TENNIS in DEPTH.

Sara Errani became the first player in almost two years to sweep both the singles and doubles titles at a WTA tournament, doing so at the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL in picturesque Acapulco on Saturday. In a week Italian tennis could be extremely proud of – three Italians reaching the semifinals of a WTA tournament for the first time since 2009, then the first all-Italian WTA final since 2010 – it was the No.3-seeded Errani who rose above them all, beating No.1-seeded Roberta Vinci in Friday’s semifinals, 64 61, then No.2 seed Flavia Pennetta in Saturday evening’s final, 57 76(2) 60.

The first two sets of the final were particularly close – both 57 minutes, they showcased the Italian pair’s impressive speed and tenacity, as well as their big forehands. But Errani rolled off the first five points of the tie-break and her confidence only grew – once she closed that breaker out she won the third set in just 32 minutes, losing only three points in her three service games. ”It was such a tough final against Flavia,” Errani said. “I had to run a lot and try to play my game and be aggressive in the important moments. It’s never easy playing an Italian but I played really well, especially in the third set. I can take a lot of confidence from this going into Indian Wells, but I always want more.”

Errani collected her third WTA title, having won her first two in the summer of 2008, at back-to-back events in Palermo (clay) and Portoroz (hardcourt).

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Flavia Pennetta got her new season off to a fine start by winning the Singapore Women’s Tennis Exhbition event on Sunday. The Italian, ranked 20th in the world, beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 7-5 in the final, coming from 5-2 down in the second set to secure a straight-sets win.

In the third-place play-off, US Open champion Sam Stosur beat China’s Peng Shuai 2-6 6-4 6-4.

Organisers want to turn the exhibition event into a full WTA tournament, possibly as early as next year. However, their hopes of doing so have not been helped by a poor attendance over the past three days.

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Italy’s Flavia Pennetta sent third seed and former champion Maria Sharapova tumbling out of the US Open with a shock third-round win. Pennetta, the 26th seed, came through 6-3 3-6 6-4 in a dramatic match on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sharapova had been among the favourites for the title after winning the build-up tournament in Cincinnati last month.

Second seed Vera Zvonareva beat Anabel Medina Garrigues, conqueror of Britain’s Laura Robson, 6-4 7-5.

Romania’s Monica Niculescu thrashed Czech 27th seed Lucie Safarova 6-0 6-1 to set up a surprise last-16 match against Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who beat Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3 6-1. Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, the 22nd seed and Wimbledon semi-finalist, defeated American Irina Falconi 6-0 6-1, while 13th seed Peng Shuai of China beat German 19th seed Julia Goerges 6-4 7-6 (7-1). In the night session, Russian 25th seed Maria Kirilenko ended the run of American hope Christina McHale 6-2 6-3.

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Defending champions Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta squeak by after splitting the first two sets against Marina Erakovic and Julia Goerges, Dulko and Pennetta trailed 6-5 in the match tie-break, but then reeled off five straight points to secure a 46 62 106 triumph. ”Nice win today,” Dulko tweeted. “Was a really tough match against Erakovic and Goerges. Tough conditions as well, very windy!” Next up for the No.2 seeds are Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Alicja Rosolska, whom they just beat last week in the first round of Carlsbad. Dulko and Pennetta will be looking to put a disappointing trend behind them, as they have lost in the quarterfinals of five straight events.

The other seeded team in action Thursday, fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko, were up, 4-1, in the first set on Ana Ivanovic and Andrea Petkovic when the Serb-German duo had to retire because of a left wrist injury suffered by Ivanovic. Azarenka and Kirilenko, who have now won 16 of their past 17 matches, will take on Natalie Grandin and Vladimira Uhlirova in the quarters.

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Barbora Zahlavova Strycova fought back from the brink of defeat to knock out second-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta and reach the semi-finals of the Swedish Open in Bastad. The Czech 25-year-old, ranked 39 places below her opponent at 60 in the world, was a break down in the deciding set before battling back to win 6-4 5-7 6-3 and book her place in the semi-finals.

The hosts are guaranteed a finalist after both Sofia Arvidsson and Johanna Larsson battled through tough three-setters. Arvidsson beat Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 4-6 7-6 (8/6) 7-6 (7/3) while Larsson was a 6-4 3-6 7-5 winner over another Spaniard, Lourdes Dominguez Lino. Eighth seed Polona Hercog of Slovakia completed the semi-final line-up after a straightforward 6-2 6-4 win over Russia’s Vesna Dolonts.

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Caroline Wozniacki shrugged off the disappointment of her early Wimbledon exit by battling into the second round of the Swedish Open in Bastad. Wozniacki did not have it all her own way against the world number 69 Alize Cornet of France, requiring one hour and 35 minutes to see off her opponent 6-4 6-4 in a keenly contested encounter.

Second seed Flavia Pennetta beat Australian qualifier Olivia Rogowska 6-2 7-5 and other victorious seeds included fifth seed Vera Dushevina and eighth seed Polona Hercog.

Sixth seed Iveta Benesova suffered a crushing 6-2 6-0 defeat to Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain. Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson beat Andrea Hlavackova 6-1 5-7 6-4 and will next meet Wozniacki.

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All of the top names moved through, including Samantha Stosur, who put on a 62 61 clinic of former Top 15 player Zheng Jie. Stosur, the No.4 seed here, was ruthless during the 58-minute rout, breaking away from 2-all in the first set with nine straight games to lead 62 50, then even holding match points in that game; she closed it out in the next game. ”I played quite well. I don’t think I hit the ball out of this world fantastic, but I did what I had to do,” Stosur said. “Against a player like Zheng, you want to be able to do that from start to finish. She competes hard for every single point..” Stosur, a quarterfinalist here the last two years, will next play No.30 seed Lucie Safarova, who beat Patty Schnyder earlier, 62 64. “We’ve had some tough matches in the past,” Stosur said. “Lucie is a good player who can pretty much beat anyone on her day. I haven’t played a lefty for a while. That’s something I’ll have to adjust to, especially on the return. Hopefully I’ll have a good match.” Safarova leads Stosur in their head-to-head series, 3-0.

Stosur’s fellow top seeds Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic also had wins under sunny skies. No.6 seed Jankovic rolled past Monica Niculescu, 63 61, while No.1 seed Wozniacki held off a late charge from Bethanie Mattek-Sands, letting a 5-3 second set lead go but eventually moving ahead, 62 75.

The first upsets of the week took place as well and they were surprisingly lopsided. No.10 seed Shahar Peer suffered a 62 62 setback to former Top 20 player Anabel Medina Garrigues, while No.13 seed Flavia Pennetta lost the last seven games of the match to fall to Czech lefty Iveta Benesova, 63 60.

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Dinara Safina won back-to-back matches for the first time this season as she knocked out two-time BNP Paribas Open champion Daniela Hantuchova 7-6(2), 6-4 on Saturday. After both players lost serve three times in the opening set, Safina secured the only break of the second set in the final game, claiming victory after one hour and 56 minutes. Safina, who had dropped to a No. 108 ranking coming into this year’s tournament, last won consecutive matches in September when she reached the Seoul quarter-finals. The 26th-seeded Hantuchova lost in her second-round opening match for the second straight year in Indian Wells. She won the title in 2002 (d. Hingis) and ’07 (d. Kuznetsova).

Two seeds advanced in early action Saturday, with No. 13 Flavia Pennetta of Italy defeating Great Britain’s Elena Baltacha 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 and No. 20 Aravane Rezai of France finishing strong against China’s Shuai Zhang 7-6(5), 6-0.

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