US National Indoor Championships WTA Preview: Lisicki Picked to Win @MemphisTennis
2013 WTA Memphis Preview
Steve Fogleman, TennisEastCoast.com
U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships
WTA International Event
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
February 18-Feburary 24, 2013
Though it lacks the firepower of the men’s draw, the Memphis women’s competitors make up for it with a heavy American contingent and a wide open field. Don’t expect to see top seed Kirsten Flipkens taking on 2 seed Sofia Arvidsson in the Final, because it won’t happen.
Qualifying
No matter who I believe will win the main draw, the qualifying field is extremely strong and the placement of the qualifiers could dramatically affect the results. I expect Keys to take the first spot, Falconi to qualify, as well as Jana Cepelova and Taylor Townsend. Any of those players could destroy your bracket in the first round.
Flipken’s Quarter
Magdalena Rybarikova and the Whipping Ponytail
#34 in the world is good enough to make top seed in the WTA draw, and Kirsten Flipkens isn’t exactly used to the seeding. She managed to win her first title in Quebec last September. Expect her to surpass Shahar Peer in the first round. Lesia Tsurekno is her second round opponent provided she outlasts one of the dreaded qualifiers. If Tsurenko plays Flipkens in the second, an upset watch is in order.
2012 Washington champion Magdalena Rybarikova opens with Stephanie Foretz Gacon and will meet the winner of Ksenia Pervak/Lauren Davis. This could be a nice time for American Davis to make a WTA run, but she’ll be tested in the opener and a possible second round. Expect the winner of this eighth to strongly challenge Flipkens or Tsurenko in the quarters.
Lisicki’s Quarter
Lisicki Could Well Win the Whole Damn Thing
The quirky career of dude favorite Sabine Lisicki finds itself currently at #40, down from the teens this time last year. Nevertheless, she finds herself in the easiest quarter of this tournament and has a very realisitic shot at picking up her fourth WTA singles title. She opens with a qualifier, and with a win, she’ll face the Olga Puchkova/Melinda Czink winner for a quarterfinal berth. Czink’s career is all but over at this point. She’s the walking dead of the WTA. Puchkova will be a pushover for Lisicki.
Kristina Mladenovic may face Lisicki for a semifinal berth, provided the French woman with the Serbian name beats Memphis Tiger Courtney Collins and the winner of the match between Johanna Larsson and Haitian-American Victoria Duval.
Watson’s Quarter:
Oudin Should Surprise No One
Heather Watson has a quarter as top seed? It’s earned based on her recent success, but it won’t be easy to defend. She’s bound to advance over Galina Voskoboeva in the first round. After that, she’ll face a dangerous opponent in either Andrea Hlavackova or Melanie Oudin. These are two players who are able to perform above their rankings at any given moment.
Looking to meet up with the winner of those players will be Hlavackova’s doubles partner, Lucie Hradecka. Hradecka will need to get past a pesky qualifier before she meets Stefanie Voegele or Silvia Soler-Espinosa in the second.
Hradecka could come out of this quarter, but I see Oudin triumphing on home hard courts.
Fourth Quarter:
Hampton is a Contender
2 seed Sofia Arvidsson does business with a qualifier before meeting up with the winner of Marina Erakovic and Annika Beck. Erakovic is a sleeper here, but Arvidsson should be able to reach the quarters.
The top part of this quarter is open. While Chanelle Scheepers is the top ranked player in the eighth, she’s way off the form she posted last summer when she was world #29. She should get by Coco Vandeweghe. Jamie Hampton is near a career high and should smoke wild card Garbine Muguruza. Hampton would have a slight edge against Scheepers for the right to play Arvidsson to book a trip to the semis.
I won’t even bother naming a dark horse because there are so many. The contenders are Melanie Oudin, Jamie Hampton, Andrea Hlavackova, Lesia Tsurenko and an American qualifier to be named later.
Predictions:
Semifinals
Lisicki d. Rybarikova
Hampton d. Oudin
An All-American semifinal will find two Racquet Club of the South alumni slugging it out to the other’s familiar game in three sets. Hampton is 0-2 vs. Oudin in WTA play, but she is peaking right now.
Final
Lisicki d. Hampton
The Southern Belle will be the overwhelming crowd favorite (except for a few guys in the stands), but Lisicki’s title experience will prevail as she wins a fourth WTA title.
2012 New Haven Open Day 1 Recap, Tuesday Order of Play
Day 1 of main draw play is a wrap. Sloane Stephens and Nicole Gibbs impressed the most. Stephens beat Tamira Paszek, 6-3, 6-1 in just over an hour, while qualifying wild card entrant Nicole Gibbs gave tournament organizers something to be proud of as she rolled over Muguruza into retirement, 6-1, 1-0. Gibbsy didn’t drop a set all weekend en route to the main draw entrance. The late sentence reads that Bartoli also looked powerful and precise en route to dispatching Olympic Silver medalist Laura Robson 6-3, 6-3.
Melanie Oudin’s play looked suspect yesterday in her comeback win, but today the slow start came back to haunt her. American Alexa Glatch moved on to the main draw. This is not the tennis she’d like to be playing this close to the US Open. Luckily(?), she’ll get a do-over tomorrow as a Lucky Loser. Who knows? She could go ballistic on the main draw. Tune in tomorrow and find out which Oudin takes the court aginst Sofia Arvidsson.
Tomorrow is also a trophy day at Yale. US Open National Playoff winners will be crowned and they win the right to enter the qualifiers at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday. Later in the week, mixed doubles teams will square off here for the right to enter the main draw in New York. I played in the Mid-Atlantic Mixed Doubles and lost to the eventual sectional champions, Sophia Abelson and Pjotrs Necajevs. They’ll be playing later in the week. Go Team Detroit!
NEW HAVEN OPEN AT YALE PRESENTED BY FIRST NIAGARA – NEW HAVEN, USA
$ 637,000.00
AUGUST 17 – AUGUST 25, 2012
RESULTS – AUGUST 19, 2012
Women’s Singles – First Round
[5] M Bartoli (FRA) d [WC] L Robson (GBR) 63 63
[8] L Safarova (CZE) d V Lepchenko (USA) 63 41 Retired
S Stephens (USA) d T Paszek (AUT) 63 61
C Suarez Navarro (ESP) d A Szavay (HUN) 76(3) 64
Women’s Qualifying Singles -
Qualifying -T Babos (HUN) d [WC] S Vickery (USA) 26 64 64
Qualifying – O Govortsova (BLR) d V Dushevina (RUS) 57 62 75
Qualifying – [WC] N Gibbs (USA) d G Muguruza (ESP) 62 10 Retired
Qualifying – A Glatch (USA) d M Oudin (USA) 60 62
ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012
STADIUM start 12:00 noon
[WC] B Mattek-Sands (USA) vs [4] S Errani (ITA) – WTA
S Peer (ISR) vs [7] M Kirilenko (RUS) – WTA
[Q] T Babos (HUN) vs A Petkovic (GER) – WTA
Not Before 7:00 PM
[3] C Wozniacki (DEN) vs E Makarova (RUS) – WTA
[1] L Huber (USA) / L Raymond (USA) vs V Dushevina (RUS) / O Govortsova (BLR) – WTA
GRANDSTAND start 12:00 noon
[LL] M Oudin (USA) vs S Arvidsson (SWE) – WTA
D Hantuchova (SVK) vs M Barthel (GER) – WTA
A Medina Garrigues (ESP) vs [6] D Cibulkova (SVK) – WTA
COURT 1 start 12:00 noon
[Q] N Gibbs (USA) vs [Q] A Glatch (USA) – WTA
K Date-Krumm (JPN) / A Szavay (HUN) vs L Lee-Waters (USA) / M Moulton-Levy (USA) – WTA
[LL] V Dushevina (RUS) vs [Q] O Govortsova (BLR) – WTA
N Grandin (RSA) / V Uhlirova (CZE) vs C Chuang (TPE) / S Peer (ISR) – WTA – After Suitable Rest
COURT 2 start 12:00 noon
[1] M Hibi (JPN) or M Weatherholt (USA) vs [4] S Roma (SWE) or [2] A Mueller (USA) – USONP Women
C Reix (FRA) vs N Meister (USA) – USONP Men
COURT 4 start 12:00 noon
A Groenefeld (GER) / K Peschke (CZE) vs A Amanmuradova (UZB) / K Bondarenko (UKR) – WTA
Oudin Survives Scare in New Haven, Plays Alexa Glatch on Stadium Court at Noon Tomorrow #NHO12
Melanie Oudin is on the comeback trail but narrowly avoided disaster today against Silvia Soler Espinosa. Oudin was off of her game in the first and barely pieced together a second set win before confidently cruising in the third for a final of 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. As a result of her win today, tournament organizers wisely decided to move her match against Alexa Glatch at noon tomorrow to Stadium Court. The contest will mark the 2012 Inaugural match on Stadium and will be an all-American affair. Stay tuned.
NEW HAVEN OPEN AT YALE PRESENTED BY FIRST NIAGARA – NEW HAVEN, USA
$ 637,000.00
AUGUST 17 – AUGUST 25, 2012
RESULTS – AUGUST 18, 2012
Qualifying Singles – Second Round
Qualifying – T Babos (HUN) d A Amanmuradova (UZB) 63 64
Qualifying – [WC] N Gibbs (USA) d L Dominguez Lino (ESP) 63 63
Qualifying – O Govortsova (BLR) d O Savchuk (UKR) 60 63
Qualifying – G Muguruza (ESP) d L Arruabarrena-Vecino (ESP) 26 75 62
Qualifying – [WC] S Vickery (USA) d A Rodionova (AUS) 63 00 Retired
Qualifying – V Dushevina (RUS) d C Castano (COL) 46 60 63
Qualifying – M Oudin (USA) d [WC] S Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 26 64 63
Qualifying – A Glatch (USA) d C Hsu (USA) 61 64
ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2012
STADIUM start 12:00 noon
Qualifying – M Oudin (USA) vs A Glatch (USA) – WTA
Not Before 1:00 PM
[8] L Safarova (CZE) vs V Lepchenko (USA) – WTA
S Stephens (USA) vs T Paszek (AUT) – WTA
[5] M Bartoli (FRA) vs [WC] L Robson (GBR) – WTA
GRANDSTAND start 12:15 pm
Qualifying – T Babos (HUN) vs [WC] S Vickery (USA) – WTA
Not Before 1:30 PM
Qualifying – [WC] N Gibbs (USA) vs G Muguruza (ESP) – WTA
A Szavay (HUN) vs C Suarez Navarro (ESP) – WTA
N Pluskota (USA) or [4] S Roma (SWE) vs J Abaza (USA) or [2] A Mueller (USA) – USONP Women
COURT 1 start 11:00 am
C Reix (FRA) vs N Kryvonos (USA) – USONP Men
Not Before 1:00 PM
Qualifying – V Dushevina (RUS) vs O Govortsova (BLR) – WTA
E Hechtman (USA) vs N Meister (USA) – USONP Men
[1] M Hibi (JPN) vs [3] N Kukharchuk (RUS) or M Weatherholt (USA) – USONP Women
2012 CitiOpen Exclusive Interview: Melanie Oudin on US Open Mixed Doubles Co-Champion Jack Sock, Her Fans
2012 CitiOpen Exclusive Interview: Melanie Oudin on US Open Mixed Doubles Co-Champion Jack Sock, Her Fans
Steve Fogleman, TennisEastCoast.com
Despite losing to Aravane Rezai in three sets in first round singles and losing in doubles in a third set super break, Melanie Oudin was still in good spirits as she prepared to depart from the CitiOpen in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night. After I saw Jack Sock get strong support from the Atlanta crowd at the Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs last December, I wondered if she had anything to do with that.
What is it like to have made Jack Sock an Atlanta celebrity?
He loves the attention. He’s like the new kid on the block. Last year, he finished high school, went on to win Kalamazoo, then got a main draw wild card in the US Open, won a round and got to play Andy Roddick. I mean, he was on Cloud 9. I think he made a great first impression on the crowd, especially at the US Open. I think when you make a great first impression, you gain fans automatically. Especially if you play on Arthur Ashe. Also, he and I were playing together. I know there were a lot of people from Atlanta who went to the Open and saw us play in the mixed doubles. I think he definitely gained some of my fans, also.
How do you cope with all the attention you get at these US tournaments?
It’s really funny. I was just in Europe for a while. Some people know me, but it’s not like the States. It hasn’t been like this for a while. But being here in DC, I don’t know if they advertised me coming here a lot, but whenever I’m walking or even going to watch a match, everyone is coming over. “Oh, There’s Melanie! There’s Melanie! Can we get a picture? Can we get an autograph?”. I’m like “Sure, it’s no problem!”. It’s funny to me. I’ve started to do better again and it really means a lot that the fans I had in 2009 have really stuck with me the last couple of years and are still supporting me.
For Melanie Oudin, Patience Pays Off at AEGON Classic
Worth the Wait!
For Melanie Oudin, Patience Pays Off
Steve Fogleman, TennisEastCoast.com
June 18, 2012–Marietta, Georgia’s Melanie Oudin seemingly came out of nowhere to reach the 2009 US Open Quarterfinals. The press ate up her story and elevated her to ‘next big thing’ status. Many of us were certain that she would have won several singles titles and possibly a Grand Slam by now.
Three long years have passed. Though she did win a US Open Mixed Doubles title with Jack Sock last year, a young player who debuts at a Singles Quarterfinals at a Grand Slam will be judged by her singles performance. Last year, it started to get ugly. Those who once cheered her on started to deride her. So-called fans on Facebook and Twitter even called attention to her physique every time they thought she’d gained a pound or two. In fact, the comment section of the 2011 Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs Facebook live stream had to be cut off by the USTA because of such visceral nonsense. Her career high #31 singles ranking seemed like a distant memory as late as last week, when she was at #269.
Patience finally paid off for Oudin, who’s consistently playing her best tennis yet. Today, she beat world #22, Jelena Jankovic, 6-4, 6-2, to claim her first WTA singles title in Birmingham, England.
This win required lots of patience, and Melanie is obviously not in short supply. Her scheduled quarterfinal match against compatriot Irina Falconi was scheduled for Friday, but due to rain, was played over the course of Saturday and Sunday. She also had to immediately play a semifinal on Sunday.
Wild Card entrant Oudin is dangerous going into Wimbledon. She’s been called that before. Now, she’s a grass titlist in a Wimbledon warm-up, a fact that bolsters the opinion that she is more dangerous than ever to a first round opponent at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club next week.
Sweet as a Georgia Peach: Melanie Oudin, @IrinaFalconi Advance to 2nd round of @RolandGarros For 1st Time #RG12
Melanie tackles the Terre Battue and Larsson, Too
Melanie Oudin and Irina Falconi, two of Tennis East Coast’s favorite players, were both set in for early first round singles matches this morning by Roland Garros schedulers. It meant an early rise on the East Coast for fans, but it also started the French Open in a very good way for American tennis.
Oudin dispatched Johanna Larsson of Sweden 3 and 3, and was clearly elated to notch her first-ever main draw singles win at Roland Garros.
Falconi started slower, but found her form in a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Edina Gallovits-Hall of Romania. She also claimed her first win on the famed ‘terre battue’. Falconi has a date with Sam Stosur in the second round, while Oudin will face the winner of Sara Errani/Casey Dellacqua.
Irina Falconi
Both players have Georgia connections. Oudin is a Marietta native and Falconi was a Georgia Tech All-American who now lives in Atlanta.
As a fan, I couldn’t have asked for a better start. There are a lot of Americans who wish they could have filled the empty seats at Roland Garros today.
–S. Fogleman
#FCC2012: Oudin to face Anabel Medina Garrigues this afternoon; Video from yesterday’s win
Oudin was happy to oblige the fans
Melanie Oudin’s first round main draw match at Family Circle Cup against Annabel Medina Garrigues will be held on Althea Gibson Court this afternoon. Oudin, who had to qualify for the event with back to back wins, will again have the advantage of an energetic crowd.
Tennis East Coast will attempt to cover most of the 24 matches today.
Family Circle Cup: Day 2
Venus and Richard Williams embrace in Charleston
Unless my eyes are lying, everyone’s here now except Bartoli, because Aga withdrew.
Jill Craybas, Karolina Pliskova, Paula Ormaechea, Mariana Duque-Marino, Akgul Amanmuradova, Melanie Oudin, Yaraslava Shvedova, Camila Giorgi, Iveta Benesova and Mirjana Lucic have already punched their tickets into the Family Circle Cup main draw. Craybas’ victory over Madison Brengle was a lopsided match at 6-4, 6-2. Charleston’s Shelby Rogers yielded to Paula Ormaechea of Argentina in a 7-5, 6-3 decision despite incredible crowd support for Rogers. Mariana Duque-Marino cruised past Marta Domachowska of Poland 6-4, 6-3, Karolina Pliskova entered the main draw with a 6-4, 6-2 drubbing of Michelle Larcher de Brito and Akgul Amanmuradova defeated Vladimira Uhlirova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Also, Yaraslava Shvedova outlasted Andrea Hlavackova 7-6, 7-5, Camila Giorgi escaped Yung-Jan Chan 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3, Mirjana Lucic advanced over Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2, 6-2, and #1 seed Iveta Benesova lived up to her top ranking with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Kristyna Plisova.
Craybas Qualifies
Melanie Oudin dominated throughout her match against Petra Rampre 6-3, 6-2. Oudin’s high energy level was evident in her long win last night and it would have been a shocker if she were not to have qualified this afternoon. The Althea Gibson Court crowd was so overwhelmingly Oudin, even the owls and herons overhead were heard calling her name.
–S. Fogleman
Oudin is going to the Main Draw!
Family Circle Cup: Day 1
Melanie came to Charleston to Win, but she's in a 3rd set against Watson
Day 1 winners include Benesova, the Pliskovas, Domachowska, Duque-Marino, Brengle, Craybas, Amanmuradova, Uhlirova, Ormaechea, Rogers, Lucic, Cabeza Candela, Larcher de Brito, Garcia, Hlavackova, Rampre, Chan and Giorgi. Five matches are still being played. More details to follow, including tomorrow’s Order of Play.
Falconi and Wilson are all business and all smiles
These two make excellent practice partners
Family Circle Cup: Saturday’s Featured Matches
There’s a raindrop or two out there in the South Carolina skies this morning. Family Circle Cup qualifying play was originally supposed to begin at 10:00 a.m. and was moved to 9:30 a.m. That might have been optimistic as the forecast calls for the rain early today. It might be a long day of on-again, off-again outdoor frustratation, but fingers are crossed.
Having never had the benefit of witnessing the young USA talent of Hayley Carter, Abigail Spears, Shelby Rogers, Maria Sanchez, Emily Harman or Tetiania Luzhanska, today will be a day of first impressions for this sleep-deprived tweeter.
As @WTAToday pointed out last night, the Shvedova-Pegula fight should be particularly entertaining. Other matches of note, in no particular order:
Oudin is Looking for a Low-Country Run
Heather Watson vs. Melanie Oudin: Both of these players could argue that they were handed the toughest draw in qualifying. Watson’s game is on the rise, and Oudin desperately needs to win some matches.
Julia Cohen vs. Shelby Rogers–It’s the North vs. the South as the young South Carolinian takes on Philadelphia’s Julia Cohen.
Cohen is the Pride of Philly
Andrea Hlavackova vs. Kristina Mladenovic—Hlavackova hails from a brewing family and has earned half of a law degree. What could be more interesting than watching her, even if you’re not a beer-drinking attorney whose twitter alter-ego is @BaltoBeerBaron?
I'll take a Pilsener and a half of a law degree, please
Veteran vs. Upstart division:
Alexandra Cadantu vs. Marta Domachowska
Melinda Czink vs. Hayley Carter
Mirjana Lucic vs. Simone Kalhorn
—S. Fogleman
