2018 WTA Italian Open

Premier 5 Rome time.

Another decent tournament coming up for us.

Seeded players are: Halep, Wozniacki, Muguruza, Svitolina, Ostapenko, Pliskova, Garcia, Venus, Sloane, Kerber, Vandeweghe, Keys, Kasatkina, Sevastova, Barty and Rybarikova.

Wildcards went to Errani, Rosatello, Stosur, Vinci and Schiavone (there was some drama with Schiavone's WC i'll post more on that later).

Azarenka and Siegemund have used a protected ranking for this event.

Heaps of decent unseeded players: Osaka, Suarez Navarro, Pavs, Gavrilova, Sharapova, Bertens, Makarova, Kuznetsova, Mladenovic and more.

Madrid champ Kvitova has understandably withdrawn, so has: Cornet, Mertens, Goerges and Serena who's probably going to the royal wedding.

Defending champ is Svitolina with Halep being the defending finalist.

Number 1 ranking is in play between Halep and Woz. Halep must make the QF to have a shot at retaining her #1 ranking.

This also will be Vinci's final tour event and Schiavone's final Rome tournament.

So, who will win Rome?

Draw: http://www.wtatennis.com/tournament/2018-rome-italy-709#draws
OOP: http://www.wtatennis.com/tournament/2018-rome-italy-709#orderofplay

 

Heaps of popcorn 1R:
Azarenka v Osaka
Keys v Pavs
Sloane v Strycova
Gavrilova v Bellis
Cibulkova v Schiavone
Barty v Sharapova!!!
Rybarikova v Konta (again)
Kerber v Makarova!!!
Coco v Kontaveit
Sevastova v Mladenovic

Potential 2R matches:
Halep v Azarenka/Osaka!!!
Keys/Pavs v Suarez Navarro
Pliskova v Bertens
Venus v Vesnina/Siegemund
Coco/Kontaveit v Kuznetsova
Stosur v Wozniacki!

 

Kvitova is out. Good decision.Rest up for RG.

 

So there was a pretty big drama last year where Schiavone wasn't given a wildcard into Rome despite it being her final year as well as being the only active Italian on tour to have a singles grand slam.



She posted this:



A wildcard was instead given to Sharapova who had just returned from her doping ban. Schiavone was not even given a qualifying wildcard. Lot of people weren't happy with that decision.

Schiavone ended up deciding at the end of 2017 that she would continue playing, she gets a main draw wildcard in 2018 for Rome.

 

Giorgi to win it all.

Oh wait, she's down 0-3 in the third set against Danielle Collins, never mind!

 

Bellis and Makarova out. To be replaced by lucky losers/qualifiers.

 

Too bad about Bellis, apparently an elbow problem. And Makarova got sick, bad luck. https://twitter.com/WTA_insider/status/995665267014422530

On a positive note, one more withdrawal and Giorgi is back in!

 

Siniakova injured? Diyas is in but not her.

 

Makarova still playing doubles... lol

Maybe because of bye on 1R dubs.

 

OOT

Anyone has video of Petra's speech at Madrid. The one in Prague is very emotional!
Didn't know she had a body guard for several months. Understandably of course.

 

Huh. Someone posted "if more than two withdraw, Giorgi is back in". Maybe he/she posted that after either Bellis or Makarova already withdrew. Or maybe that poster didn't know what he/she was talking about. Much like me!

 

Lucky for Kerber with Makarova out.

Makarova did beat her in the 1R of the French Open last year.

That lucky loser spot goes to Diyas.

Other lucky losers into the draw: Sabalenka who plays Hsieh and Krunic who plays Vinci.

 

Venus and Keys are playing doubles

 

Masha needs at least QF(?) to be seeded at RG.

Ash is good but not on clay, she shouldnt be bothered by her. Hope i didnt jinx it now

Potential draw:
R1: Barty
R2: Cibulkova
R3: Mugu
QF: Ostapenko
SF: Halep
F : Svitolina

 

Yup, first time in 10 years she's partnered with someone other than Serena since Doha 2008 where she played with Wozniacki.

 

Good luck Roberta.
What ever happens you've provided me with one of my most glorious tennis memories

 

A lot of interesting doubles pairings interesting:
Gavrilova with former doubles #1 Hsieh.
Barty with Schuurs. Has Barty's partnership with Vandeweghe ended already?
Cirstea with Ostapenko
Rybarikova with Sevastova (why didn't Ostapenko and Sevastova do an all Latvian pairing?)
Kuznetsova and Pliskova. Now that's cool
Keys with Venus Williams.

And I don't understand how Rodionova managed to break up the Kichenok twins up but she did (it's been a while now).
Aussie Anastasia Rodionova plays with Nadiia Kichenok whilst Lyudmyla Kichenok plays with Aussie Monique Adamczak. Instead of having an all Ukrainian twin pairing and Rodionova/Adamczak having an all Aussie pairing, they're split up.

 

Im glad, can't wait

 

Serena came back too early but should be ready for Paris, says Mouratoglou.

http://www.wtatennis.com/news/serena-came-back-too-early-should-be-ready-paris-says-mouratoglou

 

Halep has azarenka or Osaka for round 2

I think she will prefers Osaka

 

Maria Sharapova‏Verified account @MariaSharapova
Two minutes on court with the GOAT @RafaelNadal #BucketList Was so nervous


https://twitter.com/MariaSharapova/status/995995610720489472

 

Azarenka 5-0 down against Osaka

 

Osaka destroying Vika.

 

Vika

 

Osaka GOATing while Vika struggles with the wind and Naomi bagels Azarenka.

Naomi hitting the ball so deep and hard.

 

@helixx who’s your vote for other in the poll to win Rome?

 

Match updates:

Konta gets another win over Rybáriková on clay. Beat her last week in Madrid and again today in Rome.

Kanepi thrashes the Italian WC.

Vinci has finished her singles career with a 3 set loss to Krunci. Won the first, bagelled in the second and lost 6-3 in the 3rd.

Vekic currently thrashing Carla 6-1 4-1 .

 

Earlier an announcer said that it's very windy today and that it was also windy in Indian Wells when Osaka played well. Hmmm...

 

Well Osaka doesn't have to destroy Vika like that.

 

Too good by Naomi. Saves three break points with huge serves and she wins 6-0 6-3 over Azarenka. Now gets #1 Halep. Brutal.

 

Sharapova will win

 

Keys playing well against Pavlyuchenkova, serving for the match.

 

Wow! That was brutal for Vika. Onto RG, I guess. Clay has never been her strongest surface.

 

Yeah Keys, if we picked you in SDL you would have lost. Funny how you can thrash Pavly but can't get past Sorribes. Whatever!

 

She doesn't like losing that much after all

 

Still waiting for that glorious Vika comeback that some people predicted.
The one where she would easily regain the number 1 spot because of how weak the field was/had been.
Tee hee.

 

Stosur just blew triple set points in the first set tiebreak against Van Uytvanck and so I’m off to bed. It’s 6-6 in the tiebreak there.

Hope she pulls through.

 

Noticed her shrieking was conspicuously absent

 

I think her shrieking and his grunting would have attracted a worked up crowd

 

Sharapova

 

cibulkova collapsing from 5:3 in second

 

Krunic finishes Vinci's career..

 

What's up with Schiavoni hair ?? she not using the shampoo or what ??????

 

what's wrong with Cibulkova ? she seems like she can't win a match this year.

 

no idea, she went from hero to zero after she won Finals

 

CoCo/Kontaveit starting now on beIN.

 

AK drops the quick breadstick.

 

Ouch, the double breadstick in a freaking hurry.

 

Wow, CSN out with 6-2 6-1 win by Vekic. Pretty amazing given that she made it to the quarters in Madrid.

 

Sloane/Strycova up now on beIN.