The 2014 season is underway and YONEX players are off to a strong start capturing 3 titles.
First up, YONEX veteran Lleyton Hewitt (VCORE Tour 97) at the Brisbane International defeated 2nd seeded Kei Nishikori (JPN) in the semifinal. He then faced off against former champion Roger Federer (SUI) in the final, ultimately winning his first crown at home in Sydney since 2005.
Semifinal and Final Results:
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. [2] Kei Nishikori (JPN), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. [1] Roger Federer (SUI), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
Second up is Stanislas Wawrinka (New Racquet*) at the Aircel Chennai Open. As the defending champion and 1st seed, Stan built on his continuous solid performances from 2013, winning the tournament title for the second year in a row. Also, with the victory against Aljaz Bedene in the quarterfinal round, Stan recorded the 300th match win of his career, making him the fourth Swiss player to reach that plateau. *Product Information will be revealed on yonexusa.com in mid of January. Please check it out !
Final Result: Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) def. Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA), 7-5, 6-2.
Lastly, Ana Ivanovic (EZONE Ai 98) at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. Swinging her new EZONE Ai racquet, Ana defeated Venus Williams (USA) in the final to win her first title since 2011 in Bali. This is Ana’s 12th WTA tile of her career.
"Today was a great match. Venus is always very tough - she's a great champion and showed that again today. I'm just happy that after losing that second set I managed to stay calm and close it out." (quote from WTA Official Site)
Final Results: [2] Ana Ivanovic (SRB) def. Venus Williams, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
*Stan and Lleyton’s images from US Open 2013. Ana’s image from Toray Pan Pacific Open 2013.