Sesil Karatantcheva
On Sunday, under cloudless skies, eight qualifiers advanced to the main draw of the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, South Carolina. Technically, it’s Daniel Island, South Carolina, but that’s only something a local would say. The qualifying players won’t have a lot of time to relax, since five of them play today, and two of them play each other. For Elena Vesnina and Cindy Burger, it’s like a third qualifying round to advance to the second round of the main draw.
Cagla Buyukakcay, Charleston
Cagla Buyukakcay burst into the main draw with a 7-5, 6-1 whipping of Ysaline Bonaventure. The young Turk will try to oust Danka Kovinic in the final match on Court 4 today. Cindy Burger won a walkover on the wrist-injured Sam Crawford yesterday, and today’s match against Elena Vesnina should be anything but a walkover. Vesnina, the top qualifying seed, routined Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-4, 6-4. Sesil Karatantcheva earned today’s match against Ana Konjuh by dismissing wild card Raveena Kingsley, 6-0, 7-5. Two of yesterday’s losers received new life as lucky losers: Patricia Maria Tig and Jana Cepelova. Naomi Osaka advanced by holding her composure in a nail-biter against Cepelova and Lesley Kerkhove provided a 3-set comeback win against Tig, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Osaka and Kerkhove get the day off.
On Saturday, 10 of the 16 matches went the distance to three sets. Yesterday, only one of the eight matches extended to three. But you can’t always judge the quality or length of a match by the number of sets. Osaka’s straight setter yesterday was filled with dozens of deuces and lots of drama and racket tosses. If I were Louisa Chirico, I’d be concerned. Osaka has some serious power and Chirico is in Osaka’s path.
Naomi Osaka
Women’s Singles with Qualifiers and Lucky Losers
First Round
[1] A. Kerber (GER) d Bye
[WC] S. Rogers (USA) vs. L. Arruabarrena (ESP)
M. Brengle (USA) vs. [Q] K. Kucova (SVK)
K. Bondarenko (UKR) vs. [16] M. Doi (JPN)
[13] I. Begu (ROU) vs. C. Garcia (FRA)
B. Mattek-Sands (USA) vs. T. Pereira (BRA)
L. Hradecka (CZE) vs. M. Puig (PUR)
[6] A. Petkovic (GER) d Bye
[4] L. Safarova (CZE) d Bye
[Q] N. Osaka (JPN) vs. [WC] L. Chirico (USA)
[Q] S. Karatantcheva (BUL) vs. A. Konjuh (CRO)
S. Zheng (CHN) vs. [14] D. Kasatkina (RUS)
[12] D. Gavrilova (AUS) vs. Z. Diyas (KAZ)
S. Zhang (CHN) vs. [Q] L. Kerkhove (NED)
D. Kovinic (MNE) vs. [Q] C. Buyukakcay (TUR)
[7] S. Stephens (USA) d Bye
[5] S. Errani (ITA) d Bye
Y. Shvedova (KAZ) vs. E. Rodina (RUS)
A. Sevastova (LAT) vs. [LL] J. Cepelova (SVK)
[Q] A. Krunic (SRB) vs. [10] S. Stosur (AUS)
[15] S. Lisicki (GER) vs. I. Falconi (USA)
K. Nara (JPN) vs. Y. Putintseva (KAZ)
[WC] F. Altick (USA) vs. A. Riske (USA)
[3] V. Williams (USA) d Bye
[8] M. Keys (USA) d Bye
L. Siegemund (GER) vs. [LL] P. Tig (ROU)
M. Lucic-Baroni (CRO) vs. S. Peng (CHN)
T. Maria (GER) vs. [11] K. Mladenovic (FRA)
[17] E. Bouchard (CAN) vs. A. Dulgheru (ROU)
L. Domínguez Lino (ESP) vs. C. Mchale (USA)
[Q] E. Vesnina (RUS) vs. [Q] C. Burger (NED)
[2] B. Bencic (SUI) d Bye
RESULTS – APRIL 03, 2016
Women’s
Qualifying Singles – Second Round
Qualifying – [1] E. Vesnina (RUS) d S. Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 64 64
Qualifying – [2] N. Osaka (JPN) d [9] J. Cepelova (SVK) 64 76(7)
Qualifying – C. Burger (NED) d [3] S. Crawford (USA) walkover
Qualifying – [7] C. Buyukakcay (TUR) d [16] Y. Bonaventure (BEL) 75 61
Qualifying – [8] A. Krunic (SRB) d J. Jaksic (SRB) 60 62
Qualifying – L. Kerkhove (NED) d [10] P. Tig (ROU) 16 63 64
Qualifying – [11] S. Karatantcheva (BUL) d [WC] R. Kingsley (USA) 60 75
Qualifying – [12] K. Kucova (SVK) d M. Larcher de Brito (POR) 61 75
ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY, APRIL 04, 2016
VOLVO CAR STADIUM start 10:00 am
L. Domínguez Lino (ESP) vs C. Mchale (USA)
I. Begu (ROU) vs C. Garcia (FRA)
[15] S. Lisicki (GER) vs I. Falconi (USA)
[WC] S. Rogers (USA) vs L. Arruabarrena (ESP)
ALTHEA GIBSON CLUB COURT start 10:00 am
T. Maria (GER) vs [11] K. Mladenovic (FRA)
[12] D. Gavrilova (AUS) vs Z. Diyas (KAZ)
[WC] F. Altick (USA) vs A. Riske (USA)
L. Siegemund (GER) vs [LL] P. Tig (ROU)
COURT 3 start 10:00 am
K. Bondarenko (UKR) vs [16] M. Doi (JPN)
A. Sevastova (LAT) vs [LL] J. Cepelova (SVK)
[Q] S. Karatantcheva (BUL) vs A. Konjuh (CRO)
A. Medina Garrigues (ESP) / A. Parra Santonja (ESP) vs [2] A. Hlavackova (CZE) / L. Hradecka (CZE)
COURT 4 start 11:00 am
M. Lucic-Baroni (CRO) vs S. Peng (CHN)
[Q] E. Vesnina (RUS) vs [Q] C. Burger (NED)
D. Kovinic (MNE) vs [Q] C. Buyukakcay (TUR)
Tennis Atlantic 