Stuttgart. The world’s top tennis players are ready for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska won the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, the dress rehearsal for the world’s best in the run-up to the long standing tournament in Stuttgart, with a 7-5, 6-4 victory in the final against the Russian Maria Sharapova.
She duly celebrated the biggest success of her career. Together with the Miami finalists, 19 of the world’s Top 20 will be lining up in the Porsche Arenafor the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix from 21 to 29 April. It is a new record.
The million dollar tournament in Miami was also an important stopover en route to Stuttgart for the Porsche Team Germany members.
The player to progress the furthest was Sabine Lisicki, who, despite putting on a good performance against the world No. 8 Na Li from China, only narrowly missed out on a quarterfinal place.
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
“I played well and have moved another step forwards. It gives me extra confidence,” said the German. In Stuttgart last year, she won the doubles playing alongside the Australian Samantha Stosur and reached the quarterfinals of the singles.
This time around? “I’ll try to be more consistent in my play and win the important points. Then everything’s possible.”
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
Sabine Lisicki in Miami Seaquarium
Sabine Lisicki in Miami Seaquarium
Sabine Lisicki in Miami Seaquarium
And Angelique Kerber, who this year won her first ever WTA title in Paris and stood in the semifinals of the Indian Wells tournament, is also looking forward to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. “It’ll be one of the highlights of my year,” said the 24-year-old.
Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
She’s certain the early loss in Miami, where she was defeated in her opening match by the strong Chinese Jie Zheng, won’t set her back:
Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
“There’s bound to be days when things don’t go well but I’ve learnt to deal with them. I look forwards.”
For Barbara Rittner, the Porsche Team Germany captain, the tournament in Miami was highly positive. She was especially pleased with the display of Mona Barthel, who swept aside Jelena Jankovic, the former world No. 1.
Mona Barthel
Mona Barthel
And naturally the news that there is nothing standing in the way of the long-injured Andrea Petkovic making a return in Stuttgart. With a view to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Fed Cup play-off against Australia, which will be played in the Porsche Arena on 21 and 22 April, she is also very confident:
“The girls are right on track, I’ve got no worries.”
Tickets for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Fed Cup are available via Easy Ticket Service (telephone +49 711-2555 555, Internet http://www.easyticket.de) or at the Porsche Arena box offices during the tournament week.
SOURCE: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – Porsche Team Germany – Porsche Press Data Bank
Communication Porsche AG & Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Tags: agnieszka radwanska, angelique kerber, barbara rittner, Miami, miami seaquarium, Porsche, Porsche Arena, Porsche Team Germany, Porsche Tennis, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Porsche Tennis Team Deutschland, Porsche Tennis Team Germany, Sabine Lisicki, samantha stosur, sony ericsson open, Stuttgart, tennis grand prix
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Impressive performance by Porsche Team Germany player in the final
Julia Görges just misses out on causing a sensation in Dubai
Stuttgart. Just inches away: Julia Görges lost the final of the two million dollar
tournament in Dubai after an impressive performance 7-5, 6-4 against the
For the 23-year-old member of the Porsche Team Germany, who made her
debut at the Premier Event tournament in the Gulf state, it was nevertheless
the biggest success of her career.
She pocketed 446,778 dollars prize money and moved up the WTA rankings
to No. 16 – her career highest position.
“Jule has had an excellent week. And she gave a good account of herself in the final,” praised Barbara Rittner, the captain of the Porsche Team Germany.
“When you consider that she had been on court an extremely long time in three of the previous matches, then you can only take your hat off to her.”
One of those matches was the semifinal against the former world
No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, whom she had defeated in the final of the
 Julia Görges, Porsche Team Deutschland
Agnieszka Radwanska, the new world No. 5, had earlier in January comprehensively
beaten her 6-1, 6-1 in the last 16 of the Australian Open. In Dubai, the German and
the Pole were evenly matched.
“She killed me in Melbourne. I did everything wrong there,” she said prior to the final. “This time everything starts from scratch again. When you stand in a final, you have to go out and give it your all. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Though she immediately lost her serve, she fought back to level at 4-4. In the
decisive stage she however made a few unforced errors that Agnieszka Radwanska
took advantage of to win the set.
In the second, Julia Görges quickly went 4-1 down. Though she clawed her way
back to 4-3, the Pole, who had knocked out Sabine Lisicki – another
Porsche Team Germany player – in the quarterfinals, converted her second match
point after 1 hour 44 minutes.
 Julia Görges, Porsche Team Deutschland
Julia Görges and Agnieszka Radwanska will also be in the line-up for the 2012 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
All the top 10 players, including for the first time the superstar Maria Sharapova, have
signed up for the 35th edition of the long standing tournament in
Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena from 19 to 29 April.
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Communication Porsche AG
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
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Tags: agnieszka radwanska, barbara rittner, Caroline Wozniacki, decisive stage, Dubai, Germany, Julia Görges, Maria Sharapova, Porsche, Porsche Arena, Porsche Tennis, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Porsche Tennis Team Deutschland, Porsche Tennis Team Germany, Sabine Lisicki, tennis grand prix, wta rankings
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