French Open 2011 Winners

French Open 2011
By Hiland Doolittle, June 5th, 2011

List of French Open 2011 Winners

Men’s Singles - Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal of Spain defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1 to lift the French Open 2011 Men’s trophy.

Rafael Nadal survived a first round five-set thriller coming back from down 2 sets to 1 and loped through the field until reaching the semis where Andy Murray stood ready.

Rafael Nadal Wins French Open 2011 Men's Title

Rafael Nadal Wins French Open 2011 Men's Title

The 3-hour match was won in straight sets but served as a competitive prelim for an emotional roller-coaster finals. Facing long-time rival Roger Federer in a pressure packed match where momentum was measured in fleeting stretches, the King of Clay prevailed in four sets.

The win ties Bjorn Borg and Nadal with six Phillippe Chatrier cups each and earned Nadal his tenth Grand Slam title at just 25 years of age. However, it was Roger Federer who ended Novak Djokovic’s 41-match winning streak which included 2 clay finals against Nadal.

In an unusual turn of events, all four top seeds made it through to the semifinals. The semifinal matches and finals will long be remembered by roaring capacity crowds.

Women’s Singles - Li Na

Chinese Li Na defeated Italian Fransesca Scevone by 6-4, 7-6 (0) to win the Women’s title at French Open 2011.

Li Na - French Open 2011 Winner

Li Na - French Open 2011 Winner

- China’s bouncy Li Na overcame a trio of six footers including Andrea Petkovic, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova before overcoming last year’s defending champion, Francesca Schiavone, and hoist the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. Since her runner-up finish at Melbourne, Li’s season was on the downswing.

A coaching change has also led to a different strategy. Previously known as a defensive specialist, Li has developed surprising offensive skills and a better than average service game.

LI became the first Asian player to claim a Grand Slam title. As usual, she handled the win with grace and joy. The win boosts the champion to the number four ranking.

Men’s Doubles - Max Mirnyl and Daniel Nestor

Max Mirnyi (Belarus) and Daniel Nestor(Canada) defeated Juan Sebastian Cabal and Eduardo Schwank by 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4 to win their first double’s title.

Max Mirnyi of Belarus and Daniel Nestor Won French Open 2011 Double's Title

Max Mirnyi of Belarus and Daniel Nestor Won French Open 2011 Double's Title

Two of the games fabled doubles players teamed up at the start of the year and are already reaping dividends. Max Mirnyl and Daniel Nestor claimed their first French Open title by downing a pair of surprising, unseeded South Americans.

Runner-ups Juan Sebastian Cabal and Eduardo Schwank had a truly remarkable run to the finals. As underdogs in every match, Cabal and Schwank knocked out 8th seeds Wesley Moodie and Dick Norman, Colin Fleming and Philipp Marx, Simon Aspelin and Paul Hanley, Danielle Bracciali and Potitio Starace before downing the top seeded Bryan brothers in the semis.

This finals pitted two seasoned veterans against two new faces. The finals was a well played and fittingly tight match. The key first set could have gone either way in the 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4 title match. The win marked the third Roland Garros doubles title for each of the winners, but their first championship together.

Women’s Doubles - Andrea Hlavachova and Lucie Hradecki

Andrea Hlavachova and Lucie Hradecki of Czech Republic defeated Indian hottie Sania Mirza and russian Elena Vesnina by 6-4, 6-3 to win their first grand slam title.

Andrea Hlavachova And Lucie Hradecki Won French Open 2011 Women's Title

Andrea Hlavachova And Lucie Hradecki Won French Open 2011 Women's Title

Andrea Hlavachova and Lucie Hradecki played in nine Grand Slam doubles tournaments and never reached the quarterfinals. Maturity and experience paid big dividends for the first Czech’s to win a Grand Slam title since the 1990’s.

The winners did it in style without losing a set through a tough field. Bigger names fell to the decided underdogs. Iveta Bensova and Barbara Zahlahova Strycova, Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova, Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik all fell in straight sets.

A seasoned team of Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina, the 7 seeds, were the unlikely opponents in the finals. Nerves showed early for the upstarts but they overcame 8 double fault to sweep through the match 6-4, 6-3.

Mixed Doubles - Casey Dellacqua & Scott Lipsky

Casey Dellacqua and Scott Lipsky Won French Open 2011 Mixed Doubles Title

Casey Dellacqua and Scott Lipsky Won French Open 2011 Mixed Doubles Title

Casey Dellacqua has returned to the WTA after some fine tuning on the ITF level. At Roland Garros, Dellacqua performed with focus and brilliance as she paired up with Scott Lipsky to upset the defending champions and top seeds, Nenad Zimonjiic and Katarina Srebotnik in a tightly contested battle, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 10-7. In their semifinal match, the Champions were stretched to 6-7(5), 6-2, 1-0 (14-12) in the tiebreaker by Australian Jarmila Gajdosova and Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci . That tune-up may have helped prepare them for the tension of the tiebreaker in the finals.

For Lipsky and Dellacqua, the win is their first a Grand Slam Championship.

Boys Singles - Bjorn Fratangelo

Bjorn Fratangelo Won French Open 2011 Boy's Title

Bjorn Fratangelo Won French Open 2011 Boy's Title

Unseeded and relatively unknown American Bjorn Fratangelo upset 14th seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria in a tense 2hour 7 minute match, 2-6, 6-3, 8-6. With the win, the 17-year old becomes the first American since John McEnroe in 1977 to capture the juniors title at Roland Garros.

It was a battle of Bjorn’s two handed backhand against Thiem’s power game with a one-handed backhand. Prior to this event, Fratangelo had never won a single round in a junior Slam. Bjorn’s father serves as his coach and said the teenager will be passing on the grass court season to play Futures tournaments and boost his ATP ranking, which is currently 1404.

Girl’s Singles - Ons Jabeur

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia defeated Monica Puig of Puerto Rico by 7-6, 6-1 to win Girl’s Singles title at French Open 2011

Ons Jabeur Won French Open 2011 Girl's Title

Ons Jabeur Won French Open 2011 Girl's Title

Ons Jabeur became the first person from North Africa to win a junior Grand Slam. At Roland Garros, Jabeur played the big points well in the crucial first set and downed Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 7-6, 6-1. The soon to turn 17 Tunisian denied Puig the coveted title by overcoming her powerful backhand.

For the runner-up, this was a difficult loss. The 5th seed reached the finals in Melbourne as well only to fall just short. In the end, it was Jabeur’s clutch serving that made the difference. A frustrated Puig succumbed in the second set.

Women’s Legend - Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport Won Women's Legends Doubles Title at French Open 2011

Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport Won Women's Legends Doubles Title at French Open 2011

In a throwback match, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis pushed aside Martina Navratilova and Jana Novotna, 6-1, 6-2. Davenport and Hingis played at a high level throughout the tournament but were most tested in the semis.

Andrea Temesvari and Sandrine Testud pushed the champs to a tiebreaker in a close 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-0 thriller. In their legendary singles careers, Davenport and Hingis played each other 25 times with Davenport holding a 14-11 edge. When the pair focused, they were nearly unbeatable in this event.

Boy’s Doubles

Spanish Andres Artunedo Martinavarr and Roberto Carballes Baena defeated  Mitchell Krueger & Shane Vinsant of USA by 7-5, 6-7, 10-5

Girl’s Doubles

Irina Khromacheva of Russia and Maryna Zanevs.a of Ukraine defeated Russian Victoria Kan and Dutch Demi Schuurs by 6-4, 7-5

Men’s Legends Over 45

French Guy Forget and Henri Leconte defeated Andres Gomez (ECU) and John McEnroe(USA) 6-3, 5-7, 10-8

Men’s WC Singles

Dutch Maikel Scheffers defeated Nicolas Peifer of France by 7-6, 6-3

Women’s WC Singles

Dutch Esther Vergeer defeated fellow country woman Marjolein Buis by 6-0, 6-2

Men’s WC Doubles

Shingo Kunieda (JPN) and Nicolas Peifer (FRA) defeated Robin Ammerlaan (NED) and Stefan Olsson (SWE) by 6-2, 6-3

Women’s WC Doubles

It was all Dutch affair, Esther Vergeer and Sharon Walraven defeated Jiske Griffioen and Aniek Van Koot by 5-7, 6-4, 1-0

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