Women Tennis Update – Roland Garros, Strasbourg, Brussels

Written by: Staff on 22nd May 2012

Women Tennis Update - Roland Garros, Strasbourg, Brussels

epa03219213 Italian tennis player Francesca Schiavone returns the ball to Russian tennis player Ekaterina Makarova during their match at the Italian Open Tennis Tournament (ATP World Tour), at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 14 May 2012. EPA/ETTORE FERRARI |

Brussels

Singles – First Round: Sofia Arvidsson def. (7) Peng Shuai 7-5 6-3

Peng Shuai probably wasn’t ready to come back, but she clearly wanted to get in some French Open practice. This unfortunate result leaves her Top Thirty ranking in danger.

Singles – First Round: (8) Kaia Kanepi def. (Q) Irina Falconi 6-3 6-2

This will very likely take Kaia Kanepi to #24.

Singles – First Round: Chanelle Scheepers def. (9) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-2

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is obviously still in her slump. She will probably stay Top 25 even so. Chanelle Scheepers is now about fifty points away from the Top Forty.

Singles – First Round: Monica Niculescu def. (Q) Sania Mirza 6-1 7-5

This won’t put Monica Niculescu in the Top Thirty, but she is getting close.

Singles – First Round: Yanina Wickmayer def. Anna Chakvetadze 3-6 6-4 6-1

Once again Anna Chakvetadze runs out of gas in a long match. She really, really needs to find a cure for that.

Singles – First Round: (Q) Urszula Radwanska def. Varvara Lepchenko 6-2 6-2

Urszula Radwanska should move above #85 after this.

Singles – First Round: (Q) Arantxa Rus def. Zheng Jie 7-5 3-6 6-4

Zheng Jie once again falls short of the Top Thirty.

Singles – First Round: (LL) Lesia Tsurenko def. Greta Arn 6-1 6-4

Greta Arn will remain below the Top Hundred. This will probably be the last Premier event at which she gets direct entry — at least in the near term, and very possibly, given her age, in her career.

Singles – First Round: (LL) Bojana Jovanovski def. (WC) Tamaryn Hendler 7-5 7-5

This probably won’t be quite enough to put Bojana Jovanovski back in the Top Hundred, but she will be close.

Doubles – First Round: Jurak/Marosi def. (1) Peschke/Srebotnik 1-6 6-2 10-8 (Match TB)

We really do find ourselves wondering how long Kveta Peschke is going to wait for Katarina Srebotnik to get her form back. Their Wimbledon title will be coming off all too soon….

Doubles – First Round: (4) Mattek-Sands/Mirza def. Jugic-Salkic/Klemenschits 6-4 6-2

Doubles – First Round: Dekmeijere/Kondratieva def. Daniilidou/Hrdinova 6-4 3-6 10-4 (Match TB)

Doubles – First Round: McHale/Oudin def. Jeflea/Peers 6-3 4-6 10-8 (Match TB)

Doubles – First Round: (WC) Bovina/Van Uytvanck def. Castano/Lefevre 2-6 7-6(12-10) 10-6 (Match TB)

Strasbourg

Singles – First Round: (2) Francesca Schiavone def. Alexandra Cadantu 6-1 6-2

Almost half of Francesca Schiavone’s points come from last year’s French Open, and she has been in lousy form this spring. This won’t help her, points-wise, but maybe it indicates that she is finally coming to life.

Singles – First Round: Sloane Stephens def. (3) Maria Kirilenko 3-6 7-5, retired .(right ankle injury)

Maria Kirilenko wasn’t likely to move this week, so perhaps this isn’t a particularly big deal. But Kirilenko seems to be having a lot more of these little problems.

Singles – First Round: (4) Anabel Medina Garrigues def. Anna Tatishvili 7-5 4-6 6-1

Not the best start for Anabel Medina Garrigues, given that she needs a semifinal to count toward her ranking.

Singles – First Round: (Q) Alexandra Panova def. (5) Mona Barthel 6-3 7-6(9-7)

Once again Mona Barthel loses a chance to reach the Top Thirty. She may lose a ranking spot or two.

Singles – First Round: Ayumi Morita def. (6) Marina Erakovic 6-1 6-3

This may well cost Marina Erakovic the Top Forty spot she just regained.

Singles – First Round: Shahar Peer def. (9) Aleksandra Wozniak 7-5 6-0

What a week! Three seeds withdrawn, and this made it seven who lost first round. And two seeds at Brussels had first round byes, so they couldn’t lose first round, meaning that seven of fourteen seeds in first round action lost…. Although this match is not actually an upset; last week, Aleksandra Wozniak was #53 and Shahar Peer #54, but this week, Peer is #53 and Wozniak #57.

Singles – First Round: Lucie Hradecka def. (LL) Mandy Minella 6-0 6-1

This effectively guarantees that Lucie Hradecka will rise above #60.

Singles – First Round: Timea Babos def. (Q) Anastasija Sevastova 3-0 retired (low back injury)

No sooner does Anastasia Sevastova start winning again than she goes down. Must be pretty depressing….

Singles – First Round: Johanna Larsson def. (Q) Lauren Davis 3-6 7-6(7-5) 7-6(7-5)

Lauren Davis has done well enough in Challengers to seem mildly promising, but of course she is still learning clay.

Singles – First Round: (Q) Mirjana Lucic def. Anne Keothavong 2-6 7-5 6-4

This was probably mostly about the surface. At least Mirjana Lucic, who is down to #119, gets to add a few points.

Singles – First Round: (WC) Alize Cornet def. Olga Govortsova 6-4 2-6 6-4

One more win would move Alize Cornet back above #80.

Singles – First Round: (WC) Virginie Razzano def. (LL) Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 1-6 6-2 7-5

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez’s grip on the Top Fifty is looking increasingly shaky. She will almost certainly stay there this week, but don’t bet on anything after Paris.

Doubles – First Round: Cadantu/Keothavong def. (3) Minella/Parmentier 6-4 2-6 10-5 (Match TB)

How weak is this draw? Minella/Parmentier had a combined ranking of #183 yet earned the #3 seeds!

Doubles – First Round: (4) Babos/Hsieh def. Perrin/Shamayko 6-1 6-0

Doubles – First Round: Adamczak/Bengson def. Jurikova/Kucova 1-6 6-4 10-8 (Match TB)

Doubles – First Round: Gamiz/Hermoso def. Brianti/Foretz Gacon walkover (Brianti: Left Calf Injury)

Roland Garros

If you need a withdrawal count for potential seeds, the list so far is Andrea Petkovic and Daniela Hantuchova. As noted yesterday, Serena Williams is sure she will play. And Victoria Azarenka also seems to be a lock.

Topics: BETHANIE Mattek-Sands, Brussels tennis news, Francesca Schiavone, Kaia Kanepi, Mirza, Monica Niculescu, Roland Garros tennis news, Serena Williams, Sofia Arvidsson, Strasbourg tennis news, Yanina Wickmayer