No bad thing for Katie to be a big underdog really. Emma should be fine for round 3 but she was absolutely terrible today. Just the sort of seed Sonay needs to beat to make another run, but tricky.
Hopefully Emma can her get her act together before start of play and at least make some progress.
OK, she waa going to be bracketed to play one of the top 8 seeds in R3. But she does have an annoying bad luck of getting herself lined up against very top players, like the Swiatek meetings.
After today though, I'd just take her reaching that R3 whoever was going to.lie in wait there
Apart from Katie, not really that bad R1 draws ( Sonay would be bracketed to plsy some seed in the first 2 rounds )..
Nae luck with potential R3s though. As said, Emma as 28th seed was in line for one of the top 8 seeds in R3 and Sonay, if she could get past the 31st seed and then also win R2, was also then going to be in line for a top 8 seed. So who are they bracketed against? - (1) Sabalenka and (2) Swiatek respectively.
Sawangkaew won the W75 in the first week of the year in Nonthaburi. Didn't play between the FO last year and November so dropped from her CH of exactly 100.
Potapova (Emma's potential 2nd round opponent) has beaten Kastkina this year and no slouch, but but not been playing well.
Was quite impressed by Klimovicova when I saw her: formerly Czech, switched to Poland, and hits a good ball.
All depends which Potapova turns up. She as likely to spray the ball all over the place as hit winners. She's dangerous though and could easily hit Emma off court. But Lamens isn't a bad player either and it took Emma 2 tough sets to beat her on the clay in Madrid. Emma will need to be lot better than today to beat either.
Klimovicova is a good young prospect and lost a thrilling and high quality qualifier against Jovic at Wimbledon last year. A fit and on form Fran should be able to win through though.
Katie has a very tough match but best to play Bencic early in a tournament. She's been brilliant this season but can be really top level whilst playing for her country but not as good when playing for herself. If Katie can get her first serve working well this could be closer than we think.
I think Sonay can pull off a bit of surprise. Who knows if Kalinskaya will even be fit, her record isn't that good in terms of illness and fitness.
Potapova (Emma's potential 2nd round opponent) has beaten Kastkina this year and no slouch, but but not been playing well.
Was quite impressed by Klimovicova when I saw her: formerly Czech, switched to Poland, and hits a good ball.
All depends which Potapova turns up. She as likely to spray the ball all over the place as hit winners. She's dangerous though and could easily hit Emma off court. But Lamens isn't a bad player either and it took Emma 2 tough sets to beat her on the clay in Madrid. Emma will need to be lot better than today to beat either.
Klimovicova is a good young prospect and lost a thrilling and high quality qualifier against Jovic at Wimbledon last year. A fit and on form Fran should be able to win through though.
Katie has a very tough match but best to play Bencic early in a tournament. She's been brilliant this season but can be really top level whilst playing for her country but not as good when playing for herself. If Katie can get her first serve working well this could be closer than we think.
I think Sonay can pull off a bit of surprise. Who knows if Kalinskaya will even be fit, her record isn't that good in terms of illness and fitness.
Kalinskaya beat Ruse in Adelaide and took Mboko to a 3rd set tie break
