Memory Lane
Madrid Memories 2009: Safina's dominance, Mauresmo's swansong
Look back on the story of the 2009 Mutua Madrid Open, the inaugural edition of the tournament, including a last hurrah from Amélie Mauresmo, a breakthrough for Caroline Wozniacki and a dominant title run to underline brand new World No.1 Dinara Safina's status.
01
/16
A notable qualifier for the 2009 Mutua Madrid Open was Aravane Rezai, whose second-round showing presaged a career-best clay season for the Frenchwoman including a first title in Strasbourg and a fourth-round run at Roland Garros.
Photo by Getty
02
/16
The first round saw No.2 seed Serena Williams retire with a knee injury while trailing Francesca Schiavone 4-6, a result which extended the American's losing streak to four following opening-round exits in Marbella and Rome.
Photo by Getty
03
/16
Li Na was a 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 victor over home favorite Carla Suárez Navarro in an all-unseeded first-round clash between future Top 10 players.
Photo by Getty
04
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Samantha Stosur's 7-6(4), 6-1 first-round upset of No.10 seed Agnieszka Radwanska foreshadowed a breakthrough clay season for the Australian, who would reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros three weeks later.
Photo by Getty
05
/16
Rising 19-year-old Alisa Kleybanova scored her second Top 5 scalp of 2009 with an epic 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 upset of No.5 seed Venus Williams in the second round.
Photo by Getty
06
/16
Dinara Safina had hit World No.1 for the first time the previous month, and the Russian top seed - fresh off the Rome title - extended her winning streak to six with a 6-3, 7-6(2) second-round defeat of Li Na.
Photo by Getty
07
/16
Amélie Mauresmo would retire at the end of 2009, but the unseeded former World No.1 scored the last Top 5 win of her career with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 upset of No.3 seed Elena Dementieva in the third round.
Photo by Getty
08
/16
Agnes Szavay had already beaten Flavia Pennetta and Aravane Rezai, and the 20-year-old upset No.7 seed Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals - the Hungarian's sixth career Top 10 win.
Photo by Getty
09
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The unseeded Patty Schnyder put together another of her trademark brilliant giant-killing runs, upsetting No.8 seed Nadia Petrova 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(5) in the third round and No.4 seed Jelena Jankovic 7-6(6), 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
Photo by Getty
10
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No.9 seed Caroline Wozniacki had served notice of her strong form in early rounds: the Dane did not concede more than four games in any of her first four matches, dismissing qualifier Vera Dushevina 6-0, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
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11
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For the second round running Amélie Mauresmo came from a set down, eliminating Agnes Szavay 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals - in what would be the seventh-last tournament of the Frenchwoman's career.
Photo by Getty
12
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Victories over Lucie Safarova, Alona Bondarenko and Patty Schnyder extended Dinara Safina's winning streak to nine, putting the Russian into her third straight final (following Stuttgart and Rome) and fifth of the 2009 season.
Photo by Getty
13
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Caroline Wozniacki, who beat Amélie Mauresmo 7-6(1), 6-3 in the semifinals, would also reach her third clay final of the season following Amelia Island and Charleston - and it would be the 19-year-old's first at Premier Mandatory level.
Photo by Getty
14
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Dinara Safina continued to sweep through the 2009 clay season, adding the Madrid trophy to her Rome title with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Caroline Wozniacki in the final - the only time the pair ever faced off.
Photo by Getty
15
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It was Dinara Safina's 11th career title, and the 23-year-old would follow it by reaching her third Grand Slam final at Roland Garros - but she would only lift one more trophy in a career prematurely ended by injury.
Photo by Getty
16
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For the moment, though, Safina - pictured with men's champion Roger Federer - could bask in form that was often untouchable, at the absolute peak of her career.
Photo by Getty
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