Women's Tennis WTA Tour 2023

[Monzanator 5,095]

Iga Świątek retired with injury in third set vs Rybakina. Overall a tough second week in Rome with many rain delays.

 

Semi-Finals:

 

Elena Rybakina vs Jelena Ostapenko

Anhelina Kalinina vs Veronika Kudermetova

 

The Soviet Union Championships in full swing here

[Monzanator 5,095]

Elena Rybakina won Rome 1000 after Anhelina Kalinina retired injured in the final down 4-6 0-1.

 

Overall a disaster of a tournament in what was the first edition of the expanded draw and two-week format. The weather delays, then long stretches of no actual play, bottom half collapsed early, Świątek injured and there was next to zero buzz from the semi-finals except Ostapenko bitching about the SF not being stopped on her request but then stopped on Rybakina's request.

 

Strasbourg & Rabat 250s are next week and then it's Roland Garros. It can't possibly get any worse than the past two weeks...

[Makedonas 2,262]

It was similarly bad for the men in Rome. Rune and Ruud had two days off between their QF and SF, and it wasn't because of the rain, but because of the scheduling.

 

Meanwhile Tsitsipas had rain delays in most of his matches all week, had to play several times both day and night sessions on the same day (sometimes it was the same match and sometimes different matches). Just really tiring after a while, to the point where I was relieved he lost in the SF so I can be done with following this tournament and it's poor scheduling (I know the rain can't be controlled but if they see the forecast is clearly not good, they should move the scheduling around to make sure they get the matches in PRIOR to the rain, especially since they have to reschedule anyways as they can't play in heavy rain).

 

Also, the women's doubles final was not streamed at all...

 

I'm not sure which tournament was worse this year, Madrid or Rome?

[Monzanator 5,095]

Elina Svitolina wins her first WTA title after maternity leave. She beat Anna Blinkova 6-2 6-3 in Strasbourg final.

 

Lucia Bronzetti wins her first WTA title overall after beating Julia Grabher in the Rabat final.

[Monzanator 5,095]

The China ban is over. WTA has finally released the post USO calendar and will host 6 tournaments in China (Guangzhou, Ningbo, Beijing, Zhengzhou, Nanchang & Zhuhai YEC). The Peng Shuai news drama is well and truly over and there was nobody who could replace the Chinese money.

[Monzanator 5,095]

Veronika Hruncakova (Kuzmova) into Den Bosch QF with an upset win over Bianca Andreescu @hckošice

[hckošice 16,605]

2 minutes ago, Monzanator said:

Veronika Hruncakova (Kuzmova) into Den Bosch QF with an upset win over Bianca Andreescu @hckošice

beating Andreescu is still considered an upset ?

[Monzanator 5,095]

1 hour ago, hckošice said:

beating Andreescu is still considered an upset ?

For someone like Kuzmova --> yes It's on grass and I suspect Rybarikova from the couch could still beat all active Slovakians on grass

[Monzanator 5,095]

Grass tennis could be hazardous to your health. Elizabeth Mandlik in action at Nottingham...

 

[Monzanator 5,095]

WTA 250 Semi-Final line-ups:

 

Nottingham

 

Alize Cornet vs Jodie Burrage

Katie Boulter vs Heather Watson

 

Den Bosch

 

Veronika Kudermetova vs Viktoria Hruncakova

Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich