WTA Birmingham 2014: AEGON Classic

[Correspondent Kiu]

Just like that, the grass season started!

BIRMINGHAM, GREAT BRITAIN
JUN 09 - JUN 15

TOURNAMENT INFO
TIER: Premier
PRIZE MONEY: $710,000 SURFACE: Grass
DIRECTOR: Patrick Hughesman

Defending Champion is Daniela Hantuchova

Draw here:
http://www.lta.org.uk/NewWebsite/LTA/Documents/Fans%20News%20and%20Major%20Events/AEGON%20Classic/2014/MDS.pdf
Top 8 seeds get first round bye. Top seed is Ana Ivanovic, Sam Stosur is #2 seed.

Qualifying round started today.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I can say with upmost confidence Stosur hasnt a chance of winning this tournament

Grass is her worst surface

 

[sk310]

Kind of a light draw... I would expect more people who went out earlier than expected at Wimbledon would want a tuneup on grass.

 

[rubydo]

Well of course sk310 there is the Aegon International at Eastbourne, the following week, where I will be and the entry level into that event is alot tougher. Aga, is always there, Wozniacki, Kvitova, Kerber are just a few top players there. Also there is the Top Shelf grass court tournament in the Netherlands the same week with Halep, Cibulkova, Bouchard, Navarro and others in that event too.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD514qsoY-s[/video]

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2sQxlKTcCo[/video]

 

[RJD11]

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Qualifier Vicky Duval d Caroline Garcia 6 - 2 6 - 4

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

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Qualifier Vicky Duval d Caroline Garcia 6 - 2 6 - 4

Yes!
There were other casualties too, #10 seed packed her bags as well.

Full scores:

MONDAY, JUNE 09, 2014

SINGLES - FIRST ROUND
Camila Giorgi (ITA) d [Q] Katy Dunne (GBR) | 4 - 6 | 6 - 1 | 2 - 1 | RET
Belinda Bencic (SUI) d Donna Vekic (CRO) | 6 - 4 | 6 - 4 |
Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) d Paula Ormaechea (ARG) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 1 |
[11] Madison Keys (USA) d Teliana Pereira (BRA) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 3 |
Shahar Peer (ISR) d Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) | 4 - 6 | 6 - 2 | 6 - 2 |
[9] Shuai Zhang (CHN) d [Q] Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) | 7 - 5 | 6 - 4 |
[15] Alison Riske (USA) d [Q] Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR) | 7 - 6 (3) | 6 - 3 |
[Q] Nadiia Kichenok (UKR) d Sharon Fichman (CAN) | 6 - 7 (6) | 7 - 6 (2) | 6 - 3 |
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) d Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) | 6 - 4 | 6 - 0 |
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d Jie Zheng (CHN) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 4 |
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) d Zarina Diyas (KAZ) | 6 - 4 | 7 - 5 |
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d [10] Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) | 6 - 4 | 6 - 4 |
Virginie Razzano (FRA) d Karolina Pliskova (CZE) | 7 - 6 (1) | 6 - 3 |
Mona Barthel (GER) d Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) | 6 - 1 | 6 - 4 |
[Q] Victoria Duval (USA) d [13] Caroline Garcia (FRA) | 6 - 2 | 6 - 4 |
Lauren Davis (USA) d [Q] Tamira Paszek (AUT) | 6 - 3 | 3 - 6 | 6 - 2 |

Camila did lose a set but then overwhelmed her British opponent.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0-ziy2fry8[/video]

 

[TennisFanatic7]

I was really expecting Heather to get through her first round after a really good Roland Garros

Oh well, I expect she'll be playing Eastbourne and Wimbledon, more chances to boost the rank.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7txPMEP_zI[/video]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYFQuZtfhZ4[/video]

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

WTA Birmingham 2014: Day 2

It's rained in Birmingham today, play was suspended for a while.
Top seed did advance in straight sets.

Scores:

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014

SINGLES - SECOND ROUND
[1] Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d Mona Barthel (GER) | 6 - 4 | 6 - 1 |
Lauren Davis (USA) d [Q] Victoria Duval (USA) | 6 - 2 | 2 - 6 | 6 - 2 |
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) d Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) | 5 - 7 | 7 - 5 | 6 - 1 |
[7] Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d Belinda Bencic (SUI) | 6 - 1 | 6 - 4 |

SINGLES - FIRST ROUND
[12] Monica Puig (PUR) d Stefanie Voegele (SUI) | 6 - 7 (3) | 6 - 2 | 6 - 2 |
[L] Timea Babos (HUN) d Marina Erakovic (NZL) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 4 |

[Q] Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) d [WC] Heather Watson (GBR) | 2 - 6 | 7 - 5 | 6 - 4 |
[WC] Johanna Konta (GBR) d [14] Kurumi Nara (JPN) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 1 |
Petra Cetkovska (CZE) d Alexandra Cadantu (ROU) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 4 |
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) d [WC] Naomi Broady (GBR) | 5 - 7 | 6 - 4 | 6 - 3 |
[16] Casey Dellacqua (AUS) d Urszula Radwanska (POL) | 6 - 1 | 6 - 3 |
Christina McHale (USA) d Anna Schmiedlova (SVK) | 7 - 6 (5) | 6 - 4 |

 

[rubydo]

I was really expecting Heather to get through her first round after a really good Roland Garros

Oh well, I expect she'll be playing Eastbourne and Wimbledon, more chances to boost the rank.

Alex really came back in this match facing three match points against her and then really battled hard in the 3rd set for the win.

 

[RJD11]

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Qualifier Vicky Duval d Caroline Garcia 6 - 2 6 - 4

Oh Well, Lil Vicky took Lauren to 3 sets.........

Keep improving Vicky.....counting on you

 

[TennisFanatic7]

Johanna Konta has a shot at Wozniak today. Hopefully she can succeed where Heather Watson failed.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2aFuPae87s[/video]

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ZjkAR_S1c[/video]

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPVEqfStpn8[/video]

 

[Hoergren]

Saw this match and i must say it was a BIT strange.[6] Klara Koukalova (CZE) d Virginie Razzano (FRA) 5 - 7 7 - 6 7 - 6.
As you can see from the score it's a close fight and Razzano had a little advantage in second set but after some errors came a medical timeout and a tiebreak which Koukalova won. All inclusive the moderators thought that Razzano was about to give up after she'd used oceans of time on the medical timeout. Third set started and she behaved like a gazelle - it's like a comedy where she used her "injury" as a distractor for Koukalova. SO obvious and should have resulted in more than one warning. Thanks that Koukalova kept her head cool and won third sets tiebreak. It's not a sporty way to play a match - sorry Razzano shame on you.:nono

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

A match I am interested in watching tomorrow is,

Stephens v Riske

Alison is a flat hitter of the ball and she loves the grass.