Wickmayer upsets Pennetta to claim Auckland title
Reuters US Online Report Sports News | 2010-01-09 03:26:24
<div><p>AUCKLAND (Reuters) - Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer upset top seed Flavia Pennetta 6-3 6-2 in the final of the Auckland Classic on Saturday to complete a remarkable return to the courts after having a doping ban overturned.</p><p>Wickmayer, granted a wild card for the event after a court overturned a one-year ban imposed when she fell foul of the Belgian doping authority's "whereabouts rule," overpowered the Italian with a powerful serve and blistering groundstrokes.</p><p>The 20-year-old made an inauspicious start when she double faulted on the first service point of the match but fought back from a 1-3 deficit in the first set and broke the 12th ranked Pennetta twice to go 1-0 up in 39 minutes.</p><p>She retained her momentum, despite a slight blip when she was broken in her first service game of the second set, to win the final five games of the match, clinching victory when a Pennetta forehand went into the net.</p><p>(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Nick Mulvenney)</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=66586118&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>
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