Wild card Kimiko Date Krumm, playing in the first round of the Pan Toray Pacific Open, defeated 12th seed and defending champion Maria Sharapova today. Date Krumm, who will celebrate her 40th birthday tomorrow, defeated Sharapova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. She will play Daniela Hantuchova in the second round.
Also going out was 15th seed Nadia Petrova, who lost to qualifier Roberta Vinci. Julia Goerges defeated Dinara Safina, Anna Ivanovic defeated Seoul champion Alisa Kleybanova, and qualifier Coco Vandeweghe defeated Seoul runner-up Klara Zakopalova.
In the second round of play, 3rd seed Jelena Jankovic defeated Alona Bondarenko 6-4, 6-1, and 6th seed Agnieszka Radwanska defeated Olga Govortsova 6-2, 6-3.
5 comments:
Well, you never know who is going to win. It is like throwing darts at their photos and picking a winner that way. I would like a few players to be consistent playing in big events and hopefully we will see this later on in the tournament. Ivanovic, Safina, Sharapova, are they coming back?
I also don't think anyone is too keen on seeing Date Krumm's name next to hers in a draw, either. She has become a kind of consistently dangerous floater. I wish she hadn't retired when she did, but I'm glad she's back!
And your guess, Sunny, is as good as mine about who is going to really return to her former standing. (I never thought we'd be having this conversation about Sharapova.)
Hey all. I think the results of some of the former top players have a lot to do with hunger. In 2008 Ivanovic was hungry. She wanted to win a major and she wanted that No. 1 ranking. She worked hard to get there and when she did the hunger died.
Sharapova was hungry to win tournaments and make money. Now that she is a multi-millionaire and a one woman stimulus package, is the hunger still there for the daily grind of the Tour? I don't think so. Some who saw her match against Date-Krumm theorised that she seemed to lose focus throughout the match.
Safina is trying but while her heart may be in it her game is just nowhere right now. Stosur seems to be a never ending work in progress. Rezai does not do well on fast hard courts.
About the only players who may be consistent throughout this Asian swing are those who have been faltering all season: Jankovic, Dementieva spring to mind.
I'm not sure Sharapova loses focus because of a lack of desire. I think her confidence took a huge hit. She had a doctor who failed to diagnose her. Then she had to rehab twice, and every time she tried to go forward, she had pain and complications. She must have endured a great deal of frustration. I think she is a pretty tough cookie, but she has to conquer the service issue that has set in.
I really have no clue about Ivanovic and Safina. In sports, anything can happen. The top players are in a strange state right now.
I agree with Diane regarding Maria. I recall when Steffi broke a finger skiing and her timing seemed a bit off afterwards. At that high of a level, it takes time.
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