Tennis LOVEBirds: Sharapova & Dimitrov

She is a multiple Grand Slam champion and one of the most influential sports celebrities in the world. He a rising star that has long been labelled as the next big thing in men's tennis. Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov form the hottest, most powerful tennis couple of the moment. 

The two hooked up last spring, just around the time Grigor was making headlines with his stunning win over world No.1, Novak Djokovic. Interesting enough, their careers went in different directions since. The young Bulgarian took off, winning his first ATP titles, breaking into the top 20, and reaching his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open earlier this year. Sharapova on the other hand went through some rather dark times, battling a nasty shoulder injury and going titleless since Stuttgart, last April. 

If Grigor has been rumored to have dated none other than Sharapova's nemesis, American Serena Williams, Maria has a rich history of celebrity boyfriends—ranging from Andy Roddick, to Maroon 5's Adam Levine or long-time fiancee, Slovenian pro basketball player, Sasha Vujacic.

Although a bit surprising, this couple is threatening to take over the tennis world. Sharapova is renowned for her determination and iron will, while Grigor is just beginning to fully unleash his lethal games. Just last week, the two love birds were victories in Stuttgart, respectively Bucharest, proving they are game on for a deep run at the French Open later this spring.

A powerful week for this power couple

Grigor Dimitrov stormed through victory in Bucharest without dropping a set. In the final, the Bulgarian beat defending champion, Czech Lukas Rosol 7-6,6-1 to claim his third ATP title.

Just a few hours later, Maria Sharapova recorded a come-from-behind victory over Serbian Ana Ivanovic to claim her third straight Stuttgart crown. 

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Dimitrov Storms to Victory in Rainy Bucharest

A late entry into the main draw, Grigor Dimitrov made the most of his wildcard as he stormed through victory in Bucharest without dropping a set. 

The young Bulgarian has been putting together some solid performances lately, highlighted by the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the title in Acapulco. Seeded first in Bucharest, Dimitrov was game on since the beginning of the tournament, battling not only his on-court opponents, but also the moody weather—heavy rain showers disrupting play several times throughout the week.
It's been a relatively uneventful ride for Grigor in the Romanian capital, as he claimed straight-sets victories over Jiri Vasely and Sergiy Stakhovski to set a star-studded semifinal showdown with fan favourite Gael Monfils. Unfortunately, the much anticipated clash ended sooner than expected, the Frenchman pulling out because of a twisted ankle while trailing 5-1. 

With his family cheering in the front rows, Dimitrov delivered an exquisite display against defending champion, Czech Lukas Rosol, in the final. He sealed a tense first set tiebreak before cruising through the second act to close out a convincing 7-6,6-1 triumph. “It feels good to have won,” said the Bulgarian. “I lifted my game, not having been happy with my previous matches in the tournament. I knew I had to lift my level, especially after the first set. Lukas is a very good winner, who hit some outstanding winners. It was a pleasure to play in front of Ilie Nastase and other greats.

“I have worked really hard to start winning titles. I have put in enough effort, time and sacrifices to get here,” said the Bulgarian who bagged his second crown of 2014. 

What's next in store for Dimitrov? A first Grand Slam maybe. He is proving stronger as the season progresses, so I wouldn't be surprised to see his take that ultimate step anytime soon. 

Dimitrov put together a solid performance to beat not only his on-court opponents, but also the moody Bucharest weather. The Bulgarian denied defending champion, Czech Lukas Rosol, 7-6,6-1 in the final to bag his second title of 2014.

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Wawrinka Wins All-Swiss Encounter in Monte Carlo

At the beginning of the clay-court season, all eyes were on the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry. The Spaniard, the all-time greatest player on this surface, looked poised to continue his dominance, while the Serb hoped to peg back his nemesis and claim the elusive Roland Garros crown. But, surprise, surprise! The Swiss duo of Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka turned the tables on their rivals, setting up an all-Swiss final in Monte Carlo, Nadal's favourite playground.

Last year, Djokovic denied Rafa a ninth consecutive title and—after the Spaniard's shock exit in the quarterfinals—seemed set for a successful defense. But the two Swiss had another plans. Wawrinka, the reigning Aussie Open champion, bruised aside Ferrer—Nadal's conqueror—to be the first to advance into the final. Federer quickly followed, digging himself out of some early trouble to defeat an ailing Djokovic 7-5,6-2. 

The all-Swiss affair started with Federer in control, the all-time great winning the first set 6-4. Stan has been untouchable in a few matches this year and was able to replicate that form at the start of the second act, giving Roger no chance to break. With both players holding serve, the set was decided in a tiebreak, where a mini-break was all it took for Wawrinka to level the dispute. Back on equal terms, he was not to be denied. Firing winners on both sides, Stan was able to stun Federer, winning 4-6,7-6,6-2 to claim his maiden Masters 1000 crown—following runner-up showings at Rome 2008 (lost to Djokovic) and Madrid 2013 (lost to Nadal).

"It's always special to play Roger," said Wawrinka. "We know it's always a strange match, especially being in the final here. He's my best friend on the tour. We respect each other so much. I'm just trying on the court to win the match. Before and after, we are still very good friends. During the match, we just try everything to win. Today I'm really happy to take that one.

"I can see that when mentally I'm there and I'm fighting, I can play tennis, I can beat all the player. I did an amazing job. I'm really happy after winning my first Grand Slam to win a Masters 1000 so quick. I didn't expect to. When I came here, for me it was more like a test. I knew I was playing good tennis, but I didn't expect to win because the draw was so strong."
Stan's season keeps getting better. With three titles already to his name, he is now leading the race to London. Federer failed in his fourth attempt to grab the Monte Carlo title, one of the three Masters 1000 trophies eluding him. The Swiss is now 1-3 in finals this season, winning in Dubai, but losing in Brisbane and Indian Wells.

This was the first time that the two best friends have met in an ATP final and I hope it marks just the beginning of a really beautiful rivalry at the highest level. Stan is in the form of his life, while Federer is just rediscovering his winning touch. Chances are we could be in for a first all-Swiss Grand Slam final this season. #Letsdoit! #AllSwiss #BFF

#BFF FOREVER! Wawrinka and Federer and not only compatriots, they are also best friends. Roger has been paramount to Stan's recent success, supporting his friend and always believing in his talent. The two train together and are long-term doubles partners.

Although he started slower, Stan Wawrinka got his act together to stun BFF Federer to win his first Masters 1000 crown. It was an extremely entertaining encounter, which Stan won 4-6,7-6,6-2.

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Cornet Wins Marathon in Poland

After a dream week in Dubai—where she stunned world No.1, American Serena Williams, en route to the final—rejuvenated Alize Cornet confirmed her good run of form with another strong performance in Katowice. A wildcard into the draw, Cornet dramatically dismissed  Italian Camila Giorgi to lift her fourth career title. Although she looked poised for a straight sets victory, the Frenchwoman found herself match point down in the decider. She kept a clear head, fought off the match point, regained control, and managed to turn the match around, ultimately closing out a thrilling 7-6,5-7,7-5 triumph over first-time finalist Giorgi.

If there's one thing Cornet proved recently, that's the fact that she is going to fight until the very end. She has shown it so many times already this season, and she did it again in Katowice. Except for her first round match, all other encounters went the distance. Her most notable performance came in the semifinals where she denied home hope Agnieszka Radwanska in absolutely amazing fashion. Not only did she come back after a nightmare first set, but she regrouped again after going down 0-3 in the decider. Showing extreme mental toughness and fierce determination she sealed out a hard-fought 0-6,6-2,6-4 victory. This was her second straight top 3 win.

I am really impressed by how well she is now able to cope with these big matches. In the past, Alize had developed a sort of reputation for losing on the important occasions. Things changed considerably in the past 12 months and, as a result, the Frenchwoman is now on the verge of breaking into the top 20 again. She has been as high as No. 11 in February 2009 and, provided she maintains this excellent run of form, she can maybe climb even higher till the end of the season.

With young hope, Caroline Garcia, winning in Bogota, this has been a sensational week for French tennis. Allez les bleus!

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Garcia's Big Breakthrough in Bogota

She has been labelled as the next teen sensation for quite a while, but it was only this week that French rising star, Caroline Garcia, came of age. Inspired by a courageous performance against world No.1, American Serena Williams, in Miami—where she barely lost 4-6,6-4,4-6—Caroline caught wings. 

Playing in Bogota, the talented Frenchwoman finally got his big breakthrough, winning her maiden crown in style by defeating world No.9 and defending champion, Jelena Jankovic, in the final. Caroline also won the doubles title, becoming the first player since Serena at the 2012 London Olympics to ensure the singles-doubles sweep at a WTA-level event. 

"I'm very happy to win my first WTA title," Garcia said. "It was a good week for me. It's never easy playing with the altitude—it's hard to adapt, and my level was going up and down throughout the week—but I think I adjusted well and I probably played my best match of the week today in the final.

"I'm also really happy I was able to beat Jelena in the final. She's a really nice girl and a great player - she was the No.1 player in the world—and I had to play the best I could today to beat her.

"To win a WTA title is always a goal. Today is the best day I could imagine."

After a few tough years—years of relative frustration in which she had to adjust to the rigors of the WTA tour and to learn how to cope with the high expectations—Garcia looks to have found the maturity needed to fulfill her potential. Like Simona Halep did last summer, I am positive this is just  the beginning for this talented youngster. We will surely hear more of her in months to come. I bet!

With Alize Cornet winning in Katowice, this was a dream week for French tennis. It seems like French players can win after all ;).

Caroline Garcia won her maiden title by stunning defending Bogota champion, Jelena Jankovic, to score her first top 10 victory. The Frenchwoman also won the doubles crown, becoming the first player since Serena at the Olympics to ensure a clean sweep at a WTA-level event.

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Ana's Revival Gathers Steam in Mexico

After a sensational start to 2014, Ana's season keeps getting better as the Serbian added a second crown in Monterrey. 

Seeded second, Ivanovic played solid tennis throughout the week, beating a few up-and-coming players, as well as former world No.1, Dane Caroline Wozniacki, to reach the final. Having taken out her fiercest competitor, Ana cruised through the final, easily dismissing her compatriot, Jovana Jaksic, 6-2,6-1.

It's been a few tough years for the 2008 French Open champion. A few years spent in the wilderness that have completely destroyed her stunning game and crushed her self-confidence. It took tons of patience, endless hard work, a few of the world's best coaches, plus a burning desire to return to the top, but after all these trials and tribulations, the ever-exciting Ivanovic seems to be finally rediscovering her former self. Monterrey is an international stop, but nevertheless, a title is a title, and with two crown already to her name (also Auckland), a Grand Slam quarterfinal, and wins over both Williams sisters—especially against world No.1 Serena—2014 is shaping out nicely for the Serbian. I still look forward to seeing her back in contention for the biggest prizes in women's tennis. She has it in her to add a second Slam to her resume. Go Ana!

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Petkovic Dances Her Way to Victory

After two years of endless misfortunes, the sun seems to have finally reappeared on Petkovic's street. Extremely popular with fans all over the world, the German saw her great plans put on hold when misery struck in early 2012. A back injury followed by a twisted ankle forced her to miss most of that season, while a knee problem sidelined her for a few months in 2013. An upbeat, positive person, Andrea refused to give in and worked hard on making a fast comeback. The first promising signs were seen last summer when the German reached two finals, in Nurenberg, respectively Washington DC. Although she lost those battles, she remained confident.

The start of the season was not extraordinary, as Petkovic struggled to find her form. After a series of disappointing results, the German caught fire on clay, in Charleston, where she went on to claim the biggest title of her career. 

On the green clay in South Carolina, Andrea was a on a mission. In her first two matches she dropped just one game, double-bageling Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino before crushing compatriot Sabine Lisicki 6-1,6-0. Things got a bit more difficult as the tournament progressed, but her fighting spirit came to the rescue when it mattered most. After winning a triller against Czech Lucie Safarova, Petkovic came from behind to dismiss young sensation, Canadian darling Eugenie Bouchard, 1-6,6-3,7-5 to make the final act.

If last year she lost two finals, this time she was determined to make amends. Taking full advantage of an unexperienced opponent, Petkovic played smart in the key moments, fighting off a set point to eventually subdue Slovak Jana Cepelova. The success was so intense that she broke down in tears, tears of joy of course, immediately after closing out the victory. 

"I don't know why but I just sort of broke down," Petkovic said afterwards. "I was happy. Normally I don't cry when I'm sad - I cry when I'm happy, strangely, so it's weird, but I don't know. I was just so relieved and proud that I've come back from all these injuries, and I never thought I would play in the finals of the big tournaments again, and so I was just proud and happy and everything just sort of came together."

The German has a special connection with Charleston—her father went to college and played tennis here—maybe that's what made the triumph even more emotional. "It's a little sad that he couldn't come this year, but I'm just very proud of him and everything he achieved," Petkovic said of her dad. "Coming from Yugoslavia, where it was communism back then, it wasn't easy to get out of it, and he just gave me all the chances that I took in my life, being educated in Germany, being the person I am today, and all the opportunities in tennis I wouldn't have without him and without him going to college here in the United States and learning the western way of living.

"It's funny how destiny plays out sometimes, how I've come to reach the final of such a big tournament here in South Carolina, where my father went to college. It's nice. It's an honor. It's a blessing."

It's so great to see this extremely fun girl back on the tennis court, winning and having fun. She's been through hell in recent years, but her positivity and love for the sport kept her going. Like Pennetta did in Indian Wells, this victory marks the full return to action of a fan favourite worldwide. #Letsdance the #Petkodance!

The feisty German rolled back the years in Charleston beating a slew of worthy opponents. Her fighting spirit came to the rescue against Lucie Safarova and Genie Bouchard, whom she beat in the quarterfinal, respectively the semi. In the final, Petkovic ended the dream run of Jana Cepelova.

The sweet taste of success! After a few missed opportunities last year, Petkovic finally grabbed her third WTA crown in Charleston, a Premier event, that marks the most important triumph of her career.

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