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2010 @USOpen Finalist @VeraZvonareva Qualifies for Main Draw

Posted by Admin on August 24, 2018
Posted in: New York, US Open, US Open Qualifying, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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It was the best of times. It was the worst times. Maybe it was a little of both, depending on how qualifying at the US Open turned out for you or your favorite player. But for me, it was a great time watching 2010 finalist Vera Zvonareva face sudden death a couple of times today to pull herself through a tough three set match against Lin Zhu to qualify for the main draw, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 win in 2 hours and 43 minutes. It wasn’t the prettiest tennis Zvonareva has played, saving 5 of 9 break point opportunities, but it was enough to get back to the main draw.

After the match and right before trotting off to the Tennis Channel, I asked her how special it was to do it the hard way.

“Well of course it’s very important,” she told me. “I’ve been playing on the big stages before, but now I had to go through the qualifying. You know, when I started last year, I won in the first round but lost in the second round of qualifying. So I was happy to come back here again and thought ‘well, I’ll give it another try’ and of course, I’m very happy to be in the main draw now.”

If the fans on Court 4 today were any indication, there’s a lot people very happy she’s in the main draw.

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.@VeraZvonareva Continues Winning Ways at @USOpen, This Time in Qualifying

Posted by Admin on August 21, 2017
Posted in: New York, Steve Fogleman, US Open, USTA, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Vera Zvonareva Continues Winning Ways at US Open, This Time in Qualifying
Steve Fogleman in New York

Vera Zvonareva plays good tennis in New York. The 2010 US Open finalist tried out a new gig today as a qualifier at Flushing Meadows. After a hiatus from professional competition and the off-court distractions of having a real life (read ‘spouse and child’), Zvonareva made up for lost time in beating Han Xinyun 7-6 (4), 6-1 in first round qualifying action.

Vera Zvonareva, 2017 US Open

There were WAY more people there than the photo may suggest

After the match, Zvonareva, 32, said she wasn’t sure her experience made all the difference today against Han, the left-hander with a world #125 singles ranking, but added that “it was difficult to tell at the moment. We were fighting there in tough conditions. Humid, hot. It was difficult but I think I got lucky on a couple of points,” she told me. “Of course, experience helps,” she said. “I hoped she gets better in the second set. I thought she was having some problems already.”

As far as getting back into the game, there’s no place like dipping your toe in the water than in the lake of fire that is a grand slam, especially if you’re the

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m looking forward, you know, I’m enjoying my time back on the court. I’ve been out of competition for quite a long time so it’s a pleasure to be back and playing here at the US Open.”

Zvonareva continues her comeback tour on Thursday against 22-year-old Jamie Loeb, currently ranked #156. Loeb, from Bronxville, New York, will be an overwhelming crowd favorite. Zvonareva will likely need to rely on her experience to advance.

Your Washington Women’s Champion is @KateMakarova1!

Posted by Admin on August 6, 2017
Posted in: Citi Open, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Your Washington Women’s Champion is Kate Makarova
Steve Fogleman in Washington

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Today’s Citi Open women’s final between Ekaterina Makarova and Julia Goerges couldn’t be more evenly matched on paper, with two players born in 1988 who each hold two pro career titles, one premier and one international. And as it turns out, it was evenly matched on court too.

Makarova had the advantage of far more experience playing in the Washington’s hot hard courts, having competed at the Citi Open for 6 of the 7 years of the WTA events existence. Makarova had also beaten Goerges in straight sets in their only prior meeting at the 2015 Australian Open. And she beat her again today, with Makarova coasting to home in 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-0 victory for the D.C. title.

It was Goerges who came out swinging early and playing error-free tennis. But Makarova broke her early in the second set and we all thought it was going three. Goerges was patient from that point forward and managed to level the set at 5-all and tried to serve it out at 6-5. She failed and lost the tiebreak 7-2. Goerges hadn’t won a pro title in over 6 years, and her inability to seal the victory is a prime example of her difficulties in tough situations.

Although it was an entertaining final, you have to feel that Washington was an opportunity missed by the WTA and tournament organizers, who had counted on Halep in the final to bring some press to this side of the action. In the end, Makarova’s and Goerges’ back stories are good, but the women’s side really could have used some more juice in the final. There’s always next year.

WTA St. Petersburg, Taipei Previews and Predictions

Posted by Admin on January 29, 2017
Posted in: St Petersburg Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2017 WTA St. Petersburg, Taipei Previews and Predictions
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

After a thrilling Australian Open which saw Serena Williams make history by winning her 23rd major title, the WTA tour heads to St. Petersburg and Taipei as many players look to bounce back from their disappointment down under. Here is a rundown of the week’s upcoming tennis.

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St. Petersburg

The tour returns to Russia for the second ever St. Petersburg ladies trophy which was won last year by Roberta Vinci. Simona Halep is the top seed in a field which also features Australian Open finalist Venus Williams.

simona-halep

Simona Halep

Top Quarter:

To say Halep’s Australian open was a disappointment would be an understatement. The Romanian was bundled out in the opening round as her dreams of a first Grand Slam title were put on hold once again. The top seed will look to bounce back in St. Petersburg, but she has a very tough draw ahead of her. After an opening round bye she could face promising youngster Ana Konjuh or the tricky Monica Niculescu. Daria Kasatkina faces Belinda Bencic in the pick of the opening round matches with the winner likely going all the way to the quarter finals. With Halep looking in poor form down under, the upset is very much on the cards here, and I back the home favourite to get it done.

Prediction: Kasatkina def. Halep

Second Quarter:

It is hard to predict how Venus will approach this tournament as she will likely be in need of rest after making the Australian Open final. She has an opening round bye before a potential meeting with Kristina Mladenovic in the second round and from there, we could see the effects of a big run take shape. Defending champion Roberta Vinci lands in this section and is the most likely to take advantage of Venus’ likely fatigue. She faces big-serving Timea Babos in the first round before meeting Irina Begu in round two. It is difficult to predict the Italian to not make the quarter finals, and from there I believe she will take advantage of a tired Venus to progress to the last four

Prediction: Vinci def. Venus

Third Quarter:

Many will label Svetlana Kuznetsova as the favourite as she returns to her home country. However, the third seed has a tough opening match in the second round against Daria Gavrilova. Kiki Bertens may look at this as a chance of securing a first Premier title, but the seventh seed has some tough players in her draw. Annika Beck is the first opponent followed by either Johanna Larsson or Yulia Putintseva. There are a few players who can spring a surprise and make the last eight in this quarter, but I am backing Kuznetsova to get it done with some tight matches along the way.

Prediction: Kuznetsova def. Bertens

Fourth Quarter:

Dominika Cibulkova will head into St. Petersburg as one of the title favourites as she looks to claim her first tournament win of the year. The Slovak has a bye into round two where she will likely face Jelena Ostapenko. The Latvian had a good Australian Open and is a dangerous player to be drawn against. Another home crowd favourite will be Elena Vesnina, who is the fifth seed in the draw. She faces fellow Russian and doubles partner Ekaterina Makarova in the opening round with the winner likely going on to a meeting with feisty Frenchwoman Alize Cornet in round two. I can see Vesnina being an early upset, but Cibulkova will have enough quality to make the final four.

Prediction: Cibulkova def. Makarova

Semi Finals:

Kasatkina def. Vinci

Cibulkova def. Kuznetsova

Kasatkina will have a good tournament this week and she will make the final after a hard fought victory against Vinci. Cibulkoa vs Kuznetsova could go either way, but I am backing the second seed to get it done.

Final:

Dominika Cibulkova

Cibulkova def. Kasatkina

Cibulkova’s experience and power will be too much for the younger Kasatkina who puts up a good fight but ultimately falls to the higher ranked player.

taiwan-open

Taipei

The Taiwan Open is making its debut as an International event this year and boasts a decent field with Elina Svitolina as the top seed.

Top Quarter:

The top seed is the heavy favourite to take home the title and  faces Evgeniya Rodina in the opening round. Kateryna Kozlova or Lucie Hradecka will await in the second round. Shelby Rogers is the other seed in this section and she’ll meet a local wildcard in her opener. The American will then likely move on to face compatriot Nicole Gibbs in the following round. My prediction is Svitolina to make it through the section without many issue. Rogers is the biggest test, but it is one she should pass.

Prediction: Svitolina def. Rogers

Second Quarter:

2017 could turn out to be a big year for Caroline Garcia, who is still waiting on a breakthrough. Winning Taipei would not grant that, but it would be a step in the right direction for the Frenchwoman. Garcia opens against qualifier Marina Erakovic before meeting Jana Cepelova or Mandy Minella in the second round. This could lead to a quarter final meeting with Jelena Jankovic, who will have to make her way through Kurumi Nara and Magda Linette to get to Garcia. I feel the at this stage of their careers, Garcia will simply have too much for Jankovic.

Prediction: Garcia def. Jankovic

Third Quarter:

Anastasija Sevastova got some of her form back at the Australian so she heads into Taipei among the favourites to go all the way. The Latvian’s first test comes in the form of Lucie Safarova in round two. The Czech is riding high after winning the Australian Open doubles title, but she has yet to re-find her top ten singles form. That said, this is a good section for her to make an impact. Sorana Cirstea or Misaki Doi are the likely quarter final opponents, depending on which one can come through. Cirstea showed some good form in Melbourne, so she is the likely choice.

Prediction: Safarova def. Cirstea

Fourth Quarter:

Sam Stosur took a wildcard into Taipei to search for form. Danka Kovinic will be the Aussie’s first opponent, followed by a qualifier or Francesca Schiavone. A match between two former grand slam champions will be a must-see for the local crowd, but Stosur should have the advantage at this stage. Katerina Siniakova is the other seed in this section, and she faces Galina Voskoboeva then Saisai Zeng or Shuai Peng. There are plenty of players in this section that can upset Stosur, but I see the Aussie coming through.

Prediction: Stosur def. Siniakova

Semi Finals:

Svitolina def. Garcia
Safarova def. Stosur

Svitolina vs Garcia is a an interesting style clash as counter puncher meets aggressor, but at this moment the Frenchwoman lacks the consistency to beat the Ukrainian. Stosur has a terrible head-to-head record against Safarova, so I see the Czech getting win number 12 over the Aussie.

Final:

Svitolina vs Safarova

This is a good final for an International event, but the top seed will likely prevail.

Radu Albot, Andrey Golubev Head to Main Stage at St. Petersburg (@spbopen_ru) Qualifying

Posted by Admin on September 24, 2015
Posted in: Adam Addicott, ATP, St Petersburg Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Radu Albot, Andrey Golubev Head to Main Stage at St. Petersburg Qualifying
Adam Addicott, Tennis Atlantic

St Petersburg Site

St Petersburg Site

The St. Petersburg Open qualifying draw featured 21 Russian players which equalled to 65% of the draw. Despite the high Russian presence, none of them were able to qualify for the main draw of their home tournament.

Heading the field was Moldova’s Radu Albot who overcame a threatening first round match to qualify for the main draw. Facing world number 743 Mikhail Ledovskikh, Albot required over two hours on the court to win 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3. Despite the low ranking, Ledovskikh has been ranked as high as 151 back in 2008. After his first round scare, Albot reaffirmed his position as the top seed in the draw with two comfortable victories. In the second round, he defeated Alexandr Igoshin 6-4, 6-2. Then in the final round, he dropped three games against Valery Rudvev (6-3,6-0).

Embed from Getty Images

Albot is currently ranked 99th in the world, 14 places below his career high. This year he became the first Moldovan in history to break into the ATP top 100. He claimed his first Challenger title for two years in Kolkata back in February. Albot will play 7th seed João Sousa in the first round at St Petersburg. He has played the Portuguese player twice before (both in 2013). During the Davis Cup Albot stage a big comeback from two sets down to beat Sousa. Meanwhile, in his other match at the Poznan Challenger, he lost 6-1, 6-2.

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Andrey Golubev’s route to the main draw was more convincing with three straight sets wins over a trio of Russian players. In the first round, he dismissed 17 year-old Kirill Kivattsev (6-1, 6-2) followed by another straight set win over world No.496 Evgeny Elistratov. His final opponent was Evgeny Tyurnev, who stunned 5th seed Nikola Mektic in the second round. Tyurnev was unable to produce another shock against Goulbev as the Kazakh player won 6-4,6-2.

Golubev is ranked 154 in the world which is a substantial distance from his 2010 career high of 33. This season has been disappointing for Golubev who is yet to reach the last four in a tournament. His 2015 main draw win-loss leading up to his first round match is 10-21. In the first round in Russia, he will play Benjamin Becker. Golubev last played Becker in 2010 when he lost 6-0,6-2.

St-Petersburg-Open-trophy

Alexandre Sidorenko booked his place in the main draw after two surprise victories over the 7th and 3rd seed. Sidorenko is known best for winning the 2006 Australian Open boys title. His junior success has failed to progress to the pro tour with the Frenchman achieving a ranking best of 145 in 2009, currently he is ranked 508. In the second round, he defeated Estonian 7th seed Vladimir Ivanov. Ivanov is ranked 101 places higher than Sidorenko. In the final round, he faced a another stiff test against Russian third seed Alexander Kudryavtsev. The Frenchman was trailing a set and 4-2 before staging a mighty comeback to take the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Sidorenko will play in his first ATP World Tour main draw match since the 2010 BMW Open. In the first round he played Evgeny Donskoy. Sidorenko was the only qualifier to play on the first day of the main draw. Playing against a player ranked almost 400 places higher than him, the Frenchman prevailed 6-2, 6-4.

Finally 22-year-old Belarussian Yaraslav Shyla booked his placed in the final after defeating junior world No.43 Alexander Bublik (6-3,6-4). Shyla has won 2 Futures titles in his career and is currently ranked 366th in the world. Following his successful qualifying campaign, he will play in only his third ATP main draw event. In the main draw he will play Evgeny Donskoy.
Adam Addicott TA Watermark

Ekaterina Makarova (@KateMakarova1) Top Seed Standing After Funky First Round @CitiOpen; Video Interview

Posted by Admin on July 29, 2014
Posted in: Citi Open, Washington, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Ekaterina Makarova (@KateMakarova1) Top Seed Standing After Funky First Round @CitiOpen
Stephan Fogleman, Tennis East Coast

At 1:45 p.m., top seed Lucie Safarova kicked off Tuesday play on Stadium Court. Magdalena Rybarikova was a two-time defending champion warming up on Grandstand court, about to begin her title defense.

So much can happen in two hours.

Quoteth the Morrissey, “The Queen is Dead, Boys’.

The Queen of the Citi, Magdalena Rybarikova, went down in ignominious fashion today, 6-1, 6-1 to Ekaterina Makarova, a 53-minute drubbing not befitting the most dominant player in this WTA event’s short history.

But that wasn’t enough.

Top seed Lucie Safarova was also sent packing at the hands of KiKi Mladenovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

That leaves Ekaterina Makarova as new the King of the Court, er, Queen of the Citi. She took down the defending champ, she’s the top seed standing and she is now the favorite to take the title.

Makarova and Me (Photo: @NickMcCarvel)

Makarova and Me (Photo: @NickMcCarvel)

Makarova made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last month, and guess who beat her there? Safarova. She won’t have Lucie to worry about in Washington. BONUS: Ekaterina told me she chose Washington over Stanford because she likes Washington so much. Even though she’s never been to Stanford. Smart woman.

The whole pecking order has reshuffled and this could really benefit Sloane Stephens, who is the second highest seed remaining in the Women’s draw. Um, except that Stephens lost tonight in her match against Christina McHale, 4-6, 6-4, 0-6(!!).

The 1, 3, 4 and 7 seeds are gone (and the twice defending champ) and it’s only Tuesday.

Stay tuned. Even by WTA standards, this is whack. Oh yeah. The winner of this event is clear…as mud.

Svetlana Kuznetsova Loves Dogs, Tigers, Elephants and the US Open #CitiOpen #WTA

Posted by Admin on July 29, 2014
Posted in: Citi Open, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Svetlana Kuznetsova Loves Dogs, Tigers, Elephants and the US Open

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Photo: (C) 2014 Chris Levy @tennis_shots for TennisEastCoast.com)

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Photo: (C) 2014 Chris Levy @tennis_shots for TennisEastCoast.com)

Two-time Grand Slam Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova won her first slam in the US, so she’s always happy to summer in the States. She spoke with me at yesterday at the Citi Open, a WTA International-level event in Washington, DC. Due to a change in security policy at the tournament this year, no one, not even Grand Slam champions, are allowed in the lower seating bowl without a ticket. Kuznetsova shrugged off her denial of access to a qualifying match over the weekend and mentioned that Martina Navratilova had run into the same problem at another tournament.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Photo: (C) 2014 Chris Levy @tennis_shots for TennisEastCoast.com)

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Photo: (C) 2014 Chris Levy @tennis_shots for TennisEastCoast.com)

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Photo: (C) 2014 Chris Levy @tennis_shots for TennisEastCoast.com)

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Photo: (C) 2014 Chris Levy @tennis_shots for TennisEastCoast.com)

She loves her dog, and wears her pride on her shirt, a gift from Chinese clothing sponsor Qiaodan which features her American Bully, Dolce. Pressed on whether her love for animals extended beyond the canine variety, she says she likes “Tigers, Elephants, many animals’. Unlike Dolce, who travels with her on a regular basis, tigers and elephants just won’t fit on the plane.

—Stephan Fogleman, Tennis East Coast