Dominika Cibulkova Wins 2012 Mercury Insurance Open

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open Winner: Dominika Cibulkova Handles Marion Bartoli For Title

Dominika Cibulkova has her second career title after beating Marion Bartoli in straight sets, 6-1 7-5, at the Mercury Insurance Open in Carlsbad, Calif.

Cibulkova didn't play perfectly, but put together a few dominant runs: after losing the match's opening game, she won the next six games to take the first set 6-1. In the next set, she broke serve twice in a row to bounce back from a 1-4 deficit to seize the lead, breaking Bartoli again at 6-5 for the tournament victory.

Cibulkova, who was the No. 2 seed in the tournament, won all four of her matches in the tournament in straight sets, closing it out with a victory over the No. 1 seed. She had lost four of her last five finals matches since winning the Kremlin Cup in October in Moscow. Next, she will represent Slovakia in both singles and doubles at the Olympics.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: Marion Bartoli, Dominika Cibulkova To Meet In Final

The top two seeds at the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open will play for the championship in Sunday's final match.

No. 1 seed Marion Bartoli was pushed to three sets in her semifinal match against Yung-Jan Chan, but was able to advance 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. Bartoli didn't have the easiest path to the final as she needed three sets in all three of her matches.

Bartoli will face the tournament's No. 2 seed Dominika Cibulkova. Cibulova knocked off No. 4 Nadia Petrova in the semifinal 7-6, 6-1. Unlike Bartoli, Cibulkova is yet to be pushed to three sets during the tournament. She won her first match 6-2, 6-4 before winning her second match 6-4, 6-4.

The tournament will wrap up from Carlsbad, Calif. Sunday with the final match beginning at 5 p.m. ET.

For a full scoreboard be sure to visit Sports Illustrated.

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: Top Two Seeds Advance To The Final

The 2012 Mercury Insurance Open neared a conclusion Saturday with two semifinal matches setting up a Sunday final between the top two seeds.

In the morning semifinal match, No. 2 Dominika Cibulkova knocked off No. 4 Nadia Petrova in straight sets. After a back-and-forth first set which saw Cibulkova win 7-6, including a 10-8 tiebreaker, Cibulkova cruised to a 6-1 win in the second set.

In the other semifinal, No. 1 seed Marion Bartoli advanced despite losing the first set. Yung-Jan Chan won the first set 6-1, but Bartoli won the next two sets 6-3, 6-3 to reach the final. Bartoli didn't record an ace in the match, but played well enough to complete the comeback.

Cibulkova and Bartoli will meet in the final Sunday, with the match beginning at 5 p.m. ET.

For a full scoreboard be sure to visit Sports Illustrated.

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: Two Semifinal Matches Scheduled For Saturday

There are now just four players remaining at the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open with the semifinals set to begin Saturday. The favorites have played well as three of the four remaining players are top four seeds.

On one side of the bracket, No. 2 Dominika Cibulkova will play No. 4 Nadia Petrova. Cibulkova needed two sets to advance past Urszula Radwanska in the quarterfinals. Petrova didn't have as easy of a time, as she needed to win a third-set tiebreaker to move on.

On the other side of the bracket, Yung-Jan Chan will attempt to defeat another seeded player. Chan knocked off No. 3 Jelena Jankovic Friday and will now face No. 1 Marion Bartoli. Bartoli defeated No. 5 Christina McHale on Friday.

Here is the complete schedule for Saturday:

No. 2 Dominika Cibulkova vs. No. 4 Nadia Petrova

Yung-Jan Chan vs. No. 1 Marion Bartoli

For a full scoreboard be sure to visit Sports Illustrated.

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: Top Seeds Move On To Semifinals

The 2012 Mercury Insurance Open continued Friday from Carlsbad, Calif. Friday's quarterfinal action featured one major upset.

No. 3 seed Jelena Jankovic fell to unranked Yung-Jan Chan in three sets. Jankovic was the first set 7-6, but Chan won the next two 7-6, 7-5. Jankovic was not the only seeded player to fall as No. 5 Christina McHale fell to No. 1 Marion Bartoli.

No. 2 seed Dominika Cibulkova just needed two sets to advance to the semifinals, defeating Urszula Radwanska 6-4, 6-4. No. 4 seed Nadia Petrova also advanced, although she need a third-set tiebreaker to do so. Petrova knocked off Varvara Lepchenko 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.

Here are the complete results from Friday:

No. 2 Dominika Cibulkova def. Urszula Radwanska

No. 4 Nadia Petrova def. Varvara Lepchenko

Yung-Jan Chan def. No. 3 Jelena Jankovic

No. 1 Marion Bartoli def. No. 5 Christina McHale

For a full scoreboard be sure to visit Sports Illustrated.

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: Marion Bartoli Among Those In Action Friday

Only eight players remain as the quarterfinal of the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open begins Friday. No. 1 seed Marion Bartoli is among those still standing and she will take the court during the late match Friday night.

Bartoli will face No. 5 seed Christina McHale in the quarterfinals. McHale dropped the first set of her second round match to Misaki Doi, but won the final two sets, 6-4, 6-4 to setup the match with Bartoli. In addition to Bartoli, No. 2 seed Dominika Cibulkova will also be in action Friday. She advanced to the quarterfinal with a straight set victory over Marina Erakovic on Thursday. Cibulkova will face Urszula Radwanska on Friday.

Friday's complete schedule can be found below. All times are Pacific.

Starting at 11 a.m. PT

Urszula Radwanska vs. No. 2 Dominika Cibulkova

Not before 1 p.m. PT

No. 3 Jelena Jankovic vs. Yung-Jan Chan

Not before 3 p.m. PT

Varvara Lepchenko vs. No. 4 Nadia Petrova

Not before 8 p.m. PT

No. 1 Marion Bartoli vs. No. 5 Christina McHale

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: Christina McHale Advances To Quarters

The second round of the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open wrapped up Thursday night with four more spots in the quarterfinals set.

American and No. 5 seed Christina McHale was among the victorious on Thursday. She dropped the first set in her match with Misaki Doi 4-6, but won the second and third sets 6-4, 6-4 to move on. She will be joined in the quarterfinals by No. 2 seed Dominika Cibulkova. Cibulkova was a straight set winner Thursday, defeating Marina Erakovic 6-2, 6-4.

Urszula Radwanska cruised into the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Melanie Oudin. In the final match of the night, No. 3 Jelena Jankovic defeated Melinda Czink 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Here are the complete results from Thursday:

No. 5 Christina McHale def. Misaki Doi

Urszula Radwanska def. Melanie Oudin

No. 2 Dominika Cibulkova def. Marina Erakovic

No. 3 Jelena Jankovic def. Melinda Czink

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: 2nd-Round Action Continues Thursday

Second-round action from the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open continues Thursday with four more singles matches. Three of the four matches will involve players seeded in the top five.

No. 2 seed Dominika Cibulkova is the highest seed scheduled to take the court Thursday. She will take on Marina Erakovic, who advanced to the second round by defeating Anne Keothavong 6-4, 6-0 in the first round. No. 3 seed Jelena Jankovic will face off with Melinda Czink while No. 5 seed Christina McHale is scheduled to play against Misaki Doi.

Thursday's complete schedule can be found below. All times are Pacific.

Stadium, starting at 11 a.m.

Urszula Radwanska vs. Melanie Oudin

No. 5 Christina McHale vs. Misaki Doi

No. 2 Dominika Cibulkova vs. Marina Erakovic

Not before 7 p.m.

No. 3 Jelena Jankovic vs. Melinda Czink

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: No. 1 Seed Marion Bartoli Advances

The 2012 Mercury Insurance Open continued Wednesday with second-round action from Carlsbad, Calif. Three of the top eight seeded players were in action Wednesday, including No. 1 seed Marion Bartoli.

Bartoli was able to advance, but needed three sets to defeat Vania King. Bartoli won the first set 6-4 before dropping the second set 5-7. She was able to avoid elimination by winning the third and deciding set 6-4.

No. 4 ranked Nadia Petrova also advanced to the third round, defeating Alexa Glatch in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. No. 8 seed Chanelle Scheepers advanced to the second round with a straight set win over Coco Vandeweghe on Tuesday, but was not able to continue that success Wednesday. Scheepers was eliminited in straight sets on Wednesday, falling 6-4, 6-2 to Varvara Lepchenko.

Here are the complete results from Wednesday:

Yung-Jan Chan def. Heather Watson

Varvara Lepchenko def. No. 8 Chanelle Scheepers

No. 4 Nadia Petrova def. Alexa Glatch

No. 1 Marion Bartoli def. Vania King

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: Round 2 Features Marion Bartoli In Nightcap

The 2012 Mercury Insurance Open begins second-round play on Wednesday with the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Marion Bartoli, taking the court against California local Vania King. King advanced to the second round with a victory against Kai-Chen Chang on Tuesday, 6-1, 6-4.

Chanelle Scheepers is the only other seeded player (No. 8) taking the court on Wednesday. She will face Varvara Lepchenko. Scheepers advanced to the second round with a win over Coco Vandeweghe, 6-2, 7-6 (4), on Tuesday night.

Here is the singles schedule for Wednesday (all times Pacific):

Stadium 1, starting at 11:00 a.m.
Heather Watson vs. Yung-Jan Chan

Not Before 1:00 p.m.
No. 8 Chanelle Scheepers vs. Varvara Lepchenko
Alexa Glatch vs. No. 4 Nadia Petrova

Not Before 7:00 p.m.
No. 1 Marion Bartoli vs. Vania King

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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Mercury Insurance Open 2012: Christina McHale Advances To Round 2

The opening round of the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open is in the books and Christina McHale advanced to the second round following a nerve-racking victory on Tuesday. McHale defeated Jarmila Gajdosova in two sets, 7-6 (5), 7-5. She will face Misaki Doi in the second round.

In other action at this Carlsbad, Calif., event, local Vania King took care of Kai-Chen Chang in two sets, 6-1, 6-4. The second round will be quite tough, as she will take the court against Marion Bartoli. To close out the night, Melanie Oudin sent Sloane Stephens out of the tournament in three sets, 1-6, 7-6 (8), 6-0. Oudin will face Urszula Radwanska in the second round.

Here are the other results for the day:

No. 8 Chanelle Scheepers def. Coco Vandeweghe, 6-2, 7-6 (4)
Marina Erakovic def. Anne Keothavong, 6-4, 6-0
Melinda Czink def. Sesil Karatantcheva, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
Heather Watson def. Eleni Daniilidou, 6-3, 6-3
Yung-Jan Chan def. No. 7 Yanina Wickmayer, 7-6, Ret.

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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2012 Mercury Insurance Open: Coco Vandeweghe, Christina McHale In Action On Tuesday

The 2012 Mercury Insurance Open is underway at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. Known in years past as the Southern California Open, the WTA event is viewed as a key tune-up for the upcoming U.S. Open.

The first round of play will continue on Tuesday, with eight singles matches scheduled. Bank of the West Classic runner-up Coco Vandeweghe will be in action, as will No. 5 seed Christina McHale and local player Vania King.

Here is the full rundown and order of play of singles matches scheduled for Tuesday. All times are Pacific.

Stadium, starting at 11:00 a.m.

Marina Erakovic (NZL) vs Anne Keothavong (GBR)
Kai-Chen Chang (TPE) vs Vania King (USA)
Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) vs [5] Christina McHale (USA)

Not Before 7:00 p.m.

[8] Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) vs [WC] Coco Vandeweghe (USA)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) vs Sloane Stephens (USA)

Stadium 2, starting at 11:00 am

[Q] Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ) vs Melinda Czink (HUN)
Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) vs Heather Watson (GBR)

Not before 1:00 p.m.

[Q] Yung-Jan Chan (TPE) vs [7] Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.

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Mercury Insurance Open 2012: Urszula Radwanska, Alexa Glatch, Varvara Lepchenko Advance

Monday saw the first day of first-round play at the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open in Carlsbad, Calif., a WTA tune-up event for the U.S. Open.

Four singles matches were played on Monday. Misaki Doi defeated Qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito in three sets, 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-3. In a matchup between two American players, Varvara Lepchenko defeated Nicole Gibbs in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.

In a second all-U.S. match, Alexa Glatch was able to rack up 10 aces en route to dispatching Lauren Davis in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. The final match of the day featured Urszula Radwanska of Poland taking on Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia. Radwanska prevailed in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, to advance to the second round.

Coco Vandeweghe will be among the singles competitors in action on Tuesday as the first round continues.

For more on the 2012 Mercury Insurance Open stay tuned to this StoryStream and to SB Nation's Tennis Hub and check out the tournament's official site.