GP SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem 2017, Rabat, Morocco, WTA International

[Moxie]

DATE: May 1 - 6, 2017
SURFACE: Clay
PRIZE MONEY: $226,750
FIELD SIZE: 32
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Timea Bacsinszky

Seeds:

1 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
2 Timea Bacsinszky
3 Daria Gavrilova
4 Timea Babos
5 Yulia Putintseva
6 Irina Camelia Begu
7 Lauren Davies
8 Alison Riske

The Tournament:

The WTA makes its lone stop in Africa at the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem. The red clay court tournament has been staged in several different cities in Morocco, starting off in Casablanca in 2001, moving to Rabat in 2005, to Fès in 2007 and finally Marrakech in 2013.

Located near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, Marrakech is a major economic center and tourist destination. The event name refers to Princess Lalla Meryem, the sister of Mohammed VI, King of Morocco.

Among the tournament's past participants are Svetlana Kuznetsova, Li Na, Dinara Safina and 2013 winner Francesca Schiavone. It has produced a different champion each year since its inception. Ref: WTA

About Rabat

Morocco's capital is an elegant, European-flavored city, since France moved the headquarters from Fez in the early 20th C. But its gentile demeanor hides its past as a main harbor for barbary pirates, particularly from the 16th-18th Centuries. Its convenience to Europe makes it a tourist destination, and its medina is a World Heritage site.

Tourism Guide:

 

[britbox]

The Draw

 

[britbox]

Results from the Rabat Grand Prix Women's Singles Round 1 matches on Monday

8-Alison Riske (U.S.) beat Alize Cornet (France) 6-2 6-4
Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat 4-Timea Babos (Hungary) 6-4 6-1
Sara Errani (Italy) beat Anna Blinkova (Russia) 6-3 6-3
Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) beat Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-3 1-6 6-3
5-Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) beat Andrea Petkovic (Germany) 6-3 6-4
Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) beat Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 6-3 6-2

Fourth seed Timea Babos the noteworthy casualty from Monday's proceedings.

 

[britbox]

Results from the Rabat Grand Prix Women's Singles Round 1 matches on Tuesday

Elise Mertens (Belgium) beat Pauline Parmentier (France) 4-6 7-6(7) 6-2
Tatjana Maria (Germany) beat 6-Irina Begu (Romania) 6-3 6-1
Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Silvia Soler Espinosa (Spain) 6-1 6-4
2-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) beat Johanna Larsson (Sweden) 6-3 6-1
Catherine Bellis (U.S.) beat Nao Hibino (Japan) 6-1 4-6 7-5
Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) beat Aleksandra Krunic (Serbia) 6-2 7-6(7)
1-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat Conny Perrin (Switzerland) 6-2 7-6(6)
7-Lauren Davis (U.S.) beat Nadia Podoroska (Argentina) 6-2 6-1
3-Daria Gavrilova (Australia) beat Maryna Zanevska (Belgium) 6-2 6-2
Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) beat Lina Qostal (Morocco) 6-1 6-0

 

[britbox]

Results from the Rabat Grand Prix Women's Singles Round 2 matches on Wednesday

1-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 6-2 7-5
Catherine Bellis (U.S.) beat 2-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 6-7(3) 7-5 7-5
Tatjana Maria (Germany) beat Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) 6-3 6-4
3-Daria Gavrilova (Australia) beat Elise Mertens (Belgium) 6-2 6-1
Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) 6-4 6-4
7-Lauren Davis (U.S.) beat Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-1 6-2
Sara Errani (Italy) beat 8-Alison Riske (U.S.) 7-6(7) 6-7(4) 6-2
Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) beat 5-Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) 1-6 6-4 6-1

 

[britbox]

Results from the Rabat Grand Prix Women's Singles Quarterfinal matches on Thursday

Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Tatjana Maria (Germany) 6-1 4-6 6-3
1-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat 7-Lauren Davis (U.S.) 6-4 3-6 6-3
Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) beat Catherine Bellis (U.S.) 6-3 6-2
Sara Errani (Italy) beat 3-Daria Gavrilova (Australia) 7-6(5) 6-4

 

[britbox]

Results from the Rabat Grand Prix Women's Singles Semifinal matches on Friday

Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) 7-5 6-4
1-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat Sara Errani (Italy) 6-4 6-0

 

[britbox]

Result from the Rabat Grand Prix Women's Singles Final on Saturday

1-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 7-5 7-5