Monday, January 6, 2014

Upsets down under

We don't get to see Bethanie Mattek-Sands playing at her full capability as often as we should. When she's healthy and match-tough, the veteran player from the USA has every shot in the book and a natural aggression that is a delight to watch. Mattek-Sands was "on" in Sydney today, and rather easily disposed of top seed and defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska, 7-5, 6-2. Radwanska helped by not serving that well, and by making a lot (for her) of unforced errors. Mattek-Sands, a qualifier, took out hot up-and-comer Eugine Bouchard in straight sets in the first round. And while this doesn't sound like much of an endorsement for the Canadian, it should be noted that Bouchard did extremely well in Hopman Cup play last week.

Madison Keys won her second round match against Ajla Tomjanovic, but the interesting part is how she advanced to the second round: She upset 7th seed Simona Halep. Jelena Jankovic went out in the first round to Ekaterina Makarova, and Angelique Kerber won her first and second round matches against Dominika Cibulkova (7-6, 7-5) and Kaia Kanepi, respectively.

Sara Errani beat friend and doubles partner Roberta Vinci in the opening round.

In Hobart, defending champion Elena Vesnina advanced to the second round, and wild card Storm Sanders upset Shenzhen runner-up Peng Shuai.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Christina McHale paid the price for beating Petra last year. It was a demolition: Kvitova, by 6-1, 6-0. The Brit commentators (common taters? Baked, boiled, fried?) were blown away by watching Petra at her best. At last. Every shot in the book from everywhere on the court. Low unforced error count, big serves in every game. As brutal a drubbing as you'll ever see. Fingers crossed ovah heah, hoping that she has awakened. Not one point where she was less than confident. Terrific use of the slice and the net too. She has it all... sometimes.

Diane said...

I saw about half of it. Petra was as good as I've ever seen her. Wicked slice. Total Petra. Fingers crossed, you know?

And I think, in the U.K., those common taters are boiled :)

Anonymous said...

Petra and Lucie played a terrific two-setter. Petra had no lapses whatever again. She has won all four of her singles matches this year. It was a toe-to-toe slugfest, both firing rocket-like winners all over the place, but Petra holding Lucie to only two break points, both of which Petra won. Lucie fought off thirteen of the fifteen that were held against her. First strike tennis from both. Some fabulous rallies. Kvitova's movement and footwork are the best ever right now.

Jim Lumpkin said...

Anon... you must mean that Petra converted two of the fifteen break points that she got; and that Lucie only got two break points, converting neither. ?