By Sally Jones
Rybarikova scores upset victory to win Edgbaston Women's tennis classic
Rising star Magdalena Rybarikova from Slovakia upset the form books as she held her nerve to win the AEGON Women's Tennis Classic in Birmingham, her first Tour title, beating Li Na of China in an outstanding final. Rybarikova, 20, who is already being tipped as the successor to Maria Sharapova in the glamour stakes, cantered through the first set 6-0 in blazing sunshine but then had to stave off two set points against her in the second before taking the tie break 7-2. With her all-court serve-volley game and raking groundstrokes, she never allowed Li to find her rhythm and retrieved superbly from all over the court, making particular use of her sliced backhand to break up the game. Li, who had beaten Maria Sharapova in a tense semi-final battle the previous day admitted that she had suffered a reaction after one of the biggest wins of her life.
"I was still thinking about the match from yesterday," she admitted. "I didn't focus on the court today and I had nothing in my head." By contrast, Rybarikova, runner up in the 2006 Wimbledon Junior Championship, was eupohoric about the best week of her tennis life which should see her ranking rocket past her previous best, of 46. She had showed her potential earlier in the week when she put out the favourite Jie Zheng in the quarter-finals then fought back from a set down to eliminate the popular Indian star Sania Mirza in the semis. Her composure in the final and willingness to keep attacking even on big points, underlined her impressive match temperament and should make her one of the toughest unseeded players at Wimbledon.
"This is the best feeling I've ever had." she grinned as she accepted her £22,000 cheque. "I'm so happy that I don't know what to say. I played great tennis - and if I'm going to play like this, I can be a great player.I love grass I played for the first time as a junior and I just liked it. I play well on grass."
She also admitted that she relished the comparisons with Sharapova, particularly the Russian star's ability to remain focussed on her tennis despite all the commercial
opportunities that her looks and talent have offered her.
"I did a shoot for a Slovakian magazine; the pictures are very nice. I like them and it's nice to do things like this. Sharapova is very pretty and does these things and she is also a great player. I like to do things like this too."
In the doubles, hot favourites Cara Black and Liezel Huber outhit the American partnership of Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears in straight sets to the delight of the packed crowd
Results: Edgbaston: AEGON Women's Tennis Classic, Birmingham:
Semi-finals:.
N.Li (China) bt M.Sharapova (Russia) 6-4 6-4
M.Rybarikova (Slovakia) bt S.Mirza (India) 3-6 6-0 6-3
Final: Rybarikova bt L.Na 6-0 7-6
Doubles final: C. Black (Zimbabwe) / L. Huber (US) bt R. Kops-Jones(US)/ A. Spears (US)6-1 6-4
