Charleston
Singles – First Round: (10) Anabel Medina Garrigues def. (Q) Melanie Oudin 6-4 4-6 6-0
A surprisingly tough start for Anabel Medina Garrigues, especially given that she needs two more wins to add any points. For Melanie Oudin, even qualifying points are big these days — they should move her back above #300. Yes, you read that right — she had fallen to #304 entering this week.
Singles – First Round: Aleksandra Wozniak def. (11) Christina McHale 7-5 5-7 6-4
It was to be a tough day for seeds, but this was the big shocker. And the painful loss; Christina McHale was defending 134 points; she not only loses her shot at the Top Thirty, but she might fall as low as #35.
Singles – First Round: (14) Polona Hercog def. Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-4 6-3
After a very poor start to the year, Polona Hercog seems to be coming around a bit, but these points aren’t going to help her much. We show her at #37 in safe points, and she will need at least a semifinal to go higher.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Paula Ormaechea def. (15) Chanelle Scheepers 6-1 1-6 6-4
Paula Ormaechea doesn’t seem to be much of a threat on other surfaces, but she is pretty solid on clay. She costs Chanelle Scheepers her Top Forty ranking.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Stefanie Voegele def. (16) Jarmila Gajdosova 6-4 2-6 6-4
Jarmila Gajdosova just fell out of the Top Fifty; she would not have been seeded based on her current rankings. And this loss very likely means that she won’t be making it back.
Singles – First Round: Galina Voskoboeva def. Jelena Dokic 4-3 retired (Right Wrist Injury)
The outcome here was pretty close to inevitable, given how well Galina Voskoboeva has been playing and how poorly Jelena Dokic was doing, but it’s still pretty bad news for Dokic. She isn’t playing enough to be getting hurt! The win clinches Galina Voskoboeva’s Top Fifty ranking; she may hit a career high.
Singles – First Round: e def. Stephanie Dubois 7-6(12-10) 7-5
An important win for Elena Vesnina — but, as last year’s finalist, she needs a lot more than this. Even with the victory, she is only about #78 in safe points.
Singles – First Round: Kateryna Bondarenko def. Olga Govortsova 2-6 6-2 6-4
Kateryna Bondarenko should move above #65.
Singles – First Round: Lucie Hradecka def. Urszula Radwanska 6-1 6-4
This probably won’t help Lucie Hradecka appreciably; her sixteenth event score is too large. But one more win would probably take her above #70.
Singles – First Round: Vera Dushevina def. (LL) Chan Yung-Jan 6-4 7-6(7-5)
Chan Yung-Jan has lots of room to add points, but second round qualifying points at a low premier event with a large draw aren’t going to do her much good. She might gain one ranking spot.
Singles – First Round: Eleni Daniilidou def. Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3 6-4
Based on her current ranking, Alla Kudryavtseva would have been in qualifying here — and the loss means that she will stay significantly below #100.
Singles – First Round: Barbora Zahlavova Strycova def. (Q) Camila Giorgi 6-1 6-3
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova needs one more win to defend her points and assure her Top Sixty ranking.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Mirjana Lucic def. Mandy Minella 7-5 7-5
Mirjana Lucic is twice as old now as when she won her first title, but it’s clear she still likes clay. This will take her to around #110. She would, obviously, dearly love to get direct entry into Roland Garros….
Singles – First Round: Anastasia Rodionova def. (Q) Melinda Czink 6-2 2-6 6-1
This should suffice to keep Anastasia Rodionova in the Top Hundred.
Singles – First Round: (LL) Andrea Hlavackova def. (WC) Irina Falconi 6-1 7-5
Irina Falconi, on the other hand, will lose her Top Hundred spot.
Singles – First Round: (WC) Jamie Hampton def. Sloane Stephens 7-5 7-6(7-1)
Sloane Stephens is one of the week’s bigger movers (see the Feature) — but maybe she didn’t have enough time to adjust to clay….
Estimated WTA Rankings As of April 2, 2012
Rank &
Prior
Rank …Name …………. Points
1..(1) Azarenka ………..8980
2..(2) Sharapova ……… 7930
3..(3) Kvitova ……….. 7095
4..(4) Radwanska ……… 6710
5..(5) STOSUR ………….5825*
6..(6) Wozniacki ……… 5450
7..(7) BARTOLI ……….. 5020*
8..(8) Li ……………..4880
9..(9) ZVONAREVA ……… 3895*
10.(10) SWILLIAMS ……… 3831*
11.(11) Petkovic ………..3410
12.(12) Schiavone ……… 3380
13.(13) LISICKI ……….. 3201*
14.(14) Ivanovic ………..2785
15.(16) Kerber ………….2775
16.(15) Goerges ……….. 2735
17.(18) Cibulkova ……… 2545
18.(19) Vinci …………. 2470
19.(20) Hantuchova ………2450
20.(17) JANKOVIC ………..2430*
21.(21) Kirilenko ……… 2410
22.(22) PAVLYUCHENKOVA …..2246*
23.(24) Pennetta ………..2155
24.(23) Peng ……………2050
25.(26) SAFAROVA ………..2005*
26.(27) MEDINA GARRIGUES …1940*
27.(25) Kuznetsova ………1902
28.(28) Cetkovska ……… 1860
29.(29) Niculescu ……… 1840
30.(30) WICKMAYER ……… 1735*