Global Chick’s Weekly Watch – I’m singing in the rain…
There is just one week to go before strawberries become a rarity in British supermarkets, Pimms recipes result in warring neighbours and yet once more, we wonder why Wimbledon insists on calling a posh-end hot-dog a ‘Dutchee’?
We saw the big hitters of both tours come out for final flourishes before many of them head to SW19 to prepare, but there are a few hardy souls who are heading out to the boonies (and we mean it, literally opposite ends of the country) for the last bash about on the grass.
ATP Nottingham
David Ferrer graces the lawns of Nottingham, no doubt intent on dodging bows and arrows from the sheriff getting into it with Robin Hood. He has had a few decent canters on the lawns of SW19 to the quarter-finals a couple of years, and he should romp around Nottingham as he brings the event some Top 10 prestige.
In the second quarter lies Viktor Troicki, who had a great run to the semi-finals of Queen’s despite a worrying elbow injury during his rain interrupted match with Andy Murray, Although he is the sixth seed, he has the solitary win over his likely quarter-final opponent of Leonardo Mayer and he would be our pick for a possible semi-finalist here against the Spaniard.
Second seed Gilles Simon is also coming off a decent outing at Queen’s and could well face the big-serving Sam Querrey who despite being a former Queen’s champion, found himself bundled out in the first round this year thanks to defending champion Grigor Dimitrov.
Meanwhile in the middle of the pack, Dominic Thiem will looks to remedy a pretty shocking record on grass as seventh seed, but potentially waiting for him is Halle finalist Andreas Seppi. Although he is seeded 15th, he looks to be our most likely advancer.
WTA Eastbourne
This was shaping up to be quite the run-in to Wimbledon, and it could still be, but on Monday top seed and indeed Wimbledon defending champion Petra Kvitova snuffled her way through press, having fallen ill. She decided to withdraw, and a good job too as during her press conference the rain came thundering down.
In her place comes a fantastic chance for Daria Gavrilova to step in and rise to the top of a quarter of the WTA Rising Stars. Actually this makes for an exciting little part of the draw. While we were all asking Kvitova who she thought the favourites (apart from herself of course, and Serena Williams) were, some of the most exciting talents of the chasing pack will be battling it out up there.
In the middle of the pack we have players that should figure prominently but have had a flakey run of form, to say the least. Agnieszka Radwanska has everything in her arsenal to rule on grass, but having fallen outside the Top 10 in what seems like an eternity, she fins herself in a quarter with Wimbledon semi-finalist and Roland Garros runner up Lucie Safarova as well as defeated Birmingham finalist Karolina Pliskova.
Meanwhile we don’t mean to be the harbinger of doom where Genie Bouchard is concerned, and for a fraction of a second we thought she was turning a corner after a fight-back in her opener, before who knows what happened in the final set to be bagelled by Kristina Mladnenovic. If she makes it that far, she could come up against defending champion Madison Keys who in all probability will just belt her off the court.
The bottom of the draw could pitch fed Cup pals and Birmingham champion Angelique Kerber against the always delightful Andrea Petkovic. But we’re expecting some big things from Caroline Wozniacki – she loves the grass and it is a surface that is pretty fond of her.
Meanwhile we’ll be back for an in depth look at the draws and those endless discussions about the grass seedings. I always mishear that as grass seedlings and think it’s to do with my lawn. Never mind.
Topics: Atp World Tour, Eastbourne, global chick, Nottingham, Tennis News, Wta
GLOBAL CHICK’S WEEKLY WATCH – I’M SINGING IN THE RAIN…- http://t.co/Ro1V6EWKVN #tennis #Nottingham #Eastbourne #WimbledonAwaits #SW19