Week 24 - WTA ($220K) - AEGON Classic, Birmingham - Grass

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Week 24 - WTA ($220K) - AEGON Classic, Birmingham - Grass

Peter too · Tennis legend

Q1: DEVINE, Emma (GBR) WC UNR lost to DUSHEVINA, Vera (RUS) 2 82 0-6 1-6
Q1: BROADY, Naomi (GBR) 15 199 beat WLODARCZAK, Karolina (AUS) WC 533 6-0 3-6 2-0 Ret.
Q1: STEPHENSON, Francesca (GBR) 552 lost to KARATANTCHEVA, Sesil (KAZ) 3 125 1-6 1-6
Q1: REN, Jessica (GBR) WC UNR lost to KUDRYAVTSEVA, Alla (RUS) 131 2-6 4-6
Q1: BORTHWICK, Daneika (GBR) WC UNR lost to NARA, Kurume (JPN) 5 132 2-6 2-6
Q1: WEBLEY-SMITH, Emily (GBR) 407 lost to YUNG-JAN, Chan (TPE) 9 151 6-4 3-6 6-7(4)
Q1: BAMBURAC, Sabrina (GBR) WC UNR lost to BRODSKY, Gail (USA) 16 201 0-6 4-6

Q2: BROADY, Naomi (GBR) 15 199 v DUSHEVINA, Vera (RUS) 2 82

Miriambee · Futures level

I went today, (free for qualifying); saw some of Noami's match, but not the 1st set. Wlodcarzek fell into one of the linesman's chairs and it's little box; I think it was at the beginning of the 3rd set - I wonder if that's why she eventually retired.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

steven wrote:
Julia Carrot wrote:
Main draw's out !
It came out yesterday (see p. 1 of this thread), though admittedly that did seem unusually early.

Sorry, been working last 48 hours!

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Helen40 wrote:
steven wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
What was the WR cutoff for this tourney? Surprised to see it was lower than a 75K.
Laura at 123. It's because the 75K was the only tournament available on grass last week and because this WTA event has a 56-player draw.
Thanks Steven.
I was just looking through the qualies draw for it, and noticed that the top three seeds at WR 34, 82, 125. So how does that work?

I still ffeel like a complete newbie at times

Can someone explain, the reason why Robbo is the last direct entrant to the MD whilst we have higher WRs in qualies, I'm still confused by it.

steven · Tennis legend

Helen40 wrote:
Can someone explain, the reason why Robbo is the last direct entrant to the MD whilst we have higher WRs in qualies, I'm still confused by it.

There are two reasons why this can happen.

1) Late entrants

If a player who would have been a direct entrant had they entered on time fails to enter on time but then decides that they want to play anyway, they can play in qualifying - either by entering that on time, by just signing in if there are spare places in the qualifying draw or by being given a QWC.

Though there can be genuine unforeseen reasons for a player's tournament plans to change, I often think that this is very unfair to the unfortunate players who end up in the very high-ranked player's qualifying section, in the sense that the player whose fault it is likely to qualify easily whereas those who haven't done anything wrong end up with next to no chance.

2) Ranking changes since the entry deadline

A player who is now ranked above the last direct entrant could have to play qualifying if they were ranked below that player at the entry cut-off date.

Full entry lists aren't available for WTA Tour events in the same way as they are for ITFs, but it seems clear that Zheng (now WR 34) and Dushevina (now WR 82) fall into the first category, whereas Karatantcheva (now WR 125, i.e. one place above Laura) falls into the second category.

Priesty · Challenger level

Now 5-1 cry on a totally unrelated note am I right in thinking Dushevina's name used to be spelt Douchevina? If so anyone know why she changed it?

-- Edited by Priesty on Sunday 10th of June 2012 01:27:07 PM

Priesty · Challenger level

GSM Dushevina 7-5 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 bleh

-- Edited by Priesty on Sunday 10th of June 2012 01:29:13 PM

steven · Tennis legend

Well, she's Russian, so it's actually spelt (no doubt that won't come out right on here! ... edit: or even appear at all - this board doesn't like Cyrillic characters) so she can transliterate it how she likes. You're right though, she did start off using Douchevina and changed it in 2006.

-- Edited by steven on Sunday 10th of June 2012 03:35:47 PM

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

With the addition of the 2nd Nottingham i think it means we will struggle to get many wins in qualifying here. In years gone past we would always have 2 or 3 wins and a few would go onto qualifying.

Em put up a great fight and had she had a better year may have won that one.

Good luck to Naomi today. If she plays well she could win it.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Naomi 5-7 *1-1

Priesty · Challenger level

Now 5-7 *5-5 come on Naomi you can do it!

Julia Carrot · All-time great

It's so close. Seems as though she's playing really well. If only she could just 'edge ' it.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

5 set points to for Naomi

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Naomi wins the second-set tie-break by 7-1 to take the match into a decider. smile