Today’s Women’s News (Fri. 10/12) – Osaka & Linz

Written by: Staff on 12th October 2012

Today's Women's News (Fri. 10/12) - Osaka & Linz

epa03209797 South African tennis player Chanelle Scheepers returns to Italian Sara Errani during their Madrid Masters 1.000 tournament match at the Caja Magica sports premises in Madrid, central Spain, 07 May 2012. EPA/JAVIER LIZON |

Osaka

Singles – Quarterfinal: (1) Samantha Stosur def. Jamie Hampton 6-2 6-4

Samantha Stosur continues to strengthen her grip on the #9 spot in the Race, but Marion Bartoli still has a chance….

Singles – Quarterfinal: Misaki Doi def. (7) Chanelle Scheepers 2-6 6-1 6-3

Chanelle Scheepers remains stuck around #60.

Singles – Quarterfinal: Chang Kai-Chen def. (8) Laura Robson 6-4 3-6 7-6(7-4)

There goes Laura Robson’s shot at the Top Fifty. It appears she will be just one place short. Which, to be sure, means that she might still make it this year, but our guess is that she’ll have to wait until 2013.

Singles – Quarterfinal: Heather Watson def. Pauline Parmentier 7-5 6-3

This raises a faint possibility that Heather Watson could again become Britain’s #1 player. She is about 140 points behind Robson, meaning that a title would take her there. Right now, she is around #60. In fact, we show a three-way tie for a ranking around #60, with Watson, Scheepers, and Timea Babos all level.

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (4) Date-Krumm/Watson def. Aoyama/Moulton-Levy 7-6(9-7) 6-1

Doubles – Semifinal: (1) Kops-Jones/Spears def. (3) Jurak/Marosi 6-1 6-2

A little more heat added to the still-very-interesting women’s doubles Race. Kops-Jones/Spears remain behind Kirilenko/Petrova, but their task at Moscow is getting a little easier.

Linz

Singles – Quarterfinal: (1) Victoria Azarenka def. Petra Martic 6-2 6-2

Victoria Azarenka continues her literally pointless but quite solid practice for Istanbul.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (Q) Kirsten Flipkens def. (2/WC) Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-0

If Ana Ivanovic had any lingering delusions about ending the year in the Top Ten, this should take care of them (barring mass withdrawals from Istanbul, anyway). She will not rise above #12, and she is too far down to have any Top Ten hopes at Moscow.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (5) Julia Goerges def. Sofia Arvidsson 6-1 6-4

We haven’t much to say about this. Julia Goerges has started to add points, but she can’t climb in the rankings this week. Sofia Arvidsson will stay right around the #47 ranking she came in with — our best guess is that she will gain one ranking spot.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (LL) Irina-Camelia Begu def. (Q) Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4 1-6 6-2

What a set of semifinalists! Two seeds, one qualifier, and one Lucky Loser! For Irina-Camelia Begu, this means a ranking just below the Top Fifty; she’ll have to beat Azarenka to go any higher. Bethanie Mattek-Sands also benefits; she will go from #201 to around #170.

Doubles – Semifinals: (1) Groenefeld/Peschke def. Camerin/Halep 6-3 7-5