Today’s Women’s News (10/18) – Moscow & Luxembourg

Written by: Staff on 18th October 2012

Today's Women's News (10/18) - Moscow & Luxembourg

epa03437983 Samantha Stosur of Australia returns to Alize Cornet of France during their match at the Kremlin Cup tennis tournament in Moscow, Russia, 18 October 2012. EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY |

Moscow

Singles – Second Round: (1) Samantha Stosur def. Alize Cornet 7-6(8-6) 7-5

Samantha Stosur doesn’t have to worry about the Istanbul alternate spot any more, but she doesn’t seem to be slacking off. It looks as if Alize Cornet will end the year a little below #40.

Singles – Second Round: (4) Ana Ivanovic def. (Q) Valeria Solovieva 6-1 6-4

At least Ana Ivanovic is ending the year well. And this will be the end; she can’t make it to either Istanbul or Sofia.

Singles – Second Round: (7) Maria Kirilenko def. Yaroslava Shvedova 7-5 6-4

Maria Kirilenko is going to be one of the busiest players out there over the next few weeks. She’s in the singles and doubles here. She might play doubles in Istanbul. And she has a wildcard into Sofia. She has a very good shot at ending the year in the Top Fifteen. Not Yaroslava Shvedova, though. She will be Top Thirty, but this loss means no Top 25 spot.

Singles – Second Round: (Q) Vesna Dolonc def. Simona Halep 6-1 6-0

Simona Halep — who obviously had physical problems — will very likely stay at the #48 ranking she came in with.

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (1) Makarova/Vesnina def. Rodionova/Voskoboeva 6-4 6-4

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Kops-Jones/Spears def. (3) Llagostera Vives/Mirza 7-5 6-4

Interesting, interesting… because Kops-Jones/Spears face Kirilenko/Petrova next. The winners will be the #4 team in Istanbul; the losers will be the alternates.

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (4) Shvedova/Srebotnik def. Jurak/Marosi 6-3 7-5

Luxembourg

Singles – Second Round: (1) Roberta Vinci def. (LL) Anne Keothavong 6-4 6-1

That does it: last year’s semifinalist Anne Keothavong will be taking a big fall. It appears she will end the year just above #100.

Singles – Second Round: Monica Niculescu def. (2) Julia Goerges 6-4 6-2

Monica Niculescu had 200 points to defend, so she really, really needed this. This will keep her in the #75 range. Julia Goerges will end the week — and perhaps the year — at #18.

Singles – Second Round: Andrea Petkovic def. (3) Jelena Jankovic 7-5 6-0

Speaking of players who really, really needed a good result… Andrea Petkovic definitely fits into that category. This doesn’t really say much about Petkovic’s form; it turns out Jelena Jankovic was sick. But at least Petkovic picks up some points; she should rise from #182 to around #160. Jankovic ends her year at probably #22.

Singles – Second Round: Ksenia Pervak def. (6) Sorana Cirstea 7-6(7-4) 6-1

Ksenia Pervak just fell out of the Top Hundred, but this at least means she won’t fall any more. Sorana Cirstea ends up just below the Top 25.

Singles – Second Round: Venus Williams def. (9) Mona Barthel 7-6(7-4) 6-4

Venus Williams suddenly finds herself in an interesting situation: There is only one seed left here, and that’s Vinci. Who is in the top half. Venus is in the bottom half, and is the highest-ranked player left there. She is already up to #34. At this rate, she might be able to end the year in the Top Thirty. Mona Barthel will probably be Top Forty, but just barely.

Singles – Second Round: Daniela Hantuchova def. (Q) Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 4-6 6-2

Yesterday we said that Daniela Hantuchova had a fair chance to play Sofia. We had forgotten that Sofia gets two wildcards — two and a half times the rate of other tournaments. Those wildcards have been offered to Maria Kirilenko and Tsvetana Pironkova. Pironkova will obviously take hers. Kirilenko’s situation is a little more complicated, because she will be in Istanbul for doubles — certainly as an alternate, maybe as a competitor. Will she then want to play a round robin in Sofia? We don’t know. Hantuchova might well be the next player in line for a wildcard after Kirilenko (we’re operating on the hypothesis of “they-don’t-want-tennis-players-they-want-models”). We would also expect at least one withdrawal (Kaia Kanepi). Still, that leaves Hantuchova .under real pressure to rise from #9 to #8 in the Race for Sofia. This won’t do it. One more win would.

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (3) Dushevina/Govortsova def. (WC) Barthel/Jankovic walkover (Jankovic: GI Illness)

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Mattek-Sands/Petkovic def. (4) Martic/Minella 6-3 6-3