WTA Tournament of Champions, Sofia

[ozza]

Starts tomorrow. Same format as Year End Championships last week. Every match will be streamed.

Serdika Group
[1] Simona Halep
[3] Maria Kirilenko
[6] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
[7] Alize Cornet

Sredets Group
[2] Ana Ivanovic
[4] Samantha Stosur
[5] Elena Vesnina
[8] Tsvetana Pironkova

Nadia Petrova is the reigning champion.

 

[ozza]

Tomorrow's order of play:

Ivanovic vs Pironkova
Kirilenko vs Cornet
Halep vs Pavlyuchenkova

5pm local time start. (11am EDT)

 

[Moxie]

Thanks for putting this up, ozza.

 

[tossip]

I want Halep to win Sofia....and if Ivanovic a former no.1 cannot win this event then she needs to evaluate her career.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I hate the name of this tournament what a misnomer. They should call the this the B-List of Tennis Parade.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Simona will face heavy resistance here.
This is a tough pick, but I know Pironkova won't win it!

How did she get in?


Anyway,
I am going with another Russian I like!

BTW, I Like this last event.

 

[Calvy]

I hate the name of this tournament what a misnomer. They should call the this the B-List of Tennis Parade.

This tournament shouldn't even exist, it's bootleg and has no credibility.

That fact that Pironkova is even in it, is enough evidence this tournament holds no relevance.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

...
5pm local time start. (11am EDT)

I like the way they start late in Bulgaria.
5 PM is very relaxed start.

here are the ladies:

And the website:
http://sofia-tennis.bg/en/home

 

[Moxie]

I hate the name of this tournament what a misnomer. They should call the this the B-List of Tennis Parade.

This tournament shouldn't even exist, it's bootleg and has no credibility.

That fact that Pironkova is even in it, is enough evidence this tournament holds no relevance.

Why shouldn't this tournament exist? It's on the calendar. Cranky.

 

[kskate2]

I don't have a problem w/ the tournament itself. I don't like the timing of it. It should be held either the same week as YEC or the week before. The YEC should be the end of the season for all WTA players.

 

[RJD11]

Cornet really takin it to MaKiri .... 5 - 0 in 1st

 

[ozza]

My opinion on this event.

The concept is ok, it just massively needs ironing out to become a legit event.

Holding the week after the YEC? Just stupid. Makes it so its never going to succeed. A lot of people don't even know it exists, because they think the season ends after the YEC (which it should). Something must be changing here. Stacey Allaster (WTA CEO) said the YEC is changing to an 8 day format next year, and will be Sunday-Sunday. The 2014 calendar on the WTA website doesn't actually confirm this yet (it's normally well behind anyway), but that would mean it clashes with the current position this is in. They surely won't hold them on exactly the same week.

The wildcards. They just cheapen the event. This year they have wildcarded in a player who is ranked 118 in the world. The 75 points she gets for turning up here, is the 2nd highest points tally on her ranking. There is also a chance that these 75 points get her into the Australian Open main draw for no other reason than she's Bulgarian. If you are going to have wildcards free to give to anyone, 75 free points is way too high.

The Sofia specific problem is that the event is too reliant on Pironkova. Last year it was a huge success. A big reason being Pironkova made the semi finals and won some matches, for her matches the arena tended to be packed. This year I think this event has maybe its best field ever, but I imagine it's going to do worse in attendance and local TV numbers because it's likely Pironkova won't even win a set. Indeed after her scoreline today, a lot of the locals have probably already lost interest.

Imo what should happen to this event. They should move it to the week before YEC. It should be mandatory for everyone that qualifies, it would get a reasonable field then. Too often players can opt out because they are in the Fed Cup final, an Istanbul alternate etc.

So for the end of season:
End Luxembourg and Moscow on Saturday (Luxembourg is already a Saturday final next year, Moscow is still Sunday)
This event runs Monday-Saturday
YEC runs Sunday-Sunday
Fed Cup final moves back a week (which has to be happening anyway, because no way will they run it the same time as the YEC)

 

[ozza]

Maria Kirilenko has withdrawn from the tournament. Elina Svitolina will replace her.

 

[Calvy]

I hate the name of this tournament what a misnomer. They should call the this the B-List of Tennis Parade.

This tournament shouldn't even exist, it's bootleg and has no credibility.

That fact that Pironkova is even in it, is enough evidence this tournament holds no relevance.

Why shouldn't this tournament exist? It's on the calendar. Cranky.

"Cranky!"

Yep, u called it.

 

[tossip]

thats a place for Ana to shine..she gets lots of press at this event and is free to adje adje all over the place.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Maria Kirilenko has withdrawn from the tournament. Elina Svitolina will replace her.

What happened? When I read your post, I thought it was a withdrawal but it seems she retired during her match!

Did she get injured?

Scores:

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013

ROUND ROBIN
[2] Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d [8] Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) | 6 - 0 | 6 - 2 |
ROUND ROBIN
[1] Simona Halep (ROU) d [6] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 3 |
[7] Alize Cornet (FRA) d [3] Maria Kirilenko (RUS) | 5 - 0 | RET

 

[tossip]

Maria Kirilenko has withdrawn from the tournament. Elina Svitolina will replace her.

What happened? When I read your post, I thought it was a withdrawal but it seems she retired during her match!

Did she get injured?

Scores:

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2013

ROUND ROBIN
[2] Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d [8] Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) | 6 - 0 | 6 - 2 |
ROUND ROBIN
[1] Simona Halep (ROU) d [6] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 3 |
[7] Alize Cornet (FRA) d [3] Maria Kirilenko (RUS) | 5 - 0 | RET

...probably tanked..anyway she was not going to win the title...she rarely wins titles....:nono..she only wins in obscure places like Baku or Tashkent.

 

[rubydo]

Maria noted prior to the tournament that she was still dealing with some injuries. How extensive they were can only be judged by the fact that she withdrew after being down 0-5 or Cornet. Maria has proven herself this year and last as a solid performer, but has really tailed off in the 2nd half of the year. When I interviewed her, she was dealing with a left leg issue, and by the way how that leg looks today with the wrapping and support piece around the knee, I think she should have simply called it a year, a few weeks ago, and get some serious treatment on the left leg. Maria, yes she has only won 6 WTA singles titles but has amassed many major doubles events as well(including the bronze at the London Olympics). She gets my respect as a player who when well gives 100 per cent on court and to disparage her, in my view is very disrespectful.

 

[ozza]

What happened? When I read your post, I thought it was a withdrawal but it seems she retired during her match!
Did she get injured?

I'm pretty sure she was already injured before the match even started. Whether it got worse I don't know. But she's had that left knee injury for years, and it has flared up particularly bad the second half of this season.

 

[ozza]

Personally think Halep will take this. Probably in a repeat of the Moscow final. Kind of feel Halep is a cut above most of this draw. I think only Stosur can stop Halep, in theory this should be a good match up for Stosur, but Halep's still beaten her the last 2 times and has to be favoured, it was pretty emphatic in the Moscow final just 10 days ago.

I think Halep will make the YEC next year.