BOB LARSON'S TENNIS NEWS
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Thursday, October 4, 2007
PRO TOUR NEWS -- WOMEN

****** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******

* Chakvetadze squanders chances against Golovin; Madrid chances fade ever so slightly
* Azarenka through at Tashkent; Cibulkova upset
* In Tokyo, Venus, Razzano extend winning streaks

****** TODAY'S WOMEN'S NEWS ******

Stuttgart

Singles - First Round: (5) Anna Ivanovic def. Patty Schnyder 6-0 6-2
Ivanovic is now only 55 points, and two wins, away from passing Maria Sharapova and taking the #4 ranking. Schnyder, who was defending points, falls to no better than #15, and her faint Madrid hopes are now all but gone.

Singles - First Round: (6) Daniela Hantuchova def. Lucie Safarova 6-1 6-3
Safarova may say she likes all surfaces, but she continues to produce better on slow surfaces. She will not rise above #22 (incidentally guaranteeing that Agnes Szavay will stay #20). Hantuchova hasn't yet guaranteed herself anything in particular, but she's inching closer to the Top Eight in the contest for Madrid.

Singles - First Round: Michaella Krajicek (Q) def. Alona Bondarenko 6-3 6-2
Bondarenko will not be moving above #25. Krajicek is competing with Virginia Razzano for the last Top Thirty spot.

Singles - First Round: Kateryna Bondarenko (Q) def. Karin Knapp (Q) 7-5 6-0
Kateryna is now only 19 ranking spots behind her sister -- and, suddenly, she's playing like the Better Bondarenko.

Singles - Second Round: (2) Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-7(5-7) 6-3
Agnieszka Radwanska waited a little too long to make her move in this match. She played her way into the second set, including some amazing stuff in the tiebreak, but then had to have a blister treated and just wasn't the same after that. Which mean she will not be returning to the Top Thirty.

Singles - Second Round: Tatiana Golovin def. (4) Anna Chakvetadze 7-6(7-3) 6-1
After controlling much of the first set, Chakvetadze just started to go off -- including double-faulting away a set point. It makes you wonder if she isn't worried about something -- her Madrid chances, perhaps? Lucky for her that Maria Sharapova isn't playing and is unlikely to overtake her. Still, the loss means Chakvetadze will stay stuck at #6, and while her chances for Madrid remain strong, since four players would have to overtake her, it so happens that three of the four players most likely to do so won on this day.

Singles - Second Round: (6) Serena Williams def. Julia Vakulenko (Q) 7-5 6-2
Not even Vakulenko, the WTA's pre-eminent upset artist, could threaten Serena, apart from a brief first-set lapse she called "crazy"; it looks as if she is indeed playing well. Vakulenko will probably be #38; Serena takes another step toward qualifying for Madrid.

Doubles - First Round: (3) Schiavone/Srebotnik def. Daniilidou/Woehr 6-3 6-2
If Srebotnik could just manage to stick with a regular partner for a while, her spot at the year-end Championships would be sure. But, because she's had so many partners, things aren't quite certain for her yet.
She does seem to have a hangup about the letter "S," though. She has 17 events this year. Four were with Safina (8-1 record). Nine have been with Sugiyama (22-8 record). She played two events with Santangelo (6-1). And she is on her second event with Schiavone; they are currently 3-1.

Doubles - First Round: A.Radwanska/Zahlavova Strycova def. (4) Husarova/Peer 6-3 2-6 10-5 (Match TB)
Husarova's winning streak ends at four.

Japan Open

Singles - Second Round: (1) Venus Williams def. Vania King 6-0 6-4
Seven straight wins for Venus, and while it doesn't help her ranking, it's a few points closer to Madrid.

Singles - Second Round: (2) Sania Mirza def. Casey Dellacqua 6-4 3-6 6-4
This may well move Mirza up to #28.

Singles - Second Round: (5) Virginie Razzano def. Elena Baltacha (Q) 6-2 6-2
Razzano too has won seven straight, though with Michaella Krajicek winning at Stuttgart, she needs more to hit the Top Thirty.

Singles - Second Round: (8) Flavia Pennetta def. Abigail Spears (Q) 6-4 7-6(7-2)
There is a good chance this will finally put Pennetta back in the Top Fifty.

Singles - Second Round: Klara Zakopalova def. Urszula Radwanska (WC) 6-2 3-6 6-2
Even with the loss, this is one of the better results of the younger Radwanska's career, and should take her well above #500.

Singles - Second Round: Alicia Molik def. Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1 6-0
Looks as if Molik finally played as well as she used to. Now she just has to do it again....

Singles - Second Round: Camille Pin def. Jelena Kostanic Tosic 6-1 6-0
Kostanic, on the other hand, can't seem to play well for more than one day in a row.

Singles - Second Round: Caroline Wozniacki def. Yuan Meng (Q) 7-6(7-3) 4-6 6-1
Given how low Yuan fell earlier this year, even losing second round to a promising player is a mild triumph.

Doubles - First Round: (1) Chuang/King def. Morita/Sugiyama 6-3 7-6(7-3)
Sugiyama is really struggling in singles and doubles. Of course, Chuang is on a nine match winning streak....

Doubles - First Round: (2) Sun/Yan def. Fujiwara/Namigata 6-3 6-2

Doubles - First Round: Castano/Spears def. (4) Dominguez Lino/Parra Santonja 6-4 6-3

Doubles - First Round: Nakamura/Tanasugarn def. (WC) Arai/Yonemura 6-4 6-2

Tashkent

Singles - First Round: (1) Victoria Azarenka def. Hsieh Su-Wei 6-3 6-4
Azarenka has points to defend, so she needs at least one more win just to keep her #35 ranking. But she has very good reason to like the way this draw is shaping up.

Singles - First Round: Pauline Parmentier def. (2) Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 6-2
Cibulkova just reached the Top Fifty for the first time, but she won't be climbing any more this week, and may fall.

Singles - First Round: Anastasiya Yakimova def. (8) Anastasia Rodionova 6-3 6-0
The losses by Cibulkova and Rodionova mean that there is only one seed -- indeed, only one player ranked above #85 -- in the bottom half: #3 seed Olga Govortsova.

Singles - Second Round: (4) Elena Vesnina def. Tatiana Poutchek 7-5 6-4
Vesnina and #5 seed Ioana Raluca Olara face each other in the quarterfinal. They're ranked one spot apart (Olaru actually being higher: #60 versus #61). And the winner may be the biggest threat on Azarenka's way to the title.

Singles - Second Round: (5) Ioana Raluca Olaru def. Mariya Koryttseva (LL) 6-2 6-2
Olaru is now up to around #55, and of course will go higher still if she can beat Vesnina.

Singles - Second Round: Akgul Amanmuradova def. (7) Olga Poutchkova 6-3 6-4
So quickly does Poutchkova fall back into disastrous form. But Amanmuradova is now assured of a Top 100 ranking.

Singles - Second Round: Ksenia Palkina (Q) def. Vlada Ekshibarova (WC) 7-5 5-7 7-5
On the whole, a nice WTA debut for both women; after all, they both won matches.

Doubles - First Round: (1) Poutchek/Rodionova def. Olaru/Perianu 6-2 4-6 10-7 (Match TB)

Doubles - First Round: Govortsova/Poutchkova def. Cetkovska/Sromova 6-3 6-4

Doubles - Quarterfinal: Dzehalevich/Yakimova def. (3) Rodina/Voskoboeva Walkover (Voskoboeva Right Shoulder Injury)

Doubles - Quarterfinal: Amanmuradova/O'Brien def. Brianti/Schruff 4-1 Retired (Schruff Abdominal Strain)

****** TODAY'S FEATURE ******

KEYWORDS: Today's Feature is in Men's News

******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********

THIS WEEK ON THE WTA TOUR:
Stuttgart (Tier II/Indoor Hard). Defending champion: Nadia Petrova
Japan Open (Tier III/Hard). Defending champion: Marion Bartoli
Tashkent (Tier IV/Hard). Defending champion: Sun Tiantian

NEXT WEEK ON THE WTA TOUR:
Moscow (Tier I/Carpet). Defending champion: Anna Chakvetadze
Bangkok (Tier III+/Hard). Defending champion: Vania King

******** STATS AND FACTS ********

**RANKINGS

ESTIMATED WTA RANKINGS As of October 3, 2007

Rank &
Prior
Rank ...Name ............. Points
 1..(1) HENIN ............. 5201*
 2..(2) KUZNETSOVA .........3585*
 3..(3) JANKOVIC ...........3445*
 4..(4) Sharapova ......... 3235
 5..(5) IVANOVIC ...........3180*
 6..(6) CHAKVETADZE ....... 2875
 7..(7) SWILLIAMS ......... 2466*
 8..(8) VWILLIAMS ......... 2340*
 9.(10) HANTUCHOVA .........2177*
10..(9) PETROVA ........... 2111*
11.(12) MAURESMO ...........1996
12.(11) BARTOLI ........... 1991
13.(14) Vaidisova ......... 1735
14.(16) PEER ...............1695*
15.(13) SCHNYDER ...........1694
16.(15) DEMENTIEVA .........1692*
17.(17) SAFINA .............1676*
18.(18) Hingis .............1577
19.(19) GOLOVIN ........... 1484*
20.(20) Szavay .............1363.5
21.(21) Bammer .............1298
22.(22) SAFAROVA ...........1128
23.(23) SREBOTNIK ......... 1095
24.(24) Zvonareva ......... 1061
25.(25) ABONDARENKO ....... 1041
26.(26) KIRILENKO ...........983
27.(27) Li ................. 938
28.(29) MIRZA ...............921*
29.(28) SCHIAVONE ...........915
30.(31) KRAJICEK ........... 859*

**DRAWS

Stuttgart -- Week of October 1

..................QF
(1)Henin
(8)Hantuchova
(3)Jankovic
(7)Petrova
 
(5)Ivanovic
(4)Chakvetadze....Golovin
(6)S.Williams.....(6)Williams
(2)Kuznetsova.....(2)Kuznetsova

Status of Seeds
(1)Henin
(2)Kuznetsova
(3)Jankovic
(4)Chakvetadze....lost 2R (Golovin)
(5)Ivanovic
(6)S. Williams
(7)Petrova
(8)Hantuchova

Japan Open (Tokyo) -- Week of October 1

................QF
(1)V.Williams...(1)Williams
(6)Morigami.....Molik
(4)Sugiyama.....Wozniacki
(7)Nakamura.....Zakopalova
 
(5)Razzano......(5)Razzano
(3)Kirilenko....Pin
(8)Pennetta.....(8)Pennetta
(2)Mirza........(2)Mirza

Status of Seeds
(1)V.Williams
(2)Mirza
(3)Kirilenko....lost 1R (Pin)
(4)Sugiyama.....lost 1R (Yuan)
(5)Razzano
(6)Morigami.....lost 1R (Molik)
(7)Nakamura.....lost 1R (Zakopalova)
(8)Pennetta
 

Tashkent -- Week of October 1

..................QF
(1)Azarenka
(6)Kudryavtseva...Palkina(Q)
(4)Vesnina........(4)Vesnina
(5)Olaru..........(5)Olaru
 
(8)Rodionova
(3)Govortsova
(7)Poutchkova......Amanmuradova
(2)Cibulkova

Status of Seeds
(1)Azarenka
(2)Cibulkova......lost 1R (Parmentier)
(3)Govortsova
(4)Vesnina
(5)Olaru
(6)Kudryavtseva...lost 1R (Ekshibarova)
(7)Poutchkova.....lost 2R (Amanmuradova)
(8)Rodionova......lost 1R (Yakimova)

******** SCORES ********

WEDNESDAY

Stuttgart
Singles - First Round
  (5) Ana Ivanovic def. Patty Schnyder 6-0 6-2
  (8) Daniela Hantuchova def. Lucie Safarova 6-1 6-3
  Michaella Krajicek (Q) def. Alona Bondarenko 6-3 6-2
  Kateryna Bondarenko (Q) def. Karin Knapp (Q) 7-5 6-0
Singles - Second Round
  (2) Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-7(5-7) 6-3
  Tatiana Golovin def. (4) Anna Chakvetadze 7-6(7-3) 6-1
  (6) Serena Williams def. Julia Vakulenko (Q) 7-5 6-2
Doubles - First Round
  (3) Schiavone/Srebotnik def. Daniilidou/Woehr 6-3 6-2
  A.Radwanska/Zahlavova Strycova def. (4) Husarova/Peer 6-3 2-6 10-5 (Match TB)

Japan Open
Singles - Second Round
  (1) Venus Williams def. Vania King 6-0 6-4
  (2) Sania Mirza def. Casey Dellacqua 6-4 3-6 6-4
  (5) Virginie Razzano def. Elena Baltacha (Q) 6-2 6-2
  (8) Flavia Pennetta def. Abigail Spears (Q) 6-4 7-6(7-2)
  Klara Zakopalova def. Urszula Radwanska (WC) 6-2 3-6 6-2
  Alicia Molik def. Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1 6-0
  Camille Pin def. Jelena Kostanic Tosic 6-1 6-0
  Caroline Wozniacki def. Yuan Meng (Q) 7-6(7-3) 4-6 6-1
Doubles - First Round
  (1) Chuang/King def. Morita/Sugiyama 6-3 7-6(7-3)
  (2) Sun/Yan def. Fujiwara/Namigata 6-3 6-2
  Castano/Spears def. (4) Dominguez Lino/Parra Santonja 6-4 6-3
  Nakamura/Tanasugarn def. (WC) Arai/Yonemura 6-4 6-2

Tashkent
Singles - First Round
  (1) Victoria Azarenka def. Hsieh Su-Wei 6-3 6-4
  Pauline Parmentier def. (2) Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 6-2
  Anastasiya Yakimova def. (8) Anastasia Rodionova 6-3 6-0
Singles - Second Round
  (4) Elena Vesnina def. Tatiana Poutchek 7-5 6-4
  (5) Ioana Raluca Olaru def. Mariya Koryttseva (LL) 6-2 6-2
  Akgul Amanmuradova def. (7) Olga Poutchkova 6-3 6-4
  Ksenia Palkina (Q) def. Vlada Ekshibarova (WC) 7-5 5-7 7-5
Doubles - First Round
  (1) Poutchek/Rodionova def. Olaru/Perianu 6-2 4-6 10-7 (Match TB)
  Govortsova/Poutchkova def. Cetkovska/Sromova 6-3 6-4
Doubles - Quarterfinal
  Dzehalevich/Yakimova def. (3) Rodina/Voskoboeva Walkover (Voskoboeva Right Shoulder Injury)
  Amanmuradova/O'Brien def. Brianti/Schruff 4-1 Retired (Schruff Abdominal Strain)

***

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