Serbian qualifier Bojana Jovanovski made a big upset in the first round of the Western and Southern Financial Group Women’s Open by defeating seed No.14 Aravane Rezai, the winner of two claycourt tournaments this season (Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open and Collector Swedish Open Women). The young Serbian rising star, currently ranked at No.98, came back from a set down to defeat the Top 20 player Rezai 4-6 6-3 6-4 on the hard courts of Cincinnati. Jovanovski’s opponent in the second round will be Akgul Amanmuradova.

Former world number one Dinara Safina, unseeded in Cincinnati, made it to the second round with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Italian Roberta Vinci. Safina will next play reigning US Open champion Kim Clijsters, who is seeded fourth at the Western and Southern Financial Group Women’s Open and has a bye in the first round. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Second seed Aravane Rezai of France beat Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-3 4-6 6-4 to win her fourth straight Sony Ericsson WTA Tour final and the Collector Swedish Open Women title.

Dulko, seeded fourth, had defeated Rezai in both of their previous meetings, but the last one was two years ago and since that time many things have improved in the Frenchwoman’s career. In that period she has won her first three titles  (Strasbourg,  Bali and Madrid) and also entered the Top 20.

The 25-year-old Dulko was the one who took the top seed out of the tournament by beating doubles partner and good friend Flavia Pennetta 6-3 6-1 in the semifinals. However, the top-seeded pair won the doubles title with a 7-6(0) 6-0 victory over Renata Voracova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. (via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Unseeded Aravane Rezai played some magical tennis on the clay of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open and defeated fourth seed Venus Williams 6-2 7-5 in an entertaining and competitive Premier-level final to win the biggest title of her career. The world No.24 Rezai played a game of powerful and precise groundstrokes, and her determination and self-confidence were on just as high level.

By breaking Venus in the third and seventh games, Rezai won the first set 6-2 in just about half an hour. But the second set was the one which has probably given Rezai plenty of new fans. Rezai was trailing Venus 5-2, but giving up was the last thing on her mind. The Frenchwoman won five successive games to win the match on her first match point, but only after saving six set points, five of which were at Venus’ 5-4 lead.

Here is Rezai’s far from easy route to victory: Justine Henin in the first round, then Klara Zakopalova, Andrea Petkovic, seventh seed Jelena Jankovic, Lucie Safarova (retired), and finally Venus Williams.

World No.3 Venus, who will as of tomorrow be No.2, was denied her 44th career title, while Rezai won her third (after Strasbourg and Bali in 2009). Not only did Rezai win the biggest title of her career, but she won an inspiring sum of money, €620,000, while Venus took home €310,000 with her runner-up finish in singles.

Venus had previously won the 2010 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open doubles title with her sister Serena, as they ended the great streak of Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta with a 6-2 7-5 victory over the Argentinean-Italian pair in the final. The recent victories of Dulko and Pennetta include Miami, Stuttgart and Rome titles. (photos: Stephane Martinache)

Aravane Rezai won the biggest title of her career playing against Marion Bartoli in an all-French final of the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Bali.

Of course, injuries where not avoided this time either, with top seed Bartoli retiring in tears because of a left quadriceps strain after losing the first set 7-5. Rezai had actually rallied from a set point down at 3-5 in the opening set.

"I'd prefer to win in a different way, but it's tennis, a lot of different things happen," said the 22-year-old Rezai after winning the showcase of the up-and-coming stars of women's tennis. (via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)