2021 WTA Madrid Open - WTA 1000

[Aussie Darcy]

Time for another 1000 tournament. This time we get Madrid, a tournament that wasn't held in 2020.

Stacked field for this one.
7 of the top 10, 17 of the top 20.

Kiki Bertens is the defending champ having won the title in 2019. She beat Simona Halep for the title.

It's the first time we see Osaka on clay since the French Open in 2019 and the second time we see Barty on clay since winning RG 2019 (Barty played and won Stuttgart a few days ago).

12 slam champions in the draw.

Seeds are in order:
Barty, Osaka, Halep, Svitolina, Sabalena, Pliskova, Bertens,Bencic, Kvitova, Muguruza, Brady, Azarenka, Mertens, Swiatek, Konta and Sakkari.

Wildcards went to:
Badosa, Cirstea, Jimenez Kasintseva(??), Sorribes Tormo and Venus Williams.

Withdrawals: Kenin, Andreescu, Serena, Collins and a few others.

A good performance from Barty could secure herself the #1 ranking even if she bombs out while defending RG.

Some seriously popcorn R1 matches:
Barty v Rogers
Swiatek v Riske
Kerber v Vondrousova
Muguruza v Stephens
Pliskova v Gauff
Pavlycuhenkova v Keys
Kuznetsova v Ostapenko
Brady v Williams
Sakkari v Anisimova

2 1R matchups of slam champions (Garbie v Sloane and Kuzy v Ostapenko) and also got 2 1R matchups of slam champions v slam runner ups (Kerber v Vondrousova and Brady v Venus).

OOP: https://www.wtatennis.com/tournament/1038/madrid/2021/order-of-play
Draw: https://www.wtatennis.com/tournament/1038/madrid/2021/draws

 

[Aussie Darcy]

We get Barty v Rogers for the 4th time in barely 3 months.

The pair have met:
2021 Yarra Valley Classic QF
2021 Australian Open 4R
2021 Charleston 3R

Barty won in 3 in both Yarra Valley and Charleston but straight sets at the AO.

 

[romeo8880]

Wow at those first round matches

 

[octobrina10]

The draw:

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Very excited to see Barty vs Swiatek and Kasatkina vs Pegula/Sabalenka.
WIth the price money dropped, will we see Sloane putting an effort vs Muguruza? If both on top would be fascinating match.

 

[HarveyPitnik]

^ I'm especially looking forward seeing Sakkari to totally butcher Osaka!

Some crazy tough quartets there, like Pegula, Cirstea, Alexandrova & Azarenka and e.g. Kvitova, Bouzkova, Kerber & Vondrousova!

 

[MichaelNadal]

Venus has an absolutely brutal draw

 

[Mark-Touch]

I'm looking at the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs, doubles.
Can someone please explain round of 16 scores that went three sets:
6-1, 2-6, 4-6 and
6-7, 6-3, 10-0
What's the deal for the third set?
Why are they different?

 

[HarveyPitnik]

Venus has an absolutely brutal draw

She would be out in the 1st round with the least "brutal draw" imaginable. But it seems that her greed(!) and total cluelessness of her "skills" keeps her stealing from gifted up and coming players money, points and fame year after year!

 

[TagUrIt]

I’m pulling for Garbiñe and a few other favorites, but I think Iga is the one to beat. She seems to be VERY comfortable on clay.

 

[MichaelNadal]

She would be out in the 1st round with the least "brutal draw" imaginable. But it seems that her greed(!) and total cluelessness of her "skills" keeps her stealing from gifted up and coming players money, points and fame year after year!

Legend!

 

[spystud]

I'm looking at the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs, doubles.
Can someone please explain round of 16 scores that went three sets:
6-1, 2-6, 4-6 and
6-7, 6-3, 10-0
What's the deal for the third set?
Why are they different?

The first one (4-6 in the 3rd) decided the tie, therefore it was played all the way out. The 10-0 match was irrelevant, Canada already clinched.

 

[elkwood]

Barty going to be tough to beat. Unless she just worn out. Picked Halep. She looked great till
the run in with an inspired Sabelenka.

 

[Harry_Wild]

Cannot see Muguruza loosing to Stephens the 1st round! Stephen is playing like her old self now! Bad!

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Crazy that we could get Barty v Swiatek aka 2019 RG champ v 2020 RG champ in the 3R of the tournament.

 

[PDJ]

Venus has an absolutely brutal draw

Let's be honest- we both like her. You adore her, but if she gets to the third round anywhere it's possibly because she's had a bye or a walk over
However, it's a great shame that capacity crowds don't get to see her one more time.

If she got herself a good, regular doubles partner she could probably play for the next 10 years if she really doesn't want to quit.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Let's be honest- we both like her. You adore her, but if she gets to the third round anywhere it's possibly because she's had a bye or a walk over
However, it's a great shame that capacity crowds don't get to see her one more time.

If she got herself a good, regular doubles partner she could probably play for the next 10 years if she really doesn't want to quit.

Yeah it really sucks to see her level where it is now.

 

[PDJ]

Yeah it really sucks to see her level where it is now.

I get it that she clearly just enjoys to play regardless of the result. Quite refreshing. And it's her choice when to call it a day.
And given she's carried on so long there are few journalists calling for her to retire.
And personally I think it's far healthier than her sister's obsessive quest to win more majors. That must be far more stressful than just playing for the fun of it.
Good luck Venus.

 

[volleyandfun]

Is this for real?
Hsieh and Zidansek played last round qualifiers with Zidansek winning
Now, they are paired again in the first round of main draw.

 

[romeo8880]

Is this for real?
Hsieh and Zidansek played last round qualifiers with Zidansek winning
Now, they are paired again in the first round of main draw.

Lucky loser? Who pulled out?

 

[volleyandfun]

Lucky loser? Who pulled out?

Nobody, there were 12 Q's and 13th was a LL

 

[Harry_Wild]

Upsets in qualifying - Kovinic, Hsieh, Hibino!

 

[spystud]

Svitolina/Teichmann gets us started on TC.

 

[romeo8880]

Svitolina has been serving a lot better and seems to be playing with more aggression recently. I like it

 

[romeo8880]

Kerber rising from the ashes right now. Beating vondrousova

 

[romeo8880]

Svitolina embarrasses herself and goes a third set with teichmann

 

[romeo8880]

Muguruza withdraws (leg)

 

[romeo8880]

Epic choking from Svitolina right here. From 5-1 to 5-4 now.

 

[romeo8880]

For sure the worst and most embarrassing loss of Svitolina’s career. Up 5-1 serving and lost the match while blowing 6 match points in the process. Could be very mentally damaging as well.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Garbine withdrew. Now Sloane will lose to Kovinic I feel.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

For sure the worst and most embarrassing loss of Svitolina’s career. Up 5-1 serving and lost the match while blowing 6 match points in the process. Could be very mentally damaging as well.

Yeah that's god damn awful choking. I still think the 2017 French Open QF will go down as her biggest choke considering the significance of it. She led Halep 6-3 5-1 for her chance to finally achieve her first slam SF which had eluded her.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Geez people talk about how Barty benefited so greatly from the rankings but as we know she's proven why she's the #1 with her 3 titles this year and now leading the race to Shenzhen. Elina Svitolina but?

When the tour froze around March 16, Barty was #3 in race ranking with 1,601 points. Svitolina was outside the top 20 with just 473 points.

Flash forward to the end of the year. Keeping in mind Barty didn't play a single tournament due to Covid while Svitolina resumed.

Barty still finished the year on 1,601 points in the race rankings while Svitolina managed 1,374 despite playing through Covid.

Barty wouldn't have been far from being an alternate at the YEC despite not resuming during Covid while Svitolina was a fair way out. On top of that, Barty resumes this year after 12 months out winning 3 titles while Svitolina hasn't even made a tour final.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

This is what I love about Barty. She fights hard on every point. Up 4-1 and Rogers has game point after deuce and she still fights. She wants every point.

 

[romeo8880]

Shelby Rogers is horrible

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Barty clay GOAT. Hoping Swiatek will win it all tho.

 

[romeo8880]

The errors Rogers makes are comical. Boggles the mind sometimes how some of these players are professionals

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Can't watch it anymore. Play like this (Shelby) is what makes WTA a joke.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Barty is looking very good.

6-2 3-0.

Very, very keen for a Barty v Swiatek 3R. Obviously a couple matches to be held before then but very juicy.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Barty gets it done on the hour mark. She wins 6-2 6-1.

Into the 2R in Madrid. Great match for her, not so much for Shelby.

 

[spystud]

1 & 4 for Kudermetova over Vesnina.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Is it my screen or Sloane actually getting leaner?

 

[PDJ]

Is it my screen or Sloane actually getting leaner?

I thought that the last time l saw her play.

 

[romeo8880]

Sloane wants to win today

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Kovinic played awful. Not as awful as Rogers.

 

[volleyandfun]

Are Gauff C. / Melichar N preparing for olympics?
If so, they are to not so good start.

 

[romeo8880]

Are Gauff C. / Melichar N preparing for olympics?
If so, they are to not so good start.

Huh? Gauff usually plays with McNally no?

 

[volleyandfun]

Huh? Gauff usually plays with McNally no?

I know. I was surprised, they just lost today.

 

[romeo8880]

Nice, solid performance by Bencic

 

[HarveyPitnik]

^Belinda is nice and solid in every way!

I'm the other of those that predicted that Swiatek will take this title. Ok, Barty would be the most rational pick but I find it hard to believe she would have some remarkably long winning streak and I would assume Iga is getting to/in her best form as the GS in which she is most formidable is approaching. (But I must admit I have been lousy predicting tournament winners this year, compared to that I have been surprisingly good in WTA SDL's! )

Anyway, let the best girl win this tournament and let Osaka be thrown out with the cruelest possible score!

Wonder what's wrong with Martic these days? She used to be excellent player on clay...

 

[volleyandfun]

^Belinda is nice and solid in every way!

I'm the other of those that predicted that Swiatek will take this title. Ok, Barty would be the most rational pick but I find it hard to believe she would have some remarkably long winning streak and I would assume Iga is getting to/in her best form as the GS in which she is most formidable is approaching. (But I must admit I have been lousy predicting tournament winners this year, compared to that I have been surprisingly good in WTA SDL's! )

Anyway, let the best girl win this tournament and let Osaka be thrown out with the cruelest possible score!

Wonder what's wrong with Martic these days? She used to be excellent player on clay...

My kudos to that!