* Loss to Bencic will leave Hantuchova around #50
* Urszula Radwanska blocks Vandeweghe’s Top Thirty hopes
* Vaidisova looks strong in win over Babos
* No problems for Azarenka in Miami opener
* Vinci upset in first post-Errani singles match
* Cepelova wins only one game against Goerges, falls out of Top Hundred
* Zvonareva unable to finish off Pavlyuchenkova
Singles – First Round: Alison Riske def. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-4 6-0
The number of blowouts in the qualifying draw here was amazing; it made us wonder if there was something affecting the players’ health. This score leaves us wondering the same thing. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni loses a few points and will probably be around #60; Alison Riske defends her points and is probably two wins away from the Top Forty.
Singles – First Round: Heather Watson def. (Q) Evgeniya Rodina 3-6 6-1 7-5
This probably won’t be enough to put Heather Watson in the Top Forty, but one more win might, and she faces struggling Angelique Kerber next.
Singles – First Round: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Vera Zvonareva 6-2 3-6 7-5
Vera Zvonareva was up 4-1 and serving in the final set of this. But the match was already about two hours old, and she couldn’t keep it up. Which means that she will stay in the #150 range. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova lost her opener last year, so she gains a few points, but not enough to really matter.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Sesil Karatantcheva def. Lauren Davis 6-3 7-6(7-5)
The results Sesil Karatantcheva has produced in the last couple of months really do leave us wondering where she hid all this game for so many years. She isn’t Top Hundred yet, but she will get there — indeed, she’ll probably make the Top Fifty — if she can keep up this pace. Lauren Davis, who had 65 points to defend, will fall below #65 — probably below #70.
Singles – First Round: Julia Goerges def. Jana Cepelova 6-1 6-0
Another player who pretty clearly wasn’t ready to play! Which is singularly unfortunate for Jana Cepelova, who was last year’s Charleston finalist. She will fall from #68 to somewhere around #125.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Irina Falconi def. Monica Puig 7-6(11-9) 7-6(7-3)
This was only two sets, but it still lasted two and a half hours. Impressive for Irina Falconi, who has been pretty invisible lately. This may drop Monica Puig out of the Top Fifty.
Singles – First Round: (WC) Nicole Vaidisova def. (Q) Timea Babos 6-1 7-6(7-4)
So far, so good in the Big Comeback. Nicole Vaidisova, #328 coming in, will rise to around #290.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Alison van Uytvanck def. Magdalena Rybarikova 7-5 2-6 6-0
This will probably cost Magdalena Rybarikova several ranking spots, although we’d guess she’ll stay Top Fifty. Alison van Uytvanck is getting close to a Top Hundred return, but she isn’t there yet.
Singles – First Round: Victoria Azarenka def. Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1 6-3
Victoria Azarenka just missed seeding, and she’s playing well enough that she obviously deserves seeding. This just about guarantees she will rise above #35; she could easily hit the Top Thirty this week. Her next match, against Jelena Jankovic, will obviously be a lot tougher, but even if she loses, she can at least say she played Miami for the first time in three years.
Singles – First Round: Tsvetana Pironkova def. (Q) Kateryna Kozlova 6-4 6-3
Tsvetana Pironkova made the third round last year, so she will probably need more than this to stay Top Fifty. One win might do it; two would just about assure it.
Singles – First Round: Sloane Stephens def. Yanina Wickmayer 6-1 6-3
Yanina Wickmayer isn’t going to be Top Hundred much longer at this rate; it appears this will drop her below #95. Sloane Stephens still needs one more win to defend her points.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Tatjana Maria def. Roberta Vinci 7-6(11-9) 6-3
Roberta Vinci’s split with Sara Errani in doubles isn’t looking so smart for Vinci — with her singles in the tank, how is she going to make a living without doubles? This loss will cost her her Top Forty spot.
Singles – First Round: Belinda Bencic def. Daniela Hantuchova 6-1 7-6(7-5)
Belinda Bencic came here ranked #34, so she would have been seeded had the current rankings been used. Daniela Hantuchova probably wishes she had been — Hantuchova will lose enough points that her Top Fifty ranking is in some danger, though we’d guess she’ll stay above that mark. Bencic, with more than 200 points to defend, still needs a lot more to stay above #35.
Singles – First Round: Elena Vesnina def. (Q) Alexandra Dulgheru 6-4 6-2
Alexandra Dulgheru has been playing well enough that she would have gotten direct entry here had the current rankings been used, and Elena Vesnina is a mess in singles these days, so the ease of this result is rather surprising. But Vesnina still has a lot of defending to do if she wants to stay above #70.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Stefanie Voegele def. Kirsten Flipkens 6-2 6-2
With Timea Bacsinszky and Belinda Bencic doing so well in singles, and Martina Hingis moving back toward the top of the doubles rankings, Stefanie Voegele is in danger of becoming the forgotten woman of Swiss tennis. But she will be returning to the Top Hundred after this. She knocks Kirsten Flipkens below #70.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Urszula Radwanska def. CoCo Vandeweghe 6-4 6-7(2-7) 6-3
It really does seem as if Urszula Radwanska is finally out of her funk. She’s still below the Top Hundred, but that may not last much longer. CoCo Vandeweghe was defending a pile of points; she’ll fall to #35 or lower. Probably lower.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Pauline Parmentier def. Kiki Bertens 4-6 6-2 6-3
This will probably take Pauline Parmentier above #90.
Singles – First Round: Christina McHale def. (WC) Sorana Cirstea 7-5 6-4
Still no hints of a return to form for Sorana Cirstea. She doesn’t lose any points, but this means she’ll remain in the #150 range.
Singles – First Round: Annika Beck def. Zhang Shuai 6-4 4-6 6-4
These two came in ranked just one place apart (Zhang Shuai #80, Annika Beck #81), and both have been slumping. Little wonder it was close. Since Zhang was defending points and Beck wasn’t, it looks as if they’ll be swapping rankings.
Singles – First Round: (WC) Daria Gavrilova def. (Q) Marina Erakovic 5-1, retired
Funny that we had two retirements by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday (this one and by Lu on the men’s side), and both were by a 5-1 score. This probably means that Marina Erakovic will remain below #70.
Estimated WTA Rankings As of March 25, 2015
Rank &
Prior
Rank …Name …………. Points
1..(1) SWILLIAMS ……… 8991*
2..(2) SHARAPOVA ……… 7890*
3..(3) HALEP …………. 7191*
4..(4) Kvitova ……….. 6060
5..(5) WOZNIACKI ……… 4565*
6..(6) IVANOVIC ………..4205*
7..(7) BOUCHARD ………..4122*
8..(9) MAKAROVA ………..3310*
9..(8) ARADWANSKA ………3275*
10.(11) SAFAROVA ………..2870*
11.(10) PETKOVIC ………..2755*
12.(12) SUAREZ NAVARRO …..2700*
13.(14) KAPLISKOVA ………2675*
14.(13) ERRANI ………….2625*
15.(15) KERBER ………….2445*
16.(17) JANKOVIC ………..2420*
17.(16) VWILLIAMS ……… 2386*
18.(18) KEYS ……………2075*
19.(19) MUGURUZA ………..2070*
20.(20) PENG ……………1995*
21.(23) Bacsinszky ………1971
22.(22) ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA .1945*
23.(21) LISICKI ……….. 1922*
24.(24) CORNET ………….1815*
25.(25) GARCIA ………….1785*
26.(26) STOSUR ………….1780*
27.(29) KUZNETSOVA ………1760*
28.(28) PENNETTA ………..1720*
29.(27) SVITOLINA ……… 1715*
30.(31) LEPCHENKO ……… 1430*
Miami — Week of March 23
1 S Williams
29 Diyas
24 Kuznetsova
13 Kerber
11 Errani
21 Muguruza
27 Lisicki
5 Ivanovic
3 Halep
30 Giorgi
20 Jankovic
15 Pennetta
10 Safarova
17 Keys
32 Dellacqua
6 Bouchard
7 A Radwanska
31 Begu
22 Cornet
12 Suarez Navarro
16 V Williams
23 Stosur
28 Lepchenko
4 Wozniacki
8 Makarova
26 Svitolina
19 Zahlavova Strycova
9 Petkovic
14 Ka Pliskova
18 Peng
25 Garcia
2 Sharapova
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 S Williams
2 Sharapova
3 Halep
4 Wozniacki
5 Ivanovic
6 Bouchard
7 A Radwanska
8 Makarova
9 Petkovic
10 Safarova
11 Errani
12 Suarez Navarro
13 Kerber
14 Ka Pliskova
15 Pennetta
16 V Williams
17 Keys
18 Peng
19 Zahlavova Strycova
20 Jankovic
21 Muguruza
22 Cornet
23 Stosur
24 Kuznetsova
25 Garcia
26 Svitolina
27 Lisicki
28 Lepchenko
29 Diyas
30 Giorgi
31 Begu
32 Dellacqua
WEDNESDAY
Miami
Singles – First Round
Alison Riske def. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-4 6-0
Heather Watson def. (Q) Evgeniya Rodina 3-6 6-1 7-5
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Vera Zvonareva 6-2 3-6 7-5
(Q) Sesil Karatantcheva def. Lauren Davis 6-3 7-6(7-5)
Julia Goerges def. Jana Cepelova 6-1 6-0
(Q) Irina Falconi def. Monica Puig 7-6(11-9) 7-6(7-3)
(WC) Nicole Vaidisova def. (Q) Timea Babos 6-1 7-6(7-4)
(Q) Alison van Uytvanck def. Magdalena Rybarikova 7-5 2-6 6-0
Victoria Azarenka def. Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1 6-3
Tsvetana Pironkova def. (Q) Kateryna Kozlova 6-4 6-3
Sloane Stephens def. Yanina Wickmayer 6-1 6-3
(Q) Tatjana Maria def. Roberta Vinci 7-6(11-9) 6-3
Belinda Bencic def. Daniela Hantuchova 6-1 7-6(7-5)
Elena Vesnina def. (Q) Alexandra Dulgheru 6-4 6-2
(Q) Stefanie Voegele def. Kirsten Flipkens 6-2 6-2
(Q) Urszula Radwanska def. CoCo Vandeweghe 6-4 6-7(2-7) 6-3
(Q) Pauline Parmentier def. Kiki Bertens 4-6 6-2 6-3
Christina McHale def. (WC) Sorana Cirstea 7-5 6-4
Annika Beck def. Zhang Shuai 6-4 4-6 6-4
(WC) Daria Gavrilova def. (Q) Marina Erakovic 5-1, retired
Content via Bob Larson Tennis News service.
Topics: Alison Van Uytvanck, Azarenka, Miami Open tennis, Tennis, Wta