Women Tennis Update – Stuttgart and Marrakech Thursday, April 25, 2013

Written by: Staff on 24th April 2013

Sony Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne

Women Tennis Update - Stuttgart and Marrakech Thursday, April 25, 2013

epa03643841 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia returns the ball to Maria Sharapova of Russia during their semi final match at the Sony Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 28 March 2013. Sharapova defeated Jankovic and reached the final. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER |

Stuttgart

Singles – First Round: (5) Petra Kvitova def. Annika Beck 7-5 6-7 6-3

Petra Kvitova is having a very long week — a delayed Fed Cup tie (although she didn’t have to play Monday), now this. And she needs a final to earn any points!

Singles – First Round: Jelena Jankovic def. (6) Samantha Stosur 6-4 6-4

Samantha Stosur did well in Fed Cup, but the tie was late and she was not facing much opposition. Jelena Jankovic really does seem to be playing well once again, although she isn’t likely to climb in the rankings this week.

Singles – First Round: Carla Suarez Navarro def. (7) Caroline Wozniacki 7-6(8-6) 6-1

This feels more like inevitability than upset. Carla Suarez Navarro has been playing well, and she likes clay; neither of those statements is true of Caroline Wozniacki. Wozniacki will not rise above #10; Suarez Navarro hasn’t moved yet, but she could hit the Top Twenty if she wins her next match.

Singles – First Round: Lucie Safarova def. Mona Barthel 6-4 6-1

Mona Barthel admitted to being tired in this match. A bad time for that; she might lose her Top Thirty spot.

Singles – First Round: Bethanie Mattek-Sands def. Yanina Wickmayer 6-2 6-1

Yanina Wickmayer will not rise above #35.

Singles – First Round: Yaroslava Shvedova def. Roberta Vinci 6-4 6-2

A pretty big upset, considering recent form. Roberta Vinci won’t rise above #12; Yaroslava Shvedova hasn’t risen yet, but could improve significantly if she can win any more.

Singles – First Round: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Ekaterina Makarova 6-7(5-7) 7-5 6-4

This is rather nasty, since these two were Fed Cup teammates just three days ago. And it was Makarova who rescued the Russian team after Pavlyuchenkova blew it. In the process tiring herself out while Pavlyuchenkova rested. Makarova will not rise above her current #24.

Singles – First Round: Julia Goerges def. Kirsten Flipkens 6-2 2-1, retired

Julia Goerges skipped Fed Cup. Kirsten Flipkens played — but not on clay. Given how little time Flipkens had to adapt, perhaps this injury is no surprise. It costs her the chance to rise above #22.

Doubles – First Round: Barthel/Lisicki def. Craybas/Moulton-Levy 6-1 6-1

Craybas/Moulton-Levy were last-minute replacements for Errani/Vinci. We don’t have word as to why, but it’s noteworthy that Vinci lost pretty easily, and both Italians had a long Fed Cup weekend.

Doubles – First Round: Kerber/Petkovic def. (3) Makarova/Vesnina 6-1 7-6(7-2)

More Fed Cup after-effects? Makarova/Vesnina, after all, played the last match of Russia’s tie.

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Jurak/Marosi def. (4) Kops-Jones/Spears 3-6 6-4 11-9

Or maybe it was just a lousy event for seeds. Note that all four seeded teams are gone. Errani/Vinci withdrew, #2 Petrova/Srebotnik fell to Mattek-Sands/Mirza, and now we have lost two more seeded teams….

Marrakech

Singles – First Round: (6) Francesca Schiavone def. Petra Martic 7-6(10-8) 6-4

This doesn’t matter much for Francesca Schiavone; she needs one more win to clinch her Top Fifty spot.

Singles – First Round: Flavia Pennetta def. Melinda Czink 6-1 7-6(7-2)

Formally a slight upset, but Flavia Pennetta seems finally to be going in the right direction.

Singles – First Round: Olga Puchkova def. Daniela Hantuchova 3-6 7-6(7-5) 7-5

Daniela Hantuchova may still have been tired after a long, tough Fed Cup tie — although she looked fine in the doubles.

Singles – First Round: Yulia Putintseva def. Mathilde Johansson 6-3 6-4

Another small upset, but Yulia Putintseva is rising fairly steadily.

Singles – Second Round: (3) Alize Cornet def. Karin Knapp 1-6 7-5 6-0

This by itself isn’t significant for Alize Cornet, but if she wins her next match, she is likely to hit the Top Thirty.

Singles – Second Round: Chanelle Scheepers def. Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-2 6-1

Not too surprising, given that Chanelle Scheepers beat the #2 seed in the first round. But she needs to win her next match to earn enough points to matter.

Doubles – First Round: (1) Hantuchova/Medina Garrigues def. Dabrowski/Kudryavtseva .6-3 6-2

Doubles – First Round: Dominguez Lino/Parra Santonja def. El Allami/Lalami .6-0 6-4

Doubles – First Round: (4) Martic/Mladenovic def. Beltrame/Thorpe .6-2 6-1

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (3) Babos/Minella def. Hrdinova/Pliskova .3-6 7-6(7-1) 10-8

©Daily tennis news wire

Topics: Fed Cup, Francesca Schiavone, Jelena Jankovic, Marrakech, Petra Kvitova, Petra Martic, Samantha Stosur, Sports, Stuttgart, Tennis, Tennis News, women tennis news