Women’s Pro Tour News

Written by: on 13th February 2014
Tennis Australian Open 2014
Women's Pro Tour News

epa04040791 Li Na of China celebrates after winning her match against Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in the women's final of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 25 January 2014. EPA/MARK DADSWELL AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT  |

****** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******

 

* New #2 Li stunned by Cetkovska; Errani barely survives

* Radwanska advances when Lucic-Baroni retires; seeds #3-#7 advance

* Hsieh/Peng, Errani/Vinci win as contest for doubles #1 gets underway

****** TODAY’S WOMEN’S NEWS ******

 

Doha

 

Singles – Third Round: (Q) Petra Cetkovska def. (1) Li Na 7-6(7-2) 2-6 6-4

Petra Cetkovska is a genuine upset artist, but she doesn’t often beat Top Five players. Especially not players who are about to take the #2 ranking, and who had yet to lose a match this year! Did Li Na get nervous contemplating a career high? Or did she run out of gas after two hours and 46 minutes? She blew a 3-1 lead in the final set. The good news is, it won’t matter; she is #2 no matter what. But this place has been murder on seeds. We’re going to be seeing some very unexpected movers this week.

Singles – Third Round: (2) Agnieszka Radwanska def. (Q) Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-4 1-0, retired (back)

Talk about all the breaks going Agnieszka Radwanska’s way. First Li Na lost. Then Radwanska escaped quickly from what was looking like a very tough match. This is a very big opportunity for Radwanska — she is now the obvious favorite, and if she can win her match, she would pass Victoria Azarenka to reach the #3 ranking.

Singles – Third Round: (3) Petra Kvitova def. Lucie Safarova 7-6(7-2) 5-7 6-2

Petra Kvitova can’t seem to wrap her head around the idea of an easy match, but she manages once again to find enough energy to get through. That means her countrywoman Lucie Safarova will probably stay at #28.

Singles – Third Round: (4) Sara Errani def. Monica Niculescu 2-6 7-5 6-1

Monica Niculescu would have been Top Fifty had she won this marathon — but very few players win marathons with Sara Errani. Letting the Italian play a third set is generally a very bad idea. So Niculescu will have to settle for #53.

Singles – Third Round: (5) Jelena Jankovic def. (WC) Alisa Kleybanova 6-1 6-2

Jelena Jankovic is now in very good position to pass Sara Errani and take the #7 ranking. And she didn’t even use much energy — good news for her, and even for Alisa Kleybanova, since Jankovic and Kleybanova would go on to play doubles together later in the day.

Singles – Third Round: (6) Angelique Kerber def. Klara Zakopalova 6-2 6-3

Klara Zakopalova’s amazing Fed Cup plus Doha run finally ends. The bad news is, she drops a ranking spot. The good news is, she gets a little rest….

Singles – Third Round: (7) Simona Halep def. Annika Beck 6-4 6-1

The first set of this was a real tussle, and then — nothing. Annika Beck just couldn’t do any more. We show her at #50 in safe points, but another win would have made a Top Fifty spot much more sure.

Singles – Third Round: Yanina Wickmayer def. Jana Cepelova 1-6 6-2 6-0

In terms of rankings, there isn’t much to separate these two; Yanina Wickmayer, at #72, was ranked a mere 10 places higher. And in terms of recent results, the gap may even have been smaller. But Wickmayer has a lot more experience with big matches…. This ought to take Wickmayer back above #60.

Doubles – Second Round: (2) Hsieh/Peng def. Buryachok/Diatchenko 6-2 6-4

With this, the contest for the #1 doubles ranking is off — and Peng Shuai has a big lead after the first lap, and she isn’t showing any signs of nervousness — so far.

Doubles – Second Round: (1) Errani/Vinci def. Raymond/Zhang 6-4 7-6(8-6)

Errani/Vinci keep alive their hopes of staying #1 — but they still have a long way to go. The fate of the top spot is entirely in the hands of Peng Shuai.

Doubles – Second Round: (3) Peschke/Srebotnik def. Garcia/Kalashnikova 7-6(7-1) 7-6(8-6)

It doesn’t look as if Katarina Srebotnik can make it to #1 this week after all, but she is making a real push for the Top Five. Kveta Peschke has a genuine chance to make the Top Ten.

Doubles – Second Round: (4) Black/Mirza def. Pliskova/Pliskova 4-6 6-2 10-4

Cara Black is our other major contender to hit the Top Ten; she is up to #12 in safe points. We currently estimate the Top Ten as follows:

1..(3) PENG ……………7845*

2..(4) HSIEH …………. 7725*

3..(5) Vesnina ……….. 7620

4..(7) Makarova ………..7421

5..(6) SREBOTNIK ……… 7155*

6..(1) ERRANI ………….7145*

6..(1) VINCI …………. 7145*

8..(8) PETROVA ……….. 5795*

9..(9) MIRZA …………. 5525*

10.(10) HLAVACKOVA ………5175

Doubles – Second Round: (7) Pavlyuchenkova/Petrova def. Groenefeld/Lucic-Baroni walkover

Tough news for Mirjana Lucic-Baroni; tough also for Anna-Lena Groenefeld, who loses semifinalist points — although it appears she will keep the #14 ranking.

Doubles – Second Round: (WC) Jankovic/Kleybanova def. (6) Kops-Jones/Spears 6-4 6-4

Kops-Jones/Spears were defending semifinalist points, so this is likely to cost them their Top Twenty spots.

 

Doubles – Second Round: Kudryavtseva/Rodionova def. Jurak/Klepac 6-3 6-4

Doubles – Second Round: Niculescu/Zakopalova def. H Chan/Huber 6-3 6-3

Given their results this year, there must be a lot of teams wishing Niculescu/Zakopalova would hurry up and start getting seeded already….

******** 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 13, 2014

 

Rank &

Prior

Rank …Name …………. Points

1..(1) SWilliams ……… 12660

2..(3) LI ……………..6570

3..(2) Azarenka ………..5681

4..(4) ARADWANSKA ………5545*

5..(5) Sharapova ……… 5206

6..(6) KVITOVA ……….. 4710*

7..(7) ERRANI ………….4390*

8..(8) JANKOVIC ………..4375*

9..(9) KERBER ………….4095*

10.(10) HALEP …………. 3725*

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……………..QF

1 Li………..(1)Li

14 Stephens….Cetkovska(Q)…….Cetkovska

9 Ivanovic…..Zakoaplova

6 Kerber…….(6)Kerber……….Kerber

 

3 Kvitova……(3)Kvitova………Kvitova

16 Flipkens….Safarova

10 Cibulkova…Kleybanova(WC)

5 Jankovic…..(5)Jankovic……..Jankovic

 

7 Halep……..(7)Halep………..Halep

11 Vinci…….Beck

15 Bouchard….Niculescu

4 Errani…….(4)Errani……….Errani

 

8 Wozniacki….Wickmayer……….Wickmayer

12 Stosur……Cepelova

[Majeric(LL)]..Lucic-Baroni(Q)

2 A Radwanska..(2)A.Radwanska…..Radwanska

 

STATUS OF SEEDS

1 Li……………lost 3R (Cetkovska)

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 ********

 

THURSDAY

Doha

Singles – Third Round

(Q) Petra Cetkovska def. (1) Li Na 7-6(7-2) 2-6 6-4

(2) Agnieszka Radwanska def. (Q) Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-4 1-0, retired (back)

(3) Petra Kvitova def. Lucie Safarova 7-6(7-2) 5-7 6-2

(4) Sara Errani def. Monica Niculescu 2-6 7-5 6-1

(5) Jelena Jankovic def. (WC) Alisa Kleybanova 6-1 6-2

(6) Angelique Kerber def. Klara Zakopalova 6-2 6-3

(7) Simona Halep def. Annika Beck 6-4 6-1

Yanina Wickmayer def. Jana Cepelova 1-6 6-2 6-0

Doubles – Second Round

(1) Errani/Vinci def. Raymond/Zhang 6-4 7-6(8-6)

(2) Hsieh/Peng def. Buryachok/Diatchenko 6-2 6-4

(3) Peschke/Srebotnik def. Garcia/Kalashnikova 7-6(7-1) 7-6(8-6)

(4) Black/Mirza def. Pliskova/Pliskova 4-6 6-2 10-4

(WC) Jankovic/Kleybanova def. (6) Kops-Jones/Spears 6-4 6-4

(7) Pavlyuchenkova/Petrova def. Groenefeld/Lucic-Baroni walkover

Kudryavtseva/Rodionova def. Jurak/Klepac 6-3 6-4

Niculescu/Zakopalova def. H Chan/Huber 6-3 6-3

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