Pilot Pen Tennis Website

Main Singles Draw

Sadly Britain's Naomi Cavaday couldn't quite make the main draw. Through her management company, IMG, she had secured herself a WC into qualifying. She won her first round encounter with top 100 player Obziler via her opponents retirment, but she earned her place in the final round of qualies by destroying Nathalie Vierin of Italy 6-1, 6-1. Sadly she lost a close three set encounter with Tatiana Poutchek (ranked about 80 in the world and who Naomi had beaten in the previous encounter back in 2006). Naomi started slowly and was 3-0 down in the first set before working her way into the match and forcing a tie breaker which she lost. She started strongly in the second set which she won 6-3. Sadly she seemed to run out of energy, going down a break in the final set, which she reclaimed before being broken back and going down 6-3.

Final Score: 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-3 to Poutchek

Still this is encouraging from Naomi and stands her in good sted for US Open qualies this week. I'm glad she took the WC and tried to play tour events rather than staying on the ITF circuit.

Yeah, I followed that one on the scoreboard. Nice to see her at these kind of events!

What, actual tennis events? :devil:



I jest, I was sad to see she lost like that as well, Id been hoping she would make it through to the main draw. Perhaps she will manage at the US Open.

Yeah it's all good experience!

It'll be interesting to see how Sam Stosur gets on in this tourny after catching a virus during Wimbledon then pulling out of two hardcourt events and THEN her coach decides to rejoin Davenport and she's had to find a temporary coach!

Wow so her coach and doubles partner have joined Davenport at New Haven. :unsure:

Lol, I know, must be awkward! But then again she decided not to play doubles at new haven before wimbledon.

what a tough opener for lindsays comeback. it will be a great match! i just wish eurosport showed doubles matches coz i really want to see this match but wont be able to. :unsure:
does anyone know a site where i can watch this match?

I doubt you'll be able to find anywhere else to see it. Eurosport might show it though, you never know. Given it's Lindsay's comeback if the schedulers put her on the main showcourt they may be a possibility.

Either way I'm sure we'll be following the match on the doubles forum via the scoreboard! :)

Play just about to get underway for the day!

There's no coverage from New Haven on Eurosport until this Friday :angry:

I also wanna see Lindsay's match :bow: :bow: I'm so pleased the "rock" is back! :bow: :bow:

No play today as it's been raining so its unlikely that Dav will play in the evening session (if they play) as she was one of the last matches on.

Yesterday only two matches were completed:

Sania Mirza (IND) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 63 63
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 76(5) 36 64

Play has started and Marion Bartoli has knocked out Virgina Ruano-Pascual in two comfortable sets to advance to the QF.

Daniilidou has taken down Bammer in a tight 3 setter. She likes causing upsets doesn't she? I am a little surprised that she has never reclimbed back into the top 15 since dropping out of it back in 2003....

Yeah she's been involved in a few upsets of late and played some very long 3 setters. I must admit when I checked the rankings this week I expected to be higher than her 42nd place.

Dementieva through in straights against Harkleroad 6-1 7-6

Safina has whalloped King 6-1 6-3

Hantuchova drops the first set 5-7 against Szavay

And Mirza and Alona Bondarenko are evens in a topsy turvy match 6-3 0-6

Bondarenko beats Mirza 6-3 0-6 6-3

Hantuchova a set and a break down now, Szavay serving 7-5 4-3

a love game, bet that was Linds :D

oops wrong thread :blush:

and Szaavay wins, 7-5 6-3

I agree, Daniilidou seems to be stringing wins together this summer. If she hadn't narrowly lost the third-set tiebreaker to Yan she would have ended up the surprise semifinalist instead (giving Henin the Wimbledon revenge she craved, just not the kind she expected versus Bartoli :P ).

Szavay v Hantuchova really opened my eyes to the young Hungarian, whom I've been hearing some buzz about. Her backhand is exquisite - although her 30+ (!) winners came evenly from both wings - she played fearlessly and she really punished Hantuchova's second serve (which she was being shown far too often) with some formidable returning. As far as hard court WTA-level debuts go, a Top 10 win in straights is pretty much as fine as it gets. She also had a class win over last year's semifinalist Stosur (who admittedly has been unwell and was playing her first event since Wimbledon), and has a winnable next round against the inconsistent-of-late Bondarenko (who nevertheless survived a second-set bagel to score her own notable win against the in-form Mirza).

Dementieva has been quietly working through the draw, and can actually place in the US Open Series Top 3 finishers (eligible for the bonus prize money) with a title run here. I recall she was in a similar situation last year but came up short. However Bartoli is still vulnerable (and Dementieva beat her in straights just the other week in San Diego) and Kuznetsova (whom she lost to in three sets here last year) has less match practice than she has on the hard courts so far. And she can handle everyone who's left in the bottom half. Of course it's never a good idea to get too excited about Dementieva's chances. :P It still looks on paper to be Kuznetsova's tourney to lose, though she has a tough match tonight against Radwanska.

Well, Raymond and Davenport (making her unexpected return to tennis, albeit doubles for now) fought the good fight against top seeds and No 1-ranked team Black/Huber, taking them to a match tiebreaker, but lost it 7-6(1), 3-6, 4-10. I believe Davenport won't make her full-fledged return until Bali (where she's enjoyed much success) in the late season, so she won't be risking her ten straight USO QF streak. B)

And Elena sends Bartoli out early of another tournament! :D

I wonder if the Williams-Davenport mafia have deboarded from the bandwagon yet? roflmao

I was never on the bandwagon Choka. she played a great Wimby, but she's still not a massive fav of mine :)

You seem to have bandwaggoned Razzano of late Choka roflmao

Not really, I made one comment about Razzano at Forest Hills. It was very tongue n cheek! :P I don't think I have ever seen her play except a bit of her match against Jelena at Toronto.
No, I will stick to my favs: Jankovic, Dementieva and Hingis! :)

Really excited Elena seems to be back in form at New Haven! :D
Look forward to the US Open. I just am hoping Hingis doesn't creamed again :rolleyes: by some nobody... roflmao

Ok i believe you ;) roflmao

Yeah it'd be good to see a inform Dementieva at the Open. It seems such a long time ago, she reached the final and semis here with amazing wins. she's fallen off that level the past year :(

If she's playing well though, she'll be dangerous for anyone. I hope she doesnt have a crappy performance like last year's quarterfinal. Jelena played well, but it looked like Elena didnt even care :doh:

What a treat :yikes: Dementieva vs Kuzzy is turning out to be a great match. Elena has lost ONE point behind her first serve (which is looking fantastic) and has faced no break points. Her groundstrokes are looking superb, and Kuzzy herself was playing great quality stuff until that penultimate game where she started pissing herself off. If Elena (and Kuzzy) can find this form at the USO we are in for a treat :D

first set then goes to Elena 6-4. i hope Kuzzy can cheer up and play like she did for most of that first set, this could be a classic

Wow I had thought this match would be a damp squib, but we're in a final set. :D

I hope Elena can pull it out :pray:

And Elena retires injured. :yikes:
Hope she is ok for next week! :( :unsure:

What a sad end to a great match :( Such a pity for Elena :(

Go Kuzzy and take the title now :yahoo:

Well I only mentioned her once, end of... :yikes:

I had ceased the matter Choka roflmao

Anyway such a shame for Elena. Played one of her better 2007 matches today. Her groundstrokes were so precise with great depth and her serve was fantastic( for a set and a half at least). I just hope she's refreshed for the open.

I know but it sounded like you didn't believe me...

Anyway, Elena retired due to nausea so at least it's not an injury, here's hoping she will be 100% for next week! :pray:

Wow, given the luck Kuzntesova has had this week in New Haven it might be worth putting a few bob on her being successful at the US.

Three retirements in a row gifts her the title at New Haven!

I wonder what her speech will be after she gets her money and trophy, especially since she was down a set and only one break of serve up in the second set!

She must know how Amelie felt after the AO now :peek:

Anyway, so yeah, another good tournament in New Haven :chainsaw:

Despite 'winning' the title, i dont feel Kuzy is playing that well. I thought she was all over the place against Dementieva and only started to get slightly better before Elena retired. I still havent seen her play a great set of matches this year, she's just far too up and down :shrug:

However, if Kuzy finds form, she can be uber-dangerous. Similar to 2004, noone has been talking about her to be a fav for the title. Everyone's been talking abot the usual suspects, Venus, serena, Justine, Maria etc but not Sveta. Should Kuzy find form though, i honestly believe she could reach the final. Talent wise, she's probably the best player in the bottom half of the draw. However mentally, she's a different matter all together. She's far too mentally fragile against the big players at Slam level. Since 2004, players have seemed to have moe will than Svetlana in winning these big matches.

I wouldnt bet my house on Svetlana, but i wouldnt miss a chance to make a sneaky bet either ;)

Watch out for Sveta, she's such an enigma roflmao