Today’s Women’s News (10/08) – Osaka & Linz

Written by: Staff on 8th October 2012

Today's Women's News (10/08) - Osaka & Linz

epa03240679 Pauline Parmentier of France returns to Urszula Radwanska of Poland during their first round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 29 May 2012. EPA/YOAN VALAT |

Osaka

Olga Puchkova’s half-decade-long attempt at a comeback really does seem finally to be bearing fruit. She came here ranked #101, and is now just one win away from a return to the Top Hundred. She reached the main draw with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Aki Yamasoto. She ended up being the only high qualifying seed to make it; #1 Johanna Larsson fell 6-4 6-3 to #8 Nudnida Luangnam, while newcomer Luksika Kumkhum, who is the #7 and not a character from “The Mikado,” beat #3 Eugenie Bouchard 6-1 6-2. Our fourth qualifier is Zhou Yi-Miao, who beat Shuko Aoyama 6-2 6-3.

Singles – First Round: (1) Samantha Stosur def. Erika Sema 6-4 6-2

It’s too late for Samantha Stosur in the Race, but she no doubt wants to be sure that Marion Bartoli doesn’t move up to become the #1 alternate. So this is a good start.

Singles – First Round: Chang Kai-Chen def. (3) Christina McHale 6-3 7-6(7-5)

The year seems to be ending on a bit of a sour note for Christina McHale, who loses her chance to return to the Top Thirty. She runs the risk, at this rate, of not earning an Australian Open seed.

Singles – First Round: Heather Watson def. Polona Hercog 6-4 6-4

This will probably take Heather Watson above #70.

Singles – First Round: Pauline Parmentier def. Mathilde Johansson 6-2 6-2

Mathilde Johansson loses second round points; she will probably fall below #90.

Singles – First Round: Jamie Hampton def. Ayumi Morita 6-3 6-2

Officially an upset, but Jamie Hampton has been playing quite well lately.

Singles – First Round: Casey Dellacqua def. Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-3 3-6 6-4

This almost certainly means that Kimiko Date-Krumm will end the year below #100. Will she really want to go back to Challengers?

Singles – First Round: Misaki Doi def. Julia Cohen 7-5 3-6 6-0

Julia Cohen remains below the Top Hundred.

Doubles – First Round: (1) Kops-Jones/Spears def. Eguchi/Namigata 6-2 6-3

An interesting situation, this: Kops-Jones/Spears still have a shot at qualifying for Istanbul. But they can’t do it here, although they can come a little closer. But it’s Moscow that will decide things. Should they be playing here — or should they have played Linz, which is closer to Moscow? The advantage of playing Osaka of course is that the field is weaker, so it’s easier to earn points….

Linz

Maybe Irina-Camelia Begu should have played Osaka after all. She would have been seeded there, or nearly; in Linz, she ended up in qualifying — and lost the final, 6-4 6-1, to Mallory Burdette. Although it appears she will make the main draw anyway; Anna Tatishvili is out, opening up a Lucky Loser spot.

#2 qualifying seed Kirsten Flipkens and #6 Lesia Tsurenko don’t have to worry about that; both won three-setters to make the main draw. Our fourth qualifier is Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who upset #5 Ksenia Pervak 7-6 7-5.

Begu isn’t even our only Lucky Loser; #3 seed Dominika Cibulkova pulled out late with a shoulder injury. And apparently #5 Ksenia Pervak and #7 Jana Cepelova didn’t feel up to playing in the main draw, so Catalina Castano got Cibulkova’s spot. She will face Begu, so maybe Begu was smart after all; she has gone from qualifying loser to, in effect, the #3 seed.

Singles – First Round: Sofia Arvidsson def. (4) Lucie Safarova 3-6 6-2 7-5

You can tell the indoor season has started by the fact that Sofia Arvidsson starts winning…. Lucie Safarova ought to stay #18 despite the loss; she was defending semifinalist points but has a big seventeenth event score. Arvidsson has yet to move.

Singles – First Round: Kiki Bertens def. Mona Barthel 7-6(7-3) 1-6 6-1

Mona Barthel really seems to be sputtering out as the year ends. She won’t rise above her current #37.

Singles – First Round: Lucie Hradecka def. Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-3 7-6(7-5)

Andrea Hlavackova is apparently still hurting, so Lucie Hradecka gets to concentrate on singles here — this win could take her as high as #46.

Doubles – First Round: (2) Goerges/Zahlavova Strycova def. Birnerova/Cornet 6-4 4-6 10-5 (Match TB)

Doubles – First Round: Camerin/Halep def. (3) Grandin/Uhlirova 6-4 retired

Doubles – First Round: (4) Dushevina/Rosolska def. (WC) Oprandi/Petkovic 6-3 4-6 10-7 (Match TB)

This is perhaps, in a small way, promising for Andrea Petkovic. But she is now ranked only slightly above #200 (see the feature), so she’s going to have a terrible struggle to rebuild next year.

Doubles – First Round: Hantuchova/Martic def. Cadantu/Savinykh 6-4 6-3

Doubles – First Round: Cirstea/Paszek def. (WC) Haas/Mayr-Achleitner 6-4 6-3