McHale, Linette Sweep Doubleheaders @ConnecticutOpen Qualifying, Sunday OOP
Weather was not a factor on Saturday as all matches were completed, even for players who had to play twice.
Christina McHale showed grit as she played five sets over the course of the afternoon: two sets in a win against Margartia Gasparyan and three in the late win against Laura Robson. Early on in the match against Robson, it appeared that the double-header had taken its toll on McHale. After an unimpressive first set, she somehow managed to eke out the tiebreak at 5 and never looked back. It was Robson, playing a single match yesterday, who played like she was ragged and worn out.
All of this and McHale still has to beat the pesky Magda Rybarikova to advance to the main draw.
Speaking of Magdas, the same accolades I used for McHale fit nicely with Magda Linette’s day, too. Linette simply did it in reverse: surviving a three-setter early in the day with Alexandra Dulgheru and following that win up with a straight sets thrashing over an exhausted Elena Vesnina. Vesnina had also played and won an earlier match yesterday against Misaki Doi.
Linette can qualify with a win over alternate Olga Savchuk.
No one plays twice today.
Main draw play begins today, as the tournament, in its stinginess, doses out three singles matches in a pill cup. Just enough to call it main draw, but leaving you needing so much more. I detest this part of the ATP/WTA tournament organization handbook and wish they would keep qualifying and main draw days completely separate. Otherwise, it feels like a qualifying day with a bonus, or a cheapo main draw day. The Connecticut Open might be the only tournament with a good excuse to do so, with the Saturday final and the looming US Open. They also do it in Charleston and other places that don’t have such an excuse.
So enjoy your meager rations of Cibulkova/Pironkova, Diyas/Begu and Strycova/Giorgi.
You’ll have to come back tomorrow to get your real tennis fix.
Wait a minute. That last one should be a fine show.
CONNECTICUT OPEN PRESENTED BY UNITED TECHNOLOGIES – NEW HAVEN, USA
$ 754,163.00
21-29 AUGUST 2015
RESULTS – AUGUST 22, 2015
Women’s
Qualifying Singles – Second Round
Qualifying – [3] L. Tsurenko (UKR) d M. Duque-Mariño (COL) 64 75
Qualifying – [4] R. Vinci (ITA) d A. Mestach (BEL) 62 63
Qualifying – [5] C. Witthoeft (GER) d A. Hlavackova (CZE) 64 62
Qualifying – [6] M. Rybarikova (SVK) d K. Kanepi (EST) 64 16 62
Qualifying – [10] J. Larsson (SWE) d L. Chirico (USA) 62 62
Qualifying – [13] C. Mchale (USA) d [WC] L. Robson (GBR) 26 76(5) 63
Qualifying – [14] A. Beck (GER) d I. Falconi (USA) 63 62
Qualifying – [15] P. Hercog (SLO) d A. Mitu (ROU) 64 64
Qualifying – [16] O. Govortsova (BLR) d M. Puig (PUR) 62 63
Qualifying – M. Linette (POL) d E. Vesnina (RUS) 75 62
Qualifying – [Alt] O. Savchuk (UKR) d M. Erakovic (NZL) 46 63 75
Qualifying – Y. Putintseva (KAZ) d E. Kulichkova (RUS) 60 61
First Round
Qualifying – M. Linette (POL) d [7] A. Dulgheru (ROU) 60 67(1) 64
Qualifying – [13] C. Mchale (USA) d M. Gasparyan (RUS) 75 61
Qualifying – E. Vesnina (RUS) d M. Doi (JPN) 61 75
USONP
Men’s
Singles
Championship – Quarterfinals
[1] M. Pecotic (CRO) d [Alt] H. Reese (USA) 63 60
[2] J. Witten (USA) d V. Pham (USA) 61 60
[4] F. Corwin (USA) d M. Libietis (LAT) 46 75 00 Retired
H. Maslau (BLR) d J. Hagar (USA) 16 63 62
First Round
[1] M. Pecotic (CRO) d T. Whitehurst (USA) 62 63
[2] J. Witten (USA) d H. Craig (USA) 62 63
[Alt] H. Reese (USA) d T. Larson (USA) 64 10 Retired
V. Pham (USA) d J. Kielbowicz (USA) 76(5) 60
USONP
Women’s
Singles
Championship – Quarterfinals
[2] J. Cako (USA) d G. Brodsky (USA) 64 64
[3] A. Weinhold (USA) d M. Mccray (USA) 75 67(5) 76(4)
[4] J. Elie (USA) d S. Chang (USA) 64 62
J. Elbaba (USA) d A. Nelson (USA) 63 60
ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015
STADIUM start 12:00 noon
WTA – D. Cibulkova (SVK) vs T. Pironkova (BUL)
WTA – Z. Diyas (KAZ) vs I. Begu (ROU)
WTA – B. Strycova (CZE) vs C. Giorgi (ITA)
WTA – [WC] L. Davis (USA) / A. Riske (USA) vs [PR] I. Falconi (USA) / L. Robson (GBR)
GRANDSTAND start 12:30 pm
WTA – Qualifying – [6] M. Rybarikova (SVK) vs [13] C. Mchale (USA)
WTA – Qualifying – [5] C. Witthoeft (GER) vs [16] O. Govortsova (BLR)
Not Before 3:30 pm
WTA – L. Arruabarrena (ESP) / A. Klepac (SLO) vs C. Chuang (TPE) / C. Liang (CHN)
COURT 1 start 11:00 am
WTA – Qualifying – [3] L. Tsurenko (UKR) vs Y. Putintseva (KAZ)
WTA – Qualifying – [15] P. Hercog (SLO) vs [14] A. Beck (GER)
WTA – Qualifying – M. Linette (POL) vs [Alt] O. Savchuk (UKR)
USONP
COURT 2 start 11:00 am
WTA – Qualifying – [4] R. Vinci (ITA) vs [10] J. Larsson (SWE)
Not Before 12:00 pm
USONP
USONP
USONP
Tennis Atlantic 