Week 2 - Australian Open (Women's Qualifying)

steven · Tennis legend

Week 2 - Australian Open (Women's Qualifying)

steven · Tennis legend

So, they all have a decent chance of winning one match, which in women's slam qualifying is worth 38 extra points (40 v 2 for going out in QR1), but looking at their qualifying sections in full, I would say:

Anne could hardly have asked for more (obviously being ranked high enough to be seeded 2nd has helped here), even if she did lose quite heavily 3&2 to the other seed in her section (Malek) in Biberach 5 years ago.

Anne Keothavong GBR (2) v Darya Kustova BLR
Jin-A Lee KOR v Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU
Tammi Patterson AUS v Irina-Camelia Begu ROU
Eva Birnerova CZE v Tatjana Malek GER (17)

Katie will need to play out of her skin to get even a sniff of the main draw:

Zuzana Kucova SVK (4) v Kumiko Iijima JPN
Maria Irigoyen ARG v Yuliya Beygelzimer UKR
Eirini Georgatou GRE v Arina Rodionova RUS
Katie O'Brien GBR v Mandy Minella LUX (16)

Heather also has quite a tough section, but she was the player who ended Tatishvili's 7-match Brit-bashing streak when, as a lucky loser (having lost in the FQR to one of Tatishvili's previous victims Georgie Stoop), she beat her 6-7(5) 6-1 6-2 in R1 of the Clearwater 25K last year before losing to Zhou (see above!) in R2.

Anna Tatishvili GEO (12) v Urszula Radwanska POL
Mariya Koryttseva UKR v Laura Thorpe FRA
Yi-Miao Zhou CHN v Heather Watson GBR
Lesya Tsurenko UKR v Stefanie Vögele SUI (15)

Julia Carrot · All-time great

By 'eck, Steven, you done all that quick !!!

Very helpful, thankyou.

Anne's looks 'a breeze'

Katies's, well, very difficult

Heather's, also difficult, especially Vogele & Radwanska

Can't wait, hope the timings are UK sleep friendly !!

Thanks again

Smidster · Challenger level

Best of luck to them all.

As with the rest of the country, and lets be honest tennis really doesn't matter when put in this context, the weather is also likely to disrupt proceedings for the next day or two.

LordBrownof · Futures level

Yes it's tough but Heather has got to be pleased to only draw the 15th seed in QR2. If she wants to be top 100 by the middle of this year then she's got to start beating players like Vogele consistently.

steven · Tennis legend

Judging by tomorrow's OoP, they are hoping to complete today's schedule. If they manage that and the weather holds tomorrow, it could be remarkably civilised!

Anne 1st on Court 8 at 23.00 GMT
Heather 2nd on Court 6, i.e. about 00.30 GMT
Katie 1st on Court 10 at 23.00 GMT

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, Heather's draw far from easy but certainly one she is capable of coming through.

Zhou is a pretty decent opener to get and I'd be very confident of Heather turning the tables from last March. And if she wins that then worst case scenario she gets the nice WTA 40 ranking points for winning one round of qualifying at a Slam.

Based purely on seedings Tatishvili (12) is the lowest top seed she could have had in her section. Heather herself ended up pretty close to being seeded ( 4 out ) after her exploits last week. She is ranked 149, with the seeds ranked 132 and 136.

Guess in many ways with players quite closely ranked form is more important and again often difficult to judge at the start of a season, though we know Heather is in form ! Voegele was ranked as high as 63 in March last year but she hardly won a match in the last few months of the year so hopefully she's still more in that mode. Tatishvli seemed more consistent and had some decent wins in qualifying for Brisbane last week including beating Sprem WR 94.

I would predict Heather actually playing Radwanska in FQR, Radwanska clearly being very unranked after being out for 6 months last year and that could be quite a tough match if she's back near her best. Her form in the last few months of last year was decent but not great though she did end with two 50K finals, winning the latter.

-- Edited by indiana on Wednesday 12th of January 2011 02:18:24 PM

philwrig · Hall of fame

Anne and Katie definitely with the easier draws.
Anne really should qualify with Malek the only player likely to challenge her. Of course she needs to be playing near her best to do so.
Katie has a decent draw as well, Minella will be tough but she is definitely beatable, then she would have a very winnable second round matchup. FQR would then be very tough but not unwinnable.
Heather has drawn the shortest straw, although her first round matchup is as good as it gets, the Chinese lady having not played for a very long time. Second round gets alot tougher and Voegele has just found some top form at Sydney beating a top 100 player and having a close match with a top 50 player who did well in the main draw. Then the toughest matchup of all potentially Radwanska in the FQR. Radwanska recaptured her top 100 form at the end of last season after injury so Heather will need to be near her Auckland form to qualify.

philwrig · Hall of fame

There's a post on TF that suggests Zhou won't play which would probably mean Sacha Jones of NZ would take her spot, a much tougher opponent.

The forecast is for rain by mid afternoon, so fingers crossed our 3 will be finished by then.

DavidC · Tennis legend

Three very good opening draws, providing Sacha Jones doesn't replace Zhou. Zhou has a decent record in Australia, but as Phil indicates hasn't played for 3 months, so will probably be rusty.

Minella's ranking is owed to one good tournament (last year's US Open), she is 25 and this is her first experience of Australian conditions (at least as a pro) so Katie has a big advantage.

Kustova is a doubles specialist who rarely progresses far in slam qualifiers, and has lost her last 7 matches in Australia

Maza1987 · Challenger level

Won't be here tonight as I have a job interview tomorrow morning. I wish all the girls good luck.

P.S. I would much prefer Zhou for Heather tonight as opposed to Jones. Surely that one would be a shoo-in considering she has been out for so long. And if 'old' Heather pushed her to 7-5 in the third last year, indubitably the 'new' Heather should win. smile

And there it is ladies and gentleman, I just put the curse on her. cry

-- Edited by Maza1987 on Wednesday 12th of January 2011 10:38:44 PM

PaulM · Tennis legend

Jones withdrew days ago with injury.

Kristina Mlad is first alternate on-site. So that's even worse. Good for a direct comparison with Laura!

Maza1987 · Challenger level

PaulM wrote:

Jones withdrew days ago with injury.

Kristina Mlad is first alternate on-site. So that's even worse. Good for a direct comparison with Laura!

Oh dear lord. Not good news. bleh

philwrig · Hall of fame

Oh no that is a nightmare about Mlad, I don't need a comparison with Laura I want her to qualify.
Short delay but should be underway shortly.

LordBrownof · Futures level

oh crap she's def got Mlad. That's really unfortunate, I hope she can dig in a ground out a result, if she does she'll probably qualify.