WTA Washington 2014: Citiopen

[Correspondent Kiu]

USA
JUL 28 - AUG 03

TOURNAMENT INFO:
TIER: International
PRIZE MONEY: $250,000
SURFACE: Hard
DIRECTOR: Jeff Newman

Defending Champion is Magdalena Rybarikova, that's 2 years running. Andrea Petkovic was the other finalist last year.


Top seed is Lucie Safarova followed second by Sloane Stephens.
Player field here:
http://www.citiopentennis.com/wta_player_field/?intloc=headernavsub

Tennis Frontier will provide full coverage of this event. I will have extensive coverage of this event since we were granted Media credentials to cover this event LIVE!

Qualifying rounds start tomorrow, 20 matches set to be played, full event schedule here:
http://www.citiopentennis.com/tournament_info/2014_tournament_schedule/?intloc=headernavsub

I will provide the draw once it's finalized.

Order of play:
http://www.citiopentennis.com/schedule/?intloc=headernavsub

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

It's hot and humid in Washington today, temperature reaching 86 F

All the qualifying matches were completed yesterday, here is today's card:

The main draw begins tomorrow.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

This event went "dual" only recently. However, I heard lot of complaints that they don't
have enough practice courts, locker room area etc to really conduct a "dual gender"
tourney here. But, anyway they are doing it to increase revenues. Is that still true or
have they increased the facilities?

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

The Organization of the event has improved, they are using a lot of off-site venues as well, the players are shuttled around via Lexus sponsored vehicles.

Here are the qualifiers:
SINGLES - QUALIFYING - FINAL ROUND
[5] Taylor Townsend (USA) d [1] Tereza Smitkova (CZE) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 4 |
[7] Hiroko Kuwata (JPN) d Stephanie Dubois (CAN) | 4 - 6 | 6 - 2 | 7 - 6 (3) |
[3] Olivia Rogowska (AUS) d [6] Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) | 2 - 6 | 7 - 6 (5) | 7 - 6 (5) |
[WC] Tornado Alicia Black (USA) d Emily Webley-Smith (GBR) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 0 |

Tornado in the main Draw!

---

The Ladies draw is now finalized, Taylor Townsend is in!


1 SAFAROVA, Lucie CZE
2 MLADENOVIC, Kristina FRA
3 GOERGES, Julia GER
4 TOWNSEND, Taylor USA
5 BLACK, Tornado Alicia USA
6 DIYAS, Zarina KAZ
7 NARA, Kurumi JPN
8 KEYS, Madison USA

9 CORNET, Alize FRA
10 ROGERS, Shelby USA
11 PLISKOVA, Kristyna CZE
12 ERAKOVIC, Marina NZL
13 JOVANOVSKI, Bojana SRB
14 ROGOWSKA, Olivia AUS
15 BERTENS, Kiki NED
16 CIRSTEA, Sorana ROU

17 KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana RUS
18 HERCOG, Polona SLO
19 WATSON, Heather GBR
20 FLIPKENS, Kirsten BEL
21 KING, Vania USA
22 ABANDA, Francoise CAN
23 MCHALE, Christina USA
24 STEPHENS, Sloane USA

25 PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia RUS
26 RAZZANO, Virginie FRA
27 RISKE, Alison USA
28 KUWATA, Hiroko JPN
29 DAVIS, Lauren USA
30 PENG, Shuai CHN
31 RYBARIKOVA, Magdalena SVK
32 MAKAROVA, Ekaterina RUS

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Order of play​

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Shelby and Taylor advanced against higher ranked opponents, the crowd did help.

Scores:
Women's Singles - First Round
[WC] S Rogers (USA) d [3] A Cornet (FRA) 75 46 64
[6] S Kuznetsova (RUS) d P Hercog (SLO) 63 62
K Nara (JPN) d [7] M Keys (USA) 75 63
[8] S Cirstea (ROU) d K Bertens (NED) 64 46 63
[Q] T Townsend (USA) d J Goerges (GER) 36 62 63
Z Diyas (KAZ) d [Q] T Black (USA) 64 60
V King (USA) d [WC] F Abanda (CAN) 62 60
[Q] H Kuwata (JPN) d A Riske (USA) 60 75

Order of play​

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

I have news for you.

Here is Sloane's un-named coach:

New coach didn't help her much, she had the crowd behind her too, lost the deciding set at love today, Taylor has done better, she won doubles today.

Scores:

FIRST ROUND
[2] Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) | 6 - 1 | 6 - 1
Lauren Davis (USA) d Shuai Peng (CHN) | 1 - 6 | 6 - 4 | 6 - 2 |
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) d [1] Lucie Safarova (CZE) | 2 - 6 | 6 - 3 | 6 - 3 |
[5] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d Virginie Razzano (FRA) | 6 - 2 | 6 - 2 |
Christina McHale (USA) d [4] Sloane Stephens (USA) | 6 - 4 | 4 - 6 | 6 - 0 |
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) d Heather Watson (GBR) | 6 - 3 | 1 - 6 | 7 - 6 (3) |
Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) d [Q] Olivia Rogowska (AUS) | 6 - 7 (5) | 7 - 5 | 7 - 5 |
Marina Erakovic (NZL) d Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) | 4 - 6 | 6 - 2 | 6 - 4 |

First round is completed.

---

I also have the order of play:

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

It's been unseasonably cool in Washington this week, other than Monday, we have been in high 70s during daytime and 60s at nights.
It's suppose to get warmer as we get close to the weekend, the conditions will be changing. For now, the courts are playing fast.

I have scores from yesterday:


SINGLES - SECOND ROUND
Marina Erakovic (NZL) d [WC] Shelby Rogers (USA) | 6 - 2 | 6 - 2 |
Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) d [8] Sorana Cirstea (ROU) | 4 - 6 | 7 - 5 | 6 - 3 |
Kurumi Nara (JPN) d Zarina Diyas (KAZ) | 3 - 6 | 6 - 2 | 4 - 0 | RET
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) d [Q] Taylor Townsend (USA) | 6 - 3 | 6 - 4 |

The other half of draw will play today, here is the order:

 

[Moxie]

Kiu's photoblog is updated with photos from Day 3. More to come. Do check it out:

http://www.tennisfrontier.com/blogs/photo-blog/kius-photoblog-citiopen-2014/

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

There are many pictures in the blog now, thanks Moxie for helping me put them up. I couldn't do it without Moxie's help.

One can click on any picture to get a larger full screen version.

Sample picture:

The full version available in photo blog.

---

I have scores:


Women's Singles - Second Round
[2] E Makarova (RUS) d L Davis (USA) 62 64
[5] A Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d [Q] H Kuwata (JPN) 63 63
[6] S Kuznetsova (RUS) d K Flipkens (BEL) 64 75
V King (USA) d C Mchale (USA) 61 63

Seems like Vania always does well here.

---

I also have order of play:

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Read on twitter that Vania King has pulled out of her q/final match against Sveta due to a hip injury.Sveta now awaits the winner of Pavluchenkova v Makarova.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Scores:

Women's Singles - Quarterfinals
[2] E Makarova (RUS) d [5] A Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 76(3) 63
[6] S Kuznetsova (RUS) d V King (USA) 00 Retired
K Nara (JPN) d K Mladenovic (FRA) 63 61
M Erakovic (NZL) d B Jovanovski (SRB) 64 64

Women's Doubles - Semifinals
[2] S Aoyama (JPN) / G Dabrowski (CAN) d L Dekmeijere (LAT) / N Melichar (USA) 67(5) 63 10-6
H Kuwata (JPN) / K Nara (JPN) d J Rae (GBR) / A Smith (GBR) 61 16 12-10

Japanese beat the English!

Semifinals are set.

Order of play:

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

I took lots of pictures of Svetlana last night, Nara too.

Here is the order:

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Congrads to Svetlana, she said herself it's been a long drought.

Both photos above are exclusive to this thread and copyright of Tennis Frontier.

 

[markus1]

first title in for years for Sveta.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Is the runner-up cup smaller in size here? I could not judge from the few photos I saw.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

yes it is.

The little box is a Bulova watch that the winner received.
The money prize was not in the form of a check anymore, it's now via electronic fund transfer.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I am glad that there is difference in size. In Stanford, it looked like the two plates
that Serena and Kerber got are exact same size and shape. I could be wrong though.
I did not see any pictures of them together. Just saw them parading it on tv.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Here is a short video I took of the final.

[video=youtube]http://youtu.be/-i6kRQLuUds[/video]