The top-seeded doubles team in Stanford, Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs, were upset yesterday in the first round by Raquel Kops-Jones and Sarah Borwell. Kops-Jones and Borwell defeated the 1st seeds 6-0, 4-6, 12-10.
5th seed Maria Sharapova won a close (6-4, 7-5) match against Zheng Jie, and Melanie Oudin defeated 2008 Stanford champion Aleksandria Wozniak 6-7, 7-5, 6-3. Oudin was down 1-5 in the second set, and saved a match point, and she was also down 1-3 in the third.
I'd never fathom a guess as to how far Ms. Oudin will go in the rankings, but she consistently defies the odds and comes back when you expect her to fail.
ReplyDeleteI saw her in a local challenger. So nervous in her first match I had to walk away (assuming a loss) - she came back and won.
Over-matched later in the tournament, in addition to illegal coaching from her opponents coach. She came back and won that one as well.
I hope she continues her progress, and continues to "over-achieve".
I'm glad to hear she is playing challengers or for women-ITF tour. Often after such a run at Wimbledon and US Open last year, players won't drop down to gain playing time and confidence.
ReplyDeleteUnless things turn around for Ivanovic, she should try the ITF route.
I was talking originally about Oudin. Sorry I didn't mention her name.
ReplyDeleteShe's playing challengers now? That's news to me.
ReplyDeleteSorry Diane and Anomymous: I looked at the WTA page and Core Tennis and neither showed activity for Oudin at the challenger level which you had stated Anon. Oudin did play in 2009 but not this year.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why some of them don't. Baghdatis on the men's tour, after being a finalist in the AO in 2006, later went to play challengers due to fall in play and injuries.
I don't know why women won't do that.
But sorry on the wrong information.
Pennetta played challengers after her injury because she said she had very little confidence. Playing the challengers got her right back into the thick of things, with her best results ever.
ReplyDeleteLet's try this again:
ReplyDelete"I saw her in a local challenger. So nervous in her first match I had to walk away (assuming a loss) - she came back and won".
"saw" is past tense - as in the past, a few years ago. She exhibited that same ability to come from behind then as she continues today.
Thanks for that info Diane. I hope others take Pennetta's approach. I can think of a few-Safina, Ivanovic. I saw at Core TEnnis that Chakvetadze played a lot of international tiers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification Anon. I just answered too quickly. I have been advised not to stay on the computer too long right now and so I just write fast.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info.
I think Ana's aversion to challengers has a lot to do with her mind set as well as the mind set of the team that she has around here. I think that Ana has been told and that she believes that it only takes one good tournament, one good result for her to get her confidence back and get back to the top of the game.
ReplyDeleteIf you read Ana's interviews after her losses, there is always a reason for it. Whether it is her game at that point, her opponent playing well, just recovering from injury etc. Now, she is of the view that her improved fitness is what will assist her in getting back to the top because now she no longer has to go for winners but stay in the rally. OK then.
If she does not get far in Stanford, the word will be that it is a process and it will take time.
On Safina, her thing is confidence right now as well as the fact that she is convinced that her injury has healed and she is ready to play again and compete. She is also of the view that she needs to get the fear factor back, i.e. her opponents fearing her on the other side of the net. Unfortunately, losing twice in a row to Kimiko is not going to instill fear in the other women of the WTA.
I wish them both well.