Grand Prix Der Sar La Princesse Lalla Meryem – Rabat Grand Prix, Morocco

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Serena Williams spoke in a recent interview with BBC Sports of bringing a WTA event to Africa.

“I think it would be amazing. It would be so fun – the help that we could do, and the awareness and the athletes and the amazing players that would come out of Africa would just be unbelievable.”

Serena might have overlooked the Grand Prix Der Sar La Princesse Lalla Meryem, a WTA International event hosted in Morocco since 2007… or more likely she is considering an event on a larger scale.

Either way, the Morocco Grand Prix has been flying the flag for the WTA in Africa since 2007.

Hosted at the Club des Cheminots in Rabat, the tournament offers a $250,000prize pool and while it might not attract the global superstars of women’s tennis, it does attract some well-known faces from the tour. Elise Mertens (1) and Dominika Cibulkova (2) head the field this year.

Seeds:
1 Elise Mertens
2 Dominika Cibulkova
3 Petra Martic
4 Timea Babos
5 Timea Bacsinszky
6 Zarina Dyas
7 Aleksandra Krunic
8 Su-Wei Hsieh

Strange, but true
For a period of the 17th century, Rabat was run by pirates under the Republic of Bou Regreg. These Barbary pirates used the city (along with its neighbor Salé) as a base for their attacks on ships in the area.

 

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The Draw:

 

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First Round

1-Elise Mertens (BEL) beat Kristina Kucova (SVK) 6-0 6-0
Laura Siegemund (GER) beat Ana Bogdan (ROU) 6-4 6-1
Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) beat 4-Timea Babos (HUN) 2-6 7-6(7) 7-5
Katarina Zavatska (UKR) beat Diae El Jardi (MAR) 6-2 6-3
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) beat Magda Linette (POL) 6-4 6-2
8-Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands 3-6 7-6(3) 6-1
Magdalena Frech (POL) beat Christina McHale (USA) 7-5 7-5
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) beat Silvia Soler Espinosa 6-2 3-6 6-1
7-Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) beat Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 6-2 6-7(0) 6-2
Paula Badosa Gibert (ESP) beat Fiona Ferro (FRA) 5-7 6-4 6-0
Polona Hercog (SLO) beat 2-Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 2-6 7-5 6-4

Another early loss for Cibby. Downturn since Singapore 2017 has been poor.

 

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Mertens drops a bagel on Siegemund in the 2nd set after choking away 5 set points in the first set. She jumps out an early break in the decider when Laura has to retire w/ a leg injury.

 

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Quarter Finals:

1-Elise Mertens (BEL) beat Sara Errani (ITA) 6-3 6-1
8-Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) beat Katarina Zavatska (UKR) 6-1 6-1
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) beat Jana Fett (CRO) 3-6 6-3 6-3
7-Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) beat Paula Badosa Gibert (ESP) 6-2

 

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Semi-final ..
1-Elise Mertens (BEL) beat 8-Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) 6-0 6-2
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) beat 7-Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 7-5 6-2