Daily Women Tennis News – Eastbourne and ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Written by: Staff on 19th June 2012

Unicef Open Tennis tournament in Rosmalen

Daily Women Tennis News - Eastbourne and 's-Hertogenbosch

epa03269812 Kim Clijsters of Belgium returns to Swiss Romina Oprandi during their first round match for the Unicef Open Tennis tournament in Rosmalen, The Netherlands, 17 June 2012. Clijsters won the match in 6-7 (5) 6-2 6-3. EPA/KOEN SUYK |

Eastbourne

Singles – First Round: Tsvetana Pironkova def. (1) Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-4

Now that’s a new one: Agnieszka Radwanska should be taking lessons from her sister. After all, Urszula Radwanska is having a great grass season (as we shall see below, she added another pretty good scalp today), while Agnieszka is winless. Admittedly Tsvetana Pironkova is pretty tough on grass (if nowhere else), but still, Radwanska’s loss will make it harder for her to rise above #3 at Wimbledon.

Singles – First Round: Ekaterina Makarova def. (2) Petra Kvitova 7-5 6-4

Here again, we had a seed losing to a pretty good grass player. But this is obviously a terrible omen for Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon. And if Kvitova loses early there, she will fall to around #7.

Singles – First Round: Christina McHale def. (3) Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 6-7(7-9) 6-4

Christina McHale doesn’t have the grass credentials of the two preceding winners, but she is a pretty good all-around player — and, right now, Caroline Wozniacki isn’t particularly. McHale had a little trouble finishing this off, but not too much. She needs one more win for the points to start counting, though. It’s just possible that this could cost Wozniacki the #7 ranking, if (and only if) Angelique Kerber wins Eastbourne.

Singles – First Round: (4) Marion Bartoli def. Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-2

Memo to seeds: It is possible to have an efficient match here! It appears Sorana Cirstea will lose her Top Fifty ranking.

Singles – First Round: (5) Angelique Kerber def. (Q) Elena Vesnina 3-6 6-0 7-5

No points yet for Angelique Kerber, but with seeds falling like flies around here, she is looking at a big opportunity — including, as noted above, a chance to reach #7.

Singles – First Round: (7) Lucie Safarova def. Timea Babos 3-6 6-3 7-6(8-6)

Timea Babos seems to be turning into an expert on falling just short….

Singles – First Round: (9) Petra Cetkovska def. (LL) Andrea Hlavackova 3-6 6-2 6-1

One more win would effectively clinch Petra Cetkovska’s Top 25 spot.

Singles – First Round: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Hsieh Su-Wei 6-2 3-0, retired

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova can use all the help she can get, these days. This win moves her to just below the Top Thirty.

Singles – First Round: Klara Zakopalova def. Zheng Jie 6-3 4-6 6-3

Zheng Jie had a very long week last week, so perhaps this isn’t a big surprise. But it means no Top 25 ranking at this time.

Singles – First Round: (Q) Stephanie Dubois def. Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4 6-4

Carla Suarez Navarro could have played Birmingham, but she chose to play Bad Gastein. And so, when she came to an event that carried real points, she wasn’t grass-ready. She will probably stay Top Forty, but she loses a real opportunity to go higher.

Singles – First Round: (Q) Laura Robson def. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 3-6 6-2 6-2

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez’s Top Fifty ranking is now in some danger. Laura Robson appears set to hit the Top Hundred.

Singles – First Round: (WC) Heather Watson def. (Q) Greta Arn 6-3 6-4

Heather Watson has a bigger sixteenth event score, and she doesn’t earn qualifying points, so she probably needs one more win to join Robson in the Top Hundred — but she is very close.

Doubles – First Round: (1) Huber/Raymond def. Erakovic/Tanasugarn 2-6 6-3 10-7 (Match TB)

Doubles – First Round: Groenefeld/Zakopalova def. (3) Makarova/Vesnina 7-6(7-4) 4-6 10-7 (Match TB)

We’re guessing the Russians got tired, because this should have been a better surface for them than Groenefeld/Zakopalova.

Doubles – First Round: Hantuchova/Zheng def. Mirza/Suarez 6-2 retired (Suarez/Spine Injury)

This doesn’t bode well for Paola Suarez’s hopes of winning Wimbledon — or, indeed, of ever winning anything on grass. It was the one glaring weakness in her otherwise outstanding doubles record.

Doubles – First Round: Grandin/Uhlirova def. Chuang/Dushevina 7-5 6-2

Doubles – First Round: Jans-Ignacik/Rosolska def. Babos/Hsieh walkover (Hsieh/back)

‘s-Hertogenbosch

Singles – First Round: Sofia Arvidsson def. (7/WC) Jelena Jankovic 6-2 3-6 6-4

Jelena Jankovic is tired, and had to catch a very quick plane flight, but this is still pretty ugly. It may cost her her Top Twenty spot.

Singles – First Round: (Q) Daria Gavrilova def. Yanina Wickmayer 6-1 6-2

Because Yanina Wickmayer played Bad Gastein last week, she had very little time to practice on grass. So, when she fizzled, she really fizzled. She won’t lose any points, since no one can lose points this week, but she might well fall a ranking spot. Perhaps even two.

Singles – Second Round: (3) Dominika Cibulkova def. Shahar Peer 6-2 7-6(7-5)

Shahar Peer will fall at least one ranking spot; it might be more. Dominika Cibulkova has yet to add to her point total, but if she wins her next match, she ought to rise to #12.

Singles – Second Round: (Q) Urszula Radwanska def. (4) Flavia Pennetta 6-1 6-1

Flavia Pennetta stays stuck at #17. Urszula Radwanska isn’t Top Sixty yet — not quite — but at this rate, it won’t be long. Of couse, there are only three weeks of grass left….

Singles – Second Round: (8) Nadia Petrova def. Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-5 6-3

Add Anabel Medina Garrigues to the list of players who won’t rise and might fall.

Singles – Second Round: Kim Clijsters def. Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2 6-1

This will very likely put Kim Clijsters back in the Top Fifty. Which is, obviously, how things ought to be….

Doubles – First Round: (2) Kirilenko/Petrova def. Cornet/Parmentier 6-2 6-0

Doubles – First Round: Govortsova/Minella def. Bengson/Jeflea 6-0 3-6 10-6 (Match TB)

Doubles – First Round: Pennetta/Schiavone def. (WC) Bertens/Rus 7-6(7-2) 7-5

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (1) Errani/Vinci def. Klepac/Rodionova 6-2 6-4

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Cibulkova/Zahlavova Strycova def. (3) Medina Garrigues/Parra Santonja 6-3 5-7 10-8 (Match TB)

Topics: 10sballs.com, Angelique Kerber, Christina Mchale, Eastbourne, Ekaterina Makarova, Kim Clijsters, Laura Robson, S Hertogenbosch, Sports, Tennis News, Tsvetana Pironkova