The return of the Armchair Slammer – but this time en France! So I guess that would make it… La Slammeuse de Fauteil!!!
Previously hosted and posted on www.tennis-update.com, this is a round up of the Women’s Singles Draw at the French Open!
Round 1: Day 1
Stosur started very comfortably, as did Jankovic and her doubles partner Pavlyuchenkova. Julia Goerges also started well, backing up her recent successes on Clay.
Peer (seeded 19th) went out in R1, but the ever colourful Bethanie Mattek-Sands (the top seeded American in the absence of Les Soeurs Williams had a bit of a battle to get through to the next round.
It was at the end of the first day that the biggest upset came about; Flavia Pennetta was taken out by Lepchenko in a tense match where nothing seemed to go right for the Australian Open 2011 Women’s Doubles champion.
Day 2:
World #1 and recent clay court title winner (Brussels), Caroline Wozniacki opened her account with little trouble against (and I mean absolutely no disrespect here) tour veteran Date Krumm, for the loss of only two games.
Kvitova and Agnieszka Radwanska also advanced with little issue.
Today’s biggest casualty, seedwise, was Nadia Petrova, who’s campaign came to an end at the hands of her Doubles partner Rodionova! It doesn’t seem to have affected their partnership as they are progressing through the Women’s Doubles draw, and she also is also still in the Mixed, with Jamie Murray.
Other successes were Vera Zvonareva, Daniela Hantuchova and Sania Mirza
Day 3… and the last few R1 matches to go saw Maria Sharapova put paid to her own comment of feeling like a “cow on ice” by storming through her first round match in straight sets, with much improved movement and confidence on the slippy dirt.
Kim Clijsters came into the French Open with little match practice after a dancing accident at a family wedding (yes, really) but had a pretty comfortable straight sets win.
No issues either for Azarenka, Na Li and Wickmayer. Perhaps one of the most poignant wins was that of Jarmila Gajdasova over Virginie Razzano who recently lost her coach and fiancé to a brain tumour. This was always going to be a very emotional situation for both players
The upsets for today were American Vania King defeating Cibulkova in a tight three-setter, and former French Open Champion Ana Ivanovic, who fell to Johanna Larsson after a long run of injuries has hampered her progress.
Day 4 – Round 2
No dramas for defending Champion Schiavone, last year’s runner-up Stosur, former champion Kuznetsova , and former #1 Jankovic in the round 2 stakes. Slightly tougher match though for Vera Zvonareva who battled against an eventually cramped and injured Sabine Lisicki, who had to be taken off on a stretcher.
Current #1 Wozniacki also was tested (against almost namesake Wozniack) and took a couple of hours to book her place in the third round.
Also through in a tough match was Marion Bartoli, keeping French hopes flying.
Day 5 – Round 2
The big news of the day was the victory of Dutch unseeded Arantxa Rus taking out Kim Clijsters as both players had to contend with cold and blustery conditions out on court.
Maria Sharapova also found herself tested in three sets today, before delivering her opponent a bagel in the third set to secure her place in the third round.
Azarenka lost just one game in the last match on Lenglen court, defeating France’s Pauline Parmentier in the gloom and cold of the evening
Not a great day for the Brits with Vania King and Kaia Kanepi taking out Elena Baltacha and Heathe Watson out respectively.
Day 6 – Round 3
I was there for two of the biggest upsets of the day!
Firstly, Sam Stosur, who seemed very much out of sorts and focus, as Gisela Dulko out-manoeuvred her to oust last year’s runner up.
I sensed that this might be the prelude to an even bigger upset, and I wasn’t wrong as an extremely focussed Daniela Hantuchova executed the perfect game plan against Caroline Wozniacki.
Marion Bartoli had herself a tough challenge to confront, and ultimately conquer an in-form Julia Goerges.
Jankovic sent Bethanie Mattek-Sands packing, and her doubles partner Pavlyuchenkova set herself up for a fourth round matchup against Zvonareva.
Defending champion Schiavone advanced after Peng had to retire in the second set.
Svetlana Kuznetsova also progressed comfortably.
Day 7 – Round 3
Easy progressions for Sharapova, Azarenka, A Radwanska and Na Li – all through in straight sets.
Less easily, Andrea Petkovic ended Jarmila Gajdasova’s run on the clay, and Maria Kirilenko defeated Rus.
Day 8 – Round 4
Getting towards the business end of the tournament, and Pavlyuchenkova (a name that seemed to cause Greg Rusedski all kinds of issues in pronoounciation) put out Vera Zvonareva .
Dulko had to retire against Marion Bartoli, and Schiavone faced a stern test from Jankovic, and finally prevailed in the decider. In another great match, Kuznetsova came through against Hantuchova in a tight three-setter
The top three seeds on the women’s side out, the stage is set for a pretty wide open path to the title.
No comments:
Post a Comment