Birmingham
Singles – Second Round: (1) Kirsten Flipkens def. Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6 6-4 7-5
Only on grass could this match have gone so quickly. It still ended very late — the effects of a lot of rain during the day. And it doesn’t make any difference — Kirsten Flipkens needs a final to rise above her current #20.
Singles – Second Round: Marina Erakovic def. (2) Ekaterina Makarova 7-6(8-6) 3-6 6-0
This was another late match, with rain making a mess of things — not good for Ekaterina Makarova, who was playing the Roland Garros doubles final on Sunday. Twice not good, in fact, because she likes grass a lot, and was defending semifinalist points; she will fall to no better than #25.
Singles – Second Round: (3) Sorana Cirstea def. Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4 6-4
Not even Tsvetana Pironkova’s love for grass could overcome her hatred of second rounds, it would seem. She remains below #60.
Singles – Second Round: (5) Sabine Lisicki def. Kristyna Pliskova 6-4 6-2
Not a particularly noteworthy win for Sabine Lisicki by itself, but she is the only seed left in her quarter. She should hit the Top 25 with points to spare.
Singles – Second Round: Daniela Hantuchova def. (7) Laura Robson 6-3 6-4
Daniela Hantuchova just barely missed seeding, and she likes grass, so maybe this isn’t a huge upset — but it means no Wimbledon seed for Laura Robson.
Singles – Second Round: Mirjana Lucic-Baroni def. (9) Yanina Wickmayer 6-4 6-0
For once it looks as if we truly saw the former Wimbledon semifinalist in Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Unfortunately for Yanina Wickmayer, who loses finalist points; she will fall to right around #50.
Singles – Second Round: (12) Kristina Mladenovic def. Johanna Konta 6-4 6-1
Kristina Mladenovic hasn’t moved in the rankings yet, but she seems to be liking this grass stuff. A Wimbledon seed is still possible, although it will require several more wins.
Singles – Second Round: (13) Bojana Jovanovski def. Andrea Hlavackova 4-6 6-1 6-4
This isn’t enough points to count for Bojana Jovanovski, but if she wins her next match, it will clinch her Top Forty ranking.
Singles – Second Round: Alla Kudryavtseva def. (14) Heather Watson 6-4 6-3
At least it was a decent start at a comeback for Heather Watson, but she will remain below #50.
Singles – Second Round: (15) Francesca Schiavone def. Nadiya Kichenok 7-6(7-5) 6-2
Between rain and the grass court, this was quite a struggle for Francesca Schiavone, but she is now only about 80 points from a return to the Top Forty.
Singles – Second Round: (16) Magdalena Rybarikova def. Mathilde Johansson 7-5 6-7(4-7) 6-4
No points yet for Magdalena Rybarikova, but her Top Fifty spot is safe.
Singles – Second Round: Maria Sanchez def. Alison Van Uytvanck 7-6(7-3) 6-3
Maria Sanchez should rise to around #115. Alison van Uytvanck remains in the #200 range.
Nurnberg
Singles – First Round: (1/WC) Jelena Jankovic def. Arantxa Rus 6-4 6-2
At least they managed to finish the first round. A mere day late, meaning that Jelena Jankovic had another match to play. And still with a pile of points to defend.
Singles – First Round: Polona Hercog def. (2) Klara Zakopalova 6-3 4-6 6-1
Klara Zakopalova has been in a slump, and it has been costing her. She wasn’t defending anything this week, but this means she will remain no better than #33 — meaning that she will need a withdrawal to earn a Wimbledon seed.
Singles – First Round: (7) Simona Halep def. Grace Min 6-0 7-5
Grace Min will be in the #175 range.
Singles – First Round: Estrella Cabeza Candela def. Tereza Martincova 6-2 6-3
A nice draw for Estrella Cabeza Candela, but it doesn’t change the fact that she had another match to play, against stronger opposition.
Singles – Second Round: (1/WC) Jelena Jankovic def. Johanna Larsson 6-2 6-0
The points are trivial, but the fact that Jelena Jankovic could motor through two matches in one day in this way really does seem to be evidence that she is back in form.
Singles – Second Round: Galina Voskoboeva def. (3) Alize Cornet 2-6 6-3 6-3
These are the matches Alize Cornet really has to win consistently if she wants to stay a top player rather than fading in and out… she was defending the Bad Gastein title, so she will fall to around #30. Her Wimbledon seed looks pretty safe, but it will be a low seed.
Singles – Second Round: Andrea Petkovic def. (4) Julia Goerges 6-1 7-5
With a good Challenger title last week, and now this, it really does seem as if Andrea Petkovic is finally back. She leaves Julia Goerges no better than #35, which surely mean no Wimbledon seed.
Singles – Second Round: (5) Lucie Safarova def. Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-4 6-2
One more win would all but assure Lucie Safarova’s Top Thirty spot. And she’s in the part of the draw vacated by Zakopalova.
Singles – Second Round: (6) Lourdes Dominguez Lino def. Mandy Minella 6-1 6-4
Lourdes Dominguez Lino is defending substantial points, so she still needs at least one more win to stay Top Fifty.
Singles – Second Round: (7) Simona Halep def. Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2 6-1
Simona Halep is now just below #55, and both her matches were fairly quick, so she shouldn’t be too tired.
Singles – Second Round: (8) Annika Beck def. Karin Knapp 6-4 6-2
The ninth game of the first set of this alone seemed almost as long as some sets. Fifteen minutes? We lost track…. But once Annika Beck finally broke, she took charge. Two more wins would likely make her Top Fifty.
Singles – Second Round: Polona Hercog def. Julia Cohen 6-3 6-3
An interesting opportunity for Polona Hercog, given that she is in the place of the #2 seed. She just made it back into the Top Hundred, and another win would truly cement her spot. But she spent a long, long time on the court — her first match lasted an hour and three quarters, and this one, despite lasting only two sets, was a few minutes longer still.
Doubles – First Round: (1) Groenefeld/Peschke def. Beygelzimer/Bratchikova 6-1 6-2
Doubles – First Round: Krunic/Piter def. (2) Goerges/Minella 6-1 6-2
This makes us wonder, more than a little, if Julia Goerges is fit. But we haven’t heard of any problems.
Doubles – First Round: (3) Panova/Thorpe def. Pegula/Plipuech 6-3 6-3
Doubles – First Round: Olaru/Solovyeva def. (4) Birnerova/Buryachok 6-2 6-2
Doubles – First Round: Barrois/Friedsam def. L Kichenok/Linette 7-5 6-2
Doubles – First Round: Duque-Marino/Pereira def. Craybas/Savchuk 6-0 4-6 10-8
Doubles – First Round: Klemenschits/Klepac def. Muhammed/Will 6-2 7-6(7-4)
RANKINGS
Estimated WTA Rankings As of June 12, 2013
Rank &
Prior
Rank….Name…………..Points
1..(1) SWilliams ……… 13615
2..(2) Azarenka ………..9625
3..(3) Sharapova ……… 9415
4..(4) ARadwanska ………6465
5..(5) Errani ………….5335
6..(6) Li ……………..5155
7..(7) Kerber ………….4915
8..(8) Kvitova ……….. 4435
9..(9) Wozniacki ……… 3565
10.(10) Kirilenko ……… 3436
11.(11) Vinci …………. 3060
12.(12) Ivanovic ………..2920
13.(13) Petrova ……….. 2910
14.(14) Stosur ………….2905
15.(15) Bartoli ……….. 2905
16.(16) JANKOVIC ………..2770*
17.(17) Stephens ………..2530
18.(18) Cibulkova ……… 2140
19.(19) Suarez Navarro …..2095
20.(20) FLIPKENS ………..1978*
21.(21) Pavlyuchenkova …..1950
22.(24) CIRSTEA ……….. 1750*
23.(26) LISICKI ……….. 1710*
24.(25) Peng ……………1685
25.(22) MAKAROVA ………..1682
26.(27) Kuznetsova ………1662
27.(28) Lepchenko ……… 1566
28.(29) PASZEK ………….1552
29.(23) CORNET ………….1545
30.(30) SAFAROVA ………..1500*
DRAWS
Birmingham — Week of May 10
………………3R
1 Flipkens……..(1)Flipkens
16 Rybarikova…..(16)Rybarikova
10 Hsieh……….Keys
6 Barthel………(6)Barthel
3 Cirstea………(3)Cirstea
13 Jovanovski…..(13)Jovanovski
11 Morita………Sanchez(Q)
8 U. Radwanska….Vekic
5 Lisicki………(5)Lisicki
9 Wickmayer…….Lucic-Baroni
14 Watson………Kudryavtseva
4 Paszek……….Riske(Q)
7 Robson……….Hantuchova
12 Mladenovic…..(12)Mladenovic
15 Schiavone……(15)Schiavone
2 Makarova……..Erakovic
STATUS OF SEEDS
1 Flipkens
2 Makarova……..lost 2R (Erakovic)
3 Cirstea
4 Paszek……….lost 2R (Riske)
5 Lisicki
6 Barthel
7 Robson……….lost 2R (Hantuchova)
8 U. Radwanska….lost 2R (Vekic)
9 Wickmayer…….lost 2R (Lucic-Baroni)
10 Hsieh……….lost 1R (Hampton)
11 Morita………lost 1R (Van Uytvanck)
12 Mladenovic
13 Jovanovski
14 Watson………lost 2R (Kudryatvseva)
15 Schiavone
16 Rybarikova
Nurnberg — Week of May 10
………………….QF
1 Jankovic (WC)…….(1)Jankovic
6 Dominguez Lino……(6)Dominguez Lino
4 Goerges………….Petkovic
8 Beck…………….(8)Beck
7 Halep……………(7)Halep
3 Cornet…………..Voskoboeva
5 Safarova…………(5)Safarova
2 Zakopalova……….Hercog
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Jankovic (WC)
2 Zakopalova………..lost 1R (Hercog)
3 Cornet……………lost 2R (Voskoboeva)
4 Goerges…………..lost 2R (Petkovic)
5 Safarova
6 Dominguez Lino
7 Halep
8 Beck
WEDNESDAY
Birmingham
Singles – Second Round
(1) Kirsten Flipkens def. Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6 6-4 7-5
Marina Erakovic def. (2) Ekaterina Makarova 7-6(8-6) 3-6 6-0
(3) Sorana Cirstea def. Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4 6-4
(5) Sabine Lisicki def. Kristyna Pliskova 6-4 6-2
Daniela Hantuchova def. (7) Laura Robson 6-3 6-4
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni def. (9) Yanina Wickmayer 6-4 6-0
(12) Kristina Mladenovic def. Johanna Konta 6-4 6-1
(13) Bojana Jovanovski def. Andrea Hlavackova 4-6 6-1 6-4
Alla Kudryavtseva def. (14) Heather Watson 6-4 6-3
(15) Francesca Schiavone def. Nadiya Kichenok 7-6(7-5) 6-2
(16) Magdalena Rybarikova def. Mathilde Johansson 7-5 6-7(4-7) 6-4
Maria Sanchez def. Alison Van Uytvanck 7-6(7-3) 6-3
Nurnberg
Singles – First Round
(1/WC) Jelena Jankovic def. Arantxa Rus 6-4 6-2
Polona Hercog def. (2) Klara Zakopalova 6-3 4-6 6-1
(7) Simona Halep def. Grace Min 6-0 7-5
Estrella Cabeza Candela def. Tereza Martincova 6-2 6-3
Singles – Second Round
(1/WC) Jelena Jankovic def. Johanna Larsson 6-2 6-0
Galina Voskoboeva def. (3) Alize Cornet 2-6 6-3 6-3
Andrea Petkovic def. (4) Julia Goerges 6-1 7-5
(5) Lucie Safarova def. Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-4 6-2
(6) Lourdes Dominguez Lino def. Mandy Minella 6-1 6-4
(7) Simona Halep def. Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2 6-1
(8) Annika Beck def. Karin Knapp 6-4 6-2
Polona Hercog def. Julia Cohen 6-3 6-3
Doubles – First Round
(1) Groenefeld/Peschke def. Beygelzimer/Bratchikova 6-1 6-2
Krunic/Piter def. (2) Goerges/Minella 6-1 6-2
(3) Panova/Thorpe def. Pegula/Plipuech 6-3 6-3
Olaru/Solovyeva def. (4) Birnerova/Buryachok 6-2 6-2
Barrois/Friedsam def. L Kichenok/Linette 7-5 6-2
Duque-Marino/Pereira def. Craybas/Savchuk 6-0 4-6 10-8
Klemenschits/Klepac def. Muhammed/Will 6-2 7-6(7-4)