* Halep shocked by Cornet in Madrid
* Bouchard also out — is that a surprise?
* Azarenka wins battle of former #1s over Venus WILLIAMS
* Stosur ends Kerber’s clay streak
* Sharapova routs Bacsinszky to start quest for return to #2
* Pliskova, Svitolina earn sixth straight wins
Madrid
Singles – First Round: (1) Serena Williams def. Madison Brengle 6-0 6-1
Some things are just inherently unfair. This perhaps qualifies — if you’re going to have any chance at all against Serena Williams, you need a way to hurt her, and although Madison Brengle plays good defense, she doesn’t do offense. Hence this score. The WTA hasn’t released the new week’s rankings, so we can’t give you a real rankings estimate, but we know that Brengle will remain below the Top Thirty. And, of course, that Serena will stay at #1.
Singles – First Round: Alize Cornet def. (2) Simona Halep 7-6(8-6) 6-3
Simona Halep just wasn’t right. That was obvious. But it was a very bad time for her to be off. First, because this is a mandatory event, and second, because she was defending finalist points. That means she has no chance at all of taking the #1 spot in the WTA Race, and there is just a chance she will fall to #2 in the rankings:
Singles – First Round: (3) Maria Sharapova def. Timea Bacsinszky 6-2 6-3
After a lousy event at Stuttgart, it’s clear Maria Sharapova has rediscovered her clay game. Extra practice time obviously helped. With Simona Halep out so early, Sharapova can regain the #2 ranking by making the final here. She leaves Timea Bacsinszky still below the Top Twenty.
Singles – First Round: (4) Petra Kvitova def. (Q) Olga Govortsova 3-6 6-1 6-4
More evidence, as if it were needed, of just how up and down Petra Kvitova can be. The good news is, she’s safe at #4…
Singles – First Round: (5) Caroline Wozniacki def. Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3 6-0
…although it appears Caroline Wozniacki can move to within 10 points of the #4 ranking with a title here. (We reiterate that that’s a less-than-usually-accurate estimate, since we’re estimating two weeks from the last ranking list, not just one.) And Wozniacki seems much more confident on clay than in the past. On the other hand, she hasn’t won a big title in a very long time!
Singles – First Round: Barbora Strycova def. (6) Eugenie Bouchard 0-6 6-3 6-3
So what else is new? Eugenie Bouchard doesn’t lose any points, so odds are that she’ll stay at #6; Ana Ivanovic needs a semifinal to pass her. But of course Bouchard won’t rise. Barbora Strycova has a shot at the Top Twenty this week, but she isn’t there yet.
Singles – First Round: (10) Carla Suarez Navarro def. Zarina Diyas 6-4 6-4
Carla Suarez Navarro still needs one more win just to defend her points, but her chances of staying Top Ten look pretty good.
Singles – First Round: (11) Andrea Petkovic def. Flavia Pennetta 6-3 7-5
And Andrea Petkovic also looks like she’ll probably be in the Top Ten. She and Suarez Navarro are for practical purposes tied for #9/#10; whichever lasts longer is all but sure to be Top Ten, with ties to Petkovic. Flavia Pennetta will remain below the Top 25.
Singles – First Round: Samantha Stosur def. (12) Angelique Kerber 4-6 6-3 6-3
Talk about a turnaround. Angelique Kerber was undefeated on clay in 2015; Samantha Stosur has been doing nothing lately. Maybe Kerber was tired…. But that means she has no chance of returning to the Top Ten; the competitors for the last two Top Ten spots, in addition to Suarez Navarro and Petkovic, are Karolina Pliskova and Agnieszka Radwanska.
Singles – First Round: (14) Karolina Pliskova def. (WC) Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1 6-2
Funny that Karolina Pliskova had an easier match at this strong tournament than she did last week in the much weaker event in Prague. It really does seem as if she was nervous when she was playing at home. She has a long way to go to reach the Top Ten — it would take at least a semifinal — but after this, it’s looking possible again.
Singles – First Round: (15) Sara Errani def. (Q) Paula Badosa Gibert 3-0, retired
Not exactly a dramatic match, but it does all but guarantee Sara Errani’s Top Fifteen ranking, because of the following:
Singles – First Round: Victoria Azarenka def. (16) Venus Williams 6-3 7-5
There isn’t much question that Venus Williams is more comfortable on clay than Victoria Azarenka, but these days, Venus is much more up-and-down. And, perhaps, she was thinking about the potential third round meeting with Serena. This loss ends her hopes of making the Top Fifteen, although with Madison Keys also out, there is almost no chance that Venus will fall below #16.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Christina McHale def. Mona Barthel 6-3 6-2
Christina McHale is doing surprisingly well on clay this year. Let’s hope that’s an omen for other surfaces.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Julia Goerges def. (Q) Marina Erakovic 6-1 0-6 6-4
No surprise on clay — the surprise is that Marina Erakovic even made it through qualifying.
Singles – First Round: (Q) Mariana Duque-Marino def. Heather Watson 0-6 6-3 7-6(13-11)
Not much to say except “only on clay.”
Singles – First Round: Ajla Tomljanovic def. Belinda Bencic 6-4 6-3
This appears to mean no Top Thirty ranking for Belinda Bencic.
Singles – First Round: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Peng Shuai 6-1 6-2
The good news is, Peng Shuai managed to return to action. The bad news is, of course, the score. She won’t rise above her current #24; she may fall.
Singles – First Round: Caroline Garcia def. (Q) Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-4 6-4
Caroline Garcia is defending quarterfinalist points, so she will probably need more than this to stay Top Thirty. But it’s a good start.
Singles – First Round: CoCo Vandeweghe def. Sabine Lisicki 7-6(7-3) 3-6 7-5
An impressive result for CoCo Vandeweghe on clay; she drops Sabine Lisicki out of the Top Twenty.
Singles – First Round: Elina Svitolina def. Daniela Hantuchova 6-0 6-3
Six straight wins for Elina Svitolina, who now looks almost certain to hit the Top Twenty.
Singles – First Round: Garbine Muguruza def. (WC) Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-1 6-1
This appears to keep Garbine Muguruza in the Top Twenty in safe points, although she needs more to clinch. Our best estimate — and we repeat, again, that this is not certain — is that the Top 25 looks like this:
1..(1) SWILLIAMS ……… 9831*
2..(2) HALEP …………. 7115
3..(3) SHARAPOVA ……… 6590*
4..(4) KVITOVA ……….. 5735*
5..(5) WOZNIACKI ……… 5725*
6..(6) BOUCHARD ………..4122
7..(7) IVANOVIC ………..3850*
8..(8) MAKAROVA ………..3465
9.(11) PETKOVIC ………..3315*
10.(10) SUAREZ NAVARRO …..3280*
11.(12) KERBER ………….3230
12.(13) KAPLISKOVA ………3085*
13..(9) ARADWANSKA ………3020*
14.(14) SAFAROVA ………..2840*
15.(15) ERRANI ………….2665*
16.(16) VWILLIAMS ……… 2601
17.(17) KEYS ……………2325
18.(21) SVITOLINA ……… 2095*
19.(18) Jankovic ………..2075
20.(20) MUGURUZA ………..2075*
21.(19) LISICKI ……….. 2017
22.(22) BACSINSZKY ………1981
23.(23) STRYCOVA ………..1940*
24.(24) PENG ……………1871
25.(24) STOSUR ………….1780*
Singles – First Round: Roberta Vinci def. Monica Puig 2-6 7-6(8-6) 6-4
Roberta Vinci needs all the points she can get these days, so this has to feel very good.
Singles – First Round: Tsvetana Pironkova def. Camila Giorgi 6-1 6-1
Quite a surprise on this surface, and a real blow to Camila Giorgi’s Roland Garros seeding hopes.
Singles – First Round: Varvara Lepchenko def. (Q) Andreea Mitu 7-6(7-3) 6-4
Varvara Lepchenko hasn’t had a lot of matches lately, and clay isn’t her best surface anyway, but she’s so much better than her opponent that it didn’t matter. This will keep her around #30.
Rankings
Estimated WTA Rankings As of May 3, 2015
Rank &
Prior
Rank …Name …………. Points
1..(1) SWilliams ……… 9981
2..(2) Halep …………. 7755
3..(3) Sharapova ……… 7525
4..(4) Kvitova ……….. 6060
5..(5) Wozniacki ……… 4510
6..(6) Bouchard ………..4063
7..(7) Ivanovic ………..4000
8..(8) Makarova ………..3465
9..(9) ARadwanska ………3345
10.(11) Petkovic ………..3260
11.(12) Kerber ………….3230
12.(10) Suarez Navarro …..3155
13.(14) KAPLISKOVA ………3050*
14.(13) SAFAROVA ………..2895
15.(15) Errani ………….2720
16.(16) VWilliams ……… 2591
17.(17) Keys ……………2325
18.(18) Jankovic ………..2140
19.(19) Lisicki ……….. 2127
20.(20) MUGURUZA ………..2075
21.(25) SVITOLINA ……… 2040*
22.(21) BACSINSZKY ………1953
23.(22) STRYCOVA ………..1945
24.(23) Peng ……………1926
25.(24) Stosur ………….1835
26.(26) PENNETTA ………..1835
27.(28) CORNET ………….1650
28.(29) Garcia ………….1605
29.(27) KUZNETSOVA ………1592
30.(30) Lepchenko ……… 1430
Draws
Madrid — Week of May 4
1 S Williams
16 V Williams
10 Suarez Navarro
7 Ivanovic
4 Kvitova
15 Errani
11 Petkovic
6 Bouchard
5 Woznaicki
9 A Radwanska
14 Ka Pliskova
3 Sharapova
8 Makarova
12 Kerber
13 Safarova
2 Halep
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 S Williams
2 Halep………..lost 1R (Cornet)
3 Sharapova
4 Kvitova
5 Woznaicki
6 Bouchard………lost 1R (Strycova)
7 Ivanovic
8 Makarova………lost 1R (Kuznetsova)
9 A Radwanska
10 Suarez Navarro
11 Petkovic
12 Kerber……….lost 1R (Stosur)
13 Safarova
14 Ka Pliskova
15 Errani
16 V Williams……lost 1R (Azarenka)
SUNDAY
MADRID
Singles – First Round
(1) Serena Williams def. Madison Brengle 6-0 6-1
Alize Cornet def. (2) Simona Halep 7-6(8-6) 6-3
(3) Maria Sharapova def. Timea Bacsinszky 6-2 6-3
(4) Petra Kvitova def. (Q) Olga Govortsova 3-6 6-1 6-4
(5) Caroline Wozniacki def. Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3 6-0
Barbora Strycova def. (6) Eugenie Bouchard 0-6 6-3 6-3
(10) Carla Suarez Navarro def. Zarina Diyas 6-4 6-4
(11) Andrea Petkovic def. Flavia Pennetta 6-3 7-5
Samantha Stosur def. (12) Angelique Kerber 4-6 6-3 6-3
(14) Karolina Pliskova def. (WC) Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1 6-2
(15) Sara Errani def. (Q) Paula Badosa Gibert 3-0, retired
Victoria Azarenka def. (16) Venus Williams 6-3 7-5
(Q) Christina McHale def. Mona Barthel 6-3 6-2
(Q) Julia Goerges def. (Q) Marina Erakovic 6-1 0-6 6-4
(Q) Mariana Duque-Marino def. Heather Watson 0-6 6-3 7-6(13-11)
Ajla Tomljanovic def. Belinda Bencic 6-4 6-3
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def. Shuai Peng 6-1 6-2
Caroline Garcia def. (Q) Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-4 6-4
Coco Vandeweghe def. Sabine Lisicki 7-6(7-3) 3-6 7-5
Elina Svitolina def. Daniela Hantuchova 6-0 6-3
Garbine Muguruza def. (WC) Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-1 6-1
Roberta Vinci def. Monica Puig 2-6 7-6(8-6) 6-4
Tsvetana Pironkova def. Camila Giorgi 6-1 6-1
Varvara Lepchenko def. (Q) Andreea Mitu 7-6(7-3) 6-4
CONTENT VIA Bob LARSON TENNIS NEWS SERVICE.
Topics: Madrid, Mutua Madrid Open, Sports, Tennis News, Wta
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