Week 2 - WTA (600K) - Sydney, Australia Hard

Peter too · Tennis legend

RE: Week 2 - WTA (600K) - Sydney, Australia Hard

steven · Tennis legend

She even got the 2nd set bagel this time after wobbling at 4-0 up yesterday. Unbelievable!

Recap (since we've turned a page) and FQR draw:

QR1: Melanie South WR 110 beat (q8) Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) WR 80 by 4 & 2 biggrin

QR2: Melanie South WR 110 beat Kristina Barrois (GER) WR 89 by 5 & 0 biggrin

FQR: Melanie South WR 110 v Meng Yuan (CHN) WR 127

Although the rankings make this look like a potentially easier match than the first two, Yuan was also ranked in the top 90 less than a year ago and has notched up five straight sets wins against the top Brits (Anne, Katie x 2, Sarah Borwell and Mel herself, 2 & 3 in Los Angeles last July) in the last year and a half. You'd have to hope Mel's up for a bit of revenge given the way she's playing at the moment though!

-- Edited by steven at 11:47, 2009-01-10

gazzpash · Club Coach

Would qualifying and then hopefully someone else withdrawing from Aus Open meaning a DA to 1st round take Mel to Top 100?

DavidC · Tennis legend

gazzpash wrote:
Would qualifying and then hopefully someone else withdrawing from Aus Open meaning a DA to 1st round take Mel to Top 100?

I assume that you are asking whether the points for qualifying here added to points for an AO round 1 loss would see Mel in the top 100. The answer is almost certainly not - she would most likely stay around her current ranking, as qualifying points in Sydney are not great, and nor are AO round 1 losers points. She needs to win a round in the main draw here to have a good chance of top100, or win a round in the AO to be virtually certain (if she does not become a direct entry there then good progress in the qualifying tournament may lead to top 100, as points for qualifying rounds in Grand Slams are good).

DavidC · Tennis legend

Good to see Mel put two wins together against strong opposition. In the past, except at Birmingham last year, wins over this level of opponent have been one-offs, so this is a good step forward.

Mel is first up on court 7 at midnight GMT

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

A couple of super wins for Mel against top 100 opponents. Have to say I'm surprised because despite picking up a lot of points in the autumn, there was very little to suggest she would be competitive against top 100 players.

At what stage in this event would a player who would otherwise be involved in Aus qualifying, be forced to miss out, or throw their last match so they can dash to qualifying?

steven · Tennis legend

As usual, when AO qualifying starts seems to be being treated as a state secret, but if we assume Wednesday, then thanks to R1 in Sydney starting on Sunday, it'll finish on Monday with R2 played on Tuesday.

So, Mel could get through one round here and still play in AO Q, but getting through R2 would count her out. Then again, from the point of view of ranking points, a Sydney R2 win is probably worth skipping the AO for if you're at Mel's level, and I can't really see her making the QFs here unless she beats Yuan (hardly a given!) then gets a very nice draw - talking of which, there is a Q slot to play a WC available, if she needs any more incentive to win tonight! wink

Hopefully she'll get a DA into the AO main draw anyway - there are nearly 3 days to go and she's only one away.

-- Edited by steven at 12:00, 2009-01-10

Peter too · Tennis legend

Mel's 16th best result is 18 points so she has to get past that to make any improvement at all in her ranking points. Qualifying in Sydney is only worth 16 points, winning one qualifying round in a GS is worth 40 points.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

It's 14 points acording to the WTA rankings

Silver · County player

Wow! Good result for Mel!

I was actually in all honesty expecting that to be closer but clearly Mel's game is on right now after last week.

I want to make the world's worst pun for the Yuan match but I actually physically cannot bring myself to do it. Let's just say GO MEL and be done with it.

GO MEL!

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Mels match is up on the scoreboard.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Meng holds her opening service game

0-1

wolf · Tennis legend

@ Mel's wins.

Yuan holds first game.

wolf · Tennis legend

Mel takes the first set 6-2, saving 2 break back points in a long last game. Haven't paid too much attention but she came back from 15-40 down in game 4 and hasn't looked back since.

JT · Junior player

Mel's 6-2, 3-3, was 2-0 up in the second then went 3-2 down. She's done well to level up now. Maybe some nerves creeping in?