WTA Premier Mandatory, Beijing 2013

[kskate2]

Petko takes the 2nd set breaker 7-4 to force a decider.

 

[kskate2]

Suarez-Navarro chomping on a double bagel for the 2nd time this year. Ouch!

 

[kskate2]

Petko/Lucie in sudden death. 5-5. Petko survives the first test and saves 3 MP's

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Holy mess Stephens and Wozniacki just had a marathon game. 17 minutes and 43 seconds it lasted. 10 deuces. On Sloane's serve! And it was early in the set at 1-2 Stephens. She was serving to get to 2-2. And she finally held after Wozniacki's backhand sailed wide. And Stephens now has 2 break points in Wozniacki's ensuing service game. She's just lost the first one though. But she'll have a second serve to return now.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

This is a marathon match, we are approaching an hour of play and we're still in the middle of the first set!

 

[kskate2]

They just wrapped up the 1st set? I left home an hour ago.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Top guns don't have to be consistent, they just have to out-gun you!
You are talking about top players, there is a difference.
I guess we have to agree to disagree.

We will have to agree to disagree. Sure Sabine, Petra and Franny have nice weapons, but they certainly don't use them to get where they need to be in their tennis on a consistent basis. Top players are the top guns to me because they are using their weapons to get where they need to be in their tennis. Sabine should be a top 10 player by now and Petra should be a top 5 player, but they are not because they don't execute day in and day out. Consistency to me is a crucial element of being a top gun.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Sloane is so infuriating. She could be taking this match to Caroline much more than she is. Caroline is playing really good solid tennis in Sloane's defense. But Sloane just isn't doing enough in my opinion. And the commentator's opinions.

 

[kskate2]

Kiu. I know you like Sabine, but that does not make her a top gun because she took out a top player or two. While I agree she is a gun (someone w/ immense power and weapons), she's not a top gun.

 

[kskate2]

Sloane is so infuriating. She could be taking this match to Caroline much more than she is. Caroline is playing really good solid tennis in Sloane's defense. But Sloane just isn't doing enough in my opinion. And the commentator's opinions.

I just started watching it, but too many errors from Sloane. You'll never beat Caro like that because she swallows UE's.

 

[tenisplayrla08]

Well Sloane deserved to lose. Even if Wozniacki hadn't been better Sloane was just terrible. Played stupidly. Could have gone for more. But didn't. And then there was the fact that Wozniacki was solid. She's playing very good tennis right now. And I do hate to see her win. She didn't have to be playing Stephens tonight. I was still going to be rooting against her. But she was good tonight. Sloane couldn't get around her or through her. But at the same time it really didn't seem like she was trying. Serena surely will be trying though. That's for sure. And I'm sure she'll succeed. Mostly I was just hoping Sloane could win this to get to Serena so she could just get some more points so she could have a better chance of qualifying for the YEC. It was always a long shot but it's basically impossible now.

 

[Hoergren]

Must say I sit here with a happy smile on my face. My babe wins and I get the quarter final I would like to see. Brilliant play from Caroline - she's back on the high level she had - yeah maybe even better. Nice to see and it's very promising for 2014. Well done Carolineclap

PS. Eh - what was Michael mortensen doing there??? New coach??

Stats from the match:

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Beijing 2013: 1/4 finals

Quarters are set, here are the last of the 3rd round scores:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 04, 2013

THIRD ROUND
[3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d Polona Hercog (SLO) | 6 - 0 | 6 - 2 |
[7] Angelique Kerber (GER) d [10] Roberta Vinci (ITA) | 6 - 2 | 6 - 4 |
[8] Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d [12] Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) | 6 - 0 | 6 - 0 |
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d Andrea Petkovic (GER) | 6 - 4 | 6 (4) - 7 | 7 - 6 (2) |

[6] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d [11] Sloane Stephens (USA) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 1 |
[1] Serena Williams (USA) d Maria Kirilenko (RUS) | 7 - 5 | 7 - 5 |

Doubles - Quarterfinals
V Dushevina / A Parra Santonja (RUS/ESP) d D Hantuchova / L Raymond (SVK/USA) | 6 - 4 | 7 - 5 |
[2] S Hsieh / S Peng (TPE/CHN) d [6] R Kops-Jones / A Spears (USA/USA) | 6 - 2 | 7 - 6 (4) |
[1] S Errani / R Vinci (ITA/ITA) d K Mladenovic / F Pennetta (FRA/ITA) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 4 |
[8] C Black / S Mirza (ZIM/IND) d Y Chan / J Zheng (TPE/CHN) | 6 - 4 | 6 - 1 |

 

[kskate2]

Must say I sit here with a happy smile on my face. My babe wins and I get the quarter final I would like to see. Brilliant play from Caroline - she's back on the high level she had - yeah maybe even better. Nice to see and it's very promising for 2014. Well done Carolineclap

PS. Eh - what was Michael mortensen doing there??? New coach??

Stats from the match:

Sloane committed 51 UE's in a straight set match? Yikes! Good job Caro.

 

[Calvy]

"TOP" in itself defines itself. Top Guns are the big dogs Serena (the top gun) ),Vika, Maria, Li and Aggie. You can't be a "top gun" if you're not on top or near the top. Being top 50 does not make one a "top gun" or even close to one.

As for the fact Sabine has beaten a number 1, remember, Martina N. only loss in 1983 was to Kathleen Horvath, does that mean Horvath was a former top gun, HECK NO!

Dimitrov beat number 1 Novak earlier this year, is he a top gun....NO!

 

[Calvy]

Good win for Caroline, but, weren't at this same juncture stating it bold well for the next last year around this time when she made a final or two, and again when she made the final of Indian Wells in March?

 

[10isfan]

Caro plays one more tournament before Istanbul. Sloane plays two more. I think it is theoretically possible for her to qualify.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Wow, those are horrible numbers for both ladies. 51 unforced errors from Sloane. Yikes!

 

[kskate2]

Caro plays one more tournament before Istanbul. Sloane plays two more. I think it is theoretically possible for her to qualify.

Doesn't look good if she continues to go out in the 2nd round.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Beijing 2013: 1/4 finals Order of play

I have the last 8 Ladies right here:

Friday, October 04, 2013

NATIONAL TENNIS STADIUM

15:00 - [9] Petra Kvitova (CZE) V [4] Na Li (CHN)

16:00 - [1] Serena Williams (USA) V [6] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)

LOTUS COURT

12:30 - [8] Jelena Jankovic (SRB) V Lucie Safarova (CZE)
19:00 - [3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) V [7] Angelique Kerber (GER)

H2H numbers coming later.