Today’s Women’s News (10/3)

Written by: Staff on 3rd October 2012

Today's Women's News (10/3)

epa03412006 Maria Sharapova of Russia returns a forehand shot during the quarterfinal against Samantha Stosur of Australia in the Pan Pacific Open tennis in Tokyo, Japan, 27 September 2012. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA |

Beijing

Singles – Second Round: (2) Maria Sharapova def. Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-2

Sorana Cirstea loses her Top 25 chance. Maria Sharapova keeps alive her faint hopes for the year-end #1, but she still needs a lot more than this (either here or in Istanbul) if she is to have any chance.

Singles – Second Round: (Q) Polona Hercog def. Ekaterina Makarova 7-6(7-5) 3-6 7-6(7-3)

Ekaterina Makarova added points, but it appears she will lose ground even so; we show her falling from #20 to #21.

Singles – Third Round: (3) Agnieszka Radwanska def. (Q) Lourdes Dominguez Lino 2-6 6-1 6-4

Agnieszka Radwanska had the trainer out early in this match — it looked like perhaps a back problem plus a leg problem. A watcher commented that Radwanska won “on her hands and intelligence, with one leg tied behind her back.” But she still needs three more wins to retain the #3 ranking.

Singles – Third Round: (9) Marion Bartoli def. Julia Goerges 6-3 7-6(7-2)

Julia Goerges should hit the Top Twenty despite the loss. Marion Bartoli hasn’t moved yet, but she keeps herself alive i the Race.

Singles – Second Round: Romina Oprandi def. (11) Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-3

If Ana Ivanovic really wants to get back to #1, or even into the Top Ten, these are the matches she needs to win. As it is, she will have to settle for #12, and she is now formally and officially out of the Race.

Singles – Second Round: Carla Suarez Navarro def. Jelena Jankovic 7-5 6-4

Jelena Jankovic loses her chance to return to the Top Twenty this week — and probably for the year, although she is close enough that she might make it in one of her later events.

Doubles – Second Round: (2) Kirilenko/Petrova def. (WC) Jankovic/Petkovic 6-3 3-6 10-6 (Match TB)

Good to see that Maria Kirilenko was able to play, given that she and Nadia Petrova really need to add some points this week if they are to qualify for Istanbul.

Doubles – Second Round: Goerges/Zahlavova Strycova def. (4) King/Shvedova 7-6(8-6) 6-2

It’s sad — Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova have their singles rankings close enough to equal that they can once again get into most of the same events. But now they can’t win in doubles any more! They didn’t have any chance of qualifying directly for Istanbul; now they can forget alternate status also.

Doubles – Second Round: (5) Llagostera Vives/Mirza def. Bacsinszky/Martinez Sanchez 4-6 6-3 11-9 (Match TB)

An interesting contest of ex-partners. This, on the whole, seems more promising for Martinez Sanchez than Llagostera Vives, despite the loss; Llagostera Vives was with the much stronger partner.

Doubles – Second Round: (6) Srebotnik/Zheng def. Chuang/Zhang 7-5 6-4

Doubles – Second Round: (7) Groenefeld/Peschke def. Hsieh/Medina Garrigues 7-5 6-4

Doubles – Second Round: (8) Kops-Jones/Spears def. Hantuchova/Peng 4-6 7-6(7-4) 10-6 (Match TB)

Ten straight for Kops-Jones/Spears, who keep the pressure squarely on Kirilenko/Petrova in the contest for the last Istanbul spot. It appears that, at this point, things are so close that the longer-lasting team will be the #4 pair post-Beijing.