Tennis Ladies In Paris And An Auzzie Mixed Wrap

Written by: on 26th January 2014
Tennis Australian Open 2014
Tennis Ladies In Paris And An Auzzie Mixed Wrap

epa04031817 Maria Sharapova of Russia attends a press conference after losing her match against Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in round four of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 20 January 2014. EPA/MARK DADSWELL AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT  |

Australian Open

 

Mixed Doubles – Final: Kristina Mladenovic/Daniel Nestor def. (6) Sania Mirza/Horia Tecau 6-3 6-2

Forget the seedings. Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor are the #1 mixed doubles team in the world, and the Mixed rankings backed that up. They have reached at least the semifinal of four straight Slams, and came here as the top team in the Mixed rankings. And, now, they have won two of the last three (Wimbledon and Australian Open). We hope it won’t surprise you too much to learn that they now top the Mixed rankings; the Women’s Top Ten looks like this:

1….Mladenovic…….3150

2….Mirza…………2183

3….Hradecka………2167

4….Raymond……….2000

5….Huber…………1783

6….Vesnina……….1700

7….Srebotnik……..1633

8….Peschke……….1583

9….Gajdosova……..1433

10….Hlavackova…….1383

For the men, the standings are

1….Nestor………..3467

2….Soares………..2567

3….Cermak………..2167

4….Paes………….1883

5….Matkowski……..1500

6….Tecau…………1433

7….Zimonjic………1383

8….Bhupathi………1367

9….GonzalezS……..1317

9….Mirnyi………..1317

Nestor has now won the Australian Mixed three times (the other two were in 2007 with Likhovtseva and in 2011 with Srebotnik), and it has him talking about winning the Grand Slam this year. At the rate he’s going, it looks possible.

Kristina Mladenovic, at twenty, is less than half Nestor’s age. It will be interesting to see how many Slams she can win if she lasts as long as he does….

****** TODAY’S FEATURE ******

 

Women’s Look Forward: Paris, Pattaya City

 

Paris is a Premier event, but it suffers from the fact that it’s a week after, half a world away from, and on a different surface than, the Australian Open. But it certainly has one interesting player: Nadia Petrova, who has been out for so many months, has decided to make a comeback — in the qualifying!

Maybe she didn’t want to face the main draw, which is surprisingly strong given the event’s position in the calendar — five of the new Top Ten! It doesn’t have any of the Top Four, but still, Maria Sharapova is the #1 seed. Petra Kvitova took a wildcard to earn the #2 spot, with Sara Errani #3 and Angelique Kerber #4.

Interestingly, the draw is a throwback — a 28-draw, with the top four seeds having byes, rather than just the top two as is usual at Premier 700s these days.

There is no bye for #5 seed Simona Halep, but she is our fifth Top Ten player. Roberta Vinci — who like Errani will have to hurry in from winning the Australian Open doubles — is #6, Carla Suarez Navarro is #7, and Kirsten Flipkens #8, meaning that we have eight of the Top Twenty.

Quite a few of them could be challenged, too. Sharapova might well open against Daniela Hantuchova (and won’t the photographers love that). Flipkens starts against defending champion Mona Barthel. Kerber may open against Klara Zakopalova. Suarez Navarro’s second round is against either Francesca Schiavone or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Vinci has to start against fast-improving Elina Svitolina; Errani is likely to face her countrywoman Karin Knapp (and then Errani and Vinci would face each other in the quarterfinal, which they don’t much like). Halep’s second round is against Andrea Petkovic or Bojana Jovanovski. And Kvitova has to open against Alize Cornet or Magdalena Rybarikova.

Pattaya City is only an International event, but it has an impressive list of recent champions — Maria Kirilenko, Daniela Hantuchova, Vera Zvonareva. On the other hand, it’s held in a country that is in the midst of intense political turmoil. And the event does appear weaker this year — no Top Ten players, and the only Top Twenty player, based on the new rankings, is #1 seed Sabine Lisicki. Svetlana Kuznetsova, whose ranking just took a hit, took a wildcard to earn the #2 seed. Sorana Cirstea is #3, Ekaterina Makarova #4, Elena Vesnina #5 (and Makarova/Vesnina are also the top doubles seeds). Garbine Muguruza’s recent hot results earned her the #6 seed, with Bethanie Mattek-Sands #7 and Peng Shuai #8. There are some interesting unseeded players — notably Vera Zvonareva, who took a wildcard. And, this time, she was lucky enough to draw a wildcard as a first round opponent, so she might survive to face Makarova in the second round. Lisicki opens against young but promising Donna Vekic. Muguruza will fight a battle of the generations against Kimiko Date-Krumm. Cirstea could face Alison Riske in round two. And Kuznetsova’s course runs through Zhang Shuai, who had such a great Asian season last year, then Julia Goerges or Luksika Kumkhum, the player who beat Petra Kvitova in Melbourne.

The Rankings

Paris is rather stronger this year than last, when it had only three Top Ten players. But the real surprise last year was the players who did well. Mona Barthel was the champion, Sara Errani the finalist (not at all what was expected at an indoor event), and Kristina Mladenovic and Kiki Bertens were the semifinalists. Bertens isn’t in the draw this year (she was a Lucky Loser last year, and she fell in the first round of qualifying this year), and Mladenovic is in on a wildcard; they could all fall hard, with Barthel in danger of ending up around #65.

The title at Pattaya City went to Maria Kirilenko, over Sabine Lisicki, with Nina Bratchikova and Sorana Cirstea semifinalists. Bratchikova has vanished so completely that we don’t even know where she is ranked any more. Kirilenko, who still isn’t back, can forget about her Top Twenty ranking.

There probably won’t be much movement in the Top Ten. A Paris title might take Sharapova back to #4, ahead of Agnieszka Radwanska. Errani could lose some ground, but it appears she will stay just ahead of Jelena Jankovic. Kerber might catch Jankovic, but only with a title. Halep has too much in her sixteenth event to move at this time, but at least her #10 ranking is safe.

We would also note that Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci won the Paris doubles last year, meaning that their margin at #1 could get a little thinner although they ought to keep the top spots; Hsieh/Peng are not in action.

 

******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********

 

THIS WEEK ON THE WTA:

Paris (Premier 700/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: Mona Barthel

Pattaya City (International/Hard). Defending Champion: Maria Kirilenko

NEXT WEEK ON THE WTA:

Fed Cup

——–Rankings

Estimated WTA Rankings As of January 26, 2014

 

Rank &

Prior

Rank …Name …………. Points

1..(1) SWILLIAMS ……… 13000

2..(2) AZARENKA ………..6581

3..(4) LI ……………..6570*

4..(5) ARADWANSKA ………5750

5..(3) SHARAPOVA ……… 5416

6..(6) KVITOVA ……….. 4745

7..(7) ERRANI ………….4440

8..(8) JANKOVIC ………..4310

9..(9) KERBER ………….4030

10.(11) HALEP …………. 3760

11.(10) WOZNIACKI ……… 3370

12.(14) IVANOVIC ………..3160

13.(24) CIBULKOVA ……… 3056

14.(12) VINCI …………. 3020

15.(15) LISICKI ……….. 2980

16.(16) SUAREZ NAVARRO …..2745

17.(17) STOSUR ………….2705

18.(13) STEPHENS ………..2415

19.(31) BOUCHARD ………..2369

20.(18) Kirilenko ……… 2325

21.(19) FLIPKENS ………..2255

22.(29) PENNETTA ………..2165

23.(21) CIRSTEA ……….. 2020

24.(23) KANEPI ………….1932

25.(25) CORNET ………….1870

26.(30) PAVLYUCHENKOVA …..1840

27.(26) SAFAROVA ………..1805

28.(22) MAKAROVA ………..1801

29.(20) KUZNETSOVA ………1712

30.(27) Hampton ……….. 1601

Draws

Australian Open (Slam — Weeks of January 13-26)

WINNER: Li Na

………………..3R……………….4R………QF…………SF………F

1 S Williams……..(1)S.Williams……..Williams

31 Hantuchova…….(31)Hantuchova

17 Stosur………..(17)Stosur

14 Ivanovic………(14)Ivanovic………Ivanovic…Ivanovic

 

12 Vinci…………Zheng

18 Flipkens………Dellacqua…………Dellacqua

30 Bouchard………(30)Bouchard………Bouchard…Bouchard…..Bouchard

7 Errani…………Davis

 

4 Li…………….(4)Li…………….Li………Li………..Li………Li

26 Safarova………(26)Safarova

22 Makarova………(22)Makarova………Makarova

15 Lisicki……….Niculescu

 

9 Kerber…………(9)Kerber…………Kerber

23 Vesnina……….Riske

28 Pennetta………(28)Pennetta………Pennetta…Pennetta

6 Kvitova………..Barthel

 

8 Jankovic……….(8)Jankovic……….Jankovic

32 Rybarikova…….Nara

21 Cirstea……….Diyas(Q)

11 Halep…………(11)Halep…………Halep……Halep

 

16 Suarez Navarro…(16)Suarez Navarro

20 Cibulkova……..(20)Cibulkova……..Cibulkova..Cibulkova….Cibulkova..Cibulkova

25 Cornet………..(25)Cornet

3 Sharapova………(3)Sharapova………Sharapova

 

5 A Radwanska…….(5)A.Radwanska…….Radwanska..Radwanska….Radwanska

29 Pavlyuchenkova…(29)Pavlyuchenkova

24 Kanepi………..Muguruza………….Muguruza

10 Wozniacki……..(10)Wozniacki

 

13 Stephens………(13)Stephens………Stephens

19 Kuznetsova…….Svitolina

33 Jovanovski…….Meusburger

2 Azarenka……….(2)Azarenka……….Azarenka…Azarenka

 

STATUS OF SEEDS

1 S Williams………lost 4R (Ivanovic)

2 Azarenka………..lost QF (A. Radwanska)

3 Sharapova……….lost 4R (Cibulkova)

4 Li……………..WON TOURNAMENT

5 A Radwanska……..lost SF (Cibulkova)

6 Kvitova…………lost 1R (Kumkhum)

7 Errani………….lost 1R (Goerges)

8 Jankovic………..lost 4R (Halep)

9 Kerber………….lost 4R (Pennetta)

10 Wozniacki………lost 3R (Muguruza)

11 Halep………….lost QF (Cibulkova)

12 Vinci………….lost 1R (Zheng)

13 Stephens……….lost 4R (Azarenka)

14 Ivanovic……….lost QF (Bouchard)

15 Lisicki………..lost 2R (Niculesu)

16 Suarez Navarro….lost 3R (Cibulkova)

17 Stosur…………lost 3R (Ivanovic)

18 Flipkens……….lost 2R (Dellacqua)

19 Kuznetsova……..lost 1R (Svitolina)

20 Cibulkova………lost F (Li)

21 Cirstea………..lost 1R (Erakovic)

22 Makarova……….lost 4R (Li)

23 Vesnina………..lost 1R (Riske)

24 Kanepi…………lost 1R (Muguruza)

25 Cornet…………lost 3R (Sharapova)

26 Safarova……….lost 3R (Li)

27 Hampton………..WITHDREW

28 Pennetta……….lost QF (Li)

29 Pavlyuchenkova….lost 3R (A. Radwanska)

30 Bouchard……….lost SF (Li)

31 Hantuchova……..lost 4R (S. Williams)

32 Rybarikova……..lost 2R (Nara)

33 Jovanovski……..lost 2R (Meusburger)

Paris (Premier — Weeks of January 27-February 2)

1 Sharapova

–bye

Erakovic

Hantuchova

Meusburger

Qualifier

Barthel

8 Flipkens

 

4 Kerber

–bye

Zakopalova

Garcia (WC)

Pavlyuchenkova

Schiavone

Qualifier

7 Suarez Navarro

 

6 Vinci

Svitolina

Voegele

Qualifier

Knapp

Qualifier

–bye

3 Errani

 

5 Halep

Mladenovic (WC)

Petkovic

Jovanovski

Rybarikova

Cornet

–bye

2 Kvitova (WC)

Pattaya City (International — Weeks of January 27-February 2)

1 Lisicki

Vekic

Hlavackova

Cabeza Candela

Qualifier

Putintseva

Mayr-Achleitner

8 Peng

 

4 Makarova

Qualifier

Zvonareva (WC)

Plipuech (WC)

Hsieh

Majeric

Date-Krumm

6 Muguruza

 

7 Mattek-Sands

Ka. Pliksova

Tomljanovic

Qualifier

Medina Garrigues

Riske

Schmiedlova

3 Cirstea

 

5 Vesnina

King

Qualifier

Lertpitaksinchai (WC)

Kumkhum

Goerges

Zhang

2 Kuznetsova (WC)

******** SCORES **

 

SUNDAY

Australian Open

Mixed Doubles – Final

Kristina Mladenovic/Daniel Nestor def. (6) Sania Mirza/Horia Tecau 6-3 6-2

 

_________

 

PTT PATTAYA OPEN

Pattaya City, Thailand

January 27-February 2, 2014

$250,000/International

Hard/Outdoors

 

Order Of Play – Monday, January 27, 2014

Court 1 (from 15.00hrs)

1. Belinda Bencic vs. Alla Kudryavtseva (Singles Q Final)

2. Sabine Lisicki vs. Donna Vekic

3. Zhang Shuai vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

4. Bethanie Mattek-Sands vs. Karolina Pliskova

 

Court 2 (from 15.00hrs)

1. Aleksandra Krunic vs. Duan Ying-Ying (Singles Q Final)

2. Patricia Mayr-Achleitner vs. Peng Shuai

3. Anabel Medina Garrigues vs. Alison Riske

4. Makarova/Vesnina vs. Lertcheewakarn/Zvonareva

 

Court 3 (from 15.00hrs)

1. Olga Savchuk vs. Sachie Ishizu (Singles Q Final)

2. Anastasia Rodionova vs. Alexandra Dulgheru (Singles Q Final)

3. Andrea Hlavackova vs. Estrella Cabeza Candela

4. Date-Krumm/Tomljanovic vs. Hsieh/Hsieh

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