Week 33 - WTA Premier 5, Western & Southern Open ($2,944,486) Cincinnati, OH - Hard

flamingowings · All-time great

Week 33 - WTA Premier 5, Western & Southern Open ($2,944,486) Cincinnati, OH - Hard

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

flamingowings wrote:
R64: Qualifier vs (14) Johanna Konta (WR 14)

and then Pera or another qualifier I think - Pliskova in 3rd round (last 16) is first seed she could meet.

I know Canada was a week to forget but Jo should capitalise on this draw with at least a last 16 place

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Karolina Pliskova (3) vs Bye
Lesia Tsurenko vs Bianca Andreescu
Bernarda Pera (wc) vs Q
Q vs Johanna Konta (14)

That's the full initial section. Certainly can't complain with 2 Qs and a WC in your way en route to the last 16 of a P5, although that said, she is 1-2 with Pera in their 3 meetings last year, and there are players currently ranked in the early 30s in the Q draw (like Strycova), and a few other dangerous floaters, but obviously could have been much worse on paper, whoever comes through quals.

An Andreescu-Pliskova early rematch would be interesting as there was a little bit of drama in their match today, but it wouldn't be a huge surprise if Andreescu withdrew.

Muguruza-Keys
Kontaveit-Kerber
Bencic-Azarenka

Plenty of interesting R1 matches.

flamingowings · All-time great

Petra Kvitova is back here too since Wimbledon and Muguruza vs Keys is very interesting for a R1 match.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

As commented on there are plenty of good players in qualifying such as Strycova (Wimbledon 2019 semi finalist) and Swiatek has had a successful Toronto. Also qualifiers can be successful in tournaments e.g Bouzkova. Yet apart from being famous how does Maria Sharapova justify a wild card over Strycova?. Much the same can be said for the wild cards given to Venus Williams this year although her ranking is just high enough for Cincinnati.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

FQR update:

(10) Kudermetova d. (3) Puig 6-2 6-1
Peterson d. (1) Strycova 6-2 6-1
(13) Jabeur d. Petkovic 6-3 6-0

So some very one sided results there. Linette is a (wide) set up on Brady, and Kr Pliskova-(16) Davis, Sharma-MattekSands, Diyas-(9) Pegula, and (5) Yafan vs (15) Swiatek, still to come, so Jo's opponent should come from one of those still in contention.

There have been no official main draw withdrawals yet, but Serena and Andreescu might be fairly likely given their individual circumstances, Halep possibly too after retiring in Toronto, so if any of those did withdraw before the qualifiers are placed, then the likes of Strycova and Puig may get a lifeline, and Jo could still play them, and while it may be totally legit and Strycova was just outplayed, massive off day etc. with the score line, the cynical part of me thinks she may have got wind that a few slots will open up (or have) and as top seed, she'd have a very good chance of getting in as a LL (and thus could still possibly play Jo).

Zhang, Pavyluchenkova and Rybakina, who may have been a threat, were all knocked out in Q1, so they are officially out (unless there were about 10 main draw withdrawals).

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Sunday 11th of August 2019 04:16:55 PM

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

All qualifying matches have now finished, so assuming the qualifiers are placed normally, before any potential withdrawals, Jo will face one of these 8 players:

Peterson, Davis, Kudermetova, Diyas, Brady, Swiatek, Jabeur, Sharma.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Konta gets Peterson. Despite her emphatic result earlier today, I'd say that was one of the better draws she could have had from those 8 possibilities. Pera has drawn Kudermetova, and that's tougher IMO.

There has been a LL, Puig, but for Tsurenko, not the two that were perhaps more likely. Serena says she is going to go to Cincy and see how she feels in the next couple of days, while Andreescu will speak to her team tonight. Andreescu is now meant to play Puig, so could well end up LL vs LL.

Edit - Puig is in for Andreescu after all, Wikipedia placed Puig instead of Tsurenko by mistake (even though she did pull out of Toronto last week), but corrected it for Andreescu. Sensible from Bianca I think.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Sunday 11th of August 2019 09:57:29 PM

flamingowings · All-time great

Jo is 3rd after 4pm on stadium 3

flamingowings · All-time great

R64: (Q) Rebecca Peterson (SWE) WR 71 vs (14) Johanna Konta (WR 14)
No head to head.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

I don't know if Andy's time has been confirmed, but Catherine Whittaker mentioned on Amazon that she heard unconfirmed suggestions that he was 3rd on Centre tomorrow, so a high possibility they will clash which would be unfortunate, although obviously depends on how the previous 2 matches go.

flamingowings · All-time great

^ it hasn't yet, only WTA times are out.

the addict · Tennis legend

flamingowings wrote:
Jo is 3rd after 4pm on stadium 3

Actually 4th on, after three ATP matches according to the WTA website.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Jo might have drawn a qualifier in Peterson which is better on paper than getting Swiatek say but no matches are easy. Jo's last 2 matches have run away from her. She lost 11 out of the last 14 games against Yastremska and 12 out of the last 15 against Strycova. Without repeating the details there are 3 other matches she has played this year which were similar and they were not against top 10 players. Strangely enough the one surface this did not happen on was clay. I'm wearing my doom worst case hat in my prospects here.

Michael D · All-time great

Well, I'm going to back Jo here on this. The US Open is next so she needs to step up this week. And since it often seems to be a head game with her, I hope she has got her head as well as her game adjusted to the US hard courts now.