Congratulations to Lindsay Davenport, winner of the 2008 Sovereign Singles title at the ASB Classic, and to Mariya Koryttseva and Lilia Osterloh, winners of the 2008 Sovereign Doubles title.
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For full tournament information, please visit the tournament website – www.asbclassic.co.nz

Marina Erakovic pushed world number thirty Maria Kirilenko all the way in a three set match eventually won by the Russian starlet. Erakovic went down 6-3 4-6 6-2 in a hard fought semi-final encounter at the US$75000 tournament at Dubai. Both players will be competing in the main draw at the ASB Classic in Auckland next month. Later in the day Marina and Monica Niculescu (Rou) defeated Fidak (Ukr)/Lapuschenkova (Rus) 7-6 6-4 to win the doubles title. The victory should give Marina’s doubles ranking a nice little year-end boost that will give her a reasonable chance of a direct acceptance into the main draw of the doubles with Michaela Krajicek at the ASB Classic without having to rely on a wildcard from tournament boss Richard Palmer.

A win against Maria Kirilenko in the semi-finals of the US$75000 women’s tournament at Dubai could be an early Xmas present for Marina Erakovic.  Marina easily defeated fourth seed Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzb) 6-2 6-1 in the quarters to earn a crack at world number thirty Kirilenko.  A win over the Russian starlet would be a nice early Xmas present for Marina and a perfect way to cap a solid year on tour.  She is also in the doubles final with Monica Niculescu.

Marina Erakovic is comfortably through to the quarter-finals of the US$75000 women’s tournament at Dubai.  Marina beat Martina Sucha (Svk) 6-2 6-4 to set up a quarter-final clash against fourth seed Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzb).  Marina beat Amanmuradova at Fed Cup in 2006 in the only head to head encounter between the two players.  Erakovic is also through to the final of the doubles after an easy semi-final victory.

Marina Erakovic beat Ana Jovanovic (SRB) 6-4 6-0 in the first round of the US$75000 tournament at Dubai.  Marina plays Martina Sucha (Svk) in the next round.  Marina has also reached the semi-finals of the doubles event.

South African Wesley Whitehouse had to fight hard but eventually came through to win the men’s title at the Fuji Xerox Auckland Tennis Champs. The women’s singles also saw a battle as 17-year-old Sacha Jones defeated 13-year-old surprise finalist Tanya Samodelok in three sets. More…

Rubin Statham and GD Jones both fell in the first round of the main draw at the ATP Challenger event in Burnie, Australia. Rubin lost 6-2 7-6 to Miles Armstrong from Australia while GD went down 6-1 3-6 6-3 to Nicholas Monroe (USA).