2018 Qatar Open - WTA Premier 5

[Aussie Darcy]

First Premier 5 tournament of the year.

9 of the top 10 are playing, only one missing is Venus.

Seeded players are:
Wozniacki, Halep, Svitolina, Muguruza, Pliskova, Ostapenko, Garcia, Kerber, Goerges, Konta, Mladenovic, Keys, Sevastova, Rybarikova, Mertens and Kvitova.

Withdrawals include: Lucic-Baroni, Coco, Konjuh and Barty.

Pliskova is the defending champ having won the tournament when it was a Premier event last year. Doha and Dubai alternate each year between being Premier and Premier 5. Spears/Srebotnik are the defending doubles champ.

Wildcards have gone to: Fatma Al-Nabhani, Ons Jabeur, Çağla Büyükakçay and Maria Sharapova.

Number one ranking is again in play. Between Wozniacki and Halep. Halep must make at least the QF to have a chance at dethroning the Aus Open champ.

Qualifying is loaded too: Schiavone, Bellis, Osaka, Hsieh, Petkovic, Lisicki, Zvonareva and Fett (Woz would be hoping she doesn't qualify!!)

No order of play yet as the draw isn't out.

So who will win?

 

[Deleted member 688153]

Bonus points for anyone who gets the reference of this particular coin toss gif

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Azarenka was given a wildcard to Doha but has withdrawn due to 'personal reasons'.

Custody battle still screwing her career over it seems.

On the positive side, she'll play Indian Wells. Why? Cause it's in California so she won't need to leave the baby which has been the major issue.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Azarenka was given a wildcard to Doha but has withdrawn due to 'personal reasons'.

Custody battle still screwing her career over it seems.

On the positive side, she'll play Indian Wells. Why? Cause it's in California so she won't need to leave the baby which has been the major issue.

I thought she won the custody battle?

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Azarenka was given a wildcard to Doha but has withdrawn due to 'personal reasons'.

I thought it's done and dusted!
Poor Azarenka.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

I thought she won the custody battle?

I thought it's done and dusted!
Poor Azarenka.

This from TMZ last month:

TMZ Sports has learned the California judge has ruled in Azarenka's favor -- agreeing the case doesn't belong in CA or anywhere in the U.S.

But she's not out of the woods yet ... McKeague has 3 weeks to appeal the ruling. We're told Azarenka's camp is confident they will win that battle as well, based on the judge's strongly-worded 65-page opinion.

We're told Azarenka's plan is to move back to Belarus with their son as soon as she can -- but she wants McKeague to be in the kid's life and hopes to have an amicable co-parenting relationship with him moving forward.

.

I guess he appealed and it's not done yet?

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

This from TMZ last month:

.

I guess he appealed and it's not done yet?

Well if you look into Azarenka insta page, how on earth they're gonna gave amicable relationship lol.
Hope it's all sorted before FO.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Great win by Zvonareva over Hsieh who had that incredible run at the Aus Open recently.

Vera building on her doubles title in St Petersburg perhaps.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Goerges/Safarova r1

Garcia/Mladenovic could meet in r3
Wozniacki/Sharapova could in R3.
Radwanska/Kvitova could in R2

 

[I Am Finnish]

1] Wozniacki, Caroline DEN v Bye
Maria, Tatjana GER v Witthoeft, Carina GER
Q/LL v Sharapova, Maria (WC) RUS
Al Nabhani, Fatma (WC) OMA v [14] Rybarikova, Magdalena SVK

[10] Konta, Johanna GBR v Q/LL
Suárez Navarro, Carla ESP v Q/LL
Stosur, Samantha AUS v Begu, Irina-Camelia ROU
Bye v [8] Kerber, Angelique GER

[3] Svitolina, Elina UKR v Bye
Putintseva, Yulia KAZ v Q/LL
Barthel, Mona GER v Radwanska, Agnieszka POL
Buyukakcay, Cagla (WC) TUR v [16] Kvitova, Petra CZE

[9] Goerges, Julia GER v Safarova, Lucie CZE
Strycova, Barbora CZE v Krunic, Aleksandra SRB
Tsurenko, Lesia UKR v Buzarnescu, Mihaela ROU
Bye v [6] Ostapenko, Jelena LAT

[7] Garcia, Caroline FRA v Bye
Cibulkova, Dominika SVK v Pavlyuchenkova, Anastasia RUS
Vesnina, Elena RUS v Q/LL
Peng, Shuai CHN v [11] Mladenovic, Kristina FRA

[15] Mertens, Elise BEL v Babos, Timea HUN
Sakkari, Maria GRE v Cirstea, Sorana ROU
Jabeur, Ons (WC) TUN v Q/LL
Bye v [4] Muguruza, Garbiñe ESP

[5] Pliskova, Karolina CZE v Bye
Kontaveit, Anett EST v Cornet, Alizé FRA
Q/LL v Kasatkina, Daria RUS
Wang, Qiang CHN v [12] Keys, Madison USA

[13] Sevastova, Anastasija LAT v Vekic, Donna CRO
Q/LL v Siniakova, Katerina CZE
Makarova, Ekaterina RUS v Zhang, Shuai CHN
Bye v [2] Halep, Simona ROU

 

[spystud]

If Konta loses to Pera again...

 

[spystud]

Day 1 OoP

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Bellis & Kasatkina on serve in the 1st set. Cici just escaped a service break. She leads 4-3.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

This Bellis and Kasatkina a bit boring tbh.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Boo-tiful CC drop shots from both CiCi and Daria.

CiCi just broke to go up 5-3

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Kasatkina breaks back to get back on serve 4-5

This Bellis and Kasatkina a bit boring tbh.

Just started watching the match, Not bored at all.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

CiCi seems to be on the offense on most of the rallies. But too many UEs. Love that she cones to the net as much as she does.

Another nice CC drop from CiCi.

Kasatkina up to serve to stay in the set. 5-6 now

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

CiCi takes 1st set 7-5.

CiCi quite good at analysis during her ob-court coaching sessions. She oftrn has more to say than the coach.Seems to use him as a sounding board.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Kasatkina breaks back to get back on serve 4-5



Just started watching the match, Not bored at all.

Not much good rally.
Cici grab the 1st set due to error prone from Kasatkina.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Darya also making too many UEs. But not as many winners at CiCi. Down a break in 2nd set at 0-2.

Nice drop shot from Daria. Had CiCI on the ropes but failed to break. Bellis now up 3-0

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

MTO for Daria. Unusual treatment. Massage/acupressure of the upper neck? Painkillers. Auto accident?

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

It's getting good, Kasatkina just running out of idea and kind of bashing the ball.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Nice jumping BH winner from Daria. Too many of her FHs looks forced tho'.

Manages to win her serve. But then CiCi wins serve easily to go up 4-1

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Kasatkina retired

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Wow. Daria just threw in the towel in the 6th game of the 2nd set.

Still, good win for CiCi. If she keeps working on her serve, she could easily be top 20 or better.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Still able to go back in time on the "live" stream. Was looking for signs of Daria's pain. Kinda subtle. She did touch her neck a few time.

Daria served 3 points in the 6th game of 2nd set. Down 15-30 (and 1-4 in games), she decided she has enough. Nice handshake & hug. Good to see that WTA hugs are not passé

 

[I Am Finnish]

Vesnina a double break down eekkk

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Waiting for Pova running around chasing Niculescu's ball

 

[sportmac]

Anyone using WTATV? It's buffering like crazy for me.

 

[I Am Finnish]

Waiting for Pova running around chasing Niculescu's ball

Slice slice slice

 

[sportmac]

Slice slice slice

I've had the chance to see her forehand up close a few times at the Citi Open. It's a thing of beauty and so unusual. All kinds of evil work on that thing.

 

[I Am Finnish]

I've had the chance to see her forehand up close a few times at the Citi Open. It's a thing of beauty and so unusual. All kinds of evil work on that thing.

like the unorthodox playstyle
Also like the fh slice (not many players Do it) more than the bh

Love she slices her opponents to death


Slice slice slices

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Ready for Buzarnescu-Ostapenko

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Ready for Buzarnescu-Ostapenko

Ostapenko even lost to Buyukagcay, I think Buzarn got this one.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

http://wtafiles.wtatennis.com/pdf/draws/2018/1003/MDS.pdf
http://wtafiles.wtatennis.com/pdf/draws/2018/1003/MDD.pdf

@Aussie Darcy

 

[ALEXT]

Sahrapova is out to lunch against Niculescu.....

5-3 Niculescu on the 3rd. Sharapova spraying the balls all over the place. 10 DFs too.

 

[Deleted member 293577]

Sharapova has been sliced and diced out of the first round.

 

[I Am Finnish]

slicelescu

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

Sharapova's papers have already been submitted to the Finnish consulate.
Naturalisation should be swift now.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

That is so embarrassing for Pova.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Garcia/Mladenovic could meet in r3

Waiting for this! But Garcia is not playing well atm.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Barthel backhand power is impressive.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Monica Niculescu
4 6 6

Maria Sharapova
6 4 3

bWA-WA-WA-WA, this must hurt
The Romanians have learned to deal with her

 

[Zodd]

I wouldn't dare hope that Nicu would win but seems she did - woohoo!! Going to watch the highlights now

 

[Zodd]

man oh man those slices are evil! EVIL I SAY!!!

 

[I Am Finnish]

radwanska needed 10 mp's to finish the match lol

 

[Zodd]

Just finished the highlights - boy that match was a thing of beauty! One of the sickest slices-fests i've ever seen!!

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Just finished the highlights - boy that match was a thing of beauty! One of the sickest slices-fests i've ever seen!!

Enjoy the full match:
Maria Sharapova vs Monica Niculescu Full Match HD - 2018 Qatar Total Open (Doha) | Tennis Live

 

[fundrazer]

If Mugu wins this one then Conchita needs to stay on board. But even if she doesn't win, if Garbi plays well and looks confident on court that's enough for me, because we already know she has the game to win big events. Just needs consistency and good frame of mind.

 

[spystud]

Day 2 OoP