PRO TOUR NEWS – WOMEN
* Zakopalova continues amazing run with upset of Ivanovic
* Stosur also out; all eight lowest seeds fail to make third round!
* Kvitova survives struggle against Venus; Wozniacki loses to Wickmayer
****** TODAY’S WOMEN’S NEWS ******
Doha
Singles – Second Round: (1) Na Li def. Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1 5-7 6-2
Li Na has already clinched a career-high #2 ranking, but apparently she likes insurance. She leaves Magdalena Rybarikova still at #32.
Singles – Second Round: (2) Agnieszka Radwanska def. Sorana Cirstea 7-5 6-0
Sorana Cirstea was hurting in Fed Cup. It was a bit of a surprise she did so well in the first round. But it appears it caught up to her. Which means she will stay below the Top 25.
Singles – Second Round: (3) Petra Kvitova def. Venus Williams 6-2 2-6 7-6(9-7)
Who would have thought that two victims of fatigue illnesses could have survived a marathon? But that’s just what happened here. Petra Kvitova wasn’t even able to Fed Cup, but she fought back from a break down in the final set of this match. That means Venus Williams will stay in the #44-#45 range; Kvitova retains her outside shot at the Top Five.
Singles – Second Round: (4) Sara Errani def. (Q) Su-Wei Hsieh 6-0 6-4
Sara Errani hasn’t earned enough points yet to count toward her ranking. This is still important, because Jelena Jankovic is right on her heels.
Singles – Second Round: (5) Jelena Jankovic def. Karin Knapp 6-0 6-2
Jelena Jankovic skipped Fed Cup; Karin Knapp not only played, she played in the United States. So she was both tired and jet lagged. Perhaps the score isn’t so surprising, in the circumstances. Knapp lasted long enough to clinch her Top Forty ranking, but she won’t rise much.
Singles – Second Round: (6) Angelique Kerber def. Karolina Pliskova 7-6(7-2) 6-4
Had Karolina Pliskova won this, she would have hit the Top Fifty. As it is, she appears to be just short.
Singles – Second Round: (7) Simona Halep def. Kaia Kanepi 6-4 3-6 7-6(7-5)
So close for Kaia Kanepi…. even with the loss, she has a shot at the Top 25.
Singles – Second Round: Yanina Wickmayer def. (8) Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 7-5
Was Caroline Wozniacki not ready to play on this surface, or was this another instance of “My slump is worse-er than your slump”? Either way, it costs Wozniacki her Top Ten chance; Simona Halep is now clinched.
Singles – Second Round: Klara Zakopalova def. (9) Ana Ivanovic 4-6 6-1 6-3
What a run for Klara Zakopalova! Two matches on Monday, on clay, then she flew here and won on Tuesday and scored this upset on Wednesday. It’s awful to have to note that, because of the changes in the ranking system, she has repeated her result from last year but is still in danger of losing a ranking spot or two. Ana Ivanovic doesn’t have to worry about falling below #12, but she certainly won’t rise.
Singles – Second Round: Jana Cepelova def. (12) Samantha Stosur 6-4 4-6 6-1
What a crazy event… the high seeds are mostly doing fine, but every seed from #9 to #16 is now out. In the case of Samantha Stosur, that means she will fall from #16 to #17.
Singles – Second Round: (Q) Mirjana Lucic-Baroni def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 6-1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova loses another chance to hit the Top Twenty. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni will rise to around #90.
Singles – Second Round: (WC) Alisa Kleybanova def. Stefanie Voegele 6-3 6-2
Alisa Kleybanova increases her points by almost a third; she will rise from #180 to probably a little above #145.
Singles – Second Round: Annika Beck def. (Q) Tsvetana Pironkova 6-7(5-7) 6-2 6-2
Tsvetana Pironkova had already earned enough points here to just about guarantee a Top Fifty spot. By beating her, Annika Beck is also on the brink of the Top Fifty.
Singles – Second Round: Lucie Safarova def. Peng Shuai 6-2 5-7 6-4
Peng Shuai — the only one of China’s top players to play Fed Cup — will remain below #40. Lucie Safarova hasn’t moved yet, but her Top Thirty spot is now secure.
Singles – Second Round: Monica Niculescu def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3 3-6 6-3
This won’t quite put Monica Niculescu in the Top Fifty, but one more win would do it. She costs Bethanie Mattek-Sands the chance to clinch a Top Forty spot, although it looks very likely.
Singles – Second Round: (Q) Petra Cetkovska def. Zhang Shuai 6-3 4-6 6-3
When Petra Cetkovska gets in upset mode, watch out — she’s a Top Thirty player when she is in that form. It’s just possible, although very unlikely at this point, that this will cost Zhang Shuai her Top Fifty ranking.
Doubles – First Round: Kudryavtseva/Rodionova def. (5) Hlavackova/Safarova 6-4 6-1
If you’re wondering when we’ll get some news on the status of the doubles #1, the answer is, “Not yet.” The teams that matter, Errani/Vinci and Hsieh/Peng, have first round byes. The main effect of this is to put Andrea Hlavackova’s Top Ten ranking in real danger. We currently show the doubles Top Ten as follows:
1..(3) PENG ……………7815*
2..(4) HSIEH …………. 7675*
3..(5) Vesnina ……….. 7620
4..(7) Makarova ………..7421
5..(6) SREBOTNIK ……… 7155*
6..(1) ERRANI ………….7145*
6..(1) VINCI …………. 7145*
8..(8) PETROVA ……….. 5710*
9..(9) MIRZA …………. 5525*
10.(10) HLAVACKOVA ………5175
Doubles – First Round: Niculescu/Zakopalova def. (8) Mladenovic/Pennetta 4-6 6-4 10-2
Amazing that Klara Zakopalova decided to play doubles here after all she went through in Fed Cup. But she and Niculescu are making a strong case for a “Breakthrough Team of the Year” sort of award.
Doubles – First Round: Groenefeld/Lucic-Baroni def. Erakovic/Martic 6-2 4-6 10-6
Doubles – First Round: Jurak/Klepac def. (WC) Flipkens/Schiavone 6-4 6-3
Doubles – First Round: Garcia/Kalashnikova def. Barrois/Thorpe 7-6(7-5) 7-6(9-7)
****** TODAY’S FEATURE ******
Last week was Fed Cup week, with the biggest event being a $50K Challenger (Launceston). Olivia Rogowska won that (5-7 6-4 6-0 over Irina Pavlovic), but nothing that happened there affects the Top Hundred significantly. No one in the Top Fifty moves at all, and the players below that mostly didn’t move much. So we won’t do a Movers column this week.
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS WEEK ON THE WTA:
Doha (Premier Five/Hard). Defending Champion: Victoria Azarenka
NEXT WEEK ON THE WTA:
Dubai (Premier/Hard). Defending Champion: Petra Kvitova
Rio de Janeiro (International/Clay). Defending Champion: New Event
************ STATS AND FACTS ************
Rankings
Estimated WTA Rankings As of February 12, 2014
Rank &
Prior
Rank …Name …………. Points
1..(1) SWilliams ……… 12660
2..(3) LI ……………..6570*
3..(2) Azarenka ………..5681
4..(4) ARADWANSKA ………5475*
5..(5) Sharapova ……… 5206
6..(6) KVITOVA ……….. 4645*
7..(7) ERRANI ………….4325*
8..(8) JANKOVIC ………..4310*
9..(9) KERBER ………….4010*
10.(10) HALEP …………. 3660*
11.(11) WOZNIACKI ……… 3200
12.(12) IVANOVIC ………..3155
13.(13) CIBULKOVA ……… 3056
14.(14) VINCI …………. 3020
15.(15) Lisicki ……….. 2820
16.(17) Suarez Navarro …..2685
17.(16) STOSUR ………….2605
18.(18) STEPHENS ………..2415
19.(19) BOUCHARD ………..2355
20.(20) FLIPKENS ………..2295
21.(21) PAVLYUCHENKOVA …..2240
22.(22) PENNETTA ………..2165
23.(24) Kirilenko ……… 2046
24.(23) Makarova ………..2011
25.(27) KANEPI ………….1991
26.(25) CORNET ………….1985
27.(26) CIRSTEA ……….. 1940
28.(28) SAFAROVA ………..1820*
29.(29) Kuznetsova ………1617
30.(31) Hampton ……….. 1601
Draws
Doha — week of February 10, 2014
……………3R
1 Li………..(1)Li
14 Stephens….Cetkovska
9 Ivanovic…..Zakoaplova
6 Kerber…….(6)Kerber
3 Kvitova……(3)Kvitova
16 Flipkens….Safarova
10 Cibulkova…Kleybanova(WC)
5 Jankovic…..(5)Jankovic
7 Halep……..(7)Halep
11 Vinci…….Beck
15 Bouchard….Niculescu
4 Errani…….(4)Errani
8 Wozniacki….Wickmayer
12 Stosur……Cepelova
[Majeric(LL)]..Lucic-Baroni(Q)
2 A Radwanska..(2)A.Radwanska
STATUS OF SEEDS
1 Li
2 A Radwanska
3 Kvitova
4 Errani
5 Jankovic
6 Kerber
7 Halep
8 Wozniacki……..lost 2R (Wickmayer)
9 Ivanovic………lost 2R (Zakopalova)
10 Cibulkova…….lost 1R (Kleybanova)
11 Vinci………..lost 1R (Pironkova)
12 Stosur……….lost 2R (Cepelova)
13 Suarez Navarro..WITHDREW (replaced by Majeric)
14 Stephens……..lost 1R (Cetkovska)
15 Bouchard……..lost 1R (Mattek-Sands)
16 Flipkens……..lost 1R (Safarova)
******** SCORES ********
WEDNESDAY
Doha
Singles – Second Round
(1) Na Li def. Magdalena Rybarikova 6-1 5-7 6-2
(2) Agnieszka Radwanska def. Sorana Cirstea 7-5 6-0
(3) Petra Kvitova def. Venus Williams 6-2 2-6 7-6(9-7)
(4) Sara Errani def. (Q) Su-Wei Hsieh 6-0 6-4
(5) Jelena Jankovic def. Karin Knapp 6-0 6-2
(6) Angelique Kerber def. Karolina Pliskova 7-6(7-2) 6-4
(7) Simona Halep def. Kaia Kanepi 6-4 3-6 7-6(7-5)
Yanina Wickmayer def. (8) Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 7-5
Klara Zakopalova def. (9) Ana Ivanovic 4-6 6-1 6-3
Jana Cepelova def. (12) Samantha Stosur 6-4 4-6 6-1
(Q) Mirjana Lucic-Baroni def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 6-1
(WC) Alisa Kleybanova def. Stefanie Voegele 6-3 6-2
Annika Beck def. (Q) Tsvetana Pironkova 6-7(5-7) 6-2 6-2
Lucie Safarova def. Peng Shuai 6-2 5-7 6-4
Monica Niculescu def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3 3-6 6-3
(Q) Petra Cetkovska def. Zhang Shuai 6-3 4-6 6-3
Doubles – First Round
Kudryavtseva/Rodionova def. (5) Hlavackova/Safarova 6-4 6-1
Niculescu/Zakopalova def. (8) Mladenovic/Pennetta 4-6 6-4 10-2
Groenefeld/Lucic-Baroni def. Erakovic/Martic 6-2 4-6 10-6
Jurak/Klepac def. (WC) Flipkens/Schiavone 6-4 6-3
Garcia/Kalashnikova def. Barrois/Thorpe 7-6(7-5) 7-6(9-7)
Topics: 10sballs, Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Fed Cup, Jelena Jankovic, Klara Zakopalova, Petra Kvitova, Samantha Stosur, Sara Errani, Simona Halep, Sorana Cirstea, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Venus Williams, Wta, Yanina Wickmayer
Wozniacki, Stosur, Venus Williams, Ivanovic All Lose | http://t.co/X3xLRnF57d