TS
Jan 12th, 2007, 08:25 AM
This is my AO 07 thread. I'll update it with reports and other crap over the next week or so.
The day 1 qualifying report is a little late, considering day 2 is over, but hey, eat me :kiss:
QUALIFYING Day 1
A very hot day, and you could tell a lot of the players were feeling it out there. I saw some great matches, mixed in with some mediocre ones, and some shit ones to boot. After last years absence from the Open it is great to back :D
As usual I start on the eastern courts as it’s close to the entry gate, and then move over to the western side where there are more courts and more matches. I caught most of the matches on offer, swinging from court to court.
Kristina Barrois def Paola Suarez 6-4 6-1
:o
Kristina didn’t have to do much at all, as Paola seemed to have her mind on other matters. Hard to believe I was watching a former top 10 player, as Paola seems to be struggling after her injuries. She played well in Auckland, so to see her bow out easily to Barrois is rather baffling. Crap match.
Timea Bacsinszky def Melanie South 6-3 7-6(4)
Both girls go for their shots and can hit quite hard, but Timea had the consistency today (or yesterday rather). Timea seemed to be the better player, but Mel certainly has a solid game herself. I caught a few games early and Timea looked like she would win rather comfortably, so I’m pleased that Mel managed to make a match out of it in the second.
Marina Erakovic def Simona Matei 7-5 6-1
Unfortunately I didn’t see any of the actual match, as when I got there Marina was having her blisters taped on her foot. As interesting as that may be for some, I decided to head over west and watch some matches. I did see Marina play her second round match though, so a report on that will follow (later).
Yaroslava Shvedova def WC-Lauren Breadmore 6-4 6-7(5) 7-5
Well, a trip to the Open wouldn’t be complete without a 3 and a half hour Lauren Breadmore match. I saw bits and pieces of this match as it went on (and on). Lauren had a match point serving for it at 5-4 in the 3rd, but fucked up and Yari was too strong in the end. Lauren has a lot more bite on her groundies now, and her serve is much better too, but she tightened up at the end and as usual let her emotions get the better of her. This would have been great for her confidence, but it wasn’t meant to be. Yari is a powerful girl, who dictated a lot of the points, but she was matched off the ground by Lauren in a lot of their exchanges today (er, yesterday). She played the bigger points better than Lauren, and I’m sure she breathed a sigh of relief once it was all over. One of the best matches of the day.
WC-Marija Mirkovic def Natalie Grandin 6-1 7-5
Great performance from 16 year old Marija. She is a fairly tall girl for her age, and has a nice solid back court game. She took advantage of an out of sorts and overweight Natalie, who still hasn’t done much to improve her conditioning. Natalie has a pleasant enough game full of deft touch and slices, but she was all over the place in this match and didn’t deserve to win. Marija almost let that second set slip away but she composed herself to record a career best win.
Yvonne Meusburger def WC-Isabella Holland 6-3 6-1
Yvonne was far too solid and experienced for 14 (!) year old Isabella. Isabella has a decent game for one so young, and I certainly see a promising talent. She has a very good serve for her age, and hits some decent groundies (particularly the forehand), and I’m sure she could match it with a player like Yvonne in a few years time.
Neha Uberoi def Viktoriya Kutuzova 7-5 6-3
Vika, to me, is a decent enough young player, but certainly is ranked at around at the right position at the moment. Not as good as most people make out, but she can certainly improve and will end up with a better career than Neha anyway. Neha is a good little player, very tenacious, and hits very hard at times. She has a lot more intensity than her big sister, and it seems that every point is do or die for her. Chill! Still, she is pleasant to watch and I was happy to see her win this.
Alize Cornet def Kateryna Bondarenko 6-4 1-6 6-4
What a shame top seed Katya had to draw the young French kid in the first round. Alize is a little cutie pie, with a very impressive game. Hits quite hard for somebody that looks like she’d be right at home working in a clothing shop for teenage girls, and she’s a quick thinker out there on the court. Katya herself is a big hitter, but just didn’t have the answers for the youngen. Big sister Alona was watching and cheering her on, but to no avail. I like Alize and predict some big things for her. A top quality match.
Ekaterina Ivanova def Jessica Kirkland 6-4 6-2
Well Jessica’s career is certainly going backwards. I will be shocked if she ever cracks the top 100. Katya has quite an impressive game and was too powerful for Jess. A good Slam debut for Katya.
Tamira Paszek def WC-Trudi Musgrave 7-5 6-1
Good effort from Trudi, but the result of this match was known the minute the draw was made. Tamira has a big future ahead, and is already a WTA tournament winner. She still has a lot of work ahead of her, but these are the types of matches she should win and she knows that. Trudi played well to claw her way back from a 1-4 deficit in the first set, and could’ve actually won that set. At 29, I can’t see Trudi get many more opportunities to play here. Tamira on the other hand, should easily be main draw on her own merit in 12 months time.
Ivana Lisjak def WC-Alison Bai 6-1 6-3
Ivana is VERY impressive. Hits the ball flat and HARD. I am shocked to see her in qualies as she looks like a main draw player. She was just a class above 16 year old Alison, and never looked like losing. Alison is a small player, but she is tenacious and has some solid groundies. I don’t expect much from her, but she has a nice enough game and she put in a good effort on debut. Certainly not disgraced. Memo to Ivana: don’t wear that revealing outfit next time. Kthnx.
Agnes Szavay def Joanna Sakowicz 6-4 4-6 8-6
Wow! This was another one of the best matches of the day. Great hitting from both girls, as they both hit hard and deep. Joanna certainly looked like she was the more comfortable in this match as it progressed, that is until she choked on a bag full of match points in the final set. Up 5-2, she wasted about 3 of them I think, and then lost a couple more as the match progressed. In her defence, Agnes won a lot of those MP’s with gutsy play, but Joanna was getting quite distressed and down on herself as play continued. Agnes is a little cutie and I think will easily reach top 100, but will struggle to break top 50, imo. The Radwanska sisters were courtside in the final set, as was Marta Domachowska (well I think it was her).
Su-Wei Hsieh def Shikha Uberoi 4-6 6-3 6-3
Shikha :rolleyes: Certainly lost the plot after the first set, and looked like she didn’t give a shit from then on. A player with lots of potential, but to me, it doesn’t look like she takes the game that seriously. This is in sharp contrast to her sister who looks very focused out on the court. I’m a big fan of the Uberoi sisters, and they belt the hell out of the ball, but don’t seem to know what to do with it. Su-Wei wasn’t overly impressive and probably would’ve lost to anyone else she played (as proven by her thrashing in the next round). In Su-Wei’s defence, she had some tape on her left shoulder, which she removed mid match. She (Su-Wei) was hitting with half as much power as I’m used to seeing from her, so I’m guessing the shoulder is to blame for that. Interesting in that Shikha’s father left with Neha after Neha’s match, but never returned to watch his other daughter. Neha didn’t bother coming back to watch either. A family feud perhaps? LOL.
Tatiana Poutchek def WC-Shayna McDowell 6-3 6-0
To Shayna: please play some more tennis, use your obvious talent for good instead of evil, and only accept wildcards if you know you’re match tough. Ta.
To Tatiana: please stop being such a sour faced cow. Ta.
Anne Keothavong def Junri Namigata 6-4 6-4
Routine win for Anne, who can hit some nice, penetrating groundstrokes when she wants to (and then fuck up later). She was a class above Junri, who I think was just happy to be there.
Alla Kudryavtseva def Dominika Cibulkova 6-4 5-7 9-7
Domi :sad: :sad: :sad:
Look, let’s be honest. I didn’t know much about Dominika Cibulkova before this match, but I’m a convert now and will now be following her promising career. This girl hits hard and flat, and to be honest, I thought she was the better player and should’ve won. Alla is a big (tall) girl, who reminds me of an inferior Svetlana Kuznetsova. Alla kept the balls in with some big, deep hitting, and it was usually Domi that threw in the error. Alla was the more composed of the two and handled herself quite beautifully in pressure situations. She is one to watch. This was easily the best match of the day, and a big crowd was there watching by the end of it. Domi proved a big hit with the males watching, as she is simply STUNNING :hearts: The main reason I stopped to watch this match at the beginning was because of her looks, so I guess “lets cheer for the pretty one” rang true in this instant. I think both players will reach the top 100 by years end. Is Domi playing the junior event? :angel:
Andreja Klepac def WC-Alenka Hubacek 6-1 6-4
Alenka wins the award for most interesting outfit of the day. An 80’s frilly skirt may not be the best thing to wear on a tennis court, but it worked well on her. This was another case of the more experienced Klepac just being too good and solid for her 16 year old opponent. Andreja has a nice enough back court game, but a very awkward service motion. Alenka took a while to get into the match, but from what I saw in the second set she played much better and was hitting some hard balls at her opponent, usually resulting in an error. She’ll be better for the experience. If she fails at tennis, I’m sure she could do something in the modeling industry as she’s a very pretty girl ;)
Anda Perianu def Stephanie Dubois 7-5 6-2
Well this just wasn’t Steph’s day :sad: She is clearly a talented and flashy player, but she didn’t bring it in this match. Anda, who is better than I thought, was hitting deep and with a lot of topspin on her shots, and it seemed to put Steph on the back foot each time. Steph is a very fit girl, with one of the better physiques of any of the players on the circuit, and while I think she will struggle to break the top 75, the top 100 is certainly attainable. Anda was the better player on the day and at times hit with a lot more power than I thought she actually had.
Tatiana Perebiynis def Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3 7-6(9)
I didn’t see the TB, but watched some of the second set. Tati took advantage of a raw Akgul, who seems to just bash the ball, and hope that it goes in. Akgul has loads of potential, and with her height and power, all she needs is a coach that can mould her game and she’d be set. Tati played solidly and didn’t make as many errors, and that’s pretty much the telling factor. Each time I’ve seen Tati play in Melbourne she has been beyond shit, so it was good to see her play some better tennis. Iroda Tulyaganova, looking quite splendid, was there supporting Akgul.
Evie Dominikovic def Katerina Bohmova 6-1 7-5
Congrats to Evie on pulling off a stunning comeback in the second set. Down 0-5, she displayed some intensity and won the next 7 games on the trot. No sign of her baby (or her mum or sister) in the stands, so maybe she prefers to not have the kid there. Who knows. Evie is looking rather thin and pale, and a shadow of her former self, so it was great to see her take advantage of an underdone opponent. Katerina has a nice enough lefty game, but she lacks punch.
Monica Niculescu def Carly Gullickson 3-6 6-2 7-5
Monica would have to be the most annoying opponent to have to play. She gets every ball back, and hits a slice forehand on every point which seems to put her opponent off balance. I saw Monica a)hit one topspin forehand which went into the net and b)hit one double handed forehand when on the run :o. I think she will benefit if she learnt how to hit a decent forehand, because she won’t go anywhere slicing forehands on the pro circuit. Carly is clearly the better player in my book, and a big girl (not necessarily fat, just quite solid), and I’m sure is wondering how the hell she lost this. Monica is a gutsy little player though, and full credit to her for fighting on EVERY single point. Carly displayed some wonderful serving and volleying, and I think she could do some damage at Wimbledon if given a good draw. Carly displayed some great sportsmanship, when Monica fell on her arse during one point, Carly instantly asked “are you OK?”. Nice to see.
Evgeniya Rodina def Angela Haynes 6-3 6-0
Maybe it’s just me, but Angie looks like she’s put on a lot of weight since I last saw her two years ago. She seems like she’s lost a lot of her spark and desire also, which is a shame, as she has a decent game. Rodina is a promising young Russian that kept the balls coming back nice and fast, and just waited on the error from Angie. Ahsha Rolle was watching this match, supporting Haynes. Angie wins the award for hair do of the tournament. I will be posting pics at a later date.
Bethanie Mattek def Kathrin Woerle 6-1 6-4
I was looking forward to this match, and it was good to see Beth arrive bouncing around and ready to go. Too good for the German, who doesn’t have any real weapons and is probably ranked the highest she’ll ever get. Beth looks composed, and ready to play this year. She hardly missed any volleys, and it was great to see her serve and volley on occasion. I hope she qualifies, as she is one of my faves in this event. Oh, and she wasn’t wearing any flashy gear for those wondering.
Klara Zakopalova def Maria-Emilia Salerni 6-3 6-2
I don’t know what the hell Klara is doing in qualies, as she is way above this level. The end.
Abigail Spears def Tatjana Malek 7-5 6-4
Abi was just simply too good for Malek. Abi hits with a lot of pace, and has a very nice net game, which is no surprise as she is a handy doubles player. Her infamous slide from the top 100 is baffling, as she clearly belongs there. Tatjana is a good enough player, but doesn’t seem to have a plan B in place when things go wrong.
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro def Hana Sromova 1-6 6-2 6-1
I really couldn’t give a flying crap about this match, but I’m only mentioning it because I noticed Natalie Tauziat in the stands watching. I strongly believe it was her any way. She is looking about 10 years older than her actual age, and has the best mum hairstyle ever. I believe she is Stephanie’s coach? Anyway, I never really liked her so my interest in investigating further evaporated after about a minute.
Katie O’Brien def Yanchong Chen 3-6 6-2 8-7ret
Good effort by Katie to get back in the match, as when I saw a little bit of it in the first, she was getting her arse handed to her on a plate. Chen looked better, stronger and like she was ready to win. Katie has a good game, hits with good depth and occasional power, but has the most irritating moan ever. Chen is a tough nut to crack and rarely misses anything. A shame she had to retire hurt, and as I missed the end of the match I wasn’t surprised to later learn it was due to cramping. This weather will get you :D
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def Margalita Chakhnashvili 7-5 6-4
Some nice short names there.
Was curious to see Nastya P in action. I can’t believe she is only 15, as she has a well developed frame and is quite a tall girl for her age. She hits with nice pace and is very solid from the back of the court – quite impressive. She is clearly as good (or if not better) as the girls at qualifying standard, and it’s a matter of time before she starts entering main draws on her own merit. Has a lot to work on, but I think she has a decent future ahead of her. She didn’t impress me as much as Sharapova or Vaidisova did at the same age (but they’re freaks), but for someone so young to be this good means that we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in future. Margalita, who is very striking with her long and curly dark hair, is also pretty decent and gave a good account of herself. She could’ve beaten anyone else in the draw, so it’s a shame she drew Nastya early.
I’ll put up a day 2 report when I can be arsed :wavey: Also, I’ll eventually be posting some pics as well – not the best quality, but I can only work with what shitty equipment I have ;)
The day 1 qualifying report is a little late, considering day 2 is over, but hey, eat me :kiss:
QUALIFYING Day 1
A very hot day, and you could tell a lot of the players were feeling it out there. I saw some great matches, mixed in with some mediocre ones, and some shit ones to boot. After last years absence from the Open it is great to back :D
As usual I start on the eastern courts as it’s close to the entry gate, and then move over to the western side where there are more courts and more matches. I caught most of the matches on offer, swinging from court to court.
Kristina Barrois def Paola Suarez 6-4 6-1
:o
Kristina didn’t have to do much at all, as Paola seemed to have her mind on other matters. Hard to believe I was watching a former top 10 player, as Paola seems to be struggling after her injuries. She played well in Auckland, so to see her bow out easily to Barrois is rather baffling. Crap match.
Timea Bacsinszky def Melanie South 6-3 7-6(4)
Both girls go for their shots and can hit quite hard, but Timea had the consistency today (or yesterday rather). Timea seemed to be the better player, but Mel certainly has a solid game herself. I caught a few games early and Timea looked like she would win rather comfortably, so I’m pleased that Mel managed to make a match out of it in the second.
Marina Erakovic def Simona Matei 7-5 6-1
Unfortunately I didn’t see any of the actual match, as when I got there Marina was having her blisters taped on her foot. As interesting as that may be for some, I decided to head over west and watch some matches. I did see Marina play her second round match though, so a report on that will follow (later).
Yaroslava Shvedova def WC-Lauren Breadmore 6-4 6-7(5) 7-5
Well, a trip to the Open wouldn’t be complete without a 3 and a half hour Lauren Breadmore match. I saw bits and pieces of this match as it went on (and on). Lauren had a match point serving for it at 5-4 in the 3rd, but fucked up and Yari was too strong in the end. Lauren has a lot more bite on her groundies now, and her serve is much better too, but she tightened up at the end and as usual let her emotions get the better of her. This would have been great for her confidence, but it wasn’t meant to be. Yari is a powerful girl, who dictated a lot of the points, but she was matched off the ground by Lauren in a lot of their exchanges today (er, yesterday). She played the bigger points better than Lauren, and I’m sure she breathed a sigh of relief once it was all over. One of the best matches of the day.
WC-Marija Mirkovic def Natalie Grandin 6-1 7-5
Great performance from 16 year old Marija. She is a fairly tall girl for her age, and has a nice solid back court game. She took advantage of an out of sorts and overweight Natalie, who still hasn’t done much to improve her conditioning. Natalie has a pleasant enough game full of deft touch and slices, but she was all over the place in this match and didn’t deserve to win. Marija almost let that second set slip away but she composed herself to record a career best win.
Yvonne Meusburger def WC-Isabella Holland 6-3 6-1
Yvonne was far too solid and experienced for 14 (!) year old Isabella. Isabella has a decent game for one so young, and I certainly see a promising talent. She has a very good serve for her age, and hits some decent groundies (particularly the forehand), and I’m sure she could match it with a player like Yvonne in a few years time.
Neha Uberoi def Viktoriya Kutuzova 7-5 6-3
Vika, to me, is a decent enough young player, but certainly is ranked at around at the right position at the moment. Not as good as most people make out, but she can certainly improve and will end up with a better career than Neha anyway. Neha is a good little player, very tenacious, and hits very hard at times. She has a lot more intensity than her big sister, and it seems that every point is do or die for her. Chill! Still, she is pleasant to watch and I was happy to see her win this.
Alize Cornet def Kateryna Bondarenko 6-4 1-6 6-4
What a shame top seed Katya had to draw the young French kid in the first round. Alize is a little cutie pie, with a very impressive game. Hits quite hard for somebody that looks like she’d be right at home working in a clothing shop for teenage girls, and she’s a quick thinker out there on the court. Katya herself is a big hitter, but just didn’t have the answers for the youngen. Big sister Alona was watching and cheering her on, but to no avail. I like Alize and predict some big things for her. A top quality match.
Ekaterina Ivanova def Jessica Kirkland 6-4 6-2
Well Jessica’s career is certainly going backwards. I will be shocked if she ever cracks the top 100. Katya has quite an impressive game and was too powerful for Jess. A good Slam debut for Katya.
Tamira Paszek def WC-Trudi Musgrave 7-5 6-1
Good effort from Trudi, but the result of this match was known the minute the draw was made. Tamira has a big future ahead, and is already a WTA tournament winner. She still has a lot of work ahead of her, but these are the types of matches she should win and she knows that. Trudi played well to claw her way back from a 1-4 deficit in the first set, and could’ve actually won that set. At 29, I can’t see Trudi get many more opportunities to play here. Tamira on the other hand, should easily be main draw on her own merit in 12 months time.
Ivana Lisjak def WC-Alison Bai 6-1 6-3
Ivana is VERY impressive. Hits the ball flat and HARD. I am shocked to see her in qualies as she looks like a main draw player. She was just a class above 16 year old Alison, and never looked like losing. Alison is a small player, but she is tenacious and has some solid groundies. I don’t expect much from her, but she has a nice enough game and she put in a good effort on debut. Certainly not disgraced. Memo to Ivana: don’t wear that revealing outfit next time. Kthnx.
Agnes Szavay def Joanna Sakowicz 6-4 4-6 8-6
Wow! This was another one of the best matches of the day. Great hitting from both girls, as they both hit hard and deep. Joanna certainly looked like she was the more comfortable in this match as it progressed, that is until she choked on a bag full of match points in the final set. Up 5-2, she wasted about 3 of them I think, and then lost a couple more as the match progressed. In her defence, Agnes won a lot of those MP’s with gutsy play, but Joanna was getting quite distressed and down on herself as play continued. Agnes is a little cutie and I think will easily reach top 100, but will struggle to break top 50, imo. The Radwanska sisters were courtside in the final set, as was Marta Domachowska (well I think it was her).
Su-Wei Hsieh def Shikha Uberoi 4-6 6-3 6-3
Shikha :rolleyes: Certainly lost the plot after the first set, and looked like she didn’t give a shit from then on. A player with lots of potential, but to me, it doesn’t look like she takes the game that seriously. This is in sharp contrast to her sister who looks very focused out on the court. I’m a big fan of the Uberoi sisters, and they belt the hell out of the ball, but don’t seem to know what to do with it. Su-Wei wasn’t overly impressive and probably would’ve lost to anyone else she played (as proven by her thrashing in the next round). In Su-Wei’s defence, she had some tape on her left shoulder, which she removed mid match. She (Su-Wei) was hitting with half as much power as I’m used to seeing from her, so I’m guessing the shoulder is to blame for that. Interesting in that Shikha’s father left with Neha after Neha’s match, but never returned to watch his other daughter. Neha didn’t bother coming back to watch either. A family feud perhaps? LOL.
Tatiana Poutchek def WC-Shayna McDowell 6-3 6-0
To Shayna: please play some more tennis, use your obvious talent for good instead of evil, and only accept wildcards if you know you’re match tough. Ta.
To Tatiana: please stop being such a sour faced cow. Ta.
Anne Keothavong def Junri Namigata 6-4 6-4
Routine win for Anne, who can hit some nice, penetrating groundstrokes when she wants to (and then fuck up later). She was a class above Junri, who I think was just happy to be there.
Alla Kudryavtseva def Dominika Cibulkova 6-4 5-7 9-7
Domi :sad: :sad: :sad:
Look, let’s be honest. I didn’t know much about Dominika Cibulkova before this match, but I’m a convert now and will now be following her promising career. This girl hits hard and flat, and to be honest, I thought she was the better player and should’ve won. Alla is a big (tall) girl, who reminds me of an inferior Svetlana Kuznetsova. Alla kept the balls in with some big, deep hitting, and it was usually Domi that threw in the error. Alla was the more composed of the two and handled herself quite beautifully in pressure situations. She is one to watch. This was easily the best match of the day, and a big crowd was there watching by the end of it. Domi proved a big hit with the males watching, as she is simply STUNNING :hearts: The main reason I stopped to watch this match at the beginning was because of her looks, so I guess “lets cheer for the pretty one” rang true in this instant. I think both players will reach the top 100 by years end. Is Domi playing the junior event? :angel:
Andreja Klepac def WC-Alenka Hubacek 6-1 6-4
Alenka wins the award for most interesting outfit of the day. An 80’s frilly skirt may not be the best thing to wear on a tennis court, but it worked well on her. This was another case of the more experienced Klepac just being too good and solid for her 16 year old opponent. Andreja has a nice enough back court game, but a very awkward service motion. Alenka took a while to get into the match, but from what I saw in the second set she played much better and was hitting some hard balls at her opponent, usually resulting in an error. She’ll be better for the experience. If she fails at tennis, I’m sure she could do something in the modeling industry as she’s a very pretty girl ;)
Anda Perianu def Stephanie Dubois 7-5 6-2
Well this just wasn’t Steph’s day :sad: She is clearly a talented and flashy player, but she didn’t bring it in this match. Anda, who is better than I thought, was hitting deep and with a lot of topspin on her shots, and it seemed to put Steph on the back foot each time. Steph is a very fit girl, with one of the better physiques of any of the players on the circuit, and while I think she will struggle to break the top 75, the top 100 is certainly attainable. Anda was the better player on the day and at times hit with a lot more power than I thought she actually had.
Tatiana Perebiynis def Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3 7-6(9)
I didn’t see the TB, but watched some of the second set. Tati took advantage of a raw Akgul, who seems to just bash the ball, and hope that it goes in. Akgul has loads of potential, and with her height and power, all she needs is a coach that can mould her game and she’d be set. Tati played solidly and didn’t make as many errors, and that’s pretty much the telling factor. Each time I’ve seen Tati play in Melbourne she has been beyond shit, so it was good to see her play some better tennis. Iroda Tulyaganova, looking quite splendid, was there supporting Akgul.
Evie Dominikovic def Katerina Bohmova 6-1 7-5
Congrats to Evie on pulling off a stunning comeback in the second set. Down 0-5, she displayed some intensity and won the next 7 games on the trot. No sign of her baby (or her mum or sister) in the stands, so maybe she prefers to not have the kid there. Who knows. Evie is looking rather thin and pale, and a shadow of her former self, so it was great to see her take advantage of an underdone opponent. Katerina has a nice enough lefty game, but she lacks punch.
Monica Niculescu def Carly Gullickson 3-6 6-2 7-5
Monica would have to be the most annoying opponent to have to play. She gets every ball back, and hits a slice forehand on every point which seems to put her opponent off balance. I saw Monica a)hit one topspin forehand which went into the net and b)hit one double handed forehand when on the run :o. I think she will benefit if she learnt how to hit a decent forehand, because she won’t go anywhere slicing forehands on the pro circuit. Carly is clearly the better player in my book, and a big girl (not necessarily fat, just quite solid), and I’m sure is wondering how the hell she lost this. Monica is a gutsy little player though, and full credit to her for fighting on EVERY single point. Carly displayed some wonderful serving and volleying, and I think she could do some damage at Wimbledon if given a good draw. Carly displayed some great sportsmanship, when Monica fell on her arse during one point, Carly instantly asked “are you OK?”. Nice to see.
Evgeniya Rodina def Angela Haynes 6-3 6-0
Maybe it’s just me, but Angie looks like she’s put on a lot of weight since I last saw her two years ago. She seems like she’s lost a lot of her spark and desire also, which is a shame, as she has a decent game. Rodina is a promising young Russian that kept the balls coming back nice and fast, and just waited on the error from Angie. Ahsha Rolle was watching this match, supporting Haynes. Angie wins the award for hair do of the tournament. I will be posting pics at a later date.
Bethanie Mattek def Kathrin Woerle 6-1 6-4
I was looking forward to this match, and it was good to see Beth arrive bouncing around and ready to go. Too good for the German, who doesn’t have any real weapons and is probably ranked the highest she’ll ever get. Beth looks composed, and ready to play this year. She hardly missed any volleys, and it was great to see her serve and volley on occasion. I hope she qualifies, as she is one of my faves in this event. Oh, and she wasn’t wearing any flashy gear for those wondering.
Klara Zakopalova def Maria-Emilia Salerni 6-3 6-2
I don’t know what the hell Klara is doing in qualies, as she is way above this level. The end.
Abigail Spears def Tatjana Malek 7-5 6-4
Abi was just simply too good for Malek. Abi hits with a lot of pace, and has a very nice net game, which is no surprise as she is a handy doubles player. Her infamous slide from the top 100 is baffling, as she clearly belongs there. Tatjana is a good enough player, but doesn’t seem to have a plan B in place when things go wrong.
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro def Hana Sromova 1-6 6-2 6-1
I really couldn’t give a flying crap about this match, but I’m only mentioning it because I noticed Natalie Tauziat in the stands watching. I strongly believe it was her any way. She is looking about 10 years older than her actual age, and has the best mum hairstyle ever. I believe she is Stephanie’s coach? Anyway, I never really liked her so my interest in investigating further evaporated after about a minute.
Katie O’Brien def Yanchong Chen 3-6 6-2 8-7ret
Good effort by Katie to get back in the match, as when I saw a little bit of it in the first, she was getting her arse handed to her on a plate. Chen looked better, stronger and like she was ready to win. Katie has a good game, hits with good depth and occasional power, but has the most irritating moan ever. Chen is a tough nut to crack and rarely misses anything. A shame she had to retire hurt, and as I missed the end of the match I wasn’t surprised to later learn it was due to cramping. This weather will get you :D
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova def Margalita Chakhnashvili 7-5 6-4
Some nice short names there.
Was curious to see Nastya P in action. I can’t believe she is only 15, as she has a well developed frame and is quite a tall girl for her age. She hits with nice pace and is very solid from the back of the court – quite impressive. She is clearly as good (or if not better) as the girls at qualifying standard, and it’s a matter of time before she starts entering main draws on her own merit. Has a lot to work on, but I think she has a decent future ahead of her. She didn’t impress me as much as Sharapova or Vaidisova did at the same age (but they’re freaks), but for someone so young to be this good means that we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in future. Margalita, who is very striking with her long and curly dark hair, is also pretty decent and gave a good account of herself. She could’ve beaten anyone else in the draw, so it’s a shame she drew Nastya early.
I’ll put up a day 2 report when I can be arsed :wavey: Also, I’ll eventually be posting some pics as well – not the best quality, but I can only work with what shitty equipment I have ;)