2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova took her 2014 campaign another step today when she upset 5th seed Petra Kvitova 6-7, 6-1, 9-7 in their 3-hour and 13-minute third round match. Next up for Kuznetsova is yet another left-handed Czech, Lucie Safarova. Safarova, for the fifth consecutive time, defeated Ana Ivanovic (6-3, 6-3). Apparently, all the commentators who have told us over and over in the last couple of days that Ivanovic was now a favorite to win the title failed to look at the draw. Or maybe they just didn't realize what it means when Safarova is in the Serb's draw, since I suspect they don't watch women's tennis.
For those who were hoping for a Kiki vs. Kiki event--sorry, it isn't going to happen. Kiki Bertens is still around; she quickly defeated Silvia Soler-Espinosa (6-2, 6-1) in today's French Open third round. But Kiki Mladenovic--despite putting up a big fight--lost her third round match to Charleston champion Andrea Petkovic. It was one of those matches in which you really didn't know, until the last moment, who was going to win. Petko served for the match at 5-3 in the third and was broken, continuing a pattern that had gone on throughout the event. But in the end, Petkovic won, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Sloane Stephens defeated Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-4 and used her Tennis Channel post-match interview to take a smiling swipe at her next opponent, Simona Halep. "She's played really, really well at the smaller tournaments, which I haven't," Stephens said. It is kind of pitiful, isn't it--winning Moscow and Doha? For her part, Halep, reached the round of 16 by beating Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-3, 6-0.
Jelena Jankovic defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 6-2, and 2012 finalist Sara Errani defeated Julia Glushko 6-0, 6-1. Jankovic and Errani will face each other in the round of 16.
In doubles competition, there was a big second round upset today. Julie Coin (remember Julie Coin?) and Pauline Parmentier upset 3rd seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. The Chan sisters went out too, as did Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears. Spears, half of the top-seeded mixed doubles team (with Alexander Peya), got knocked out of that competition, too. Spears and Peya were upset by Arantxa Parra Santonja and Santiago Gonzalez.
4 comments:
Yeah, and Halep reached the "small" Madrid final, too. Of course, you know, Sloane doesn't know what reaching a final on tour actually feels like, let alone winning seven real-life singles titles. So...
Also, of note: Halep and Stephens had the exact same 4th Round result at the U.S., Halep did better in Australia (QF to 4r) and they're in the same round in Paris.
She can't hold onto that one Serena win forever. Or can she?
She can, in her mind, I suppose.
Sloane had better grow up. She is a brat. It is not attractive.
They don't watch women's tennis. And, they are paid to be shills for the machine. Hence, the need to create palatable stories, to raise some players to prominence by press. It's short-range thinking, pragmatic to the core. And it sucks. People who watch women's tennis know, for example, that on a given day, Lucie can be dangerous to anyone - a big problem to solve by the opponent.
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