 Maria Sharapova: Winner of Internationaux de Strasbourg France
It was better late than never this week for Maria Sharapova who, despite being a late entry into the Internationaux de Strasbourg, went all the way to the title by beating first-time finalist Kristina Barrois.
Sharapova's power game was challenged early in the match as Barrois mixed some big forehands with topspin and slice off her beautiful one-handed backhand. But after slipping behind 5-3 in the first set Sharapova went on a roll, winning 10 of the next 11 games to claim a 7-5 6-1 victory. It was the second clay court title for Sharapova out of 22 overall, after she won her first title on the surface at Amelia Island two years ago.
Sharapova, who was the top seed, faced some tough challenges during the week. She was pushed to three sets twice, against Regina Kulikova in the first round and by fifth seed Anabel Medina Garrigues in the semi-finals. Getting through that day was quite a challenge as, because of rain on Thursday, the Russian had to finish off her quarter-final before facing Medina Garrigues.
The Strasbourg title was the second of the year for Sharapova. She also won in Memphis in February, and her victory in France means that she is the only player so far this year to win two International Series titles.
 Anastasija Sevastova: Winner of Estoril Open Portugal
A strong feature of the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions is that it showcases some of the most promising young players that are emerging onto the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and Anastasija Sevastova has established herself on that list of rising talent by defeating Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2 7-5 in the rain-affected final of the Estoril Open.
Before this year, the 20-year old from Latvia had won only six of 16 matches on the WTA Tour. But this year she has been on fire, qualifying for Dubai, reaching the semi-finals of Monterrey and the third round at Indian Wells. Now, to win in Estoril, she had to overcome top seed Agnes Szavay and seventh seed Peng Shuai. She is the first player from Latvia to win a singles title on the Tour since Larisa Neiland won in Schenectady, New York in 1993, and in fact no Latvian player has even reached a final since Neiland did so in Schenectady in 1994.
"I'm very happy and excited to win my first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title. I've played pretty well in my last two matches so I think I deserve it," Sevastova said. "It was tough for both of us because we warmed up for 10 minutes after the rain then had to step on court to play a final. I adapted faster and although she worked her way into the match in the second set, I fought to the end."
 Iveta Benesova : Winner of GP de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, Fes Morroco
She had to wait a long time for a second career title after earning her first, but Iveta Benesova has staked her claim for a place at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions by winning the Grand Prix De Sar La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Fes, Morocco.
The 27-year old Czech left-hander defeated qualifier Simona Halep of Romania 6-4 6-2 to win her first title since taking the Acapulco title way back in 2004, and it was an impressive victory over an opponent who is a former junior world number one and the 2008 junior French Open champion. Not only did Benesova win the singles, but she also stepped back onto court to sweep the doubles too, partnering Anabel Medina Garrigues to victory. It was her third doubles title this year after she won Paris and Monterrey with Zahlavova Strycova.
"I played Simona in Marbella and knew what to expect, and wanted a little revenge," said a delighted Benesova after her victory. "I just tried to play my game, be aggressive and make her move, because she had a lot of matches this week too. It has been such a long time since Acapulco, six years - I don't even remember! It's hard to compare. I'm just happy I could make it again. I'm happy I could play both events here - Anabel really helped me a lot, she’s a great player. And winning both singles and doubles, it couldn't be better."
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