Week 32 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.8M) - Montreal, Canada Hard

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

RE: Week 32 - WTA Premier 5 ($2.8M) - Montreal, Canada Hard

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

So yes, Vika retired not long after I posted that and judging by the scenes I'd be very surprised if she featured next week.

Not sure what will happen with Boulter now. Vekic still to play Linette in DC so assume she will be automatically withdrawn from Montreal but will Katie get an alt or will they rejig the draw considering there's no seeds in that section now?

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Ace Ventura wrote:
Not getting ahead of myself, but if Katie was to qualify then another hometown girl Abanda would definitely be the best option especially a she has beaten her in North America earlier this year. Zhang is in poor form as well so that would be an opportunity but I'm not really seeing any potential path where she might have a chance of picking up a couple of wins.

She's obviously got to get there first but if Vekic withdraws then there will be a half decent chance.

I really can't see her getting past Vekic

I'm so used to seeing Hev's name in with Jo's, but then realised her ranking really has dropped. I still can't my head around the fact that Katie has taken over as Gb no 2.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Helen40 wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Not getting ahead of myself, but if Katie was to qualify then another hometown girl Abanda would definitely be the best option especially a she has beaten her in North America earlier this year. Zhang is in poor form as well so that would be an opportunity but I'm not really seeing any potential path where she might have a chance of picking up a couple of wins.

She's obviously got to get there first but if Vekic withdraws then there will be a half decent chance.
I really can't see her getting past Vekic

I'm so used to seeing Hev's name in with Jo's, but then realised her ranking really has dropped. I still can't my head around the fact that Katie has taken over as Gb no 2.

Yeah it's strange to see Katie B pretty comfortably higher than Hev given Hev has been a British tennis stalwart and is still just 26.

Really can't see Vekic competing here unless they can somehow alter the schedule and have some matches tomorrow but even that would rules out if Vekic gets to the final. She's 3-0 up on Linette in the quarters with Zheng/Kiick to play after that.

If Katie ends up playing a couple of alts / WCs in quals (and qualifies) then that Kiick loss might not be as disappointing as we thought.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Saturday 4th of August 2018 09:52:59 AM

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

Ace Ventura wrote:

So yes, Vika retired not long after I posted that and judging by the scenes I'd be very surprised if she featured next week.

Not sure what will happen with Boulter now. Vekic still to play Linette in DC so assume she will be automatically withdrawn from Montreal but will Katie get an alt or will they rejig the draw considering there's no seeds in that section now?

I don't think they'll rejig the draw. The rules for withdrawal of a qualifying seed are short - they'll simply be replaced by the next alt.
With Vekic, Linette, Zheng and Poults all still in Washington, will they have enough alts?

flamingowings · All-time great

Ace Ventura wrote:
flamingowings wrote:
It's a premier 5 event...of course the draw is difficult...
It doesn't help not being a seed but I think there's a difference between a difficult draw and potentially playing 6 grand slam champions in succession.
She could have been drawn to face a w/c or q in round one and then Mertens/Bouchard, Barty/Begu - she may well have lost to Mertens again or Barty (or even a qualifier) but you'd be looking at that draw thinking she's have a half decent chance of getting to the third round.
Mind, I'm just watching this Azarenka match overnight (I know that Collins won) and Azarenka looks injured so a potential Mladenovic/QLL looks a bit better if she can get past Ostapenko.

Well yes, I see your point but it's all relative. She could have the easiest draw and still be beaten or, you know, draw Serena and hand her the worst loss of her career wink

indiana · Tennis legend

And I guess tough looking draws can fall apart rather, it's been known. And athough yes potentially very tough I wouldn't exactly put my life savings on those potentially in Jo's way.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Katie B apparently has a walkover to the 2nd round. Does she get any credit for that (points)? Either way, a FQR match with a young Canadian WC (albeit a reasonably promising junior) or an alt between yourself and a place in a P5 is a lot nice prospect than Vekic-Petkovic which it could have been.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Oh and that draw I posted yesterday was actually incorrect. Think there were problems with the seeds, but anyway, Petra is in the top half and Mugu is in the bottom half and then Svitolina is in the place where Kvitova was and Mugu where Svitolina apparently was.

(1)Halep v BYE
Pavlyuchenkova v Q
Q v Cirstea
Q v (13)V.Williams
(12)Kasatkina v Sakkari
Sharapova v Q
Strycova v Rybarikova
BYE v (6)Garcia

(4)Kerber v BYE
(wc)S.Williams v Cornet
Van Uytvanck v Q
Begu v (15)Barty
(9)Ka.Pliskova v Siniakova
(wc)Zhao v Bertens
Makarova v Kontaveit
BYE v (8)Kvitova

(7)Muguruza v BYE
Krunic v Sevastova
Q v Gavrilova
Babos v (10)Goerges
(16)Osaka v Q
Tsurenko v Q
(wc)Abanda v Q
BYE v (3)Stephens

(5)Svitolina v BYE
Q v Buzarnescu
(wc)Azarenka v Mladenovic
Konta v (11)Ostapenko
(14)Mertens v (wc)Bouchard
Zhang v Q
Sabalenka v Q
BYE v (2)Wozniacki

So Svitolina would be a potential 3rd round match, but she's got to potentially get past Buzarnescu who she has struggled with all year.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Looks like Stuart Fraser has jumped the gun a bit with that walkover - she still may get an alt. But either way, Katie won't be playing Vekic.

PaulM · Tennis legend

When you see draws like this it is frustrating more of our girls didn't take a punt on Montreal over a 60k ITF. But hindsight is a wonderful thing I guess.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Serena has withdrawn 'for personal reasons' so I guess there will be a LL spot opening up.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Ace Ventura wrote:
Serena has withdrawn 'for personal reasons' so I guess there will be a LL spot opening up.

Tatjana Maria has taken her place. LL only applies if they have started playing qualifying.

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Coupe Rogers themselves are now declaring the walkover.
In fact, there are four walkovers in the qualifying draw. I can't remember anything like that before.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

kundalini wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Serena has withdrawn 'for personal reasons' so I guess there will be a LL spot opening up.
Tatjana Maria has taken her place. LL only applies if they have started playing qualifying.

Ta. I guess she was next alt at the cut off point but her ranking must have dropped significantly since as she was just the 18th seed.?

What an absolute mess of a qualifying draw - looks like Boulter, Q Wang, Cabrera, Hlavackova, Krejkickova all have walkovers to the FQR. Katie and Cabrera will also have favourable FQR draws as well. Whereas someone like Alexandrova, ranked above Katie and Cabrera would have to beat Niculescu and probably Jakupovic to advance (both in the top 100). Same with Zhuk, reasonably promising and similarly ranked to Katie, she would have to beat both Stosur and probably Pera to advance.

Hopefully Katie takes full advantage of this.