The Red and White groups have been named for the WTA Championships:
Red Group
Serena Williams
Agnieszka Radwanska
Petra Kvitova
Angelique Kerber
White Group
Victoria Azarenka
Li Na
Sara Errani
Jelena Jankovic
Each player will compete in a round-robin format until there are only four players remaining, and those four will play in the semifinals until there are two, etc. And while another Williams vs. Azarenka final looks good on paper, it may not turn out that way.
The $6 million event begins on Tuesday. I like the round-robin format; the players are forced to face several of their peers, with the results sometimes coming down to small details.
The alternates are Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens.
Here is a photo of the Istanbul competitors, with four of the ladies dressed in black (but not necessarily wearing the outfits of your dreams).
In doubles, there are four teams and a regular knock-out format is employed. The four teams are:
Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci
Peng Shuai and Hsieh Su-Wei
Nadia Petrova & Katarina Srebotnik
Elena Vesnina & Ekaterina Makarova
Vesnina will travel straight from Istanbul to Sofia, Bulgaria, for the Tournament of Champions, which means she won't participate in the Fed Cup final (more on this subject in the near future).
As to the dress/shoe combos, I most like those worn by Petra and Na, with Aggie and Sara next.
ReplyDeleteTo use an archaic phrase (because it fits; and note that it does not mean what you young 'uns will think), Petra is becoming a very handsome woman. Fundamentally happy, nicely attired, losing the baby fat. A very attractive woman indeed. Not at all today's notion of a hottie. She's got a lot more than that - solid character, honesty, love.
ReplyDeleteI hope you shed light on the Russian situation in Fed Cup. 3 of the participants in the semifinals of Fed Cup are going to Sophia rather than Fed Cup-Kirilenko, Vesnina and Pavlyuchenkova.
ReplyDeleteI have no info on the above-I am assuming Vinci didn't go to Sophia because of her Fed cup duties.
The only "light" I can shed is that this type of thing was inevitable. Holding the TOC (an event I have no use for, but more on that at another time) the same weekend as the Fed Cup final is a ridiculous idea, and very unfair to players who are forced to make a choice.
ReplyDeleteThis conflict has occurred before, but never so dramatically. Are K, V and P making a statement? I kind of hope so.