Kremlin Cup Moscow 2014

[Hoergren]

Tournament Info
Tier: Premier
Prize Money: $710,000
Surface: Hard
Director: Aleksei Selivanenko

Even if NO TOP 10 players take part I think this event deserve a bit of attention. It's its 25th jubilee year - excisting since 1990 on the ATP schedule.

Prize money for the period since 1990 to 1993 was 330.000 - 350.000 USD, and since 1994 to 2007 it was 1.100.000 - 1.125.000 USD. These years "Kremlin Cup" tournament had been repeatedly recognized as the best in organization among ATP Tour Tournaments.
Women's tournament "Kremlin Cup", the successor of "Moscow Ladies Open", was renamed in 1996. "Kremlin Cup" is WTA Tour Tournament with the prize money of 400.000 USD in 1996 and 926.000 USD (in 1997-1998). The next years tournament money prize exceeded 1.000.000 USD and ranked “Tier I” category in Sony Ericsson WTA Tour calendar.
The first-ever combined ATP Tour and WTA Tour Tournaments "Kremlin Cup" - 2000 were played simultaneously indoors in one week. #1 world's ranked player Martina Hingis took place in the "Kremlin Cup" for the first time, Russian player Anna Kournikova was in final. The leading Russian top 10 ATP ranking players Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin were among the participants in the main draw.
In 2009 the Women's tournament ranks “Premier 600” and has prize money - 1.000.000 USD. The Bank of Moscow became the Title Partner of the Tournament since 2012.

Women playing this year - the first 24 - rest are wildcards and qualifiers - but see how far down the rankings are giving direct access - haven't seen that before in Moscow:nono

1 PENNETTA Flavia 12 Italy
2 CIBULKOVA Dominika 13 Slovakia
3 SAFAROVA Lucie 15 Czech Republic
4 MAKAROVA Ekaterina 18 Russia
5 KUZNETSOVA Svetlana 22 Russia
6 PAVLYUCHENKOVA Anastasia 25 Russia
7 GIORGI Camila 31 ITA
8 KOUKALOVA Klara 40 Czech Republic
9 GARCIA Caroline 41 France
10 PLISKOVA Karolina 42 CZE
11 RISKE Alison 45 USA
12 PIRONKOVA Tsvetana 51 Bulgaria
13 TOMLJANOVIC Ajla 55 CRO
14 VESNINA Elena 56 Russia
15 IRINA-CAMELIA BEGU 61 Romania
16 MLADENOVIC Kristina 73 France
17 VEKIC Donna 79 CRO
18 SASNOVICH Aliaksandra Sasnovich 92 Belarus
19 KOVINIC Danka 102 Montenegro
20 KRUNIC Aleksandra 104 Serbia WC
21 KONJUH Ana 113 CRO
22 PANOVA Alexandra 152 Russia WC
23 GOVORTSOVA Olga 157 BLR
24 KASATKINA Darya 385 Russia WC

Here is a link to the English version of their homepage:

http://www.kremlincup.ru/db/players/?change_grid=0&grid=19&country=

 

[Hoergren]

It's the Olympic tennis arena - well used to many other things also- and here are some pictures showing how big it is:

But one of the worst accustics it has - sorry to say.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Another interest in this tourament will be which player will be named as the 2nd alternative player at Singapore.

Makarova,Cibulova,Errani,Jankovic and Pennetta are the five women who still have a chance.

 

[Hoergren]

The main draw is out

(1) 1 Cibulkova Dominika SVK
2 BYE
3 Govortsova Olga BLR
4 Q
5 Riske Alison USA
WC 6 Kasatkina Darya RUS
7 Konjuh Ana CRO
(6) 8 Pavlyuchenkova Anastasia RUS

(3) 9 Pennetta Flavia ITA
10 BYE
11 Q
12 Giorgi Camila ITA
13 Vesnina Elena RUS
14 Q
15 Mladenovic Kristina FRA
(7) 16 Pliskova Karolina CZE

(5) 17 Kuznetsova Svetlana RUS
18 Koukalova Klara CZE
19 Sasnovich Aliaksandra BLR
20 Q
LD 21 Panova Alexandra RUS
22 Tomljanovic Ajla CRO
23 BYE
(4) 24 Safarova Lucie CZE

(8) 25 Garcia Caroline FRA
WC 26 Krunic Aleksandra SRB
27 Pironkova Tsvetana BUL
28 Kovinic Danka MNE
29 Vekic Donna CRO
30 Begu Irina-Camelia ROU
31 BYE
(2) 32 Makarova Ekaterina RUS

 

[Hoergren]

Another interest in this tourament will be which player will be named as the 2nd alternative player at Singapore.

Makarova,Cibulova,Errani,Jankovic and Pennetta are the five women who still have a chance.

Not all are playing in Moscow but here are the actual racelist from place 9:

10 Ekaterina Makarova RUS 2970 Moscow R16
11 Dominika Cibulkova SVK 2908 Moscow R16
12 Sara Errani ITA 2775 Not playing
13 Jelena Jankovic SRB 2675
14 Flavia Pennetta ITA 2642

I'll say it's between the two first and you can see they are very close. The ideal situation is that it'll be in the final the last alternate is found

Points to win:

Winner 470
Finalist 305
Semifinalist 185
Quarterfinalist 100
2nd Round 55
1st Round 1

 

[Hoergren]

Order of play Monday, October 13, 2014

TV from CC or the normal stream http://www.drakulastream.eu/tennis-live-streaming-video.html

Central court Start Time 11:00

5 Kuznetsova Svetlana (RUS) vs Koukalova Klara (CZE) 61 ret.
Pironkova Tsvetana (BUL) vs Kovinic Danka (MNE) 62 62
Not before 20:00
Vekic Donna (CRO) vs Begu Irina-Camelia (ROU) 67 61 36

Court 1 Start Time 11:00
Qualifying
4 Diatchenko Vitalia (RUS) vs 6 Rodina Evgeniya (RUS) 76 61

1 Makarova Ekaterina/Vesnina Elena (RUS)/(RUS) vs Krunic Aleksandra/Siniakova Katerina (SRB)/(CZE) 26 62 8-10
Gasparyan Margarita/Panova Alexandra (RUS)/(RUS) vs 3 Pavlyuchenkova Anastasia/Safarova Lucie (RUS)/(CZE) 64 67 11-9

Court 2 Qualifying
2 Siniakova Katerina (CZE) vs 5 Buyukakcay Cagla (TUR) 63 61

Court 3 Qualifying
3 Peer Shahar (ISR) vs 8 Kozlova Kateryna (UKR) 46 36
1 Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) vs 7 Paula Kania (POL) 46 64 75

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Here is the list of previous winners:

2013
Simona Halep
2012
Caroline Wozniacki
2011
Dominika Cibulkova
2010
Victoria Azarenka
2009
Francesca Schiavone

http://www.wtatennis.com/tournaments/tournamentId/664/title/kremlin-cup-by-bank-of-moscow

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I am hoping that Lucie Safarova can win the title here,I really think Lucie's new coach has had a positive influence on Lucie this year,she has had more consistent results,winning a title here,would really be a good confidence booster for Lucie,also hopefully she can take the positives of this year and build on them for the start of 2015.

 

[faradubii]

I am hoping that Lucie Safarova can win the title here.

That would be great, and would qualify her automatically to Sofia. She has the points but no tourney win.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

The top Russian doubles team, seeded #1 here, lost today in a super tie-breaker.
Must be disappointing for the home crowd.

Off to Singapore they go.

 

[Hoergren]

Order of play Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - only WTA is shown

Center Court
11:00 - Olga Govortsova (BLR) V Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 26 12 ret
15:00 - Elena Vesnina (RUS) V Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 26 26
18:30 - Ana Konjuh (CRO) V [6] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 36 46

Court 1
11:00 - Alexandra Panova (RUS) V Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) 46 64 36
13:00 - [8] Caroline Garcia (FRA) V Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 46 26
15:00 - Gabriela Dabrowski / Alicja Rosolska (CAN / POL) V [2] Martina Hingis / Flavia Pennetta (SUI / ITA) 75 16 4-10
17:00 - Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) V Camila Giorgi (ITA) 06 36

Court 2
11:00 - Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) V Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 36 26

Court 3
14:00 - Klaudia Jans-Ignacik / Kristina Mladenovic (POL / FRA) V Irina-Camelia Begu / Arina Rodionova (ROU / AUS) 67 60 6-10
16:00 - Vitalia Diatchenko / Oksana Kalashnikova (RUS / GEO) V Raluca Olaru / Shahar Peer (ROU / ISR) 63 36 8-10

 

[Hoergren]

The youngsters are doing well - at least this babe the 18 year-old Katerina Siniakova defeats Elena Vesnina in straight sets to advance to R2. A little surprise in a very poor tournament if you compare to the players in Luxembourg. Things can change but.....:nono

 

[Hoergren]

Order of play Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Center Court
13:00 - [5] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) V Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 36 63 63
16:30 - Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) V [2] Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 64 64
20:00 - [3] Flavia Pennetta (ITA) V Camila Giorgi (ITA) 67 46

Court 1
11:00 - Alison Riske (USA) V Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 61 62
13:00 - Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) V [4] Lucie Safarova (CZE) 67 26
15:00 - Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) V [7] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 63 75
17:00 - Lyudmyla Kichenok / Olga Savchuk (UKR / UKR) V Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Ajla Tomljanovic (USA / CRO) 62 76

Court 2
12:30 - Darija Jurak / Megan Moulton-Levy (CRO / USA) V Veronika Kudermetova / Evgeniya Rodina (RUS / RUS) 46 36
14:30 - [4] Caroline Garcia / Arantxa Parra Santonja (FRA / ESP) V PaulaKania / Valeria Solovyeva (POL / RUS) 76 26 10-5

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Flavia vs. Camila sounds yummy!
Karolina vs. Kristina too!

 

[Hoergren]

Stats from the Kuznetsova match

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Sveta Davia.!...(expect me no likey those winners to ufe ratio)....

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Seriously Flavia get rid of that Italian Fognini?
Ever since you hooked up with him,your results have gone backwards.

 

[Hoergren]

Order of play Thursday, October 16, 2014

Center Court
13:00 - Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) V Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 26 36
16:30 - Alison Riske (USA) V [6] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 26 26
20:00 - [1] Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) V Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 64 26 26

Court 1
13:00 - Katerina Siniakova (CZE) V Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 61 61

Court 2
13:00 - Veronika Kudermetova / Evgeniya Rodina (RUS / RUS) V Margarita Gasparyan / Alexandra Panova (RUS / RUS) 36 36
15:00 - Irina-Camelia Begu / Arina Rodionova (ROU / AUS) V [2] Martina Hingis / Flavia Pennetta (SUI / ITA) 26 57

Court 3
13:00 - [4] Caroline Garcia / Arantxa Parra Santonja (FRA / ESP) V Raluca Olaru / Shahar Peer (ROU / ISR) 61 63
15:00 - Aleksandra Krunic / Katerina Siniakova (SRB / CZE) V Lyudmyla Kichenok / Olga Savchuk (UKR / UKR) 26 76 9-11

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

#2 and #3 seed dropped out in straight sets, Moscow is starting to look like Luxembourg.

With Maka saying goodbye, it's now Domi who is trying for the last alternate in Singapore.

Who wants to be the last alternate?

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTrRAf6jrQ4[/video]