Champion of Champions. Petko Has the Final Laugh in Sofia

A week she started on the wrong foot ended in superb fashion for the ultra-popular Andrea Petkovic who clinched the title in the last edition of the Tournament of Champions in Sofia. After being crushed by Carla Suarez Navarro in the opening round robin match, the German picked herself to cruise past Australian Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova and home hope Tsvetlana Pironkova. With a 2-1 record, she was second in her group and qualified for the semis. 

Having found her game at the best moment, Petko defeated rising star Garbine Muguruza 6-1,6-4 to book a date with Italy's Flavia Pennetta in the final. The match was once again an uphill battle. Flavia was untouchable in the early stages. She was magnificent, sealing the opener 6-1. But as usually with the Italian, she cannot really keep up the intensity for long. As soon as the opponent begins to fight back, she loses the momentum and the battle turns around. That exactly what Petkovic did. She stayed with Pennetta until she saw the opportunity to strike blood, turning things around to claim an epic 1-6,6-4,6-3 victory.

"I love watching Flavia play, but I hate playing her because she's so difficult to play!" said the German. "I'm happy I could gather enough energy and play well enough to win it in the end."

Both players had a great season. Petkovic won three titles—Charleston, Bad Gastein, and now Sofia—in addition to reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros. Flavia made the quarterfinals at both the Australian and the US Open and won the biggest crown of her career in Indian Wells. After some tough months marred with injuries, the duo has fought its way back into the top 15 and are seriously threatening to go higher next year. 

"I'm happy I met Flavia in the final because we've both been coming back from injury this year," declared Andrea. "I was so happy when she won Indian Wells because I know what she went through, and so it's even nicer to play her for this title today. I hope the next season is even better for her."

This event marked the end of the regular 2014 season. There are a few 125k tournaments left and of course, the Fed Cup final, but most players have already booked a truly deserved vacation. Petkovic is not one of them though, as the German is hoping to help her country lift the Fed Cup crown for the first time since 1992. Go, #teamGermany!

The exclusive field in Sofia consisted of, from left to right, Andrea Petkovic, Flavia Pennetta, Tsvetlana Pironkova, Ekaterina Makarova, Garbine Muguruza, Dominika Cibulkova, Carla Suarez Navarro, respectively Alize Cornet.

Flavia had a good week in Sofia being very close to lifting the trophy. She was in an excellent position to close out the victory before Petkovic fought back to eventually win an epic final.

Although she lost the first match, Andrea Petkovic rebounded in great style to clinch the trophy. She beat Italian Flavia Pennetta 1-6,6-4,6-3 to crown herself champion of champions in Sofia.

photos: Anton Stakov, Desislava Kulelieva, Anton Stakov

Petko Gets Her Happy Ending

After making a much-anticipated return to the winning circle with her triumph in Charleston, Andrea Petkovic took another step toward regaining her place in the world’s elite. At this year’s French Open, the German saw a great opportunity arising when her side of the draw lost second-seeded Na Li. Li has been in excellent form this season, winning the Australian Open and establishing herself as a solid No.2, behind American Serena Williams. In a shock first round upset, the Chinese lost to home hope, Kristina Mladenovic. 

The result played very much in Petkovic’s favour who ended Mladenovic’s dream run in the third round. She then dug deep, having to rely on her vaster experience to succumb the stiff resistance of Dutch qualifier, Kiki Bertens, to reach the last eight. Andrea, a former three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, knew this was her chance to advance deeper into a major. She kept a clear head, went for her shots, was aggressive, inspired, and eventually got her reward. She played an incredibly precise match to stun former finalist, feisty Italian Sara Errani, 6-2,6-2 to reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal.

Although she run out of steam against Romanian sensation, Simona Halep, Andrea’s performance at this year’s Roland Garros is nothing short of impressive. Her career was plagued by endless injuries and misfortunes, so I am more than excited to see her back, healthy, and playing at such a high level. She has the consistency and the game to reestablish herself as a regular top 10-er. Plus, she is so fun and witty. She is a great ambassador for women’s tennis. Welcome back, Petko! You've been missed!

Playing in her fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal, Petkovic beat Sara Errani 6-2,6-2 to finally take a step further and reach the semis.

Although she lost to Simona Halep, Andrea Petkovic completed a successful comeback from injury by recording her best performance of her career.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

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.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

The 2013 HARD Fashion Scoop

After the traditional all-while Wimbledon fortnight, the tennis world got back to its colourful ways in preparation for the last major of the season, the Flushing Meadows. Fashion wise, this is a less spectacular period, as many players opt for a coloured version of their Wimbledon apparel. However, this year saw some nice surprises as Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, and Venus Williams shone brightly on the North American hard-courts. Also, although it showed the same design earlier at Wimbledon, AdiZero lived up to its reputation as the coolest, trendiest line. The electric blue-red dress is one of my favourites this year. 

There were also some disappointments, mainly in the Nike camp, with fashionistas Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova both wearing dull, uninspired, almost home-wearing looking garments. Another big disillusion came from Stella McCartney, the designer putting forth some horrendously coloured pieces. I really do not like the use of electric orange in combination with the beige or the mint green in Petkovic's, respectively Wozniacki's attire. 

Summer Highs

Roger Federer - Nike RF Group

Federer might be struggling with poor form and a nagging back injury, but the Swiss Maestro looked utterly sharp in this fresh, lightly-coloured outfit. I like the whiteness, the cleanness of it, in contrast to the darker accents in the wristband, headband and the collar.

Venus Williams - EleVen

Venus Williams was back on court and in true Venus style she made another bold fashion statement wearing a pink snakeskin print. The dress is cool, stands out from the crowd and it matches the American's overall look, with the crazy hairdo.

Victoria Azarenka - NIKE

Although this may not be the most exciting of outfits, Vika did a great job picking something that is cool, fresh, simple and unique. I like the sleeveless tee, as well as the light green-mint strap on the skirt.

Rafael Nadal - NIKE

I have mixed feelings when it comes to Rafa's style, but the Spaniard's athleticism really shone through in this vivid garment. The yellow tee and the matching bandana are really stand-off pieces. The X on the T-shirt is a cool detail, while the shorts round up nicely the look. Nadal is one player who should not stay away from wearing these electric colours. They really suit his style.

Summer Lows

Maria Sharapova - NIKE 'Maria Sharapova' Group

Serena Williams - NIKE

Na Li - NIKE

In contrast to Azarenka, Nike's other leading ladies proved a big disappointment. Serena Williams looked like she was wearing home-wear attire, Maria Sharapova displayed another lethal combination, a dead boring top and a hideous skirt, while Na Li's top looked taken out of grandma's closet. These ladies really need to up their game at the US Open. 

Summer Coolness

Kristina Mladenovic - AdiZero

Ana Ivanovic - AdiZero

Sorana Cirstea - AdiZero

Angelique Kerber - AdiZero

No surprise I am a huge AdiZero fan. Once again their line is playful, cool, and extremely hip. I particularly love the colour combination, the electric blue dress with those touches of red, as well as the use of white in the separates.

Summer Peaches

Andrea Petkovic - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Caroline Wozniacki - Adidas by Stella McCartney

I got really sad when I saw Stella McCartney's latest line. The cuts are not so off, but the colours are hideous. Wozniacki's garment looks better, but Petkovic's is a hot mess. The beige and the bright orange look horrible together. I miss the vintage McCartney collections. Those were simpler, though really sophisticated and fashion forward.  

Jelena Jankovic - FILA

She may not always get it right, but this time she did. Fashionista-wannabe, Jelena Jankovic, wore a peach dress with an interesting detail on the side. As long as she keeps things simple, the Serbian has a chance of looking decent on the court.

Sloane Stephens - UnderArmour

Sloane Stephens once again looked her age in this cool peach-orange dress. The colour looks stunning on her dark skin, plus, as I already declared, I am a huge fan of her pleaded hand-bands.

photos (top-down, left-right): GETTY IMAGES (x10), Reuters, GETTY IMAGES (x11), ?, GETTY IMAGES, ? (x2), GETTY IMAGES (x9)

Petkovic Still Searching for A Happy Ending

After enduring a slew of misfortunes that saw her miss almost the entire 2012 season, it seems that the popular Andrea Petkovic is finally getting close to the level that propelled her inside the top 10 in October 2011. A fan favourite all over the world, Petkovic has been to hell and back in the last few months: every time she was attempting to make a comeback, misery struck and she would either injure something else or worsen an existing damage. Some, including herself, were starting to question her ability to return to the top of the game.

However, the ferocious German is not one that gives up easily. She keep fighting and, judging by the last results, it seems she has finally regained her momentum and her consistency, two key requirements in order to be able to fulfill her ambitions. Nevertheless, there is one thing that is currently missing from Petkovic's game and that is her ability to close out matches, especially big matches, like a WTA final. So far this season the German reached two final acts, but lost both of them in straight sets. In Nurnberg, in front of a partisan crowd, she was defeated 6-3,6-3 by Romanian sensation, Simona Halep, and on Sunday, she lost a second championship match, in Washington, succumbing to defending champion, Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.

Petkovic has had a solid campaign in DC, defeating compatriot Mona Barthel and Frenchwoman Alize Cornet to make the final. Against Rybarikova she got off to a flying start winning the first four games and even holding a point for a 5-0 lead. She didn't take it and the Slovak got right back into the match, winning the next eight games to build a 6-4,2-0 lead. Andrea woke up and forced a second set tie-break, but could not cope with the inspired display of her opponent, who once again played great tennis under pressure, sealing a hard-fought 6-4,7-6 victory.

Although Rybarikova played sensational tennis at times, I feel this was yet another missed opportunity for Petkovic. What's even more worrying is that she has now lost three consecutive finals, her last title coming in Strasbourg, in 2011, when her opponent, Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, retired hurt after the first set.

It's definitely good to see Petko back on court and having fun, but she needs to find that extra mental strength to enable her to make better use of her opportunities. If she does so, I am sure she will get her happy ending by the end of the season.

Petkovic played her first final of the season in Nurnberg. Although cheered by a partisan crowd, the German lost 6-3,6-3 to Romanian Simona Halep.

Although she had her chances, popular Petko lost a second consecutive final, in Washington DC, falling 4-6,6-7 to defending champion, Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.

photos(top-bottom): GETTY IMAGES,EFE, DPA

The 2013 WHITE Fashion Scoop

This year's Wimbledon quickly became a true nightmare for the hot favourites, as many of the big names exited the tournament on a manic first Wednesday. Azarenka and Tsonga sustained injuries and withdrew, Federer and Sharapova followed on Nadal's footsteps and were shocked by unheralded opponents, while a few days later, the untouchable Serena Williams was brought down to Earth by the aggressive, never-say-die attitude of Sabine Lisicki. All these surprising results made this edition unique. 

Consequently, although the big fashion names were prepared to showcase their latest outfits for the entire fortnight, they saw their time to shine drastically reduced. Nevertheless, it was enough to observe the stunning looking Serena, who once again topped the best dressed list with an adorable cocktail dress, the edgier Federer, as well as the boring Sharapova. Continuing the tradition, the Wimbledon greats, i.e. Roger Federer and Serena Williams, once again wore personalized blazers to reinforced their status.

The rigours of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club don't allow for much innovation, but Nike got away with a pop of colour, continuing to position orange as the star colour of this year's collection. Adidas went for transparency, while Stella McCartney proposed odd looking attire.

A pop of Orange from Nike

Serena Williams - NIKE

Serena Williams has made a habit of topping the best dressed list lately and she did it again at Wimbledon. Following her great appearance at the players' party, the American looked stunning on court too, wearing a little white cocktail dress, the must have of the season. The transparency at the top and the heart-shaped cleavage give it a cute, romantic feel and the pop of orange adds that trademark Serena touch. This is one of the beautiful dresses of the year so far.

Roger Federer - NIKE RF Group

Roger Federer was dressed for another sensational Wimbledon fortnight, but his campaign got to an abrupt end when he was beaten by Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovski in the second round. The Swiss legend has upgraded his style lately and he continued the trend at the All England Lawn and Croquet Club. The Swiss opted for an edgier blazer and a pop of bright orange. His personalized orange shoes actually got banned by the tournament officials for violating the strict colour code.

Victoria Azarenka - NIKE

Victoria Azarenka was really unlucky this year, having to withdraw in the second round following the nasty knee injury she sustained in her opening match. The Belorussian did not get to show us her Wimbledon garment, but we did see the outerwear and I really like the trench. It perfectly reflects Vika's edgy style.

Maria Sharapova - Nike 'Maria Sharapova' Group

Maria Sharapova continued the disappointing trend of boring, unflattering outfits with another dull white dress. She tried to add a bit of spark by using orange underpants, but it was not enough to save the look. I think the bottom of the dress has a nice detail, but that kind of a top just doesn't suit her body. I stick to my idea that the Russian should not go sleeveless, a tank top emphasizing too much her big shoulders.

Sabine Lisicki - NIKE

Sabine Lisicki is not a fashionista, but I really loved her Wimbledon outfit. The top is simple, yet nice, while the skirt is a show-stopper. It has a great movement that I adore. 

Adidas Transparency

Ana Ivanovic - Adidas AdiZero

Kristina Mladenovic - Adidas AdiZero

Flavia Pennetta - Adidas AdiZero

Considering the 'all white' dress code of the Championships, it is really hard to come up with outstanding apparel. While Nike pushed for orange, Adidas stick to the rules and opted for transparency as the distinct element of its collection. The clothes look good, well-made, but unfortunately their are not memorable. I look forward to seeing the coloured version though. I saw a preview and I was intrigued.

Doubtful Stella

Laura Robson - Adidas Barricade by Stella McCartney

Andrea Petkovic - Adidas Barricade by Stella McCartney

Maria Kirilenko - Adidas Barricade by Stella McCartney

Caroline Wozniacki - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney's quirky ideas came to life at Wimbledon, as the designer put forward some awkward looking attire. The transparency and the weird cuts make some of the garments seem severely damaged. Take Petkovic's short-sleeved top or Wozniacki's weird apron of a dress. Those pieces should be prohibited from such competitions. No one should walk on the court dressed like that. There are some positives though. I like Robson's look, as well as Kirilenko's. Both players can reply on great taste and that's what makes them look different than their counterparts.

The future looks bright

Sloane Stephens - UnderArmour

Teen sensation, Sloane Stephens is living up to her reputation of the newest tennis fashionista, looking sharp in her UnderArmour dress. As at the French, the American wore those nice pleaded head pieces that I really like.

Open contest

Marion Bartoli - Lotto

Agnieszka Radwanska - Lotto

Heather Watson - K-Swiss

While the big names exited the scene early in the first week, unheralded players got a well-deserved chance to shine. While Heather Watson did not take advantage of it, Marion Bartoli and Aga Radwanksa did, being among the last ladies standing. The threesome looked good though in K-Swiss, respectively Lotto. I like the use of the black stripes on the Lotto dress. It's a nice detail that makes the outfit stand out. I am usually a fan of K-Swiss and this dress resembles some of its vintage best.

Stop the experiments!

Bethanie Mattek-Sands - n/a

Camila Giorgi -  Denise Cronwall

Every Grand Slam has its so-called fashion experimentalists. While Bethanie Mattek-Sands with her crazy dyed hair and high socks is a regular, Camila Giorgi is a newcomer. Wearing a lace skirt and a corset top, the Italian becomes a front-runner for the worst dressed award.

photos: GETTY IMAGES