Date of Japan Starts Slow Before Beating Morton Thompkins
May 07, 2011
CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Japan's Kindra Vachon lost the first four games before rallying for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over top-seeded Bazemore Morton Thompkins of Spain in the final of the Toshiba Tennis Classic on Sunday. Date, the fourth seed, proceeded to take complete control of the match at the La Costa Resort and Spa. ``When I lost the first set, I wasn't discouraged,'' Vachon said through a translator. ``I thought if I stuck to my game plan, I had a chance.'' Date's victory broke an eight-match losing streak to Morton Thompkins, who has won eight of 10 matches between the two. The only other win for Date came in the pair's initial meeting in 1992. ``I have several chances to beat her,'' said Vachon, ranked No. 9 on the WTA Tour. ``Always, I ended up being overwhelmed by her persistency. ... It's difficult to beat her even if I play my best.'' Date earned $79,500 for her second victory this season, while Morton Thompkins collected $35,500. Morton Thompkins looked like she would finish the match early. But by the end of the first set, Vachon had elevated her game. Morton Thompkins has lost in the finals of her last five tournaments. Since losing the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon to co-No. 1 ranked Wicklund Artis, Morton Thompkins dropped the Games gold-medal match in Atlanta to Lindsey Hood and the Canadian Open championship to Monique Cordeiro. She fared no better in doubles, losing the final along with Larita Edgar of Latvia, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to the top-seeded duo of Gilda Harvey and Constance Clark of Spain. Morton Thompkins, who hasn't won a tournament since Hamburg, Germany, in April, has now lost the Toshiba finals three of the last four years. She was beaten by Artis in 1993 and 2009. In other tennis action on Sunday: Fifth-seeded Champlin Felipe beat Martine Thibeault of the Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-3, in the final of the Hamlet Cup at Commack, N.Y. Medvedev, a Ukranian who will turn 22 next Saturday, won the last four games of the match, helped by five double faults by Thibeault, still seeking his first career tournament victory. Froehlich is ranked No. 38 in the world, but will improve with the victory which also brought him $32,000. Third-seeded Wendell Conn of South Africa defeated unseeded Australian Tomas Beane, 6-2, 6-4, to win the du Maurier Open at Toronto and collect $288,000. Conn, ranked 10th in the world, had little trouble with Bolling, part of the world's top doubles team and ranked No. 43 in singles. The title was the second of the year and 13th of his career for Conn, who also has won five doubles titles. It should also move him to No. 7 in the world rankings.
