'23 WTA 500 Tokyo 9/25 - 10/1 2023

[skatingfan]

That is very odd..can the tournament really do that?

Garcia and Sakkari probably got byes because they went deep in the previous tournament and had to fly across the globe and almost 24 hours time zones to the next one...but calling it performance bye is not good

WTA could not punish those who pulled out of Guadalajara so rewarding those who did play?

That's the way the rules are written for the WTA.

[ponchi101]

Garcia and Sakkari probably got byes because they went deep in the previous tournament and had to fly across the globe and almost 24 hours time zones to the next one...but calling it performance bye is not good

I am being a jerk here, Ashkor, but, if you get 24 hours time zones of difference, you get to the same time zone
(I said, I am being a jerk, I know you know).

[ashkor87]

He he

[ti-amie]

Day 3 Order of Play

Center Court Starts at 11:00 AM

USA A. KRUEGER vs UKR A. KALININA
FOLLOWED BY
USA K. DAY vs JPN M. UCHIJIMA
FOLLOWED BY
ESP C. BUCSA vs JPN R. SAIGO
NOT BEFORE 5:00 PM
GER T. MARIA vs RUS L. SAMSONOVA (7)
FOLLOWED BY
JPN M. HONTAMA vs JPN N. HIBINO

Show Court Starts at 01:00 PM

MEX G. OLMOS/BRA L. STEFANI (3) vs RUS V. KUDERMETOVA/RUS A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA
FOLLOWED BY
BLR L. MAROZAVA/NED B. SCHOOFS vs MEX F. CONTRERAS/GRE D. PAPAMICHAIL

[ashkor87]

from the fact that Samsonova won it last year, I am assuming the court is not too fast..

[ashkor87]

Rybakina has pulled out now..well done, WTA!

[ashkor87]

from the fact that Samsonova won it last year, I am assuming the court is not too fast..

saw a bit of her match against Maria.. court does look very slow.. almost in the Indian Wells league.. but then, Maria can make it look like that too, we shall have to see more matches..

[ponchi101]

Rybakina has pulled out now..well done, WTA!

She says it is because of illness. I gather the WTA really has no say there.
There is something wrong with her, and maybe something that is lingering. Injury or illness, she is not at top level.

[ashkor87]

Rybakina has pulled out now..well done, WTA!

She says it is because of illness. I gather the WTA really has no say there.
There is something wrong with her, and maybe something that is lingering. Injury or illness, she is not at top level.

could be, could be just pique

[JTContinental]

The WTA has given 1000 level semifinalists first round byes in their next tournament several times in the past, so it's not like this is some weird thing.

[ti-amie]

Day 4 Order of Play

Center Court Starts at 11:00 AM

RUS A. KALINSKAYA vs RUS E. ALEXANDROVA
FOLLOWED BY
RUS A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA vs CRO D. VEKIC
FOLLOWED BY
GBR H. DART vs RUS V. KUDERMETOVA (8)
NOT BEFORE 5:00 PM
RUS D. KASATKINA (6) vs UKR M. KOSTYUK
FOLLOWED BY
CRO P. MARTIC vs JPN M. DOI

Show Court Starts at 11:00 AM

USA A. KRUEGER/USA J. PEGULA vs NOR U. EIKERI/EST I. NEEL
FOLLOWED BY
JPN H. SAKATSUME vs CZE L. NOSKOVA
FOLLOWED BY
JPN N. KAWAGUCHI vs GRE D. PAPAMICHAIL
FOLLOWED BY
JPN M. HONTAMA/JPN M. UCHIJIMA vs JPN S. AOYAMA/JPN E. SHIBAHARA (2)

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

Rybakina has pulled out now..well done, WTA!

She says it is because of illness. I gather the WTA really has no say there.
There is something wrong with her, and maybe something that is lingering. Injury or illness, she is not at top level.

could be, could be just pique

The WTA has given 1000 level semifinalists first round byes in their next tournament several times in the past, so it's not like this is some weird thing.

I wasn't much informed of this, but I found the news about it. And, as much as I like Elena, she is being pretty Prima Donna with this issue.
Neither her nor any other top players showed up at Guadalajara, which is an important tournament. The ones that showed up and now have to travel to Tokyo should be commended; they are the ones showing up for tournaments at the moment.
I understand that players cannot be forced to play a tournament but, if the stars don't show up at the big tournaments, what can the tour do? Giving Sakkari and Garcia a bye is a reward for showing up, something that Elena did not do, together with the other top names. And, I am sorry, Elena is not that big a name, because the WTA right now has no big names. Bunch of fine players, but no true star.
If they want the tour to prosper, the top names have to play and show up. When they don't, the tour suffers. And Elena is not helping by not showing up in Mexico, and now complaining about a fairly logical move by the WTA towards other fellow players.

[ashkor87]

Oh I agree, in fact I do think that is what is going on...whether Rybakina is justified is a matter of opinion. I tend to be instinctively against officialdom and for individuals ..

[ashkor87]

given the sloooow court, I dont expect much from folks like Pegula.. Samsonova and Swiatek, yes.