Birmingham
Singles – Third Round: (16) Magdalena Rybarikova def. (1) Kirsten Flipkens 7-6(7-5) 6-2
A tough event for top seeds — only one of the Top Four made the quarterfinal! Kirsten Flipkens will not rise above #20; Magdalena Rybarikova is around #45.
Singles – Third Round: (3) Sorana Cirstea def. (13) Bojana Jovanovski 6-1 1-6 6-1
So sudden were the turnarounds in this match that the whole thing took only an hour and twelve minutes. But that was long enough to cost Bojana Jovanovski her hope for a Wimbledon seed — it might even cost her her Top Forty place.
Singles – Third Round: (5) Sabine Lisicki def. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 7-5 2-6 6-4
This seesaw contest, unlike the preceding, was not quick at all. But Sabine Lisicki keeps alive her faint hopes of reaching the Top Twenty.
Singles – Third Round: Madison Keys def. (6) Mona Barthel 6-3 6-2
It’s tough to earn points around here, because it’s a small event with a big field, but if Madison Keys can win one more match, she ought to hit the Top Fifty. She leaves Mona Barthel still just below the Top Thirty — which at least means a Wimbledon seed for the German.
Singles – Third Round: Daniela Hantuchova def. (12) Kristina Mladenovic 3-6 7-6(8-6) 6-4
This was not the sort of marathon they needed on a rainy day — but it’s what they ended up with. Count Kristina Mladenovic out of the Wimbledon seed hunt. Not much movement yet for Daniela Hantuchova; her sixteenth event score was too large.
Singles – Third Round: (15) Francesca Schiavone def. Marina Erakovic 7-6(7-3) 6-3
One more win would likely put Francesca Schiavone in the Top Forty.
Singles – Third Round: Donna Vekic def. Maria Sanchez 4-6 6-2 6-2
Maria Sanchez loses her faint shot at the Top Hundred.
Singles – Third Round: Alison Riske def. Alla Kudryavtseva 6-1 6-2
There really is something about Alison Riske and grass. Or maybe Alison Riske and Birmingham. She came here with 16 previous WTA main draws. Her record was 7-16. Four of those wins came at Birmingham 2010. The other three came at Birmingham 2011. Now she has a total of ten WTA wins. All at Birmingham.
Doubles – First Round: (1) Kops-Jones/Spears def. Castano/Daniilidou 6-1 6-1
By the looks of things, Kops-Jones/Spears are quite happy to be away from clay.
Doubles – First Round: (4) Hantuchova/Hsieh def. Jurak/Tanasugarn 3-6 6-1 10-2
Doubles – First Round: Date-Krumm/Parra Santonja def. Aoyama/Moulton-Levy 6-1 7-5
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Black/Erakovic def. (2) H Chan/Huber 2-6 6-3 10-7
For the moment, Cara Black has the last word on Liezel Huber….
Nurnberg
Singles – Quarterfinal: (1) Jelena Jankovic def. (6) Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-4 6-0
The first set of this was really tough. The second set… you can probably tell what it was like. Lourdes Dominguez Lino will fall to probably #54 or #55.
Singles – Quarterfinal: (5) Lucie Safarova def. Polona Hercog 7-6(7-5) 3-6 6-4
Lucie Safarova really went through the wringer in this match, but she earned enough points to clinch her Top Thirty ranking; she will probably rise to #28.
Singles – Quarterfinal: (7) Simona Halep def. Galina Voskoboeva 6-4 6-1
Simona Halep is now very close to the Top Fifty, although she isn’t quite there yet.
Singles – Quarterfinal: (WC) Andrea Petkovic def. (8) Annika Beck 4-6 6-3 7-5
Andrea Petkovic seemed to be in big trouble several times in this match, but she truly seems to finally be over her slump. She leaves her young countrywoman Annika Beck just below the Top Fifty.
Doubles – Quarterfinal: (1) Groenefeld/Peschke def. Barrois/Friedsam 6-2 7-6(7-5)
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Hrdinova/Irigoyen def. (3) Panova/Thorpe 6-4 6-7(7-9) 10-7
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Olaru/Solovyeva def. Duque-Marino/Pereira 6-7(5-7) 6-4 10-6
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Krunic/Piter def. Klemenschits/Klepac 6-4 5-7 10-5
Wimbledon Seed Update
Let’s face it: This is going to be quick and boring. Because this week’s events are small, there really isn’t much left to settle. The seed list for Wimbledon will presumably follow the rankings, and if it does, the top 16 seeds are already set:
1-4: Serena Williams, Azarenka, Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska
5-8: Errani, Li, Kerber, Kvitova
9-12: Wozniacki, Kirilenko, Vinci, Ivanovic
13-16: Petrova, Stosur, Bartoli, Jankovic
#17-#24 are almost set (Lucie Safarova could still pass Peng Shuai with a title this week). The order isn’t final, but the players will be Stephens, Cibulkova, Suarez Navarro, Flipkens, Pavlyuchenkova, Cirstea, Lisicki, and Peng (or Safarova).
#25-#32 are likely to be Makarova, Kuznetsova, Lepchenko, Paszek, Cornet, Safarova, Barthel, and Oprandi (unless Safarova moves up), although the handful of Top Fifty players still in action might yet bump Oprandi.
Alternates are Zakopalova, Venus Williams, and Goerges.
RANKINGS
Estimated WTA Rankings As of June 13, 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 ………..2770*
17.(17) Stephens ………..2530
18.(18) Cibulkova ……… 2140
19.(19) Suarez Navarro …..2095
20.(20) FLIPKENS ………..1978
21.(21) Pavlyuchenkova …..1950
22.(24) CIRSTEA ……….. 1760*
23.(26) LISICKI ……….. 1750*
24.(25) Peng ……………1685
25.(22) MAKAROVA ………..1682
26.(27) Kuznetsova ………1662
27.(28) Lepchenko ……… 1566
28.(30) SAFAROVA ………..1560*
29.(29) PASZEK ………….1552
30.(23) CORNET ………….1545
DRAWS
Birmingham — Week of May 10
………………3R……………..QF
1 Flipkens……..(1)Flipkens
16 Rybarikova…..(16)Rybarikova…..Rybarikova
10 Hsieh……….Keys……………Keys
6 Barthel………(6)Barthel
3 Cirstea………(3)Cirstea………Cirstea
13 Jovanovski…..(13)Jovanovski
11 Morita………Sanchez(Q)
8 U. Radwanska….Vekic…………..Vekic
5 Lisicki………(5)Lisicki………Lisicki
9 Wickmayer…….Lucic-Baroni
14 Watson………Kudryavtseva(Q)
4 Paszek……….Riske(Q)………..Riske
7 Robson……….Hantuchova………Hantuchova
12 Mladenovic…..(12)Mladenovic
15 Schiavone……(15)Schiavone……Schiavone
2 Makarova……..Erakovic
STATUS OF SEEDS
1 Flipkens……..lost 3R (Rybarikova)
2 Makarova……..lost 2R (Erakovic)
3 Cirstea
4 Paszek……….lost 2R (Riske)
5 Lisicki
6 Barthel………lost 3R (Keys)
7 Robson……….lost 2R (Hantuchova)
8 U. Radwanska….lost 2R (Vekic)
9 Wickmayer…….lost 2R (Lucic-Baroni)
10 Hsieh……….lost 1R (Hampton)
11 Morita………lost 1R (Van Uytvanck)
12 Mladenovic…..lost 3R (Hantuchova)
13 Jovanovski…..lost 3R (Cirstea)
14 Watson………lost 2R (Kudryatvseva)
15 Schiavone
16 Rybarikova
Nurnberg — Week of May 10
………………….QF……………….SF
1 Jankovic (WC)…….(1)Jankovic……….Jankovic
6 Dominguez Lino……(6)Dominguez Lino
4 Goerges………….Petkovic………….Petkovic
8 Beck…………….(8)Beck
7 Halep……………(7)Halep………….Halep
3 Cornet…………..Voskoboeva
5 Safarova…………(5)Safarova……….Safarova
2 Zakopalova……….Hercog
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Jankovic (WC)
2 Zakopalova………..lost 1R (Hercog)
3 Cornet……………lost 2R (Voskoboeva)
4 Goerges…………..lost 2R (Petkovic)
5 Safarova
6 Dominguez Lino…….lost QF (Jankovic)
7 Halep
8 Beck……………..lost QF (Beck)
THURSDAY
Birmingham
Singles – Third Round
(16) Magdalena Rybarikova def. (1) Kirsten Flipkens 7-6(7-5) 6-2
(3) Sorana Cirstea def. (13) Bojana Jovanovski 6-1 1-6 6-1
(5) Sabine Lisicki def. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 7-5 2-6 6-4
Madison Keys def. (6) Mona Barthel 6-3 6-2
Daniela Hantuchova def. (12) Kristina Mladenovic 3-6 7-6(8-6) 6-4
(15) Francesca Schiavone def. Marina Erakovic 7-6(7-3) 6-3
Donna Vekic def. Maria Sanchez 4-6 6-2 6-2
Alison Riske def. Alla Kudryavtseva 6-1 6-2
Doubles – First Round
(1) Kops-Jones/Spears def. Castano/Daniilidou 6-1 6-1
(4) Hantuchova/Hsieh def. Jurak/Tanasugarn 3-6 6-1 10-2
Date-Krumm/Parra Santonja def. Aoyama/Moulton-Levy 6-1 7-5
Doubles – Quarterfinal
Black/Erakovic def. (2) H Chan/Huber 2-6 6-3 10-7
Nurnberg
Singles – Quarterfinal
(1) Jelena Jankovic def. (6) Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-4 6-0
(5) Lucie Safarova def. Polona Hercog 7-6(7-5) 3-6 6-4
(7) Simona Halep def. Galina Voskoboeva 6-4 6-1
(WC) Andrea Petkovic def. (8) Annika Beck 4-6 6-3 7-5
Doubles – Quarterfinal
(1) Groenefeld/Peschke def. Barrois/Friedsam 6-2 7-6(7-5)
Hrdinova/Irigoyen def. (3) Panova/Thorpe 6-4 6-7(7-9) 10-7
Olaru/Solovyeva def. Duque-Marino/Pereira 6-7(5-7) 6-4 10-6
Krunic/Piter def. Klemenschits/Klepac 6-4 5-7 10-5