Women Tennis News – US Open Women’s Singles, Doubles, and Mix

Written by: Staff on 1st September 2012

Women Tennis News - US Open Women's Singles, Doubles, and Mix |

U. S. Open

Singles – Third Round: (2) Agnieszka Radwanska def. (30) Jelena Jankovic 6-3 7-5

At least Jelena Jankovic, these days, is going down game. She wasn’t even doing that much a few months ago. August was probably the best month of her year so far. She defended her points, which should gain her at least one ranking spot.

Singles – Third Round: (4) Serena Williams def. Ekaterina Makarova 6-4 6-0

Serena Williams really did seem to be feeling her way into this match — perhaps remembering the last time she faced Ekaterina Makarova and lost. But around the ninth game, she opened her eyes, and that was that. Still, Ekaterina Makarova lasted long enough to put herself in the Top Thirty.

Singles – Third Round: (6) Angelique Kerber def. Olga Govortsova 6-1 6-2

Angelique Kerber adds a little more margin over #7 Li Na, but she still appears unlikely to climb this week. Olga Govortsova will be probably just a little below #55.

Singles – Third Round: (10) Sara Errani def. (Q) Olga Puchkova 6-1 6-1

Sara Errani’s Top Ten spot is all but certain, but we still don’t know just where she will end up. It could easily be anywhere from #7 to #10.

Singles – Third Round: (12) Ana Ivanovic def. Sloane Stephens 6-7(4-7) 6-4 6-2

Some close matches are exciting. This seemed more painful than anything. But it lets Ana Ivanovic defend her points. She will probably be #13, and she is the only player left below the Top Ten who has any real chance to replace Errani, Stosur, or Bartoli in the Top Ten. Sloane Stephens will be just above #40.

Singles – Third Round: (20) Roberta Vinci def. (13) Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 7-5

After a very slow start, Dominika Cibulkova made a second set rally — then went back into her funk. That once again means no Top Ten ranking; she will be no better than #12 and very possibly lower. Roberta Vinci should be at least #18, maybe higher.

Singles – Third Round: Andrea Hlavackova def. (14) Maria Kirilenko 5-7 6-4 6-4

Andrea Hlavackova had a bunch of match points on serve in the last game of the third set, but after two hours three quarter hours on court, nothing is easy! After repeated deuces, she finally finished it off, meaning that Maria Kirilenko will fall from #12 to no better than #13. Hlavackova rises to around #60.

Singles – Third Round: Tsvetana Pironkova def. Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1 6-7(3-7) 6-3

This represents Tsvetana Pironkova’s best Slam result away from Wimbledon, and it will take her to around #45. Silvia Soler-Espinosa was defending big points; she will fall from #58 to probably #66.

Doubles – Second Round: (4) Kirilenko/Petrova def. Falconi/Sanchez 6-0 5-7 7-5

It looked as if Maria Kirilenko was feeling the effects of her long day in this match; Kirilenko/Petrova ran into trouble in the third as well as the second set. But they managed to strengthen their Top Ten positions just a little; we currently show the Top Ten as follows:

1..(1) HUBER …………. 7955*

1..(1) RAYMOND ……….. 7955*

3..(3) ERRANI ………….7900*

4..(4) VINCI …………. 7900*

5..(5) HRADECKA ………..6050*

6..(6) HLAVACKOVA ………5970*

7..(9) SREBOTNIK ……… 5270

8..(7) PETROVA ……….. 5135*

9.(12) VESNINA ……….. 5050*

10.(11) KIRILENKO ……… 4815*

Doubles – Second Round: (8) Llagostera Vives/Martinez Sanchez def. Soler Espinosa/Suarez Navarro 6-7(5-7) 6-2 6-4

The first set of this alone took an hour and a quarter. Llagostera Vives/Martinez Sanchez may have won, but they definitely have things to work on….

Doubles – Second Round: (13) Mattek-Sands/Mirza def. Jurak/Marosi 6-4 6-2

Bethanie Mattek-Sands is definitely better than her current doubles ranking. This should help at least a little. Sania Mirza defends her points, which will likely keep her Top Twenty.

Doubles – Second Round: (14) Grandin/Uhlirova def. Dekmeijere/Jugic-Salkic 6-2 6-3

Mixed Doubles – First Round: (3) Vesnina/Paes def. Kops-Jones/Huey 6-4 7-5

Mixed rankings say that Vesnina/Paes are the top team in the world. They may (they probably will) have trouble in late rounds. Not likely in a first round, though!

Mixed Doubles – First Round: (8) Jans-Ignacik/Fyrstenberg def. Hantuchova/Lindstedt 6-7(6-8) 6-3 10-8 (Match TB)

Mixed Doubles – First Round: Rodionova/Rojer def. Zheng/Bopanna 6-2 7-5

Mixed Doubles – Second Round: (4) Peschke/Matkowski def. Voskoboeva/Bracciali 6-1 7-6(7-2)

These two teams were very close in the Mixed rankings, but Peschke/Matkowski were just slightly higher. Maybe the second set was indicative of their relative strengths.

Mixed Doubles – Second Round: Makarova/Soares def. Clijsters/B Bryan 6-2 3-6 12-10

We really messed up, somewhere, and said that Raymond/Mike Bryan won their match against Makarova/Soares. Obviously they didn’t (a result which goes with the Mixed rankings, which would have demoted Raymond/Bryan). That at least spared Mike the job of facing Bob.

Of course, this still had the significance of being potentially the last match for Kim Clijsters.

It was a rather depressing ending. Clijsters and Bryan went down early in the match tiebreak, clawed their way back to 10-10 — and then suffered a minibreak on the next point. (The real problem with match tiebreaks going to 10 points in mixed doubles — it leaves the woman serving on the first match points. It really ought to be first to twelve.)

Amazing to realize that both Bryans were in the mixed, and neither made the quarterfinal.

And, with this, a storied career really is over. We aren’t even going to try to describe how everyone feels. Few players were as well-liked as Kim Clijsters; few will be so deeply missed.

Topics: Agnieszka Radwanska, Jelena Jankovic, Sports, Tennis News, US Open 2012, women tennis news