Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2014

[Hoergren]

Well back again and seeing that nobody has started a DUbai thread - here is the draw

S. Williams v Bye
A. Kleybanova v E. Makarova

S. Stephens v L. Safarova
Qualifier v J. Jankovic


P. Kvitova v Bye
C. Suarez Navarro v N. Petrova

K. Flipkens v Qualifier
A. Cornet v S. Halep


C. Wozniacki v S. Lisicki
S. Stosur v Qualifier

S. Cirstea v R. Vinci
Bye v S. Errani


A. Kerber v A. Ivanovic
V. Williams v E. Vesnina

K. Kanepi v Qualifier
Bye v A. Radwanska

 

[Hoergren]

The actual rankings with DUBAI 2013 out

1 Serena Williams 12660 +
2 Na Li 6795 -
3 Agnieszka Radwanska 5705 +
4 Victora Azarenka 5681 - injured
5 Maria Sharapova 5206 -
6 Angelique Kerber 4490 +
7 Simona Halep 4435 +
8 Jelena Jankovic 4380 +
9 Petra Kvitova 4365 +
10 Sara Errani 4195 +
11 Ana Ivanovic 3155 +
12 Dominika Cibulkova 3056 -
13 Caroline Wozniacki 3001 +
14 Roberta Vinci 2940 +
15 Carla Suarez Navarro 2685 +

- = not there
+ = taking part

Caroline falling - sad to say and has a very tough draw. SHe's got a new friend in the cold:

 

[Hoergren]

Todays schedule

it is with todays 1st round matches:

Monday, February 17, 2014 as always LOCAL TIMES - TV from 5 matches
Centre Court - first round
14:00 Sloane Stephens (USA) V Lucie Safarova (CZE) TV 36 57
16:00 Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) V Nadia Petrova (RUS) TV 63 62
19:00 Venus Williams (USA) V Elena Vesnina (RUS) TV 63 62
21:00 Sorana Cirstea (ROU) V Roberta Vinci (ITA) TV 64 63
Court 1 - first round
14:00 Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) V Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) TV 46 76 46

Court 2
12:30 Camila Giorgi (ITA) V Karolina Pliskova (CZE) Q 57 26
14:30 Maryna Zanevska (UKR) V Mona Barthel (GER) Q 76 64

Court 3
12:30 [1] Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) V Annika Beck (GER) Q 16 46
14:30 [3] Flavia Pennetta (ITA) V [5] Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) Q 61 63

So Genie couldn't qualify - slumping??? like Sloane Stephens who din't survive either.

 

[jhar26]

Caroline falling - sad to say and has a very tough draw.

You can put her anywhere in that draw and it would always be tough with the state that her game is in.

 

[Si Si Simona]

Its interesting hoergren,
Just when I wanted to give a motivation speech here to Caroline, you said that she has a though draw...
Believe me I saw some motivation from my player in the last weeks, so maybe I know what I am talking about. So here is my Carol motivation speech anyway.

Caroline needs honesty! Not to the world, not to her fans, She needs honesty to herself! She needs to look straight at the mirror! Will she fight or quit and fall victim to her own believes about her "limitations"?...
She needs to wake up and stop having "limitations and weaknesses" in her brain. Be positive and fight hard. She became NO.1 by fighting, just like Simona does, not by playing super tennis. No one is perfect.
She needs to find her lost inner strength. She needs to wake up and then she will do well again!

Her draw is not so bad ! Lisicki and Sam and the Italians are fragile and can be beaten. She can make it to the semi final if she is tough mentally. Its up to her, but she needs to wake up and fight
Imo, thats the reason for her situation.
She stopped fighting and stopped putting her heart in the game even when she loses now and then.

 

[Hoergren]

Caroline falling - sad to say and has a very tough draw.

You can put her anywhere in that draw and it would always be tough with the state that her game is in.

You're probably right but I don't hope so. Perhaps a tough draw can be a wake-up call for her - we'll see - cross my fingers though.

 

[Si Si Simona]

Ok, my Dubai road is Cornet, Flipper, and then Petra and Serena. I do not believe Simo will get to play Serena in the SF. Its too much tennis over 3 weeks. I am worried about a new injury.
I wish she skipped Dubai. :s Too much tennis Simona.

Alizze, please finish that cheeky Romanian off in R1 ! We need a healthy Simona in the IW event

 

[jhar26]

Caroline falling - sad to say and has a very tough draw.

You can put her anywhere in that draw and it would always be tough with the state that her game is in.

You're probably right but I don't hope so. Perhaps a tough draw can be a wake-up call for her - we'll see - cross my fingers though.

If 2012-2013 hasn't been a wake-up call already she must be in a coma. But Lisicki isn't such a bad draw. She's not exactly going through draws like a knife through butter either at the moment. But you never know which Lisicki will show up. If her shots paint the lines Caro is obviously in trouble. But she may just as easily hit homeruns all evening, you never know with her.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

It's a tough event for everyone and that includes the top seed.

What happened to Sloane and Genie?

as for the draw, Venus/Elena---Caro/Sabine---Angie/Ana----Sorana/Roberta, sound very interesting to me.
Simo got Alize? Si you are lucky first rounder. Alize will not trouble Simo.

 

[Si Si Simona]

Si you are lucky first rounder. Alize will not trouble Simo.

That's a shame! Alize, kick this cheeky Romanian* @rse please !

*Romania wants Simona healthy in IW but she just wants to have fun in Dubai...

 

[Si Si Simona]

What happened to Sloane and Genie?

Oh that's so simple! two no nonsense tough fighters like Safarova and Beck kicked the petulant girls @rse.
I could predict that Sloane will lose from miles away, I knew Beck is tough after seeing her v Simo, but I expected her to lose to Genie. Weeks ago I saw weaknesses in Genie and I am proven right ! Her lose to Bethanie in Doha may destroyed her self confidence.
Women tennis now days is not as soft as it seems...
The tough girls are taking over, check my avatar...

 

[Hoergren]

Anybody who's got a working link to the tournaments homepage - when you go via WTA and the official site - it doesn't work. I got from Twitter that @CaroWozniacki plays 2nd match on CC against world No. 15 Sabine Lisicki! Caro leads H2H 3-2! so order of play may be there??

CENTRE COURT start 14.00 local time
A Cornet (FRA) vs [7] S Halep (ROU)
[8] C Wozniacki (DEN) vs S Lisicki (GER)

 

[Si Si Simona]

Anybody who's got a working link to the tournaments homepage - when you go via WTA and the official site - it doesn't work. I got from Twitter that @CaroWozniacki plays 2nd match on CC against world No. 15 Sabine Lisicki! Caro leads H2H 3-2! so order of play may be there??

CENTRE COURT start 14.00 local time
A Cornet (FRA) vs [7] S Halep (ROU)
[8] C Wozniacki (DEN) vs S Lisicki (GER)

It works again now. Sometimes it freezes. You just need to try it again after sometime. The schedule is correct. Caro on center court after Simo. Simo match starts at 2pm local time.

 

[kskate2]

Venus takes the opener 6-3 over Ves

 

[Si Si Simona]

Venus takes the opener 6-3 over Ves

Nice but expected, Vesnina is on a slump lately.
Then Comes Sori in the next match. I predict an all Romanian final in Dubai! jokkking but who knows?... both already played a 'premier 5' final in the last 12 months and no one expected that!

 

[kskate2]

Venus comes through 6-3 6-2. Served very well w/ 10 aces. Let's see how she does in R2.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Anybody who's got a working link to the tournaments homepage -

right here:

http://www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com

 

[Hoergren]

Anybody who's got a working link to the tournaments homepage -

right here:

http://www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com

IT SIMPLY DOESN'T WORK ON MY COMPUTER - can you get order of play Kiu for Tuesday? Now something different - have a look at these two beauties who has renewed their ambassador duties by DUbai Duty free - Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki. Great view of SKI Dubai:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-inlo2KY21c#t=61

Here is an article about Carolines visit to the penguins - interesting:

http://gulfnews.com/in-focus/dubai-tennis-championship/caroline-wozniacki-gets-cosy-with-ski-dubai-penguins-1.1291578

 

[Si Si Simona]

ha.. Sorana talks with her coach and I understood clearly every word
Such a nice girl and she was maoning and crying, and her coach tells her to be brave and attack because Vinci wont blow her off the court
She managed to break back to lead 5-4 but she is soft.
Comparing Sorana to Simona is like comparing a dolphin to a shark

 

[Si Si Simona]

haha Vinci lost 1st set 6-4 and almost gets into fight with her coach
"grinta grinta joaca joaca..." he tells her, which means "grind and play grind and play"
He is totally correct. What happened to the Italian players? Total lost of form to all of them
passiona passiona... "play with passion"