ASB Classic
Timely Success For Salad Pair
Erakovic finds a worthy ally in Swede
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- Marina Erakovic and Sofia Arvidsson have hit it off to make the ASB Classic doubles final (photosport.co.nz)
Local favourite Marina Erakovic had never played with latest doubles partner Sofia Arvidsson before, but she already knew about her sense of humour.
“Sofia is a real facebook fan and the other day, she posted that she was playing this tournament with a fruit,” related Erakovic.
Kiwi … fruit … get it?
If that’s true, maybe Erakovic could have commented on her newfound combination with a vegetable.
Swede … vegetable … ok, forget it!
Either way, this unlikely duo have certainly found something to smile about after their early exits from the ASB Classic singles and are looking forward to today’s doubles final.
Erakovic was utterly downcast following her disappointing first-round loss to Russian Elena Vesnina, while her team-mate held five match points over eventual finalist Greta Arn in the second round, but squandered them all and the match 4-6 7-5 7-5.
“I hit a shot that Greta just stretched to get back,” reflects Arvidsson. “It was a sitter and she was literally walking over to thank the umpire when I netted the return ... it was all downhill from there.”
So their rousing KIA Motors Doubles run has come at just the right time.
After toppling the second seeds on Thursday, Erakovic and Arvidsson quickly dispatched Alize Cornet of France and Romanian Edina Gallovits 6-3 6-1 in last night’s semi.
They now face top seeds Czech Kveta Peschke and Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik for the title – the first time a Kiwi has appeared in an Auckland women’s final since Leanne Baker faced Srebotnik in the 2005 doubles.
Erakovic has won four previous titles – Pattaya City last year, and Hertogenbosch, Tokyo and Luxembourg in 2008 – all with different partners.
But this time will be different. She’ll have the home fans right behind her – “they’re like a third person on our side” - and Arvidsson is happy to share that support.
“It’s really impressive,” she beams. “Even in the first round, it was packed ... I’ve never played doubles in front of a crowd like this before.”
They’ll need every bit of that support today. Srebotnik won both singles and doubles here six years ago, both she and Peschke are ranked among the top half dozen doubles specialists in the world, and combined to finish runners up at last year’s French Open and WTA Championship.
“It’s going to be fun to play against two great players,” says Arvidsson. “But if we play well, I think we have a chance.”
The pair has never played together before this event, but seem destined to continue the liaison whenever possible in the future.
“It takes a bit of time to get used to each other, but by the final, you know each other quite well,” says Erakovic. “You can just go out and have a lot of fun, especially if you are underdogs and have nothing to lose like us.”
Kveta Peschke (Czech Republic)
Age 35
Height 1.65m
Weight 58kg
Plays Right
Ranking 5
High 3 (July 08)
Titles 16
Earnings US$3m
Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia)
Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia)
Age 29
Height 1.8m
Weight 65kg
Plays Right
Ranking 6
High 3 (Jan 08)
Titles 23
Earnings US$4.9m
Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden)
Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden)
Age 26
Height 1.76m
Weight 69kg
Plays Right
Ranking 166
High 104 (Nov 09)
Titles 1
Earnings US$1.1m
Marina Erakovic (New Zealand)
Marina Erakovic (New Zealand)
Age 22
Height 1.74m
Weight 65kg
Plays Right
Ranking 95
High 43 (Oct 08)
Titles 4
Earnings US$455,792
