With Serena Williams taking a break after winning gold in London in 2012, the 2012 Rogers Cup title fell into the hands of the Petra Kvitova. This year, Williams was back in full form and managed to dominate her competition and win back her trophy.
When the main draw was finally released for the 2013 Rogers Cup, held at York’s Rexall Centre, it was hard not to notice the collision path Williams and Kvitova were placed on — Williams was the top seed on one side of the bracket, with Kvitova staring across from her as the sixth seed on the other side of the draw. However, with a field of players that boasts 7 of the top 10 ranked in the world, it wasn’t a guarantee that the two former champions would meet for the ultimate rubber match in the finals.
“It was hard not to notice the collision path Williams and Kvitova were placed on.”
Among those players hoping to knock off the defending champions was Canadian sweetheart Eugenie Bouchard. At only the age of 19, Bouchard is the top-ranked Canadian on the Women’s Tennis Association tour, and her 2012 Junior Wimbledon victory has propelled her to the forefront of Canadian women’s tennis. Bouchard enjoyed playing in front of some of the largest crowds all week and was the subject of most conversations around the Rexall Centre after knocking off her first-round opponent Alisa Kleybanova in straight sets 6-3, 6-1.
Unfortunately for Bouchard, a top 10 match-up with Petra Kvitova awaited her in the second round. Despite the crowd carrying a heavy bias toward Bouchard, Kvitova kept a calm, cool demeanor, making quick work of her opponent, defeating Bouchard in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.
After a hard fought win in her second-round match with Carla Suarez Navarro, 12th seeded Stosur was next up to try and take out the defending champion. Kvitova never flinched, once again sweeping her opponent in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, to move onto a quarterfinal match-up with an unlikely foe.
While Kvitova eliminated her early round opponents with relative ease, 27th world-ranked Sorana Cirstea managed to string together back-to-back upset victories over two former world number ones, Caroline Wozniacki, and Jelena Jankovic, setting up yet another opportunity to shock the world. Out of the gate, Kvitova was far too much for Cirstea to handle, with Cirstea dropping the set 4-6. But as the second set started, Cirstea came out with a newfound focus, enticing the crowd into believing another upset was still possible. With the crowd growing louder with every point, Cirstea went on to stun the defending champion, defeating her in two straight sets, 7-5, 6-2, moving on to a semi-final battle with fourth-ranked Li Na.
The next day, Cirstea hit the court with a noticeable air of confidence. Anyone watching who didn’t know any better would have thought Cirstea was the heavy favourite. As much as Na tried, Cirstea answered every return with power, bringing the crowd to their feet early and often with an explosive 6-1 first-set win. Na came to life in the second set, but it was too little, too late, as Cirstea battled back from 2 match points down to take the set in a 7-6(5) tie-break thriller.
Holding up her end of the bargain, Williams would meet Cirstea in the finals, looking to put an end to Cirstea’s Cinderella run. Williams waltzed through her side of the bracket with a perfect 12-0 set record, with her only real scare being when Agnieska Radwanska pushed her to a tie-break in the first set of their semifinal match, but still Williams staved off the pressure to prevail 7-6(3), keeping her perfect record intact.
Williams would meet Cirstea in the finals, looking to put an end to Cirstea’s Cinderella run.
In theory, when championship Sunday came, it was a foregone conclusion – Williams was going to dominate Cirstea just like the rest of them – but still, there was a glimmer of hope for Cirstea, as anything is possible in sports. Unfortunately in the real world, underdog stories don’t always have a perfect ending. Williams overpowered the younger Cirstea in the finals, exposing the weaknesses while growing more confident with every point. At the end of the match, the scoreboard read 6-2, 6-0, and Williams was crowned Rogers Cup champion for the third time in her illustrious career. But Sorana Cirstea’s unbelievable run was not lost on the fans; the possibility of a new tennis star was born.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NNYqAj7CVE
Sports and Health Editor
Ryan McCabe
