Thursday, October 4, 2012

Beijing Quarterfinals

Same song, second verse.  Top seeds have done well in the WTA's final Tier I event of the season in Beijing, with 5 of the top 9 seeds reaching the quarters.  Half of the remaining also reached this round last week in Tokyo but there are a couple of surprises.  Here are the last eight:

1) Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
2) Maria Sharapova (RUS)
3) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
5) Angelique Kerber (GER)
7) Na Li (CHN)
9) Marion Bartoli (FRA)
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)
Romina Oprandi (ITA)

The Asian swing was not kind to Kvitova as she went 0-2 as the #4 seed.  Errani pulled out midway through her first round match and Stosur faltered against Goerges in her first match (after a bye).  So the top 8 seeds that survived their first match are undefeated.  Petrova, after her title in Tokyo, also bowed out after one match.  Safarova, Cibulkova, Vinci, and Kirilenko were other seeds dropping their first match, to Niculescu, Shvedova, Dominguez Lino, and Makarova, respectively.

Last year, only Radwanska and Kirilenko made the quarters at both Asian big events, but this year it was Azarenka, Sharapova, Radwanska, and Kerber.  The Pole and German will try to make both semis.  Radwanska is the only remaining quarterfinalist from '11.  (It was a surprise tournament that year with Petkovic (F), Niculescu (SF), Pennetta (SF), Wozniacki, Pavlyuchenkova, Kirilenko, and Ivanovic reaching the quarters then.)

Qualifiers went 7-1 in the first round with wins by Vesnina, Giorgi, Morita, Dominguez Lino, Robson, Arruabarrena-Vecino, and Hercog.  Vesnina, Dominguez Lino, and Hercog would go on to make the third round, making qualifiers 10-8 in the tournament.

Americans were a disappointing 1-3 with Lepchenko getting the win (def. Pironkova) and McHale and King suffering first round defeats.

There were 5 Chinese in the draw.  Li is still left, Peng lost to her.  Both Zhengs lost in the first round and Zhang beat Wang in a battle of wildcards so they went 6-5 so far.

There were some good candidates for best scoreline but I went with Hercog def. Makarova in R2 7-6(5) 3-6 7-6(3)

"Tonight's" quarterfinals:
Azarenka vs Oprandi
Bartoli vs Suarez Navarro
Radwanska vs Li
Sharapova vs Kerber

Stosur has been eliminated from the WTA Championships.  Bartoli can still get in but will need to win Beijing and maybe 2 more tournaments while needing Li to not win much more, especially here.  The other 7 spots are secure.

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