took 37 points compared to Kvitova's 61, but the Canadian said she learned a lot from her first grand slam final.

'I didn't impose myself enough in the Wimbledon final, and she was the one kind of controlling the points all the time,' Bouchard said. 'She played really, really well, so there wasn't too much I could do.'

Kvitova, though, says it wasn't as one-sided as it looked - and she expects just as tough a match in Wuhan.

'I don't think that she was weak in Wimbledon,' Kvitova said. 'She's trying to take balls very early and she's returning very well, so that's something that she does great.'

Wozniacki, who was hampered by pain in her upper right hamstring, fell just short of reaching her third straight final, following her surprising run at the US Open and her loss last week to Ana Ivanovic in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Both she and Bouchard also still have a chance to qualify for Singapore.

'I've had a really good run,' Wozniacki said. 'My game is feeling great.'

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WTA Wuhan Open: Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beats Elina Svitolina to ...

Petra Kvitova: Beat Elina Svitolna to reach the final in Wuhan

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova overpowered Elina Svitolina 6-3 7-5 to reach the final of the inaugural Wuhan Open in China and move a step closer to a place in the season-ending WTA championships in Singapore.

The world No 3 broke to go up 6-5 in the second set, but wasted two match points with errors in the next game, and then double-faulted to give feisty Ukrainian Svitolina break point.

Svitolina, who upset German seventh seed Angelique Kerber to reach the semi-finals, couldn't convert, however, and Kvitova closed out the match on her third attempt.

Kvitova avenged a defeat to Svitolina in their only previous meeting in Cincinnati in August, several weeks after she captured her second title at the All England Club.

'From the beginning my season was really tough,' Kvitova told the official WTA site. 'If somebody told me at the Australian Open that I would win Wimbledon and still be fighting for Singapore, I'm not sure I would have believed them.

'But I've had a great second part of the season. It all started a little bit at the French Open, and from there I just kept improving. I think early on I was expecting too much of myself, and it was really difficult to take the loss in my first round in Australia, but I kept working hard and now I'm here.'

The big-hitting Czech could now face a rematch of the Wimbledon final in Wuhan with Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in action against US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki in the second semi-final.

The 24-year-old Kvitova will join the top eight players for the Singapore finale if she claims victory in the climax of the tournament on Saturday, where she will be aiming to win her 14th WTA career title.

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Kvitova, Bouchard play for Wuhan Open title in rematch of lopsided Wimbledon ...

WUHAN, China - Canada's Eugenie Bouchard will be hoping for a slightly different outcome when she plays Petra Kvitova for the inaugural Wuhan Open title on Saturday in a rematch of their Wimbledon final.

Kvitova overwhelmed Bouchard 6-3, 6-0 in 55 minutes to win her second Wimbledon trophy in July, in what was the most lopsided women's final in 22 years.

This time, the young Canadian from Westmount, Que., says she'll be ready.

'I hope tomorrow I can kind of do my thing more on the court and not get, I don't know, maybe pushed around so much,' she said. 'I need my revenge. I'm going to try really hard to get that.'

Both women advanced with dominating performances in the Wuhan semifinals on Friday. Kvitova saved five of six break points to beat Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 7-5, while Bouchard overpowered Caroline Wozniacki with heavy groundstrokes in a 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Kvitova will be aiming for her third title of the year - and more importantly, a spot in the season-ending WTA Championships in Singapore. Bouchard will be going for her second career title.

At the All England Club this summer, the big-hitting Czech left-hander never let Bouchard into the final. She put pressure on Bouchard's serve and dictated points with aggressive groundstrokes from the baseline, keeping Bouchard off balance and out of sorts.

Bouchard said she learned a lot from her first Grand Slam final.

'I didn't impose myself enough in the Wimbledon final, and she was the one kind of controlling the points all the time,' Bouchard said. 'She played really, really well, so there wasn't too much I could do.'

Kvitova, though, says it wasn't as lopsided as it looked - and she expects just as tough a match in Wuhan.

'I don't think that she was weak in Wimbledon,' she said. 'She's trying to take balls very early and she's returning very well, so that's something that she does great.'

Kvitova has struggled with her consistency since Wimbledon. She won a pre-U.S. Open tournament in New Haven, but days later crashed out in the third round in New York to 145th-ranked Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia. She also lost her opening match in Cincinnati to Svitolina, their only previous meeting.

But Kvitova put aside distractions from the stifling humidity and the sounds of construction coming from the soon-to-be-completed, 15,000-seat centre court being built at the Wuhan Open, to put Svitolina away.

After breaking to go up 6-5 in the second set, she wasted two match points with errors in the next game and then double-faulted to give Svitolina break point. Rather than get rattled, though, she saved the break point and closed out the match on her third attempt.

Bouchard similarly struggled in her U.S. hard-court campaign, going 1-3 before the U.S. Open and falling in the fourth round in New York.

Against Wozniacki, though, she rediscovered her form. She saved six of seven break points and kept the Dane on the defensive with penetrating shots and repeated charges to the net.

'I feel like I was very, very good, maybe up there with Wimbledon, maybe better,' Bouchard said.

Wozniacki, who was hampered by pain in her upper right hamstring, fell just short of reaching her third straight final, following her surprising run at the U.S. Open and her loss last week to Ana Ivanovic in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Both she and Bouchard also still have a chance to qualify for Singapore.

'I've had a really good run,' Wozniacki said. 'My game is feeling great.'

Read more »

Wimbledon champ Kvitova powers into final of Wuhan Open, beats Svitolina

WUHAN, China - Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova advanced to the final of the inaugural Wuhan Open after overpowering Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 7-5 on Friday.

Kvitova will be aiming for her third title of the year - and more importantly, a spot in the season-ending WTA Championships in Singapore. She will join Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep in the field if she wins the final.

'It feels good, for sure,' she said. 'The final, and fighting for the title, are why we are playing tennis, we are enjoying every moment. I'm glad that I'm in the final again.'

She'll face either Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in a rematch of their Wimbledon final, or Caroline Wozniacki on Saturday. Those two played in the late semifinal.

Kvitova has always struggled with her consistency, and her results since capturing her second Wimbledon title in July are typical. She won a pre-U.S. Open tournament in New Haven, but days later crashed out in the third round in New York to 145th-ranked Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia. She also lost her opening match in Cincinnati to Svitolina, their only previous meeting.

But Kvitova put aside distractions from the stifling humidity and the sounds of construction coming from the soon-to-be-completed, 15,000-seat centre court being built at the Wuhan Open, to put Svitolina away.

Kvitova broke to go up 6-5 in the second set, but wasted two match points with errors in the next game, and then double-faulted to give Svitolina break point. When the Ukrainian couldn't convert, Kvitova closed out the match on her third attempt.

The Czech left-hander overpowered Svitolina with her forehand, jumping on short balls repeatedly for winners, and saved five of six break points she faced.

The Wuhan Open is by far the biggest of the three new WTA events in China this year, attracting all of the world's top 20 players, with the notable exception of hometown player Li Na. The Chinese star announced her retirement on the eve of the tournament, saying recurring knee problems made it impossible for her to continue.

The draw was depleted, however, when top seeds fell early, including top-ranked Williams, who retired with a viral illness in her opening match against Alize Cornet, as well as No. 2 Halep, No. 4 Sharapova and No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska.

Kvitova hasn't faced a seeded player on her way to the final.

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Newport County V AFC Wimbledon at Rodney Parade : Match Preview

Newport County V AFC Wimbledon - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.Newport hope for triple boostNewport are hopeful three players will be available again when they welcome AFC Wimbledon.Manager Justin Edinburgh has seen his squad stretched in recent weeks and he hopes that ill pair Mark Byrne and Darren Jones, along with the injured Ismail Yakubu will be able to be involved against the Dons.Three players went off injured in Tuesday night's Johnstone's Paint Trophy loss to Swindon and the Newport medical staff will assess Mike Flynn and Ryan Jackson who suffered muscle problems along with the concussed Aaron Collins.The Exiles still remain without Byron Anthony, Kevin Feely, Max Porter, Danny Crow and Rene Howe.Matt Tubbs returns to the AFC Wimbledon squad after a one-match ban.The Dons' eight-goal top scorer will resume his strike partnership with Adebayo Akinfenwa, who has scored three goals in his last two outings. Defender Andy Frampton is a doubt having turned the ankle which he recently broke but midfielder Jake Nicholson is expected to shake off a knee knock. Full-back Jack Smith is stilll recovering from the knee injury he sustained early on in the season.

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Wimbledon teenager among those to receive Mayor of London awards for ...

A young volunteer is among those to pick up an award from the Mayor of London for his dedication to the community.

Luke Meah-Wilson, 17, is no stranger to accolades, having won the Wimbledon Guardian's Merton Civic Award for Young Person's Achievement earlier this year.

Actress Barbara Windsor MBE, designer Wayne Hemingway MBE and Paralympian Martine Wright alongside Mayor Boris Johnson, presented awards to winners at a ceremony in City Hall.

Dr Nihara Krause from Wandsworth won the over 25 years-old section for the My Community category for her work as the founder and CEO of Wimbledon-based charity STEM4, which aims to increase awareness and reduce stigma of mental health conditions in teenagers.

Dr Nihara Krause collects her award from Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Barbara Windsor

Mr Meah-Wilson picked up the award in the under 25 category for his work at Wimbledon scouts, St Luke's Church youth group and at Wimbledon Park bowls club.

Merton Conservatives leader Councillor Oonagh Moulton said: 'I know Luke and his family well and he's a credit to the community of Wimbledon Park.

'This follows the recognition Luke has already received in Merton's own volunteering and community awards.'

Beau Fadahunsi from Sutton, who was a Team London location manager at Wimbledon tennis championships in 2012, took part in the winter 2013 programme and this year led a team at the Gatwick Airport pod as well as working closely with schools in Merton to get pupils involved in volunteering.

She picked up the Mayor's Special Achievement Award at the Team London awards on Wednesday, September 17.

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AFC Wimbledon: Legendary striker Fash backs the Dons

Wimbledon legend John Fashanu has vowed to return to the Cherry Red Records stadium to help cheer the Dons up the table.

The 51-year-old, who made 276 appearances for the Dons in a career that spanned eight years, has many strings to his modern bow, including presenting Nigeria's version if Deal or No Deal, and running the Templegate Training and John Fashanu Foundation Sports Academy.

His academy work takes him all over the world, specifically to Sweden and Nigeria where it has fledgling links, and Fashanu was sporting the blue and yellow of a Sweden tracksuit when he turned up at the CRRS for the League Two match against Stevenage Borough last month.

The 1988 FA Cup winner said: 'I thought I would come down and see the boys and I've been quite impressed with what I've seen.

Celebrity status: Fashanu has become a familiar face on televisions screens since his retirement from professional football Picture: Dave McKnight

'I'd like to see a little bit more of the old Wimbledon spirit, but it's OK.'

He added: 'This is the first time I've been to the ground here, and I am impressed by it. It's a small, tidy ground, very much like the old Plough Lane, but a little bit more friendly.

'I understand there are plans in place to get the club back to Wimbledon, and I wish them all the best.

'For the time being, they will see me here again.'

Fashanu joined the Dons from Millwall in 1986 and went on to hit 107 goals as the Crazy Gang climbed to the top flight of English football.

His career would end after he picked up a knee injury playing for Aston Villa in 1995, but celebrity status beckoned and Fashanu presented Gladiators on Saturday night prime-time television with Ulrika Jonsson, and in 2003 he finished second in I'm a Celebrity... Get me out of here! losing out to Phil Tufnell.

He said: 'I enjoyed my time with Villa, where I was playing with some fantastic players, such as Andy Townsend and Dwight Yorke.

'Do I wish I was still playing? No, not really, my time has gone, I am happy having a bit of a rest.

'Every match I played in was a World Cup to me, it was a battle - but the body gets tired and now I am happy.'

Heads up: John Fashanu on target for Wimbledon in a 1-0 win over Manchester City in 1989

I'm a Celebrity... Get me out of here: Fash's bushtucker trial from the popular television show

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