Backtalk II - November 17

The WTA Yearbook is coming. But, first, a quick check of the past week's results...


Love/Love... the top winner of the past week? Jana Cepelova. The 20-year old Slovak took the title at the $75K challenger in Dubai, the biggest of her five career ITF crowns. Cepelova defeated Italy's Maria Elena Camerin in the final.
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Love/15... meanwhile, after being one of the forgotten "C"-team Hordettes in the Fed Cup finals, playing only in a dead rubber match in doubles along with teammate Irina Khromacheva, Margarita Gasparyan stepped into the spotlight in her own right this weekend in Minsk. The Russian, 19, won the $25K event for her fifth career challenger title, defeating Ukrainian Anastasiya Vasylyeva in the final match.
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Love/30... yet again, one of the young Czech juniors has managed to win a pro title. For the fourth time in 2013, one more time than frequent doubles partner Barbora Krejcikova, Katerina Siniakova won a challenger crown. This time the march to victory took place in Zawada, Poland, as the junior #4 took out Germany's Nina Zander in straight sets to claim the championship.
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15/30... another junior, Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, swept the singles and doubles titles in a $10K in Helsinki. The 16-year old earned her third career ITF singles title by knocking off Susanne Celik of Sweden in the final.
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15/40... elsewhere, while Simona Halep is through playing this year, it doesn't mean that a Romanian can't still stack up titles. In the $10K in Antalya, Ana Bogdan, 20, ran her record since September to 18-2, defeating Georgia's Ekaterine Gorgodze to win her third challenger title during the span.
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30/40...


1. $15K Phuket Final - Zhang Ling/HKG d. Lu Jia-Jing/CHN 0-6/7-6/6-3
$15K Phuket Doubles Final - Lertpitaksinchai/Plipuech d. Lu/Lu 3-6/6-2/10-8
...a week ago, the Lu sisters lost in the doubles final of a challenger. They did it again this week (once more falling to a team featuring Peangtarn Plipuech), with Jia-Jing doubling her displeasure by losing a singles final, as well. She did defeat Plipuech in the singles QF, though.
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2. $75K Dubai Doubles Final - Diatchenko/Savchuk d. Kichenok/Kichenok
...7-5/6-1. The Kichenoks try, but fail, to follow up on their win the $25K in Astana with another win.

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Deuce...


**2013 ITF TITLES - CZECHS**
4...KATERINA SINIAKOVA
3...Barbora Krejcikova
2...Diana Sumova
1...Denisa Allertova
1...Tereza Malikova
1...Karolina Pliskova
1...Kristyna Pliskova
1...Lucie Safarova
1...Barbora Stefkova
1...Renata Voracova
1...Sandra Zahlavova
1...Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova

**2013 ITF TITLES - ROMANIANS**
5...ANA BOGDAN
2...Laura-Ioana Andrei
2...Cristina Dinu
2...Patricia Maria Tig
1...Irina Maria Bara
1...Alexandra Dulgheru
1...Bianca Hincu
1...Raluca Olaru

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Advantage, VikaFoo?...

Redfoo performing at the MTV European Music Awards:



Hmm, probably a good idea that Vika, who attended and walked the red carpet, didn't also share the stage later in the evening.

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Match... and, finally, I'll be back next with the season-in-the-making WTA Yearbook.
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All for now.