WTA 500 Charleston 4/3 - 4/9 2023

[JazzNU]

I think it's good she's not playing. Players need to figure out a time to take weeks off during the calendar year as well, and I think this is a common week for Coco to do so. She's already at home, can stay there and not worry about traveling this week. She's likely playing in Fed Cup the following week and I'd guess that it is being hosted somewhere in the Southeast, but it's at the end of next week so she'll have almost a two week period to rest and recharge before then.

I think Pegula will skip Stuttgart and so she'll have a break after the Fed Cup matches. All the top players need to adjust their schedules once they start making the latter stages of tournaments more regularly, so they aren't burned out headed into majors.

[ti-amie]

Day 3 Order of Play

Credit One Stadium
Starts at 10:00 AM

SUI J. TEICHMANN (14) vs CZE L. FRUHVIRTOVA
FOLLOWED BY
USA L. DAVIS vs CAN K. SEBOV
FOLLOWED BY
UKR E. SVITOLINA vs KAZ Y. PUTINTSEVA
FOLLOWED BY
USA S. STEPHENS vs USA L. CHIRICO
NOT BEFORE 7:00 PM
BLR A. SASNOVICH vs USA S. KENIN
FOLLOWED BY
USA C. DOLEHIDE vs GER S. LISICKI

Althea Gibson
Starts at 10:00 AM

EST K. KANEPI vs USA M. BRENGLE
FOLLOWED BY
CHN S. ZHANG (10) vs AUT J. GRABHER
FOLLOWED BY
USA F. CRAWLEY vs FRA A. CORNET
FOLLOWED BY
RUS A. KALINSKAYA vs UKR A. KALININA (11)

Court 3
Starts at 10:00 AM

HUN D. GALFI vs ROU I. BEGU (15)
FOLLOWED BY
HUN A. BONDAR vs RUS A. BLINKOVA
FOLLOWED BY
USA K. DAY vs USA S. VICKERY
NOT BEFORE 4:00 PM
USA B. MATTEK-SANDS/USA S. ROGERS vs RUS Y. SIZIKOVA/INA A. SUTJIADI

Court 4
Starts at 11:00 AM

UKR L. TSURENKO vs ARG P. ORMAECHEA
FOLLOWED BY
MEX G. OLMOS/JPN E. SHIBAHARA (1) vs CHI A. GUARACHI/NZL E. ROUTLIFFE

[JazzNU]

Interesting first match back for Elina. One she likely would've handled with ease before, but Yulia's not a pushover, so we'll see. But probably a good player to gauge her form against.

[ponchi101]

I would not expect much. It has been a lengthy layoff. It will take time to get that rust off.
Of course, rooting for her.

[JazzNU]

And Sabine got thru qualifying? Good for her. This first round feels like a match she has a chance in. I don't know what her ranking is at this point after so many injuries, but I'd guess it's at a point where even winning one round of a 500 along with the points from qualifying might jump her up enough to make a substantial difference in where she can get into a qualifying draw, including majors.

[ashkor87]

I think it's good she's not playing. Players need to figure out a time to take weeks off during the calendar year as well, and I think this is a common week for Coco to do so. She's already at home, can stay there and not worry about traveling this week. She's likely playing in Fed Cup the following week and I'd guess that it is being hosted somewhere in the Southeast, but it's at the end of next week so she'll have almost a two week period to rest and recharge before then.

I think Pegula will skip Stuttgart and so she'll have a break after the Fed Cup matches. All the top players need to adjust their schedules once they start making the latter stages of tournaments more regularly, so they aren't burned out headed into majors.

Very true...everyone will, and should, manage their schedules differently...and both the 500 pointers now are a good place to take a break.

[ashkor87]

Pegula and Bencic are the best players in this draw.. one of them should win..

[ponchi101]

Agree.
But we know the WTA. From SHOULD to WILL.... there's a little stretch. And as you say, Har Tru is a peculiar surface. Don't know how much Bencin plays on it.

[JazzNU]

I would say they are the best in-form players in the draw, not the best pure overall players in the draw.

[JazzNU]

Timea Babos in Linda Fruhvirtova's box today. Not sure if there's another larger connection, but she appears to be friends with both Brenda and Linda. I think Timea is still an active doubles player, so I don't think she's dipping her toe into the coaching realm just yet.

[JazzNU]

Agree.
But we know the WTA. From SHOULD to WILL.... there's a little stretch. And as you say, Har Tru is a peculiar surface. Don't know how much Bencin plays on it.

She'll be fine as long as she's focused. She's the reigning champ here, she's been to the semis in the past. I think this is her best clay court tournament on tour. It's the only title she has on clay, but also, the only final she's made as well. I think only Madrid comes close to having similarly good results for her. If memory serves (and I'm pretty sure I had to learn this the hard way in Predictions), she doesn't do that well in Stuttgart even though hard court players typically perform pretty well there.

[ponchi101]

You see? When you were asking if I was WTA fan? I had forgotten she was the DC of the tournament.
Carry on. Nothing to see here (what a mess )

[ti-amie]

Svitolina won the first set 7-6(3)

[JazzNU]

Sebov seems quite likable and she has a nice looking game. Looks to me like she doesn't have a clothing sponsor, hopefully with her rise in the rankings, she's able to secure one soon and that helps her continue traveling to some of these bigger tournaments.

[ti-amie]

Svitolina lost to Putintseva in three sets 7-6(3), 2-6, 4-6. Of course she's rusty but she moved well.