WTA Rome 2014: Internazionali BNL d'Italia

[Correspondent Kiu]

900 points coming right up!

Rome, ITALY
May 12 - May 18

Top 8 seeds get first round bye in this 56 player premier level event, Winner gets €387,130

Defending Champion is the top seed, that would be Serena Williams. She beat Vika last year, Vika is out injured. Caroline Wozniacki also pulled out due to knee injury, Genie Bouchard took her seed in the draw and Lucky Loser P. Ormaechea got into the main draw.

Draw:

---

WILLIAMS, Serena USA
BYE
OPRANDI, Romina SUI
PETKOVIC, Andrea GER
PENG, Shuai CHN
LEPCHENKO, Varvara USA
JOVANOVSKI, Bojana SRB
STEPHENS, Sloane USA

CIBULKOVA, Dominika SVK
GIORGI, Camila ITA
MCHALE, Christina USA
CIRSTEA, Sorana ROU
DAVIS, Lauren USA
ZHANG, Shuai CHN
BYE
KVITOVA, Petra CZE

HALEP, Simona ROU
BYE
KEYS, Madison USA
RISKE, Alison USA
BECK, Annika GER
WILLIAMS, Venus USA
BARTHEL, Mona GER
SUAREZ NAVARRO, Carla ESP

IVANOVIC, Ana SRB
KNAPP, Karin ITA
CORNET, Alize FRA
FLIPKENS, Kirsten BEL
PUIG, Monica PUR
HANTUCHOVA, Daniela SVK
BYE
SHARAPOVA, Maria RUS

JANKOVIC, Jelena SRB
BYE
KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana RUS
KIRILENKO, Maria RUS
BENCIC, Belinda SUI
PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia
RUSMEUSBURGER, Yvonne AUT
PENNETTA, Flavia ITA

BOUCHARD, Eugenie CAN
SCHIAVONE, Francesca ITA
MUGURUZA, Garbine ESP
BURNETT, Nastassja ITA
ORMAECHEA, Paula ARG
NARA, Kurumi JPN
BYE
RADWANSKA, Agnieszka POL

KERBER, Angelique GER
BYE
PIRONKOVA, Tsvetana BUL
CETKOVSKA, Petra CZE
MAKAROVA, Ekaterina RUS
VINCI, Roberta ITA
SCHEEPERS, Chanelle RSA
ERRANI, Sara ITA

LISICKI, Sabine GER
STOSUR, Samantha AUS
SVITOLINA, Elina UKR
VESNINA, Elena RUS
RYBARIKOVA, Magdalena SVK
DELLACQUA, Casey AUS
BYE
LI, Na CHN

---

I have a feeling there will be more withdrawals!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

RE: Rome 2014:Internazionali BNL d'Italia

This is a lopsided draw for a Premier Tournament

Top Half....Serena,Maria,Simona,Ana and Kvitova are in the top half....also Domi,CSN and Stephens

Li Na's half....bottom half....seems easier.....Li,Radwanska,Jankovic,Sveta,Kerber,Sara Errani,Lisicki

These are my intial thoughts when I looked at this draw.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Order of play is out:
http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/posting/2014/709/OP.pdf
Venus and Anika go at it early, Genie and Frany follow, Sabine and Sam next, Ana too...
Lots of good matches, the actions does not stop.

 

[britbox]

This is a lopsided draw for a Premier Tournament

Top Half....Serena,Maria,Simona,Ana and Kvitova are in the top half....also Domi,CSN and Stephens

Li Na's half....bottom half....seems easier.....Li,Radwanska,Jankovic,Sveta,Kerber,Sara Errani,Lisicki

These are my intial thoughts when I looked at this draw.

Agreed - very "top heavy" draw. Brutal.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

WTA Rome 2014: Draw

This is a lopsided draw for a Premier Tournament

Top Half....Serena,Maria,Simona,Ana and Kvitova are in the top half....also Domi,CSN and Stephens

Li Na's half....bottom half....seems easier.....Li,Radwanska,Jankovic,Sveta,Kerber,Sara Errani,Lisicki

These are my intial thoughts when I looked at this draw.

Agreed - very "top heavy" draw. Brutal.

I see it as hard hitters in top half and Clay specialists in the bottom half.

Side notes:
Petra again ended up in Serena's quarter(just like Madrid).
Simo and Masha are in the same quarter, they could be playing rematch of Madrid.

 

[Hoergren]

Just saw the match Bouchard vs Schiavone. What a form the Italian is in winning 64 62 against an oponent who didn't have any weapons good enough. Good Caroline didn't have to meet her today. Well done Francesca :clap What a nice smile:

By the way Caroline is in Rome during a coaching clinic today

and signing autographs for the fans

 

[kskate2]

Venus comes through in straights over Beck.

Sam/Sabine on court right now and on serve in the opener.

 

[kskate2]

Sam sends Sabine packing 6-3 6-3

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

I will have complete scores later, there are more matches to be completed in this first day of main draw.

Sloane advanced in 3 sets and is in a collision course with Serena.


Svetlana, Ana and Elena advanced too.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc6_mFt0O2k[/video]

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iygVs0qsCDY[/video]

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

WTA Rome 2014: First day scores.

I am only listing the singles until later rounds, this to save space.

Scores:

MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014

FIRST ROUND
[L] Paula Ormaechea (ARG) d Kurumi Nara (JPN) | 6 - 4 | 6 - 3 |
[Q] Petra Cetkovska (CZE) d Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) | 1 - 6 | 6 - 1 | 6 - 4 |
[12] Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) | 6 - 2 | 6 - 3 |
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d [17] Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) | 6 - 4 | 6 - 2 |
Alize Cornet (FRA) d Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 2 |
[11] Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d [WC] Karin Knapp (ITA) | 6 - 1 | 6 - 1 |
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d Maria Kirilenko (RUS) | 7 - 5 | 6 - 0 |
Samantha Stosur (AUS) d [15] Sabine Lisicki (GER) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 3 |
[Q] Casey Dellacqua (AUS) d Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) | 4 - 6 | 6 - 1 | 6 - 4 |
Venus Williams (USA) d Annika Beck (GER) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 1 |
Elena Vesnina (RUS) d Elina Svitolina (UKR) | 6 - 2 | 6 - 3 |
Madison Keys (USA) d Alison Riske (USA) | 6 - 2 | 6 - 2 |
Shuai Zhang (CHN) d [Q] Lauren Davis (USA) | 6 - 4 | 6 - 0 |
Andrea Petkovic (GER) d Romina Oprandi (SUI) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 0 |
[16] Sloane Stephens (USA) d Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) | 3 - 6 | 6 - 3 | 6 - 3 |
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) d Shuai Peng (CHN) | 6 - 1 | 6 - 0 |

Order of play:
http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/posting/2014/709/OP.pdf

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8uSseI4MM[/video]

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahaaFJ625uQ[/video]

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Domi got knocked out by the home girl.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Petra you had 3BPs there and could not convert? the no 5th seed looks like she is on her way out in her 1st rd match. Zhang 1st set 76 (6) Zhang leads 5-3 in the 2nd set.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Zhang broken by Petra serving for the match.....5 games all
Come on Petra!!!

 

[pavlik89]

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

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Petra wins the 2nd set 75....I always refer to her these days as P3Tra
Going to a deciding set.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Zhang broken by Petra serving for the match.....5 games all
Come on Petra!!!

Petra takes the second set 7-5
:hug

My Draw was about to be decimated!
:chillout:

This seems far from over.

Angie Kerber got upset too!