Top seeds attend All-Access Hour in Eastbourne (Monday 16th June)
http://www.lta.org.uk/News/All-news-items/WC16-06-08/Top-seeds-attend-All-Access-Hour-in-Eastbourne/
>>>
The top four seeds at the International Women's Open in Eastbourne attended the All-Access Hour press-conference at Devonshire Park on Monday. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Marion Bartoli, Vera Zvonarėva and Agnieszka Radwanska were all in a buoyant mood ahead of their opening matches on Wednesday.
Zvonarėva, who will be making her fourth appearance at Devonshire Park this week, said: "Eastbourne is a big event, and there are some big names playing here. I really like this tournament as there is a very relaxing atmosphere, and there are nice [grass] courts. Having played on clay for the last two months, it's important for me to gain grass-court practice before Wimbledon, and this provides me with a great opportunity to do that.
Asked about Eastbourne in 2009, when there will be a combined men's ATP and women's WTA event, Zvonarėva responded: "I think it's great for tennis and great for the fans to see the guys playing alongside the girls. It will be a different atmosphere, and I'm sure all the players will enjoy it."
All four players will begin their Eastbourne-campaigns on Wednesday, having received byes in the first round. On Monday, the final round of qualifying was completed while a number of main-draw matches also got under way.
<<<
Tour Stars Contemplate Clay-Grass Transition (Tuesday 17th June)
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2350
>>>
At one of the UK's most well-known warm-up tournaments prior to Wimbledon, some of the world's best players are seriously having to rethink their game as the tricky grass-surface tries to get the better of them.
Adapting to new surfaces is often a battle of mind over matter for many players, and with only four tournaments a year held on grass, many find the transition onto the fast surface difficult. With the red clay of the French Open still fresh in the players' minds, adopting different techniques to their already complex game is no mean feat.
"It's hard to move from clay to grass - from very slow to the fastest court," says Svetlana Kuznetsova, currently ranked No.4 on the WTA Tour. "But for me, it's about controlling movement: you cannot slide on grass, so there is more bending involved."
Kuznetsova, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in May, is not alone when it comes to trying to adapt to a different type of game on grass.
Vera Zvonarėva, seeded third at the International Women's Open in Eastbourne and ranked No.13 in the world, says: "Most of the players are used to playing on hardcourts - it's a different game. It's hard to produce my best tennis when I'm not used to playing on this surface."
So what can players do to adjust to the widely-feared grass-court? According to Kuznetsova, it's a matter of facing up to her biggest opponent: her mind.
"Grass has never been my favourite surface - I have to change myself for the game. On clay, you can put more spin on the ball - but I'm improving. I think everyone's game is different on grass, and we just have to adapt some things. Every year, I push myself a little more and try new things, but my biggest opponent is my mind. You can train your mind, but it is difficult for me as I have many ups and downs."
With just under a week to go until Wimbledon begins, the International Women's Open is seen as a practice-run for the UK-based Major. Zvonarėva takes the tournament as seriously as any other: "Every tournament I compete in is important. Eastbourne is a big event. Every time I go on court, I want to win; there are nice courts and it has a nice, peaceful feel to it."
But there is no forgetting the pending Championships at the end of June: "Eastbourne is an important part of my preparation: it's a good opportunity to play some matches on grass before Wimbledon."
This time next year, however, it will be all-change for the Eastbourne-tournament because, for the first time ever, it will become a mixed event.
"It's great news for tennis, and great for the fans to see men's tennis," says Zvonarėva. "It's difficult, as we don't have that many mixed events at the moment."
<<<
- VERA ZVONARĖVA [3,EF] lt. Ekaterina Makarova [Q], 3-6 3-6
Vera was supposed to be my #1 attraction at this tournament. I hadn't seen her play since the Australian Open 2007, due to a combination of her missing my key tournaments through injury last year, and the BBC ignoring her in the first two Majors of 2008.
But I didn't even get to see her practise or around the grounds at Eastbourne 2008, and then when I finally did see her - from a great distance, as I was in Row M of Centre Court - she turned in the worst performance I've ever seen from her.
Vera had pulled out of Birmingham with a cold, so this was her first match on grass since her spectacular victory in the Wimbledon 2006 Mixed Doubles final. And she definitely looked out of sorts, spraying errors left, right and centre, and not showing her usual amazing retrieval-abilities either.
Makarova, on the other hand, had plenty of match-play on grass, having played two matches at Birmingham, and won four prior matches at Eastbourne to qualify and reach the second round. After trailing 1-3* against Vera, she won 8 games in a row to lead 6-3 3-0*. Makarova kept finding the sidelines with sharp, left-handed groundstrokes.
Perhaps Vera was caught out by an earlier-than-expected start. The match was fourth on Centre Court, but the prior matches went 6-3 6-0, 6-2 6-2, and 1-2 retired, so Vera had to play perhaps a couple of hours earlier than she might have expected.
ZVONARĖV *@ @ 3 MAKAROVA @ @*@*@ 6
The match was fourth on Centre Court, but was called much earlier than expected - after Amélie Mauresmo retired three games into the previous match. It's a good job I was on the ball, and heard the call that sent me running to Centre Court!
Makarova won the toss and elected to receive, and the match started at 15:07 BST.
Vera serving 0-0: Vera netted a forehand. 0/15. Service-winner. 15/15. Makarova crosscourt forehand + forehand winner down the line. 15/30. Vera backhand winner down the line. 30/30. Service-winner out wide. 40/30. Makarova mishit a forehand long.
Makarova serving 0-1: Makarova netted a backhand. 0/15. Makarova opened up the court with a crosscourt forehand just inside the sideline, but netted a dreadful forehand volley. 0/30. Vera down-the-line backhand just long. 15/30. Vera hit an error-forcing off-forehand return. 15/40. Double fault (second serve into the net). Makarova threw her racket.
Vera serving 2-0: Vera netted a backhand. 0/15. Double fault (second serve long). 0/30. Vera crosscourt forehand just wide. 0/40 (BP #1). Makarova netted a forehand. 15/40 (BP #2). Vera hit a thunderbold of a forehand winner down the line. 30/40 (BP #3). Vera sprayed a forehand long to give the break back.
Vera sat with her head in a towel at this and every subsequent changeover.
Makarova serving 1-2: Ace out wide. 15/0. Double fault (second serve just wide). 15/15. Vera's low-bouncing ball forced Makarova to net a forehand. 15/30. Vera off-forehand return wide. 30/30. Vera backhand just long. 40/30. Makarova on the third stroke netted a forehand, and yelled. 40/40. Serve + off-forehand winner - Vera did the splits. Ad Makarova. She hit a forehand wide on the third stroke. Deuce #2. Vera netted a forehand return. Ad Makarova. She netted a backhand on the third stroke. Deuce #3. Makarova netted a backhand. Ad Vera (BP). Makarova hit a forehand long to reinstate Vera's break after missing three game-points.
Vera serving 3-1: Double fault (second serve just long). 0/15. Makarova backhand winner down the line. 0/30. Makarova netted a forehand. 15/30. Vera dominated the rally, forced a floater... and hit a wild forehand smash long. 15/40 (BP #1). Vera's low-bouncing ball forced Makarova to net a forehand. 30/40 (BP #2). Vera relinquished her break by hitting a forehand just long.
Makarova serving 2-3: Makarova hit a thunderbolt of a forehand winner down the line. 15/0. A long rally ended with Vera netting a forehand off a low-bouncing ball from Makarova. 30/0. Vera hit a big off-forehand winner just inside the sideline. 30/15. Serve + crosscourt backhand winner. 40/15. Serve + down-the-line forehand winner on the junction of sideline and baseline!
Vera serving 3-3: Vera crosscourt forehand winner. 15/0. Makarova forehand long. 30/0. Vera ran down a dropshot but netted a forehand. 30/15. Vera sliced a down-the-line backhand wide. 30/30. Makarova painted the sideline with an off-forehand return-winner. 30/40. Makarova hit a crosscourt backhand winner to break after Vera had led 30/0.
Makarova serving 4-3: Makarova netted a backhand. 0/15. Serve out wide + crosscourt backhand winner. 15/15. Vera backhand long. 30/15. Makarova painted the sideline with an off-backhand winner. 40/15. Service-winner.
Vera serving 3-5: Vera on the third stroke hit a forehand long. 0/15. Makarova off-forehand just wide. 15/15. A low-bouncing ball from Makarova forced Vera to mishit a forehand lob wide of the tramlines. 15/30. Makarova's down-the-line backhand forced Vera to hit a backhand wide. 15/40 (SP #1). Makarova netted a forehand. 30/40 (SP #2). Vera hit a forehand onto the baseline, but it was called long. Makarova won the first set 6-3 at 15:43 (36 minutes).
Vera took one of the on-court coaching-sessions allowed at Eastbourne 2008.
ZVONARĖV * * * 3 MAKAROVA *@* * * * 6
Makarova serving 0-0: Vera hit an error-forcing crosscourt forehand return. 0/15. Vera forehand long. 15/15. Vera forehand volley just long. 30/15. Vera forehand long. 40/15. Vera netted a backhand return.
Vera serving 0-1: Vera netted two forehands. 0/30. Vera took the initiative with a serve out wide + off-forehand... and hit a wild forehand drive-volley long. 0/40 (BP #1). Makarova crosscourt forehand just long/wide - but Vera was unwise to leave it. 15/40 (BP #2). Double fault (second serve just long). Vera reacted by going to the net, then smacked the service-line with her racket.
Makarova serving 2-0: Makarova painted the sideline with a crosscourt forehand winner. 15/0. Ace down the middle. 30/0. Vera netted a sliced backhand. 40/0. Ace down the middle: just inside the centre-line. Makarova has now won eight games in a row.
Vera serving 0-3: Body-jamming service-winner on the service-line. 15/0. Makarova hit a crosscourt backhand wide of the tramlines. 30/0. Serve out wide + crosscourt forehand winner back behind Makarova. 40/0. Makarova went to the net, but hit a poor smash and retreated, and Vera hit a crosscourt forehand winner.
Makarova serving 3-1: Makarova crosscourt backhand wide. 0/15. Serve + down-the-line forehand winner caught the outside edge of the sideline. 15/15. Vera dumped a forehand return into the net. 30/15. Serve out wide + error-forcing crosscourt backhand. 40/15. Service-winner down the middle.
Vera serving 1-4: Makarova netted a backhand return. 0/15. Double fault (second serve into the net). 15/15. Ace out wide: on the sideline. 30/15. Vera went to the net; Makarova lob just long. 40/15. Makarova forehand winner down the line. 40/30. Vera netted a forehand. 40/40. Makarova hit a cheap crosscourt backhand return wide. Ad Vera. A long rally ended with Makarova netting a forehand off a low-bouncing ball from Vera.
Makarova serving 4-2: Makarova netted a backhand after a good return by Vera. 0/15. Vera forehand wide. 15/15. Vera on the fourth stroke hit a forehand long. 30/15. Makarova dispatched Vera's lob with a forehand smash-winner onto the sideline. 40/15. Second serve: Vera off-forehand return-winner. 40/30. Vera forehand just long.
Vera serving 2-5 (new balls): Service-winner down the middle. 15/0. Service-winner (Makarova lob-return just long). 30/0. Makarova down-the-line forehand winner + fist-pump. 30/15. Makarova crosscourt backhand winner on the junction of sideline and baseline! 30/30. There was a gust of wind, and a netcord from Makarova induced Vera to hit a forehand wide and long. 30/40 (MP #1). A long rally ended with Makarova hitting a down-the-line forehand just wide. 40/40. Makarova crosscourt backhand wide. Ad Vera. Makarova hit a backhand return onto the baseline, but it was called long.
Makarova serving 5-3: Vera changed her racket between first and second serves. She forced a short, weak ball from Makarova, but hit a crosscourt backhand wide. 15/0. Makarova's depth forced Vera on the back foot to hit an off-backhand wide. 30/0. Vera forehand long. 40/0 (MP #2). Backhand return just wide. Makarova won 6-3 6-3 at 16:15 (second set 32m, match 1h08m).
Makarova's on-court interview: "No, it was tough to play against her. She's a great player, but I played very well."
Kuznetsova, Zvonarėva Out
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2353
>>>
The top four seeds made their first appearances of the week at the International Women's Open on Wednesday. One won, two lost, and another didn't even finish as the second round nearly came to completion at the key Wimbledon warm-up event on the lawns of Devonshire Park in Eastbourne.
Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonarėva, both coming off impressive clay-court seasons and seeded No.1 and No.3, respectively, fell to youngsters Caroline Wozniacki and Ekaterina Makarova.
Wozniacki, whose junior-highlights include the Wimbledon girls' title two years ago, notched her third top-ten win of the season against the No.4-ranked Kuznetsova: 6-2 6-2.
Makarova, a qualifier into the draw, beat the No.13-ranked Zvonarėva nearly as handily, 6-3 6-3, for her third top-twenty win of the season.
Already in 2008, Wozniacki has notched two wins over Marion Bartoli; Makarova has wins over Įgnes Szįvay and Nicole Vaidiovį.
<<<
Seeds swept out of Eastbourne second round
http://www.lta.org.uk/News/All-news-items/WC16-06-08/Seeds-swept-out-of-Eastbourne-second-round-/
>>>
No.3 seed Vera Zvonarėva managed just six games in her match against countrywoman Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, falling 6-3 6-3 in one hour and eight minutes. "There is not much to say: she played well; I played bad," said Zvonarėva.
"It was my first match on grass, and I just wasn't in it all. I will now be working on getting ready for Wimbledon, where I hopefully find my game."
<<<