Russian Kryptonite

All of Russia must be cursing Melanie Oudin. This is the fourth Russian in a row she's taken out - and I bet she's praying for Svetlana Kuznetsova to come up with the goods against Caroline Wozniacki to make it Russian #5. Unfortunately she can't play Russians ALL the way to the final... but she can get a good way there.

Anyway, we've talked a lot about the seeds in the women's draw falling, but we haven't talked much about the players that have got through, with a few notable exceptions, like Clijsters and Oudin - and Serena, I suppose, the only one of the top five seeds to remain in the draw. Everyone's talking about how it could be a final between two unseeded players, but two players that haven't received much attention are the two seeds who are facing off tonight - Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Wozniacki. Both are ranked within the top ten and you've got to think that whichever one of them comes out on top tonight will make the final, whatever Melanie Oudin has to say about that.

It's pretty rare for two players of this calibre to get swept under the carpet, but it's happened. Caro shares the teen queen crown with Victoria Azarenka, and though she's underperformed at the Slams thus far, she's got some serious game. And Svetlana Kuznetsova won Roland Garros this year. How did we forget about these two?

I know Oudin is the fairy tale, but I'm calling it. Either Sveta or Caro will make the final, where they will play Serena. Le prediction de Jodi d'official, excuse my franglaise.

And a shout out to two other players in the quarters, one of whom will be in the semis. I don't think Yanina Wickmayer vs Kateryna Bondarenko is quite the match that the tournament organisers would have been hoping for, but big kudos to both of these girls for making it this far. Awesome work.

And speaking of awesome work - Roger Federer's into the quarters. Again. He looked brilliant beating Tommy Robredo - I'm hoping his third round match against Lleyton Hewitt was his token yippy match and it's all smooth sailing from here on in. It'd be great if he won and Clijsters won on the women's side - victories for the parental units!


Today's Results

US Open (Flushing Meadows)

Men's Draw

Roger Federer def. Tommy Robredo, 7-5 6-2 6-2
Fernando Verdasco def. John Isner, 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4
Robin Soderling def. Nikolay Davydenko, 7-5 3-6 6-2 retired


Women's Draw

Kateryna Bondarenko def. Gisela Dulko, 6-0 6-0
Melanie Oudin def. Nadia Petrova, 1-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3
Yanina Wickmayer def. Petra Kvitova, 4-6 6-4 7-5

Kim Possible Strikes Again

There is seemingly no limit to what Kim Clijsters can do.

Her match against Venus was totally weird, to say the least - I can't remember the last time I saw players trade bagels! Momentum was an issue, but once Kim got that vital break in the third set it just sort of felt Clijsters all the way... even when she was down break points serving for the match.

Beating Venus is a totally different thing than beating Serena, but the achievement of beating a Williams in New York is still massive. You've got to like Kimmie's chances of making the semis now - she plays Li Na in the quarters, and that is extraordinarily winnable, when you consider the scalps she's already claimed. This has got to be the best comeback I have ever seen.

If Serena and Kim make the semis, whoever wins that match will win the title. I don't know if you can gainsay that.

I don't really have much more to say, apart from whoa. And, oh yeah, how weird was yesterday? (And I know she lost, but I still stand by Dinara Safina. She'll come back... hopefully with that mechanical problem with her serve fixed - please, Zeljko!) The result that got me the most was Andy Roddick. That is such a terrible, terrible shame for him. I guess losing to Isner proves that anyone on pretty much any given day can succumb to one of those Karlovician monsters. Isner played some great shots - droppers especially - but it was the cheap points on the serve that got him over the line.

I have to say that it's a bit of a shame for US tennis that Isner got through, because although he came through Roddick, I can't really see him coming through anyone else, whereas Roddick certainly would have had that ability. You've got to like Djokovic to make it to the semis on that side now... though he struggled a bit against unheralded American Jesse Witten. It's not a bloodbath like the women's side, but the holes are beginning to open...


Today's Results

US Open (Flushing Meadows)

Men's Draw

Rafael Nadal def. Nicolas Almagro, 7-5 6-4 6-4
Juan Martin del Potro def. Daniel Koellerer, 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-3
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Julien Benneteau, 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-4
Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Gilles Simon, 1-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 1-0 retired
Fernando Gonzalez def. Tomas Berdych, 7-5 6-4 6-4


Women's Draw

Serena Williams def. Daniela Hantuchova, 6-2 6-0
Kim Clijsters def. Venus Williams, 6-0 0-6 6-4
Li Na def. Francesca Schiavone, 6-2 6-3

USA Fairy Tale

I talked yesterday about the lack of consistency on the WTA tour as opposed to the ATP- all top sixteen men are through to the round of thirty two for the first time in history, whereas eleven of the top twenty women have fallen. Generally, you'd take le tour de bloke any day, given as good opponents = good matches and whatnot, but you know what? There is an upside to this whole WTA scattiness.

It leaves the door open for a fairy tale.

And that's exactly what has happened to Melanie Oudin.

I just realised I sounded like I was suggesting that the fact that the top girls are playing crap has sort of made her win by default, which is not what I mean at all, just to clarify. What she has done is analogous to what Casey Dellacqua did at the Aussie Open in 2008 - knocking off some top players by playing some completely great, out of the blue stuff. And that's what the WTA is allowing room for at the moment - someone to come out of the blue.

This is the second Slam in a row where Oudin has fought her way to the big W against top ten moments. Her Slam scalps now include Jankovic, Dementieva and Sharapova - and can I just say I am very sad to see MaSha go. I was kind of pulling for her to go deep - but how can you resist a fairy tale like Oudin? Hometown girl with a lot of fire... she's such a great story and I think she proves that if she can keep this up, the future of American tennis is in same hands.

One result of hers that hasn't been much talked about is her first round, where she totally demolished Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova - I think it was 6-2 6-1 or something similar. Readers of this blog will know that I think very highly of Pavlyuchenkova. She's very young as well - eighteen, I think - and has about 237048948239 junior Slams under her belt. I think she's going to be very, very good in a few years.

And Oudin, who is her generation, effectively, totally destroyed her. The victories over the top seeds are sending a message to the current field, but I feel like the one over Pavlyuchenkova sent one to the future. Oudin is here, she's here to stay - and she's got her eyes on the top prize. And as no one else seems to want it that much... how about Mel?


Today's Results

US Open (Flushing Meadows)

Men's Draw

Roger Federer def. Lleyton Hewitt, 4-6 6-3 7-5 6-3
Novak Djokovic def. Jesse Witten, 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-4
Radek Stepanek def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3
Nikolay Davydenko def. Marco Chiudinelli, 6-4 7-5 7-5
Robin Soderling def. Sam Querrey, 6-2 7-5 6-7 (6-8) 6-1


Women's Draw

Melanie Oudin def. Maria Sharapova, 3-6 6-4 7-5
Nadia Petrova def. Jie Zheng, 6-4 6-1
Gisela Dulko def. Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-3 6-4

Comebacks in the Not-Golden Age

Nothing as major as the seed bloodbath we saw yesterday, but another big women's name made the long journey out of the tournament today - Victoria Azarenka, one of the widely touted next best things, goneski. Now, readers of this blog will know I am pretty much totally anti-Azarenka due to her repellent attitude, but this really is a shame. This means that over half the women's top twenty seeds are out. What kind of tournament is that?

This is why comeback makers like Clijsters and Sharapova have such a chance at this tournament. The players that are theoretically the top players are sweeping themselves under the carpet before they even come close to playing these comeback queens. (That said, Clijsters vs Venus in the round of sixteen is totally mouthwatering, and I am coming out right now and saying that Kim Possible is going to take it. Oh yes.)

Then we look at the blokes, and the top ten is totally intact (Rafa is still battling Nicolas Kiefer as I write this, but he's looking in decent shape), and we've only lost two top twenty seeds en route to the round of thirty two (that I noticed, anyway - Ferrer and Wawrinka). The dudes are stepping up to the plate like they should. This is testament to the totally different places men and women's tennis are in at the moment. Men's tennis is in a Federer-led golden age, where we have incredible depth and talent floating around (any world where someone who is playing as sharp as Roddick is right now can be ranked less than #1 is a pretty amazing world). And women's tennis... is not in a golden age.

To say the least.

That said, I think the result of the US Open on both sides is going to be very interesting. I think there are six major contenders on the men's side (some more major than others) and they are ranked one through six in the world. On the women... Serena has to be the favourite, and then there's Venus, and it's trendy to leave Dinara out of the mix, but after my post yesterday we all know I'm a Safina believer, and she's still there, which is more than can be said for some of her compatriots... maybe C-Woz, and definitely Sharapova and Clijsters. There are contenders... just not the usual suspects.

Bit of a change of subject now... one guy - who I don't think will win the US Open, but who put in a tremendous effort today - who deserves a shoutout is Taylor Dent. His game is boring as hell but he fought tooth and nail against Ivan Navarro today and came out on top. Though I hate fifth set breakers. They seem so... arbitrary. Give me an epic fifth set any day of the week.


Today's Results

US Open (Flushing Meadows)

Men's Draw

Andy Murray def. Paul Capdeville, 6-2 3-6 6-0 6-2
Juan Martin Del Potro def. Jurgen Melzer, 7-6 (10-8) 6-3 6-3
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Jarkko Nieminen, 7-5 6-3 6-4
Gilles Simon def. Thomaz Bellucci, 6-3 6-2 6-4
Fernando Gonzalez def. Josselin Ouanna, 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4
Gael Monfils def. Andreas Beck, 6-3 7-5 6-3
Marin Cilic def. Jesse Levine, 4-6 2-6 6-0 6-3 6-0
Tomas Berdych def. Horacio Zeballos, 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-2
Jose Acasuso def. David Ferrer, 6-3 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-2
Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Philipp Petzschner, 1-6 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-4
Julien Benneteau def. Viktor Troicki, 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-0
Nicolas Almagro def. Robby Ginepri, 6-7 (9-11) 6-2 6-3 4-6 6-4
Taylor Dent def. Ivan Navarro, 6-4 5-7 6-7 (1-7) 7-5 7-6 (11-9)
Denis Istomin def. Nicolas Lapentti, 2-6 6-4 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4)
Daniel Koellerer def. Pablo Cuevas, 3-6 6-2 6-1 6-4


Women's Draw

Serena Williams def. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, 6-3 7-5
Venus Williams def. Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-2 7-5
Vera Zvonareva def. Elena Vesnina, 6-2 6-4
Francesca Schiavone def. Victoria Azarenka, 4-6 6-2 6-2
Flavia Pennetta def. Aleksandra Wozniak, 6-1 6-1
Li Na def. Maria Kirilenko, 6-4 6-2
Daniela Hantuchova def. Vania King, 6-2 6-2
Kim Clijsters def. Kirsten Flipkens, 6-0 6-2

In Defence of Dinara

There are three players in the women's top ten who are widely considered to be Slamless wonders - Jelena Jankovic, Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina. Elena's been around for about 7957934875 years and though she's reached the odd final, she's never taken the prize. Jelena made the US Open final last year and has been ranked #1, but no cigar. Dinara is the current #1 and has made three finals, but has only ever come away with the cookie tray.

All three players - maybe Dementieva a very little less, but certainly Jankovic and Safina, as they've both spent considerable time ranked #1 - are thought to need a Slam to validate their careers. And Safina, given as she's crumbled in three Slam finals and is the current #1, is bearing the brunt of that pressure at the moment, but you can bet the other two feel it as well.

Everyone's been ragging on Dinara Safina this year. Why is she #1? they ask. She has no spine. She crumbles in finals. She relies too much on her coach, who is the captain of her anti-cheer squad. Bitch bitch, moan moan. I read an article yesterday called 'What Makes A Champion? Don't Ask Safina'. She may be #1 at the moment and the #1 seed, but no one is picking her to win this tournament. Dementieva and Jankovic would both have been picked above her.

All three of these players played today. Two lost, one won. And guess who it was that won.

Dementieva lost, rolled over by American teenager Melanie Oudin on Arthur Ashe. And then right after her, Ashe saw Jelena Jankovic go down in a third set breaker to Yaroslava Shvedova.

Safina struggled. She went three sets against a player which her ranking states she should beat easily, Kristina Barrois. Similarly, she came heartbreakingly close to losing to young Aussie Olivia Rogowska in the first round. And everyone's picking on her for not playing that well.

But you know what no one's picked up?

She still won.

She was down a break and nearly a double break in that final set against Rogowska. And sure, Rogowska was nervous, and is not yet the player Dinara is, but Dinara stuck it out. She didn't give up, which must surely be tempting at that point. She held her nerve. She gritted it out. And she won.

She's not playing that well at the moment. I'm not going to deny that. Her serve is all over the place and she's missing shots she should make. But that can be fixed. She can play her way into this tournament. As long as she gets that W on the board, that's all that matters. Because there is one thing that has not deserted her, and it's the thing that has left her in the past on the big stage.

She hasn't lost her steel.

When she started coming up in '08, when she had that big win in Berlin and made the final of Roland Garros, that was what got her there. It was her determination, the 'you'll have to shoot me to win' mentality. And when she's been in the Slam finals, that's what's left her - most evident in that 'why am I such a chicken?' moment at Roland Garros this year.

But right now? She's playing bad, and she's still finding a way to win. And that, I feel, says something very important about Dinara Safina. That is the quality of a champion.

Roland Garros this year, when she made the final, she pretty much cruised there. If she makes it to the US Open final this year - and with Jankovic and Dementieva out of her section, her chances are improving - she will have had to fight to get there. I'm not saying she'll win it - but I bet that she'll show up.

So while most everyone else is condemning her, I still believe in Dinara Safina. Her brother yesterday came out vociferously in her defence and I back him up 100%. Dinara does have what it takes. Because she loves the game and she's got grit - and there's fight in here, and if nothing else, that is what she has brought to the table this tournament.

So there it is. I am a Safina believer. And I think she just might do me proud.


Today's Results

US Open (Flushing Meadows)

Men's Draw

Nikolay Davydenko def. Jan Hernych, 6-4 6-1 6-2
Fernando Verdasco def. Florent Serra, 6-3 6-0 6-3
Robin Soderling def. Marcel Granollers, 2-0 retired
Tommy Robredo def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-2 4-6 6-2 6-4
Tommy Haas def. Robert Kendrick, 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-3)
Sam Querrey def. Kevin Kim, 7-5 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-4
Jesse Witten def. Maximo Gonzalez, 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 7-5 6-2
Marco Chiudinelli def. Mikhail Youzhny, 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-3


Women's Draw

Dinara Safina def. Kristina Barrois, 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3
Melanie Oudin def. Elena Dementieva, 5-7 6-4 6-3
Yaroslava Shvedova def. Jelena Jankovic, 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (8-6)
Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Anastasija Sevastova, 6-4 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki def. Petra Marticm 6-1 6-0
Nadia Petrova def. Julie Coin, 6-4 7-6 (7-3)
Sara Errani def. Patty Schnyder, 7-5 6-2
Zheng Jie def. Alize Cornet, 1-6 6-3 6-3
Anastasia Rodionova def. Sabine Lisicki, 6-3 3-6 7-5
Sorana Cirstea def. Stephanie Dubois, 6-4 5-7 6-4
Gisela Dulko def. Alona Bondarenko, 6-4 6-0
Yanina Wickmayer def. Peng Shuai, 2-6 6-1 6-4
Kateryna Bondarenko def. Shenay Perry, 6-1 6-1
Petra Kvitova def. Tathiana Garbin, 6-1 6-3

End of an Era

Today we saw the end of an era. Two of the great players, the great characters of the game today have played their final Grand Slam match.

The first is Fabrice Santoro, the French magician, who played in his 69th and final Slam today, going down in the first round to Juan Carlos Ferrero. He has got to be one of the most unique, dynamic players to watch and I think the game will miss him tremendously. He brings a great verve and vigour to everything he does - he isn't a big guy, but his presence is huge.

Actually, one of the most memorable tennis shots I ever saw was from Santoro. It was Australian Open '06, I think - he was playing quarters against David Nalbandian. Nalbandian ended up crushing him in straights, but there was this beautiful shot Santoro played... a drop shot that landed just over the net but which had so much spin on it that it dropped back onto Santoro's side before Nalbandian could come anywhere near it. It was beautiful.

Santoro plays with his mind rather than with brawn, and I really appreciate it. There is an art to his tennis which is simply stunning. I wonder if there are any French juniors coming up who have chosen to emulate Santoro. If there are, I would love to see them play.

Marat Safin once said that being told he had to play Santoro was like being told he was going to die, and indeed these two have had an interesting head to head over the years... even at the height of Marat's powers, he was still frustrated by the little French wizard. It is fitting, perhaps, that their Slam careers end on the same day - and that, for Marat, it ends at the US Open, the place where, in a way, it all began for him. It was nearly ten years ago that he scored that phenomenal win over Sampras in the final... he may have left in the first round this year, but the US Open will never forget this one of their favourite sons. Indeed, tennis will never forget Marat Safin. There have been wild players, tempestuous players, players with tempers and fits of rage and lots of girls - but I don't think there has ever been anyone quite like Marat Safin.

If Fabrice was responsible for one of my favourite shots, Marat was responsible for one of my favourite matches - the only match Roger Federer has lost I can say I genuinely enjoyed. The semi final of the Australian Open 2005. Two greats, both talented beyond belief, going toe to toe for five sets on Rod Laver Arena. Marat came out on top but tennis was the winner that night. People talk about the final of Wimbledon '08 as the greatest match of all time but I personally think this one was better. Federer and Safin, whatever their respective results might have been, are certainly the most talented players of their generation. And the game will miss Marat, miss it sorely.

However, I think Marat is a little over the game. It is time for them to part ways, at least for a little while. But I hope he rediscovers his love for it sometime. Not as a player, necessarily - but as long as tennis endures, there will always be a place within in it for Marat Safin.

So farewell from the Slams and the Slam fans, Marat, Fabrice. You will be missed - and you will be remembered.


Today's Results

US Open (Flushing Meadows)

Men's Draw

Rafael Nadal def. Richard Gasquet, 6-2 6-2 6-3
Gael Monfils def. Jeremy Chardy, 6-1 6-4 6-3
Juan Carlos Ferrero def. Fabrice Santoro, 6-4 6-3 6-3
Nicolas Almagro def. Steve Darcis, 6-2 6-4 2-6 7-6 (10-8)
Jurgen Melzer def. Marat Safin, 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-4
Andreas Beck def. Evgeny Korolev, 6-3 6-4 2-6 2-6 6-4
Nicolas Kiefer def. Michael Llodra, 6-3 6-4 6-4
Pablo Cuevas def. Chris Guccione, 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-0
Thomaz Bellucci def. Yen-hsun Lu, 6-4 6-2 6-3
Jose Acasuso def. Marcos Daniel, 6-2 6-4 6-3
Daniel Koellerer def. Rui Machado, 6-2 6-4 2-6 6-2


Women's Draw

Venus Williams def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 6-4 6-2
Vera Zvonareva def. Anna Chakvetadze, 3-6 6-1 6-1
Victoria Azarenka def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 6-2 6-1
Flavia Pennetta def. Sania Mirza, 6-0 6-0
Maria Kirilenko def. Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4 2-6 6-4
Kim Clijsters def. Marion Bartoli, 5-7 6-1 6-2
Vania King def. Samantha Stosur, 7-5 6-4
Aleksandra Wozniak def. Amelie Mauresmo, 6-4 6-0
Li Na def. Michelle Larcher de Brito, 6-1 6-3
Kirsten Flipkens def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-1 6-3
Francesca Schiavone def. Stefanie Voegele, 6-4 6-4
Elena Vesnina def. Jill Craybas, 7-6 (8-6) 6-1
Maria Jose Martinez Sanches def. Angelique Kerber, 7-5 6-3
Magdalena Rybarikova def. Chang Kai-Chen, 4-6 6-2 6-2

The Girl From Oz

Let me first say this - I am very glad Dinara Safina is through to the second round. I would really like to see her do well in this tournament and rebuild the pieces of her shattered confidence.

But how about Olivia Rogowska?

This kid is something a little special, I feel. To come out in her first ever US Open match on Arthur Ashe stadium, the biggest, noisiest stadium in tennis, as a total no one, expected to roll over and lose - and to play the world number #1 that close and that tight for so long - this is something she is going to remember for a very, very long time. And it's something I hope the nation of Australia takes notice of, because she is going to be very, very good.

Women's tennis is actually in a pretty good place right now in Australia. People always bemoan the state of the game, but we have had a really, really good year this year. We have Sam Stosur leading the way, dear old unlucky Jelena Dokic and her princess run at the Aussie Open, we have Alicia Molik and Casey Dellacqua on the comeback trail, Jarmila Groth and Anastasia Rodionova playing solidly and then Olivia Rogowska, leading a pack of really excellent young guns like Isabella Holland, Sally Peers and Monika Wejnert. We're good now - in a couple of years I think we're going to be amazing.

And you can damn well quote me on that.

Back to Dinara for a moment - I think it might actually do her good to have had a bit of a struggle in the first round. She was down a break in that third set and fought her way out of it. One of the things that made her most remarkable when she first started her run in May of 2008 was her determination and her fight. At Roland Garros, where she lost in the final - in the lead up, she was crushing opponents, apart from a bit of a battle with Victoria Azarenka. So, I could be wrong, but if she has to fight her way through the whole tournament, she might be a bit more battle-hardened when she gets to the crunch (if she gets to the crunch). She's been rolling over and dying in finals... maybe this can help her out a bit.


Today's Results

US Open (Flushing Meadows)

Men's Draw

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Chase Buchanan, 6-0 6-2 6-1
Fernando Verdasco def. Benjamin Becker, 7-5 6-4 7-5
Fernando Gonzalez def. Nicolas Massu, 6-3 6-3 6-3
Marin Cilic def. Ryan Sweeting, 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 7-6 (7-4)
Tomas Berdych def. Wayne Odesnik, 7-5 6-4 6-4
Jesse Witten def. Igor Andreev, 6-4 6-0 6-2
Viktor Troicki def. Peter Luczak, 6-3 6-3 1-6 2-6 6-1
Jarkko Nieminen def. Fabio Fognini, 7-5 7-6 (8-6) 6-4
Maximo Gonzalez def. Karol Beck, 2-6 1-6 6-1 6-4 6-3
Julien Benneteau def. Flavio Cipolla, 4-6 6-1 6-3 6-3
Horacio Zeballos def. Michael Berrer, 6-3 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 6-0
Denis Istomin def. Brendan Evans, 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-3)
Josselin Ouanna def. Rajeev Ram, 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 3-6 6-3
Jesse Levine def. Teimuraz Gabashvili, 7-5 6-1 6-2
Paul Capdeville def. Viktor Crivoi, 6-3 6-0 7-6 (7-2)
Novak Djokovic def. Ivan Ljubicic, 6-3 6-1 6-3
Florent Serra def. Janko Tipsarevic, 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5)


Women's Draw

Dinara Safina def. Olivia Rogowska, 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-4
Svetlana Kuznetsova def. Julia Goerges, 6-3 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki def. Galina Voskoboeva, 6-4 6-0
Nadia Petrova def. Katarina Srebotnik, 6-3 6-3
Yanina Wickmayer def. Virginie Razzano, 6-4 6-3
Patty Schnyder def. Lucie Safarova, 4-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6)
Sabine Lisicki def. Aravane Rezai, 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (4-7) 6-1
Sorana Cirstea def. Ayumi Morita, 6-1 6-3
Petra Kvitova def. Alisa Kleybanova, 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-2
Alona Bondarenko def. Alla Kudryavtseva, 3-6 6-3 6-2
Gisela Dulko def. Ekaterina Makarova, 6-3 5-7 6-4
Sara Errani def. Arantxa Rus, 6-0 6-3
Peng Shuai def. Jarmila Groth, 6-2 6-3
Tathiana Garbin def. Mallory Cecil, 6-0 6-1
Julie Coin def. Eva Hrdinova, 6-3 6-3
Kristina Barrois def. Urszula Radwanska, 6-4 6-4
Melanie Oudin def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-1 6-2
Anastasija Sevastova def. Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-3 7-5
Stephanie Dubois def. Kristina Mladenovic, 6-0 6-4
Petra Martin def. Severine Bremond Beltrame, 6-4 6-2
Anastasia Rodionova def. Lourdes Dominguez Lino, 6-0 4-6 6-1