Birmingham
Americans went 3-3 on the opening day of grass season on a remarkably dry day in the north of Britain. With long-range forecasts calling for generally favorable tennis conditions, there could be more than just surprises on court over the next four weeks.
Madison Keys began the US juggernaut as she beat Lesia Tsurenko of the Ukraine 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) while Jamie Hampton made the switch from clay to turf with a win over Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei 6-2, 6-3. Alison Riske picked up the day’s third US win at the expense of Britain’s Anne Keothavong 7-5, 6-2.
But Czech Kristyna Pliskova beat first-round French Open loser and Birmingham qualifier Coco Vandeweghe 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 and Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic put out Melanie Oudin 6-3, 6-1. Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria Beat Lauren Davis of the US 6-2, 6-1. There was a win for Serb 13th seed Bojana Jovanovski over Canada’s junior Wimbledon champion Eugenie Bouchard 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.
In other results, a pair of Czechs lost while Russian Alla Kudryavtseva beat 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-4, 7-6(3).
Nurnberg
With grass season starting and Wimbledon just a fortnight away, there is still room for some on clay, so the new event in Germany fills the bill nicely. Both seeds on court on opening day won, as No. 5 Alexandra Panova of Russia put out German Anne Schaefer 6-2, 6-1 and eighth seed Yuliya Beygelzimer of the Ukraine defeated Germany’s Kristina Barrois 6-2, 7-6(1). A third German went down as Czech Tereza Smitkova stopped fourth seed Anna-Lena Friedsam 7-6(4), 6-4.
More troubles for the home side came as Swiss Lara Michel defeated German Justine Ozga 6-4, 6-7(10), 7-5. Americans split on the day, with Russia’s Marina Melnikova defeating veteran Jill Craybas 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2 while Grace Min ambushed top seed Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia 6-4, 6-4.
RANKINGS
Estimated WTA Rankings As of June 10, 2013
Rank &
Prior
Rank….Name…………..Points
1 (1) SWilliams 13615
2 (2) Azarenka 9625
3 (3) Sharapova 9415
4 (4) ARadwanska 6465
5 (5) Errani 5335
6 (6) Li 5155
7 (7) Kerber 4915
8 (8) Kvitova 4435
9 (9) Wozniacki 3565
10 (10) Kirilenko 3436
11 (11) Vinci 3060
12 (12) Ivanovic 2920
13 (13) Petrova 2910
14 (14) Stosur 2905
15 (15) Bartoli 2905
16 (16) JANKOVIC 2760*
17 (17) Stephens 2530
18 (18) Cibulkova 2140
19 (19) Suarez Navarro 2095
20 (20) FLIPKENS 1978*
21 (21) Pavlyuchenkova 1950
22 (24) CIRSTEA 1750*
23 (25) Peng 1685
24 (22) MAKAROVA 1682*
25 (26) LISICKI 1681*
26 (27) Kuznetsova 1662
27 (28) Lepchenko 1566
28 (29) PASZEK 1552*
29 (23) CORNET 1545*
30 (30) SAFAROVA 1500*
DRAWS
Birmingham — Week of May 10
1 Flipkens
–bye
Oudin
Tomljanovic (Q)
Cetkovska
Johansson
South (WC)
16 Rybarikova
10 Hsieh
Hampton
Keys
Tsurenko
Dolonc
Koehler
–bye
6 Barthel
3 Cirstea
–bye
Pironkova
Davis
Hlavackova
Puchova
Bouchard
13 Jovanovski
11 Morita
Van Uytvanck (Q)
M Sanchez (Q)
Cepelova
Giorgi
Vekic
–bye
8 U. Radwanska
5 Lisicki
–bye
Vandeweghe
Kr. Pliskova
Lucic-Baroni
Ka. Pliskova
Putintseva
9 Wickmayer
14 Watson
Czink
Kudryavtseva (Q)
Date-Krumm
Keothavong (WC)
Riske (Q)
–bye
4 Paszek
7 Robson
–bye
Dellacqua (Q)
Hantuchova
Nara (Q)
Konta (WC)
T Moore (WC)
12 Mladenovic
15 Schiavone
Tatishvili
N Kichenok (Q)
Babos
Svitolina
Erakovic
–bye
2 Makarova
Nurnberg — Week of May 10
1 Jankovic (WC)
Rus
Larsson
Medina Garrigues
Minella
Pegula
Duque-Marino
6 Dominguez Lino
4 Goerges
Cadantu
Petkovic (WC)
Arvidsson
Knapp
Pfizenmaier (WC)
Bratchikova
8 Beck
7 Halep
Qualifier
Cabeza Candela
Qualifier
Qualifier
Voskoboeva
Parmentier
3 Cornet
5 Safarova
Karatantcheva
Torro-Flor
Pereira
Qualifier
Cohen
Hercog
2 Zakopalova
MONDAY
Birmingham
Singles – First Round
Jamie Hampton (USA) d. (10) Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 62 63
(Q) Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) d. (11) Ayumi Morita (JPN) 64 60
(13) Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) d. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 57 63 62
(16) Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) d. (WC) Melanie South (GBR) 64 62
Madison Keys (USA) d. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 36 63 76(3)
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) d. Lauren Davis (USA) 62 61
Marina Erakovic (NZL) d. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 60 61
Donna Vekic (CRO) d. Camila Giorgi (ITA) 76(2) 63
Vesna Dolonc (SRB) d. Maria Joao Koehler (POR) 67(8) 60 63
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) d. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 63 62
Mathilde Johansson (FRA) d. Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 75 62
Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) d. Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 67(5) 76(5) 75
(Q) Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) d. Melanie Oudin (USA) 63 61
(Q) Nadiya Kichenok (UKR) d. Timea Babos (HUN) 63 64
(Q) Alison Riske (USA) d. (WC) Anne Keothavong (GBR) 75 62
(Q) Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) d. Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) 64 76(3)
Nurnberg
Singles Qualifying – Final Round
(5) Alexandra Panova (RUS) d. Maryna Melnikova (RUS) 76(4) 64
Grace Min (USA) d. (8) Yulia Beygelzimer (UKR) 63 75
Tereza Smitkova (CZE) d. Lara Michel (SUI) 64 62
Tereza Martincova (CZE) d. Katarzyna Kawa (POL) 75 76(1)