PRO TOUR NEWS – WOMEN
* Schiavone remains below #40 after three-set loss to Pavlyuchenkova in Paris
* Zakopalova beats Garcia in day’s only other singles match
* No jet lag for Errani/Vinci; lose only two games in first doubles match in France
* Mattek-Sands loses Pattaya City opener, will remain #40 or below
* Lisicki struggles, Kuznetsova cruises
* Riske sure to remain Top Fifty after double-bageling struggling Medina Garrigues
* Makarova/Vesnina crushed in doubles opener; Vesnina loses chance to rise to #3
****** TODAY’S WOMEN’S NEWS ******
Paris
The endangered indoor event – this is the final year for its title sponsor – got off to a slow start with just a pair of main draw matches on offer. Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 while Czech Klara Zakopalova defeated Caroline Garcia of France 7-6(4), 6-2.
Pattaya City
Czech Karolina Pliskova produced the first minor upset of the week as she put out American seventh seed Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-2, 6-4 in a re-run of the Kuala Lumpur final from 2013. Svetlana Kuznetsova passed a personal milestone as she claimed her 500th career victory. The Russian grand slam champion is one of 10 active players with at least 500 pro match wins after she defeated China’s Zhang Shuai 6-0, 7-6(3). Kuznetsova served for the win leading 6-3, 5-3 but needed to play a tiebreak to go through after losing three straight games. Kuznetsova joins Venus and Serena Williams, Tamarine Tanasugarn, Jelena Jankovic, Francesca Schiavone, Nadia Petrova, Flavia Pennetta, Daniela Hantuchova and Maria Sharapova in the 500-win club.
Top seed Sabine Lisicki, the 2-13 finalist, overcame London-based Croatian Donna Vecic 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 and eighth seed Peng Shuai reached the second round 6-1 7-6(1) over Patricia Mayr-Achleitner. Czech Andrea Hlavackova beat Spain’s Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2 6-4 and American Alison Riske saved nine break points in a whitewash of Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-0, 6-0
******** 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
************ STATS AND FACTS ************
Rankings
Estimated WTA Rankings As of January 27, 2014
Rank &
Prior
Rank …Name …………. Points
1 (1) SWilliams 13000
2 (2) Azarenka 6581
3 (3) Li 6570
4 (4) ARadwanska 5750
5 (5) SHARAPOVA 5416*
6 (6) KVITOVA 4745*
7 (8) Jankovic 4310
8 (7) ERRANI 4245*
9 (9) KERBER 4030*
10 (10) HALEP 3760*
11 (11) Wozniacki 3370
12 (12) Ivanovic 3160
13 (13) Cibulkova 3056
14 (14) VINCI 3020*
15 (15) LISICKI 2820*
16 (17) Stosur 2705
17 (16) SUAREZ NAVARRO 2685*
18 (18) Stephens 2415
19 (19) Bouchard 2369
20 (21) FLIPKENS 2255*
21 (22) Pennetta 2165
22 (20) Kirilenko 2046
23 (23) Cirstea 1950
24 (24) Kanepi 1932
25 (25) CORNET 1870*
26 (26) PAVLYUCHENKOVA 1840*
27 (28) MAKAROVA 1801*
28 (27) Safarova 1785
29 (29) KUZNETSOVA 1741*
30 (30) Hampton 1601
Draws
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 ********
MONDAY
Paris
Singles – First Round
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 16 64 61
Klara Zakopalova (CZE) d. (WC) Carolina Garcia (FRA) 76(4) 62
Doubles – First Round
(1) Errani/Vinci (ITA/ITA) d. Hrdinova/Klemenschits (CZE/AUT) 60 62
Jans – Ignacik/Olaru (POL/ROU) d. Erakovic/Martic (NZL/CRO) 75 64
Dushevina/Parra Santonja (RUS/ESP) d. Dabrowski/Kalashnikova (CAN/GEO) 36 63 105 (Match TB)
Singles Qualifying – Final Round
(6) Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) d. Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 57 64 76(2)
Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) d. (7) Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 61 75
Johanna Larsson (SWE) d. Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER) 75 63
Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) d. Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 62 62
Pattaya City
Singles – First Round
(1) Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. Donna Vekic (CRO) 75 26 64
(2/WC) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. Zhang Shuai (CHN) 60 76(3)
Karolina Pliskova (CZE) d. (7) Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 62 64
(8) Peng Shuai (CHN) d. Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) 61 76(1)
Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) d. Estrella Cabeza Candela (ESP) 62 64
Alison Riske (USA) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 60 60
Doubles – First Round
(WC) Lertcheewakarn/Zvonareva (THA/RUS) d. (1) Makarova/Vesnina (RUS/RUS) 60 64
Date-Krumm/Tomljanovic (JPN/CRO) d. Hsieh/Hsieh (TPE/TPE) 26 64 108 (Match TB)
Singles Qualifying – Final Round
(2) Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) d. Duan Ying-Ying (CHN) 62 75
(6) Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) d. (4) Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 36 64 76(2)
(5) Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) d. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 63 63
Olga Savchuk (UKR) d. (7) Sachie Ishizu (JPN) 60 62
Topics: 10sballs, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, BETHANIE Mattek-Sands, Daniela Hantuchova, Flavia Pennetta, Jelena Jankovic, Karolina Pliskova, Maria Sharapova, Nadia Petrova, Sabine Lisicki, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News