******EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******
* Radwanska survives marathon in Seoul to break title drought
* Chan, Xu win first WTA titles
* No surprises in Pan Pacific first round
****** TODAY’S WOMEN’S NEWS ******
Seoul
Singles – Final: (1) Agnieszka Radwanska def. (3) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-7(6-8) 6-3 6-4
In four matches leading up to the final, Agnieszka Radwanska had lost only eleven games. But she hadn’t faced an opponent ranked higher than #71. It makes you wonder what her form is actually like — this took her more than two and a half hours (half of it in the first set). Still, she took the title. It’s about time — this is her first trophy since she started the year with back-to-back wins at Auckland and Sydney.
As far as points go, it’s piddling. She had so many points in her sixteenth event that she adds only 55 points to her total, and will remain a weak #4. Still, it might get her in form for the two big events to come. Or might tire her out….
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova hasn’t won a title since Oeiras in May, but at least she adds enough points to return to the Top Thirty.
Doubles – Final: C Chan/Xu def. (1) R Kops-Jones/A Spears 7-5 6-3
This is a real candidate for upset of the year. Kops-Jones/Spears were the defending champions here, and by far the strongest team in the field. And yet they went quietly to a pair of nobodies. Oh, Xu Yi-Fan has a number of Challenger doubles titles. But at the WTA level — nothing. She’s 25 years old, and hit her peak doubles ranking of #88 more than five years ago — and still came here with only $153,000 in career prize money. This is the biggest result of her life, but it came out of nowhere. It’s almost as amazing for 28-year-old Chan Chin-Wei. She has spent more time at the WTA level, but no titles. This may well be a career-extender for her.
Pan Pacific
Singles – First Round: (9) Sloane Stephens def. Stefanie Voegele 6-3 6-2
With fears that Maria Sharapova won’t be able to play the year-end Championships, any player who can end the year in the Top Ten will qualify. And Sloane Stephens is only about 200 points away from the Top Ten. So this is quite an interesting result.
Singles – First Round: (12) Samantha Stosur def. Alize Cornet 2-6 6-4 6-1
Samantha Stosur still has a lot of defending to do, and this isn’t enough to count for her, but it appears likely she will be able to stay Top Twenty.
Singles – First Round: (14) Kirsten Flipkens def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-6(7-4) 7-5
Kirsten Flipkens too moves closer to clinching her Top Twenty ranking.
Singles – First Round: (15) Sorana Cirstea def. Julia Goerges 6-4 6-4
If Stosur or Flipkens falls out of the Top Twenty, it will probably be Sorana Cirstea who gets the spot. She needs a lot more than this — but at least this looks a lot better than her early loss last week.
Singles – First Round: (16) Dominika Cibulkova def. Urszula Radwanska 6-3 6-3
The Radwanska sisters might have met in the third round. No worry about that now….
Singles – First Round: Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor def. Klara Zakopalova 7-6(8-6) 1-6 6-3
It has not been a good fall so far for Klara Zakopalova. This will leave her still below the Top Thirty.
Singles – First Round: Elina Svitolina def. Kurumi Nara 2-6 7-5 6-3
Elina Svitolina is another player who looked bad last week, but this is at least slightly more promising. Her Top Forty spot looks safe.
Singles – First Round: Belinda Bencic def. Daria Gavrilova 6-2 5-7 7-5
Daria Gavrilova is still young, but she’s starting to look like a failed prospect.
Singles – First Round: Lucie Safarova def. Polona Hercog 6-4 6-7(8-10) 7-6(7-2)
Polona Herzog seems to be slowly recovering her form, but her ranking is so low that she keeps finding herself up against too-strong opponents….
Singles – First Round: Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Paula Ormaechea 6-1 6-2
This by itself won’t put Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Top 25, but it won’t take too much more.
Singles – First Round: Venus Williams def. Mona Barthel 6-3 6-1
Mona Barthel loses another Top Thirty chance. And, yes, this is an upset, although there probably aren’t many people (including Barthel) who see it that way.
Doubles – First Round: Black/Mirza def. Mladenovic/Pennetta 2-6 6-0 10-7
Doubles – First Round: Kudryavtseva/Rodionova def. Minella/Vesnina 6-3 6-1
Ekaterina Makarova isn’t here, so Elena Vesnina had to find a temporary partner. It looks as if she didn’t choose too well….
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS WEEK ON THE WTA:
Pan Pacific (Premier Five/Hard). Defending Champion: Nadia Petrova
NEXT WEEK ON THE WTA:
Beijing (Premier Mandatory/Hard). Defending Champion: Victoria Azarenka
************ STATS AND FACTS ************
**RANKINGS
Estimated WTA Rankings As of September 22, 2013
Rank &
Prior
Rank….Name…………..Points
1..(1) SWilliams ……… 12260
2..(2) Azarenka ………..9505
3..(3) Sharapova ……… 7866
4..(4) ARADWANSKA ………6390*
5..(5) Li ……………..5565
6..(6) Errani ………….4325
7..(7) Bartoli ……….. 3746
8..(8) Wozniacki ……… 3565
9..(9) Kerber ………….3420
10.(10) Jankovic ………..3245
11.(11) Kvitova ……….. 3170
12.(12) Vinci …………. 3065
13.(13) Stephens ………..3045
14.(14) Suarez Navarro …..2775
15.(15) Lisicki ……….. 2770
16.(16) Ivanovic ………..2720
17.(17) Stosur ………….2715
18.(18) Halep …………. 2630
19.(19) KIRILENKO ……… 2620
20.(20) Flipkens ………..2556
21.(22) CIRSTEA ……….. 2180
22.(21) Makarova ………..2146
23.(23) Cibulkova ……… 2126
24.(24) Vesnina ……….. 2125
25.(25) Hampton ……….. 2005
26.(27) Petrova ……….. 1908
27.(28) Kuznetsova ………1839
28.(29) CORNET ………….1790
29.(32) PAVLYUCHENKOVA …..1760
30.(26) Kanepi ………….1741
**DRAWS
Seoul — Week of September 15
WINNER: Agnieszka Radwanska
………………..QF……………..SF…………..F
1 A Radwanska…….(1)A.Radwanska…..Radwanska…….Radwanska
8 Beck…………..Dushevina
4 Zakopalova……..Jang(QC)
5 Svitolina………Arruabarrena…….Arruabarrena
6 Goerges………..Begu
3 Pavlyuchenkova….(3)Pavlyuchenkova..Pavlyuchenkova..Pavlyuchenkova
7 Petkovic……….Schiavone……….Schiavone
2 Kirilenko………Date-Krumm
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 A Radwanska……WON TOURNAMENT
2 Kirilenko……..lost 2R (Date-Krumm)
3 Pavlyuchenkova…lost F (A. Radwanska)
4 Zakopalova…….lost 1R (Jang)
5 Svitolina……..lost 1R (Arruabarrena)
6 Goerges……….lost 2R (Begu)
7 Petkovic………lost 1R (Schiavone)
8 Beck………….lost 2R (Dushevina)
Guangzhou — Week of September 15
WINNER: Zhang Shuai
……………..QF…………SF………..F
1 Cirstea……..King……….King………King
8 Puig………..(8)Puig
3 Robson………(3)Robson
7 Lepchenko……J.Zheng…….Zheng
6 Hsieh……….Zhang………Zhang……..Zhang
4 Peng………..Konta
5 U Radwanska….Meusburger….Meusburger
2 Cornet………(2)Cornet
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Cirstea………lost 1R (Jovanovski)
2 Cornet……….lost QF (Meusburger)
3 Robson……….lost QF (J. Zheng)
4 Peng…………lost 2R (Konta)
5 U Radwanska…..lost 1R (Dolonc)
6 Hsieh………..lost 2R (Zhang)
7 Lepchenko…….lost 1R (Babos)
8 Puig…………lost QF (King)
Pan Pacific — Week of September 22
1 Azarenka
–bye
Barthel
V Williams
Petkovic
Vesnina
Pavlyuchenkova
13 Halep
9 Stephens
Voegele
Bouchard
Puig
Morita
Robson
–bye
6 Jankovic
3 Errani
–bye
Kuznetsova
Ormaechea (Q)
Doi (WC)
Lepchenko
Goerges
15 Cirstea
10 Suarez Navarro
Keys
Peng
Ozaki (Q)
Bencic (WC)
Gavrilova (Q)
–bye
7 Kvitova
8 Vinci
–bye
Hercog (Q)
Safarova
Rodionova (Q)
Date-Krumm
Cornet
12 Stosur
14 Flipkens
Zahlavova Strycova (Q)
Rybarikova
Hsieh
Pennetta
Hantuchova
–bye
4 Wozniacki
5 Kerber
–bye
Torro-Flor (Q)
Zakopalova
Svitolina
Nara (WC)
Beck
11 Ivanovic
16 Cibulkova
U Radwanska
Mladenovic
Dellacqua (Q)
Wozniak
Schiavone
–bye
2 A Radwanska
******** SCORES ********
SUNDAY
Seoul
Singles – Final
(1) Agnieszka Radwanska def. (3) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-7(6-8) 6-3 6-4
Doubles – Final
C Chan/Xu def. (1) R Kops-Jones/A Spears 7-5 6-3
Pan Pacific
Singles – First Round
(9) Sloane Stephens def. Stefanie Voegele 6-3 6-2
(12) Samantha Stosur def. Alize Cornet 2-6 6-4 6-1
(14) Kirsten Flipkens def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-6(7-4) 7-5
(15) Sorana Cirstea def. Julia Goerges 6-4 6-4
(16) Dominika Cibulkova def. Urszula Radwanska 6-3 6-3
Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor def. Klara Zakopalova 7-6(8-6) 1-6 6-3
Elina Svitolina def. Kurumi Nara 2-6 7-5 6-3
Belinda Bencic def. Daria Gavrilova 6-2 5-7 7-5
Lucie Safarova def. Polona Hercog 6-4 6-7(8-10) 7-6(7-2)
Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Paula Ormaechea 6-1 6-2
Venus Williams def. Mona Barthel 6-3 6-1
Doubles – First Round
Black/Mirza def. Mladenovic/Pennetta 2-6 6-0 10-7
Kudryavtseva/Rodionova def. Minella/Vesnina 6-3 6-1
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