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Diminuendo: Previewing WTA Events in Linz and Osaka

Oct 7th 2013

After the marquee events in Tokyo and Beijing, the pace slows this week with two minor events.  While Osaka offers an epilogue to the Asian swing, Linz survives as a remnant of the WTA’s decimated European indoor hard court season.

Linz

Top half:  The draw presents an odd appearance with the second seed on the top line and the top seed on the bottom line, caused by Angelique Kerber’s last-minute wildcard acceptance.  Second seed Sloane Stephens may lack the explosiveness to dominate on this indoor hard court, where Magdalena Rybarikova might exploit her fast-court skills to outslug her.  While former champion Daniela Hantuchova could await in the quarterfinals, Andrea Petkovic looks to build on upsets in Beijing over Victoria Azarenka and Svetlana Kuznetsova.  Home hope Yvonne Meusburger will vie with Petkovic to meet Stephens in the second round.  Having won Bad Gastein this summer for her first title, Meusburger showed that she rises to the occasion on Austrian soil.

Former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic headlines the lower quarter, but neither she nor seventh seed Dominka Cibulkova brings much momentum to Linz.  Falling to a qualifier in Beijing last week, Ivanovic will hope that the memories of titles here in 2008 and 2010 revives her spirits.  Cibulkova has won only a handful of matches since July, when she lost to Ivanovic in Carlsbad.  Their generally soft section bodes well for a quarterfinal rematch.

Bottom half:  Both of the seeds in the third quarter enjoyed breakthroughs this summer, Kirsten Flipkens with a Wimbledon semifinal run and  Carla Suarez Navarro with a US Open quarterfinal appearance.  And yet both women have slumped lately, Suarez Navarro doule-bageled in Beijing and Flipkens dropping six of her last seven.  Between them lie a pair of former junior stars in Elina Svitolina and Donna Vekic.  Svitolina, who won her first career title this summer, stifled the heavy serve of Mona Barthel in her Linz opener.

Angelique Kerber

Anyone who emerges from that section will find herself an underdog against the top seed on the bottom line, Angelique Kerber.  Two encouraging weeks in Asia, a Tokyo final and Beijing quarterfinal, left Kerber hungry to capitalize on her rejuvenated form.  She should devour her first two opponents before facing Rogers Cup finalist Sorana Cirstea.  After a resounding victory over Kerber in Miami, Cirstea fell in their rematch on grass.  Her ferocious forehand makes her a plausible indoor threat.

Osaka:

Top half:  Losing its top seed when Beijing finalist Jelena Jankovic withdrew, this tournament lacks a top-15 player.  The beneficiary of that withdrawal, the promising but raw Kristina Mladenovic, now stands as the “ninth seed” atop a draw notable for its young talent.  Among that young talent is Madison Keys, perhaps the brightest hope in the future of American women’s tennis.  Keys continues her path back from a shoulder injury that blunted her summer campaign.  This section also features surprise Guangzhou champion Zhang Shuai, barely able to gain direct entry into some main draws with her ranking boost from that event.

Laura Robson

Another youngster of note in Osaka, Laura Robson, will face the oldest woman in the WTA on the latter’s home soil.  If Robson can defeat Kimiko Date-Krumm, she will eye revenge on Samantha Stosur for a loss at the 2012 US Open.  Still lacking a coach after parting with David Taylor, the former US Open champion (and former Osaka champion) probably will play out the string this season before rebuilding her team for 2014.  Like Date-Krumm, Misaki Doi hopes to delight her home fans by upsetting a higher-ranked opponent, as she did in Tokyo.

Bottom half:  Top-ranked Japanese woman Ayumi Morita enters Osaka without a seed, placed near three qualifiers and two surging players at opposite ends of their careers.  Fourth seed Flavia Pennetta recorded the best performance of her career by reaching the semifinals of the US Open, yet age and accumulating injuries leave her a limited time to build on it.  All of the time in the world belongs to Eugenie Bouchard, by contrast, who reached her first Premier Five quarterfinal in Tokyo and gave Venus Williams all that she could handle across the course of three hours. 

Still two different players on grass and on other surfaces, Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki looks to take advantage of a high seed.  Having defeated Heather Watson in the first round, eighth seed Monica Puig avoided a third straight opening-round loss.  Puig has struggled to string together victories since reaching the second week of Wimbledon, in fact, but the soft draw in Osaka provides a chance to catch her breath.  A strong effort in Beijing makes Polona Hercog an intriguing dark horse to watch at a level of event where anything can happen.